Almost Never Always

by Luna Whitney

Ten years ago, Zach and I were almost more than friends.
After an unexpected tragedy, we fell into hatred instead of love.
I told myself I’d never forgive him.

When he catches me in a moment of weakness, I can’t help but let him back in.
But despite how hot our chemistry burns, pursuing it would jeopardize our friendship.

We push and pull, challenging the other to cross the line.

One night, we give in to what feels right.

Yeah, we’re definitely not just friends now.

Ten years ago, we broke each other.
Too bad for us that history always repeats itself.


ALMOST NEVER ALWAYS features:

-Second chance / The one that got away
-Friends to lovers
-“I think I would know if I was dating him. We're just friends.”
-That feeling when everyone else around you has their life in order and you most definitely don't
-Positive therapy & mental health representation
-"Were you on a date tonight?"
-Spicy scenes best not read in public

298 pages, ebook

Published December 15, 2022

Reviews

[bee 🍉 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book that I’ve read from this author and I’m a sucker for second chance romances so this definitely lived up to those expectations.

I loved the banter and I found myself giggling at some moments of the book. It explored on some heavy topics which made the characters feel more human and relatable to me.

I personally felt that the first half of the book was more enjoyable than the second half. I felt like the conclusion was slightly rushed. However, I enjoyed this book and would most likely reread again at a later date.

Thank you to BookSirens and Luna Whitney for providing me this arc!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Penny Leidecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I thought she did a great job. I liked Zach way more than I liked Mina, but that’s just me. Zach and Mina first meet when he comes to their home with Declan, Mina and Natalie’s brother. They’re triplets. We learn through reading this story that Declan has mental health issues and has tried to commit suicide previously. Declan is not afraid to lash out at his family and Mina is one of usual victims. On the night that Declan does commit suicide he fights with both Zach and Mina. They both carry guilt from that night and it affects their lives. At one point, Zach and Mina are no longer friends and can barely stand each other. At her parents anniversary party, where Grant proposes to Natalie, Mina needs to get away. Zach finds her and offers her comfort. This starts the beginning of their new normal. Of course, there is a lot of angst in this story, mostly due to Mina and her issues, but Zach contributes some as well. If you’re looking for a romance that tackles tough issues, you will enjoy this book. This is definitely not a cookie cutter read.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jaymi Weishar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to BookSirens and Luna Whitney for the arc of this amazing book!

1. The cover is stunning. I loved the tagline and was sold before I even read what the book was about!

2. THE BANTER… omg I caught myself giggling out loud at my kitchen table and I am usually really good at keeping it all in while reading, but dang this book made that a hard task to do.

3. Touched on various emotions and trauma, which added depth to the story.

4. I am a sucker for a second chance romance and this book ticked all the right boxes.

I absolutely ADORED this book. I read this book so quick! It was easy to read, but still engaging and would definitely be a re-read for me in the future!

oooooh… and the spicy scenes… I'm here for it.

I'm still blushing over here from this book and I'm not quite sure when I'll stop…

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ Not gonna lie this was a little boring in the beginning but it really picked up. Mina is so frustrating at times, she deals with a lot of grief and at times I just want to shake her and tell her it’s not her fault. The therapy aspect in this book was amazing. Eventually when Mina came to terms with her grief and finally let Zach in it was amazing and I’m so glad that after all this time🙄🤣has passed and that they both came to the conclusion that they both deserved happiness. Dealing with grief comes in multiple forms and takes a while and it never fully goes away it just gets easier. Overall this book was good and I had a great time reading it!

[Renee Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful and emotional story about life, death, tragedy, forgiveness, and love. I shed a few tears, but it was totally worth it. Blaming oneself for a tragic incident and trying to forgive yourself is a long, painful process. Zach and Mina are such amazing characters. Their story is poignant and so real. The love is forever, they just have to believe. Brilliant writing. Could not put this one down.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Stacey Gomez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't we all need 2nd chances in life? To fix the wrong we did in the first place? Yes. we. do. I loved readling this and I read it after reading a dark tale and needed this to cleanse the palette.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ashley Mertz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost Never Always will be available in eBook December 15th - Preorder now!
⭐️⭐️⭐⭐ Book Review

Meet the Author: Luna Whitney is a romance author who loves creating stories centered around the joys and the angst of falling in love and fighting for it to last. She believes the most extraordinary love stories come from ordinary people choosing each other day in and out despite fear. She’s always daydreaming of the next story idea to fall head over heels for.

