Actually sat here in shock from what I've just read!
This book made me feel sick, made me mad, made me want to cry, made me want to grab Ness and never let her go!
BUT MY GOD! I was not expecting this ending! I'm shocked I don't know what to think!
The DV bringing up a kid, this boy sounded perfect in everyway & now I feel a little bit heartbroken! This book pushed and pulled (having kids myself) I guess some things are better left in the grave.... I am literally speechless!

This is an emotional read. It handled some difficult topics
It’s very well written and the characters are well developed.
A great read

This book kept me turning the pages, as I just had to see what happened to the poor Wren boy. Unfortunately I didn't like the domestic violence scenes, and this might be upsetting to some readers as well. It was however a very well written book, and I will read some more by this author. Recommended regardless of the possible upsetting scenes.

Never Ever Tell is a gripping thriller that makes you question everything about the people you think you know. The story is told predominantly from the viewpoint of Vanessa Sawyer, a woman who has been to hell and back throughout her lifetime, yet always tried to do her best by her children to give them a better life than she had.
As characters go, Vanessa has to be one of the most three dimensional, well-developed characters I have ever come across. A lot of time is invested into Vanessa’s history, which all has relevance to the story. From being taken advantage of as a young girl to becoming a mother, your heart goes out to Vanessa for all she has suffered. She is downtrodden, blamed for everything that happens and subjected to abuse from friends and family alike. Her only salvation is her children, particularly her eldest, Wren.
Yet when Wren, her beautiful, open, honest boy – her best friend – starts keeping a secret, Vanessa becomes obsessed with discovering the truth. Her obsession takes over and she neglects everything else. Honestly, I became frustrated with her and her complete lack of empathy for what impact her behaviour was having on others. Vanessa’s fallibility makes her a very realistic character and enjoyable to read... even if you want to shake her to make her see what she’s doing!
The events of the synopsis of Never Ever Tell take part in the second part of the book. Around 50% of the narrative is dedicated to the back story that plays a pivotal part in the devastating events that transpire. I love a lot of detail in character’s back story, but I will be honest and say I wasn’t sure at one point if there was a bit too much background compared to the action in the novel. It was still entertaining to read, so of course, I carried on. It was all worth it! I’m not going to spoil anything, but it all becomes relevant later on in the explosive ending.
And man, that conclusion I did not see coming at all! It made the book for me. I love thrillers that throw you a complete curveball and make you think back to see if you should have spotted the clues to the end sooner. This book definitely made me do that, although I don’t think I would have ever anticipated that ending!

TRIGGER WARNING: Extreme domestic violence, abuse, rape, bullying and suicide.

Whoa! This book is nothing like I expected. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't that. It's a difficult book to read on many levels though it does peter out before another brutal event that leaves you breathless. NEVER EVER TELL is an intense read that begins as a domestic drama before becoming something of a thriller with several twists and heart pounding scenes. It is definitely NOT for the fainthearted with many triggers included. I am still reeling long after finishing the final page.

The story begins with Vanessa Sawyer recapping the past eight years of her life leading up to the present day through the first couple of chapters. She has been dealt pretty much a crappy blow thanks to a rumble in the back of a van when she was 18 which landed her married to Mark. He who had been her best friend's boyfriend, put her in a cab home and rejoined the high school dance and sought Vanessa out. Leading her to his van with tender kisses and promises that they would be together, she succumbed to his charms in moment of teenage passion. Promising to tell Maggie about them the following day, he bid her goodnight. But he had no intention of telling Maggie. He just wanted a quick fumble and to get his leg over because Maggie wouldn't until they were married.

Then six months later, Vanessa discovered she was pregnant. She told Mark who denied it was his but since she had only ever slept with him there could be no other candidate. They then told Maggie together, who understandably threw a mega hissy fit, and then they told their parents...who thought it best they marry. On what should be a girl's happiest day, Mark couldn't even look at the heavily pregnant Vanessa. What then ensued were years of abuse at his hands, blaming her for ruining her life. She went into labour while he was hitting and kicking her, telling her she couldn't do anything right. And when her son was born and she held him in her arms, everything else went away. She named him Wren, which Mark scoffed at being a stupid name, and he was the light of her life. Wren was her reason for living, for going on even when Mark's abuse was at its worst. She vowed to protect him at all costs. But little did she know her little boy would grow up protecting her also. He becomes her salvation.

After what she did to Maggie, the town turned against her and she lost all her friends until she had only Mark, who abused her daily, and her parents who lived a couple of streets away. But through it all, she still has Wren. Even when she has no one else...she still has Wren.

