What do you think?
Rate this book
Ever Since New York
Emaline Levine is a rising pop star taking the world by storm with her childhood best friend Kieran Hayes—her guitarist and co-writer—by her side. With her quickly growing fame and success, Emaline is learning how to navigate the complexities of the music industry, while also recovering from an eating disorder and PTSD.
Kieran has dreamed of being a professional musician ever since he first picked up a guitar. Now that he’s living that dream, his lifelong struggle with OCD—along with his increasingly complicated feelings for Emaline—is holding him back from reaching his full potential.
Emaline and Kieran have never been more than just friends, but one night in New York City changes everything.
Kieran has dreamed of being a professional musician ever since he first picked up a guitar. Now that he’s living that dream, his lifelong struggle with OCD—along with his increasingly complicated feelings for Emaline—is holding him back from reaching his full potential.
Emaline and Kieran have never been more than just friends, but one night in New York City changes everything.
343 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 16, 2025
24 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Colleen Conklin
1 book19 followersColleen Conklin is a writer and therapist who believes that the best love stories are messy, imperfect, and unfiltered. Originally from New York, she now lives in Nashville with her husband Sean, a touring audio engineer, and their sweet old yorkie Zen. She is a proud Directioner and Harry Styles fangirl at heart, and when she isn’t writing, Colleen can be found with a cup of tea and immersed in a good book. Her debut contemporary romance, Ever Since New York, follows a rising pop star and her childhood best friend as they navigate fame, healing, and falling in love on tour.
Connect with her on social media: @colleenmwerner
Connect with her on social media: @colleenmwerner
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Read
August 14, 2025DNF @ 30% but wanted to share my exact thoughts on why. I won’t be leaving a star rating.
As a huge 1D/Harrie, it breaks my heart to DNF this, but I just can’t continue. Right from the start, the dialogue leans heavily on telling instead of showing. Show us they’re best friends secretly in love through thoughts, subtle actions, and moments of unspoken understanding. Show us that Emmie feels like an imposter with her fame through the way she navigates her career and interacts with others. Show us her disordered history with eating by letting us into her thoughts around food, those instinctive moments where she catches herself and course-corrects. Don’t just tell us—it feels disingenuous.
For example, page 26: “his eyes seem to linger longer than usual, and I’m starting to wonder if he could somehow want to be more than just friends…” The “and I’m starting to wonder…” part is redundant. This could have been a perfect opportunity to foreshadow by dropping subtle hints of the things they notice and appreciate about each other—moments that make the reader wonder right alongside them.
On the other hand, page 37 nails it: “I let my fingers linger on her waist for a moment longer than I probably should…” That’s exactly the kind of execution that works—no over-explaining, just letting the action speak for itself.
There was potential and it could’ve been really good but the writing and over-telling caused it to fall short.
As a huge 1D/Harrie, it breaks my heart to DNF this, but I just can’t continue. Right from the start, the dialogue leans heavily on telling instead of showing. Show us they’re best friends secretly in love through thoughts, subtle actions, and moments of unspoken understanding. Show us that Emmie feels like an imposter with her fame through the way she navigates her career and interacts with others. Show us her disordered history with eating by letting us into her thoughts around food, those instinctive moments where she catches herself and course-corrects. Don’t just tell us—it feels disingenuous.
For example, page 26: “his eyes seem to linger longer than usual, and I’m starting to wonder if he could somehow want to be more than just friends…” The “and I’m starting to wonder…” part is redundant. This could have been a perfect opportunity to foreshadow by dropping subtle hints of the things they notice and appreciate about each other—moments that make the reader wonder right alongside them.
On the other hand, page 37 nails it: “I let my fingers linger on her waist for a moment longer than I probably should…” That’s exactly the kind of execution that works—no over-explaining, just letting the action speak for itself.
There was potential and it could’ve been really good but the writing and over-telling caused it to fall short.
August 9, 2025
Hey Siri, play Ever Since New York by Harry Styles!
If you love a book with cheesy romance and cliches, this ones for you.
I thought Emaline and Kieran were really cute together. I especially liked their way of communicating with and caring for each other and their show-outfit-tradition. Some very important topics were addressed and discussed, which I thought was great. I even teared up a little bit at the end.
Also the different associations with Harry Styles and 1D? Love, love, love!
Nevertheless for my liking it was a bit to cheesy and I’d also have liked a little more slow burn. The switch from best friends to lovers happened to early, because of that it felt like there wasn’t any plot or plottwist throughout the book. The different scenes overall happened quite fast and felt repetitive. It all felt rushed.
The writing style made it easy to read through the book, however it reminded me a bit too much of a fan fiction. The amount of dialogues was quite high, with the related actions they could have been a bit more flowing. Every little detail or statement was discussed, which was sometimes exhausting.
Still… it was a sweet book overall. Thank you Colleen for this cute ARC!
If you love a book with cheesy romance and cliches, this ones for you.
I thought Emaline and Kieran were really cute together. I especially liked their way of communicating with and caring for each other and their show-outfit-tradition. Some very important topics were addressed and discussed, which I thought was great. I even teared up a little bit at the end.
Also the different associations with Harry Styles and 1D? Love, love, love!
