This book kept me wanting more so I read it quite quickly. The ending was not how I imagined it would go and was a nice surprise.
It centres around a game of truth where people have to confess what they have done that was so awful and try and compete against each other for the one that has done the most awful thing.
The only trouble iis that the person who started this game has an hidden agenda and has no trouble using what she has heard to her advantage.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

Never Have I Ever was published on 8th August 2019 by Raven Books and is available in hardcover, audio and ebook formats. I read and received a free eARC of this book but that has in no way influenced my review.

It’s not often I read a ‘teaser’ or sample of a book. I prefer to read the entire thing from start to finish, at my own (some would say, very slow) pace. So when a teaser of Never Have I Ever appeared on NetGalley I planned to walk on by. But that didn’t actually happen. I found myself drawn to this book so I broke the habit of a lifetime and downloaded the first chapter. Looking for something to kill an hour one day in between moving the kids from one after school activity to another, I started to read my short snippet of Never Have I Ever. I was instantly drawn into the world of these women with the interloper in their midst. The exotic Roux who usurped the mumsy book club leader, Charlotte, and made herself very much at home in Amy’s basement having recently moved into the local rental. Roux instantly ruffles a number of feathers, flatters a number of the more timid women and makes her mark on the group. But as the alcohol flows some of their most closely guarded secrets are revealed, all for the momentary thrill of shocking their peers. A game of ‘never have I ever’ takes a more sinister twist and Amy is left wondering exactly what mysterious Roux knows about her past. And that’s where the first chapter ended (!) and I was left hankering after the rest of the story. Thankfully my NetGalley request was approved shortly after that so I didn’t have to wait *too* long for the rest of Roux and Amy’s story!

And what a story it is! This is a wonderful multi-layered book and I was completely drawn in to the lives of the characters. I loved Amy and her sass. I desperately wanted her to succeed in her plan to win the game and keep her dark past hidden from her family and maintain the life she had built for herself. But I also adored Roux who is darkness and wickedness personified. Good..ish versus evil. The battle is well and truly ON in Never Have I Ever and I savoured every last minute of it. This is an engrossing book with a brilliant plot but the characters are everything. If you don’t feel invested in Amy’s plight by the end of the book then I’m afraid you’ve done it all wrong.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes! But brace yourself for the unexpected. I don’t want to say anything else about the plot as I already feel I’ve said too much. However, the ending is perfect. I couldn’t work out how the author was going to finish this Battle Royale between these two brilliant adversaries but Jackson does it with absolute aplomb. One of the most fascinating psychological suspense novels I have read in a long time. Amy and Roux have made themselves at home in my memory and I don’t think they’ll be moving out anytime soon.

I chose to read and review an eARC of Never Have I Ever. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

4.5 stars out of 5

Raven books is the only imprint of any publisher where I have to read EVERY SINGLE BOOK and this was just another stonking great dark twisty read.

Never Have I Ever read a book that has flummoxed me!

Never Have I Ever been so shocked with my jaw hitting the floor so quickly and so often!

Never Have I Ever been so absorbed in the characters and worried for someone as much as I had for Amy.

So I would be completely drunk by now if I played this game!!


I really did not know what to expect with this book, what I did not expect was twist after twist after twist. It is very cleverly done and maybe I should have seen somethings coming but I really didn’t, it bamboozled my little brain! It is a simple game but when played with the wrong people it becomes a very dangerous game of cat and mouse.

Amy, Oh Amy, what secrets do you hold and why are you hell-bent on hiding your past. That is one of the many questions you ask yourself when you sit there flicking the pages at breakneck speed as you want to uncover ALL the secrets!

A normal book club held at Amy’s house and run by Charlotte has been boycotted by Roux. The glamorous Roux, the woman behind the game, getting the women drunk discussing their spirit animals instead of the book. Leading to a very dark game of Never Have I Ever.

I loved how the story evolved, secrets are revealed so slowly and god when the bombshells are dropped, they are dropped so hotly! I find my jaw drop so many times, how can one book do this to me!! I followed Amy’s life with so much intensity as I could not foresee how she could get out of the situation Roux has placed her in.

My emotions were all over the place with this book, the past left me broken, whereas the present had me all over the place. I was fraught with tension, my nerves were on edge and I kept thinking about this book long after I put it down. You are drip-fed the information so slowly, like the slowest, and when you do get information the author whizzes you away from the revelation to ramp up the intensity of the situation we are in.

This is the first book I have read by Jackson and I really do not think this will be my last. Her writing style is so easy to read, enticing you from the very beginning to not put the book down, I was addicted. Teasing you with the promise of secrets but not just Amys’ secrets….EVERYONES! I mean who does not love a game like this, where you discover so many scandalous pieces of information. Plus the shocks, well they were shocking! The things she writes, well I did not see them coming. This is a HUGE game of cat and mouse, but it is not always clear who is the cat and who is the mouse. My only advice is, just do not play this game ever!

This was certainly one of those reads I couldn’t put down! Fantastically written and I couldn’t get enough! Those twists at the end!!! Oh. My. God!!!!

Definitely a must read!!!

Well there are so many twists in this book. Will Roux win the game, will Amy win the game. I read this book really quickly as I needed to know the outcome which was how I hoped it would happen but up until the final pages was not sure and I did not expect the way it did end which was a pleasure to be part of. It proves that what you do in your teens can follow you through life and make you secretive without really doing it on purpose. Amy led a life until her mid thirties which I am sure many people have done and then made the perfect life she wanted until a lady named Roux entered her world unexpectedly and forcefully. We never know when our world can collapse and what we would do and I thought the writer of this novel kept us on the edge of our seats until the end. In another world I think Amy and Roux could be friends as they were both good at balancing their thoughts to make the other rethink their strategy at times and I could not guess who would deal with it best. The twist with Charlotte – I did not see that coming at all. This was a great read and thank you Netgalley for the opportunity. This is a book I could easily read again in the future

I read this very quickly as I just had to know what happened!

