Someone I Used to Know

by Paige Toon

A beautiful story of love and second chances, with a remarkable family at its heart, from the Sunday Times bestselling author.So much can change in half a lifetime…   Then   At fifteen, George is the foster brother Leah never asked for. As the angry, troubled boy struggles to come to terms with his circumstances, Leah finds herself getting drawn closer to him.   Theo’s wealthy family have mysteriously pulled him out of boarding school and he’s now enrolled at the local state school with Leah and George. When their worlds collide that summer, the three teenagers form a bond they believe will be unbreakable. But life doesn’t always go to plan...  Now   Shocking news brings Leah back to Yorkshire, baby daughter in tow. But Emilie’s father Theo isn’t with them, and George has unexpectedly returned. After half a lifetime, have they healed the scars of their pasts? Will coming back home set their hearts in a different direction?‘A beautiful story about love and family and healing broken hearts. It swept me up and wouldn’t let me go – I loved it’ BETH O’LEARY   'Gorgeous, brimming with heart, this is Paige Toon at her best. Beautiful and accomplished... A class act' MILLY JOHNSON ‘What a perfect emotive journey! I could feel every character so brilliantly, the writing was beyond immersive… I really never wanted this to end!’ LOUISE PENTLAND ‘Utterly brilliant… I want to go back and read it all again. A book that highlights the strength of love and the importance of compassion and understanding’ GIOVANNA FLETCHER   ‘An absolute tearjerker, full of love for the family we’re born into and the one we build along the way. This book will live in my heart for a long, long time’ LINDSEY KELK   ‘Someone I Used To Know had me hooked from the first page to the last. I adored everything about this gorgeous story and the unforgettable family at its heart’ CATHERINE ISAAC   ‘A heartfelt, heartbreaking and heartwarming story of love, family and loss and the ties that bind us’ DANI ATKINS   ‘Broke my heart, pieced it back together and made it soar… And I absolutely didn’t see that twist coming’ ZOË FOLBIGG   ‘I can’t even cope with how much I loved Someone I Used To Know. It’s so wonderful and warm and clever and funny… I’ve already messaged half a dozen friends to insist they pre-order their copy’ LUCY VINE   ‘I just loved it – I was so invested. Touching, beautiful, romantic… and the hottest love interest omg!’ LIA LOUIS 'This novel almost finished me off! An absolute heartwarming delight delivered with Paige's trademark warmth. The wonderful cast of characters will stay with you long after you've reached the final page' KATY COLINS

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Audiobook, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Second Chance

381 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 24, 2021

About the author

Paige Toon grew up between England, Australia and America and has been writing books set in sun-drenched locations around the world since 2007. She has written fifteen novels, a three-part spin-off for young adults and a collection of short stories. Her books have sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. She loves hearing from her readers so get in touch via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @PaigeToonAuthor or visit her website and sign up to her free newsletter The Hidden Paige.

Reviews

[Maditales · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty good but I’m going to be fully honest. I did not feel any chemistry between the couple. I wish there wasn’t a romance plot line in this book because the rest of the story was amazing in my opinion and could have been a really good woman’s fiction book without the final romance story.

[suus⋆୨୧˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

: ̗̀➛ 4 stars

Someone I Used to Know by Paige Toon is a beautifully written novel that dives deep into the emotions and challenges of the foster care system. At first glance, it might look like just another romance novel with a pretty cover, but it’s much more than that.

The story follows Leah, a woman whose parents foster children. The book switches between "now" and "then," with a few moments "in-between." Unlike some books where time jumps can be confusing, this one flows smoothly, adding to the mystery and depth of the story.

Leah is a standout character. Her strength and resilience, especially after growing up in a foster home, make her easy to love. Her relationship with her daughter, Emilie, is heartwarming, and she perfectly sums up her life when she realizes that without everything she’s been through, she wouldn’t have Emilie—her greatest joy.

