Years after Lindsay has escaped from her violent husband and rebuilt a life for her and her daughter, Andrew is released from prison. The moment she learns he has appeared in town, weird events start to happen, her dog is almost killed, her boyfriend injured and her daughter is in constant contact with her father. Andrew swears he has changed but admits he has followed their daughter more than once, which proves he hasn't really changed.

This was my first book by Chevy Stevens, and I was so happy to be allowed to review it! But I feel partly disappointed.

Lindsey and Sophie, who divided the narration, were good characters. I did call Sophie dumb or worse a few times but in a forgivable way, for she is just a teenager. Lindsey could be considered a little too jumpy to some but to me she has every right to feel wary of anyone. I liked how the author built both characters with flaws that could have made them unbearable but managed to keep them relatable. I also feel Andrew was well written. He can be both charming and scary in a way that pulls the reader into doubting their instinct. I kept asking myself, "This is a bad guy, right?".

A special mention to Angus, the dog. There aren't many authors who can write a pet into a story and really make us feel that there is a pet there. He was the character I most felt anxious about to the end.

Also, about the narration, I think for a professional writer this wasn't supposed to even count points but we find so many books carrying this flaw I have to point it out. Stevens got the voices right, for both narration and dialog. Phew.

Unfortunately, she also got a lot of things wrong.

First, the beginning was slow. Part of this is my fault, as I'm not into books with two timelines. It is also true, however, that the chapters occurring in the past here didn't add anything. We knew Andrew was abusive and, even before the past timeline gives us the information, we know why Lindsey felt guilty about Andrew's accident, which eventually got him into jail. So why do that? I never the function, and I was relieved when the author dropped it around the middle of the book. It finally got smoother to read.

The plot twits weren't exciting either. Stevens was able to make me doubt every character in the book but failed to provoke that nice page-turning urgency a good thriller is supposed to do. On the other hand, the book gets better and the best moment was the climax—as it should be.

As I tried to find out why so many readers loved this novel, I wondered if the answer was in the domestic violence parts. I hope Stevens has never suffered that from up close because the description felt indeed real. For most of the book, I believed the drama was the star here and I confess that, even though I admire the work she has put into it, it is not my cup of tea. Then it hit me that I was getting it all wrong. Despite the book having the appearance of an eye opener to domestic violence, it is just too lenient on Andrew.

This was what I really hated about it, because the only reason Andrew is arrested is partially attributed to Lindsey—his victim!—, and when you think Stevens will finally relieve her from that burden, she actually makes it even worse. So what is the message this book tells us? I'm not saying a book is to tell any messages but the moment you exploit such a topic, you choose a DV victim to be the character your reader relates to, you make that person relive everything... In any case, I don't think Andrew left space for doubts whether he deserved to serve time. Wasn't that what the many flashback chapters were supposed to prove to us?

So... this was a well-written book, and the plot is not bad. However, I had too many issues to give it a higher grade. Which is a pity, I really wanted to like this one. But I haven't given up on Chevy Stevens. I could see why so many like her. Moreover, this would be a good pick for a book club considering not only the thriller but also the issue on domestic violence. I would love to see if anyone else agrees with my conclusions on Andrew.

While I wouldn't say the book was beautifully written, it did hold my interest all the way through. Great tension, unexpected twists, and believable characters made this a fun read. I enjoyed the fact that I didn't figure out the "bad guy" right away. Would definitely recommend.

Eleven years ago, Lindsey escaped an abusive marriage, moving on with her life (and her daughter’s) with her husband behind bars. When he is released and comes looking to reconnect, bad things begin happening.

Andrew embodies the controlling alcoholic stereotype, and the author does a great job demonstrating the kind of tactics these types of men employ to control women. Lindsey is a troubled survivor working to do what’s best for her daughter, but she’s weak. Her instinct isn’t to stand her ground and fight, but to run. Her fear is palpable. Sophie, Lindsey and Andrew’s daughter, quickly becomes the focus of this story and by halfway everything is almost completely about her.

This is where the dramatic plot lost my attention.

I hadn’t really signed on to read a young adult book about first boyfriends, parental troubles, and the loss of virginity so I am a little disappointed this is the turn the book took.

