The Never List

De: Jade Presley

Narrado por: Michelle Price, Jake Bordeaux

Fifty Shades of Grey meets Serpent and the Wings of Night in a why-choose romantasy where one woman's quest to save her sister—and the realm—brings her to not one, but four power-hungry princes of chaos.

Contains mature themes.

©2025 Jade Presley (P)2025 Tantor Media

One of the best narrations I’ve heard!

I absolutely love the world that Jade Presley has created! I could not put this book down iand I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

What a pleasant surprise.....

4.25 Stars 🌟

What the heck?

That cliffhanger was BRUTAL. UGH…..

This was my unexpected surprise of the week. Another "new to me" author that I chose because the plot sounded interesting. This is a "why choose?" story, but it is different than others in this genre because the FMC -Rylee Gray - actually gets to spend a month with each of the 4 Princes. One month with each Prince. Separately.

That changes the dynamic from an insta-love type of atmosphere, to one where each couple can actually spend time getting to know each other and truly develop a relationship.

With that being said, we are introduced to a new world - the kingdom of Lumathyst - where there were 4 goddesses that picked 4 mates (they became the Kings). They each had sons and then the goddesses went into a purposeful sleep. The sons grew up and when they matured, they were required to fulfill the guidelines left by their mothers. They EACH had to agree on and accept ONE female between the four of them. A mate who would willingly accept them forever. This woman would become an immortal - their Queen -and that would unlock their upgraded magic, allowing them to ascend to their thrones.

To find this woman, each year, once a year, they had an event called "the choosing" where they chose one woman. They then gave the woman the opportunity to try to get to know them and to see whether or not she was a fit for their group. Unfortunately, these Princes were EXTREMELY powerful - with enormous magical ability - and this seemed to be too intimidating for past candidates.

FMC Rylee Gray however, was everything that she shouldn't have been. She lived in the "lower class" area of Lumathyst. The inhabitants of this area were not even allowed to cross the border into Lumathyst. Rylee has been illegally crossing as long a she can remember. Also, Rylee is a Demi. In other words, she has magic.....powerful magic that is forbidden and that she should not have. It would be a death sentence if her magic was discovered.

She ends up at the choosing as a lark. Her friends forged the invitations and only went to go to a party. To eat, drink, and get the jeweled broach that each contestant gets as a souvenir that they could later sell. There was NO chance that she was going to be selected, right?

Because she is who she is - she isn't intimidated by the Princes and because of her magic, it gives her a confidence to be able to stand up to the people who are opposed to her being a viable candidate. She gets to spend the time with each Prince and we get to see them actually develop and grow in their relationships.

But she still has her secrets......

Yep, the cliffhanger at the end of this book is brutal. That just means that I will be chomping at the bit to get the next book. I don't even know when it is coming out (I better go check.......)

Overacting

The story was interesting and I liked getting to know the characters. The prose wasn’t the very best but I appreciated the easy read. The narrators overacted and it really detracted from the story. The female narrator pretty much has a breathy whisper the whole way through and it’s so distracting. Just should have read it.

**Contains Spoilers**

The four princes of Lumathyst need a mate, and everyone wants a chance...except for her.

So Rylee is a Demi with special powers she has had to learn to conceal and lives in one of the lowest cities. Technically she shouldn't have been there and could have been even executed for being at the choosing. Her intention though was never to actually be chosen, she was on a mission to find her sister Erin who went missing. However to Rylee's surprise Jax one of the princes see's something in her and chooses her.

Now Rylee is stuck in an incredibly vulnerable situation and has no idea how she is going to make it through. As time goes on and she gets to know each Prince she ends up falling hopelessly in love. Once the time comes for them to all choose at the end of their time Rylee dies! The Princes go to save her and bring her back. Once the Princes get there though Invaders attack and Rylee discovers her sister who she has been worried sick about is the LEADER!?!!? The book ends with Rylee telling Jax she still chooses him as she fades away. Now we are left on a cliffhanger wondering what will happen next!
This book was such a fun read and had a great amount of spice! I love a good "Why Choose", and this definitely checked all the boxes for me! Also the Audiobook is fabulously done! The physical book is absolutely stunning so I will be buying to add to my collection 💜

A lot going on, with enjoyable moments

I’m conflicted…I enjoy things about it, but at the same time and confused or just generally meh about some.

The premise was really intriguing. It gave me Royal Trial Bonds that Ties vibes with a dash of From Blood and Ash. Though not completely flushed out.

