Ten Years

by Pernille Hughes

They’re perfect for each other
They just don’t know it yet

Becca and Charlie have known each other for years – ever since they met at university.

And for every one of those years, they've bickered, argued, offended, mocked and generally rubbed each other up the wrong way.

Until now. Until Ally’s bucket list. The death of their loved one should mean Becca and Charlie can go their separate ways and not look back. But completing the list is something neither Charlie nor Becca can walk away from.
And sometimes, those who bring out the worst in you, also bring out the very best…

Over the course of ten years, Becca and Charlie’s paths collide as they deal with grief, love and life after Ally.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Audiobook, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary Romance, Adult

417 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 18, 2022

About the author

For a FREE short Story from Pernille click here https://pernillehughes.com/free-short...
Pernille Hughes is a RomCom author and mum, with three novels published to date TEN YEARS, PROBABLY THE BEST KISS IN THE WORLD and PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE (formerly published as Sweatpants At Tiffanie's).
Previously her writing has been printed in The Sunday Times and the fabulous SUNLOUNGER summer anthologies. Find out about her new books at www.pernillehughes.com and follow her on Bookbub for the latest on sales https://www.bookbub.com/authors/perni...

Pernille (pronounced Pernilla) studied Film & Literature at uni and took her first job in advertising,having been lured by the temptation of freebies, but left when Status Quo tickets was as good as it got. After a brief spell marketing Natural History films, she switched to working in Children's television which for a time meant living in actual Teletubbyland, sharing a photocopier with Laa-Laa.

Now, she lives in actual England, sharing a photocopier with her husband and their four spawn. While the kids are at school she scoffs cake and writes RomCom stories in order to maintain a shred of sanity.

Find her on Twitter @pernillehughes ,on Instagram @Pernillehughes, on Facebook at her Pernille Hughes author page, or on her website www.pernillehughes.com

Reviews

[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

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This was a very emotional book, I felt sadness, joy, and anger while reading it. The premise of a woman's fiancé and her best friend completing her bucket list, after her death, was a fun way to do the old enemies to lovers trope and I was so here for it. You could feel both Charlie's and Becca's love for Ally throughout the book and there was certainly plenty of chemistry and I was definitely cheering them on.

I loved the growth of both characters throughout BUT Becca finally won out. I didn't like her very much at first but by I ended up feeling like she could be my friend. That speaks well to the author's ability to provide character development.

Both Charlie and Becca were very realistic in their behaviour, internal dialogue, and feelings towards one another. What surprised me most is how well I got to know Ally through the people who mattered to her most, this is a character that is dead so that's very impressive. For a book with such a melancholy plot, it was quite funny and hopeful.

Disclosure:
Many thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and Pernille Hughes for the giving of the ARC.

#NetGalley#TenYears

[Mai H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ally was Becca's best friend and Charlie's fiancée. Becca and Charlie have never gotten along, but now that Ally has died and left them a bucket list to fulfill, where will it lead?

"You can't hide from grief, it's in you. You have to accept it and accommodate it to work through it."

I'm not sure why I requested this. I don't like this trope. This wasn't the best book ever written. And yet I could not put it down. The Britishisms warmed my cold American heart. Becca's black cat energy brought so much to Charlie's golden retriever.

"You'll never truly know love because your heart is so guarded and you're too cowardly to unlock it."

Over the course of ten years, Becca and Charlie meet up once a year to scatter Ally's ashes at different points of the globe, doing things she wanted to do. It's heartwarming. It's heartbreaking. It's hurtful. I loved every minute.

Book pairings: ME BEFORE YOU, P.S. I LOVE YOU

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter

[elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

hi. one good romance book, and i'm in the trenches with romance again.

i tried so hard to like this book. i'm not the biggest fan of a 'dead best friend's boyfriend' trope, but it seemed interesting so i decided to go with it. unfortunately, i almost stopped reading twice because the plot dragged out and i felt absolutely no chemistry between charlie and becca. for a book that is marketed as a romance, it fell flat and was disappointing.

brief plot: becca and charlie hate each other. the only connection between them is ally, becca's best friend and charlie's girlfriend. when she dies, ally leaves a bucket list for becca and charlie to complete. they do one task a year.

the thing is, the chemistry really had to be there for this case, more so than any book, because they met only a few times a year. it was an enemies-to-lovers trope with plenty of reasons for the 'enemies' part but was not convincing enough for me to believe that they actually moved to the 'lovers' part.

there was a lot more exposition in this book than most romance books, which made it feel more like a literary fiction than a romance book. i really think this book would have been better if it was marketed more as a lit fic on grief and moving on rather than a pure romance book, because everything felt forced. it felt like the author was giving readers reasons and trying to convince us that they were meant to be because there logically just wasn't any chemistry.

on top of that, i found becca and charlie both very dull and uninteresting and just so unlikeable.



a huge thank you to the publisher for the arc through netgalley!


