3.5 ⭐️ - Cute, cozy second chance romance that’s PERFECT for your autumn TBR! Available September 3rd! 🍂🐻☕️🏕️

Charlee and Oliver’s story is so sweet and I loved the flashback letters that were used to develop their backstory. A little warning for any closed door romance girlies— the spice does kind of go from 0-100 around halfway through the book. I almost felt like there were letters missing that showed the development of those feelings but I still absolutely adored the characters, plot, and location in this one!

Oliver is potentially one of my new favorite book boyfriends - he somehow manages to be both a sweet/sensitive nerd & the strong protective type… he’s just a 10/10. This book made me want to rent a cabin in the middle of the woods and spend a week hiking + sitting around a campfire under a warm, fuzzy blanket. Also, as with all her books - Elodie made me want to hop in the car and drive to Canada immediately. She does such a great job of depicting the beauty of the places her books are set in.

This is definitely my favorite book so far in the It’s Always Been You series! Each progressive book in the series has been better than the last & I can’t wait to read the next one. I’m already trying to figure out which character(s) we met in Pine Falls it will follow 👀

** This can also be read as a standalone if you haven’t read the first two & still want to hop into Great Bear Rainforest this fall!

Thank you NetGalley & Victory Editing for this ARC

Happy Pub Day!

Unbearably Yours is book 3 in the It's Always Been You Series by Elodie Colliard.
I absolutely love this series! It one of my favorites and I hated to see this book end!
This is a steamy small-town romance that delves into the realms of second chances, forced proximity, the solace of a chosen family, and the unshakable bonds that can be forged in a lifetime.
Elodie Colliard writes her stories with such ease. Her characters show true emotion and fell so real.
The characters were very relatable and well written. With its richly developed characters and phenomenal storytelling, Elodie Colliard's novel shows the love and the amazing bonds of friendship. It's a story that stays with you long after the last page is turned, a true testament to the magic of love and second chances.

As my first book of the fall/autumn season, this book had big shoes to fill, and let me just say, they were filled!!

I absolutely loved Oli and Charlee, the letters were so well done and incorporated perfectly into the story.

I love a second chance romance done right, and this was definitely done right🩷 They had the perfect amount of tension and they communicated so well.

Can we give a round of applause 👏🏼 to the fabulous communications skills these characters had. Nothing worse than poor communication.

I loved that we got the happy ending all the characters deserved, there were definitely some sadder elements to this book, especially the death of parental figures and the author navigating and wrote them extremely well.

The spice was also the perfect amount, not out shadowing the plot and character development.

I loved the story , I loved the characters and it has definitely set the bar real high for my fall/autumn reads this year 🍂

This book was just about everything I hoped it would be from start to finish! I loved it but wanted it to be longer of course!
Some tropes you may encounter:
•pen pal
•second chance romance
• hidden/secret identities
I absolutely adore a pen pal style of book where the main characters are writing back and forth to one another - finding out more about each other and themselves in the process.
This was a wonderful read, a swoony romance that I couldn't put down! My love of short chapters and likable MCs made this an easy and happy read for me. I don't like to give away too much in my reviews because I want this to be a positive experience for all the other readers.
Thank you NetGalley and Elodie for an early copy of Unbearably Yours!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy!
 
The first page had me in a laughing fit! I knew from that point that I would adore this read, and I did!
 
Charlee and Oliver had such a lovely story; the author wrote their romance so perfectly! It was funny, it was heartwarming and so cozy!
 
This was one of my most anticipated reads this year, and I can honestly say that it did not disappoint in the slightest!

Another second chance romance book review, who is she?!

This story follows Charlee and Oliver, who first “meet” by becoming pen pals in college for their degree programs. An unfortunate event causes them to never meet in person, and they lose contact. Five years later they find themselves in a forced proximity type situation where they finally meet each other.

Unbearably Yours feels like a warm hug, or the coziest blanket you can find. It’s not just a story about second chances, but about hope, fear, and growth. It’s book three in a series of interconnected standalones, and I will absolutely be picking up the others.

