From the start, this book was very attention-grabbing. This author knows how to reel you in with a good story from the start. From drama, you see in everyday family dynamics to trauma brought on by bad situations. I will recommend this book on my Instagram as of November 2nd. This book will have people losing their minds over the ending and have some rethinking their lives. This was a new author for me and I will continue to look for future books. The writing style is fun and fast paced. You are never left hanging.

First, this book tackles a really important topic, and I am glad that discussions of male victims of sexual assault are being talked about more openly. I also thought Kyle was well-represented as a man who must “appear strong.” The therapy scenes were compelling, and I’m glad they were included. The short chapters also helped the book flow well.

I was hoping that each character’s dialogue would become more idiosyncratic as the book went on, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen. I also felt incredibly irritated by how insensitive Rebecca was of Kyle’s situation and forced him to support her, despite him obviously being traumatized by being sexually abused by who is now basically Rebecca’s boss.

Like other reviewers, I was a bit confused to learn that this was a sequel, although the cover of the book says this is the first of the Bold Journeys series. Knowing this is a sequel would have been helpful.

Finally, I felt like there was so much going on in this book — the different storylines, the switching POVs. I wish the book had stuck to just Kyle’s POV. As a reader, we would have had a clearer idea of Kyle’s feelings of franticness and being lost and avoid the predictability that came with having Jane’s POV.

Overall, I appreciate Paulette Stout writing about this topic and bringing more attention to it. There were certainly good parts of this book, but I was disappointed with the rest. Two stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Smith Publicity for providing an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Received this ARC from Netgalley. Honestly, I could not get into this book. Did not like the abrupt start to it. The topic the author touched on is one that you rarely see in fiction books..kudos to her. The characters were boring. I think if i had known there was a book before this one with the same character it may have made a difference in my review.

Great book. Love that the #metoo story is told from a different view. I wanted to soak it all in, but also rush to the end to get to find out how things were resolved.

Rebecca, an aspiring magazine writer, is thrilled when her blog starts to get a large following and gets a big offer from an important publication. Unfortunately, the editor has an agenda.

Kyle. Rebecca's boyfriend, has a secret in his past. For a while, he was a successful male model. The editor of the magazine that is interested in the blog, controlled him completely in every way-including sexually-during this time. She wants him back and she has no problem ruining Rebecca's career to get him.
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I liked this book and got through it rather quickly. Nothing stood out to me that made me really want to share it with friends, but it was an easy read.

Relationships take so much work. Are we willing to put someone else's needs before our own? How much of our own desires do need to push aside to do what's best for someone else? There is much to unpack in this book. We often don't want to talk about or read things that make us uncomfortable. This was not a favorite book, because I felt I knew what the characters should have done. Just as society knows what someone else should do in any given situation. I am so thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I am still processing this book. I will be for quite some time.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Smith Publicity and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Compelling, unique and well written.

Rebecca has never been particularly confident however, she has finally found success writing a blog for women. Rebecca’s blog soon becomes noticed by a fashion magazine. However, her boyfriend, Kyle is concerned that the publicity may not be a good thing. He doesn’t want the secret that he’s been faced with for eleven years to become public. This book tackles the big issue of sexual harassment in the workplace. While we often think that it only happens where a man harasses a woman, this book tackles the issue never talked about, a woman harassing a man. This is a very important issue to be addressed, and I appreciate that it was addressed in this novel. This novel follows characters that were introduced in Love, Only Better. I will be reading this novel because I enjoyed the characters. Thank you the NetGalley and the publisher for this advance review copy in exchange for my honest review. I enjoyed this book and will be reading more by this author.

I love a good literary fiction story. I did really like this one! I think a lot of people will thoroughly enjoy it! 4 stars.

Thank you net galley for providing me with a copy of What we never say in exchange for a honest review.


I wanted to like this more. I really did. The concept and the discussion this book tries to have its important and I applaud it for its boldness however the execution simply failed me.


The characters felt quite flat and none of the had any distinguishable characteristics other than being horrendous to each other. Overall not a good read.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It had me turned pages without even realizing. It was so good!

A Great book in SA in ment.Great dialogue suspense and well thought out characters and unique. Also deals with trauma and power dynamics

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc.

I really wish I could have liked this more. Especially because it is about an intriguing topic and something that I believe needs to be talked about more. As a woman, I get to see my story told in many books concerning SA, but I know this happens to men as well and I've always wished there were more inclusion for them in this topic.

So I liked the topic in a very just "we need to talk about this," way. What I really didn't love were the characters personalities and that the story itself just didn't feel completely full to me.

I really must applaud this author for tackling this subject and I really hope there is a lot more writing on this to come!

Out November 1, 2022!

They say don't judge a book by the cover but I did and I was pretty disappointed. I thought this was the first book in the series so when I started reading it I was confused until I found out that it's the second book. Why would you put Book One on the cover if its book two? So right off the bat I was confused and frustrated. I stopped reading about 30% in.

I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

A different perspective on a topic in which generally men are thought to be the minority. The story of a newish couple deeply in love whose relationship strengthens while tackling the plots against them. After reading, you realize regardless of who is the victim, all humans need support from each other.

Thank you NetGalley and Paulette Stout for the opportunity to read this book prior to publishing.

Okay so boom. I'm just be honest, mkay? Okay great. I was thoroughly disappointed by this book. I wanted so badly to love it. SOOOO BADLY. It tackled a subject that not many dare to tackle, but babyyyy this book was FLAT. Everything was flat. The characters were flat. The story was flat. The entire thing was just....well, FLAT. The characters were all unlikeable in this story. Paper flat. Like so flat that if they turned to the side, they would probably all disappear. All of them lacked common sense.

And also...there's another book? This one says Book One on the cover, but it was obvious that this is book 2 if anything. Many of the details about them were left out, seemingly because they were included in the first book and we were already expected to know. I think I was about 30% into the story before I even realized that Rebecca was Hispanic. It was mentioned in passing. As if it wasn't completely new information to me, a person who was under the impression that this was a standalone story. Also, the personality of the characters seemed....ick.

For example, Kyle is rightfully upset that Rebecca is going to work for the same company where he suffered the literal sexual abuse that he confided in her about in the beginning of the story. Now you would think, if your significant other comes to you and says that a certain place/person/thing is triggering for them because of what they dealt with there, as their significant other you would cut all ties with that place/person/thing right? RIGHT? Well in this book's case you would be dead wrong. Rebecca basically, in so many words, said: "I mean that sucks for you but this is really good for my career so...maybe get over yourself?" which would be fine if it was just a jilted ex or a stressful work environment, but we are talking LITERAL SEXUAL ABUSE and she just brushes it off with a giggle and a shrug? Whet??

Relationship would be done. Right then and there. Done. Finito. Good bye. Adios. And everything else that means GET TF AWAY FROM ME.


They all made dumb decisions, honestly truly. I was upset that Kyle still had ole girl's number and picture saved in his phone after what she put him through. And she was able to just call him whenever she felt like it. Hi? Hello? Block the number. Tf? It felt more like an annoying ex than an abuser/victim situation.

OMG This book was really something!
It really explored, and very well done, some incredibly interesting and complicated subjects. To be honest, if I knew exactly what the book was about, I don't know if I would've read it, from a completely biased point, but I am SO glad I did.

I think it's fresh. It explores sexual themes and abuse from the male perspective, which I don't think its done enough, without taking away the female experience. Rebecca's experience and sexual awakening that gave her newfound confidence is a great way to parallel Jane's ""confidence"". Both women feel empowered, but only one is doing it right, this way. it shows so clearly how you can be empowered without pushing someone, instead, its by uplifting someone.

It also touches a lot on social media and how it has an effect on these types of topics and stories.

I also liked Kyle and Rebecca's relationship. Again, not a lover of having a relationship bloom out of the story and having to belive these characters are in love, I really love the buildup of it. But it works here, because the build up is shown by the transition of this couple from their honeymoon period into life partners, and its truely something more intimate and a beautiful thing to love. --> update: I didn't know this was sort of a sequel, will be checking it later!!

Surprisingly, ALL the secondary characters are really well done and have different bright personalities, each one with a tiny story. Loved Libyy, Rebecca's friends and Visaj.

Now, what I didn't like:
There are some typos or some writing mistakes, enough to make me notice. There is a scene even when the narrator's voice turns into first person instead of the usual third person.
I also didn't like having that many POVs or I would've liked less switches.
The other thing I felt weak was how easily everything was solved. It all went down terribly and suddenly, two pages after, everything was ok and fixed! Weird.

Thank you Netgalley and Smith Publicity for sending me an ARC of this book. It was really good. It took me a while to read it in the beginning but them I got really into it haha. Even if took me while to do so, I still recommend it as it is a very easy read.

WOW is all i can say from the first couple pages i Was hooked and had to counite it , I finished it in a day ! thankyou net galley for allowing me to read this !