I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of this book from the publisher and I am sooo grateful! This book was amazing. To be honest, when I read the description I was worried it was going to be like many of the "crazy woman going after what belongs to her" novels, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that wasn't the case with "Lost You". Don't get me wrong, these ladies didn't come to play, but it comes from such a primal place that you (especially if your a woman) find yourself completely rationalizing their actions. It is a fast paced, thrill ride of a book. I stayed up till the wee hours of the morning to finish "Lost You". The roller coaster ride that Haylen Beck has created will not disappoint!! This book has twist and turns that literally had me gasping out loud. This is a book that deserves to be in your TBR pile!!

This book was well told and had a solid plot. The characters were well developed though i didnt really love them. The book was suspenseful albeit slightly predictable but still well worth the read. This book takes you down a dark twisty journey where moral reasoning is not black and white but rather a very grey area. The end had a good plot twist that was enough to make this book a little more unique. I really loved the development and persona applied to the "villain" from t he agency. The author created a very real feeling book that captured my attention start to finish.

Lost You by Haylen Beck was a mediocre read for me.

As you may all know... it's pretty darn hard for me to rate a 4-5 star for my thrillers. I feel like the plot was something that I've seen before and it wasn't an over the top amazing story for me.

This was interesting with the dark side of surrogacy and the toll that it can take on women. I can't imagine how hard that would be! My heart really was sad for both Anna and Libby. The ending wrapped up way too nicely for me and I wasn't impressed at all.

The plot also had a bit unnecessary filter/backstory that could have been taken out to enhance the "meat."

Towards the end... the writing was just really a bit boring to me and I just wanted to finish already. I ended up skimming the last few chapters to get to the end.

Overall, 3 stars for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Published to Goodreads: 3/10/19
Publication date: 8/6/19

This author hit the ground running! The beginning of the story is definitely an attention-getter. At times when it seemed predictable and I would “guess” what was going on, I was thrown for a loop and the story would take a different direction. I felt some of the characters could have been stronger and maybe a bit more empathetic, but it was enough to take away from the story. Suspenseful and heartfelt. I have children so you can’t help but read the book through a mother’s eyes. This was my first time reading a book by this author and I would love to read something of hers again.

A very entertaining read. Really enjoyed this book and the characters. Story was realistic sounding and well written.

Lost you is a twisty thriller, but also heartbreaking tale of motherhood lost.. How far would you go to have a baby? How far would you go to keep your baby? How far would you to go to get your baby back?

This book was reminiscent of a lifetime and I always love a good lifetime movie.

This book really addresses of what it means to be a mother. Is it biology? Is it nurture? It shows what happens when the desire to be a better mother turns into obsession. I feel like this can happen to anyone when they are trying to have a baby. This was a pretty quick read with some good twists and turns. The plot wasn’t really predictable and I found myself not wanting to put the book down.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is a psychological thriller but it is not a scary, keep you awake at night thriller. The book starts out by giving you the ending of the book, which is not something I'm ever a big fan of. However, the story does keep you guessing as to which character is which. Just when you think you know what's going on, something else happens. The story is about surrogacy gone wrong, with a very shady company involved. Each of the women involved tells her story. If you've never read a psychological thriller, this would be a good first book to read.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42927039

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Libby desperately wanted a baby. She's willing to do whatever it takes, even if it means losing her husband. Adoption might be a pipe dream, but surrogacy, well that’s more of an option, especially if the agency doesn't mind skipping the tedious legal process.

Anna is desperate for money. An ad her friend sees promises cash in return for being a surrogate. Maybe if Anna was thinking more clearly she would run, but the lure of big payday beckons, and surprisingly( not) things don't go according to plan.