From the blurb, I expected a twist and I guessed the “who” early on. I’m not sure I believe the why, and I’d like to have seen more to support this. Overall, an enjoyable book. I had doubts at times who might have been terrorizing Lindsey, which is what kept pulling me along. That it ended up being the person I first suspected leaves me feeling a bit flat. A good book. Just not what I expected.

4.5 stars

This was my first Chevy Stevens and wow . . . what a book to start with! I’m impressed. A fear-inducing story of manipulation and love gone wrong, NEVER LET YOU GO serves up mind games in the form of devious twists. Seriously, is there anything better than a great twist to knock you on your ass and change your entire perspective?

Ms. Stevens starts by dragging the reader through a gamut of emotions - the excitement of Andrew and Lindsey falling in love and starting a family, the heartbreak when things ultimately fall apart and the gut-wrenching devastation and fear following the final betrayal of trust. What's it going to take for Lindsey to get Andrew out of her life?

Fast forward ten years and fresh out of prison, he's back. Andrew manages to track down his broken family under the guise of reconnecting with his now 17-year-old daughter and finding work on the small island they call home. When she starts to have that niggling feeling of being watched and things around her house end up out of place, Lindsey panics. Is it time to run and start all over . . . again?

Hello, can I just say, I loved the whole SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY vibe?! Talk about creepiness seeping from the pages. There’s nothing more anxiety-inducing than the thought of being watched . . . or stalked like prey. The way the fear manages to eat away at your soul and contaminate your every thought. The very fact that this abusive man you once loved might never let you go. Or even worse, his pseudo charm winning over your daughter's heart.

What threw me for a loop was my own feelings and the way Ms. Stevens kept toying with them. She flipped the script in a big way (I'm talking one heck of a twist!) and left me . . . dare I say . . . sort of sad? If you’ve read the book then you know I’m completely crazy, right? I totally own it, but I’m blaming it on my optimistic nature and bleeding heart.

I was so busy focusing my attention on what seemed like the obvious answer, the truth snuck up behind me and whispered in my ear that I was wrong . . . so very wrong. Naturally, being a suspense junkie, I had a couple of scenarios swimming around in my mind, but I refused, straight refused, to consider that was even be a possibility. It completely shattered my trust in everyone and motivated me to explore the minds of Chevy Stevens' other characters.

“Never Let You Go” by Chevy Stevens is a psychological thriller centered around Lindsay Nash and her daughter Sophie. Lindsay endured years of abuse at the hands of her husband. When she was finally able to escape the unthinkable happened and her husband ended up in jail. But now he’s outs and so is Lindsay’s secret.

When things start to happen to Lindsay and the people around her she can’t help but think her ex-husband is out for revenge. But he claims it’s not him, that there is someone out there trying to frame him and hurt her and Sophie. She doesn’t know what to believe anymore, but she knows she needs to keep herself and Sophie safe. But that is harder then she could ever imagine.

This is my first Chevy Stevens book and I am definitely going to look for some of her other work.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley for an honest review.

Lindsay Nash escaped an abusive relationship- taking her daughter in the middle of the night and running away from her husband with the help of her brother. She's rebuilt her life- has a cleaning business, a good support group, her daughter, and a man in her life. When her husband is released from prison (after killing someone in a car accident), strange things that are oh so similar to things that happened in her marriage begin to plague Lindsay- and she's convinced that her ex-husband is stalking her and will try to hurt her again.
Stevens weaves Lindsay and Sophie's story from the past to the present. I think that Chevy Stevens is the queen of psychological thrillers and this book totally does not disappoint. Highly recommend.

Tense suspense thriller in British Columbia with a main theme of domestic abuse

Wow, this book ramped up quickly, letting us voyeuristic readers see into the abusive relationship Lindsey Nash had with her ex-husband, Andrew. There were times I just had to put the book down and think about something else for awhile to calm down.

Lindsey and her daughter, Sophie, were barely able to escape Andrew's clutches and, while he sets out chasing them down, he causes a horrific car accident and ends up in prison.

It's been 11 years now and Andrew is getting out of prison and Lindsey is scared to death. And strange happenings start that bring back memories of those terrible years.

