Every so often I like a good suspense novel. Something which has twists and turns and an ending you couldn't see coming from the beginning.

Lost You is such a title. Coupled with those twists and turns is the ability of the author to evoke an emotional response from the reader.

We all have secrets, but some are darker than others. That's the case for Libby. And the reason why she's continually looking over her shoulder. Especially when it comes to her young son, Ethan.

Through the pages, you learn how Ethan came via a surrogate arrangement. Only something went horribly wrong and while on vacation in paradise, Libby is forced to face it all. And it isn't pleasant as Ethan goes missing. Taken.

If you enjoy suspense, add this to your to-read list.

I enjoyed Haylen Beck's previous book, Here and Gone. (my review) I happily added Lost You to my TBR list.

Lost You starts off with a great prologue to set the plot. Two women and one little boy - with both claiming they are his mother. From that start we head back to the beginning, meeting Lilly who desperately wants a child. She is unable to have children, so she and her husband seek out a surrogate agency. They are paired with a surrogate named Anna.

Yup, you can see the problems that might arise right? Beck does a great job of telling the story from both women's perspectives. Both were well drawn and easily provoke a reaction from the reader. My heart was firmly with one of them. The other one? Oh, it's not hard to dislike her. At all. Mr. Kovac, the representative for the agency is frightening in his politeness.

The tension grows exponentially as the baby's birth draws nearer. And yes, some of the situations require the reader to suspend disbelief (which I happily did). I thought I had guessed what the ending might be, but was proven wrong. I can't say it's the ending I wanted, but it's the right one.

Beck's writing reads like a screenplay, fast-paced, quick and with the obligatory twists a suspense novel needs. I was looking for an escapist summer read and found it in Lost You. Read an excerpt of Lost You. Film rights have been sold for Beck's first book and I can see the same happening for Lost You.

Haylen Beck is a pseudonym for a well known crime author, whose books I have enjoyed in the past.

Lost You is a suspense thriller with two woman desperately wanting to keep a child. One woman can’t have children and hired the second woman to be her surrogate. Unfortunately, the surrogate bonds with the baby as she is carrying it and doesn’t want to give it up. I felt for both of these woman but at the end of the day I wasn’t sure either should have the child. The characters were good and the writing was good but I had a hard time getting into the story.

What I anticipated as a straightforward suspense thriller about kidnapping quickly turned into psychological suspense. The two women at the heart of Lost You are layered characters, but neither one is compellingly engaging. As the rest of the story unfold after the first few chapters, I became less and less enmeshed in the outcome. I really didnt want either woman to have the child! Though Lost You was entertaining, I cant say it was enjoyable. 3.5
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

Whoa! I started this book honestly not knowing what it was about. I knew it was a suspense/thriller but that’s all I knew going into it. I started reading the book and thinking, okay I know where this is going. A woman says she will give up her child for adoption because she is getting the money she needs to survive but towards the end of her pregnancy she decides to keep the child but then it took a crazy turn of events. I couldn’t put this book down and I felt for the both of these women in this story. Libby, the one that couldn’t have children of her own so she put all her worth into adopting a child and Anna, the one who grows to love the baby in her womb and decides she can’t live without him. I loved the edge of suspense in the middle of the story being told because I did not see it coming.

This book was good. I sort of lost interest in it and found myself putting it down and not rushing to pick it back up. Not one of my favorites though I didn’t hate it. The characters were good, the writing was good, I think the story itself wasn’t something that was completely enthralling. Not my favorite.

I read and enjoyed Beck's debut novel two years ago, so I was curious to see what she followed that one up with. I didn't know too much about his book going in, but it really reels in the reader from its cliffhanger of an opening: a woman stands on the roof of a hotel in Florida with a young boy in her arms - will she jump? The storyline moves backwards from there, revealing how this horrible situation comes about.

This is a fast-paced read and one that is definitely hard to put down. I wish that I had been able to start it when I wasn't so busy with other things, because all I wanted to do was sit down and read this! The plot is definitely the strongest part of this book. The characters, though they feel genuine enough, aren't the type that really instill that much sympathy from the reader. And It think that some of these characters - the women in particular - may find offense in the portrayals here. I know that this isn't a book that I would pass along to anyone in the process of adopting a baby or planning a surrogacy. The plot does leave a few loose ends that I wish had been tied up more neatly, but otherwise this is an entertaining read! Still, I would use caution in recommending to this, because I can see this really be upsetting to some readers.

Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This book was all kinds of mental instability, from a woman desperately wanting a baby to a woman down on her luck and ready to jump into the world of surrogacy to try and survive. In order to understand my statement of mental instability, you really need to read this book. You have a front row seat to the lengths each woman goes to in order to protect a child that becomes their reason for living.
This was an interesting book but I found myself predicating a lot of the storyline, except for one twist that I hadn't seen coming. A twist that completely reversed each woman's life.
Overall a good read sure to be liked by many readers.

This is a great suspense that has fantastic twists and turns. I wish I would have had a stormy night to curl up and read this!

LOST YOU by Haylen Beck touches on many timely issues; particularly, surrogacy and the legality of adoption. This book questions how far a mother will go for the love of a child, it is an intriguing look at a mother’s love.

Surrogacy and illegal adoptions are unfortunately becoming a hot topic and this book covers the emotional journey for all involved.

Though this book is a work of fiction it is very easy to see how it could easily become a reality due to the fine writing and research of Mr. Beck.

I recommend this book, you will be reading the last page before you even know it.

I loved Haylen Beck's previous novel, Here and Gone, so much that I didn't hesitate to request an early copy of his newest novel as soon as I saw it on Netgalley. I will admit that I didn't like it as much, but it was still a solid story. I found the topic of surrogacy and the all legal and non-legal ways that it can go wrong so fascinating. The novel also explored that unconditional love that a mother has for her children and to what lengths she will go to protect them. I would definitely recommend this book and will pick up whatever he writes next as well!

* I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

When this book started I had no idea where it was going. And that's with it starting at almost the end. I thought I knew where it was going but it went so far beyond. That doesn't happen for me often. For that reason alone I liked this book. It wasn't great literature but it was good fun. There were certain themes, especially women being defined any their fertility, that I didn't really like. Overall, I skimmed some times but mostly enjoyed.

This is the first book I have read by this author, and it definitely won't be the last. I really enjoyed the plot and thought it took on a little spoken of process; surrogacy.
The book follows a couple who is desperate to have a baby, Libby and Mason. They try multiple solutions to their infertility issues, but nothing ever is successful. Finally they find a place that will do a partially illegal arrangement, where a surrogate is paid thousands of dollars to "supply" a healthy womb for a baby. This is where Anna comes in. She has just lost her job and is looking for a way to make money when she comes across an ad in the local newspaper. When she calls the number in the paper it will set off a chain of events that no one has anticipated!

I enjoyed this book.

The characters were likable and unlikable and different points of the book which shows the characters progression very well. My favorite portion was the dual narrative of the pregnancy.


However the pacing did getting a little too slow at times and felt like the adults were clumsy. Things seemed to fall into place so easily at times. The believability waned often.

Over all it is a solid 3 star book.

If you're someone who judges the merits of a book by the blurb on the jacket, I implore you to give Haylen Beck's Lost You a second look. True, it's another thriller centered around the disappearance of a child (in this case, a little boy), but there's so much more than that beneath the surface. It's one of those books that's just waiting for you to plumb its hidden depths, and once you start, you absolutely will not be sorry.

It's been a long road, but things are finally starting to look up for Libby and her young son Ethan. She's recently sold her first novel, and she's finally stopped thinking about her ex-husband at every turn. The two haven't spoken since he left Libby not long after Ethan's birth, claiming not to be able to deal with the stress involved in parenting an infant. Fortunately, Libby has managed just fine on her own, and Ethan is a happy, healthy little boy, brimming with curiosity and good cheer.

To celebrate the sale of her novel, Libby books a vacation for herself and Ethan at a luxurious resort. It might have been nice to get away on her own, but there's no one she trusts to look after Ethan while she's gone, and she figures it's better to take him with her than to spend her entire vacation worrying about his welfare. He'll enjoy spending time on the beach, and Libby might indulge in a few evening activities if the hotel can recommend a responsible sitter.

When they arrive at the resort, Libby tries hard to enjoy herself, and succeeds for the most part. Even so, she's hyper alert to Ethan's every move, and if he's out of her sight for even an instant, she panics. It's clear to the reader that she's afraid of someone or something, but the reason for her fear is unclear for quite a while.

Three days into their vacation, the unthinkable happens. Ethan darts into an open elevator, he door closes before Libby can intervene, and Ethan is gone. A frightened Libby is desperate to find her son, but when the elevator door opens, Ethan is nowhere to be found.

Now Libby and the resort staff must scour every inch of the property in hopes of finding Ethan before he is harmed, and, when they do eventually find him, he's in the company of another woman who claims to be his mother. Who is she really, and what connection does she have to Ethan and Libby?