Nevertheless for my liking it was a bit to cheesy and I’d also have liked a little more slow burn. The switch from best friends to lovers happened to early, because of that it felt like there wasn’t any plot or plottwist throughout the book. The different scenes overall happened quite fast and felt repetitive. It all felt rushed.
The writing style made it easy to read through the book, however it reminded me a bit too much of a fan fiction. The amount of dialogues was quite high, with the related actions they could have been a bit more flowing. Every little detail or statement was discussed, which was sometimes exhausting.
Still… it was a sweet book overall. Thank you Colleen for this cute ARC!
November 3, 2025
This one was rough, and I wouldn’t have made it through without a buddy. The story was pretty banal, and while we hint or talk about struggle, there is hardly any conflict/stakes to justify how long this book is. Pretty much you see the same selection of scenes over and over, and yet nothing ever really happens… The therapy tones are, at best, a bit misused as we constantly talk about the technical and clinical aspects of mental health (which every single character seems to be well versed in), but hardly see the characters wrestle with it in real time. I wouldn’t say this has exemplary representation for mental health, LGBTQIA+
characters, or even really the famous pop star experience. The pacing was pretty episodic and off the wall in the second half. Overall, I think this may have been better as fan fiction. Hardcore Harry Styles fans may be able to make it through.
characters, or even really the famous pop star experience. The pacing was pretty episodic and off the wall in the second half. Overall, I think this may have been better as fan fiction. Hardcore Harry Styles fans may be able to make it through.
November 5, 2025
I appreciate the attempt at bringing different mental health issues into a romance book but it sort of felt like a random add on not integrated into the story. Any mention of mental health felt like an educational snippet vs a real experience. The overall story is cheesy and immediately jumped into the relationship, there was no build up and there wasn’t really a plot. The dialogue was rough at times. Overall this had potential but wasn’t for me.
July 21, 2025
So happy to have received this ARC from queen Colleen - and loved it!! This is the perfect feel-good story this summer needs. Such a cute story about childhood friends finding love, trust, & support in each other & with fun supporting characters, but the individual struggles of Emaline & Kieran are what makes this story so special. Truly structures the story & how Emaline’s ED is explored is in the most humanizing/destigmatizing way I’ve ever read. Not just responsibly done but I genuinely felt like I’d just been given free therapy reading it lmao. Anyway read this on the beach and it was the perf book!
July 12, 2025
First of all thank you so much Colleen for this ARC !!
Unfortunately it didn’t work for me, it was too insta love, felt (too much) like a fan fiction and everything moved to quickly for me to really get into the story or get interested in the characters.
Unfortunately it didn’t work for me, it was too insta love, felt (too much) like a fan fiction and everything moved to quickly for me to really get into the story or get interested in the characters.
November 6, 2025
PSA: you have free will. Be better than me and use it to read anything else.
September 20, 2025
This is a sweet story, heavy on the mental health awareness with a sweet side of romance that gave a safe spot for both characters to fall as they worked through their stuff♥️
September 16, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ Thank you Colleen for sending me an ARC of your debut novel! As someone who has followed you on socials before you even started writing this book, it’s so inspiring to have seen your journey from start to finish! You should be so proud!
While the instant love story moved a little quickly for me, there were so many things I enjoyed about Ever Since New York. I especially loved your representation of main characters with anxiety/OCD/ED disorders to help bring awareness to these disorders and also help de-stigmatize those who struggle with these issues (myself included).
I also loved all of your great details about the music industry and touring. It was fun to read about some of my favorite cities and see what the characters enjoyed from their visits.
I look forward to reading more from you in the future and can’t wait to follow your growing career now as an author! 🫶🏼
While the instant love story moved a little quickly for me, there were so many things I enjoyed about Ever Since New York. I especially loved your representation of main characters with anxiety/OCD/ED disorders to help bring awareness to these disorders and also help de-stigmatize those who struggle with these issues (myself included).
I also loved all of your great details about the music industry and touring. It was fun to read about some of my favorite cities and see what the characters enjoyed from their visits.
I look forward to reading more from you in the future and can’t wait to follow your growing career now as an author! 🫶🏼
August 15, 2025
If you like romances in fanfiction, this is definitely the book for you! There's also excellent therapy speak in it as well, and it also had a great understanding of the music industry.
Emaline and Kieran have been best friends since forever and it has carried over into her recording career. They realize they have feelings for each other early on in the book, but their mental illnesses get in the way of a happily ever after.
This book had a lot of representation, like OCD, eating disorders, and represented different sexualities, too, like bisexual characters.
It felt like the arc of the story was they were both doing well with their respective mental illnesses until they got together, but they weren't "triggers" for each other. But I realized, if you can look at this like each chapter is a short story like when you're following a fanfic that's being written from week to week, it's easier to digest. The author herself even wrote a Substack about how a book "feeling like fan fiction" shouldn't be an insult, so while I was concerned I'd hurt some feelings saying this reads like fanfiction, that post made me feel a lot better about writing this review. I almost didn't leave a review.
