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Diving In
A decade of friendship. One reckless summer. Five years of silence.
Sam Fletcher has two constants in his life: the pool and Kath Ford. Since they met aged eleven in a busy classroom, Kath has always been his anchor. Everything that isn't supporting his goal of becoming an Olympic swimmer is a distraction, including his terrifying, growing crush on his best friend.
Kath Ford has always made sensible choices. Colour-coded timetables. Clear goals. A carefully mapped future in medicine. Falling for Sam was never part of the plan—until one summer, when friendship starts to blur into something neither of them is ready to name.
But some lines can’t be uncrossed, and some fights can’t be resolved.
Years later, Sam’s a world-famous Olympian drowning in pressure, anxiety, and the fear that without swimming, he’s nothing at all. Kath is navigating the intensity of medical training, fighting to maintain her sense of self in a world that demands everything. Both are haunted by the same question: what happens when one person gives too much—and the other never believes they’re enough?
When their paths collide again, they’re forced to confront what was left unsaid. Loving each other was never the problem—but forgiveness might be.
Diving In is a sweeping, slow-burn childhood friends-to-lovers romance spanning first love, heartbreak, and the quiet courage it takes to choose each other again.
Sam Fletcher has two constants in his life: the pool and Kath Ford. Since they met aged eleven in a busy classroom, Kath has always been his anchor. Everything that isn't supporting his goal of becoming an Olympic swimmer is a distraction, including his terrifying, growing crush on his best friend.
Kath Ford has always made sensible choices. Colour-coded timetables. Clear goals. A carefully mapped future in medicine. Falling for Sam was never part of the plan—until one summer, when friendship starts to blur into something neither of them is ready to name.
But some lines can’t be uncrossed, and some fights can’t be resolved.
Years later, Sam’s a world-famous Olympian drowning in pressure, anxiety, and the fear that without swimming, he’s nothing at all. Kath is navigating the intensity of medical training, fighting to maintain her sense of self in a world that demands everything. Both are haunted by the same question: what happens when one person gives too much—and the other never believes they’re enough?
When their paths collide again, they’re forced to confront what was left unsaid. Loving each other was never the problem—but forgiveness might be.
Diving In is a sweeping, slow-burn childhood friends-to-lovers romance spanning first love, heartbreak, and the quiet courage it takes to choose each other again.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 7, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
September 2, 2026
—☆ RTC!!
the author herself explained the story in one line at 95% and I'M IN AWE↴
GOD i'm love with this kids, no wait teens, no wait the adults they turned into. You know what, i love every version of them😭🫶
can you imagine how i am feeling after reading this kids grow from 11 years old childish to 28 years old adults who almost risked everything along the way. A lot of confusion, a lot heart breaks, a lot vulnerabilities, a lot insecurites, a lot of friendship, a lot of love, a lot of grief.
I have a lot of things to say about this book but i just need some time to collect my thougths and find a way to actually put this emotion to words.
Loved this debut! 4.5 stars, rounded off to 4 stars
⁕⁙°◊—————————————————-◊°⁙⁕
—⁕⊱☆ pre-read
omg omg omg THIS BOOK is going so good!! I'm 26% into it and i am engrossed. I barely kept the device down to write this 😭 this book is heart wrecking, but in best way possible.
From what i have heard this book is basically somewhat similar to EVERY SUMMER AFTER but without that particular trope(iykyk). i am so against that trope FR.
BUT i am enjoying reading this book so so much. This book basically takes place over 10 years from 11 years old pov to 22 years old pov😭 And this is dual POV!!!
the author herself explained the story in one line at 95% and I'M IN AWE↴
When you’ve been friends with someone for over half your life, and in love with them for most of that time, it can become difficult to untangle the timeline.
GOD i'm love with this kids, no wait teens, no wait the adults they turned into. You know what, i love every version of them😭🫶
can you imagine how i am feeling after reading this kids grow from 11 years old childish to 28 years old adults who almost risked everything along the way. A lot of confusion, a lot heart breaks, a lot vulnerabilities, a lot insecurites, a lot of friendship, a lot of love, a lot of grief.
I have a lot of things to say about this book but i just need some time to collect my thougths and find a way to actually put this emotion to words.
Loved this debut! 4.5 stars, rounded off to 4 stars
⁕⁙°◊—————————————————-◊°⁙⁕
—⁕⊱☆ pre-read
omg omg omg THIS BOOK is going so good!! I'm 26% into it and i am engrossed. I barely kept the device down to write this 😭 this book is heart wrecking, but in best way possible.
From what i have heard this book is basically somewhat similar to EVERY SUMMER AFTER but without that particular trope(iykyk). i am so against that trope FR.
BUT i am enjoying reading this book so so much. This book basically takes place over 10 years from 11 years old pov to 22 years old pov😭 And this is dual POV!!!
July 9, 2026
If you like sports-focused stories about how far an athlete is willing to go to strive for the best, what they are willing to sacrifice, and at what cost, you might like this book. It definitely looks at the complexities of ambition, breaking world records, and the Olympics, while also exploring grief, loss, and sacrifice. Overall, I liked the honesty of the mental health representation in Diving In by Charlotte Watson.
The writing style is straightforward and easy to follow, and the story itself deals with heavy themes and emotions. It starts in the present day and then goes back in time, with each chapter showing the two characters growing up together through childhood flashbacks. What I really did like about it were the scenes where they were falling in love while growing up, there was such a sweet sense of nostalgia. I loved that their comfort movies to watch together were Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings. I also loved the way the author described the main male character's initial feelings of love and freedom when swimming, and the way she wrote about scenes in the UK and some of their travels abroad.
At its core, the book explores burnout and grief. The male main character is an ambitious athlete, with hopes of going to the Olympics for swimming one day. When he suffers the tragic loss of his mother to cancer, it drives him to a breaking point, pushing all of his energy into an obsession with winning medals and breaking records at any cost. The story is an honest look at alienation, even pushing away his closest friends and the love of his life. There are open door scenes early on, but the characters still spend most of the story faking how they really feel about one another. I spent a lot of time annotating my reactions in my eBook because it was frustrating. I was especially sad with how the male main character treated the female main character, and how they were both in denial of their feelings for so long.
The depictions of burnout from an athlete's point of view, and medical burnout from a doctor's point of view were well done. However, I think I just felt a bit frustrated because they clearly loved each other, and I hoped that they would finally be together. It did end on a happy note, thankfully.
Thank you to Ever After PR for an advanced reader copy of this book for review consideration. I am writing this review voluntarily. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
Perfect if you love:
💙 Unsteady by Peyton Corinne
💛 Please Don't Go by E Salvador
🩷 Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
✨️ Sports Romance
🏊♂️ Olympic Swimmer MMC
🩺 Medical Student / Doctor FMC
❤️ Childhood Best Friends to Lovers
💛 Mental Health - Anxiety
🩷 Burnout Representation (Athletic Burnout and Medical Burnout)
✨️ Grief Representation
The writing style is straightforward and easy to follow, and the story itself deals with heavy themes and emotions. It starts in the present day and then goes back in time, with each chapter showing the two characters growing up together through childhood flashbacks. What I really did like about it were the scenes where they were falling in love while growing up, there was such a sweet sense of nostalgia. I loved that their comfort movies to watch together were Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings. I also loved the way the author described the main male character's initial feelings of love and freedom when swimming, and the way she wrote about scenes in the UK and some of their travels abroad.
At its core, the book explores burnout and grief. The male main character is an ambitious athlete, with hopes of going to the Olympics for swimming one day. When he suffers the tragic loss of his mother to cancer, it drives him to a breaking point, pushing all of his energy into an obsession with winning medals and breaking records at any cost. The story is an honest look at alienation, even pushing away his closest friends and the love of his life. There are open door scenes early on, but the characters still spend most of the story faking how they really feel about one another. I spent a lot of time annotating my reactions in my eBook because it was frustrating. I was especially sad with how the male main character treated the female main character, and how they were both in denial of their feelings for so long.
The depictions of burnout from an athlete's point of view, and medical burnout from a doctor's point of view were well done. However, I think I just felt a bit frustrated because they clearly loved each other, and I hoped that they would finally be together. It did end on a happy note, thankfully.
