The Never List

by M.K. Lewis

Madelaine Brown loves love — just not in real life.
After her mom walked out when she was nine, she decided it was safer to admire romance from a distance. Ever since, she’s been all about theory over practice.

Unfortunately, life keeps handing her one very annoying Jake West.

They’ve been forced together since childhood — babysat together, spent summers together (fighting), went to the same school, and even landed in the same classes. And through it all, he’s remained her finest form of torture. He’s adventurous (stupid), flirty (well-rounded), a bit reckless (gets away with the stupidest things), and popular (she still doesn't understand how).

When Jake’s long-term summer fling dumps him for someone new, he’s desperate to save face. Meanwhile, Madelaine’s got The Never List — a running list of things she swears she’ll never do because, well, she’s a chicken (his words, not hers).

A deal is she’ll fake date him to make his ex (and Madelaine’s longtime enemy) jealous, and he’ll help her “get a life.” But between the fake smiles, forced proximity, and way-too-real moments, Madelaine starts to realize that maybe some things on The Never List aren’t so impossible after all.

A deal, a list, and way too many almost-kisses — because when life keeps throwing you at the same person, maybe it’s not a coincidence. Maybe it’s just really bad timing… or something dangerously close to love.

Genres: Romance, Fake Dating, Young Adult, Enemies To Lovers

370 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 24, 2025

Reviews

[୨ৎ─⋆YASMIN₊˚✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 stars 🧾 ₊⊹. 𖧧. ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚
➪ alexa, play "cool" by dua lipa & "city" by claire rosinkranz

⊹ .✸ ˳⁺⿻ "woman, i have waited years for this." he picks me up while i pretend to want to get away.
"you're so needy." i joke, and he moves his head up and down.
"for you? absolutely." he turns me around and holds me close to him, our faces inches apart."

plot 🧾 ₊⊹. 𖧧. ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚
our fmc, madelaine brown, is an introvert. she hates interacting w/ people/struggles w/ it due to anxiety. she makes a list called the never list. its a list of all the things she thought she would never do. but, with the help of allison (her bff), riden (jake's bff), and jake, she gets the list done. the mmc, jacob "jake" west helps her w/ completing the never list, in exchange for making his "crush" amanda jealous, and get her to want him back. while trying to complete the list, jake and mads start to fall in love.

⊹ .✸ ˳⁺⿻ "i want to tell her. the thing i heard her say when i was unconscious, or maybe conscious, i don't know. but i'm scared too. that she'll reject me once and for all, and i'll be doomed to watch the love of my life pass me by."

tropes 🧾 ₊⊹. 𖧧. ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚
💌 frenemies to lovers
😝 fake dating
💌 anxiety rep (fmc)
😝 insomnia rep (fmc)
💌 he fell first, she fell harder
😝 hopeless romantic fmc
💌 introvert x extrovert
😝 yearner mmc
💌 they call each other by their last names

⊹ .✸ ˳⁺⿻ "madelaine, i love you." my eyes widen, and i'm truly speechless and alarmed.
"jake, this is no joking matter." i cross my arms and narrow my eyes.
"i'm not joking. i love you."

my thoughts 🧾 ₊⊹. 𖧧. ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚
OMG I'VE NEVER BINGED A BOOK THIS HARD SINCE "I HOPE THIS DOESN'T FIND YOU"!!!! i know the story's cliche, but i loved it! and i know there's spelling and writing errors, but if i loved it, that's all that matters!! madelaine was 100% relatable & jacob was a mmc that got me smiley and giggly. THEIR BANTER--YUM YUM YUMMMMM!!!! I ATE IT JUST LIKE I EAT CAESAR SALAD and i love that salad!!!! and the fact that the author is of portuguese descent, i feel seen. so m.k. lewis, keep cooking up these stories!!! AND THIS BOOK GAVE ME "BETTER THAN THE MOVIES" VIBES!!! AND I LOVED THAT BOOK!!!! M.K.--KEEP THEM COMING!!!!! and the headcannons--i loved that idea, i've never seen an author do that!!! AND THE AMOUNT OF QUOTES I'VE HIGHLIGHTED--YOU WOULD'VE THOUGHT I WAS INSANEEEEEEE!!!!

