It’s Never Going to Happen Review — Is It Worth Reading?

Verdict: A warm, food-scented opposites-attract romance between a sober butch lobster-boat captain and a chef rebuilding her nerve, held back by a short page count that rushes the back half and chemistry a vocal minority of readers never felt.

Best for: Readers who want a grounded butch/femme pairing in coastal Maine, sobriety and workplace trauma handled with care, and two adults who actually talk to each other, and who can accept a quick, low-conflict read over a big dramatic arc.

Heat level: ★★★☆☆ (3/5 — open door, estimated; romance.io has no entry yet)

Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.7/5 — a 4.08 Goodreads average across just 40 ratings, most of them early-reader copies)

Tropes: Opposites attract, butch/femme, enemies-to-lovers, grumpy-sunshine, small town, chef heroine, found family, sobriety and recovery, sibling caregiver, body positivity.

It’s Never Going to Happen by Sarah G. Levine is a standalone contemporary lesbian romance published by Bold Strokes Books in May 2026, set in a small coastal town in Maine — and the collision at its centre is Gemma O’Brien, a blunt, sober butch who hauls lobster traps on her late father’s boat, running headlong into Kay Grammar, the exacting head chef whose new restaurant wants to buy her catch.

It is Levine’s third novel and very new: 40 Goodreads ratings at a 4.08 average, no romance.io listing, no audiobook, and no trade or major blog reviews yet. Most of the early reader data comes from NetGalley advance copies. What that small sample does show is a remarkably consistent shape — nobody rates it below three stars, and the three-star readers all say the same thing. That shared complaint is the thing worth understanding before you start.

What Is It’s Never Going to Happen About?

It’s Never Going to Happen is a small-town workplace-adjacent romance with a social conscience. The restaurant, Forage and Trawl, is built on sourcing locally and hiring people who understand hard lives, which is how a fancy chef’s kitchen ends up negotiating with a lobster crew. Under the banter sit heavier threads: addiction and recovery, a father’s sudden death, a sister who has struggled too, and the long shadow of an abusive boss in a professional kitchen. Readers keep saying it has more depth than they expected from a light-looking cover.

Gemma took over the family boat at nineteen after her father died on the dock, raised her younger sister Riley when their mother couldn’t, and has been sober for years without ever quite trusting that she’ll stay that way. Kay escaped a manipulative star chef in Portland who dismantled her confidence, and she is betting everything on proving she can stand on her own. The two dislike each other on sight and fancy each other almost as fast. The book gives both women real backstory, and readers repeatedly name that as its foundation.

What Makes This Butch/Femme Small-Town Romance Work

• Gemma herself: A crass-mouthed, big-hearted butch who is working at her sobriety rather than past it. Several reviewers single out how her recovery and its backstory are drawn, and her arc is the one readers enjoy most.
• The food: Kay cooking test dishes for Gemma is the most-praised thread in the reviews. Readers call those quieter kitchen scenes the heart of the book — and more than one says they wanted to eat what Kay was making.
• Adults who communicate: A recurring point of praise is that the leads talk about their fears early and there is no last-minute breakup. For readers tired of third-act misunderstandings, that is the selling point.
• The Maine setting: Readers describe the coast and the fishing town as authentically New England, and several say it made them want to visit. It is enemies-to-lovers with a strong sense of place.
• Body positivity: Kay is curvy, and readers appreciate that neither lead is conventionally glamorous and both are plainly attracted to each other anyway.

Book Synopsis

Gemma O’Brien likes her days predictable. She is on the water before sunrise, she knows every trap on her route, and routine is how she keeps her sobriety and her small fishing operation afloat at the same time. The last thing she wants is her best friend and crewmate Eric setting up a supply deal behind her back — least of all with Forage and Trawl, a new upscale place she has already decided is pretentious.

Kay Grammar has no time for a sarcastic fisherwoman who sneers at her menu. She and her best friend Dina have poured everything into the restaurant, and Kay is still clawing her way back from years under a Portland chef who taught her to doubt every instinct she had. The first meeting goes badly. The second is not much better. Both women agree, loudly, that whatever this is will stay strictly professional.

But the town is small, the opening date is close, and their lives keep overlapping — at the restaurant, at the local gym where Gemma coaches kids including Kay’s nephew, and eventually at Kay’s kitchen table, where Gemma becomes the unofficial taste-tester for the new menu. Meanwhile Gemma’s sister Riley is making choices that frighten her, and Kay is learning to trust her own palate again. The question is whether two people who have spent years just surviving can risk wanting something more.

My Review

The premise is the best thing about this book, and it is a genuinely good one. A butch lobster-boat captain and a chef who needs her catch is a pairing with built-in friction, built-in intimacy and a reason to put food on every other page. Levine uses all three. The early sparring is sharp enough, and the shift into Kay feeding Gemma is where the book finds its real voice — quiet, sensory, and more tender than the title suggests.

