Great start to a series ! I have never read anything from Willow Rose and now she is my new favorite author. I will admit this book was a little slow to read at times but the storyline was great and keep me interested. Look forward to the next book in this series!

I am so pleased to have been able to catch this new series at the start, because this is a brilliant book!

Detective Billie Ann Wilde, Head of Homicide, stars in this multi-faceted story that comes together in an explosive finale.

Full of twists and intrigue and told across two timelines, Billie Ann is on the hunt for a missing child, a murderer and dealing with a complicated personal life.

A great start to a new detective series with a perfect balance of character introduction and plot.

My only criticism is that the blurb gives away one of the main twists.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Willow Rose and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I’m a fan of Willow Rose! Her books are always fast reads and keep me engaged from start to finish. I’d recommend this book!

Not only has a five-year-old girl named Emma gone missing, but her very existence is doubted by Detective Billie Ann Wilde and just about everyone else. No photos, no birth certificate. Nothing. Billie and her team can't help but wonder if the mother Marissa is having mental issues.

Billie digs deep into the case of missing Emma, but also is on the case for some recent murders. Meanwhile, Billie's home life is falling apart, despite the strong love she has for her husband and children.

Billie wonders if the recent murder of a teen girl is tied to Emma's disappearance. More than that, there is just something about Marissa and Emma is determined to figure out exactly what that is.


As this is the first book in a new series, some background is given on Billie and the decisions she is facing and how some past events have affected her career in police work. This good read was made even better as I had the opportunity to listen to it as an audiobook.

Many thanks Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Welcome to book 1 in the Detective Billie Ann Wilde Series by Willow Rose, and a unique lead character.

This is the first book by Willow I have read, and I found it an easy read, and while 20% in I guessed the killer, my hunch growing stronger as little things happened, but was still engrossed to know exactly where the story would go.

Meet the leading lady, Billie Ann, a detective who grew up in a very religious family, cancer survivor, married 18 years, her husband Joe, her best friend, but bombshell, she is gay. In addition to the crime, she is trying to solve, she is also dealing finally choosing to live her true self, and the fallout that has with her family.

Billie Ann and her team race to a crime scene of a teen who had been murdered, then a missing child call adds a new twist and connection, but as more bodies turn up, linked to the first in manner of death, everything starts to come back to Marissa, the young mother who reported her missing child. When Billie Ann starts to put all the pieces together, she finds herself in a battle to survive.

This is a great start to a new series.
Detective Billie Ann Wilde is contacted when a child goes missing from her back garden. Her Mum is distraught but when Billie Ann starts to ask questions, she clams up.
Her colleagues are not sure the child exists as there’s no record of her and no details about the Mum either.
Something about it intrigues Billie Ann so she starts to investigate.
A body is found nearby but it’s a young woman, and not Emma. However they soon release she was linked to Emma.
We also have chapters from Kitty who has been taken from her Mum and kept hostage for several years.
Billie Ann is also going through some personal problems at home and it’s good to get an insight into her family life.
This is a great crime thriller and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next for Billie Ann.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Wow I almost had to put this one down for a minute and walk away because it got pretty dark there for a minute.
TW definitely needed for rape, physical abuse, suicide, child abduction, child pregnancy
Even with all that this was definitely a good read for me. Not good in that it was happy at all, but good in that the story flowed well. There were multiple viewpoints telling the story, and enough plot twists to keep me interested.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Detective Billie Ann Wilde meets with Marissa who says her daughter is missing. A number of murders adding up. A case she had at her last job is related to what she is working on now. This novel had me captivated from the start. I read it in one sitting because it captured my interest.

Another Wowsa Wowsa Wowsa from Miss Willow Rose. Her writing style never ceases to amaze, always keeps me on the edge of my seat. This story takes place in the state of Florida where I am currently residing so I am very aware of the setting. Billie Anne is the newest main character & series by this lovely author. Her entire family is personally. affected by this stiryline. This story is actually based on a true story - though some details are naturally different but don’t let this stop
You from reading this marvelous book.

Whoa this book was an absolute rollercoaster of a ride. Fast paced from the start. Full of suspense and loads going on. Piecing everything together to come to the final truth! I was guessing the whole way through, but of course, I was completely wrong and that final twist floored me ! Superbly written by Willow Rose. I’m looking forward to more to come with Detective Billie Ann Wilde! Thank you NetGalley for my ARC.

I've read many of Willow Rose's books and I enjoy them. I was happy to see that she has another lead character - and she's another strong, smart woman who won't let go of her cases. Like many career women, she has challenges with her family situation and getting the job done at the same time. She puts her life on the line in order to find the truth and she's now exposing her deepest secret to her family and the world.

I look forward to many more books in this series.

This book was so good! I couldn’t put it down, it was so well written. It definitely kept me engaged. This is about a detective who is struggling with some personal issues, but still focuses on the job at hand. She was investigating murders in her area and trying to figure out how they were all linked. The back story that went along with the main story was really good, and I enjoy reading books that have that in it. This is a book I would highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read ARC.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Don’t Let Her Go, the first novel to feature Detective Billie Ann Wilde of the Cocoa Beach, Florida Police Department.

Marissa Clemens reports her four year old daughter, Emma, missing, but with no evidence of a child at her home only Billie Ann doesn’t see her as a fantasist, even when Marissa can supply no background details or a photograph. In the meantime there is a killer on the loose and Billie Ann suspects a link to Emma.

