From bestselling author Ella Fields comes an all new standalone. An emotional new adult romance that proves love is worth fighting your demons for.Toby Hawthorne was an enigma.One I didn’t factor into my college plans.I wasn’t looking for love.I wasn’t not looking for it either.And in that state of in-between, he found me.Unaware of the battle he fought everyday, I fell fast. By the time I found … fought everyday, I fell fast.
By the time I found out, it was too late.
Because I wanted everything.
Every broken, lost part of him.
I knew I couldn’t fix him.
I could only love him.
But I should’ve known better than to think that was enough.
more
Honest to goodness, how does Ella do it. I want to know, I need to know how she manages to once again captivate my heart, bring me to tears and yet I keep coming back for more. That is what her words do to me. I know it will hurt, I know I will be broken and I know she’ll patch my heart back together and send me on my way like she didn’t just squeeze it to pieces. (She’s secretly evil you know). Bittersweet Always is no exception, she has set the bar high with everything she’s written before this and she continues to exceed my expectations.
I’m so happy that Ella took us back to Gray Springs University to spend more time with Daisy, Quinn and most importantly Pippa and Toby. My love and affection for Pippa began when we met her in Suddenly Forbidden and my girl crush only intensified with every page in BA. She is fierce, strong, says what she means and means what she says. The girl is loyal to a fault, stands up for her friends and family without batting an eye. On the flip side, we get a glimpse of her insecurities and vulnerabilities. Through it all she’s the same funny, witty, sassy Pippa we’ve come to grow and love.
Oh Toby, one minute I was falling for your pushy ways and in the next you were breaking my heart. I loved how he set his sights on Pippa and didn’t give up until he wormed his way into her life. He wasn’t shy about his feelings for her. He was sexy every step of the way, but beneath it all there was a storm brewing. He’s haunted, by his past and a mind that doesn’t want to quit. His thoughts are on a constant loop and Ella portrays the effects of his mental illness with honesty and sensitivity. I think we all know love can be messy, but fighting through the tough times to come out on the other side can be the best reward of all.
I loved Pippa ad Toby as a couple. Their passion and intensity is felt through their entire journey. Their love is intoxicating and all consuming, every moment with them was a treat and I enjoyed every minute of it. Bittersweet Always is honest, real and painful. It’s also a beautiful love story that isn’t like others and that’s what makes this a 5 Star read. You may not realize it that the time, but Ella doesn’t give us what we expect, she gives us what we need. Once you take this journey with her, there is no going back. I for one, could not be happier that I’ve hitched my ride to her beautiful storytelling. I will keep coming back for more!
I was hooked from the very beginning of this story.
This story isn’t an easy one to read. It deals with some uneasy subject matter that so many people deal with every day. I was emotionally all over the place while reading. Shed quite a few tears, cheered for the good times and found myself trying to ease the actual ache in my heart.
These characters are written so well that they felt real to me. I could feel every bit of the emotions, heartbreak and sweetness between them. Toby, sweet Toby. I had such a hard time watching his struggle. I definitely could understand all of Pippa’s feeling about him. I was swooning one moment at the most romantic things that he would say… and in the next moment, I wanted to punch him in his face. Definitely rooting for them to make it throughout the whole book. They will be one of my favorite book couples.
I also really enjoyed all of the other characters in this book. We got a lot of experience with Toby and Pippa’s parents which was a definite side show in itself! And each one of their friends were full of personality. This is one of those books that I couldn’t put down, but looking back wished I had savored it more slowly.
Toby and Pippa. A college age love story of two people deep connection when they first meet. A story of two young people who seem to have everything going for them. Toby popular handsome football player and Pippa beautiful sassy head strong college student. Their connection goes deep that it brings out true matters of the heart and of the mind. Ella writes a story of depth and in detail of loving someone at their best but also at their worst. Can they both survive raw emotional past hurts? Ella writing was so capturing there were times I felt like I was holding my breath during intense scenes. I love Ella’s writing but I’m gonna say this here this is my favorite book of hers. Bravo Ella.
“Because life will happen. Happen with it, but … don’t let it change who you are.”
Bittersweet Always is bitter and sweet and everything in between. It’s bittersweet perfection.
“How well do you really know someone? You don’t.”
To be honest, I didn’t cry while reading this book. But sitting here, trying to gather my thoughts and feelings about it, tears are welling up and goosebumps are spreading, only from thinking about this soul-touching deep story from Pippa and Toby.