Synopsis: Almost Never Always is a second chance, friends to lovers, brother’s best friend, romance novel. When an unexpected tragedy strikes, Zach and Mina carry guilt that they just can’t kick causing hatred towards one another, destroying their friendship. Many years later they are reunited during a family event. That guilt still lingers on their conscience. Almost Never Always is full of forgiveness, healing, and love for oneself.

Reader’s Thoughts: Luna Whitney really tugged on my heart strings with this one, putting me through an emotional roller coaster ride: laughing, crying, and requesting more! The banter throughout had me laughing out loud at moments. Whitney was not afraid to use tragedy to find joy. Her writing style allows the reader to embrace the uncertainty of tomorrow. The first half of this book was amazing, the second half not so much. I felt the ending was rushed and left me with a lot of questions. This would not deter me from recommending this book or rereading. Honestly, overall the story line was AMAZING and worth the time. Thank you, @Booksprout for providing me with a complimentary review copy. In no way has that influenced my voluntary review.

Trigger Warnings: Death of a sibling via suicide, extreme grief related survivor’s guilt with correlating depression, car accident that does not result in death or significant long-term injuries, death of a parent, and verbal abuse from a sibling

[Raquel | mommagracereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost Never Always is the story of second chances, grief after death, and the journey of healing. This book is beautifully written and I think the author did a great job at writing Mina's story. **Please be advised that this book covers sibling death by suicide, parental death, and the resulting grief, guilt, and trauma. Do not continue reading this review or the book if these topics trigger your own mental health.**

Mina is one of triplets and is still reeling from the loss of her brother twelve years later. She takes it out on Zach, her brother's best friend. Blaming each other for his sudden death, they go from flirtatious friends to two people who can't stand to look at each other. It isn't until Mina's sister, Natalie, gets engaged that they start tolerating each other again.

Zach and Mina go from occasionally texting. To calling. To seeing each other once a week. To seeing each other pretty much every other day. It's clear to everyone but themselves - especially Mina - that they're in a relationship.

It isn't until after the sudden loss of Zach's dad that they start to become serious with each other. But it isn't long until Mina's sabotaged the relationship, breaking things off with Zach due to her mental issues surrounding Declan's death.

With that, I'm thinking... "Is this a second-chance romance, or a second-second chance?" After breaking things off with Zach, Mina comes to the realization that she has a journey ahead of her. She needs to know if she will be able to give Zach what he deserves- a stable relationship with a girl who won't run at the drop of a hat. I'm not going to lie, I cried several times throughout this book. It's a beautiful story, well worth the emotions it wrings out of your very soul, and I'm glad I got the chance to read it.

[Crys Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mina carried a huge weight on her shoulders for her brother, Declan’s passing. I liked seeing how she dealt with in over the years and finally realizing what she needs to do to move on from it. It’s great to see character growth in a story and I felt that this had hit the spot.

Now for the second part of the book, I am usually a romance fan, especially second chances, but I felt like I couldn't get into it. I think the story of grief and the romance between 2 troubled souls just collided together, but not for the good. I felt that having both storylines in it was a lot to grasp in the time length. There were parts where I felt it was rushed or we couldn’t really dive in because we had to make room for either romance or grief. In this book, I felt it should have concentrated either on the grief that Mina held, with a little of the romance or the romance between Mina and Zach, with a little of how grief troubled them.

As for the characters, I just could not get into them. Mina’s personality was a little much for me, I understand she went through things in the past, but because she was aware of things that she was doing, but still did them anyways kind of annoyed me. I felt I didn’t get to really know Declan too much to like him, but when he was on the pages, he was okay, but nothing for me to really swoon over.

Overall, it wasn’t much of a page turner for me. I didn’t have that feeling of wanting to know what happens next. However, I think looking at the story and dividing it up to character growth from grief and romance, I think it makes a good book.

I received an ARC and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

[Syifa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book i read from the author and firstly, i was intrigued by the cover and serve the second-chance romance trope, brother's best friend, and friends-to-enemies-to-lovers trope.

