Clare Gilmore’s third novel, Never Over, arrives with a premise that feels both audacious and deeply relatable: what if the key to unlocking your creative voice lies in revisiting your greatest heartbreak? In Never Over, twenty-five-year-old songwriter Paige Lancaster makes an impulsive decision that sets the stage for a summer of emotional excavation, musical discovery, and second chances.
The Heart of the Melody
At its core, this book explores the intersection of art and authenticity. Paige stands on the precipice of her dream career—a publishing contract with a prestigious Nashville music house—but there’s a catch. Her lyrics lack depth, emotional resonance, the rawness that transforms a competent song into something that makes listeners feel seen. Music publisher Paul Friedman delivers this devastating assessment after hearing her carefully crafted demos, and in doing so, he inadvertently sends Paige on a journey back to the one person who could help her access those buried emotions: Liam Bishop, the ex-boyfriend who broke her heart four years ago.
What makes this premise compelling is its specificity. Gilmore doesn’t give us a generic struggling artist; she gives us a songwriter who understands music theory, who can craft technically perfect melodies, but who has locked away the vulnerable parts of herself that make art truly resonate. The novel acknowledges a truth many creative professionals face: technical skill alone doesn’t guarantee emotional impact.
Characters That Harmonize
Paige Lancaster emerges as a protagonist whose journey feels earned rather than contrived. As the youngest of five sisters, she’s spent much of her life as a side character in other people’s stories. Her characterization is refreshingly nuanced—she’s talented but insecure, ambitious yet terrified of visibility, capable of growth while still carrying the wounds of her past. Gilmore captures the particular anxiety of someone who has worked hard to develop their craft but struggles with the vulnerability required to share it with the world.
Liam Bishop provides the perfect counterpoint to Paige’s creative journey. A former college baseball pitcher whose career ended in a devastating shoulder injury, he carries his own grief about dreams deferred and identities lost. His transition from athlete to tour manager feels authentic, and his emotional arc—learning to find meaning beyond the one thing he’d built his identity around—mirrors Paige’s journey in compelling ways. The chemistry between these two characters crackles on the page, built on a foundation of genuine friendship, shared history, and mutual understanding.
The supporting cast deserves recognition for adding texture and authenticity to the narrative:
- The Lancaster sisters bring familial complexity without overwhelming the central romance
- Folly, Paige’s pregnant sister, serves as both comic relief and emotional anchor
- Penelope Parker and the Etta Girls provide a glimpse into the music industry that feels researched and realistic
- Paul Friedman, the music publisher, offers mentorship without the problematic power dynamics that often plague such relationships
Themes That Resonate
Gilmore weaves several thematic threads throughout the narrative with varying degrees of success. The exploration of authenticity in art stands out as particularly well-executed. The novel asks difficult questions: Can you manufacture vulnerability? Does great art require suffering? How do you balance self-protection with creative honesty? These questions don’t receive easy answers, which feels appropriate for a story about artistic growth.
The examination of grief and healing provides emotional weight to both main characters’ arcs. Liam’s processing of his father’s death and the loss of his baseball career runs parallel to Paige’s reckoning with her mother’s abandonment and her own creative fears. The book acknowledges that healing isn’t linear and that sometimes moving forward requires looking backward.
Where the thematic exploration occasionally falters is in its treatment of sisterhood. While the Lancaster sisters are distinct personalities with their own struggles, their conflicts and resolutions sometimes feel rushed, resolved through a single therapeutic conversation rather than the messy, ongoing work that real family relationships require. This isn’t a fatal flaw, but readers seeking deep sister dynamics might find this element underdeveloped compared to the central romance.
The Craft Behind the Song
Gilmore’s prose shines brightest in intimate moments. She has a gift for capturing the electricity of attraction, the tentative rebuilding of trust between two people who’ve hurt each other, and the specific vulnerability of sharing creative work. The dual timeline structure—alternating between their college relationship and the present-day fake dating arrangement—builds tension effectively, though occasional transitions between timelines can feel abrupt.
The inclusion of Paige’s song lyrics throughout the narrative is ambitious, and largely succeeds. These aren’t placeholder lyrics; they feel like actual song fragments, with their own emotional arcs and thematic resonance. Lines like “never over by the garden where we argued, never over stupid words that didn’t matter” capture both the lyricism and emotional specificity that the narrative itself champions.
Strengths of the writing include:
- Authentic music industry details that suggest thorough research
- Sensory descriptions that bring settings to life
- Dialogue that reveals character while advancing plot
- Emotional honesty in depicting creative struggles
Areas where the execution wavers:
- Some plot conveniences that stretch credibility
- Occasional reliance on miscommunication as conflict
- Pacing issues in the middle section where the tour narrative can feel repetitive
- Secondary character arcs that sometimes feel underdeveloped
What Works (and What Doesn’t)
The fake dating trope receives fresh treatment here through the specificity of its purpose. This isn’t fake dating for convenience or to fool family members; it’s a creative experiment with clear parameters and genuine risk. The emotional stakes feel real because both characters have something significant to lose—Paige her career breakthrough, Liam his hard-won emotional stability.
The tour setting provides a backdrop that’s both glamorous and grounding. Gilmore captures the unglamorous reality of life on the road—the shared hotel rooms, the exhaustion, the strange intimacy of existing in limbo spaces—while also honoring the magic of live music and artistic collaboration.
Where the novel occasionally stumbles is in conflict resolution. Some obstacles that seem insurmountable are overcome almost too easily, particularly in the final act. The path to Paige’s creative breakthrough, while emotionally satisfying, happens somewhat rapidly after months of struggle. Additionally, readers seeking high angst might find the central conflict less dramatic than expected; much of the tension comes from internal character work rather than external obstacles.
The Final Chorus
Never Over by Clare Gilmore succeeds as both romance and exploration of the creative process. It understands that making art requires vulnerability, that second chances demand different choices, and that sometimes the thing you’re most afraid of—being truly seen—is exactly what you need to grow. The novel doesn’t claim that love solves all problems or that inspiration strikes like lightning; instead, it shows the messy, beautiful work of opening yourself up to both artistic and emotional risk.
Clare Gilmore has crafted a story that will resonate particularly with readers who understand the terror and thrill of creating something from nothing, of putting your heart into your work and hoping it finds its audience. While not without its flaws, the book delivers an emotionally satisfying journey anchored by characters you’ll root for and a romance that feels both inevitable and earned.
For Readers Who Loved
If Never Over by Clare Gilmore struck a chord, consider these similar reads:
- The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon – workplace romance with media industry setting and excellent banter
- Beach Read by Emily Henry – writers finding inspiration through emotional vulnerability
- Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – deeper dive into music industry with 1970s setting
- The Hating Game by Sally Thorne – enemies-to-lovers with sharp dialogue and slow-burn chemistry
- Tweet Cute by Emma Lord – contemporary romance with creative pursuits at its heart
Clare Gilmore’s previous novels, Perfect Fit and Love Interest, showcase her talent for contemporary romance with depth, making her backlist worth exploring for readers new to her work.
Never Over by Clare Gilmore reminds us that the most powerful art comes not from perfection, but from honesty—about who we are, what we’ve lost, and what we’re brave enough to hope for. It’s a love letter to anyone who’s ever struggled to find their voice, creative or otherwise, and a testament to the transformative power of letting yourself be seen.