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Never Not Been You
Matthew Grayson is used to getting what he wants.
He’s built a life on discipline, control, and a reputation that never fails him. Wealth. Power. Women. Everything comes easily—until the one woman who’s always mattered steps back into his life and reminds him of what he’s already lost.
More than once.
She wants friendship.
No benefits. No complications.
And Matthew Grayson doesn’t do just friends.
Then a devastating call in the middle of the night shatters his world.
Grief turns into responsibility overnight, and suddenly the only things that matter are a kid who needs him… and the woman who shows up without hesitation when he breaks. No questions. No explanations. Just quiet comfort and too much history to pretend they’re nothing.
Matt makes a decision that should fix everything.
Instead, it puts him one mistake away from losing the two people he cares about most.
The best part?
It was his idea.
The worst part?
So was falling for her all over again.
Content Warnings:
This book contains explicit open-door sexual content, strong explicit language, and adult themes.
**Want more Matt and Jordan? Their story begins in The Broken & Bound Duet as secondary characters.
Recommended reading orders can be found on my website.
He’s built a life on discipline, control, and a reputation that never fails him. Wealth. Power. Women. Everything comes easily—until the one woman who’s always mattered steps back into his life and reminds him of what he’s already lost.
More than once.
She wants friendship.
No benefits. No complications.
And Matthew Grayson doesn’t do just friends.
Then a devastating call in the middle of the night shatters his world.
Grief turns into responsibility overnight, and suddenly the only things that matter are a kid who needs him… and the woman who shows up without hesitation when he breaks. No questions. No explanations. Just quiet comfort and too much history to pretend they’re nothing.
Matt makes a decision that should fix everything.
Instead, it puts him one mistake away from losing the two people he cares about most.
The best part?
It was his idea.
The worst part?
So was falling for her all over again.
Content Warnings:
This book contains explicit open-door sexual content, strong explicit language, and adult themes.
**Want more Matt and Jordan? Their story begins in The Broken & Bound Duet as secondary characters.
Recommended reading orders can be found on my website.
470 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 26, 2026
89 people are currently reading
409 people want to read
About the author
Erin Cornia
5 books184 followersAngsty, emotional romance author delivering all the feels—laugh, cry, and the kind of tension that keeps you turning pages way past bedtime.
I’m a lifelong book lover and unapologetic romance enthusiast who believes good men exist outside of fiction, and I'm lucky enough to be married to one.
I’ve always loved writing, telling stories, and scribbling poetry in the middle of the night when I can't sleep.
When I’m not writing, you can find me lost in a good book, brainstorming my next story, or planning my next vacation.
Thanks for joining me on this beautiful, wild journey.
I’m a lifelong book lover and unapologetic romance enthusiast who believes good men exist outside of fiction, and I'm lucky enough to be married to one.
I’ve always loved writing, telling stories, and scribbling poetry in the middle of the night when I can't sleep.
When I’m not writing, you can find me lost in a good book, brainstorming my next story, or planning my next vacation.
Thanks for joining me on this beautiful, wild journey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
Review of advance copy
“You’ve always been my endgame.
It’s always been you.
It’s never not been you.”
I don’t even know how to start this without sounding unhinged, but this book wrecked me. Like actually emotionally dismantled me piece by piece and then left me sitting there in the aftermath trying to figure out how I’m supposed to just… go on with my life after that??? Because what do you mean I’m expected to function normally after feeling that much??? 😭😭😭
This wasn’t just emotional. It was heart-wrenching in the most relentless, suffocating way. 😭 The kind of story that doesn’t give you a second to breathe because every time you think ”okay maybe I’ll recover here”—it. hits. you. again. Even harder. 😭 My chest physically hurt. I cried so much I got to that point where you’re just staring at the page with tears silently falling because you’re too exhausted to even react anymore. 🥺🥺
Matthew Grayson… I need a moment for him because I am not okay. The way that man loved??? One word: enduring . It was patient to the point of devastation. 😭 Three decades of yearning. Thirty years of wanting someone and still choosing them every single time??? Even when it cost him everything? I don’t think I’ve ever read something that felt so painfully real. 😭
Broken. I’m fully broken. Because it’s not just love, it’s acceptance of loss before it even happens. 💔 It’s knowing you’re going to get hurt and loving anyway. I had to stop reading and just sit there and remind myself “THIS IS FICTIONAL.”
And Jordan… she frustrated me so much at first I could barely stand it. 😭 I wanted to shake her. I wanted to scream at her. But then everything unravels and suddenly you get it. You understand why she held back, why she ran, why she made the choices she did—and it doesn’t make it hurt less, it makes it hurt more. Because now you’re not just watching Matt suffer, you’re watching her suffer too. 😭💔
The slow burn in this book should be illegal. I’m not even kidding. The tension was so intense it felt like it was sitting in my throat the entire time. 😭 Every look, every touch, every almost-confession had me spiraling. I was desperate for them to just break, to finally give in, and at the same time I was terrified of it because I knew it would destroy me when it happened.
And that’s exactly what this book does. It makes love feel tangible. You can feel it in every interaction, every sacrifice, every moment they almost choose each other and then don’t. It’s beautiful and it’s agonizing. 😭
And then there’s the shift. Suddenly it’s not just about longing anymore, it’s about grief, responsibility, and the kind of choices that reshape everything. And watching them navigate that while still carrying all those years of unresolved love??? I was not emotionally equipped. 😭🤚🏼
That line ruined me in a completely different way. Because it’s not this perfect, fairytale kind of love. It’s messy. It’s risky. It’s terrifying. But it’s also the kind of love that feels inevitable. Like no matter what happens, they were always going to find their way back to each other… even if it destroyed them in the process.
And the growth??? Watching Jordan finally confront everything, finally choose, finally stop running… it felt so earned. And Matt 😭 he never stopped being there. Not in a way that felt unrealistic, but in a way that felt like he just didn’t know how to love her any other way. 🥺🥺
I read this in one sitting. No sleep. No breaks. Just me, fully consumed, crying at ungodly hours because I physically could not put it down. And when it ended, I just sat there in silence because I wasn’t ready to let them go. I’m still not. 😭
This wasn’t just a five star read. This was the kind of book that leaves a mark. The kind that hurts. The kind that stays with you and replays in your head at random moments because your heart hasn’t quite recovered yet. Infinity stars to the max. 😭 Might even possibly be my top read of the year 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼
things to know about the book ↓
🌸 childhood friends → lovers
🌸 right person, wrong time
🌸 decades-long pining (30 years of ANGST)
🌸 “it’s always been you”
🌸 billionaire hero
🌸 second chance (over and over again 😭)
🌸 forced proximity
🌸 marriage of convenience
🌸 dual POV
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
swearing: yes (a lot)
Thank you Luna Literary & Erin Corina for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
⸻⸻⸻
・❥・⁀➷ pre-read
I’m ngl there were so many people in my book group raving about Erin Corina’s books. So I’m pretty excited for this one!! for 450+ pages I’m hoping it delivers 🤞🏼😭
It’s always been you.
It’s never not been you.”
