Falling for the enemy has never been so deliciously complicated in this standalone romance where a sexy single dad meets his unexpected match! Get ready for all the feels!Never have I ever been so infuriated by a man I wanted to kiss.They say opposites attract, but I beg to differ. Combust is more like it. Because every single time I talk to Zach Nolan, I see red.The too-good-looking, too-smart, … red.
The too-good-looking, too-smart, too-effortlessly charming single dad who works down the hall from me has turned getting under my skin into a sport. Call it the battle of wits between the wedding planner and the divorce attorney.
Trouble is, when we’re forced into closer quarters planning an engagement party for our best friends, I start to see his other sides.
And I fear I’m falling for the enemy.
***
I’m not out to make friends. My goals are simple — fight till the end for my clients, and my family.
The last thing I need is a vibrant, outgoing, snarky, and surprisingly big-hearted wedding planner to spend my precious free time with…except, watching Piper bond with my daughter just might break down the cinder block walls I’ve built around my heart these last few years.
Second chances don’t come around for guys like me…or do they?
NEVER HAVE I EVER is a sexy, frenemies-to-lovers romance in the Always Satisfied series of standalones! The series includes SATISFACTION GUARANTEED, INSTANT GRATIFICATION, NEVER HAVE I EVER, OVERNIGHT SERVICE and the novella SPECIAL DELIVERY, and they can be read in any order.
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Can we talk for a minute about the fact that our leads are a divorce attorney and a wedding planner? How does one not read such romantic-comedy perfection in the making? And now you know … perfection.
You guys … I read this story so damn fast because it was just so ridiculously fun!! It is THE perfect book if you’re in a slump, if you’re not in a slump, if you want to laugh your ass off, if you want to feel your heart out, if you just want to pass some time and enjoy a story … it is all the giddy things!
But do not let me side-track you into thinking this story didn’t have depth and layers because ohhhh, yes it did! There’s an unraveling of sorts that happens when you read this book that is (this may be the wrong word) special. As readers, the story doesn’t just unravel for Zach and Piper but for us as well. When revelations occur, we are informed as they are. Feel me? It’s a special skill to write a story like this and keep its depth right at the line so it doesn’t become a cumbersome emotional mess but yet have heart in every page. The story definitely rode the line of rom-com but was also a bit on the serious side for what I am used to reading by Lauren. It was a glorious mix. I highly rec this book times a thousand!
I LOVE LAUREN BLAKELY! The Queen of RomComs completely outdoes herself with Never Have I Ever! Swett, funny and steamy – the perfect combination! Piper and Zach may be my favorite enemies-to-lovers story EVER! This is a HUGE FIVE STARS!!
Single dad – Enemies to lovers… OMG… if you love those tropes you don’t want to miss this new release from Lauren Blakely
I’m going to be honest here, I haven’t met a Lauren Blakely novel that I didn’t love. An all-time top favorite of mine, she is one of the very few authors whose books are automatic buys for me. It’s not even necessary for me to read the blurb because regardless of what the premise of story is, what trope the plot is based upon or who the characters are, I already know Blakely’s special brand of storytelling is going to entertain and amuse me. This isn’t something I say off-handedly, lightly or often—this particular personal list of mine is extremely short. It is simply a statement of fact for me, born of years of reading her work and consistently being entertained and amused by it. She’s managed to surprise me over and over again with her plots, characters and passionate love stories while never letting me down in the execution of them, and as a result, she’s earned this spot as a go-to author for me.
But even saying all of that, sometimes there are those stories that float to the top of the pile of favorites. The ones that mark me, that move me, the ones I know will linger in my thoughts long after I’ve finished them and picked up the next book. Never Have I Ever was that kind of story for me. Don’t be fooled by the whimsical sounding name, this book was chock full of emotion—the good kind. Lauren Blakely doesn’t do unnecessary drama and heavy, heart-breaking angst, but instead she masterfully portrays the couple’s conflicts with enough genuine emotion to keep the reader engaged as they work through their issues, you know, like two adults. It’s pretty darn refreshing, actually, and it’s yet another reason why she’s a favorite of mine.
I love the enemies-to-lovers trope, and it seems that lately I’ve been reaching for these types of stories when I’m choosing what I want to read next. Never Have I Ever looked to be a promising rendition of this favorite trope, and I was looking forward to experiencing it, Lauren Blakely style. There’s just something about that initial push and pull between the characters that just does it for me. They say that love is the other side of the coin to hate, and these kinds of stories highlight those opposing feelings in a rewarding way. Blakely did a fantastic job skirting that line here, with a seemingly opposite-in-every-way couple chasing after a surprise second-chance.
