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Once, Again, Always
Not yet published
Expected 6 Oct 26A second-chance romance following a young woman who wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the past six years, only to find that she apparently married the one man she can’t stand—her arrogant and infuriating former boarding school rival. Molly Graham’s day can’t possibly get any worse after she wakes up in a hospital bed with a head injury and amnesia. But then Aster Bishop—the Aster Bishop who made her life hell at boarding school—storms into her room calling her his wife. To Molly’s shock, in the six years she no longer recalls, she somehow fell in love with a man she once despised. Persuaded by her lifelong friends to give her new reality a chance, she reluctantly returns to the home she and Aster share to try and piece together her life. So much has changed, not least the considerate and devastatingly handsome man who spends every night sleeping on the sofa to avoid making her uncomfortable. This Aster is nothing like the entitled boy she once knew. Their chemistry is undeniable, but he’s distant with her, infuriatingly so. It’s clear he has secrets, and Molly can’t stand it. Especially knowing that she might never regain her memories. That she fell in love with Aster Bishop once is hard enough to believe. But to fall in love again? To promise a future, always, when she can’t remember her past? It feels impossible when faced with a man she hardly knows and isn’t sure she can trust. And yet… Tropes Rivals to lovers Forced proximity Slow burn Yearning (so much yearning) Found family Second-chance romance Memory loss There’s only one bed and he takes the sofa like a boring, sensible man
Audible Audio
Expected publication October 6, 2026
About the author
Amanda Gayle
3 books112 followersAt any given time, Amanda Gayle might be writing, reading, or spying on the birds in her backyard. She spends too much time on the internet, usually obsessing over fictional characters kissing. She lives in North Carolina with her two favorite people: her husband and toddler. Once, Again, Always is her debut romance.
She can be found having no clue what she's doing on instagram @amandagaylewrites.
She can be found having no clue what she's doing on instagram @amandagaylewrites.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 468 reviews
May 5, 2026
₍^. .^₎⟆ When Molly Graham wakes up from a hospital bed with a head injury, she finds out that she has amnesia and can’t remember the life she lived in the last six years. Now, she’s in her late twenties and married to Aster Bishop–the same Aster Bishop who was her academic rival in boarding school, who made her life a living hell. Although she doesn’t trust or even like Aster, her lifelong friends persuade her to go back home and try to accept her new reality and the life she now shares with her supposed husband.
Everything and everyone has changed, especially Aster, who is far more handsome than Molly remembers, and it's apparent they loved each other more than they even annoyed one another in school. But he’s distant with her, sleeping on the sofa so he doesn’t make her uncomfortable, and keeping secrets about their past, which bothers her since she may never get her memories back. And even though the memories she does have of Aster are all bad, she wonders if it’s possible to fall in love with him. She did it once; can she do it again?
⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔
ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ: Once in a Lifetime by John Michael Howell
1:33 ───ㅇ───── 3:04
₍^. .^₎⟆ TL;DR: I loved this book so much, and it is one of my favorite reads of 2026. 💙
₍^. .^₎⟆ I am so glad I didn’t wait to read this. I don’t love, but I don’t hate second-chance romances because I have…thoughts about that trope; however, I do love the memory loss trope, so when I saw the author posting about this book on Instagram, I was just waiting for the glorious day it would be available on NetGalley. And, lo and behold, it was on there and, thank God, my request was approved.
And, oh my goodness, I loved this so much! 🥹 This story reminded me so much of the movie The Vow with Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, and I really liked that movie, so it was pretty obvious to me that I was going to like this as well.
Let me tell you, when people say that there was yearning in this book, they weren’t lying. The man was so down bad for his wife, I felt like I should have left the room and given them some space because, golly, you could tell Aster wanted to prove how much he loved Molly, but was too respectful and caring to expect her to feel the same.
I was literally clutching my chest because my cold heart was hurting so much at how freaking sweet their love story was. Ugh, all he wanted was for her to love him back, and he was willing to do anything to have Molly fall in love with him again. Okay, I’m going to start crying all over again.
Aster wasn’t perfect, mind you–he could have done some things differently when it came to helping Molly and her memories, but he was still so patient and kind and always, always there for her, even if it was diffcult for both of them to work through the trust issues Molly had (which were totally valid, I would have been the same way) and the hearbreak Aster felt that Molly didn’t know anything about the life they built together. Molly was so strong and brave. It must be so, so hard to go through something like that, and I honestly understood both of their thought processes and intentions. It was just so sweet to see them work it all out together. 😭
This was one of the most beautifully written books I have read all year. Heck, even the spice was written beautifully. Most of y’all know that I do not like spice, like at all. I used to skip those scenes altogether, but now I just skim through the vulgarity and graphic details I don’t care about. 😅 But with this book, I actually read all of it. It didn’t make me feel uncomfortable or anything–it was like reading poetry about two people in love: one who is discovering the love she knew she felt but never experienced in her present self, and the other who wanted to love his wife the way he always has and always will, no matter if she remembers their shared history or not.
Sure, the chapters were long (I kinda hate long chapters), but I didn’t mind it and evenutally didn’t notice because I was just so invested in the story and wanted to know how things ended. I was also a little iffy about the before chapters where we see what Aster's and Molly's rivalry was like because I didn't really find it necessary at first, but as time went on, I was grateful that we got to see not only why Molly was so adamant on being wary of her husband but how much Aster changed from being a snobbish prick of a teenager to a devoted and loving man.
And their friends??? Oh my gosh, I freaking loved all of them! They were so supportive and hilarious, and knowing the group's past and how they all ended up as friends was the best part. Tbh, I thought it was unnecessary that we were given an info dump about Molly’s and Aster’s friends when they were in boarding school, but as the story progressed, I understood why we were given so much lore about them. They felt like real friends and actual people who played a huge role in Molly and Aster’s lives, and I smiled every time they showed up.
