•••••

“Some threads run so deep in your tapestry, perhaps it’s impossible to ever unpick them all.”

•••••

Would I recommend this book? 100%

I was almost in tears several times.

The epilogue was a perfect cherry on top of a sweet sundae. Half painful and half sweet.

This author made me feel like her characters were truly real and had hopes and dreams and regrets.

I ended up giving this book 4 stars, only because the flashbacks really took me out of the interesting parts of the story and were a bit of a struggle to rush through to get back to the parts I cared about.

Absolutely loved the element of Josh’s cabin treehouse.
It felt like a beautifully described setting and an ideal place to have a vacation or a life revelation.

••••

“Bad break up?” He guessed.
I bit my lip. Can something be called broken when it perhaps only ever existed in your imagination?”

3.75 stars

Always You and Me toes a very specific line between being a sad romance (almost similar to something like Beach Read) and becoming a devastating romantic tragedy. It leans more towards the latter though, which is something I wasn't expecting when I got to the ending. The characters do get together in the ending, but the actual ending - if you look at a certain perspective, feels so heartbreaking.

I loved how we get glimpses of Lily and Josh's relationship through the flashback scenes. Those were some of my favourite scenes in the entire book because it allowed us to see how they used to be before everything went wrong. It also introduced us to Lily's husband, Adam, who unfortunately passes away at the start of the book. Interspersed with the present-day chapters, it allows us to get a deeper glance at how much grief can embed itself within you and your day-to-day life. Lily's struggle with her grief at losing Adam, and then trying to reconcile with Josh as her husband asked her to, feels realistic and really well written.

There's a certain trope in this book that I don't enjoy reading, but in the context of everything that you learn, it makes complete sense, even more so in how Lily and Josh end up finding their way back to each other. Although, as I mentioned, I would have liked an ending that leaned more towards giving the characters the happiness they deserve after the struggles they went through.

Nevertheless, Always You and Me feels like a deeply romantic, and also strangely introspective book, and you know what? I'm here for that.

Wow, this was a very emotional and beautiful story and I loved it even though I wept in the beginning and the ending. It was super.

Lily and Josh have been best friends since Josh moved in to the house next door. Lily has always loved Josh. Enter Adam, for him it’s love at first sight. Thus starts a lifelong of questions and answers.

Thanks to Bookstagram, I requested this book. It didn’t disappoint, and now have a new author to add to my list. If you are looking for a lighthearted read, this might not be for you. Emotional friends to lovers, with a lot of package in between. I cried at the beginning and cried at the end. Characters are likable and you can feel their struggle. I felt the love on one situation, and chemistry on the other. If you liked The Notebook, you’ll enjoy this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

📖✨ Always You and Me by Doni Atkins ✨📖
🎥 #BookTok #RomanceReads #HiddenGemAlert

I just finished Always You and Me by @DoniAtkins and someone PLEASE check on me because I’m NOT okay 😭💔

From page one, this book had me in a chokehold. It’s giving:
💌 Childhood friends to soulmates
🕊️ Healing after heartbreak
🫶 Second chances when they feel impossible
And the kind of love that makes you believe in fate again.

Doni Atkins, you didn’t just write a love story—you wrote a whole emotion. The way the characters knew each other, even when life pulled them apart?? I felt every single word. Your writing is soft, raw, and totally immersive. This book deserves to be everywhere.

📚 If you’re someone who re-reads underlined passages and cries when a character says “I never stopped loving you,” RUN to this one.

💬 I’ll be thinking about this book for a long, long time.
❤️‍🔥 Thank you, Doni. You wrecked me in the best way.

Tagging so the whole world knows: @DoniAtkins this is your sign to never stop writing 🖊️💫

#AlwaysYouAndMe #BookRec #BooksThatBrokeMe #RomanceTok #MustRead2025 #UnderratedRomance #TikTokMadeMeReadIt

I loved this one! Such a lovely easy read, Atkins books always read well. I found this an engaging story from the off. I did think there would be more about Adam’s illness but in a way, it was nice there was no dwelling per se. Lily was a lovely character, I think everyone will fall in love with Josh! There was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing to get them to where they needed to be, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Loved Adam’s dog too!

Oh my...what a read....such an emotional rollercoaster of a book.

This book is the story of Lily and Adam......and Lily and Josh. Two loves, two lives.
Josh and Lily's friendship goes back to their teenage years....until they Josh moves house away from beside Lily.
She then goes on to meet and marry Adam......but only after a massive fallout with Josh, who has reappeared in her life.
Life throws another cruel blow, with Adam taking ill. Before he passes, he makes Lily promise to find Josh, something she isn't ready to do.
Finally she feels she needs to track him down . Can they forgive each other?

I absolutely loved this book and cried throughout. Such a well written book. Highly recommend it.

Anyone who has ever been in a reading slump knows the make or break that is The First Few Pages of a new book. I don't typically get invested until at least a few pages in, if at all. When I opened up my digital ARC (thank you, NetGalley) of Dani Atkins' latest book, Always You and Me, I was immediately drawn in. Within a few paragraphs. That is very rare for me. Very quickly, this book became one I really was excited to sit down with and just take in. I love a good romance, especially when there is a lot of angst and mutual yearning involved. And this one delivers all of that.