Thank you to Ever After PR for an advanced reader copy of this book for review consideration. I am writing this review voluntarily. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
Perfect if you love:
💙 Unsteady by Peyton Corinne
💛 Please Don't Go by E Salvador
🩷 Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
✨️ Sports Romance
🏊♂️ Olympic Swimmer MMC
🩺 Medical Student / Doctor FMC
❤️ Childhood Best Friends to Lovers
💛 Mental Health - Anxiety
🩷 Burnout Representation (Athletic Burnout and Medical Burnout)
✨️ Grief Representation
July 7, 2026
Diving In is a beautifully emotional slow-burn romance about friendship, first love, heartbreak, and finding your way back to the person who has always known you best.
Sam and Kath’s relationship was the heart of this story for me. I loved getting to experience their journey from childhood best friends to something more, and then seeing how the choices they made and the things they left unsaid continued to affect them years later. Their relationship felt complicated and deeply human. There is so much love between them, but also hurt, fear, and resentment that they have to work through before they can truly find their way back to each other.
I also appreciated how the story explored identity and the pressure of pursuing demanding dreams. Sam’s complicated relationship with swimming and the expectations placed on him as an elite athlete added so much emotional depth, while Kath’s experiences in medicine showed a different but equally intense struggle with ambition, pressure, and maintaining a sense of self.
This is definitely a romance for readers who love yearning, emotional tension, childhood friends to lovers, second chances, and characters with years of complicated history between them. Sam and Kath’s journey is tender, messy, frustrating, and heartfelt in all the best ways. Their love was never the simple part of their story, and watching them confront the past and decide what they wanted from their future made the ending feel incredibly meaningful.
An emotional and thoughtful romance about ambition, forgiveness, and learning that choosing someone doesn’t have to mean losing yourself
Sam and Kath’s relationship was the heart of this story for me. I loved getting to experience their journey from childhood best friends to something more, and then seeing how the choices they made and the things they left unsaid continued to affect them years later. Their relationship felt complicated and deeply human. There is so much love between them, but also hurt, fear, and resentment that they have to work through before they can truly find their way back to each other.
I also appreciated how the story explored identity and the pressure of pursuing demanding dreams. Sam’s complicated relationship with swimming and the expectations placed on him as an elite athlete added so much emotional depth, while Kath’s experiences in medicine showed a different but equally intense struggle with ambition, pressure, and maintaining a sense of self.
This is definitely a romance for readers who love yearning, emotional tension, childhood friends to lovers, second chances, and characters with years of complicated history between them. Sam and Kath’s journey is tender, messy, frustrating, and heartfelt in all the best ways. Their love was never the simple part of their story, and watching them confront the past and decide what they wanted from their future made the ending feel incredibly meaningful.
An emotional and thoughtful romance about ambition, forgiveness, and learning that choosing someone doesn’t have to mean losing yourself
June 29, 2026
The best debut I’ve read in a long time! Diving In by Charlotte Watson is an angsty, beautifully written, childhood friends to lovers romance that I couldn’t put down (literally, I read it in a single sitting)
We follow best friends Kath and Sam from the day they meet as 11 year old school children until they’re in their late 20s where they have become incredibly successful in their respective careers, Kath a doctor and Sam a Olympic swimmer.
The chronological timeline and dual POV storytelling allowed us to experience Kath and Sam’s relationship through every iteration of love, from childhood friendship, to platonic soulmates to romantic entanglements and everything in between.
The writing was thought provoking, emotional and compelling diving into themes of grief and mental health struggles that left me reeling.
We also see Kath work in a busy hospital during the covid pandemic and as a healthcare worker who lived those experiences, Kath’s struggles felt so realistic of that torturous era and struck hard with me.
If you’re looking for a romance book that is layered and simultaneously uplifting and heat breaking then I couldn’t recommend Diving In more! I can’t wait to see what Charlotte Watson writes next!
We follow best friends Kath and Sam from the day they meet as 11 year old school children until they’re in their late 20s where they have become incredibly successful in their respective careers, Kath a doctor and Sam a Olympic swimmer.
The chronological timeline and dual POV storytelling allowed us to experience Kath and Sam’s relationship through every iteration of love, from childhood friendship, to platonic soulmates to romantic entanglements and everything in between.
The writing was thought provoking, emotional and compelling diving into themes of grief and mental health struggles that left me reeling.
We also see Kath work in a busy hospital during the covid pandemic and as a healthcare worker who lived those experiences, Kath’s struggles felt so realistic of that torturous era and struck hard with me.
If you’re looking for a romance book that is layered and simultaneously uplifting and heat breaking then I couldn’t recommend Diving In more! I can’t wait to see what Charlotte Watson writes next!
June 23, 2026
ARC Review
I loved every minute of reading this book. I don’t think I’ve teared up or cried as much reading a book in months. The characters were so beautifully written and the way that their journey together is explored is so heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. The representation of mental health in the MMC (Sam) gave a complexity to the relationships in the book. The way grief and anxiety is handled is honestly beautiful.
I have to say the chronological structure had me engrossed from the start. I just kept wanting more and I loved to see Kath and Sam’s relationship play out. And when I say I want slow burn, this is what I mean. The longing between the two characters and the sacrifice both characters made over and over made me love both of them.
“I already feel homesick for a place that isn't even mine.”
This line absolutely ruined me. Along with most of Sam’s perspective. Although I did cry most with Kath her story is so heartbreaking but I love how everything comes together in the end.
I will say that this book felt so nostalgic for me. I used to swim a lot as a child, sometimes competitively, until high school (I wasn’t as good as Sam) but all of the olympic references just made me so nostalgic and made me really want to get back into watching swimming again.
It also really made me want to rewatch Pirates of the Caribbean again. 🏴☠️
I want to thank Charlotte so much for sending me the advance copy. I absolutely loved every second of reading this especially in a heatwave.
I loved every minute of reading this book. I don’t think I’ve teared up or cried as much reading a book in months. The characters were so beautifully written and the way that their journey together is explored is so heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. The representation of mental health in the MMC (Sam) gave a complexity to the relationships in the book. The way grief and anxiety is handled is honestly beautiful.
I have to say the chronological structure had me engrossed from the start. I just kept wanting more and I loved to see Kath and Sam’s relationship play out. And when I say I want slow burn, this is what I mean. The longing between the two characters and the sacrifice both characters made over and over made me love both of them.
“I already feel homesick for a place that isn't even mine.”
This line absolutely ruined me. Along with most of Sam’s perspective. Although I did cry most with Kath her story is so heartbreaking but I love how everything comes together in the end.
I will say that this book felt so nostalgic for me. I used to swim a lot as a child, sometimes competitively, until high school (I wasn’t as good as Sam) but all of the olympic references just made me so nostalgic and made me really want to get back into watching swimming again.
It also really made me want to rewatch Pirates of the Caribbean again. 🏴☠️
I want to thank Charlotte so much for sending me the advance copy. I absolutely loved every second of reading this especially in a heatwave.
Read
August 4, 2026Genuinely this was the best best-friends-to-lovers book I’ve read since my wattpad days, which is saying a lot because I used to read pure literature on there but I NEED Austin and Sebs book like yesterday
August 25, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
This is one of the best childhood friends to lovers book I have ever read. I devoured this!
We follow best friends Kath and Sam from 11 year olds, going through school together, navigating their teenage years, and follow them into their twenties. Both are following their dream careers, Sam who is on a journey to become a top Olympic swimmer and Kath who is studying medicine to become a doctor.
We follow a timeline, dual POV, from the childhood right the way through to adulthood. We experience their friendship from a young age and how they navigate through their feelings for each other into their adult hood. The story spans 15 years, it is emotional, gripping and made me so happy in parts. There is so much love between these two characters, we experience their friendship, their resentment then their journey working their way back to each other.
The story explored finding your identity. Sam’s has a very complicated relationship with swimming and him navigating their pressure and expectations that is put on him. We see how a person can solely lose themself by focusing on what he think matters the most and simultaneously pushing people away who he thinks are distractions and who he thinks he doesn’t deserve. Kath’s story showed the intense life of being in medicine, and also dealing with insane pressure and the struggle of losing herself along the way. Her ambition was truly admiring.
The author has explored the depths of grief and anxiety extremely well whilst also handling these topics with such grace and care. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next one that Charlotte is writing 🫶🏼
This is one of the best childhood friends to lovers book I have ever read. I devoured this!
