Blog Tour & Excerpt Reveal: I Never by Laura Hopper

Janey King’s priorities used to be clear: track, school, friends, and family. But when seventeen-year-old Janey learns that her seemingly happy parents are getting divorced, her world starts to shift. Back at school, Luke Hallstrom, an adorable senior, pursues Janey, and she realizes that she has two new priorities to consider: love and sex.

Inspired by Judy Blume’s classic Forever, I Never features a perfect, delicious, almost-to-good-to-be-true high school relationship . . . and it doesn’t shy away from the details. Destined to be passed from teen to teen, this is a young adult debut that will get readers talking.

• Back at my house, Luke walks me to the door. We’ve held hands all the way home, but

  he hasn’t kissed me since that sweet little peck on the lips right after my dad drove away. I’m

  wondering if I’m supposed to ask him to come in the house. If he does, what would we do?

  Where would we go? I couldn’t take him to my room. Would we watch TV? Would we hang

  out with my mom? It all seems so horribly awkward.

  “I guess I should go,” he says.

  “Okay,” I say, hoping he’ll never ever leave.

  “That was fun,” he says. “You’re fun.” He leans toward me. His hands reach up and

  push my hair gently away from my face. His eyes stay on my eyes until his lips touch mine. My

  eyes close as he opens his mouth, and his tongue finds mine. I feel myself grow weak and I lean

  back on the front door to keep from falling. I don’t know what to do with my hands and, as a

  result, my arms hang limply and lamely at my sides.

  He leans against me, his body up against mine. It feels like he’s protecting and guarding

  me. For the next several minutes, he kisses me. Our lips never part. His hands stay in my hair

  while his tongue continues to play with mine. It’s both gentle and sexy at the same time. I could

  do this forever and ever. It’s like time stands still and nothing else matters. Not my parents’

  divorce, nor debate, nor track, nor my friends. I am undeniably lost in Luke and only Luke.

  Waves of weakness and strength crash into each other throughout my body. Is this what falling

  in love feels like? This euphoria? This sense of being protected and adored? If so, then sign me

  up, because nothing has ever felt so good.