Megan, the incessant flirt who has a seemingly unwavering bravado, also has a softer side with a little insecurity that sneaks its way in on a rare occasion. She’s honest, passionate and fearless, jumping head-first into anything she encounters. You can’t help but love this protagonist even if you don’t care for her inability to NOT have a boy toy. Next, we have her sweet, best (girl) friend, Madeleine, who always seems to be perfect and supportive. Don’t forget the snotty rival, who you’ll love to hate but eventually learn to understand. Throw in the ex-boyfriend turned gay best (guy) friend who always has her back but puts her in her place when necessary. Then there’s Owen. The highly unlikely friend with the “fake” girlfriend who is thoughtful, kind, and easily embarrassed. The story is full of these diverse characters as well as several others who make the story fun and intriguing. Along with great characters, plan for a rollercoaster of emotions as the story progresses. Not only is Megan dealing with drama (literally) at high school, her home life has also been turned upside down with divorced parents who are in new relationships and may just be leaving her behind. I expected Always Never Yours to be a silly, light read but was pleasantly surprised to find it to not only be binge-worthy but also that it covers some deeper subjects beyond the initial guy chasing. I highly recommend this to Romeo and Juliet fans, those who get a kick out of high school drama and don’t mind the very sexually active teens, or any who enjoy a YA romance. 

Review of an Advance Reading Copy provided by the Publisher

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 13 religious exclamations; 9 mild obscenities; 35 scatological words; 11 anatomical terms; 10 f-word derivatives.

Violence/Gore:  A few (2) brief incidents including character joking about wanting to drink poison; reference to hands getting cut off during a play (fake).

Sex/Nudity:  Many (61) brief incidents involving teenagers including characters flirting and wanting to make out; kissing; holding hands; hugging; girl seen in underwear while changing into costume; reference to erectile dysfunction ads; character jokes about having sex; several references to “hooking up”; reference to person having sex with an animal in a play; character says another is sexy; innuendo; reported skinny dipping; character tells another what sexual things she’s done with others (not detailed); joking about having phone sex; several incidents of implied and reported sex; dirty dancing; characters making out and guy has hand up girl’s shirt; characters kissing and hugging while naked; characters removed clothes and nearly had sex.

Mature Subject Matter:

Several teenagers being sexually active, underage drinking, divorce.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Reference to a play in which a character sells drugs to underage girls; a few incidents of underage drinking.