As always- thank you to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

*strangers to friends to lovers
*second chance
*letter exchange
*small town romance
*forced proximity - esp. with one tent & one sleeping bag
*neurodivergent mmc
*chosen family

During their last year of college, Charlee and Oliver become unexpected pen pals for a class, exchanging their writing and developing strong feelings for each other. I enjoyed reading their letters before each chapter—they deepened their connection.

A miscommunication keeps them apart, with Charlee in bustling Toronto and Oliver in quiet Pine Hills, BC.

Five years later, fate reunites them for a documentary project in British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest. Charlee, now a journalist who travels the world to escape her past, tries to bury her resentment toward Oliver. Meanwhile, Oliver, aiming to reclaim his family's lost restaurant, is reminded of the missed chance with Charlee.

As they work closely together in the lush greenery of BC, their connection reignites, making it impossible to ignore the bond and love they still share.

“…our souls have been intertwined since our pen-pal years.”

”Unbearably Yours” is my first book by Elodie Colliard, and despite being the third in a series, it stands alone beautifully as a cozy and heartfelt read.

*Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

“You make me want to be so gentle with you, Charlee.”

This was such a cute, cozy, and heartwarming read! Some of the tropes you can expect to find:

🐻Forced Proximity
🌲Only One Tent
🐻Second Chance
🌲Slow Burn
🐻Pen Pal to Love Letters
🌲Neurodivergent Rep
🐻Bisexual Rep

When I saw it was a second chance and a slow burn it made me nervous because the combo of those two tropes can make a plot drag at times, but that was not the case for this one!

It had the perfect amount of tension and pining that makes a slow burn worth it. And the pen pal letters that were weaved in did not take away from the present day at all. It added the perfect amount of context while helping move the slow burn along by giving you some spice along the way. Forget sexting, because these pen pal to love letters were GIVING🌶️🔥🥵

I loved both Charlee and Oliver right off the bat. Charlee is so spunky and feisty; a take no shit kind of gal. While some of that is just how she is, you got so see how it also acted like armor to protect the soft, hurt parts of herself. I loved seeing her slowly but surely let those softer parts of her show!

Oliver, my sweet, neurodivergent, cinnamon roll baby. As a neurodivergent person myself I always love seeing us represented in books, but I think this was the first time I saw the hypersensitivity that can come with neurodivergence represented so well. The heightened emotions, and struggling to identify these big feelings, and sensory overload are a difficult part of neurodivergence and I loved to see it written well and with care.

Oliver and Charlee have both lost so much, but that isn’t why they work. They naturally gravitated toward and appreciate each other for who the other person is, not for what they can do for them or out of need to be with someone. This is an interconnected standalone, but I am itching to read the other books in this series after reading this one!

CUTE !! I was hesitant to read her other books based on mixed reviews, but the premise of this one sounded too good to pass up. It was so real- unlike some other romances that may seem unrealistic this one offers what feels like a really authentic glimpse at a relationship. I’ll definitely be going back to read her other books

I fell in love with Elodie's writing last year when I read From Paris In Love, and this book captivated me just as much—I devoured it.

Charlee and Oliver are such amazing characters, and I just want to hug them. This book touched me in so many moments, and I think their story was beautifully written. They are definitely soulmates.

Thank you so much the publisher and NetGalley for sending me this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. This is a first by this author but will not be my last! I read this in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down.

3.5
This was such a delightful and enjoyable book, perfect for fall vibes, which I absolutely loved. I really appreciated the alternating past and present chapters—they provided great insight into the relationship between the characters. I especially enjoyed the letters, though I did find them a bit cringy towards the end. Still, they didn't detract too much from the overall experience. The romance was sweet, but I was disappointed with how the story concluded. The resolution felt unsatisfying because it relied on miscommunication, which could have been easily avoided with one solid conversation early on. Despite this, it was still a cute read.

I am completely and utterly unable to accept any criticism in regard to this masterpiece. Oliver, you’re coming home with me. More thoughts to come if and when I ever get over this book.
...