—————————————

not sure how i feel about a dead best friend's boyfriend storyline but here we go

[Anna Avian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quite slow and boring book with characters that were supposed to have some strong feelings towards one another but in my opinion the author failed to portray a believable emotional connection between them. Both Charlie and Becca sounded like a couple of petty, squabbling teens, not adults. Their relationship dragged for far too long, I could have easily skipped a few chapters without missing any significant details.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley.

[Brittany (whatbritreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review*

Someone described this book as a sort of David Nicholls / Mhairi McFarlane lovechild and honestly I don’t think that description was far off. If you loved the book ‘One Day’ especially this one reminded me of that quite a bit. I really enjoyed it.

If you're looking for a light-hearted romcom I'd say look somewhere else just as a warning. This one is more of a contemporary with romance. The themes are quite heavy and there's a lot of hostility as miscommunication between the characters. I think it works within the narrative, but if you wanted full on fluff this won't be the one for you.

The writing here was pretty good, except for a couple of cringey bits of dialogue and a nickname that I couldn’t stand (Beejay). If you’re looking for a more fast paced, plot based story this probably isn’t the one for you. But if you want a slow burn, enemies to friends to lovers, collecting growing up and getting over their grief together - this was a really great story. For a romance it’s pretty minimal on the romantic aspect and we really focus on the building of their relationship and friendship for the most part, but I really liked it. It was tender in all the right places, the perfect level of emotional, and had a good sense of humour and joy underpinning it all. For a melancholic plot it still managed to be quite beautiful and hopeful despite everything.

I think it did a great job of realistically depicting how these two characters would act over time and I like how they interacted with each other, their chemistry (even when they hated each other) was so consistent and it was believable to me why they work together. I really enjoyed their banter and the tender slow burn was so worth it in the end, they were very cute. I really liked both of them and spent the whole book just rooting for them.

The only thing I was a little bit unsure about was the epilogue. I feel like it added nothing to the story and I don’t know if I liked the little reveal. I can’t tell whether it was good or it made me mildly uncomfortable. I'm still undecided. Still loved the book though!

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

TEN YEARS
by Pernille Hughes
HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter
Pub Date: Aug 18

Three friends: Ally, her boyfriend Charlie, and Becca.

One death: Ally. And two enemies since uni, when Charlie and Becca met and began hating each other.

But make that enemies who over ten years grow closer, as they remember their beloved friend by completing her Bucket List, and as they scatter her ashes along the way.

The big question: Do they share enough besides their love of Ally to become a couple? Can enemies ever really fall in love?

Dear Romance Readers, if I know anything, I know that Ten Years will have you rooting for Charlie and Becca as much as you've cheered on any literary couple. I certainly did and am so thrilled I had a chance to read this lovely book. You will too!

Thanks to the author, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

#TenYears
#PernilleHughes
#HarperCollinsUK #OneMoreChapter
#NetGalley
#enemiestoloversromancenovel
#romancestorywithtragicloss
#bookstagramcommunity

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie and Ally are engaged to be married but Ally dies and she has a bucket list she wants Charlie and her best friend, Becca to carry out over 10 years. Becca and Charlie despise each other but do this for their best friend. This book has all the feels and emotions!! I loved the whole premise of this book and loved the characters. Every single one of them!! I will definitely be looking for more books by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

[Anne OK · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really hoping for more from this book. The book blurb was intriguing and the reviews seemed positive, but for some reason I just couldn't connect with either of the main characters. He was too blah and she was too over-the-top. So much animosity stood between them for me to see them ever being more than just acquaintances. Maybe had the author started to spark their closer relationship sooner rather than much later into the story, I might have found it easier to believe.

[Ilaria 🌸 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Charley and Becca both loved Ally
They did have only this connection
They meet every now and then yearly
They bicker and quarrel and there is no logic in their falling in love
Their characters building is dull and Sapir
Thanks NetGalley for ARC
2 stars

[Jultri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t too sure about this storyline. It sounded a bit like a love triangle, because even though Ally, the only bond that connected Becca and Charlie, passed away early on in the book, her spirit lived on through her best friend and fiance. Each had a different way of dealing with the grief of losing Ally. For years, Ally was Becca’s beacon, the person she looked up to and the only who truly cared about Becca and believed in her potentials. With Ally gone, Becca was lost for the longest of time. Only carrying out Ally’s bucket list post-humously gave her some purpose and direction, even if it is only for one day of the year with the person who had always rubbed her the wrong way.

Charlie’s approach to grief was to run away from it. Charlie’s approach to everything was to run away or just go with the flow, let the will of others carry him along. It has worked for him all his life, but Becca is the only one who has ever called him out for it, for being the malleable, non-confrontationalist that he is. Frankly, he was a bit of a weakling but Becca was strong enough for both. I liked her a lot. Even when she failed time and time again, she learned to float, then swim against the tide. Whereas Charlie was driftwood.

