Published 14th October 2026 by Simon Stream.
From the cover of the book:
Two best friends. Nine years of almosts. One last winter to fall in love.
Sophie Lindell is ready for a fresh start. After her long-term relationship abruptly ends, she’s finally chasing her dream of a PhD in California, even if it means leaving behind Boston, her tight-knit group of friends and, hardest of all, her best friend Andy. The only problem is that the break-up has left her without a home for the winter…
As always, Andy is there, offering her his spare bedroom and a safe place to land. But he’s keeping one enormous secret: he’s been in love with Sophie for almost a decade. Telling her has never been worth the risk of rejection or losing the most important person in his life.
But he didn’t bet on how difficult it would be to live together. And honestly, neither did she… Sleepy mornings in the kitchen, bare skin glimpsed across the hallway and snowy nights that end with them tangled together on the sofa. Suddenly, a decade of lingering looks and almost-moments feel impossible to ignore. But Sophie knows better than to mistake Andy’s kindness for desire. She made that mistake once before, and there’s no way she’ll risk being rejected again.
With California calling, time is running out for them to figure out what they really are to each other. But after nearly ten years of almosts, can they ever find the words to make it work?
***********
Sophie Lindell loves her job working in science education, at the Boston Museum of Science, but the time is right for her to take the next step by studying for a PhD. Sophie would prefer to stay in Boston, close to her friends Andy, Lia and Nolan (the NASA gang); and it is the sensible choice given her long-term relationship with her boyfriend Elliot - but then there is also the prospect of big changes involving a move to California. Decisions, decisions...
With her future in the balance, she takes a long hard look at her love life, and decides a break-up with Elliot is long overdue, even if it comes with very raw feelings. However, this leaves her homeless. Fortunately, her male bestie, Andy, has a spare bedroom, and tells Sophie she can stay as long as she needs to get back on an even keel.
But neither of them realise that after ten years of almost-moments living together might be too much for them to remain just friends...
The first part of the Hearts of Boston series is an enchanting slow-burn, friends to lovers story that sees Sophie and Andy finally confront the feelings that have been simmering under the surface, since their meeting nine years ago.
The story unfurls mostly from Sophie's perspective, delving into her work and home lives as she breaks-up with less than ideal boyfriend, Elliot, and gets into increasingly electric 'almost' situations with the very lovely Andy - which eventually lead to them leaping over the bounds of friendship. Occasional chapters from Andy fill in his part in the story nicely, when he shares his the reality of the feelings he has long kept hidden from her. Ahh.
This bounces along between meet ups with the tight knit group of friends; cosy moments between the roommates as the will-they-won't they plot develops into romance; and thought-provoking themes about family, friendship, and modern relationships which touch upon Andy's tense dynamic with his brother, Owen. The unpleasant Elliot raises his ugly head more than once, to throw some bumps in the road to happiness for Sophie and Andy - and I enjoyed the extra dimension Sophie's professional aspirations add to the story.
I came to be very fond of the NASA gang, with all their ups and downs, and the romance between Sophie and Andy hits just the right warm and wonderful spot against the backdrop of a snowy Boston - with the perfect amount of spice! The ending made me shed a tear or two, and leaves intriguing threads hanging about a possible love story for the mismatched enemies Owen and Lia... more on that in the next book in the series, All Our Nevers... which I am really looking forward to reading!
All Our Almosts is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.
Thank you to Simon Stream for sending me a review copy of this book:
About the author:
Allie Moffatt is a romance author and lover of love stories. She is a professional grant writer by day and an incorrigible fangirl by night. She lives in Chicago with her husband and elderly gremlin dog.
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