Everything We Never Said: A Novel

by Sarah Banks

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This twisty romance thriller...left me completely shocked...easy to get lost in. Highly recommend!" -Booksprout Reader

A scandalized school teacher. Her sexy new hook-up. And one salacious lie.

In the wake of a professional scandal, Olivia Andrews has lost her teaching job. As she claws her way back to normalcy, Olivia hits a bar and meets Elijah Savage. Hot as hell. Smart. And bent on taking her out again. But Olivia is in no position to begin a relationship, because getting close to someone means baring her soul. Still, their one-night-stand turns into two and soon enough things are looking up in Olivia's world. She even has a job offer. But, if everything is going to work out, the troubled teacher must ensure that her dark past doesn't resurface. It threatens not only her new job but also the budding romance. Desperate for a happy ending this time, Olivia knows she has to hide her disturbing secret. Whatever the cost. A twisted story of love, sex, and obsession, Everything We Never Said is a fast-paced romantic thriller perfect for fans of dark, steamy suspense.

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 7, 2023

Reviews

[Miranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Snabbläst men många språkliga avvikelser och lite märkligt skrivna dialoger.
Karaktärerna var platta och till stor del problematiska.
Den var väl något starkare inledningsvis, sen började den tappa sin sammanhängande ton.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark. Real. Short. This book is interesting in that it has almost two separate storylines entirely, using at least some of the same characters... and then... stuff happens.

The one storyline is a genuine romance, where our lead is troubled by accusations from her recent past but is trying to move on both professionally and personally. This storyline is dark, but meets every "rule" of the "romance genre". It is also very *real*, almost viscerally so, in how it portrays and handles the particular situation.

Sadly, the other storyline, where someone else is simply troubled and which leads to the accusations in question (yes, this is a slight dual-timeline approach), is *so much darker*, with violent fantasies of both shooting people and raping people. (To be clear, little is ever shown "on screen" other than the character discussing a *desire* to do these things. That alone could be too disturbing for some readers though, so worthy of noting.) But here again, Banks does a truly phenomenal job of making this character and storyline so very *real*, even as this particular character is truly so *dark* and disturbed.

That Banks manages to create such divergent storylines, using some of the same characters, and manages to do so in such a short amount of space (clocking in at not far over 200 pages), *and then manages to combine them so superbly*... this is a master storyteller at work, yall. Very much recommended.

[A. Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a romantic thriller and forbidden romance about a teacher that is trying to start over after surviving a scandal. The full context of this scandal does not get revealed until close to the end of the book, with a twist. You get the picture pretty quickly though. The book is told in the present and in the past. The book is also told from the perspective of Olivia, the teacher, and her student. This book makes you realize things that aren't said outloud. It puts a voice to what the student was thinking. It also shows how Olivia is trying to live after this monumental scandal that inevitably changed her life. You wonder was Olivia at fault, the student at fault, or both? The student was 18 for anyone concerned. When Olivia doesn't see a way forward, she meets a stranger in a bar who doesn't know about her past. Olivia gets a new job but she gets a whole lot more than she ever bargained for at this job. Some secrets will not stay in the past.
This is my favorite quote from the book "Well, then you should know I'm a mess." "I'll go get a broom." I've never read a Sarah Banks novel before but I definitely will search for one after reading this book.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Susan Hamann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about Olivia and it's suspenseful She was a high school teacher with an outstanding student in her English class. She gave him extra attention. But in the chapters from Daniel's point of view, we find that he thinks she is interested in him sexually and he builds on his fantasy. She gets fired and finally gets a job in a community college. As she struggles to rebuild her life, her falsely accused alleged affair continues to haunt her.

The story suspensefully builds and the reader already knows what the outcome is because it's told from two points of view and in two different time frames. It's very well put together and the reader wants to help her avoid the surely coming disaster, and the potential of danger to her physical well-being.

This is a story for mature readers. I received an advance reader copy of the book. This is my honest review.

[Angie Large · Rating 5 out of 5]

This twisty romance thriller was a fun quick read that left me completely shocked at the end and had me wanting more! I thought I had it all figured out but I was wrong. Sarah Banks does a great job of going between characters as well as past and present seamlessly. This book is well written and easy to get lost in. Highly recommend you get this when it comes out!

[Ash Juillet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't like the usual romance books I read, but this did leave a pretty big impact on me. I loved how the author shifted from the main characters' perspectives from the present to the past, seamlessly weaving an intricate plot that will hook you till the end.

Thanks to Booksprout for a copy of this book.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow Secrets always get out. This is an edge of your seat read as the characters struggle through their feelings and the secrets they have. Wonderful characters. Like the banter and interaction between the characters with one of them having a secret that could ruin everything.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kindlelover 1220 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A romantic thriller story with secrets and some steam. Olivia’s dark hidden past comes to light as her future is looking bright. The story had twists and turns keeps the story intriguing, a suspenseful plot and wonderful characters.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was definitely fast-paced and made it a quick read. But that doesn't mean it was good. There were also quite a few editing/grammar mistakes and that kind of ruins a book for me. So maybe I just wasn't feeling it because of that.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plenty of twists and turns in this book. First time I read a Sarah Banks book. Will be reading more!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read! Super short chapters, which I love. Kind of a dual storyline that eventually merges together onto the same timeline. Student/teacher romance trope. The end was good!

[Della · Rating 1 out of 5]

Regret reading this.

[Jennifer Wertz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is good romance thriller. It was interesting. Though I found it a bit slow at times.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I breezed through Everything We Never Said in one afternoon and I tend to be a slow reader! I would recommend this novel to fans of romantic suspense with one caveat. Readers should be aware that it contains explicit language and sexual content so while I enjoyed this book it may not appeal to everyone.