I Never (novel)
Written by the same guy who wrote Thrown Into Love, Rooting for Romance and its sequel The Birth of Something New, I Never is a Love Actually-inspired fic that's about six plotlines:
- Elizabeth, eighty-three year old, who is looking for her brother, Alan, who she lost in the war,
- Pete's plotline, that is yet kept a secret until the plotline will be revealed,
- Ian and Esmeralda, two friends who can't spit their feelings out,
- Simon and Lauren, a couple that breaks up with each other multiple times because Simon can't control his temper,
- Victor and Zoë, a teenage couple that has stayed together since kindergarten, and finally,
- Jamie's plotline, a guy who meets a girl in the bus, fancies her, but can't say a word to her because he doesn't dare.
You can read it here.
Tropes used in I Never (novel) include:
- Always Identical Twins: Averted in the case of Jamie and Esmeralda, who are fraternal.
- Can't Spit It Out: In two plotlines. Ian and Esmeralda are in love, but they dance around each other - they don't dare to confess their feelings to one another.
- In Jamie's plotline, he meets a girl in the bus and doesn't dare to talk to her. Arguably, that's an exaggarated form of Can't Spit It Out.
- Cool Old Lady: Elizabeth.
- Don't Split Us Up: Elizabeth and Alan.
- Follow the Leader: Like said before, I Never is inspired by Love Actually.
- I Never...: The whole story is themed around this game.
- Just Friends: Ian and Esmeralda.
- Moment Killer: Victor walking in on Ian and Esmeralda, when Ian is just about to confess his feelings.
- One Steve Limit: Averted. In Elizabeth's plotline, there are two Alans.
- Straight Bi: Pete.
- Title Drop: Frequently.
- Unresolved Sexual Tension: Ian and Esmeralda.
- Unusual Chapter Naming: The title of every chapter in the story starts with I Never....
- Victorious Childhood Friend: Victor. Probably one of the few examples where this isn't a spoiler.
- Victor and Zoë have been together since kindergarten, but only later realized their feelings for one another, feelings that were replied. One could, therefore, state that Victor is a Victorious Childhood Boyfriend.