My enormous thanks to Rachel Kennedy of Penguin Random House for sending me a surprise copy of What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon. It’s my absolute pleasure to share my review of What If I Never Get Over You today.
It’s a little over a year since I reviewed Paige’s Seven Summers and you’ll find that post here.
Published by Penguin on 10th April 2025, What If I Never Get Over You is available for purchase through the publisher links here.
What If I Never Get Over You
Three days to fall in love. Six years to try to forget.
Ellie didn’t expect to fall in love while travelling in Europe. But she also didn’t expect to meet a man like Ash.
Three blistering days in Lisbon is all it takes to form an unforgettable connection – deep enough for them to plan to meet again in Madrid. But Ellie arrives late, and Ash is nowhere to be found.
Six years later, the memory of Ash and their time together still burns deeply in Ellie’s heart. She hopes that her dream job as a gardener on a grand estate in Wales will bring the fresh start she desperately needs.
But when Ash unexpectedly crashes back into her life, Ellie is forced to question if the universe has other plans…
My Review of What If I Never Get Over You
Ellie and Ash fall in love in Lisbon – but fate intervenes.
There are some books that it’s really difficult to review adequately and What If I Never Get Over You is one such book. I just want to say, ‘Buy it because it is absolutely wonderful’, but that doesn’t explain why I think this is the most gorgeous story or why I adored every word.
Paige Toon’s style is effortless to read – not because it is superficial, but because her dialogue is natural, her plot immersive and compelling, and her ability to imbue her writing with deep, believable emotion is unparalleled. It’s quite, quite wonderful.
What is so impressive is the credibility of the plot. My heart ached for the missed opportunities and years for Ellie and Ash. I was desperate for them to be together, but throughout, fate, family and responsibility intervened until I wasn’t sure how much more my emotions could withstand. The story is so romantic, so mesmerising and so fantastic.
The characters of Ellie and Ash feel instantly vivid, real and relatable. They are very much the product of their upbringing and the past has a highly important role to play that is slowly revealed, so that the reader gets to know them gradually, in much the same way real relationships develop.
Alongside memorable protagonists and a glorious plot are superb descriptions, both in Lisbon and in Wales. Horticultural reference, songs and real locations add depth and texture so that it feels as if you are there alongside Ellie. What If I Never Get Over You is a feast for the senses as well as for the emotions.
Even more affecting are the underpinning themes. Of course there is a gorgeous romantic element, but darker themes are also handled with consummate dexterity by Paige Toon. The difficult relationships that sometimes exist between parent and child, the dynamics of marriage and class, our ability to reinvent ourselves, grief, and the immense capacity of human nature to endure, sit seamlessly alongside the power of nature, the impact of media and a sense of history.
In case I haven’t made myself clear, I adored What If I Never Get Over You unreservedly. It is a book that stays with the reader long after the final page is turned. I recommend it unreservedly.
About Paige Toon
Paige Toon is the bestselling author of seventeen adult novels and three young adult titles, and her books have sold over 2 million copies worldwide.
Paige writes sweeping, emotional love stories filled with incredible settings and characters you’ll never forget. She tells nuanced stories with big, thought- provoking themes at their heart which leave you uplifted and believing in the power of love. You will laugh, cry and feel like you’ve become part of a new family. She lives in Cambridgeshire with her husband and their two children.
For further information, follow Paige on Twitter/X @PaigeToonAuthor, visit her website or find Paige on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
English (US) · 