What do you think?
Rate this book
Since Always
Ring in the New Year with Cassidy and Owen...
Neither of them have forgotten the one forbidden night that could have cost them everything. Now, 37-year old Owen and 22-year-old Cassidy must confront the thing they've been trying so hard to avoid the past two years.
Senator Owen Blaze may be known to the world as the rising star of his party and one of the most eligible bachelors in the country, but that will never be how tech heiress Cassidy Sloane sees him. To Cass, Owen has always just been her much older brother’s best friend and the off-limits man of her dreams.
At least, that’s all he was—until one fateful night two years ago when those limits were tested and everything between them changed. They have spent the last two years regretting that moment and avoiding each other at all costs, knowing the secret they carry between them could destroy both their lives.
Now, here they are, face-to-face and staying under the same roof for a full week over New Year's. Will their past stay in the past so they can become friends again? Or will their feelings once again be too hard to fight, even with everything that’s on the line?
Neither of them have forgotten the one forbidden night that could have cost them everything. Now, 37-year old Owen and 22-year-old Cassidy must confront the thing they've been trying so hard to avoid the past two years.
Senator Owen Blaze may be known to the world as the rising star of his party and one of the most eligible bachelors in the country, but that will never be how tech heiress Cassidy Sloane sees him. To Cass, Owen has always just been her much older brother’s best friend and the off-limits man of her dreams.
At least, that’s all he was—until one fateful night two years ago when those limits were tested and everything between them changed. They have spent the last two years regretting that moment and avoiding each other at all costs, knowing the secret they carry between them could destroy both their lives.
Now, here they are, face-to-face and staying under the same roof for a full week over New Year's. Will their past stay in the past so they can become friends again? Or will their feelings once again be too hard to fight, even with everything that’s on the line?
- GenresContemporary
251 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 23, 2022
25 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
M.L. Gray
1 book3 followersML Gray has dabbled in several careers over the years, but books kept calling her back. At some point, that nagging voice got annoying and she gave in and here we are.
She lives in Northern California with her husband, bonus kids and one very elderly Ragdoll cat. She spends every spare second with her nose in a book or perfecting the next great vegan meal, and was a homebody long before the pandemic made it necessary.
She lives in Northern California with her husband, bonus kids and one very elderly Ragdoll cat. She spends every spare second with her nose in a book or perfecting the next great vegan meal, and was a homebody long before the pandemic made it necessary.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 24, 2022
I have to say I've never read a book with this premise that isn't in some kind of paranormal form. It's weird how differently it hits.
The fact they've known each other their whole life is sometimes hard to handle and there's also moments where it's not difficult to get over and that almost disturbs you more. I feel like the author did a great job at making the reader feel both.
There's a lot of suspense, the romantic moments are amazing, but the end was hard to believe. I won't spoil anything, but I felt like it could have been more delicate.
Despite that, I will definitely read this book again someday :).
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The fact they've known each other their whole life is sometimes hard to handle and there's also moments where it's not difficult to get over and that almost disturbs you more. I feel like the author did a great job at making the reader feel both.
There's a lot of suspense, the romantic moments are amazing, but the end was hard to believe. I won't spoil anything, but I felt like it could have been more delicate.
Despite that, I will definitely read this book again someday :).
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 24, 2022
First of all, I’d just like to say that it was incredibly refreshing to read an age-gap/brother’s best friend romance with an MC that isn’t 18. I sometimes feel like 18 year-old MCs still come across as too juvenile but with Cassidy and Owen being 22 and 37, respectively, their relationship felt really natural and I am 100% here for it.
The main thing that stands out to me in this story is how well-balanced everything was. Cassidy and Owen had solid qualities for a real relationship while still having and needing room for personal growth which I always feel is important for a couple to feel “real.” The conflict was also well-balanced and even though you get it from three sides (conflict between Owen and Cassidy themselves, conflict with the family, conflict with other supporting characters), none of it felt overwhelming and it all made sense. I’m glad Cassidy and Owen had some supportive supporting characters as well—sometimes I read stories like this where literally every single supporting character is against the couple and that always feels forced. The pacing in the story was also well done.
The one thing that I would have liked to see would have been a little more on Owen’s therapy. We kind of get one paragraph about how he’s working through his feelings and then he’s suddenly healed enough to really make decisions about his relationship with Cassidy. In my opinion, even one scene about him working through his thoughts in therapy would make it easier to believe his final decision to make things work with her.
Overall, the author did a great job with this story and I was super invested in Cassidy and Owen’s relationship. It’s definitely a worthwhile read and I consider this to be on the lighter side of romance, but there are still some possible triggers/warnings which the author kindly listed at the beginning so just take note of that. But all in all, I loved this couple, highly recommend that you read this book, and will happily read more from ML Gray in the future.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The main thing that stands out to me in this story is how well-balanced everything was. Cassidy and Owen had solid qualities for a real relationship while still having and needing room for personal growth which I always feel is important for a couple to feel “real.” The conflict was also well-balanced and even though you get it from three sides (conflict between Owen and Cassidy themselves, conflict with the family, conflict with other supporting characters), none of it felt overwhelming and it all made sense. I’m glad Cassidy and Owen had some supportive supporting characters as well—sometimes I read stories like this where literally every single supporting character is against the couple and that always feels forced. The pacing in the story was also well done.