A bit low in romance, but a nice and touching story of grief, loss and healing. And no, it was not at all love triangular for by the time Becca and Charlie finally got together, Ally was long gone and they had built years of memories together just the two of them, without Ally in the picture.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

They both loved Ally, that is without a doubt.
They both hate each other.
But yet they have to join forces to to do Ally's bucket list, as she is no longer able to.

That is Becca and Charlie in a nutshell, bother incapable of not bickering with each other but also wanting to honor Ally's memory each year.

They seem like chalk and cheese, but as we catch up with their lives in yearly instalments, their dynamic gradually shifts. And I for one was keen to see just what would happen to them both.

And we really get to know Ally too, the third side of the triangle through their memories, and it's clear she was definitely taken too young.

This is powerful writing from Pernille Hughes, it is the right mix between emotional dealing with tough subjects such as grief, while also being hopeful that you can move on with your life, and that your sworn enemy may not be as bad as you think!

It's a story that will play on your mind when you aren't reading, and certainly caught my attention throughout. It's a really special story and one I'm glad I had a chance to read.

Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Natalie "Curling up with a Coffee and a Kindle" Laird · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one!
Enemies to lovers tropes are done pretty frequently, so there needs to be more of an unusual one to stick in my mind. This book certainly does that!
There is grief and pain that unites the 2 characters and this was compelling and traumatic at the same time.
I enjoyed the audio, both narrators were excellent, and I would look forward to listening to it. It was a good book, although not a brilliant one.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite not being overly keen on the cover, this book had me straight away. It reminded me of the Netflix series One Day and what I imagine the book to read like (once I get around to it!).

Opening at the funeral of Ally, readers are introduced to her best friend, Becca, and her fiancé, Charlie. It is evident from the beginning that they really do not see eye-to-eye; their deceased friend is their only connection and one that will severe their meetings forever more.

Except, a message from the grave nearly a year on causes Becca and Charlie to get back together, completing a series of Ally’s bucket list challenges that she never got to doing. When I saw this element introduced into the plot, I was a bit hesitant because I feel I have read quite a few stories that centre on this theme. However, the fact that Becca and Charlie are doing it for Ally, scattering her ashes each year, meant this story gave something completely different. I loved seeing these two characters butt heads over every little thing and despite their squabbling, you can’t help but feel they would look good together as a couple.

Yet, Ally’s ghost hangs over the pair and every year Charlie and Becca reminisce about what they have lost. This book is certainly very poignant and emotional but I loved how the writer combined it with the journeys of Charlie and Becca. Each character not only has to move on from the grief of losing someone they loved, but also try and set their life in order – both in terms of their careers and love lives. It was really interesting to see how the characters changed over the years as readers are provided with the character updates when they meet for the next bucket list challenge.

I loved this story from start to finish. I was a bit reluctant when it opened with a funeral, thinking I wasn’t quite ready for the emotional onslaught that I anticipated, but actually, Hughes writes an uplifting story about living life again and the importance of moving forwards, rather than grieving forever. I loved both Becca and Charlie’s characters, keen to see how they would transform over the story, making this enjoyable all the way throughout.

Although the chapters are really lengthy, each year sped by as I was so invested in the plot. I loved the fact that Ally was not just some distant character: you really get to know her through Charlie and Becca, making her just as important as the characters completing her bucket list. It was a great read and I hope to come across more from this author in the future.

With thanks to One More Chapter, Harper Collins and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Misty's Book Space · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for providing me with an ecopy of this book via Rachel's Random Resources in exchange for my honest review.

This book starts out at Ally's funeral. This isn't a spoiler it literally happens on the first page and it's in the synopsis. Charlie and Ally were engaged to be married. Becca and Ally were best friends and Charlie and Becca hate each other. This book deals with the grief that people go through after a loved one has passed away, so we get to see how both Becca and Charlie cope with Ally's death over the course of ten years most of which they only meet up once per year. 

I read the synopsis for this when I first agreed to read it and was intrigued but by the time I got around to reading it I had forgotten what it was about so I went in blind. To me this book was perfect. It gave me everything I want in a book. The fighting/banter between Becca and Charlie was amazing. They were cruel to each other at first just for the sake of being cruel but by the end it had turned into them just speaking the truth mostly in a loving way. I loved how they went from enemies to friends to lovers to enemies to friends to lovers and yes I meant to write that twice. There was always something they did or said that made them take 1 step forward and 2 steps back. I will say I would have liked the romance to be more on page instead of fade to black but that is just a preference. it doesn't affect my rating of this book which you can tell from the rating I give it below. I would have also liked more of them actually being together because I just love romance and I want to read all about it. 

I loved that this showed how people deal with grief differently. Becca and Charlie both grieve in very different ways and while I didn't always agree with the choices they made it always felt real. The things they did never felt like they were out of character or didn't belong. 

This is the first book I have read by this author, and it definitely want be my last. I loved this book more than I was expecting and I am so glad I gave it a chance. If this sounds like something you would enjoy I highly recommend you giving it a try.

