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4.48 AVERAGE
4.48 AVERAGE
✨ARC Review✨
Thank you to Love Notes PR and Rachae Stevens for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
This book had me deep in my feelings in the best way. Forever Then is a beautifully written friends-to-lovers, second-chance romance that felt emotional, layered, and so worth the read. Connor and Gretchen’s story isn’t just sweet…it’s a little messy, painful, and felt real.
The flashbacks to their childhood friendship were some of my favorite parts. Seeing how close they once were made their adult reconnection so much better. The dual POV added so much depth, especially as they both worked through their complicated feelings.
Connor isn’t perfect…but that’s exactly what made him feel real. He definitely fumbled, and part of this story is him owning that and trying to make it right. His care for Gretchen shines through though.
I also really loved the adoption storyline. It added an extra emotional layer that didn’t overshadow the romance. Plus, the family and friendship dynamics throughout the book were so well done.
Thank you to Love Notes PR and Rachae Stevens for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
This book had me deep in my feelings in the best way. Forever Then is a beautifully written friends-to-lovers, second-chance romance that felt emotional, layered, and so worth the read. Connor and Gretchen’s story isn’t just sweet…it’s a little messy, painful, and felt real.
The flashbacks to their childhood friendship were some of my favorite parts. Seeing how close they once were made their adult reconnection so much better. The dual POV added so much depth, especially as they both worked through their complicated feelings.
Connor isn’t perfect…but that’s exactly what made him feel real. He definitely fumbled, and part of this story is him owning that and trying to make it right. His care for Gretchen shines through though.
I also really loved the adoption storyline. It added an extra emotional layer that didn’t overshadow the romance. Plus, the family and friendship dynamics throughout the book were so well done.
not going to lie…. this one hurt😩 but like, in the best way!!! it’s been a WHILE since a book made my cry!! it was overdue.
first of all, THE YEARNING. oh. my. gosh. brother’s best friend? IT’S ALWAYS BEEN YOU. Connor and Gretchen are truly written in the stars🥰 the emotional family scenes had me crying. this book was absolutely hilarious and had me laughing out loud so much!
my only thoughts for improvement:
1) I think it could’ve been a lot shorter
2) I hate age gap, but that’s a personal preference. lots of people love it!
🩵LOVE quotes I will never stop thinking about:
“The sky is blue. Two plus two equals four. The earth is round. I’m in love with her.” ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ this quote wins!
“thank you for showing me what love could be”
“flirting with connor is, at best, ill-advised considering our little case of unfinished business. But damn if it isn’t fun.”
“The tears fall relentlessly. Hers. Mine. Ours.”
“You’re…effortless. Falling for you was easy. Loving you is even easier. Even when life is hard, loving you isn’t.”
“It’s something we do every year Gretchen, on your birthday” (family-related but made me BREAK DOWN CRYING
💖FUNNY quotes that still have me laughing:
“Only the blind ones. Preferably with bags of groceries.”
“Pitch perfect twice in one weekend. Best. Weekend. Ever.”
“Why did you card me but not my boyfriend? Is it because he’s hot?”
“World hunger”
“Bro I’m getting married tomorrow. Can it wait?” THIS SENT ME HAHAHHA. This whole conversation had me laughing out loud
“Mom, Dad, I love you, but we’re leaving now.”
The pitch perfect text convo at the end LOLOLOL
“Should I be offended that you call me gringo?”
“If Gretchen says you’re her gringo, then you’re a part of the family.”
“Gretch, can I be your gringo?”
“What’d you get me, Fish?”
“I got an IUD.”
We don’t leave the apartment until I drive her to the airport a day later.
first of all, THE YEARNING. oh. my. gosh. brother’s best friend? IT’S ALWAYS BEEN YOU. Connor and Gretchen are truly written in the stars🥰 the emotional family scenes had me crying. this book was absolutely hilarious and had me laughing out loud so much!
my only thoughts for improvement:
1) I think it could’ve been a lot shorter
2) I hate age gap, but that’s a personal preference. lots of people love it!
🩵LOVE quotes I will never stop thinking about:
“The sky is blue. Two plus two equals four. The earth is round. I’m in love with her.” ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ this quote wins!
“thank you for showing me what love could be”
“flirting with connor is, at best, ill-advised considering our little case of unfinished business. But damn if it isn’t fun.”
“The tears fall relentlessly. Hers. Mine. Ours.”
“You’re…effortless. Falling for you was easy. Loving you is even easier. Even when life is hard, loving you isn’t.”
“It’s something we do every year Gretchen, on your birthday” (family-related but made me BREAK DOWN CRYING
💖FUNNY quotes that still have me laughing:
“Only the blind ones. Preferably with bags of groceries.”
“Pitch perfect twice in one weekend. Best. Weekend. Ever.”
“Why did you card me but not my boyfriend? Is it because he’s hot?”
“World hunger”
“Bro I’m getting married tomorrow. Can it wait?” THIS SENT ME HAHAHHA. This whole conversation had me laughing out loud
“Mom, Dad, I love you, but we’re leaving now.”
The pitch perfect text convo at the end LOLOLOL
“Should I be offended that you call me gringo?”
“If Gretchen says you’re her gringo, then you’re a part of the family.”
“Gretch, can I be your gringo?”
“What’d you get me, Fish?”
“I got an IUD.”
We don’t leave the apartment until I drive her to the airport a day later.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
When someone you follows mentions something random in an IG story then months later you start to follow and interact with a new indie author; the threads start connecting but you don’t say anything until one day they slide into your DMs and go “Hey I should probably tell you that I am XX person” *𝘾𝙪𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙟𝙤𝙮* Then they ask you if you’d beta read for them 🥹🥹
HOLY FREAKING AIRBALLS what a debut!!! Like the BETA draft itself was impressive to begin with but reading the final ARC version had me brimming with pride.
Forever Then is a love letter to the great loves in life that are hard won, filled with second chances and the reward for taking a giant risk. It blends comedy with romance, hurt with healing, friendship, yearning [sooo much yearning], second chances and forgiveness. It balances the timeline of today with flashbacks of years gone by to encapsulate the love story that is Gretchen and Connor. You cannot doubt that these two were meant to be. No matter how many years had passed, they were always going to end up together. I adored how Connor was always there to support Gretchen, he knew exactly what she needed without her being able to ask.
While romantic love is heavily featured, it would be remiss of me to not to mention the other kinds of love that are present. Familial and friendship love are strong foundations of this story too expertly woven throughout which just added to the emotional sucker punches [Yes, Rachae made me cry multiple times!!]
Overall, this was a fantastic debut and Rachae should be very proud of herself. I adore Gretchen and Connor and their HEA.
Honourable Mentions
🫧Nicknames
🫧Pitch Perfect
🫧Diet Coke
🫧A one bed situation-ship
🫧The YEARNING (have I already mentioned this?!?)
🫧Representation
🫧Old bookshops
📍Age Gap
📍Second Chance
📍Brother’s Best Friend
📍Forced Proximity
📍Childhood Friends to Lovers
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Love in many ways
I enjoyed this story a lot. There were so many twists and turns it keeps you on your toes. And all the ups and downs had my anxiety up there wanting to bite my thumb nail too. My first book with some of these tropes and they were well written. Enjoyed how it all came together.
I enjoyed this story a lot. There were so many twists and turns it keeps you on your toes. And all the ups and downs had my anxiety up there wanting to bite my thumb nail too. My first book with some of these tropes and they were well written. Enjoyed how it all came together.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy, Toxic friendship
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow—I thought this story was absolutely beautiful and so well done. The love story between the main characters was so heartfelt (and heart-wrenching at times), full of banter, and left me feeling all warm and fuzzy. I was cheering for them immediately. What really stood out to me though was the integration of their families and the various storylines that played out with them alongside the main romance—it was so much more than just a romance story. I don’t want to spoil anything, but let’s just say that the storyline with Gretchen’s experiences in Flagstaff completely tore my heart open, in the most amazing and happy way possible. I would absolutely recommend this book!
I’m so grateful that I was able to be part of the ARC team. It was a phenomenal debut by Rachea, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next, because I am definitely a huge fan after reading Forever Then!
I’m so grateful that I was able to be part of the ARC team. It was a phenomenal debut by Rachea, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next, because I am definitely a huge fan after reading Forever Then!
Content Warnings
Minor: Miscarriage
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥🔥
“Forever Then” by Rachae Stevens is the kind of book that doesn’t just tug on your heartstrings—it completely unravels them.
This story gave me everything: brother’s best friend, forced proximity, second chances, emotional healing, and a slow burn that builds like thunder on the horizon. Gretchen and Connor’s connection is the kind you feel in your chest—heavy, raw, and real.
Gretchen is trying to make sense of her life after heartbreak, and just when she’s starting to stand on her own again, in walks Connor—her brother’s best friend, the one who’s always been a little too close, a little too off-limits, and way too easy to fall for. Their journey to find Gretchen’s birth mother turns into something much deeper. This book isn’t just about romantic love—it’s about healing the pieces of yourself you thought were too broken to fix.
Connor? Book boyfriend status. He’s strong but vulnerable, protective but respectful, and the way he sees Gretchen—ugh, I MELTED.
The emotional depth in this book is unmatched. I cried. I laughed. I rooted for them through every wound, every memory, and every quiet moment that screamed, this is love.
If you love emotional, character-driven romance with just the right amount of spice and all the feels, Forever Then belongs on your shelf—forever. 💔💫
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
*ARC Review*
I won't go into too much detail because I don't want to spoil it, but I don't think I've ever cried so many happy tears while reading before. I loved every second of this book and rooted for Connor and Gretchen from the very beginning.
I won't go into too much detail because I don't want to spoil it, but I don't think I've ever cried so many happy tears while reading before. I loved every second of this book and rooted for Connor and Gretchen from the very beginning.