Book Review
Never Been Better
By: Leanne Toshiko Simpson
Pub Date: March 4, 2024
**Trigger warning: this book contains mental illness, attempts of suicide, struggles of living with mania and depression.
Thank you to @Netgalley and @putnambooks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Dee, Misa, and Matt meet and become friends in the in-patient psych ward. They make the time go by a little easier and support each other through their struggles. But Dee has a secret…she is in love with Matt or at least she thinks she is.
Dee is the first one to be discharged first and keeps in contact with her two besties. But life outside the ward is not going well. She still struggles daily with things like getting out of bed and remembering to take her meds. That’s where Tilly, her wild yet caring sister, comes in. She watches over Tilly, talks to the doctor, and manages Dee’s care. Things start to look up for Dee until she gets the invitation.
Misa and Matt’s destination wedding in Turks and Caicos is a week-long of activities leading up to the wedding. Dee knows she needs to avoid all communication with the lovebirds because they won’t take no for an answer. Since they can’t reach Dee, they call Tilly and there’s no way Tilly is refusing a free trip. The week at the resort proves to be worthwhile, as Dee realizes maybe Matt is preventing her from healing and reaching her full potential. Dee also notices Misa and Matt are not doing well, so why are they getting married?
My Thoughts:
There were some funny parts mostly at the resort but there were also a lot full of heavy topics. The thing that kept me going was the good storyline and I needed to find out the outcome. I also feel this book discusses important topics including shame of mental illness, needing to be in a psych ward, hiding mental health from family. These are topics that need more discussion and exposure. Congratulations to Leanne Toshiko Simpson on her debut novel.

This book opened up a window to help me see and understand people in a way that I hadn’t before. It helped me feel the feelings and cry them out, and know that’s okay. It was real and raw and I appreciate that. The sisterhood and friendship that are one of the driving factors in this book are probably my favorite parts. I also enjoyed the songs at the beginning of each chapter, that is such a fun little thing that I don’t see much in books. I will definitely be picking this up again. I recommend!
(Before reading, please check content and trigger warnings as it can be difficult to read about the topics prevalent in this book!)

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Group Putnam for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Never Been Better is a unique twist on the holiday romance trope. Dee travels to a destination wedding in the Caribbean to celebrate the union of her two closest friends from the psych ward. The only problem is, she's in love with one of them. Or is she? The setting is beautiful, and I appreciated the story was not just a romance, but more self discovery. My one complaint is that I actually found Dee the most flat of all of the characters. Her sister Tilley, Obachan, and Kei all seemed to have more personality than the main character herself. But I enjoyed the book!

Dee is struggling to create an adult life for herself after she "graduates" from the psych hospital. Matt & Misa were the other 2/3 of her support system on the inside, and together they understood each others issues better than any one else could. When she receives the invitation to their Turks & Caicos destination wedding, it is more than she can handle - especially since she hasn't told the groom about her feelings for him. Her two friends beg her to be there for them -so she attends , with her wild card sister Tilley.
What could go wrong? A week long, fancy, destination wedding in the Caribbean, where the brides family doesn't have any idea where or how they became friends. You should go along for the ride.

I really liked the author's writing and the characters. Simpson spoke with a honest voice about mental health issues that is refreshing- I look forward to reading more of her work. Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As the book came to a close, I realized how much I really did enjoy this book and the journey the characters went through. I really loved how the author brought in the topics of mental health, self love, growth, and more. I loved how it focused less on "finding the one" and more on loving yourself and the importance of independence in relationships.

Giving four stars because it did take quite some time for me to get into the book.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Leanee Toshiko Simpson for allowing me to read this book!

Never Been Better is touted as "My Best Friends Wedding meets Silver Linings Playbook" and its the perfect description. Don't expect all sunshine and romance. There is some levity, but it still manages to be light. Great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy.

4.5 stars! As a psychologist, I was excited to read a book based on the perspective of a former inpatient psych unit (IPU) patient, as it is rare to find novels that feature these characters, never-mind make them the protagonist!

This debut novel from Leanne Toshiko Simpson is based on the main character, Dee, who is invited to the wedding of her friends Matt and Misa, all of whom met one year prior in the IPU. Dee has been harboring romantic feelings for Matt, obviously unbeknownst to him and Misa. Dee brings her spunky and hilarious sister, Tilley, as her wedding plus-one, who provides a bit of levity and witty one-liners that keep the story humorous.

To me, this book combined the best elements of a summer beach read (tropical setting, wedding event, love triangle), while also elevating the plot to a much higher level by ultimately not making the story about romance, and instead focusing on mental health, in particular the themes of self-discovery, self-actualization, and self-compassion. Overall, this was a refreshing and unexpected read from a new, diverse voice in contemporary fiction and I look forward to future works by the author!

Many thanks to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and Leanne Toshiko Simpson for an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Very interesting book! It was marked as a romance but I’m not getting that romance vibe. This is a classic love triangle where the girl likes guy who’s getting married, but with a twist. The three characters met in a mental hospital. 3 friends, two lovers, one on the outs. Despite the cover, this book is full of heavy feels - with an emphasis on mental health. So trigger warning - if mental health issues are a problem for you, this may not be your read. Nonetheless, it’s an interesting story and not what I expected.

Thank you to @netgalley and @penguin group putnum for the opportunity to provide honest feedback in exchange for an eARC version of this book!

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

I requested this ARC on a whim as I thought the synopsis seemed different and intriguing. I was not prepared for how fully this would tug on my heart. Comedic at times, but also so so heartfelt, I could not get enough of the genuine way Leanne Toshiko Simpson wrote. Simpson tackled so many topics from the main topic of mental health and the ways our families, friends and strangers perceive it to other types of family pressures in all their cultural forms and so much more. This book made me feel hard and think deeply about mental health and the way we show up for others. As someone who is deeply aware of their own mental health and the ways in which it can feel like it gets in the way, I heartily enjoyed this novel. I look forward to more books from this author and highly encourage everyone to pick this one up.

Dee is in love with Matt. Matt is in love with Misa. Matt and Misa are getting married…unless Dee figures out how to stop them. The three of them met at a psychiatric ward and are all dealing with their recoveries in different ways. Ultimately, Dee learns a lot about herself as she grapples with her unrequited love.

The fabulous island resort setting helps set a breezy mood and the author does a marvelous job of making such a heavy plot seem almost lighthearted.

Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Thanks so much to Penguin Group Putnam and and NetGalley.

Dee, Misa, and Matt were best friends on the psych ward. Misa and Mike are now getting married, and Dee is in love with Matt. There's a lot of secrecy in how the friends all know each other, and they all have things they are still working on.

This was such a great story. I laughed a lot, and I appreciated how honest the writing was about mental illness. I was sad when I finished it because I wanted more!

Never Been Better by Leanne Toshiko Simpson
This is one of my favorite books I've read. It's a mental struggle that we battle within ourselves. Sometimes we find ourselves drowning and not realizing that the fight never ends. I love how it focuses on mental health and it is a great book. 10/10

This book is about Dee, who has been struggling with her life since leaving an inpatient mental health hospital. She keeps in touch with two people who were there with her, Misa and Matt who are engaged to be married. Dee harbors feelings for Matt and brings her sister Tilly as her plus one to the wedding. What follows is a frank look at mental illness and what toll it can take on the person, and who they surround themselves with.

I felt that this book was a deeper look into mental illness and how we respond to our own traumas and the trauma of others. The author did a good job of navigating a still shockingly taboo topic with confidence, grace, and vulnerability. It’s a good read for sure, but I would also check trigger warnings.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was fine. Interesting read. Thank you to the publisher and the author for the review copy, all opinions stated are my own.

Oh my goodness, this was such a cutesy, sweet, and hilarious romance book and I absolutely adored it!

