Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the chance to read this book.

Phoebe Macleod is great at writing HEA rom-coms, and this book, Never Ever Getting Back Together, is right on target.

The main character Jess has only ever had one true love, Jamie, and has shied away from relationships since he broke her heart when she was a teenager. They are brought together again when she caters at the wedding of a school acquaintance and has a vehicle break down on the way home. Jamie was at the wedding and stopped to help not realising he knew the driver. There are plenty of issues to overcome and trust to be earned, but as with any HEA novel, you know they'll get there in the end, so it's all about the journey. This romantic journey was enjoyable to read with just the right amount of chemistry and drama.

What if you met your highschool crush and he has no clue who you are and what you felt for him?

Slowly Jamie is coming back in Jess Life after 10 years, but will she let him in?

A very slow and cosy romance with many emotions and a very unknown guy.
Cute and easy to read.

have fun reading!

Unfortunately this book was genuinely really hard to get through. I tried so hard ti love it because I'm a huge fan of the second chance romance trope but this one was just not for me. The dialogue was very difficult to get through and felt forced and disjointed. There was literally no chemistry between the two main characters, and when all the side characters were getting introduced it felt really disorienting because they were just thrown at me. Her reason for hating him was valid but also dumb at the same time because bro was not making any promises at that time. I felt like he was way overcompensating for a problem the annoying MC just wanted to exacerbate. On the note of annoying MC, I also want to add that I wasn't a huge fan of the MMC either. His actions just felt forced out of guilt and his "connection" with her didn't feel genuine.
Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

This is a cute easy read if you are in a slump or need a palate cleanse. This story is as predictable as it can get. Two charcaters that are "enemies" based on the decision of one character. A love story that is riddled with miscommunication and insecurities. A useless brake up that leads to a grand make up. I would have loved this story even more if it cared about the small details. How is a friend you haven't talked to in 10 years your best friend immediately after you reconnect? How is the friend who was encouraging you to get into a relationship with the MMC suddenly turning around and questioning his character in surch a big way?

This is definetly a good time read and not one to be overanalyzed.

Jess had a crush a huge crush on Jamie. When they finally got together at the party one night, she was over the moon. Until he broke her heart the next day. She swore off romance, cut off friends and basically deleted that part of her life.

Now 10 years later, she and her friend run a successful catering business. When she works at a wedding she runs into Jamie at the wedding she worked.

She successfully avoids him, until her car brakes down a country lane. The sparks fly again. But Jess has a hard time trusting him.

I had trouble getting into the story, I felt it could do with a bit more depth and character development.

Thank you to my partners, Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books and the author. I appreciate the gifted eARC, and I am leaving this review voluntarily!

1. 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 - Not that I give Jamie any slack on his actions in high school, when Jessis in the maturity of adulthood and is able to revisit the event, it is obvious that she has matured enough to see that she may have took things a bit too far emotionally.

2. 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐩𝐩 - Jess’s date with the shelf-edge label man had me laughing out loud! I can’t even imagine having to stay the course for awhile with that one! I’m thankful to have found my husband before dating apps were created 😮‍💨

3. 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 - I love the support and love that Jess has from her people. They obviously want the best for her and see what that best is before she even does!

4. 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 - Add in a cute little girl to the equation, and there is bound to be extra love to give! Lizzie is everything that this story needed to add that extra twist!

5. 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐢𝐫 - We get a lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers story with this one. It is fun to watch their relationship develop over the course of the story and the end is just a perfect culmination!

can't find it anywhere on my shelf so will be giving it my standard three star rating... this has happened more once now and it's increasingly making me want to ****** ********. Sorry Phoebe, I do generally always like your books so I hope to find this one organically one day and still enjoy it.

I abaolutely love Phoebe's still of writing. her stories are always filled with fun characters, great plots and never ending humour.

This is no exception.

As much as I love Phoebe MacLeod's books normally and I really do, I big her up a lot... this book fell flat. I think the writing was clunky in this book with the past and present and trying to understand what was going on. The main character is just a mess and honestly so unlikeable. Her hatred of the main male character kind of makes sense but then also doesn't because she is mad that he gets back with his ex the day after they sleep together but its not a problem that they slept together hours after he broke up with his ex? I just didn't like this character and could not root for her. She feels like a its all about me, woe is my life character and I really dislike them in a book. So as much as I love Phoebe MacLeod's past book this one just was a one star.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is a wonderful second chance romance that follows Jamie as he tries to win back Jess's trust. What started off as one or two incidents caused by mutual misunderstanding on both sides led to Jess almost hating Jamie. I found the two of them to be quite loveable and the story was fun to read!

The story dives right into the present and slowly brings up events of the past as Jess and Jamie start to spend more time with one another. I found that the writing was easy to follow and the author spent enough time exploring the characters. This is a heart-warming story that is wonderful for a summer or beach read but truly can be read anytime.

Overall a warm and fun romance that will engage readers and is a light enough read making it all that more enjoyable.

Book is already starting off weird…and vague
Girl - the whole bit about you and Jamie in the bathroom is seriously ridiculous and unbelievable for many reasons.
Also, it’s been 10 years - you were in middle school…what he did wasn’t that bad considering. Let it go.
Lots of British lingo, so be prepared.
How is it that so many people don’t recognize her? The book feels like it reads very fast - if that makes sense.
Jessica has a serious flare for the dramatic.
Richard is asking some very valid questions…
Oh. My. Goodness. The absolute drama.
How many people have to tell Jess she’s being ridiculous and too hard on Jamie before it sinks in she’s being too hard on him?
It’s amazing what a little bit of conversation can clear up…
Why is a guest asking about the salmon that big of an issue???
Hearing about clothes drying on radiators is so funny to me, haha.
The romance feels very out of left field - I don’t get it.
And cue Jess being overly dramatic…again.
If talking about his ex - the mother of his CHILD - makes you uncomfortable, how will you be together?
Again. With. The. Drama.
Oh. My. God. Will Jess ever chill out and have an adult conversation???
We go from meeting the families…to a year later???
The proposal was seriously lacking.