[Naomi (aplace_inthesun) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ally and Charlie are deeply in love. Ally has a best friend Becca who is a bit wild, unapologetic - and Charlie and Becca can’t stand one another. When Ally dies after a long illness, a number of bucket list items are left for Charlie and Becca to complete, to honour Ally’s memory. They decide they’ll complete one item per year, given their feelings towards spending time together.

Through different bucket list items we see the ups and downs of Charlie and Becca’s relationship. Both muddling their way through their grief and loss, and doing the best they can. Charlie is portrayed as more fickle, a ‘yes man’ in romantic relationships who gets subsumed by the woman he’s with, to the point he loses his Charlie-ness. Becca is ornery, and dogmatic. She pushes people away rather than drawing them to her, so it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy when they walk away leaving her alone.

The characters in Ten Years are well thought out, but the story is incredibly slow and it’s a tad frustrating. It’s definitely gentle which is expected given the subject matter but it was more than that. Full disclosure, I skimmed a fair few chapters as it didn’t maintain my interest, as there was not the strength of relationships between the characters (positive or negative) sufficiently holding my interest. And it is a little like People You Meet On Vacation with the storyline tweaked to be like people you meet when you’re carrying out people’s last wishes…. Not quite the same ring to it and it fell flat for me

I did finish the book following the meandering in the middle and it was nicely rounded off. I just hope people don’t leave it in the middle as I was sorely tempted to do.

Thanks to one more chapter, and netgalley for the advanced reading copy of Ten Years.

2.5 stars

[Melanie’s reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was honoured to read this as part of a blogger readalong, Ten years over ten days.

Well I was not expecting this to start with a funeral or to care about the characters so quickly.

You see you often find that people who come across as hard, bitter and angry are those that actually have the most tender and fragile of hearts. That is how I feel about Becca. My love for her was instant, she was difficult, stubborn, feisty, interesting and a chaotic mess of a woman. She was Ally’s best friend.

Charlie was Ally’s fiancé and he is also Becca’s sworn nemesis. Now Ally has gone they are tasked with completing Ally’s bucket list and spreading her ashes. Can they put aside their loathing for each other one day a year, one task at a time and come together, united in their love for Ally, to do this simple thing?

Full of escapades and snide remarks this was both funny and sad at the same time. Valerie, Ally’s mum, must of wanted to bang their heads together at each annual visit. I know I did! Every time you see a chink in Becca’s armour, Charlie does or says something that makes things ten times worse. But oh how I was rooting for them both to be happy.

This is not your typical enemies to lovers or will they won’t they romance. It is a beautifully crafted story of grief, friendship, vulnerability and the importance of being true to yourself.

My decision to read this was the best decision in the history of all decisions.

[Barbara Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

If enemies to lovers trope is your go-to then this book is for you.
Charlie and Ally have been dating since uni. Becca and Ally have been best friends since uni. Becca and Charlie don’t get along but they do-exist for Ally’s sake, that is, until Ally passes away from cancer, leaving them a bucket list of things to do with her ashes and forcing them to get together once a year and cross an item of the list. Each year as they grew older and distanced themselves from their grief in different ways, it changed how they saw each other and therefore it affected how they handled the bucket list item. Each year when they went to see Ally’s mom to get the ashes for the trip, she would remind them of how much they each meant to Ally and so that must mean something (that they’re meany to be together)
To be honest, I didn’t feel a lot of chemistry between them a lot of the time. It really didn’t hit til almost the end and then it hit with a major wham! I did enjoy watching them grow and change over the years and seeing them look back to what brought them to this point.
Thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review

[ItaPixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becca and Charlie come together to complete their late friend Ally's bucket list. They're annerved from each other but they loved Ally with all their hearts so they overcome their irritation and they go on various adventures.

I've liked to follow Becca and Charlie journey, it's fast moving in some parts and dragging in others but still enjoyable.
Their bantering are entertaining, their quarrels eye-opening.
We know them better at every meeting for their challanges year after year, we get attached to them, even if they are both flawed, we cannot not to cheer for them and to wish them to be happy and to lead a fulfilling lives.

More than the romantic side of the story I've appreciated how the charaters grow and finally they understand they are worth of love and success.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for kindly giving me an advanced copy of this book to read.

[R.V. Wilbur · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐬𝐨, 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝?”

________________________

Charlie and Becca loathe each other. The only reason they’ve ever tolerated each other is because of their mutual love of one person: Ally. Becca’s best friend from grade school and Charlie’s fiancée and the love of his life, Ally was the glue that tied the three of them together no matter how many barbs Charlie and Becca sent each other’s way. But then Ally succumbed to pancreatic cancer, shattering both of their lives and allowing them to finally go their separate ways. Until nearly one year after her passing when each received a scheduled email from the dearly departed herself asking them both to complete her bucket list and scatter her ashes at each of the final 5 resting places. Deciding to honor Ally in “the spirit of things”, Charlie and Becca choose to mark each anniversary of her passing with one of the bucket list items until they are all completed.