Now, I don't want to ever discourage someone from pursuing their art, so I try to make criticisms that are constructive and useful, and I hope they are taken that way. My worst nightmare is to hear that someone stopped creating because of something I said to them (I've been there, promise). My criticisms are that I'd have liked to have seen more of Chris, Emaline's ex, make more appearances as an active character (not just a memory), get under her skin/undermine her confidence in performances, maybe make some bad rumors about her in the industry to affect her album sales, and maybe have been the reason she had a relapse of her eating disorder, and in the end, be exposed for his abuses of her in the press. Then Emaline could have become America's Sweetheart over it, like what happened to Kesha. Chris really only had one active scene in which he appeared, and I felt like if he had been given more 'screen time', he would have been the villain we loved to hate.
I'd love to see a prequel where Emaline and Kieran are with their exes, and their exes are keeping them apart, but they come back together and realize they're stronger together, especially with music. Maybe that'll be a novella Colleen will write in the future!
I recieved a free ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.
Emaline and Kieran have been best friends since forever and it has carried over into her recording career. They realize they have feelings for each other early on in the book, but their mental illnesses get in the way of a happily ever after.
This book had a lot of representation, like OCD, eating disorders, and represented different sexualities, too, like bisexual characters.
It felt like the arc of the story was they were both doing well with their respective mental illnesses until they got together, but they weren't "triggers" for each other. But I realized, if you can look at this like each chapter is a short story like when you're following a fanfic that's being written from week to week, it's easier to digest. The author herself even wrote a Substack about how a book "feeling like fan fiction" shouldn't be an insult, so while I was concerned I'd hurt some feelings saying this reads like fanfiction, that post made me feel a lot better about writing this review. I almost didn't leave a review.
Now, I don't want to ever discourage someone from pursuing their art, so I try to make criticisms that are constructive and useful, and I hope they are taken that way. My worst nightmare is to hear that someone stopped creating because of something I said to them (I've been there, promise). My criticisms are that I'd have liked to have seen more of Chris, Emaline's ex, make more appearances as an active character (not just a memory), get under her skin/undermine her confidence in performances, maybe make some bad rumors about her in the industry to affect her album sales, and maybe have been the reason she had a relapse of her eating disorder, and in the end, be exposed for his abuses of her in the press. Then Emaline could have become America's Sweetheart over it, like what happened to Kesha. Chris really only had one active scene in which he appeared, and I felt like if he had been given more 'screen time', he would have been the villain we loved to hate.
I'd love to see a prequel where Emaline and Kieran are with their exes, and their exes are keeping them apart, but they come back together and realize they're stronger together, especially with music. Maybe that'll be a novella Colleen will write in the future!
I recieved a free ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.
August 13, 2025
COLLEEN- thank you so much for this ARC!
First of all, insta-love is not really my thing. HOWEVER, I think it is really well done in this book so don’t let that stop you. There is background of Kieran and Emaline being friends since childhood and I feel like that added time and more of a slow release to this. Even though it begins with Kieran recognizing his feelings pretty quickly, there are a lot of details to their friendship and the history feels deep enough that I wasn’t thrown off by that.
Second of all, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the side characters. They were really well fleshed out and I found myself caring about all of them- especially the hints of romance between one of the other (hopefully) future couples in this series.
Lastly, I am in grad school for a counseling degree and knowing that Colleen thoughtfully used her own training as a therapist to balance the nuance of mental health was massively important. Her portrayal of both Emaline’s trauma and ED as well as Kieran’s OCD didn’t feel like it was put in a box and was fleshed out in such a human way. I really hope people read this and feel seen by these characters- I know I did.
Again, thank you so much for this ARC and I can’t wait to see this take off!
First of all, insta-love is not really my thing. HOWEVER, I think it is really well done in this book so don’t let that stop you. There is background of Kieran and Emaline being friends since childhood and I feel like that added time and more of a slow release to this. Even though it begins with Kieran recognizing his feelings pretty quickly, there are a lot of details to their friendship and the history feels deep enough that I wasn’t thrown off by that.
Second of all, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the side characters. They were really well fleshed out and I found myself caring about all of them- especially the hints of romance between one of the other (hopefully) future couples in this series.
Lastly, I am in grad school for a counseling degree and knowing that Colleen thoughtfully used her own training as a therapist to balance the nuance of mental health was massively important. Her portrayal of both Emaline’s trauma and ED as well as Kieran’s OCD didn’t feel like it was put in a box and was fleshed out in such a human way. I really hope people read this and feel seen by these characters- I know I did.
Again, thank you so much for this ARC and I can’t wait to see this take off!
July 12, 2025
THANK YOU SO SO MUCH COLLEEN FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE A BETA READER FOR THIS FANTASTIC BOOK!! What an honour to be picked for such a “me coded” release, I found so much comfort within these characters and I’m so grateful that Kieran and Em made their way into my life ❤️🩹
This one is for the Harry girls 100%!! If you’re like me and are still chasing the high of love on tour and are desperately anticipating a new album to drop, this is the perfect book to pick up while we wait it out together 💌⭐️
KIEREN IS SO DOWN BAD. This man would kiss the ground she walks on 😩
I love to see a true supportive friend group who understands eachothers struggles.
This is a FANTASTIC friends to lovers story where their friendship is so unbelievably strong and a great foundation for their relationship. Both characters are so emotionally intelligent I was blown away by how mature and caring their conversations are, always putting eachother first and working as a TEAM and a proper partnership to overcome obstacles in their separate lives.