We follow best friends Kath and Sam from 11 year olds, going through school together, navigating their teenage years, and follow them into their twenties. Both are following their dream careers, Sam who is on a journey to become a top Olympic swimmer and Kath who is studying medicine to become a doctor.
We follow a timeline, dual POV, from the childhood right the way through to adulthood. We experience their friendship from a young age and how they navigate through their feelings for each other into their adult hood. The story spans 15 years, it is emotional, gripping and made me so happy in parts. There is so much love between these two characters, we experience their friendship, their resentment then their journey working their way back to each other.
The story explored finding your identity. Sam’s has a very complicated relationship with swimming and him navigating their pressure and expectations that is put on him. We see how a person can solely lose themself by focusing on what he think matters the most and simultaneously pushing people away who he thinks are distractions and who he thinks he doesn’t deserve. Kath’s story showed the intense life of being in medicine, and also dealing with insane pressure and the struggle of losing herself along the way. Her ambition was truly admiring.
The author has explored the depths of grief and anxiety extremely well whilst also handling these topics with such grace and care. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next one that Charlotte is writing 🫶🏼
July 7, 2026
I absolutely adored this book from start to finish. This book tells the story of Sam and Kath from childhood to Adulthood, exploring the different stages of their relationship.
Full of yearning, laughter, spice and heartbreak this book has it all. The book covers many years but doesn't feel rushed, every stage of their relationship is given the full care and attention it requires.
The characters are created with such depth that you feel like you know them personally. Even the secondary characters are fully formed.
I felt akin to the story as I was myself an avid swimmer and too single handedly saved a school swimming gala medley event, taking us from last to first in one length of the pool. I was also asked to try out for the local feeder club for the British Swim Team, however I choose not too, a decision I have regretted all my life. I felt as if I was living vicariously through this story to a life I could of had.
This does not feel like the work of a debut author, it reads as an author who has been published many times before and knows her genre extremely well. I can't wait to read more from Charlotte Watson.
Thank you to Charlotte and EverAfter PR from providing me with the Advanced Review Copy of this book.
Full of yearning, laughter, spice and heartbreak this book has it all. The book covers many years but doesn't feel rushed, every stage of their relationship is given the full care and attention it requires.
The characters are created with such depth that you feel like you know them personally. Even the secondary characters are fully formed.
I felt akin to the story as I was myself an avid swimmer and too single handedly saved a school swimming gala medley event, taking us from last to first in one length of the pool. I was also asked to try out for the local feeder club for the British Swim Team, however I choose not too, a decision I have regretted all my life. I felt as if I was living vicariously through this story to a life I could of had.
This does not feel like the work of a debut author, it reads as an author who has been published many times before and knows her genre extremely well. I can't wait to read more from Charlotte Watson.
Thank you to Charlotte and EverAfter PR from providing me with the Advanced Review Copy of this book.
July 10, 2026
Some people are just born to be writers and Charlotte is one of them. The emotional depth between Kath and Sam is something for the history books I swear. I laughed with them, I cried with them, I was utterly obsessed with them. Everything about this book was so well done, the witty UK humour, the mental health rep, and the most heart wrenching romance. This is one of them reads which genuinely manifests itself in your brain and I cannot believe that this is her debut, the talent WOWWWWWW! Book 2 I need it now, I don’t think I can think straight until I have it!!!
July 11, 2026
I went in expecting a fun summer sports romance and ended up completely emotionally attached to these characters.
Honestly, I cannot believe Diving In is Charlotte Watson’s first book. The story follows Sam, an introverted competitive swimmer with Olympic dreams, and Kath, a hyper-organized student aiming for medical school. Meet as pre-teens, and instead of using flashbacks, the book actually lets you watch their lives unfold chronologically over more than a decade.
Because you get to see their bond grow year by year, the transition from childhood best friends to intense romantic yearning feels incredibly real. The author does a fantastic job of showing the darker side of chasing big ambitions, diving into heavy, raw struggles with anxiety, burnout, and mental health that make both leads feel like actual, complex people. They make some frustrating, messy choices as life pulls them apart and pushes them back together, but their deep history keeps you completely locked in.
This is just a beautiful, slow-burning book about what happens when life gets in the way of your safe place, and the sheer courage it takes to forgive and choose each other again. If you love deep emotional stakes, heavy pining, and childhood friends-to-lovers, you definitely need to grab this one.
Thank you to Charlotte Watson and EverAfter PR for the early copy! All thoughts are entirely my own.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Honestly, I cannot believe Diving In is Charlotte Watson’s first book. The story follows Sam, an introverted competitive swimmer with Olympic dreams, and Kath, a hyper-organized student aiming for medical school. Meet as pre-teens, and instead of using flashbacks, the book actually lets you watch their lives unfold chronologically over more than a decade.
Because you get to see their bond grow year by year, the transition from childhood best friends to intense romantic yearning feels incredibly real. The author does a fantastic job of showing the darker side of chasing big ambitions, diving into heavy, raw struggles with anxiety, burnout, and mental health that make both leads feel like actual, complex people. They make some frustrating, messy choices as life pulls them apart and pushes them back together, but their deep history keeps you completely locked in.
This is just a beautiful, slow-burning book about what happens when life gets in the way of your safe place, and the sheer courage it takes to forgive and choose each other again. If you love deep emotional stakes, heavy pining, and childhood friends-to-lovers, you definitely need to grab this one.
Thank you to Charlotte Watson and EverAfter PR for the early copy! All thoughts are entirely my own.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
July 8, 2026
OMG!!! This by far has to be one of the cutest friends to lovers romance books I have ever read. It is such a cute story where you follow two friends from the age of 11 up to their mid-20s, and you see their love story unfold.
This book has everything! It has an adorable meet-cute, two goal-oriented MCs, the classic third-act breakup, and of course, the heartwarming makeup. I absolutely love this book so much. Charlotte did an exquisite job creating two characters that you can’t help but love. She also incorporates real-life issues, heartache, and trauma. Charlotte really creates a world that feels real yet fun, and exciting, and makes you believe in love stories. This is definitely one book I would recommend to every romance lover.
If you’re looking for a friends-to-lovers romance with a focus on sports, then this is the book for you.
This book has everything! It has an adorable meet-cute, two goal-oriented MCs, the classic third-act breakup, and of course, the heartwarming makeup. I absolutely love this book so much. Charlotte did an exquisite job creating two characters that you can’t help but love. She also incorporates real-life issues, heartache, and trauma. Charlotte really creates a world that feels real yet fun, and exciting, and makes you believe in love stories. This is definitely one book I would recommend to every romance lover.
If you’re looking for a friends-to-lovers romance with a focus on sports, then this is the book for you.
July 12, 2026
wow this is a first book from this author for me and i was blown away with the story of sam and kath.
childhood best friends growing up together Kath supporting sam while he trains as a competive swimmer. as growing up not knowing when they really started to think they were more to each other. but at 18 years they try to see if a friends with benefits would got their last 2 weeks before leaving for university would work
fast forward a few years later and well even though it was just that one time they try for one more week but thats where li is blur
can these characters get it focused and right for them, well grab the book and fallow how they make a happy ever after.
childhood best friends growing up together Kath supporting sam while he trains as a competive swimmer. as growing up not knowing when they really started to think they were more to each other. but at 18 years they try to see if a friends with benefits would got their last 2 weeks before leaving for university would work
fast forward a few years later and well even though it was just that one time they try for one more week but thats where li is blur
can these characters get it focused and right for them, well grab the book and fallow how they make a happy ever after.
July 8, 2026
I loved this story from start to finish. The linear progession was amazing. I absolutely loved being able to witness their friendship from the beginning to fully understand not only who they were as adults, but how they were as children together.
It was heartbreaking witnessing them struggle in their teenage years with their feelings, unaware of how the other felt. As the seasons of their lives changed, so did their friendship and what it meant. While they also loved each other, I feel that their break was necessary even if hard.
I love the way that anxiety is handled throughout this novel.
It’s apparent from the beginning, from when Sam is a child. His journey and progession was so authentic that I was emotionally connected to him and all the things that he was going through.
It was heartbreaking witnessing them struggle in their teenage years with their feelings, unaware of how the other felt. As the seasons of their lives changed, so did their friendship and what it meant. While they also loved each other, I feel that their break was necessary even if hard.
I love the way that anxiety is handled throughout this novel.
