My huge thanks to Rachel Kennedy by Penguin Random House for sending me a surprise copy of What if I never surpassed you? By Paige Toon. It is a pleasure to share my review of What if I never surpassed you? today.
A little over a year ago since I checked the Paige SEven summers And you will find that publication here.
Posted by Penguin on April 10, 2025, What if I never surpassed you? It is available for purchase through the editor’s links here.
What if I never surpassed you?
Three days to fall in love. Six years to try to forget.
Ellie did not expect to fall in love while traveling through Europe. But I didn’t expect to meet a man like Ash.
Three scoring days in Lisbon is all that is needed to form an unforgettable connection, deep enough to plan to meet again in Madrid. But Ellie is late, and Ash is nowhere.
Six years later, Ash’s memory and his time together still burns deeply in Ellie’s heart. She hopes that the work of her dreams as a gardener on a large farm in Wales will bring the new beginning that she desperately needs.
But when Ash unexpectedly returns to his life, Ellie is forced to wonder if the universe has other plans …
My review of what happens if I never suggest you?
Ellie and Ash fall in love in Lisbon, but fate intervenes.
There are some books that are really difficult to review properly and What if I never surpassed you? It is one of those books. I just want to say: ‘Buy it because it is absolutely wonderful’, but that does not explain why I think this is the most beautiful story or why I adored each word.
Paige Toon’s style is easy to read, not because it is superficial, but because his dialogue is natural, his immersive and convincing plot, and his ability to imbute his writing with a deep and credible emotion has no parallel. It’s quite wonderful.
What is so impressive is the credibility of the plot. My heart hurt for the lost opportunities and years for Ellie and Ash. I was desperate because they were together, but at all times, fate, family and responsibility intervened until I was sure how much more could my emotions resist. The story is so romantic, so fascinating and so fantastic.
Ellie and Ash’s characters feel instantly vivid, real and identifiable. They are largely the product of their education and the past has a very important role to play slowly, so that the reader knows them gradually, in the same way that real relationships develop.
Together with memorable protagonists and a glorious plot there are excellent descriptions, both in Lisbon and in Wales. The horticultural reference, the songs and real locations add depth and texture so that it feels as if you were there next to Ellie. What if I never surpassed you? It is a party for the senses, as well as for emotions.
Even more affected are shoring issues. Of course, there is a beautiful romantic element, but the darkest issues are also handled with skill consummated by Paige Toon. The difficult relationships that sometimes exist between parents and children, the dynamics of marriage and class, our ability to reinvent ourselves, pain and the immense capacity of human nature to endure, sit without problems along with the power of nature, the impact of the media and a sense of history.
In case I haven’t made it clear, I worshiped What if I never surpassed you? without reserve. It is a book that stays with the reader long after the final page turns. I recommend it without serving.
About Paige Toon
Paige Toon is the best -selling author of seventeen novels for adults and three titles for young adults, and her books have sold more than 2 million copies worldwide.
Paige writes emotional and radical love stories full of incredible configurations and characters that he will never forget. She tells nuanced stories with large and provocative issues of thought in her heart that leave you raised and believing in the power of love. You will laugh, cry and feel that you have become part of a new family. She lives in Cambridgeshire with her husband and two children.
For more information, follow Paige on Twitter/X @Paigetoonauthor, visit your website or find Paige on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