Theo and George are the two main men in Leah’s life. Both are loveable, but Theo stood out for me. His decision to take Leah’s last name was a touching moment, and the mystery surrounding his involvement in a drink-driving incident kept me guessing. George is likeable too, especially in the "now" sections, but Theo’s storyline had me hooked.

The dialogue is natural, the characters feel real, and I found myself fully invested in their lives. The book has a twist that I didn’t see coming, which made it even more enjoyable.

Someone I Used to Know isn’t just a love story—it’s about family, both the one you’re born into and the one you choose. It touches on adoption, fostering, and the idea of chosen family, which adds depth to the story.

There were a few slower parts in the middle, but the ending picked up the pace and kept me turning the pages. Overall, this book will make you laugh, cry, and feel all sorts of emotions. If you enjoy stories about love, family, and second chances, I highly recommend it. Paige Toon has written a touching and memorable story that will stay with you long after you finish reading.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book. I certainly didn't expect this book to have so much emotion. Paige Toon has not only written a page-turner that I couldn't put down, but she has also written a book with deep meaning on touching topics like friendship, love, loss, and family.

I loved this book and I can't wait to read more by this author. Highly recommended.

[Sheyla ✎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one tugged at all my heartstrings!

In “Then,” Leah is fifteen when she meets George. Her parents are foster parents, and George is the newest arrival in their home—an angry teenager separated from his baby sister. Meanwhile, a wealthy kid, Theo, joins Leah’s school after being pulled from his private school. Despite their differences, they form a strong friendship, and Leah finds herself developing feelings for both.

In “Now,” Leah is back in her hometown with her daughter, Emilie, but without her husband, Theo, when George reappears.

Leah’s life has been far from easy. She’s struggling, but George’s presence stirs memories of that unforgettable summer. What will she do with these rekindled feelings?

Someone I Used to Know is emotional and rewarding, a story of heartbreak, loss, and healing. Told through “Then” and “Now” timelines, this novel brings its characters to life, making them lovable and realistic.

Paige Toon also surprises us. I was so sure of the twist, but when it came, I was completely wrong.

Little by little, I’m listening to all her books, and the audiobooks have all been wonderful so far.

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

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[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paige Toon has done it again. I absolutely loved this book and it made me so emotional. I spent the last 70 pages alternating between laughing and crying and simply couldn’t put the book down. I wish I could read it for the first time again. Paige Toon remains one of my all-time favorite authors and I already can’t wait for her next release. I just have to rate Someone I Used to Know five stars.

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[Syndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somene I Used to Know is heart breaking story. It talks about foster system that had me so sad about reading it. Miss Toon done a great job narrating the story.

It deals with loss, separation due to foster system. Also second chance romance. All the characters play important role in the story.

4 stars

[Brooke - Brooke's Reading Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Someone I Used To Know by Paige Toon. (2021).

Then. At 15, George is the foster brother Leah never asked for. As the angry, troubled boy struggles, Leah finds herself drawn to him. Wealthy Theo has joined them at state school after leaving boarding school. When their worlds collide, the three form a strong bond until unforseen events. Now. Shocking news has bought Leah and her 3-year-old daughter Emilie back. But Emilie's father Theo isn't with them, and George has unexpectedly returned. Have they healed the scars of their pasts and will coming back home set their hearts in a different direction?

I loved this one - my first five out of five star read for 2022! The overall genre would be a contemporary romance; however the novel delves into many concepts, particularly around foster families and healing hearts. Featuring dual timelines, the storyline is from Leah's perspective. Leah's parents open their hearts and home to foster children; I appreciated that the book explored how this affected Leah in both positive and negative ways across her life. When Leah is 15 she has two young men come into her life, both of whom she feels deeply connected to and both will shape her life...
Overall: I can already tell this will be one of my top reads of the year; I very much recommend this fantastic novel.

[Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story just ticks all of my boxes! It made me root for Leah, Theo and George and it made me cry. A beautiful love triangle. Written as a general love story, it could also be partly YA.