It’s apparent from the beginning, from when Sam is a child. His journey and progession was so authentic that I was emotionally connected to him and all the things that he was going through.
July 7, 2026
Childhood Friends to Lovers DONE RIGHT
Absolutely obsessed with this book. Had me hooked from the Prologue and I didn’t stop reading until it was 1AM! I love Sam and Kath. They are so sweet together, so flirty, and so destined to be together. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will be so sad when it’s over! Can’t wait to read Book 2!
Absolutely obsessed with this book. Had me hooked from the Prologue and I didn’t stop reading until it was 1AM! I love Sam and Kath. They are so sweet together, so flirty, and so destined to be together. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will be so sad when it’s over! Can’t wait to read Book 2!
July 1, 2026
This is a beautifully written sports romance that blends the pressure of elite competition with a deeply emotional second-chance love story. Watching childhood friends reconnect after years apart felt authentic and heartfelt while the chemistry between them never wavered.
I especially loved how the book balanced the excitement of Olympic swimming with heavier themes like grief and mental health. These topics were handled with care, adding depth to both the characters and their relationship without ever overshadowing the romance. The summer setting made everything feel hopeful, while the colour-coded timetables were such a fun, memorable character detail.
If you enjoy friends-to-lovers, second chances, sports romances and stories about healing while chasing your dreams, this one is absolutely worth adding to your TBR.
Thank you to the Ever After PR and the author for the ARC.
I especially loved how the book balanced the excitement of Olympic swimming with heavier themes like grief and mental health. These topics were handled with care, adding depth to both the characters and their relationship without ever overshadowing the romance. The summer setting made everything feel hopeful, while the colour-coded timetables were such a fun, memorable character detail.
If you enjoy friends-to-lovers, second chances, sports romances and stories about healing while chasing your dreams, this one is absolutely worth adding to your TBR.
Thank you to the Ever After PR and the author for the ARC.
July 25, 2026
Random boek dat ik op tiktok zag passeren. Leuke romcom! Misschien eerder 3,5 sterren, maar aangezien het haar debut is, gun ik dan toch graag die 4. Vond het ook wel leuk dat het eens een Britse sportsromance was, want is toch vaak vooral Amerikaanse boeken. Totaal niet cringe vond ik, wat ook al niet vaak te vinden is. Doordat het over meer dan 15 jaar ging en gewoon in volgorde, werd ik soms wel wat ongeduldig. Langs de andere kant is het standaard recept van een second chance romance met een wisselende tijdlijn en een grote reveal ook wel al genoeg gebruikt.
July 4, 2026
4.5 ⭐
A decade of friendship. One reckless summer. Five years of silence.
Sam’s goal was always to become an Olympic swimmer whilst Kath had a carefully mapped out future in medicine. Sam is adamant that he cannot allow any ‘distractions’ however, Sam & Kath’s crush on each other threatens this. When Sam begins drowning in pressure and anxiety and Kath’s mental health suffers, can both find the courage to choose each other again?
I DEVOURED this! One minute I was on chapter 3 then the next, I was half way through the book! This is the perfect summer read when you are looking for a sweet friendship to lovers romance but also tackles some difficult themes which were very relatable (during covid).
I loved seeing Sam’s & Kath’s friendship develop over time and there was so much emotional depth that made me care and route for them. Austin and Seb were also great additions which gave the story a found family aspect I was
not expecting but was definately a highlight.
I really appreciated that both Sam’s & Kath’s mental health struggles were given the time to explore and heal - including building back the trust and love in their relationship. A must read for any romance reader!
A decade of friendship. One reckless summer. Five years of silence.
Sam’s goal was always to become an Olympic swimmer whilst Kath had a carefully mapped out future in medicine. Sam is adamant that he cannot allow any ‘distractions’ however, Sam & Kath’s crush on each other threatens this. When Sam begins drowning in pressure and anxiety and Kath’s mental health suffers, can both find the courage to choose each other again?
I DEVOURED this! One minute I was on chapter 3 then the next, I was half way through the book! This is the perfect summer read when you are looking for a sweet friendship to lovers romance but also tackles some difficult themes which were very relatable (during covid).
I loved seeing Sam’s & Kath’s friendship develop over time and there was so much emotional depth that made me care and route for them. Austin and Seb were also great additions which gave the story a found family aspect I was
not expecting but was definately a highlight.
I really appreciated that both Sam’s & Kath’s mental health struggles were given the time to explore and heal - including building back the trust and love in their relationship. A must read for any romance reader!
June 22, 2026
Thank you Ever After PR for the ARC!
“Rule 17: Pirates always wish other pirates good luck.”
I absolutely fell in love with Sam and Kath and their story. They felt so real, and their story was so interesting that I couldn’t help but want to keep reading. The way everything in this book was written just made me feel like I was apart of the story and I loved it.
Sam and Kath are a perfect example of life and love and loss and I just cannot get over them. I can’t wait for this book to come out so everyone can meet them.
“Rule 17: Pirates always wish other pirates good luck.”
I absolutely fell in love with Sam and Kath and their story. They felt so real, and their story was so interesting that I couldn’t help but want to keep reading. The way everything in this book was written just made me feel like I was apart of the story and I loved it.
Sam and Kath are a perfect example of life and love and loss and I just cannot get over them. I can’t wait for this book to come out so everyone can meet them.
June 28, 2026
Advanced Reader Copy from Ever After pr
Boy am I glad that I was able to get an arc of this book, this has me hooked from the beginning. Friends to lovers done in the best possible way I loved it! I loved how they started at the beginning and followed it through chronological order rather than missing the whole in between of their friendship. I didn’t want it to end, I could have happily read so much more of there relationship.
The mental health interpretation was done so well! It highlighted so many important points about mental health and anxiety and that takes a lot to be able to do that in a book and to do it correctly shows that the author put a lot of thought into it!
If friends to lovers is your vibe definitely take a look at this book you just might find your next favourite read!
Boy am I glad that I was able to get an arc of this book, this has me hooked from the beginning. Friends to lovers done in the best possible way I loved it! I loved how they started at the beginning and followed it through chronological order rather than missing the whole in between of their friendship. I didn’t want it to end, I could have happily read so much more of there relationship.
The mental health interpretation was done so well! It highlighted so many important points about mental health and anxiety and that takes a lot to be able to do that in a book and to do it correctly shows that the author put a lot of thought into it!
If friends to lovers is your vibe definitely take a look at this book you just might find your next favourite read!
July 18, 2026
If you love an extremely, and I mean, snails-paced slow burn and swimming you might enjoy this book.
I didn’t hate this, but I didn’t like it either…it was just another one to check off. I received this book as an ARC and it had a great premise to me. However, it just belly flopped (pun intended) in my opinion.
I knew it was a slow burn going into this, I knew it was childhood friends to lovers, but it just didn’t do it for me. The writing felt juvenile, almost YA-esque, to me. If you would’ve taken out the mid spicy scenes then this could’ve easily translated into a YA book.
I do however have to say, as a retired collegiate swimmer, the swimming knowledge and detailed sense-based descriptions were done well. That’s what is giving it 3.25 stars instead of a 2.75 for me.
I didn’t hate this, but I didn’t like it either…it was just another one to check off. I received this book as an ARC and it had a great premise to me. However, it just belly flopped (pun intended) in my opinion.
I knew it was a slow burn going into this, I knew it was childhood friends to lovers, but it just didn’t do it for me. The writing felt juvenile, almost YA-esque, to me. If you would’ve taken out the mid spicy scenes then this could’ve easily translated into a YA book.
I do however have to say, as a retired collegiate swimmer, the swimming knowledge and detailed sense-based descriptions were done well. That’s what is giving it 3.25 stars instead of a 2.75 for me.
July 24, 2026
3.5 stars. i love a good friends to lovers to enemies to friends again story, so i really wanted to love this one. i enjoyed about 60% of it, but the ending just didn’t hit the way i wanted it to. everything wrapped up a little too quickly. i wish kath had stood her ground more and made sam work for it. i needed more groveling, more tension, and honestly i would’ve loved if he’d met theo before they got back together. it just would’ve made the payoff feel so much more earned.
that said, i still enjoyed it enough to finish. i especially loved the chapters of kath working during the pandemic, they were some of my favorite parts of the book. i will say, though, sam winning olympic gold three times took me out of the story a little. it just didn’t feel very believable.
still a solid read, really really good for this author’s debut, and i can’t wait for tom and claire’s story!!
that said, i still enjoyed it enough to finish. i especially loved the chapters of kath working during the pandemic, they were some of my favorite parts of the book. i will say, though, sam winning olympic gold three times took me out of the story a little. it just didn’t feel very believable.
still a solid read, really really good for this author’s debut, and i can’t wait for tom and claire’s story!!
