Never say no by Elizabeth Neep

 

It’s always been yes. Yes, I’ll be your friend. Yes, I’ll be your girlfriend. Yes, I’ll move in with you. Yes, yes, yes. I can’t just change my mind now. Can I?

Hailey has always been told she can have it all. And saying yes to every opportunity that comes her way seems like the obvious way to make sure she gets it.

When she finds an engagement ring hidden in her boyfriend Dom’s closet, she knows she’ll say yes.

Her best friend Sophie suggests they run a marathon together and although Hailey hasn’t done more than sprint for a bus in years, she says yes.

And every time her new boss, the infamous Vivian Jones, asks her to stay late (again) at her dream job, the answer is always yes.

But somewhere between saying ‘yes’ to Vivian’s latest demands and still trying to make it home on time for boxsets and burritos on the sofa with Dom, Hailey has lost sight of what she really wanted in the first place.

Far from winning at life, Hailey feels like she is fighting to juggle two very different worlds. When those worlds finally collide, could having it all actually mean losing everything?

Fans of Mhairi McFarlane, Holly Bourne and The Devil Wears Prada will adore this funny, heart-felt and honest look at navigating those moments in life where you reach a crossroads and have to decide who and what it is you want to be.

My review 

3.5 stars

When you see the cover and read the blurb, you think this is one of those wonderful stories that everyone hates but secretly enjoys.

I really loved this novel way more than I thought, It’s not about the conflicts of a young woman that is approaching her thirties and has no idea what life will bring on her doorstep next, it’s so much more and so many other characters’ lives covered.

I like Hailey and her quirky mind; she is the perfect heroine that we all love, with feelings and vulnerabilities, with aspirations and dreams for her destiny and doesn’t take everything for granted. She is devoted and fatefull, she is that friend that you can call or text at any time of the day and trust her with all your secrets.

There are many characters to look up here, from her fiance, the one that I loved and hate at the same time, to her boss woman, her idol and her perfect life, but it proves that not everything you see sparkles and to get there there are many layers of the truth and many covered secrets. The other side characters are adding so much to Hailey’s character arc and I liked them all because they are so reliable in so many aspects, just like real life friends and colleagues.

Overall, it’s a very well-written story that kept me reading it in one sitting and had my heart feel full in the end, because it’s not a light read at times, but it’s a real and heartwarming story