This was my first time reading something by this author and it definitely won't be my last.
It's a beautifully written, heart wrenching story of love and forgiveness. The book brings forth so many emotions as you read, balancing both heartbreak and hope, beautifully depicted through raw and tender moments. Will is in a terrible accident and is in a medically induced coma. When he wakes up, he doesn't remember the last three years of his life. He calls out for his girlfriend Gem, except that he doesn't remember they are no longer together. Thus begins an emotional journey for Will where he rediscovers his past and has the opportunity to reconnect with Gem, his childhood sweetheart. But Gem has moved on and is building a new life for herself with another man. As she spends time with Will, she struggles between her new safe and comfortable life, and the pull she still feels to the past.
The story is gripping and emotional and will take you on an emotional roller coaster with twists and turns you won't see coming. The story is written in dual POV, so you are able to get both perspectives and gain more insight into both characters thoughts and emotional struggles. I couldn't help but become emotionally invested in the outcome. Truly a beautiful story!
I also listened to this as an audiobook and I thought the narrators did a wonderful job of bringing the characters and all their emotional turmoil to life.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Talk about a shock, you get a call from your ex and he expects to see you. Oh, he also doesn’t remember that he broke your heart 3 years ago. Talk about shocking. Gem goes and sees what’s up with Will; through his healing process they get close again. What happens when Will regains his memory? Will Gem stay with her boyfriend? All these questions keep going through my mind while I was reading. A true love story; you never forget your first true love.

This book wasn't necessarily a unique storyline but it was done quite well. I've seen and read several books lately that involved memory loss and loved ones so that piece of this wasn't what struck me as special. However, the characters, underlying storyline and overall vibe of the book were what I clicked with. I simply loved this book and couldn't wait to see how everything wrapped up. From the moment Will is in the car accident, I sensed that there was so much more to the story and I kept reading and trying to puzzle it all out.

Seeing the evolution of Will back into the man he'd been before was heartbreaking but also special. These characters were easy to connect with. I really wanted to see them do well and get their HEA.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I also received an early copy of the audiobook. It was nice to be able to go back and forth between the ebook and audiobook. I was able to continually either read or listen to the story until I finished it. The narration was well matched to the characters and helped me to fall into the story. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook.

This was a simple, fun, easy and quick read. The perfect type of book for your holiday, beach, pool kind of read. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

I loved this book! It has all the feels, an emotional rollercoaster. I liked how the author did past and present so we could understand how Gem & Will became two unknown people in each others lives. And not only did these memories include Gem & Wil, it included their family members as well. Once I picked up this book, I felt compelled to read it every spare minute I had!

I would definitely recommend it.

***THANK YOU Netgalley & Canelo for an ARC copy***

This book pulls you in from the very first page! Gemma and Will had a decade long relationship that ended abruptly. A few years later, just as Gemma is moving on, she finds out that Will has been in a terrible accident. He has survived but lost all memory of the time since their break-up, and still believes that they are together.

It isn't long before we learn that there is much more to Gemma and Will's past than a bad break-up. Told from multiple points of view across 30 years, their story unravels slowly and then all at once over the course of the book. I liked that every chapter ended making me want to read more. This book could be dark at times as we find out about characters' past traumas and how they have shaped their current lives.

I also liked that it wasn't just about Gemma and Will's romance, but their family relationships as well. Definitely add to your trb if you enjoy a deeply emotional read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not usually a fan of past to present stories. I feel like this was needed in how the story played out. All of the behind the scenes of miscommunications and deceptions and jealousy that told the back story of the undoing Will and Gem’s relationship. Life can change in an instant.In this case, it happened to Will twice. He literally got some sense knocked into him! It showed how much he was truly loved when forgiveness was given when he had let down those closest to him. Thank you to NetGalley for this free advanced copy. I’m leaving this review voluntarily

I imagine it’s fearsome. Not to remember some years of your life, you can’t be sure who you are anymore! I loved it!

3.5⭐ I really enjoyed this story. It was more like a novel/mystery than romance. I was hooked, wanting to know what really happened to Will after his accident. I enjoyed the writing style and I was satisfied with the ending and how the truth was all revealed in the end. It didn't feel cheesy or overdramatic, but realistic and rational.

I would have preferred some more romantic elements in the story, I was left unsure what genre to classify this story. Since there is clearly a romance, but there was little to no romantic scenes in the story. Normally this would bother me, but I enjoyed the writing style and the mystery so much; that I really didn't mind.