The second strength is the care taken with difficult material. Gemma’s sobriety is not a quirk; it shapes how she runs her day, how she reacts to her sister, and how cautiously she approaches wanting anything. Kay’s recovery from a verbally abusive boss is handled with the same seriousness. Readers across the rating range — including those who didn’t love the romance — praise how thoughtfully these backstories are written, and one reviewer notes the book also touches on toxic masculinity and harassment in restaurant kitchens without turning into a lecture.

Where it struggles is room. The most repeated criticism in the reviews is that the book is too short for what it is carrying: readers say the backstories get breezed over, that it tells more than it shows, and that the last fifty or so pages feel like the story has been put on fast-forward. The second theme is chemistry — three independent reviewers say plainly they never felt it between Gemma and Kay, and all three rated it three stars. Behind that sit smaller notes: a couple of readers wanted more conflict and found it nearly plotless, one found the prose literal and repetitive early on, and one felt the sister subplot ran on convenient silence.

One expectation to reset: the cover shows a slim, glamorous woman, and the blurb sells fire-and-ice fireworks. Readers point out that the cover matches neither heroine and that the lobster boat gets less page time than the kitchen. This is a gentle, low-angst book with heavy themes underneath, not a combustible one. If you came for sparks and set pieces, calibrate; if you came for a kind, grounded couple, you’re in the right place.

My honest note: A four-star pairing in a book that runs out of pages before it runs out of story. If you need to feel the chemistry build slowly on the page, it may leave you cold. If you want a warm butch/femme romance with real weight and no drama for drama’s sake, it’s a satisfying weekend.

Element	In It’s Never Going to Happen
Central relationship	Gemma O’Brien & Kay Grammar — sober butch lobster-boat captain and curvy femme head chef, opposites attract
Core tropes	Opposites attract, enemies-to-lovers, grumpy-sunshine, butch/femme, found family, sibling caregiver
Setting	A small fishing town on the Maine coast — a lobster boat, a pre-opening restaurant and a local gym
Heat level	3/5 — open door (estimated from reader reports and publisher; no romance.io entry)
Series	Standalone — the couple ends together, no cliffhanger reported
Content notes	Alcoholism and recovery, a sibling’s substance use, sudden parental death (recalled), parental depression, verbal and emotional workplace abuse, harassment in the restaurant industry, sexual content

How Spicy Is It’s Never Going to Happen?

An estimated 3/5. romance.io has no entry for the book yet, so this number comes from two other places: Bold Strokes Books, whose contemporary romances generally keep the door open, and readers’ own reports. Those reports place the intimacy on the page — one reviewer calls it “FIRE,” another says the relationship moves from shared meals to a shared bed very quickly, and a third says the sex scenes were good but not especially memorable. That spread points to open-door heat that is present rather than central.

The one thing worth knowing in advance comes from a single reader: both women fantasise about kinkier things than the book ever delivers, which she found a little disappointing. Nobody flags anything on the page that needs a warning beyond the themes in the table above. For contemporary romance in the same heat band, Fall Into You and Get It Right sit at the same level.

Who Should Read This Book?

You’ll likely love it if: you want a butch heroine with a rough mouth and a soft centre, you like romance that treats sobriety and workplace abuse seriously, you enjoy food and cooking as the language of courtship, and you value leads who communicate instead of sabotaging themselves.

You may want to skip it if: you need slow, on-page chemistry to believe a couple, you want a big external conflict to drive the plot, you’re looking for a long, immersive read, or you picked it up for the lobster boat and expect to spend most of the book at sea.

In short: a kind, grounded opposites-attract romance with weight underneath it, told in fewer pages than its characters deserve.

What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)

There is no buzz behind this book yet, and pretending otherwise would mislead. It came out in May 2026 — Amazon lists the Kindle edition on 12 May — and four months later it has 40 Goodreads ratings and 31 written reviews, 12 Amazon ratings, no romance.io entry, and no StoryGraph community statistics that I could see. I found no trade reviews, no coverage from the major sapphic review blogs, and no audiobook. It appears on Rainbow Crate’s list of May 2026 queer releases, and a large share of the Goodreads reviews credit NetGalley or the publisher for an advance copy — so the early reaction skews toward readers who requested it. The discovery engine here is Levine’s small but loyal readership: several reviewers say this is their second or third of her books. Her previous novels sit at 4.29 (It’s Kind of a Bad Idea, 73 ratings) and 3.90 (Emma by the Sea, 71 ratings), so this one lands squarely between them. The distribution is the most useful single fact: 27% five stars, 52% four, 20% three, and not one rating below that.

Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The characters first — “fleshed out,” “endearing,” “flawed” and “real” recur across independent reviews, and Gemma is the favourite by a clear margin. Second, the handling of addiction and workplace trauma, which even the lukewarm reviewers praise as sensitive. Third, the food: the test-dish evenings in Kay’s kitchen are named again and again as the book’s best scenes. Fourth, communication — multiple readers celebrate a romance with no big misunderstanding and no last-minute breakup. The Maine setting and the body-positive portrayal of both women round it out, and one reader enjoyed the light Jewish representation. The supporting cast is a genuine split: several readers say Riley, Eric, Dina and Kay’s nephew Kyle make the book livelier, while two others found the side characters flat.

