This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year as Only a Monster was one of my top reads of 2022, so I was so excited to receive and e-arc of this book! This was a great sequel which many twists and turns - when can I read the next one? (hopefully with more Aaron next time)

I had so much fun reading it and found myself reading it instead of sleeping. Without spoilers, I can say that it was interesting to see the characters from the first book in another environment, and I think that the author understands perfectly the world and rules she has created.

I recently read Only A Monster, which was a solid read, and was intrigued to see where the story would take us in the second book.

I think the whole concept of this series is so unique and I like Vanessa's writing however I just could not get into this one.

Nick was my least favourite character from the first one so to see him become such a prominent character in this one just frustrated me.

I tried to give this one a shot but I really couldn't mesh with how Joan was acting sadly. I'm gutted because I hate dnf-ing books in a series but I just don't see myself wanting to carry on with this one.

I am interested in seeing what Vanessa writes after this series as I do like her writing (which is why I've given this 2 stars).

Never a Hero was one of my most anticipated books of 2023. After loving Only a Monster, I was pretty excited to read about the events that followed up. Sadly, while I liked the book, it did not live up to my expectations.

The second half of the novel was definitely better than the first. I'll admit, I don't really like Nick., so I was annoyed at how Joan kept dragging him everywhere despite his track record. After the end of book two I thought the author would leave him aside for a bit to finally develop Joan and Aaron's relationship, and I was really looking forward to see it, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. I feel like there was a lot of missed potential there, with Aaron's memory loss and them being enemies.

Despite those issues with the romance, I still enjoyed the book, since that's not the main focus. The plot is the biggest strenght of this series. I love how unexpected it is. It is fast paced, super entertaining and impossible to predict what's going to happen next,

Overall, I would give this 3.5 stars. I still prefer the first installment, but I'm definitely curious to see what happens on the next one!

Never A Hero, a much-anticipated sequel that did not disappoint. Like its predecessor, you're immediately thrown into the action with little time to acclimate. I found myself a little lost at first, trying to recall the many characters but once I had found my footing I remembered why I loved Only A Monster so much.

The book itself is long enough to keep you entertained while short enough to not feel repetitive. I loved the ending and how it built up to book three. The reveal was enough to throw me off balance and I could barely see it coming.

Needless to say, I am so excited for book three and will always be available if Harper Collins or Vanessa Len need someone to sample it!

I preferred this to the first, so I’m rounding my rating up to 4 stars whereas with the first book I rounded it down to 3 stars, definitely recommending this series to anyone who enjoys this sort of genre or who is intrigued by the description.

I was not impressed by the first installment, and neither am I with the second. However, it was interesting enough to want to contine reading the series!

First things first, this book was more gripping and the plot stronger than it's precedessor's. My main problem with this book is that I never cared much for Nick in the first place, so in this one, with everythin that's happened in the first book, particularly the history between Joan and Aaron erased, I found Nick even more uninteresting.

I do hope, however, that the third book will resolve many issues and lead this series to the end it deserves!

The twists and turns this one served had me gasping every now and then. I loved how fast paced it was, and the word building was chefs kiss good, made it easy to grasp. But that ending was respectfully, very brutal; as I have had to mend my heart. Can’t wait enough for the next one already

I had a lot of expectations going into this one after the first book in the series and I am so glad that it did not disappoint!! Len continued to wow me at every turn with her gorgeous story, just as she had in Only In A Monster. The writing was crisp and the story engaging. There were enough plot twists to keep me on the edge of my seat. I binged this book in a matter of hours, just as I had done for the first book. It was absolutely impossible for me to put it down. It was just that good. But, after that ending, I'm going to need the next book ASAP because I need to know what happens!!

JUST AS GOOD AS BOOK ONE! Really enjoyed this, loved diving back into this world and already need a second book please 😍

The series is definitely underrated and I highly recommend it. Loved seeing the characters again and seeing the consequences of Joan's actions from the first book.

“Life means something.”

I loved Only A Monster so I was super excited to pick up this book. As it’s a sequel I’ll keep this slightly vague as to avoid spoilers.

I have to admit I struggled with the first third of this book. After som quite action-packed first few chapters, the story slowed immensely. There were a lot of descriptions and internal monologuing which always tends to slow my reading speed and thus it took me an age to get to the 35% mark. Once I reached that point, however, the story picked up and I became fully invested. I flew through the rest of the story. It seems I just needed to find my feet.