I don’t even know how to start this without sounding unhinged, but this book wrecked me. Like actually emotionally dismantled me piece by piece and then left me sitting there in the aftermath trying to figure out how I’m supposed to just… go on with my life after that??? Because what do you mean I’m expected to function normally after feeling that much??? 😭😭😭
This wasn’t just emotional. It was heart-wrenching in the most relentless, suffocating way. 😭 The kind of story that doesn’t give you a second to breathe because every time you think ”okay maybe I’ll recover here”—it. hits. you. again. Even harder. 😭 My chest physically hurt. I cried so much I got to that point where you’re just staring at the page with tears silently falling because you’re too exhausted to even react anymore. 🥺🥺
Matthew Grayson… I need a moment for him because I am not okay. The way that man loved??? One word: enduring . It was patient to the point of devastation. 😭 Three decades of yearning. Thirty years of wanting someone and still choosing them every single time??? Even when it cost him everything? I don’t think I’ve ever read something that felt so painfully real. 😭
“And if this is all I ever get? Moments, days, weeks… maybe a few years before she slips through my fingers again? Then that’s my story. Because I already know I’ll only ever love one woman.
And it’s Jordan Demetriou.”
Broken. I’m fully broken. Because it’s not just love, it’s acceptance of loss before it even happens. 💔 It’s knowing you’re going to get hurt and loving anyway. I had to stop reading and just sit there and remind myself “THIS IS FICTIONAL.”
And Jordan… she frustrated me so much at first I could barely stand it. 😭 I wanted to shake her. I wanted to scream at her. But then everything unravels and suddenly you get it. You understand why she held back, why she ran, why she made the choices she did—and it doesn’t make it hurt less, it makes it hurt more. Because now you’re not just watching Matt suffer, you’re watching her suffer too. 😭💔
“He’s comfort, and I always come back. The same way a child clings to their baby blanket or stuffed animal. He brings me that same feeling—like if I could just wrap myself in him, breathe him in, taste him—everything would be okay.”
The slow burn in this book should be illegal. I’m not even kidding. The tension was so intense it felt like it was sitting in my throat the entire time. 😭 Every look, every touch, every almost-confession had me spiraling. I was desperate for them to just break, to finally give in, and at the same time I was terrified of it because I knew it would destroy me when it happened.
“The way Matt’s looking at me. Those eyes. That smile.
If you could sell love—touch it. Make it tangible.
It might look something like that.”
And that’s exactly what this book does. It makes love feel tangible. You can feel it in every interaction, every sacrifice, every moment they almost choose each other and then don’t. It’s beautiful and it’s agonizing. 😭
And then there’s the shift. Suddenly it’s not just about longing anymore, it’s about grief, responsibility, and the kind of choices that reshape everything. And watching them navigate that while still carrying all those years of unresolved love??? I was not emotionally equipped. 😭🤚🏼
“Because as long as I’m falling with Matt, I know I’ll be okay.
He’ll catch me—or we’ll crash together.”
That line ruined me in a completely different way. Because it’s not this perfect, fairytale kind of love. It’s messy. It’s risky. It’s terrifying. But it’s also the kind of love that feels inevitable. Like no matter what happens, they were always going to find their way back to each other… even if it destroyed them in the process.
And the growth??? Watching Jordan finally confront everything, finally choose, finally stop running… it felt so earned. And Matt 😭 he never stopped being there. Not in a way that felt unrealistic, but in a way that felt like he just didn’t know how to love her any other way. 🥺🥺
I read this in one sitting. No sleep. No breaks. Just me, fully consumed, crying at ungodly hours because I physically could not put it down. And when it ended, I just sat there in silence because I wasn’t ready to let them go. I’m still not. 😭
This wasn’t just a five star read. This was the kind of book that leaves a mark. The kind that hurts. The kind that stays with you and replays in your head at random moments because your heart hasn’t quite recovered yet. Infinity stars to the max. 😭 Might even possibly be my top read of the year 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼
things to know about the book ↓
🌸 childhood friends → lovers
🌸 right person, wrong time
🌸 decades-long pining (30 years of ANGST)
🌸 “it’s always been you”
🌸 billionaire hero
🌸 second chance (over and over again 😭)
🌸 forced proximity
🌸 marriage of convenience
🌸 dual POV
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
swearing: yes (a lot)
Thank you Luna Literary & Erin Corina for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
⸻⸻⸻
・❥・⁀➷ pre-read
I’m ngl there were so many people in my book group raving about Erin Corina’s books. So I’m pretty excited for this one!! for 450+ pages I’m hoping it delivers 🤞🏼😭
March 14, 2026
BETA READ!
I am an absolute feen for Erin’s writing, her balance of emotion and spice cannot be touched! If she writes it, I will be first in line to read it! I knew she was going to go all out for Matt’s story, but Erin completely blew me away with this one.
The mixture of raw emotions, vulnerability, sex appeal, and tenderness within Never Not Been You was perfection. This is a It’s always been you, marriage of convenience that pulls you in from the first page.
The insatiable chemistry and tension between Matt and Jordan is EVERYTHING. Their history, the yearning… I could not read this book fast enough. This one checks every single box and was an immediate 5 star.
Thank you Erin for the gifted copy and allowing me to read Never Not Been You early in exchange for an honest review.
I am an absolute feen for Erin’s writing, her balance of emotion and spice cannot be touched! If she writes it, I will be first in line to read it! I knew she was going to go all out for Matt’s story, but Erin completely blew me away with this one.
The mixture of raw emotions, vulnerability, sex appeal, and tenderness within Never Not Been You was perfection. This is a It’s always been you, marriage of convenience that pulls you in from the first page.
The insatiable chemistry and tension between Matt and Jordan is EVERYTHING. Their history, the yearning… I could not read this book fast enough. This one checks every single box and was an immediate 5 star.
Thank you Erin for the gifted copy and allowing me to read Never Not Been You early in exchange for an honest review.
May 1, 2026
I just LOVE Matt. His character is everything. A man who shows UP for his people.
I had no idea where this story was going to go, and it had a different plot then I anticipated, less heavy then the other books in the Chicago series, but I ate it up. I could not put it down. I love her writing style and the emotional connection she builds to the characters.
I loved that there were so many updates with other characters, seeing Alley and Jensen in it again.
I didn’t know what to expect about Jordan cause you really didn’t get too much of her in the other books, but I loved it.
I had no idea where this story was going to go, and it had a different plot then I anticipated, less heavy then the other books in the Chicago series, but I ate it up. I could not put it down. I love her writing style and the emotional connection she builds to the characters.
I loved that there were so many updates with other characters, seeing Alley and Jensen in it again.
I didn’t know what to expect about Jordan cause you really didn’t get too much of her in the other books, but I loved it.
April 26, 2026
ARC review
Erin’s writing is so effortless and relatable. It’s sexy, sweet and real. I’m a fan. After reading her duet in this series I was hooked on her storytelling and signed up for an ARC this book because I was intrigued by Matt (one of the friends in this series) and I was dying to know his and Jordan’s story. And I loved it.
Matt, the playboy billionaire in the friend group, has had a long standing situationship with his best friend from school, Jordan. For 20 years they’ve been back and forth, Jordan always finding a reason to leave. Matt never going after her. Their friendship too important to them both.
- in the duet in the series, Jordan meets someone else and cuts Matt out of her life for a couple of years until she bails on her wedding day, leaving her fiancée at the alter.
She runs straight into Matt’s arms for comfort and Matt realizes how much he still wants her. So when Matt’s cousin and best friend passes away leaving behind his 12 year old son, Matt comes up with an idea for Jordan to marry him so he can get custody of the kid. Telling her she can leave after 5 months. Jordan agrees, to help him get custody because they’ve always been there for each other since they were teens.