The book in whole follows them over the span of ten years alternating between Charlie and Becca’s perspectives and checking in with them each year as they complete a bucket list item, as well as on days when they run into each other over the course of that time (usually once between each anniversary). We see their ups and downs, their growth and regressions, the way they live, the way they love, the way they grieve, their mistakes, their successes, and ultimately them realizing that they are in fact perfect for each other…they just don’t know it yet.

I absolutely adored this book!! It gave me the emotions that crushed me in P.S. I Love You, the longing and the push/pull relationship that I adored in One Day, and the wit and chemistry that made 500 Days of Summer so memorable. Finishing it I immediately found myself looking for the rest of the author’s backlist and begging the movie gods to some day put this on the big screen because it was MADE for cinema.

What I loved the most about it was the perfect balance it managed to achieve even while spanning such a wide range of time and emotions. It was the perfect balance of rom-com meets heart wrenching dramedy. It made me tear up and then immediately burst into laughter before ultimately groaning in pain as Charlie and Becca passed each other like ships in the night. It balanced their journey forward with such large gaps of time in between chapters without being too tedious in its explanation of both Charlie and Becca’s prior history as well as what had transpired in their lives since we last checked in with them. It also managed to strike a satisfying pace, neither dragging or brushing over time in order to rush the conclusion of Charlie, Becca, and ultimately Ally’s journey.

I adored Charlie and Becca. Their characters were fun and their banter felt natural without their relationship feeling forced or contrite in any way. The growth they each experienced both personally and in their individual lives was realistic and wonderful with each grieving in their own way and then ultimately becoming better for it at their own paces. They each demonstrated completely different but very genuine ways that people can grieve such a devastating loss, especially over such a lengthy period of time which is not something we get to see very often in books. One of the sweetest touches I found was that the book both started and ended with Ally…though she was never alive during the book and only referred to in memory she was very much the thread that held the entire story together and I felt like I knew and understood her as much as any of the living characters in the story. To begin and end with her almost felt like a way for the readers to be able to honor her (such as Charlie and Becca) and almost gave the impression that Ally was explaining it all to us in closure before ultimately coming to rest once and for all.

The romance in this book was very good. Not really trope-y and very rom-com in style, but incredibly satisfying and sensual without taking us down to smut town. I love a good spice fest but this was a nice refresher and the steam in it was absolutely perfect for the story, setting, and characters. I’m not a fan of rom-coms just because I don’t enjoy the angst of “will they, won’t they” and then watching them finally come together to only walk back away from each other for petty, immature, or misunderstood reasons, but against the backdrop of each characters immaturity/young age and the jarring loss they each shared so suddenly it REALLY worked in this story. You didn’t want them to come together without struggle, you didn’t even want them together at all in the beginning because they were such different people. But by the end you were ripping your own heart out begging them to never let each other go and for them to have a long and happy ending not marred by any more devastation or loss.

Emotional content aside this book was also HILARIOUS!! The off the cuff jabs between Charlie and Becca were hilarious and entertaining and the misadventures they had while fulfilling Ally’s wishes were THE BEST. I won’t spoil it for you, but getting gin drunk on a tour trolley sounds like my kind of party!! Additionally I may be trading in the one bed trope for the one tent trope…just saying ;-)

All in all this book mashed together what I adored about so many other stories but gave them life and breath of its own with a satisfying ending that left me as the reader as happy as I could have possibly been. There wasn’t a thing about it that I didn’t adore and it has definitely swayed my heart back to the rom-com corner after years of avoiding it and playing hard to get. Might that have been Ally’s intention all along as well? We may never know ;-)

I would like to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and to the author for sending me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest review. It was my pleasure!!

[Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming yet somewhat predictable romantic fiction that didn't quite hit the emotional mark for me. It's the story of Becca and Charlie, frenemies with a common tie - Ali. Charlie was Ali's fiance and Becca was her best friend but Ali died and now Charlie and Becca must embark on an adventure once per year to sprinkle her ashes, as per Ali's wishes. Over the next ten years, Charlie and Becca grow up, find themselves, and learn to deal with their grief as their paths continue to cross and their relationship takes complicated twists and turns.

Just an okay audiobook. Wish the angst and heartbreak aspect had gone deeper.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Konzept des Buches ist nichts, was man nicht schon gelesen hat, aber ich habe auch nicht erwartet, dass die Autorin das Rad neu erfindet.
Kurz gesagt: Zwei verfeindete Freunde (Becca und Charlie) arbeiten die Bucketlist ihrer verstorbene Freundin (Ally) ab und verlieben sich im Laufe der Jahre ineinander.

Ich hatte bis ca. zur Mitte des Buches meine Zweifel bzgl. der zwei Hauptcharaktere, da sie doch eher wie zwei Teenager wirken, obwohl sie ca Mitte 20 sein sollten. Besonders Becca. Ich war drauf und dran dem Buch um die 3 Sterne zu geben.
Das hat sich dann aber zum Glück gewandelt und man hat mit fortschreiten des Buches auch die Reife der Charaktere gemerkt.

