Never Say No: Book Review

Never Say No
My Rating: 4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: eARC*
Publication Date: September 4, 2020
Author: Elizabeth Neep

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~Book Blurb~

It’s always been yes. Yes, I’ll be your friend. Yes, I’ll be your girlfriend. Yes, I’ll move in with you. Yes, yes, yes. I can’t just change my mind now. Can I?

Hailey has always been told she can have it all. And saying yes to every opportunity that comes her way seems like the obvious way to make sure she gets it.

When she finds an engagement ring hidden in her boyfriend Dom’s closet, she knows she’ll say yes.

Her best friend Sophie suggests they run a marathon together and although Hailey hasn’t done more than sprint for a bus in years, she says yes.

And every time her new boss, the infamous Vivian Jones, asks her to stay late (again) at her dream job, the answer is always yes.

But somewhere between saying ‘yes’ to Vivian’s latest demands and still trying to make it home on time for boxsets and burritos on the sofa with Dom, Hailey has lost sight of what she really wanted in the first place.

Far from winning at life, Hailey feels like she is fighting to juggle two very different worlds. When those worlds finally collide, could having it all actually mean losing everything?

Fans of Mhairi McFarlane, Holly Bourne and The Devil Wears Prada will adore this funny, heart-felt and honest look at navigating those moments in life where you reach a crossroads and have to decide who and what it is you want to be.

~My Thoughts~

As a quick reminder, here is my rating structure:

• 1 star: Did not finish
• 2 Stars: Finished but do not recommend
• 3 Stars: Liked but could use some improvements
• 4 Stars: Loved this book!
• 5 Stars: Rare. The unput-down-able, binge read obsession.

Being a big fan of Elizabeth Neep’s previous novel, The Spare Bedroom, I couldn’t miss out on a chance to read her sophmore outing, Never Say No. Considering that the blurb talked about The Devil Wears Prada, I knew going in that I would like the book.

Never Say No is a finding yourself novel set in the workplace, specifically, a law firm in London. Hailey is a former teacher restarting her career, becoming an attorney after spending years being what she thought she should be instead of what she wanted.

She soon finds out that changing jobs is not always enough to find what you want in life.

Elizabeth Neep is a great writer, with a very easy-to-read style while not shying away from conflicted characters with deep emotional turmoil. Sometimes, with contemporary fiction/romance, the books are easy reads because there isn’t any depth, but somehow, through both of her books, Neep manages to bring complicated characters with big life problems to the usually light genre.

Hailey is a great character because she is a flawed heroine. She isn’t sure about herself, her work, her boyfriend, or pretty much any decision she has made in her life. While infuriating at times with her indecision, Hailey is every person who has ever questioned what they want out of life. It is infuriating to ask these questions because there are never easy answers. Hailey was the physical embodiment of a fork in the road of life.

I could have used more from Dom and Liam, though I definitely appreciated how Elizabeth Neep kept their characters extremely neutral. I got the feeling she didn’t want to tell us who to root for, since Hailey didn’t know, and I appreciate that a lot. I just wanted to know them more.

The story wasn’t predictable at all and I loved, loved, loved the format. It was original but didn’t feel forced in the least. I honestly enjoyed reading Never Say No and looked forward to the moments I was able to tuck into the pages.

~About the Author~

Elizabeth Neep was born in 1990 in Derbyshire and now lives in London Bridge. After studying Law at the University of Nottingham and the University of New South Wales, she worked in magazine journalism, most noticeably writing for Dazed and Confused and PETRIe. Elizabeth now works as a non-fiction Senior Commissioning Editor and writes and paints in her spare time. 

https://www.elizabethneep.com/
https://www.instagram.com/elizabeth_neep/?hl=enhttps://twitter.com/elizabeth_neep

*Special thanks to Elizabeth Neep and Bookouture, for providing a copy of Never Say No in exchange for an honest review.