{Book Review} Never Never, Part 3 by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

From Goodreads (all three book summaries)

Book 1

Best friends since they could walk. In love since the age of fourteen.

Complete strangers since this morning.

He'll do anything to remember. She'll do anything to forget.

Book 2

Silas races against time as more truths unravel, while others twist tighter together. And now, the stakes are higher as Silas’ control slips and others begin to point fingers. Charlie is in trouble and he must be the one to bridge the chasm between their past and their present. Because somewhere between I love yous and Never Nevers and Never Agains, a truth they can't imagine, beckons to be found. 

Book 3

Together, Silas Nash and Charlize Wynwood must look deeper into the past to find out who they were and who they want to be. With time ticking down, the couple are in a race to find the answers they need before they lose everything. Can they regain what they once had? And will it restore who they once were?

My Thoughts

3.5-4 "I am so conflicted" Stars

I read the first Never Never book just a week or so after its release this time last year. How could you not with the gorgeous cover? 

I absolutely devoured that novella; it was such an unusual plot with compelling characters, great flow, and kept the viewer constantly guessing. Despite its shortness, it was never crammed or rushed. I slapped a 5 star rating on it, and it quickly wormed its way onto my "Favorites Shelf  Bookcase" as I not-so-patiently waited for the second installment that May. 

While book two was a touch slower paced and fumbled in a few places, I still throughly enjoyed it. My theories on what was going on kept circling around in my head, each one more outlandish than the last. I've been dying to read the final installment and see if any of my farfetched ideas were correct, and it finally released earlier this month. 

I immediately downloaded the sucker, and read it in a single sitting. 

And... I am unsure of how I feel. 

I'll try and keep this as non-spoilery as possible!

"Trust your gut. Not your heart, because it's a people pleaser, and not your brain, because it relies too heavily on logic."

I loved the beginning of the story; the reader is left high off the effects from the end of book two, and we're slammed back into where we left off. Things have drastically changed for our couple, and they're even more anxious and confused by these new circumstances. They begin searching for any sort of answer, and their journey leads them back through old memories. This part was so interesting to me - getting to see who the were in the beginning, who they were then, and the core of themselves now was so neat to watch.

Maybe it has nothing to do with anyone else, and everything to do with us.

Then...then things started going a little weird for me. Things really started unfolding, and I was underwhelmed by it. Perhaps it was because I went so long between part 2 and part 3, but it felt rushed to me. All my theories on what would happen fell flat, and I had questions left unanswered (what about the Shrimp? Their previous lifestyles?). 

I somehow have more feelings for this girl than will fit inside of me. 

Other than that though, I really enjoyed it. Silas has always been a favorite of mine, and he shined in part three. It was gorgeously romantic, and well written as always. I will definitely be doing a reread of this series soon! 

I've heard murmurings of another book collaboration for Hoover and Fisher in both their author Facebook groups, and I am beyond curious to see where that goes.

Overall, this is a 4.5 star series for me, and I highly recommend binge reading them.

Cover Lust No. 3

Never Never (#1, #2, and #3) by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

Best friends since they could walk. In love since the age of fourteen.

Complete strangers since this morning.

He'll do anything to remember. She'll do anything to forget.

“Never forget that I was your first real kiss. Never forget that you’ll be my last. 
And never stop loving me between all of them. 
Never stop, Charlie. 
Never forget.” 

Silas races against time as more truths unravel, while others twist tighter together. And now, the stakes are higher as Silas’ control slips and others begin to point fingers. Charlie is in trouble and he must be the one to bridge the chasm between their past and their present. Because somewhere between I love yous and Never Nevers and Never Agains, a truth they can't imagine, beckons to be found. 

“Where are you, Charlie?” 

No summary yet, but holy bat balls I need this! Comes out in January. :D

One of my favorite series of the year! This novella series is full of twists and turns, swoony romance and heart pounding suspense. Highly recommend.

I love the way the three covers flow together!

Book Haul!

Finally! After Amazon held my books hostage for several days, my order is here. Only fellow bibliophiles can understand the ravenous excitement of tearing into that Amazon books and breathing in the smell of new books!

First we have Amour Amour by Krista Ritchie.

Synopsis: 

Love is a circus

"Every day," he says lowly, "I hold a person's life in my hands. The circus is based one-hundred percent off trust. I give it all to someone, and they give it all to me."