What readers argue about and complain about: Length, above everything. At least five reviewers say the book is too short, that the backstories are breezed over, that there is more telling than showing, or that the final stretch feels rushed — one suggests another hundred pages would have let it breathe. The chemistry is the second theme and the one that decides the three-star ratings: three separate readers say they never felt the spark between Gemma and Kay. Third: low stakes. A few call it predictable or nearly plotless, with the trauma worked through internally while little happens externally. Smaller notes come from single voices — early prose that is literal and repetitive, a sister subplot that relies on a lack of communication, and a question about how often Mainers really say “wicked.” Two readers also point out that the cover woman resembles neither heroine.

The standalone question worth asking first: It’s Never Going to Happen stands alone. Gemma and Kay’s story resolves here, readers report no cliffhanger and no late breakup, and nothing requires you to have read Levine before. If it works for you, It’s Kind of a Bad Idea is her highest-rated book on Goodreads at 4.29 and the natural next step; Emma by the Sea sits lower at 3.90. With only 40 ratings, expect this book’s average to move as general readers — rather than advance-copy readers — find it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It’s Never Going to Happen a butch/femme romance?

Yes. The publisher’s own description calls Gemma a “charmingly butch” lobster-boat captain, and readers describe Kay as a curvy femme chef. It is a clear butch/femme opposites-attract pairing.

How spicy is It’s Never Going to Happen?

About a 3/5. romance.io has not rated it yet, but readers confirm on-page intimacy that is warm rather than central. One reader notes that both leads fantasise about kinkier things than the book actually delivers.

Does It’s Never Going to Happen have a happy ending?

Yes. Gemma and Kay end together, and readers specifically praise the absence of a last-minute breakup. No reviewer reports a cliffhanger.

Is It’s Never Going to Happen part of a series?

No. It is a standalone from Bold Strokes Books and Sarah G. Levine’s third novel, after Emma by the Sea and It’s Kind of a Bad Idea. You can start here.

Is there an audiobook?

Not that I could find. Amazon lists only Kindle and paperback editions, and Libro.fm does not carry an audio version.

If You Loved It’s Never Going to Happen, Read These Next

For another small-town romance with a butch lead and the same open-door warmth, Fall Into You is the closest match in tone and heat. If Gemma’s struggle to stay steady while life pushes back is what won you over, Get It Right pairs a soft butch with a femme against real-world pressures in an even shorter package. And if Kay’s test-dish evenings were your favourite part, The Chef builds an entire slow burn out of one woman cooking for another.

For more in this register, browse our butch lesbian romance guide or the full Book Reviews collection.

The Bottom Line

It’s Never Going to Happen is a modest book with a generous heart. The lobster-boat-meets-kitchen premise is fresh, Gemma is a butch heroine whose sobriety is written with real respect, and the food scenes give the romance a tenderness the title hides. It is also too short for the backstories it opens, asks some readers to take the chemistry on trust, and keeps its external stakes low enough that a few found it uneventful. With only 40 ratings, the verdict is early — but if you want a warm butch/femme romance where two grown women talk to each other, it is worth a weekend. Check It’s Never Going to Happen on Amazon →

The Eikna Overall Ranking

On the Eikna scale, It’s Never Going to Happen ranks as a warm, low-angst butch/femme small-town romance — kind, grounded and thoughtful about recovery, held back by its length, and best approached for Gemma and the kitchen scenes rather than for slow-burn fireworks.

The Evidence Scorecard

Overall ★★★★☆ 3.7/5

• ✓ 4.08 average across 40 Goodreads ratings
• ✓ No rating below three stars
• ✓ Small sample, mostly advance-copy readers

Romance ★★★★☆ 3.5/5

• ✓ Food becomes the language of courtship
• ✓ Leads communicate, no forced breakup
• ✓ Opposites-attract friction from page one
• ✓ Three readers never felt the chemistry

Characters ★★★★☆ 3.9/5

• ✓ Gemma the clear reader favourite
• ✓ Both leads given real backstory
• ✓ Body-positive, unglamorous heroines praised
• ✓ Side cast split: lively vs flat

Writing ★★★★☆ 3.5/5

• ✓ Readers call it smooth and quick
• ✓ Maine setting feels authentically New England
• ✓ Heavy themes never feel forced
• ✓ More telling than showing, per several

Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.7/5

• ✓ Sobriety written with real respect
• ✓ Kitchen abuse backstory handled carefully
• ✓ More depth than the cover suggests
• ✓ Backstories breezed over in 216 pages

Heat Level ★★★☆☆ 3/5

• ✓ Open-door intimacy confirmed by readers
• ✓ Present rather than central
• ✓ Bold Strokes house norm
• ✓ No romance.io band yet; estimated

Ending ★★★★☆ 3.9/5

• ✓ Couple ends together, standalone
• ✓ No last-minute breakup
• ✓ No cliffhanger reported
• ✓ Final stretch feels rushed to some

Re-read Value ★★★☆☆ 3.3/5

• ✓ Quick weekend read, easy to revisit
• ✓ Kitchen scenes are the comfort draw
• ✓ Author’s backlist rates as high or higher
• ✓ No audiobook; low stakes limit a return