I will say, though, reading the content warnings (placed at the end of the book and at the end of this review) kinda spoiled some of the plot, but I would have figured it out anyway, so it didn’t bother me. This is your little heads-up. ☺
Overall, I freaking loved this book. It was absolutely perfect to me, and if you decide to read it, I sincerely hope you love it, too.
ᰔᩚ Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own. ᰔᩚ
❗Content Warnings❗
(Copied from book) Alcohol consumption, bullying, grief, memory loss, miscarriage, and pregnancy.
Swearing: Yes
Spice: Yes (🌶🌶🌶.5/5)
Everything and everyone has changed, especially Aster, who is far more handsome than Molly remembers, and it's apparent they loved each other more than they even annoyed one another in school. But he’s distant with her, sleeping on the sofa so he doesn’t make her uncomfortable, and keeping secrets about their past, which bothers her since she may never get her memories back. And even though the memories she does have of Aster are all bad, she wonders if it’s possible to fall in love with him. She did it once; can she do it again?
⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔
ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ: Once in a Lifetime by John Michael Howell
1:33 ───ㅇ───── 3:04
₍^. .^₎⟆ TL;DR: I loved this book so much, and it is one of my favorite reads of 2026. 💙
₍^. .^₎⟆ I am so glad I didn’t wait to read this. I don’t love, but I don’t hate second-chance romances because I have…thoughts about that trope; however, I do love the memory loss trope, so when I saw the author posting about this book on Instagram, I was just waiting for the glorious day it would be available on NetGalley. And, lo and behold, it was on there and, thank God, my request was approved.
And, oh my goodness, I loved this so much! 🥹 This story reminded me so much of the movie The Vow with Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, and I really liked that movie, so it was pretty obvious to me that I was going to like this as well.
Let me tell you, when people say that there was yearning in this book, they weren’t lying. The man was so down bad for his wife, I felt like I should have left the room and given them some space because, golly, you could tell Aster wanted to prove how much he loved Molly, but was too respectful and caring to expect her to feel the same.
I was literally clutching my chest because my cold heart was hurting so much at how freaking sweet their love story was. Ugh, all he wanted was for her to love him back, and he was willing to do anything to have Molly fall in love with him again. Okay, I’m going to start crying all over again.
Aster wasn’t perfect, mind you–he could have done some things differently when it came to helping Molly and her memories, but he was still so patient and kind and always, always there for her, even if it was diffcult for both of them to work through the trust issues Molly had (which were totally valid, I would have been the same way) and the hearbreak Aster felt that Molly didn’t know anything about the life they built together. Molly was so strong and brave. It must be so, so hard to go through something like that, and I honestly understood both of their thought processes and intentions. It was just so sweet to see them work it all out together. 😭
This was one of the most beautifully written books I have read all year. Heck, even the spice was written beautifully. Most of y’all know that I do not like spice, like at all. I used to skip those scenes altogether, but now I just skim through the vulgarity and graphic details I don’t care about. 😅 But with this book, I actually read all of it. It didn’t make me feel uncomfortable or anything–it was like reading poetry about two people in love: one who is discovering the love she knew she felt but never experienced in her present self, and the other who wanted to love his wife the way he always has and always will, no matter if she remembers their shared history or not.
Sure, the chapters were long (I kinda hate long chapters), but I didn’t mind it and evenutally didn’t notice because I was just so invested in the story and wanted to know how things ended. I was also a little iffy about the before chapters where we see what Aster's and Molly's rivalry was like because I didn't really find it necessary at first, but as time went on, I was grateful that we got to see not only why Molly was so adamant on being wary of her husband but how much Aster changed from being a snobbish prick of a teenager to a devoted and loving man.
And their friends??? Oh my gosh, I freaking loved all of them! They were so supportive and hilarious, and knowing the group's past and how they all ended up as friends was the best part. Tbh, I thought it was unnecessary that we were given an info dump about Molly’s and Aster’s friends when they were in boarding school, but as the story progressed, I understood why we were given so much lore about them. They felt like real friends and actual people who played a huge role in Molly and Aster’s lives, and I smiled every time they showed up.
I will say, though, reading the content warnings (placed at the end of the book and at the end of this review) kinda spoiled some of the plot, but I would have figured it out anyway, so it didn’t bother me. This is your little heads-up. ☺
Overall, I freaking loved this book. It was absolutely perfect to me, and if you decide to read it, I sincerely hope you love it, too.
ᰔᩚ Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own. ᰔᩚ
❗Content Warnings❗
(Copied from book) Alcohol consumption, bullying, grief, memory loss, miscarriage, and pregnancy.
Swearing: Yes
Spice: Yes (🌶🌶🌶.5/5)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Currently Reading
May 22, 2026ᝰ.ᐟ 🧠 ⌗
pre read┆started april 17
ˎˊ˗
the premise of this book sounds so so good and i actually can’t wait to get into it! i’m only a few pages in so far, but we’re starting of strong 😝
˖᯽ ݁˖· ─ 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘯 & 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸
⟢ 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚: october 6
the premise of this book sounds so so good and i actually can’t wait to get into it! i’m only a few pages in so far, but we’re starting of strong 😝
˖᯽ ݁˖· ─ 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘯 & 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸
⟢ 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚: october 6
April 15, 2026
There’s something about this story that, however familiar you may be with the beats of it, lodges into your chest and sticks with you.
Amanda Gayle’s Once, Again, Always is a beautiful, aching debut about reconciling who you are with who you were; about unflappable patience; about healing and growth.
