The Never Have I Ever Club,
by Mary Jane Baker
Publication: Aria; June 18, 2020
About:
Robyn Bloom thought Ash Barnes was the love of her life – until one day he announced he was leaving her to fly halfway across the world.
Months later, Robyn is struggling to move on – but then she has a brainwave: The Never Have I Ever Club. Her handsome next-door neighbour Will helps her bring their fellow Yorkshire villagers together for some carpe-diem-inspired fun.
From burlesque dancing to Swedish massages, everyone has plenty of bucket-list activities to try, but it doesn’t take long for Robyn to realise what – or who – her heart truly desires: Will.
There’s just one problem: he’s Ash’s twin brother.
Make that two problems: Ash is moving home… and he wants Robyn back.
*My Review*
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Mary Jane Baker’s, The Never Have I Ever Club! This is a really cute rom-com about Robyn, her group of lifelong friends, and twin brothers Ash and Will. Ash and Robyn were dating until he decided to run away to Australia. Robyn has been friends with Ash’s twin, Will for years, and then suddenly she starts wondering if there may be more between them. Couple all of that with a club of mostly older adults that are all trying to check off some bucket list items, and you have a hilarious and fun read.
I really, really liked this book! It was funny, witty, romantic, and frustrating all at the same time. All of the perfect rom-com elements. It took me a while to really warm up to Robyn and I wasn’t always convinced that Freya and Eliot were the great friends she thought them to be, but otherwise, I absolutely fell in love with all of the characters. There were so many times I just wanted to scream at Ash and make him go away or I wanted to scream and Robyn and Will and tell them to kiss and ride off into the sunset. But all of those “drive me crazy” moments made me just love this one that much more.
My only criticism at all (and it’s minor) is that although I read a ton of books written by authors in the U.K., there was some slang that had me completely confused. This is embarrassing, but there were a few times I had to Google some phrases because even using my imagination and the context in which it was used, I couldn’t figure it out. However, the author lives in the U.K., not in the U.S., so that was my issue, not hers.
Romantic comedy lovers will enjoy this novel and I highly recommend it! This is my first time reading anything by Mary Jane Baker, but it certainly will not be my last.
*Thanks to Aria and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
Buy links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3bRE036
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2RkFQSY
Google Play: https://bit.ly/2URi4zV
About the author
Mary Jayne Baker grew up in rural West Yorkshire, right in the heart of Brontë country… and she’s still there. After graduating from Durham University with a degree in English Literature, she dallied with living in cities including London, Nottingham, and Cambridge, but eventually came back with her own romantic hero in tow to her beloved Dales, where she first started telling stories about heroines with flaws and the men who love them.
Follow Mary:
Facebook: @MaryJayneWrites
Twitter: @MaryJayneBaker
Follow Aria
Website: www.ariafiction.com
Twitter: @aria_fiction
Facebook: @ariafiction
Instagram: @ariafiction
Dandelions Inspired 