Madly Deeply Always by Jules Starbrook

Author : Jules Starbrook

Book : Madly Deeply Always

/ Romance /

Publication date : February 14th 2026

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Blurb:

She’s a struggling musician seeking a mentor.

He’s the brooding Englishman who lets her stay in his seaside cottage.

Haunted by their pasts, neither dares to fall in love again.

Heartbroken, burnt out, and afraid to play her guitar, 21-year-old Australian musician Lily-Anne escapes to England, hoping to find her way back to music.

She takes refuge in a seaside cottage owned by Brandon Ward—a once-renowned music manager who worked with her late father.

But Brandon isn’t what she expected.

He's quiet, reserved, and almost impossible to read.

He doesn’t try to fix her.

He simply gives her space.

And in that stillness, something begins to grow.

But recognising what’s changing between them isn’t easy.

Not with her chaotic sister’s Harry Potter road-trip plans.

Or the neighbours’ matchmaking schemes.

And especially not with the teasing attentions of the charming owner of Willoughby’s Café.

As Lily slowly finds her way back to music and looks to the future,

a secretly besotted Brandon remains haunted by a past he’s never truly faced—

even as he falls for the one person who might finally bring him back to life.

Inspired by the bittersweet yearning of Sense and Sensibility’s Brandon and Marianne, Madly Deeply Always is an introspective, emotional modern romance about healing after grief, rediscovering identity, and the unwavering devotion of a gentleman who loves without expectation—even when it hurts.

My thoughts:

What intrigued me about this book was the UK setting (always wanted to live there❤️)

and, as a musician myself, the topic was right down my alley.

I loved seeing the story through both main characters, Brandon and Lily-Anne, and their mental barriers in musicianship and romance, and how their past trauma affected them.

Undeniably cosy setting with an excruciatingly slow burn as they untangle everything, but it's well worth it in the end. There are a few hilarious side characters like Barbara and Rupert, but my favourite was Ellenor, who kinda reminded me of myself with her behaviour.

Easy and fun read to curl up with a nice cup of coffee.