What do you think?
Always Say Never #1
Never with You
Carly Catterson has one never date a coworker again.
After her last office romance ended in humiliation—complete with a public breakup and a change in careers—Carly swore off love in the workplace. And especially love with Nate Farnsworth, the infuriatingly charming office rival at her new job.
But when Nate needs a fake girlfriend to fool his parents, and Carly needs a way to make her ex squirm, a mutually beneficial arrangement is born. The plan is fake smiles, staged hand-holding, and absolutely no real feelings involved.
Only, somewhere between stolen glances and too-convincing kisses, Carly starts to see a side of Nate she never expected—kind, funny, and not at all the enemy she thought.
But where does that leave the mystery pen pal who's been her anonymous confidant for months? The one who actually understands her?
With their fake dating deal nearing the end and a scheduled meeting with her pen pal on the horizon, Carly has to decide. Go back on her rule and risk her heart with Nate, or walk away from the online guy who knows her best.
Never With You brings all the tension and sizzling chemistry without language or explicit scenes. It's book one in the Always Say Never Series. Narrated in duet style.
After her last office romance ended in humiliation—complete with a public breakup and a change in careers—Carly swore off love in the workplace. And especially love with Nate Farnsworth, the infuriatingly charming office rival at her new job.
But when Nate needs a fake girlfriend to fool his parents, and Carly needs a way to make her ex squirm, a mutually beneficial arrangement is born. The plan is fake smiles, staged hand-holding, and absolutely no real feelings involved.
Only, somewhere between stolen glances and too-convincing kisses, Carly starts to see a side of Nate she never expected—kind, funny, and not at all the enemy she thought.
But where does that leave the mystery pen pal who's been her anonymous confidant for months? The one who actually understands her?
With their fake dating deal nearing the end and a scheduled meeting with her pen pal on the horizon, Carly has to decide. Go back on her rule and risk her heart with Nate, or walk away from the online guy who knows her best.
Never With You brings all the tension and sizzling chemistry without language or explicit scenes. It's book one in the Always Say Never Series. Narrated in duet style.
9 pages, Audible Audio
First published April 28, 2025
About the author
Kortney Keisel
22 books1,891 followersKortney graduated from the University of Utah with an English degree and spent a few years before motherhood teaching 7th and 8th graders how to write a book report, among other things. But after a reading slump, where no plots seemed to satisfy, Kortney pulled out her laptop and started writing the "perfect" love story...or at least she tried. Writing love stories is her job...just kidding. Her real job is taking care of her five awesome kids and spending time with her husband.
Kortney loves a good romance movie or book, warm chocolate chip cookies, and traveling the world.
Connect with Kortney at www.kortneykeisel.com
Kortney loves a good romance movie or book, warm chocolate chip cookies, and traveling the world.
Connect with Kortney at www.kortneykeisel.com
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,130 reviews
April 25, 2025
This book completely took over my life for a solid 24 hours, and honestly, I wish I could read it for the first time all over again!! 💕
Read
May 3, 2025Well this was delightful!
July 12, 2026
4.25 ⭐️ I loved the vacation/travel vibes! Tropey? ✔️ Entertaining? ✔️ Already checked out book two on Hoopla? ✔️
September 18, 2026
Loved it! Review up soon
Arizona for my state challenge and DUET narration 🙌💃🥳
Arizona for my state challenge and DUET narration 🙌💃🥳
April 19, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
•𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰•
{𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐒𝐚𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫: Book 1)
📌 Release Date: April 28, 2025 📌
.
.
.
I was absolutely dying of laughter just 12% into the story—if that tells you anything about how much I enjoyed it 😂 THIS is how the enemies-to-lovers trope is meant to be written, folks! The single POV was the absolute best choice for this book, and I’m so glad Kortney decided to go with that! (But don’t worry—if you’re someone who enjoys duo POV, Nate’s POV is also available ☺️)
Nate & Carly, as different as night and day, were perfect for the enemies-to-lovers trope! The tension, the hostility, the resentment—all so volatile! Nate teasing Carly had me literally cackling with laughter! And don’t even get me started on the time she blew up to her friends about him 🤭 Going on a work trip together was such a perfect plotline for these two—especially with the fake dating that ensued! Did I absolutely lose it at the shared Google Calendar incident? Umm, duh 😂
I found myself very able to relate to Carly and her extreme organizational skills—I can be much the same way, something anyone who knows me would be quick to point out! It was a fun experience to read about a character that’s as organized as I am 😆 However, I definitely differ from Carly in that I don’t enjoy being in charge—I’m 100% a follower.