About a man sleeping every night, for months without complaint, on a deeply uncomfortable antique sofa, just to be near the woman he loves.
It’s at times hopeful, at times devastating. And throughout—brilliantly, beautifully written.
Also:
📖 Yearning, pining, desperation, devotion
🔑 Intrusive friends who show up when you need them, however uninvited
👗 Healthy communication, however much it hurts
☕️ Coffee snobbery, from a man who knows how to tamp
🍬 Small tokens of love that speak volumes
📚 An apartment overrun with books
💫 “Fuck it”s & “my wife” & braid play
🛋️ Falling in love for the first time—twice
If you’re familiar with Gayle’s past work—you’ll adore this. If you’re new: I am so envious, that you get to read this book blind.
This may be contemporary romance, but my goodness, is it magic. All the stars.
Thank you Avon, for approving me so quickly for the eARC. I dropped everything to read and have been crying happy sad tears since I finished.
Amanda Gayle’s Once, Again, Always is a beautiful, aching debut about reconciling who you are with who you were; about unflappable patience; about healing and growth.
About a man sleeping every night, for months without complaint, on a deeply uncomfortable antique sofa, just to be near the woman he loves.
It’s at times hopeful, at times devastating. And throughout—brilliantly, beautifully written.
Also:
📖 Yearning, pining, desperation, devotion
🔑 Intrusive friends who show up when you need them, however uninvited
👗 Healthy communication, however much it hurts
☕️ Coffee snobbery, from a man who knows how to tamp
🍬 Small tokens of love that speak volumes
📚 An apartment overrun with books
💫 “Fuck it”s & “my wife” & braid play
🛋️ Falling in love for the first time—twice
If you’re familiar with Gayle’s past work—you’ll adore this. If you’re new: I am so envious, that you get to read this book blind.
This may be contemporary romance, but my goodness, is it magic. All the stars.
Thank you Avon, for approving me so quickly for the eARC. I dropped everything to read and have been crying happy sad tears since I finished.
Want to Read
January 13, 2026i'm sooo excited about this book!! 2026 is the year of the dhr girlies
Want to Read
April 24, 2026Once, again, and always (😉) I extend my hand up to the publishing gods to look down on me with pity and approve my request for this ARC! 🙏
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Saving my review for closer to pub date but I'll leave you with some of my fav quotes:
“Just be gentle with me, Graham,"
“You’ve got me on the gallows here. But I’ll be damned if you’re not the most beautiful executioner I’ve ever seen.”
"I was trying to carry it for both of us. So you didn't have to."
"I'm sorry, I thought it was obvious that I'll go anywhere you ask me to..."
------
dropping every single book to read this one.
AVON, I LOVE YOU
“Just be gentle with me, Graham,"
“You’ve got me on the gallows here. But I’ll be damned if you’re not the most beautiful executioner I’ve ever seen.”
"I was trying to carry it for both of us. So you didn't have to."
"I'm sorry, I thought it was obvious that I'll go anywhere you ask me to..."
------
dropping every single book to read this one.
AVON, I LOVE YOU
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Once, Again, Always is 384 pages of exquisite pining, and I love that for me (us). I’m not saying I hope I’m ever in a position to lose part of my memory, but please, if it ever happens, let it be like this.
I’ll love this story in every iteration, and I feel incredibly lucky to have experienced it in its various forms. You are my Count of Monte Cristo.
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Amanda Gayle for the advanced reader copy. This review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.
I’ll love this story in every iteration, and I feel incredibly lucky to have experienced it in its various forms. You are my Count of Monte Cristo.
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Amanda Gayle for the advanced reader copy. This review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.
Want to Read
January 22, 2026oh i’m about to be so unbelievably annoying about this
April 27, 2026
The minute I saw this concept, I applied for the arc without knowing anything else about it. In fact, it was the first time I’ve seen the amnesia trope used and actually wanted to read the book featuring it. Then when I saw some of the other early reviews saying it had yearning, I figured it was going to be great.
I really wish it lived up to those expectations, but the execution fell a little flat for me.
A few things caused this, and the first was how the past chapters were executed. We get flashbacks of them in high school when they do not like each other, and I assumed that since this is in 3rd person, we would eventually get flashbacks showing the shift to love. Instead, we got a bunch of chapters all set in high school, which could have been fine if they did not all go the exact same way: the main girl is in school, the main guy says something mean, her feelings are hurt, end chapter as quickly as it began, and rinse and repeat. Because they got redundant, and we never saw any of the scenes where that changes, a lot of them started to feel pretty pointless.
As nice as I think it could have been to see them falling in love in the last parallel to the past, I would have been fine with it if the present timeline had done a good job getting me invested and establishing the depth of their relationship, but it didn’t. I didn’t feel the yearning some of the other readers spoke about either. No beautiful speeches, confessions, or anything I felt compelled to highlight. The main guy kept his distance a lot, and then they slowly started interacting again, and already by 50%, they are going on dates and we are getting time skips to after they’ve done that for a while. That’s not inherently bad, but I do think it’s the most boring way something so interesting could have played out. The way things unfolded made it very hard for me to be invested in their relationship, and that was probably my biggest struggle with this book.
One of the other things I liked aside from the concept was that the author took the time to make sure all of the main characters’ friends didn’t seem like one-dimensional side characters. The only downside to that was that I actually think we spent a little too much time focused on them, especially considering I felt romance needed a lot more development, so it ended up feeling like it was taking away from that.
The other thing that didn’t really work for me was the structure towards the end. We go from a present chapter into a past chapter, then the epilogue, and another flashback after. I definitely think the epilogue should have been last, and one of the flashbacks toward the end probably could have been cut too because it didn’t add much to the story.