UNBEARABLY YOURS by ELODIE COLLIARD
Rating: ∞⭐️

<u> <b> Read if you love: </b> </u>
💌 Pen pals
⛺️ Forced proximity (a LOT of it)
🐻 Small town
🌲 He takes care of her
🫶🏼 Found family
✌️ Second chance
🏕️ Only one tent and sleeping bag
📓 Journalists in the wild
🍰 Cinnamon roll MMC

<b> ‘Unbearably Yours’ is a beautifully poignant and heartfelt journey of two souls finding their way back to each other.</b> Elodie Colliard captures readers with her breathtaking vivid portrayal of British Columbia, while also weaving in powerful discussions on sexism in the workplace, neurodiversity, cancer, death, forgiveness, love, and the hard-won journey of personal growth. This book will wrap you up in its warmth and refuse to ever let go.
<i> <blockquote> "It’s as if you were etched into my soul, into my bones. I’ve know for years that you were mine and I yours. Soulmates. That’s what we are.”</blockquote> </i>
I’ve been a long-time reader of Elodie’s books. ‘The Last Encore’ is the first indie book I read and loved, making Elo the reason I unwaveringly support indie authors as much as I do on my page. As a result, TLE will always have a special place in my heart. That said, ‘Unbearably Yours’ is just…truly incredible. <b> I have never been more proud of an author than I am of Elodie now. </b> I love seeing all of the wonderful reviews that this book is receiving from first-time Elo readers and how it’s motivating them to read her first time books which are equally as incredible.
<i> <blockquote> "I choose you every time, sweetheart. You over everything else. Forever and always.” </blockquote> </I>
Never have I believed two characters are more made for each other than Oliver is for Charlee and vice versa. It is clear from the beginning of their in-person meeting that, despite their anger and confusion, these two still deeply love one another. Oliver is respectful, kind, and fiercely protective toward Charlee. While she protects her boundaries and emotions, Charlee shows Oliver the same respect, while also recognizing that her love for him is stronger than her anger. The understanding and forgiveness that these two eventually show one another is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
<i> <blockquote> "I’m yours, sweetheart. Mind, body, and soul.”</blockquote> </I>
<u> <b> Some mini-thoughts: </b> </u>
📸 I absolutely loved the friendship between Charlee and Emma
🔥 “I don’t usually mind nail marks, but a bit softer please”
🖕🏻This one is specifically for you Trevor. I sentence you to roll a boulder up a hill like Sisyphus. Sounds like a fitting punishment to me.
🦶Why couldn’t my sprained ankle heal as fast as Charlee’s???😭
🥰 *Kicks feet, *sobs, *kicks feet, *sobs, *laughs, *kicks feet, *sobs, *throws kindle at the wall
📷 The photos at the end…I CRIED. SOBBED like a BABY
❤️ OLIVER WHY AREN’T YOU REAL??? CAN I USE MY GENIE WISH TO BRING YOU TO LIFE???
✏️ *Puts down highlighter, *picks highlighter back up, *puts highlight down, *picks highlight back up
📪 EMILIE!!!! YOU SILLY OLD…uh meanie…

<u> <b> A list of SOME of my favorite quotes: </b> </u>
<I> “You’re . . . my Charlee. And boy, do you take up space in my mind.” </I>

<I>"My beautiful Charlie.”</I>

<I> "It’s him, my body seems to say. It’s always been him.”</I>

<I> "‘I’m right here, sweetheart,’ he says into my skin. ‘I’ll aways be right here next to you.’”</I>

<I>"‘That’s my girl.’”</I>

<I> "‘You’re my favorite book, and reading you is ridiculously easy.’”

