Forever Ago: A Dark College Romance

This has got to be one of the most emotional books I’ve ever read, it was raw, gritty, absolutely full of angst and grief. It poured off the pages splintering my heart with each word. I felt it all, I’ve never cried so much reading a book, it was heartbreaking but so good. Zeke and Hallie meet at a bereavement counselling group. Hallie has lost both her parents (10 years apart), has one friend Robin (such a great side character) and feels completely alone, suffocating under the weight of her grief. Zeke is consumed with guilt over the death of his brother and struggles with substance abuse on the daily. He is instantly attracted to Hallie especially when she tells him to shut up in group and the next time they meet she punches him for talking trash about said group. Zeke soon wins Hallie round with his bad boy persona, mixed with his softer side that is just for her. Their love isn’t all sunshine and rainbows but it’s real and messy and intense. Zeke struggles with addiction trying to keep his demons away but they’re always there chomping at his heels. Hallie is such a brilliant FMC is she literally the definition of strength, some of which I believe comes from having Zeke in her life. This story doesn’t have your conventional HEA but I did shed a few happy tears. J Rose has written something that deals with grief in such an honest and deeply moving way. A powerful message that it’s ok that it hurts because it means it was real, the love you had was real. I cannot express the full extent of emotions I went through with this book but I will say highly I recommend it.

I both love and hate this book. I do not hate because of the book, the writing, this is a first for me from this author. I was actually going to read another book and saw her suggested reading order so decided to go all in and start here as per her suggestion online. My angst is from how infuriating and sad this book is! Our FMC Hallie is swallowed by grief and doing all she can to pull herself from it. At counselling she meets the MMC Zeke. He’s on a spiral of self destruction he can’t get off. No matter how much he knows he doesn’t deserve her, Hallie calls to him and gives him hope that things could be better. This is a very difficult book to read. Zeke is struggling with grief, mental illness and major drug addiction to numb the pain. This is a very honest read, the cycle of constantly trying to help someone who doesn’t want to help themselves but hurts you in the process. I think for anyone that’s been in that situation it’s hard to read or like myself who hasn’t been but just feels like shaking Zeke and saying stop thinking you’re better leaving when you’re being told it’s better you’re around. That is the crux of mental health and addiction is it not. People who are suffering think their loved ones are better off alone and can’t see through the fog. This is a very good book but it is a hard read, it’s infuriating and gripping, real and honest and not everyone gets their HEA 4⭐️3🌶️

I’m lost for words. I loved and hated this story equally. The love that Hallie and Zeke share is timeless and it gave me so much hope at times. But that’s the thing with hope: it can be crushed as easily as it starts. The ending? That’s the part I hated, mainly because I love happy endings. This is a love story so emotionally raw that it makes you bleed slowly inside. It gives you hope just crush it easily. It makes you believe only to despair again. Mental health is real and the biggest monster of them all is our own self. It eats you from the inside and doesn’t let you out of it clutches until there’s nothing left of you. Just like Hallie, I loved Zeke and I mourned him with her. That feel of your chest caving out, the opening of the black pit, will follow me for days after this story. This is not a story for the faint hearted.

This book…. THIS BOOK was absolutely everything. Their story gave me everything, and then snatched it away. Gone… “If it hurts, it’s real.” I read through the entire book in one day. I absolutely devoured it. But I can’t lie, I am heartbroken, their ending was so sad, but I guess these are the stories that stick with you the most. They are for me anyway. I absolutely balled my little heart out at the end. Don’t get me wrong, they fought, HARD, their story wasn’t light and fluffy, it was dark, heavy and raw. Filled with so much emotion, love & longing to be eachothers everything. But when all is said and done, it isn’t always that easy. Hallie & Zeke show us that sometimes we loose our way, and don’t ever find it. “Keep the light on for me.” I loved their story so much, and I can’t stop thinking about them, definitely another favourite read of the year.

I found it difficult to feel sad or happy at the end of this story because I did not connect with the characters. Possibly a personal barrier I erected from their very first meeting where I'd have run a million miles in the opposite direction.

You know when people say there's a book that has stayed with them forever after reading it? 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲. I don't even know where to begin for a review of this book, because how do you review something that's just so emotionally raw, heartbreaking and has left an everlasting impression on you? '𝐾𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦.' I don't want to give too much of this story away because so much happens. I will say this book perfectly shows different stages of grief throughout, how all consuming addiction can be and different struggles with mental health issues. Which is what makes this book so real, you're frustrated/happy/sad for Hallie and Zeke because they seem so real with their real problems and issues. '𝑃𝑎𝑙𝑚 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑑, 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑓𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑓 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑚𝑒.' I know this book will be on my mind for a while, and like I said at the start of my review - this will stay with me forever. I honestly can't fault it in anyway. J Rose had completely out done herself with this book. I will recommend this to everyone - and yes, I ugly cried while reading this. '𝐼𝑓 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑡'𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙.'