I LOVED Carly’s friend group so much, and I can’t wait to read more of their stories! A good friend group can really contribute to a story, and this one was absolutely splendid! I would absolutely have to agree with them that there was great chemistry between Nate and Carly ✨
The conversations with Mr. International were EVERYTHING! I loved that he and Carly became such good friends at the perfect time in Carly’s life, even though they didn’t actually know each other—or so they thought 😏 The “mystery pen pal”added such a fun aspect to this story!
Read it for:
📌 Enemies-to-lovers trope
📌 Single POV
📌 Workplace romance
📌 Fake dating
📌 Forced proximity
📌 You’ve Got Mail vibes
.
.
.
Thank you, Kortney, for allowing me to read an arc of your new book 💛
•𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰•
{𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐒𝐚𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫: Book 1)
📌 Release Date: April 28, 2025 📌
.
.
.
I was absolutely dying of laughter just 12% into the story—if that tells you anything about how much I enjoyed it 😂 THIS is how the enemies-to-lovers trope is meant to be written, folks! The single POV was the absolute best choice for this book, and I’m so glad Kortney decided to go with that! (But don’t worry—if you’re someone who enjoys duo POV, Nate’s POV is also available ☺️)
Nate & Carly, as different as night and day, were perfect for the enemies-to-lovers trope! The tension, the hostility, the resentment—all so volatile! Nate teasing Carly had me literally cackling with laughter! And don’t even get me started on the time she blew up to her friends about him 🤭 Going on a work trip together was such a perfect plotline for these two—especially with the fake dating that ensued! Did I absolutely lose it at the shared Google Calendar incident? Umm, duh 😂
I found myself very able to relate to Carly and her extreme organizational skills—I can be much the same way, something anyone who knows me would be quick to point out! It was a fun experience to read about a character that’s as organized as I am 😆 However, I definitely differ from Carly in that I don’t enjoy being in charge—I’m 100% a follower.
I LOVED Carly’s friend group so much, and I can’t wait to read more of their stories! A good friend group can really contribute to a story, and this one was absolutely splendid! I would absolutely have to agree with them that there was great chemistry between Nate and Carly ✨
The conversations with Mr. International were EVERYTHING! I loved that he and Carly became such good friends at the perfect time in Carly’s life, even though they didn’t actually know each other—or so they thought 😏 The “mystery pen pal”added such a fun aspect to this story!
Read it for:
📌 Enemies-to-lovers trope
📌 Single POV
📌 Workplace romance
📌 Fake dating
📌 Forced proximity
📌 You’ve Got Mail vibes
.
.
.
Thank you, Kortney, for allowing me to read an arc of your new book 💛
April 30, 2025
I’ve enjoyed a few of her books previously, but…Yikes. This one was not her best. Potential to be a sweet read, but kept disappointing.
This heroine was so childish. The endearing aspects of her personality were mentioned a few times but not shown much at all. Very little to draw the reader to her and a whole lot that was a turn-off. Certainly not enough for the reader to REALLY root for her, though it’s a rom-com so you can’t help but cheer her on.
Yes, her ‘why’ was explained…ish - the author created a real opportunity to show how her childhood shaped her but then didn’t cultivate it to its potential. Even a well constructed ‘why’ wouldn’t excuse or justify how consistently rude, petty, immature and downright belligerent she was for most of the book. And the separation of her ‘personality types’ was so extreme from professional to personal, it was difficult to believe. How good-hearted can someone be who is so extremely horrible to one person and wonderful to others? I’m curious how many times I had to read scenes where she was glaring at the hero.
I was also pretty surprised to find some borderline predatory descriptions of the hero. What were likely intended to be sensual moments, read more like a woman saying no and a man not taking no for an answer, with his unwelcome hands all over her. Dismissing her clear boundaries left, right and center. And then her liking it. That’s fairly dangerous messaging in any context.
