Her marriage to Andrew had been wonderful at first – but during her pregnancy, and after Sophie was born, Lindsey noticed subtle changes. Andrew became possessive; she no longer had any friends; and he started to drink. But her parents and brother thought Andrew was wonderful – he was that good an actor. Finally when Sophie was five – after giving Andrew more chances than Lindsey could remember – she fled with Sophie in the dead of night. After a long period in hiding, and to her immense relief, Andrew was sent to jail.

Eleven years later Andrew was once again out on the streets – free to harass; free to play his mind games with Lindsey all over again. She was frightened – but more so for Sophie who was an impressionable teenager and had no memory of the terror her father had inflicted on her mother. Would Sophie contact her father? Or would he contact her? Lindsey begged her not to see or speak to him, but Sophie had a mind of her own – she wanted to know her father…

Lindsey’s nightmares were coming true once again – she knew Andrew was stalking her; getting into her home when they weren’t there. Lindsey knew they couldn’t continue running – Sophie’s final year in school was important and she also wanted her own life – a life without constantly looking over her shoulder. Would it ever happen? Would they ever know peace and happiness?

Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens is another mind-blowing psychological thriller that I just couldn’t put down! What an amazing WOW factor this book has! I can’t believe how good this author is at getting into the mind of a psychopath and leaking it out, word by word, to soak into the reader’s mind! Brilliant! And highly recommended to all fans of the genre…

With thanks to St Martin’s Press via NetGalley for this digital copy to read and review.

I have read all of Chevy Stevens book, but this was not among my favorites. It was ok, just not all that great. Predictable and felt like she was "phoning it in."

This will go live on my blog on March 12. Kellyvision.wordpress.com

Lindsey wants to leave her husband Andrew. He's emotionally abusive (sometimes physically, when he drinks) and is definitely manipulative. Her young daughter Sophie still loves him (he's a good dad) but still. This situation cannot last for much longer. She hatches a plan but things go wrong--so wrong, in fact that Andrew is sent to prison. Fast forward about a decade later, and he's about to be released. And Lindsey knows he'll be coming for her (and Sophie).

This book is insanely suspenseful. This is not at all surprising; this is what Chevy Stevens does best of all.

It's also really creepy! I read it during a rain-and-windstorm, and the noises from outside sounded not unlike someone trying to break in--a little too atmospheric, thanks.

If you love thrillers, check this out. You will love it! Recommended.

I've been a huge fan of Chevy Stevens since I read her first novel Still Missing way back in 2010, so as you can imagine I couldn't wait to start reading Never Let You Go. As I would expect this novel has all the hallmarks I have come to expect from this author, suspense, intrigue and plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader captivated. Never Let Yo Go is a disturbing and insightful study of domestic abuse with dark and dangerous undertones running throughout, which certainly made for a gripping read


This isn't the most original plot Lindsey flees and abusive relationship, and years later thinks she's being stalked by her ex husband, I've read numerous books with the very same theme running through them, but thanks to this authors descriptive writing and her ability to build skilfully on the suspense she manages to deliver an extremely disturbing tale.

The narrative goes back and forth between past and present and alternates between Lindsey and her daughter Sophie’s POV’s. The author uses this to good effect and the reader gets a sense of foreboding from the first chapter. Another factor that added to my enjoyment of this book were the different points of view of both Lindsey and Sophie, as you get different perspectives of events and characters.


Chevy Stevens expertly builds on Laura's paranoia which in turn lead to the reader seeing each character as someone not to be trusted, as events take a sinister turn I had many a "heart in your mouth moments". I became so engrossed in this story it was a difficult one to put down, as you reach the end of each chapter the tension is taut, and the sense of foreboding is overwhelming. With red herrings a plenty the author skilfully keeps the reader in suspense right up until the last few chapters which isn't an easy task. If you enjoy a psychological thriller that explores obsession, jealousy, and relationships then I would recommend adding this one to your TBR pile.