I knew going in this wasn't going to be an HEA and although I guessed at why that might be it didn't lessen the impact when it happened. The book is read by Big Bear Audio who is a new to me narrator who provided both the female and male narration which I enjoyed. For most of the book, I struggled with Hallie and Zeke's relationship as it felt a little one sided. There are glimpses of what could be but when things get hard Zeke went straight back to his default coping mechanism. Zeke had an addiction before he met Hallie but I didn't ever feel he was fighting for them in the same way Hallie was. There also seemed to be a lot left off the page like Zeke's relapse and what truly happens at the end. I'd also have liked to have seen more of the connection between Hallie and Zeke developing as it seemed to get really heavy really quick especially when Hallie had never been in a relationship before. That being said this put me through the emotional wringer; I had bookmarked the quote "little by little we let go of loss, but never love" at the time and when the extended epilogue hit, I burst into tears which took me completely off guard. I wasn't sure of the exact timeline of them being together but knowing Hallie still saw Zeke as the man he could have been after all this time and that he remained her all time love just devastated me. As someone on their own grief journey, I felt so connected to that element of the story even if it made me cry!

I knew this book was going to be emotional from the outset but it completely ruined me. Hallie and Zeke’s story was beautiful and awful and sad and really touching. When you haven’t been in their position it’s hard to know what you would do, but I couldn’t help falling in love with them both. It was heartbreaking at times and beautifully written.

5 stars BUT This ain't romance and this isn't an "unconventional" HEA. 🤷🏻‍♀️ It was really freaking good though. Not my normal kind of read, but this author could make me read anything apparently.

I do not have the words to describe how purely wonderful this book was. “Forever Ago” by J Rose is the ugly story of love found in the midst of intense guilt and grief. It isn’t pretty, and it isn’t easy, and it isn’t fair, and it can break you. Rose warns the reader in the beginning, “This isn’t a fairy tale. In the real world, not all endings are happy. But it isn’t the destination that matters – it’s the journey,” and she was NOT wrong. The story of Ezekiel Rhodes and Hallie Burns is certainly not a fairytale and if that is what you’re looking for, I’d move on because “Forever Ago” will challenge you to think deep, love hard, be hopelessly hopeful, and emotionally vulnerable. Just my kind of book! 🖤🖤 This book is full of heartache… like my literal heart aches after finishing this book. Zeke tried EVERYTHING to be the man Hallie needed and wanted and let her down at every turn. But this girl, man she’s strong, she NEVER walked away from him or gave up on him. Rose did a wonderful job of portraying a love story during the worst points in someone’s life. She uses the term “North Star” when referring to what Zeke and Hallie are to each other and that’s the perfect way to understand what they mean to each other. But the reality is, Rose could have ended the story in a nice little bow where they each get the HEA they are searching for and deserve, but real life isn’t like that and I think she did the characters and the story justice by staying true to their journey and the journey of so many struggling with grief and addiction. My heart beat and burst from cover to cover. I have nothing but complimentary words to describe this book, Rose’s character development and storyline, and overall feeling once finishing the book. It’s a dark type of story, taking a deep dive into a person’s darkest space, but it’s beautiful — a beautiful masterpiece. I will be thinking of Zeke and Hallie for a while, still cheering them on. 💔 Rating: 5/5 ⭐️ Spice: 3.5/5 🌶️ Triggers: 💥 Scenes of addiction 💥 Intense grief 💥 Bereavement 💥 Sui@ide 💥 Toxic relationships 💥 Mental health issues.

I was hooked from the get go. Addicted. Couldn’t put it down. Zekes and Hallie’s story is breathtaking and heartbreaking. Trauma bonded, grief, addict, challenges. This was packed with heavy tropes and triggers. I can’t say too much without revealing the plot. But I can say that this is 100% worth a read. It will have its hold on you by your heart strings, from start to finish. This story is about two broken people, who will always gravitate towards each other, no matter what.

I absolutely loved this book devoured it in a few hours in between work. I loved the writing and the character and world building as someone who battles grief daily this book resonated deeply within. Id recommend anyone who loves a dark romance but also needs a good cry session. I gave this book 5 stars because it was absolutely phenomenal. Also 3 chilli spices

I highly advise having Kleenex ready and some Earl Grey Tea to help with the influx of emotions that literally take you on a roller coaster. Highs and extremely Lows, the life of an addict who struggles to stay sober. Zeke was a great man with terrible demons, he deserved to see himself so much better because he was definitely loved. This book was brutally honest in the sense of grief and living with it. If you’re not ready to contemplate your own feelings on grief then I don’t suggest this book; However, if you’re on a path to healing then this book is for you because grief is messy, hard and above all means you experienced Love. My favorite quote from the book: “If it hurts than it means it was real.” That hit me in the feels, I wasn’t ready for this book, let alone that plot twist of an ending. Truly greatly written and I look forward to ready more of this authors works.