I gave the hero and the author the benefit of the doubt, that THIS guy is safe…but this kind of messaging makes UNSAFE, pushy men and unwelcome touching an attractive thing, which it most definitely is not.
Even the flirtatious dialogue had to be labeled flirtatious in the subtext because the actual dialogue wasn’t particularly witty OR flirty. A couple times when it was called out after the fact, I remember thinking, “THAT was flirtatious??”
So many scenes were stock and derivative, lacking subtlety and nuance.Lots of cringe, I’m afraid.
Almost a DNF if it wasn’t so short I could zip through quickly.
I hate writing critical reviews. I absolutely realize these are my own personal reactions and everyone won’t feel the same way. I’m just one reader among many, but these were my observations.
This heroine was so childish. The endearing aspects of her personality were mentioned a few times but not shown much at all. Very little to draw the reader to her and a whole lot that was a turn-off. Certainly not enough for the reader to REALLY root for her, though it’s a rom-com so you can’t help but cheer her on.
Yes, her ‘why’ was explained…ish - the author created a real opportunity to show how her childhood shaped her but then didn’t cultivate it to its potential. Even a well constructed ‘why’ wouldn’t excuse or justify how consistently rude, petty, immature and downright belligerent she was for most of the book. And the separation of her ‘personality types’ was so extreme from professional to personal, it was difficult to believe. How good-hearted can someone be who is so extremely horrible to one person and wonderful to others? I’m curious how many times I had to read scenes where she was glaring at the hero.
I was also pretty surprised to find some borderline predatory descriptions of the hero. What were likely intended to be sensual moments, read more like a woman saying no and a man not taking no for an answer, with his unwelcome hands all over her. Dismissing her clear boundaries left, right and center. And then her liking it. That’s fairly dangerous messaging in any context.
I gave the hero and the author the benefit of the doubt, that THIS guy is safe…but this kind of messaging makes UNSAFE, pushy men and unwelcome touching an attractive thing, which it most definitely is not.
Even the flirtatious dialogue had to be labeled flirtatious in the subtext because the actual dialogue wasn’t particularly witty OR flirty. A couple times when it was called out after the fact, I remember thinking, “THAT was flirtatious??”
So many scenes were stock and derivative, lacking subtlety and nuance.Lots of cringe, I’m afraid.
Almost a DNF if it wasn’t so short I could zip through quickly.
I hate writing critical reviews. I absolutely realize these are my own personal reactions and everyone won’t feel the same way. I’m just one reader among many, but these were my observations.
January 12, 2026
Oh man!
I loved this book!
I love that Kortney wrote Carly’s OCD diagnosis as a positive thing- she is kind, dedicated to her job and her family, and she’s intelligent and sassy. :) She also (in a subtle way) acknowledged that there are some hard parts of living with OCD, but she did not need to be fixed. Carly just needed to find her confidence again.
Also- 😂 Nate’s AirPods scene!
The cute tuk-tuk
Lovely weather and culture of Thailand 🇹🇭
Fake dating to more trope ❤️❤️
Connie being a sweet mother in law! (Which is refreshing)
And no spoilers, but there is a similarity to you’ve got mail.
Best quotes;
“I love how you never stop surprising me, how you’re always
discovering something new, whether it’s a new place or a new part of
yourself. And I love how we don’t need fancy things or perfect moments to
be happy. Just being with you, laughing, fighting over checklists, or sitting
in silence—those are the moments I want to keep forever.”
“What was Thailand?” Juliet asks.
“Thailand was fake,” I answer.
“No.” Nate shakes his head. “Thailand was the beginning. Every other
adventure is forever.”
I smile, liking the sound of that.”
Joy is a different kind of happiness. It’s deeper and more lasting. An
internal feeling of peace and contentment. It’s not just about feeling good in
the moment; it’s about something more steady and fulfilling. And it’s that
feeling of joy that makes me realize I’m in love with Nate Farnsworth.
I think my heart always knew it would fall for him. He captivated me
from the first day I walked into Voyager Travel, but my mind wasn’t ready
yet. So the universe gradually brought us together.”
CW: verbally abusive ex, some food poisoning and family dysfunction mentioned.
I loved this book!