But of course now they have to face their true feelings for each other, figuring out how to navigate the mess they’ve put themselves in. Their banter, flirting, chemistry and stubbornness was so damn good.
This was relatable, cute, sexy and their chemistry was off the charts 💯
This can be read as a standalone but for more content it’s recommended to read the series or the duet first
Erin’s writing is so effortless and relatable. It’s sexy, sweet and real. I’m a fan. After reading her duet in this series I was hooked on her storytelling and signed up for an ARC this book because I was intrigued by Matt (one of the friends in this series) and I was dying to know his and Jordan’s story. And I loved it.
Matt, the playboy billionaire in the friend group, has had a long standing situationship with his best friend from school, Jordan. For 20 years they’ve been back and forth, Jordan always finding a reason to leave. Matt never going after her. Their friendship too important to them both.
- in the duet in the series, Jordan meets someone else and cuts Matt out of her life for a couple of years until she bails on her wedding day, leaving her fiancée at the alter.
She runs straight into Matt’s arms for comfort and Matt realizes how much he still wants her. So when Matt’s cousin and best friend passes away leaving behind his 12 year old son, Matt comes up with an idea for Jordan to marry him so he can get custody of the kid. Telling her she can leave after 5 months. Jordan agrees, to help him get custody because they’ve always been there for each other since they were teens.
But of course now they have to face their true feelings for each other, figuring out how to navigate the mess they’ve put themselves in. Their banter, flirting, chemistry and stubbornness was so damn good.
This was relatable, cute, sexy and their chemistry was off the charts 💯
This can be read as a standalone but for more content it’s recommended to read the series or the duet first
April 27, 2026
When I first started seeing what the tropes are for this book, every single trope had me so curious and so excited to read it. If You’re familiar with this author’s other books, she writes topics in a way that other people don’t want to touch on, and it’s one of my favorite things about her. She pulls at your heartstrings and your emotions and she gets you every time.
Reformed playboy is one of my absolute favorite tropes. Matt is a rich playboy who can have anyone he wants. He’s had an off again on again relationship basically his entire life with his best friend Jordan- just a messy, complicated relationship that these 2 never seem to be able to get right. But even when they are OFF, they mostly still always show up for each other and be the friend the other needs, even struggling through some heavy feelings for each other. When a situation occurs prompting an opportunity for a marriage of convenience, Matt asks and Jordan delivers without hesitation. Although this was quick, no one is surprised, knowing that these two are destined for each other. The chemistry between them while navigating this fake marriage but watching their true feelings come to light was 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Matt was literal perfection. He’s a billionaire who can have whatever or whoever he wants but be only has eyes for Jordan- whether it’s pretend or not. He treats her like a queen and barrels down any insecurities of doubt she has for herself, over and over again. The build up of Matt’s character throughout the series was everything I hoped for and more, and their relationship together was exactly the kind of friends to lovers I love to read. True struggles and hardships and actual issues to overcome.
Reformed playboy is one of my absolute favorite tropes. Matt is a rich playboy who can have anyone he wants. He’s had an off again on again relationship basically his entire life with his best friend Jordan- just a messy, complicated relationship that these 2 never seem to be able to get right. But even when they are OFF, they mostly still always show up for each other and be the friend the other needs, even struggling through some heavy feelings for each other. When a situation occurs prompting an opportunity for a marriage of convenience, Matt asks and Jordan delivers without hesitation. Although this was quick, no one is surprised, knowing that these two are destined for each other. The chemistry between them while navigating this fake marriage but watching their true feelings come to light was 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Matt was literal perfection. He’s a billionaire who can have whatever or whoever he wants but be only has eyes for Jordan- whether it’s pretend or not. He treats her like a queen and barrels down any insecurities of doubt she has for herself, over and over again. The build up of Matt’s character throughout the series was everything I hoped for and more, and their relationship together was exactly the kind of friends to lovers I love to read. True struggles and hardships and actual issues to overcome.
April 28, 2026
BOOK REVIEW: Never Not Been You by Erin Cornia
Never Not Been You is part of the Chicago series by Erin Cornia and in this one we get Matt’s story! We have been following Matt throughout the series but really got to know him in A Love That Broke Us and A Love That Saved Us which just left us wanting more. And let me tell you…THIS BOOK DELIVERS!
Matthew Grayson is a man who always gets what he wants. Except when it comes to Jordan. When she suddenly returns to his life, she is determined to remain friends and he wants more than friendship. Then a devastating call in the middle of the night turns Matt’s world upside down. Now he has new responsibilities the he could have never imagined and Jordan is the one person who always shows up for him.
What to expect:
❤️billionaire romance
❤️friends to lovers
❤️marriage of convenience
❤️forced proximity
❤️found family
❤️banter
❤️slow burn
I devoured this book! It was an emotional story full of yearning, angst, chemistry and so much tension. This book has the slowest of slow burns but when things heat up, the payoff is sooooo worth the wait🔥🙌🏼👌🏼 This story has super sexy vibes and banter but it also has themes of grief and healing. The journey through Matt and Jordan’s character growth was beautiful, the appearances of Ally and Jensen made this story so much more special and the book overall was just absolute perfection. The characters in every book in this series are all just so real and relatable. I cannot recommend this book and this series enough! If Erin Cornia writes it, I’m going to read it! (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Thank you to Erin Cornia for the opportunity to read an eARC of Never Not Been You. All opinions in this review are my own.
Never Not Been You is part of the Chicago series by Erin Cornia and in this one we get Matt’s story! We have been following Matt throughout the series but really got to know him in A Love That Broke Us and A Love That Saved Us which just left us wanting more. And let me tell you…THIS BOOK DELIVERS!
Matthew Grayson is a man who always gets what he wants. Except when it comes to Jordan. When she suddenly returns to his life, she is determined to remain friends and he wants more than friendship. Then a devastating call in the middle of the night turns Matt’s world upside down. Now he has new responsibilities the he could have never imagined and Jordan is the one person who always shows up for him.
What to expect:
❤️billionaire romance
❤️friends to lovers
❤️marriage of convenience
❤️forced proximity
❤️found family
❤️banter
❤️slow burn
I devoured this book! It was an emotional story full of yearning, angst, chemistry and so much tension. This book has the slowest of slow burns but when things heat up, the payoff is sooooo worth the wait🔥🙌🏼👌🏼 This story has super sexy vibes and banter but it also has themes of grief and healing. The journey through Matt and Jordan’s character growth was beautiful, the appearances of Ally and Jensen made this story so much more special and the book overall was just absolute perfection. The characters in every book in this series are all just so real and relatable. I cannot recommend this book and this series enough! If Erin Cornia writes it, I’m going to read it! (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Thank you to Erin Cornia for the opportunity to read an eARC of Never Not Been You. All opinions in this review are my own.
April 18, 2026
*ARC READ THIS AMAZING BOOK! ERIN ENDED THE CHICAGO SERIES WITH FIREWORKS 🎆 & IM SO SAD THIS SERIES IS ENDING*
The last book “Never Not Been You”, in The Chicago Series did NOT come to play. The chemistry between Matt & Jordan was out of this world, even though this was the slowest burn ever!!!! (DAMN YOU ERIN!) The slow burn didn’t stop the feels though, I felt every damn emotion during this story, just as I do throughout all her books!
Matt being a reformed playboy had my heart bc I love that even though he could have ANYONE & he knows it, he never waivers about WANTING JORDAN. & the feeling is mutual with Jordan, no matter how much she runs.