Zach is a somewhat jaded, shark of a divorce attorney who is also a widower and a single father of two. Piper is a wedding planner with a positive outlook, an upbeat personality and friendly nature. Their history goes back to college, and while they both still run in the same circle of friends, they’ve never really gotten along. This is where Blakely works her magic. This pairing at first glance was all wrong for each other, but as she pulled back the layers, as we got to know them, they became a couple I couldn’t help but root for to get it together and just get together. The pacing of their romance was perfect. At times their need for each other was fiery and voracious, the kind of red-hot, heart-racing desire that cannot be denied. While at other times, when it was important, when it really mattered, they took it slowly, maturely and thoughtfully. It felt like they both entered into this relationship mindful of what was happening between them, knowing where the relationship could go and what they could become. I loved that—it felt like a choice, as if they were choosing love with each other. As a reader, the lack of angsty uncertainty freed me up to just feel all the hopeful, heart-warming, urgent feels of two people consciously falling in love.
I’m not even going to beat around the bush, Never Have I Ever is one of Blakely’s finest contemporary romances to date. Lofty praise indeed, considering Blakely’s extensive back catalog, but well earned, I promise you. Zach and Piper were completely endearing, and their romance was exactly the kind of sexy, swoony, sigh-inducing and magical story that I love to get lost in. This book had layer upon layer of emotion and heat and heart with perfectly timed pops of humor, and I simply didn’t want to put it down. THIS, this kind of story right here, is exactly what I’m looking to experience when I reach for a contemporary romance. A home-run on all counts, Never Have I Ever by Lauren Blakely gets five smooches from me.
~Danielle Palumbo, Red Cheeks Reads
Never Have I Ever by Lauren Blakely
Sigh. The single-dad trope is one of my absolute favorites and Lauren Blakely writes it so damn well. Never Have I Ever is the story of single dad divorce attorney, Zach and mostly enemy/rarely friend, wedding planner Piper. Sounds like a clashing of worlds, doesn’t it? After all, what could a wedding planner and divorce attorney possibly have connecting them together? Well, for a start, their respective best friends are getting married which immediately throws Zach and Piper together. Coupled with the fact that Piper is on solid friendship terms with Zach’s daughter (and they work out of the same building), they spend more time together and enmity turns into oh so much more.
What did I love about this book? Ahh pretty much every single thing! The characters are my kind of people – from the friendships, to the romances, to parent-child – I adored and devoured every word. I loved that Zach wasn’t a bitter, woman-hating divorce attorney. I loved that *he’d* loved before and wasn’t keeping all sorts of anger and hostility bottled up. I loved that Piper was a wedding planner who wasn’t wearing rose-tinted glasses. She knew what could be on the flip-side and that also didn’t embitter her. All in all, this was a fabulous read and one I can’t wait to revisit in the future.
*I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.
4.5+ stars
When you hear a story’s main characters are a wedding planner and a divorce attorney, it is only natural to assume enemies to lovers. This definitely has elements of that trope, but it is also so much more (and I would say the enemies part drops pretty early in the story too). Piper and Zach share an office building thanks to their mutual friend and landlord. Zach’s reputation as a shark for his clients and his propensity to bet on the length of marriages instantly has Piper’s back up. Their banter as a result is quick, sharp and hilarious as they manage their close quarters. It doesn’t help that Piper has taken Zach’s daughter under her wing, giving her another place to hang out when she’s waiting for her dad to finish work.
As they find themselves in the same place at the same time more often, they can’t help but let down some of the walls that have always made things tense between them. As the walls come down, we see more of Zach than just the shark attorney. He is an attentive father, and though his status as a divorce attorney might paint him as anti-marriage, we learn he had a very happy marriage when his children were little.
I loved watching these two as their lives meshed together, almost without them noticing. Piper’s attachment to Zach’s kids means they tread carefully in the beginning, and it isn’t until Zach begins to question if he is even ready for a relationship that they realize things have already moved that direction.
This was a fun, slow-burn as Piper and Zach navigate the many facets of working together that develop over the course of the book. What started out as sharp tongued bickering quickly turned to witty banter, and they had me pulled into their story from the very beginning.