Page Toon has been one of my favorite authors for years, I love her writing, and her books are always perfect summer reads. So, year after year, I save her latest story for my holidays.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster I read an early excerpt, and I after those first three chapters, I had already made up my mind about Theo and George. I thought my heart would be with George because I expected him, as a foster child, to be the brooding bad boy type, but I couldn’t be more wrong! Although George had had such a hard life until he came living with Leah’s family, my heart went out even more to Theo, the rich kid who seemed to have it all.

Like I said, I love Page Toon’s writing, first person, present tense, using a dual timeline (Leah as a fifteen-year-old and Leah as a thirty-year-old). I loved the then part so much, those two broken boys and Leah in between, the found family, and the beautiful friendship between George, Theo and George. The now part was addictive too, although I more or less guessed the plot twist. From that moment, tears welled up in my eyes and I had to put my e-reader away from time to time.

Well done, Page! You got me hooked again!!

[Lydia Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would as it’s not my usual genre. There are many layers to the plot which keeps things interesting & the detailed accounts of fostering (and alpaca farming!) and a great wrapping up of all the plot lines.
Was I influenced to buy, by the very pretty paperback cover?

You betcha ;)

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really don't know where to start with this review, I mean I thought the book was fabulous, and I heartily recommend it to everyone but I can't quite get to grips with my thoughts past that.

In fact if you are already a Paige Toon fan, then stop deliberating and just read the book as its easily one of her best books, full of depths and even had me on the the verge of tears a few time, such was the brilliance of the turn of phrase.

With alternating chapters between the then and now we get to know Leah, Theo and George rather well. The Then chapters are while they are teenagers, having all grown up together.

Leah's parents are amazing people and were foster parents to many, many children, so the then sections, had me hooked on discovering more about the current children in their care, as well as life on their Alpaca farm, which even has a bunny barn!

And then the Now chapters are present day Leah, dealing still with the aftermath of two shocking life events in a few years, and she has moved back home with her daughter. And George is suddenly back on the seen.

I loved seeing all the various bonds being formed in this book in both timelines - there is just so much love and compassion to go around it was really heartwarming.

I really don't want to say much more as I went into this blindly just knowing who wrote it, and loved discovering all of its beauty for myself and don't want to risk spoiling anything as there were a couple of reveals that were very cleverly crafted!

But this really is a fabulous book, one I very much enjoyed reading every second of it and I really wish life hadn't got in my way of reading this in one sitting which is what I really really want to do with the book, as its so good and hooked me in so early on.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Anne Cater for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is much more than meets the eye. A pretty cover with so much depth. The stories main focus is around the care system how lives are affected positively and negatively by their upbringings.

The story focuses around Leah the daughter of parents who foster time after time. The main timings in the book are now and then with some in-between and a little after now. Unlike some books that jump a little this one flows well and adds to the mystery and depth of the story.

Leah is a favourite of mine with how she has coped through all of it and is a brilliant role model for her daughter Emilie. She sums her life up perfectly when she realises if life had turned out differently she would never have had Emilie in her life. The one thing she would not change, the one thing she would never class as a mistake. She earns a special place with me for this.

For much of the way through Theo had me guessing much more than George. I loved them both in their own way. Theo earns my love when he takes their name not Leah taking his. While George was likeable throughout but in the now more than most. Theo had me completely guessing with the outcome of what happened with the drink driving. I felt for all the characters.

4.5 Stars

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and it was a nice easy read. But I felt I was always waiting for something more but it just never came. I feel that there could have been more depth to the characters to help me invest more as a reader.

[Alanna Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone I Used To Know
Paige Toon does it again. I’m in my Toon Era and loving it!

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com

A teary tale of family, love, connections, heartbreak, courage, the past and second chances, Someone I Used To Know is the latest contemporary title from bestselling author Paige Toon. If you are searching for a book that offers both comfort and emotion, this fresh new release from contemporary romance ace Paige Toon is exactly what you need.