“You’re worth it all. And hopefully one day, you’ll see that. See yourself the way I do.”
I knew – because we already met Pippa and Toby in Suddenly Forbidden – that their book will touch a very sensitive and tough topic. What I didn’t expect was that Ella made this feel so damn real. Ella, the way you wrote Toby is beyond exceptional! Being in his mind, I felt his struggle deep in my bones as if it was my own storm and war I was fighting to silence the voices.
“…Love him but never forget to love yourself more.”
Pippa is one of the strongest heroines I’ve ever met. It was an honor to be at her side while she discovered how strong she really is. Sadly because being strong was the only choice she had. But it’s exactly situations like this that forms us into something greater. It takes an insanely strong character to never give up on the person you love and to always believe in him.
“I will not fall victim to the undertow, for I am unsinkable.”
Pippa and Toby’s lovestory is about two young people falling in love. But they not only learn to love and accept each other with everything there is but they also learn to accept and love themselves for what they are. They learn how to be strong for themselves and the other, at an age where you actually shouldn’t worry about such things, where you should live carefree, enjoying life.
“I was under her skin the same way she lived in mine. I beat in her heart the same way she controlled the tempo of mine.”
But fate had other plans for Toby and Pippa. And even though it was tough to read and a more than rocky road they had to pass, they (well actually Ella) created an epic lovestory. Reading this book made my heart ache constantly, I sighed a lot, sometimes I had to pause to let things think in. Every emotion found its way under my skin and stayed there, even after the last page.
“You are what I want. And what I need is for you to love me loudly again. What I need is all of you.”
Intense, touching, rough, sensual, real. That’s what Bittersweet Always is to me. Ella created a lovestory around the sensitive topic of mental health issues that touches your heart and the core of your soul deeply. I wish I could pour me feelings for this book into this review as Ella poured her heart into this book.
“Loving him would always be bittersweet, but I knew then that the sweet would always outweigh the bitter.”
I highly recommend reading this book, experience first hand what I tried to describe here in this review. I’m pretty sure, reading this book won’t disappoint you. Ella has a way with words like Ed Sheeran has with his music: They create magic.
“We stared, and we breathed each other’s breaths. And when the flames climbed, melting me into a mush of sensation, he was right there, burning with me.”
It was amazing
** spoiler alert ** Beautiful!
I cant begin.. with a single word… Every words speak the loudest.. A loud message that you cant ignore…This book scared me the most.. the challenge and fear..Pippa and Toby journey werent easy.. when you hurt the most.. people tend to run.. and i dont know if i am strong enough to stay…
Bittersweet Always were an emotional subject story.. I thought I have cried enough.. apperantly, I cried more.. bitter and hopeless.. I cant contain my emotion when I felt too overwhelmed.. I considered to stop reading it but I cant.. it wont let me…
Ella had written another beautiful story.. this is the current world that we have… the story is very vivid.. everyday people is struggling.. I cant ask for more..
I’VE BEEN PUT THROUGH AN EMOTIONAL WRINGER! But by God it was the best emotional wringer ever. It was pure, pure bliss.
Pippa and Toby: their first meet:
‘My dad said there are moments in your life that simply smack you upside the head. Knowing, as he called it, was when you felt it. Trust it, he’d said. It’s telling you something.’
This book evoked all the emotions. OMG I can’t even tell you how much I loved this book. It was just…OMG I can’t even form the words! I wanted to commit violence, then burst into tears, then cuddles, omg I wanted to give all the cuddles, and I am not a cuddler!
I’m not ashamed to say this book nearly broke me! This author never fails, like ever. Each and every time a fabulous, fanbloodytastic read.
A heartwrenchingly beautiful read from Ella Fields. Toby and Pippa’s story kept me enthralled from the beginning… And by that I mean from when we first meet them in Suddenly Forbidden.
I thoroughly enjoyed this amazing story. She managed to discuss issues that in today’s society aren’t discussed, and made them easier to understand. I applaud her strength in writing it!
There was a great balance of emotions. Angst, happiness, sadness, love, and anger with the perfect amount of humor & steam. As with all of this author’s books, the writing style is so phenomenal that I actually felt like I was there and watching these characters lives.
I love Toby and Pippa’s relationship… I felt they balanced each other beautifully and they grew wonderfully in their own right.