The story starts with Lily's final moments with her terminally ill husband of 5 years, Adam. It is clear these two people (and their dog Fletcher) love each other deeply and fiercely, and his death is emotional and tragic. There was just not enough time for these people. Atkins writes these fragile scenes with sensitivity and humanity. That impressed me. Doing material like this justice within the first chapter promises a beautiful, deep, character-driven romance book.

While on his deathbed, Adam makes Lily promise him several things. Take the car to the garage every year, for instance. Or go out and find your former best friend with whom you had an explosive fight 5 years prior, and haven't spoken to since. Adam doesn't give much away, but we know he asks Lily to find him, and he asks for forgiveness for both himself and her former friend. So who's the friend? Oh, only the boy next door Lily has been in love with ever since she was a teenager. Until their falling out. Josh. Reclusive, unfindable, unforgettable, heartbreaking-while-heartbroken Josh. As I write about him here, I'm sighing. Protect this precious man at all costs!

After Adam's death, Lily does not set out to find Josh immediately. It weighs heavily on her, because she knows deep down there's something else going on, a mystery to solve, but her love for Adam remains so palpable, so alive within her still. And she's clearly scared of whatever she'll discover about Adam, Josh... and herself. Which makes sense. This is big. Confrontational.

So, a whole year goes by before Lily and Josh finally do reunite and land themselves in a forced proximity situation, which is a wonderful trope when you have 2 incredibly stubborn characters who hurt and love each other so much, it borders on hatred at this point. I loved everything about this, I was seated with my coffee and wine because the angst was ANGSTIN'.

Atkins weaves in several flashbacks in order to help us understand the gravity and validity of her love for both Josh and Adam, and it gives important context to every character's motivations. And these moments are all freaking heartstoppers. Both her moments with Josh and Adam. (But mostly those with Josh, when they are so very young still.)

I wasn't interested in reading a second chance romance where the husband who passed away would then either be erased or villainized. Flawed, absolutely, but so is everyone else. And I just appreciate that Atkins honors Adam and his importance to Lily down to the last page without making it seem like Josh is second-best, plan B, the back-up. Yeah, Josh isn't perfect (I obviously LOVED him regardless), and Adam isn't... but neither is Lily. And that's important to keep in mind. But we root for them all. Even a character that we could easily hate on, Josh's sister Claire, is simply too HUMAN to hate. Gah, we get why she is the way she is. We get it.

From the characters themselves to the decisions they make to the layers of their relationships: Always You and Me, this book is nuanced. Choices aren't necessarily The Right or The Wrong Choice. A choice can be wrong at one time, and right at another time, and Atkins showcases that. We are all constantly on the move, and evolving with and around each other, or away from one and other. A book that starts about regrets instead becomes a wise sort of case study on letting choices settle, for trusting in them, and for learning to be brave enough to continue making choices.

Always You and Me is a second chance romance, but it's not just about a relationship being given a second chance. Rather, it's the many different ways in which all the main characters need a second chance, both to receive it AND to give it. It's about a mutual benefit of the doubt, forgiveness and growth. About perseverance. And it's about giving yourself a second chance, too.

I personally could have done without the epilogue; it wasn't good or bad, but I felt it wrapped things up just a tad bit too perfectly, and it was sentimental in a way that just felt unnecessary. I wish that this book would have ended in a way that allowed us to trust that henceforth, things would be alright. To let these things settle on its own. These characters? They've truly got this. Atkins wrote that so, so clearly. The I's needed no heart-shaped dotting, so to speak.

This book simply put was just a lot of fun!
The characters were so much fun, and their chemistry was adorable.
I thought the writing was quick, fun and engaging.
Overall, I very much enjoyed reading this new title.

I love Atkins' books and this might have catapulted to being a new favourite. We first meet Lily and Adam when Adam is dying but Atkins ensures to catch us up with their beautiful love story as the book progresses.
Adam leaves Lily with a promise to find Josh, reconnect and forgive them both. From here we go on a real journey, it is painful, emotional but oh so worth it.
The plot had its obvious moments, which I still enjoyed but also pleasing twists and moments of surprise.
As with all of Atkins' books, the characters are gorgeous and I took all of them to heart and cared about them all. Another guarantee with Atkins is for emotion and this was a very emotional read. I can only apologise for crying on the plane as I read this pure delight.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advance copy.

WOW! WOW! WOW! I cried all the way through the last chapter. This was such a beautiful and emotional story!!

I had mixed feelings about this one. The storyline drew me in, but there really wasn't any chemistry between the characters, and neither Lilly nor Jake stood out as being very likable. It was kind of like a movie where the plot is great, but the actors just don't do it justice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

I finished this book a few days ago, and I’m finally recovering from the emotional whiplash. I don't want to share too much about the plot without giving things away, but trust me when I say it’s one of those stories where the less you know, the better. I’ll keep this vague because it’s honestly best to go in blind. Anyhow, this one doesn’t ease you into the feels, it’s more like a punch to the gut that then prepares you for everything that comes after.