<I>" Every time I look at you, you wish me away to my favorite place. It’s you. You’re where I love to be the most.”</I>

<I>"I love you so much, Oliver. I’ve never been so sure of anything else in my life.”</I>


<I>"You’re such a good girl, Charlie. Such a good girl.”</I>

<I>"‘My perfect girl,’ he whispers again and again into the crook of my neck, like a prayer to a higher power…”</I>

<I>"Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night and find him asleep next to me, softly breathing, and wonder what I did right in a past life to deserve a second chance at loving this man — and to have my love returned tenfold.”</I>

<I>"I haven’t been able to forget a single thing about you, Charlee."</I>

<I>"I am drawn to you in a deeper, more meaningful way than I’ve ever been drawn to anyone. You make me feel seen and valued and cherished. All this without ever having touched me or laid eyes on me.”</I>

<I>"I gave you my trust. I gave you my heart. I gave you my soul.”</I>

<I> “I was chasing after the person I was when I had you. I was chasing the happiness I knew with you."</I>
...

I’m sure there’s more I could say about this book, but I’ll cap it here. Read it, don’t read it. Just know if you chose the latter, you might find me in a corner crying. And you wouldn’t want to do that to me, would you?🥹 No? Good choice😌

Thank you Elodie for the advance copy and for trusting me to review your baby early. I will be *impatiently* waiting for whatever comes next;)

I love a romance with love letters, especially ones as introspective and beautiful as these.

This was warm and well written. The characters were strong and distinctive, not often you see that when you have a romance with love letters, very often it's hard to tell the difference between them.

My only complaint, and it's a little petty, is that I am completely done with Leni Kaufman covers. They all have the same smirking expression and I'm so bored with it.

Romance lovers in search for a cozy Fall read, this book was made for you!

What can I say, except that I absolutely adored Charlee and Oliver's story? I'm a sucker for the second-chance trope, and Elodie absolutely delivered here. Not only that, but she used it in such a unique way, I was bound to love it. Some might even say that it's not an actual second chance, because they never met, only exchanged letters for a year and fell in love through each other's words. But I find that even more beautiful. Theirs is a bond that so strong and unique, and I think it's one of the reasons I loved their story this much.

Anf if this bond is still here after 5 years, a lot of things have changed. Both Charlee and Oliver have changed over the years, and their forced proximity will force them to relearn the other.

I couldn't get enough of Charlee and Oliver's story. It's so heartwarming and sweet, and once I got to know them, I couldn't put my book down.
Not only that, but there's something about Elodie's writing that I absolutely love. So it's no surprise that I read Unbearably Yours so fast! I almost regret it lol, I should have taken my time with this book.

My only issue with Unbearably Yours was with the chole one chapter/one letter thing. I do understand that it was essential to understand the characters and their bond, but I did find it weird for the pace. Maybe it would have been better to keep a part of the letters, but also discover the characters in their day-to-day life at the time? Anyways, it's purely a me-problem, so don't let that stop you from reading this book!

Also, can we talk about Charlee being bisexual and Oliver being neurodivergent?? We love good representation in this house!

Unbearably Yours was an amazing read. It's the last book in this series, and it felt bittersweet to say goodbye to all these characters (whom I loved to see one last time).
Two years ago I got to read an ARC of The Last Encore, so it feels like I've come full circle today. It's making me really emotional lol

Anyway, please read this gem 🧡 (and the other two in the trilogy, if you haven't already!)

Pen pals turned into something more... except when they were suppose to meet up in person things go wrong and now years later they meet each other again and are faced with old feelings as well as old wounds as they question whether or not they can fix what went wrong the first time. Charlee and Oliver were pen pals, who wrote each other throughout the years and fell in love, they shared secrets, opened up their hearts, and comforted one another. When their letters turn romantic and they agree to meet up in person, Oliver leaves Charlee waiting for him at the airport and never explains why or contacts her again. Charlee now works as a journalist, traveling from one story to the next, chasing something she just doesn't know what. When her next story has her assignment has her working on a documentary with her job on the line, the last thing she expects is to be collaborating with Oliver of all people. Oliver is determined to buy back his family's restaurant that he lost five years ago and when his bosses offer him a huge raise in order for him to help with a new documentary team coming he doesn't even think twice about saying yes. To Oliver's great surprise he comes face to face with the woman he left behind and still haunts his every thought, the one woman who he is still very much in love with and determined to win back... but that means explaining to her why he never came all those years ago. Charlee acts like she doesn't want to know and that she's just here to get the job done... but spending two weeks with the one man who broke her heart who is just as caring and sweet as she remembers has her struggling to resist falling for him. Can Oliver explain to Charlee what really happened and can she open her heart up to the man who broke it all those years ago? This was a cozy second chance romance filled with love letters, wilderness, and sweet romance. Getting to see Charlee and Oliver fall in love throughout their letters was a great way to see their relationship and to see how in love they were with one another. It's a sweet read and one I'd definitely recommend for fans of second chance romances.

