Never Have I Ever

I have been a huge Joshilyn Jackson fan since I read [b:The Girl Who Stopped Swimming 1266297 The Girl Who Stopped Swimming Joshilyn Jackson https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328655335s/1266297.jpg 546698] more than 10 years ago. She has never failed to deliver a memorable story about women at the crossroads who discover things they didn't know about themselves and/or their loved ones as their lives change in significant ways. In my review of her most recent book [b:The Almost Sisters 32600726 The Almost Sisters Joshilyn Jackson https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487958944s/32600726.jpg 53181435] I lamented, “Why Joshilyn Jackson isn't more respected as one of the most notable authors of the past 10 years is one of the best examples I know of Why The World Isn't Fair.”So it pains me to say that I really disliked this book. It wasn't poorly written or plotted, but I hated the fact that Jackson has followed so many of her fellow authors and turned to writing thrillers (another of my favorites, Emilie Richards, also fell prey to the lure of this genre in her new book [b:A Family of Strangers 41821074 A Family of Strangers Emilie Richards https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1553879189s/41821074.jpg 65267104]). Apparently Women's Fiction is out and thrillers are in. That saddens me greatly. I don't want to read about women who are out to get each other and bad situations getting worse. It made me feel cold and small, and that's not what I want from my reading experience. Although many of the heroines in Jackson's previous novels had troubled relationships with family members, they weren't pitted against each other as Roux and Amy are in this book. Amy does have strong relationships with other females in her life, most notably her stepdaughter who lovingly refers to her as “Monster,” but the book's central relationship is between Roux and Amy, and it's ugly. I'm not giving the book a lower rating because Jackson is such a strong writer and storyteller, and Amy's passion for scuba diving off the Florida coast allows for several beautiful scenes of aquatic life. Judging by Jackson's acknowledgements, it was her idea to write something different, so I'm afraid Women's Fiction may have lost her for good. I'll be heartbroken if that's the case, but I guess I can always re-read some of my favorites from her backlist. ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for honest review.