Love love love all of the 1d references and seeing her love and comfort within the boys represented in fiction 😍 Em’s coping skills including watching old 1d clips is SO REAL that’s exactly my go to move too hahaha
I know so many people are going to find comfort and clarity from these characters. Everyone deserves to have such healthy communication.
Thank you again Colleen for trusting me and allowing me to be a part of your BETA Team, I cannot wait to see what you choose to create next 🩵
🌸 mental health rep
🌸 one direction coded
🌸 childhood friends to lovers
🌸 musicians on tour
🌸 HEALTHY COMMUNICATION
This one is for the Harry girls 100%!! If you’re like me and are still chasing the high of love on tour and are desperately anticipating a new album to drop, this is the perfect book to pick up while we wait it out together 💌⭐️
KIEREN IS SO DOWN BAD. This man would kiss the ground she walks on 😩
I love to see a true supportive friend group who understands eachothers struggles.
This is a FANTASTIC friends to lovers story where their friendship is so unbelievably strong and a great foundation for their relationship. Both characters are so emotionally intelligent I was blown away by how mature and caring their conversations are, always putting eachother first and working as a TEAM and a proper partnership to overcome obstacles in their separate lives.
Love love love all of the 1d references and seeing her love and comfort within the boys represented in fiction 😍 Em’s coping skills including watching old 1d clips is SO REAL that’s exactly my go to move too hahaha
I know so many people are going to find comfort and clarity from these characters. Everyone deserves to have such healthy communication.
Thank you again Colleen for trusting me and allowing me to be a part of your BETA Team, I cannot wait to see what you choose to create next 🩵
🌸 mental health rep
🌸 one direction coded
🌸 childhood friends to lovers
🌸 musicians on tour
🌸 HEALTHY COMMUNICATION
July 19, 2025
A sweet sweet romance with sensitive subjects and cliché? That's what we have here 🤭
I loved Emaline and Kieran's relationship growing up. They've been friends since they were little, but they never gave their love a chance, and damn it, because they're the love of each other's lives!! They understand each other, listen to each other, help each other... what more could we want? 🥹
This book is so much more than a romance about two music stars falling in love. It's an emotionally raw and honest narrative about love, vulnerability, and healing.
Thank you Colleen for this magical opportunity 💛
I loved Emaline and Kieran's relationship growing up. They've been friends since they were little, but they never gave their love a chance, and damn it, because they're the love of each other's lives!! They understand each other, listen to each other, help each other... what more could we want? 🥹
This book is so much more than a romance about two music stars falling in love. It's an emotionally raw and honest narrative about love, vulnerability, and healing.
Thank you Colleen for this magical opportunity 💛
September 20, 2025
If you are a fan of Harry Styles or 1D, this is the book for you! I will forever be a sucker for a book that takes place in the music industry and comes with a playlist.
This book is definitely feels like an insta love trope, which isn’t necessarily my favorite, but if you’re a fan of it then you will love it. I think what helped me move past it was that Emaline and Kieran are childhood friends so they’ve known each other forever and you can feel the chemistry between the two characters.
I loved the representation of mental health issues and sexuality in the book!
This book came out earlier this week and is available to add to your TBR! Thank you Colleen for this Arc!
This book is definitely feels like an insta love trope, which isn’t necessarily my favorite, but if you’re a fan of it then you will love it. I think what helped me move past it was that Emaline and Kieran are childhood friends so they’ve known each other forever and you can feel the chemistry between the two characters.
I loved the representation of mental health issues and sexuality in the book!
This book came out earlier this week and is available to add to your TBR! Thank you Colleen for this Arc!
August 17, 2025
2.5⭐️
A huge thank you to Colleen for sending me an ARC of her debut novel!
Unfortunately, the story was too "insta-love" for me and I didn't always love the writing style. That being said, there is significant mental health representation in here that I enjoyed the author bringing awareness to (and she's a licensed therapist with the knowledge and sensitivity to bring to these topics). She also crafted a playlist to follow the storyline which I absolutely loved!
The author has made trigger warnings available and I would definitely recommend checking them before starting this book.
A huge thank you to Colleen for sending me an ARC of her debut novel!
Unfortunately, the story was too "insta-love" for me and I didn't always love the writing style. That being said, there is significant mental health representation in here that I enjoyed the author bringing awareness to (and she's a licensed therapist with the knowledge and sensitivity to bring to these topics). She also crafted a playlist to follow the storyline which I absolutely loved!
The author has made trigger warnings available and I would definitely recommend checking them before starting this book.
September 16, 2025
Colleen Conklin’s Ever Since New York was such a treat! The characters feel so real and the romance is genuinely sweet. I loved how the story balances humor, heart, and that unmistakable New York energy, it made it impossible to put down.
July 14, 2025
So proud of my friend Colleen for her debut novel & so grateful I received an ARC!!
December 2, 2025
I read this thing cover to cover. The cover is where the feelings of legitimacy of this book begin and end. This is a fan fic that someone paid Staples to print with nice paper.