The writing? it was easy to get through despite the dual timeline. The emotions? Intense. The tension, the grief, the tough choices the characters had to make.There was no clear-cut answer, no “right” or “wrong” choice, just what was best in that moment. And that’s what made it feel so real. It wasn’t about pointless drama, it was raw and messy. And that’s something the author does well. She doesn’t make it easy to pick a side, which makes everything hit that much harder.

As someone who’s been a fan of her works, you'd think I’d learn to protect my heart. Nope. I still dive in, knowing full well it’s going to destroy me. That small nod to a character from Our Song? It got me. It was just a brief mention, but if you’ve read it, you’ll know exactly why that reference hits hard.

One thing I did find myself wanting, though, was a deeper look into the characters’ pasts. I felt like a bit more context or shared history would’ve made their choices land even harder. The past clearly plays such a big role in who they are and what they’re grappling with, I just wanted to sit with that a little longer. But that’s totally a personal take. Even so, this book absolutely delivers on the emotional punch. And honestly, Fletcher is probably going to be your new favorite.

If you're in the mood for a story that makes you feel everything, this one’s definitely worth picking up.

Thanks to the the author, netgalley & Lake Union Publishing for this review copy of Always You and Me. I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are entirely my own.

I truly enjoyed the story and was eager to uncover the great secret that only Adam and Josh were privy to. However, as it progressed, I began to struggle with Josh’s decisions. Many of his choices seemed to be driven by a need to propel the plot forward rather than by clear character development which made them feel convenient to me. I felt disconnected from the story. A compelling premise, but aspects of the plot didn’t resonate with me as strongly as I had hoped.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book.
I’ve enjoyed this book a lot. What a beautiful and emotional story about true love. The secret that Adam wanted Lily to find out with Josh was unexpected. Like Adam said, “If it’s meant to be, then it’s meant to be”.

Well, I guess I’m going to go against the grain with this one and say I’m not much of a fan. I didn’t mind the jumping back in time, but there was way too many chapters spent on the building of the relationship between Lily and Adam and them living their lives together, and that was unnecessary and unwanted. This story is supposed to be about Lily and Josh, before and after Adam’s passing, but we barely even get to see them actually together.
The conversations between Lily and Josh just kept going absolutely no where and it’s i credibly frustrating. Heck, you don’t even get to know what happened until 80% in and Josh isn’t even the one to finally tell her.
I also don’t understand how Adam was seen and portrayed as this great guy, throughout the entire book, when he was so manipulative and deceitful.
I hated the baby storyline. I feel like this whole book just had me feeling terrible for Josh and kind of like Lily and Adam deserved each other cause they both suck.

You also don’t get to see them building their lives together or them really together at all. Nope, you just get to see the end. It ended up feeling a lot more like a romantic drama and not a romance.


⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️Random notes from my read: CAN BE CONSIDERED SPOILERY⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️


* Well this is the most depressing prologue I’ve ever read
* Cutest proposal of all time
* Her parents didn’t know her best friends name?
* Adam was NOT a good man and he did NOT deserve her. Honestly hate the author is even writing this right now
* Jesus. They are finally together and everyone, including Josh, is acting like Adam was a saint. “Adam’s going to be a hard act to follow”. How? All you have to do is not be a lying and manipulative person
* I really dont even want to finish this last chapter. It’s just depressing and I was here for a romance with a happy ending

I went into this book a bit blindly and not knowing what to expect. And boy I wasn’t disappointed.

This had my heart from the start and the book ended with tears. The alternating time from past to present kept me engaged and wanting to see where the story went.
It was a beautifully captivating story or love, loss, forgiveness and second chances.

Highly recommend this story.
My only wish is for more of Josh and lily’s story, I feel like it ended so abruptly and I was left wanting more.
Thank you Dani and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc.

Lily’s husband passes away (not a spoiler… happens at the very beginning of the book) and his dying wish was for Lily to reconnect with her childhood best friend and first love, Josh.

Kudos to Dani Atkins for making me cry multiple times in this book as not many books can make me do that. I really enjoyed this book. Was a very quick read and something I didn’t want to put down. I would have loved more flashback chapters as I didn’t feel overly connected to the romance between Lily and Josh and I think seeing more of their past would have achieved that. I have a few more Dani Atkins books on my shelf that I’m now really excited to get to.

TROPES & VIBES:
* Second chance
* Childhood friends to lovers
* Emotional rollercoaster
* Forced proximity

3.5⭐️

Ouf!!! From the first sentence to the last this story just keeps on giving emotional feels. There is a lot to unpack in this story.. It is the kind of story that stay with you days after you finish. All of the characters, Lily, Josh and Adam, have good and negative characteristics No one is perfect. But we can be redeemed

The prologue and final chapter of this book almost had me in tears! One minute I love Adam and Josh, next minute I’m teetering on the edge of some big dislike! It was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster weaving past and present timelines together, which the author did so beautifully!

If you like second chance romances with a little bit of close proximity then this is for you!
It also deals with grief, forgiveness and redemption.