The story is told in the past and in the present timeframes and it's also told from both Lindsey and Sophie's points of view. I was able to keep track pretty easily as the story moved around.

All the characters were believable in the story - well developed and easy to imagine.

The story ends up being a matter of who Lindsey and Sophie can trust - and there's a lot of twists along the way.

I've enjoyed author Stevens work in the past and am glad I read this standalone thriller.

I received this book from St. Martin's Press through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.

Another great story by Ms. Stevens! I've read all of her books and this one did not disappoint!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens that I was able to read and review.
For my this book was just okay. It was very predictable and about halfway through I was able to predict how the book was going to go so there were not many surprises there for me. I did like the idea of the story but as I said it was way to easy to see where it was going to go.
I am giving this book three out of five stars.

At first I thought I wasn't in the mood for this type of book: mother and daughter on the run from a domestically abusive husband. But as I continued with the book, it drew me in and I raced to finish it. Great psychological thriller with a bit of a predictable ending.

I read A LOT of pscyhological thrillers and Chevy Steven's debut Still Missing is one of my favourites so I was delighted to be given the opportunity of reading this book early through Netgalley. It's not an original story - woman fleeing abusive relationship - woman feeling paranoid and fearing for her life, however Chevy Stevens brings such tension to the characters that you feel their fears, you start to wonder about each character involved - are they who they say they are? What does that character really want? I was gripped from the first page and loved reading both Lindsey and Sophie's versions of the events. Another winner from Chevy Stevens.

Big fan of Chevy Stevens and the latest book does not disappoint! This book is definitely my favorite so far. Couldn't put it down. Highly recommend!

I have been a fan of Chevy Stevens since my librarian recommended Still Missing a few years ago. Her books never fail to grab me and keep me on the edge of my seat until I finish. Never Let You Go does not disappoint. The book starts off from Lindsay Nash's point of view. It's November 2005. Lindsay, her husband Andrew, and daughter Sophie are on holiday in Mexico. But this is definitely not a vacation for Lindsay. She can't just enjoy the sun and relax by the pool. She averts her eyes and tries not to look at anyone, or draw attention to herself. As you can guess, Lindsay is an abused wife. She constantly walks on eggshells, careful not to upset her husband and at the same time try to shield her seven-year old from what's going on. What is even worse is that she is afraid that Andrew will take Sophie and leave if she tries to tell anyone or leave on her own. When Andrew tries to kill her, she finally confides in her brother. They come up with a plan so Lindsay and Sophie can get away.

The story goes back and forth from 2005 when she and Andrew are together to 2015 where Lindsay now runs a small cleaning business, hiring women who were once in her position. She is raising Sophie, now a teenager to be an independent and strong woman. Everything changes when Andrew is released from prison after 10 years behind bars. He has promised his lawyer that he will leave them alone, but can he keep that promise? Why did he end up in prison in the first place?

After Andrew is released, he moves to their small town and strange things start happening. Lindsay is sure that Andrew is behind things and gets a peace bond against him. Sophie gets a boyfriend and Lindsay is worried about her. Their relationship becomes strained. Even Lindsay's boyfriend is worried about what is going on with their lives and offers them refuge at his Lake House. Can Lindsay keep Sophie safe as she grows up and becomes a normal teenage girl? Is it time for Lindsay to take a chance on a new romance? By going back and forth in time, we can see how this once loving relationship morphs into this toxic relationship of emotional and physical abuse.

As usual, the character development is great. Lindsay and Sophie have a wonderful bond that is easy to understand with the way the story develops. It is a real mother/daughter bond that you would expect from a single parent family that has gone through hardships. The secondary characters of Andrew, Marcus, Greg, Jenny, and Jared are essential to the story and even though not the main characters are again developed well.

The story is told from both Lindsay and Sophie's point of view, switching back and forth between chapters. It was easy to follow along and their different perspectives on what was happening made it even more interesting. I was sure that I knew who was causing the turmoil, then I would change my mind. I thought I had it figured out, but I was wrong. That is one thing I love about her books, the plot twists keep coming so that you cannot put it down until you find out how it is going to end. It was intense and suspenseful and I stayed up longer than I had planned to finish the book. If you like suspense then you will love this book. I highly recommend it to those who love thrillers and it even deals with an important issue in our time, that of spousal abuse.