July 20, 2026
I'm realizing that I love sport romance books, especially the ones that feature swimming, maybe because it is my favourite sport too. And it's a book with short chapters, which os what I needed these days. "Pinky promise"😉
In this book we follow Kath and Sam, from the time they meet at eleven until they are almost thirty.
Sam loves swimming and his dream is to go to the Olympics, his entire life goes around it.
Kath is his anchor, even when she doesn't realize it, and she wants to be a doctor,
But over the course of their friendship, feelings go changing; there are fights, some lines are crossed, and maybe uncrossing them is more difficult to do.
We are forewarned from the start, since the prologue takes place halfway throught their friendship, yet it is still an emotional ride to know all the story.
"I always described Sam as nice. But he is nice like steady, like he remembers how I take my tea and knows exactly what song to play when I can't find the words for how I'm feeling. Nice like the hug you want at the end of a hard day."
I found myself growing fond of the characters very easily, especially since we get to know them when they are young, just entering adolescence, and those early years are truly lovely to read.
As they grow up, the drama and problems begin; and I have to say that, even if I don't share some of Sam's views or ways of acting, I kind of understand him and why he did all those things. So I find his personal growth as something I appreciate most in the book, as it makes him a very complex character.
"It hurts with the sickening certainty that I'm driving away from the person I've been coming home to for half my life."
The secondary characters also earned a place in my heart, and I'm glad there's already a second book about some of them in the way.
It was a book that made me feel so much; I shared the happiness, the drive and the goals achieved alongside the characters, but I also suffered greatly through the anxiety and the chapters where they were struggling. I said it from the start, I knew it was gonna hurt, and anyways here I am recommending it 😅😂.
Of course, the whole swimming aspect, the Olympics, the medals, the reporters, the pressure, etc is always really entertaining and cool to read about.
I'm probably forgetting things I should mention, since I enjoyed it so much that I barely took any notes for the review.
I think it's a book about friendship, love, and how the pressure you put on yourself is sometimes bigger than the pressure coming from outside; it's a book about effort, about grief also, about the importance of having people you care about close by, and a well executed story about second chances.
"Being the best isn't enough when you've pushed everyone else away to get there. You just stand at the top of the hill and realise there's no one there with you."
Thanks to the author, Charlotte Watson, and to Ever After PR for the ARC in exchange of an honest and voluntary review.
In this book we follow Kath and Sam, from the time they meet at eleven until they are almost thirty.
Sam loves swimming and his dream is to go to the Olympics, his entire life goes around it.
Kath is his anchor, even when she doesn't realize it, and she wants to be a doctor,
But over the course of their friendship, feelings go changing; there are fights, some lines are crossed, and maybe uncrossing them is more difficult to do.
We are forewarned from the start, since the prologue takes place halfway throught their friendship, yet it is still an emotional ride to know all the story.
"I always described Sam as nice. But he is nice like steady, like he remembers how I take my tea and knows exactly what song to play when I can't find the words for how I'm feeling. Nice like the hug you want at the end of a hard day."
I found myself growing fond of the characters very easily, especially since we get to know them when they are young, just entering adolescence, and those early years are truly lovely to read.
As they grow up, the drama and problems begin; and I have to say that, even if I don't share some of Sam's views or ways of acting, I kind of understand him and why he did all those things. So I find his personal growth as something I appreciate most in the book, as it makes him a very complex character.
"It hurts with the sickening certainty that I'm driving away from the person I've been coming home to for half my life."
The secondary characters also earned a place in my heart, and I'm glad there's already a second book about some of them in the way.
It was a book that made me feel so much; I shared the happiness, the drive and the goals achieved alongside the characters, but I also suffered greatly through the anxiety and the chapters where they were struggling. I said it from the start, I knew it was gonna hurt, and anyways here I am recommending it 😅😂.
Of course, the whole swimming aspect, the Olympics, the medals, the reporters, the pressure, etc is always really entertaining and cool to read about.
I'm probably forgetting things I should mention, since I enjoyed it so much that I barely took any notes for the review.
I think it's a book about friendship, love, and how the pressure you put on yourself is sometimes bigger than the pressure coming from outside; it's a book about effort, about grief also, about the importance of having people you care about close by, and a well executed story about second chances.
"Being the best isn't enough when you've pushed everyone else away to get there. You just stand at the top of the hill and realise there's no one there with you."
Thanks to the author, Charlotte Watson, and to Ever After PR for the ARC in exchange of an honest and voluntary review.
July 15, 2026
★4.5
-slow burn
-childhood friends to lovers
-sport romance
-grief/anxiety rep
ครอบครัวพระเอกย้ายที่อยู่ทำให้พระเอกต้องย้ายเข้าโรงเรียนใหม่ตอนอายุ11 ที่นั่งในห้องจะเรียงตาม Alphabet ทำให้โต๊ะข้างๆ Sam Fletcher คือนางเอกของเรื่อง Kath Ford หลังจากวันเปิดเรียนวันแรกทั้งคู่ก็กลายเป็นเพื่อนสนิทกัน ครตนางเอกน่ารักมากกก สาวExtrovert เพื่อนเยอะ เรียนเก่ง เล่นกีฬาก็เก่ง รู้ว่าตัวเองอยากเป็นหมอตั้งแต่เด็ก เป็นเด็กเนิ้ดที่ชอบจัดแจงชีวิต😆 ชอบทำtimetable/flashcard พกไฮไลท์เป็นสิบสีก่อนเริ่มคลาสเรียนก็จัดวางเรียนบนโต๊ะ 5555 ส่วนพระเอกเป็นintrovert พูดไม่เก่ง(แต่หลังจากนางเอกเข้ามาในชีวิตฮีสดใสขึ้นเยอะ)ชีวิตพระเอกมีแต่การซ้อมว่ายน้ำเพราะความฝันคือการได้ไปโอลิมปิก
