SAID NO ONE EVER – Stephanie Eding
Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 9781-7282-3997-2
April 4, 2023
Romance Comedy

Choteau, Montana – Present Day

Ellie Reed has just broken off her romance with her steady but boring boyfriend and is on the verge of possibly losing her work-at-home job. A nice vacation in the middle of nowhere is all she asked for, and she gets one after searching online. Ellie ends up on a farm in the middle of Montana, but as she’s arriving, an emergency vehicle arrives and takes her presumable hostess off to the hospital. Ellie doesn’t know what to do, but there is no one else around to advise her, so when she sees that there are animals that need to be fed, she jumps in to help until she can find out what’s going on. But it soon turns out that Marilyn, who owns the farm, is going to be laid up for a while and asks Ellie to take care of the farm until she returns home. Has the vacation turned into a working stint for Ellie? Then Marilyn’s grandson, Warren, shows up, startling Ellie.

Warren isn’t happy to see Ellie. He usually stays in the small house that she is staying in, and he didn’t know about Marilyn’s accident until he found out upon his arrival. While he wants Ellie gone, he doesn’t evict her because his grandmother forbids him to. Warren sees Ellie as a stubborn pain in the rear, but he agrees to let her stay because his grandmother likes her. If his mother and aunt found out their mother was renting a house to a stranger, they would commit Marilyn to an institution. Meanwhile, Warren doesn’t know that Ellie is being wooed by Marilyn’s neighbor, Blake. If he knew, he’d tell her the truth about Blake…

SAID NO ONE EVER is a cute and funny read right from the start. Ellie thought she was going to enjoy a relaxing vacation and get away from her demanding family while she decided what to do next in her life. The last thing she expects is to have her hostess fall and end up in the hospital. With no one else around, Ellie helps, though she has never taken care of a donkey, two sheep, and numerous chickens. After getting instructions from Marilyn after visiting her at the hospital, at least she now has an idea of how to feed them. The arrival of Warren changes things a little. He’s there on his annual trip to fix things around the farm. They spar a lot but get to know each other. It’s clear that Grandma and grandson love each other, but is it enough to fend off the evil sisters aka Marilyn’s two daughters? They’ve been threatening for years to move their mother to Spokane and into a nursing home. Marilyn wants to stay on the farm.

Warren and Ellie’s relationship is tenuous at first. He doesn’t want her there, while she feels like she is obligated to be there as per Marilyn’s wishes. Despite the friction, there is a glimmer of attraction between them. While SAID NO ONE EVER does have a romance in it, most of the story revolves around the emotional journey of Ellie. She came to Montana not sure about her future, but soon she knows that she wants to stay—at least for now. It’s a crazy crew in this rollicking tale, and readers will chuckle on many an occasion. Will Ellie end up staying forever? You’ll have to read to the end to find out.

If you love a lighthearted romance with a bit of kookiness, then SAID NO ONE EVER is a perfect read.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

I want to be Marilyn when I grow up!

Ellie Reed using her vacation to deal with her breakup from her long term boyfriend, her family and to look for a job since the medical transcription company was laying off the freelancers. But her stay started off badly when her host at the tiny home was injured tripping over her bulldog leaving Ellie responsible for the animals with absolutely no experience. And there is the helpful neighbor and cranky grandson for the possible romance.

I probably laughed more about the reactions of Ellie with the animals because I can picture the chaos and mess. But reading about Marilyn was worth the price of the book because I could picture my grandmother doing the same things.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Stephanie Eding’s Said No One Ever didn’t quite work for me. There were parts of it that were charming and fun but as a whole it didn’t come together.

Ellie arrives at her airbnb in the middle of nowhere Montana as her hostess, Marilyn, is being carted off in an ambulance. Ellie doesn’t know what happened or how she’s supposed to take care of these farm animals. She’s not supposed to be figuring out how to take care of sheep, donkeys and chickens, she is supposed to be figuring out her life. She has just broken up with her longtime boyfriend, she knows she’s about to be unemployed, and she won’t be able to afford her apartment without a job. She’s got a lot going on and three weeks to figure it out. Her family knows exactly what she should do – get back together with her ex and become the nanny for her sister’s children. With a little help from the charming neighbor and a visit with Marilyn in the nursing home where she is to recover from a broken leg, Ellie figures it out. When Marilyn’s grumpy grandson shows up he assumes Ellie is up to no good.