I appreciated that Gem respected herself enough to really think thing's through properly and not let other's warp her feeling's and minimize all the hard work she put into rebuilding herself after heartache. Even through all the manipulation, she believed in her gut that what she was being told by some might not be true.

I'm so glad there were characters in the book who believed in telling the truth in the end. That the confusing, difficult moment's of Will and Gem not talking weren't dragged on too long. It all came together lovely in the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for an arc copy, all opinions are my own.

This is the story of Will who wakes up after a car accident, and he’s lost three years of memory. All he wants is his girlfriend and childhood sweetheart, Gem, beside him. Instead, nothing is as he remembers.

Gem has finally moved on from hers and Will’s break-up. With a new life and boyfriend, the last thing she expects is a call to say Will needs her – the man who nearly destroyed her.

As Will recovers, he is determined to prove to Gem that he is the man he once was. But by unlocking the secrets of his past, will he be able to piece together what caused him to change so dramatically? And, faced with the choice, will Gem continue with the safe new life she has built for herself, or will she go back to the man she used to love?


This book got to me, I went through quite the range of emotions as i read it, mostly crying......i cried a lot.

I liked that there was an element of mystery throughout and plenty of twists to keep me coming back for more!

Oh my goodness I absolutely fell in love with this book! It really had me all in my feels, and blew me away. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone!

It is an interesting romantic novel with a couple of unexpected twists and turns. A little predictable, but certainly a book you could lose yourself in and read in a few hours.

This book could've been so good, but it was only ok for me. The plot was just like a soap opera though, and not in a good way. That's even mentioned in the book, how it's like a soap opera.

Will & Gem are great characters, as they should be. Mean Will sucks, of course, as he should. It was all too formulaic for my liking.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

OH MY ACHEY BREAKY HEART!!!!!!! Somebody I Used to Love written by Eve Ainsworth mentally destroyed me and left my heart shredded to pieces. I often wonder and question why I read these heart breaking books, but there's no better explanation than that I love them so much. This book was so freaking beautiful, yet it was so heart breaking at the same time. Eve Ainsworth put me in a choke hold, and just brutally attacked my heart like it was nothing fragile. I love going into a book completely blind, it just makes all of my emotions stronger, but at the same time mentally destroys me. I absolutely loved this book more than words can ever explain, no amount of words will ever do this book and the characters the justice that they deserve. THE SNOT BUBBLES WERE BUBBLING. I had so many emotions while reading this book, I bawled my eyes out, I smiled, I laughed, I was angry, I crumbled to the floor in a heaping pile of tissues. I will say that two days later my eyes were still puffy from crying like a little baby. For the amount of tears that I shed, Eve Ainsworth will be an author that I will go back to and read every single one of her books. I can't recommend this book enough, ladies if you LOVE to sob over fictional characters, pick up this book right now, or mark your calendars for June 27th, 2024.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND CANELO FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!

"Why can't you see him mum? He loved you too. You were like another mother to him......"

"I still love you, Gemma. You know that. Everything we have been through..... You know we are meant to be". "No", Gemma said, "I thought I knew, but I was wrong".

"Just like the domesticated little poodle I was, I found myself following her, a mess of snot, tears, and runny mascara".

"Without trust you have nothing, love will never be enough".

"Forgetting doesn't make things go away, you know that as much as me. It just leaves a big hole in your life, an absence that feels wrong and unsettling. The only way you can move forward is by forgiving yourself".

Gemma has declared that July 18th is officially the worst day of her life. July 18th, 1995 when Gemma was just five years old, her father died in a house fire, but Gemma and her mom made it out alive. After that day all throughout her life, Gemma has never forgiven her mother, when Gemma was younger she moved out of her mom's house to go live with her nan, but her mom would just wallow in self pity, she would constantly drink her life away and never stepped up to be a mom to Gemma. July 18th, 2022, Gemma's ex-boyfriend Will was in a horrific car accident, Will was in induced coma, suffered from a brain injury and many broken bones. After Will wakes up, he has lost three years of his memory, he doesn't remember getting engaged to Nicola, and he doesn't remember breaking up with Gemma. Gemma and Will were childhood sweethearts, but something catastrophic caused their relationship to break apart. During their time apart, Gemma meets a new man, Richard, they bonded over their love for the Beatles. Gemma and Richard are both teachers at the same school, but Richard will never be like Will, he might be super hot with blonde hair and blue eyes, but he will never love Gemma the same way Will loved her. Richard helped Gemma after her break up, he was tentative, sweet, and caring, but he will never measure up to Will.

