Woah.

This book was so good.
An unreliable narrator, Jolene, meets an old classmate in an improv class. Her and the classmate, Alice, have quite the history. Jolene was responsible for a terrible accident that Alice was in that caused her disfiguration.
The twists and turns in the book are so good. You see a couple of them coming but overall such a good book. The ending was so good. My jaw dropped.

Definitely recommend!

This book kept me coming back for more! From the very beginning Faith Gardner had me on the edge of my seat. The twists and turns made me question everything. Finally the twist ending and tying up the loose ends made this book amazing. I will definitely be recommending this to my friends and family.

I received an advance copy of this text in return for my honest review. I did not receive any financial compensation for this review.

📚 PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK REVIEW 📚

Like It Never Was
By Faith Gardner
Publication Date: July 2, 2024
Publisher: Mirror House Press

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚MY REVIEW:

This book was the trippiest unreliable narrator thriller that I have - literally - ever read!

I love the unreliable narrator trope, so I read them a lot. And so for me to say this was the trippiest one I've ever read, that's a high compliment. This book is a MUST if you love unreliable narrators too.

With its dual timelines of THEN and NOW, its short chapters, and its suspenseful fast-paced WTF storyline, this book was an absolutely putdownable thriller. The only reason I didn't finish it last night is because I fell asleep, iPad frozen on my Kindle app and still in hand, from the sheer exhaustion of my day.

I don't know if I love the dark creativity in Gardner's mind that came up with this story, or if I'm terrified of it, but either way - this was a brilliant read. There were so many twists and turns, and so many crazy little things that happened throughout the book, I couldn't even begin to guess how this one would turn out. And that was a smart move, because there was no way I could have predicted it. I knew the book was filled with lots of crazy, I just didn't know where the crazy was going to go next. The last 20% of this book gripped me so fiercely, so captivatingly, I was glued to its every single word.

I cannot say it with enough conviction: this wild ride of a thriller is one I HIGHLY recommend! Get it on your TBR list as soon as you can -- and be sure you set aside time to read it, because you're going to want to devour this heart-pounding psychological thriller in just one sitting!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Mirror House Press for gifting me this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

**While you can't request this one from NetGalley any longer, I highly recommend pre-ordering this book so you can get it in your hands as soon as possible.**

#LikeItNeverWas #FaithGardner #NetGalley #ARC #fivestarreads #bookrecommendations #bookreviews #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #thrillerreads #booknerds #booklovers #bookcommunity

4.5 stars!! First this books cover is absolutely perfect. If I had come across this in a book store I would have instantly picked it up. This story was also amazing. It kept me hooked the entire time. The character and story development was absolutely amazing. I can't wait for this to be out so I can go pick up a copy!

Want to read a thriller that will actually keep you on the edge and turning those pages to find out more? This is the book for you! Jolene and Elizabeth were interesting characters in this fast-paced read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. And what a cover! I would have picked it up just for that reason. This was a fun thriller that kept me on my toes.

Great book! I found the plot very engaging and the character development to be very good. I can't wait to read more by this author.

What a suspenseful thriller! I was on edge the entire story and the plot was gripping from the very first page. There were some areas which slowed the momentum of the story and that made me feel less intrigued. But overall I enjoyed this fast paced thriller!

Ten years ago, Jolene set out to pull a lighthearted prank on Elizabeth, a classmate, that went terribly wrong, resulting in an accident that nearly killed Elizabeth and left her severely disfigured. However, no one except Jolene knows that she played a part in the accident. Jolene has been living with the guilt of causing the accident, self-medicating with pills and alcohol, moving from city to city and unable to hold down a steady job.

Jolene has just moved to a new city attempting a fresh start when she runs into Elizabeth in an improv class. Elizabeth, still unaware that Jolene was the cause of the horrendous accident that forever changed her life, attempts to befriend Jolene. But when strange things start to happen to Jolene, she begins to wonder if Elizabeth knows more than she is letting on.

Like It Never Was, by Faith Gardner, is a fast-paced psychological thriller that keeps you wondering about the reliability of our narrator. At times the main character comes off as juvenile and immature, and I wanted to tell her to get her s*** together. While I was able to guess some of the twists, I was still shocked by the ending. This is my first book by this author, and I can’t wait to read another.

Thank you to Mirror House Press and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Jolene is a high school senior, and at the end of the year she decides to play a prank on her “frenemy”. Jolene never thought that Elizabeth would become so badly hurt, that she would wear the scars of that dark road for the rest of her life. Jolene never confessed and was never suspected of what she had done, as she creeped away from the horrific scene that night.

Now that Jolene is thirty, she still hears her guilt from that night internally. She decides to move to Berkley, California for a new job to become a personal Assistant to a professor. She particularly loving her improve class, until the instructor introduces a new person to the class. Jolene knows those scars immediately, it is Elizabeth.

As the classmates rekindle their friendship for years ago, Jolene starts to think that Elizabeth may know more then she thought about that night.

This one was a wild ride to say the least. I love the dark twisty turns we took and the way that the ending made me want more. The only thing that made it a tad bit hard for me to read was the “teen like” words that she was using for the adult Jolene. “samesies and indeedy”. I couldn’t take Jolene serious

his was short, fast-paced and engaging. Jolene played a prank on Elizabeth that resulted in a terrible accident leaving her scarred for life. Jolene never told anyone what she did except her best friend Alice. Now, Jolene is 30 and still struggling with the guilt of what she did. She moves to yet another new city where she unexpectedly is reacquainted with Elizabeth. Bizarre things begin to happen to Jolene making her think Elizabeth knows what she did.