The parts of this that really work are Ellie’s relationship with the animals and with Marilyn. As Ellie gets drawn into Marilyn’s shenanigans and caring for the farm animals, she regains some self-confidence. Edings has a way with dialogue and creating animal characters that I enjoyed a lot.

I think this would have worked better for me if this had stayed focused on Ellie and Marilyn and their lovely intergenerational friendship. While there was some very nice banter with the grandson, I really didn’t love the “love triangle.” It felt forced and it was very clear that the charming one would be a snake and the grumpy one would be the good guy. Even with the shoehorned in love triangle, this really isn’t a romance.

I felt like too many things were handled cartoonishly. Lip service was given to how hard it is to make decisions about caring for the elderly, but the characters who were in a position to make those decisions were two-dimensional bad people. Their choices seemed simple and self serving, which made the choices Ellie advocates for simple and good. It felt like there were two different books in here and they didn’t mesh.

CW: families with no boundaries, injuries to the elderly (treated), injury to animals (treated)

I received this as an advance reader copy from Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

Ellie had already booked herself a 3 week vaca at an Airbnb in Montana before finding herself newly single and soon to be unemployed. She still goes though, figuring she can finish out her job from anywhere and it’s already set up. Besides, she needs the escape from an extremely meddling family, who all know exactly what her next steps need to be, no input from her needed (or wanted)

Unfortunately, almost just as she arrives the host Marilyn is hauled away in an ambulance after getting injured by Hilda, her occasionally energetic bulldog.

Now her vaca might be getting comped, but Ellie finds herself suddenly caring for an escape donkey, attack rooster, stinky chickens, wandering sheep and some surprise goats. And Hilda of course. Not to mention working on a rather strange todo list Marilyn gave her.

Luckily - maybe, the jury is still out - she has a few friendly people around giving her a hand. Kind of. There’s Warren - grandson, shower interrupter, and builder of the tiny house she rented without him knowing. And there’s Blake, a neighbor whose family rents the surrounding fields and helpfulness and interest seems slightly suspect. And Dr Tori, she’s an actually helpful and friendly local vet.

This was a quick, fun and light read, super entertaining. There’s a grumpy/sunshine vibe, with kind of love triangle.
Overall it’s super light on the romance though, and heavy on the wildest “vacation” ever.
There’s family drama all around, So Much Drama. And Ellie is very much a fish out of water with her instant farmer status. She is Not Prepared!
I loved the characters in this one. Ellie says her goal is grow up to be like Marilyn, and I support that 100% - she and Belle are a hoot.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC!

The definition of a feel-good read. I’m unsure how to summarize the pure fun this book was! Farm settings will always be my catnip.

In need of an escape to figure out her future, Ellie retreats to Montana to rent an Airbnb on farm property. But when she sees the owner of the farmhouse leaving in an ambulance, Ellie lands herself in the middle of stable chores, runaway animals, an unexpected romance, and a family drama outside her own.

The laughs this book gave me! And many of those are thanks to Marilyn, the super feisty eighty-two-year-old widow who runs the farm at her own discretion. I highlighted nearly everything that came out of her mouth, I swear. I loved this woman and her wild ideas.

It’s truly a vacation turned upside down for Ellie, and I adored seeing her find friendships, learn to take risks, and of course find love …

Will it be the crotchety grandson of Marilyn or the charming neighbour down the road? It’s best to go in blind and experience the utterly swoonworthy moments yourself.

So CUTE! Ellie Reed tries to leave her complicated life and family behind for a few weeks in Ohio with a trip to a farm in Montana. Upon arriving everything turns upside down and it ends up not the relaxing vacation she hoped for! With hilarious characters (owner of the farm, 82 year old Marilyn reminds me of the Golden Girls 100%!) and will they or won’t they love options. I really enjoyed seeing Ellie grow and realize she’s capable of so much more than what she and her family thought she could be. Such a sweet and fun story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this early digital copy in exchange for my thoughts.

Funny and heartwarming, Said No One Ever is a light and quick read about a woman whose life takes an unexpected turn when she goes on a vacation.

I would probably categorize this as women’s fiction, not romance, as the story focuses more on Ellie’s growth than the love story. Ellie had a great character arc. At the start of the story, Ellie was floundering. With a recent break-up and almost certain job loss, Ellie decides to go on a vacation to a rural town in Montana. Here she plans to regroup and reevaluate her life. However, when her host has an accident upon Ellie’s arrival, Ellie’s life is changed, and she finds herself in the midst of a chaotic and entertaining journey taking care of farm animals, visiting with her host, and being pulled into family drama.

