Past Forever - by Amy Ayla (Paperback)

About the Book

Sparks fly in the therapist's office waiting room between a woman with unprocessed childhood trauma and a man shattered by grief. Can a chance at love be a risk to their healing or the key to it?

Book Synopsis

Serenity Serrano is weighed down by unprocessed childhood trauma, misinterpreting

love and safety in all her relationships. When she does take the leap to start therapy,

she doesn't expect her first step toward healing to come in the form of a man she meets

in her therapist's waiting room. The lingering thoughts of self-doubt urge her to focus on

healing instead of risking her heart again. When her buried memories resurface, she

must decide if a chance at love is a risk to her healing or the key to it.

Grant West is consumed by grief, with his focus spent on working, training, and

avoiding his emotions. His weekly therapy sessions are the one constant keeping him

grounded with the hope of piecing the family he has left back together. However, he

didn't anticipate being lured in by the woman with the sad eyes in his therapist's waiting

room. Once a hopeless romantic, he wonders if returning to his roots will finally push

him to confront the tragedy he continues to keep buried.

Can love be healing?

Past Forever is a dual POV slow-burn romance novel with strong mental health themes. There are alternate timelines where instances of trauma and grief are described. Despite its difficult themes, this story is about overcoming challenges and creating the life you deserve.

Review Quotes

"The story between Grant and Serenity was absolutely beautiful. I connected to it in so many ways, and it truly stayed with me even after I finished reading.

A line from the acknowledgments summed it up perfectly: healing doesn't stop once you find love, but healing can be transformative when it's joined by someone safe and supportive. That idea is at the heart of this story. It portrays the reality of childhood trauma in such an honest way-especially the unpredictability of it and how deeply it can shape your sense of self.

What made this story so powerful was watching two people, both carrying their own pain, find safety in each other. There's something incredibly meaningful about having a partner who not only supports you but is also doing their own healing work. That shared understanding and patience creates something truly special.

The idea of having a safe place to land-especially when you've never really had one before-was portrayed so beautifully. And seeing Grant and Serenity slowly come to a place where they no longer felt too damaged to be loved was incredibly moving. That kind of growth and emotional healing felt real, raw, and deeply earned.

This is a story about resilience, healing, and the kind of love that doesn't fix everything-but makes the journey lighter and more hopeful. I absolutely loved it."

Jennifer Sande from Goodreads