Yes, the title Never Have I Ever makes me think of that dumb game, but that’s the point. That, coupled with a fairly demure cover, had me seriously underestimating the twisted nature of this book! It was a serious thriller with lots of sharp turns that I never truly expected.
The book follows Amy, who has lived several shades of life, but has finally settled on suburban mom and housewife in Florida. She is also a scuba instructor, which is pretty unique. Either way, Amy is part of her best friend, Charlotte’s book club who has just let the newest neighbor into her house to partake. Her name is Roux, and she is brash, sexy, and unapologetic.
We learn the next day of Roux’s true motivations, which is to rob Amy of her trust or else she’ll reveal her sordid past to her friends and husband. That’s got Amy sweating quite a bit, but then catches Roux in a lie. Too bad Roux doesn’t ever stand down! It just ups the ante for her, really. You aren’t left guessing at big parts of Amy’s past, she reveals that she had been a miserable and overweight teen who was pining over her best friend, Tig. The two went drinking and on the way home ended up killing the friendly neighbor, Mrs. Shipley, in a car crash.
It’s haunted Amy ever since, and after living some questionable years in California, she finally made her way back to the panhandle to make amends to her former best friend, but just couldn’t quite get herself to do it. Instead, she became friends with Charlotte, who introduced her to her now husband, Davis and his teenage daughter Maddie. The two also have a child of their own, so she’s finally decided to bury her past deep and live this typical and mundane suburban life.
And that starts to tatter to the point of almost crashing down when Roux reveals what she knows. Only she discovers more. It’s almost like a game of chicken between these two women, rather than the game that the title suggests, but it’s clear that neither are going to stand down without a fight. All Amy needs to do is figure out who Roux really is. And when she does some digging, she uncovers some truly horrifying details.
Like I said, this book had lots of unexpected twists and it had me hooked from the go. Roux was so elusive at first and I wasn’t quite sure what her angle was, but once she showed some of her cards, it was clear she was out for blood. Only, Amy was chalk full of surprises herself. In fact, it was hard to determine who’s life was more juicy by the end, but it was a fantastic journey. I highly recommend this thriller!