I have loved everything this author written, but this particular book was just not my cup of tea. I loved the male lead, Jamie. He was great. But I just could not connect with Jess.

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this early!
What happens if you see your first love again, years later, but he doesn't recognize you? Jess, an event caterer, runs into her highschool flame by happenstance at an event and has to deal with a whole plethora of unresolved anger and feelings for Jamie.
I thought this was cute, even if 'miscommunication' is easily one of my least favorite romance tropes. I have a hard time believing and really buying into a story where a woman hates a man THAT much for not getting together with her after giving him her virginity. It just doesn't seem like a plausible gripe to hold on to for that long and that viscerally. That being said though, the book was very cute, and Jamie is a pretty perfect male lead. I did really like where they took his character.
So read this if you can suspend some disbelief: it is very cute. And relatively PG!

Never Ever Getting Back Together takes you on a journey through the complexities of first love, heartbreak, and second chances. Jess Thomas, the main character, is a strong and independent woman who has vowed to steer clear of romantic entanglements after a painful breakup with Jamie Ferguson, her first love, ten years ago.

The story takes an interesting turn when Jess finds herself catering a wedding where Jamie is the best man, and he doesn't seem to remember her at all. Phoebe MacLeod does an excellent job of capturing the tension, awkwardness, and whirlwind of emotions that follow as Jess is forced to interact with her first love.

As the story unfolds, readers witness the evolution of Jess and Jamie's relationship. MacLeod's writing is witty, engaging, and filled with relatable moments that will resonate with anyone who has experienced the ups and downs of love. The banter and chemistry between the characters are palpable, making the journey of forgiveness, second chances, and self-discovery heartwarming.

Never Ever Getting Back Together is a delightful and heartwarming contemporary romance that reminds us that love can be complicated, and second chances are worth the risk. Phoebe MacLeod's storytelling keeps you engaged from start to finish, and you'll find yourself rooting for Jess and Jamie as they navigate the unpredictable path of love.

If you're a fan of romantic comedies and second-chance romances, this book is a must-read. It's a story of love, forgiveness, and the possibility of rekindling old flames that will leave you with a smile on your face and a warm feeling in your heart.

Her teenage crush and first love, tore her apart-
Has his way and then texted breaking her heart!
Twelve years later he doesn't remember her at all
Seemingly what they had he doesn't recall.

It isn't until he finds her in her car going nowhere
That he wants to ensure she's safe and to take care.
He's shocked when she tells him what happened before
And she's determined they'll not have anything more.

However, he's helpful, charming and and determined, too,
She's torn, uncertain about what to do.
Can he really have changed so much in those years
Or is this another time she'll be left and end up in tears?

A heartwarming read, with a potential romance
If only she'll give him a second chance.
Can he really be trusted not to break her heart
Or would she be wiser to stay well apart?

A really enjoyable, lovely read
Just what at the moment I really need!
For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you -
As I share with you my honest review.

Super cute second chance romance. I liked the characters but would have liked more of the slow courtship rather than the quick jump into a relationship. The story flows smoothly and the characters are fun and believable. Secondary characters were fun, too, especially Jamie’s ex and his daughter. The ending felt rushed but overall a quick, satisfying read with a happy ending.

"Never Ever Getting Back Together" by Phoebe MacLeod seemed promising surface level being a second chance at love romance novel; I didn't know that there was actually no first time love - only one-sided infatuation that led the main character to hold a nasty grudge.

Jess is a caterer and happens to be catering a wedding for a woman she used to know in her former years. While there, Jess bumps into Jamie - the boy that she had given her virginity to under the idea that she thought he was in love with her. He wasn't. And them having sex was somehow the confirmation of them being an item.

Very little happens in this book, one has to jump between the bitter things Jess says and Jamie begging for forgiveness over something he had no clue he did. Overall, this book was a nice attempt but the main character's bitterness and not being a girl's girl ruined this story for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this arc in return for an honest review.

Having read previous books by MacLeod and really enjoying them, I had high hopes for this. The premise is good - can someone who hurt you in the past ever redeem themselves in the present? Sadly, I found the story slow to get into and I wasn't rooting for the main characters as much as I would expect to in a story such as this.
Not my favourite of hers but it won't stop me picking up another one in the future.

First book I've read by this author and most definitely not going to be my last. It was such an enjoyable, lighthearted read and I didn't want it to end.

We all remember our first real love and the person we lost our virginity too, I often think of mine, as for years he was one of my best friends for ages and then he disappeared off the face of the earth. But I wouldn't to rekindle what we had, just his friendship would be good.

I love a good second chance romance trope and on that note Macleod was a winner. Her characters are wonderful and the banter between them was brilliant!

It's relatable, real and hugely entertaining.

This book is a cute little romance focusing on Jess (a caterer) who runs into Jamie (a car salesman) who she lost her virginity to in highschool and hasn't spoken to since after her blew her off by text message the next morning. It makes for a nice read but there's no real chemistry between the characters and towards the end of the book Jess acts quite childish when she overhears something that she can't even understand properly (as it's spoken in French) and goes off the rails with zero cause.