I love that Kortney wrote Carly’s OCD diagnosis as a positive thing- she is kind, dedicated to her job and her family, and she’s intelligent and sassy. :) She also (in a subtle way) acknowledged that there are some hard parts of living with OCD, but she did not need to be fixed. Carly just needed to find her confidence again.
Also- 😂 Nate’s AirPods scene!
The cute tuk-tuk
Lovely weather and culture of Thailand 🇹🇭
Fake dating to more trope ❤️❤️
Connie being a sweet mother in law! (Which is refreshing)
And no spoilers, but there is a similarity to you’ve got mail.
Best quotes;
“I love how you never stop surprising me, how you’re always
discovering something new, whether it’s a new place or a new part of
yourself. And I love how we don’t need fancy things or perfect moments to
be happy. Just being with you, laughing, fighting over checklists, or sitting
in silence—those are the moments I want to keep forever.”
“What was Thailand?” Juliet asks.
“Thailand was fake,” I answer.
“No.” Nate shakes his head. “Thailand was the beginning. Every other
adventure is forever.”
I smile, liking the sound of that.”
Joy is a different kind of happiness. It’s deeper and more lasting. An
internal feeling of peace and contentment. It’s not just about feeling good in
the moment; it’s about something more steady and fulfilling. And it’s that
feeling of joy that makes me realize I’m in love with Nate Farnsworth.
I think my heart always knew it would fall for him. He captivated me
from the first day I walked into Voyager Travel, but my mind wasn’t ready
yet. So the universe gradually brought us together.”
CW: verbally abusive ex, some food poisoning and family dysfunction mentioned.
April 20, 2025
Hannah has died and went to heaven because this was FREAKING AMAZING . If she writes it , I am reading it.
April 3, 2026
Good chemistry but a few annoyances that kept it from being great for me.
Characters- The FMC was somewhat likable. It was easier to forgive her overbearing personality since she was so self aware. And at least she was adventurous.
I really liked the love interest, and wow was he patient with the FMC.
Romance- Medium-high chemistry. Their relationship ended up being really cute. Just took a long time to get there.
I didn’t like how she wasn’t willing to give all of heart to him in person. That’s who he really is- all of him, IRL. If you don’t love him the way he is IRL, then...lame. I just feel like the buildup to the reveal was mismanaged from her side.
Writing - Okay. Little things that were off, like how silly of them to hide under a table as grown adults. And the ex was very superficially written.
A few things I don’t like that keep popping up in romances, including this one:
1. an FMC that is OTT contrary (continued through more than half of the book). Her hate and rudeness lasted too long. Like, geez, relax girl and just act cool instead of battle ready 24/7.
2. when authors have the FMC say “don’t do that” or physically try to stop the love interest when they are actually secretly enjoying their proximity and wanting it. (In this case, the MMC was pulling her in close as they were standing together.) It’s emotionally dishonest. And if the MMC doesn’t stop (esp when the FMC isn’t outwardly showing signs of her true feelings) that’s a breach of consent. Why do authors still do this?
3. when people say “I hate you,” or “I still don’t like you” in the middle of kissing. That’s so jarring! Like, slap in the face jarring.
4. when the FMC (in this particular case) butts into the MMC’s family relationships and chews an offending family member out (in this case, his dad) on the MMC’s behalf. Wow, you have known these people for all of 5 minutes and you have no right to insert yourself. That is enormously inappropriate. Let him handle these tricky relationships the way he wants to. If he expresses to you that he wishes for help, then by all means, step in. Otherwise, follow the cues of your fake, new boyfriend and keep your mouth shut. smh
Content-
Language- no swears
Spice- some sweet kisses (not enough!)
Triggers- no
Violence- no
Substance abuse- no
Spiritual/religious- no
Cover- okay
POV- single POV, first person
Cliffhanger- no
Format- audiobook via Hoopla
Narration- good
Characters- The FMC was somewhat likable. It was easier to forgive her overbearing personality since she was so self aware. And at least she was adventurous.
I really liked the love interest, and wow was he patient with the FMC.
Romance- Medium-high chemistry. Their relationship ended up being really cute. Just took a long time to get there.
I didn’t like how she wasn’t willing to give all of heart to him in person. That’s who he really is- all of him, IRL. If you don’t love him the way he is IRL, then...lame. I just feel like the buildup to the reveal was mismanaged from her side.