The one day, shortly after the birth of her second son Ty, downtrodden and a shadow of the girl she used to be, she bumps into Billy Wright who sees past the facade she keeps in place, past the bruises on her face, past the lies she tells...and sees a young vulnerable woman with a child and a baby who needs his help. And with Billy's help, Vanessa packs their bags and embarks on a new journey. One in which her children will grow up safe and loved.

Years pass and Wren is now at a community college for his final year of high school with his two best friends, Justin and Wade. And then Wren meets Olivia. Beautiful sweet Olivia, whose father is their new principal, and the two instantly feel a connection. They begin dating and, although she cannot stand his two best friends, she and Wren become inseparable. She describes them as "soul mates".

Then one day, Vanessa's beautiful honest and loving boy Wren comes home a different person. Something happened that he is keeping from her that haunts him so terribly. But what? And then...everything changes. Vanessa's life is thrown into an upheaval like she has never known and with every fibre of her being while there is still breath in her body, she becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth...neglecting everything and everyone else. But is she ready for the truth...if and when she finds it?

I have to say, from beginning to end NEVER EVER TELL is a brutal and harrowing read for the most part. It is dark and confrontational yet compelling. It is the stuff of nightmares. And if you are a sensitive reader or are triggered by extreme abuse and rape, then I advise giving this one a miss. It is very triggering and it is very confrontational. And many parts are difficult to read. Extremely difficult.

NEVER EVER TELL is divided into two parts - Part One and Part Two. The narrative in the first part is dedicated to Vanessa's backstory, which is completely harrowing to say the least. But it is central to the story that is to come in the second part and the devastating events that transpire. I cannot say much more than that...but boy, what an intense read! And simply breathtaking.

And WOW! I did not see that twist at the end coming at all! It was even more brutal than what we, the reader, had already bore witness to. It was a clever twist but I'm not sure I liked it...I'm still in two minds about it. But it definitely threw me, that's for sure. Even knowing what I do now I still don't think I could have anticipated such an ending.

This is my first read by Kirsty Ferguson and now that I've discovered her, it won't be my last. She is Aussie born and bred and I do like to support our home grown authors. However...I feel I must comment on the one thing that sticks in my craw. One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to Australian or British authors is the use of American English. In Australia we use UK English and I loathe to see everything Americanised in what is an Australian author's book. Although the setting could be anywhere as it is not specified as being in Australia, America or even Antartica. I did think it had an American feel to it despite being written by an Aussie author, which in my opinion should be set in Australia (half the reason I read home grown authors). And while I don't like American English in Aussie or British written books, I can tolerate it but my biggest beef is with the use of the term "mom" throughout. I loathe it. In Australia we use "mum" and that is what I expected to read. So I was disappointed to have an Australian author's book Amercianised when I expected it to be...well, Australian.

That is really my only criticism with the book because it was very cleverly written and Vanessa particularly was incredibly well developed. I could see everything through her eyes and feel everything as she would feel it. I admit to growing somewhat frustrated with her in her obsessive campaign for the truth, as she shut the rest of her family out and was in danger of losing them completely. But when she came back to earth, she fell back with hell of a thud. She was grounded immediately.

NEVER EVER TELL is a raw and highly emotive tale that is both harrowing and heartbreaking to read. Written completely in the third person, the first part is solely from Vanessa's perspective, while the second part is through Olivia's Wren's and Vanessa's eyes.

A dark, compelling and addictive read, NEVER EVER TELL is a domestic drama and thriller rolled into one. It is haunting read that will stay with me for a while to come.

I would like to thank #KirstyFerguson, #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #NeverEverTell in exchange for an honest review.

This is an absolute cracker of a book. It was a roller coaster of emotions. The characters were believable and I was so caught up in the story that I couldnt put it down. The book discusses some touchy subjects such as rape and domestic violence. It will really make you invest your emotions into the book. I highly recommend and will be reading more of Kirstys books.

What a shock this book was. I was literally king forward to it but wow it totally suprised me how good it was. Great plot . Not quite knowing which way this book was going to go. It was a thriller. I was so disappointed when it ended. Very well written

Wasn’t expecting such a dark and disturbing story but couldn’t stop reading once I started. Compelling prose in this domestic noir turned thriller about rape, domestic abuse and the state of relationships and their consequences. Difficult to read in many parts but I finished it and couldn’t review it for two weeks.