I have not read this author before, so always up for a new opportunity I decided to give Don’t Let Her Go a try. I have mixed feelings about it as it seems like a contradiction with some very heavy topics covered in a very light way, like the trauma is a plot device.

The novel is told from various points of view, Billie Ann, Marissa and a flashback narrative from a young girl called Kitty. All have their own problems that are continually mentioned, but none have any real depth, as I said it’s like the trauma isn’t the point, it’s a way of situating the characters, both as part of the plot and in the readers’ mind about what to expect from them.

Having said that, the plot is non stop with developments and reveals in every chapter. I think that there are four murders and another couple of attempted murders, but they are not the focus of the novel, so I might have miscounted. The emphasis is on Marissa and Emma, when Billie Ann is not fighting with her husband about her coming out or the department for things beyond her control. I think that the author is clever the way she links all the events to a past case brings it together, even if the murders seem extraneous by the end.

Don’t Let Her Go is entertaining with all the action and emotions, but I feel that it comes at the expense of a through narrative and reader satisfaction. It’s bitty.

The first time I have read this Author. I enjoyed the style of writing. A solid four star read. Great premise. Good characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing Would definitely read the next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to

I haven't read a Willow Rose book for a while, so it was an absolute pleasure to get back into the mind of this author.
This is a new series and this book was really the introduction to the series - given where it is ended I cant wait. Initially I thought I was being overwhelmed with the characters and the different timelines but they all came together. The note from the author at the end explained her mindset with the book which I found really interesting and that has just made me more intrigued to see where it goes in the future.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

I've been meaning to try this author for quite some time now... While I already had other books on my kindle, I couldn't resist the opportunity to try the first book of this newest series. I do always love a good serial killer angle in my detective thrillers, and the marshland Florida setting sounded like a great backdrop as well. I've been looking forward to pick up Don't Let You Go, fully expecting to have an excellent time with it, but sadly it wasn't ment to be in the end.

I can't deny that Don't Let You Go has an intriguing premise, even though the blurb doesn't exactly match the story itself (the events described with that connection to the main character's past only happen in the final part of the story). Initially, things went well enough, and with its fast pace I found it really easy to keep turning those pages. I did start to wonder about certain side plots and POVs popping up only to never be seen again... They felt too much like fillers and only muddled the story instead of adding dept.

And here is were it went wrong for me: it seemed like the author looked at a list of negative behavior and crimes, and tried to include every single one of them in this book. No more space in the main plot? No worries, let's just add yet another random scene or side plot so I can add another trigger warning worthy event. Seriously, things are bad enough with the active child abuse scenes going on in Kitty's POV, but then the domestic abuse, rape, addiction, lesbophobia, religious bigotry, sexism just decide to hit you while you are down. And then there are even more elements I've forgotten to mention because there were simply so many of them... Seriously, every time yet another element was forced into the plot, my eyebrows started to climb higher and higher until I felt like I was climbing a skyscraper.

The worst part is that most of the side plots weren't even properly tied up, and there were so many loose threads that the whole story just started to unravel for me. Especially since the murders themselves don't seem to get the attention they deserve, and instead other elements take over the plot. I also saw the big twist coming from a mile away, and there were so many red herrings that it just wasn't believable that the main character didn't see it coming. More fleshing out of the main plot and more viable suspects probably would have helped... Although by then the story wasn't really salvageable for me.

I wasn't sure what to think about the writing itself. Sure, it read fast enough and I still managed to get through this story quickly despite my issues. BUT. For example with Kitty's POV: she just sounded SO young, basically like a six-year-old, and then we are supposed to believe she got pregnant? While she kept talking like a young child? Just no. The tone in Billie Ann's POV wasn't consistent either, and there was something about her character that I just never could warm up to. Especially since her life choices only seem to have been chosen to generate even more conflict in the story rather than giving her an authentic feel.

All in all it's no surprise when I say that Don't Let Her Go and me definitely didn't get along, and I won't be continuing this series. I might try one of her other series since I already have copies on my kindle... That said, I seem to be in the minority when it comes to this book, so if you don't mind graphic child abuse, sexual abuse and other heavy topics, Don't Let Her Go might just be the book for you. It's a fast read at least either way!

Whew! What a ride this book took me on! Great start to a series. First, i want to say that have read almost all of Willow Rose’s books and I love them all. But this story had a little bit of everything and kept me on the edge of my seat. Can’t wait for the next one in this series! Would definitely recommend. Thank you netgalley for letting me give an honest review of this book.

A kidnapping, two murders and a cold case from fourteen years ago keeps Homicide Detective Billie Ann Wilde up at night. Plus she’s dealing with a personal crisis in her own life. Twisted and fast paced this new series by Willow Rose is a real page turner. Thank you to the Author for an early copy. I am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

This is start of a new series for Willow Rose. It is an excellent book and I look forward to reading more of this series

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Bookouture and Willow Rose for the opportunity to read an advance copy of Don’t Let Her Go (Detective Billie Ann Wilde, Book 1), to be published 2 February 2024. 4/5 Stars for this suspenseful police procedural. The way the author weaved the past and present into the novel was interesting and required that you stayed focused to retain the story line. The detective was very unique, especially regarding her change in lifestyle after being married and having children. It helped to create more intrigue because of the circumstances surrounding that. Good read. Recommended especially for people who enjoy reading then and now style of novels. #NetGalley #Bookouture #WillowRose #Don’tLetHerGo