ในเล่มจะเล่าแบ่งเป็น3พาร์ทเล่าทุกช่วงอายุของทั้งคู่ตั้งแต่11จนถึง27 เราชอบคสพของทั้งคู่มาก โค่ดจะน่ารัก หนังเรื่องโปรดของทั้งคู่ที่ดูตั้งแต่อายุ11 คือ Pirate of the caribean แล้วไอคู่นี้มันก็ตั้ง rule of pirate ด้วยกันข้อแรกที่นางเอกตั้งคือ when you go to the Olympics I have to cheer the loudest. ข้อสอง you always have to give me piggybacks. That’s rule two🥹 แล้วก็มีเพิ่มมาเรื่อยๆ มันน่ารักมากกก สุดท้ายพระเอกได้ไปโอลิมปิกครั้งแรกตอนอายุ16🥹 ครอบครัวของพระนางตามไปเชียร์กันหมด หลังจบโอลิมปิกชีวิตทั้งคู่ก็เหมือนเดิม เรียน ซ้อมว่ายน้ำ ตอนอายุ17 แม่พระเอกป่วย นางเอกไปเรียนขับรถเพื่อจะได้คอยขับรถรับ-ส่งพระเอกไปซ้อมแทนแม่ และพ่อพระเอกจะได้เอาเวลาไปดูแลแม่ ซีนนี้เราอ่านแล้วน้ำตาซึมเลย🥹 จนถึงวันที่แม่พระเอกเสียนางเอกก็คอยอยู่ข้างๆเสมอ พระนางก็เป็นเพื่อนสนิทที่คอยดูแลกันตลอดแต่ลึกๆแล้วครสมันเกินเพื่อนแหละแต่ไม่มีใครกล้าพูดออกมา จนอายุ18 พระเอกจะไปเรียนต่อที่ Florida ส่วนนางเอกเรียนต่อที่อังกฤษเหมือนเดิม 2อาทิตย์ก่อนที่พระเอกจะบินไปเมกานางเอกเสนอสิ่งที่ทำให้เบลอเส้นความเป็นเพื่อน
สรุป ตอนอ่านคือชอบมากกกก คิดว่า5ดาวแน่ๆ เพราะชอบไปหมด ชอบความสัมพันธ์ของทั้งคู่ ชอบครต ชอบการเล่าเรื่อง ได้อ่านเส้นทางอาชีพของคนสองคนที่พยายามมากๆมาตั้งแต่อายุ 11 จนถึงวันที่ประสบความสำเร็จได้ตามสิ่งที่หวังแต่กลับไม่ได้มีความสุขอย่างที่คิดไว้ นางเอกก็burn out กับอาชีพหมอแถมต้องเผชิญการทำงานในช่วง covid อีก
สิ่งที่ทำให้หักคะแนนไปคือการกระทำของพระเอกช่วงผลักนางเอกออกไปมันใจร้ายไปหน่อย ถึงจะมาจากการไม่อยากทำให้นางเอกต้องเสียใจก็เถอะ แต่ถ้าถามว่าเข้าใจฮีไหมก็เข้าใจอีกอะ 555555 แต่เปิดใจคุยกันตรงๆก็ด้ายยยย แกรักกันมาตั้งแต่14ขนาดนั้น สุดท้ายตอนจบก็คลี่คลายเรื่องออกมาดีแหละ แต่แอบเร่งรีบไปนิดนึง แต่โดยรวมก็ประทับใจ งานเดบิวต์เล่มแรกของนขด้วย
-slow burn
-childhood friends to lovers
-sport romance
-grief/anxiety rep
ครอบครัวพระเอกย้ายที่อยู่ทำให้พระเอกต้องย้ายเข้าโรงเรียนใหม่ตอนอายุ11 ที่นั่งในห้องจะเรียงตาม Alphabet ทำให้โต๊ะข้างๆ Sam Fletcher คือนางเอกของเรื่อง Kath Ford หลังจากวันเปิดเรียนวันแรกทั้งคู่ก็กลายเป็นเพื่อนสนิทกัน ครตนางเอกน่ารักมากกก สาวExtrovert เพื่อนเยอะ เรียนเก่ง เล่นกีฬาก็เก่ง รู้ว่าตัวเองอยากเป็นหมอตั้งแต่เด็ก เป็นเด็กเนิ้ดที่ชอบจัดแจงชีวิต😆 ชอบทำtimetable/flashcard พกไฮไลท์เป็นสิบสีก่อนเริ่มคลาสเรียนก็จัดวางเรียนบนโต๊ะ 5555 ส่วนพระเอกเป็นintrovert พูดไม่เก่ง(แต่หลังจากนางเอกเข้ามาในชีวิตฮีสดใสขึ้นเยอะ)ชีวิตพระเอกมีแต่การซ้อมว่ายน้ำเพราะความฝันคือการได้ไปโอลิมปิก
ในเล่มจะเล่าแบ่งเป็น3พาร์ทเล่าทุกช่วงอายุของทั้งคู่ตั้งแต่11จนถึง27 เราชอบคสพของทั้งคู่มาก โค่ดจะน่ารัก หนังเรื่องโปรดของทั้งคู่ที่ดูตั้งแต่อายุ11 คือ Pirate of the caribean แล้วไอคู่นี้มันก็ตั้ง rule of pirate ด้วยกันข้อแรกที่นางเอกตั้งคือ when you go to the Olympics I have to cheer the loudest. ข้อสอง you always have to give me piggybacks. That’s rule two🥹 แล้วก็มีเพิ่มมาเรื่อยๆ มันน่ารักมากกก สุดท้ายพระเอกได้ไปโอลิมปิกครั้งแรกตอนอายุ16🥹 ครอบครัวของพระนางตามไปเชียร์กันหมด หลังจบโอลิมปิกชีวิตทั้งคู่ก็เหมือนเดิม เรียน ซ้อมว่ายน้ำ ตอนอายุ17 แม่พระเอกป่วย นางเอกไปเรียนขับรถเพื่อจะได้คอยขับรถรับ-ส่งพระเอกไปซ้อมแทนแม่ และพ่อพระเอกจะได้เอาเวลาไปดูแลแม่ ซีนนี้เราอ่านแล้วน้ำตาซึมเลย🥹 จนถึงวันที่แม่พระเอกเสียนางเอกก็คอยอยู่ข้างๆเสมอ พระนางก็เป็นเพื่อนสนิทที่คอยดูแลกันตลอดแต่ลึกๆแล้วครสมันเกินเพื่อนแหละแต่ไม่มีใครกล้าพูดออกมา จนอายุ18 พระเอกจะไปเรียนต่อที่ Florida ส่วนนางเอกเรียนต่อที่อังกฤษเหมือนเดิม 2อาทิตย์ก่อนที่พระเอกจะบินไปเมกานางเอกเสนอสิ่งที่ทำให้เบลอเส้นความเป็นเพื่อน
สรุป ตอนอ่านคือชอบมากกกก คิดว่า5ดาวแน่ๆ เพราะชอบไปหมด ชอบความสัมพันธ์ของทั้งคู่ ชอบครต ชอบการเล่าเรื่อง ได้อ่านเส้นทางอาชีพของคนสองคนที่พยายามมากๆมาตั้งแต่อายุ 11 จนถึงวันที่ประสบความสำเร็จได้ตามสิ่งที่หวังแต่กลับไม่ได้มีความสุขอย่างที่คิดไว้ นางเอกก็burn out กับอาชีพหมอแถมต้องเผชิญการทำงานในช่วง covid อีก
สิ่งที่ทำให้หักคะแนนไปคือการกระทำของพระเอกช่วงผลักนางเอกออกไปมันใจร้ายไปหน่อย ถึงจะมาจากการไม่อยากทำให้นางเอกต้องเสียใจก็เถอะ แต่ถ้าถามว่าเข้าใจฮีไหมก็เข้าใจอีกอะ 555555 แต่เปิดใจคุยกันตรงๆก็ด้ายยยย แกรักกันมาตั้งแต่14ขนาดนั้น สุดท้ายตอนจบก็คลี่คลายเรื่องออกมาดีแหละ แต่แอบเร่งรีบไปนิดนึง แต่โดยรวมก็ประทับใจ งานเดบิวต์เล่มแรกของนขด้วย
July 24, 2026
4,5 ⭐️ español & english — arc reader/lectora :)
Estuvo muuuy bueno! Espectacular realmente.
Mas que nada me encantó como manejó la internalizacion que tuvo esta larga amistad en ambos personajes desde mucho antes de poder darse cuenta, el hecho de que lo haya distribuido en partes y seccionado por edades de los sucesos hizo que se lograra ese mayor entendimiento en que tan entrelazadas estuvieron sus vidas, lo mucho que sus vidas diarias estaban circulando alrededor de la otra sin siquiera darse cuenta, y creo que eso es lo mas lindo pero pesado de la amistad entre ellos. De alguna forma hizo que lograra que se viera muy auténticamente lindo, porque fue doloroso al punto de que lloré cuando la amistad se quebró pero valió totalmente la pena.
La profundidad que tuvieron los personajes también estuvieran tan bien trabajadas que realmente dió mucho gusto leerlos, no solo la dinámica entre ellos que sin dudas les sobrara la química que tenían, pero tenían un nivel de entendimiento que era inexplicable. No se sentían co-dependientes como tal, sino que siempre estuvieron ahí cuando uno necesitaba incluso cuando la situación no daba el contexto de hacerlo, especialmente en los últimos caps desde la mitad que te das cuenta el nivel de lealtad inmovible que se tienen incluso si no lo tratan de la manera mas saludable posible justo en ese tiempo.
En resumen me encantaron. La autora hizo un trabajo fenomenal y realmente no puedo esperar a tener mas tiempo para poder leerme el segundo a este!
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This was sooo good!!! Honestly, absolutely incredible.
What I loved the most was how the author portrayed the way this lifelong friendship became such an intrinsic part of both of them long before they even realized it themselves. Splitting the story into different parts and following them through different ages made it so much easier to understand just how intertwined their lives had always been—how their everyday lives quietly revolved around each other without either of them even noticing. I think that’s what made their friendship so beautiful, but also so heartbreaking. It all felt incredibly genuine, and when their friendship finally fell apart, it hurt so much that I actually cried. It was completely worth it, tho.
