Ronnie Childs has questions.What if she’d said “yes” to Matthew Carling that day?Why does he now hate her with a chilling iciness that numbs her bones and makes her heart ache?How can they work together when they can’t even be friends?Is it possible to still be the same as you once were when everything has changed so much?So many questions and so little time to discover the answers.Once Ronnie … little time to discover the answers.
Once Ronnie and Matthew were best friends, but time has moved on and those memories are now locked in the shadow of the past.
Things would be so different if they were young, but sometimes the answers to life’s challenges aren’t always as straightforward as they seem.
Fifteen years have passed by in a blink.
Will fifteen days be enough to make things right?more
4.5 stars!! Reading about Ronnie, I could totally relate to her. She has social anxiety, something I was actually diagnosed with in college. When she speaks, IF she can even get the words out, they come out all wrong. I totally understand that. She has obsessed over her best friend in college, Matthew for years! No matter how much she tries, she just can’t forget him. Well Ronnie, you aren’t the only one who can’t forget, as we find out. Things aren’t as they seem at all as the story unravels. At first this book seems like a story about a lady who can’t get over the past but as I read it I understood it is much more than that. And it was well worth the read! We all have wants and needs, do we know the difference? Do you realize when it’s time to take control of your own life instead of letting other people control your destiny? It was witty, enlightening, sad, and happy all within the 300 pages. I can’t wait to read more from Anna Bloom and to continue the story of Ronnie and Matthew in the next book!
~Alexis
I really appreciated this read because the heroine struggles with social anxiety. I struggle with that as well and its makes you feel not alone. The themes were just very realistic.
A second chance/former best friends romance that packs a punch. The anticipation was killing me. Alot of misunderstandings and miscommunication lead to unwanted and unnecessary events.
The ending isn’t what is seems because their story isn’t over yet. It made me want to throw my kindle but I’m excited about their story continuing in another book. A wonderful, well written read.
Falling in love with your best friend can only lead Ronnie and Matthew down a path to have a perfectly imperfect romance. Built on regret and sadness of the past and intertwining the day to day mishaps and the hope of a better future this book had me hooked. This is my first book by Anna Bloom but i can guarantee it will not be my last.
Passionate, emotional and an all consuming story of love, friendship and second chances.
The story of Ronnie and Matthew. Their heartfelt story began as teens, crushing on each other until they went their separate ways.
Seeing each other again 15 years later brings up a lot of questions of what if’s and what could have been. This leads them to embark on a journey to find closure and and make new discoveries.
The result was a beautiful story.
The story flowed well and overall I enjoyed it. Told in Ronnie’s POV, I wish we had Matthew’s POV as well. However, it didn’t take away enjoying the story.
This is my first read by this author and it certainly won’t be my last!
What happens when you don’t say what you really want to say? It changes the course of your life.
Ronnie experiences anxiety so debilitating she struggles to speak when it matters most. After losing the love of her life, Ronnie perseveres. With carefully built comfort zones for survival, she creates a good life, a bearable life, or so she thinks…until the love of her life walks back in. Then everything changes. Ronnie soon realizes that things aren’t as they seem. She begins questioning everything. Every thought, every moment, every decision.
The author gives us a well told story, slowly unfolding significant parts building the suspense and anticipation. As things are revealed, the decisions Ronnie needs to make become clearer. But unfortunately, the betrayal you never knew was there, is revealed bringing with it painful devastation.
A well-crafted story I highly recommend.
To me this book is a pretty unusual second chance romance. It felt somehow more real…. And I think, not saying what we want, not doing what feels right out of obligation, this is real and everybody will find himself in this, somewhere. Social anxiety is real and living in a marriage just because you think it’s the right thing to do, even if you are unhappy.
If We Were Young gutted me. Seriously. Such a touching story woven in beautiful words by Anna Bloom! It’s raw, it’s real and makes you feel all the things!
