Only Ever You – Siobhan Davis

Genre: Romance
Pages: 373
Release Date: February 28, 2019

He’s the hot-as-sin rocker hiding a secret that would devastate his fans. She’s the only girl he’s ever loved, but keeping her safe means he had to walk away…

RYDER

My entire life is a lie, propelled by one wrong decision that altered my fate.

If fans knew the truth, they’d run away screaming. But all they see is Ryder Stone, moody guitarist and lead singer of Torment, and a potential notch on their bedpost.

Only two people know who I really am. My manager has a vested interest in keeping my secret, and the girl I was forced to leave behind doesn’t even know the true extent of my shame.

Losing Zeta is both my biggest regret and my proudest moment. But she was the glue keeping me together, and I’m struggling to survive without her. Especially when demons from my past continue to haunt me and the threat of disclosure is ever present.

When she reappears in my life, this time, I’m too weak to push her away.

Her love has the power to save me.

Mine has the power to destroy her.

ZETA

I’ve worked hard to forget my past. To rise above my messed-up childhood and make something of myself; however, there’s no forgetting him.

Ryder’s gorgeous face and drool-worthy body are plastered over tabloids and TV screens, reminding me I’m still in love with the boy who captured my heart in juvie.

When he failed me, I thought I’d never again experience such heart-crushing pain. But watching him fall out of clubs with a succession of different girls renews the agony, resurrecting countless unanswered questions.

Now my boss has sent me to interview him. It’s a massive scoop for the magazine, and turning it down would kill my career. So, I delude myself into thinking I can handle this.

Perhaps this is the closure I need to finally move on.

Except I’m terrified nothing has changed and one look into those soulful eyes will suck me in again.

Ryder almost destroyed me last time. This time, he could ruin me forever.

Only Ever You is an emotionally heavy novel about the power of first love, forgiveness, and mental health. Only Ever You follows two teenagers who fall in love in an unlikely setting only to be ripped apart. Eight years later, they’re reintroduced to each other as wholly different people than they were before.

As with all Siobhan Davis novels, Only Ever You tackles a lot of heavy topics. I would make a trigger warning disclaimer, but it would be a paragraph long list of almost every possible trigger. So, be warned.

Only Ever You is told in two parts, to which I am eternally grateful. The entire novel hinges on the main characters’, Zeta and Ryder, connection to each other because without it the story falls flat. Davis takes her time in developing the characters and their relationship slowly and methodically by giving readers an in-depth look into their past as opposed to simple flashbacks. Part two picks up eight years later and thus kicks off this roller coaster of a story.

The chemistry between Zeta and Ryder is hot. Their banter is sensually charged, yet playful and fun. Zeta and Ryder have two different relationships in this book, so experiencing the evolution of each is exciting and insightful. What plays a large role in their relationship is Ryder and is emotional baggage. Ryder is easily the most broken male character I’ve ever read. He deals with a lot of mental health issues throughout the novel, namely addiction, depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. This plays a significant role in how Ryder and Zeta interact and cope.

As a result of Ryder’s vulnerability and fragility, there is a lot of drama in Only Ever You. If you’re not a fan of drama in romance then this novel is something you should steer clear of. Only Ever You is almost a 400-page novel and most of it is filled with drama. It wasn’t until the last 20-30% where I became annoyed with the next hurdle thrown their way.

One of the things I disliked most about the novel was the dialogue. On one hand, the dialogue flows nicely with their sensual and fun banter. On the other, it stumbles often with its over the top declarations of love and longing. Most of the time it just feels extra.

Overall, Only Ever You is an emotionally hard-hitting novel that might not be for everyone. The first chapter sets the tone for the novel while delivering a sucker punch readers won’t see coming.

***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book

 

Have you read Only Ever You? What did you think?