Unfolding via a then to now style timeline interchange, Someone I Used To Know introduces Leah and George. Both characters are learning to overcome their circumstances. Despite their troubles, Leah and George forge a bond that will be strained at times but also supportive. When Theo arrives at Leah and George’s school a connection forms between the three teenagers. Over the course of a summer, this bond becomes stronger. However, when life stresses and changes get in the way this intense bond is put under strain. Will the teenagers continue to support one another into the future?

A heart crushing but inspiring tale, Someone I Used To Know is the latest romance novel from treasured author Paige Toon. A book described as possessing ‘all the feels’, this latest Paige Toon release is an emotional read.

Paige Toon shines a light on the foster care system in her latest novel. Someone I Used To Know is an informative, sympathetic and authentic tale. I appreciated the chance to learn more about an area of life that needs much more attention. It is good to see an author willingly tackle this important aspect of our society and lives. The work of foster carers is tough and rewarding at the same time. Toon tackles this area of her novel well, giving it the justice it deserves. By putting a very accessible and human face to the foster care system thanks to the characters in Someone I Used to Know, Toon has provided an important voice for who have been impacted by the foster care system.

Paige Toon is widely known for her work as a contemporary romance novelist. While I will say this book does contain a romance element, there is more of a life fiction vibe to this tale. With a focus on family, relationships, friendships, children, parenting, love, second chances, the past and trust, Someone I Used To Know crosses common life territory. With an honest and sincere approach to the story at hand, Paige Toon’s latest is an optimistic story that enables us to see that life really is what you make it.

Appealing characters, an emotionally charged storyline crux, a revealing look into fostering and a link made between past lives to current day living, Someone I Used To Know is a story for all readers.

Someone I Used To Know by Paige Toon was published on 16th June 2021 by Penguin Books Australia. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.

To learn more about the author of Someone I Used To Know, Paige Toon, visit here.

*I wish to thank Penguin Books Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.

[Kasia (kasikowykurz) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mam bardzo sprzeczne uczucia co do tej książki... Pierwsza połowa, może nawet 3/4 ciągnęło mi się jak flaki z olejem, a będąc prawie w połowie ogarnęłam, że jest dużo słów, ale nic się nie dzieje. Denerwowały mnie nadmierne przemyślenia bohaterki i to tłumaczenie wszystkiego (jak hasła w wikipedii, wtf). Średnio polubiłam też główną bohaterkę, dość irytująca i jako nastolatka i jako dorosła. Nie lubię też trójkątów miłosnych. Był wzrusz, co mnie zaskoczyło i końcówka bardziej przypadła mi do gustu.

Za to tło historii - rodzina zastępcza, farma z alpakami? Matko boska, to było świetne. Bardzo fajny był też nacisk na więzi i różne rodzaje miłości. To bez wątpienia autorce się udało :). I ten moment, w który, ojciec mówi do George'a, ze przyjmą go takim jakim jest, a on to potem przekazuje dalej - mój ulubiony moment!

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨4.5 stars✨

[Fabulous Book Fiend · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story about family and love in all its forms set in the best possible backdrop of North Yorkshire! I always knew I was going to love the setting of this book but the way this author writes about my home county and the towns where I was born and raised and have worked had me yearning to be there. I cannot wait for the day when I can stand at Brimham Rocks and take in the sights and sounds that George and Leah experience.

I also adored the structure of this book. I loved getting to meet Leah and Her family, including George and I loved their relationship with Theo too. I could picture them growing up together so easily and spent the now parts of the book trying to work out what had driven them apart and what was in store for them next. The then scenes reminded me a lot of Blood Brothers with the two male leads to one female friendship and I really found the way we jumped back and forth between the then and now to be very compelling. I started this book on Saturday morning and was done listening by the end of Sunday night despite having a busy weekend.

This book deals with a lot of major issues including children who become part of the care system, fostering, adoption, grief, abuse and alcoholism. There are definitely some care warning that need to be observed with this novel but I will say that all of these topics are dealt with in the most inspiring and sensitive way. I knew I would love the subject of children in care that is explored through George and Leah's world. I even like the fact that we look at the impact on now just the children in questions but those who are already in the foster placement and the impact it has on schools. As a teacher, I always enjoy when there is a nod to the profession in a novel, even if it isn't always in the most positive lights.

There is so much love at the heart of this book. It is always the centre-point of a Paige Toon novel but this one in particular just spills over with love in the most passionate and life affirming way. It gives me hope and I love to see when love can last over the years whether that is in the romantic sense, the friendship sense or the love of a family. I knew this book would make me homesick and I knew that this book would make me want to look after all the children all the time. I can't wait to get back home and get back in the classroom and make the kind of difference we get to see in this book.

Final note, I listened to this on audiobook. I was worried that the narrator would use a generic Yorkshire accent or even have. South or West Yorkshire accent but I can confirm that a North Yorkshire accent is used for these characters, even changing to a Harrogate accent as opposed to a Ripon accent in places and so a mention definitely needs to go to the narrator chosen for this novel, it was great to hear!

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4.5 ⭐️

I have a confession to make...
This is the first book I’ve ever read by Paige Toon!
After reading this gem, it certainly won’t be the last.

I was hooked from the very beginning, with ‘just one more chapter’ syndrome kicking in pretty much from the off. The story is set in and around Masham, North Yorkshire; a place I know well and absolutely adore, with alpacas and Angora rabbits added to the mix, I was well and truly sold!

Narrated from the perspective of the lovely, likeable Leah, and set over dual timelines, it flows seamlessly between alternating chapters of ‘then’ and ‘now’. Featuring wonderful, well-crafted, relatable main characters, and a stellar supporting cast.

Beautifully written, with natural, fluid dialogue. I was totally invested in Leah, Theo and (gorgeous!) George’s story and honestly didn’t want it to end.

Skilfully plotted, with a reveal/twist that I absolutely did not see coming.

Someone I Used to Know will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it’s just one of those fabulous books that manages to stir all your emotions.

A real page-turner from Paige Toon.
I highly recommend!

Many thanks to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[Jess Sealey (Jess's_book_corner) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful story ❤

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I'd give this book 4 stars. This book should come with a warning, it was tragic and so emotional. My heart hurts. Yes, this book is a romance, BUT it's heavy. Someone I Used to Know focused on growing up in foster care in the UK, what it's like to be foster parents, some ups and a lot of downs. The dynamic between Leah, Theo, and George developed organically and was really sweet to read, they were three kids from totally different backgrounds and upbringings who came together to form a friendship. This story is told in a dual timeline, and I loved how Paige Toon put the puzzle pieces together in a way that I wasn't expecting.

*Foster family/foster kids
*Second chance romance
*Forced proximity
*Dual timeline
*Single POV - Leah

Format: audiobook

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

A touching, emotional love story that incorporated topics surrounding adoption/fostering, as well as the theme of chosen family. Told through past and present timelines, I enjoyed reading about Leah's relationships with both Theo and George, and the role that her parents as foster parents played in her upbringing. Definitely a worthwhile read if you're a fan of second chance romances and stories about families.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first read of the year and Paige Toon knocked it out of the park with a 5 star book! Fifteen year old Leah lived in a house with her parents and her foster siblings. As the only, biological child of her parents, the foster siblings were like her real siblings. Until George arrives. She feels closer to him than anyone. Except maybe Theo, a friend from school. But they are just friends. After a tragedy, Leah returns home with Emilie, her daughter, and without Emilie’s father. George returns unexpectedly, and there is a lot of unfinished business.

First let me say this, my description of this book is horrible compared to the actual book. I didn’t want to give anything away.

Toon writes a gut wrenching, emotional book, and boy do I love those. There is so much to unpack in this book and I will do so without giving anything away.

Leah being the only biological child in a house full of foster children was not easy for her. There were times she felt like the foster children got more attention because they needed her parents more; but she needed them too. What I loved was that while we know inside Leah’s head that she thinks these things, she never says them out loud. She never rebels or gets angry at her parents for doing the thing that they were born to do – be foster parents.

The complicated relationship between George and Leah was a piece of art. The subtle angst from Leah, George’s state of mind, how the past and the present were woven together – it was all just done beautifully. Due to the juxtaposition of the past and the present, I was able to see how each of the characters had grown. I absolutely loved that nothing was rushed. The characters took their time, they talked about the past and the present. Ugh, it was just so amazing.

There is a surprise in here that made me re-read a section. I thought one thing was happening when really it was something else. That’s all I can say about that without giving it away.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had tears in my eyes when I turned the last pages of Someone I Used To Know, the fifteenth contemporary romance novel from bestselling author, Paige Toon.

Shifting between the past and the present, this is a heart wrenching tale of first love and second chances.

Then, Leah was fifteen when George and Theo came into her life. George the latest to be added to her parents brood of fostered teens, Theo expelled from his third exclusive boarding college and doing penance by attending the local secondary school. Unexpectedly the three form a close bond, one Leah is wary of jeopardising by revealing her deeper feelings for George.

In the now, Leah returns home to the farm with her young daughter, but without her husband, Theo. She is stunned when George reappears after an absence of nearly fifteen years to repay the kindness his foster parents showed him, and wary of renewing their friendship, especially when old feelings begin to resurface.

I found myself utterly captivated by Someone I Used To Know, charmed by Leah’s busy household and generous hearted parents who offer sanctuary to children in need, warmed by the intense bond that develops between Leah, George and Theo, and heartbroken when the trio are separated. I delighted in alpaca’s with personality, giant fluffy bunny’s, and a wood planted with love and hope for the future.

I was shocked by the tragedy that called Leah home, devastated when I finally learnt the truth behind Theo’s absence from Leah and her daughter’s life, hopeful when she was reunited with George, and teary-eyed as I read the epilogue.

Someone I Used To Know offers #allthefeels. I loved it.

[Hannah Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

aaaahhh this book was like a warm hug 😭 with just the right amount of trauma chucked in. won’t lie it took me a minute or two to get into it but the writing was lovelyyy and just what i needed to get out of my wretched reading slump! it also helped me come to the realisation that my optimum time for reading retention is 2-5am and my life is forever going to be moulded by that fact 😮‍💨

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without becoming preachy we get a feel of a wonderful foster care family and the love they have children despite their backgrounds. Its an amazing story set in north Yorkshire on an alpaca farm.
Its very interesting how animal therapy plays into these children's lives. I loved the tree ceremony too. Warm feelings from this book.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone I Used to Know, the latest novel by Paige Toon is a beautiful and heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting story of family, the importance of unconditional love and second chances. Leah hasn't had it easy. Following on from the sudden passing of her father--a warm and lovely man--she finds herself returning to her childhood home in Yorkshire with her small daughter, Emilie. Theo, Emilie's father and Leah's husband, isn't with them due to a tragic event that is alluded to in the first few pages. At her father's funeral, she finds herself face-to-face with George, one of the many troubled foster children that her parents took in, and the crush that Leah has never ever been able to properly forget. Soon, his presence begins to stir up all kinds of feelings, ones that Leah thought she had forgotten ...

Although a love triangle is central to the novel, this one is so much more than that. It's also a book about the importance of family, and second chances. The novel alternates between two timeline, the first featuring Leah as a fifteen-year-old teenager, who, although she knows deep down that her parents love her, often feels resentful that her parents devote so much time to taking in foster children. The second features Leah some years later, who, as she reconnects with her widowed mother and with George, begins to see things from a more mature perspective.

This is a heartbreaking read in many ways, and one that highlights the sheer importance of what people like Leah's parents do. Fostering isn't easy, and neither is being a foster kid, and author Paige Toon does not shy away from showing this to the reader. I also loved that the family home also just happened to be an alpaca farm and some of the mentions of the alpacas. Some of the family traditions, such as the tree, warmed my heart, while other things, like the bit about the wrist warmers most definitely made me giggle.