I was intrigued by the premise of the book - a game of revealing secret truths at a book club. The introduction of Roux was clever and the tension built up from her arrival.
I liked reading about the character of Amy in the present and cared about what happened to her and her family - I loved the relationship between her and her step-daughter.
The tangle that involves several of the characters was brilliant and I was fascinated to read the twists and turns of the plot.
Highly recommended. I would definitely read another book by this author.

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

And that’s why I don’t play games ! 
Just kidding but this psychological thriller is so worth your time. 
How many secrets and hidden intentions a person can keep? How can one thing that the past it remains in the past and the new life that you perfectly created can’t be lost in a second by those lost secrets?
A great story overall with a few predictable twists but enjoyable nevertheless.

Right where do I start with this one, in all honesty I had moments I loved and moments not so much. For me i felt very mixed all the way through as to if I liked it or not.

I really warmed to the character of Amy Whey at first and seeing the contrast from the adult to the teenage version of her. We meet her after an accident which happened in her teens and she has tried to remove all traces and history of this from her life.

Then enters Roux...well I didn't warm to her but then again I don't think your meant to with the type of character she is. Roux is a newcomer to the neighbourhood and instantly instills herself within book club and becomes the centre of attention. Plying the other women with booze and getting them to play 'never have i ever'.

What unfolds is full of secrets and blackmail.

I understand there is manipulative people out there but she just didn't feel believable there was something lacking. Roux thrives off finding people's weak spots and expoilting them for money.

Roux blackmails Amy and it feels like an intense game of cat and mouse. Again with reference to my first comment I was up and down as I felt Amy wouldn't or would do the opposite of what she did on certain occasions.

Overall a good read but not sure if I would reccomend.

I can see this is clever and fast moving but I am not persuaded, partially because I don't really like these people. Why would anyone agree to engage with this 'game' .. sorry, not for me!

I thought that this was going to be a standard psych thriller, but it was actually much better than that - I think the title doesn't demonstrate just how good it is going to be. A standout example of the genre with brilliant characters, a swift pace, skilled writing and wonderful twists.

It’s a bit of a funny one this because I did enjoy it but at times I found reading it a chore weirdly. I found it quite repetitive with Amy’s battle with Roux but there were some twists to keep it interesting and the real reason Roux was on the run I didn’t see coming. It was well written on the whole but I think 3.5 stars would more accurately reflect my overall enjoyment. Would definitely read more from this author though. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and Raven Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A very very clever book, I really enjoyed this from beginning to end, all the twists and turns kept me hooked and I couldnt predict how things were going to turn out. Very clever storytelling.

Wow - what a story. I loved this. I couldn't put it down. To be honest, the first chapter was a little slow going. And because she was so descriptive, I can see that some people might get turned off and not persevere - maybe a touch too lyrical in places. But it is definitely worth it! The story was full of twists and turns. It kept you enthralled. It was a great story and it definitely had me surprised in places and wasn't what I was expecting. Very well written. A great story - I loved it.

I loved this! Lies, counter lies, secrets, ethical dilemmas and lots of twists and turns. The characters are well rounded and behave realistically, and so we can identify with them, at least , the nice ones!. An excellent, fast paced read.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

I was hooked from the very first line of Never Have I Ever, no kidding.

It was such an gripping story with magnificent twists and turns. A psychological thriller that readers won't be able to put down and that genuinely will surprise everyone with its magnificent twists and turns. A reviewer on goodreads said it is a 'drama fuelled game of cat and mouse' and I couldn't agree more. I was not expecting anything that happened: I have to say that more than once I thought I had figured out what was going to happen next but then I found a new twist that will destroy my theory!

The two main female characters and their fight against one another make this book of the best thrillers I've read this year and Jackson is one of the authors I'll keep on my list from now on.

Highly Recommended

Never Have I Ever is a psychological thriller that is a game of cat and mouse from beginning to end.
Amy lives with her baby son, her professor husband and his teenage daughter. She teaches diving and helps run the neighbourhood book club. The night we start off with is the book club meeting at Amy’s house whilst Charlotte hosts it, the new neighbour renting the air bnb down the road, Roux comes along and completely takes over the evening, getting all the neighbours drunk and starting a game of.... yes you guessed it, Never have I Ever!! Roux knows Amy has a secret and is going to do anything she can to make Amy spill, but the question is why?
This book is full of twists and turns once you get through the first quarter, to me that part was far too slow moving and very nearly had me giving up which I try not to do. I enjoyed this book on the whole I just wish the beginning was the pace the rest of the book is.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, Raven Books for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

This is the best book I’ve read in a long time! From the first few pages I was hooked, you think you know what’s coming and bang, another brilliant twist.

It kept me gripped right to the end, can’t wait to read more!

This was brilliant, and took me completely by surprise - I completely underestimated this based on the summary. I absolutely loved Amy’s twisting story and all the different layers of the game with her and Roux - like a game of cat and mouse, I couldn’t wait to see what each of them would do next. Surprising and suspenseful, I can’t recommend this enough.

Never Have I Ever is an excellent domestic thriller beginning with a monthly book club that results in a drunken game of never have I ever revealing secrets that could be used as ammo. The story feels like it could've been ripped from a storyline in the tv show Desperate Housewives. Highly recommended to readers who enjoy domestic suspense and women's fiction.