Ich fand es toll nicht nur die individuelle Entwicklung mitzulesen, sondern auch die Beziehung der zwei mitzuerleben. Mir haben besonders die kleinen Kabbeleien gefallen und wie sie sich gegenseitig gereizt haben.

Das große Höhepunkt im letzten Drittel des Buches war notwendig, das Verhalten beider Personen bzw. die Sachen die gesagt wurden waren allerdings fragwürdig. Vor allem die Rechtfertigung dazu. Das hat mich eher wieder an die zwei vom Anfang des Buches erinnert.

Der große Liebesgeständnis zum Ende hin fand ich wirklich toll! Ich finde, so wie dieses Gespräch geführt wurde, zeigt noch einmal die Reife der beiden in einer ganz wundervollen Szene.
Das letzte Kapitel, war ein toller Abschluss!

Wie zu Anfang erwähnt, fand ich die beiden Hauptcharaktere zu Beginn leicht schwierig/kindisch. Die permanente Präsenz von Ally, auch wen es beim Thema vom Buch vollkommen Sinn ergibt, war auch etwas zu viel und zu oft.
Beccas Beziehung zu Ally war etwas stur. Es fängt beim Glorifizieren der besten Freundin bis hin zur Behauptung, man wurde manipuliert. Wenn an den Inhalt des Buches kennt teilweise verständlich, aber im Buch schien es mir sehr..kindlich ?

Allgemein fand ich das buch sehr, sehr angenehm zu lesen. Man ist fast durch die Kapitel geflogen. Obwohl entsprechende Kapitel gerne etwas kürzer hätten sein können.
Mir hat auch gefallen wie das Buch aufgeteilt war, in entsprechende Jahre und teilweise mit Datum. Man konnte die vergangene Zeit besser nachvollziehen.
Mir gefällt auch das Cover und die allgemeine Aufmachung des Buches.

Alles in allem fand ich das Buch toll und würde es für die empfehlen, die gerne Liebesgeschichten lesen!

Vielen Dank an dtv und Vorablesen für die Bereitstellung dieses Rezensionsexemplars. Die geäußerte Meinung ist meine eigene.

[Jessica | JSxReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

~ thank you to the publisher Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review ~

Let me preface but saying I really, really wanted to love this book. It's a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers, kind of taboo (in that is dead best friend's fiancee), kind of second-chance romance with what should have been emotional heart. These are all the tropes I usually eat up but I struggled my way through this one. Which is a shame because I was so excited getting approved for the arc once I read the synopsis.
I'll be honest, there were certainly aspects I enjoyed but I found myself wanting to abandon the book altogether about 5 times mid-reading.

So what did I like?
- How it handled the aftermath of losing a loved one, and much of the grieving process and how the way in which people will cope with grief will vary.
- There's a few passages that I've highlighted and made note of (coincidentally all relating to grief) that I know I would like to come back and reread time and time again.

What did I not particularly enjoy?
- The main characters. I felt zero connection to them and that's always a dealbreaker for me. Charlie and Becca were unlikeable, unbearable, incredibly juvenile at times and often selfish (not remotely in a good way) and it just got to a point where I found their constant bickering so tiresome, that by the end I was completely over it and rooting for no one.
I can read a 'dead best friend's fiancee' trope if it's done well, but done well in 'Ten Years' it is not. I felt completely blindsided by their romance, I just don't think the seeds in terms of their chemistry were planted well. As a result, I had an awfully difficult time believing their chemistry, that they even liked each other, let alone loved each other.
- For a book that spans over 10 years, the pacing was so off. Ten Years failed to gain any real momentum and so it ended up feeling pretty lacklustre overall.
- Highlighted passages mentioned above aside, while the writing was often beautiful, it felt like it lacked any real character/personality, which probably contributed to the zero connection I felt for the characters.

I'm afraid this one just was not for me.

[Debby *BabyDee* · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Ten Years” is a new read by Pernille Hughes, new author to this reader. This was one of those contemporary romances with a trope of enemy to lover that was different but refreshingly nice. The story was well-written and not difficult to read at all. It is a story that will tug at your heart, make you cry at times and make you smile.

The story begins with Ally and Charlie who are madly in love, but Ally is told she has cancer and in time she passes away, leaving Charlie (fiancé) in disarray over her death. Becca is Ally’s best friend who too is having difficulty dealing with the loss of her friend. As it happens, on the the one year anniversary of Ally's death, Charlie and Becca receive an email that directs them both to complete a bucket list together to fulfill Ally’s last dying wish. Charlie and Becca have never gotten along and now having to spend time together to complete this request brings quite a bit of angst between the two. Alas, they agree on a time to complete the bucket list. Through the process, they begin a relationship with one another that allows them to grieve and heal through the pain of loss. I loved how Charlie and Becca managed to develop in their journey and in their relationship with one another. Recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins, UK, One More Chapter for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ten Years by Pernille Hughes is a great contemporary romance about second chances and that there is never a time that is too late to start again.

