Complex, Tense and twisty. A great thriller.
Amy seems to have a near perfect life with her baby son, step-daughter and loving husband. She has a job she loves and her best friend Charlotte.
Amy has worked hard to build a life for herself while hiding a secret she thinks is long buried. Then Roux arrives and what starts with a silly drunken game threatens to ruin Amy’s life.
Roux knows Amy’s secret and she wants money to keep it but Amy isn’t willing to sit back and let Roux dictate to her. She will play Roux at her own game and fight to keep her life and family together no matter what it takes.
The only problem is that Roux plays dirty and in playing the game Amy herself could destroy everything she holds dear.
There were many twists that I didn't see coming and the ending was brilliant.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the front cover was brilliant and the blurb was intriguing. I read this book in just two sittings and was hooked from the start. I would definitely read future novels from this author.

A great suspense novel. The focus is on Amy and the dilemma she is facing with mysterious new neighbour, Roux, but skipping back to snippets of Amy's past puts her into context as an adult which I liked. Amy has a dark secret and has done some terrible things, but one of the main messages the novel sent was that everyone has a past, and we are who we are today because of a million little things that have happened to us. Or one big thing, in Amy's case.

I also felt that the novel served as a reminder that it's not our pasts that define us, but rather how we move on and learn from our mistakes. Amy has been wracked with guilt all of her adult life over 'that night all those years ago, and letting Tig take the blame, and Roux capitalises on that guilt and uses it to blackmail her. But rather than distancing herself from Roux and focusing on how they are different, she realises how similar they actually are, and it is this acknowledgement that allows Amy to triumph. Amy realises that while Roux is bitter, spiteful, and full of hate, Amy herself feels remorse and has worked to make amends.

I felt the ending was a little rushed; there didn't seem to be much of an explanation as to what happened to Luca, and no ramifications for Amy's actions, honourable as they were. There's also an awful lot of white privilege thrown around in this book - Amy would've 100% been incarcerated were it not for her parents and their money - but beneath the surface was a story about genuine personal growth and being able to let go of the person you used to be. Allowing yourself to grow and change without clinging on to the past, and understanding that every day is a new opportunity to start again.

Would recommend if you like suspense fiction and thrillers with evil female antagonists. A lot of Killing Eve vibes in this one!

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I really enjoyed this, although felt it was probably too long, especially as it took me awhile to get into. Amy was an interesting protagonist and the story was unpredictable, making the revelations and twists and turns gripping. I'd recommend this and would be interested to read more by this author.

This story is about Amy. She is happily married and has a baby and a 15 year old step daughter. She has a best friend called Charlotte. She and Charlotte are hosting a book club in Amy’s house when new to the area Roux turns up and takes over. Later in the evening Roux starts a game of never have I ever. It becomes clear that Roux knows the secret that Amy has been keeping from everyone.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, nor did I find them believable. I constantly questioned Amy’s decisions. My main problem with this book was that I found it very slow. A quarter of the way through the book I genuinely lost interest in the story. I am disappointed as I was really looking forward to reading this one.

First book I’ve read from this author so thank you to Netgalley for the intro.

What I really enjoyed about this book was the character development which I often find is missing from suspense/thriller type books as it takes a back seat to the story line.

I enjoyed the storyline, the ending was a surprise but I think we’ve come to expect all thriller books to have a ‘twist’ but it’s not necessary to make an enjoyable read and I don’t think this book loses anything for this.

Easy to read with interesting characters.

Oh this was wicked fun! Twisted and dark, it all starts with a variation of Never Have I Ever and ends in a very bad place.

Fast paced with interesting characters, there a plenty of secrets to be uncovered in this evil, spiteful game.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

Amy has buried her past and painstakingly built herself a new life- a good life with routine and simple pleasures. Then Roux crashes into the book club night and Amy’s life and everything starts to look as though it will unravel.
The story reveals events in flashbacks, and present day, and builds toward a climax that will surprise you. I really hadn’t figured this one out!
An enjoyable domestic thriller, with some unexpected twists. Thanks to NetGalley, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for the ARC.
This is a well-written, well-plotted psychological thriller which, on the whole, I enjoyed reading. However, I did feel some scenarios were almost 'written-to-death' and became rather tedious reading.
Told from the present, interspersed with the past events of 1991 which give rise to Amy Whey's darkest secret.
Presently living a nice life in a Florida suburb with husband Davis, stepdaughter Madison and new baby Oliver, Amy's life is turned upside down when the new tenant of a run-down Airbnb property in the neighbourhood turns up on her doorstep to join their book group - Angelica Roux. Roux proceeds to completely dominate the gathering, initiating a drinking game around 'the worst thing you ever did'. Side-remarks from Roux make Amy certain that Roux knows her secret.
And she does know.
Amy has to find out how her past has come back to haunt her and find a way to prevent her life and her family being destroyed.
Who is Angelica Roux and her young teenaged son Luca? Where did they come from?
Amy is determined to find out and the story takes up through the twists and turns of a cat and mouse game of threats, blackmail and secrets revealed.
A very satisfactory and unexpected ending.
A good, if in some parts lengthy, read.

