the suspense!! so thick you could cut it with a knife. im not a big thriller reader so i dont have the highest of expectations. all i care about is if the story grips my attention and i dont guess the plot twist. this one did just that! could not put this down

This was my first book by Faith Gardner, and it was good! This was a dark book that has humor in it as well, I could not put it down. I am looking forward to reading some of her past work

I loved this story! Something right up my alley with twisty endings and messy middles. This story focuses on Jolene, who cannot move past an incident that occurred in her senior year of high school. 10 years later and she has the chance to face this problem head on, but then strange things start to happen. Jolene is unsure if she is going crazy but her father and best friend are not helpful. The last few chapters made me feel like...well damn.

I have officially become a fan of Faith Gardner and cannot wait to read more from her.

Thank you to Mirror House Press, netgalley, and faith.gardner for an eARC of this book!

"Like It Never Was"
By Faith Gardner
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5 stars

This had me hooked from the start with its wild twists and turns. Jolene’s chaotic life and her tangled past with Elizabeth kept me turning pages. The dual timelines and Jolene’s quirky, troubled character made for a super engaging read. Sure, some parts were a bit predictable, and Jolene could be frustrating at times, but the ending? Totally unexpected and left me wanting more. If you're into dramatic thrillers with a splash of dark humor, give this one a go!

2 stars!

This was unfortunately really not a hit for me. On the bright side, it was well written and a quick read, but the entire time I was annoyed. Jolene may be my least favorite character I've read this year. I think it is okay for there to be an unlikeable character, but she had no redeeming qualities at all and I felt like she kinda deserved what was happening to her. Also, the majority of the book was extremely repetitive with Jolene continuously being pranked, acting paranoid, and then us as a reader hearing a story from the past. Then, the last 20% went absolutely off the rails and once we were told the "twist" I found myself extremely annoyed. Unfortunately this was not a thriller I can find myself recommending.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

My first read by Faith Gardner and it did not disappoint! I love books that play mind tricks. Parts of the story I did find predictable but other parts I was caught off guard.

Jolene and Elizabeth have a life long drama including a near fatal car accident that left Elizabeth disfigured and dismembered.

The beginning of the story ropes you in, the middle is a bit of a slow burn and the end had the pages turning! I love a twisted friendship story line too. The only character I could have done without was Alice. I'm not entirely sure what purpose she served- other than being annoying!

All in all I would definitely read more Faith Gardner. I'm also grateful this isn't a long series. One of so many books in a super long running series.

Thanks for the read, Netgalley!

What would happen if the person you accidentally almost killed in high school came back in to your life?

That’s what happened to Jolene. She’s living a real life nightmare, especially when odd things start to happen. Does Elizabeth know? How could she have found out?

This book was engaging and kept my interest, however I found the characters somewhat annoying. The book was also pretty predictable- which isn’t always a bad thing.

I found this book to be pretty average for most of the story until the last 20% when it did a complete 360 degree turn and flipped the script. I really enjoyed the last half.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book.

Oh wow!!! I did not see that plot twist coming!!! This was a first for me by this author but will not be my last! Such a good story!

Talk about a catchy opening page. Once I read the words “gorilla suit” I knew I was in for a good time. Jolene was a hell of a main character, that’s all I can say. Just buckle up. The ending was PERFECT. Whewwwww. I wish we got more of an explanation behind google man and his texting habits/wig collection. It seemed like that was wasted potential.

I LOOOOOOOOVE books where things happen back in high school and people hide it and it comes back to bite them in the present. Books like that are ADDICTING. This one was no different. I was devouring this book, so excited to see what was going to happen next!

Okay. I am a Faith fan. I like her stuff. She writes in a way that makes you crave the endings. However, when you get there, her endings can be a bummer. Great storytelling, but lets you down there. It isn't bad, but it usually feels incomplete to me. There's always more to be gained with a bonus epilogue with her stuff usually, which also feels...well, unsatisfying, but will I keep reading her? YES. Did I still like this and her other works? Also yes. I just needed to get that off of my chest. Ha. The characters in this (like her other works) drew me in, so she always succeeds at that. 4.

