Someone I Used to Know: The gorgeous new love story with a twist, from the bestselling author

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In the spirit of Colleen Hoover , a heartbreaking, nostalgic story of three childhood friends, each caught in the crossfire of an all-consuming teenaged love triangle, and their homecoming years later as adults that will reveal everything. A heartfelt, heart-breaking and heart-warming story of love, family and loss and the ties that bind us.”—Dani Atkins, author of Then and Always To sum it up ... Someone I used to know is a beautiful story that I know will touch so many hearts in so many ways ... a story of found family, friendship and a whole load of love!

Paige Toon - Penguin Books Australia Paige Toon - Penguin Books Australia

The ‘then’ story focuses around the care system which I found really interesting. Leah’s parents are probably the most selfless most heartwarming characters I have ever read about. Being foster parents they are honestly amazing, creating a safe environment for all children, even letting those that stay with them choose their very own tree to plant. Love it! I enjoyed reading about Leah, Theo and George growing together through the tough times and good. A beautiful story about love and family and healing broken hearts. It swept me up and wouldn't let me go - I loved it' BETH O'LEARY I went through an emotional rollercoaster with these characters. There is so much love and heart in this book. A heartfelt, heartbreaking and heartwarming story of love, family and loss and the ties that bind us' DANI ATKINS She did eat two pieces of birthday cake earlier, plus all your dad’s leftover icing,’ he tells me casually.

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I would have preferred less time taken up with the ‘then’ chapters (the teenage years) as at times it read very much like a YA book, with lots of detail about school which I feel too old for. Parts of the final chapters were quite cheesy too. However, I guess we can all cope with a helping of romance now & again & all in all it was an enjoyable summery read. A beautiful story of love and second chances, with a remarkable family at its heart, from the Sunday Times bestselling author. But this really is a fabulous book, one I very much enjoyed reading every second of it and I really wish life hadn't got in my way of reading this in one sitting which is what I really really want to do with the book, as its so good and hooked me in so early on. An absolute tearjerker full of love for the family we’re born into and the one we build along the way. This book will live in my heart for a long, long time.”—Lindsey Kelk, author of The Christmas Wish I loved this from start to finish! I loved the characters, the alternating of chapters between the then and now and most importantly I loved the alpaca’s! Can I persuade the husband to let me have one in the garden! 🤔😂 me thinks not but a girl can dream!

Someone I Used to Know by Paige Toon | Goodreads Someone I Used to Know by Paige Toon | Goodreads

I loved this one - my first five out of five star read for 2022! The overall genre would be a contemporary romance; however the novel delves into many concepts, particularly around foster families and healing hearts. Featuring dual timelines, the storyline is from Leah's perspective. Leah's parents open their hearts and home to foster children; I appreciated that the book explored how this affected Leah in both positive and negative ways across her life. When Leah is 15 she has two young men come into her life, both of whom she feels deeply connected to and both will shape her life... I would have loved to catch up with her too,’ I say, and it’s true. Once, my high school bestie and I were inseparable, but now an entire year can go by without us exchanging a word. It’s not that we meant to grow apart, we just did. We both start as Alfred, an elderly farmer from the surrounding area, interrupts from a nearby huddle. The old man hobbles over to say hello, unaware that we’re having a ‘moment’.

Narrated from the perspective of the lovely, likeable Leah, and set over dual timelines, it flows seamlessly between alternating chapters of ‘then’ and ‘now’. Featuring wonderful, well-crafted, relatable main characters, and a stellar supporting cast. Leah was such an amazing and complex character and Theo and George - well I’ve never loved two guys so much at the same in a book as I did these two! I loved this so much. This story was past/present, YA with second chance as adults.. and that is what I’m all about.

Someone I Used to Know by Paige Toon: 9780593715598

Mum tried to convince me to put Emilie to sleep in their bedroom, but the thought of waking up a teething toddler in the dead of night and expecting her to transfer to her cot after a twenty-minute taxi ride… She would have kept us awake for hours. I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would as it’s not my usual genre. There are many layers to the plot which keeps things interesting & the detailed accounts of fostering (and alpaca farming!) do add depth.

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The story focuses around Leah the daughter of parents who foster time after time. The main timings in the book are now and then with some in-between and a little after now. Unlike some books that jump a little this one flows well and adds to the mystery and depth of the story. As I said above the story switches between ‘then’, where we get to read about Leah, Theo and George as teenagers growing up together straight to the present day. I say it a lot but I’m a huge fan of stories with alternating chapters whether it’s characters or periods of time. We could have stayed here, but… nice solitary Airbnb vs full house… No contest. It seemed worth sacrificing the return journey time for the peace and quiet. Leah's parents are amazing people and were foster parents to many, many children, so the then sections, had me hooked on discovering more about the current children in their care, as well as life on their Alpaca farm, which even has a bunny barn! In fact if you are already a Paige Toon fan, then stop deliberating and just read the book as its easily one of her best books, full of depths and even had me on the the verge of tears a few time, such was the brilliance of the turn of phrase.

Someone I Used To Know - Kindle edition by Toon, Paige

The sound of Theo’s voice causes me to spin around. He looks at the card and then at me, with my rabbit-caught-in-the-headlights expression. A beautiful story about love and family and healing broken hearts. It swept me up and wouldn’t let me go – I loved it’ BETH O’LEARY

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I saw the article in the paper and felt compelled to write. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get in touch, but I wanted to say thank you for all that you did for me. I’ve thought about you often over the years. I’m doing okay and hope you are too. You look well in the picture. The entire book was so emotional, the way it was written i could feel every feeling, every phase, every heartbreak of the characters Some flitted through briefly: Danielle stayed only a few months while her mum was in rehab. And then there’s George, who left a scar on my heart that still takes me by surprise, considering the relatively short time I knew him. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster I read an early excerpt, and I after those first three chapters, I had already made up my mind about Theo and George. I thought my heart would be with George because I expected him, as a foster child, to be the brooding bad boy type, but I couldn’t be more wrong! Although George had had such a hard life until he came living with Leah’s family, my heart went out even more to Theo, the rich kid who seemed to have it all.