I did enjoy this book eventually but took me a long time not really my cup of tea but very well written.

This is a decent read. I've not read Joshilyn Jackson before and, although it's not my usual genre (domestic thriller) it's a well written tale about a young mother (Amy) whose safe, sturdy life becomes threatened by a new member to their book club. Angelica Roux is a dark force that engages the women in a game, revealing long hidden secrets.

It kept me engaged and wraps things up nicely.

All in all a good 3* read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, I have finished the book in less than 3 hours. Great book. Would recommend to those who like good read!

A suburban cat and mouse hunt that keeps you guessing! I loved all the twists and turns this novel took; it never once felt predictable or formulaic. I really enjoyed it! Amy was deeply flawed and, in many ways, she was haunted/weighed down by her past. Yet she kept fighting to rise beyond it; she kept fighting for her present and future, never giving in to easy answers or simple ‘solutions.’ I found the story engrossing and Amy herself a very interesting character. Roux a bit less so but still, she kept the story moving in unexpected and interesting directions. I will be recommending this novel to friends and family and thank the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy! It’s the perfect book to lose oneself in with a cup of tea (or several) over the course of a rainy weekend.

I really loved the powerful female protagonist in this dark thriller about blackmail and secrets. The scuba diving backdrop was interesting and unusual; it provided a credible way to explain how Amy managed to handle the unbearable stress of her situation and made me wish for a similar coping mechanism for the novel's tension!
Jackson lets the secrets out sparingly but the twists play second fiddle to the compelling characters and the thoughtful writing.

I have read (and loved) all of Jackson’s other books, and this didn’t disappoint. It did seem a bit of a departure from her previous novels though, less Southern, more thriller.

Never have I ever is a book which keeps you gripped right from the start, and caring about what happens to all the characters, even though most of them are deeply flawed.

The depiction of female friendships, families and the weight of past decisions made this relatable even though the lives (and escapades!) of the characters are so different from my own.

I think this would be a great summer read, escapist and enthralling without being light.

I really didn't like this book. Yet another tale of childhood secrets which come to light in later life; there are a lot of books very similar to this at the moment. I found the writing long-winded, and the story completely unbelievable. None of the characters rang true, even allowing for UK/US differences. Very disappointing.

When I saw the title of this book, I admit I groaned. Ah those stupid games you had to play when younger. When you had to admit your darkest fears, embarrassing stories etc. Well, I say, ‘have to’. Depends on how creative a person is and how god they are at remembering what they’ve said.

It’s an intriguing premise and one I was keen to read. It’s unique and hits that spot with anyone who has ever played it. What would you do, how would you react to someone knowing your darkest secrets and willing to expose them?

It might make you less keen to join a book group though - ha! Not really. IT was a good way of having an innocent bookgroup turn twisty and gritty though!

It’s a fun beach read to get you through the twists and turns and to turn what you think on your head. The battle of wills between the two characters was chilling and exciting to read.
It would be fun to read this at an actual bookgroup and discuss the dynamics!

This book had me hooked from the first chapter. A book club becomes something more with the arrival of a stranger and a game of "Never Have I Ever". Amy finds herself being transported back to a past she would rather forget and thinking about a future she wants to protect.
Is Angelica Roux all she is made out to be or also hiding a secret?
Can Amy protect her family as well as keeping her inheritance?
You are dragged in and taken through the unpredictable twists and turns of the drama wondering how this will all end.
I promise this book will keep you guessing until the end and is well worth a read!

Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson
Publication date 8th Aug


✨✨✨✨ REVIEW ✨✨✨✨

5🌟


A woman walks into your book club meeting uninvited. Before you know it, you're sat on a ticking bomb.
The skeletons in your closet are poised to explode. What would you do to keep them a secret?

This is the situation Amy Whey finds herself in, when the new resident Angelica Roux turns up, and seemingly knows all her deepest, darkest secrets.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, just when you think you've got a grasp on what's going on and what might happen,a curve ball is swung so hard at you it sends your heart racing.

The writing is superb, you really do feel that your a part of the characters lives. And the action and mysteries continue throughout. This is a book that you can call a 'real-page-turner'

This psychological thriller was full of twists and turns which made it an enjoyable read. The characters were interesting and the setting was good. I’ve never read any books by this author, this is the first but I’ll be keeping my eye out in the future for more.
Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this book