Never Have I Ever
Lauren Blakely

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Release Date October 4, 2019

So this story surprised me. I went in thinking Lauren Blakely enemies-to-lovers rom-com. We met Sloane's spunky friend, Piper, in Satisfaction Guaranteed. She is also friends with Jason from Instant Gratification. She is a wedding planner extraordinaire who is a wiz at problem-solving, managing, peacemaking, and getting all the details right. She is also single and planning on staying that way.

Zach Nolan has been part of her larger friend group since college, but she has never really liked him. He is the negativity to her positive light. He has no problem with a reputation as a cocky, judgmental negotiator, or even ahole. And his job as a shark divorce attorney now suits him well. They say he has a black heart or no heart, and if he does still have one it is closed for business.  But when he is with his kids, it is obvious he does.

Due to work locations, Piper and Zach are now seeing each other more often. Their antagonistic banter is their usual way of communication. But as they start spending more time together during friend social obligations, there might be some sparks and a bit of lust starting to fly. They have always used words as weapons, but now there is a bit more flirty and dirty undertone adding a bit of foreplay.

They both have reasons to resist the attraction. And neither one wants to catch feelings. They both have reasons for not dating. The kids make it more complicated They share a nosy friend group and close office space. They try to keep their armor up, but what if it slips?

This is a slow-burn, snarky, sexy, swoony, frenemies and second-chance romance with all the feels. It is more of a heartfelt romance with family ties than a rom-com, but there is still fun, flirty, sarcastic, and witty banter. It also takes you away on some travel adventures.

Zach, Oh my! He totally won my heart. I loved seeing him open up to possibilities. There is so much more to him than it initially seemed. And Piper gives it right back to him and keeps him on his toes. Their chemistry is amazing, and their connection is obvious despite the baggage and challenges.

I enjoyed getting their dual points of view. They are so good at internalizing and self-talk that it was important to see their confusion and vulnerability. I loved seeing their changing dynamics and rapport as they started to unveil more of themselves. There are some quiet scenes that I just felt like I was there listening to private conversations and feeling all the raw emotions. I grew totally attached to these two and the adorable children. I enjoyed their friend group and the fact they stuck together over the years and tried to be there for the important stuff.  This book totally made me smile, but also made me cry. It was a perfect read to grab your heart and make you feel. So it was a wonderful surprise.
When you hear a story’s main characters are a wedding planner and a divorce attorney, it is only natural to assume enemies to lovers. This definitely has elements of that trope, but it is also so much more (and I would say the enemies part drops pretty early in the story too). Piper and Zach share an office building thanks to their mutual friend and landlord. Zach’s reputation as a shark for his clients and his propensity to bet on the length of marriages instantly has Piper’s back up. Their banter as a result is quick, sharp and hilarious as they manage their close quarters. It doesn’t help that Piper has taken Zach’s daughter under her wing, giving her another place to hang out when she’s waiting for her dad to finish work.

As they find themselves in the same place at the same time more often, they can’t help but let down some of the walls that have always made things tense between them. As the walls come down, we see more of Zach than just the shark attorney. He is an attentive father, and though his status as a divorce attorney might paint him as anti-marriage, we learn he had a very happy marriage when his children were little.

I loved watching these two as their lives meshed together, almost without them noticing. Piper’s attachment to Zach’s kids means they tread carefully in the beginning, and it isn’t until Zach begins to question if he is even ready for a relationship that they realize things have already moved that direction.

This was a fun, slow-burn as Piper and Zach navigate the many facets of working together that develop over the course of the book. What started out as sharp-tongued bickering quickly turned to witty banter, and they had me pulled into their story from the very beginning.