Have we all made mistakes in high school? Probably. But ones that would chase, haunt and torture us for life? That'd be a no for most but Jolene is not most people.

Firstly, I loved the cover of this book. Secondly, Jolene was a great character to ride this wild ride of a story with. I also loved her dad and Suzanne. The story itself had me hooked from the start with whacky characters, thrills and laugh-out-loud moments.

I also loved the portrayal of mental health and what it is like to live with a diagnosis or even without one. Some sentences about it definitely hit home for me and thought it was a well-written book.

I can't wait to read more by Faith Gardener and am wondering why I didn't know about her till now. Thanks to Netgalley and Mirror House Press for the e-copy!

4.5/5

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Like It Never Was by Faith Gardner.

Ooooh, this was a fever dream. I read the first chapter and it was such a hook that I immediately told my husband about this.

In HS, Jolene causes an accident that permanently injures her "frenemy" Elizabeth, but no one knows except for Jolene. Carrying this heavy secret causes Jolene daily grief, but nothing could prepare her for when Elizabeth reappears into her life, anxious to be friends again. How can Jolene bear it? And not only that, but strange things are happening to her, messages on her doorstep, her bathroom mirror, does someone know what she did? Is Jolene slowly sinking into madness, or does someone just want her to feel that way.

I didn't feel like the ending had quite the strength as the beginning, but I still found myself reaching for this book quickly to know what was going on. It's fun and it's weird, it's a great summer read.

Jolene is struggling with her guilt ten years after her actions bring harm to a classmate right after senior year of high school ends. When Jolene runs into the classmate again, she starts to spiral.

So I'm pretty hard to impress when it comes to thrillers, but this one actually had me gripped. I love a good unreliable narrator and this delivered. I was constantly wondering if any of it was actually happening, and I love that honestly. My only complaint would be the small chapters, they kind of threw me off. Chapter 51 is literally one paragraph? Despite this, I couldn't put it down and got through it in a day. Thanks to NetGalley and Mirror House Press for the copy.

This was so creepy good! I couldn't put it down!! A fast, easy read that had me fully focused and invested, and I had a good time reading it. I loved that it was unpredictable. So many crazy things happening! I had fun running through all the possible outcomes, and I had a lot of them! I would have given it 5 stars, but I was left with too many unanwered questions, and that bothers me. I read the bonus epilogue, but it didn't shed any light on my questions. I wish more time had been spent explaining and clarifying things at the end. The ending was too rushed in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mirror House Press for this eARC.

This was a quick, wild read featuring a sketchy, unreliable narrator. I wouldn't say it was one of my favorite thrillers, but it was definitely entertaining.

The story flew by with short chapters and lots of action. The ending was particularly crazy. It sort of felt like a Lifetime movie in book form.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

A compelling read with a few predictable twists. I would rate the book 3.5.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Wow. Just wow. This book is unhinged in the best way possible. The short chapters made it so easy to instantly be hooked. Jolene is the epitome of an "unreliable narrator", excellent job with that character building. Even though the ending was very thrilling, I still was left wanting more. I'm not sure what that "more" is, maybe it's just me not wanting the book to be over, but it feels like something is missing or it was too abrupt. Regardless, this is easily a 5-star book.

arc review

This book was a TRIP.

In a prank gone wrong, Jolene alters the life of classmate Elizabeth Smith forever. Ten years later, Jolene struggles with guilt, and when Elizabeth Smith comes back into the picture, paranoia sets in. Who is messing with Jolene, or is it all in her head?

If you enjoy the following, this could be a great fit:
- sarcastic main characters
- wild storylines (I don't want to hear any "it's just not believable...")
- not knowing who to believe

I had so much fun with this book! It's fast-paced and filled with tension. I was right there with Jolene not knowing if she was imagining all of the coincidences surrounding her or if someone was out for revenge. This is a fantastic palate cleanser after a slower, more serious read, or it would be fun to take on vacation. Don't go into this book looking for a serious, dramatic thriller. This is fun, unhinged, and over the top.

After loving The Prediction (formerly Amen Maxine), Faith Gardner has been on my radar. I cannot wait to continue catching up on her work!

Rating: I really liked it! (4.5 rounded to 5)

Unfortunately this book was not my favorite. The chapters were way too short for me although I understand some people like that. I did not find the characters very relatable. The story did flow well and the alternating timelines blended together well. Overall was a quick read and held my attention.