Never Ever Tell Review
***TRIGGER WARNING***

This book THOUGH!!!! The writing was fantastic, I very anxious and nervous for the main character. I just kept waiting for something to happen. This book deals with a lot of triggers (from domestic violence to rape) so it will definitely not be for everyone. I honestly couldn’t put it down! The story is so well written out!

SYNOPSIS

She’d do anything for her boy…

Vanessa Sawyer knows all about pain. She’s felt it every day since marrying the boy who fathered her baby in high school. All he’s meant are broken bones, broken heart and broken dreams. But he also brought her the love of her life. When her son Wren was born, her baby boy was her salvation.

Vanessa watches Wren grow and become a young man she can be proud of. Until one night everything changes, including Wren. One night that her son refuses to speak of. Now Vanessa can’t rest, not until she uncovers the secret that her son has been hiding from her.

Will she find the answers she’s searching for or will her quest for the truth take her to a dark place where all hope is lost?

One evil act. One tragedy. Lives destroyed forever.

3.5☆ Twists, Shocks, It's Dark, Violent, Shocking and Compelling.

Vanessa married young, at just eighteen. She was forced into Marrying Mark.

After a one night stand in the back of a van with her best mates boyfriend Mark, Vanessa finds herself 6months pregnant and about to break her best friend's heart. Not to mention being pushed into marrying Mark, so the baby isn't born out of wedlock!

However their married life certainly didn't start off great, Mark is still in love with Maggie, he takes great pleasure in telling her, and reminding her that she ruined his life.
Then the viscous violence started as he became an aggressive drunk.
Even the birth of their Son Wren, didn't bring them closer together. The violence just became routine and got a whole lot worse. Even the second birth of her child Ty couldn't stop the beatings.

But can Vanessa ever get the strength to get away from her abusive relationship or is it all too late for them? Does history repeat itself!

This book isn't going to be for everyone, it's violent, heart wrenching and contains ALOT of triggers. There is also rape scenes.
It isn't an easy book to read and at times I wanted to stop reading.
But I wanted to see how the story planned out for Vanessa and her boys.

I have very mixed views about Vanessa. On one hand my heart literally breaks for her. An innocent mistake cost her very dearly. Then on the other hand she frustrated me with her self loathing and don't get me wrong I'm not saying that I could begin to imagine what she or any person who goes through Domestic Abuse feels, but it's as if she feels she deserves the beatings because she cheated on her best friend. It was her punishment. But no one deserves what she went through.

There are twists, shocks, roller coaster of emotions, it's dark, violent, shocking and highly compelling.
Ferguson certainly knows how to make her readers feel a whole range of emotions. Whether or not you find it an uncomfortable read, it certainly drags you in.
I would definitely recommend reading this book, but with caution as I said previously it's not a particularly easy read for some.


Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I had to give 4 stars, because this one took me a bit to grab me, but once it sort of shifted genres it gripped me! It’s sort of slower paced drama at beginning, but then quickly turns into my love, a dark, disturbing, and graphic thriller! It’s quite graphic, and could likely cause someone with triggers some issues, so if you get triggered make sure to see if it’s the type within these pages! Well written, intense, chilling, and shocking! Highly, highly recommend! Grab your copy today and clear the schedule, don’t give yo right away, as I promise it’s worth sticking out!

Whoa. A difficult book to read. It started as a domestic drama which went on to become a thriller with twists and heart pounding scenes. Not for the faint hearted. It had a whole lot of triggers for abuse.
I had nightmares but the writing was dark and compelling. I skim read it to avoid feeling the pain.

Really good read. Would recommend to friends and family. I could sympathise with characters (important for any fiction novel!) and looked forward to picking it up and reading the next few chapters! Interesting plot line and a good ending. Will look out for more novels by the author. Thank you.

An absolute must read page turner!!!
.
The author Kirsty Ferguson is a new author to me but I can assure you this will not be the last book of hers I read! .
This is an emotional, harrowing read with lots of ups and downs and a jaw dropping ending.
.
Some parts are a little hard to read but in all honesty that’s what makes the book. It is not for the light hearted! .
**Please note there are trigger warnings for rape and domestic violence.

I spent an awful lot of this book wondering where the heck the story was going. Most mystery/thriller type of stories start off with the crime and then you get to solve it along with the protagonists, often using flashbacks to revisit scenes which build up to it. Never Ever Tell, however, doesn’t follow this track; the entire first third of the book is basically laying the foundational backstory of Vanessa. Pregnant at seventeen after a fling with her best friend’s boyfriend and married at eighteen to a man who rapidly turned abusive, Vanessa is an extremely sympathetic protagonist. A devoted mother, she struggles to raise her sons and eventually, get out from her abusive marriage and make a new life for herself. A shocking tragedy, however, brings her world crashing down, and she can’t stop herself asking questions… which lead to an even more shocking discovery.