The characters themselves were also written with so much depth that they were an absolute joy to read. It wasn’t just the chemistry between them but the level of understanding they shared that really stood out to me. Their relationship never came across as codependent; they were simply always there for each other whenever it mattered, even when the circumstances didn’t really allow for it. Especially throughout the second half of the book, you really start to see just how unwavering their loyalty to each other is, even if they don’t always go about it in the healthiest way during that time.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book. The author did a phenomenal job, and I honestly can’t wait until I have the time to pick up the second one.
Estuvo muuuy bueno! Espectacular realmente.
Mas que nada me encantó como manejó la internalizacion que tuvo esta larga amistad en ambos personajes desde mucho antes de poder darse cuenta, el hecho de que lo haya distribuido en partes y seccionado por edades de los sucesos hizo que se lograra ese mayor entendimiento en que tan entrelazadas estuvieron sus vidas, lo mucho que sus vidas diarias estaban circulando alrededor de la otra sin siquiera darse cuenta, y creo que eso es lo mas lindo pero pesado de la amistad entre ellos. De alguna forma hizo que lograra que se viera muy auténticamente lindo, porque fue doloroso al punto de que lloré cuando la amistad se quebró pero valió totalmente la pena.
La profundidad que tuvieron los personajes también estuvieran tan bien trabajadas que realmente dió mucho gusto leerlos, no solo la dinámica entre ellos que sin dudas les sobrara la química que tenían, pero tenían un nivel de entendimiento que era inexplicable. No se sentían co-dependientes como tal, sino que siempre estuvieron ahí cuando uno necesitaba incluso cuando la situación no daba el contexto de hacerlo, especialmente en los últimos caps desde la mitad que te das cuenta el nivel de lealtad inmovible que se tienen incluso si no lo tratan de la manera mas saludable posible justo en ese tiempo.
En resumen me encantaron. La autora hizo un trabajo fenomenal y realmente no puedo esperar a tener mas tiempo para poder leerme el segundo a este!
—
This was sooo good!!! Honestly, absolutely incredible.
What I loved the most was how the author portrayed the way this lifelong friendship became such an intrinsic part of both of them long before they even realized it themselves. Splitting the story into different parts and following them through different ages made it so much easier to understand just how intertwined their lives had always been—how their everyday lives quietly revolved around each other without either of them even noticing. I think that’s what made their friendship so beautiful, but also so heartbreaking. It all felt incredibly genuine, and when their friendship finally fell apart, it hurt so much that I actually cried. It was completely worth it, tho.
The characters themselves were also written with so much depth that they were an absolute joy to read. It wasn’t just the chemistry between them but the level of understanding they shared that really stood out to me. Their relationship never came across as codependent; they were simply always there for each other whenever it mattered, even when the circumstances didn’t really allow for it. Especially throughout the second half of the book, you really start to see just how unwavering their loyalty to each other is, even if they don’t always go about it in the healthiest way during that time.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book. The author did a phenomenal job, and I honestly can’t wait until I have the time to pick up the second one.
Review of advance copy
I received a copy as an ARC from Ever After PR.
This is a new favorite. Debut author Charlotte Watson is certainly one I will be following, and I hope she has many more books in her! The way she expertly layered a growing friendship, a developing romance, love and loss, grief and trauma, agency and self-sacrifice — I couldn’t put it down and absolutely devoured this.
And this book has so much going for it: Olympian MMC, childhood friends to lovers, second chance, BRITISH — literally, I swooned.
It’s also a gorgeous example of a book that really benefitted from being dual POV versus giving us both sides just because. The perspectives of both Sam and Kath really enriched the story, making me appreciate how they truly believed they were making the best decisions in the moment — Sam in particular. It’s also a fantastic example of the “I don’t deserve you” microtrope — it never felt flat or overdone, it was earned in every way and rooted so deeply in Sam’s experiences. I won’t give anything away, but 10/10 perfect.
Kath was incredibly relatable, particularly for anyone who has ever been accused of things “always coming easily” to them or just working out — ignoring the years, even decades, of hard work. She is every woman out there making things look so simple and effortless because she has no other choice but to move forward. It’s impossible to read this and not want her to get absolutely everything she ever wanted.
And I need to talk about Sam because, my gosh, Sam. In some ways this is more his story than Kath’s, and I love that. Like oh you want to give me an example of a man working through his emotional trauma, focusing on healing, building awareness, and growing? YES PLEASE DON’T MIND IF I DO. It’s a gut punch getting there — and I dare anyone to get through this without their heart breaking for Sam and the loss he endures — but the payoff is so satisfying.
Every decision, every moment they’re pushed together and pulled apart, is earned beautifully.
I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it!
This is a new favorite. Debut author Charlotte Watson is certainly one I will be following, and I hope she has many more books in her! The way she expertly layered a growing friendship, a developing romance, love and loss, grief and trauma, agency and self-sacrifice — I couldn’t put it down and absolutely devoured this.
And this book has so much going for it: Olympian MMC, childhood friends to lovers, second chance, BRITISH — literally, I swooned.
It’s also a gorgeous example of a book that really benefitted from being dual POV versus giving us both sides just because. The perspectives of both Sam and Kath really enriched the story, making me appreciate how they truly believed they were making the best decisions in the moment — Sam in particular. It’s also a fantastic example of the “I don’t deserve you” microtrope — it never felt flat or overdone, it was earned in every way and rooted so deeply in Sam’s experiences. I won’t give anything away, but 10/10 perfect.
Kath was incredibly relatable, particularly for anyone who has ever been accused of things “always coming easily” to them or just working out — ignoring the years, even decades, of hard work. She is every woman out there making things look so simple and effortless because she has no other choice but to move forward. It’s impossible to read this and not want her to get absolutely everything she ever wanted.
And I need to talk about Sam because, my gosh, Sam. In some ways this is more his story than Kath’s, and I love that. Like oh you want to give me an example of a man working through his emotional trauma, focusing on healing, building awareness, and growing? YES PLEASE DON’T MIND IF I DO. It’s a gut punch getting there — and I dare anyone to get through this without their heart breaking for Sam and the loss he endures — but the payoff is so satisfying.
Every decision, every moment they’re pushed together and pulled apart, is earned beautifully.
I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it!
Review of advance copy received from Author
“I’ll be your light, your match, your burning sun…” 🎶
Some stories aren’t just about falling in love — they’re about finding the person who has always been your safe place, even after years apart. 💙
Sam Fletcher and Kath Ford’s story feels like a journey through every version of love: the innocent kind that begins in childhood, the complicated kind that grows when feelings become impossible to ignore, and the healing kind that comes when two people finally face everything they left behind.
They were each other’s constants.
The person who understood them.
The person who made the world feel a little less overwhelming.
But sometimes dreams, fears, and misunderstandings create distance between even the strongest connections. 🌊
Sam has spent years chasing Olympic glory, carrying the pressure of proving he’s more than just his achievements. Kath has dedicated herself to becoming a doctor, trying to follow the perfectly planned future she created for herself. Both are successful, both are determined… and both are quietly struggling with the question of whether they are truly enough.
When they find their way back to each other, they have to confront the words left unsaid, the hurt that never healed, and the love that never really disappeared. 🤍
✨ Childhood friends-to-lovers
✨ Slow-burn romance
✨ Second chances
✨ Emotional healing
✨ Dreams, ambition & self-discovery
✨ A love that survives time and distance
“Run” by Leona Lewis perfectly captures the feeling of this story — the longing, the vulnerability, and the desperate hope of holding on to someone who has always mattered. 🎶✨
Diving In is a beautiful reminder that sometimes the hardest part of love isn’t falling — it’s finding the courage to return, forgive, and choose each other again. 🌊💫
A heartfelt, emotional romance for anyone who loves stories about first loves, second chances, and the people who feel like home. 📖🤍
Some stories aren’t just about falling in love — they’re about finding the person who has always been your safe place, even after years apart. 💙
Sam Fletcher and Kath Ford’s story feels like a journey through every version of love: the innocent kind that begins in childhood, the complicated kind that grows when feelings become impossible to ignore, and the healing kind that comes when two people finally face everything they left behind.
They were each other’s constants.
The person who understood them.
The person who made the world feel a little less overwhelming.
