Never Let You Go (Chevy Stevens)

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by Annie

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Eleven years ago, Lindsey Nash escaped into the night with her young daughter and left an abusive relationship. Her ex-husband was sent to jail and she started over with a new life. Now, Lindsey is older and wiser, with a teenage daughter who needs her more than ever. When her ex-husband is finally released, Lindsey believes she’s cut all ties. But she gets the sense that someone is watching her. 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 can he really change? Is the one who wants her dead closer to home than she thought?

☼

I was trying not to read any more domestic thrillers, but sometimes I don’t know how to say no… And Chevy Stevens is one of my weaknesses. Even though I didn’t like her last novel that much, Still Missing & That Night are still two of my favorite books. Who can possibly resist her dark stories? After all, she’s so popular for a reason.

The plot in this one might sound a bit too familiar to some of you, as there have been plenty of similar books lately… Lindsey was in an abusive marriage years ago, but she managed to escape with her daughter. Her husband Andrew went to prison and she finally started a new life. But now, ten years later, Andrew is free and Lindsey begins to suspect her ex is playing games with her. And why does Sophie want to meet him? Can’t she see that he’s not to be trusted?

I liked that the story focused on Lindsey’s relationship with her daughter, but I must admit that her behaviour (Sophie’s) got me on my nerves more than once. I know, I know, I was also a teenager not so long ago! But when your mother tells you that someone is dangerous, how can you still ignore her? And it isn’t like there isn’t proof… What I enjoyed about this storyline is that, for once, Andrew wasn’t straight-up evil like in other similar books I read. Don’t get me wrong: he was the absolute worst; but in the present narration, he claimed he had changed and wanted to connect with his daughter. The problem is… can you trust him?

The book was simply unputdownable and that has always been one of my favorite aspects of Chevy’s writing. From the very first page, I know for sure that I won’t ever be bored. She writes great female characters, too (I quite liked Lindsey and understood how she felt) and the flashbacks gave us the context we needed to understand her present actions. Never Let You Go had two different narrators (Lindsey and Sophie) and three different perspectives (the beginning of their relationship, their marriage, and the present).

If you’ve read Still Missing, you were probably as surprised as I was with that crazy ending. I adored it. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing about Never Let You Go. I don’t know if I’m getting too familiar with her writing, but I had no doubt whatsoever about what was about to happen. Obviously, I’m not going to discuss it here, but I was pretty disappointed when I found out I was right. However, there was still one detail that I didn’t expect and I believe that was a pretty smart move.

I’d recommend Never Let You Go to those who love psychological thrillers and books that focus on mother-daughter relationships.

Buy Here

Netgalley, St Martin’s Press, 2017

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Annie

In a past life, I was probably a tortured police detective with a dark and traumatic past. Right now, however, I'm just a twenty-something bookworm who loves listening to old songs and watching 90s movies. I enjoy mystery and crime, southern coming of age stories and historical fiction set in the last century.

24 thoughts on “Never Let You Go (Chevy Stevens)”

  1. Excellent review Annie! I so agree with what you said about the ending and the predictability. I think for those of us who’ve read and loved Still Missing, (That Night is also my other fav) we have high expectations for what she can do in her writing and I just don’t feel like this one reached the wow factor of Still Missing.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Must admit I find most of these books either pretty predictable or totally unbelievable these days (sometimes both! 😉 ) – I think I’ve just read too many of them. However, it’s good that you still found it unputdownable even if you weren’t as blown away by it as by some of her earlier books…

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  6. Great review. I haven’t heard of this author but sounds like I should be looking out for them. There are so many thrillers that the endings are becoming a bit predictable but if the writings good I’m still happy to read.

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  8. I’d already shared your post before reading your review.. but I kind of knew what I was going to read here :-). I’ve only read Still Missing and even though this is not your favorite, I really want to read this one too. She still sets the bar high enough, 2 narrators and no less than 3 perspectives and I like an author who makes such an effort. Excellent review!

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  9. Brilliant review Annie. Despite the issues towards the end, I like the fact that this was unputdownable for you. That is enough to make me want to give it a try and also check out the author’s first book.

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  10. There’s something so fascinating with domestic noirs.. Can’t resist them either!! I haven’t read anything from the author so I might pick the books you liked better first! Great review!

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  12. It’s weird…in the U.S. we say that prison is for people to pay their debt to society. But when we release a prisoner, we’re still afraid and biased. That person typically goes to a half-way house and has a probation officer. So….we should definitely stop saying “debt to society” and say “motherf***er, we don’t trust you anymore!” Because that’s what we mean.

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