Libby is raising her son Ethan on her own. Working hard, never taking time for herself. But her luck seems to be taking a positive turn when a trip of a lifetime suddenly presents itself. Well come on... it’s just impossible to pass it up! So what has Libby so concerned? Why can’t she let her hair down, relax and enjoy herself? The answer is about to come to light as Ethan steps onto the hotel elevator... alone.

This book had some clever turns and the characters were the kind you’ll love to hate...or hate to love! Yet I never got that “all in” captivating feel with this read. I wanted something more. Like any other avid reader, I want to lose myself in a thriller. It just never reached that point.

This is my second book by Haylen Beck and unfortunately it lacked the intrigue I felt in his previous book Here And Gone. But, as a devoted reader, I’ll try again and look forward to his next release.

A buddy read with Susanne

Thank you to NetGalley, Crown Publishing and Haylen Beck for an ARC to read and review.

i loved every second of this book!! it was so unique and every twist and turn really got me. please check this out if you have interest in it!

This novel was amazing! I love a good suspense novel, and this one was so entertaining and thrilling. I didn't see the ending coming and the twists throughout the novel kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the characters and loved how complex the storyline was. This was such a unique novel and definitely one that I will remember for a while. I would highly recommend this novel if you are a fan of suspense reads. Thank you to Netgalley for sending in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 4.5/5

I thought this was ok, the pacing lagged at times and that made it easy to put down and not get back to for awhile.

This was SUCH an interesting thriller. It took me on quite a wild ride and I was never sure what to expect. It really kept me guessing until the very end.
I can't say much without spoiling, but definitely pick this one up if you're looking for a thriller with lots of twists.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this book!

My Thoughts
This was a tidy little thriller and I ended up liking it quite a bit. Here are my pros and cons for Lost You:

Pros

1. I really enjoyed the pacing and the style of writing in this book. The words flowed effortlessly and it was easy to read.
2. This is a well-written psychological thriller with enough twists to keep you on your toes.
3. I thought this was a super scary take on some of the complications and issues that can arise from surrogacy. The author apparently thought so as well, since he found it necessary to qualify the topic in his author’s note by saying this book “…is a work of fiction. It should not in any way be perceived as an attack on the idea of surrogacy.”
4. The two main women in this story had their own serious issues and throwing a baby into the mix made it super disturbing. It was a recipe for disaster.
5. Believe it or not, the person I sympathized with the most in the book was Libby’s estranged husband Mason. After you read the book, I think you will feel the same way.

Cons

1. What happened to Charles!? Charles was a man Libby met while on vacation with her son. Something happens to him in the story and it is never resolved! UGH!
2. The synopsis touts this book as “…one of the most shocking, twisty, and provocative works of psychological suspense ever written.” I liked the book, but that statement is pushing it just a tad.
3. One super convenient circumstance was required near the end of the book in order to make everything come together and work well in the overall story. It was the only point in the book that I felt didn’t work organically.

Summary
Stick with this book. You will think you have it all figured out and maybe even think it is so predictable that it isn’t worth finishing… however, you will be wrong. There are some twists and turns at the end of the book that I did not see coming and I thought they added some depth to what was an already decent thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and Crown Publishing for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It wasn't too bad. Not my favorite book I've read, but I did enjoy it! It might have been because I'm distracted by life and it took me a while to get through it. I enjoyed the characters. What's the real story with Ethan? Do we like Libby or is she psychotic? I liked Libby!

But who doesn't love a good psychological drama? They're my favorites, personally! I'd suggest this book! Pick it up!

2.75 So so Stars.

A Dream Vacation for Libby, a single mother, turns into a nightmare when her 3 year old son Ethan is abducted. Ethan took off ahead of his mother into a hotel elevator and pushing the buttons of every single floor - while Libby futilely runs to catch up as the doors close behind him, after which he simply disappears..

Anna is a single young woman who has always struggled in life. Struggled with her family, with jobs, and struggled to make ends meet. When an opportunity comes a knocking, she takes it. Then she just keeps on taking.

Libby and Anna are two completely different women. Both have wants and needs.

