First of all I wanna thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy of this book.

Never a hero is a fast paced book with plottwist after plottwist which leaves you wondering and eager to read on.
After initially setting the scene it jumps into the world and wonders of monsters and as we encounter old friends and new enemies.

Even though Vanessa Len does a fantastic job of subtly reminding us of the events that happened in Only a monster, I wish I had reread the first book before starting never a hero. It would have made my jump into the story that much easier!

That said, I really love the time travel aspect of the book and my personal favorite: the London setting.
I didn‘t always agree with Joan because I made up my mind early on, so she irritated me a little from time to time.

I don‘t want to spoil the appearance of other characters so I will leave it at that but I can assure you that you will love never a hero if you liked only a monster and I cannot wait for the third book to release.

Because I struggled a little to get into the book and did not always agree with Joans behaviour, Never a hero gets 4/5.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC!

I honestly don't know what to write here😭

A masterpiece from start to finish. The emotions throughout the book, the longing and ache, everything was on point! I felt every emotion along with every character and my heart ached for the difficulties they went through. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and felt like I was truly in the book experiencing everything. The plot twists and pieces of the puzzle falling together were so satisfying! I would have loved and rated this book a full 5 stars had there not been extreme repetition of the conflict between Joan and Nick but I was also happy for the recap. The ending has me eagerly wanting for more and happiness for all these lovely characters🥹💖

Rating: 4.5 stars

Huge thanks to the publisher for this ARC, I absolutely devoured Only a Monster previously, and was so excited to read Never a Hero. I did enjoy this a lot however, I found this one took me a while to get into, mostly because I wanted Nick to hurry up and remember. Once the crux of the adventure began again, it was a non-stop rollercoaster.

This was a sequel I have been dying for, and it did not disappoint

After that bomb shell of an ending to book one I have been counting down to the release of this book (thanks to NetGalley and Hodder for making that countdown a little shorter)

Obviously spoilers for book one ahead so don't read on if you havent read that yet.

Joan has saved the timeline(and her family), but at great cost to herself in giving up Nick. But the timeline always rights itself and she soon finds herself with Nick again, only this Nick doesn't know her. And neither does the Aaron in this timeline, or anyone else really.

Joan is trying to protect the people she loves by keeping secrets, but we all know this can't go on forever.

Joan must work with old allies, and reforge bonds to try and save the timeline all over again....

Now when is book three....

Just as tense as the first one! Loved all the sneaking and hiding (Its what Hunts do best!). And soft boi Aaron is back for a little bit <3 The slow reveal into the bigger history was just *chefs kiss*

However it did feel as though it focused A LOT more on Nick and their 'growing' romance didn't seem as believable as the first time round.

Oooh boy! Vanessa saw the second book curse and said ‘not today!’ This was SO GOOD! I was on the edge of my seat. I was screaming, I was crying, I was throwing up.

Just like the first book, the imagery in this is fantastic. I felt immersed in the world that Vanessa has built; each new location fully fleshed out, no matter how long the gang were there for.

I loved getting to know this new version of Nick. Joan is running for Nick for most of book one, so we don’t get much of a chance to really know who is, separate from his need for vengeance. This Nick is still protective (“Try to touch her again, and I won’t just break your hand.”), he still has an innate sense of right and wrong and he is still a little bit terrifying, though this time the terror comes from Joan, who is constantly on edge, her trauma from the previous timeline influencing everything she does. Watching their relationship develop again was really interesting and Joan’s grief for the old version of Nick was wonderfully complex (if slightly frustrating at times.)

I loved having the gang back together and full squealed when Aaron was captured. I like Nick but I LOVE Aaron and believe, despite all evidence to the contrary, that Aaron and Joan are endgame (“Aaron had been beautiful from afar, but this close he was devastating.”)

There was a bit of miscommunication at the end which is my least favourite trope, I was literally screaming ‘OMG just tell him!’ at one stage, and Joan’s trauma is so intense that she thinks herself the ultimate villain despite other people (cough, Nick) doing stuff that was, objectively, way worse, which is why the book loses half a star.

But overall, this was the perfect sequel! I had so much fun being back in Joan’s world and I have been left with about one thousand questions that I’m dying to know the answers too. Imma need a release for book three ASAP, pls and thank you!

A massive thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well well well, I did not expect this twist or this plot in general, but gosh, I loved it so much!

The book is well written and compares well with the first one, and, at the moment at least, isn't merely a bridge between the first and last book of the trilogy, but it has an actual plot and the characters do something (ironic, since nobody but then remembers what they did because of the changes in the timeline 🫣).

