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The Never Have I Ever Club
Robyn Bloom thought Ash Barnes was the love of her life—until one day he announced he was leaving her to fly halfway across the world.
Months later, Robyn is struggling to move on—but then she has a brainwave: The Never Have I Ever Club. Her handsome next-door neighbour Will helps her bring their fellow Yorkshire villagers together for some carpe-diem-inspired fun.
From burlesque dancing to Swedish massages, everyone has plenty of bucket-list activities to try, but it doesn't take long for Robyn to realise what—or who—her heart truly desires: Will.
There's just one problem: he's Ash's twin brother.
Make that two problems: Ash is moving home... and he wants Robyn back.
Mary Jayne Baker is the recipient of the RNA Romantic Comedy Award for A Question of Us</i>.
Months later, Robyn is struggling to move on—but then she has a brainwave: The Never Have I Ever Club. Her handsome next-door neighbour Will helps her bring their fellow Yorkshire villagers together for some carpe-diem-inspired fun.
From burlesque dancing to Swedish massages, everyone has plenty of bucket-list activities to try, but it doesn't take long for Robyn to realise what—or who—her heart truly desires: Will.
There's just one problem: he's Ash's twin brother.
Make that two problems: Ash is moving home... and he wants Robyn back.
Mary Jayne Baker is the recipient of the RNA Romantic Comedy Award for A Question of Us</i>.
325 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 18, 2020
235 people are currently reading
1276 people want to read
About the author
Mary Jayne Baker
14 books296 followersMary Jayne Baker grew up in rural West Yorkshire, right in the heart of Brontë country... and she's still there. After graduating from Durham University with a degree in English Literature, she dallied with living in cities including London, Nottingham and Cambridge, but eventually came back with her own romantic hero in tow to her beloved Dales, where she first started telling stories about heroines with flaws and the men who love them.
Mary Jayne also writes uplifting, feelgood romances under the pen name Lisa Swift.
Mary Jayne also writes uplifting, feelgood romances under the pen name Lisa Swift.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
June 13, 2020
Oooooof. I requested this book on NetGalley because I really liked the writing style of the last Mary Jane Baker book I read, but I gotta be honest y'all. This book was too long with too little payout. I didn't feel ANY chemistry between Robyn and Will and that made it pretty much impossible to invest myself in the story or care about anything that happened and I just.. did not enjoy this one :( womp
May 15, 2020
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 3.5
"The Never Have I Ever Club" is about Robyn, whose boyfriend ran away with a younger woman and she had to get over him even though she was constantly reminded of him, since his identical twin, Will, who was also her neighbor and friend. One day, Robyn, Will and her friends decide to create this club from the title for elderly people who still felt they had things in life they wanted to accomplish and this club would be a way to support each other. Then her ex gets back and decided to join the club as well, but suddenly she feels closer and closer to Will, and things get a bit messy.
Let's get the negative stuff out of the way: I think the book was way too long considering the story it was telling. It could easily be shorter, removing some parts which were a bit unnecessary for me. I think its length affects the reading experience, since the writing is delightful and it could be read at a faster pace if it didn't have all those pages that didn't make much of a difference in the story.
On the other hand, I just loved this book's humor. It was probably my favorite thing about it. I loved the dialogues between Rob and her friends, Freya and Eliot. All the moments from the club together were also so much fun and entertaining!
The romance had a trope I really liked: friends to lovers, so it was really nice to see how the relationship between Will and Robyn developed. It was cute and they definitely had chemistry. I just was a bit annoyed about a kind of "love triangle" between her and the twins. Even though she didn't like her ex anymore, her ex wanted her back and Will held himself for a long time, because of his brother and I don't like this kind of trope so much.
Overall, it was a very light and fun read. I recommend it if you are in a reading slump for sure, because it will certainly cheer you up and motivate you to get back to reading.
Rating: 3.5
"The Never Have I Ever Club" is about Robyn, whose boyfriend ran away with a younger woman and she had to get over him even though she was constantly reminded of him, since his identical twin, Will, who was also her neighbor and friend. One day, Robyn, Will and her friends decide to create this club from the title for elderly people who still felt they had things in life they wanted to accomplish and this club would be a way to support each other. Then her ex gets back and decided to join the club as well, but suddenly she feels closer and closer to Will, and things get a bit messy.
Let's get the negative stuff out of the way: I think the book was way too long considering the story it was telling. It could easily be shorter, removing some parts which were a bit unnecessary for me. I think its length affects the reading experience, since the writing is delightful and it could be read at a faster pace if it didn't have all those pages that didn't make much of a difference in the story.
On the other hand, I just loved this book's humor. It was probably my favorite thing about it. I loved the dialogues between Rob and her friends, Freya and Eliot. All the moments from the club together were also so much fun and entertaining!
The romance had a trope I really liked: friends to lovers, so it was really nice to see how the relationship between Will and Robyn developed. It was cute and they definitely had chemistry. I just was a bit annoyed about a kind of "love triangle" between her and the twins. Even though she didn't like her ex anymore, her ex wanted her back and Will held himself for a long time, because of his brother and I don't like this kind of trope so much.
Overall, it was a very light and fun read. I recommend it if you are in a reading slump for sure, because it will certainly cheer you up and motivate you to get back to reading.
August 25, 2020
Lovable characters, interesting plot, great development, the only thing pulling this down is the ending I always need about 10 pages more than I get. I couldn´t put it down its funny, frustrating, sweet and so much better than I expected. Definitely recommending this one.
July 12, 2020
Mary Jayne Baker is proving to be a Queen of romantic comedy, let me tell ya!
I've been enjoying books by Miss Mary Jayne and couldn't resist when I saw this book floating around on NetGalley. Because it's so good, I even bought myself a copy too! I can't get enough of these super sugary sweet romantic comedies because they are just so feel good! And full of laughs! Man, it's been a long time since I've been able to consistently find romantic comedies that have me giggling!
So, we have this group of friends who named their little get together group. The Marry, Shag, Kill Group became so many other titles, but finally settled on The Never Have I Ever Club! So a new group is formed and is gonna try to do something new that they always wanted to try! A fair amount of these folks are elderly, and we all know they will have time left in life to learn. This all came about though because Robyn's ex broke up with her, and now she appears to be falling for his twin brother, Will. Did I mention Will's a hot doctor? That totally helps.
This adorable pair slowly begins to fall for each other, and they lean on each other in tough times. They are quite the pair! I liked watching this slow burn romance develop over time, to be brutally honest. It was a great change from the sudden love at first sight books I've been picking up recently.
There's so many fun pop culture references in this book that it has me grinning. Honestly, I think these books are just a barrel full of fun (or monkeys, whatever quote you want, really).
My only potential negative is that this book could be a little bit shorter and the story wouldn't have changed. But, that's just my opinion! I still think the book is an absolute delight and it doesn't affect my enjoyment at all.
If you like romantic comedies, this is a fun book to pick up! It's a laugh out loud funny kind of book with a wonderful friendship growing into romance trope that will melt your heart away. I couldn't get enough of this book and I know I'll be following Mary Jayne Baker in the future because I think her books are just fantastic. I am definitely in her reader base! What a talent!
Four out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
I've been enjoying books by Miss Mary Jayne and couldn't resist when I saw this book floating around on NetGalley. Because it's so good, I even bought myself a copy too! I can't get enough of these super sugary sweet romantic comedies because they are just so feel good! And full of laughs! Man, it's been a long time since I've been able to consistently find romantic comedies that have me giggling!
So, we have this group of friends who named their little get together group. The Marry, Shag, Kill Group became so many other titles, but finally settled on The Never Have I Ever Club! So a new group is formed and is gonna try to do something new that they always wanted to try! A fair amount of these folks are elderly, and we all know they will have time left in life to learn. This all came about though because Robyn's ex broke up with her, and now she appears to be falling for his twin brother, Will. Did I mention Will's a hot doctor? That totally helps.
This adorable pair slowly begins to fall for each other, and they lean on each other in tough times. They are quite the pair! I liked watching this slow burn romance develop over time, to be brutally honest. It was a great change from the sudden love at first sight books I've been picking up recently.
There's so many fun pop culture references in this book that it has me grinning. Honestly, I think these books are just a barrel full of fun (or monkeys, whatever quote you want, really).
My only potential negative is that this book could be a little bit shorter and the story wouldn't have changed. But, that's just my opinion! I still think the book is an absolute delight and it doesn't affect my enjoyment at all.
If you like romantic comedies, this is a fun book to pick up! It's a laugh out loud funny kind of book with a wonderful friendship growing into romance trope that will melt your heart away. I couldn't get enough of this book and I know I'll be following Mary Jayne Baker in the future because I think her books are just fantastic. I am definitely in her reader base! What a talent!
Four out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
June 13, 2020
On my blog.
Rep: gay side characters
Galley provided by publisher
I picked up The Never Have I Ever Club because I loved A Question of Us. Unfortunately, for me, it didn’t quite reach the same standards as that.
In this book, we have a love triangle. Namely one in which person A (Ash) has ditched person B (Robyn) to head to Australia where he has hooked up with someone ten years younger. Now person B lives next door to person C (Will), who happens to be person A’s identical twin. In this particular love triangle scenario, person B and C start to form a relationship, but meanwhile, person A has realised that he got it entirely wrong and now he’s coming back home to try win person B back.
Aside from the love triangle, there is also the plot of the eponymous Never Have I Ever club, a village-wide society set up so that every member can do something they have always wanted to. A collective bucket-list, you might say. (It’s also a plotline that doesn’t really go anywhere. You know how you expect an arc to conclude with something? This doesn’t. It sort of gets left behind.)
While I liked the characters and humour of this book, there was one glaring part that frustrated me no end.
There are probably a few aspects to it, really: Ash’s return and refusal to take no for an answer, Will’s sheer bloody-minded devotion to Ash, and Robyn’s passive acceptance of this.
Let’s start with the first. Ash returns home within about a third of the book, but it really doesn’t leave enough time for Will and Robyn to have believably developed something that might become a romance. Not to mention, he returns and almost immediately starts trying to win Robyn back, in a way that could be seen as pressuring her. Most definitely is at some points. Over and over again, she tells him ‘no’, but he just doesn’t accept it. Alright, so his arc takes him to the point where he does accept that ‘no’, but he’s ignored it so many times up until then, that I have no patience for it.