The tropes on the internet said this book would be a moving story about fame, friendship, and mental health. Unfortunately, this was a scrapbook of melodrama, weirdly placed sterile mental health textbook jargon, Harry Styles references that solidified the fan fiction feeling, and a romance that is forced, lacks chemistry, and hard to root for all glued together.
It almost reads like AI, except that even Chatgpt can identify repetitive patterns.
Truly notable issues with this story that I would share with any prospective reader:
-Pacing was wild- most of the tour could be skipped entirely. There are minimal plot points, tension, notable scenes, or yearning that justifies the length of this story.
-Emaline is not a character you see yourself in, she is written one sided and flat. She is a collection of shallow self-pity and cliches held together by empty monologues and a bralette.
-Keiran’s character exists only as something for Emaline to use to feel grounded. He offers absolutely nothing to the story except to cradle Emaline’s feelings while offering vague assurances. The tone is again, very sterile and flat which can only be attributed to bad writing.
- The romance does not develop-it just appears. Who would have thought that two flat characters don’t magically have depth just because you smash them into classic romance tropes. I am convinced this author’s interpretation of love begins and ends with what someone can offer or perhaps how much they can inflate your ego.
Because of the lack of plot points or real challenges for the characters they don’t grow, reflect or change in any way. Their mental health struggles are like weird journal entries of the worst person you’ve met who is always the victim.
I would not recommend this book to anyone I liked.
How disappointing.
The tropes on the internet said this book would be a moving story about fame, friendship, and mental health. Unfortunately, this was a scrapbook of melodrama, weirdly placed sterile mental health textbook jargon, Harry Styles references that solidified the fan fiction feeling, and a romance that is forced, lacks chemistry, and hard to root for all glued together.
It almost reads like AI, except that even Chatgpt can identify repetitive patterns.
Truly notable issues with this story that I would share with any prospective reader:
-Pacing was wild- most of the tour could be skipped entirely. There are minimal plot points, tension, notable scenes, or yearning that justifies the length of this story.
-Emaline is not a character you see yourself in, she is written one sided and flat. She is a collection of shallow self-pity and cliches held together by empty monologues and a bralette.
-Keiran’s character exists only as something for Emaline to use to feel grounded. He offers absolutely nothing to the story except to cradle Emaline’s feelings while offering vague assurances. The tone is again, very sterile and flat which can only be attributed to bad writing.
- The romance does not develop-it just appears. Who would have thought that two flat characters don’t magically have depth just because you smash them into classic romance tropes. I am convinced this author’s interpretation of love begins and ends with what someone can offer or perhaps how much they can inflate your ego.
Because of the lack of plot points or real challenges for the characters they don’t grow, reflect or change in any way. Their mental health struggles are like weird journal entries of the worst person you’ve met who is always the victim.
I would not recommend this book to anyone I liked.
How disappointing.
October 20, 2025
This book is a masterclass in mediocrity without self awareness.
Spoiler Warning.
This is my first time on Goodreads. I made this account for the purpose of creating this review. Writing exactly what I wanted to say for this review has taken me five days to complete. Five days of going back into the text to try and pull out specific areas that I felt ruined the book…the fun part was in doing so, I found that this book is a Russian doll of failure. If Ever Since New York were a song, it would be the kind that thinks it deserves a grammy when in reality it’ll be used in the background of a pharmaceutical commercial.
This book takes itself so seriously, while serving bad fan fiction. Pitched as a pop star romance, slow burn, friends to lovers, a sweet character driven story with positive LGBTQ+ characters, and a captivating look on mental health. This book delivered on none of these tropes. The author seems desperate to try and convince readers of the deep and emotional gravity forced into the scenes, in what I can only assume as a way to distract from the critical lack of structure, pacing, plot points, character logic, or dialog that sounds anything like a human being would say. Its insta-love with the main (and arguably only) plot point being that characters who have grown up together, spend all down time together since grade school, live essentially together, and work together have never once thought about each other romantically. We resolve this issue before we finish ⅓ of the book.
The relationship between Kieran and Emaline feels juvenile, as there are constant reminders of all the things they did together as children (ages 5-7), yet we’re expected to believe that they have been best friends through high school and college, but we do not clearly reference those times. Their relationship and dialog turns Kieran into a whiney simp who is just grateful to be there, and Emaline into a bland shell who is self important but needs permanent attention to feel safe.The spicy scenes serve vanilla while trying so hard to be kinky with sub/dom behavior; this falls flat and made me feel uncomfortable to read as it seems to infantilize the FMC. Not to mention, there are some choreography issues in the spicy scenes that functionally don’t work. EXAMPLE: chapter 10 page 93. All in all the spice gave me the ick.
Our characters are both supposed to be Bisexual, but we only reference that a few times, however, it is easy to forget this detail, as the characters seem to only discuss heteronormative relationships minus one sloppy make out session in the first chapter with the FMC and a random. In fact, we steer clear of positive representation and nose dive into misogyny. This can be seen throughout the story for both POVs. Emaline constantly seeks male validation in every choice she makes to the point she feels like not her own person, but just a doll for Kieran. Kieran takes on “alpha male” qualities in his POV as it relates to Emaline’s interactions with other men, but we don’t keep that same energy with women.
