A big thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this title!

Never a Hero is the follow up to one of my favourite debuts of last year, Only a Monster by Vanessa Len.

It follows the main character Joan as she is left with the consequences of her actions from the previous novel. I will try not to spoil anything as I discuss my thoughts on Never a Hero.

The book picks up after the events where Joan tried to save her family. And even though she did succeed in that aspect, her actions set in motion a series of events that might endanger the world as a whole. All of the characters in the previous book end up working together to try and figure out what is causing all the problems and how to stop it.

What I loved about the first novel was the love triangle that was a little bit different than other books in this genre, but in book two that triangle isn't as high stakes, which was a little regrettable.

This was still a really interesting read about the affect that something can have on the timeline, but some of the elements just felt a little bit far fetched to me. It wasn't as engrossing as the intimate plot of the first book.

I really do still look forward to the third book in this series, though! I want to see how the characters manage to tie up all the loose ends!

I enjoyed Only a Monster but I loved Never a Hero! This sequel completely surpassed my expectations and days after finishing it, my mind is still reeling from all of the twists and turns that took me by surprise. Just like Only a Monster, Never a Hero is really fast-paced and the plot immediately hooked me again. There are unlikely alliances, secrets that need to stay hidden, complicated feelings that threaten everyone’s lives, monsters doing monstrous things and a dangerous villain they need to stop. I loved how the characters were developed and how the dynamics between them changed throughout the book. None of them is all good or all bad so I never knew whom I could trust. The story explored so many complex themes in a really unique way: morality and righteousness, identity and diaspora, love and betrayal, family and loyalty. Another highlight was how the time travel bits were infused with so much detail for historical buildings and clothing. I always felt transported to other time periods right alongside the characters. The second book in a trilogy can often feel like a filler that drags on without anything happening but Never a Hero didn't suffer from the “Book-2-Syndrome” at all. It had a clear storyline that picked up towards the end and perfectly set up the next book as the grand finale. I can't wait to see how Joan’s story ends!

Such a fantastic and intricately woven sequel. I managed to time reading this along with a London visit and simply had to take my book to Holland House and the experience felt surreal. Amazing reading experience for an amazing book.

I loved this book!!

Aaron is my favorite, but Nick is also very intriguing. The entire plotline was absolutely amazing! With the last book ending the way it did I wasn’t sure how this book would be, but I really enjoyed it. I was however a bit confused with all the timeline talk and time traveling. I think I will have to reread it in order to obtain all the information I might have missed.

Overall the book was excellent, BUT how do I live on from that ending????

Absolutely loved it! Do I wish there would be more books in this world? Yes yes yes,
Vanessa Len is a genius, crafting an amazing, adventurous time-traveling story that has the perfect love triangle ish love, morally grey characters and so many of what is ethical to do, what is accepted discussed. Loved following Joan and how she tries to save her family, her love and friends through “time”.

This book kept me on edge, turning page after page because I could not wait to see how the end unfolds.

Definitely pick up this duology!

Thank you so much HodderScape for the ARC!

Never a Hero is the sequel to Vanessa Len’s Only a Monster, a book I thoroughly enjoyed when I first read it and went on to collect several copies of it due to that! The sequel begins a couple of months after the end of book one, with Joan back at school and trying to adjust to life in the new timeline she created at the end of Only a Monster.

If you enjoyed Only a Monster then you’ll fall head over heels for book two, it takes the events of book one and adds to them considerably, answering a few questions you might have had when reading the first book whilst bringing in new challenges that Joan has to deal with.

Don’t worry if, like me, you fell in love with a few characters from the first book; because slowly yet surely we meet them in the new timeline.

Unfortunately, a certain dashing young gentleman’s claim that he’ll hate Joan ends up being a little bit true, but Aaron remains to be the most endearing male character and I’ll just leave my thoughts on him at that because otherwise this entire review will become an essay about how much I love him.

Nick is in it too. He’s okay.

All jokes aside, the way that Vanessa brings the characters back into Joan’s life is brilliant each and every time, and we’re thrown into the action extremely quickly as Joan faces consequences that seemingly arise from the first book. The majority of side characters don’t remember the first timeline in Only a Monster (with the Liu family being an exception to this), and it takes a fair bit of convincing from Joan until they believe everything.