5 ⭐ This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

Ok Whoa!!! I was not expecting this book to go that dark and twisted there towards the end. I really thought that this was going to be your run of the mill “Sleeping With the Enemy starring Julia Roberts,” but it really wasn’t. It had all the elements of the Julia Roberts movie, but things got so crazy there towards the end. I can usually predict what the ending of my book is going to take me and this one was surprising, which is totally refreshing. I can totally see this being made into a movie, it was that good.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK

Good plot lines and great twists. Good surprises along the way. When I got to the last 20% of the book I couldn’t put it down until I had finished and saw what happened. I’m going to spoil it just a little bit for you here and tell you that the author doesn’t kill the dog off in the book, which makes me very happy. I hate it when they kill the dog.

Nowadays when I read a good mystery book similar to this one the characters are all so detestable, it’s hard to connect with them. This book was different, you liked the mother even if she was hypersensitive about her ex-husband. You like the daughter even though she is being so dumb and acting like a stupid teenager. You even can feel for the evil wife beater ex-husband. A little.

It jumped back and fourth through time and back and fourth between the mother and the daughter and it did so in way that wasn’t confusing or distracting at all. The story flowed seamlessly throughout and I thought it was just fantastic storytelling.


WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK

Okay, not much really. Even though I said above that I liked that the teenager was easy to connect to as a reader, she did make me want to punch myself in the face a couple times. LIKE WTF KID. Your mom worked so hard to get you away from this bad guy and you are just jacking stuff up at warp speed.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone that liked a suspense thriller with a twist at the end. 4/5 stars.

When Lindsey was 19, she met and fell in love with Andrew, who was a bit older, and a successful business owner. They quickly got married and soon had a daughter named Sophie. Andrew started off as a nice thoughtful caring husband but over time became increasingly possessive and eventually abusive. Sophie started to plan on leaving him. On the night she finally does, Andrew did something, was arrested and put in prison for ten years.

Over the next ten years, Lindsey and Sophie rebuilt their lives in a small town. Lindsey had her own business, a new boyfriend and the support of friends. Sophie, now in her late teens, missed having a relationship with her father and, unbeknownst to Lindsey, contacted him just before he is released from prison. Once he had served his time, Andrew wanted to get to know his daughter and make up for all the hurt he had caused. When Lindsey discovered Sophie had been seeing Andrew, she freaked out and assumed the strange things that were happening was Andrew getting revenge.

I've read a few books by this author and enjoyed this one ... it's pretty intense given the subject matter. It's written in first person perspective from Lindsey and Sophie's points of view and jumps back and forth in time, giving you the back story. The voices and time periods alternate by chapters but they are labeled so you know whose voice it is and when. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

This page-turner had some pretty good twists. The characters and situations were believable and makes you wonder what truly goes on in other people's minds. Andrew made me so angry during their relationship! I felt so bad for Lindsey; her anguish was palpable.

I received this from Netgalley and I received an ARC from Goodreads giveaway. I guess that meant I had to read this. Very compelling and so many twists. We start out with Lindsey in an abusive marriage. We are this story play out through her eyes as well as her daughter, Sophie. I love reading the different perspectives. This is a great read for all thriller fans!

I loved this book! Fast paced, wonderful development of characters and storyline.. Held me right up until the very end. I never miss one of this author's new books. Definitely one to watch! Thank you for the opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review.

I LOVE Chevy Stevens.
This is not your average battered wife story. Sure that's what's happening in the beginning, but the whole story unfolds beautifully. I was surprised at some twists, but I did guess the ending. Even though I knew the ending I still gave this book 4 stars. If you like Chevy Stevens books, you'll like this one too. If you haven't tried one of her books, you should. She's quite talented!!!

Wow! A great story filled with tension that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Years ago, Lindsey Nash escaped with her young daughter and left an abusive relationship. Her ex-husband, Andrew, was sent to jail and Lindsey started her life over. Fast forward a few years - Lindsey has her own business and a teenage daughter. When Andrew is released from prison, Lindsey gets the sense that someone is watching her. She is convinced it’s her ex-husband, even though he claims he’s a different person. But is he really?

This book was excellent from beginning to end (almost … I’ll explain in a minute). The story is well written and nicely paced. The plot twist fantastic! It was one I did not see coming. Stevens does an excellent job of making you think it could be this person. Or this person. Or this person! But after the reveal the story fell flat. There was this great tension all the way through the book. However, when Lindsey figures out who is behind the mysterious events, the action fizzled and left this reader feeling something was lacking. It should have been a moment that made me feel as if I were at the edge of a cliff, but my heart didn't beat faster, nor did I gasp out loud. It just was and it disappointed me. This is one of those times when I wanted something more from the book but can’t put into words what that was.

BUT! You need to read this book. The ending may have lacked something for me, but maybe it will cause your heart to flutter and your breathing to come in short gasps. Never Let You Go will make an excellent addition to your mystery/suspense/thriller TBR.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

This is the first book I have ever read by this author, and oh my! what a story. Chevy Stevens definitely kept me on my toes while the story went back and forth between more recent events and those from the past. Her descriptions of people, places and events made the book seem so realistic, I could almost feel that I was there. And she found ways to describe the emotions of the characters and their feelings that I felt were especially spot on.

Around the, I’d say, 75% point of the book, I had a feeling about the direction the book would be taking. Instead of leaving me thinking, well that’s it—this book was too easy to solve, it left me perched on the edge of my seat fearful for the characters I’d come to know and silently screaming warnings to them.

If you like reading mystery books and thrillers with twists and turns that leave you feel uncertain and caught up completely in the story, you definitely should read this book.

What if the person you loved and trusted most in the world, the person that was supposed to take care of you and protect you suddenly became a monster from your nightmares? Lindsey suddenly finds herself in this exact situation when her husband Andrew starts becoming abusive not long into their marriage. Lindsey knows it is time to get out with her young daughter Sophie as she begins to fear for her life. After a horrific accident Andrew is put in jail for 10 years and Sophie and Lindsey have been living a peaceful existence. Now it is time for Andrew to be released from prison and suddenly their peaceful world has become a nightmare again. Lindsey's sure Andrew has been stalking her and is convinced he wants to hurt her. Now Lindsey has to decide whether to stay and fight for the life she has created or if she has to take her daughter and run again. Full of twists and turns this intense thriller will have your heart racing and leave you wondering who you can trust. Everyone in this story seems to have a secret but the surprise twist at the end of this book will reveal who has the deadliest secret of all.

Lindsey and Sophie are mother and daughter. They live together in Dogswood Bay. Sophie is in here senior year in high school and Lindsey owns her own cleaning company. When Lindsey finds out that her ex-husband, Andrew is about to be released from prison after 10 years, she goes on the alert. He was very abusive and manipulative towards Lindsey, but Sophie wants her dad to be a part of her life. When things start to happen that can only be explained by Andrews controlling behavior, the pair try to hide from him in any way they can. Will they be able to stay away from him, or will he try to hurt Lindsey again?

First of all thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ability to read this book before it is released. Another book that had me on the edge of my seat and at the end, my heart was beating out of my chest, I was so excited to figure out what was going to happen next. Lindsey is a character that you can see as the lady next door or one of your friends. Trying to rebuild her life after being in an abusive relationship and trying to build a life for her young daughter to look up to. When she finds out that her ex is not only being released from prison after 10 years, but that he will also be moving to the same town, she is instantly on high alert. How can she keep herself and her daughter safe? Not sure of who to turn to and who to trust, she may see things in a clouded light.

