Review Tour: I Could Never: Penelope Ward
Penelope Ward
Release Date: August 21, 2023
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Two years after my fiancé passed away in an accident, his father died suddenly, leaving Brad’s adult, special-needs brother with no one to care for him.
The next thing I knew, I was on a cross-country drive to New Hampshire where I’d be moving in to look after Scottie until I could get him into a group home.
The last thing I ever expected?
I wouldn’t be taking care of him alone.
Josh Mathers, my fiance’s best friend—who also happened to be my sworn enemy—insisted he was the better person for the job. He told me to go back to California, and I told him where he could stick that demand.
Our disdain for each other wasn’t anything new. It dated back to a text I’d accidentally read years ago.
We hated each other. But we both loved Scottie, so neither of us budged.
Now we were living together in a tiny house—with one available bedroom. Thank goodness it was only temporary.
Over time, I realized the broody jerk I thought I knew was different than I’d imagined.
I found myself slowly growing attached to someone I once considered the enemy…and growing attracted to him.
Sure, both of us were guilt-ridden over Brad. We were also two grown people with pent-up frustration toward one another—stuck in a cabin in the woods.
But this was Josh.
I could never.
Scottie is a young adult autistic man who has recently lost his father and previously lost his brother. He needs someone to care for him and find him a permanent living situation. And the two people who show up to help are not happy to see each other. Carly was Scottie's late brother's fiancee' and Josh is his late brother's long-time best friend. And they did not get along in the past. And they both think they can handle it alone, until they realize how challenging the situation is.
Carly is sassy, kind, and has spent two years grieving. She has always seen Josh as the wild one and a bad influence. But they did not really know each other and were colored by misperceptions.
They are dealing with shared loss, guilt, loneliness, and grief. But as they work together to help this young man, the forced proximity, new understanding, communication, and teamwork begin to build a connection and unwanted attraction.
Carly is just starting to think she can begin to move on and is willing to try putting herself out there but is also afraid of her burgeoning feelings for him and fear of rejection. It's a slow burn with some jealousy issues and fear of admitting what is really going on. Josh is struggling with issues from his past and feelings of unworthiness and guilt. He tends to run hot and cold, avoids, resists, and is afraid of what he wants. And the want is the problem for both of them.
This is a story of unexpected life changes, found family, and home. It's complicated, messy, sometimes funny and sometimes emotional. I honestly loved them together. From their initial antagonism to friends to lovers. They challenge, support, and surprise each other. I loved seeing them with Scottie. This book touched my heart and I really enjoyed it.
Carly may not have moved on much after losing her fiance two years ago, but when she learns his special needs brother is left without a caretaker when her father passed away unexpectedly, she drops everything to travel cross country and take care of him while they wait for space in a group home. But she quickly learns she wasn’t the only one with that thinking.
Carly and Josh never saw eye to eye when Brad was alive, and things certainly haven't changed since his death. Josh was Brad’s best friend, and Brad’s family was like a second home to Josh growing up. With the same goal in mind, they have to figure out how to work together to keep Scottie safe while they also find him a more permanent home.
I loved each of these characters. Carly is quick witted, sassy, and full of strength. She wants to do right by Scottie because she feels that’s what Brad would have wanted her to do. Josh has some survivors guilt after losing Brad, but feels he is the better caretaker because he grew up with Scottie and is familiar to him. They begin with animosity built on several miscommunications and misunderstandings during the time Carly was dating and engaged to Brad. Now that they are forced into close proximity, they begin working through some of the hard feelings to find they have several things in common after all.
This book had unique circumstances that threw the main characters together. I loved the way Scottie was integral to the story. There is quite a bit of back and forth as they learn how to coexist in a small house, share the load of caring for Scottie, and work through their emotional hangups. There were several times when they get in their own way, letting hangups from the past color their present relationship. But I loved how they worked through things in the end and I loved the way their resolution came about.
PENELOPE WARD
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.
She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.
With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over twenty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
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