Your heart will be bruised and battered by the end of this story, mine is… But it is so worth it. More worth it than any other book she’s written.
I absolutely, HIGHLY, recommend this amazing book.
Ladies and Gents, Author Ella Fields has done it again…
Toby and Pippa.
Been dying to get my hands on their story since first meeting them in Suddenly Forbidden , which btw is a definite must read as well!
“Love wasn’t glorious. It was messy, unfair, and a burden at times.”
Mental illness is a sensitive subject to discuss, much less create a whole story about then to share that story with the world but Ella Fields does so with tasteful artistry and the respect and care that this subject should be treated with. Pippa and Toby’s story is a complicated one. It’s messy, erratic and absolutely beautiful in its realness and the love that is evident. This story not only talks about romantic love but an all encompassing love despite issues that arise within the characters. Ella Fields has this amazing talent of introducing characters that are so real and relatable, you can’t help but empathize with them.
My heart broke several times while witnessing Pippa and Toby’s story. It was heart wrenching and painful to see them navigate unchartered waters, trying to stay afloat in the love they have.
It was especially hard to see Pippa go through what she does in this story because when we were first introduced to her, we see her as a bad-ass, take charge person who knows what she is capable of and is not afraid of that. Seeing her struggles despite her strength was gut wrenching. Toby’s as well. My heart hurt so much for him and seeing what he was going through.
Their story is beautiful and painful both at the same time and it was bittersweet when I finally finished it because I didn’t want to let go of their story, but at the same time was dying to see how their story is.
Bittersweet Always is definitely a must read for everyone.
Ella will break your heart, but she will put the pieces back together, leaving the memories between them.. She has a way with words that is indescribable (the amount of lines I’ve highlighted in this book is surreal but she really has an amazing way with words)
I loved this story. You will too.
Promise.
Once again Ella Fields has brought us characters that wrap around your heart and won’t let go. Toby and Pippa have to deal with mental illness in different ways but it still affects them. Watching them struggle to find their way and decide if their love is worth the fight is issues I am sure many people deal with these days. Nothing was left out, or fluffed over, it’s a very real and gritty look into mental illness and how if affects all around. Ella Fields always writes characters we can relate to and this book does not disappoint.
Everyone knows I am a HUGE fangirl of Ella Field’s books. Her stories always deliver the emotions I need in order to fall in love with her characters – for them to stay with me long after I close the book. Bittersweet Always has this in spades.
Up til now Jared has been my favourite character from this author. My beautiful, complicated, dirty mechanic Sorry Jared but Toby has stolen your spot. He’s as infuriating as he is endearing and it just made me love him more. A complex character that had me yelling at my Ipad one minute and smiling a dopey smile the next. He’s haunted by demons that not everyone will understand and that makes him not your average romance alpha – I for one, am soooo okay with that.
My love for Pippa started in Suddenly Forbidden when we realised she was the kind of fierce friend every woman needs in their life. In this book you still get her humour and her wit, but you also see her depth and her strength. She’s tested and she proves exactly who she is and what she will and will not tolerate.
This story explores difficult subjects not often covered in romance and it does it beautifully. What happens when the person you love, doesn’t know how to love themselves?
Pippa and Toby together are everything you want in a NA romance – they’re passionate, hilarious and heartbreaking. This one’s not your usual college story and that makes me very happy. I love stories that don’t follow the formula. Not all love stories are easy. Some hurt. Some don’t work out the way you expect. And some work out better than you could ever imagine.
I cannot wait for everyone to meet these two – I have so much love for this extraordinary, brave, smart and funny read. So much love
This book is emotional, and sweet and all the things a good romance book should be. I really enjoyed it!
Passionate & Obsessive!
Such an emotional roller coaster. From happiness, love and smiles to sadness, anger and tears! To want two characters who become everything to each other to survive yet also know they don’t need to be together at that time hurt so badly but their journey to each other and then back again was the things that makes these type of romance stories my favorites.
Pippa is a loyal friend; smart and determined girl who is aggressively OCD about having a clean space! She has absolutely no desire to be some college boy’s fling, having already had her meaningless flings; she knows that she wants to wait for something real. When Toby meets Pippa and gets to know her; he realizes that his player ways won’t work on her. Way too fast these two become everything to each other but when things are revealed on both sides that threaten their connection, they have to decide if they will run away from or towards one another.