Understandably, with Nick things are a little more complicated. We see a lot more of him in the sequel though and one thing I really appreciate about Len’s storytelling is that she makes it difficult to completely dislike any character. Even at the end of Only a Monster, we find out why Nick is being so monstrous to the monsters. But his connection to Joan ensures more encounters in book two and getting to know more about him definitely makes him more of an endearing character (Aaron is still the best though, I’m sorry, he’s just far too adorable).

And the ending?! The Monsters world had been pretty extensive in the first book, considering all the time travel they could do and making a new timeline, but the ending to Never a Hero has me in desperate need of book three due to all of the potential.

To summarise, I love this world that Len has created and book two has only made me love it even more.

Never A Hero by Vanessa Len is the second book in the Only a Monster Series.
 
I really liked the first book in this series and was excited to return to this world. Joan is definitely torn after what happened to her and especially in regard to Nick and Aaron. Her thoughts and decisions often felt very immature, and I was a bit bored of that. I’m a huge fan of Aaron, but he wasn’t in the book nearly as much as I hoped.
 
This book definitely had the issues a lot of second books in a trilogy have and it dragged on quite a bit and felt like a bridging book. You definitely get deeper into the monster world, but I wanted to see even more of it. My favorite part in the first book was the time traveling, but the focus shifted more towards the characters' relationship. In addition, I wasn’t a fan of the cliffhanger of this book.
 
Overall, this book was a bit of a letdown and I definitely preferred Only A Monster. 3 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

Firstly I’d like to thank Hodderscape and NetGalley for eARC ❤️😍

There is some much to love in Never a Hero - the story really starts because of Joan’s decisions in Only a Monster. She can’t seem to relax where she is and regularly checks on Nick…which, of course, is not a great idea…

Soon it becomes obvious that Joan needs to face the consequences of her actions in Only a monster and that’s when aaaaall the action comes in!! I love all the time travelling 😍❤️ Meeting old friends and new ones (maybe not all friends…) the alternate timeline is crazy amazing and full of surprises (meeting Aaron again was scary, sad and exhilarating all at the same time).

I’m so excited for book 3 - I’m so hoping there’s more Aaron, I love him and Joan together, their banter and chemistry is everything ❤️❤️

I didn’t think that anything could top Only a Monster but apparently I was wrong as this book is even better!! Never a Hero is one of my favourites of the year, the ending has stressed me out and I don’t know what I’m going to do until the next one is in my hands 😂❤️ I’m totally in love with this book!! 5✨

I had high hopes for Never A Hero and, for the most part, I enjoyed it.

The start had so much promise and had me hooked. I loved that we get to see the ramifications of Joan’s decision & the new timeline that was created. I love that we had so much more Nick in this book. (definitely Team Nick, sorry Aaron lol). And I loved that it was a lot more complicated and intricate than OAM.

However, I did feel a little bored at times. It felt longer than it needed to be and repetitive.

The end though was absolutely amazing with twists and reveals that I didn’t expect. It left me gobsmacked and desperate for more.

Maybe a reason I was let down was because I thought this was a duology, but clearly there’s at least one more in the series. I don’t know, but it was a great sequel & I eagerly await book 3.

Thank you so much, NetGalley & Hodder Books, for the eArc of this fabulous book.

Thank you to the publisher (Hodder & Stoughton) and NetGalley for providing me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I waited excitedly for Never A Hero, had high hopes for it. But it turns out to be the most disappointing read of my life. The writing was terrible, it was like the author had rushed writing this book. So many repetitive words used for descriptions, and on top of that, too much of tell not show. Usually I don't mind it, but it was overdone in this book. This book was like Only A Monster fanfic, where the writer is a Joan/Nick shipper. I went from Nick can't remember her, but aww he fancies her. To rolling my eyes every time Joan talks/describe Nick. After chapter 8, I was sick of Joan/Nick. I wanted to DNF it, but didn't want to give up.

As mentioned above, Nick was described as handsome and charismatic, A LOT! Every single chapter, there will be a part where Joan went something like, People are drawn to Nick because of his charismatic presence, or his handsomeness turns people's heads. Blah de blah. I kid you not. Aaron was also described similarly, every time Joan thought or interacted with him. Except he was absent for about half of the book. I was sad about the lack of Aaron...