This was a marriage of convenience story, and I couldn’t love the baseline anymore than I do! The reason they got married had me sobbing… bc it wasn’t about EITHER OF THEM. There was so many layers to this love story, but each layer made me realize more and more that these two were written in history long before thy even knew it. Long before they even knew what love really meant. (IYKYK)
I knew I was going to fall in love with this couple, but it exceeded my expectations and made me jealous of this love story… even though it’s one of the more complicated/REAL ones. If Erin Cornia has 0 fans, I’m dead. She is easily in my top 3 authors, & she’s not 1 or 2 🤏🏼🤏🏼
The last book “Never Not Been You”, in The Chicago Series did NOT come to play. The chemistry between Matt & Jordan was out of this world, even though this was the slowest burn ever!!!! (DAMN YOU ERIN!) The slow burn didn’t stop the feels though, I felt every damn emotion during this story, just as I do throughout all her books!
Matt being a reformed playboy had my heart bc I love that even though he could have ANYONE & he knows it, he never waivers about WANTING JORDAN. & the feeling is mutual with Jordan, no matter how much she runs.
This was a marriage of convenience story, and I couldn’t love the baseline anymore than I do! The reason they got married had me sobbing… bc it wasn’t about EITHER OF THEM. There was so many layers to this love story, but each layer made me realize more and more that these two were written in history long before thy even knew it. Long before they even knew what love really meant. (IYKYK)
I knew I was going to fall in love with this couple, but it exceeded my expectations and made me jealous of this love story… even though it’s one of the more complicated/REAL ones. If Erin Cornia has 0 fans, I’m dead. She is easily in my top 3 authors, & she’s not 1 or 2 🤏🏼🤏🏼
April 9, 2026
Thank you to author Erin Cornia for the opportunity to read the ARC of “Never not Been you”.
4.5 ⭐️ I was obsessed with Matt in the Broken and Bound duet so I was so anxious to get his story. He is the perfect tattooed, billionaire playboy that only has eyes for his childhood friend / on again/off again friends with benefits. Jordan and Matt had been teased in other books in the series so the tension is already building.
I loved the slow burn, angst, and emotional journey. I can relate to Jordan about always wanting to please family. I loved how Matt shows love through actions. This was a bit lighter than previous books but according to the author was intentional. Really enjoyed this one! Sad the series over!
4.5 ⭐️ I was obsessed with Matt in the Broken and Bound duet so I was so anxious to get his story. He is the perfect tattooed, billionaire playboy that only has eyes for his childhood friend / on again/off again friends with benefits. Jordan and Matt had been teased in other books in the series so the tension is already building.
I loved the slow burn, angst, and emotional journey. I can relate to Jordan about always wanting to please family. I loved how Matt shows love through actions. This was a bit lighter than previous books but according to the author was intentional. Really enjoyed this one! Sad the series over!
April 27, 2026
I cried, I laughed, and I fell in love with Matt and Jordan’s story. A twist on a kind of second chance romance with childhood friends who lost touch due to an incident but who found their way back to each other but that was a journey filled with tons of angst and tension. We love a man who keeps choosing us even when we can’t choose ourselves and Matthew Grayson takes the cake on that. It’s sweet and filled with familial tensions/generational trauma that heavily plays a role in the characters relationship.
I’m glad I got the opportunity to delve into Matt and Jordan’s relationship and understand these two. Their banter was so fun and watch the relationship evolve on both sides.
Thank you Erin for the opportunity to ARC read this!
I’m glad I got the opportunity to delve into Matt and Jordan’s relationship and understand these two. Their banter was so fun and watch the relationship evolve on both sides.
Thank you Erin for the opportunity to ARC read this!
April 8, 2026
ARC review•Never Not Been You•Erin Corina
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
PUB DATE: April 26th
This. Book. 🔥 I could not put it down!! Erin’s writing has such a way of pulling you in right away and I was hooked from the very start. While reading you truly feel all the emotions, one minute I was laughing about something a character said and the next crying about a school project. Matt was the PERFECT mmc, a sexy tatted up billionaire with a heart of gold. His love for Jordan and the ways he showed her without actually saying “I love you” had me swooning. The connection between the two of them was off the charts and I just loved everything about this book. Be sure to add this one to your TBR!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
PUB DATE: April 26th
This. Book. 🔥 I could not put it down!! Erin’s writing has such a way of pulling you in right away and I was hooked from the very start. While reading you truly feel all the emotions, one minute I was laughing about something a character said and the next crying about a school project. Matt was the PERFECT mmc, a sexy tatted up billionaire with a heart of gold. His love for Jordan and the ways he showed her without actually saying “I love you” had me swooning. The connection between the two of them was off the charts and I just loved everything about this book. Be sure to add this one to your TBR!!
April 19, 2026
4.5✨ Matthew Grayson the man he is!! Loved this one! Loved Jordan and Matt's banter, and the slow burn was killing me! Erin sure did edge us with all that sexual tension and when the spice hit damn! Really love Erin's writing and her writing just get better with every book she writes. Sad this series is over but I can't wait to see what is next in store!
April 27, 2026
Matthew Grayson is officially here, and you are not ready for his perfection!
Never Not Been You is finally available! Who else has been dying for this story? Because we have been pining after this man for YEARS!
You're going to be pleasantly surprised and maybe a little shocked with this one. Erin always delivers when it comes to emotional stories, and this one pulls at your heartstrings but don't worry, our guy FINALLY gets his girl!
And the slowwwwww burn? The sexual tension will have you absolutely feral... but trust us, the payoff is so worth it!
🌶️🌶️
Never Not Been You is finally available! Who else has been dying for this story? Because we have been pining after this man for YEARS!
You're going to be pleasantly surprised and maybe a little shocked with this one. Erin always delivers when it comes to emotional stories, and this one pulls at your heartstrings but don't worry, our guy FINALLY gets his girl!
And the slowwwwww burn? The sexual tension will have you absolutely feral... but trust us, the payoff is so worth it!
🌶️🌶️
April 27, 2026
SHORT VERSION SHORT... ish
________________________
Seriously, Erin out did herself with this one.
While she completely obliterated us with the Broken & Bond duet, she still managed to break and stomp my heart with Jordan and Matt but also healed us. It may have not been the same level of emotional wreckage, it still wrecked me, but it was worth it. She crafted such a seamless balance of emotional depth, heartbreaking moments, tender moments with light-hearted and funny moments. They weaved through the story at all the right times. One moment you were crying, the next eyes still filled with tears but of laughter.
The way she delivered on character growth was perfectly amazing and in the end I was left STAT. She did the damn thing.
Ok, so what is it about brie, you're probably wondering. It's a second chance, billionaire, marriage of convenience, between friends to lovers. It's angsty, pinning and yearning over 30+ damn years. Yeah, Matt is so freakin' amazing. The underlining story pushing Matt and Jordan together was beautiful. I mean, I cried for Cole and my heart broke. 💔😭
Basically I can't tell you more without spoiling so you NEED to read. I wouldn't say you NEED to read books 1&2, but to get more background around Matt and Jordan read the duet (books 3&4) first. It's so worth it. Especially to see their journey to their HEA!!!!!
LONG VERSION LONG....
