Thursday already, huh? Well, today, I’m happy to bring to you a new release from just a couple of days ago! I’m super glad I am part of the blog tour for Like Never and Always – I have to say it’s one of those rare thriller reads that made me connect with the characters, instead of just caring about, “So what happens next?? Or who killed who?” So, hopefully, by the end of this post, I have convinced some of you to pick it up and read it – I’d love to chat about it!
Check out the previous stop over at Haunted by Books (how appropriate!!) and please click on banner above to see the full tour schedule.
Oh, and remember to scroll all the way down to enter the giveaway!!
And now… let me tell you more about it!
Synopsis: On a hot summer night, a screech of brakes and shattering glass changes two lives forever. Liv wakes in the hospital, confused when they call her Morgan. She assumes it’s a case of mistaken identity, yet when the bandages come off, it’s not her face in the mirror anymore. It’s her best friend Morgan’s. Morgan always seemed to have the perfect life, yet Liv must navigate endlessly disturbing secrets of the criminal and murderous variety—and a romance that feels like a betrayal. Torn between the boy she loved as Liv and the boy she’s grown to love as Morgan, Liv still has to survive Morgan’s last request.
Published July 17, 2018 by Tor Teen
Genre: YA Thriller, YA Contemporary, YA Romance
Themes: parenting, identity, supernatural, coming back from the dead, grief, coping with loss, support system, privilege of the wealthy, statutory rape, social status, reputation, true friends, romance, responsibility, mental health, rehabilitation, tragic accident, car accident, siblings, parental figures
Formats: Hardcover, ebook, audiobook
336 pages
Amazon* / Barnes &Noble / iBooks / The Book Depository
*As an Amazon Associate, I get a mini % of sales price every time you use my link to make a purchase. Thank you! ^_^
Do monsters always know what they are?
Engrossing and fast-paced – Like Never & Always is just what I’m looking for in a contemporary thriller. Brimming with mystery, suspense, and excitement, it far surpassed my expectations, I enjoyed every moment of it, and the unique and exciting plot does not at all sacrifice great prose. I found myself rereading several sentences over because of their beauty and depth of meaning. Ann Aguirre is a master writer, not only hooking the reader with the plot, but also with her prose. I will definitely be checking out her other works, and will be on the lookout for her future ones!
Liv (trapped in Morgan’s body) is a very compelling narrator – far to be the self-centered and overly dramatic teen we’ve come to expect in YA contemporaries. She is caring and considerate, but also smart and strategic. I enjoyed that she was fierce and brave without being cruel, but she’s not too proud to show vulnerability. I loved how the author expertly wrote the parts when even Liv started to doubt her identity – was she really Liv? Or was she Morgan who was grieving so much about the loss of her best friend she couldn’t tell who she was anymore?
The plot centered on a supernatural soul-switching/body-switching theme achieved a perfect balance between being goosebumps-inducing, fascinating, and singular. Somehow, it managed to stay thrilling and suspenseful without reaching negative levels of creepy.
Speaking of creepy, the ARC I got actually have a much creepier cover – not sure if that made it to another edition of a final cover (I think it might be the Kindle edition cover?), but here, let me show ya!
To add even more flavor to this already extremely enjoyable read, the romantic aspects of the plot is veeeryy much to my liking. I’m already a fan of the love triangle trope, but the version found in Like Never & Always add lots of spice. Initially, it sounds like the oh-so-common rivalry between brothers, but there’s more where that came from, and pretty soon, you realize there isn’t any chance for the other one at all. Our main love interest is very sexy and is quite the perfect male lead for this kind of story. He’s so swoonworthy, he might even be featured in one of my #SwoonySaturday posts… if only I get to writing those again..
Hmmm, what else do you want to know? I guess you’ll just have to read the book to find out yourself!
About the author
Ann Aguirre is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author with a degree in English Literature; before she began writing full time, she was a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and a savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in sunny Mexico with her husband, children, and various pets. She likes books, emo music, and action movies. She writes all kinds of genre fiction for adults and teens.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Goodreads
GIVEAWAY
- 1 winner will win a Kindle Oasis, US Only.
- 5 winners will win a finished copy of LIKE NEVER AND ALWAYS, US Only.
- Enter through Rafflecopter link
- Good luck!
Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you decided to check out Like Never and Always – it’s a really fun and thrilling read this summer!
P.S. Next stop is @ Eli to the nth – UGHHH, I want this blog name. And elisquared.com? Come on. Too cool. I’m such a nerd.
Do you like reading thrillers? What do you usually look for in a thrilling summer read?
Book Dragon Lair 
Great review! I wasn’t sold on this one, but now I’m gonna have to add it to my TBR. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooh yayy! Thank you! I’ll watch for your review ☺
LikeLiked by 1 person