I love Faith Gardner! Her books are a fantastic blend of thriller/mystery and sci-fi. Like It Never Was is a story about a friendship and car accident and amnesia. Fast paced and exciting. Four stars! Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this book for an honest review.

Thank you to Mirror House Press, @netgalley, and @faith.gardner for an eARC of this book!

Elizabeth had a massive car accident in highschool, and it was Jolene’s fault. It was an accident. A prank. But Jolene kept the secret of what happened and has let the guilt eat at her through all these years, with stints in rehab, numerous different mental health diagnoses, and the absolute inability to stay in any one place for an extended period of time, Jolene is struggling to find what she wants to do with her life. In her newest endeavor, Jolene moves to Berkeley and who else is a teacher in the improv class she signed up for, but Elizabeth. Does Elizabeth somehow now know that the accident was Jolene’s fault, or is she being paranoid?

I was interested in this book from the very beginning. Going in blind (without reading the synopsis) I was a little confused for a bit about where the book was going. But once I got in a little bit, I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed how it seemed to be written in almost a stream of consciousness from Jolene’s point of view. The writing held my attention, made me emotionally invested in the story, and even had me laughing at times. Jolene as a character was super interesting and made me feel all different emotions. At times, I couldn’t stand her, other times she made me laugh, and then there were times I was scared for her and then scared OF her. The evolution of Jolene as a character was exciting to read. Loved the dual timeline. I was so excited each time I got to a chapter of the past. I couldn’t get through it quick enough because I was dying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. The ending of this book was absolute insanity overall! I wasn’t entirely shocked by the final twist, as I did have a bit of a feeling… and then to end on a cliffhanger like that… I want more!

TW: suicidal ideation, drug use, addiction, mental health problems

This thriller has it all. It keeps you guessing right until the end. The main character is an interesting individual which makes this all the more fun. Highly recommend.

Left me guessing! I love a good twist. Unputdownable and gripping! I really enjoyed reading this book! Thank you netgalley!

From the first page, this author had me hooked! As the story developed, I felt the confusion and fear that Jolene faced as she tried to put her life together while dealing with the guilt she carried. Both Jolene and Elizabeth were characters that pulled me into their lives and I really got caught up in their relationship. The final few chapters were such a twist of plot that I actually had to go back and reread them to make sure I understood the ending of the story! Loved it!

This was a very quick and easy read for me. I loved how It was very fast paced and the chapters were short and action packed. This book was full of twists and turns and I never knew what was coming next. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a fast and easy read.

Jolene and Elizabeth are frenemies, both high school actresses going after the same roles. Jolene is convinced that Elizabeth tried to poison her, so on one fateful night, Jolene decides to pay Elizabeth back; except a little joke goes horribly wrong and Elizabeth is left disfigured but unable to remember what happened.

Years later, Jolene has had a string of jobs, unable to really figure out where to land. She's struggles with addiction, but her dad is always there to bail her out. Looking for a fresh start, Jolene gets a job with a poet and moves to Berkeley, hoping that she can finally pick up the pieces. But when she runs into Elizabeth in an improv group, she starts to wondering if Elizabeth knows more than she ever let on.

This is the first novel I read by Gardner and it was simply fine for me. I struggled to connect with Jolene, who seems to be her own worst enemy. I also struggled to completely understand her anger towards Elizabeth, although towards the end things did become more clear.

Although the ending is what I would describe as "bananas", it just wasn't enough to knock this one out of the park. But if you're looking for a book that'll leave you wondering who the crazy one is, this might be the read for you.

This book was alright. There were some parts of it where I couldnt put it down. And other parts were extremely boring. I started reading it as an ARC, but life and kids got in the way and it has since been published. I was able to guess the plot twist almost immediately.