But sometimes dreams, fears, and misunderstandings create distance between even the strongest connections. 🌊
Sam has spent years chasing Olympic glory, carrying the pressure of proving he’s more than just his achievements. Kath has dedicated herself to becoming a doctor, trying to follow the perfectly planned future she created for herself. Both are successful, both are determined… and both are quietly struggling with the question of whether they are truly enough.
When they find their way back to each other, they have to confront the words left unsaid, the hurt that never healed, and the love that never really disappeared. 🤍
✨ Childhood friends-to-lovers
✨ Slow-burn romance
✨ Second chances
✨ Emotional healing
✨ Dreams, ambition & self-discovery
✨ A love that survives time and distance
“Run” by Leona Lewis perfectly captures the feeling of this story — the longing, the vulnerability, and the desperate hope of holding on to someone who has always mattered. 🎶✨
Diving In is a beautiful reminder that sometimes the hardest part of love isn’t falling — it’s finding the courage to return, forgive, and choose each other again. 🌊💫
A heartfelt, emotional romance for anyone who loves stories about first loves, second chances, and the people who feel like home. 📖🤍
July 9, 2026
Thank you Ever After PR for the ARC!
If you want to read this book because it has a cute cover and it gives summer vibes I think you should know that is not the case but that is not necessarily a bad thing!
This was beautifully written and very captivating! The author did a good job letting the reader have all the feelings through the writing. It was surprisingly emotional and the story had depth! I love the progression of time and that we saw Kath and Sam evolve and be shaped into the persons they are today. I loved seeing the relationship grow and the support they had for each other over the years.
I loved Kath’s ability to be accepting and social while also learning how to enforce much needed boundaries. She was a breath of fresh air and I really loved her journey.
I loved how Sam grew out of his shell over the years mainly due to Kath’s friendship. I loved that he felt really real and the struggles he faced did not feel forced or made up for the sake of the story. To me, he was very relatable.
Them together? Hmm I don’t know….when I finished the book I still felt that they were more best friends than lovers. And part of why I felt that way has to do with the fact that nothing really romantic happened until the last 10% of the book or so. Yes
, there was some yearning, but the “romance” part of this relationship was very rushed to me. It seemed like the conflict was dragged on and rushed at the same time. Yes, the characters did work on themselves but it still felt rushed.
I am struggling to rate this book because while the writing was really good, the characters were nice and their growth was amazing, the relationship/romance was lacking for me.
I will give this 3.5-4⭐️ and I would recommend reading it if you love the childhood friends to lovers trope.
If you want to read this book because it has a cute cover and it gives summer vibes I think you should know that is not the case but that is not necessarily a bad thing!
This was beautifully written and very captivating! The author did a good job letting the reader have all the feelings through the writing. It was surprisingly emotional and the story had depth! I love the progression of time and that we saw Kath and Sam evolve and be shaped into the persons they are today. I loved seeing the relationship grow and the support they had for each other over the years.
I loved Kath’s ability to be accepting and social while also learning how to enforce much needed boundaries. She was a breath of fresh air and I really loved her journey.
I loved how Sam grew out of his shell over the years mainly due to Kath’s friendship. I loved that he felt really real and the struggles he faced did not feel forced or made up for the sake of the story. To me, he was very relatable.
Them together? Hmm I don’t know….when I finished the book I still felt that they were more best friends than lovers. And part of why I felt that way has to do with the fact that nothing really romantic happened until the last 10% of the book or so. Yes
, there was some yearning, but the “romance” part of this relationship was very rushed to me. It seemed like the conflict was dragged on and rushed at the same time. Yes, the characters did work on themselves but it still felt rushed.
I am struggling to rate this book because while the writing was really good, the characters were nice and their growth was amazing, the relationship/romance was lacking for me.
I will give this 3.5-4⭐️ and I would recommend reading it if you love the childhood friends to lovers trope.
Review of advance copy
ARC received by Ever After PR
As a big lover when there’s childhood friends involved, I was too curious about this debut novel to pass the chance to read it early.
The story about Kath & Sam’s friendship starts from when they were eleven years old on their first day in school, Sam being a new student.And that’s how the story progressed and how it’s chronologically told. I absolutely love having past told in these types of stories because you get so much more history between the characters. I must admit I’ve rarely read it without time jumps in between past and present, and while it didn’t really affect my reading having it told chronologically, I think time jumps would have kept me on my toes more.
I really enjoyed the beginning and was rooting for them to progress from being best friends to something more. I think I expected this to be a fluffy summer romance but it was much deeper and dealt with some heavier things. Grief, pressure, loneliness. It teaches us how important is mental health.
I’ve really liked their chemistry which was very palpable.
I liked both of the main characters but Kath was my absolute favorite. I love that she had her soft & supportive side but she knew when to stand up for herself and know when it’s enough. Sam infuriated me at times and I’m glad she didn’t make it easy for him.
I would have wished that the ending of chapters were more rounded up. At often times it felt as they were unfinished and the next one would start with something else, creating a choppy feeling. It was a bit longer for my taste. But I’d say this is a very good debut and I’m looking forward to seeing progress with next books.
3.5 ⭐️
As a big lover when there’s childhood friends involved, I was too curious about this debut novel to pass the chance to read it early.
The story about Kath & Sam’s friendship starts from when they were eleven years old on their first day in school, Sam being a new student.And that’s how the story progressed and how it’s chronologically told. I absolutely love having past told in these types of stories because you get so much more history between the characters. I must admit I’ve rarely read it without time jumps in between past and present, and while it didn’t really affect my reading having it told chronologically, I think time jumps would have kept me on my toes more.
I really enjoyed the beginning and was rooting for them to progress from being best friends to something more. I think I expected this to be a fluffy summer romance but it was much deeper and dealt with some heavier things. Grief, pressure, loneliness. It teaches us how important is mental health.
I’ve really liked their chemistry which was very palpable.
I liked both of the main characters but Kath was my absolute favorite. I love that she had her soft & supportive side but she knew when to stand up for herself and know when it’s enough. Sam infuriated me at times and I’m glad she didn’t make it easy for him.
I would have wished that the ending of chapters were more rounded up. At often times it felt as they were unfinished and the next one would start with something else, creating a choppy feeling. It was a bit longer for my taste. But I’d say this is a very good debut and I’m looking forward to seeing progress with next books.
3.5 ⭐️
Review of advance copy received from Author
Review of advanced copy reserved by author
Read in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed the book! Especially the fact that it was chronological order to the current timeline rather than flashbacks, as I find them harder to keep up with most of the time. The MMC Sam from Guildford moves to a new school in London, where he meets classmate Kath, the FMC, and they become friends, and she introduces him to other friends.
Throughout the years, we go through a journey with them as they get older, and the older they become, the more anxious I start to get because in my head all I kept thinking was, it must go wrong, before it can go right. Sam is trying to handle the anxiety and pressure he puts on himself to be the best and win more golds as an Olympian, and then Kath’s self-isolation when it came to her being in the workforce during the pandemic as a doctor, was very well written.
When they finally got their problems sorted and got together, now creating a healthy dynamic between the two of them, it felt earned. They went from 11 to 25 for them to officially be in a relationship. I will say this is the best situationship I've read in a book.
As for the characters, I didn't have a massive dislike for anyone, even Ben, who wasn't a good guy. I'm really excited to read more from this author and can't wait to read the second book and so on, which is about two characters I'm looking forward to reading about.
Read in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed the book! Especially the fact that it was chronological order to the current timeline rather than flashbacks, as I find them harder to keep up with most of the time. The MMC Sam from Guildford moves to a new school in London, where he meets classmate Kath, the FMC, and they become friends, and she introduces him to other friends.
Throughout the years, we go through a journey with them as they get older, and the older they become, the more anxious I start to get because in my head all I kept thinking was, it must go wrong, before it can go right. Sam is trying to handle the anxiety and pressure he puts on himself to be the best and win more golds as an Olympian, and then Kath’s self-isolation when it came to her being in the workforce during the pandemic as a doctor, was very well written.
When they finally got their problems sorted and got together, now creating a healthy dynamic between the two of them, it felt earned. They went from 11 to 25 for them to officially be in a relationship. I will say this is the best situationship I've read in a book.
As for the characters, I didn't have a massive dislike for anyone, even Ben, who wasn't a good guy. I'm really excited to read more from this author and can't wait to read the second book and so on, which is about two characters I'm looking forward to reading about.
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