Never Been Better by Leanne Toshiko Simpson was a sweet, funny and engaging novel.
This was a new author for me . I never read anything from this author before but for the most part I really liked this book. I thought the whole story was amazing. I honestly didn’t want this book to end. And that’s how I know when I’ve read a fabulous story.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I read this book in a solid 3 hours, it was an amazing story that was written incredibly. I Loved each character especially Dee. The first few pages had hooked me, her getting invited to her friends wedding convinced she should be with him. I enjoyed how they had all met at a psychiatric ward, giving the characters great background, making the book more enjoyable. One of my favorite books i have read this summer honestly! 10/10

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read the advanced digital copy of debut novel Never Been Better by Leanne Toshiko Simpson.This review is being written and shared to let future readers know my thoughts.

This novel is very unique and well written. The character development is very strong and you feel like you are growing along the the 3 main characters as they live their lives after treatment in a mental facility,

The additional characters in the book also grow in unexpected ways and learn more about their family members and themselves.

As others have said a sequel would be wonderful to look forward to and I did make a playlist of the songs listed in each chapter title.

Highly recommend reading this book because we can all learn from others and grow stronger in our relationships.

I LOVED Never Been Better - usually it takes me a while to get through e-books or physical copies of books, but I found myself reaching for my kindle instead of turning on an audiobook because I was so drawn to this book. We follow Dee, who is in love with her best friend Matt - cute right? Except Matt is engaged to Misa, and the three of them are like the three musketeers of the psychiatric ward and Dee isn’t sure what to do about her feelings.

With a premise like that, I don’t see how people aren’t automatically convinced to read this. I was so intrigued when I first saw this on Netgalley, because it’s SO messy - like how are we gonna get out of this?!? But I was SO happy with how the story developed, especially the platonic relationships/friendships. Not only is this an important, very telling story about mental health and recovery, but it’s funny and lighthearted in moments too - the balance makes this book easy to read, even though the topic can feel heavy.

There are little flashbacks from Dee’s time in the psych ward intermittently sprinkled into the narrative, and I thought it added so much value to our understanding of Dee/Matt/Misa’s present day timeline. I loved how we start off getting to know Dee and her current feelings, and we slowly as readers begin to understand that Dee is actually an unreliable narrator, and things aren’t necessarily as they seem between the three friends. Never Been Better was such a raw, honest, vulnerable depiction of humane nature and our innate desire to be loved/wanted/understood. I especially appreciated the female friendships and queer representation we saw blossom in this story. It’s not just about Kai or Dee or Misa, but the little moments of love that happen between Misa and Elinor, and Dee and Obachan. You can tell the author put great care into developing Misa’s family history and embedding her appreciation of Japanese culture into the story - I really loved those parts!

The shining character of this story was Tilley - LITERALLY her dialogue had me laughing out loud. The comedic timing was not only perfect but very welcomed, as it broke up sentimental dialogue and tense moments hilariously, without dismissing the weight of the characters’ discussion of mental health. I loved the sisterly dynamic between Tilley and Dee, and even though she’s considered a side character outside of the three main people, Tilley’s character development stood out to me particularly and I love that we got to see a lot of her in this book.

There is so much love and vulnerability found within the pages of this book. I’m so glad Leanne wrote this and that I got to read it in a time that I really feel like I needed to. There’s so many important sentiments about friendship, self compassion and understanding, setting boundaries and respecting them, mental health, and cultural appreciation - I can tell I’ll be thinking about this one for a while! The fact that this is the author’s debut novel just means I’ll definitely be looking forward to whatever Leanne releases next. Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins, and Leanne Toshiko Simpson for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Never been better by leanne toshiko simpson read by yours truly for an honest netgalley review. Due to be published march 2024.

I so badly wanted to love this book and it just fell short on me. Marketed as a romance, this novel felt more like how the midnight library gave off self help vibes.

The main character had some major character development towards the end of the story and became more lovable, in my opinion, whereas other characters were flat and made me want to push them in the ocean at times.

There was one saving grace in this book, and that was Vik. If we could’ve gotten more of him and seen something happen that I’ll leave for future readers to discover to avoid spoilers.

I think this book could be successful for the right audience, but I was looking for a cute romance with not a lot of thought needing to take place and this book just wasn’t that.