For the most part this was a decent read. It had some issues with unnatural dialogue that I didn't care for and the mythology aspect seemed flimsy. I was disappointed that only the Trojan War was mentioned. The characters for the most part felt believable although Brynn's reactions often came across extreme at times. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending as it becomes a bit too farfetched and makes the story seem like it would be better suited for a younger audience. Problem is the language was a little too mature for middle grade. Certain characters that displayed odd behavior were explained away in a way that didn't make sense and seemed like an easy out.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. The first half flowed well, but the second half felt forced and put the MC in awkward positions that slowed down the action and highlighted the flaws of the story. I just wish the mythology link was stronger and reflected in the story. I also would have liked the connection between the MC and her love interest to have came across as a deeper tie. It felt like both could have just remained friends and things still would have been the same.

This book was pretty cute. I liked how close knit the group of friends were, and that Gabe just slid and fit right in. I only wish that Brynn wasn't SO angsty. It could have been toned down a notch. It was like she hardly ever had FUN, and was always quick to be moody, sometimes unnecessarily so.

I enjoyed this book but I just didn't love it . I felt that the story was slow in places. In saying that it was something new to me and I haven't read anything like it before.

So I would still recommend this to anyone looking for a bit of escapism

This was a DNF.

I try to keep my reviews constructive because I know a big team of people put a lot of work into making this book happen, but I was thoroughly unimpressed.

The writing felt stunted and unnatural, leaning heavily on dialogue that didn't really tell you anything of importance. The narrator (also the main character) would always have to jump in to explain things every few seconds which got very old very fast. If I could say one thing to the author, it would be to practice SHOWING and not TELLING.

Beyond that, the plot did not grasp me early on, and the more I read the more the whole mythology thing made no sense. It felt like the book was trying to put too many plot devices in at once without any attention to the characters.

I am a very picky reader, maybe this would appeal to younger audiences (12-15), but I also unsure how appropriate that would actually be due to vocabulary and theme.

Never Say Never seemed like an interesting and exciting contemporary just by the cover, but in reality, it was disappointing and lacklustre.

Our protagonist is very much a standard YA stereotypical ‘not like other girls with her parents getting divorced and constantly being in her sister’s shadow. I found her point of view difficult to read and boring most of the time.

My biggest issue with this book was that it was written to appeal towards teenage audiences, but did it in a really millennial humour type of way, and included phrases like ‘Dad laughed out loud to try and relate to teenagers, but were most of the time out of context and unfunny.

Overall this book was very standard YA contemporary, I would recommend it if you’re in the mood for something cheesy, and it personally did not suit my taste.

Thank you to Net-Galley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Disguised in human form, Aphrodite--the Greek goddess of love and beauty--Val is determined to be a matchmaker for her friend, Brynn Stark. Why? Because Aphrodite/Val knows that her human boyfriend, Adam, is the perfect match for Brynn, and she will do whatever it takes to keep them apart. As if Brynn’s life wasn’t already complicated by her mother’s affair and her parents’ subsequent divorce, she also has to contend with a jealous goddess.

Never Say Never is a pretty fast paced book written by YA fantasy author Justine Manzano. The book features a diverse cast of characters. Manzano gives a realistic representation of life as a teenager, complete with stress from school, an after school job, college acceptances, and an unhappy home life. Somehow she also makes the last few chapters of the book seem realistic, even though these later chapters pit figures from Greek mythology against a small group of mortal teens.

I would recommend this book for any young adult collection. It would work well as part of a Valentine’s Day or Blind Date With a Book display.

I loved every second of reading this book, honestly couldn't put it down. It was just the kind of entertaining read I needed.