Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

This was the book I chose to fulfill the "read a book with purple on the cover" challenge for The Reading Rush, because come on, all that purple is gorgeous! In Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson, Amy Whey has a seemingly perfect life: a great husband, infant son, and stepdaughter, a wonderful best friend, and a job she loves at a dive shop. But when mysterious Roux comes to town, all of that is put in jeopardy. Amy's past is no longer something she can run from, and when Roux issues an ultimatum, Amy has to decide whether to give in, or to play Roux's own game against her.

At first, I thought this book was only okay. I was enjoying it enough but it hadn't wowed me. Until it did. This book went from fairly tame to pretty dark in an instant, and it's honestly hard to describe because it probably needs a trigger warning, but that warning would give away a major detail at the end. 

I thought the diving element was an excellent add to the story, and is something you don't really see often. The side plots were great as well, and I loved seeing Amy's interactions with her stepdaughter Madison. I did think Amy's husband was a little oblivious, but aren't lots of husbands? It was so easy to imagine Amy's neighborhood, the book club, and her frenemy neighbors. Everyone involved had so much at risk, so much riding on Roux's game, and I was so anxious to see who would escape as the victor.

Overall this was a really solid read. It does start off a little slow, but it is absolutely worth pushing through. Juicy and intriguing, this is a great thriller to pick up this summer.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to William Morrow for a finished copy of this read! Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson is out next Tuesday, July 30, so be sure to pick up a copy!