Another amazing read by the amazing Anna Bloom. With each book, I read of hers. The more I fall in love with her ability to weave her words together and have me spellbound, taking me on a journey and making me lose myself within the pages and she did just that with this book.
My heart broke for Ronnie but at the same thing, I was so proud of the strength she had. She’s a single mom and had never been in love with anyone, apart from her best friend from college Matthew, but she hadn’t seen him since but life throws them together and they cross paths again. Matthew needs help and that help can come from Ronnie. But the thing is… It’s not like it was before and Ronnie can’t seem to understand why Matthew hates her, or so it seems. But the more time they spend together, the more their past starts to come up and in to play and what is highlighted most about their past is where they both went wrong, whether they both let it as well. But will they be able to repair 15 years of damage, is it worth trying to fix all the mistakes these two made or is it better left the way it was?
I loved these two, and like I’ve said before with each book of Anna Blooms I read the more I fall in love with her writing. Her style is flawless and had me completely consumed and taken with this love story. The love story itself is so familiar to me. It hit home for me a little and that was a little scary.
The one thing I love most about this author is that you can feel the passion behind these stories that she’s put in as you read along.
I honestly cannot recommend this book enough or this author!
Worthy of so much more than 5 Stars!
Oh you guys, Anna Bloom has hit me in the feelings with this one. We all have that one, the one love that we look back on with the ultimate question of What if? What would you do if you had a second chance? If We Were Young is Ronnie and Matthew’s story, their second chance!
What I love about this book is we are dealing with older( not old) but more mature H and h. They were young and things didn’t work so they both moved on with their lives. When fate( or someone) brings them face to face again after fifteen years apart will they be able to confront some of their issues and more forward and have a second chance at love?
I enjoyed the angst and all the glimpses of what might have been, but also where they went wrong in the past, that the author gives us in this book. Ronnie and Matthew’s story wasn’t a cakewalk in the park. I was raw and real. It was hard and heartbreaking at times. But in the end, it was perfectly right as it should be.
If you love second chance romances that will hit you right in the gut. Give you heat, angst, forgiveness and love, Pick up this book today!
If We Were Young is a wonderful story of first loves and losses. A tale of two best friends that secretly fell in love but never revealed their feelings to one another. Life led them down separate paths and 16 years later they meet again. The novel is the story of how their lives have changed, regrets and longing are held close to their chests; but does that first love ever really leave you?
Anna did a great job with the plot, I loved that the characters were mid thirties and had both gone through life apart in the way that’s expected, marriage, children, a career; but despite that both Matthew and Hannah longed for the connection to another person that they felt all those years ago. I love second chance romances, or a tale of soulmates finding each other and this was one that was well worth reading, Anna built a strong back story to her characters that all pieced together at the end in a surprising way that led the characters to where they are now. It’s not just a romance novel though it was also a story about a Mother, daughter bond and the importance of communication within any relationship. I definitely look forward to reading more from Anna in the future.
I couldn’t put my kindle down, I loved the characters and their story. I was pulled in within the first few pages.
Ronnie has been through a lot, she’s strong in many ways. Her mother is a little overbearing considering she is 35! I found the fact she has social anxiety refreshing as it’s so common in the real world.
Matthew, okay how do I put this…. His a little moody at times, but omg his a keeper, especially when you get to know him and how his life has gone.
It is not the first time I’ve read this author and she has a knack of submerging me within the characters life and story and not letting go until the last page.
My advice, find a few spare hours or most of your Sunday like me and devour this book.
I am so torn over this book and the words and feelings it invoked. The emotional push and pull between these two was tiring but necessary. So many years of miscommunication or lack of words just made me crazy yet it so real. I personally have experienced it not only in myself but in my daughter and now grand daughter, so yeah I get it. The fact that she recognizes and does things to try and work through it are commendable especially when she also reaches out to make sure that her daughter doesn’t follow the same path. After years of being apart they finally find themselves together and yet they still have problems using their words. She may be the only one that has labeled her problem with words but she’s not the only one that experience it. With friends that don’t help, secrets they held close but are slow to share, lack of communication but a strong deep love for each other, these two are in a battle for their lives, together.