________________________
This book thoroughly wrecked me. Like how she drew out every dang emotion from me, along with ripping my heart out, stomping on it and handing it back to me in pieces. As in this was an emotional beast that was utterly heart-wrenching that had me in such a chokehold, that there were times I cried so much, that I questioned things? My life. Haha, I had to check into reality a few times, because I was too into this story with these characters. Aren't those the best kinds of reads? 😜
So Matt, our MMC, our devastatingly handsome billionaire who is in love with his best friend and has been yearning for Jordan for what, thirty something years, (like what?) and allowing her to keep him at arms length. The way this man loved, had me all in my feels. He might not have said the words, but if you really paid attention, he was saying them, but saying them quietly. He didn’t love loud, but quietly, among the day to day. If Jordan doesn’t want him, I’d gladly take Matt for myself and become Mrs. Grayson. Thank you!! Like I said thirty years, he stood by her, choosing her, Every. Single. Time. ARE YOU EVEN KIDDING ME?? He chose her even when it cost him everything!!!!!! 🫠🫠😮💨
Then, Jordan, our girl, our FMC, who frustrated me in the beginning, because even when he chose her among his family and other obligations, she still couldn’t see what was right in front of her. I wanted to shake her, smack her to get her to see he was right there and choosing her. Sheesh. 🙄🫤
BUTTTTT………
I know, you're gonna say, well brie sucks for her, or I can't stand these FMCs. Y'all, I get it. I'm the same. But it's not like our girl Jordan wants to be this way. It's how she was built, and brought up. Molded to be. But as time goes on, and the story unravels, something clicks. Things get revealed and then YOU. GET. IT. It all becomes clear and you understand why she held back, why she ran, and understand the decisions she made, even when you didn’t like them.
I have to give credit where credit is due, when he needed her, like truly needed her, she was there for him. Helping him go after what he wanted. And while she was hesitant, it’s then that I knew she was all in. Even if she didn’t know it herself. These two, together, were truly something special, something magical. They really were the other half. 🥹🥹🤍
I’m telling you the banter between these two is so dang good, but what was better than the banter? The damn tension and chemistry. Every dang look, touch, and even each confession shared between these two had me in a chokehold because they were both so desperate for the other and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for them to give in to their true feelings. And when it finally happens, after the slowest slow burn known to man, Erin delivered. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻🔥🫠
I will say, while yes, I was annoyed with Jordan, the character growth was perfectly amazing. Once she finally realized what she wanted, that she could have it all, she finally chose the life she’s always wanted. She stopped running, and there was Matt, ready to embrace her and the life she wanted. God that man! 🫠🥵😮💨
Thank you to Luna Literary and Erin Cornia for gifting me this ARC.
“𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚.
𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪.
𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”
________________________
Seriously, Erin out did herself with this one.
While she completely obliterated us with the Broken & Bond duet, she still managed to break and stomp my heart with Jordan and Matt but also healed us. It may have not been the same level of emotional wreckage, it still wrecked me, but it was worth it. She crafted such a seamless balance of emotional depth, heartbreaking moments, tender moments with light-hearted and funny moments. They weaved through the story at all the right times. One moment you were crying, the next eyes still filled with tears but of laughter.
The way she delivered on character growth was perfectly amazing and in the end I was left STAT. She did the damn thing.
Ok, so what is it about brie, you're probably wondering. It's a second chance, billionaire, marriage of convenience, between friends to lovers. It's angsty, pinning and yearning over 30+ damn years. Yeah, Matt is so freakin' amazing. The underlining story pushing Matt and Jordan together was beautiful. I mean, I cried for Cole and my heart broke. 💔😭
Basically I can't tell you more without spoiling so you NEED to read. I wouldn't say you NEED to read books 1&2, but to get more background around Matt and Jordan read the duet (books 3&4) first. It's so worth it. Especially to see their journey to their HEA!!!!!
LONG VERSION LONG....
________________________
This book thoroughly wrecked me. Like how she drew out every dang emotion from me, along with ripping my heart out, stomping on it and handing it back to me in pieces. As in this was an emotional beast that was utterly heart-wrenching that had me in such a chokehold, that there were times I cried so much, that I questioned things? My life. Haha, I had to check into reality a few times, because I was too into this story with these characters. Aren't those the best kinds of reads? 😜
So Matt, our MMC, our devastatingly handsome billionaire who is in love with his best friend and has been yearning for Jordan for what, thirty something years, (like what?) and allowing her to keep him at arms length. The way this man loved, had me all in my feels. He might not have said the words, but if you really paid attention, he was saying them, but saying them quietly. He didn’t love loud, but quietly, among the day to day. If Jordan doesn’t want him, I’d gladly take Matt for myself and become Mrs. Grayson. Thank you!! Like I said thirty years, he stood by her, choosing her, Every. Single. Time. ARE YOU EVEN KIDDING ME?? He chose her even when it cost him everything!!!!!! 🫠🫠😮💨
Then, Jordan, our girl, our FMC, who frustrated me in the beginning, because even when he chose her among his family and other obligations, she still couldn’t see what was right in front of her. I wanted to shake her, smack her to get her to see he was right there and choosing her. Sheesh. 🙄🫤
BUTTTTT………
I know, you're gonna say, well brie sucks for her, or I can't stand these FMCs. Y'all, I get it. I'm the same. But it's not like our girl Jordan wants to be this way. It's how she was built, and brought up. Molded to be. But as time goes on, and the story unravels, something clicks. Things get revealed and then YOU. GET. IT. It all becomes clear and you understand why she held back, why she ran, and understand the decisions she made, even when you didn’t like them.
I have to give credit where credit is due, when he needed her, like truly needed her, she was there for him. Helping him go after what he wanted. And while she was hesitant, it’s then that I knew she was all in. Even if she didn’t know it herself. These two, together, were truly something special, something magical. They really were the other half. 🥹🥹🤍
I’m telling you the banter between these two is so dang good, but what was better than the banter? The damn tension and chemistry. Every dang look, touch, and even each confession shared between these two had me in a chokehold because they were both so desperate for the other and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for them to give in to their true feelings. And when it finally happens, after the slowest slow burn known to man, Erin delivered. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻🔥🫠
I will say, while yes, I was annoyed with Jordan, the character growth was perfectly amazing. Once she finally realized what she wanted, that she could have it all, she finally chose the life she’s always wanted. She stopped running, and there was Matt, ready to embrace her and the life she wanted. God that man! 🫠🥵😮💨
Thank you to Luna Literary and Erin Cornia for gifting me this ARC.
“𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚.
𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪.
𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”
April 28, 2026
I had really been looking forward to this book, but unfortunately, it ended up feeling a bit underwhelming—and I’m still not entirely sure why.
I absolutely loved the first two books in the series. Even Ali and Jensen’s story (which was heavily hyped and included tropes I usually enjoy like marriage-in-trouble and addiction) had a similar effect on me. I expected more, but again felt like something was missing. Going into this one, I was especially excited to learn more about Matt’s character.
The writing itself is excellent—I can’t fault it at all. It kept me engaged for the most part, but somewhere along the way, I started to feel bored. I actually stopped reading at around 90% because I felt like I already knew how it would end, and I didn’t feel compelled to finish.
This is very much a “meant to be but can’t quite get it right” kind of story. What stood out to me was that it’s consistently her who pulls away, which adds an interesting dynamic. It made Matt’s playboy behaviour more understandable, and surprisingly, it didn’t bother me the way it normally would. I usually dislike the “it’s always been you, but I’ve slept with everyone else” trope, but here it felt justified because of their history and her repeated decisions to leave.