This is an entertaining story about two people that crisscross each other’s paths throughout many years. They butt heads, they irk one another…however after the loss of a mutual friend…they are connected in a way that they try to ignore…however when two people are meant to be, they are meant to be. Here we get to go along with the two as they experience a love to hate relationship to a friendship, to finally a relationship. The chemistry is there, the connection…the path may be bumpy, but it is solid and works.

I always enjoy a good enemies to lovers trope.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and One More Chapter for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 8/18/22.

[ana (ananascanread) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ten Years by Pernille Hughes is described as a romance, however, I wouldn't really call it that. The romance part only happens way past the 50% mark of the book, which made it a little rushed and I had a little trouble connecting with that plotline.
My favorite part of this book was the way it dealt with grief. Losing a loved one is never easy. Everyone deals with it differently and, sometimes moving on seems so far-fetched that we don't seem to wonder what is next.
In this book, we see how Becca and Charlie coped with grief, how they overcame it and opened themselves to love once more.

All in all, it was an enjoyable and easy-to-read book that covers a very important theme.

Thanks to one more chapter, and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy of Ten Years.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ally knew her fiancé Charlie and her best friend Becca would be perfect for each other. They just didn’t know it until years had passed since Ally’s death.
The book goes back and forth between them hating each other to wanting each other. It’s a nice romance story but not really a tear jerker.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

[Bozica]

DNF 15%
Sadly this book didn’t hold my interest.

[Marcelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

ENGLISH AND BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE REVIEW

And here I am to talk about another book that made me cry right from the first chapter, as happened with the penultimate one I read, Happy Place. In this one, the author starts at Ally's wake, Becca's best friend and Charles' fiancée (their initials are A-B-C, if I had read the book at another time, I would find it corny, but I thought it was cute), and I couldn't not cry because of their sadness for losing a loved one so early (anyone who has lost someone too soon knows how it is). It's a terrible day for both of them, and unfortunately they can't console each other because they hate each other. The beginning of the book sets up the enmity well: Becca is a person who takes the lead in situations, and she is not the model heroine, which I really liked. Her characterization is similar to Nora from Book Lovers, while Charlie goes with the flow. He's a bit passive, but that changes over the years, and initial conflicts arise from this and other personality differences.

A year after Ally's death, however, they receive an email from her (she scheduled it before she died), asking them to grant her last wishes. Becca and Charlie decide to meet annually around Ally's death to accomplish one item on the list at a time. In addition to these clippings, the book shows us the casual encounters during the year between the unlikely pair. In the meantime, the author follows their lives while discussing the theme of mourning, opening up to new beginnings, and some problems that people over 25 usually face, such as changing careers, having friends get married and being successful while their lives seem stagnant. I identified with some situations, such as a birthday party where the birthday person's greatest desire is to run away.

Also, Charlie and Becca's developmental arc is very well done. We follow the changes happening little by little, how much one helps the other to become a better person and not hide in their faults. The author rightly makes the approximation gradual: they go from hating each other (Becca hates Charlie, and it's justified) to enduring each other to finding themselves in love. I liked some of the details that the author inserted, such as the prologue being from Ally's point of view and the epilogue being from her mother's point of view, and the opening and final scene taking place in the same place. I think the resolution of the final dilemma took a while to happen, I don't believe it would take almost a year to reach that result, but at least this break led to a necessary development of one of the characters.

Honestly, I don't understand the reviews that say nothing happens. The book is the perfect balance between character development and plot unfolding. There are many reviews saying that they didn't like the book, that characters are bland, that characters act like teenagers (I thought the conflicts were handled in a way that was consistent with the age and mentality of the characters), that nothing happens... Do I think this book is one of those readers should read at the right time? Absolutely, but I also think that some readers were expecting something and were disappointed, but that's not the book's fault. I agree that the category of this book should not be romance, because the dramatic load is a huge part of the plot, but this is not an issue of the book. Anyway, what I want to say is that, for me, this book was an incredible reading experience, it moved me in different ways and scenes, and that certainly influenced my grade. But I wouldn't give it 5 stars just for entertainment and emotional factor.


E cá estou para falar de outra livro que me fez chorar logo no primeiro capítulo, como aconteceu com o antepenúltimo lido, Happy Place. Aqui a autora já começa o livro no velório da Ally, melhor amiga de Becca e noiva de Charles (as iniciais dos nomes deles são A-B-C, se eu tivesse lido o livro em outro momento, acharia brega, mas achei fofo), e não consegui não chorar com a tristeza deles de perder uma pessoa amada tão antes do tempo (quem já perdeu alguém que foi cedo demais sabe como é). É um dia péssimo para os dois, e infelizmente eles não podem se consolar porque se odeiam. O começo do livro ambienta bem a inimizade, Becca é uma pessoa que toma a frente das situações, inclusive ela não é o modelo de heroína, coisa que me agradou muito, ela tem caracterização similar à Nora de Loucos por Livros, e Charlie segue o fluxo, ele é um pouco passivo, mas isso vai mudando com o passar dos anos, e os conflitos iniciais surgem a partir dessa e de outras diferenças de personalidade.

