Thank you netgalley for the chance to read this.
This was a really touching, deep, interesting story on mental health, found family, friendships, and a love "triangle". I did really enjoy it, and thought it was super unique to set the scene in a mental hospital. It has moments that are actually laugh out loud funny (which is rare for me), great character development, and a lighthearted tone despite the very real 'heavy' bits about psychology and trauma.
The only thing I think that's really critical ahead of pub day: this is shelved as a romance and it really truly isn't. I hope they move it because I think thats super misleading.

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

This book was a unique twist on contemporary romance novels. Starting from the perspective of 3 individuals who met and fell in love at a mental institution after attempting suicide, the book takes this subject, which could be quite dark, and turns it into a sometimes funny, sometimes emotional tale of a destination wedding and the personal journeys to get there.

I would read another book by this author as I found it to be entertaining which really surprised me given the foundation of the story.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

This was a beautiful story about friendships and having a support system.

This story touches on mental health ALOT and I highly recommend checking the trigger warning before reading as the 3 main characters meet at a psych ward and their journeys of recovery are talked about throughout the whole book.

Parts of this book had be laughing others had me in deep thought.

overall I liked the 3 main characters ( Dee, Misha, and Matt), and while I feel they all need to work on their communication skills I think that was also the point of the story. To show people you have to communicate with others in order for them to support you and you support them in the way that you all need .

I wasn't a big fan of Tilly(Dee's sister) and found her to be a little annoying.

I think this book does a good job showing the importance of friendships, healthy support systems and boundaries.

I loved every second of this novel. Never Been Better follows a group of three friends who meet in a psychiatric hospital dealing with their mental illnesses. At some point, Dee falls in love with Matt, and Matt falls in love with Misa. Later on, Dee finds out they got engaged and her world breaks down. She remains secretly in love and starts ignoring them both, despite being close friends. When she is invited to their destination wedding, Dee runs out of excuses and finally decide to attend.

This book obviously talks a lot of mental health, the struggles and appareances they have to put up to and how it really depends on the day regarding their progress. Despite the seriousness of the topics, it was also very funny and cute. This would make an excellent beach read.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publishers for letting me be an early reader.

It took me a little bit to get into this story. The depth of the mental health issues the characters are dealing with was not what I was expecting. I'm glad I stuck with the story. The author (Leanne Toshiko Simpson) gives a great glimpse into the life of people suffering from bipolar issues. The misadventures and relationships of these friends and family are thoroughly entertaining with all their quirks. I would definitely read the next novel from this new author. Thank you Putnam Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read #NeverBeenBetter.

Never Been Better revolves around a trio of friends, Dee, Misa and Matt, who met as patients in a psychiatric hospital. When Dee is invited to the wedding of her two friends, she is thrown into turmoil—she has been in love with Matt since they were in the hospital, and besides deciding if she’s even strong enough to go to the wedding—is she strong enough to confess her feelings to Matt? There are some very tender moments in this book, along with some offbeat humor. What fascinated me the most, though, was watching as all of the complicated, messy relationships in this book unfolded. There is a lot of love between them, but there is also a lot of hurt, deception, and misunderstandings. The author does an amazing job of making this relationships feel real, as emotions surface. Dee, Matt, and Misa are written with a delicate but honest and raw touch, as they come to terms with their illness, how it affects their own lives along with everyone around them. Congratulations to the author on her debut novel, for giving a voice to those who are often lost and misunderstood.

How often have you answered "Never been better!" to a generic inquiry as to your well-being? Chances are quite a few too many times, I'm guessing, And more significantly, how often have you responded in this way when those three little words couldn't have been further from the truth?

Well, now, imagine having to live the falsity of those three little throw away words, while also dealing with the internalized and oft-times purposefully concealed yet devastating effects of mental illness? Of suicidal ideation and suicide? Of voluntary and involuntary hospitalizations?

Not only does Toshiko Simpson reveal just these things in her debut novel, but manages to do so with grace, humor, and dignity! Three things that all people could use more of in their lives, but most decidedly those folks whose mental illness steals so much of those very things from them on a daily basis.

"Never Been Better" is Leanne Toshiko Simpson's debut novel and enjoys a publish date of March 5, 2024. A romantic comedy (bet you didn't see that coming!) that also takes an unflinchingly honest approach to the decidedly important issues of identifying, managing, and living your best life alongside mental illness is a book that I didn't know I needed to read. But now that I have, I truly can say that I have never been better!

It’s really refreshing to see a positive bipolar story. Like, really refreshing. Most of the time, characters with bipolar in either books or movies, no matter how relevant their diagnosis is to the plot, are portrayed one-dimensionally, either as loose canons that are burdens to everyone around them at best and violent or harmful at worst. Depression and anxiety feel fairly “normalized” in media depictions at this point, but rarely does bipolar disorder get the same treatment, with characters finding stability or independence or even just healthy coping mechanisms. Bipolar characters are never “normal.” I’m not going to lie, it hurts sometimes! It makes me feel ashamed!m to share the diagnosis!

But Never Been Better shows readers bipolar disorder in a way that’s ……. never been better (womp womp). Its portrayal is realistic in that the main character, Dee, is frustrating at times as we watch her stumble through a period of her life post-hospitalization that is defined mostly by her perceived inability to move forward, but she is still a full character outside of her illness, or at least she is on her way there. It’s messy as hell, but it’s altogether positive and forward-thinking, which isn’t what you get out of most depictions of bipolar disorder in film or literature.

The author doesn’t ignore the realities and the truths that all the aforementioned depictions are rooted in, but it aims to add a much needed, lighthearted “however” to the conversation. Plus, the messiest, most toxic character in here isn’t even one of the ones with bipolar! It’s her cringey bull-in-a-china-shop sister! Now that’s what I call equality

I could tell that this story is deeply personal to the author, as all mental health experiences are, but it did leave me feeling a little “left out” at times — some of the relationships or feelings felt like “you had to be there” moments, which you can still appreciate for their significance even if they aren’t relatable.

My biggest criticism (and more just a question) is how much this is marketed as a rom-com or even just a love story. It isn’t. And I think it’s better for it because it’s refreshing and realistic, but it did throw me off a bit.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC ❣️

This book almost lost me in the first half, but closer to the end I was rooting for all the characters! A cute story about growth and personal development. Tilley was the best part of the book, she was hilarious.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Dee, Matt, and Misa meet when admitted to the psychiatric ward. All three of them end up becoming the best of friends. The events of the story begin one year later, when Matt and Misa are getting married in a stunning tropical location. However, there is a catch. As a result of Dee's feelings for Matt, she is unable to accept the fact that her best friend, whom she loves very much, is going to marry someone else. The question of how she will respond and what she will do is one that you will have to find out for yourself.

The narrative encompasses not only the present day but also includes flashbacks to the period when the three characters were residing in the psychiatric ward. Initially, I anticipated similarities to the plot of Julia Robert's film, "My Best Friend's Wedding." However, the author has skillfully steered the storyline in a totally different direction. The ending turned out to be surprising.

The development of the characters is, in my opinion, the most significant flaw in this story. It was undeniable that they required additional development; however, this would have resulted in the lengthening of the narrative, which would have also resulted in the elimination of the lighter moments and the addition of the more weighty topics.

It’s a cute story, and the writing style was suitable for the overall theme. Despite delving into weighty subject matters such as mental health and suicide attempts, the story retains a lighthearted tone. The main dominant themes of love, loss, friendship, and self-acceptance are skillfully interwoven. I think readers who are looking for something light and entertaining will enjoy this book the most.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

Never Been Better is a poignant exploration of the intricate web of emotions surrounding mental health, unrequited love, and the backdrop of a destination wedding. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Turks and Caicos, the novel delves deep into the complexities of human relationships and the power of resilience in the face of adversity.

Many thanks to the publisher Penguin Group Putnam, author Leanne Toshiko Simpson, and Netgalley for providing me the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This title will be released on March 5, 2024.

5 STARS — GO READ THIS NOW!

Never Been Better is like My Best Friend’s Wedding tropical resort edition but not a rom-com. Three friends met in a psych ward. Two are getting married. The third, our main character, has been invited but is secretly in love with the groom. She goes with her devoted but wild sister as her plus one, and the wedding lead-up goes anything but smoothly.

I loved the rich family and friendship dynamics. The love and memories were beautiful, but the author also layered in the rocky parts of relationships. There’s also bipolar rep. I love that we get some dark humor and sarcasm for levity but also the serious, meaningful discussion of mental health. The author even addresses such topics as Japanese-American internment, cultural heritage, and diaspora.

Never Been Better is definitely my favorite fiction read of recent memory. It’s heartwarming, poignant, well-paced, and centers on very real feeling characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my review.

I enjoyed this book. I thought the story was cute. I can imagine it would be a nice beach read. I may consider reading other books by this author in the future.

My blog is https://bookreviewsbyjules.blogspot.com/

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/44083250-julia

Instagram/bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/bookreviewsbyjules/

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for allowing me the privilege of reading this story. It was a beautiful story another the journey of a girl with bi-polar disorder. I highly recommend.

Never Been Better by Leanne Toshiko Simpson was a fascinating rollercoaster of a book.

Goodreads mischaracterizes it as a romance, which it is definitely not, and the logline on both Amazon and Goodreads refers to it as a comedy, which I think is also a mischaracterization. With its strong theme of self-discovery and growth, I'd describe it as women's fiction. That said, the book has lots of humorous dialogue and is well-written and poignant, with characters I variously wanted to tell off and hug. For much of the story I wondered if it would be my first review containing the words "unlikeable heroine"--but Dee, like several other characters, was NOT totally unlikeable, and she learned and grew throughout the book, so that by the end I could fully appreciate her good qualities, which include protectiveness toward her loved ones, an occasional blazing honesty, and her quirky off-beat sense of humor.

Dee's friends (engaged couple Misa and Matt) and her sister Tilley also have moments where they shine brightly enough to redeem past wrongs and capture readers' hearts too.

I very much appreciated the book's focus on the challenges of mental illness, of finding truly helpful resources and balancing the pros and cons of strong medication, all while dealing with the sometimes unreasonable and overwhelming expectations of loved ones who haven't had to face the same struggle--all at a time when your brain is torturing you and your personal energy reserves and resilience are at their lowest.

4.5 stars, rounded to 5.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book and these are my honest thoughts on it. Thank you to the author and publishers for the opportunity to read it!

This is a beautifully written story about the challenges and successes of a mental health journey. The author does an amazing job capturing the lows, highs, heartbreaks, joys and stigma from hospitalization to life in the real world.

I thought the story was beautiful, and though I don't think I was the right audience for the book (hence the three stars), I could still appreciate the author's intent and would highly recommend it to anyone who has or is struggling with mental health.

This was fun! It’s definitely messy but was a pretty quick read. I enjoyed the premise of the book and watching all the situations that the main character finds herself in. I also really enjoyed the exploration of all the family relationships, especially with the sister and cousin. 3.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I had such high hopes for this book but unfortunately I found it difficult to read because of the issue involved.
Its about friends at a mental facility who attempted suicide. I found it disturbing and for that reason I could not finish.

An honest and heartfelt story of friends and family struggling to deal with mental health issues.
Dee, Matt and Misa meet in a psychiatric hospital, support each other and create a needy but wonderful friendship bond.
After Dee is booted from rehab, Matt and Misa fall in love. When the wedding invitation arrives, Dee spirals. Her attraction and love for Matt causes her to question her mental stability.
Dee’s sister, Misa’s cousin and grandmother and Matt’s best friend are all supportive of their diagnosis and difficulties.
The destination wedding is a chaotic challenge, conflicted feelings, demanding parents and medication issues force some very important conversations and decisions.
I felt the author was very respectful of the challenges of mental health and the need for supportive caring and honest family and friends. Good read!
I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions in this review are my own.