Blog Tour + Giveaway + Review: "Never Have I Ever" by Lauren Blakely

I am thrilled to be participating in the blog tour celebrating the release of Lauren Blakely's latest novel, "Never Have I Ever," the third book in the Always Satisfied series.  A full review is included later in this post, but in short, I absolutely adored this sweet, funny, and sexy story and cannot recommend it highly enough.  Even though it is part of a series, it is a complete standalone, which is perfect for readers like me who have never before picked up any of Ms. Blakely's books.  This story was a delightful introduction to Ms. Blakely's work, and I plan to work my way through the rest of her backlist as soon as I can!

In celebration of the release of "Never Have I Ever," Lauren Blakely is giving away a Reader's Delight Prize Package including a 32 GB waterproof Kindle Paperwhite, a $50 Amazon gift card, and a Happy Planner for 2020.  For your chance to win, click here!  (Giveaway closes on October 14.) 

About "Never Have I Ever"

Falling for the enemy has never been so deliciously complicated in this standalone romance where a sexy single dad meets his unexpected match! Get ready for all the feels!

Never have I ever been so infuriated by a man I wanted to kiss.

They say opposites attract, but I beg to differ. Combust is more like it. Because every single time I talk to Zach Nolan, I see red.

The too-good-looking, too-smart, too-effortlessly charming single dad who works down the hall from me has turned getting under my skin into a sport. Call it the battle of wits between the wedding planner and the divorce attorney.

Trouble is, when we’re forced into closer quarters planning an engagement party for our best friends, I start to see his other sides.

And I fear I’m falling for the enemy.

***

I’m not out to make friends. My goals are simple -- fight till the end for my clients, and my family.

The last thing I need is a vibrant, outgoing, snarky, and surprisingly big-hearted wedding planner to spend my precious free time with…except, watching Piper bond with my daughter just might break down the cinder block walls I’ve built around my heart these last few years.

Second chances don’t come around for guys like me…or do they?

My Review

As mentioned above, I adored this book and found it very difficult to put down.  I basically ignored my family and friends for an entire afternoon just so I could finish it!  I really did have all the feels as I read, from tears of sadness to tears of laughter and joy. 

The main characters, Piper and Zach, were incredibly well-developed and likeable. I loved their initial relationship and banter as frenemies, and their interactions only got better from there.  Both Zach and Piper carried a lot of emotional baggage from their previous relationships, but I was amazed by how well they handled it.  I particularly liked how they communicated with each other instead of bottling up their feelings and letting things build to a gigantic explosion in the end.

I also loved that Zach was able to acknowledge his love for his first wife, Anna, but still recognize that he had moved on from her loss and was ready to fall in love again. I really appreciated the book's message that there can be more than one great love in someone's life, and in this case, Zach was blessed to have found both Anna and Piper.

The secondary characters in this book were fantastic, too.  I enjoyed meeting some of the characters from earlier books in this series, such as Sloane and Jason. In addition, Zach's children, Henry and Lucy, were adorable and nearly stole the show in a few places.  Lucy was wonderfully smart and confident, and Henry was so calm and sweet.  Their growing relationship with Piper was lovely, and it was very sweet how she fell in love with them right along with their father.

Overall, I really can't recommend this book highly enough, and I very much look forward to reading more of this author's books in the future.

*ARC provided by the author via Candi Kane PR.  All opinions expressed are my own.