I also appreciated that her struggles were rooted in her own self-worth and the pressure of meeting her family’s expectations—it gave her character depth, and I liked that she was the first to say “I love you.” Their banter was another highlight.
That said, I think what ultimately didn’t work for me was the pacing and emotional payoff. The relationship progression felt drawn out, but without enough angst or intensity to keep me fully invested. The spice was also quite delayed—their first real intimate moment doesn’t happen until around 60–70%, which made the build-up feel a bit flat rather than satisfying.
There was also one moment early on that didn’t sit right with me: when he’s about to hook up with two women, sees a text from her, hesitates, and then continues anyway. While I understood the context, it left a slightly sour impression, even though I later came to see that he wasn’t really to blame for their situation.
Overall, the story had a solid foundation and strong writing, but I just felt like it needed more—more depth, more emotional intensity, or more tension. It had all the right elements, but didn’t quite deliver the impact I was hoping for.
I’d give it around a 3.5⭐—good, but not as memorable or gripping as I expected.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2026
4.5 stars!
I have been dying for this book and it was absolutely worth every page of anticipation.
This is the kind of love story that gets you right in the chest.
Two people who have circled each other for years, carrying feelings too big and too scary to say out loud. It is two people who love each other so deeply that they would rather say nothing at all than risk losing everything.
I always knew Matt was secretly down bad for Jordan and that the playboy persona he put on for the world was never the full picture. Yes, he is confident but underneath all of that is a man who shows up quietly, consistently, and completely. He loves through his actions long before he ever finds the words.
Jordan has been fighting what she truly wants for years, almost as if resisting her own happiness felt safer and more familiar than actually letting herself have it. Warm, loyal, and so deserving of everything she could not quite let herself receive, watching her wrestle with her own worthiness while the love of her life was right there in front her, that tension was beautifully done.
These two have history written into every single page and you feel every year of it. The slow burn is very real and the tension builds so naturally that by the end you are practically holding your breath waiting for them to finally crack open and say what they have both been holding back for so long.
The ending is soft, emotional, and completely earned. If you love a decades long, always been you kind of story with a man who shows up and a slow burn that actually means something, this is the book for you!
I have been dying for this book and it was absolutely worth every page of anticipation.
This is the kind of love story that gets you right in the chest.
Two people who have circled each other for years, carrying feelings too big and too scary to say out loud. It is two people who love each other so deeply that they would rather say nothing at all than risk losing everything.
I always knew Matt was secretly down bad for Jordan and that the playboy persona he put on for the world was never the full picture. Yes, he is confident but underneath all of that is a man who shows up quietly, consistently, and completely. He loves through his actions long before he ever finds the words.
Jordan has been fighting what she truly wants for years, almost as if resisting her own happiness felt safer and more familiar than actually letting herself have it. Warm, loyal, and so deserving of everything she could not quite let herself receive, watching her wrestle with her own worthiness while the love of her life was right there in front her, that tension was beautifully done.
These two have history written into every single page and you feel every year of it. The slow burn is very real and the tension builds so naturally that by the end you are practically holding your breath waiting for them to finally crack open and say what they have both been holding back for so long.
The ending is soft, emotional, and completely earned. If you love a decades long, always been you kind of story with a man who shows up and a slow burn that actually means something, this is the book for you!
April 28, 2026
“You’ve always been my endgame. Since first f*cking grade. It’s always been you. It’s never not been you.”
Matthew Grayson…the playboy we’ve all known, loved, and wanted to know more about. If you’ve read Erin’s other books, then you know!!
This book is everything and more, for finding out the real Matt. The parts of him he keeps locked inside. I could not have imagined a more raw, totally in depth version of this book. Erin truly has a way with her writing that pulls you in so deep from the jump, and gets you completely hooked on these characters and their end games. And Matthew’s end game was always meant to be Jordan Demetriou.
From childhood best friends with 30 years of ups and downs, trying to get it right so many times. To getting married as a means to get sole custody of Matt’s godson. To realizing how much they truly do love each other, & have for so many years. To saying F the what ifs, and embracing the marriage for what it truly should be. Two people who always wanted it to work, but was scared of failing. Who finally, after so so much angst and the ultimate slow burn, that was so slow it hurt…finally, finally let their hearts take control.
Getting to see this side of Matthew & Jordan was absolutely, emotionally, so heartwarming and just what I needed to read to bring this series to an end. I can never give Erin enough praise on her books and how deeply they dig a hole in my chest to live in. Her books will always STICK WITH YOU!
Matthew Grayson…the playboy we’ve all known, loved, and wanted to know more about. If you’ve read Erin’s other books, then you know!!
This book is everything and more, for finding out the real Matt. The parts of him he keeps locked inside. I could not have imagined a more raw, totally in depth version of this book. Erin truly has a way with her writing that pulls you in so deep from the jump, and gets you completely hooked on these characters and their end games. And Matthew’s end game was always meant to be Jordan Demetriou.
From childhood best friends with 30 years of ups and downs, trying to get it right so many times. To getting married as a means to get sole custody of Matt’s godson. To realizing how much they truly do love each other, & have for so many years. To saying F the what ifs, and embracing the marriage for what it truly should be. Two people who always wanted it to work, but was scared of failing. Who finally, after so so much angst and the ultimate slow burn, that was so slow it hurt…finally, finally let their hearts take control.
Getting to see this side of Matthew & Jordan was absolutely, emotionally, so heartwarming and just what I needed to read to bring this series to an end. I can never give Erin enough praise on her books and how deeply they dig a hole in my chest to live in. Her books will always STICK WITH YOU!
April 26, 2026
******ARC Review******
Erin Cornia did it again!!! I don’t know how she manages to write such beautiful stories but she did it again. Matt and Jordan’s story was my favorite so far!
What made this story extra special was that if you read the first books of the series, then you already knew that their story would be incredible. She set up these characters and wove them in perfectly, so the anticipation was definitely there. She did it in a way where you finish the other books actually intrigued! Not many authors can do this!
I really enjoyed how vulnerable the characters were and how they showed their love for one another in small but significant ways. I also especially appreciated their realness. They were flawed and far from perfect but somehow perfect for each other. Their history, the way they built a level of trust that can only be crafted by years of friendship. It was really beautiful to read.
Overall, I absolutely could not get enough of this book. I can’t wait to see what else Erin has in store. I’m also curious to see if there will be any spinoffs.. I think Megan and Kevin have a story? Or maybe that’s just me not wanting to let go of this series! Who knows. Amazing book!
Erin Cornia did it again!!! I don’t know how she manages to write such beautiful stories but she did it again. Matt and Jordan’s story was my favorite so far!
What made this story extra special was that if you read the first books of the series, then you already knew that their story would be incredible. She set up these characters and wove them in perfectly, so the anticipation was definitely there. She did it in a way where you finish the other books actually intrigued! Not many authors can do this!
I really enjoyed how vulnerable the characters were and how they showed their love for one another in small but significant ways. I also especially appreciated their realness. They were flawed and far from perfect but somehow perfect for each other. Their history, the way they built a level of trust that can only be crafted by years of friendship. It was really beautiful to read.
Overall, I absolutely could not get enough of this book. I can’t wait to see what else Erin has in store. I’m also curious to see if there will be any spinoffs.. I think Megan and Kevin have a story? Or maybe that’s just me not wanting to let go of this series! Who knows. Amazing book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2026
OMG!! I absolutely loved this one. It was such a sweet, emotional and heartwarming read that had me completely in my feels from beginning to end. Like…SOOO good. I wasn’t expecting to be this attached, but wow…this story really did something to me😩.
