I really enjoyed listening to ths book. The main characters were very relatable, the scenes descriptive without being overdone. The author put enough details in the story in the beginning to know some of the back story but not enough to give the plot away. I will certainly enjoy more books by this author.

Never Tell is a fast paced romantic thriller written by Stacey Abrams under her pseudonym Selena Montgomery. This book has a little bit of everything: linguistic and etymological clues, secrets from a past life, romance, and psychological twists and turns. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and listening to January LaVoy’s narration of the book. The expected publication of the audiobook is January 24th, 2022 and will be available from your favorite audiobook seller.

4/5 star
I enjoyed this one! There were a slew of likeable characters and I enjoyed the authors writing style. There were a few twists I didn’t really see coming either which is always nice.

This was my first Stacy Abrams book and I was impressed by her use of language in it. However, I feel like this is not a romance but more of a thriller. Yes there is a romantic interest for Erin Abott the book's protagonist but the heart of the story is the criminal psychologist finding the identity of a serial killer that is targeting people that have an acquaintance with her. There is very little romance in this book to call it a romantic suspense.

The thriller aspect of this book is far more compelling to me and is where the true story lies. I would like for Erin Abbott to have her own series of solving crimes that the police consult her own. I think as a brilliant criminal pyschologist she can assist the FBI/police in serial killer cases .

The narration of this book was brilliant as January LaVoy always embodies her characters male and female alike.

Thank you MacMillan Audio for this ALC.

This mystery moves along quickly, with the main character moving into a love relationship relatively quickly. Felt parts of this book I was able to figure out where it was going. And then when other parts were I was surprised. Overall good audiobook

Thank you Netgalley for granting the audiobook arc. This is not a romance book I've ever read. Though the serial killer storyline was interesting to read. The insta-love was a bit over the top for my taste. I listened to the audiobook and I enjoyed the narrator. If you plan to read this book be prepared for some eye rolls but overall I enjoyed my experience.

Actual rating: 2.5 stars rounded up

Heads up this is not a light book and contains pretty graphic scenes of violence, abuse (including towards minors), and sexual assault. I wasn't prepared for the intensity and want others to know what they're getting into. Never Tell is a romantic suspense following a criminal psychology professor with dark secrets in her past, trying to uncover the identity of a serial killer who is after her, alongside a handsome reporter.

Aside from how graphic the violence was, I had mixed feelings on this one. I like the idea and do realize it's partly a product of its time (2004 was the original publication), but we have a hero and heroine who don't do a great job with clear consent, pushing past stated boundaries because they think they know better. I think this has been recently re-edited for new publication and I wish some of that had been more thoroughly reworked. Otherwise, I liked the idea of having this main character working through serious trauma from her past with this serial killer on the loose. I do also have mixed feelings about the ending and the identity of the killer. I think this tries to handle the chosen trope appropriately but I don't think it adequately grapples with the ramifications. (hard to say more without spoilers.) I wanted to love this, but it ended up being just okay for me. The audio narration is very well done, which maybe added to the horror of some of those violent scenes. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced audiobook of this fantastic thriller.

Erin Abbott is a professor of criminology who is doing everything she can to fly below the radar. Unfortunately Gabriel Moss sees through her dowdy prepress or act immediately.

This is a sexay book! There was undeniable chemistry between Erin and Gabriel. I love the way Selena Montgomery ties a steamy romance and a thriller into one neat little package. This kept me on the edge of my seat throughout and kept me guessing.

I love how she used New Orleans as an additional character in the story. Her descriptions of the setting were beautiful. I had a hard time stopping listening to this one!

Having never read anything by Abrams/Montgomery before, I didn't have much to measure by. And while it wasn't the most polished writing I've ever experienced, it wasn't terrible.

I'm a big fan of Stacey Abram's writing. And I'm a big fan of mysteries. Yet this one didn't live up to my high expectations of her other work.