So our FMC is “different” but the difference in past potentials is she asks questions, goes against the grain with clothing, is from the lowest level of poverty, and has a few sassy quips. Nothing that really stands out to me. And she did have any real character growth.

The guys Kal (golden retriever) is sunshine and dreams. Axl is the giant one (that’s all I really got from him) oh and he has water powers, Pierce is the “Mind” so quiet intellectual, and Jax the “Nightmare” is the dark and broody asshole. They didn’t really have any character development.

The plot was a bit all over the place, it’s a fictional world so yes anything is possible. It just felt off. It’s a world where there isn’t modern world tech, but the guys ride motorcycles, though they are called something else I don’t remember the name, but motorcycles nonetheless. Yet everything else is an older world feel. The Legends are said to be cruel and all the past potentials run from them the first chance they get, yet they aren’t dark at all. Weary of her at first yes, but even Jax the mean one isn’t really mean. Its def insta lust all around and their are quiet a few scenes, but only 2-3 were actually entertaining in my opinion. And nothing was omg depraved like the Legends made themselves out to be. The way they were talked about and talked about themselves I was expecting more scenes like at the club Lust.

While at the end it did have some interesting things happen, this one did fall a bit flat for me. The sub plot with the Kings and Faders is what has kept me intrigued with the story. The plot twist at the end I saw from a mile away, but I am intrigued enough to continue the series. It wasn’t the worst or best thing I’ve read. Im hoping for better world building and character growth in the next one.

Read: 🎧Audible/📖ARC provided by Red Tower
MMC: Jax Lavine, Kal Erhart, Pierce Bertrand, Axl Dawson
FMC: Rylee Gray
Spice: 3🌶️ (semi group scene, lust club scene, and Pierce mind stuff are the only reasons I pushed it to 3)
Tropes: RH, Enemies to Lovers, Secret Identity, Touch Her and 💀, Forced Proximity, Fated Mates

ugh. AMAZING!!!

i need more!!! the performance is STUNNING! i even cried, the emotional connection that the voiceover does are simply amazing. please when will the next book come out, don't do this to me, i need more *crying emoji* I even got the hard copy. this was such a beautiful storyline. most definitely cannot wait for rhe next.

4 Princes, 1 Girl — Enough Said!

5 ⭐️ 3 🌶️

This book is a full-blown why-choose fever dream—in the best way. Imagine if Quicksilver and ACOTAR had a love child, and for once, you didn’t have to pick just one bat boy. These men may not have wings, but let’s be real… they’re not exactly lacking.

So what happens when a lowborn girl with secret powers crashes a royal dating competition? Chaos. Glorious, magical chaos. Rylee sneaks into The Choosing to find her missing sister, only to be claimed as the fated mate of four god-tier princes—each one hotter, deadlier, and more emotionally complicated than the last.

With forbidden magic, mating trials, political games, and enough spice to melt your Kindle, this book is a why-choose must-read. Rylee’s got sass, grit, and trauma she covers with sarcasm—and I adored her for it. The princes? Let’s just say each one is a fantasy with his own flavor of danger.

Jade Presley doesn’t just write romantasy—she delivers a high-speed roller coaster of feelings, spice, and plot twists. The world is immersive without being overwhelming, and Rylee’s emotional journey? One minute I was clutching my chest, the next I was reaching for a fan. Well done, Jade!

More spice than plot but FUN

This was more spice than plot but I had a great time.

Tropes:
Why choose
Romantasy
Forced Proximity
Cool Magic
Fated Mates

The plot of the book was actually pretty entertaining when they weren’t humping like bunnies. The FMC is trying to find her sister thats been missing for a year and thats how she ends up trying to win the hearts of the four princes. This was SPICY. It was a tad instalust but it worked for me. It was paced so well that it had me HOOKED. I truly only wanted to read this and see what happens. The writing style was kinda hit or miss at times. I did find some parts to be pretty cringe ngl but I was thoroughly entertained. And thats thing I was looking for.

Overall, I liked it. It was a really fun why choose. I might read book 2 when it comes out.

This story

This book had me laughing, crying, and feeling all kinds of ways. 😏 Jake and Michelle were amazing at bringing this to life and I can’t wait to read the next book!

Cute and sexy!

It was a lot of fun to listen to! Audio for the men is really good! I will say im frustrated. I read this book the second it came out and there is a wicked cliffhanger at the end… now i have to wait! 😫