I received a copy for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Engaging story with plenty of chemistry between the characters. I love how the relationship developed, I enjoyed it.
Lauren Blakely rarely disappoints. One of the things I love most about her books is that they deliver a satisfying read/listen without over-plotting. She lets the story and the characters develop concretely over plausible, but still unique story lines; angst is usually low, but there is still enough sense of conflict so that the character development is earned. Blakely truly is a master of plot and characterization, and her style is a perfect match for audio.
In ‘Never Have I Ever’, she has done it all again, not just in terms of the story itself, but also in terms of the crafting and casting of the audio. Zach and Piper go from frenemies to lovers over the course of the story; they are two people who know of each without really knowing each other, and by the time the book wraps, you believe their journey thru a tentative friendship and eventually into love. This is in large part due to the performances of Jason Clarke and Amanda Ronconi. Both do such a stellar job of bringing the H and h to life and conveying not only the main characters’ relationship to each other, but also their relationships to the supporting characters. Blakely populates her stories with such memorable characters and it’s a joy to watch the connections play out, even with the smallest nods and winks, between books. Then, on top of giving us such wonderful characters, she picks amazing narrators to give them breath (breadth, too) and depth; you can’t go wrong with a Blakely novel/audio. I’m really looking forward to her next full-cast production, (Instant Gratification) as some of the characters from that are teased here.
Highly recommended.
Perfection! Zack is perfect, Piper is perfect, everything about Never have I Ever is perfect. Jason Clarke’s British accent is perfect. Amanda Ronconi narration is perfect. And the kids Lucy and Henry is just adorable. Get this book, you will enjoy every moment of it!
Piper Radcliff is a successful wedding planner. Zach Nolan is a successful divorce lawyer who refers to himself as a shark and places casual wagers on the success of marriages whose weddings Piper plans. Both have known each other since college and now share office space in a building owned by a mutual friend owns which affords them the opportunity to see each other. Zach’s daughter, Lucy, loves to pop into Piper’s office after school to pursue the latest in wedding trends… she’s 10.
Zach and Piper are frenemies from way back in college. Trading barbs at social functions. But when their mutual friends become engaged, they are thrust together as Best Man and Wedding Planner. While planning and arranging engagement parties in the states and across the pond bring Piper and Zach closer together, the sparks that start to fly are undeniable.
Zach develops feelings for Piper, but he struggles with the loss of his wife who died two years earlier. He is devoted to his children so much that he hasn’t thought at all about women since Anna’s death, other than helping his female clients decimate their jerk partners.
As Zach and Piper explore their budding love, they agree to keep their sexual interludes a secret from their friends so as not to take the attention away from their upcoming destination nuptials.
Lauren always has a beautiful way of bringing two people together who would otherwise never have anything to do with each other and then show us their vulnerable side in such a way we are rooting for them to be together.
I give it Five STARS
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This was a wonderful friends to loves story. Though I hate to call it that.
I wouldn’t say Piper and Zach hate each other, I mean they run in the same friends circle. They just have a different belief system in certain things. I mean she is a wedding planner and he is a divorce attorney.
I loved watching these to slowly put down their verbal swards and start getting along. I loved that they both spent the time to understand why they do what they do and their reasons for doing it. It shows a different side.
I also have to note, I LOVED Zach as a father. He had to be my all time favorite. This man loved his kids and would do anything for them. To me, there is nothing sexier!
Loves this book. Fun and super hot
A dreamy story about a second chance to find that great love after you felt you’ve already had it.
Zach is a widow with 2 littles that he’s been raising on his own; with the help of a select few in his life. Being pushed continuously to get back into the dating ring…he consistently tells people no. The girl that works down the hall however, has all his attention. She might just be what changes his mind about that little dating decision.
Piper tells herself she’s perfectly content being the wedding planner and Aunt in everyone’s life. That is until she gets a little taste of what it would be like to be his…for his kids to be hers. She already loved them, but close encounters gives her a taste of what she’s been missing. Deep down she wants it but she fights it because she can’t imagine him wanting THAT with her.
The emotions portrayed and also the attraction between Zach and Piper will have you rooting for this sweet couple too!
Now…I know it says that it’s an enemies to lovers romance and I can see how that was decided…at the same time I don’t feel it works for this story. I just didn’t feel that much negativity between them other than one moment years before the main part of this story took place. Once it got past that one moment I didn’t feel the animosity between the two main characters that I assume would be present between two enemies.
With that being said, I also don’t feel like this takes away from the romance aspect of this story.
A divorce attorney and a wedding planner! Never thought these two would get along but this story makes it happen. The leads are bright, funny and sometimes a bit sarcastic yet they fit so well together. This is a enemies to lovers, single dad romance.
I listened to the audio version of this novel, the narrators were spot on! I loved the voices and tones, they made the listen a joy.
Looking for a quick review? Skip down to the Likes and Dislikes and Down & Dirty.
Never Have I Ever…listened to a Lauren Blakely audiobook without completely falling in love. Lauren Blakely is my go-to author when I’m looking for a feel-good audiobook with perfect narration. She has never failed me, and Never Have I Ever is no exception to the rule.
Piper and Zach have the same circle of college friends, but they never really got along. Especially after Piper caught the divorce attorney taking bets on how long a marriage would last —at a wedding she organized.
Cut to 10 years later and Piper’s wedding planning business and Zach’s divorce attorney business share the same office suites. Zach and Piper still don’t get along, but she has become fast friends with Zach’s young daughter whenever she visits the offices.
When the two rivals are best man and maid of honor at a wedding, the widowed single dad doesn’t seem like such a jerk anymore. He’s an amazing dad to his two kids, successful, and gorgeous. But is he ready to move on? Does Piper want to follow behind the love of his life as well as take on 2 kids?
“Get your lips on mine. I need to taste you.”
I loved seeing them navigate the process of moving on and how much a part of the story the kids were. I hate when there are stories of single parents and the kids are just a blur in the background. I think taking on a story about a widower who very much loved his wife before she passed is a tough topic to do justice to, but Lauren tackled it beautifully.
While Never have I Ever isn’t quite the comedy that Lauren usually writes, it was still light on angst and made you feel good but there were definitely a few more emotional scenes than in most of her books.
Likes:
•Friends to Lovers banter.
•Crossovers from the Satisfaction Series (and maybe others? I can’t keep them straight).
•I love the way Lauren handled the fact that he lost his wife.
•How the Never Have I Ever game was integrated into the story.
•It was a slower burn.
•The kids were a big part of the story and I loved them.
•Low on angst.
•A little less comedy than usual worked for this story.
•I loved Piper’s confident sassiness and Zach’s insecurities.
Dislikes:
•I can’t think of one thing.
The Narration:
As always, I loved Jason Clarke, but Amanda Ronconi is new to me. I don’t think I have ever listened to her before. I thought she was amazing and hope to hear a lot more from her. She was perfect for Piper. I loved the narration for the kids.
The Down & Dirty:
I feel like a broken record reviewing Lauren Blakely’s books. When someone asks for an audiobook recommendation, I just have to say “any Lauren Blakely book” and it’s a guaranteed winner. Never Have I Ever was a little more of a contemporary romance than many of her Rom Coms, but it was still a happy, positive read that made me smile throughout. Lauren brought us a slow-burn, single widowed dad book that was the perfect balance of emotions, lightness, kids and sexiness. I adored it.
Rating: 4.5 Stars, 4 Heat, 5 Narration
Lauren Blakely always writes books with great characters who have stories that just have to be told. This book is about second loves, and how they can be deep when they are with the right person. Finding love after losing a spouse can be difficult, but Zach finds it with Piper, the last woman he would ever expect to fall for. Their relationship is filled with funny repertoire and romance.
5 When Enemies Become Lovers Stars!!
I love a great single parent story and when you add in the comedy genius of Lauren Blakely I know it’s going to be a great read…and it so was!! Zach and Piper have known each other for years as they traveled in the same circles in college even though there’s a little bit of an age difference between them. They couldn’t be more opposite either…he’s a divorce attorney that’s raising his two kids on his own and she’s a bubbly, happy wedding planner…you’d think that in and of itself would be a problem. Add into the equation that they work down the hall from each other and we can let the sarcastic one-liners fly!!!
While on the surface you’d think these two aren’t attracted to each other, but it’s the very opposite! Piper finds this man very attractive and while she’s great at letting him think she’s not attracted to him, I could see through that even before it was confirmed. Zach for his part doesn’t want to pursue anything with her because his work and his kids are his life… and speaking of kids, his daughter just grabbed me by the heart and didn’t let go. She’s a beautiful and bright girl that strikes up a friendship with Piper that really helps her muddle through some issues she has rolling around in her brain and then there’s Henry, his son..he’s a sweet little boy that loves hard, especially his daddy!
Life has a way of managing to bring these four together making them get to know each other on a different level and just when Zach and Piper finally admit their attraction to each other, there’s a moment that could just derail their “truce” so to speak.
I know I’ve been rambling in this review, but I really just loved this book so much. It’s got every element that I love about Ms. Blakely’s writing and storytelling ability – enemies to lovers, second chance romance and a single parent. I fell in love with all the characters so hard that I found myself savoring reading the book because I just didn’t want it to end. This is definitely a book I’ll be reading again and again!!
Never Have I Ever is the third book in the sexy and fun Always Satisfied series by Lauren Blakely. Each book can be read as standalone but they do have connections. Which is one of the many reasons what I love Lauren’s books. The cameos! If you read satisfaction Guaranteed then you have had the pleasure of meeting Piper, Sloane’s best friend. The synopsis kicks ass so I will try to make this fast.
Zach is a shark in the court room. Piper is a wedding planning extraordinaire. They have been running in the same circle since college. He was married straight out of college to the sweetest woman and had two beautiful children. She worked her magic to give couples their perfect wedding. Two years ago he became a single dad. Two months ago things started to change. They saw each other.
Zach didn’t know exactly when it happened. One day he wanted to give her shit and the next he wanted to just give it to her. In the office. In a bed. In a bookstore. He wasn’t picky. It had been two years since he found anyone attractive and now it was her. The one woman he had been bantering with for a decade. The one woman who has turned into his ten year old daughter’s best friend. He shouldn’t want her. She deserved someone who believed in the fairy tale. He knew he had to keep his distance even if they shared a business building. That was the plan until he became the Best Man to her Maid of Honor.
Piper wasn’t blind. She always knew Zach was handsome. She also knew he was an arrogant ass. But she also knew he was the best dad. He was a shark but she knew if one or both of his kids wanted him to dance to Baby Shark he would do it. And do it right since he made his kids happy. Damn him for showing his softer side. He had been a thorn at her side for years but lately she just wanted him by her side. She knew she was fucked when he looked at her funny. As in with a sexy smirk and a bit of flirt.
A bet. Who’s resistance was going to crumble?
Ok. That wasn’t short. If you follow my reviews then you knew it wasn’t likely going to happen. Anyway, I loved this story!! It gave me all the feels! How could it not?! Enemies to lovers. Single dad. Smart and sassy children. Airplanes rides and beaches. And banter full of innuendos, sass, and flirt. Stolen looks and kisses. I loved it all.
P.S. Girl Power for the win!
Quotes:
“You’re a divorce attorney. Why am I not surprised?” Everything about Zach Nolan makes perfect sense. “That’s why you’re here. You’re like an ambulance chaser.”
He gestures to the setting, as if to say I called it right. “And you put the bodies on the stretcher.”
She slams her lips to mine, and we kiss like the world is burning behind us, like it’s spiraling away to ash and this is the last thing we’ll do.
“Lucy,” I say, a gentle warning. She stares at me fiercely, her voice filled with fire. “Dad.”
Holy shit. She’s my daughter through and through.
5 stars
I purchased a copy of the mildly steamy novel Always Satisfied book 4:Never Have I Ever: Zach and Piper by Lauren Blakely and this review was given freely.
A heartwarming opposites attract, frenemy, second chance at love romance packed with drama, wonderful characters and group of college friends who find love almost fifteen years later. Wedding planner and bridesmaid for hire Piper struggles with her mother’s broken romances, her sister’s struggles to have a baby, her busy professional life and her growing attraction to the single dad, divorce attorney Zach who works next door.
What happens when a wedding planner and a divorce attorney find a connection? You get loads of laughs, steam and banter!
Zach and Piper are part of the same group of friends from college. They have always butted heads over the years. Zach is focused on work and being a father to his two children. Piper is focused on growing her wedding planning business. However, when two of the best friends announce their engagement and expect Piper and Zach to help with the planning things begin to change.
I LOVED this book. It really reminded me of some of Lauren Blakely’s older stories and I LOVED IT! It was the perfect mix of everything. Zach and Piper’s chemistry was perfect and lead to some fantastic dialogue. I loved Zach’s relationship with his children too, he really is a fantastic father. Piper also had a great relationship with his children since they worked in the same building.
If you love a good enemies to lovers, slow burn romance with some laughs this is definitely one to check out!