Overall, this still managed to be an interesting take on a trope I have never enjoyed, which in itself is an accomplishment. Apparently, it’s a reworked fanfic, but I have no idea of what, and that didn’t impact my reading experience, so if you are hesitant because of that, I honestly don’t think it will be an issue. The real issue for me was the depth to the relationship and my investment in it. Regardless, I don’t think this was a terrible book; it just definitely wasn’t for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review!
~🅞🅥🅔🅡🅐🅛🅛 🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆~
I really wish it lived up to those expectations, but the execution fell a little flat for me.
A few things caused this, and the first was how the past chapters were executed. We get flashbacks of them in high school when they do not like each other, and I assumed that since this is in 3rd person, we would eventually get flashbacks showing the shift to love. Instead, we got a bunch of chapters all set in high school, which could have been fine if they did not all go the exact same way: the main girl is in school, the main guy says something mean, her feelings are hurt, end chapter as quickly as it began, and rinse and repeat. Because they got redundant, and we never saw any of the scenes where that changes, a lot of them started to feel pretty pointless.
As nice as I think it could have been to see them falling in love in the last parallel to the past, I would have been fine with it if the present timeline had done a good job getting me invested and establishing the depth of their relationship, but it didn’t. I didn’t feel the yearning some of the other readers spoke about either. No beautiful speeches, confessions, or anything I felt compelled to highlight. The main guy kept his distance a lot, and then they slowly started interacting again, and already by 50%, they are going on dates and we are getting time skips to after they’ve done that for a while. That’s not inherently bad, but I do think it’s the most boring way something so interesting could have played out. The way things unfolded made it very hard for me to be invested in their relationship, and that was probably my biggest struggle with this book.
One of the other things I liked aside from the concept was that the author took the time to make sure all of the main characters’ friends didn’t seem like one-dimensional side characters. The only downside to that was that I actually think we spent a little too much time focused on them, especially considering I felt romance needed a lot more development, so it ended up feeling like it was taking away from that.
The other thing that didn’t really work for me was the structure towards the end. We go from a present chapter into a past chapter, then the epilogue, and another flashback after. I definitely think the epilogue should have been last, and one of the flashbacks toward the end probably could have been cut too because it didn’t add much to the story.
Overall, this still managed to be an interesting take on a trope I have never enjoyed, which in itself is an accomplishment. Apparently, it’s a reworked fanfic, but I have no idea of what, and that didn’t impact my reading experience, so if you are hesitant because of that, I honestly don’t think it will be an issue. The real issue for me was the depth to the relationship and my investment in it. Regardless, I don’t think this was a terrible book; it just definitely wasn’t for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review!
~🅞🅥🅔🅡🅐🅛🅛 🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆~
May 10, 2026
4.5⭐️
Thank you for the arc Avon and HarperVoyager!
Book starts with unfortunate event and well, it has one of my least favorite tropes 😅
But I was surprised how easily I read it as it was written from 3rd person perspective ✨
This novel has everything you name for a cozy fluffy romance with bits of harder topics.
Aster Bishop is a walking green flag ✨
Story is centered around Molly’s well-being and healing, and her interactions with Aster and their friends.
There aren’t any plot twists or I couldn’t see them as plot twists or cliffhangers. Just a genuine story full of longing, grief, hope and sincerity ✨
Thank you for the arc Avon and HarperVoyager!
Book starts with unfortunate event and well, it has one of my least favorite tropes 😅
But I was surprised how easily I read it as it was written from 3rd person perspective ✨
This novel has everything you name for a cozy fluffy romance with bits of harder topics.
Aster Bishop is a walking green flag ✨
Story is centered around Molly’s well-being and healing, and her interactions with Aster and their friends.
There aren’t any plot twists or I couldn’t see them as plot twists or cliffhangers. Just a genuine story full of longing, grief, hope and sincerity ✨
April 19, 2026
3.5 Stars (rounded up)
I do think that fanfic is a great stepping point to becoming an author, and I do think if reworked very heavily that it can be published. Some of my favorite authors started as fanfic writers and have only grown from there.
BUT, if you're going to publish your fanfic, it should absolutely be reworked and retooled to something original. The problem some of these books fall into, like this, is that it only works in the context of the world it was born in. I think this might come off as confusing and convoluted to anyone without said context. And unfortunately without that context, I fear Molly came across as slightly unlikable. And their relationship in its entirety should have been far more expanded on.
With that being said, I do think people will really enjoy this no matter what. this was a very quick read that was filled with cute fluff, angst and yearning. Well written and a beautiful little love story. I mean there's just something about an amnesia storyline that forces characters to learn each other over again and falling in love AGAIN. Alexa play Everything is Romantic Wuthering Heights trailer version by Charli xcx.
Thank you to Avon and Harper & netgalley for the arc.
April 18, 2026
4.5 stars 1.5 spice
“Just be gentle with me, Graham,” he breathed, reeling her in with her own name. “You’ve got me on the gallows here.” He let her braid fall. “But I’ll be damned if you’re not the most beautiful executioner I’ve ever seen.”
Thank you to Avon for the e-arc!
Molly wakes up with splitting pain in her head, to see she is married to a man that was horrible to her in high school. She has completely lost the last 6 years of memory.
GOD THE YEARNING!
Poor Aster. This book hurts so good.
If you want a man who yearns and is miserable you need to read this book.
I spent so much of this book with tears welled in my eyes.
He is absolutely being tortured, because Molly’s memory of him is not who he is anymore but she doesn’t remember all of that growth, or any of them falling in love.
Aster is stuck in a place of trying to not try to overwhelm her, and protect her from stuff from their shared past, but from her POV he’s lying to her, keeping her own history from her.