From the synopsis, I thought I’d side with Libby and like her best, but I honestly found her to be annoying, idiotic and vapid. Anna’s character however was multilayered and interesting and I found her plight to be intriguing. On the whole however, Anna’s story was not enough to save this novel for me, especially given the fact that the novel revolves around Libby and what happens to her. There are lots of reviews out there for “Lost You” and I am only one reviewer thus I urge you all to look at other people’s reviews for this novel as I appear to be the outlier.

This was another buddy read with Kaceey.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crown Publishing and Haylen Beck for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on Goodreads and Netgalley on 9.30.19.

Two women who’s lives have been turned upside down by events that they cannot change. Anna wanted a better life after losing her job. She gets entangled in a illegal surrogacy in which she wants to keep the baby. Both mothers become unhinged and do unthinkable acts which lead to tragedies unable to be reversed. This book is definitely a gut wrenching piece of fiction.

This is a well written psychological thriller with many twists and turns. I had empathy for both of the main characters and could see both sides of the story. You can expect the unexpected when reading this story.
Many thanks to Crown Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Absolutely loved this book! Gripping and addicting, this is a can't stop reading until the end so don't talk to me type of book. It starts off with an excerpt from the end of the story and goes back to let you see how we ended up there. Brilliantly told with heart pounding suspense! Highly recommend!

Libby is on a Florida vacation with her young son Ethan when he disappears. As she and the authorities search for him, the unpleasant truth of Libby’s past emerges.

This touched on an issue that has been examined quite a bit lately in fiction: surrogacy and birth mother rights. I thought the author approached it from a unique angle and definitely made the topic come to life through her characters. I found this to be well-written, fast-paced and suspenseful. A definite must for suspense fans!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Crown Publishing and Haylen Beck for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Libby, a single mom to Ethan, has worked for and planned for a much needed vacation for so long. Finally she is able to relax just a little but, in a moment of inattention, Ethan wanders into an elevator before Libby can reach him. When the elevator stops and the doors open, Ethan is gone. What follows is one of the twistiest, strangest, maze that I've ever read - and I LOVED it! I swear that I kept reading primarily for the fact that I had no idea what was really going throughout the majority of the book. If that's bad, I assure it was not. The author has meant for you, the reader, to be a bit on the wrong foot and unbalanced while reading this thriller in order for you to feel the anxiety, the confusion that the characters are experiencing. It works! I had no idea how the book would conclude until the very last paragraph of the very last page! I don't recommend that this become a gimmick because it could get old really quickly, but for Lost You, it works very well! If you like suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat thrillers then you will enjoy Lost You!

Okay you guys, this book is insane! Two moms are fighting over the same son. They both think he’s theirs. 🤯 I could not even IMAGINE if a woman came up claiming my daughter as her own. This is a twisted psychological thriller that has you quickly flipping the pages to figure out who the true mother is! I loved it!

This is a quick easy to read, if almost formulaic, thriller. The pacing bothered me a bit, quick, quick, sloooooooooow, slow, quick. It’s well written so the slow parts aren’t hard to get through, but the pacing is just a bit jarring. I enjoyed how deeply flawed all the characters were, yet I did not connect with any of them.
Is 2019 the year of surrogacy thrillers?
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A couple, Libby and Mason, living in New York is desperate for a baby, but legally they cannot pay a surrogate. They utilize a company that hires surrogates which finds Anna who doesn’t seem very reliable. Anna even looks like Libby. Fast forward a few years and Libby is on vacation with her son Ethan when goes missing at the hotel. As you read more, the background story begins to unravel and it isn’t as simple and straight forward as we were led to believe. Who kidnapped Ethan and what do they want?

There are a lot of secrets in this book. I enjoyed the twists and turns. The story starts with Libby on vacation and her child is abducted. Then we follow the path of two separate women to learn how their lives will connect.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers and family drama. This would make a great beach read.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

This was a twisty story about how surrogacy can go wrong. The story was interesting and kept me wanting to read it, but I didn't feel connected to the characters. I also felt the ending was a little too quickly wrapped up. I enjoyed the writing style of the author and will be checking out his other books. I don't want to give anything away about the plot, but if you like a twisted psychological story this is a good book for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Many thanks to NetGallery, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This was a suspenseful, fast paced read about a woman wanting a baby, couldn’t have one, used a surrogate, spent thousands of dollars, destroys her marriage....this is the story of what occurs when the surrogate changes her mind about giving up the baby.
I pretty much lost interest about half way through then it picked up for the twist at the end.

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.