Um ano depois da morte da Ally, no entanto, eles recebem um e-mail dela (o envio foi agendado antes de ela morrer), pedindo que realizem os últimos desejos dela. Becca e Charlie decidem se reunir anualmente em data perto da morte da Ally para concretizar um item da lista por vez, e além desses recortes, o livro narra os encontros casuais durante o ano entre o improvável par. Nesse meio tempo, a autora segue a vida deles enquanto discorre da temática do luto, se abrir para novos recomeços, e de alguns problemas que pessoas que passaram dos 25 costumam enfrentar, como mudança de carreira, seus amigos se casando e sendo bem sucedidos enquanto a vida parece estagnada. Me identifiquei com algumas situações, como uma festa de aniversário em que a vontade maior é a de fugir.

Além disso, o arco de desenvolvimento do Charlie e da Becca é muito bem feito. Acompanhamos as mudanças gradualmente, o quanto um ajuda o outro a se tornar uma pessoa melhor e não se esconder em suas falhas, e a aproximação gradual que vai deles se odiarem (a Becca odeia o Charlie, e é justificado) a se suportarem a se descobrirem apaixonados. Gostei de uns detalhes que a autora inseriu, como o prólogo ser no posto de vista da Ally e o epílogo ser no ponto de vista da mãe dela, e a cena inicial e a final acontecerem no mesmo lugar. Acho que a resolução do dilema final demorou um pouco para acontecer, não acredito que demorariam quase um ano para chegar naquele resultado, mas pelo menos esse intervalo levou a um desenvolvimento necessário de um dos personagens.

Sinceramente, eu não entendi as resenhas que dizem que nada acontece. O livro é o equilíbrio perfeito entre desenvolvimento de personagens e desenrolar de trama. Tem muitas resenhas dizendo que não gostaram do livro, que os personagens são sem graça, que os personagens parecem adolescentes (eu achei que os conflitos foram lidados de forma coerente com a idade e a mentalidade dos personagens), que nada acontece, e eu acho que esse livro é um daqueles pra se ler no momento certo? Com certeza, mas também acho que alguns leitores foram com certa expectativa e se decepcionaram, mas aí não é culpa do livro. Até concordo que a categoria desse livro não deveria ser romance, pois a carga dramática é grande, mas isso também é mais questão do leitor que do livro. Enfim, o que quero dizer é que pra mim, esse livro foi uma experiência incrível de leitura, me emocionou em diversas partes, e isso com certeza influenciou na minha nota. Mas eu não daria 5 estrelas só pelo fator entretenimento e emocional.

[marija · Rating 4 out of 5]

i've started this review at least five times now and each time i deleted it almost immediately, so here it goes: sixth times a charm; no looking back folks!

2022 has been a tough year. especially when it comes to books. now, i'm not going to sit here and pretend like i am not the reason why finding a new favorite has been so darn difficult. because i am! hi, i'm the problem it's me! me and my stupid writer's brain and great expectations and harsh critiques! and yet, despite all odds, a new favorite has entered my horizons, completely and utterly by chance.

and to think i almost didn't get it.

not so long ago, a dear friend of mine said that sometimes she can tell a book is going to be her new favorite just by looking at the cover. it was a feeling i hadn't felt in ages and when this particular one popped up in the deals section of my kindle store, something deep within me was reborn. it's all a bit melodramatic, i know - get to the fucking point marija; review this damn book so we can get on with our lives - and i'm getting there! i promise! i just want to say that i've been dealing with grief for the past couple of months.

in july, my family and i had to put down our beloved cat because she had developed a tumor on her jaw. she was my best friend. i miss her endlessly. and when i tell you that this book hit all the right spots for me; helped me heal parts of my heart and soul i did not know they could be healed, i need you to believe me. i have never lost anyone that's close to me and before i lost my cat, i couldn't fathom what grief would feel like.
well, now i know that grief feels like shit. some days it's okay. others you can't bare to look at a single photo of them because it hurts too much. most days, you look at old videos and giggle because they were just so gosh darn silly.

it's a rollercoaster.
a real ride.

and this book perfectly described every single feeling i felt and more.

not to mention it had one of my favorite tropes of all: enemies to lovers and unlike most books THIS WAS DONE RIGHT LADIES AND GAYS WHOOOHOOOO!!!!!!! sure, the dialogue was a bit wobbly and the characters are both major dickheads, but they are lovable! they are incredibly flawed and chaotic and patronizing, but they also learn from their mistakes; find ways to grow not just individually but also together and i just - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it's in no means a perfect book. but it came into my life when i needed it the most and sometimes that's all it takes.
timing is truly a wonderful thing.

[LianaReads blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Rtc soon but I loved Probably the best kiss in the world. This one was a bit slower and different