Forever Never Always

Forester Family, Book 1

By: Hanna Holt

Narrated by: Alexander Cendese, Emily Ellet

The last thing Ash Forester needs is to be in a relationship. For the past seven years, taking care of his eight siblings has been his top priority. With a life full of signing school agendas, diffusing tantrums, and attending parent-teacher conferences, Ash has almost forgotten what real love feels like and he's determined to keep it that way.

The last person April Wallis ever wants to see again is Ash. Imagine her surprise when she finds him whispering in the high school secretary's ear, and picking up a brother she didn't know existed. Newly single, temporarily an art teacher, and constantly wondering why she's so unlucky in love, April moved to a small-town she doesn't know with a plan to start fresh, but now she's determined to make sure history doesn't repeat itself.

Seven years ago, Ash left April's bed in the middle of the night with nothing but an emailed good-bye and a disconnected phone line. April's reappearance makes Ash question whether the decision he made was the right one, and forces him to face the demons he's been holding at arm's length ever since the fateful night that changed his family forever.

©2020 Hanna Holt (P)2021 Tantor

I loved this book

If you are looking for a spicy hot romance this isn’t it. That isn't to say they don't get very physical a time or two
Rather then looking at this a Not-a-Romance look at this as a More-then-JUST-a -romance. The romance in the book is what moves the book alone it vehicle of how we meet Ash and his 8 siblings. This is a layered book that stacks love, judgement, guilt, anger and above all trust on top of one family just trying to live a life and stay together in some way. The focus of the book is Ash the 30-ish guardian of his 8 siblings 4 of whom are still under age. We learn how his full story unfold though the lens of his collage ex-girl friend who is just moved to town to teach art at the high school. A mutual friend from collage got her the job and has kept her continued friendships from both. They had been been together in collage in an in the moment kind of way. She is still angry with him about how he ended things and how much he kept from her. As they get closer as adults we get a clear picture of how their adult lives have unfolded. We also see what Ash's home life was back then. We also learn her story just how deeply Ash hurt her. As enmeshed as this family is each sibling is an individual with how they respond to the small town they life in is unique to just them. The truth is slowly reveled one page at at time. You will be looking for a 'bad guy' thought out the book and even if you find one the next chapter will smack and you'll realize that person has a story to. This is the family we all get to judge this is the family that is the butt of all our pop culture jokes this is a humbling book that everyone needs to read.
This is one of the best book I listened to in a long time. I loved this book so much that not only do I think this is this credit worthy but i bought the hard copy.
The performance is quality as well.

I wanted to like this book

Loved the Forester family and the struggle that Ash faces in figuring out how to support his siblings while also relieving the pressure he places on himself. Saw that as having a lot of potential and there's clearly room to build this world out further with the other siblings. But the MFC was whiny, incredibly self-centered, and demanding that she know everything about everyone (including her BFF's marriage) without any examination of why that was an unrealistic and uncompromising stance. No recognition that maybe Ash was going through some things and that, while he maybe didn't handle their early relationship in the way she would've liked, he had a LOT land on his plate and it's little wonder he went through some things in trying to sort that situation out. I just could not see how she was in any way prepared to handle the responsibility being his partner will entail. Her fragility around Ash (past and present), her prior marriage, and her BFF -- kept waiting for any of that to be addressed and... crickets.