There was just something so comforting and genuine about the way everything unfolded. The emotions felt real, the connections hit deep and I found myself smiling one minute and low-key tearing up the next. It had that perfect balance of soft romance and emotional depth that just pulls you in and doesn’t let go.
The characters? I’m obsessed. I felt everything they were feeling and I was rooting for them so hard the entire time. Their journey felt so raw and beautiful and the way their story came together just made my heart so full🥹.
This book completely wrapped me up in its world and left me feeling all warm and satisfied by the end... it's definitely one of those stories that stays with you long after you finish🥰🫠🙌🏽...so good!!
Thank you to the author for the arc!!
There was just something so comforting and genuine about the way everything unfolded. The emotions felt real, the connections hit deep and I found myself smiling one minute and low-key tearing up the next. It had that perfect balance of soft romance and emotional depth that just pulls you in and doesn’t let go.
The characters? I’m obsessed. I felt everything they were feeling and I was rooting for them so hard the entire time. Their journey felt so raw and beautiful and the way their story came together just made my heart so full🥹.
This book completely wrapped me up in its world and left me feeling all warm and satisfied by the end... it's definitely one of those stories that stays with you long after you finish🥰🫠🙌🏽...so good!!
Thank you to the author for the arc!!
April 27, 2026
**Beta Reader Review** Erin has done it once again. This love story was everything I didn’t know I needed. I have loved this whole series and I knew whatever Erin created for Matt and Jordan‘s story was going to be magical. I’m always the worst with spoiling and being known to write short reviews because I don’t want to divulge but I’m going to just lay it out.
This couple were a couple I originally hadn’t been rooting for primarily because I just wanted them each to get a happily ever after separate from each other as their relationships had trickled into other novels but WOW!
After the history these two shared, that kept me on the edge of my seat for more and more I wanted their love to finally have the full spotlight it deserved. At first I was so anti-Jordan but as you read their history, FEEL their love & sob over their respect for each other it makes it really hard to have her be anyone but Matthew Grayson’s leading lady.
This is one novel I guarantee I will read again and again over time.
This couple were a couple I originally hadn’t been rooting for primarily because I just wanted them each to get a happily ever after separate from each other as their relationships had trickled into other novels but WOW!
After the history these two shared, that kept me on the edge of my seat for more and more I wanted their love to finally have the full spotlight it deserved. At first I was so anti-Jordan but as you read their history, FEEL their love & sob over their respect for each other it makes it really hard to have her be anyone but Matthew Grayson’s leading lady.
This is one novel I guarantee I will read again and again over time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2026
Did I get this book at midnight and read the whole thing, yes. YES I DID! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was a long time wait for Matthew freaking Grayson’s story. Falling in love with him as a side character in Erin’s other books had me in a choke hold for this one. I wasn’t sure how this steamy slow burn between him and Jordan would be. I’m normally a hit me with smut in the face kind of gal. This did not disappoint!!! Their connection, their loyalty, the love between the two of them is so captivatingly beautiful. Knowing each other since childhood and always ending back up with each other is the sweetest story. Do yourself a favor and run to read this masterpiece. Erin’s writing is phenomenal!!!
This book was a long time wait for Matthew freaking Grayson’s story. Falling in love with him as a side character in Erin’s other books had me in a choke hold for this one. I wasn’t sure how this steamy slow burn between him and Jordan would be. I’m normally a hit me with smut in the face kind of gal. This did not disappoint!!! Their connection, their loyalty, the love between the two of them is so captivatingly beautiful. Knowing each other since childhood and always ending back up with each other is the sweetest story. Do yourself a favor and run to read this masterpiece. Erin’s writing is phenomenal!!!
April 29, 2026
This book completely had me. The yearning, the angst, the connection-chef's kiss
It pulled me in from the very first chapter and I didn't want it to end. It has that perfect balance between being a fun, addictive read while still delivering real depth and heavier topics.
I love both main characters individually and felt their connection deeply. Maybe, my favorite friends to lovers I’ve ever read! 🖤
If you love a millionaire bad boy but only melts for her, need to get out of a book slump, love the my wife trope, friends to lovers angst and yearning-this book is for you!
It pulled me in from the very first chapter and I didn't want it to end. It has that perfect balance between being a fun, addictive read while still delivering real depth and heavier topics.
I love both main characters individually and felt their connection deeply. Maybe, my favorite friends to lovers I’ve ever read! 🖤
If you love a millionaire bad boy but only melts for her, need to get out of a book slump, love the my wife trope, friends to lovers angst and yearning-this book is for you!
April 26, 2026
Matt and Jordan have been teasing us with appearances in previous books and we finally get their story! These childhood friends, who have been friends with benefits off and on have an emotional journey in this book. Couldn’t get enough of the slow burn, angst and banter.
Matt, tattooed playboy millionaire needs help after tragedy strikes. He goes to his lifelong friend, Jordan, and from there their story blossoms!
Matt, tattooed playboy millionaire needs help after tragedy strikes. He goes to his lifelong friend, Jordan, and from there their story blossoms!
April 15, 2026
ARC Review:
Wow Erin, you did it again!!! 👏
I have loved all the characters in each and every book, but waiting for Matt and Jordan’s story was the one I so patiently waited for because everyone but poor Matt was finding their happiness.
It’s so funny how this Marriage of convenience turned into friends to lovers, something they both wanted but didn’t know they needed.
I couldn’t be more happier that they finally got there happily ever after.
Wow Erin, you did it again!!! 👏
I have loved all the characters in each and every book, but waiting for Matt and Jordan’s story was the one I so patiently waited for because everyone but poor Matt was finding their happiness.
It’s so funny how this Marriage of convenience turned into friends to lovers, something they both wanted but didn’t know they needed.
I couldn’t be more happier that they finally got there happily ever after.
April 18, 2026
Once again. Erin crushes it! She has a way with words to keep you engaged, wondering what’s going to happen next. I went into this book blindly, skipping out on all the fun previous. And boy that did not disappoint! The anticipation was worth it, looking forward to seeing what her next books bring!
April 22, 2026
This whole series is phenomenal! I love how each story is unique as is each couple. Matt and Jordan have been friends forever. They have also been a couple, not a couple, friends with benefits etc. This book follows their journey to discovering how they truly feel and has some big emotions along the way.
May 5, 2026
What a good ending to this series.
I love Matt. His character is so kind, funny and loving. He always shows up for people he loves and cares about and it’s amplified more in this book.
The 🌶️ tension in this book was fantastic.
I loved it all.
I love Matt. His character is so kind, funny and loving. He always shows up for people he loves and cares about and it’s amplified more in this book.
The 🌶️ tension in this book was fantastic.
I loved it all.
April 21, 2026
is it crack you put in your writing? good lord i absolutely loved this book! Matt and Jordan have a special place in my heart 🥹
April 26, 2026
Arc Review:
Some love stories don’t follow a straight line… and Matt and Jordan’s is one of them.
After watching them quietly weave through the earlier books in the series, I was so intrigued and eager to finally learn their story. What unfolds is a “right person, wrong time” kind of love that stretched 30 years, from childhood friends, to first love, to all the messy, complicated moments in between.
When unexpected events pull them together in ways they never saw coming, they’re forced to confront their lives, their responsibilities, and the truth of their relationship.