I really felt for Lindsey and I could feel her fear. You are really drawn into this story and you want to help Lindsey and Sophie get out of their tough circumstances. I have read nearly all of Chevy Stevens books and I have not been disappointed by one yet. This book had a twist that you could see coming, but the culprit was hard to figure out. A few times, I thought I knew what was going to happen and I was shocked by the final outcome. This is a book you will not want to put down and will not want to read if you have a bad heart. Loved it!!!

I am a big fan of Chevy Stevens, having read all of her previous books, and was delighted to receive an ARC through net galley in exchange for an honest review.

The first part alternates between Lindsey's present life -where she has moved on with her daughter and settled in a pretty, rural area - and her past life where she was systematically abused by her (now ex) husband, both mentally and physically. Past and present start to collide as Lindsey starts to worry that someone is following her, before events escalate and her boyfriend is threatened, her daughter is running scared and her home invaded.

I don't want to give anything away before the book is released, but there are some genuinely creepy moments and a few twists and turns that really changed the direction of the book.

However, it was the initial premise of the book that drew me in, and the insidious nature of an abusive relationship and the fear that both Lindsey and Sophie feel were the parts of the book that worked really well. When "a certain event occurred" and the book is turned on its head, for me, this didn't work as well. It seemed a twist for the sake of a twist and there were holes in the plot that didn't really make sense to me.

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. But has he really changed? Is the one who wants her dead closer to home than she thought?

With Never Let You Go, Chevy Stevens delivers a chilling, twisting thriller that crackles with suspense as it explores the darkest heart of love and obsession.

My Thoughts: From the very beginning of Never Let You Go, I was glued to the pages, watching as Lindsey and Sophie struggled to move beyond the past and truly start over.

But every time they thought they could finally trust again, another unexpected glitch would knock them down.

Narrated by Lindsey and Sophie, the story arc goes back and forth in time, starting with the beginning of Andrew and Lindsey…and then showing us what life looks like for them after Andrew is released from prison. Set primarily on Vancouver Island and parts of British Columbia, the story and characters of this novel felt so real…as if I was walking along with them, stalked just as they were.

As much as Andrew seemed to be the same old lying, abusive man, there were too many things that didn’t quite add up. So, as a reader, I started suspecting this one and then that one. Who could be manipulating the situation, heading toward some kind of revenge?

Just when I thought “ah, it could be him,” or even “it might be her,” I would realize that the scenario didn’t work. I couldn’t trust anyone, and I felt a semblance of what Lindsey must have felt for her whole adult life. Never trusting, never feeling safe.

So I was stunned, as only one can be, when I figured out who was behind it all…and why. I started to piece it together near the end, and then the explosive, riveting events came to a crashing conclusion. A truly 5 star read that I will not forget.

Lindsey Nash deals with domestic abuse until she fears for her life. Andrew, her husband, is jailed for killing a woman when driving drunk and with her daughter Sophie, she starts a new life. Ten years later, Andrew, now divorced, gets out of jail and things begin to happen. A very emotionally charged story narrated by Lindsay and Sophie in past and present chapters keeps you riveted to the end.
Fast paced, loads of suspense, compelling characters, twists and turns with an unexpected ending, all make this a must read.

Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens is a tense, nail-biting thriller that will capture your rapt attention from beginning to end. It is very highly recommended. Set aside the time to read this all at once (which you will be doing anyway, so you might as well plan for it).

Eleven years ago, Lindsey Nash escaped an abusive relationship. It was a miracle that she managed to get out alive with her daughter, Sophie. Her ex-husband, Andrew, was arrested when he drove drunk in search of her, causing an accident that killed a woman. He was sent to jail and Lindsey and Sophie went on to start a new life in Dogwood Bay, a lakeshore town in British Columbia. She has her own business cleaning houses. Sophie is now 17 and getting ready to finish high school.

Now Andrew is being released from prison. Lindsey is sure he can't find her, but when disturbing things begin to happen, it appears that someone is watching her and even entering her home, she contacts the police. As the threats escalate, it seems to be clear that Andrew is trying to extract revenge on her.