Writing - Okay. Little things that were off, like how silly of them to hide under a table as grown adults. And the ex was very superficially written.
A few things I don’t like that keep popping up in romances, including this one:
1. an FMC that is OTT contrary (continued through more than half of the book). Her hate and rudeness lasted too long. Like, geez, relax girl and just act cool instead of battle ready 24/7.
2. when authors have the FMC say “don’t do that” or physically try to stop the love interest when they are actually secretly enjoying their proximity and wanting it. (In this case, the MMC was pulling her in close as they were standing together.) It’s emotionally dishonest. And if the MMC doesn’t stop (esp when the FMC isn’t outwardly showing signs of her true feelings) that’s a breach of consent. Why do authors still do this?
3. when people say “I hate you,” or “I still don’t like you” in the middle of kissing. That’s so jarring! Like, slap in the face jarring.
4. when the FMC (in this particular case) butts into the MMC’s family relationships and chews an offending family member out (in this case, his dad) on the MMC’s behalf. Wow, you have known these people for all of 5 minutes and you have no right to insert yourself. That is enormously inappropriate. Let him handle these tricky relationships the way he wants to. If he expresses to you that he wishes for help, then by all means, step in. Otherwise, follow the cues of your fake, new boyfriend and keep your mouth shut. smh
Content-
Language- no swears
Spice- some sweet kisses (not enough!)
Triggers- no
Violence- no
Substance abuse- no
Spiritual/religious- no
Cover- okay
POV- single POV, first person
Cliffhanger- no
Format- audiobook via Hoopla
Narration- good
August 7, 2025
*rounded up for GR* NEVER WITH YOU by Kortney Keisel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 This book is pure joy from start to finish. The most classic of romcoms. I found myself thinking at times: this is a little bit predictable and not overly deep… why can I not put it down!! I loved Carly and Nate. I was giggling from the first chapter and was wishing I could hang out with them. When the car connected to Carley’s phone call on Bluetooth?? The synced Calendar?! So many funny moments. If you love good banter, I don’t know if it gets better than these two. Then throw in the moments Nate breaks into Carley’s hard shell? I’m a puddle on the floor.
Also, only kisses, but THE TENSION! THE CHEMISTRY!! 🔥🔥🔥
After a breakup, Carly vows she will never date another coworker. When her work nemesis invites her to join him on a work trip, Carley can’t say no, and is ready for battle. When Carley’s ex and Nate’s Dad end up on location, fake dating ensues.
Perfect if you like:
•Work enemies to lovers.
•Only one bed.
•Top tier banter.
•Soo many laugh out loud moments.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 🌶️ (only kisses)
Mood: 🍩🌮
Also, only kisses, but THE TENSION! THE CHEMISTRY!! 🔥🔥🔥
After a breakup, Carly vows she will never date another coworker. When her work nemesis invites her to join him on a work trip, Carley can’t say no, and is ready for battle. When Carley’s ex and Nate’s Dad end up on location, fake dating ensues.
Perfect if you like:
•Work enemies to lovers.
•Only one bed.
•Top tier banter.
•Soo many laugh out loud moments.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 🌶️ (only kisses)
Mood: 🍩🌮
October 29, 2025
2.75 ⭐️
umm this just annoyed me like why are they fighting all the time ?? and how can you fall for anyone if they’re just mad at you all the time and never stop arguing for no reason?? it was hard to root for them. there were cute moments tho! it was fast paced too.
also one of the tropes was fake dating but they didn’t start fake dating until like half way through the book?? it just took so long to build up and still carly would not shut up and kept fighting all the time 😭 didn’t love the writing it was kind of cringy and plain almost. ughh i feel bad saying these things but its just my opinion !!
umm this just annoyed me like why are they fighting all the time ?? and how can you fall for anyone if they’re just mad at you all the time and never stop arguing for no reason?? it was hard to root for them. there were cute moments tho! it was fast paced too.
also one of the tropes was fake dating but they didn’t start fake dating until like half way through the book?? it just took so long to build up and still carly would not shut up and kept fighting all the time 😭 didn’t love the writing it was kind of cringy and plain almost. ughh i feel bad saying these things but its just my opinion !!
April 29, 2025
🔥
I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard from a book before. I think this may be my new favorite book!
I was a little worried at first that it was just Carly’s view as I usually like getting the guys side of things but I didn’t miss it. Kortney Keisel did a great job helping us readers really immerse ourselves into Carly’s POV.
I always love an enemies to lovers but pair that with fake dating and office romance you can’t go wrong.
I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard from a book before. I think this may be my new favorite book!
I was a little worried at first that it was just Carly’s view as I usually like getting the guys side of things but I didn’t miss it. Kortney Keisel did a great job helping us readers really immerse ourselves into Carly’s POV.
I always love an enemies to lovers but pair that with fake dating and office romance you can’t go wrong.
July 26, 2026
i would consider this book as not too bad overall...a pleasant read. The main female character Carly was rather prickly though! I found her to be rather frustrating and wearisome at times as I don't know now Nate put up with her. There was character growth and resolution with some satisfying "payback" so to speak on a jerk. It was a clean, light read basically. I am curious if one of her friends will actually end up with the guy she had a previous history with......
April 19, 2025
GENRE
-rom-com
CONTENT
-🤬: one instance of crude language (douchey)
-❤️: make outs, some innuendo
-⚠️: some strained parental relationships
Listen, if Kortney Keisel writes it, I'm reading it.
I absolutely loved this one!!! It felt like a mix of You've Got Mail (the movie) and Faking Christmas (by Cindy Steel, which is my favorite rom-com of all time). With a combination like that, how could you lose? Spoiler alert: YOU CAN'T.
After leaving her job after her co-worker breaks up with her, Carly walks into her new office and finds a man who is just her usual type. Still aching from her breakup, she swears to never date a co-worker again, and consequently, dislikes Nate immediately.
They are total opposites—he is carefree and easygoing; Carly needs order and likes to be in control. When they are forced to travel to Thailand together for a work trip, they begin to see each other differently.
In the meantime, Carly has been messaging anonymously with Mr. International. He's the one person that she feels she can show all of her sides to. But... what happens when she starts developing feelings for him AND Nate?!
This is written in single POV—which worked great with the storyline—but Kortney also wrote a handful of bonus scene's from Nate's POV. You can either read these after reading the entire book (like I did), or you can read them after the chapters in the book listed to make it more of a dual POV experience.
I'm so honored to have gotten to read this as an ARC for Kortney. All of these opinions are my own!
Favorite Quotes:
-It's annoying how handsome he can make a cutting smile look. I prefer all the Satans in my life to be ugly.
-"This isn't fighting," Nate says with an obnoxious smirk. "Carly is secretly in love with me."
"Oh my gosh!" I rear back. "Nothing
could be further from the truth."
His playful gaze shifts in my direction. "I know you have a shrine of me somewhere in your house."
"Your level of delusion is unmatched."
-Messages from a random guy shouldn't lurch my heart into palpitations, but falling for strangers on the internet is my new favorite hobby.
-"Think of how you felt earlier when you saw Isaac with a new woman. You'd be flipping the tables, giving him a taste of his own medicine." His brown eyes turn sultry. "When I get done with you, I'll have that man so jealous he'll beg you to take him back."
-"Are you scared you might end up liking this arrangement?" His finger lifts, trailing softly down my arm, leaving a burning wake of chills as it goes.
I hit his hand away. "I'm scared I might end up getting fifteen to twenty for dismembering you if you ever touch me like that again."
-His brown eyes squint at me, and his smile ticks higher on one side.
It's cute.
I'll tell you what's not cute: being
attracted to the devil.
-"I still don't like you," I mumble against his mouth, as if that's justification enough for this impromptu makeout.
"I don't like you either," he breathes
between us.
-My work nemesis is in his redemption arc.
And I'm falling for it hook, line, and sinker.
-"Knowing you as I do, you'd never be satisfied without the physical attraction component." The sultry undertone to Nate's raspy whisper has my entire body flooding with heat. "You like to play with fire."
-"I have no problem being in control of things. I just prefer to sit back and watch you lead. You're very attractive when you're bossy."
-rom-com
CONTENT
-🤬: one instance of crude language (douchey)
-❤️: make outs, some innuendo
-⚠️: some strained parental relationships
Listen, if Kortney Keisel writes it, I'm reading it.