It's beautifully written. I love how it started with the character first met, absolutely love their banter too there. The time jumps to the present where they're not in a good terms with each other but have to meet occasionally in a family meeting was intriguing as well. I also love the parts where they rekindled their friendship or having a truce, start getting to know each others again--to me it felt natural, and how great they are together actually when they're taking care of each other. I was miserable when they're apart, despite knowing the reasoning, and i guess Luna Whitney did a great job at writing it. I was as miserable as the characters when they're apart and being vulnerable to each other. However, the resolution (or the fight before) was a bit too much for me, though I love their confession. to summed it all, this book is "emotionally horny" !


This book brought a rather heavy issues of mental health. Conveying messages about grieves, forgiving yourself, and allow yourself to embrace the uncertainty and happiness that might just around the corner.

Thanks to BookSirens, Booksprout, and Luna Whitney for the e-ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Arantxa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The first thing that caught my attention about this book was the book cover, which is absolutely stunning. Then, thanks to the cover, I realised that the contents of the book weren't as pretty as the outside. Don't get me wrong, the book is phenomenal. But the story deal with a lot of very difficult topics (grief, sibling loss, suicide and trauma) that at times I had to stop a little to regroup.

This Second-Chance story has Mina and Zach as the main characters. Both have been in each other's lives since they were teenagers, as Zach was Mina's brother's best friend. At one point by their 18th birthday (Mina is one of triplets) her brother commits suicide and the book carries the moment when it happened all the way to 12 years later, when we see Mina and Zach not being as close as they once were.

The book goes back and forth so even if the relationship feels a little rushed, it isn't as it covers a lot of years and a lot of bottled up feelings they have carried with them throughout their lives. It's a book not only about romantic love but also about sibling love, parental love and most of all, love for oneself. And mostly, forgiveness and healing. Although there were times I wanted to punch Mina, I understood where she came from and I caught myself rooting for her. After all, it's nice to find a book where the heroine knows she's not perfect and actually does something about it.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost Never Always started the book off with “thirteen years ago” where the main characters meet for the first time when they were about 16. I wasn’t expecting the H to be so confident right off the bat but I enjoyed their banter at the beginning.

After the first chapter it jumps back to present day where Zach and Mina can no longer stand one another. After having a breakdown and Zach comforting Mina, they decide to be friends and you can guess where that eventually led to.

There were some parts of the book that I really enjoyed (like some of the smut scenes) and some parts where I didn’t care for or felt like it was a bit irrelevant to the story. There were times where it moved a bit slow too. I don’t want to give any spoilers but I wasn’t really a fan of their time a part but understood why it needed to happen. I also wasn’t a fan of how he reacted when they finally talked in the LAST chapter. I do love that Mina finally found peace and is healing.

Overall, I still enjoyed the book and I look forward to reading more of the authors books!

Please read the authors trigger warnings in case this book might be triggering for you.

The book mostly take part in the present but there are a few chapters that were in the past.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Clarisse · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

Luna Whitney tells the story of Zach and Mina who started as friends and, after an unforeseen tragedy, turned into enemies. Ten years later, their relationship is still ridden with animosity. Fate, however, has plans of its own. They find themselves inevitably drawn together despite all the doubts that loom over them. What started as a rekindled friendship transforms into a romance that neither of them can deny.

This book had an explosive start. The chemistry was so palpable between our main characters that I had trouble putting it down. I loved that the story flow was smooth, and that it delivered on all the sweetness and spice. Needless to say, I was hooked.

Unfortunately, that did not carry over until the end.

Things became a little wonky around the 50% mark. The pacing veered off the tracks with so many time skips and misplaced angst. While I adored the first half, the second half almost felt like a different book altogether.

Still, the author displayed great talent in writing lush yet easy prose that single-handedly put her works on my radar. This didn’t end up as a favorite, but I’m excited to dive in for more!