The first thing I have to say here is TRIGGER WARNINGS. Holy moly, this book needs ALL of the trigger warnings. Underage sex, rape, gang rape, spousal abuse (physical and sexual), parental abuse of a child, cancer, stillbirth, death of a major character, suicide attempts (cutting), successful suicide (pills)... the list goes on and on. It’s honestly a bit of a litany of misery… but it is extremely well written. It’s absolutely impossible not to feel sympathy for Vanessa, and then grieve with her at the final, catastrophic disaster.

And then feel massively betrayed with her, too.

I don’t think I can go on any further without spoilers, but I think it’s important to make my feelings about this clear, so: BEWARE, SPOILERS AHEAD.

Discovering that Vanessa’s son had grown up to be just as awful as his abusive father was a massive kick in the guts to anyone who’s grown up under the shadow of abuse and is determined to break the cycle. It’s a harmful, damaging trope that the abused is inevitably going to become an abuser. Vanessa felt betrayed when she found out the truth; I felt FURIOUS. I finished the book and slammed it down feeling like there was steam coming out of my ears, and I’ve had to wait a while to write this review to try and remove the emotion from it.

Here’s the thing. Kirsty Ferguson is an exceptional writer to make me feel that much emotion in a book. I was welling up at Wren’s death - I’m a mother of sons myself, and it hit way too close to home - but the twist was just too much. It’s not telegraphed in the text. We spend time in Wren’s PoV and there’s no hint that he’s anything other than the wholesome, good kid his mother believes. It was a twist going for shock value and I think it perpetuates a harmful trope, as I noted above. Vanessa’s actions after finding out the truth damaged her whole character arc too, because she knew there were more victims of Wren’s gang and chose to do nothing about them. Where was the justice in that?

Despite the exceptional quality of the writing, the fact that the overwhelming emotion I felt at the conclusion of this book was rage means that I can’t give it any more than three stars.

Never, Ever Tell is a domestic Noir thriller is a past paced story that grabs your attention from the first page and doesn't let it go!
Vanessa had a fling with her best friends boyfriend and would have been thrown to the side except for the fact she ended up pregnant. They got married and she rued the day forever as everything she did since was wrong, right to the name of their baby boy.Vanessa lives for her boy ,Wren. Then something happens that changed everything and everyone including Wren and Vanessa needs to find the answers to the questions she is asking.
This story highlights issues that are massive and rife in todays world, rape and domestic violence. So needless to say it can be a harrowing read with all the ups and downs of a rollercoaster but that is what makes this book so good.Thanks to Rachels Random Resources for allowing me to be part of the blog tour and netgalley for the ARC.

If you want to pick up a book that's going to consume you and keep you turning those pages, I would highly recommend this gem. I hadn't heard of Never Ever Tell before being invited on the blog tour but I thought the synopsis sounded good so decided to jump straight in.

I also read this as an eBook and was surprised at how much I kept wanting to pick it up. I usually gravitate toward my physical read so much more but the characters were incredibly intriguing and I simply needed to find out what was going to happen.

So the plot follows Vanessa as she goes from teen mum to mother of 2 in an abusive relationship. We follow her journey in trying to escape the clutches of the man she never really loved, dealing with a parent becoming ill, and her unique relationship with her eldest son Wren. I fell in love with Wren from the get go. He has a heart of gold and his loving nature shines through.

Never Ever Tell is split into a few parts and we also meet a lovely young lady who moves into town after a troubled few years. She instantly steals the heart of Wren and I was super happy reading about the beautiful relationship that they started. However things go down hill very drastically and I was suddenly even more was hooked on every word on every page.

Everything from the plot, the characters, the tension, the twists and the ending was brilliant. I ended up finishing the book whilst sitting by a lake very similar to one described in the book and it made it all even more real and mind blowing. I also went for  a walk the next day with Glenn and described the book from start to finish, which is something I only ever do when I enjoy it so much.

I cant wait to read more by this author!

