Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

I wanted to like this, as a story of second-chance love and redemption, but it ended up being a little too heavy for me. The characters were not as well hashed out as I would have liked, especially for the amount of trauma and abuse they endured.

Thank you NetGalley and Josha Publishing for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It would be wrong to say that I enjoyed reading this book because it deals with heavy topics like domestic violence and abuse, but it's important to know about them.
I liked Drew's and Tasha's friendship, their development throughout the story and how Drew learned to support her no matter what. However, I would've liked more insight/flashbacks into both characters' childhoods, which I think would've given them a bit more depth.
Still, I want to stress that it's not an easy thing to write about abusive relationships and for that, it was done well. Because the only other book I read on that topic is "It Ends with Us", I automatically compared the two in my head and think that "Believing in Never" was way better than CoHo's book because it focuses more on the physical and emotional healing after such trauma.

The review is based on the book Believing in Never , written by Katherine Turner . If you are looking for a story that is full of romance , drama , and relationships , this book is for you . The author , Katherine Turner does an exceptional job in narrating the thoughts of the main characters Drew and Tasha. Katherine’s descriptions are so great that I felt I knew each character in the story . This story follows the lives of Tasha and Drew who have a special relationship that they kept as a friendship for many years . The relationship of Tasha and Drew was like no other, and nobody could compare to the love they had for each other . They both went through many life challenges including traumatic events . The author does a great job of painting the picture of the unconditional love Tasha and Drew have for each other . I highly recommend this book and would love the opportunity to read more from Katherine Turner .

3⭐️

i actually had a good time reading this! trying to gather my thoughts, i have so many comments on this good and bad 🤨

THE PLOT:
natasha and drew have been friends since they were 14, their bond strengthening over their shared struggles with abusive families. tasha and drew go on their separate paths in life until one day are brought back together, this time both of them are in toxic/abusive relationships. while reunited in the same town, tasha and drew go through the struggles of being friends while being in love. however, tasha has to face her demons in order to heal or her and drew will be split forever.

MY THOUGHTS:
the first thing that really stuck out for me is the representation of domestic abuse. i think it was REALLY well represented. the thoughts tasha had throughout her abusive relationship with duncan was so aggravatingly accurate. i, too, have thought the exact way tasha had going through her ups and downs. it really hit close to home. 🥹 i was so in love with tasha’s journey and it really was motivational to see the growth of someone involved with domestic abuse, as well as growing from a tough past.

of course as a reader, this book can seem very repetitive…like extremely. that was something i really didn’t like. it was the same situations in different words over and over and over again. i found myself skimming every now and again cause i just couldn’t deal with the repetition. 😐 another thing that stuck out to me was the damn miscommunication trope. i personally HATE that kind of trope. at times i felt they were acting like teenagers again and it left me saying, “come on, really?” i found myself rolling my eyes sometimes.

i wish the book focused more on drew and tasha’s past. i know we get snippets here and there but i think it’d have a lot of potential to make the book feel deeper and more connected with the characters.

all in all, i had a good time reading this and in no way is this a bad book! ☺️ this is a very dark read with a lot of sensitive topics, so if domestic abuse and mentions of r*pe are too much, then this might not be for you. if you like the best friends to lovers trope, this would be right up your alley! i’d cautiously recommend this, but it wouldn’t be something i’d push for. 🩷

thank you to Katherine Turner, Josha Publishing, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! <3

Loved these characters. Turner wrote a great story. It took me a bit to get into it but overall I did enjoy the book! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Drew and Tasha, best friends since the age of fourteen, are now adults facing their tortured pasts and trying to find happiness together. Living in different cities, they come back together to celebrate Drew receiving a prestigious award. During this week together, their feelings for each other shift from friendship to something stronger. From that point on, the two find it hard to build a romance together.

I had high hopes for this book as I read the summary. The first few chapters drew me in and had me rooting for the romance to blossom. Unfortunately, the characters seemed to have the same issues each time they reconciled with their own feelings and tried to come together. They made assumptions about the actions and words of the other, which led to them growing apart. It was difficult to root for either character in these instances.

The trauma and abuse of both characters was a central theme in the book. The author did a good job of recognizing and describing the effects of abuse and trauma, which made me sympathetic toward the characters.

I thought this book had potential, sadly, it just fizzled out for me.

Thank you to @netgallery and Josha Publishing for the ARC.

"Believing in Never" by Katherine Turner, while not without its flaws, managed to hold some redeeming qualities. I despised the first half of this book, while the latter part of the book, though somewhat clichéd, possessed a degree of intrigue that kept me mildly engaged. While the execution faltered at times, there were moments of genuine engagement and interest scattered throughout the narrative. These moments, however sporadic, managed to pique my curiosity.

In terms of character development, the book did not excel in this regard. The author offered insight into the inner lives of the characters but despite that, the main characters were stagnant, unrelatable, and unlikeable. Although their growth and development wasn't as robust as I was hoping, it was enough to follow their journey and understand their motivations to some extent.

The sensitive subject of trauma and abuse were a central theme of the book and while the author attempted to address the issues, it was very cliched and fictionalized. On a positive note, the author brought awareness to the topic and might even prompt readers to explore it further on their own.

In summary, "Believing in Never" is a book that possesses potential but falls short of reaching it. While it may have its flaws, it manages to maintain a level of interest and provides glimpses into its characters' inner lives. Readers who can look past its shortcomings may still find some enjoyment in this story.

First off what a gorgeous cover! It pulls a reader in right away and I’m always in love with acquiring stories on young love and finding your way back to each other. This book is a beautiful example of that. It really keeps you hooked with all the twists and turns. I highly enjoyed this one and I know readers will live following theses two soulmates on their journey.