The characters don't develop much further than in the first book. I really enjoyed how they basically have to meet each other all over again and how they act exactly the same as they did the first time, even slightly different situations.
I loved Joan as a protagonist, especially her struggle with balancing her human self with the monster part. In this regard, I loved how the author portrays the lack of defined separation between the good and the evil, the good guys and the villains. I find this extremely refreshing for a young adult book, well done!
Vanessa Len managed to get me to fall a little deeper for my sweet baby Aaron. The only great flaw of this book is him not being in it more.

I loved the fantasy world, it reminded me of How You Lose the Time War and the Umbrella Academy in the best way possible.

As far as romance goes we get basically nothing here, apart from a few terrible kisses with Nick (which, in case it wasn't apparent, I don't like and I really wished he wouldn't have been in the book haha) and a barely even there thought about Joan possibly maybe being a little infatuated with Aaron. I'm now expecting great things (at least a kiss please!!) from the next book.

I feel like this book has second book syndrome. While I love how Joan questioned and learned the repercussions of her actions in Only a Monster, I think Never a Hero was brought down by a one-dimension character significantly appearing in this book. Honestly nothing much happens until the last few chapters and I feel like I could have overlooked that because it did make sense in context. However, that character made my experience not fun. It's noticeable literally every time another character appears, they have so much more personality and feel lively compared to that one character.

Maybe I'll do a slower read after my physical copy comes in and this time I won't be going with preconceived expectations.

I do want the final book ASAP. I think the ending of this book set up a starting point for the next.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape and Netgalley for the ARC.

I'll be honest, I liked this but didn't love it (but that's true for most second books of a trilogy, let's be honest).

I adored Only a Monster, and I was so excited to be approved for the ARC of the sequel. Then I found that I just couldn't get into it ... it took me over a week to read the first half of this book, and I'm usually a fast reader. Once I got past the halfway point it picked up though, and I really did enjoy the latter part.

Overall, a reasonably strong sequel that starts almost exactly where the first book left off, and sets us up perfectly for the third.

Loved this one! And the ending was amazing - I was totally gripped for the whole of the last half of the book. Such a good follow on from the first book, and I’d say this one was even better. I definitely got more into the characters in this and started to feel them more - I liked Nick more in this, but still want to see more from Aaron! Can’t wait for the next instalment.

I absolutely adored being back with Joan, Nick and Aaron. Vanessa has created a magical world so unique and I love it.
Book two picks right up at the end of book 1 - with a new timeline following Joan's decision at the end of book 1. and boy do we get thrown straight back into this crazy world.

I loved every minute of this book. Seeing more of the characters and watching how different they all are. The story plot is so good, and addictive.

and... I need book three immediately!

My. God.

The wait for Never a Hero was so, so worth it. Only a Monster introduced to flawed and lovable characters. Never a Hero brought us back to the world of monsters and introduced us to new characters while providing us readers with more to our beloved characters from the first book.

Never a Hero was NUTS. Each twists left me jaw dropping because I honest to God never saw them coming. And in terms of the love triangle 👀 Vanessa Len did so freaking well 😂 Book 3 is gonna wreck me in terms of who Joan will end up with.

Again, Never a Hero was SO worth the wait. The cliffhanger was bloody crazy and I'm so impatient for book 3 because I need to find out what happens next 😭😭

Side note, as Malaysian Chinese myself, it's really awesome to see some of the representation in this series. Especially when it comes to YA fantasy 🥰

I would highly recommend you to check out the first book, Only a Monster! Never a Hero releases on August 29 so mark your calenders!

I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Oh my monster on high Vanessa!!! You have produced so many emotions with this ending. I was designing at the time and I literally stopped, stared at my phone and proceeded to have a argument with this inanimate object about why this was the case and, without any spoilers, the twist in the plot that I didn’t quite see coming for at least 10 minutes. You really have created a book that leaves you wanting more and I know saying this it’s going to be forever until I can read or listen to the third story.

Just like the first book if you think this is for you, I would highly recommend immediately going to your local Waterstones or Amazon and ordering this book instantly. I binged it in one day and I have to say if it had gotten to 2 am I still would’ve kept reading it if needed. What more can I say than I highly recommend it and Vanessa I am extremely emotional right now, we will be having words…and I need book 3 now.

After the ending of Only a Monster I couldn't wait to see what would happen in this one!

Joan is back, but this time not in the true timeline. People have changed and there are so many truths to uncover! This whole book was full of action, secrets, drama and jaw dropping reveals, it had me so suspicious of everyone all the way through.

I need to know what happens next and am praying that Aaron Oliver is endgame as i’m so in love with his character! The whole way through this one, I was praying for him and Joan to reconcile.