The meat of the book is this exact formula. The band is in a city…about to perform in some historic or notable venue. We’re pop stars but we Ubered there. We talk in detail about the food we are eating in such a positive and delighted tone that is an odd juxtaposition to the near constant reminders of the eating disorder struggles of our FMC…fear not we have a well practiced phrase to explain this. “Usually, my eating disorder would not let me enjoy food xyz, but not today. Today I am loving it”. Then we do a sound check, but never get to see that experience. We then go to the dressing rooms. Kieran seeks out Emaline before the show, to describe for us in viscous detail every aspect of her appearance. We then spend a few moments talking dirty but we hold off because it's show time. We then go perform, and for a pop star book that is supposed to capture the thrill of performance, at this point I am not sure if this author has even been to a concert. We don’t get to experience any feelings or physical sensations related to performing music. Then we go back to the hotel and have mildly degrading sex. Rinse and repeat for two tours.
The mental health aspects of this story felt like an accessory to create some semblance of plot rather than character truth. Trauma is used here to spice up the romance and show connection, but this author has chosen to write in a tell instead of show style. Reading the analytical mental health “struggles” of the characters in this authors’ over-explain style will stop any reader from being able to connect and get immersed in the scene. It felt like watching someone cry in the mirror to see if it looks authentic.
The pacing is insane. Most of the chapters in the beginning could have been accidentally ripped out and the plot of the story would not be effected at all. There are far too many page breaks considering the mundane and uninteresting scenes that they separate. I guess the breaks were there as consistent opportunities to cut my losses and put the book down…clearly I didn’t listen. The ending skips approximately 3 years in 4 chapters-there is no major resolution to relish at the end as there were, in fact, no problems for the characters to overcome.
Ever Since New York answers the question what if a 13 year old’s Wattpad account and a self help journal made a baby. This story is an over-long mixtape that mistakes the suffering of the readers for substance.
Spoiler Warning.
This is my first time on Goodreads. I made this account for the purpose of creating this review. Writing exactly what I wanted to say for this review has taken me five days to complete. Five days of going back into the text to try and pull out specific areas that I felt ruined the book…the fun part was in doing so, I found that this book is a Russian doll of failure. If Ever Since New York were a song, it would be the kind that thinks it deserves a grammy when in reality it’ll be used in the background of a pharmaceutical commercial.
This book takes itself so seriously, while serving bad fan fiction. Pitched as a pop star romance, slow burn, friends to lovers, a sweet character driven story with positive LGBTQ+ characters, and a captivating look on mental health. This book delivered on none of these tropes. The author seems desperate to try and convince readers of the deep and emotional gravity forced into the scenes, in what I can only assume as a way to distract from the critical lack of structure, pacing, plot points, character logic, or dialog that sounds anything like a human being would say. Its insta-love with the main (and arguably only) plot point being that characters who have grown up together, spend all down time together since grade school, live essentially together, and work together have never once thought about each other romantically. We resolve this issue before we finish ⅓ of the book.
The relationship between Kieran and Emaline feels juvenile, as there are constant reminders of all the things they did together as children (ages 5-7), yet we’re expected to believe that they have been best friends through high school and college, but we do not clearly reference those times. Their relationship and dialog turns Kieran into a whiney simp who is just grateful to be there, and Emaline into a bland shell who is self important but needs permanent attention to feel safe.The spicy scenes serve vanilla while trying so hard to be kinky with sub/dom behavior; this falls flat and made me feel uncomfortable to read as it seems to infantilize the FMC. Not to mention, there are some choreography issues in the spicy scenes that functionally don’t work. EXAMPLE: chapter 10 page 93. All in all the spice gave me the ick.
Our characters are both supposed to be Bisexual, but we only reference that a few times, however, it is easy to forget this detail, as the characters seem to only discuss heteronormative relationships minus one sloppy make out session in the first chapter with the FMC and a random. In fact, we steer clear of positive representation and nose dive into misogyny. This can be seen throughout the story for both POVs. Emaline constantly seeks male validation in every choice she makes to the point she feels like not her own person, but just a doll for Kieran. Kieran takes on “alpha male” qualities in his POV as it relates to Emaline’s interactions with other men, but we don’t keep that same energy with women.
The meat of the book is this exact formula. The band is in a city…about to perform in some historic or notable venue. We’re pop stars but we Ubered there. We talk in detail about the food we are eating in such a positive and delighted tone that is an odd juxtaposition to the near constant reminders of the eating disorder struggles of our FMC…fear not we have a well practiced phrase to explain this. “Usually, my eating disorder would not let me enjoy food xyz, but not today. Today I am loving it”. Then we do a sound check, but never get to see that experience. We then go to the dressing rooms. Kieran seeks out Emaline before the show, to describe for us in viscous detail every aspect of her appearance. We then spend a few moments talking dirty but we hold off because it's show time. We then go perform, and for a pop star book that is supposed to capture the thrill of performance, at this point I am not sure if this author has even been to a concert. We don’t get to experience any feelings or physical sensations related to performing music. Then we go back to the hotel and have mildly degrading sex. Rinse and repeat for two tours.