Ellie is such a relatable character who faces the criticism of her family, the break-up of a six-year relationship, and job insecurity. She’s constantly criticized by her family, and her self-esteem is not great. Between the break-up and the family pressures, not to mention that she needs to look for a new job, Ellie has a lot on her plate. However, she grows a ton over the course of the story, and she learns a lot about herself during her stay. Kind, caring, and compassionate, she never loses her spunk and generous spirit. I think her story and her situations will resonate with readers.

The friendship between Ellie and Marilyn is one of the highlights of the novel. I love that these two women connect, and Marilyn is an absolute riot! She is always up to something, and her shenanigans are hysterical. Warren, Marilyn’s grandson, is also wonderful. A bit of a grump, Warren is very devoted to his grandmother, and they have a lovely bond. And the banter between Ellie and Warren is fabulous – definite grumpy-sunshine vibes going on with these two!

This is a light, fun, and comical read and one that contemporary romance readers might enjoy. And a special shout-out to the farm animals. They were adorable, and like Marilyn, they were up to all kinds of shenanigans in the story. Ellie’s interactions with them are fantastic!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

“𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙘? 𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜? 𝙄’𝙢 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙥 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙖 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙧, 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙮 𝙗𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙙𝙤𝙜, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜, 𝙡𝙪𝙭𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙩-𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙯𝙚𝙗𝙤 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙒𝙞-𝙁𝙞 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙡. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙄 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙣𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧, 𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙—𝙗𝙤𝙣𝙪𝙨—𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙖 𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡.” 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙥. “𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩, 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚.”

____

If that quote doesn’t convince to read this book I don’t know what will! Said No One Ever was a hilarious, zany adventure that I didn’t know I needed in my life. First of all, I was not expecting Marilyn — what a hoot!! Think Betty White on crack…in a good way though!! I love old ladies in books and she’s my new favorite. She had me cackling from beginning to end. The unlikely friendship she forms with Ellie after she comes to Marilyn’s aid was my favorite part of this whole story. It was both hilarious and heartwarming — I’m still thinking about it!!

Then there’s our heroine Ellie! Talk about character growth! Her character arc was perfection. I love how she went from people pleaser to a take charge, independent go getter. She still stayed true to herself by being kind and helping others, but no longer to her detriment. This story was the perfect blend of women’s fiction and romance. All I’m going to say about the romance is that it was handled so well and in a very grownup way. There are two romances in this story and it’s best to peel back that onion for yourself.

There is so much to love in this book — loveable farm animals, Hilda, nursing home shenanigans, funny nicknames, a certain grumpy grandson. I’m sure I’m missing something, but I just can’t recommend this book enough!!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for an advanced copy! My thoughts are my own.

A fun, wholesome and charming romance/women’s fiction title. The small town Montana story was a great escapist romp that had great characters and surprising heart. It definitely leans more into women’s fiction than romance which I don’t typically gravitate towards, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

Ellie thought she was getting away for a few weeks and finds herself in charge of her Airbnb owner's farm while she (the owner) recuperates in a nursing home. While she's there, she encounters some cute but naughty animals, a hot neighbor, some new friends, and a grumpy but cute grandson.

What a fantastic book! This wasn't really a romance, but there was a slow burn romance in the plot. It was more about Ellie learning to stand on her own and up for herself as the story progresses. Her family has their own opinions about what was best for her throughout the entire book and while it overwhelmed her, she never really put a stop to it. She just avoided it. Throughout her time on the farm, however, Ellie learns a lot and she helps Warren and Marilyn fight for themselves, she learns to fight for her.

The animals are adorable and I love the banter between Warren and Ellie. They really learned to work together and I feel like they learned to "like" each other instead of just jumping into something too quickly. This was well done!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Nah, this book fell flat for me. It had a lot of potential, but I just wasn't that invested in this story. I couldn't relate to the MC, the love story didn't convince me at all... I liked the dog Hilda though... But the rest... I couldn't keep reading it all...

A fun light read about a woman who discovers some unexpected things about herself and life in general when she blithely rents an Air B&B. Ellie needed a break after a break up so why not rent on a farm? Sounds good except that Marilyn, the owner, ends up in the hospital and Ellie finds herself caring for the animals. And then Warren, Marilyn's grandson arrives and he isn't happy about Ellie. Canny readers know there's a possible romance here but what about Blake, the neighbor? Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A nice escape for the reader.

