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dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Title: Never Let You Go
Author: Chevy Stevens
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: March 14, 2017
T H R E E • W O R D S
Suspenseful • Haunting • Melodramatic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Eleven years ago, Lindsey Nash escaped into the night with her young daughter and left an abusive relationship. Her ex-husband, Andrew, was sent to jail and Lindsey started over with a new life.
Now, Lindsey is older and wiser, with her own business and a teenage daughter who needs her more than ever. When Andrew is finally released from prison, Lindsey believes she has cut all ties and left the past behind her. But she gets the sense that someone is watching her, tracking her every move. Her new boyfriend is threatened. Her home is invaded, and her daughter is shadowed. Lindsey is convinced it’s her ex-husband, even though he claims he’s a different person.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Never Let You Go was my second read from Canadian author Chevy Stevens. I moved it up my TBR when a friend asked if anyone had any of this author's books to share/sell. I'd previously enjoyed Still Missing, which had prepared me for a fairly graphic description of whatever crime was central to the plot.
After reading the first twenty pages, I anticipated this thriller was going to be a captivating page-turner. The first half of the book was so well-paced and entertaining - confirming my initial impression. I really didn't know where it was going to go, which is what I love about thrillers. The non-linear structure did take some getting used to, as I had to continually flip back and forth to see what year I was in. Yet this structure did help create suspicion and set the stage.
The second half went downhill. The pacing seemed disjointed - the two halves coming across as separate stories. Everything became much more predictable and it could have easily been shorter as there's lots of unnecessary filler. I also wasn't a fan of the ending, which in my opinion didn't line up with the rest of the story.
Lindsay's character was likeable and well developed, to the point I was rooting for her early on. Honestly, she's the only character I had any sense of connection to. The daughter was unlikeable, I didn't like how Andrew (the husband) was handled in the second half. There were other characters I couldn't even figure out their role, other than to throw in a red herring or two.
Overall, Never Let You Go is a predictable, emotional rollercoaster. If domestic abuse is triggering content, then I'd definitely recommend skipping this one. I will likely continue to pick up this author's work, but there's no rush for me to get to it.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the domestic thriller
• reader who like mother/daughter perspectives
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Sometimes sleep is the only peace you can get, the only time where you don’t hurt."
Author: Chevy Stevens
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: March 14, 2017
T H R E E • W O R D S
Suspenseful • Haunting • Melodramatic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Eleven years ago, Lindsey Nash escaped into the night with her young daughter and left an abusive relationship. Her ex-husband, Andrew, was sent to jail and Lindsey started over with a new life.
Now, Lindsey is older and wiser, with her own business and a teenage daughter who needs her more than ever. When Andrew is finally released from prison, Lindsey believes she has cut all ties and left the past behind her. But she gets the sense that someone is watching her, tracking her every move. Her new boyfriend is threatened. Her home is invaded, and her daughter is shadowed. Lindsey is convinced it’s her ex-husband, even though he claims he’s a different person.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Never Let You Go was my second read from Canadian author Chevy Stevens. I moved it up my TBR when a friend asked if anyone had any of this author's books to share/sell. I'd previously enjoyed Still Missing, which had prepared me for a fairly graphic description of whatever crime was central to the plot.
After reading the first twenty pages, I anticipated this thriller was going to be a captivating page-turner. The first half of the book was so well-paced and entertaining - confirming my initial impression. I really didn't know where it was going to go, which is what I love about thrillers. The non-linear structure did take some getting used to, as I had to continually flip back and forth to see what year I was in. Yet this structure did help create suspicion and set the stage.
The second half went downhill. The pacing seemed disjointed - the two halves coming across as separate stories. Everything became much more predictable and it could have easily been shorter as there's lots of unnecessary filler. I also wasn't a fan of the ending, which in my opinion didn't line up with the rest of the story.
Lindsay's character was likeable and well developed, to the point I was rooting for her early on. Honestly, she's the only character I had any sense of connection to. The daughter was unlikeable, I didn't like how Andrew (the husband) was handled in the second half. There were other characters I couldn't even figure out their role, other than to throw in a red herring or two.
Overall, Never Let You Go is a predictable, emotional rollercoaster. If domestic abuse is triggering content, then I'd definitely recommend skipping this one. I will likely continue to pick up this author's work, but there's no rush for me to get to it.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the domestic thriller
• reader who like mother/daughter perspectives
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Sometimes sleep is the only peace you can get, the only time where you don’t hurt."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content, Pregnancy
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The first half of this book is rough. It is a graphic, raw depiction of domestic abuse and captures the terror of mental abuse in a way that had me shutting the book every few pages just to breathe. Having lived through something similar, I almost didn't keep reading. I'm glad I did, this book is fantastic. This would have easily been a 5 from me, but the over all feeling of the ending really left a bad taste in my mouth (I'm talking the last 3 pages, lol) and since I figured out the twist pretty early on, I was mildly disappointed in being right.
This is a good one that I would never recommend due to the CW, but don't let it stop you from enjoying it if that is something you can handle.
This is a good one that I would never recommend due to the CW, but don't let it stop you from enjoying it if that is something you can handle.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Finished reading: June 11th 2023
"Sometimes sleep is the only peace you can get, the only time where you don’t hurt. It’s okay for a little while."
I've been meaning to try this author for years now, and I've even had a physical copy of Never Let You Go hanging out on my shelves since 2019. Somehow I never actually picked up one of her books though... Until my TBR jar thought I should quit messing around and finally do so. I think part of the issue has been that I haven't been in the mood for slower paced and more family drama focused psychological thrillers in recent years, and I was worried this story wouldn't be for me. Thankfully I ended up being mostly wrong, although I do think I would have gotten more out of Never Let You Go a couple years ago. I can't deny that the writing is very engaging and it managed to draw me right in. The premise itself is solid, although a bit predictable. I did guess what was going on in the present storyline early on, which was a bit of a disappointment because I kept hoping I was wrong... But I still enjoyed watching the events unfold. My main issue with Never Let You probably has a lot to do with the fact that I'm not that into family drama focused stories anymore, and this book is definitely more family drama than psychological thriller. There are some tense moments along the way of course, but as I guessed the big twists early on I wasn't able to enjoy them to the fullest. It was still a great first experience with Chevy Stevens' writing though, and I'm looking forward to try more of her books in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail