"Between Now and Forever" by Adriana Locke offers a delightful and heartwarming neighbors-to-lovers story packed with humor and endearing moments. The opening scene, where Gabrielle accidentally tumbles off her porch in to the lilac bushes while wrapped in a towel, sets a playful tone for their quirky and charming relationship.

Gabrielle, a determined single mother of two, is both fierce and lovable, while her neighbor Jay, with his grumpy exterior and hidden kindness, presents an intriguing mix of toughness and vulnerability. Their journey through the highs and lows of their blossoming romance is thoroughly enjoyable.

Jay's battle with his past introduces some emotional layers, but the narrative generally maintains a light and carefree atmosphere. While the romance is engaging and fun, I found it needing more depth to elevate the story beyond its solid feel-good premise. The last 1/3 seemed rushed and I would have liked to see more relationship development between Jay and the boys. Adriana writes the highs and lows of parenting teenage boys perfectly. You can tell she had first hand experience.

In summary, this book is an adorable and a straightforward read for anyone who enjoys a lighthearted romance sprinkled with humor with a HEA.

I would give this book 3.75 ⭐️

Thank you to Adriana Locke, Valentine PR, and Netgalley for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Single mom and neighbor next door.

Grumpy older boy and sweet, naive younger boy who are dealing with the aftermath of their dads sudden loss and a big life change move.

I honestly loved everything about this except that it ended so fast for me. Their banter was great. I believed both of their hesitation but the wrap up was way too fast for me.

This is a very light story and right in Adriana's wheelhouse. It had a very sunshine/grump feeling with Gabrielle being the sunshine neighbor and Jay being the grumpy carpenter who lives next door.

Even though Gabrielle and her boys have been through the devastating loss of her ex-husband, the boy's father, she still maintained a positive and hopeful outlook on life. Surely soon, the clouds are going to lift over her little family and they'll start to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Her oldest son Dylan is struggling a lot with the loss of his father, and she doesn't know exactly how to help him.

Jay came across as the grumpy, standoffish neighbor who did lots of nice things for Gabby and her kids, even though he made it very clear he wanted to be left alone. At first he annoyed me, until we learn what his backstory is and why he acts the way he does.

The evolution of Gabby and Jay's relationship felt very quick, but just right at the same time. It happened organically, and I truly commended Jay for how he handled Gabby's two boys. Carter was a joyous ray of sunshine and Dylan was very much the opposite, a dark cloud seeming to follow him everywhere. It was so obvious what his issues were, and Jay tried to help him, but he had to figure things out on his own in order to move forward with his life.

I loved the cast of side characters we met, and the ladies get together they held. Lark was a good friend to Jay, and I especially love the small town vibe throughout the story.

This was a great palate cleanser to read in between the dark and heavy stories I've been reading. Adriana does small town like no one else! Every book of hers I read, I think, I want to move there!

I very much enjoyed this visit to the town of Alden, Ohio and getting to know Gabby and her boys, and I really swooned over how Jay worshipped her and her sons. Highly recommend everyone read this book!

Adriana Locke never fails to make me laugh, smile, swoon and cry. Between Now and Forever did all of that and more. Gabrielle and Jay meet in a very unconventional way which really had me laughing out loud because just picturing it was hilarious. Moving on from that first meeting, they deal with many different roadblocks on both sides which are painful but truly realistic. Throw in a cute, absolutely precocious boy, a troubled boy and friends who will hide the bodies if needed and you get a rounded story about love and acceptance.

I loved Between Now and Forever! The plot, characters and story flowed so well and kept you turning the pages. It took me mere hours to read because i was enjoying it so much. I really liked both Gabrielle and Jay, they had such good chemistry from the moment they met. I loved all of the secondary characters especially the boys. The raw emotion and backstories were written very well and kept you super intrigued as to how it would go next for this couple and their family. Great book!

4.5

Adriana Locke never disappoints. It’s always impossible to put them down!

This story followed single mom Gabrielle and her teenage and younger son after they moved back to her home town and next door to the grumpy, walled off - Jay Stetson. This story navigated loss and the pain that came with those losses, and then finding love again.

Their meet cute and the relationship Gabrielle’s seven year old song had with Jay had me cackling, but the whole of the story was pretty emotional. I was either grinning while reading or feeling their pain in the excellent way Adriana tells a story.

This was once again a great read from this author and I appreciate the early review copy!

Between Now and Forever is a story of two people who have experienced loss, only to have that ultimately change their lives. Jay and Gabrielle's story is heartwarming and full of love.

💛Single mom
💛Neighbors to lovers
💛Grumpy x sunshine
💛Sweet story

After an unfortunate meet cute, Jay and Gabrielle keep getting pushed together and their bond starts to form. Both of them have had some serious things go on in their lives that they are trying to navigate. Gabrielle is trying to find a new normal for her boys after losing their father, and her ex-husband/best friend, a year ago.

This book is low angst and so sweet. Jay and Gabrielle were able to break down each others walls and find love together.

I loved Gabrielle's younger son so much - he had me cracking up! And I totally understood her older sons actions and feelings.

This was just the sweetest story- I really loved it. I found myself laughing so many times. Carter was adorable and my favorite character.

The writing was so smooth that I flew through it. It was just so easy to read in the best way. I will definitely read another Adriana Locke book soon.

This was another wonderful read by Adriana Locke! Jay & Gabrielle were so good together. Gabrielle and her two boys moved in next door to him. She met him when she literally fell over a porch railing in nothing but a towel. Talk about a funny meet-cute! Jay tries to stay away but something about her just pulls him in. I loved seeing her break down his walls and him give into the attraction. This book was just so easy to get lost in & the perfect length for a good story. I do wish we got to see Jay's relationship with her boys develop a little bit more but that didn't affect my rating.

I listened to the audiobook of this and it was narrated by Rachel Vivette & Oliver Clarke. These two are both new narrators for me and I was captivated. Their voices drew me right in to this story and I didn't want to come out. I definitely recommend it.

💛Neighbors to lovers
💛Single Mom
💛Grumpy/Sunshine

Thank you so much to Adriana Locke, Netgalley, & Brilliance Audio for this advanced reader copy & audiobook. This is my honest review.

Gabrielle has just moved back to the town where she grew up to raise her boys. They have recently lost their dad and they're having some difficulty adapting, especially her teenage boy. She was divorced from her husband but they remained best friends, so the loss has been deeply felt by them all. 
She moves into a "fixer upper, but she (to the deep concern of her cousin) has no talent whatsoever to fix things up. And that's how her hilarious meet cute with the grumpy neighbor next door happens - with her toppling into the bushes in nothing but a teeny towel and coming face to face with a snake... and Jay.
Jay is a dream in flannel, but he's as closed off as they come. He has every reason to avoid the single mom and her kids, but apparently staying away isn't going to happen. He can't keep his eyes off the mama bear and the youngest cub is determined to be friends with the new neighbor. As the days go by, walls (real and metaphorical) come tumbling down and we keep rooting for them to become a family. 

I love how Adriana writes "real people" and I always love the families in her books. This one is no exception. It's heartbreaking to learn why Jay is so closed off and why he avoids getting attached to anyone. 
This one is a standalone and, if you haven't read Adriana yet, it's a great introduction to her stories!
Thanks, Adriana and NetGalley for the e-book and the audiobook!
Content notes: mentions of death of a parent, "parental alienation"

Gabrielle and Jay have the best meet cute. I love that she softens him and that they both have histories that are hard and painful but aren’t able to deny their connection that draws them together. I did not want to out this book down and I also wished it didn’t end, I wanted to know what is next or read more day to day scenarios. I loved it so much!

4 1/2 Stars ... This story touched my heart!

To be honest Ms. Locke hasn't written a book that I haven't loved. Her books are always so down to earth with everyday people doing everyday things. The banter between the characters had me laughing-out-loud one minute and saying wtf the next minute. And the steam between Gabby and Jay was off the charts! I thought Gabby's boy's reactions to Jay were a bit extreme ... her youngest son wanted them to get married while the older one didn't want Jay in their lives AT ALL. All in all, this is a quick read that shouldn't be missed.

When Jay sees his new neighbour fall off her deck into the bushes, he knows he should pretend he didn't see anything, but he couldn't help himself. She's beautiful ... and in nothing but a towel ... now he really has to pretend he didn't see anything! But Gabby and her boys draw him in and his cold heart starts to feel again.

After Gabby's ex-husband dies and she is solely responsible for their two sons, she moves back to her home town to be close to family. She buys a fixer upper house so she can keep busy and not dwell on her life situation. Gabby doesn't want to accept the help her neighbour's offering, but she's kinda a klutz and he seems to be right there when she does stupid stuff. She also can't help that her heart beats extra fast whenever he's around. This is going to be nothing but trouble!

I received an ARC courtesy of Montlake through NetGalley.

My first Adriana Locke book, and it felt like a great place to start. I love it when books don’t paint perfect pictures with perfect characters. Give me flawed people finding love any day.

Jay is grumpy and closed off. He doesn’t open up to people, he doesn’t want to hang around, and he certainly wants nothing to do with love.
Gabby is a single mom with two boys. There’s a strength and sadness to her, as much as there’s a special brand of empathy, and she felt very real to me.

Gabby comes back to her small town to bring up her boys. She’s used to going it alone, and that’s what she plans to do. But then she crosses paths with Jay, which is easy because they’re neighbors. It’s a great meet-cute, especially since she has a knack for getting herself in weird (and funny) situations, but let’s just say that first meeting has them both wondering.

While Jay falls first, it's not easy. Gabby reminds him of things from his past that he needs to overcome, and she has her kids, who don’t necessarily like having Jay around.
It’s impossible for them to stay away, though. He wants to be there, for her to know she’s capable of doing things, but she can rely on him too. She wants to know more about him, especially why he never lets his guard down.

When they finally decide to take what they both want, it’s not super steamy, but it’s right for them as two people with baggage. They seemed to find themselves when they were together. Their honesty and their level of maturity made it more for me, and I loved that.

The way they connect is extraordinary, but their past won’t magically sort itself out. It broke my heart to see her talking to her kids. It also broke my heart to see how afraid both Gabby and Jay were to care, to love, to put themselves in a position of getting hurt.

When you’ve been burned or hurt, trusting becomes an issue. Loving an even bigger one. But then you meet someone who makes you their priority and is willing to fight for you and alongside you. And everything just clicks into place.

I enjoyed this single mom second chance at love. We have Gabrielle, who is mom to two very different boys moving Homemaker a sudden loss only to find herself enamored with her new neighbor Jay. Jay is the quintessential bachelor and not looking to start anything, especially with a single mom. Throw some meddling kids and friends, and we get this insta family story.

Fast-paced and cute characters. I enjoyed the girlfriend group and want more of Della. Overall, it's a fun quick read.

Adriana Locke never fails to deliver exactly what I need in a spicy romance! Gabrielle is a devoted mom struggling to help her boys- and herself- find happiness in their new normal. Her klutziness often leads to hilarious situations but her quick mind affords her a little finesse to take the edge off the embarrassment and makes her even more likable. Jay never stood a chance against the clumsy ray of sunshine but his gruff efforts will make you smile and smirk. The ladies who befriend her are quirky and sweet while the deep moments are deftly countered with levity and the spice…(sigh). Between Now and Forever is a truly beautiful story about opening your heart to love after heartbreaking loss.

Life can be hard but learning to move forward is both scary and rewarding. Gabriella and her sons, Carter (cutie patootie) and Dylan (teen to the nth degree), are back in her hometown after her ex and their father died. They are trying to find their new normal which isn't easy. Gabriella falls head over heels (literally) when she sees her next door neighbor, Jay. Jay makes a conscience effort to keep everyone at bay in order to protect himself from experiencing betrayal and loss once again. Thanks to Carter's persistence that Jay not be lonely (so sweet), Jay can't help but be pulled into his neighbors' orbit. The struggle and strength to trust and love again for Gabriella, Dylan and Jay leads to a beautiful HEA.

This was a great story. Gabrielle and Jay’s story took off right from the beginning and kept me on my toes. It involved slightly older main characters, so it did not have a lot of drama situations at the end - more of a closure to everything and finalizing the storyline, which I love.

I loved reading this book. I found both Jay's and Gabby's backstories heartbreaking, and the book was an emotional read at times. I loved how real Gabby's children came across, and Carter, in particular, made me laugh. Although this book is a stand-alone, I would love for this to be made into a series and read about Scottie and Della.

This book was well written and a truly heartwarming story.

*Sigh* I love when authors do this. Do what you ask? Write a story that consumes you from beginning to end. Where you cheer on the main characters while clutching your book to your chest with a cheesy grin. I loved everything about this. How I felt their grief, their joy and happiness, and of course their banner. 5+ stars

Between Now And Forever is a sweet single mom romance. It started off strong with so many funny moments which truly grabbed me and hooked me to the story. The chemistry between Gabbie & Jay was palpable right from the start. I loved that it was a super fast read, straight to the point and delivered what it had to. As usual Adrianas always knows how to give us beautiful stories.

I really liked both MC's, they both had struggles to face and overcome which they did by the end. I do wish they would've communicated a little better for their age though, I did feel they came off a bit immature in some parts. In a way, I could understand that it was due to all their baggage. I did feel like the last part of the book was a little rushed, I would've liked a bit more relationship building there.

Overall, it was a great read. Super fast and easy to get lost in. Funny, emotional and addictive.

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @montlake & @adrianalocke for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.