Someone I Used To Know by Paige Toon

So much can change in half a lifetime…

Then
At fifteen, George is the foster brother Leah never asked for. As the angry, troubled boy struggles to come to terms with his circumstances, Leah finds herself getting drawn closer to him. Theo’s wealthy family have mysteriously pulled him out of boarding school and he’s now enrolled at the local state school with Leah and George. When their worlds collide that summer, the three teenagers form a bond they believe will be unbreakable. But life doesn’t always go to plan…

Now
Shocking news brings Leah back to Yorkshire, baby daughter in tow. But Emilie’s father Theo isn’t with them, and George has unexpectedly returned. After half a lifetime, have they healed the scars of their pasts? Will coming back home set their hearts in a different direction?

My Thoughts

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Paige Toon has been a much loved author of mine for many years now. As soon as I pick up one of her books I know I am in for a treat, so when given the opportunity to take part in the blog tour for Someone I Used To Know I jumped at the chance!.

The story is told from Leah’s perspective, alternating between a past and present tense. At the age of fifteen, Leah is used to sharing the attention of her parents with others as they foster several troubled teens, but when angry George walks in to their home she found herself drawn to him despite his aggressive nature, but she certainly never anticipated falling in love with him.

They meet Theo on the bus to school one day, when he reluctantly starts attending the public school Leah and George are enrolled in. Despite his previous dismissive comments towards Leah and her family, she can’t help but feel sorry for Theo – and when he get’s into an altercation in school, Leah and George soon forge quite a remarkable friendship with him.

We then see Leah again as a thirty year old woman as she returns to Yorkshire with her young daughter following a rather troubling turn of events. Theo, the baby’s father is nowhere to be seen. As Leah tries to adjust to life without her husband and her beloved father, all whilst looking after her daughter Emilie. The last person Leah expects to see upon her return is George, the boy who broke her heart all those years ago, but as the pair are reunited, Leah comes to realise that in the grand scheme of things, fifteen years is no time at all.

This is such a beautiful, emotional story that captivated me from the start. Paige Toon has once again produced a breath-taking story about love, loss, and how family comes in all shapes and sizes. We are introduced to cast of intriguing characters, all of whom have their own difficulties to overcome along the way.

I adored how Paige explores the bond Ivan and Carrie form with the children they foster, regardless of how difficult they are, they never give up on them and show them the endless love and support they so desperately need. They really are a remarkable couple who have well and truly secured a place within my heart.

This story certainly took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, from laughing out loud one moment to feeling as though my heart was crumpling the next. Paige Toon really does have such a remarkable writing style that fully immerses you in the lives of the characters that are brought to life on the pages of this book. I laughed, I cried, but most of all… I fell head over heels in love with this latest story by the fabulous Paige Toon.

About the Author

*Thank you to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours, Simon & Schuster and Paige Toon for providing me with a gifted copy of this book in return for my honest review. All thoughts are entirely my own and not influenced in any way.*