Mystery• Thriller

Review: This Never Happened by Jessica Clem

November 4, 2026

Synopsis:

When former best friends Sam and Rebecca reunite at their college reunion, they decide to repair their fractured relationship and start over.

But then Sam finds out Rebecca is dating Adam, a man she’d had an intense relationship with two years ago. She vows to keep it a secret, lest it sever their newly mended bond.

Sam soon realizes she can’t outrun her and Rebecca’s imperfect past, nor can she ignore her and Adam’s desire for one another.

As Sam struggles between loyalty and lust, she realizes that vengeance can make monsters out of all of us.

Review:

Sam is a bit of an outsider. She deals with anxiety, and in these situations she wants to hide away from everyone else. When she meets Rebecca, who tells her that she knows what Sam is going through, Sam instantly feels connected to her and feels that she has finally found a friend who understands and supports her.
It becomes clear very quickly that Rebecca is not who she seems to be, and there are situations that feel very uncomfortable. It comes across as toxic in some situations. Sam begins to doubt her own emotions and how she feels about everything. Between losing her best friend and suffering through it, she picks the lesser evil. Or so she thinks. When they both move in separate directions after graduation, it looks like the end of a chapter. Until they meet again.

The first part of the book was the part I enjoyed the most. Sam came across as someone looking for a connection, and while she noticed some inconsistencies in Rebecca’s day-to-day actions and behaviour, she was willing to suffer through them while feeling more and more uncomfortable. That was a journey that had me glued to the pages, and it made me uncomfortable as well. I could understand why Sam allowed Rebecca to continue her hold over her.
When they meet again years later, it became clear that that feeling never fully went away. The story, though, took a turn that I wasn’t fully on board with personally. It felt a bit much for my liking. There were some parts I actually liked about it.

Overall, this was an engaging, fast-paced, and easy-to-read story, with an ending that didn’t fully land for me. Do I still think that it is a fun read? Absolutely.

🌙 Recension: This Never Happened by Jessica Clem
📚 Genre: Mystery, Thriller
📅 Release Date: November 3, 2026
📖 Publisher: Rowan Prose Publishing
📱 Read as: Kindle
📗 available in various formats
💸 I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 297
⭐️ 3.5/5