The mental health aspects of this story felt like an accessory to create some semblance of plot rather than character truth. Trauma is used here to spice up the romance and show connection, but this author has chosen to write in a tell instead of show style. Reading the analytical mental health “struggles” of the characters in this authors’ over-explain style will stop any reader from being able to connect and get immersed in the scene. It felt like watching someone cry in the mirror to see if it looks authentic.
The pacing is insane. Most of the chapters in the beginning could have been accidentally ripped out and the plot of the story would not be effected at all. There are far too many page breaks considering the mundane and uninteresting scenes that they separate. I guess the breaks were there as consistent opportunities to cut my losses and put the book down…clearly I didn’t listen. The ending skips approximately 3 years in 4 chapters-there is no major resolution to relish at the end as there were, in fact, no problems for the characters to overcome.
Ever Since New York answers the question what if a 13 year old’s Wattpad account and a self help journal made a baby. This story is an over-long mixtape that mistakes the suffering of the readers for substance.
July 15, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had the opportunity to beta read this book back in May, and it’s one that has truly stayed with me. Colleen is both a talented author and a licensed therapist. Ever Since New York is equal parts flirty, fun, and emotionally grounded.
Emmie and Kierian are equally charming and swoon-worthy, but what really sets this book apart is how thoughtfully it handles serious topics like SA, OCD, and eating disorders. Colleen approaches each one with care and authenticity, creating a narrative that is both healing, engaging, and thought provoking.
One line that has stuck with me over the past couple of months is: “I always see Emaline’s light—even when it’s hard to find.” That’s the kind of deep, unconditional love that makes this story so special. Kierian & Emalines love is so incredible and unique you don’t want to miss it!
I’m beyond excited to see what Colleen has in store next. This debut blends heart, humor, and hope in a way that leaves a lasting impact so I know that anything she writes next will be just as beautiful as ESNY. That being said I can’t wait to see what the rest of the world thinks!!
I had the opportunity to beta read this book back in May, and it’s one that has truly stayed with me. Colleen is both a talented author and a licensed therapist. Ever Since New York is equal parts flirty, fun, and emotionally grounded.
Emmie and Kierian are equally charming and swoon-worthy, but what really sets this book apart is how thoughtfully it handles serious topics like SA, OCD, and eating disorders. Colleen approaches each one with care and authenticity, creating a narrative that is both healing, engaging, and thought provoking.
One line that has stuck with me over the past couple of months is: “I always see Emaline’s light—even when it’s hard to find.” That’s the kind of deep, unconditional love that makes this story so special. Kierian & Emalines love is so incredible and unique you don’t want to miss it!
I’m beyond excited to see what Colleen has in store next. This debut blends heart, humor, and hope in a way that leaves a lasting impact so I know that anything she writes next will be just as beautiful as ESNY. That being said I can’t wait to see what the rest of the world thinks!!
July 15, 2025
BRB- Crying on my way to the In-N-Out drive thru.
But seriously, what a love story! I just couldn't keep these two out of my mind. This is an absolute must read for the hopeless romantics. I was turning pages like crazy, and I missed it so much when it was over! This was one of those books that just got better and better as it went on.
Colleen also does such a great job of representing mental health in a real, raw way. As someone with ED history, the depictions of eating disorders specifically were so realistic and relatable. There were so many moments where I just thought "Wow, she really, really gets it." This touched all of the "ugly" parts of mental health, and it did so beautifully.
Great book for anyone looking for a new romance read. Perfect blend of spice, romance, and reality!
But seriously, what a love story! I just couldn't keep these two out of my mind. This is an absolute must read for the hopeless romantics. I was turning pages like crazy, and I missed it so much when it was over! This was one of those books that just got better and better as it went on.
Colleen also does such a great job of representing mental health in a real, raw way. As someone with ED history, the depictions of eating disorders specifically were so realistic and relatable. There were so many moments where I just thought "Wow, she really, really gets it." This touched all of the "ugly" parts of mental health, and it did so beautifully.
Great book for anyone looking for a new romance read. Perfect blend of spice, romance, and reality!
September 3, 2025
Thank you so much for the ARC! 🫶🏻
I really enjoyed the dive into (and representation) of mental health throughout this book. It’s something that I feel like is often breezed through , or overlooked in general, and to see it being talked about and reading it was really cool!!!
On the other note, unfortunately the story itself was a lil too insta love for me 😭 I’m a sucker for a good slow burn and the tension building. And while I do love best friends to lovers, it felt like the lovers (even though they’ve literally known each other their whole lives lol) happened a wee bit too quick; at least for me!
I do look forward to reading more books in the future! And am so excited for release day and to see what everyone else thinks!! 🩷
Ps. All the little side notes to Harry and One Direction 👩🏼🍳 💋
I really enjoyed the dive into (and representation) of mental health throughout this book. It’s something that I feel like is often breezed through , or overlooked in general, and to see it being talked about and reading it was really cool!!!
On the other note, unfortunately the story itself was a lil too insta love for me 😭 I’m a sucker for a good slow burn and the tension building. And while I do love best friends to lovers, it felt like the lovers (even though they’ve literally known each other their whole lives lol) happened a wee bit too quick; at least for me!