Release Date: September 3,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

📖: 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
🥵: 🌶️🌶️/5

Unbearably Yours follows the story of Charlee Fletcher, a wildlife reporter always on the move looking for the next adventure, and Oliver, her college penpal.

This was such a moving and emotional story. The letters between Charlee and Oli were such a beautiful way to show how they initial penpal relationship blossomed into so much more. The dual timeline aspect of the story brought a lot of tension as it builds towards the reveal of why their relationship broke down, and how they can move forward together.

Oli and Charlee were both complex characters with a lot of depth. The depiction of Oli as gifted, with heightened sensitivity, was really fascinating. I love seeing MMCs who aren't scared of feeling their emotions, even if they don't always get it right.

I enjoyed the secondary characters, and will definitely be reading their stories at some point!!

Overall, a really enjoyable read, and a great new author discovered!

⭐ 4.5

For someone who doesn't like the second chance trope, I really liked this book. I loved Charlee and Oliver and I thought their story was the cutest (a little chaotic) but cute. Now, they DID NOT know each other since they kept in touch through letters but there came a time when they stopped doing so, some time later (years) they meet again because they have to work together and when Charlee finds out who Oliver is (who she resents for stopping writing letters) and that they have to work together, everything becomes a little chaotic.

Although I liked the trope here, what I liked the most is seeing how they become friends again, yes, they have their problems (more her than him) but you see how little by little they go back to being like before, how they found that the personalities they thought they were when they wrote letters to each other were more than wonderful.

Without a doubt, the author did a great job in giving us the two timelines to understand the characters better. Oliver is definitely a character that I loved. I loved his personality and even though he knew he had done wrong, he just wanted to do right for Charlee and Charlee is one of those protagonists that you love from the first moment; the secondary characters were a beautiful thing that flowed beautifully with the story.

This is my first book by this author and I will read the others right now because I definitely loved her way of writing.

📌I received an e-arc through netgalley, and this is my honest opinion/review of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Impeccable fall nature vibes - this book switches between letters and current day romance for a "one-that-got-away" story as we wind back to figuring out what happened and why they stopped speaking. I think where this book falls short for me is the letters - they did feel like monumental glimpses into our couple's love story, but I didn't feel like I felt them falling in love through the letters, if that makes sense, which is sort of the primary point? This was also a book that was relatively slow to start and featured a decent amount of yearning.

If you're in the mood for a yearning, fall nature vibes book - this might be the one for you.

Guys, it’s no secret I’m a sucker for letter writing. And this one… oooohhhh 🤌🏼…

📕 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Unbearably Yours by Elodie Colliard

📙 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: It’s Always Been You character series. Book 3.

📗 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀: E-book ARC on Kindle. Courtesy of Netgalley.

📘 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Contemporary romance

📔 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: Second chance, forced proximity, love letters, PNW vibes.

📖 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Charlee is a wild, free heart who loves her job as an environmental journalist. To save her failing organization, she agrees to a docuseries that has her pairing up with another journalist - Oliver - who she doesn’t know is the pen pal she fell in love with years ago.

🌟 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: Came for the cover, stayed for the fall PNW vibes and the love letters.

Oliver and Charlee’s story felt like the breath of fresh air they were always enjoying in the PNW. The setting was a perfect first read of fall, but the connection between the two characters jumped off the backdrop so well.

I loved the then-and-now storytelling, and the way all of the events of Charlee and Oliver came full circle at the end. I was pleasantly surprised at the spice. And the cameos by characters from other books (I haven’t read them) were so intriguing I want to pick up the rest of the series.

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹: 3/5 🌶🌶🌶

𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏 𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘.