New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas introduces Quinn, younger sister to Jared, Madoc, and Jaxon, in this compelling novella in the Fall Away series.Quinn Caruthers has several problems: her father, Jason, and her three older brothers, Jared, Madoc, and Jaxon. Under the close watch of the men in her family, Quinn has found it nearly impossible to spread her wings—or even … spread her wings—or even date—without them jumping in to hover. And when a family friend—several years older—from her childhood captures her heart, she knows they’re going to be a problem. Lucas Morrow is a man—experienced, sophisticated, and important. And knowing her brothers, he may as well be forbidden.
But Lucas left town years ago and shows no signs of returning. Quinn knows she shouldn’t wait for him anymore.
But then a package turns up on her doorstep with no return address and its contents reveal family secrets that threaten to turn Quinn’s world upside down. She’s never asked about the tumultuous path of her parents’ romantic history, but she soon learns their happy marriage had a very rocky and passionate start.
As she begins to see things around her with new eyes, Quinn will have to make tough choices about whether she’ll keep waiting…or finally go after what she really wants.
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Why oh why? This clan is SO addictive! I need more, more, more!
“Happiness is a direction, not a place.”
“A strong person realizes that the only love you truly need in this life is the love you have for yourself.”
“It’s human nature to be imperfect, after all.”
“And no matter how much you run, you can’t run from yourself, can you?”
It’s always sad to say goodbye to a good series but Pen is really good doing it.
This is the last book of Fall Away but we have an introduction to Hellbent, the series about the second generation. I seriously can’t wait to read all about the kids and their love stories.
Also, this is a story inside a story and I just loved it. Katherine and Jason’s story is also beautiful, human and raw and it’s always amazing reading about it.
“Happiness is a direction, not a place.”
Here’s the thing, I really liked Next to Never. However I’m not sure I understood it. I mean, it was a pretty straight forward and clear storyline, but the way it was formatted, having a book inside of a book, I’m not really sure I got behind that. It was unique and in a way clever for sure, but it also felt unnecessary and … strange? For a lack of a better word.
While the synopsis to the story was technically correct it still felt a bit misleading. I thought this book was going to be all about Quinn and a forbidden romance with much older Lucas and while the book is through Quinn’s POV the book is not really about her at all. And Lucas is barely in it, so it makes me question a bit as to why it was written the way it was. Instead of having a book inside the book, why wasn’t the inside book just the book (if that makes any sense)? It was mostly what the story was about anyway and Kat honestly felt more like the main character than Quinn ever did. The inside book itself was very interesting, dramatic and passionate so it really would have been enough to have that as the story. I loved Kat and Jase’s rocky but beautiful relationship so I was a happy camper just with the inside book.
At the same time though, it was really great seeing the old characters and their kids again, seeing their different relationships and interactions, the race and the mischief, as well as the past main characters as lovable protective parents. I am in that sense happy it was written the way it was. I just feel like it didn’t really fit well with Quinn as the main character and her longing for Lucas, especially since her problem with Lucas never led to anything or was ever concluded in any way. Although, having just learned that there will be a next generation series I can’t really complain too much about the lack of conclusion for her an Lucas since I am very hopeful and excited that it will happen in the upcoming series. Thank you, Penelope Douglas, for not quitting on this amazing world and characters!
Anytime there is a book with the Fall Away crew there is no doubt I will one click. I was excited to read Quinn’s story but it’s not Quinn’s story exactly, it’s more of how Jase & Kat started out and everything they both went through. I loved seeing how there relationship started and the hardship they went through to be together and Kat is worried that maybe Kat will make the same mistake she has. I’m dying for more and hoping the next book will be out soon.
On a mission to finish series that have been buried in my tbr for forever. I liked that we got the past, it makes me excited for everyone’s future.
What a treat! I loved reading about the Fall Away gang and the next generation . It was like getting two books in one… A look into the future and a story about the past. Very moving and just know there’s going to be angst in the future. Highly recommend this book! This is NOT a standalone must read the series before and I can’t wait for the continuation of the next generation series.
I don’t know why I waited so long to read this book! I absolutely loved it and loved being back in Shelburne Falls with the Fall Away crew.
The way the past was written was brilliant and getting the background on Katherine made everything make sense with regards to her character in the previous books.
I can’t wait for the next generation series. I know they are going to be amazing!
This was my favorite in this series! So many emotions! This book was a mix of the beginning of Quinn’s story and how Jason and Katherine came to be together. I loved Jase and Kat’s story and Penelope is such a great writer that you feel it all!
This wasn’t the story I was expecting. It was a story within a story, and while I enjoyed it, I think I would have liked it more if it was just Kat and Jase’s story.
A Great Treat for The Fall Away Series Fans!
It was such a nice surprise to find this on my kindle last night and I didn’t hesitate to start reading it.
Penelope Douglas takes her fans back to Fall Away Lane and the lives of the Trent/Carauthers families. Part sequel, part prequel, part spin off, Next to Never has just the right amount each. The book’s narrator is Quinn, Jared, Jax, and Madoc’s little sister, now 17 and ready to find her place away from her big brothers and overbearing father. When she receives a book in the mail and starts reading it the characters are eerily familiar and she starts to question everything she knows about her family.
I loved catching up with all the characters and meeting their almost-grown children. Douglas does a nice job of weaving the story of Jason and Katherine Carauthers into this narrative, while quietly setting up another epic romance for the Falling Away spin-off series.
I loved the back story between Kat and Jase! I was so happy that this book gave us this, and hopefully only the start of Quinn and Lucas. I really want that. I also loved reading the boys and the kids. I want all of those stories!
After reading all of the FALL AWAY series books, I was VERY excited about this novella. This story is the prelude to the next generation stories that Penelope plans to write, as well as a deeper layer for certain characters in the FALL AWAY series.
NEXT TO NEVER is a story told from Quinn Caruther’s POV, she’s the teenage daughter of Jason and Katherine Caruther’s (whom we meet in the FALL AWAY series). But this isn’t Quinn’s story. No, this is her PARENT’S story. WHAT A TWIST! This is the story about her parents’ turbulent relationship over the years and how it effected not only them, but everyone around them. If you’ve read the FALL AWAY series, you got bits and pieces of HOW they got together, but Penelope didn’t get too in depth. Their story wasn’t the focal point of that series after all, but with this book, we get to know their relationship from the beginning to present.
I have to say, in NO way is this a retelling of any of the FALL AWAY stories. This is completely different, but follows the same timeline and adds a deeper layer to the FALL AWAY series, especially in regards to Jared’s upbringing. This book sheds some more light on the inner workings of why Jared is the way he is in the series.
The FALL AWAY group is back!!! *happy dance*
After flying through BULLY, UNTIL YOU, RIVAL, FALLING AWAY, AFLAME, and ADRENALINE, I couldn’t think of anything that Penelope “Pen” Douglas could do to complete those stories anymore for me. Man, was I wrong on so many levels! Pen is just BRILLIANT! Her storytelling was done to perfection in this continuation of the FALL AWAY series. The way that she built on to this world was powerful and vivid. Her meticulous and creative touches to the series has blown me away and exceeded ALL my hopes and dreams for this series and the characters.
“Happiness is a direction, not a place.”
I was captivated and completely consumed by this novella. Like stay up late reading. Wake up in the middle of the night and read more. Wake up early to read more, type of consumed. This. Book. Was. EVERTHING! I devoured Every. Single. Page. and craved more.
NEXT TO NEVER “NTN” is the building block, so to speak, to the next generation series and it has completely brought all the pieces together from the first books and made everything fit flawlessly together. In my mind, NTN gave some closer and peace to some characters, but it also did a significant job of setting up the foundation for the next books in the series.
“But does it make you feel good? Sacrificing your own happiness to please others?”
I went into this book with somewhat of a blank slate. I say that because I had no idea which way Pen was going to take this. It was said that “this is not Quinn and Lucas’ story”, but then who is it about, if not them? Of course, Pen loves to have tons of surprises up her sleeves and she sure got me on this one. This is NOT a retelling of the first books, but more of a parallel world. It’s so hard to properly explain this book without ruining it for others. We get the story through Quinn Caruthers’s eyes and voice (if you’ve read the other books, you know who she is). Family secrets are brought to the surface and revealed. I feel as if the synopsis gives enough details about what the book entails and if you’re NOT new to the series, I expect you’ll appreciate me not saying more and spoiling it for you. And if you ARE new to the series, then I’d recommend you STOP now and read the other books in the series first, at the very least BULLY and AFLAME. Truly, I am not trying to trick you into buying the other books in the series, but I personally feel like you won’t fully grasp the inner turmoil and meaning of this book and the characters, if you don’t read at least those two books first.
“The hardest part is jumping. I can’t retreat, and I can’t keep trying to please the world.” –Quinn.
This novella was an emotional read and gave me all the feels. It was plain and simply the perfect set up for the future books and I can NOT wait for them. I just know deep down in my bones that Pen has epic plans for this next generation FALL AWAY group and I’ll be patiently (not so patiently) waiting.
“But I have learned one thing tonight. Life moves fast, and the next forty years will be here before I know it. I don’t want to wake up at fifty-eight with regret.” –Quinn.
10 stars!