3.8 AVERAGE

lighthearted medium-paced

The first part of this book was perfect. Chef’s kiss, 10/10, no notes. Parts 2-4? Woof. Not my fav 
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
emotional lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: N/A
Loveable characters: N/A
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

What If I Never Get Over You was a perfect summer read with a premise I really enjoyed. The whirlwind holiday romance that resurfaces years later felt sweeping and romantic, and Paige Toon's writing made it easy to get lost in the settings from sun soaked Europe to the Welsh estate.

I liked both Ellie and Ash but I did not love them. Their chemistry was strong yet their lack of communication frustrated me. Ellie often felt immature and her decision to keep their past a secret because of class differences grated on me. She projected her insecurities onto Ash and overlooked his feelings, which stopped me from fully connecting to her.

Even with those flaws, I enjoyed the story and the emotional journey it offered. It had romance, grief, and self discovery woven together in a way that felt heartfelt and escapist. A solid 4 star read and one I would happily recommend for summer.
slow-paced
emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adventurous hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

It has genuinely never taken me this long to finish a romance book… and not in a savouring every page kind of way. More like a I had to keep putting it down out of pure boredom and couldn’t be bothered to pick it back up.

The pacing felt slow, and I struggled to connect with Ellie. She was borderline insufferable at times. Constantly spiralling over a guy she spent, what, three days with? Like girl, be serious. You’re telling me a long weekend was enough to mentally tattoo someone onto your soul for life? Someone please pass me the memory of that kind of connection because I must’ve missed it.

That said, I did love the setting. The descriptions of Wales gave the story a soft, nostalgic feel, it almost felt like the place had more personality than the characters did. And I appreciated the overall message of following your heart, even when it’s messy and irrational. That part landed.

Unfortunately, I think I was expecting a slow burn with emotional depth, but got more of a dragging plot with surface-level “intensity.” A few sweet moments here and there, but overall? A bit boring