Thank you to BookSirens and Luna Whitney for graciously providing an ARC of this book. I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

[Beth Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ Happy to get a HEA

I have mixed feeling about this story. So, here are some of my thoughts:
Positives:
~ HEA
~ Very descriptive — makes you immersed in the story
~ Flowery language
~ Loved the main male character
~ Different story line than I usually read
~ Author described the feelings of the MFC very well — it made me think maybe she’d been through the same situation
~ Spicy
~ Good editing

Not-so-positives for me:
~ Long — I felt like it was a little longer that it needed to be … it looks a long time for me to read it & I’m a really fast reader
~ Heavy subject matter — deals with suicide & guilt/trauma of the family & even though I haven’t experienced that, reading it made my chest feel heavy & hard to breathe
~ Didn’t love main female character
~ Light Bdsm & butt play — not my thing & didn’t really enhance the story, imho

If you’re looking for a light-hearted romance, this is NOT the book for you. If you’re looking for a long, spicy read that draws you in, makes you think, makes you feel what the main character feels and don’t mind heavy subject matter, you will enjoy this book.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Laikyn Meng · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Almost Never Always Review)

This author picked a lot of battles to cover in the book while adding romance elements to it. It seemed like the story shifted to different feelings up and down instead of a casual groove.

There were complex topics to cover, and I didn't feel a connection or emotion to the way they were portrayed. The main character was hard to swallow, and I didn't ever empathize with her as I did with the main male character.

Luna has a sense of humor, and it fits but is out of place, trying to lighten the mood when the book is a heavy bystander.

She did an excellent job writing. However, it seemed like two elements, two ideas clashing against each other to form a mismatched body. If you take them apart, you have two very passionate-filled stories and well-thought-out plotlines. The before high school days of getting to know the couple and the now getting to a place where they can love each other and themselves. It was meant to blend, but in my head, I felt it would have read through better as being divided.

[Carolyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC- 2.5-3 stars

The Good:

Almost Never Always started strong with an interesting storyline full of potential. I enjoyed the scenes with the quick back and forth banter (it reminded me of the Gilmore Girls) and the slow development between the characters. The first 1/2 of the book was great, with a fantastic pace, interesting plot points and solid romance.

The Bad:

I have a personal pet-peeve of using pop culture references in books as it can quickly become dated and it kicks the reader out of the book world and propels them back into reality - but I acknowledge this is a personal preference and didn’t take away from the book itself. While the book started with great potential, I felt the second half fell flat, and was unable to pull me in emotionally. The writing felt simultaneously rushed and with way too many details / detours. It was also about 100 pages too long.

I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Katie Hooge · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️/2🌶️

This was my first book from this author and I’ll def keep reading from her.
I have mixed feelings on this book cause I’m a sucker for second chance mixed with enemies to lovers. The tension was great and the banter even better.
I really liked how they took their time in getting to know eachother again after not being friends for 13 years.
They shared a terrible tragedy that both effected them deeply and because of that, haven’t spoken in all that time.
I understood why Mina truly need to talk to someone about how she never really faced her feelings about her loss but I felt like it didn’t match how her and Zach’s relationship was. The book felt choppy at times, it truly just needed a little more direction and this would have been 5⭐️ easily.
I received an advanced copy for my honest review.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mina and Zach basically have antagonized each other since her brother’s passing over a decade ago. Her family has never recovered and he is their bonus son. Her sister Natalie’s engagement changes things for Mina and she actually opens up a little to Zach leading him to start showing up. And keep showing up. I didn’t really love how obtuse she was with him and her teasing of him. She knew exactly what she was doing and it was not very nice. At least she acknowledged the pushing and pulling to herself, even knowing it was not fair or right to do to him. They both would have benefited from counseling after losing Declan. Zach is a 3 alarm fire all by himself, but when the object is Mina, he is even hotter. Super yummy plus all the emotion.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Audrey Heeren · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ Friends to enemies to second chances.. Mina and Zach are just so likable on every level that you can’t help but to root for them! Character development was in point with every character and you knew each one intimately which makes it for me. There was nothing left to guess; another important piece. A really good heartfelt story with enough element to keep you wanting to read and must know what’s next or what was. The tragedy piece kept it moving in an unknown direction which worked so well. And omg the spice in this book was everything! I say definitely read it.
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[Berta Greenleaf Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give this author more than 5 stars. This is one of the best books I have read ever. Mina and Zach go through so much heartache in their lives it is hard to understand. First they are attracted then bitter enemies, then they fall for each other, only to break up. Mina loses her brother (who is a triplet to her and her sister), through suicide. She carries guilt with her until she decides to face it and overcome it. Zach has always loved her but decided to give her space, time to understand she wasn't to blame. Their HEA is so gratifying that after all their problems they can be happy again. I highly recommend this book to all romantics at heart. Totally steamy in parts.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zach and Mina have a messy, kind of complicated history. This is a love story that requires patience to follow, but I promise it's worth it! I like how the story goes back to when they first met as high school kids to the present time as young professionals. I was hopeful when there was instant attraction between the two, truly rooting for them when they were off to a bumpy start, and I wanted to strangle Mina for decisions she made. But, I had to give Mina a pass because I believe things happen for a reason and as we all know, relationships are not always easy-peasy in real life. And Zach? Well, there is no denying Mina had his heart since the beginning. It was easy to gush over Zach!

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Allthebooks (Lynette) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book drew me in from the beginning. I did not put this book down till the end. It took me out of my book funk that I was in after being ill. The over arching story was second chance, friends/enemies to lovers, but it was also about the aftermath of a tragedy and how lives were impacted. The emotions and inner turmoil of Mina and Zach was so well written, you felt them coming off the page. Even though the POV was Mina's, you got a good feel for Zach's character. Zach is now one of my all time favorite book boyfriends. I really enjoyed this emotional roller coaster ride to HEA for these two. Some deep truths were also touched on that pulled at the heartstrings. I am looking forward to more by this author.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[HeadCanonHeadCase · Rating 5 out of 5]

A second change childhood friends to lovers romance with all the angst and all the smoking hot scenes? Yes, please. I ate this book up and left absolutely zero crumbs.

This book hurt so good, left my heart full, had me wanting to throw my kindle across the room, and had me crying both happy and sad tears. I loved everything about it. From the honest look at grief and regret, to the positive mental health rep, to the friendship and the spicy scenes.

Mina and Zach are everything. Zach might just be the top book boyfriend of 2023. The mouth on him! But also the deep affection and patience and love.

I really can't recommend this enough.

[j a y • d e p r a v e d - .dammnitjay. · Rating 4 out of 5]

def pulled at my heart strings (im a sucker for second chance romance) - loved the light hearted banter ; thats always in a plus in any book - the way it touched on harder subjects, it didnt seem glossed over ; the author really knew the correct way to write about the trauma for readers who may or may not know what its like.

Friends turned enemies turned lovers …. its a great way to write and gives us such a dynamic to look at and appreciate.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Syd Manning · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love enemies to lovers, so this book is right up my alley. Mina experienced a range of emotions throughout the book, and with the superb writing style, I felt like I was feeling them right along with her. Mina and Zach deserve allllll the happiness, so I was rooting for them throughout the book.

The story had a good pace, keeping me interested and turning the page to see what happens next. Overall, I really enjoyed this book's plot and depth.

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book that I’ve read from this author and I enjoyed it. Let me begin by saying how much I loved the beautiful cover . This is a second chance romance and does deal with some heavy stuff but at the same time has great banter between the characters which make it enjoyable .
It does deal with some heavy and traumatic topic and how it impacts and the guilt the people go through. I liked Zach and Mina's characters. Zach more than Mina . Overall it was a heartfelt and I look forward to reading more books by this author.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written second chance romance with strong characters in Zach and Mina. It's a friends to enemies to lovers story that pulled me in and wouldn't let go. The author deals with grief, death, guilt and healing and handles it beautifully. She moves the story fluidly with her descriptive and detailed scenes and delivers an emotional story.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Shanna D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost Never Always: A Steamy, Second Chance, Friends to Lovers Romance Luna Whitney. New author for me and I like taking a chance on new and exciting, this one did not disappoint. A contemporary romance with a good second chance plot. I found this story to be enjoyable and entertaining with a good mix of emotional drama, easy banter, strong characters, heated connections, and hard-earned HEA. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mrs A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new author for me, i was taken in by the blurb and wasn’t disappointed. This book is well written, with a good plot. It’s quite an emotional read and is about second chances. I loved the banter between Mina and Zach, felt really natural and their chemistry is really great. The author handles sensitive topics with care as well. I enjoyed this, would definitely recommend.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Miri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost Never Always l would say is a 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed the character development and the second chance romance aspect. The story line took me a bit of time to get into but a few chapters in and it got going. Zach and Mina have great banter and it was enjoyable to read.

I think that there should be a bit more editing for the grammar and adding in more back story for Declan at the beginning.


I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.