Sophie, unknown to Linsey, has sent letters to her father when he was in prison and she agrees to secretly meet with him when he is released. He claims he has changed and that he would never harm Lindsey, but is he telling the truth? Clearly someone is stalking Lindsey and means her harm.

The story is told in the alternating voices of Lindsey and Sophie. It also shifts back and forth in time, chronicling Andrew's escalating abuse and control over Lindsey. Lindsey's terror is palpable as she relates the story of Andrew's increasingly violent abuse and control over her, even to the point where she is scared for Sophie's safety. Sophie's chapters are all present day. She was just a child when Andrew was sent to prison. She wants a father, but also knows about Lindsey's fear over his abuse.

This is a masterful fast-paced thriller. The writing is incredible. The plot is skillfully presented as the suspense just keeps building on itself and you don't know who you can trust. Let's just say there is more than one suspect. Lindsey and Sophie are well developed, imperfect characters with flaws, talents, and doubts, who are placed in an impossibly strained situation. There are a couple twists that I didn't see coming at all that took my breath away.

Get this novel! Chevy Stevens is proving she's a writer who can consistently create an excellent novel that is sure to ramp up the tension, surprise you with some twists, and leave you satisfied with the ending. Never Let You Go is now added to my list of best books of the year.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of St. Martin's Press.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2017/02/never-let-you-go.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1749533853

A predictable thriller about an abused wife who steals away in the middle of the night with their daughter and starts a new life as a single mother. The abusive husband ends up in prison for many years and is finally released. Of course he comes looking for his "family" and Lindsey (the ex wife) is convinced that he still wants to harm her. The daughter, Sophie, is nearly 18 and wants to believe that her dad has changed and meets up with him secretly.

In a narrative that shifts in point of view between Lindsey and Sophie, as well as back and forth in time, the plot becomes obvious to anyone (like me) who reads almost exclusively in this genre. I didn't find Lindsey believable as a character and her paranoia and fixation on Andrew (the ex husband) bordered on the extreme. That was the big tell. Won't say anything further so as not to spoil it for the reader, but I was unable to experience any suspense or tension because I knew exactly how this was going to play out. The author tries some red herrings, but a close read will eliminate those quickly. Consider that this woman has 3 different men wooing her -- she must really be something, right? Sophie has her own boyfriend issues -- and with a mom like Lindsey always thinking someone is after her, well, she needed some counseling herself.

It's not that I hated the book, I was just not blown away or surprised -- at least there is no bizarre twist that comes out of nowhere as is the norm these days. I have read every previous novel by this author and I'm sure I'll read her next one, but, going out on my limb, this was nothing original.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-book ARC to review.

Never Let You Go kept me interested from beginning to end. It never let me go (hahaha, I am so clever).

But seriously, this book!!!!!

It begins at the beach, where Lindsey, Andrew, and little Sophie Nash are on vacation. You quickly learn that not all is as it seems with this seemingly happy couple. It is clear from the very first chapter that Lindsey is afraid of Andrew (not a spoiler!) and she ends up fleeing him one night with little 6 year old Sophie by her side.

Flash forward eleven years to when Andrew is released from prison and so many things happen, I can't really say anything without spoiling it!

This book really had me hooked right from the first page. The twists and turns were great, and I totally thought I knew what was going down but I was WRONG! I love it when I'm wrong like that! I loved the characters, they were all very believable and three-dimensional.

Now, that being said, here are the reasons that it didn't get 5 stars from me:

1. Something happens about 2/3 of the way through the book that just felt really sudden and unrealistic. Can't say what it was without spoiling it, but it just felt disjointed, like it didn't belong there.

2. Lindsey and Sophie's feelings towards the end of the book. Once again, can't say too much without spoiling it.

All in all though, I would definitely read more from this author. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!