I can’t even begin to tell you how much it hurt to read Toby’s POV sometimes. It hit so close to home for me; it just hurt but it also made me feel a little less alone. We all have our demons and we all also handle them differently. Some of us can find a way to live with them and some of us never fully recover from them. Ella Fields wrote Toby’s story in a way that almost portrays someone who has lived it. Not just in the terminology and character experiences included but in the inner emotions throughout the entire book. It just made it all feel so much more real, which is something that I enjoy in my books. Not all great love stories are flowers and smiles; we often have to battle our ugliest demons to hold onto the greatest things that come our way.
Gray Springs University is a series of standalones! Each book is about a different couple, the timelines in each book kind of play out alongside each other. Which means you can read just one or all of them; if you think you’ll read them all I suggest starting with book 1 (Suddenly Forbidden) and read them in order. I recommend reading all of them because each one has a different trope.
Gray Springs University
#1 Suddenly Forbidden
#2 Bittersweet Always
#3 Pretty Venom
Damn what an emotion ride. Loved every second of it!
I am a huge Ella Fields fan, so I have anxiously awaited Pippa & Toby’s story. As usual, it does not disappoint. I don’t even know where to start…Toby is such a complex character. He’s the alpha, the neat freak, the athlete; but when you get a glimpse into his troubled mind, that’s when you see the true depth of his character. Toby & Pippa’s story is complicated, it’s heartbreaking, but it’s beautiful. This is a must read, five stars story that will stay with you long after the last page.
4.5 stars
I loved Bittersweet Always and thought it handled mental health issues well. Toby and Pippa were a great couple and I was excited that they got their own book after meeting them in book one. I really loved their story.
“Loving him would always be bittersweet, but I knew then that the sweet would always outweigh the bitter.”
This story was written so well. It was heartbreaking and beautiful. I was emotionally all over the place. It was so raw and real.
Pippa is a young, fun, fierce, beautiful girl. She is a freshman at college. Toby is a young, very complex, tortured college football player. He isn’t only a player on the field. But when he sees Pippa, he knows that’s it. He wants her. But Toby is fighting inner demons. It’s not easy living with a mental illness.
I loved their chemistry. I have a girl crush on Pippa. And Toby, my sweet, sweet boy! I loved their relationship. It was not easy, not all love stories are, but they make it work. It hurts, but the pain is worth it. They are worth it. And I’m so glad Ella shared their wonderful story.
Holy nut on a cracker. My heart just went through the blender and was pieced together with tape after finishing this work of art. The sayings that Pippa came up with was witty and funny. She was such a strong character. I envied her. I felt for Toby. I think everyone has someone in their life with battles no one else can see. Ella covered the topic beautifully. She made you fall in love with Toby, want to screw Toby, hate Toby, and like true Ella fashion, love him again. My heart physically hurt at a certain point during this book and you just need to read it to find out when that was.
I finally finished my last backlist book by Ella Fields. I was trying to savor these gems but needed to read all of her words at the same time. It is a catch 22. This is a series, however, you can read all as standalone books. Each book in the Gray Spring University feature a different couple. I actually discovered Ella reading Pretty Venom which is the 3rd book in the series and I wasn’t lost one bit.
#avidreaderbookblog #readingislife #bookblogger #review #reading #bookaddict #booklover #angst #romance #physicalburn #reading #avidreader
*4 Stars*
I’m really enjoying this series. I was definitely very curious about Toby and Pippa’s story after reading the first book in this series. I knew that both of these guys had some things to deal with, but Toby in particular.
I have no personal experience with issues such as Toby’s, but I feel that Ella Fields did a great job with how she wrote this story, and highlighted such things.
This was a really tumultuous ride for these two, and I was really not sure how things would truly play out, or what kinds of obstacles they would face.
There was also quite the shock at the end in relation to the couple in the next book, and I’ll be diving right into that one too.
Pippa & Toby’s story is bittersweet and was a good story!
Enjoying this series and all the characters!
How do you write a sensitive subject and make it a beautiful love story. It’s not pretty which I appreciated it took a lot of soul searching. I loved Toby and Pippa from the first book and so glad they got their own story. As we find out Toby has mental health issues and this is about how he and Pippa deal. So many parts in this story made me cry my eyes balls out, very hurtful, painstaking but totally worth it I do appreciate a good cry. It’s a great love story and if you loved the first one you will love this one too.