That’s not all. Of course this author lets real life and real issues battle this couple. With all of the changes and life taking their digs this couple will have to overcome their communication angst and be totally in or they will be totally out. Is this their full story, not by a long shot so yeah be ready for a non-ending and a wait to finish. Is it worth it? Absofreakinglutely. The emotions and turmoil they face is too real. In this day and time where you don’t have to work hard to find the easy way they will have to do it the only way it will work, slow and easy. One step, one word, one problem at a time.
This is the first time I’ve read a book by this author and I wasn’t disappointed it was absolutely fabulous. This book deserves all it’s five stars including many more and it totally sucked me right into it from the beginning.
This book is a story of second chances, romance, love, regret, then forgiveness and hope, the question is do we ever change or do we always remain the same people we’ve always been deep down inside ?
Ronnie lives with her ma and her teenage daughter and Ronnie has sometimes suffered with extreme anxiety at times too.
Ronnie and Matthew had been best friends when they were younger and Ange is Ronnies best friend and has always got her back, or has she?
They had not seen each other for years until the reunion and it’s been 15 years since they last spoke. It may as well have been 15 million for Ronnie though, it’s been so very difficult at times.
In a cruel twist of fate Ronnie and Matthew end up needing to work together for their businesses to survive the problem is can they put their personal issues aside to be professional ?
They were so different when they we’re young. ( NO SPOILERS).
I really liked the characters in this book especially Ronnies daughter she made me laugh. Although I really felt for Ronnie at times too and with the anxiety so powerful I knew how she felt trying to cope with her life and what has happened and her very real issues, whilst also trying to parent her teenage daughter is hard to sometimes, especially with her ma butting in.
This book is very real and relatable and there is a very real struggle happening. This story is very realistic and true and It’s filled with alot of drama as with real life and love and forgiveness.This book is hot and sometimes a very humorous read.
This book is a complete page turner and I just couldn’t put it down it keeps you gripped from the start.The ending wow, I literally can’t wait, totally for more from these characters.
I absolutely loved this book and I cannot wait to read more from this author in the future.
Thank you to the author and publishers for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I would highly recommend reading this book when it gets released.
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Oh my! I so didn’t want this book to end. It’s a story that will encompass your mind and heart. The writing is beautiful and heartfelt; it truly is a jewel of a book. A powerful tale of ‘what if’ and second chances. Not all things in real life are straightforward especially feelings of the heart. Ronnie and Matthew take a painful journey filled with raw emotions and heartbreak but also a strong undercurrent of hope.
Many readers will relate with Ronnie; debilitating social anxiety has pathed her life and many missed opportunities has meant her life took a different direction to what she had hoped for. Her past regrets have stayed with her and her former best friend, Matthew has never strayed far from her mind.
Their story is accompanied with a stellar supporting cast especially Ronnie’s teenage daughter, Hannah; she was an absolute star! Typical teenage girl who is rebelling and craving all the right attention from her Mum. Their tender heart-wrenching interactions had me shedding a tear.
‘If We Were Young’ has five stars stamped all over it. A story of regret but also of following a new path in life and risking taking a chance.
Anna Bloom takes you on totally different journey with If We Were Young. The emotions are all over the place; there is grief, devastation, hope, exhilaration, lust, absolute fear, and undeniable love. You cannot help but feel deeply for Veronica and all the storms she weathers through. Matthew is her dream. Her forever friend that left her with no hope of happiness. When they finally run into each other in the lift at the reunion the past and the present collide like two stars in space.
The fall out is unbelievable, but so worth it!!
This is the first time I have ever read anything form this author, and I was not disappointed, this book was a great read, that kept me interested, and engaged, the whole way through. This is the story of Matthew, and Ronnie. Once friends, 15 years has past, with ‘what ifs’, and regrets, they reunite, and get a second chance. This book was emotional, raw, intense, dramatic, and a must read. I look forward to reading more from this author.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading my first book by Anna Bloom. The miscommunication, longing and regrets years after Ronnie and Matthew have moved on with their lives made me feel sad for them.
