ARC Review: Never Say No by Elizabeth Neep

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I received an ARC of this book via Bookouture and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Description

It’s always been yes. Yes, I’ll be your friend. Yes, I’ll be your girlfriend. Yes, I’ll move in with you. Yes, yes, yes. I can’t just change my mind now. Can I?

Hailey has always been told she can have it all. And saying yes to every opportunity that comes her way seems like the obvious way to make sure she gets it.

When she finds an engagement ring hidden in her boyfriend Dom’s closet, she knows she’ll say yes.

Her best friend Sophie suggests they run a marathon together and although Hailey hasn’t done more than sprint for a bus in years, she says yes.

And every time her new boss, the infamous Vivian Jones, asks her to stay late (again) at her dream job, the answer is always yes.

But somewhere between saying ‘yes’ to Vivian’s latest demands and still trying to make it home on time for boxsets and burritos on the sofa with Dom, Hailey has lost sight of what she really wanted in the first place.

Far from winning at life, Hailey feels like she is fighting to juggle two very different worlds. When those worlds finally collide, could having it all actually mean losing everything?

My thoughts

Despite the exciting premise, and the promise that if I liked *insert authors I like name(s) here*, it took me a while to get into Never Say No. In part, I’ll say it’s because I’ve been busy doing other things – so reading (for once) has taken a backseat – but I also have to admit that it took me a while to get into the book because I think it took a while to get interesting.

Hailey, the main character, feels like someone we all know – even ourselves maybe. Constantly on the go, a people pleaser, someone who always says “yes”. This leads to some exciting parts of the book but, when I first read the description, I thought it’d be more exciting (posh lunches with lawyers doesn’t exactly sound fun to me!). Plus, some of the things Hailey got up to did grate on me a bit.

The law firm Hailey works at definitely justified the comparisons to The Devil Wears Prada for sure, as her boss was a strong, no-nonsense woman whilst also being a complete bitch! I really wanted to like Vivian but, as the book went on, I just didn’t.

What I did like about the book was its honest portrayal of relationships and friendships. Hailey’s relationship with her boyfriend, Dom, and her best friend, Sophie, wasn’t great – this was refreshing to see. I liked that this book showed that relationships and friendships are about – and full of – give and take, as opposed to being cookie cutter perfect.

Overall, this was a good read but it wasn’t the best book of this genre I’ve ever read.

Never Say No is now available to buy on Amazon (and other book providers)