When Will wakes up from his coma, he's looking and calling for Gemma, but doesn't remember them ever breaking up. Will literally doesn't remember anything, he doesn't remember the RiffRaff, the band Will and his brother Jack had started. I absolutely loved and adored Vee, Gemma's best friend, Vee was struggling with getting pregnant, but she was always there for Gemma, I absolutely adored their friendship so much, they will like two peas in a beautiful pod. When Gemma was a child, she has long vibrant red hair, and Will used to call her his strawberry bomb, ugh that was just the absolute cutest and swoon-worthy thing ever. By the end of the book, I absolutely hated Richard and Nicola for reasons I won't get into because you just need to read this book to find out what they did, but I will say my hate for both of them was so strong. The twists and turns in this book were absolutely wild, they just kept coming at me from all different directions and shredding my heart more and more everytime something happened. Somebody I Used to Love goes back and forth between the past and the present, but it's not confusing at all, it's super easy to follow along with. I wish nothing but the best for Nicola and Richard, but good riddance losers.

A story of lost loves, lost memories, and the unwavering hope of finding one's way back to each other is deftly woven by Eve Ainsworth. When Will awakens after a car accident, he has lost three years' worth of memories, including those of Gem, his childhood sweetheart and girlfriend. This is how the narrative begins. Readers experience Will's frustration and uncertainty as he tries to make sense of who he used to be and who he is today from his point of view. His quest for self-awareness and atonement is propelled further by his steadfast wish to be with Gem again. Gem, however, has laboriously moved past the heartbreak of their split and is creating a new life for herself with a new partner. However, she is forced to face unresolved emotions and the danger of reliving old wounds when Will reappears in her life.

It was quite a difficult read for me, I think cheating is a trope that really upset me! But the story is still heartbreaking, and I am glad I pushed myself!

Will wakes following a car accident with a 3 year memory gap. All he wants is the love of his life Gem but Nicola is sitting holding his hand with an engagement ring on!
The story very cleverly goes back and forth in time to discover what happened between Will and Gem, there is a Thriller element to the story which I really enjoyed.
Will is desperate to win Gem back, can she forgive him, has too much damage been done in 3 years.
I thought it handled some difficult situations really well, it’s a really well told love story that will tear at your heartstrings.
Thank you NetGalley, the Eve Ainsworth and the Canelo for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

What if your ex had a car accident, has amnesia, and is completely baffled why you are no longer together? If you’re a fan of Colleen Hoover books, I definitely recommend this one! Very emotional, kind of dark, characters with flaws, hints at major plot twists but nobody explicitly says what’s going on until the very end, etc. some moments are cringy, but the writing style makes it hard to put down! I blew through this book in a couple of days. Interested in reading more books by the author!

📚ARC Review 📚


Somebody I Used to Love⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Will wakes up in the hospital with a major headache and body aches, he doesn’t know what has happened. Apparently he ran into a tree while driving but he doesn’t drive. He doesn’t even own a car and he can’t figure who the strange woman in his room is. Turns out he has forgotten the past three years of his life due to hitting his head during the wreck. Now learning that he ruined his relationship with his brother, Jack, and his ex-girlfriend, Gem, he will do anything to get them back. But can broken relationships be mending?

Overall, this on was ok. It wasn’t bad but I just didn’t mesh with it as much as I’d like. I felt like it dragged out and the reason of what happened could have been told sooner. I did like the multiple point of views from the characters. I also liked how real with situation with Gem was and how she felt during the book but learned to overcome it and focus on herself and what she wants. I thought the ending was good with a happy for now.

This book will publish on June 27, 2024. If you like a second chance romance, then give this one a try. Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for my advanced reader’s copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

I enjoyed this book set in London… Had me rooting for the 2 main characters the whole book.Loved the connection of love and loss.I gave this book 5 stars. Couldn’t stop turning the pages.. This will not be my last book written by this author … Can’t wait to read another.

This book follows Will, who wakes up from a car accident with a three-year memory gap. Shocked to find his girlfriend Gem has moved on, Will is determined to win her back despite her new life and boyfriend. As he unravels his past, Gem grapples with her feelings and the stability of her current relationship. The novel, by Eve Ainsworth, brilliantly explores intense emotional dynamics and the flawed, relatable nature of its characters. The storytelling is powerful and gripping, making it a highly recommended read for fans of love stories with a twist.