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witchbuns 's review for:
Never Over
by Clare Gilmore
Absolute five-star read because this defies all the tropes and slashes them to the ground to make way for a slow burning, cauldron bubbling, sweet steamer of a novel with A+ chemistry, solid partner communication, and a family dynamic that felt real and whole. Claire Gilmore immediately establishes the setting (Knoxville and Nashville, TN, USA), the characters (Paige, a young songwriter, and Liam, her ex-boyfriend, a college athlete), central plot elements (Paige and Liam reconciling for song inspiration, Paige as the youngest of five daughters), within the first few chapters so that we care deeply for the characters and we believe that this is the right and just next move for them to get back together as a sort of poetic justice. Liam is a top five dreamboat of a MMC because he's always very clear in what Paige means to him, he's teasing and sexy but always focused on saying what he needs and how he means it. Even though this wasn't dual POV, he was such a clearly written character who verbalized his intentions (and oh, this loyal man!) and shared his inner conflict so vividly, that I understood his motivations and I trusted him with dear Paige, who is also honest, bruised, and still learning how much of her art she wants to keep locked inside. The dual timelines were never competing for my attention because the flashbacks were sweet and sticky as they slowly revealed how they fell in love, and how they fell in conflict. When the timelines came together, I felt so much deep empathy for the impasse they were overcoming.
I savoured this book and kept re-reading the dialogue between Liam and Paige because I was so touched by their honesty. Reading two characters who are forthcoming about how they feel and where they hurt is intoxicating. Claire Gilmore thank you for painting such an inspiring novel about how we release our works of art to heal one another and how specificity and our personal experiences draw us closer to one another.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest review.
I savoured this book and kept re-reading the dialogue between Liam and Paige because I was so touched by their honesty. Reading two characters who are forthcoming about how they feel and where they hurt is intoxicating. Claire Gilmore thank you for painting such an inspiring novel about how we release our works of art to heal one another and how specificity and our personal experiences draw us closer to one another.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest review.