Goodreads

Release date: October 28, 2025

Publisher: RB Media/St. Martins Press

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Narrator: Carly Robins

Synopsis:

A swoony second-chance romance where facing the one who broke your heart could be the thing that makes your dream come true.

Twenty-five-year-old Paige Lancaster is one contract away from earning a living doing her favorite thing in the world: writing songs. But when a music industry professional suggests she might be holding back with her lyrics to lessen the heartbreak of an old flame, Paige doubts if her music is ready to be heard.

In a rare, impulsive move, Paige contacts Liam Bishop after four years of no contact to ask him for a small favor: date her, and then re-break her heart, all so she can remember what those big, songworthy emotions felt like. And since Liam is the one who first set Paige on this career path, he hesitantly agrees.

Across three months of Liam’s summer work travel, the exes are forced to share hotel beds, rehash the past, and date in the present, all while navigating the building attraction between them they both swore was the one line of their agreement they wouldn’t cross.

But when it becomes near impossible not to act on their rippling chemistry, and as ever intensifying feelings blur the lines of what’s actually real and what’s driven by the music, Paige and Liam will both have to decide what’s more important: art for the sake of it, or love over everything.

Review:

There’s something so quietly magical about Never Over — the kind of slow, tender second chance romance that feels like a summer song you never want to end. The story follows Paige, an aspiring songwriter, and Liam, a former baseball player whose career ended after an injury. They haven’t had contact for four years but Paige needs him to break her heart again so she can find her musical use and now they’re thrust into close quarters on a music tour that forces them to confront the heartbreak, grief, and unspoken words left behind. The dual timeline — alternating between when they first meet and their present day reunion — adds so much emotional depth, and Claire Gilmore balances both arcs beautifully (something not every author pulls off!).

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Carly Robins, and she was delightful. I haven’t heard her voice in a long time, but her warm, slightly Southern accent perfectly suited the tone of the story. She captured Paige’s heart and hope so well, and her performance really brought out the emotion in the lyrics, the longing, and the quieter moments of healing. The chemistry between Paige and Liam builds slowly and believably, a true slow burn filled with affection, tension, and that familiar ache of “what if.” I especially loved the family dynamics, particularly Paige’s four sisters and her “baby of the family” role that added humor and depth.

If you love stories that explore the power of music, the ache of lost love, and the beauty of finding yourself again, Never Over is a gem. It’s soft, romantic, and bittersweet in all the right ways — with an epilogue that wraps it up so perfectly you’ll probably replay it just to sit in the feeling a little longer. 🎶💔✨

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.