The one thing that I would have liked to see would have been a little more on Owen’s therapy. We kind of get one paragraph about how he’s working through his feelings and then he’s suddenly healed enough to really make decisions about his relationship with Cassidy. In my opinion, even one scene about him working through his thoughts in therapy would make it easier to believe his final decision to make things work with her.
Overall, the author did a great job with this story and I was super invested in Cassidy and Owen’s relationship. It’s definitely a worthwhile read and I consider this to be on the lighter side of romance, but there are still some possible triggers/warnings which the author kindly listed at the beginning so just take note of that. But all in all, I loved this couple, highly recommend that you read this book, and will happily read more from ML Gray in the future.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 24, 2022
M L Gray's forbidden romance novel SINCE ALWAYS is a story which takes a while to get a momentum going, to distance itself from others in the genrè. But then, somewhere after roughly a quarter of the way in, it becomes a story which you can't stop reading until you finish.
The story is about a beautiful, rich young woman, Cassidy Sloane, who's in business school, and her relationship with a US Senator, Owen Blaze, who's Sloanes' family friend and is a most eligible bachelor. The story alternates between Cassidy's and Owen's points of view with each chapter, which I found was a good thing to give clarity and balance to the story: telling stories of both sides.
The two of them have been haunted by a troubling incident in their past which ruined their friendship. But in the present, where most of the story takes place, they have to make a decision whether to give in to their urges of the tabooed relationship or save their careers, their family and their friendship.
When the passion starts flowing, the scenes are steamy and carry the sense of urgency out of the pages into the readers' hearts.
There is a fair amount of predictability in the story's plot: like when a certain secret is revealed, it is immediately cleared that the secret will be used at the end of the story. But that doesn't matter.
The greatest strength of the novel is that it tells a layered story. The main characters have their own circle of other characters with whom they interact and weave the tale that takes us deep into the characters' persona and the dilemmas they face.
And the author has taken great care into establishing the fact that the love affair is established over time and is not just a fling of passion.
I liked the book and will surely recommend it to anyone who's into romance and has no problems with mature themes of age gap relationships.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story is about a beautiful, rich young woman, Cassidy Sloane, who's in business school, and her relationship with a US Senator, Owen Blaze, who's Sloanes' family friend and is a most eligible bachelor. The story alternates between Cassidy's and Owen's points of view with each chapter, which I found was a good thing to give clarity and balance to the story: telling stories of both sides.
The two of them have been haunted by a troubling incident in their past which ruined their friendship. But in the present, where most of the story takes place, they have to make a decision whether to give in to their urges of the tabooed relationship or save their careers, their family and their friendship.
When the passion starts flowing, the scenes are steamy and carry the sense of urgency out of the pages into the readers' hearts.
There is a fair amount of predictability in the story's plot: like when a certain secret is revealed, it is immediately cleared that the secret will be used at the end of the story. But that doesn't matter.
The greatest strength of the novel is that it tells a layered story. The main characters have their own circle of other characters with whom they interact and weave the tale that takes us deep into the characters' persona and the dilemmas they face.
And the author has taken great care into establishing the fact that the love affair is established over time and is not just a fling of passion.
I liked the book and will surely recommend it to anyone who's into romance and has no problems with mature themes of age gap relationships.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 24, 2022
This was a fun book. I don’t usually do a lot of contemporary romances but I’m glad I read this one. It did a great job of sucking me into the story. It was written well, the characters were dynamic and complex and the difficulties and challenges were both insurmountable and worth overcoming.
5 ⭐️s= Perfect story, exciting, engrossing, well developed complex characters, solid plot with few to no holes, descriptive environments and place settings, great mystery elements, realistic dialogue, believable reactions and behaviors, loved this story so much I’d buy it.
4 ⭐️s= Great story, highly entertaining and enjoyable, exciting storyline, well developed characters and settings, a few discrepancies but nothing that can’t be overlooked. Believable actions and reactions, realistic dialogue, a book I would consider buying.
3 ⭐️s= Good but not great story, noticeable discrepancies, grammatical and or spelling errors, undeveloped characters or unbelievable behaviors but still readable. Nothing majorly wrong with the story, just not interesting enough for me to continue. Would not buy the book.
2 ⭐️s= Not offended by the story, but not interested enough to finish. Unbelievable characters, poor writing, many mistakes, big holes or discrepancies, many spelling or grammatical errors, characters not believable, unlikeable or TSTL.
1 ⭐️= Offensive, extremely poor writing, horrible characters, victimization, gaslighting, blatant abuse, unnecessary violence, child endangerment, or any other highly objectionable behaviors by Main characters. Would never buy this book, and do not recommend it to anyone.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
5 ⭐️s= Perfect story, exciting, engrossing, well developed complex characters, solid plot with few to no holes, descriptive environments and place settings, great mystery elements, realistic dialogue, believable reactions and behaviors, loved this story so much I’d buy it.
4 ⭐️s= Great story, highly entertaining and enjoyable, exciting storyline, well developed characters and settings, a few discrepancies but nothing that can’t be overlooked. Believable actions and reactions, realistic dialogue, a book I would consider buying.
3 ⭐️s= Good but not great story, noticeable discrepancies, grammatical and or spelling errors, undeveloped characters or unbelievable behaviors but still readable. Nothing majorly wrong with the story, just not interesting enough for me to continue. Would not buy the book.
2 ⭐️s= Not offended by the story, but not interested enough to finish. Unbelievable characters, poor writing, many mistakes, big holes or discrepancies, many spelling or grammatical errors, characters not believable, unlikeable or TSTL.
1 ⭐️= Offensive, extremely poor writing, horrible characters, victimization, gaslighting, blatant abuse, unnecessary violence, child endangerment, or any other highly objectionable behaviors by Main characters. Would never buy this book, and do not recommend it to anyone.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 25, 2022
This is the first book that I’ve read by this author and I was quite surprised. This is a fast paced, age gap brothers best friend trope.
One of the first things that I loved about this book was the fact that Owen was 37 and Cassidy was 22. Far too often I read about age gaps a lot younger. Owen is a Senator and deemed one of the most eligible bachelors. But Cassidy sees him as her brothers best friend and completely off limits. Until 2 years ago walls came down and sparks flew leading them to stay far away from each other. But now over New Years they are forced back together for a week. Will they be able to keep their secrets or will the forced proximity lead them back together?
I loved these two together. Their conflicts and tension made the story so relatable and real. But they both had a great support system. Loved their relationship and how they grew together. Can’t wait to read more from this author.
I received an arc and am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
One of the first things that I loved about this book was the fact that Owen was 37 and Cassidy was 22. Far too often I read about age gaps a lot younger. Owen is a Senator and deemed one of the most eligible bachelors. But Cassidy sees him as her brothers best friend and completely off limits. Until 2 years ago walls came down and sparks flew leading them to stay far away from each other. But now over New Years they are forced back together for a week. Will they be able to keep their secrets or will the forced proximity lead them back together?
I loved these two together. Their conflicts and tension made the story so relatable and real. But they both had a great support system. Loved their relationship and how they grew together. Can’t wait to read more from this author.
I received an arc and am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
May 27, 2022
I volunteered to read this ARC for an honest review..I enjoyed this story about Owen and Cassidy. Owen is her older brother's best friend and several years older than her. But she's always had a crush on him. He's now a senator and she's a senior in college. When an event two years ago changes how they look at each other, it changes their outlook on the future. But healing broken spirits leads to a HEA in the works.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 26, 2022
The writing was good. Story was meh. Idk about anyone else but the H picking up and then screwing OW in h’s house was a major turnoff. I know they weren’t together but felt very disrespectful. Later in the story, he has a “moment” with a fellow congresswomen. Nothing happened but at this point the mcs had hooked up and supposedly had feelings for each other. I just didn’t buy love, especially from him. Lust yes, but love nope.
May 31, 2022
“Since always” is a love story with many obstacles in its way. This book leaves you knowing that love will make you risk it all and fight through anything that stands in the way.
This book was smooth and different. It was a super enjoyable read with great characters and a wonderful plot. I would definitely recommend reading it!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book was smooth and different. It was a super enjoyable read with great characters and a wonderful plot. I would definitely recommend reading it!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 24, 2022
This was my first read from this author. I enjoyed this story from the beginning. I loved the first person point of view which is a deal breaker for me. I'll definitely be reading more from this author in the future.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 1, 2022
Owen and Cass's story was amazing.
Cass being the younger sister of Owen's best friend, couldn't help but fall for him. Little did she know, as she got older, he stopped seeing her as his best friends little sister and more like a woman.
Hot, secretive sex, angst for days, and a HEA await.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Cass being the younger sister of Owen's best friend, couldn't help but fall for him. Little did she know, as she got older, he stopped seeing her as his best friends little sister and more like a woman.
Hot, secretive sex, angst for days, and a HEA await.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 6, 2022
I thought the age gap topic was handled well with the fallout thought through. There were scenes that left me with a off feeling, mainly male characters comments but I hope this was the authors intention to show the bias in judgement. It would be good to see the longer term events in any subsequent books.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 10, 2022
I enjoyed Owen & Cassidy’s book. It was an entertaining read. Good characters. I got a copy of the book. And am voluntarily leaving my review.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews