Title: Never Say Never
Author: Emily Goodwin
Genre: Full length, stand-alone contemporary romance
Release Date: September 28, 2015
My life was full of nevers.
It was never supposed to go this way. I was never supposed to lose Mom so soon. I was never supposed to worry about making ends meet, to worry about losing the farm. I never thought I’d be working a job I hate, with a boss who was more interested in what was under my shirt than in my head. Saving neglected and abused horses had been my whole life. It was my reprieve, my sanity, my last saving grace in a cruel world. I never thought I’d grow to resent it, but I guess there is a first for everything.
Then I met him.
The Hollywood playboy. The entitled, cocky asshole that I can’t get out of my head. I never thought there could be more to him than sex appeal and an infamous reputation of loving and leaving. I never thought I’d fall for him, put my heart on the line, and risk letting him completely destroy me.
But you know what they tell you…never say never.
“A sex dream, right?” I say with a smirk.
“If it was, I wouldn’t tell you,” she says, and I can tell she’s smiling.
“Then I know it was one. Was I good in this dream? I gotta know so I can live up
to your expectations.”
“There you go, being presumptuous again,” she laughs.
“Maybe,” I say. “Or maybe it’s just wishful thinking. Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.” She was a fan before we met. Has she thought about fucking me before? Becoming a sex icon is weird. Don’t get me wrong, I love it at times. But it’s fucking weird to know that women all over the world fantasize about me solely based on my looks and the little bit of personality they see during interviews, and it’s all fake anyway.
“I have very high standards,” she jokes. “Dream or no dream.”
“I always please, multiple times. And I have dreamed about it. More than once.”
“You did not just say that!” she exclaims, and I smile as I imagine the look on her
face. “You are a little cocky, ya know.”
“There’s nothing little about my cock.”
She just laughs. “We’ll see about that. Oh my God, no, no—I didn’t mean—oh
shit,” she stammers, and I laugh even harder. “Friday,” she says. “Where are we
going?”
“I don’t care,” I say honestly. “I’m still not sure what to do around here.”
“There’s plenty to do by you, in Billings. Here…we have a movie theatre that closes at nine, two diners, one pizza place, and a couple fast food chains. Oh, and a bar, of course.”
“How do you live?”
She just laughs. “You get used to it, and online shopping is a life saver.”
“How’s Aurelia?” I ask before I have to go.
“She’s doing pretty well, actually. I think she’s lonely, and I feel bad because I’m
gone all day and don’t feel comfortable letting her out when I’m not there. Not yet at
least.”
“If you could do horse stuff full time, would you?”
“God, yes,” she says right away. “That’s what my mom did. But it’s not that easy.
Rescues are expensive, and I have vet bills to pay, so I’m stuck here. I refuse to believe it’s forever though.”
“I don’t believe it either.” I make a mental note to have Claire look into the expenses of horse rescues. Speaking of Claire, she’s motioning to me. “I have to get back to work,” I tell her. “I’ll call you again. You still have to tell me why you’re having a bad day.”
“It’s not so bad anymore,” she says softly. “And I’d like that. Bye, Aiden.”
4.5 I'm Not Saying Never Stars
ARC received from Between The Sheets PR for an honest review
"It's broken but beautiful."
Right here is a perfect example of why I love giving "new to me" authors a try especially if the synopsis of their books hits the genres I read. I haven't read any Emily Goodwin novels, but when I read the synopsis of Never Say Never and that it's open for review sign-ups, I felt like I wanted to experience this story and at the same time, possibly gain another author to love. Never Say Never and Emily Goodwin hit the spot for me!
This book is not just a modern day fairytale story of a hotshot Hollywood celebrity and a normal, country girl who falls in love and lives happily ever after. It's that and more. Never Say Never is about family, loss, hope, compassion, and life. It's about getting back up to your feet when you feel like you're down on the ground and want to stay there because it hurts too much to move. The author was successful in writing something that deeply touches every aspect of life and weave them all together into a beautiful story that will touch its readers. I know it touched me in a way that I was crying just from reading the Prologue. I loved how emotional it was without the author trying too hard to word everything into something more than it is. The simplicity of the storytelling but still having an impact says a lot about Emily Goodwin's talent as a story-writer.
Aiden and Haley were easy characters to connect and fall in love with. Each of their struggles compliments each other, thus, making a good balance between their own strengths and weaknesses. Haley is also one of a few book heroines which I easily liked and I don't easily like heroines, I mostly find myself connecting more with the guys. Haley was gentle and her love for the horses was admirable and inspiring. It's impossible for Aiden not to end up falling in love with someone like Haley. Their chemistry is undeniable, and with the pain Aiden is also carrying in his heart, I love that he was still open to express his love to someone.
I loved everything about this book and I'm glad I "discovered" another author for me to follow! Where have I been hiding all this time?
Stars: 4.5 stars
Recommended to: Do you love horses? Do you love inspirational heroines? A modern day fairytale? Yes? Read this book!
POV: First person. Dual POV.
Series: No. Standalone.
Extra Comment: I found new love for horses and even though Haley is all about rescuing horses, the deeper meaning of this for me is rescuing other animals, too.
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This sounds like a great book!
ReplyDeleteIt is, especially if you love animals <3
DeleteI like that the story deals with horse rescues. I love when there is something a bit more substantial. Thanks for introducing a new-to-me author, too.
ReplyDeleteI like that the story deals with horse rescues. I love when there is something a bit more substantial. Thanks for introducing a new-to-me author, too.
ReplyDelete