The best aerial technique won't land 21-year-old Thora James her dream role in Amour--a sexy new acrobatic show on the Vegas strip. Thora knows she's out of her element the second she meets Amour's leading performer. Confident, charming and devilishly captivating, 26-year-old Nikolai Kotova lives up to his nickname as the "God of Russia."

When Thora unknowingly walks into the crosshairs of Nikolai's after-show, her audition process begins way too soon. Unprofessional. That's what Nik calls their "non-existent" relationship. It's not like Thora can avoid him. For one, they may be partners in the future--acrobatic partners, that is. But getting closer to Nik means diving deeper into sin city and into his dizzying world.

 Thora wants to perform with him, but when someone like Nikolai attracts the spotlight wherever he goes--Thora fears that she's destined to be just background to his spellbinding show. 

This is a new adult romance that is described as "Cirque Du Soleil meets Center Stage", and I can't wait to start it. I was completely enthralled when I saw Cirque Du Soleil preform a few years ago, and I'm a huge fan of Ritchie's other series, Addicted to You. Plus, the cover's pretty!

Next up is Never Never: Part Two (Volume 2) by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher. I wrote a review of the first Never Never book that you can find here. This was an incredible read, even better than the first! I can't give a synopsis without spoiling the first book, sorry! They're only $2.99 on Kindle, though. ;)



Then we have the absolutely incredible book Fighting Silence (On The Ropes Book 1) by Ally Martinez. This originally released as an eBook only early this year, and I am beyond thrilled it was recently released in paperback form. I love having all my favorites lined up nice and pretty! An amazing, heartbreaking, and inspiring story that I devoured in one sitting.

Synopsis:

Sound is an abstract concept for most people. We spend our lives blocking out the static in order to focus on what we believe is important. But what if, when the clarity fades into silence, it's the obscure background noise that you would give anything to hold on to? I've always been a fighter. With parents who barely managed to stay out of jail and two little brothers who narrowly avoided foster care, I became skilled at dodging the punches life threw at me. Growing up, I didn’t have anything I could call my own, but from the moment I met Eliza Reynolds, she was always mine. I became utterly addicted to her and the escape from reality we provided each other. Throughout the years, she had boyfriends and I had girlfriends, but there wasn't a single night that I didn’t hear her voice. You see, meeting the love of my life at age thirteen was never part of my plan. However, neither was gradually going deaf at the age of twenty-one. They both happened anyway. Now, I'm on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life. Fighting for my career. Fighting the impending silence. Fighting for her. Every night, just before falling asleep, she sighs as a final conscious breath leaves her. I think that's the sound I'll miss the most.

Here is Forbidden (Volume 1) by Megan Curd. I haven't read this yet, but I'm excited to get to it!

Synopsis:

Levi's job is to protect his human until it's their time to go. That's what a Guard does. He's done it for years on end, and he'll spend his eternity doing the same, mundane thing, following the same, mundane rules.

...Watch from afar.
...Never share your name.
...And above all, never touch a human.

What Levi doesn't know is that his newest human to protect, Hannah, just might be the catalyst to tipping the scales between good and evil, and he will be forced to decide which side he belongs to. Which friends will he side with, and who will he ultimately protect: his human, or the delicate balance that hangs on stopping the heartbeat of the person he has sworn to protect?

And, when you're already condemned, what's there to lose by breaking the rules?

THE GUARDIAN CHRONICLES: FORBIDDEN will take you into a world of Guards and Guardians, Light and Darkness. What side will you take?

Lastly we have Empower (Embrace #5) by Jessica Shirvington. Without a doubt, it's my biggest guilty pleasure of the YA genre variety. I thoroughly enjoyed these books after the first one.

Synopsis: 

It's all come down to this.
It's time to stop running.
It's time to make a choice.

Two years ago, Violet Eden walked away from her home, her friends, the Academy, and hardest of all, she walked away from her soul mate, Lincoln.  Now Spence is gone, and Violet knows she is the best person to go after him. But doing so means facing everything and everyone she left behind.

Violet must find out who she really is-and exactly what she is capable of-before the abilities the angels gave her are turned against them. She is all that stands between the forces of good and evil.

And finally, these are my Saturday yardsale finds. 