Yes, it was entertaining. It's just not something I would recommend to fellow readers with a 4- or 5-star review.

I know Stacey has a love for words and an immense vocabulary, but at some point the overuse of fancy adjectives sort of jump the shark for me. It just felt a bit too much.

Special thanks to Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy of the audiobook via the NetGalley app. The narration was fantastic!

This was a terrific and suspenseful audiobook. It took me a minute to figure out what was going on but once I was sucked in the story I couldn’t wait to see what happened.

I’m so happy that I requested an ARC for this book, I might not have had it show up in my feed without netgalley. This is such a refreshing thriller with a believable & enchanting romance! The sexual chemistry between the two characters was incredible. I also appreciate an author who does not overdo it on twists like SOME authors I know (cough).

If you like thrillers or romance, pick up this book!

Pros: I was fascinated to find out Stacey Abrams has been writing fiction under a pen name for years. I enjoyed reading While Justice Sleeps, but I found myself liking this book even more. The thriller aspect of this book was engaging, fast paced, and unpredictable. (I did not love the romance part, but I can see how some readers will enjoy a thriller-romance mashup.) The serial killer’s calling card/killing pattern was a clever detail as was the main character’s interest in linguistics. I also loved the New Orleans setting.

Cons: Parts of this book (which was first published in 2004) feel outdated. The writing felt wordy at times, and the book is longer than it needs to be. Also, this is not a con but more a warning to readers—this book has many trigger/content warnings. This book probably is not for more sensitive readers as it is quite graphic at times.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the opportunity to listen to this book.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because of the author

I’ve shared this review on Goodreads and StoryGraph.
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/c292797c-48a8-4070-8f65-cb9a97c27eb2

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to an advance copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review. I loved Stacey Abrams' book "While Justice Sleeps!" Unfortunately, it was not the same for this romantic suspense novel by her. It just did not grab my attention. I usually love dual timelines, but with this dual timeline the main character was given two different names and it was confusing. I really wanted to love this book and listened to it till the 49% mark, but then had to stop listening to it and add it to my "Did Not Finish" shelf.

MAJOR trigger warnings: abuse, abusive relationships, violence against women, sexual assault, murder, graphic descriptions of death

Let's not sugarcoat it, this book is dark and it's twisted, it is violent, it is telling a story of an incredibly deranged serial killer. And incredibly deranged abusers. If you can't or choose not to read/listen to stories that involve that, this book will not be for you. Now on to the story itself.

Dr. Erin Abbott is a criminal psychologist that is thrown into the investigation of a serial killer roaming the streets of New Orleans. Reporter Gabriel Moss is the only person who believes her theory. The two come together to solve the case though Gabriel has an ulterior motive of falling for the psychologist, while Erin keeps him at an arm's length to protect him from her dark past.

THE NARRATION ON THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. January LaVoy is an absolutely prolific narrator. The narration made the story for me, honestly. Also, this story was MADE to be an audiobook, it was so amazing to listen to this and I don't think I would have adored it as much had I read it. The pace of the audiobook was incredible. It felt like watching How To Get Away With Murder. It was so engaging to listen to this story and meet the characters in this way.

The thriller aspect itself was very engaging, I liked the ABC method behind it, it was different and a little complicated and convoluted (which was good because I didn't immediately guess the killer). The story was twisty and intricate.

The romance was the part I wasn't totally sold on. Gabriel was not my favourite, he really needed to let up, he was a little too dominating/alpha male for my taste (especially given that Erin is a victim of abuse!)

This was a great, twisted thriller with some romance thrown in!

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for an ARC of the audiobook version of Never Tell.

DNF at 20%

As much as I absolutely adore Stacey Abrams and her most recent book, this one just isn’t for me. The violence is so incredibly graphic that it’s triggering, so I’m not able to continue.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced audiobook copy.

I enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. Clear and pleasant to listen to.

As for the book, it was just ok.