Faith Gardner's "Like It Never Was" is a haunting and evocative novel that explores themes of trauma, memory, and the complexities of familial relationships. The novel’s structure, which alternates between past and present, is handled adeptly. The flashbacks provide crucial context and add emotional weight to the present-day narrative.
With its intricate plot this book offers a deeply engaging and thought-provoking ending

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Omg what a wild journey! And I loved everything about it. One of my highlights for this year! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I didn't know the author until now but I'm going to sit down and read more of her books right away! Because "Like it never was" convinced me so much that I have to read more by her.

The story is well written. It's about Jolene who (unintentionally) caused a car accident in which Elizabeth was involved and as a result suffered a leg, an eye and all sorts of scars. Elizabeth doesn't know who was to blame for the accident. After 10 years, Jolene meets Elizabeth again and she can't shake the feeling that Elizabeth knows that it was Jolene who caused the accident back then. You keep asking yourself, does Elizabeth know something or is Jolene just imagining it? What really happened between the two of them and why is Elizabeth so extremely nice to Jolene when Elizabeth copied everything she did back then? Or is it all just Jolenes imagination?

Questions upon questions that kept me on reading. Not a single chapter or page bored me. I could also imagine the book being made into a film. (Please sign me up as an actress :D) Exciting from start till the End and the End totally shocked me. For me it was the perfect twist! End there's also a bonus epilogue for this story!

Such a bizarre book. Jolene was 30 years old going on 12 years old, living in a perpetual fantasy world. There was no credible storyline, going from the past to present made me wonder what the “plot” was all about. Not a book for me.

This is a psychological thriller, where you don’t know if you wanna trust the narrator or not.
At the beginning of the book, you immediately struck by the conflict of the book which this makes the book runs in fast paced and I loved it for it. The chapters also short, perfect for you all that currently in reading slump and want something quick to read.

So, what’s my issue with the book? at the beginning it started with the main character’s pov in her young age that It is understandable when this occur it felt very YA. But when it comes to present time, which now she’s like at the end of her 20s, I don’t think she sounded juvenile is what I wanted. How the main characters (yes, plural) act when I realized they’re almost 30, didn’t sit right with me.

Somehow, I can guessed the plot and reveals at the end. But, maybe it’s just because I’ve read some thriller books before. If you are a new thriller reader, i think this might be for you. I just hope the reveal and the suspense could be longer, because that went too fast and I was like “that’s it?”
But overall, I enjoyed it and I read it fast!

Thank you NetGalley, Mirror House Press, and Faith Gardner, for giving me this eARC with an exchange for a honest review!

This was one was okay. I think the plot was quite limited and the plot twist wasn't amazing but i still wanted to carry on reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of Like It Never Was by Faith Gardner. Well that was something else!! Not the greatest book in my opinion. often I found myself shaking my head in disbelief. The storyline was ridiculous and none of the characters were at all relatable. This book has been highly rated but it's not for me. I found it very immature and it did not hold my attention. Sorry for the negativity, but not every book can be for everyone!

This is a fast-paced book that will keep you glued in to the pages. It is very on-brand for being a thriller. This is my first book from Faith Gardner and would most definitely want to read and see how her other books are like. Thank you netgalley for my ARC!

Based on the other reviews, I’m an outlier—but did we read the same book??

Wow, this was bad. Almost comically bad. Zero suspense, zero intrigue, terrible voice. This read like someone’s journal, not a novel. And this is supposed to be a 30 year old I believe but sounded 16.

Like It Never Was by Faith Gardner is a fast paced thriller that keeps you guessing as you try to figure out what is real and what is true.
Tossing us back and forth between two timelines, this is the story of a young woman trapped with the guilt of a teenaged bad decision that leads to an accident that haunts her now, well into her 20's. I couldn't put it down and have continued thinking about it days after finishing it.;
For a more indepth review please check out my spoiler free youtube review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOScwi85_Z4

This is a real psychological thriller. One person is a psychopath and the other is not, but which person actually needs help? I was a bit confused about the role of Jolene’s dad and also her friend, Alice, but apart from that really enjoyed this ride. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This genre is out of my normal. I was skeptical because I usually stick to romance. I can say I am glad I choose this one. I definitely was pulled in and did not want to put the book down. I was amazed that there were turn of events that I did not see coming. I thought I had figured out the book but the curveballs were unexpected. I will definitely be reading more by Faith