I absolutely loved this one!!! It felt like a mix of You've Got Mail (the movie) and Faking Christmas (by Cindy Steel, which is my favorite rom-com of all time). With a combination like that, how could you lose? Spoiler alert: YOU CAN'T.
After leaving her job after her co-worker breaks up with her, Carly walks into her new office and finds a man who is just her usual type. Still aching from her breakup, she swears to never date a co-worker again, and consequently, dislikes Nate immediately.
They are total opposites—he is carefree and easygoing; Carly needs order and likes to be in control. When they are forced to travel to Thailand together for a work trip, they begin to see each other differently.
In the meantime, Carly has been messaging anonymously with Mr. International. He's the one person that she feels she can show all of her sides to. But... what happens when she starts developing feelings for him AND Nate?!
This is written in single POV—which worked great with the storyline—but Kortney also wrote a handful of bonus scene's from Nate's POV. You can either read these after reading the entire book (like I did), or you can read them after the chapters in the book listed to make it more of a dual POV experience.
I'm so honored to have gotten to read this as an ARC for Kortney. All of these opinions are my own!
Favorite Quotes:
-It's annoying how handsome he can make a cutting smile look. I prefer all the Satans in my life to be ugly.
-"This isn't fighting," Nate says with an obnoxious smirk. "Carly is secretly in love with me."
"Oh my gosh!" I rear back. "Nothing
could be further from the truth."
His playful gaze shifts in my direction. "I know you have a shrine of me somewhere in your house."
"Your level of delusion is unmatched."
-Messages from a random guy shouldn't lurch my heart into palpitations, but falling for strangers on the internet is my new favorite hobby.
-"Think of how you felt earlier when you saw Isaac with a new woman. You'd be flipping the tables, giving him a taste of his own medicine." His brown eyes turn sultry. "When I get done with you, I'll have that man so jealous he'll beg you to take him back."
-"Are you scared you might end up liking this arrangement?" His finger lifts, trailing softly down my arm, leaving a burning wake of chills as it goes.
I hit his hand away. "I'm scared I might end up getting fifteen to twenty for dismembering you if you ever touch me like that again."
-His brown eyes squint at me, and his smile ticks higher on one side.
It's cute.
I'll tell you what's not cute: being
attracted to the devil.
-"I still don't like you," I mumble against his mouth, as if that's justification enough for this impromptu makeout.
"I don't like you either," he breathes
between us.
-My work nemesis is in his redemption arc.
And I'm falling for it hook, line, and sinker.
-"Knowing you as I do, you'd never be satisfied without the physical attraction component." The sultry undertone to Nate's raspy whisper has my entire body flooding with heat. "You like to play with fire."
-"I have no problem being in control of things. I just prefer to sit back and watch you lead. You're very attractive when you're bossy."
June 2, 2025
Another 5 stars for Kortney Keisel! Her books are so fun and entertaining!
June 26, 2025
I loved this book. I’ve had a lot going on in my life right now this was the perfect little escape each night before bed. The funny banter back and forth and the hilarious situations the characters found themselves in. I liked the enemies to lovers trope and the story line.
What happens when arch enemies at work are forced to go on a work trip together? Hope and pray they don’t kill each other!
What happens when arch enemies at work are forced to go on a work trip together? Hope and pray they don’t kill each other!
May 24, 2026
Just a cute romcom with the fake dating trope.
January 22, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ I thoroughly enjoyed this! The main character drove me nuts for the first while but by the end I was smiling as I listened. Fun enemies to lovers that felt really genuine in how it progressed.
August 18, 2026
So nice to read a clean romance 🤣 I’m embarrassed at how smitten I was with Nate ha ha ha
April 23, 2026
4,5. Geweldig boek! Top karakters en goeie humor. Ik heb echt een flink aantal keer hardop gelachen en in mn handen geklapt haha. Alleen de epiloog voelde een beetje bij elkaar geraapt. Waarschijnlijk om een overloop te maken naar het volgende deel.
July 16, 2026
5 HUMONGOUS WHOPPING STARS!!!!
I adored this book! This was the perfect mash up of The Hating Game and You’ve Got Mail. The tropes were troping and it just hit in all the right spots!
I loved the traveling aspect to the story and getting a big part of this book set in Thailand! That was so fun. A perfect background for the romance…
I also really liked it just being in Carly’s POV. As a lover of Dual POVs that’s rare for me to say but it really worked for this story not knowing what was going on in Nate’s head.
I just loved every thing about this book. It was pretty much perfect for me! I can’t wait to continue the series. I can’t recommend this enough!
I adored this book! This was the perfect mash up of The Hating Game and You’ve Got Mail. The tropes were troping and it just hit in all the right spots!
I loved the traveling aspect to the story and getting a big part of this book set in Thailand! That was so fun. A perfect background for the romance…
I also really liked it just being in Carly’s POV. As a lover of Dual POVs that’s rare for me to say but it really worked for this story not knowing what was going on in Nate’s head.
I just loved every thing about this book. It was pretty much perfect for me! I can’t wait to continue the series. I can’t recommend this enough!
March 25, 2026
4.5 stars rounded up to 5
This is my favorite Kortney Kiesel book I have read. It was so cute and so fun and so charming! It was like a modern day Divine Rivals and I loved it! The banter and forced proximity gets two thumbs up from me. It was the perfect vacation read.
Bonus that it takes place partly in the town I live in! I am excited for this whole series!
This is my favorite Kortney Kiesel book I have read. It was so cute and so fun and so charming! It was like a modern day Divine Rivals and I loved it! The banter and forced proximity gets two thumbs up from me. It was the perfect vacation read.
Bonus that it takes place partly in the town I live in! I am excited for this whole series!
January 10, 2026
even without the spice, their story is sweet and complicated, had a hard time figuring out why she hated him so much but loved the wrapup loved the reading and the figuring out that sometimes you dont see people for who they really are...
Carly and nate, loved them.
Carly and nate, loved them.
March 14, 2026
This one started off a little slow for me, and I also thought the “twist” was super obvious from the get go… BUT I had so much fun with Carly and Nate on their journey that I still think this was a 4 star read!
August 2, 2025
Kortney Keisel does it again!! Ahhhh this was too cute! I need time to process all this!
Be prepared for a long review for this book :)
RTC
Be prepared for a long review for this book :)
RTC
September 22, 2025
Loved this! I laughed out loud multiple times and loved the banter! About 150 pages in I felt like she was a little rude to him but other than that I loved how everything played out.
April 29, 2026
Probably 3 3/4 stars for me. But 3 seemed too low. I thought this was such a light, fun romance. I really liked the two main characters. Lots of misunderstandings and who doesn’t love a good fake dating situation.
January 26, 2026
a cheesy but serviceable romcom: this wasn’t the most memorable read, but it was a fun time! i liked the characters and the “pen pal” layer of their romance. carly (and the writing style) sounded more millennial than 26 to me but i just kind of ignored their ages lol
February 1, 2026
Could this be one of the best examples of rivals to romance that I have read? Quite possibly! Love to the personal journeys that each of these characters went on as well as they’re sweet romance, which naturally developed throughout. And the fake dating as well as forced proximity tropes all set on a romantic Thai island certainly didn’t hurt!
It’s impossible to miss the classic “You’ve Got Mail” references, and this reader really loved that the inspiration was there, but was also wholly its own story too!
It’s impossible to miss the classic “You’ve Got Mail” references, and this reader really loved that the inspiration was there, but was also wholly its own story too!
October 10, 2025
PLEASE NOTE : Do not read the book blurb if being spoiled bothers you. There are events mentioned in the blurb that take place halfway through the book
Contains an audiobook review.
This is the first book in the Always Say Never series. It is a kisses only contemporary romcom.
This had some of the funniest scenes that I have read in a very long time. I really enjoyed the book. I love Kortney's writing. She just delivers more than your cookie cutter romcom.
I listened to the audiobook through Amazon Music. I love the duet narration! Both readers did an excellent job bringing the story to life in my mind.
.
Contains an audiobook review.
This is the first book in the Always Say Never series. It is a kisses only contemporary romcom.
This had some of the funniest scenes that I have read in a very long time. I really enjoyed the book. I love Kortney's writing. She just delivers more than your cookie cutter romcom.
I listened to the audiobook through Amazon Music. I love the duet narration! Both readers did an excellent job bringing the story to life in my mind.
.
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