This is a story of forgiveness, growth, and acceptance.
I knew where the locked room was going, but when the reveal came I was crying. It just absolutely wrecked me.
I also absolutely loved the whole cast of friends. They are such a great found family. (I would be interested to see how they are received by someone who didn’t read the original iteration of this story)
Read this if you love:
- Amnesia
- Yearning MMC
- Found Family/funny friends
- Second Chance
- “Where the fuck is my wife”
“All human wisdom is contained in these two words—Wait and hope.”—Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
Trigger warnings below
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BELOW TRIGGERS ARE SPOILERS
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Trigger warnings:
bullying
grief
memory loss
miscarriage
pregnancy
“Just be gentle with me, Graham,” he breathed, reeling her in with her own name. “You’ve got me on the gallows here.” He let her braid fall. “But I’ll be damned if you’re not the most beautiful executioner I’ve ever seen.”
Thank you to Avon for the e-arc!
Molly wakes up with splitting pain in her head, to see she is married to a man that was horrible to her in high school. She has completely lost the last 6 years of memory.
GOD THE YEARNING!
Poor Aster. This book hurts so good.
If you want a man who yearns and is miserable you need to read this book.
I spent so much of this book with tears welled in my eyes.
He is absolutely being tortured, because Molly’s memory of him is not who he is anymore but she doesn’t remember all of that growth, or any of them falling in love.
Aster is stuck in a place of trying to not try to overwhelm her, and protect her from stuff from their shared past, but from her POV he’s lying to her, keeping her own history from her.
This is a story of forgiveness, growth, and acceptance.
I knew where the locked room was going, but when the reveal came I was crying. It just absolutely wrecked me.
I also absolutely loved the whole cast of friends. They are such a great found family. (I would be interested to see how they are received by someone who didn’t read the original iteration of this story)
Read this if you love:
- Amnesia
- Yearning MMC
- Found Family/funny friends
- Second Chance
- “Where the fuck is my wife”
“All human wisdom is contained in these two words—Wait and hope.”—Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
Trigger warnings below
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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X
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BELOW TRIGGERS ARE SPOILERS
X
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X
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X
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Trigger warnings:
bullying
grief
memory loss
miscarriage
pregnancy
May 17, 2026
✨ ARC REVIEW ✨
Once, Again, Always
I was beyond excited to be approved for an ARC of Once, Again, Always - Harry Potter fan fiction getting trad published.
Third‑person narration (my favourite) ✔️
A compelling plot ✔️
Characters that truly made me feel things ✔️
But Aster… 🥺 he completely stole my heart. He was heartbreakingly beautiful as a husband trying to care for and love a wife who no longer remembers their relationship. Every scene with him hit me right in the chest. There’s also subtle humour sprinkled throughout the story that balances the heavier moments so well.
My only hang up was the pacing, which felt a bit jumpy at times. I wish more time was spent on Molly and Aster navigating their relationship.
Overall, this book checked so many boxes for me and I can’t wait for its release! 💫📖
Once, Again, Always
I was beyond excited to be approved for an ARC of Once, Again, Always - Harry Potter fan fiction getting trad published.
Third‑person narration (my favourite) ✔️
A compelling plot ✔️
Characters that truly made me feel things ✔️
But Aster… 🥺 he completely stole my heart. He was heartbreakingly beautiful as a husband trying to care for and love a wife who no longer remembers their relationship. Every scene with him hit me right in the chest. There’s also subtle humour sprinkled throughout the story that balances the heavier moments so well.
My only hang up was the pacing, which felt a bit jumpy at times. I wish more time was spent on Molly and Aster navigating their relationship.
Overall, this book checked so many boxes for me and I can’t wait for its release! 💫📖
Currently Reading
May 21, 2026i just found out this book was first a dramione fanfic and now i’m even more desperate to read it than i already was
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have to be honest: I have a really, really hard time with the fact that so much of this book was literally copied and pasted from the original Dramione fanfiction, to the point that I began screenshotting a number of exactly comparable scenes just to make sure I wasn’t actually going insane. I’ve read all of the various adaptations from several fandoms and have never, ever seen this. I deeply worry about this precedent and I think this story, if it was truly going to be fleshed out into an original work, deserved better. (I felt the same way about the character descriptions and art, but I don’t think we’re ready for that conversation.)
That said, obviously the yearning in the first half of this story is what has always set it apart. I loved it as much here as I did in the fic—there is absolutely no doubt that comes through in this version. But I think it lost me by the 60-70% point and didn’t recover. I also think the added flashbacks, some of the only genuinely new content, did more to detract from my feelings about the couple than to improve them.
I’m struggling to rate this and will revisit.
That said, obviously the yearning in the first half of this story is what has always set it apart. I loved it as much here as I did in the fic—there is absolutely no doubt that comes through in this version. But I think it lost me by the 60-70% point and didn’t recover. I also think the added flashbacks, some of the only genuinely new content, did more to detract from my feelings about the couple than to improve them.
I’m struggling to rate this and will revisit.
April 17, 2026
having read the original fic, this didn’t quite work for me as a standalone. it’s a difficult thing to adapt from an existing world with lore and character backstories to a new tale strong enough to stand on its own. There’s parts of this that worked but without the structure of the original IP holding the book up, it ended up feeling a little boneless.
I am curious to see how others who haven’t read the original fic end up enjoying it! And I will keep an eye out for more original work from this author
I am curious to see how others who haven’t read the original fic end up enjoying it! And I will keep an eye out for more original work from this author
April 26, 2026
Be prepared to have your heart strings pulled on!