But more inexplicable than expecting me to sympathise with Ash, is the way Will is so insistent on being “loyal” to Ash. He even comments
Will, your brother unceremoniously dumped Robyn and broke her heart, and then buggered off to Australia to hook up with someone ten years his junior. You absolutely do not have to “be in his corner”. He sees a relationship with Robyn as somehow betraying Ash. He won’t even go out with his friends because Ash is not also invited (because for some reason, since Ash isn’t forgiven, Will is not allowed to spend time with his friends? I didn’t get it). I understand a certain level of loyalty, sure, but the level to which it was taken here was just baffling. There’s even a point where Will and Robyn confess feelings for one another and then both decide they cannot be together because of Ash.
Which brings me neatly to my next, interrelated, point. Robyn just passively accepts all this. Ash has zero claim on Robyn – less than zero, you might argue, given he broke her heart – and yet she never pushes back against the idea that Will would be betraying Ash. She is her own goddamn person! She doesn’t even call Will out on this idea! No, the reason they finally decide they can be together is because Ash gives them his permission.
I don’t even have words for how much all this frustrated me. I had to take multiple breaks just to breathe through the frustration. I wouldn’t have minded if there was some kind of analysis or takedown of the ideas (which, let’s be real, all lead back to the idea that women are somehow men’s property, that men have some sort of ownership over them). But there isn’t! And that’s the most annoying part.
All this aside, though, it was still a pretty cute and funny romance. I only wish I had liked it a lot more.
Rep: gay side characters
Galley provided by publisher
I picked up The Never Have I Ever Club because I loved A Question of Us. Unfortunately, for me, it didn’t quite reach the same standards as that.
In this book, we have a love triangle. Namely one in which person A (Ash) has ditched person B (Robyn) to head to Australia where he has hooked up with someone ten years younger. Now person B lives next door to person C (Will), who happens to be person A’s identical twin. In this particular love triangle scenario, person B and C start to form a relationship, but meanwhile, person A has realised that he got it entirely wrong and now he’s coming back home to try win person B back.
Aside from the love triangle, there is also the plot of the eponymous Never Have I Ever club, a village-wide society set up so that every member can do something they have always wanted to. A collective bucket-list, you might say. (It’s also a plotline that doesn’t really go anywhere. You know how you expect an arc to conclude with something? This doesn’t. It sort of gets left behind.)
While I liked the characters and humour of this book, there was one glaring part that frustrated me no end.
There are probably a few aspects to it, really: Ash’s return and refusal to take no for an answer, Will’s sheer bloody-minded devotion to Ash, and Robyn’s passive acceptance of this.
Let’s start with the first. Ash returns home within about a third of the book, but it really doesn’t leave enough time for Will and Robyn to have believably developed something that might become a romance. Not to mention, he returns and almost immediately starts trying to win Robyn back, in a way that could be seen as pressuring her. Most definitely is at some points. Over and over again, she tells him ‘no’, but he just doesn’t accept it. Alright, so his arc takes him to the point where he does accept that ‘no’, but he’s ignored it so many times up until then, that I have no patience for it.
But more inexplicable than expecting me to sympathise with Ash, is the way Will is so insistent on being “loyal” to Ash. He even comments
He’s my brother. And my best mate. That means I have to be in his corner no matter how wrong he was.
Will, your brother unceremoniously dumped Robyn and broke her heart, and then buggered off to Australia to hook up with someone ten years his junior. You absolutely do not have to “be in his corner”. He sees a relationship with Robyn as somehow betraying Ash. He won’t even go out with his friends because Ash is not also invited (because for some reason, since Ash isn’t forgiven, Will is not allowed to spend time with his friends? I didn’t get it). I understand a certain level of loyalty, sure, but the level to which it was taken here was just baffling. There’s even a point where Will and Robyn confess feelings for one another and then both decide they cannot be together because of Ash.
Which brings me neatly to my next, interrelated, point. Robyn just passively accepts all this. Ash has zero claim on Robyn – less than zero, you might argue, given he broke her heart – and yet she never pushes back against the idea that Will would be betraying Ash. She is her own goddamn person! She doesn’t even call Will out on this idea! No, the reason they finally decide they can be together is because Ash gives them his permission.
I don’t even have words for how much all this frustrated me. I had to take multiple breaks just to breathe through the frustration. I wouldn’t have minded if there was some kind of analysis or takedown of the ideas (which, let’s be real, all lead back to the idea that women are somehow men’s property, that men have some sort of ownership over them). But there isn’t! And that’s the most annoying part.
All this aside, though, it was still a pretty cute and funny romance. I only wish I had liked it a lot more.
June 25, 2020
I received a free copy through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review
I definitely enjoyed reading this book. The storyline was fun and I liked the characters. It's just that the story wasn't outstanding or anything and as expected quite predictable. This doesn't mean that it was a bad book, because I had a fun time reading it.
I definitely enjoyed reading this book. The storyline was fun and I liked the characters. It's just that the story wasn't outstanding or anything and as expected quite predictable. This doesn't mean that it was a bad book, because I had a fun time reading it.
September 10, 2020
This book was compared to Bridget Jones’ Diary so I was so excited because I really needed a good laugh.
This story featured Robyn Bloom, who was trying to get her groove back after her boyfriend Ash broker her heart and moved away to Australia where he hooked up with a much younger version of Robyn. She was devastated since she was hoping that he would put a ring on it.
Robyn and her girls came up with an idea for a support club to encourage themselves to go out there and live their best lives. They began meeting and trying to have fun and not be old fogeys. As Robyn starting putting the pieces of her life back together, she found herself getting closer and closer to her ex boyfriend’s twin brother Will. Will is part of the friend circle along with Freya, Eliot and they were the best parts of this book. The witty banter made me smile a bit and it was entertaining.
However, this book dragged for me. It was unnecessarily verbose and it took away from my enjoyment. I did enjoy the gradual development of Rob and Will’s relationship. It didn’t feel like a rebound because the author built a solid friendship. It was pretty clear were this friendship was headed but of course runaway twin Ash returns to reclaim his place in Rob’s life. I enjoyed this “triangle” especially since I was pretty sure I knew how it would end.
This book was cute but I wouldn’t consider it that funny. I smiled/chuckled maybe 4-5 times but I did think that the book’s pace was too slow at times. For my first book by this author, it was okay. I will definitely check another one out in the future.
*Special Thanks to Aria via Netgalley for the e-book given in exchange for an honest review.
This story featured Robyn Bloom, who was trying to get her groove back after her boyfriend Ash broker her heart and moved away to Australia where he hooked up with a much younger version of Robyn. She was devastated since she was hoping that he would put a ring on it.
Robyn and her girls came up with an idea for a support club to encourage themselves to go out there and live their best lives. They began meeting and trying to have fun and not be old fogeys. As Robyn starting putting the pieces of her life back together, she found herself getting closer and closer to her ex boyfriend’s twin brother Will. Will is part of the friend circle along with Freya, Eliot and they were the best parts of this book. The witty banter made me smile a bit and it was entertaining.
However, this book dragged for me. It was unnecessarily verbose and it took away from my enjoyment. I did enjoy the gradual development of Rob and Will’s relationship. It didn’t feel like a rebound because the author built a solid friendship. It was pretty clear were this friendship was headed but of course runaway twin Ash returns to reclaim his place in Rob’s life. I enjoyed this “triangle” especially since I was pretty sure I knew how it would end.
This book was cute but I wouldn’t consider it that funny. I smiled/chuckled maybe 4-5 times but I did think that the book’s pace was too slow at times. For my first book by this author, it was okay. I will definitely check another one out in the future.
*Special Thanks to Aria via Netgalley for the e-book given in exchange for an honest review.
May 22, 2020
What do you do when two sexy, smart, twin brothers are in love with you and you aren’t sure who to choose?!
Robyn Bloom has a super close circle of friends she’s grown up with throughout her life; Freya, Eliot, Will and Ash. Robyn was dating Ash, the funny, self centered twin until he became a commitment phobe and took off for Australia, leaving his twin brother Will to deal with the mess he made.
Robyn and her friends start a never have I ever club to try and get back out there, after grieving her break up for 8 months; only to start living life again and falling for the other twin, Will; who is kind, thoughtful, sexy and a doctor.
☀️☀️☀️☀️
This was such a fun rom com. The British slang used always makes me chuckle. I think bloke and knackered have become my new favorite words. Will was such a sweet guy, my heart broke for him. I love Aunt Fliss, I want to be her when I grow up! I totally recommend this cute book. 💕
Thank you @netgalley and @ariabooks for an ARC for my honest review. #bookstagram #books #romcom #romance #TheNeverHaveIEverClub #netgalley #ariabooks
Never Have I Ever been skydiving. What about you?
Robyn Bloom has a super close circle of friends she’s grown up with throughout her life; Freya, Eliot, Will and Ash. Robyn was dating Ash, the funny, self centered twin until he became a commitment phobe and took off for Australia, leaving his twin brother Will to deal with the mess he made.
Robyn and her friends start a never have I ever club to try and get back out there, after grieving her break up for 8 months; only to start living life again and falling for the other twin, Will; who is kind, thoughtful, sexy and a doctor.
☀️☀️☀️☀️
This was such a fun rom com. The British slang used always makes me chuckle. I think bloke and knackered have become my new favorite words. Will was such a sweet guy, my heart broke for him. I love Aunt Fliss, I want to be her when I grow up! I totally recommend this cute book. 💕
Thank you @netgalley and @ariabooks for an ARC for my honest review. #bookstagram #books #romcom #romance #TheNeverHaveIEverClub #netgalley #ariabooks
Never Have I Ever been skydiving. What about you?
May 29, 2020
Well this was a really fun book to read.
It's not often I get to read about a pair of gorgeous twins, who clearly love each other, and in the case of Will, genuinely wants what is best for his brother, Ash, even if it breaks his own heart to do so.
Robyn has known the Barnes boys for years, but recently she is struggling to be around them, Ash is her ex and dumped her and moved to Australia, while Will due to being identical keeps remind her of Ash, but they love next door so avoidance is futile.
However things slowly change and Robyn spends a lot more time with Will, as they set up the Never Have I Ever club for the local community, a club to inspire its members to sieze the day, and try out new things they never have before.
I loved the idea and execution of this club, getting to meet many members of the village. There are some truly hilarious moments, including what one couple who are attending the club, who are pensioners, would like to try out, after reading one of the most popular books of the last decade!! Or the various older members of the group who are keen on revealing all manner of different things!
I adored this story, and really wasn't sure which twin would get his happy ending! I also enjoyed the romantic exploits of Robyn's other best friends, and also her aunty Fliss who is really fabulous too! It is just an all around good fun story, that I'm so glad I've read. I can now go to bed with a smile on my face, having stayed up far too late to finish this book!
Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
It's not often I get to read about a pair of gorgeous twins, who clearly love each other, and in the case of Will, genuinely wants what is best for his brother, Ash, even if it breaks his own heart to do so.
Robyn has known the Barnes boys for years, but recently she is struggling to be around them, Ash is her ex and dumped her and moved to Australia, while Will due to being identical keeps remind her of Ash, but they love next door so avoidance is futile.
However things slowly change and Robyn spends a lot more time with Will, as they set up the Never Have I Ever club for the local community, a club to inspire its members to sieze the day, and try out new things they never have before.
I loved the idea and execution of this club, getting to meet many members of the village. There are some truly hilarious moments, including what one couple who are attending the club, who are pensioners, would like to try out, after reading one of the most popular books of the last decade!! Or the various older members of the group who are keen on revealing all manner of different things!
I adored this story, and really wasn't sure which twin would get his happy ending! I also enjoyed the romantic exploits of Robyn's other best friends, and also her aunty Fliss who is really fabulous too! It is just an all around good fun story, that I'm so glad I've read. I can now go to bed with a smile on my face, having stayed up far too late to finish this book!
Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
June 21, 2020
Enjoyed it! The bit about the tattoo was super funny and was probably the best scene in this book!!
July 10, 2021
3,5 ⭐️
From the synopsis, I got the feeling this was going to be a forbidden love kind of story, however, I was very far from the truth.
Ash appears pretty earlier on, and the romance between Robyn and Will only develops in the final chapters.
The first half is BORING! There…I said it! Ash and Robyn go on circles about the same thing over and over again. I get it, Ash screwed up BIG TIME and starts in the wrong way trying to apologize. However, Robyn really got in my nerves… I mean, girl you’ve been with him for 8 months. You’ve been friends since childhood, it couldn’t have been all that bad. I just can’t stand characters trash talking someone they supposedly love.
What saved this book, for me? The secondary characters! Freya is so much fun, I’ve laughed a lot. Really loved and respect Felicity, even when I didn’t agree with her choices. Such a loveable and true character!
Also, importantes topics on this one: a 35 year old single character! Robyn is single and doesn’t have kids and I loved it. We don’t have to do all the same things at the same age. Life is not a sprint. Really hated Robyn’s mom telling her she should have kids because she is old… sorry, lady, but not every women wants to have children, you don’t have the right to pressure another woman, even if it’s your daughter. Kids are not supposed to satisfy the grandparents. Just wanted to stat it!
From the synopsis, I got the feeling this was going to be a forbidden love kind of story, however, I was very far from the truth.
Ash appears pretty earlier on, and the romance between Robyn and Will only develops in the final chapters.
The first half is BORING! There…I said it! Ash and Robyn go on circles about the same thing over and over again. I get it, Ash screwed up BIG TIME and starts in the wrong way trying to apologize. However, Robyn really got in my nerves… I mean, girl you’ve been with him for 8 months. You’ve been friends since childhood, it couldn’t have been all that bad. I just can’t stand characters trash talking someone they supposedly love.
What saved this book, for me? The secondary characters! Freya is so much fun, I’ve laughed a lot. Really loved and respect Felicity, even when I didn’t agree with her choices. Such a loveable and true character!
Also, importantes topics on this one: a 35 year old single character! Robyn is single and doesn’t have kids and I loved it. We don’t have to do all the same things at the same age. Life is not a sprint. Really hated Robyn’s mom telling her she should have kids because she is old… sorry, lady, but not every women wants to have children, you don’t have the right to pressure another woman, even if it’s your daughter. Kids are not supposed to satisfy the grandparents. Just wanted to stat it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2020
A classic warmhearted romcom. After having her heart broken by Ash who's buggered off to Australia to find himself, Robyn finds it difficult to move on because his identical twin, Will still lives next door. But he's the opposite to his twin and that gives great play of complications as Ash returns full of remorse and wants her back. Against the backdrop of a Never Have I Ever Club which leads them and a group of others to try out an item from their bucket list the story develops and takes the reader through a series of warm-hearted laughs and a few tears until Robyn, Will and Ash discover what they really want and need. The characters of Will, Robyn and Ash are nicely developed and that of her aunt, Felicity who makes a great contribution to the story. The bucket list angle was okay, though some of those sections lost a bit of tension and seemed a little forced. Overall, the story the story is a classic trope that is easily readable with some nice moments to it.
June 29, 2020
I have been a fan of Mary Jayne Baker's work for a little while now. I love the way in which she creates characters and gives them drama but with an injection of humour along the way. I read the synopsis for 'The Never Have I Ever Club' and it certainly sounded like another amusing read from Mary Jayne Baker. I was spot on and I thoroughly enjoyed every single second of 'The Never Have I Ever Club' but more about that in a bit.
I absolutely loved the character of Robyn Bloom and I took to her from the first moment I met her. In fact it didn't take me long to feel as though she had become a friend of mine. She is the sort of lass that you could easily imagine having a good old gossip with over a cup of tea or a cocktail or seven. Robyn was in a relationship with Ash Barnes, but he dumped her and went overseas. The more I learnt about Ash, the more I wanted to chase after him with a pair of rusty, blunt scissors to deal with a certain part of his anatomy before slapping him across the face with a wet fish. Ash has an identical twin called Will, who is the village GP and the exact opposite in character to Ash. When Robyn sees Will, all she can see is Ash. Over time, Robyn does feel herself becoming attracted to Will but Ash reappears like a bad smell and he has decided that he wants Robyn back. Robyn is lovely and I kept everything crossed that she chose the right twin (not naming names but I don't mean the one with the initial of A). Does Robyn get the happy ever after ending that she so deserves? Who will Robyn choose? Is there a twist to the tale? Well for the answers to those questions and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Oh my word, 'The Never Have I Ever Club' was the perfect read for me. I was feeling a bit fed up and in need of a distraction. Well this book distracted me and then some. I started chuckling away to myself at the start of the story and I don't think I stopped for the duration of the story. I didn't put 'The Never Have I Ever Club' down from the moment I initially picked the book up and began to read until the moment I read the last word on the last page. I was so enjoying the story that I lost all track of time and I lost track of just how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly, I reached the end of the book and I had to say farewell to Robyn and her friends.
'The Never Have I Ever Club' is really well written. As I indicated at the beginning, I loved the way in which Mary Jayne Baker combines the drama and the romance with a healthy dose of humour along the way. Once Mary Jayne Baker had my attention, she wouldn't let me have it back until I had finished the book. I felt as though I was part of the story and that's all thanks to Mary Jayne Baker's fantastic writing and storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Never Have I Ever Club' and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I will be reading more of Mary Jayne Baker's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
I absolutely loved the character of Robyn Bloom and I took to her from the first moment I met her. In fact it didn't take me long to feel as though she had become a friend of mine. She is the sort of lass that you could easily imagine having a good old gossip with over a cup of tea or a cocktail or seven. Robyn was in a relationship with Ash Barnes, but he dumped her and went overseas. The more I learnt about Ash, the more I wanted to chase after him with a pair of rusty, blunt scissors to deal with a certain part of his anatomy before slapping him across the face with a wet fish. Ash has an identical twin called Will, who is the village GP and the exact opposite in character to Ash. When Robyn sees Will, all she can see is Ash. Over time, Robyn does feel herself becoming attracted to Will but Ash reappears like a bad smell and he has decided that he wants Robyn back. Robyn is lovely and I kept everything crossed that she chose the right twin (not naming names but I don't mean the one with the initial of A). Does Robyn get the happy ever after ending that she so deserves? Who will Robyn choose? Is there a twist to the tale? Well for the answers to those questions and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Oh my word, 'The Never Have I Ever Club' was the perfect read for me. I was feeling a bit fed up and in need of a distraction. Well this book distracted me and then some. I started chuckling away to myself at the start of the story and I don't think I stopped for the duration of the story. I didn't put 'The Never Have I Ever Club' down from the moment I initially picked the book up and began to read until the moment I read the last word on the last page. I was so enjoying the story that I lost all track of time and I lost track of just how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly, I reached the end of the book and I had to say farewell to Robyn and her friends.
'The Never Have I Ever Club' is really well written. As I indicated at the beginning, I loved the way in which Mary Jayne Baker combines the drama and the romance with a healthy dose of humour along the way. Once Mary Jayne Baker had my attention, she wouldn't let me have it back until I had finished the book. I felt as though I was part of the story and that's all thanks to Mary Jayne Baker's fantastic writing and storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Never Have I Ever Club' and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I will be reading more of Mary Jayne Baker's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
June 1, 2020
Never have I ever felt lukewarm about a Softboi™ male lead. Well, drink up folks, because today, we've broken the streak.
If I had to name one strength this book has, it would be in the dialogue. Most - if not all - of the characters have a great sense of humor, and the banter flows naturally. The effectiveness of the exchanges of wit and humor made the chemistry in the various relationships believable. If nothing else, The Never Have I Ever Club makes for a decent light read for the levity it provides.
However, there is unfortunately such thing as too much of a good thing. The ratio of dialogue to narration in this book is skewed so far towards dialogue, it was almost distracting to notice. I began to get the sense very early on that the narration seemed only to serve one of two purposes: a vehicle with which to move from one chunk of dialogue to the next, or an introspective account of deep inner feelings. It didn't seem to register to me that the narration was being utilized well to actually display character activity.
Perhaps this is why I felt as though this book suffers from a common issue I find with romcoms I'm unsatisfied with: the book tells rather than shows, and I end up feeling a disconnect from any character development because I don't get to actually see what's going inside the characters' heads. Yet strangely, due to the effectiveness of the dialogue, I felt this dichotomy I haven't experienced with other similarly flawed romcoms, wherein this time, I could believe the feelings that people were experiencing; however, I just found that I didn't really care. Being unable to glimpse the actual goings-on inside the characters' heads and only seeing them filtered through dialogue - however serviceable that dialogue may be - meant that while the characters' emotional development made sense in theory, my perception of their feelings was tepid and watered down. I just could never get a good enough grasp of who these people were to ever feel fully connected to them.
Another drawback to the book being so dialogue-heavy is that most of the exposition ended up having to be provided via dialogue, which doesn't necessarily lead to the most natural conversations between characters. Perhaps it's because "dialogue exposition" is one of my pet peeves, and so I'm more inclined to notice its occurrences, but I saw it a lot here. It's a difficult balance to weave in exposition into characters' conversations, and you can only insert so much at a time before the dialogue becomes wholly unnatural. What that means for this book is that exposition ended up having to be doled out at a slower pace than would be otherwise had the book utilized narration more. The exposition was also more obvious this way - the details came out in bigger chunks in an effort to get relevant information out of the way all at once. The result was that even at over halfway into the book, I ended up still feeling like I was being introduced to the story, waiting for the plot to get rolling.
Although I can't blame the sensation of a standstill plot entirely on the lack of narration. A big reason I didn't feel like the plot had kicked in yet was because of the love interest, Will. Look, I love a nice guy - my favorite types of male characters are the Softbois™. Anyone who knows me knows it. But there's a difference between "soft" and "no backbone". It's one thing to be a nice person who loves his brother and want happiness for him. It's another to let said brother essentially just walk all over him. In the end, I did support Will and Robyn ending up together, simply because I liked how they were together. However, it became really hard to support the man when he continually went all in on hyping Ash up to Robyn and coaching Ash on how best to make it up to her. I love a nice man. I do not love a man who won't take a single stand for the woman he supposedly loves and instead wraps her up in a nice bow for someone else.
Even the glimpses into Will's head whenever the narration switched to his point of view didn't help his case much, but that likely had to do with the recurring dialogue-narration ratio issue. In fact, I don't know if I could argue that the POV switches were even necessary, considering how much comparative narrative payoff the reader receives - especially when the POV seemingly switches out mid-paragraph to someone else's. They're odd choices and would be more likely to confuse a reader than to offer imperative insight into a character's mind.
Despite my criticisms though, I found the book to be an okay enough read. Most of the issues that I had were more pet peeves or relatively minor concerns. Once I accepted them for what they were, it wasn't difficult to breeze through the pages. The only problem I had big enough to warrant me nearly rating this book as 2 stars was the pushover attitude Will displayed. Logically, I understand his dilemma of not being able to date his brother's ex - but in what world is it logical to instead act as wingman for the other man, especially when you know the woman is uninterested? Will, please, you're better than that.
The Never Have I Ever Club was created for the purpose of taking chances, because you have but one life to live. It would have been really nice if Will could have taken that attitude to heart.
My thanks to NetGalley and Aria for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
If I had to name one strength this book has, it would be in the dialogue. Most - if not all - of the characters have a great sense of humor, and the banter flows naturally. The effectiveness of the exchanges of wit and humor made the chemistry in the various relationships believable. If nothing else, The Never Have I Ever Club makes for a decent light read for the levity it provides.
However, there is unfortunately such thing as too much of a good thing. The ratio of dialogue to narration in this book is skewed so far towards dialogue, it was almost distracting to notice. I began to get the sense very early on that the narration seemed only to serve one of two purposes: a vehicle with which to move from one chunk of dialogue to the next, or an introspective account of deep inner feelings. It didn't seem to register to me that the narration was being utilized well to actually display character activity.
Perhaps this is why I felt as though this book suffers from a common issue I find with romcoms I'm unsatisfied with: the book tells rather than shows, and I end up feeling a disconnect from any character development because I don't get to actually see what's going inside the characters' heads. Yet strangely, due to the effectiveness of the dialogue, I felt this dichotomy I haven't experienced with other similarly flawed romcoms, wherein this time, I could believe the feelings that people were experiencing; however, I just found that I didn't really care. Being unable to glimpse the actual goings-on inside the characters' heads and only seeing them filtered through dialogue - however serviceable that dialogue may be - meant that while the characters' emotional development made sense in theory, my perception of their feelings was tepid and watered down. I just could never get a good enough grasp of who these people were to ever feel fully connected to them.
Another drawback to the book being so dialogue-heavy is that most of the exposition ended up having to be provided via dialogue, which doesn't necessarily lead to the most natural conversations between characters. Perhaps it's because "dialogue exposition" is one of my pet peeves, and so I'm more inclined to notice its occurrences, but I saw it a lot here. It's a difficult balance to weave in exposition into characters' conversations, and you can only insert so much at a time before the dialogue becomes wholly unnatural. What that means for this book is that exposition ended up having to be doled out at a slower pace than would be otherwise had the book utilized narration more. The exposition was also more obvious this way - the details came out in bigger chunks in an effort to get relevant information out of the way all at once. The result was that even at over halfway into the book, I ended up still feeling like I was being introduced to the story, waiting for the plot to get rolling.
Although I can't blame the sensation of a standstill plot entirely on the lack of narration. A big reason I didn't feel like the plot had kicked in yet was because of the love interest, Will. Look, I love a nice guy - my favorite types of male characters are the Softbois™. Anyone who knows me knows it. But there's a difference between "soft" and "no backbone". It's one thing to be a nice person who loves his brother and want happiness for him. It's another to let said brother essentially just walk all over him. In the end, I did support Will and Robyn ending up together, simply because I liked how they were together. However, it became really hard to support the man when he continually went all in on hyping Ash up to Robyn and coaching Ash on how best to make it up to her. I love a nice man. I do not love a man who won't take a single stand for the woman he supposedly loves and instead wraps her up in a nice bow for someone else.
Even the glimpses into Will's head whenever the narration switched to his point of view didn't help his case much, but that likely had to do with the recurring dialogue-narration ratio issue. In fact, I don't know if I could argue that the POV switches were even necessary, considering how much comparative narrative payoff the reader receives - especially when the POV seemingly switches out mid-paragraph to someone else's. They're odd choices and would be more likely to confuse a reader than to offer imperative insight into a character's mind.
Despite my criticisms though, I found the book to be an okay enough read. Most of the issues that I had were more pet peeves or relatively minor concerns. Once I accepted them for what they were, it wasn't difficult to breeze through the pages. The only problem I had big enough to warrant me nearly rating this book as 2 stars was the pushover attitude Will displayed. Logically, I understand his dilemma of not being able to date his brother's ex - but in what world is it logical to instead act as wingman for the other man, especially when you know the woman is uninterested? Will, please, you're better than that.
The Never Have I Ever Club was created for the purpose of taking chances, because you have but one life to live. It would have been really nice if Will could have taken that attitude to heart.
My thanks to NetGalley and Aria for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 7, 2020
4.5 stars
This is a great book and the idea of the club is a very original one.
Robyn, after being abandoned by his boyfriend Ash, decides to start a club with the aid of her friends, and Ash's twin brother Will, the "never have I ever club", where everyone shares what they have been wanting to do/learn/visit for a long time, and they all do it together or help each other acomplish it.
The idea of the club is a very original one, and it has some hilarious moments, as well as some tender ones.
I love that the story is set in a small village where everybody knows each other. I also enjoyed a lot the side story with Eurovision and Robyn and her aunty being such fans of the show, being myself a bit fan of it too.
** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion **
This is a great book and the idea of the club is a very original one.
Robyn, after being abandoned by his boyfriend Ash, decides to start a club with the aid of her friends, and Ash's twin brother Will, the "never have I ever club", where everyone shares what they have been wanting to do/learn/visit for a long time, and they all do it together or help each other acomplish it.
The idea of the club is a very original one, and it has some hilarious moments, as well as some tender ones.
I love that the story is set in a small village where everybody knows each other. I also enjoyed a lot the side story with Eurovision and Robyn and her aunty being such fans of the show, being myself a bit fan of it too.
** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion **
July 8, 2020
Ik heb dit boek via Netgalley mogen lezen. Dit heeft geen invloed gehad op mijn recensie.
Dit boek viel erg tegen.. Maar laten we beginnen met de pluspunten.
Pluspunten:
- Een Eurovisie Song Festival feestje, met allemaal referenties naar eerdere jaren (groot fan hier!)
- Ik vond het hele Club-idee ook wel tof
Minpunten:
- Het grootste minpunt: er gebeurde super weinig en het verhaal was gewoon saai
- Geen chemie tussen de hoofdpersonen
- Ash is gewoon ronduit vervelend
- De personages maken bijna geen groei door, alleen op het einde een beetje
- De ouders van Robyn waren ook gewoon vervelend en ik snap hun meerwaarde in het boek niet zo
- De uitwerking van de club had veel beter gekund. Het boek heet zelfs zo, maar ik vond dat er weinig van de club in het boek voor kwam.
Dit boek viel erg tegen.. Maar laten we beginnen met de pluspunten.
Pluspunten:
- Een Eurovisie Song Festival feestje, met allemaal referenties naar eerdere jaren (groot fan hier!)
- Ik vond het hele Club-idee ook wel tof
Minpunten:
- Het grootste minpunt: er gebeurde super weinig en het verhaal was gewoon saai
- Geen chemie tussen de hoofdpersonen
- Ash is gewoon ronduit vervelend
- De personages maken bijna geen groei door, alleen op het einde een beetje
- De ouders van Robyn waren ook gewoon vervelend en ik snap hun meerwaarde in het boek niet zo
- De uitwerking van de club had veel beter gekund. Het boek heet zelfs zo, maar ik vond dat er weinig van de club in het boek voor kwam.
June 26, 2020
Well this was a cute romance with some unexpected moments and some heart warming cross-generational moments too.
I liked Robyn as a character. I loved how independent she was and how she was determined to make the best of her life. I LOVED her friendship group as well, the people that began the formation of the never have I ever club. I could totally recognise them in friends I have had over the years and they reminded me of several BFF characters from other great romcom novels.
The romance in this book is also very true to life but also kind of aspirational. I love the fact that we have a bit of a choice to make when it comes to a love interest and I really like that those choices represent the past, present and the future. I thought the love scenes were steamy but not too unrealistic although I do think that Robyn made some questionable choices when it came to her love life.
There are some very funny moments in this book, some moments that definitely made me laugh out loud and a lot of those are provided by older members of the never have I ever club. I did like the humour coming from this generation but there is also a lot of heart that comes from these members and I am liking the trend for older characters getting more ‘main parts’ in novels like this.
The other thing I really enjoyed in this book was the setting. It was very close to home for me and I loved the mention of many places I could recognise. This was a nice escapist romance and I enjoyed getting to meet and spend time with Robyn and her men.
I liked Robyn as a character. I loved how independent she was and how she was determined to make the best of her life. I LOVED her friendship group as well, the people that began the formation of the never have I ever club. I could totally recognise them in friends I have had over the years and they reminded me of several BFF characters from other great romcom novels.
The romance in this book is also very true to life but also kind of aspirational. I love the fact that we have a bit of a choice to make when it comes to a love interest and I really like that those choices represent the past, present and the future. I thought the love scenes were steamy but not too unrealistic although I do think that Robyn made some questionable choices when it came to her love life.
There are some very funny moments in this book, some moments that definitely made me laugh out loud and a lot of those are provided by older members of the never have I ever club. I did like the humour coming from this generation but there is also a lot of heart that comes from these members and I am liking the trend for older characters getting more ‘main parts’ in novels like this.
The other thing I really enjoyed in this book was the setting. It was very close to home for me and I loved the mention of many places I could recognise. This was a nice escapist romance and I enjoyed getting to meet and spend time with Robyn and her men.
May 18, 2020
This was my first book by Mary Jayne Baker. Honestly, the blurb about a group trying to carpe all the diems was just right up my alley plus add in a romance and sold!
So we have Robyn, who is about 8 months out of a relationship where she was dating the fun, cool, crazy boy she grew up next door to. Don't worry, I think all peoples involved are going on 35. So, yeah, Robyn was unceremoniously dumped right after a wonderful holiday with her beau. He broke up with her and cited he needed to do some wild oat sowing and only such sowing could be done in Australia for a year. Then, she finds out that a month into his journey, said wild-oat sowing boy has met the woman of his dreams and is smattering Instagram with beautiful, happy, lovey pics of him and his ten years younger love of his life with nauseating hashtags and all. Now enter in a female-style health scare and having to have the face of the man who broke your heart into smithereens perform said health scare lady-exam- Oh, did I mention arse-hole ex is a twin?- and yeah, that's Robyn's life.
Not an actual issue, just a disclaimer here. The book is based in the U.K. and while that's not normally an issue for me... but just like when I'm watching any BBC show or hell even old Monty Python shows, as an American, I get a bit lost in what's actually being said sometimes... but I think I get the gist. I just get lost in some of the references and colloquialisms not normal to my very unposh American upbringing, lol. But again, I don't find it a huge issue for myself.
I liked the book, it had a lot going on in it. I love the group and all the secondary characters. I didn't know we were going to get as heavy of a love triangle, second chancy vibe as what we got but I guess I already knew where the outcome was heading but the story had to play out the kinks. Now normally, when we all get to the end of a book, we are pleading for just a few more pages or an epilogue or two so we can get just a bit more taste of what happens after... But in this case- I NEEDED more. I felt like we ended just where my attention was fully grabbed. Like I feel this to the point where I feel gipped. This was a full clean romance read, and that's OK but I feel like a NEEDED a bit of spice after going through all that DRAMA. Come on! We had to work through Robyn's arbitrary issues of the same face- different man syndrome. Then we begin to see something brewing - maybe. Then man-child twin comes back with his man-child ways and his grand gesture schemes, then sane twin pulls back, and then the club and Aunt Fliss' drama and all the triangle-y-ness, and just this was soooooo long. And just when we get where we all wanted this to go.... fade to black... Fin. What the what! I was... disappointed. And honestly, if you've grown up next door to a set of twins, how do you not already have them and their differences and characteristics worked out? Especially if you dated one for nearly a year? Sorry, I'm getting nit-picky. I hate fade to black-ish type stuff.
Anywho, this was a relatively light read, and I did enjoy the writer's style. I might have possibly gotten a bit misty at a point but I can neither confirm nor deny that. I am looking forward to reading more by the author.
*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
So we have Robyn, who is about 8 months out of a relationship where she was dating the fun, cool, crazy boy she grew up next door to. Don't worry, I think all peoples involved are going on 35. So, yeah, Robyn was unceremoniously dumped right after a wonderful holiday with her beau. He broke up with her and cited he needed to do some wild oat sowing and only such sowing could be done in Australia for a year. Then, she finds out that a month into his journey, said wild-oat sowing boy has met the woman of his dreams and is smattering Instagram with beautiful, happy, lovey pics of him and his ten years younger love of his life with nauseating hashtags and all. Now enter in a female-style health scare and having to have the face of the man who broke your heart into smithereens perform said health scare lady-exam- Oh, did I mention arse-hole ex is a twin?- and yeah, that's Robyn's life.
Not an actual issue, just a disclaimer here. The book is based in the U.K. and while that's not normally an issue for me... but just like when I'm watching any BBC show or hell even old Monty Python shows, as an American, I get a bit lost in what's actually being said sometimes... but I think I get the gist. I just get lost in some of the references and colloquialisms not normal to my very unposh American upbringing, lol. But again, I don't find it a huge issue for myself.
I liked the book, it had a lot going on in it. I love the group and all the secondary characters. I didn't know we were going to get as heavy of a love triangle, second chancy vibe as what we got but I guess I already knew where the outcome was heading but the story had to play out the kinks. Now normally, when we all get to the end of a book, we are pleading for just a few more pages or an epilogue or two so we can get just a bit more taste of what happens after... But in this case- I NEEDED more. I felt like we ended just where my attention was fully grabbed. Like I feel this to the point where I feel gipped. This was a full clean romance read, and that's OK but I feel like a NEEDED a bit of spice after going through all that DRAMA. Come on! We had to work through Robyn's arbitrary issues of the same face- different man syndrome. Then we begin to see something brewing - maybe. Then man-child twin comes back with his man-child ways and his grand gesture schemes, then sane twin pulls back, and then the club and Aunt Fliss' drama and all the triangle-y-ness, and just this was soooooo long. And just when we get where we all wanted this to go.... fade to black... Fin. What the what! I was... disappointed. And honestly, if you've grown up next door to a set of twins, how do you not already have them and their differences and characteristics worked out? Especially if you dated one for nearly a year? Sorry, I'm getting nit-picky. I hate fade to black-ish type stuff.
Anywho, this was a relatively light read, and I did enjoy the writer's style. I might have possibly gotten a bit misty at a point but I can neither confirm nor deny that. I am looking forward to reading more by the author.
*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
May 29, 2020
Robyn Bloom thought her life was falling into place. Ash, the guy she thought was of her dreams was gearing up to move in with her, maybe even talk marriage and settling down. Until the next day when he gets cold feet, breaks up with her and decides to run away to the other side of the planet where a scant four weeks later he has shacked up with a woman ten years her junior. In an attempt to move on from him she develops a new club for her village - the Never Have I Ever club in which members are encouraged to try new things that they have wanted to but never actually done. And the club is a roaring success; people are trying out activities from their bucket lists in all manner of ways. And she develops a closeness to Will. They have been friends since school, but since Ash moved away, there is a new level of trust and understanding between them, and Robyn finds herself falling for him. Problem is, he’s Ash’s identical twin brother and the polar opposite of his self-centred brother. And suddenly Ash realises his mistake in giving up on Robyn and decides to move back home and reinstate himself in her life, putting Will in the uncomfortable middle. Will Robyn find true love with the true man of her dreams, or will they be wrenched apart because of loyalty to Ash?
This novel is a romance of the best kind, where there is no obvious answer to the dilemma until the very end of the story. In short, if you love the will they, won't they kind of novel, you will love this one. The characters are engaging and well written. You actually care about the situation Robyn and Will find themselves in and you see the problem that lies before Will incredibly clearly. The story never moves into a shmaltzy kind of style but stays modern and vibrant. And some of the scenes, such as where septuagenarians are talking about trying out BDSM because Fifty Shades of Grey is all the rage is just hilarious, and well as enlightened for talking about older adults as having a lively sex life rather than being washed up as people just waiting to drop dead. This is a warmhearted love triangle, Robyn is quirky and the relationship between Will and herself unfolds slowly, gently, rather than wham-bam kind of event and Ash’s growing up is not before time. Its never going to change the world, but this story is just what you need when you want a happy book to while away a few hours. And sometimes that’s exactly what you want and need from a novel.
One of the better romance novels.
This novel is a romance of the best kind, where there is no obvious answer to the dilemma until the very end of the story. In short, if you love the will they, won't they kind of novel, you will love this one. The characters are engaging and well written. You actually care about the situation Robyn and Will find themselves in and you see the problem that lies before Will incredibly clearly. The story never moves into a shmaltzy kind of style but stays modern and vibrant. And some of the scenes, such as where septuagenarians are talking about trying out BDSM because Fifty Shades of Grey is all the rage is just hilarious, and well as enlightened for talking about older adults as having a lively sex life rather than being washed up as people just waiting to drop dead. This is a warmhearted love triangle, Robyn is quirky and the relationship between Will and herself unfolds slowly, gently, rather than wham-bam kind of event and Ash’s growing up is not before time. Its never going to change the world, but this story is just what you need when you want a happy book to while away a few hours. And sometimes that’s exactly what you want and need from a novel.
One of the better romance novels.
June 22, 2020
Robyn Bloom isn't having a good time. Her ex-boyfriend Ash dumped her out of nowhere, flew to Australia and shacked up with a woman half her age. Her job at the local museum is in danger of ending, and she is having a health scare. With all this going on, Robyn and her friends decide to start and run a club, so the community can start to do things they've never done before. Through the club, Robyn realizes that she has feelings for Will, another old friend. The problem is, Will happens to be Ash's identical twin brother.
This book started really strong for me-I really liked Robyn. I thought the writing was relatable and funny. The two perspectives between her and Will was great also, there relationship was enjoyable to read. About half way through it started to go downhill. I wish there had been more to the characters-I constantly felt as though I didn't know them enough. I had major issues with the other characters. Robyn's friends Freya was horrible, such a bad friend in every way and I hated how Robyn constantly forgave her. Robyn's parents weren't much better, they said some really outdated statements in their brief appearance. Lastly, Ash, my gosh. He was just so immature and awful. I hated how Robyn hardcore hated him, and then it just flipped a switch for these silly reasons like sharing a minor embarrassment. The whole situation was messy, with Will and Ash being brothers, then them living next door. A lot of factors seemed way too convenient, right place, right time. I did enjoy that for a long time I didn't know how the book would end. However, the closer it got to the end the less I wanted to keep reading. Will. became so overly cheesy and the endless lies and protecting Ash rather than stating his own feelings became so annoying. Ash's whole perspective was completely unnecessary, he seemed almost delusional at times, thinking that Robyn still had feelings. Robyn and Will in the end just seemed random, there wasn't enough talk about their feelings and why, and her confusion between the two of them was odd. The entire situation just ended extremely awkwardly and the writing towards the end was cringey. The whole never have I ever club seemed like an afterthought, there was too much going on with that and the relationship and with Fliss. I'm sad this book didn't continue the way it started out-it had so much potential!
Thanks to NetGalley for the free preview in exchange for an honest review!
This book started really strong for me-I really liked Robyn. I thought the writing was relatable and funny. The two perspectives between her and Will was great also, there relationship was enjoyable to read. About half way through it started to go downhill. I wish there had been more to the characters-I constantly felt as though I didn't know them enough. I had major issues with the other characters. Robyn's friends Freya was horrible, such a bad friend in every way and I hated how Robyn constantly forgave her. Robyn's parents weren't much better, they said some really outdated statements in their brief appearance. Lastly, Ash, my gosh. He was just so immature and awful. I hated how Robyn hardcore hated him, and then it just flipped a switch for these silly reasons like sharing a minor embarrassment. The whole situation was messy, with Will and Ash being brothers, then them living next door. A lot of factors seemed way too convenient, right place, right time. I did enjoy that for a long time I didn't know how the book would end. However, the closer it got to the end the less I wanted to keep reading. Will. became so overly cheesy and the endless lies and protecting Ash rather than stating his own feelings became so annoying. Ash's whole perspective was completely unnecessary, he seemed almost delusional at times, thinking that Robyn still had feelings. Robyn and Will in the end just seemed random, there wasn't enough talk about their feelings and why, and her confusion between the two of them was odd. The entire situation just ended extremely awkwardly and the writing towards the end was cringey. The whole never have I ever club seemed like an afterthought, there was too much going on with that and the relationship and with Fliss. I'm sad this book didn't continue the way it started out-it had so much potential!
Thanks to NetGalley for the free preview in exchange for an honest review!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2020
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
What a delightful, hilarious read! The book focuses on Robyn Bloom, who is recovering from a terrible heart break after her ex-boyfriend, Ash, suddenly dumps her. After a health scare, she picks up the pieces and begins to live her life to the fullest. That includes picking up an old childhood friendship with the local handsome doctor, Will Barnes. The only problem is, Will is Ash's twin brother. Things become very complicated as romantic feelings begin to develop and Ash returns to town to get Robyn back...
Robyn's character is so lovable--she is quirky, says what's on her mind and always sticks up for herself. Will is incredibly sweet, caring and a true support to both Robyn and Ash. Robyn and Will's relationship is so endearing and lovely!
I do think this book was too long. There was a lot of enjoyable quick humor that I think would be better suited for the book to be a little shorter. The 3 different narrators was also incredibly confusing at times.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and it had me hooked from page 1!
What a delightful, hilarious read! The book focuses on Robyn Bloom, who is recovering from a terrible heart break after her ex-boyfriend, Ash, suddenly dumps her. After a health scare, she picks up the pieces and begins to live her life to the fullest. That includes picking up an old childhood friendship with the local handsome doctor, Will Barnes. The only problem is, Will is Ash's twin brother. Things become very complicated as romantic feelings begin to develop and Ash returns to town to get Robyn back...
Robyn's character is so lovable--she is quirky, says what's on her mind and always sticks up for herself. Will is incredibly sweet, caring and a true support to both Robyn and Ash. Robyn and Will's relationship is so endearing and lovely!
I do think this book was too long. There was a lot of enjoyable quick humor that I think would be better suited for the book to be a little shorter. The 3 different narrators was also incredibly confusing at times.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and it had me hooked from page 1!
May 26, 2020
What happens when you're recently jilted by one identical twin - because he's gone off to "find himself" - and you end up getting a cervical exam from the other?
Robyn Bloom has been friends and neighbors with the Barnes twins since childhood. Very recently, Robyn and Ash become a couple and then they decouple in less than a year. What follows is Robyn trying to get over Ash with the help of her besties Freya and Eliot (brother and sister) in a small town where everyone knows everyone and everything is everybody's business while starting up a Never Have I Ever Club AND falling in love with the wrong Barnes twin ... or the right one finally.
This funny, moving romcom sucked me in from the first chapter. It's my first book by Mary Jayne Baker and now I'm busy looking up her backlist because I thoroughly enjoyed The Never Have I Ever Club
Robyn Bloom has been friends and neighbors with the Barnes twins since childhood. Very recently, Robyn and Ash become a couple and then they decouple in less than a year. What follows is Robyn trying to get over Ash with the help of her besties Freya and Eliot (brother and sister) in a small town where everyone knows everyone and everything is everybody's business while starting up a Never Have I Ever Club AND falling in love with the wrong Barnes twin ... or the right one finally.
This funny, moving romcom sucked me in from the first chapter. It's my first book by Mary Jayne Baker and now I'm busy looking up her backlist because I thoroughly enjoyed The Never Have I Ever Club
February 19, 2023
4,5
Robyn ha 35 anni, vive in una piccola cittadina inglese dove tutti sanno tutto di tutti (con tanto di vicine di casa impiccione che sbirciano ogni tua singola mossa dalla finestra di casa). La sua vita sta attraversando una fase difficile: qualche mese prima, il fidanzato l'ha mollata di punto in bianco con la classica scusa attiraschiaffi "non sei tu, sono io/devo ritrovare me stesso", salvo poi trovarlo in Australia poche settimane dopo intento a portarsi a letto una tizia di dieci anni più giovane. Inoltre, le cose non vanno meglio dal punto di vista lavorativo, visto che Robyn è la curatrice del piccolo museo locale - museo che ormai non visita più nessuno, un lavoretto iniziato come impiego temporaneo ma che ha finito per protrarsi negli anni, lasciandole un senso di incompiutezza, la paura di aver sprecato la propria vita mentre tutti hanno trovato la loro strada senza particolari problemi. La paura di essere rimasta ferma, mentre gli altri sono andati avanti. Quando un piccolo problema di salute la porta faccia a faccia con il fratello gemello del suo ex, Will, le cose inizieranno a farsi interessanti sotto molti punti di vista.
Questo romanzo mi è piaciuto tantissimo. E' sicuramente uno dei romance migliori che io abbia mai letto. Maturo ma, al contempo, spassoso. E con una protagonista femminile con cui mi sono sentita parecchio in sintonia: tolto il lato romance, comprendo benissimo i sentimenti di Robyn, soprattutto per quanto riguarda la questione lavoro - alla fine abbiamo la stessa età e, ad oggi, mi sento ancora brancolare nel buio, non sapendo bene cosa fare della mia vita, con una situazione lavorativa da mettersi le mani nei capelli. Perché tutti sanno sempre cosa fare e tu no? Perchè sono tutti appagati e tu no? Da dove iniziare per liberarsi da questo senso di insoddisfazione? E poi, ovviamente, c'è il lato romance di tutta la faccenda: un ex fidanzato che ti pianta al grido di "devo ritrovare me stesso, devo stare da solo", per poi spammare su instagram le foto della sua nuova tipa in Australia. Un ex fidanzato che, così come ha fatto i bagagli di punto in bianco, sempre di punto in bianco decide di tornare nella sua vita al grido di "ho sbagliato, ho capito che sei la donna per me, torniamo insieme come se nulla fosse". Peccato solo che Robyn non abbia alcuna intenzione di dimenticare certe ferite e l'umiliazione subita. Per non parlare della presenza di un secondo protagonista maschile, Will, il fratello gemello dell'idiota e vicino di casa della nostra protagonista. Robyn, Will e Ash sono amici da una vita, sono cresciuti insieme; dopo il tradimento di Ash, il rapporto tra Robyn e Will si fa più complicato: dopotutto, ogni volta che guarda in faccia il vicino, la ragazza vede Ash e non Will. Sarà una visita medica a far riavvicinare i due, anche perché, alla fine della fiera, l'atteggiamento irresponsabile di Ash non ha ferito solo la ex fidanzata, ma anche il fratello gemello - fratello che gli ha sempre coperto le spalle, che ha sempre messo al primo posto i sentimenti dell'altro. Fratello che, dopo il riavvicinamento, si trova a dover ammettere i propri sentimenti per Robyn...tutto molto bello, ma che fare quando Ash torna con i suoi grandi piani amorosi? Come reprimere un sentimento che non dovrebbe nemmeno esistere? Come è possibile che Will si sia innamorato dell'unica donna off-limits per lui? A complicare le cose ci sono poi anche i sentimenti della povera Robyn...
Segno evidente dell'evoleversi di questa relazione è il modo in cui Robyn si trova finalmente ad ammettere l'individualità dei gemelli: inizialmente, dopo la rottura con Ash, si ritrova ad evitare anche Will, visto che, anche solo guardarlo in faccia, le riporta alla mente l'ex. Dopotutto hanno la stessa faccia, no? Quando Ash si fa sotto e Robyn inizia ad essere più consapevole dei suoi sentimenti, ogni volta che lo guarda negli occhi, vede Will. Stessa faccia, parte seconda. Il punto è che la faccia sarà pure uguale, ma si tratta comunque di due persone diverse e, alla fine, saprà andare oltre la somiglianza e vedrà semplicemente Will - Will che sa capirla meglio di chiunque altro (meglio di Ash di sicuro), che sa trattarla come merita, che sa darle tutto il supporto necessario, dimostrandosi decisamente più affidabile e più attento ai suoi bisogni. Mi dispiace solo che l'autrice ci faccia sudare fino alla fine per questa ship, visto che avrei voluto qualche capitolo in più per vederli effettivamente insieme e sereni (entrambi erano pronti a rinunciare a questo sentimento per non ferire Ash e per non essere trattati come dei paria da tutta la loro comunità).
Due parole anche per quel genio del male di Ash, un idiota che, se non altro, nel corso del romanzo inizierà, alla tenera età di 35 anni, un percorso di maturazione: dopo essersi comportato da cretino, cercherà di prendere spunto dal gemello per diventare una persona migliore. Arrivando anche a capire che non c'è più un futuro per la sua relazione con Robyn e dare la sua benedizione alla nuova coppia. A una certa volevo gridargli "ma tornatene in Australia e tanti saluti", ma vabbé, non si può avere tutto dalla vita.
E poi c'è il club che dà il titolo al romanzo, il "Never Have I Ever Club", la creatura di Robyn, creato per dare a tutti i suoi partecipanti la possibilità di fare delle esperienze, intraprendere nuove attività. Un club che vede l'entusiasta partecipazione di alcuni dei pensionati del paese, di Robyn, Will e dei loro amici. Un'occasione per spuntare dalla propria bucket list alcuni sogni nel cassetto, per dare un senso alla propria vita, per condividere qualcosa di diverso e sperimentare qualcosa di nuovo. Sarebbe interessante partecipare a un club di questo tipo. Di sicuro, vorrei arrivare all'età di 76 anni con la stessa vitalità della zia di Robyn, Felicity, una donna che ha provato di tutto nella sua vita e che non lascia che sia l'età a fermarla.
Bene, questo è tutto per questa nuova puntata di "Luana nel tunnel, senza fine, del romance". Sicuramente leggerò altro di questa autrice.
Consigliatissimo (anche a chi non apprezza particolarmente questo genere)!
Robyn ha 35 anni, vive in una piccola cittadina inglese dove tutti sanno tutto di tutti (con tanto di vicine di casa impiccione che sbirciano ogni tua singola mossa dalla finestra di casa). La sua vita sta attraversando una fase difficile: qualche mese prima, il fidanzato l'ha mollata di punto in bianco con la classica scusa attiraschiaffi "non sei tu, sono io/devo ritrovare me stesso", salvo poi trovarlo in Australia poche settimane dopo intento a portarsi a letto una tizia di dieci anni più giovane. Inoltre, le cose non vanno meglio dal punto di vista lavorativo, visto che Robyn è la curatrice del piccolo museo locale - museo che ormai non visita più nessuno, un lavoretto iniziato come impiego temporaneo ma che ha finito per protrarsi negli anni, lasciandole un senso di incompiutezza, la paura di aver sprecato la propria vita mentre tutti hanno trovato la loro strada senza particolari problemi. La paura di essere rimasta ferma, mentre gli altri sono andati avanti. Quando un piccolo problema di salute la porta faccia a faccia con il fratello gemello del suo ex, Will, le cose inizieranno a farsi interessanti sotto molti punti di vista.
Questo romanzo mi è piaciuto tantissimo. E' sicuramente uno dei romance migliori che io abbia mai letto. Maturo ma, al contempo, spassoso. E con una protagonista femminile con cui mi sono sentita parecchio in sintonia: tolto il lato romance, comprendo benissimo i sentimenti di Robyn, soprattutto per quanto riguarda la questione lavoro - alla fine abbiamo la stessa età e, ad oggi, mi sento ancora brancolare nel buio, non sapendo bene cosa fare della mia vita, con una situazione lavorativa da mettersi le mani nei capelli. Perché tutti sanno sempre cosa fare e tu no? Perchè sono tutti appagati e tu no? Da dove iniziare per liberarsi da questo senso di insoddisfazione? E poi, ovviamente, c'è il lato romance di tutta la faccenda: un ex fidanzato che ti pianta al grido di "devo ritrovare me stesso, devo stare da solo", per poi spammare su instagram le foto della sua nuova tipa in Australia. Un ex fidanzato che, così come ha fatto i bagagli di punto in bianco, sempre di punto in bianco decide di tornare nella sua vita al grido di "ho sbagliato, ho capito che sei la donna per me, torniamo insieme come se nulla fosse". Peccato solo che Robyn non abbia alcuna intenzione di dimenticare certe ferite e l'umiliazione subita. Per non parlare della presenza di un secondo protagonista maschile, Will, il fratello gemello dell'idiota e vicino di casa della nostra protagonista. Robyn, Will e Ash sono amici da una vita, sono cresciuti insieme; dopo il tradimento di Ash, il rapporto tra Robyn e Will si fa più complicato: dopotutto, ogni volta che guarda in faccia il vicino, la ragazza vede Ash e non Will. Sarà una visita medica a far riavvicinare i due, anche perché, alla fine della fiera, l'atteggiamento irresponsabile di Ash non ha ferito solo la ex fidanzata, ma anche il fratello gemello - fratello che gli ha sempre coperto le spalle, che ha sempre messo al primo posto i sentimenti dell'altro. Fratello che, dopo il riavvicinamento, si trova a dover ammettere i propri sentimenti per Robyn...tutto molto bello, ma che fare quando Ash torna con i suoi grandi piani amorosi? Come reprimere un sentimento che non dovrebbe nemmeno esistere? Come è possibile che Will si sia innamorato dell'unica donna off-limits per lui? A complicare le cose ci sono poi anche i sentimenti della povera Robyn...
Segno evidente dell'evoleversi di questa relazione è il modo in cui Robyn si trova finalmente ad ammettere l'individualità dei gemelli: inizialmente, dopo la rottura con Ash, si ritrova ad evitare anche Will, visto che, anche solo guardarlo in faccia, le riporta alla mente l'ex. Dopotutto hanno la stessa faccia, no? Quando Ash si fa sotto e Robyn inizia ad essere più consapevole dei suoi sentimenti, ogni volta che lo guarda negli occhi, vede Will. Stessa faccia, parte seconda. Il punto è che la faccia sarà pure uguale, ma si tratta comunque di due persone diverse e, alla fine, saprà andare oltre la somiglianza e vedrà semplicemente Will - Will che sa capirla meglio di chiunque altro (meglio di Ash di sicuro), che sa trattarla come merita, che sa darle tutto il supporto necessario, dimostrandosi decisamente più affidabile e più attento ai suoi bisogni. Mi dispiace solo che l'autrice ci faccia sudare fino alla fine per questa ship, visto che avrei voluto qualche capitolo in più per vederli effettivamente insieme e sereni (entrambi erano pronti a rinunciare a questo sentimento per non ferire Ash e per non essere trattati come dei paria da tutta la loro comunità).
Due parole anche per quel genio del male di Ash, un idiota che, se non altro, nel corso del romanzo inizierà, alla tenera età di 35 anni, un percorso di maturazione: dopo essersi comportato da cretino, cercherà di prendere spunto dal gemello per diventare una persona migliore. Arrivando anche a capire che non c'è più un futuro per la sua relazione con Robyn e dare la sua benedizione alla nuova coppia. A una certa volevo gridargli "ma tornatene in Australia e tanti saluti", ma vabbé, non si può avere tutto dalla vita.
E poi c'è il club che dà il titolo al romanzo, il "Never Have I Ever Club", la creatura di Robyn, creato per dare a tutti i suoi partecipanti la possibilità di fare delle esperienze, intraprendere nuove attività. Un club che vede l'entusiasta partecipazione di alcuni dei pensionati del paese, di Robyn, Will e dei loro amici. Un'occasione per spuntare dalla propria bucket list alcuni sogni nel cassetto, per dare un senso alla propria vita, per condividere qualcosa di diverso e sperimentare qualcosa di nuovo. Sarebbe interessante partecipare a un club di questo tipo. Di sicuro, vorrei arrivare all'età di 76 anni con la stessa vitalità della zia di Robyn, Felicity, una donna che ha provato di tutto nella sua vita e che non lascia che sia l'età a fermarla.
Bene, questo è tutto per questa nuova puntata di "Luana nel tunnel, senza fine, del romance". Sicuramente leggerò altro di questa autrice.
Consigliatissimo (anche a chi non apprezza particolarmente questo genere)!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2020
Never being one for love triangles, I was surprised that this love story was fun, touching, and ultimately about friendships, family, and finding where you really belong. A slow start, a bit of a push to get used to the British slang for this American, but overall a really good read.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced read for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced read for an honest review.
April 17, 2023
—3.5 stars—
“Bloom, I love you,” he whispered, his voice choked. “God, I love you so much. I tried so hard to fight it, but I... I wasn’t strong enough.”
————about the book————
Age: NA/A
Genres: contemporary, contemporary romance, small-town romance,
Type of ending:
Writing: 6/10
Quotes: 5/10
World building: n/a
Characters: 7/10
Romance: 6/10
My rating: 7/10
TRIGGER WARNINGS: cancer diagnosis, etc.
‼️SPOILERS BELOW‼️
———my thoughts———
Robyn Boom thought Ash Barnes was the love of her life.
That is, until he decided to fly to Australia and broke her heart.
Months later, Robyn’s still reeling.
But to take her mind of Ash (and his impending return), she sets up The Never Have I Ever Club, to help her small village experience everything they’ve ever wanted.
Helped by her best friends and her neighbor Will Barnes (Ash’s twin brother) she sets the club into motion.
But as the club grows, so do her feeling for Will...
I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did.
I liked the concept, the idea—but small town romances have never really been my thing.
But this was?
It was just so ridiculous and sweet and silly and crazy and I loved it!
It felt comforting, but it also made me giggle so much!
It felt like it could never happen, but it also felt so imperfectly real.
Robyn and her little group of friends had the most amazing jokey-but-loving dynamic, and there was equally hilarious bits, and caring, sweet bits.
Robyn, Eliot, and Freya’s friendship was one of my favourite things—they were so sweet and the way they all teased and took care of each other was just everything!
But one of my favourite parts would have to be Eliot and Winnie.
The start of their relationship, the ‘Winnie-wince’, the dog tattoo, how cute they are together, just THEM. Their interactions always has me giggling and smiling!
But I shouldn’t forget Will.
I adore the name Will or William, and I always have.
And Will was almost exactly what I image when I think of a (contemporary, fantasy’s another matter!) Will; someone kind and caring and selfless, someone who’ll stand by you and take care of you.
And that was Will.
I mean, at times he was a little too selfless—Ash does NOT deserve him!
But the way he always took care of everybody was so sweet, and how he always knows the right thing to cheer Robyn up! But he’s not bland—his and Robyn’s banter is so funny and silly!
And he calls her “Bloom”!
All these characters were just so adorably flawed and crazy that I loved them even more for it!
————quotes————
“Will, you look like an Edwardian cad about to do unspeakable things to a poor girl in the back of a punt.
Where the hell did you get that waistcoat?”
“Perhaps sometimes you needed to lose something to realise just how much it meant to have it in your life.”
“I don’t hate you, Bloom. I actually quite like you. Occasionally, when you’re being particularly funny and doing your baby owl face, I’m even fond of you.”
———random extra thoughts———
Reading romance books is not good for my single pringle self’s esteem🥺😭
Thanks for reading!❤️
“Bloom, I love you,” he whispered, his voice choked. “God, I love you so much. I tried so hard to fight it, but I... I wasn’t strong enough.”
————about the book————
Age: NA/A
Genres: contemporary, contemporary romance, small-town romance,
Type of ending:
Writing: 6/10
Quotes: 5/10
World building: n/a
Characters: 7/10
Romance: 6/10
My rating: 7/10
TRIGGER WARNINGS: cancer diagnosis, etc.
‼️SPOILERS BELOW‼️
———my thoughts———
Robyn Boom thought Ash Barnes was the love of her life.
That is, until he decided to fly to Australia and broke her heart.
Months later, Robyn’s still reeling.
But to take her mind of Ash (and his impending return), she sets up The Never Have I Ever Club, to help her small village experience everything they’ve ever wanted.
Helped by her best friends and her neighbor Will Barnes (Ash’s twin brother) she sets the club into motion.
But as the club grows, so do her feeling for Will...
I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did.
I liked the concept, the idea—but small town romances have never really been my thing.
But this was?
It was just so ridiculous and sweet and silly and crazy and I loved it!
It felt comforting, but it also made me giggle so much!
It felt like it could never happen, but it also felt so imperfectly real.
Robyn and her little group of friends had the most amazing jokey-but-loving dynamic, and there was equally hilarious bits, and caring, sweet bits.
Robyn, Eliot, and Freya’s friendship was one of my favourite things—they were so sweet and the way they all teased and took care of each other was just everything!
But one of my favourite parts would have to be Eliot and Winnie.
The start of their relationship, the ‘Winnie-wince’, the dog tattoo, how cute they are together, just THEM. Their interactions always has me giggling and smiling!
But I shouldn’t forget Will.
I adore the name Will or William, and I always have.
And Will was almost exactly what I image when I think of a (contemporary, fantasy’s another matter!) Will; someone kind and caring and selfless, someone who’ll stand by you and take care of you.
And that was Will.
I mean, at times he was a little too selfless—Ash does NOT deserve him!
But the way he always took care of everybody was so sweet, and how he always knows the right thing to cheer Robyn up! But he’s not bland—his and Robyn’s banter is so funny and silly!
And he calls her “Bloom”!
All these characters were just so adorably flawed and crazy that I loved them even more for it!
————quotes————
“Will, you look like an Edwardian cad about to do unspeakable things to a poor girl in the back of a punt.
Where the hell did you get that waistcoat?”
“Perhaps sometimes you needed to lose something to realise just how much it meant to have it in your life.”
“I don’t hate you, Bloom. I actually quite like you. Occasionally, when you’re being particularly funny and doing your baby owl face, I’m even fond of you.”
———random extra thoughts———
Reading romance books is not good for my single pringle self’s esteem🥺😭
Thanks for reading!❤️
April 23, 2023
3,5
Un romanzo spassoso, ma con spunti di riflessione molto interessanti!
Robyn ha 35 anni ed è insoddisfatta del suo lavoro, cominciato quasi per caso, come curatrice presso il piccolo museo cittadino.
E' stata mollata da poco dal fidanzato Ash che con la classica scusa "il problema sono io, non sei tu" è fuggito in Australia... per poi postare foto con una tizia più giovane di 10 anni qualche giorno dopo.
Insomma, un periodo di merda per Robyn. A questo si aggiunge un piccolo problema di salute (che per fortuna non si rivelerà niente di grave) che la porta a fare una visita con il gemello dell'ex, Will.
Da qui i due si avvicineranno, nonostante Robyn non riesca a pensare ad altro che al suo ex ogni volta che vede Will.
Il tutto si complica quando Ash rinsavisce e torna per riconquistare la ragazza: ormai i sentimenti fra Will e Robyn si stanno evolvendo, ma Will non se la sente di "approfittarne" e anzi, aiuta il fratello nel suo piano di riconquista.
Peccato che Robyn non ne voglia sapere e alla fine capirà quali sono i suoi veri sentimenti per i due fratelli.
Oltre alla parte romance, ho apprezzato tantissimo anche il club fondato da Robyn e tutti i suoi partecipanti: la prova che non è mai troppo tardi per provare cose nuove e non si è mai troppo vecchi per spuntare la propria bucket list!
Un romanzo spassoso, ma con spunti di riflessione molto interessanti!
Robyn ha 35 anni ed è insoddisfatta del suo lavoro, cominciato quasi per caso, come curatrice presso il piccolo museo cittadino.
E' stata mollata da poco dal fidanzato Ash che con la classica scusa "il problema sono io, non sei tu" è fuggito in Australia... per poi postare foto con una tizia più giovane di 10 anni qualche giorno dopo.
Insomma, un periodo di merda per Robyn. A questo si aggiunge un piccolo problema di salute (che per fortuna non si rivelerà niente di grave) che la porta a fare una visita con il gemello dell'ex, Will.
Da qui i due si avvicineranno, nonostante Robyn non riesca a pensare ad altro che al suo ex ogni volta che vede Will.
Il tutto si complica quando Ash rinsavisce e torna per riconquistare la ragazza: ormai i sentimenti fra Will e Robyn si stanno evolvendo, ma Will non se la sente di "approfittarne" e anzi, aiuta il fratello nel suo piano di riconquista.
Peccato che Robyn non ne voglia sapere e alla fine capirà quali sono i suoi veri sentimenti per i due fratelli.
Oltre alla parte romance, ho apprezzato tantissimo anche il club fondato da Robyn e tutti i suoi partecipanti: la prova che non è mai troppo tardi per provare cose nuove e non si è mai troppo vecchi per spuntare la propria bucket list!
July 5, 2020
The Blurb:
Robyn Bloom thought Ash Barnes was the love of her life – until one day he announced he was leaving her to fly halfway across the world.
Months later, Robyn is struggling to move on – but then she has a brainwave: The Never Have I Ever Club. Her handsome next-door neighbour Will helps her bring their fellow Yorkshire villagers together for some carpe-diem-inspired fun.
From burlesque dancing to Swedish massages, everyone has plenty of bucket-list activities to try, but it doesn't take long for Robyn to realise what – or who – her heart truly desires: Will.
There's just one problem: he's Ash's twin brother.
Make that two problems: Ash is moving home... and he wants Robyn back.
My Thoughts :
Here we meet Robyn Bloom, she is recovering from a broken heart after her ex-boyfriend Ash, suddenly dumps her and jets off to Australia.
Life isnt great for Robyn as she is trying to pick the pieces of her life up.
Things are not helped by her next door neighbour, who happens to be to Ash’s Twin brother Will.
After months of trying to keep herself to herself, Robyn decides enough is enough, she decides to stay friends with Will as its not his fault his brother left her.
She decides to set up The Never Have I Ever Club to improve life for everyone in the village and to tick some items off their bucket lists. Its all about fun, fun, fun. That is until Ash comes back and wants Robyn back. Will she go back or has her feelings moved on to his brother?!.
I loved meeting all the supporting charactors in the book. Robyn and Will have a great relationship and it was great to watch it develop.
Mary Jayne Baker brings the charactors to life, making you feel you really know them as friends.
My only negative is that the book was a little too long and I think the story could of been wrapped up sooner.
Overall a warm, funny read that will have your emotions all over the place.
Robyn Bloom thought Ash Barnes was the love of her life – until one day he announced he was leaving her to fly halfway across the world.
Months later, Robyn is struggling to move on – but then she has a brainwave: The Never Have I Ever Club. Her handsome next-door neighbour Will helps her bring their fellow Yorkshire villagers together for some carpe-diem-inspired fun.
From burlesque dancing to Swedish massages, everyone has plenty of bucket-list activities to try, but it doesn't take long for Robyn to realise what – or who – her heart truly desires: Will.
There's just one problem: he's Ash's twin brother.
Make that two problems: Ash is moving home... and he wants Robyn back.
My Thoughts :
Here we meet Robyn Bloom, she is recovering from a broken heart after her ex-boyfriend Ash, suddenly dumps her and jets off to Australia.
Life isnt great for Robyn as she is trying to pick the pieces of her life up.
Things are not helped by her next door neighbour, who happens to be to Ash’s Twin brother Will.
After months of trying to keep herself to herself, Robyn decides enough is enough, she decides to stay friends with Will as its not his fault his brother left her.
She decides to set up The Never Have I Ever Club to improve life for everyone in the village and to tick some items off their bucket lists. Its all about fun, fun, fun. That is until Ash comes back and wants Robyn back. Will she go back or has her feelings moved on to his brother?!.
I loved meeting all the supporting charactors in the book. Robyn and Will have a great relationship and it was great to watch it develop.
Mary Jayne Baker brings the charactors to life, making you feel you really know them as friends.
My only negative is that the book was a little too long and I think the story could of been wrapped up sooner.
Overall a warm, funny read that will have your emotions all over the place.
July 3, 2022
I liked this story I would have preferred more steam/a longer epilogue.
All the drama happens at the end of the book like 90%
Two brothers who look exactly alike.
One girl who’s known them as a unit for over 10 years.
Ash & Will
One trouble maker/ free spirit
The other polished and a doctor
Unbreakable bond
I liked the brotherly love of these two.
I also liked the decisions of one of the mmcs and the fmc remaining loyal to their brother/friend.
HEA
This is not a love triangle mOre unrequited love.
3 star listen
All the drama happens at the end of the book like 90%
Two brothers who look exactly alike.
One girl who’s known them as a unit for over 10 years.
Ash & Will
One trouble maker/ free spirit
The other polished and a doctor
Unbreakable bond
I liked the brotherly love of these two.
I also liked the decisions of one of the mmcs and the fmc remaining loyal to their brother/friend.
HEA
This is not a love triangle mOre unrequited love.
3 star listen
March 7, 2021
I received this book complimentary from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.
Oh this was sweet. The plot was interesting, though extremely, draggingly slow burn. I don’t mind slow burns but this was extraordinarily slow. I really enjoyed the characters though and the plot was well thought out. Robyn, Will and Ash were fascinating, as well as Freya, Eliot, Felicity and Winnie. I feel like I fell into friendship with all of them which is lovely. I loved the setting and the ending was great, though I wish there was an epilogue because I love epilogues for one-offs.
Oh this was sweet. The plot was interesting, though extremely, draggingly slow burn. I don’t mind slow burns but this was extraordinarily slow. I really enjoyed the characters though and the plot was well thought out. Robyn, Will and Ash were fascinating, as well as Freya, Eliot, Felicity and Winnie. I feel like I fell into friendship with all of them which is lovely. I loved the setting and the ending was great, though I wish there was an epilogue because I love epilogues for one-offs.
March 12, 2021
Honestly, this was a very different kinda spoken language, given that we are more used to and favor US slang. But was an interesting plot, felt every little turmoil Robyn and Will go through. An emotional, yet fun filled book with a lot of quirky characters and moments.
There was a load of 'Oh for C's sake!!! ' moments and a point where you feel like clocking a few of them on the head for their behavior (rolling eyes).. But all ends well, as it ties up.
The pace of the book threw me for a loop, as I took it for a quick fun read when I did pick it. It did turn out to be an even, paced, yet a fun book.
There was a load of 'Oh for C's sake!!! ' moments and a point where you feel like clocking a few of them on the head for their behavior (rolling eyes).. But all ends well, as it ties up.
The pace of the book threw me for a loop, as I took it for a quick fun read when I did pick it. It did turn out to be an even, paced, yet a fun book.
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