I've read and enjoyed a couple of Paige Toon novels in the past, and this one definitely left me wanting to read more of her work in the future, so much so that I've already sourced copies of The Minute I Saw You, Johnny Be Good and Pictures of Lily. I look forward to reading them and possibly reviewing them here on the blog. As I said in the opening paragraph, Someone I Used to Know is beautiful and heartbreaking but, ultimately, uplifting story.

Highly recommended.

This review also appears on my blog, Kathryn’s Inbox

[Maya Linnell]

I’m a little late to the Paige Toon bandwagon, but after picking up her 2021 release Someone I Used To Know, I’ll certainly be making up for lost time and seeking out her backlist. The story is told from the perspective of the kind and extremely likeable Leah. I was immediately drawn into her blended family, with their alpacas, bunnies, chooks and overflowing household of foster children.

Leah’s the only biological child in their home and we see her across several timeframes, as a new mother, a teenager and then a single parent. I loved the friendship and romance sprinkled through the novel, and had a hard time myself choosing between Theo and George, the leading men who are tied intrinsically to Leah’s past, present and future. I smiled a lot, cried a little, laughed and gasped out loud (then proceeded to debrief my entire family over breakfast) in the final chapters of this story. Someone I Used To Know was released in paperback, eBook and audiobook.

Big thanks to Penguin Random House for the review copy.Head to https://www.mayalinnell.com/post/paig... for the full interview with Paige.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know with any Paige Toon book that you’ll be in for a treat and this was no different. A multi-layered book covering many different topics with some hard to read scenes. I enjoyed the now and then alternating chapters and as usual was so engrossed in the story that I couldn’t put it down!

[Hannah Clarke (Love Books Actually) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you love an author so much that when a new book comes out you don’t even need to read the synopsis to know you’ll love it. Well for me that author is Paige Toon!

I loved this from start to finish! I loved the characters, the alternating of chapters between the then and now and most importantly I loved the alpaca’s! Can I persuade the husband to let me have one in the garden! 🤔😂 me thinks not but a girl can dream!

As I said above the story switches between ‘then’, where we get to read about Leah, Theo and George as teenagers growing up together straight to the present day. I say it a lot but I’m a huge fan of stories with alternating chapters whether it’s characters or periods of time.

The ‘then’ story focuses around the care system which I found really interesting. Leah’s parents are probably the most selfless most heartwarming characters I have ever read about. Being foster parents they are honestly amazing, creating a safe environment for all children, even letting those that stay with them choose their very own tree to plant. Love it! I enjoyed reading about Leah, Theo and George growing together through the tough times and good.

Bringing us to the present where Leah, now a mother to little Emilie has had to deal with some shocking life changing events that bring her back to her home town. I won’t say much more on the storyline as I wouldn’t want to give out too much and spoil it but honestly this is worth picking up as soon as poss!

What I love most about Paige’s books is that behind the very pretty cover (think it’s my favourite by far!) is a well researched, thought out story tackling tough topics balanced with light humour and heartwarming moments. You can just tell from the first chapter that so much care and love has gone into the story. I often feel a little bereft at the end of a Paige Toon book and this one definitely gave me a book hangover, I just wasn’t ready to let Leah and the other characters go so soon!

If it’s on your tbr pile than bump it up, if it’s on your wish list then purchase it! You won’t regret it!

[Heather~ Nature.books.and.coffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book by Paige Toon and definitely will not be my last. I loved it! This is a contemporary fiction/romance, and I thought it was really well written. 

Leah's family fostered children when she was growing up. George was one of the troubled foster children they took in. Leah and George formed a special friendship, along with another boy from school, Theo. The story of these children have many heartbreaking moments, and circumstances, but yet they are shown so much love too. I loved how there are people like Leah's parents that are there to help. 

Sometimes in life, family isn't what you are born into, but whom you build those strong bonds with. When they are all grown, and Leah comes back home with her baby daughter, she reunited with George. This really pulled at my heart strings and I literally got teary eyed reading parts. This book seriously made me feel so many emotions. 


Told through Now and Then timelines, which I loved, really worked with this book. There were many serious topics covered, but the the author did such a great job, and made it such an enjoyable read.