The internal thoughts that ran through Ronnie’s mind and her regrets of her past mistakes with Matthew were hard for her to verbalize. The anxiety over her unrequited feelings for Matthew were so difficult for her to deal with. My heart really felt for her.
When Matthew does come back into her life years later there was again a sense that these two were not expressing feelings and emotions enough to clarify their past. I was rooting for their second chance. I would love to know what Matthew was thinking or what his point of view is in book two, When We Are Old. I can’t wait!
Beautiful story, written with such feeling. I loved this book!
Heartache and regrets have plagued Ronnie since the day her anxiety stopped her saying the words she needed to say to the boy she loved, who didnt know how she felt. He disappeared from her life and broke her heart and she’s always wondered what if….. When they meet again 15 years later, needing each other to save their respective businesses, can they learn to forgive the past and move into a future with no more regrets?
I didn’t know what to make of Matthew to start with, he was so angry and aloof. We got an impression of how he was from Ronnie’s memories, but were they through tinted glasses? How could a man and a friendship that had been so good, go so horribly bad. Matthew was like an onion, the more layers that got peeled away, the softer he seemed and the more we found how much he’d suffered too and why. He certainly won me over, convincingly!
Its a close call because this author has written some truly wonderful heroines, but Ronnie I think is my favourite. I absolutely loved her, she was strong and resilient but so vulnerable. There were so many times I just wanted to hug her and be the friend she really needed. My heart broke for her fears, the anxieties she’d always had and struggled to overcome and be acknowledged, even by her own ma. Sometimes the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and her daughter was a wonderful character and they drew strength from each other.
This book is full of emotion, real and raw. I could truly empathize with some of Ronnie’s traits, it was eye opening when you see some of your own personality on the pages.
Since discovering Anna Bloom just over a year ago, I always look forward to her words and again am blown away by them. A truly beautiful read, a slow burning love story that ignites into red hot flames as past truths and heartbreaking revelations come to light. A HFN ending that surely must lead to more of these wonderful characters.
4.5 stars
They were the bestest of friends until the day they weren’t.
Harsh words, and hurt feelings drove them apart but the love never died.
He’s her obsession, she can’t get through a day without thoughts of him, even now eighteen years later.
Can a reunion clear her mind of him, or is she forever destined to dream of what was and what could of been.
What a beautiful yet soul destroying book.
My heart bled for all that they lost, and the memories they didnt get to make.
Words were all they needed and everything could of been so different.
Ronnie is a unique one of a kind character who has a heart of gold and puts herself last no matter what.
Matthew is the guy who was never good enough, who was forced to walk away and give up his dreams.
I could of cried so many tears for them and their story it’s so heartbreaking and sad.
Their road is a long and lonely one my friends, be prepared!
Anna has created a first class read that plays upon your heartstrings like no other.
I cant wait to see where the story goes next later in the year!
Anna Bloom does tortured characters incredibly well. There’s nothing over the top and they feel real to the core.
Ronnie and Matthew are quite a pair. Perfectly matched but both allowing themselves and others to get in the way of their happiness for YEARS.
This second-chance romance is full of heart – broken, and mended – and interesting look at what makes families and friends tick and just how far fate will sometimes go to get a couple together again. Whether or not they’re together to stay remains to be seen – can’t wait for When We Are Old!
I loved this! Once I’d started I could not put this book down.
Told from Ronnie’s point of view, this revolves around her social anxiety and a misunderstanding 15 years before. Ronnie has her own business and is thrown back together with Matthew a friend from university 15yrs before, when something happened, causing their friendship to fall apart. But now the pair must work past their apparent dislike and anger towards each other in order to save 2 businesses. Ronnie’s anxiety was so well written it was easy to empathise with her. The side characters were all well written providing a very realistic and believable story. I loved it and can’t wait to read more.