The characters are still an interesting mix and in this book it definitely felt like we got to see more of the strange dynamics between people from different families and on different sides. Seeing how the dynamics had changed from what they were like in the first book was also an interesting experience.

I love how Len approaches the theme of morality in these books. When time travel comes at such a heavy price, is it worth paying? I definitely found myself on both sides of that question throughout the story. Different characters’ thoughts on this topic are brought up and discussed often, and it’s almost impossible to decide whether you’re on the monster side or the human side. You want time travel and sometimes you even need it but is it ever the right thing to do? In short, if you like reading about morally grey issues (and characters), this is the series for you.

The story built up to an exciting ending and I’m definitely ready to pick up the next book whenever it is released.

Thanks Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the chance to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Never A Hero is out on August 29, 2023.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance reader copy of Never a Hero to read for an honest review.

Never a Hero follows the aftermath of Only a Monster Jane has reset the timeline saving her family and destroying the hero, Nick.

However in the new world she alone remembers what happened and that there is an enemy out there. Her friend Aaron has forgotten all that happened and is now an enemy. Nick the boy she loved is a stranger who doesn't remember her.

After a deadly attack forces Joan back into the world of monsters she and Nick are on the run as fugitives with Aaron chasing after them.

On the way Nick is getting dangerously close to discovering the truth of what happened to him. Joan must gather her old allies to face the enemy and save the timeline before it is too late.

Like Only a Monster I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down.

I just love the characters and the world building fascinating with the monster world running parallel to the human world.

In this book we learn more about the enemy and what their plan was before Joan undid the hero.

While I loved the dynamic of Joan and Nick being on the run while being hunted down by the monsters I did miss the presence of Aaron this time initially at the start. Hoping he gets more time in the 3rd book!

Overall I thought the story was well crafted and that the book was such good fun a YA fantasy you could just sit down and read in one sitting. Already looking forward to the third installment!

Well.

This book starts out pretty great. Joan is still struggling with the changed timeline and the facht that no one but her remembers what happened, including Nick, although he is still pulled towards her. But when monsters appear to hunt her down and Nick ends up in the crosshairs, she can only save him by pulling him right back into this life. And when Aaron turns out to be behind it all, ready to kill Joan, suddenly there are so many more things about this timeline that are very much not perfect.

Unfortunately, after a good start, the book slowed down quite a bit. There were so many similarities to the first one. Joan is on the run again (although this time with Nick and it was nice to see more of him this time). All the other characters also return. While I did like to see them again, it got a bit frustrating to have the same spiel of them not remembering anything again and again.
Sadly, there was also way less Aaron in this book. It was focused more on Nick, but let's be real - while Nick is a fitting character, Aaron is just so much more interesting.

After half the book was over, it started to pick up again and after three quarters the real excitement began, when everything started to make sense. I gotta give it to Len - she made a couple of pretty smart moves in this, mirroring the first bookin a way that made complete sense once I payed attention to it and that really worked with the storyline. Some parts of it might even be called brillant - but unfortunately the first half was still boring.

I did like how the problems of resetting the timeline got discussed in depth. It's something many books simply gloss over because paradoxes are obviously a pain to write, but this book did a great job of showing how changing one thing might have a big impact on others.

The ending had a couple of interesting twists, some I enjoyed, some I didn't enjoy that much.

I am however really looking forward to the next one (which is hopefully the final one?)

Thank you, NetGalley and Hodder&Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Joan Hunt is a monster with a special ability to undo what has been made. After she has Unmade the Hero, many monsters lives are saved and her family lives once again. However, in this new timeline, not everything is as it once was. Joan now finds herself at odds with a new enemy, one who knows about her forbidden power. Now old enemies become allies and old friends become new enemies. Can Joan find a way to bring her previous friends back together to save the new timeline before it’s too late?

What a read this was!

And can I just say, I loved the improvement. Only a Monster was a fun read, but a lot of it felt really underdeveloped and I’d been surprised it had gotten past the editorial stage. Never a Hero really takes the time to lay out the characters and problems take their time to be resolved.

Often with novels that include time travels and timelines, it can be hard to keep up. Len writes in a way that makes the time travel aspect simple to understand so that readers can focus on the flow of the story.

I was sucked in from the very beginning. I adore these characters and I love getting to see the subtle ways in which the new timeline has changed them. Every twist was so unpredictable, I truly felt as though I was there with Joan unravelling the mystery one thread at a time.

I am losing my mind at that ending and I will be eagerly awaiting the next instalment in this series!

I love love loved Vanessa Len's Only a Monster, and so was equally excited and hesitant about the sequel - could it live up to the first in the series? The answer I am super relieved to say is a resounding yes. Never a Hero is just as original, just as tightly plotted, just as filled with adventure and emotion and creative world building as its predeccessor, marking Len as one of the most exciting writers in YA fantasy today.

The book starts a few months after Only a Monster ends. Joan is back at school, back at her weekend job, back in her normal life - only it's not normal. The timeline she changed to turn Nick back into a normal boy and not a hero created by torture and fear, to save her family, is ever so slightly different to the original. It's not just that Joan is the only person to remember the summer, but there are people missing, teachers her friends don't remember for instance. And most disturbingly Nick is here, the new boy at school, just a normal boy, not a hero, and he doesn't remember Joan at all. But things don't stay settled for long and before she knows it Joan is back on the run, this time with a Nick who has no idea who is chasing them or why, or who he used to be. Joan is caught between her feelings for Nick and realisation that it won't take much to turn him back into a monsterkiller putting her family and friends at risk once more.

Twisty, clever, unpredicatable and exciting, this series is shaping up to be a classic. Highly recommended.

4.5
The characters and the world that Vanessa Len has created here is incredible. The pacing is perfect. This takes a darker tone than book 1 but I think its that ideal balance of light and dark. I did not see the twists coming either, ifykyk.

Joan is here again, and she is alone and her grief for what was is palpable. Her growth and vulnerability are very well written, and this book has more packed in as now our main character (and us) know about the world, it is easier and less needs explained. I won’t touch much on the plot as it needs to be experienced by going in blind I feel, but it is very good, and this book stands just as strong as the first one, and keep me on the edge of my seat throughout. An excellent YA novel, the character development is wonderful to see, and I cannot wait to see what happens in the finale.

This advanced copy was provided by Hodder & Stoughton in exchanged for an honest review.

TW: non-consensual enchantment, racism (condemned by the characters), vomit, violence, grief, parental abuse and neglect, past death of a loved one, and past mention of torture.

First, I am beyond thankful to have the opportunity to read Never a Hero, one of my most anticipated releases!

Never a Hero is the sequel to the fantastic debut Only a Monster. Joan believes this is going to be the perfect summer she's ever had. She works in one of her favourite places, the Holland House, and she thinks Nick, her cute coworker will ask her out on a date.

As stories go, it would not be a perfect summer. Instead, Joan discovers she is a monster, with the ability to take time from humans and use it to time travel. And Nick isn't an ordinary human.

In this sequel, Joan must face the repercussions of her choices and the inevitability of the timeline. I appreciated how it focused on the trauma she's endured and her grief journey. The story never ends and new challenges rise for her, and I was there through every page.

It is not only an addicting story, you really can't help but love the characters, but it is also beautifully written. Vanessa Len is a talented writer for making me love and feel anxious over these characters. And I kept googling every place that was mentioned, I felt transported into the ink.

If you haven't read Only a Monster, get to it! However, if you have read it then don't worry, you're going to love (and hate) what awaits you!

P.S. Frankie is love!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Never a Hero' by Vanessa Len.

Vanessa Len's 'Never a Hero' is the sequel to 'Only a Monster' and the second in Len's trilogy. It follows off straight from Book 1 and the timeline is confusing to say the least but I still enjoyed it. Len's characters are gorgeously written so it provided a great story for me. And my gosh!!!! The ending was so fascinating. I am so excited for book 3.

Never a Hero is the gripping sequel to Only a Monster, in which Joan has successfully and impossibly reset the timeline, saving her family and countless other monsters along the way; only no one knows but Joan, who remembers every part of it, her feeling for Nick, her escape with Aaron, the truths that were discovered and the consequences of their actions. But it’s worth it because Joan saved her family, but at what cost?

The tone of Never A Hero is darker than the first instalment in the Monsters series; there is more pain and despair in this new timeline, which seems to be unravelling itself. Joan has lost her friends and is now being chased by the Monster Court, having been marked as a fugitive, and Aaron, her hard-won friend from the previous timeline. An old enemy has also reappeared, with devastating consequences, that will leave Joan and her allies and the whole human world in disrepair.

I again don’t want to give away any of this story because I want you guys to experience the thrilling, touch-and-go tale yourselves, but I will say this; I am team Aaron.