Their journey hurt in the best way. The push and pull, the missed timing, the way life kept bringing them back to each other. This story really dives into trust, insecurities, expectations. And how more than anything, it’s about showing up, because sometimes actions say what words never can.
I’m so grateful to have discovered Erin and this series. She has a beautiful way of pulling at your heart with her storytelling. This one had me deep in my feelings more than once 🥹💞
Such a beautiful and emotional conclusion to the Chicago series. And Matt… he’s easily one of my favorite characters. He’s the kind of “all in” guy you can’t help but root for.
If you like marriage of convenience, forced proximity, and deeply emotional, endearing love stories about two people who are undeniably connected, you’ll definitely enjoy Never Not Been You 🤍
Thank you to the author and Luna Literary Management for the opportunity to read this e-arc and share my thoughts.
Some love stories don’t follow a straight line… and Matt and Jordan’s is one of them.
After watching them quietly weave through the earlier books in the series, I was so intrigued and eager to finally learn their story. What unfolds is a “right person, wrong time” kind of love that stretched 30 years, from childhood friends, to first love, to all the messy, complicated moments in between.
When unexpected events pull them together in ways they never saw coming, they’re forced to confront their lives, their responsibilities, and the truth of their relationship.
Their journey hurt in the best way. The push and pull, the missed timing, the way life kept bringing them back to each other. This story really dives into trust, insecurities, expectations. And how more than anything, it’s about showing up, because sometimes actions say what words never can.
I’m so grateful to have discovered Erin and this series. She has a beautiful way of pulling at your heart with her storytelling. This one had me deep in my feelings more than once 🥹💞
Such a beautiful and emotional conclusion to the Chicago series. And Matt… he’s easily one of my favorite characters. He’s the kind of “all in” guy you can’t help but root for.
If you like marriage of convenience, forced proximity, and deeply emotional, endearing love stories about two people who are undeniably connected, you’ll definitely enjoy Never Not Been You 🤍
Thank you to the author and Luna Literary Management for the opportunity to read this e-arc and share my thoughts.
April 27, 2026
Soooo, I really did not like the FMC… like what is your problem, you have a guy that adores you and you just complain and act like a spoiled brat… initially I was a bit disappointed in this book, it had no depth like the others in the series which were all 5- star reads for me, but it picked up in the and and when I actually read the authors notes, everything clicked in place… I totally get it.
If you feel a little bit snubbed by this book please read the final notes.
If you feel a little bit snubbed by this book please read the final notes.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC REVIEW
"Never Not Been You"
(The Chicago Series Book 5)
by Erin Cornia
I am so happy that I have found Erin last year. I fell in love with Erin's writing with previous "A Love that Broke Us". That book is criminally underrated. It deserves many more people to read it.
There is a line in this Never Not Been You that sumarizes the way Erin writes all the emotions, especially grief: "It hits me like a brick, knocking the air from my lungs."
Erin writes these heartbreaking scenes that make you feel as if you are the one crying, sobbing, and suffering, not the character. As if your heart were under attack and your mind were running wild, searching for something to cling to in order to survive.
This book follows Matt and Jordan.
I was caught by surprise, again, by these characters, by their feelings, by the way they experience them together.
Matt was an important character in ALTBU and I was so curious about him and his story with Jordan. Because their premisse has this !wow! factor: they know each other since kindergarten. They developed this friendship/friends with benefits/lovers/on-and-off since kids.
But it is when there's a tragic event and Cole, his godson, needs a home, that everything becomes real: Matt asks Jordan to marry him to help in Cole's parental custody battle. And she does it.
Between NYC and Chicago, a tattooed millionaire and a gorgeous Greek woman exchange rings and finally, FINALLY, after 30 years of lust, they give themselves to LOVE and earn their HEA.
This book has so much tension, so much sensual angst, so much eroticism.
Erin must put a spell on her books; it's the only possible explanation for the emotional and sensory connection I feel when reading them.
Favorite.
Releasing April 26.
Thank you to the author for this ARC.
-----
some of my favorite quotes:
He kisses me, slow, the kind of kiss you feel all the way down to your toes.
💘
Thumbs trace slow circles on my inner thighs, and holly hell, I can't even think straight, let alone make life-altering decisions.
💘
It's that I've known her my whole damn life. She was my first crush, first kiss, first f*ck. My first everything.
💘
"F*ck that. We can be just friends. We're not animals."
If there's one thing Matt is, it's an animal. Pure, carnal male.
💘
I know a million people. Have hundreds of friends.
And as I sit here with some of the ones I love most...
I realize I've never felt more alone.
💘
His eyes don't leave mine. "Please don't go," he whispers.
💘
Butterflies swirl inside me, waking a storm I thought hade settled years ago.
💘
He knows me and my body better than I know myself.
Oh my God, does Matt know my body.
💘
He keeps choosing me.
💘
She finally gets it. How excruciatingly I love her.
💘
"You've always been my endgame. Since first fucking grade. It's always been you."
"Never Not Been You"
(The Chicago Series Book 5)
by Erin Cornia
I am so happy that I have found Erin last year. I fell in love with Erin's writing with previous "A Love that Broke Us". That book is criminally underrated. It deserves many more people to read it.
There is a line in this Never Not Been You that sumarizes the way Erin writes all the emotions, especially grief: "It hits me like a brick, knocking the air from my lungs."
Erin writes these heartbreaking scenes that make you feel as if you are the one crying, sobbing, and suffering, not the character. As if your heart were under attack and your mind were running wild, searching for something to cling to in order to survive.
This book follows Matt and Jordan.
I was caught by surprise, again, by these characters, by their feelings, by the way they experience them together.
Matt was an important character in ALTBU and I was so curious about him and his story with Jordan. Because their premisse has this !wow! factor: they know each other since kindergarten. They developed this friendship/friends with benefits/lovers/on-and-off since kids.
But it is when there's a tragic event and Cole, his godson, needs a home, that everything becomes real: Matt asks Jordan to marry him to help in Cole's parental custody battle. And she does it.
Between NYC and Chicago, a tattooed millionaire and a gorgeous Greek woman exchange rings and finally, FINALLY, after 30 years of lust, they give themselves to LOVE and earn their HEA.
This book has so much tension, so much sensual angst, so much eroticism.
Erin must put a spell on her books; it's the only possible explanation for the emotional and sensory connection I feel when reading them.
Favorite.
Releasing April 26.
Thank you to the author for this ARC.
-----
some of my favorite quotes:
He kisses me, slow, the kind of kiss you feel all the way down to your toes.
💘
Thumbs trace slow circles on my inner thighs, and holly hell, I can't even think straight, let alone make life-altering decisions.
💘
It's that I've known her my whole damn life. She was my first crush, first kiss, first f*ck. My first everything.
💘
"F*ck that. We can be just friends. We're not animals."
If there's one thing Matt is, it's an animal. Pure, carnal male.
💘
I know a million people. Have hundreds of friends.
And as I sit here with some of the ones I love most...
I realize I've never felt more alone.
💘
His eyes don't leave mine. "Please don't go," he whispers.
💘
Butterflies swirl inside me, waking a storm I thought hade settled years ago.
💘
He knows me and my body better than I know myself.
Oh my God, does Matt know my body.
💘
He keeps choosing me.
💘
She finally gets it. How excruciatingly I love her.
💘
"You've always been my endgame. Since first fucking grade. It's always been you."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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