Between Yesterday & Forever

Between Yesterday & Forever

by Joe M. Mercado-Rivera

Romance New Adult Latino/Hispano International Romance Coming-of-Age Christian Themes

If you had to choose between love and purpose, which would you choose?

Set in Puerto Rico, an island bathed in sunlight and the salty Caribbean breeze, two paths cross just as time seems to dissolve between routines, expectations, and unspoken silences. Between Yesterday & Forever is a story about human connection, the weight of decisions, and the emotions hidden within the everyday.
Jay is a young medical student who has followed a path laid out by others. While the world applauds his stability, his soul longs for a life with more purpose, more truth, more of himself. But when he begins to listen to that inner voice he has long ignored, he finds himself torn between what others have always envisioned for him and what he truly desires.
Felicity, an exchange student from Vienna, shaped by experiences that have left deep marks, has learned to move forward without depending on anyone. Brilliant, free, and determined, she has made detachment her refuge. For her, loving deeply also means losing control, and that is something she refuses to allow. Yet there are glances that disarm and words that awaken something she did not even know was asleep.
Between conversations at the University of Puerto Rico, walks through Old San Juan, and sunsets along Puerto Rico’s beaches, Jay and Felicity discover that some encounters defy logic and some moments change everything. Sometimes, the most important questions have no easy answers, and choosing between what we love and what we feel can become the soul’s greatest conflict.
Between Yesterday & Forever is more than a romance novel. It is an exploration of purpose, identity, and the risk of opening yourself to love when you feel most vulnerable. A story for those who have ever felt they had to choose between their heart and their calling.
258 Pages
2026 Published
English Language
979-8-9935390-2-7 ISBN

“This is one of those novels that stays with you after you finish reading it, and even makes you want to revisit it from time to time. The emotions, the experiences, the setting—everything felt deeply realistic and human, giving me an incredibly valuable reading experience. In fact, it is one of my favorite books of the year, and one I would recommend once it is published.”

—Paula E.
Editor

Buy Now

Ordena "Entre Ayer y Siempre" en el formato que más se adapte a ti. Elige cómo quieres leer y vivir esta historia.

Jay
Swipe Right ❤️

Meet Jay

He is afraid of losing everyhting

Jay

20 • Utuado, Puerto Rico

A young Puerto Rican man with a noble heart and a restless mind. A nursing student, admired by others for seeming to have his life “figured out.” He lives caught between the expectations of those around him and the inner voice that questions whether he is doing what he truly wants, or simply what others expect from him.

Green flag:

He truly listens to you. He makes you feel safe without ever having to say it.

Red flag:

He keeps too much to himself. He confuses stability with avoiding risk.

One thing I didn’t expect was…

That someone would teach me how to feel again.

Meet Felicity

She is afraid of losing herself.

Felicity

20 • Viena, Austria

An exchange student from Vienna, determined, brilliant, and carrying an energy that captivates everyone around her. Beneath her independence and free spirit lies a story of unhealed wounds that have made her strong… but also cautious.

Green flag:
She loves with honesty. She pushes you to discover parts of yourself you didn’t know you had.
Red flag:
She runs when something matters too much. She romanticizes chaos to avoid facing what she truly wants.
One thing I didn’t expect was…
That a place so far from home would feel more like mine than my own life.
Felicity
Swipe Right ❤️

Moodboard Jay y Felicity

This moodboard captures the essence, emotions, and aesthetic of Jay and Felicity, both individually and together. Immerse yourself in the visual vibes of Between Yesterday & Forever.
Ver Moodboard Completo

Behind the Story

The Creative Journey of "Between Yesterday & Forever

The first notes for the book “Between Yesterday & Forever”
01 — Inspiration

Where Everything Started

The idea of writing this story had been on my mind for more than two years.

In January 2025, while I was talking with my best friend, she told me to write it, even if it was only for her to read.

That is how I began the first chapters, without thinking about publishing them, simply with the desire to share something that came from the heart.

Here, at "The Bookmark" in Hatillo, the hours became some of the most heartfelt chapters of the story.
02 — Writing Process

Words That Come to Life

Over the next few months, I dedicated hours to writing and shaping the story.

It was a process filled with emotion: tears as I remembered real moments, laughter as I relived memories, and silences that said more than words ever could.

It was a complex and emotional experience, but also one of the most rewarding of my life.

Me with the first draft of the book
03 — The emotions behind every line

The human and emotional side of the process

The challenge was not just writing a story.

It was facing memories, emotions, and realities that still lived within me.

Wounds I thought had healed came knocking again.

Every line, every dialogue, every revision became a conversation with myself.

One more step toward healing… and understanding what the story was trying to tell me.

The First Presentation of "Entre Ayer y Siempre" at "El Rincon del Lector" at Camuy, Puerto Rico.
04 — Publishing "Entre Ayer y Siempre"

The day the story was no longer only mine

January 13 arrived, and with it, the official release the original spanish version of Between Yesterday & Forever.

What I least expected was the magnitude of the response. Suddenly, a story that had been born in silence, between memories, emotions, and hours of writing, began reaching readers in different places.

People from around the world started reading it, sharing their thoughts, writing reviews, and connecting with Jay and Felicity in ways I never imagined.

There were messages, presentations, words of support, and moments when the book sold out. Everything happened with such a beautiful force that it is still hard to put into words.

It was overwhelming, emotional, and deeply special.

That day, I understood that the story was no longer only mine. It now lived in every person who read it, felt it, and chose to make it part of their heart.

Cover of "Between Yesterday & Forever" Art created by @Sugar_dells
04 — Reflection

What I Learned Along the Way

All of this journey now leads to Between Yesterday & Forever.

“Yesterday” represents the past: our fears, who we used to be, and what we had to leave behind.

“Forever” represents who we become after living, learning, and healing.

Sometimes, without realizing it, certain people and moments change our lives forever.

As you read this story for the first time in English, I hope you find pieces of yourself in Jay and Felicity’s journey, and maybe even discover your own place between yesterday and forever.

“Between who we were and who we are becoming… there will always be a story that reminds us who we are.”
Purchase "Between Yesterday & Forever"