If there's one thing I like doing, it's discovering new authors. Kirsty Ferguson is definitely a new author for me but having enjoyed reading 'Never Ever Tell' as much as I did, I can guarantee that I will be reading more of her work in the future. I absolutely flipping well loved reading 'Never Ever Tell' but more about that in a bit.
I couldn't help but feel for Vanessa Sawyer from the first moment I came across her. She makes one of the mistakes of her life when she has sex with the boyfriend of her best friend. In effect it was rape, she didn't really want to but he wasn't listening. Things start to go wrong for her from then on. She ends up married to a man, who shows his true colours. It was at that point that I wanted to jump inside the pages of the book to give her husband a darn good slapping with a wet fish for the way he treats her and the way he treats his child. Vanessa is kind, compassionate and sensitive. She adores her child and does her best to protect him from his father. I just kept everything crossed that her husband took a very long walk off a very short cliff and that Vanessa would get the happy life that she so deserved. What happens? Well for the answer to that question and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Oh. My. Word. What a flipping fantastic book this was. I was drawn to the book by the synopsis and then as soon as I started to read, I just knew that I was going to be unable to put this book down very easily. My Kindle wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. The more of the book I read, the more questions I had that needed answering and so of course the more I had to read. I became seriously addicted to reading 'Never Ever Tell'. If I wasn't reading the book, I was thinking about the book. I became so involved in the story that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. The page numbers became a blur. All too quickly I reached the end of the story.
'Never Ever Tell' is superbly written. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start with a bit of a racy beginning to the story. I had an inkling that things were not going to work out for the best. For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained the pace throughout. Kirsty certainly took me on an emotional rollercoaster ride through the story. I felt myself becoming emotionally involved in the story to the extent that I found myself getting angry, tearful and incredibly frustrated with the actions of certain individuals. I felt as though I was part of the story and that's thanks to Kirsty's very vivid and realistic storytelling.
In short I thoroughly enjoyed 'Never Ever Tell'. I would put Kirsty Ferguson on a par with Adele Parks- if you enjoy Adele's books then it's safe to assume that you will enjoy 'Never Ever Tell'. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will be reading more of Kirsty's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

A spine-tingling domestic noir thriller, Never Ever Tell is a chilling tale of sacrifice and vengeance that is shocking, terrifying and difficult to put down.

Vanessa Sawyer has long stopped believing in fairy tales. Ever since she married the man who fathered her baby, Vanessa’s life has become one long and arduous slog where beatings, abuse and insults are daily occurrences. Happiness is not an emotion Vanessa is familiar with, however, her marriage to a monster has at least given her somebody to love and somebody who does not browbeat her or insult her: her baby boy, Wren. Vanessa worships the ground her beloved son walks on and through all the pain and suffering at the hands of her cruel husband it is Wren who gets her through each day and gives her a reason for living.

Time passes and Wren is no longer a little and helpless baby, but he quickly grows into a young man Vanessa can be proud of. Watching him develop and mature into a sensible young man despite of the fact that he grew up in a home like theirs makes Vanessa so happy and content – until one night where everything changes…including Wren. Vanessa is determined to uncover the secrets behind this shocking night that has turned their world upside down and discover what Wren is keeping from her. But is Vanessa ready for what she is about to uncover? Or are some secrets best kept dead and buried?

Thriller fans are going to love Kirsty Ferguson’s Never Ever Tell. A chilling, disturbing and creepy tale of love, lies and secrets, Never Ever Tell is a brilliant exploration of twisted family ties, the lengths we go to to protect the people we love and the evil repercussions of dangerous decisions from a storyteller who knows how to keep her readers on the edge of their seats.

A must-read from a writer with a bright future ahead of her, Never Ever Tell will delight fans of C L Taylor and Rachel Abbott.

Never Ever Tell is an emotional read with an ending you won't see coming. If you want to read something that will tear your heart right out of your chest and stomp on it, this is the book for you.
It tackles the tough subjects of domestic abuse, rape, bullying, and suicide, so be warned if you're a sensitive reader.
The story follows Vanessa, a woman who has been dealt a crappy hand at life thanks to Mark, the boy she liked in high school. The only bright spot is her son Wren. Vanessa will do anything to protect Wren, and Wren seems to be a bit of a mama's boy as he gets older. Once he hits high school, though, he befriends two other boys and starts dating a new girl. That's when things get bad. Really bad.
I found myself relating to Vanessa in some ways in this book. But there were other times when I though she was a bit annoying and/or frustrating. And by the end, I absolutely hated her.
The characters in this book are all well-written and fleshed out. It has a very real, relatable feel to it. It's something I can imagine happening in a small town (and definitely does more often than it should). I found myself crying. I found myself smiling. And I found myself seething with a white-hot rage. All at different points in the story, of course. But that ending... That ending made me go "WHAT?!" and want to throw my Kindle out the window.
If you're looking for a suspense thriller that will have your emotions all over the place, give Never Ever Tell a go.
4 stars from me!