I enjoyed this book a lot! I kept going back and forth on what was really happening to Jolene. Was she just paranoid? Was she crazy? Is someone really messing with her? I felt like once I got to the end, I knew there were only a handful of people who could have known and it had to be one of them, but I liked the way the author made me question it all. I was surprised at the end still and I enjoyed the story.

None of the characters were really all that likeable, but that honestly just made the story more interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and MirrorHouse Press for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my book honest review.

Jolene and Elizabeth go way back, back to their high school days, acting classes and a ‘trying’ friendship…to say the least. One day, Elizabeth was discussing her belief in Bigfoot, stating she saw it in the woods one day. Jolene saw this as a golden opportunity to scare Elizabeth and get back at her for all she has said and done.
She put on a gorilla suit from the acting class, and took out to the woods by Elizabeth’s house waiting for her to come by. The moment Liz went around the corner, Jolene jumped out… liz screamed, and her car flew off the bend down into the woods. Jolene, terrified of the prank gone so wrong, panicked and ran home- unaware of Liz stuck, burning in flames under her car.. brought to the burn unit to heal her face, prosthetic eye, heal her body, and amputate her leg that night. Jolene eventually found out, and the guilt changed her entire life since.

The rest of the story goes into a whirlwind of Jolene trying multiple careers, moving to dozens of cities, just to find who she really is, but nothing is ever working. But then, Elizabeth comes back in the picture, in one of her random city and career jumps.. and the whirlwind turns to absolute turmoil.
~~~~
I feel this storyline is great for someone who hasn’t read this type of plot before, but otherwise I honestly felt it was pretty predictable towards the end. Jolene’s monologue was entertaining for majority of the story, and how the author displayed genuine fear and anxiety was impressive! But, reading Elizabeths texts, her “Omigod”ing all the time, drove me a little bonkers and really killed it for me. This story makes for a good filler and a quick read, just wasn’t my cup of tea!

Thank you NetGalley and Mirror House Press for granting me the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

It took me a bit to get into this, the writing style struggled to keep me fully invested throughout. I enjoyed this but wasn't blown away, although I do normally love this author. That said, this was a good story with dual timelines and an ending that will leave you shocked. Three stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Mirror House Press for this ARC.

This book will have your head spinning! What’s real what’s not? You can’t figure it out which I loved. This book will grab your attention and keep it until the very twisted end! It was an absolute pleasure to read this. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Wow this one will have you questioning everything! When Jolene was in high school she did something that continues to haunt her and she tries to escape the feelings. So when she gets a fresh start in a new city, she was surprised to learn that her past was right in front of her. This makes her head spin in more ways than one. She becomes paranoid, questioning everyone and everything. Who does she trust? What is real? So many questions up until the very end. A very impressive psychological thriller that I would highly recommend!

Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you!! This could be Jolene's motto. The unreliable, drug-addled, drifting main character of this book did something horrible at the end of her high school career and the guilt of that has followed her for the past ten years. When she reconnects with her high school frenemy, Elizabeth, the situation is brought to the forefront. The reader follows Jolene through her current paranoia and her memories of high school as she tries to find out what is happening to her. I'll admit that the premise for the whole book isn't the most unique, but it is well written and engaging. I've not been disappointed with a book from Ms. Gardner yet!

This was a quick read for me because I just kept wanting to go back to it to find out what the heck was going on! The story goes back and forth in 2 timelines, current and 10 years ago. Jolene and Elizabeth are frenemies in high school and Jolene has had enough of her. She decides to prank Elizabeth which results in a car accident causing permanent injuries to Elizabeth. Skip to 10 years later and Jolene who has struggled through life has moved to a new town. She runs into Elizabeth who seems to be out to get her. Does Elizabeth remember the accident? Can Jolene keep hiding the truth? Love a good surprise in a book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy.

Faith Gardner's latest novel is a masterclass in suspense and emotion. 'The deeper the secret, the darker the shadow' sets the tone for a thrilling read about Jolene, haunted by a past mistake, and Elizabeth, bearing scars from an unknown tragedy. Their tense reunion spirals into a chilling dance of deceit and possible revenge. Gardner's prose is elegant, weaving fear and guilt seamlessly. The climax felt rushed but was undeniably shocking. A gripping, beautifully written tale that keeps you guessing.

Have we all made mistakes in high school? Probably. But ones that would chase, haunt and torture us for life? That'd be a no for most but Jolene is not most people.

Firstly, I loved the cover of this book. Secondly, Jolene was a great character to ride this wild ride of a story with. I also loved her dad and Suzanne. The story itself had me hooked from the start with whacky characters, thrills and laugh-out-loud moments.

I also loved the portrayal of mental health and what it is like to live with a diagnosis or even without one. Some sentences about it definitely hit home for me and thought it was a well-written book.

I can't wait to read more by Faith Gardener and am wondering why I didn't know about her till now. Thanks to Netgalley and Mirror House Press for the e-copy!

4.5/5

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Like It Never Was by Faith Gardner.

Ooooh, this was a fever dream. I read the first chapter and it was such a hook that I immediately told my husband about this.

In HS, Jolene causes an accident that permanently injures her "frenemy" Elizabeth, but no one knows except for Jolene. Carrying this heavy secret causes Jolene daily grief, but nothing could prepare her for when Elizabeth reappears into her life, anxious to be friends again. How can Jolene bear it? And not only that, but strange things are happening to her, messages on her doorstep, her bathroom mirror, does someone know what she did? Is Jolene slowly sinking into madness, or does someone just want her to feel that way.

I didn't feel like the ending had quite the strength as the beginning, but I still found myself reaching for this book quickly to know what was going on. It's fun and it's weird, it's a great summer read.