- The Bibliophile Babe 

The Bibliophile Babe Reviews Never Never, Part 1 - Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

Hey, everyone! Good to have y'all here this morning. :) Today I'm reviewing Never Never: Part 1 by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher. I was not paid, perked or given a book in exchange for a review; I'm reviewing my own copy and all opinions are my own.

Colleen Hoover is one of my favorite authors. She's written Confess, Ugly Love, Slammed, and Maybe Someday. She has a uniquely absorbing writing style, and writes some of the best male protagonists. So many of her male characters are on my book boyfriend list.

I haven't yet read anything by Tarryn Fisher, but she is on my To Be Read shelf! She's the author of Marrow, Mud Vein  and the Love Me With Lies series.

Never Never is a three part collaborative novella series between Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher. It's a new adult contemporary romantic suspense with elements of paranormal (I think).  While the main characters are still in senior year of high school, it does not read like a Young Adult book.

Like I said, this is a novella trilogy, and the second book came out last Sunday (5/17). The third book does not yet have a release date, but the authors are hopeful to debut it this summer.

Here is Never Never's intriguing (and brief!) description:

"Best friends since they could walk. In love since the age of fourteen. 
Complete strangers since this morning. 
He'll do anything to remember. She'll do anything to forget. "

They definitely don't tell you much with that, huh? The book is so short that I'd almost rather you didn't know more than that, and just went in blind. I did, and I couldn't be happier for it!

For those of you that prefer to be a little more knowledgable, I'll give you the gist and then you can pick it up (because serious, you need to read this).

Never Never follows two 18 year old high school seniors, Silas and Charlie (it's used as a girl's name here). They've been in love since they were kids, and have been dating since they were 14. One day they wake up with no memory of themselves, each other, or their families. Oddly enough, they can remember song lyrics, how to drive, and various things they enjoy doing. 

They both decide to pretend as if all is normal, even as they try desperately to remember. As they learn more about themselves and their lives, some ugly realities start to surface. Major conflict between Charlie and Silas's families have made relationships with their parents extremely strained, Charlie's mother is an alcoholic, they're alienated from their siblings, and it turns out they aren't exactly the golden couple they're made out to be. 

That's really all I can say without giving it away!

Even though Never Never is only around 130 pages, it felt like a full length novel due to the amount of information you learn. Despite that, I never once felt like it was rushed or cramped. The writing flowed beautifully, the pace was fast and engaging, and I was utterly captivated by the characters and their situation. It has a unique and refreshing storyline, and the collaboration was flawless. 

I found myself getting so wrapped up in the characters, and I felt an instant connection with Silas. His point of view was fascinating, and the way he thought about things made me so curious. I liked Charlie as well, though I didn't quite "get" her the way I got Silas. 

I had a new question forming in my head with practically every page turn, and by the end of the book I was buzzing with excitement and anticipation for the second installment. My only complaint is that it ends with a killer cliffhanger, but now that book two is out you don't need to endure the same frustration! 

I just love this cover!

STATS:

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Genre: New adult contemporary romantic suspense, possibly with paranormal elements

Point of View: Alternating 1st person

Steam/Sexual Content: Some hot steam, mild sexual content

HEA: Not sure yet!

Cliffhanger: YES!

Warnings: None aside from the cliffy

Length: Novella/159 (according to Amazon)

Series: Never Never 
Publisher: Hoover Ink

So that's what we have for Never Never! Have you read this book yet? What did you think? 

- The Bibliophile Babe

Welcome!

Hello, everyone!

I'm The Bibliophile Babe, and welcome to Good In The Stacks. :) I'm happy to be here, and excited to get into the book blogging community.

I'm a lifelong Floridian with an all consuming obsession intense passion for reading. I've been a daily dog blogger for over four years now, chronicling life with my four and a half year old Miniature Dachshund, Nola. You can look at that blog by clicking here, if you're interested.
I'm a photographer, a dog mom, a gardener, an avid reader, a yogi, and a (healthy) foodie. I lead a busy life, but always make time for reading!


This blog will contain book reviews, general book chatter, independent bookstore profiles, rants, raves and musings, among other things that I have yet to decide on. I read a bit of everything, but my tastes are primarily New Adult, Adult and Young Adult romance, paranormal, contemporaries, and erotica.


I hope to post daily, or at least 3-5 days a week. Come back tomorrow for a review of Never Never, Part 1 by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher!


- The Bibliophile Babe