This was such a fantastic read. I’m so thankful to have gotten accepted for this arc. Molly was a fantastic character, I can’t imagine losing memories from the past 6 years and trying to adjust. It made me annoyed at times when she would be so stubborn but then I remembered well she had her memory wiped and I’d give her grace.
Aster Bishop. My man. Actually, I love him. I want him for myself because of the way he was patient with Molly. And I also respected that when it got too much for him he handled it in private to not overwhelm Molly.
Watching someone you love get their memories of you wiped out and only remember the bad things about you is so cruel but the built relationship and trust formed again was beautiful and worth the pay off.
Thank you so much Net Galley for providing the arc 💗
This was such a fantastic read. I’m so thankful to have gotten accepted for this arc. Molly was a fantastic character, I can’t imagine losing memories from the past 6 years and trying to adjust. It made me annoyed at times when she would be so stubborn but then I remembered well she had her memory wiped and I’d give her grace.
Aster Bishop. My man. Actually, I love him. I want him for myself because of the way he was patient with Molly. And I also respected that when it got too much for him he handled it in private to not overwhelm Molly.
Watching someone you love get their memories of you wiped out and only remember the bad things about you is so cruel but the built relationship and trust formed again was beautiful and worth the pay off.
Thank you so much Net Galley for providing the arc 💗
April 22, 2026
Reader, beware: This book is stuffed with jaw-aching sweetness and tooth-rotting fluff and devastating highs and lows that will sucker-punch you into next week, and I ate up every bit of it, alright??? And then I licked the plate clean and went back for seconds. Contemporary romance is usually such a hard sell for me, but I adored this one, from Aster and Molly’s scintillating dynamic to the tragic absurdity of their situation and how they navigate it. Not to mention, the yearning — THE YEARNING. What a brilliant narrative choice, to juxtapose flashbacks of Aster bullying Molly during their high school years against present-day Aster completely losing it because Molly doesn’t remember falling in love with him.
If I have any criticisms, they’re about the ending; I can’t quite decide if those final plot points feel appropriate, anticlimactic, or a little of both. Perhaps that was Amanda Gayle’s intention (and I certainly appreciate the themes of choosing to live in the present, rather than waiting indefinitely on things you can’t control). I’m also a little sad that, for all the memories Aster recounts, Gayle entirely glosses over him telling Molly about their wedding; and I would have appreciated a little more fleshing out of Aster’s background, particularly where his parents are concerned. (Also, why did the bookstore never get a name???) Still, this is by far the most delightful experience I’ve ever had with a contemporary romance, and I’ll definitely be shouting about it to all my friends until it comes out in October. Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy!
If I have any criticisms, they’re about the ending; I can’t quite decide if those final plot points feel appropriate, anticlimactic, or a little of both. Perhaps that was Amanda Gayle’s intention (and I certainly appreciate the themes of choosing to live in the present, rather than waiting indefinitely on things you can’t control). I’m also a little sad that, for all the memories Aster recounts, Gayle entirely glosses over him telling Molly about their wedding; and I would have appreciated a little more fleshing out of Aster’s background, particularly where his parents are concerned. (Also, why did the bookstore never get a name???) Still, this is by far the most delightful experience I’ve ever had with a contemporary romance, and I’ll definitely be shouting about it to all my friends until it comes out in October. Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy!
Want to Read
April 28, 2026
*Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review!*
A second-chance romance following a young woman who wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the past six years, only to find that she apparently married the one man she can’t stand—her arrogant and infuriating former boarding school rival.
I have high expectations for this!!
A second-chance romance following a young woman who wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the past six years, only to find that she apparently married the one man she can’t stand—her arrogant and infuriating former boarding school rival.
I have high expectations for this!!
April 14, 2026
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the arc!
Rtc
Rtc
May 17, 2026
this was wonderful
I never read wait and hope but this is BEAUTIFUL
fantastic job developing these characters and god such a heart wrenching story
thank you net galley!!
I never read wait and hope but this is BEAUTIFUL
fantastic job developing these characters and god such a heart wrenching story
thank you net galley!!
April 17, 2026
thank you to netgalley for my advanced eArc.
I was so excited for this book and it did not disappoint! obviously i’m one of the people who’ve read the online iteration of this story and loved it so much, it made sense to me for this to be translated into a traditional published work.
there was so much yearning and so much angst i couldn’t put it down.
imagine waking up in the arms of someone you used to be rivals with in high school, only to find you’re married to them and have also forgotten the past six years of your life?! the journey Molly and Aster go through is heart wrenching but so worth it.
besides the emotional parts, the dialogue and banter would have its funny moments.
Molly’s best friend Roy was one of my faves besides the main couple of course. he has some of my favorite lines 😆.
overall a touching love story about second chances and finding the strength to move on from trauma. i highly recommend this.
I was so excited for this book and it did not disappoint! obviously i’m one of the people who’ve read the online iteration of this story and loved it so much, it made sense to me for this to be translated into a traditional published work.
there was so much yearning and so much angst i couldn’t put it down.
imagine waking up in the arms of someone you used to be rivals with in high school, only to find you’re married to them and have also forgotten the past six years of your life?! the journey Molly and Aster go through is heart wrenching but so worth it.
besides the emotional parts, the dialogue and banter would have its funny moments.
Molly’s best friend Roy was one of my faves besides the main couple of course. he has some of my favorite lines 😆.
overall a touching love story about second chances and finding the strength to move on from trauma. i highly recommend this.
May 12, 2026
Star rating: 4 🌟
Spice rating: 2.5 🥵🔥
TROPES: Slow Burn, Second Chance, Rediscovered Identity, Found Family, Previously a Dramione Fanfic
Thank you so much to Avon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
AHHHHHH!! Screaming, throwing up and crying that I am blessed enough to have received this early because one thing is about me… I am a big Dramione lover and anytime I learn of another prior fanfic being picked up and turned into a published book, I will need to read it as soon as humanely possible. And when this one dropped into my kindle, I just about passed out.
I read (and loved) the original fanfic this was based from, Wait & Hope, when I read it a few years ago. But I loved that as I read “Once, Again, Always’ it truly felt like a new story to me. There were hits of the original fanfic that I picked up on (and died over ❤️) but overall, it did feel like an entirely new book to me. I was a little nervous about how much I would enjoy the story without the inclusion of the magical/fantasy elements, but I thought it was done flawlessly.
Once, Again, Always packs an emotional punch from the start. First chapter in, we are immediately thrown into the confusion of our FMC waking up in her bad with the memories of the past six years completely gone. The evolution of Molly’s acceptance of her amnesia and her process of learning to trust her husband again was captivating. The love and patience of Aster as Molly worked through this was HEART WRENCHING… Cannot wait to see what this author does next🫶
For more bookish content and reviews, please consider giving my bookstagram a follow💕
https://www.instagram.com/lovinmyshelf
Spice rating: 2.5 🥵🔥
TROPES: Slow Burn, Second Chance, Rediscovered Identity, Found Family, Previously a Dramione Fanfic
Thank you so much to Avon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
AHHHHHH!! Screaming, throwing up and crying that I am blessed enough to have received this early because one thing is about me… I am a big Dramione lover and anytime I learn of another prior fanfic being picked up and turned into a published book, I will need to read it as soon as humanely possible. And when this one dropped into my kindle, I just about passed out.
I read (and loved) the original fanfic this was based from, Wait & Hope, when I read it a few years ago. But I loved that as I read “Once, Again, Always’ it truly felt like a new story to me. There were hits of the original fanfic that I picked up on (and died over ❤️) but overall, it did feel like an entirely new book to me. I was a little nervous about how much I would enjoy the story without the inclusion of the magical/fantasy elements, but I thought it was done flawlessly.
Once, Again, Always packs an emotional punch from the start. First chapter in, we are immediately thrown into the confusion of our FMC waking up in her bad with the memories of the past six years completely gone. The evolution of Molly’s acceptance of her amnesia and her process of learning to trust her husband again was captivating. The love and patience of Aster as Molly worked through this was HEART WRENCHING… Cannot wait to see what this author does next🫶
For more bookish content and reviews, please consider giving my bookstagram a follow💕
https://www.instagram.com/lovinmyshelf
April 30, 2026
what if you had AMNESIA and you woke up MARRIED to your rude yet handsome ACADEMIC RIVAL and there was a CAT and your couch was BLUE
May 17, 2026
ALL THE STARS! (Or Asters!)
I’ve never read a book so fast - I stayed up way past my bedtime on a work night DEVOURING this. I laughed, I cried, I couldn’t get enough.
"Where * * is my wife?" (Ok, Rowan Whitethorn-err-Aster Bishop - WHEW)
So this is my second amnesia themed book, and it was so well put out together, so heartbreakingly beautifully told. We meet Molly after she’s lost the past six years of her life to a medical situation. She then realizes she’s married to her sworn enemy-err- academic rival. But generally hates. She can’t imagine going home to the man, but her best friend convinces her to trust her own judgements. This starts a journey of relearning who she is, who Aster is, and who they are together.
I adored the friend group here - how amazing to have so many wonderful friends that have stuck by you through thick and thin. And omg, Aster. I want to cry every time I think of his grief and love for Molly.
“If you really wanted me to, needed me to, I would. Because it's not difficult, doing anything for you."
I’d had an idea about the secret space and when that finally came to light, I cried my eyes out. This scene was written with so much emotion, my heart couldn’t bear it. I’m tearing up just thinking about it. And honestly, the whole book you think: will Molly get her memories back? This was handled with such care. I really loved how this all came together.
New author to me, but I will be looking forward to reading more!! Loved, loved, loved this book!!! I can’t even express how much I loved this!
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced reading copy and for making me fall in love with these characters.
I’ve never read a book so fast - I stayed up way past my bedtime on a work night DEVOURING this. I laughed, I cried, I couldn’t get enough.
"Where * * is my wife?" (Ok, Rowan Whitethorn-err-Aster Bishop - WHEW)
So this is my second amnesia themed book, and it was so well put out together, so heartbreakingly beautifully told. We meet Molly after she’s lost the past six years of her life to a medical situation. She then realizes she’s married to her sworn enemy-err- academic rival. But generally hates. She can’t imagine going home to the man, but her best friend convinces her to trust her own judgements. This starts a journey of relearning who she is, who Aster is, and who they are together.
I adored the friend group here - how amazing to have so many wonderful friends that have stuck by you through thick and thin. And omg, Aster. I want to cry every time I think of his grief and love for Molly.
“If you really wanted me to, needed me to, I would. Because it's not difficult, doing anything for you."
I’d had an idea about the secret space and when that finally came to light, I cried my eyes out. This scene was written with so much emotion, my heart couldn’t bear it. I’m tearing up just thinking about it. And honestly, the whole book you think: will Molly get her memories back? This was handled with such care. I really loved how this all came together.
New author to me, but I will be looking forward to reading more!! Loved, loved, loved this book!!! I can’t even express how much I loved this!
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced reading copy and for making me fall in love with these characters.
May 1, 2026
Imagine waking up married to the person who was the biggest jerk to you in school… with no memory of the last six years. That's Molly Graham's reality.
The premise is fantastic. Molly wakes up from a brain hemorrhage missing half a decade, only to find she's married to Aster Bishop—her old academic rival who was openly awful to her. Now she has to rely on him to help her rebuild her life, even if those memories never come back.
