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Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson

Never Have I Ever

by Joshilyn Jackson

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  • Jul 2019, 352 pages
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Power Reviewer
Elizabeth @Silver's Reviews

Elizabeth @Silver's Reviews - Keeps you on the edge of your seat
A secret from her past and someone who happens to show up that may ruin everything.

During their regular, monthly book club meeting a knock on the door brings a new member who as the evening wears on definitely isn't welcome.

Roux knows something about Amy and innocently suggests they play a game called Never Have I Ever.
??
What dark secret could Amy be hiding, how does Roux know about it, and how did Roux find Amy?

Roux demanded money, and Amy had it. ??

Who would have thought after all this time someone would find out and take the time to look into what Amy did as a fifteen-year old?

??Roux did just that, and she was pretty clever, but Amy was pretty clever too so the game gets intense for both of them, but who has the most to lose???

Both women are strong and determined. Both know how to play games, but will the winner take all or will both players lose? ??

A tiny bit on the slow side at first, but not for long. Ms. Jackson took a nightmarish incident that could very well happen and turned it into a story line that will grab you and will have you wondering how someone would even think about doing something like this to someone and how they were able to acquire the information they found or how they even found the person.??

You will be on the edge of your seat as you turn the pages and anxiously await how this game goes. 5/5

This book was given to me as an ARC by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Power Reviewer
Mary O. (Boston, MA)

Thriller
A book very difficult to put down! I love psychological suspense thrillers and this one does not let you down. A great summer beach read!!!
Susan B. (Hahira, GA)

Never Have I Ever
I have read Joshilyn Jackson's books from the very beginning but never have I ever been unable to put one down until I was through. Ms.Jackson never fails to captivate or entertain or hold my attention but this newest, Never Have I Ever is in a class by itself! Bravo!
Tracy B. (Pittsboro, NC)

Twisting Game Never Have I ever
Once I started I didn't want to put this book down. The character development was great. Just enough past & present to make it compelling. Wow I am still wondering if Amy got away with the SECRETS. Can she still live with them? The ending blew me away. Intrigue at its best.
Marcia C. (Jeffersonville, PA)

When Past Actions Come Back to Haunt
I have long been a fan of Joshilyn Jackson's books. Her heartwarming stories are steeped in southern ambience. Her characters are complex and quirky. However, in Never Have I Ever, Joshilyn Jackson takes a giant step away from her usual...and dives into the world of psychological suspense. This is her first effort. She has written a masterful story. It's the story of Amy, who has a secret in her life, and Roux, a predator, who will go to any lengths to expose it.

This book is a thriller from the moment Roux first walks into the neighborhood book club until the final page is turned. It's all about blackmail, deception, love of family and what one is willing to do to protect loved ones. The book has a number of unanticipated twists and turns and the pace doesn't let up. In fact there were times I had to stop reading just to catch my breath.

If you are already familiar with Joshilyn Jackson's work, Never Have I Ever will reveal a whole new side of this author. If you have never read any of her work, this is a great place to start. This book does not disappoint.

I am definitely recommending this book to my book club. Lots of lively conversation lurking here!
Dorothy M. (Broken Arrow, OK)

A Tale of Twists, Turns, & Deception
Amy Whey lives a good life. She is married to Davis, a professor, and is step-mother to Maddie, Davis's daughter from his first marriage. Together, Amy and Davis have an infant son, Oliver. What could mar this picture-perfect life? Perhaps the secret that she has been harboring since she was sixteen? Joshilyn Jackson takes readers on a terrifying journey in Never Have I Ever.
Amy is hosting the neighborhood book club, Brain Dead Mommies Book Club. All the members have arrived so Amy and Char are surprised when the doorbell rings announcing the arrival of someone. That someone turns out to be a new neighbor, Angelica, renting the house at the end of the block.
Angelica, who asks that everyone call her Roux, wants to join the book club. Roux attracts everyone's attention immediately. She also quickly commandeers the meeting, much to orderly Char's dismay.
Roux suggests that they play a game while Char wishes to focus on discussing the book. Roux further takes over the meeting by grabbing all the wine bottles from the bar and putting them in the middle of the discussion, continuing to fill everyone's glasses until the wine bottles are all empty. Then she starts on the liquor behind the bar, again filling glasses.
Roux starts the game she has wanted to play all along: Never Have I Ever. The game begins when everyone tells the worst thing they've done during the day, followed by the last week, and the eventual goal is to tell the worst thing you've ever done in your life.
Obviously, Roux has a plan; her neighbors simply do not know yet how far she is willing to go to learn their deepest, darkest secrets and finally to profit from those secrets, particularly Amy's.
Christine P. (Gig Harbor, WA)

Never Have I Ever
I have really come to love Joshilyn Jackson's writing. She has evolved into quite the storyteller. Her latest, Never Have I Ever did not disappoint me. Since I read a lot, rarely does an author surprise me. This book was full of twists and turns and this is what I love in my reading life, the unexpected. It also makes a good choice for a book club discussion. There are issues in the novel that are relevant to what is in the news today. Should things in your past rise up to take you down despite a life that has made up for a shameful act? Or do you "let it sink"?
Barbara B. (Holbrook, NY)

Never Have I Ever
This was the first time I was thankful for not feeling well and having this book to keep me company and my mind off my problems. What a read!! Secrets that are long hidden, twists and turns at every turn of the page. What starts as a game becomes a dark and edgy story of betrayal and deception and leaves the reader on the edge of a cliff, it seems. This is a wonderful, suspenseful, exciting book. I encourage everyone to read it. I loved it.

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