Wow, this book was amazing and so well written! I couldn't put it down and it kept me guessing until the very end. There were so many twists and turns in this book. My head is still spinning...in a wonderful way! I highly recommend this book....read it!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Part 1 was somewhat slow and repetitive. Parts 2 and 3 were very plausible and exciting. There were enough twists and turns that it kept my attention until the conclusion. The ending was satisfying and not obvious. I would be interesting in reading other books by this author.

Never Let You Go was , for me, 'never put you down.' I read it straight through in one siting. Chevy tevens has created another great mystery with memorable characters.

Wow! I absolutely loved this book! Another great thriller. It was my first time reading Chevy Stevens and I love her writing style. You also get incredible character development throughout the book. This is another thriller where the story is told through different perspectives and timelines (which I have always loved).

The story follows Lindsey and her relationship with Andrew. They met at 19 and then got married. Shortly after their wedding day, Lindsey begins to notice how possessive and controlling Andrew has become of her. After Lindsey as their daughter, Sophie, the abuse progresses. Lindsey knows she needs to not only protect herself, but also her daughter. She finally finds a way to break away from Andrew. She feels at ease after hearing about him going to jail for a car accident where the passenger died. Eleven years later, he's out and is on a mission to find Lindsey and Sophie.

Sophie has little memory of her father or her relationship with him, besides what her mother tells her. So when the opportunity arises, she finds a way to secretly communicate with him (via letters and secret meetings). However, when he begins to stalk her mother, she finds herself and everyone around her in danger. It gets crazy at the end! You won't want to stop reading it.

I loved being able to switch between Lindsey and Sophie, as well as past and present. One of my favorite ways to have the blanks all filled in and questions answered. This was my first Chevy Stevens book, and it definitely won't be my last! I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to St Martin's Press for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Chevy Stevens does it again. Great story with believable characters, a keep you reading plot and pacing, the twists keep you guessing till the end.

I loved this book! It was my first time reading Chevy Stevens and her storytelling was intriguing and kept me engaged and guessing til the end! I enjoyed the past/present rotation between chapters and found it easy to follow along (usually this format confuses me.) I enjoyed the characters and found myself looking forward to getting home from work so I could continue reading. I won't rehash the plot since that can be found on various review sites, but trust me - read this book!

Lindsey and Sophie are survivors. It's been over ten years since Lindsey fled with her then six-year-old daughter and escaped her controlling, manipulative and violent alcoholic husband, Andrew. She has made a life for herself since those dreadful years. She runs a successful cleaning agency and volunteers at a women's support group. She takes self defense classes and has many friends in Dogwood Bay. Her ex-husband has spent the past ten years in prison. When the police contact Lindsey to inform her that Andrew has been released she fears he will try to find her and their daughter Sophie. What she does not know is that Sophie has been secretly exchanging letters with her dad while he was still in prison. He knows where they live.

This might be the best book Chevy Stevens has written to date. She pulls the reader in right from the start giving us glimpses of Lindsey's life alternating from the present to her past with Andrew, all told in first person, all establishing an abusive relationship Lindsey was fortunate to survive. Tension builds with every scene involving Andrew. Simple conversations take on darker meaning when seen through the eyes of a terrified woman. Shift to the present and feel the paranoia begin to grow when Andrew asks Sophie whether her mother is dating someone. No way has this guy been rehabilitated in prison like he claims. With Andrew squarely in the bad dude column, Chevy begins to twist the knife and introduce others who may or may not be contributing to Lindsey’s growing anxiety. You know she’s in danger so you begin questioning your own suspects, pondering motives and hoping Lindsey and Sophie will figure it out before it's too late.

This thriller is a fun ride for adrenalin junkies. The author had me pointing fingers and changing my suspects throughout story. By the time I figured out what was going on I was shouting at the characters, trying to help (or hinder) their progress. I loved it.

eARC received with thanks from St.Martin’s Press via NetGalley for review.