What works beautifully: the body language. Gayle writes touch, space, and chemistry so well—those lingering hand placements, the way they occupy a room together. As someone whose love language is physical touch, I ate it up. And Aster? On the surface, he's poised, elegant, fully contained. But when his composure cracks? When that little bit of arrogance breaks through? Ugh, so good.
The side characters are adorable—a warm re-found family that helps Molly reorient with humor and heart.
So why not a 5? A few moments didn't land as hard/transition as they could have, and the pacing occasionally stalled in the middle. Still, the yearning, the door-scene after their "first" date, and lines like "you've got me on the gallows here… most beautiful executioner I've ever seen"? Absolutely worth it.
A tender, touch-starved slow burn that delivers.
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Amanda Gayle for the advanced reader copy. This review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.
The premise is fantastic. Molly wakes up from a brain hemorrhage missing half a decade, only to find she's married to Aster Bishop—her old academic rival who was openly awful to her. Now she has to rely on him to help her rebuild her life, even if those memories never come back.
What works beautifully: the body language. Gayle writes touch, space, and chemistry so well—those lingering hand placements, the way they occupy a room together. As someone whose love language is physical touch, I ate it up. And Aster? On the surface, he's poised, elegant, fully contained. But when his composure cracks? When that little bit of arrogance breaks through? Ugh, so good.
The side characters are adorable—a warm re-found family that helps Molly reorient with humor and heart.
So why not a 5? A few moments didn't land as hard/transition as they could have, and the pacing occasionally stalled in the middle. Still, the yearning, the door-scene after their "first" date, and lines like "you've got me on the gallows here… most beautiful executioner I've ever seen"? Absolutely worth it.
A tender, touch-starved slow burn that delivers.
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Amanda Gayle for the advanced reader copy. This review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.
May 14, 2026
This story was simply beautiful. There was so much angst and yearning which kept me invested from beginning to end. The writing was great and I loved the side characters. I really enjoyed the flashbacks; I wish we could’ve had more of how they both fell in love the first time around.
Overall, this was a fantastic and beautifully written story about trauma and second chance. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Overall, this was a fantastic and beautifully written story about trauma and second chance. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
April 26, 2026
What a sweet, yet gut-wrenching read!
As a certified HATER of the amnesia/memory loss trope, I wasn’t sure I’d like this one. However, I am and forever will be a second-chance romance girlie.
I particularly loved how, in the end, Molly didn’t get her memories back. I think I prefer that (despite everything) over her magically getting better.
As a certified HATER of the amnesia/memory loss trope, I wasn’t sure I’d like this one. However, I am and forever will be a second-chance romance girlie.
I particularly loved how, in the end, Molly didn’t get her memories back. I think I prefer that (despite everything) over her magically getting better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2026
I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I love the fic this is based on but the book was lacking something and it’s wild how it was mostly word for word adapted from the fanfic, minus the fantasy. It wasn’t fleshed out and more attention was given to the side characters instead of the main pairing. I did like the side characters and all their friendships but it could have been more balanced. I didn’t enjoy the repetitive flashbacks to the Before, they contributed nothing to the story after awhile. A lot of the dialogue felt awkward and unrealistic and Molly’s character felt underdeveloped. I enjoyed the yearning and banter.
May 13, 2026
⭐️4.25 Stars⭐️
A beautiful story about amnesia and the chance to fall in love a second time. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this ARC.
The memory loss aspect is hard for me to read because I find it so heartbreaking, but I was really interested in the story from the beginning. You slowly get to follow how Molly falls in love with Aster again. He has to learn how to deal with the situation and be patient, and he truly was such a yearner, always respectful, gentle, and understanding with Molly.
Molly could be a little frustrating at the beginning, but considering her situation, it was completely understandable. From a reader’s perspective it was just a bit difficult to like her at times, though also heartbreaking to witness, especially for Aster.
The friend group was so supportive and sweet, and you could clearly feel the love and respect they all had for each other. A perfect representation of found family.
Forgiveness and acceptance are also such important topics in this story.
As the story progresses, you slowly begin to understand what the locked room means and it’s honestly so sad.
I do think the “before” chapters felt a little irrelevant at times. I understand they were meant to show how different Aster used to be compared to who he is now, but I personally would have preferred seeing more of the development of their relationship instead. At the same time, I also understand why the author chose not to show how they fell in love the first time.
Perfect for fans of:
- Second chance romance
- Angst
- Memory loss
- Dislike to lovers
- Found family
A beautiful story about amnesia and the chance to fall in love a second time. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this ARC.
The memory loss aspect is hard for me to read because I find it so heartbreaking, but I was really interested in the story from the beginning. You slowly get to follow how Molly falls in love with Aster again. He has to learn how to deal with the situation and be patient, and he truly was such a yearner, always respectful, gentle, and understanding with Molly.
Molly could be a little frustrating at the beginning, but considering her situation, it was completely understandable. From a reader’s perspective it was just a bit difficult to like her at times, though also heartbreaking to witness, especially for Aster.
The friend group was so supportive and sweet, and you could clearly feel the love and respect they all had for each other. A perfect representation of found family.
Forgiveness and acceptance are also such important topics in this story.
As the story progresses, you slowly begin to understand what the locked room means and it’s honestly so sad.
I do think the “before” chapters felt a little irrelevant at times. I understand they were meant to show how different Aster used to be compared to who he is now, but I personally would have preferred seeing more of the development of their relationship instead. At the same time, I also understand why the author chose not to show how they fell in love the first time.
Perfect for fans of:
- Second chance romance
- Angst
- Memory loss
- Dislike to lovers
- Found family
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