While this is a review for WIEF, I would be remiss if I didn’t also acknowledge the series as a whole. I truly don’t think I am the same person now that I was prior to reading Was I Ever Here (book 1). I feel seen and understood in regards to my mental health struggles in a way that I don’t know that I’ve felt before. I feel less alone in regards to my mental health struggles and my difficult parent relationships. I feel changed in my outlook and in some of the ways I view the world around me. 

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it a thousand times…Naomi’s tagline as an author should be “horny and sad”. I laughed, I cried, I lost my mind over the spicy scenes, I sobbed, I cried WHILE reveling in a particularly emotional spicy scene. There’s no shortage of emotions that Naomi’s writing can evoke. 

Bastian has been a little bit of an enigma since the start of the series because he’s always silent and brooding. I absolutely loved getting to know him, both the light and the dark. 

Given what we know about Lenix’s and Lucy’s upbringing, and what we learn about Lucy’s experience during the extra time she spent in the cult, I adored seeing her slowly come out of her shell and figure out who she is as a person. 

This series will stay with me forever. Thank you for putting your heart and soul into this Naomi 🫶🏼

Please check TWs before reading as this book is dark and there is a lot of potentially triggering content. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

I received this as an ARC and this is my honest opinion.