What follows is a compulsively readable story that kept me guessing right up until the end. A few of the twists were pretty obvious, but there were enough surprises along the way to keep me thoroughly engaged. If you read a ton of thrillers, you'll probably be able to figure a few things out, but I'm guessing the ending will shock you just as it did me.

I go into most thrillers expecting a certain amount of violence and gruesomeness, but Lost You is definitely on the tamer end of the spectrum on that score. There are a few mildly graphic scenes, but I've read books with many more. The author does a great job amping up the tension without resorting to unnecessary gore, and I appreciated that. It's nice to know that explicit violence isn't necessary in all thrillers.

Each and every character is vibrant and well-drawn. It's so easy to imagine these people living next door or happening to take the same bus to work with you each morning. The villains aren't stereotypically evil; in fact, I found myself feeling quite a bit of sympathy for one of them. Beck excels at writing difficult situations that require tough decisions from the characters, and I loved watching them try to work things out in the best possible ways.

Lost You is one of the best thrillers of the summer. It's complex and twisty with a hook that's sure to ensnare you, so make sure you have lots of free time before diving in.

Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Visit our Amazon Storefront

I can't remember the last time I was rendered an emotional wreck by a thriller, and yet... here we are.
Lost You was completely unexpected. Not only were my own expectations blown to smithereens, but the twists and ultimate outcome of this book could not be predicted!
While I can't say that Lost You was a good time, I was nauseated and brought to tears by its content, the book quickly became one of the most affecting of its type. I didn't expect to feel for the characters the way I did. They disgusted me at times and broke my heart at others and all of those feelings were woven together with the levels of surprise and suspense reserved for the very best of thriller novels.
I initially cringed when, after being teased with present-day action, I was sent back in time to learn what events had led to the drama, however, unlike so many, this book didn't slingshot back and forth between present and past. Instead, Beck cleverly persuades readers to invest in the book by letting us get one foot into the climax before making us dig into the meatier, slower details of the story. From there, anyone who isn't utterly swept away by the tragic insanity they're subjected to should consider another genre altogether. I wish every thriller was like this.
Lost You is the biggest surprise of my 2019 reading year so far.

A crazy back and forth book. I was never positive whose side I was on and who was the good person and who was the bad person. Libby desperately wants to get pregnant and have a child and is so happy that Ethan finally arrived in her life. Even though her marriage crumbled in the process, she is thrilled to be Ethan's mom. Being a single mom is hard so she jumps when she see a perfect vacation for them. But while there Ethan disappears. I like the story overall, but it was interested how it told the present day part for several chapters but then jumped back in time and then wrote up to the beginning. I felt sorry at different times for both Libby and Anna and their stories were sad. But I would definitely recommend this as a good thriller that is just a bit different than the norm.

I had a really hard time getting into this one, and I'm not sure why, because the premise was pretty exciting. It became much more twisty than I thought it would, and I didn't see where the plot was going until pretty late in the story.

I always have a hard time when I dislike most of the characters in a book, and that could have been my problem here. Libby is clearly unstable and anyone else who becomes important to the story (minus the couple Libby meets on holiday—those gents are a delight!) are shady and hard to relate to.

If thrillers or suspenseful novels are up your alley, though, this might totally be your jam. The more of them I read, the more I think these aren't really for me.

3 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing Group for the advanced copy, in exchange for an honest review.

I discovered Haylen Beck with his exciting thriller “Here and Gone.” Beck is the pseudonym of Stuart Neville who has earned numerous award nominations for his novels set in Belfast. Writing as Beck he moves to a much different location (the U.S.) and theme (children who are abducted from their mothers.) “Lost You” thoughtfully explores the heart-wrenching decisions of surrogate mothers and the fears of the mothers who raise those children. That highly emotional subject, excellent characterization (these are people you feel you could know, but maybe not understand or like,) and the continually building suspense make this a thriller I recommend.

My review was posted on Goodreads on 8/13/19.

Lost You starts with a good pace as Ethan disappears, and I was all ready to settle in for a gripping thriller. Then the story moves into the past and everything that led up to the disappearance and one woman's claim that young Ethan is her child. That's where it started losing me. The pace slows down considerably, and parts of felt like a little too much of the mundane. There are elements of a thriller here, but most of the book is more domestic suspense or drama. The story does get very dark and one part in particular disturbed me to no end, but other than those few and fleeting moments, there wasn't much in the way of the gripping story I was hoping for. As far as the story itself, neither of these women are particularly likable nor are they what most would consider stable, which does lend itself to the suspense. The conclusion was about what I expected, but kind of fell flat for me. I suppose that tidy little bow that ties everything up was just a little bit too tidy if you know what I mean. In the end, this one comes in somewhere in the middle. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either.