⊹ .✸ ˳⁺⿻ "would i call my relationship with love unhealthy? yes, probably. but hey, there's so much a girl can do when she's raised on fairy tales and also has an entire wall of romance books staring at her every morning since she was nine. well, that and abandonment issues, but who doesn't have them?"

madelaine brown ✧𓂃˖ᡣ𐭩་༘📖࿐
SHE'S LITERALLY ME. she's a hopeless romantic, has long brown hair, has abandonment issues, anxiety, and listens to music like she depends on it. and sure, she's a bit oblivious--BUT I LOVE HER SO MUCH I WANNA HUG HERRRRRRRRR!!!! i can't put my adoration for her into words hehehehehehe!!! <3

⊹ .✸ ˳⁺⿻ "i have loved you since we were nine, when i didn't even know what love was. i wrote songs, and every song on the radio was about you. it killed me every time i saw you just as much talking to another guy, so, even if you have a psychotic break, i promise you, i'm going to have a way worse one. we'll be crazy together, how about that?"

jacob "jake" west 🎸♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬
THIS MANNNNNNN!!!!! he's literally wes in a different universe. he plays guitar, WROTE SONGS ABOUT MADDY IN A NOTEBOOK, reads books, listens to music, and is good w/ kids!!! AAAAAAAA!!!! this guy won my heart by the second he spoke, like URGHHHH!!!!

⊹ .✸ ˳⁺⿻ "stop it." jake says, lifting his eyes from the book.
"what?" i ask, not so discreetly trying not to smile.
"you're making me lose focus on the book." he shakes it lightly in front of me.
"how so?" i question, curiosity getting the better of me.
"your face is doing that thing when you get excited about something." he accuses, with frowning eyes and a finger pointed at me. "like when you see me." he smirks like an idiot."

.
.
.
pre-read 🧾 ₊⊹. 𖧧. ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚
i love supporting small authors and the blurb sounds so promising!!! 🥹

[MacKenzie Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute story! Definitely needs some editing help but I enjoyed reading it overall :)

[cosette · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was a little bit frustrated with them. but they stole my heart at the end 😭😭😭

[Kailea · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW: The Never List
Publication date:
Rating: 4 stars

Huge thanks to Mary K. Lewis for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

First, I want to apologize for the delay; the review is long overdue.

Okay, now, where do I start when I want to talk about a book that has taken over my life for such a long time? The Never List was everything I was looking for: Childhood frenemies to lovers, fake dating, Popular guy x Introvert guy, and 2000’s romcom vibes

Need I say more?

I saw myself in Madelaine Brown because I get that feeling of wanting to do nothing more than immerse myself in the pages of books, just because the life I’m living is just too much sometimes, or only ever reading about the love I want to experience.

DON’T GET ME STARTED ON JACOB FREAKING WEST.

Jake is everything a girl could ever want. Sarcastic, funny, you name it. I literally leaped out of my bed every time he reassured Mads like… Am I the only one who loves the trope where the character who’s always reserved and reassuring others finally talks about their trauma? Yeah, Jake West.

I could go on and on about how I enjoyed this book if I’m being honest.

Again, a big thank you to M.K Lewis for sending me an arc!!

[Shena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute read honestly like straight out of a cringey wattpad.

The banter in this book was done so perfectly and resembled something along the lines of early 2000s romcoms, the song choices were elite and most importantly the headcannons!! Omg unreal that stuff has a choke hold, over all such a bomb read
Also their wedding song being photograph by Ed Sheeran…!

[XOXO · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave The Neverlist a full five stars. Period. No debate. This book does not deserve anything lower and it never will. It is amazing, emotional, funny, and absolutely gorgeous. I finished it in one single day because I physically could not put it down. I have been waiting for this book forever ever since I read Muse of the Match, and it was worth every second of waiting.

This author somehow managed to put everything I love into one story. The romance, the tension, the humor, the emotion, all of it worked perfectly together. What made it even better was the references. I usually do not understand or recognize references in books, but this time I did. Every single one. Especially the Brooklyn Nine Nine reference. That show is my comfort show, and finding out that Madeline Brown has watched it too made me feel so connected to her. It felt personal in the best way.

The Neverlist is a frenemies to lovers fake dating romance, which is already perfection, but the characters are what truly make this book unforgettable. Madeline Brown is angry, loud, and rude at times, but that is exactly what makes her real. Her anger is a coping mechanism, and the book shows that so beautifully. People are so quick to judge characters like her without realizing how much pain they are carrying. This book does not just show her anger. It explains it. It honors it.

Jake West is everything. He never tried to change Madeline. He saw through her anger and stood beside her instead of against her. He argued with her, fought with her, and supported her in the way she actually needed. He always made sure she smiled, even if that meant being the punching bag. The way he understood her was everything to me.

I loved everything about these characters. What they said, what they believed in, how they cared for each other. Jake West especially has my whole heart. I need a Jake West in my life immediately. Pronto. Where is my next door neighbor Jake West. Where is the guy who helps me complete a list of things I never want to do, just to make sure I live a full and meaningful life.

And now I am already desperate for the next book. Dancing with Cupid. I need it today. Tomorrow. Yesterday. Right now. Until then, I might just start writing my own never list and hope I someday find my own Jake West to help me break it.

This book was perfect. Five stars forever.

[Emilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75☆
Decided to give this a try and glad I did!
I liked the main character, I loved her versatility: her anger but at the same time that she was such a hopeless romantic. Jake was so obsessed with her from the start and the author did a real good job with their first kiss.
I also, shockingly, loved the pop culture references: From ,Brooklyn 99’ to the movie ,Step up‘ to the song ,Just Like Heaven‘ by the Cure.
I feel like you could tell that the author knows her way arround romance books, but I have to say that the writing was flawed. I can usually ignore it, but not this time. It was sometimes genuinely confusing, I often didn't get the thought process and it felt very unedited (which it is ig).
It would've been 3 stars but the last 100 pages were too good and kinda inspirational<3

Quotes•｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅

“I’m sorry for the person who’s gonna end up with you.” “Ah, the self-pity.”

~It’s bad giving your heart to someone only to know it’s gonna end eventually. This is a part of my many reasons I’m afraid to date.

~We could get into a car accident. We always think these things are never going to happen, because they only happen in movies or to strangers. Except when they happen to you. But why us? Why him.

~I know it’s impossible for him to do all the work, when only I have the tools to do it myself, but I love that he makes me want to pick them up and believe I can heal myself.

[giulia ౨ৎ ✧.**ੈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“After all, we will always be Madelaine and Jake, Brown and West, fighting for everything and for nothing all at once. Usually his fault.” 🌟

this book might be one of my new fav romance books!!! the characters, the vibes, the story, the banter - everything was perfect and i enjoyed every second of this book 💞💞
jake & madelaine are everything, i love them sm 🥹💐
(also madelaine is one of the most relatable characters ever, omg i lovee her)

[m&#x1f337; · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
okay stop istg the author is in my walls this was so perfect???
first of all madeleine was so so soooo relateable like oh my god?? hopeless romantic✅, doesn’t believe in love for herself✅ so seeing mads journey to living her life was so endearing for me!!
Jake was like such a good character i kinda find it hard to explain but he felt very human, like i didn’t feel like I was reading about a dramatized version of life and I found that to be very refreshing.
Just overall I enjoyed this book so much it was a breath of fresh air that made me lol, cry, smile and yearn

[Lost Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este livro foi perfeito. Might be my new favorite romance ever 🫶🏽

Quando li os tropes, frenemies to lovers e fake dating, fiquei logo com expectativas altas mas nunca imaginei que se fossem exceder tanto. Adorei cada detalhe deste livro.

A relação da Madelaine e do Jake é perfeita, desde as picardias aos momentos mais sensíveis! Dei por mim a rir-me as gragalhadas com cenas deles e no final fiquei mesmo boquiaberta com tudo o que estava a acontecer.

A personalidade do Jake encantou-me e a forma como ele foi evoluindo ao longo da história foi incrível de acompanhar.

Também me identifiquei bastante com a Madelaine e com a personalidade dela. Adorei descobrir pelos olhos dela esta história incrível.

Os personagens secundários nunca foram esquecidos, tiveram sempre o seu momento e são também marcantes.

Outro dos pontos altos do livro foi as referências geek e músicas ao longo do livro. Desde referências a filmes da Disney até aos One Direction.

Adorei a mensagem deste livro mas as relações entre as personagens é que fazem o livro inesquecível.

Obrigada Mary K. Lewis por este arc 🩷

[Char · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the story itself and the characters; however, an editor would've made this book a 4 or 5 stars. There was a ton of potential, but with the number of grammatical errors and some minor bumps in the plot it made it a bit harder to follow. But such a cute book overall, I really did love it.

[feelslikeleni · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW:

“But I must say, the most annoying part of it has to be watching everyone get someone except for me, the one who’s been dreaming about it since I could say the word love.”

first of all i want to say a big thank you to mary for sending me this as an arc. this is my first arc and i loved it.

this book reminds me of the high school teenage experience I could've had. I seriously devoured and enjoyed this book. I was smiling and screaming like an idiot through scenes. they are literally so cute together, I love their banter. the song references made me love this book even more.

i don’t wanna give away too much that’s why i’ll stop now and let you enjoy this amazing book spoiler free 🫶🏻⭐️

[Jacqueline · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 Almost DNF'd this like 50 times, but I am a sucker for enemies to lovers tropes. This story was good, but this book DESPERATELY needs an editor. There was a lot of grammatical errors and just a lot of sentences/paragraphs that just didn't make sense or flow naturally.

[Aphrodite · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ I finished The Never List and honestly, I got hooked from the first few chapters. I really liked the relationship between Madeline and Jacob, it was so sweet and cute, and it genuinely touched something in my heart.

I also found a lot of similarities between me and Maddie. It felt like I saw parts of myself in her, which made the story feel more personal to me.

Jacob was such a cute and comforting character. He was really kind to Maddie and understood her so well. I especially love reading about a boy who has loved the girl from the beginning, and that’s exactly what made their relationship special to me.

I also loved how he would casually say things that clearly showed he loved her, more than once, but she would brush it off or not fully realize it

Some lines that really touched my heart,

‏- They say that we were originally created with four arms, four legs, and a head with two faces. Fearing our power, Zeus split us into two separate parts, condemning us to spend our lives in search of our other halves. The cruelty is that I actually thought mine would be him.

( I can’t ❤️‍🩹😔)

‏- I discovered the art of romance books and only read romance-related books. I mean, I did read fantasy and sci-fi, but only if it had romance in it.
Yeah… I have issues.

(Literally me)

- ‏”You always look cute when you blush.”
What the fuck?

( This make me kick my feet 💗😭)

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tal vez es injusto de lo parte que yo reseñe este libro pero estaba buscando algo lighthearted y pues llegue aquí. No me encantó la verdad hubieron cosas que yo decía sus por ejemplo el lugar que la protagonista le daba a la mejor amiga estaba raro, no parecían mejores amigas su personalidad más allá de que está boy obsessed ( la amiga) y para la protagonista ser “ popular” significa datear a todo el mundo ??? Hola ??
Que onda con el plot twist de nuevo, hola ?
Medio roza el “ tener un novio cura todos los problemas de salud mental” y claro que lo más importante siempre va a ser el novio tanto que no ves a tu amiga que duerme en tu misma casa btw porque andas ocupada.
Siento que lo alargaron mucho, tal vez más de lo que debían pero bueno
Si hay un libro inspirado en the duff que a mi me gusta es better than the movies. Muy romcomy lástima a) la aurora b) la secuela horrible que me rehuso a leer

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book because it had actual depth — it wasn’t just a cheesy YA romance (which, let’s be honest, the genre can sometimes lean toward). The emotional layers and character backstories added so much substance and made their relationship feel meaningful.

The chemistry between the main characters was so good. I loved how everyone around them could see what was happening before they did. That thin line between hate and love? This book plays with it perfectly. The tension, the banter, the slow shift in their dynamic — it was all so well done.

The fake dating scheme was such a fun setup, but it didn’t feel gimmicky. The list they were working through was such a clever touch, and I loved how it naturally pushed their relationship forward and deepened their feelings. It wasn’t just a plot device — it became part of their emotional journey.

Overall, this was such a cute, well-developed read. If you love fake dating, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and summer romance vibes, you’ll definitely want to pick this one up.

[Oissela_Retssila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good; it reminded me a bit of BTTM. Because it was so good and they are neighbors, but the content didn't really resemble each other. I am definitely going to reread this book sometime. Jake is a real cutie and you could always tell that he loved Madeleine very much. Madeleine is a real sweetheart; I liked seeing her go from being a person who preferred doing nothing and was grumpy all the time to such a happy and cheerful person. And all because of Jake! I found the love story about Madeleine's parents really sad, sorry, I really didn't expect that...

I give this book 5⭐️

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

the plot was genuinely interesting and I LOVED the dynamics between the characters but the only complaint I have is the writing had me confused at times, i feel like the story could have been incredible with clearer storytelling.

ALSO the line when the fmc says “You know I’m too smart to be seduced by you.” and he respond with “That’s why I like you.” LIKE THATS LITERALLY FROM THE VAMPIRES DIARIES? I clocked that immediately as a klaroline enthusiast. There were also a lot of references to other shows, books, and romcom movies which I personally really enjoyed

[Matilde Marinho · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC read:

Wow! This book really surprised me in a very positive way. I just couldn't put it down and I read like half of it in an afternoon.

The story captivated me from the start and I really enjoyed the character development. I think the author addressed important issues in a soft but responsible way and the book's dynamic is incredible!

I simply loved the writing and I'm very excited to read Muse of the Match by M. K. Lewis!

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
This is one of those five stars I’ll probably never read again. But it was so good I stayed up till 2:30am to finish it. It was a stark difference from the few books I read before this because they were written so bad so this was a good change and that may be why it’s rated so high. But I really liked it and there were things you would just not see coming. I want to read the sister Lindsey I think her name was and Allison and rider.

[Nadia's Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clean, sweet and cute!!! Apart from the fact that we still don't know what's on that damn list 😭😭😭 this was a quick fun read! Definitely recommend for TSITP and Better than the Movies fans - very summer coded.

I genuinely had to put the book down when Madelaine staked her claim on Jake in front of the ENTIRE town 😭😭 but clearly she does some yoga manifestation or something because my girl got her guy.

A fun, tween/teen book for anyone. I was forewarned about the editing, but it doesn't take away from your enjoyment reading at all!

[sofia ₊˚⊹♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

disposable poc gf troupe x owd with literally the ONLY non white character x her being portrayed as the antagonist x slut mmc x shit writing x lack of a plot has lead me to give the rating i have. genuinely so, so disappointed in this author because this, alongside the muse of the match, were very anticipated reads but both ultimately left me with immense disappointment

[Bel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished The Never List just a few days ago, and surprisingly, not much of the plot has stuck with me. I’m not sure if it’s just my memory lately or the story itself, but compared to other romance books I’ve read, this one didn’t leave a strong impression.

I rated it 3 stars—it was enjoyable enough while I was reading, but ultimately not very memorable.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4.

I needed a pallet cleanser before going back to TOG and the book I read before this is did not like. Once again I only found this book because of one TikTok vibe collage lmfao.

Anyways I really like it they were cute or whatever. I kinda wanted to slap her at the end cause she just kept pushing him away and it took him like almost dying to get over herself. I also did not see the dead mom thing coming .

I liked that they were basically together in every chapter it was fast paced. Also the stargazing shit was hella cute and I love when characters live nextdoor to each other.

I kinda want a book for Allison and Riden cause he definitely had a thing for her. The end

[fiene1359 ~{I might drop dead}~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It definitely needs some editing and there happens a bit too much of family drama for me to like, but it was really cute and a very fun read. (I love the friendships and love stories so muchhh)


3.75 ⭐️

xF

[Clara Oswald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhh this was so cute!!! I stayed up so so late finishing it but it was so worth it 🥹

[Daisy Lamb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story read it in one day loved their witty bants and got together at a good time that it kept me interested to read - however, she did go on a bitttt abt her mum to much and her therapist 🙊🙈

[MaJo · Rating 4 out of 5]

NECESITO LOS DEMÁS LIBROS!!!!

[Zoe Galbraith · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Delaney Mueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

wes bennett dupeeee😛