This was a really fun women's fiction/romance set in rural Montana. Feeling lost in life after breaking up with her long time boyfriend and getting let go from her job, Ellie decides to book a mini vacation. When she arrives on the farm her elderly AirBnB host has an accident that lands her in the hospital. What follows is some forced proximity with the her host's grandson, farm animal shenanigans and a lovely second chance romance. Great on audio too narrated by Stephanie Richardson. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital copies in exchange for my honest review!

Set in the gorgeous Montana, this book felt purely wholesome.
I loved the 'Hart of Dixie' similarities that it had; a sweet & quirky love triangle, snall town charm & meddling families.
The ending especially was super emotional and comforting as hell. I adored the relationship Ellie shared with her elderly friend/b&b owner.


Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @sourcebookscasa for an early copy of Said No One Ever by Stephanie Eding. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Said No One Ever is a heartwarming novel about Ellie, who rents an Airbnb on a farm in Montana; during the first few hours of her stay, the owner, Marilyn, was in an accident that left Ellie handling the farm and its animals. What she planned as an enlightening vacation turned into a family drama, with two handsome men competing for control of the farm and a spunky elderly widow with outrageous ideas and plans.

Ellie’s character is so relatable in this novel; she’s being pressured by her parents to have a career and berates her almost all the time for breaking up with her perfect boyfriend of six years. Her time at the farm was an enlightening experience for her despite the circumstances and the family drama she didn’t ask for. The animals on the farm were so adorable and I love Ellie’s interactions with them. Despite not having any previous knowledge of taking care of farm animals, she absolutely did a great job! Marilyn’s character was also very funny and hilarious! I could see myself being great friends with her.

The romance in this novel is just very light; I wouldn’t call it a romance novel since the romance just kicked in at about 70% of the book (though to be honest they lacked chemistry).

Grab this book when it releases on April 4th, 2023 if you are a fan of some light family drama and heartwarming characters in a small-town setting!

I liked this book thought it was funny and cute but wouldn’t necessarily call it a romance. Felt more like women’s fiction. I did like the story and the premise and found the characters to mostly be likable though the love interests felt somewhat under developed. 3 stars in all. I want to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a charming story, particularly in the second half as the MC really gets pulled into the drama surrounding spitfire grandma Marilyn! I loved the whole found-family aspect and the message that it's never too late for romantic love! All of the animals added to the charm! A very fun escapist read with loveable characters, both human and animal.

4.5 rounded up

Absolutely delightful. I enjoyed every bit of it from start to finish.

Ellie was at a crossroads, feeling like her world was falling apart with no real path to getting it back on track. She decides to go stay at an Airbnb in Montana to get centered, gain some fresh perspective and then start over. Ellie and everyone else in her path (Or Marilyn’s) gets more than they bargained for in this book and hilarity ensues.

Marilyn, the owner of the Airbnb was a whole entire mess. Warren was the grandchild every grandparent wishes they had, although he is a bit grouchy…his love for his grandmother shines through. Marilyn reminded me of a spunkier version of my own grandmother so that made her even more endearing.

I absolutely adored all of the MCs in this book. I liked the character development and building of trust within the various relationships. Everything flowed so naturally.

It wasn’t full of romance but did have romantic elements. It was hilarious at times. I don’t really know how to classify this one. I don’t know that I’d call it a romcom but it definitely had those elements. If you liked “Dial A For Aunties” then you’ll probably love this one.

This was my 1st book by this author and based upon how much I enjoyed this one, I’m sure I’ll enjoy her other books as well. It’s hard to find books that you can really connect with, so anytime I find one it just makes my heart so happy.

I highly recommend this one.

I really enjoyed this book! Ellie’s story is one of transformation and courage, as she tries to move in with her life. This heartwarming novel is about families, too—the ones who love each other but who also try to force their loved ones into what they think is best, even if it’s not what they want. The antics of Marilyn and Belle were very funny, as were the animals who lived on the farm, adding a lighthearted vein to a story that also has serious moments.

I went into this expecting a romance novel, which it's not. Now that I've finished and realize it was women's fiction, I'm readjusting my response to the book.

What I liked best about the book is the humor. It's very funny, and the ornery Grandma is a great character. I also liked the setting of a farm in Montana, however I don't think the author did her due diligence with setting. It could have been a farm anywhere, nothing specifically felt like Montana (and I know because that's where I live).

The focus of this book is not on Ellie's relationship with Warren, which doesn't kick in until more than 70% into he book. The focus is her journey, both literal in that she's on a vacation far from home, and her personal journey where she's trying to shake off her familial expectations and do what she wants.

I recommend this for readers of women's fiction but not those looking for a romance.