Nick was back too, although I couldn’t trust him because of his previous actions, nor do I think the reader was meant to either. We’re kept guessing until the very end of this book where all is revealed and the story for the next book is set.

I really enjoy how Len writes such a clever world of time travelling and monsters. She dealt really well with the complexities of said time travel and having memories of people who didn’t remember the past. I love the whole concept and can really imagine each and every place she takes us to.

Super excited for the next instalment of this series, if you loved The Book Eaters, you’ll definitely enjoy this series!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Staughton for an eARC of Never A Hero!

Never a Hero picks up a few months after the events of the previous book and whilst I remembered a lot of the characters, because of what has happened in the first book it felt like we were having to get to know them all over again and I got a bit frustrated at some of the interactions. The pacing of the first half of the book felt slow in places and very similar to the story of the first book just with the characters swapping roles.

Overall I enjoyed the story and will be reading the final book when it’s released but this did feel ever so slightly too much like the middle book and a lot of the story felt reused and even a bit confusing. There is a not-quite-love-triangle and I can’t tell which couple I should be rooting for (I do have a preference though). The final action in the book feels rushed and I think this could have been paced better and spread throughout the last quarter of the story instead of the dramatic conclusion and cliffhanger ending we get.

Ratings
Spice: 💫
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you for the ARC!

I was obsessed with the first book and am even more obsessed with the second!

The world building in this story is phenomenal and my heart really ached when I had to come back to the real world!

If you love love triangles, time travel, and complicated family dynamics - then this is the story for you.

Another epic instalment in the Monsters series from Vanessa Len. I still remember the ending of book one, over a year later. This one was just as memorable!

Joan returns to a world where everyone is the same, but different. As the memories of the original timeline cause Joan conflict, you learn more about the Joan and her family. Everything has to be as it seems, right?… Vanessa: “hold my beer”

I found the sequel just as packed with twists and turns! The world has been set, characters are now developing and the plot thickens!! The action continues and the cliffhanger at the end… I just can’t, I need time to process!

A great series if you’re looking for time travel with a sprinkling of magic, intertwined with a love triangle and lots of death.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for both the e-arc and audio arc! I used both in conjunction and thoroughly enjoyed both experiences.

THE PERFECT SEQUEL!

My mind is blown! I was so happy when I was approved for this title. Being back in this world with Joan, Nick and Aaron was just so much fun. I can't believe we were introduced to so many new characters, and I just loved the ending of book 1. This dove in straight after the previous books events and I found myself clutching my pearly as the pace DID. NOT. STOP.

These characters are morally grey, good looking, witty and fun. I love Joan with all her flaws, and how she navigates being a monster. I won't say too much, but I already want to reread these books because they're just THAT good.

Thank you so much to the publishers and netgalley for the e-arc!!

What a fantastic sequel. I have been waiting to read this since I finished book one last March & I devoured this in less than 24 hours. I was hooked from the first page and loved being back with my favourite characters. The relationship dynamics in this book were fantastic. I cannot wait to see where this series goes.

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape and Netgalley for the arc of Never a Hero by Vanessa Len in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

You know when you pick up the a sequel book, do you have that squirmy feeling in the pit of your stomach? Are you bracing yourself for a bridging story without real substance or bite? Have no fear, there is absolutely zero filler, zero boredom and zero disappointment in Never a Hero. Len has written a master class in how to deliver a sequel with not one symptom of second book syndrome!

As soon as you open the book Never a Hero you are plunged into an absolute rollercoaster ride of a story, full of pace, plot and intriguingly a whole new twist on the same characters from book 1. Whilst Joan is no longer new to the world of monsters and time-travel, she is still constantly learning and like all the others plunged into challenges in a whole new timeline.

Joan is the only character with full awareness, knowledge and memories of the timeline she changed, and her struggle with this is so hard at times but, Len describes her grief and struggle with such elegance and poignancy.

Nick continues to be such an honest, good and truly pure character, who is pulled into this world that has taken so much from him and continues to demand more but, still has such strong feelings for Joan, which is truly tortuous for them both. And of course, our truly morally grey anti-hero Aaron, he is totally challenged by Joan and forced to face up to the reality of his world, and events that have shaped him. There are going to be many battles fought over whether readers are Team Nick or Team Aaron! I’m hedging my vets right now, as I love them both for very different reasons.

There is so much I would love to tell you about Never a Hero but, I’m not going to spoil it. Len delivers! The plot, storyline, twists, turns and sheer cliff drops at times are just perfect, and the end itself delivers a perfect balance of satisfaction and cliffhanger fir book 3. I totally loved it and you need to grab a copy now!