[SPOILER BELOW]

Joan. This girl, I hate her. She was annoying, arrogant and stupid. It was irritating how she kept taking Nick, the guy who killed so many monsters in the other timeline, and still dangerous in the current timeline (even if he couldn't remember), into hidden monsters' sanctuaries. Then when the monsters who remembered and knew who Nick was, saw him, she expected them to not be on guard or to accept Nick with open arms. Nick, the monster slayer.

Another character who got on my nerve was Nick Ward. Nick had the audacity to offer the idea of time travelling when he had no powers to do so. Like he would have to depend on Joan. He kept bringing the idea up, and it annoyed me, because that's like offering up the idea of going shopping with your friend, but you have no money- and you're depending on your friend to pay for you. In my eyes, he was also rather arrogant for a human being, especially at the beginning when he didn't know he could fight and that.

I was rooting for Vanessa Len to be the author of my next favourite series...but sadly, I doubt I'll be picking up the next book.

Joan is the only one who remembers what happened since she reset the timeline and saved her family. Nick is in her school now and doesn't know who she is! An attack brings Joan back to the monster world and into danger, while an unsuspecting Nick is by her side. They find themselves on the run with Aaron after them! As Joan discovers a terrible secret she must face the deadliest of enemies and find a way to save the timeline.

Starting this book is like meeting an old friend again, after a while, who you are instantly comfortable with. Of course that doesn't make Joan's lonely situation any less heart-squeezing. How she's dealing with it is depicted quite well, as are all her emotions. It is interesting to see where the timeline differs, how Nick and the others are different but the same. You just know they're gonna end up in deliciously awkward and/or weird situations. While Joan hides what she has to hide, you expect the situation to blow up in her face at any moment. Anticipation of someone remembering is bittersweet and nerve-wracking at the same time. Oh how much has Len made us care for these characters.

The book jumps into the what-the-hell-is-going-on quite quickly. The captivating narrative make you feel like you're along for the ride, solving the riddle of their circumstance. The descriptions are so vivid, so alive, you 'see' the scenes unfold. As always the time-traveling is entertaining and my brain didn't hurt. Well, not that much. The details of the mythology continue to impress as does the worldbuilding of the monster world and the different time periods.

The book tinkers with the interpretations of hero and villain. It deals with the existence of fate and the idea of soulmates.

I was looking forward to reading this sequel, and it's awesome to be proven I was right in doing so. Giving us jaw-touching-the-floor reveals plus machinations and manipulations so beautifully played like a symphony, this book is just amazing. Thrilling, fast-paced but it still breathes, smile-worthy and simultaneously heart-wrenching, Vanessa Len has written circles around us and we love it.

The only thing I regret is not getting to this book sooner 🙈 Usually sequels of books are more tricky, the expectations are different and you're prepared to have questions answered. But this turned the tables around and how! Joan is again on the run similar to the first book, but what a strange symmetry to be doing it this time with Nick. I loved their interactions and felt her pain when she missed Aaron (totally in this ship btw). There were more questions raised than answered but I enjoyed every minute of this ride. This made me want to reread the first book so that I could see more of Aaron again! Can't wait for book 3 so I can reread them all together.

Special thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

Never a Hero was a mesmerizing and fantastic sequel to Only A Monster. I was hooked from beginning to end and I liked how the new timeline began. I am so grateful to the publishers for sending me an eARC copy of Never A Hero and the characters and plot was even better than the first book.

It was entirely fascinating and I liked every single bit of it.

Aghh this book has me so torn!

I absolutely adored only a monster, it was one of my favourite reads of 2022, so as you can imagine I was super excited to receive an arc for Never a Hero through Netgalley. However, this book was such a slog for me. I really had to push myself through the first 50/60% of this. BUT this was entirely for personal preference reasons and not at all to do with the writing or even really plot.

The ONLY reason this book didn't feel as easy as the first is because Aaron wasn't really a main character until well over halfway. And those of you who know me, know that I absolutely detest the whole love triangle trope (unless it is done really well/in favour of the guy I like - like in Only a Monster). Had this book featured far more Aaron and far less Nick, it easily would've been a five star read for me, but because I really had to push myself through this, I've rated it three stars.

HOWEVER, I will definitely still be picking up book 3 because I absolutely need to know what happens next. especially with the way book 2 ended. But if Joan doesn't end up with Aaron, me and Vanessa are gonna have problems.

I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a YA fantasy book.

I found the storyline gripping, and the characters interesting and well developed. I felt connected to the characters and invested in their story and what might happen. The story line was unexpected and kept me guessing right til the end. I would definitely pick up the next book in the series to see what happens next!

I loved Never a Hero! Vanessa Len has created such an interesting world with monster families, secret powers, alternate timelines and strong characters that you can't help but love. This was such a great follow up to Only A Monster and I'm now eagerly awaiting her next book as I loved her writing style and this story so much and can't wait to read more!

Never a Hero doesn't disappoint. The writing is still incredible. I love how the author wrote about time and how time is her world-building. It opens so many doors. It's complex but easy going. I was never lost while reading it.

But what I love the most about this series is how conflicted the main character feels. Joan is half human, half monster. She can't cut a part of herself and pick a side. She had to make hard decisions but she always tries to respect her values. She's searching who she is, her true identity and bringing together the two parts of herself. And that's when the beauty of this story unfolds, the conflict doesn't stop there. She's also conflicted between two boys. Love triangle !

I can't wait to read the next book in this series because another conflict appears at the end and the epilogue finished on a cliffhanger and I don't know what to do with myself !!

First of all, I'd like to thank you NetGalley, the publisher Hodder & Stoughton and Vanessa Len for providing me with a free advanced reader copy. This review is entirely voluntary, and it truly reflects my genuine thoughts about this book.

⭐ 5/5
🌶️ 0/5

Tropes:
urban fantasy
YA
time travel
forgotten past
quest to save the family
enemies to lovers
fated mates
hidden powers
forced proximity
love triangle (maybe)

I just don't know how to describe this book. It got me hooked from first page and I couldn't put it down.
So... The world in this book
is divided between humans and Monsters. At first glance Monsters seem to be normal people... except... they can travel in time. How awesome is that right? Wrong. Because to be able to travel in time Monsters need to steal time on Earth from humans. So basically if you want to travel back to 1950, you have to steal 73 human years.

The story in this book is amazing. We have London in different eras, we have hidden powers, quest to save family, enemies to lovers...

I have a big book hangover after reading this series. That's the proof how good it actually was.

This is an incredible sequel! Action packed, full of twists and turns, featuring old and familiar characters, as well as introducing new ones.

The entire time travel concept is so well thought through, how monsters take years away from humans, the morality of it, the different time periods.

It's all beautifully written, with so much detail - I absolutely loved all the descriptions of the different time periods visited, how Joan was the only one with memories of the previous timeline, the love triangle - I honestly can't decide who I'm rooting for!

It ended on a slight cliffhanger, but not a major one - it's just satisfying enough to make me excited for the next book!

I was so happy to be back in the world of Joan and her monster family and friends. I do admit it is a bit hard to write a review or give a summary of this book without spoiling the first one, but suffice to say, everything is different, but also somehow and not surprisingly when you think about it - everything remains the same.

The action kicks off fairly quickly and we are swept up in events both confusing and dangerous. Joan is once again the centre of some big events happening in the monster world - someone wants her dead or imprisoned and this go-round it is Nick on the run with her with Aaron in pursuit. The story follows a fairly familiar path with Joan trying to stay ahead of her enemies, gather her loyal group of friends from all the monster families, collect clues and puzzle everything out. Some readers may find this repetitive but I could see what Len was trying to do - these books are, after all, about time travel and the way the timeline in this world works to try to correct itself means that this was a logical direction for events to go.

I liked the new places we visited and in particular the continued exploration of the guilt that Joan feels as a monster and the way that her kind "steal" time. There's quite a bit of angst (always fun) and a bit of kissing too, but frustratingly no conclusion to the love triangle that was set up in the first book. There's a new villain and a great twist that I must admit I did KIND OF see coming.

If you don't pause the finale to google Old London Bridge, you and I can't be friends.

Though I was not as charmed by this installment as the first book, Never a Hero avoids the sophomore curse by keeping the pace fast, the characters fun, the plot complicated but not OTT and the stakes ultra-high. I will definitely be on board for the 3rd book.