I do look forward to reading more books in the future! And am so excited for release day and to see what everyone else thinks!! 🩷
Ps. All the little side notes to Harry and One Direction 👩🏼🍳 💋
December 8, 2025
I have to say it: this was not a well-written story. The writing was bad for lack of a better word, there was no plot, the author marketed this to say it was not a fan fic, yet the story says otherwise. The therapy speak in this was mediocre and from someone who claims to be a therapist, you'd think the content around mental health would have some kind of deeper meaning. If the author hired an editor, I would choose a different one. Perhaps one that actually gives the harsh-truth, maybe then this story would have been better . I can see what the author intended to do where, but the execution was that of an amatuer writer. I have to believe that the 5 star reviews left for this book are the authors friends, because there's just simply no way anyone who actually reads good literature rated this book 5 stars.
August 3, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ This book was delightful! Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC!
I loved the romance, but I also really, really enjoyed the mental health conversations around OCD and anxiety. Colleen did such a wonderful job of conveying not only OCD, but layers of PTSD from an abusive relationship, and an eating disorder. I picked this book up for the romance, but closed the final chapter with love for this heartfelt, emotional story. Additionally, I loved the music industry as a backdrop — the two characters are on tour together (he’s a guitarist in her band). They were childhood best friends who hid feelings for one another. This was a beautiful story of healing and falling in love.
Out 9/16.
Rating: 3.5/5
I loved the romance, but I also really, really enjoyed the mental health conversations around OCD and anxiety. Colleen did such a wonderful job of conveying not only OCD, but layers of PTSD from an abusive relationship, and an eating disorder. I picked this book up for the romance, but closed the final chapter with love for this heartfelt, emotional story. Additionally, I loved the music industry as a backdrop — the two characters are on tour together (he’s a guitarist in her band). They were childhood best friends who hid feelings for one another. This was a beautiful story of healing and falling in love.
Out 9/16.
Rating: 3.5/5
December 15, 2025
I appreciate the fresh perspective this book had, but it did read like a high school fan fic at times. But for Colleen’s first published book it has promise. More of a book about dealing with mental health with steamy scenes peppered throughout than a romance novel. The number of “but that’s my best friend so nothing could ever happen” in the first few chapters was insane. Like every paragraph. And then they got together so quickly and it was happily ever after for most of the book. Also, a common annotation I had was “please show not tell” so if that kind of thing bugs you maybe this isn’t the book for you. But overall, it was pretty cute and even though the writing bugged me a bit, it kept me reading and I never considered dnf-ing.
August 8, 2025
Thank you Colleen for the ARC!
4⭐️
Easy to read. Love how it’s a very sweet best friends to lovers but at the same time also includes some serious topics (definitely look up trigger warnings tho!).
I loved the references as a Directioner and Harry Styles fan for sure (but if you’re neither of those things, don’t worry, it’s not too much)
I just wish we could’ve experienced them being best friends a bit longer and gotten to know them that way first before the thoughts/talk about feelings started.
4⭐️
Easy to read. Love how it’s a very sweet best friends to lovers but at the same time also includes some serious topics (definitely look up trigger warnings tho!).
I loved the references as a Directioner and Harry Styles fan for sure (but if you’re neither of those things, don’t worry, it’s not too much)
I just wish we could’ve experienced them being best friends a bit longer and gotten to know them that way first before the thoughts/talk about feelings started.
August 11, 2025
I was really excited to to get an ARC of Ever Since New York by Colleen Conklin. This was a sweet, romantic story between best friends who take their relationship to the next level, and how complicated it can be when we struggle with the demons of our past.
I thought the characters were quite believable and their chemistry was spot-on. The story could have used a few unexpected turns or surprising moments sprinkled throughout, but overall, it was a satisfying, lovely story about we can find our happily ever after in the most (surprisingly!) familiar places.
I thought the characters were quite believable and their chemistry was spot-on. The story could have used a few unexpected turns or surprising moments sprinkled throughout, but overall, it was a satisfying, lovely story about we can find our happily ever after in the most (surprisingly!) familiar places.
October 3, 2025
UGHHH the feeling of closing and book and giggling! I LOVE EM AND KIKI! It’s been a while since i’ve read a friends-to-lovers story and this one was exciting, vulnerable, and so cliché! Being a directioner from NY made this story 10x more fun to read!
Watching Emaline and Kieran navigate their separate struggles while still being there for each other was beautiful. I’ve never rooted for two individuals more. The sense of community around them was also so beautiful to see. Such a fun, but important read ❤️
Watching Emaline and Kieran navigate their separate struggles while still being there for each other was beautiful. I’ve never rooted for two individuals more. The sense of community around them was also so beautiful to see. Such a fun, but important read ❤️
July 22, 2025
What I thought would be primarily a love story turned out so much deeper. The story had a lot of highs but also navigated challenging topics of eating disorders, abuse, and OCD in a way that felt very natural and provided a conversational approach to taboo topics. The book balanced multiple subjects yet never lost the focus of building a relationship and letting someone see all the messiest parts of you.
July 22, 2025
First things first, always read over the trigger warnings before diving in!! I received this book as an ARC read that I am so thankful for! I absolutely loved the plot and the idea of the storyline, however the book itself just wasn’t for me. I think it was the writing style mostly, but I did struggle to get through this book although take that as everyone has different opinions and perspectives!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews