Beautiful as ever by Emily Houghton, really enjoyable rom com and one to pick up if you're in a book rut!

Unfortunately I could not get into this book and ultimately did not finish it. Other readers may like this more.

Ah, I so wanted these two main characters to resolve their misunderstandings and move forward. A lovely second chance romance story that will take you through the whole range of emotions! Thanks for the reading copy.

Eleanor and Fin, best friends since they were kids. Promise to stay in one another lives, forever friends. They make a pact, they’ll each marry the other at 35 if they’re both single.

Cut to Eleanor at 35 has become newly single after 16 years. It also happens to be that many years since she’s seen or spoke to Fin. Eleanor is home to the UK from LA to look after her terminally ill mother.

Once again Eleanor and Fin become reacquainted and they begin to wonder if their pact might come through after all.

The perfect easy read - a will they won’t they friends to lovers romp that’s a wonderful escape from real life

Not a bad book, I think I just didn't gel with it that much. It felt like F and E should have been better as friends rather than going friends to lovers.

Thanks for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

This book made me cry and I can't realy tell you why, but her first book also made me cry so maybe that's just what mine and Emily's relationship is meant to be

Love a good book like this. romantic, realistic and heart wrenching. Fulfilled every wish. Fabulous characters and storyline. Highly recommended. Thanks to netgalley and the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion

I absolutely loved this book. Great characters and an amazing storyline. Really kept me interested. Highly recommended.

I love a good friends-to-lover trope but honestly, I loved their relationship so much I wouldn't have been (that) mad if they had stayed friends!

Personally, this book hit me right, I have struggled recently with some friendship and this has given me time and prompted me to reflect on my own situation. Thank you for writing this book, I enjoyed it so much and it has helped me.

Absolutely loved this book!

The writing style was really good and I look forward to reading any other books from this author in the future :)

I absolutely loved this book! The premise immediately hooked my interest and it was filled with twisty characters and such intense plot!

Loved this book! It’s got everything and you’ll find yourself smiling at the story. It will also make you cry too.

Great summer read - recommend!

This is the first time I am reading a book by Emily Houghton and I really enjoyed the book. I loved the characters especially Fin and Eleanor. The dynamic between them was great. I will definitely be reading more from Emily Houghton in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read this fun book. I couldn't put this book down.

Recommended for those who love a fun enemies to lovers story. A great read.

After loving Befire I Saw You I was excited for this new books, but unfortunately I'm a bit hit of miss with the friends to lovers trope and this one just didn't feel like they should actually be together. DNF at 40%.
The writing was engaging at first, but I didn't love either character enough to continue. I shall definitely look at the authors next book though.

The first half of Last Time We Met was really enjoyable, but the second half kind of lost my interest. Eleanor and Fin had little chemistry too. The pace was also just a little too slow.

This was a decent read. I personally enjoy a more uplifting experience with the romance that I read. But it is good to have a book with more substance to it and this one deals with some heavy topics. I think this is a great read for people who enjoy a more realistic life feel to their love stories.

Last Time We Met is a romantic drama that flits back and forth between past and present timelines, as flashbacks fill us in on background that is relevant to the current plot, but not in chronological order. Which sounds a bit confusing, but it does actually work!

I really enjoyed the two main characters, Eleanor and Fin, and their individual stories/development. Eleanor has family issues to work through, plus is struggling to get her love life on track and regain her passion for her life and work. Fin has a history of addiction and has his own family troubles to deal with, and he is clearly feeling disconnected from his hometown having spent so long in the US. We follow them both as they make new friends, paint, take photographs, work, flirt and keep bumping into each other.

The story covers some big issues – especially substance abuse, addiction, loss/estrangement of family members – and does so thoughtfully and sensitively. I really felt for Fin and Elles with everything they went through; they were very believable and engaging, and all aspects of their story are engaging and well-written.

Except (for me) one. But it is quite a big one!

Eleanor and Fin do not make a good romantic couple. I even struggled to see them as ‘good’ friends. They have an unhealthy co-dependent relationship as addict and enabler for most of the story, which we see them intending to change but with no actual change to show for the years they have known each other. Their communication is poorer than any ‘best friends’ I have ever known, seen or read about. They don’t seem to be able to talk to each other about anything, other than via big dramatic scenes when they are drunk, angry or grief-stricken. Both of them have closer, healthier friendships with other people (Sal, Rob, Reggie, Nurse Clara) and I didn’t feel much chemistry between them either – I felt Eleanor had much more chemistry with Ben, and I kept expecting Fin to realise that he was actually gay or asexual as I got no vibes that he was attracted to any of the women we see him with.

In fact, I thought this was going to be one of those stories where they realised they loved each other as friends/siblings but not as romantic partners and their HEA comes from growing up, moving on and conquering their issues to head for a more positive future. This book actually does end on a hopeful note for the characters, but as a reader I found it hard to envision that hope translating into a happy future together. If anything, it was because I loved and believed in the characters so much… I just wanted better for them both!

Despite this rather major disconnect between me and the main romance, however, I still really enjoyed this novel for the writing, characters and ‘adult coming of age’ storyline and would definitely read more from Emily Houghton in future.

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

Last Time We Met is an emotional friends-to-lovers romance between childhood best friends, Fin and Eleanor, who haven't spoken in 15 years. This is definitely a character-driven novel with a good pace, as we learn through flashbacks what happened to them to lose touch.

For me though, I just struggled to connect with Fin and Eleanor. They made some questionable decisions at times and I needed more chemistry to believe that they were each other's "true love", so to speak.

But if you're a fan of character-driven books that navigate tragedy, family, friendship and love, this might be the book for you.