Libby has the child she dreamed of and when she and her son Ethan go on vacation, it seems like paradise, but quickly turns into a nightmare. This one was twisty and from the book description I certainly thought it was headed one way, but it zigs and zags and I had to stop myself from shouting, “What”, at my Kindle. Honestly, I never felt drawn to any of the main characters, even though we learn they both had pretty lousy childhoods.
It is a sad story and one that didn’t keep me up late to read another chapter, but one I did finish reading. Maybe it was just the surrogacy story, but it didn’t engage me in a way that made it memorable. I would definitely read another book by this author as I can’t quite put my finger on why it didn’t work for me. 3.5 stars

What a unique premise and a book that I was not expecting to like so much! I couldn't put it down and couldn't wait to see what happened!

Lost You by Haylen Beck

Pub date: August 2019
Crown Publishing
Genre: Fiction, psycho thriller
Rating: 3/5

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and Crown Publishing in exchange for an unbiased review.

Whenever a book starts by explaining the ending you can be sure there’s a lot more to the story. Lost You starts with a tragic ending on the roof top of a hotel in Florida. Many people are “lost” throughout this novel.

Libby and Mason were married but unable to conceive a baby. It becomes an obsession for Libby which eventually drives a wedge in her marriage. Eventually, Libby pursues a surrogate with a shady organization when waiting for an adoption doesn’t seem likely.

Anna Lenihan loses her job as a waitress at the Flatiron Bar and Grill. Her co-worker Betsy provides support in the form of beer and pizza. The two women lament in Anna’s mobile home as she worries about how she will pay her bills. Betsy sees an ad in the local paper and encourages Anna to call convincing her that “medical research” is an option to make money. Anna decides to call and follow through with an “interview” which was vague and creepy. If Anna didn’t need the money she may have listened to her gut when she felt hesitant about this “job”.

What are the consequences of surrogacy for both women? At what point does obsession cross the line into criminal? Both women exhibit extreme emotional instability which clouds their ability to be a responsible parent. Without providing spoilers, the two women’s lives intersect in a devastating manner. The story was suspenseful and provided many unexpected twists. Personally, the desperate, impulsive personalities of the two women made me cringe.

I was so thrilled to get the opportunity to read Haylen Beck's new book, Lost You, after previously reading and loving her first book, Here And Gone. This was definitely another pulse pounding thriller that I couldn't put down! The twists and turns were endless. I can't say much more without giving anything away, but read this book!!

Slow at first to the point where I was dreading having to keep going, but there were some decent plot twists here. It’s not great, but it wasn’t terrible.

This is a fast-paced, read-it-in-a-day sort of novel, with an opening that plops you in the middle of the action. Anna is a struggling young girl who answers an ad in a newspaper that ends up being for black market surrogacy. Lured by money that she thinks can help turn her life around, she takes the job...and things don't end well. I wouldn't say it was a mystery, as you sort of know how it will end from the beginning, but the fleshing out of the details was riveting. The ending felt a bit rushed, and look elsewhere if you like "happily ever afters." I enjoyed this quick read. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest opinion.

As soon as I saw this was by Haylen Beck, I knew I had to read it. What a book! The storyline was fast paced and very well written. Any mom could relate to Anna's feelings during this book, and some can relate to Libby's desperation to become a mom. The ending was not what I expected!

Lots going on here, a missing child, surrogacy and single woman. A little farfetched but interesting enough. Lots of plot twists that make it unlike other missing child "thrillers" but the writing was a bit flat.

I enjoyed this book! With the kidnapping of a happy-go-lucky three year old in the very beginning of the book, an entire story begins to unfold as one mother's fight to find and keep her child, and another's deception. Somewhat of a psychological thriller, there were moments in this book I just couldn't read fast enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book in return for my opinion.

This one was a doozy! There were some unexpected twists and turns, but I liked it. The book is about the lengths a woman will go to have a child. What makes a mother? Biology? Nurture? Both? All aspects are covered in this book as a woman's past finally catches up with her.

I did think at times that the plot was a little outlandish, but overall I liked the suspense and the build up. I liked the format of present, past, present, and so on. it kept me engaged in the story.

Lost You is a thriller that was hard to put down! A mother and her young son were on vacation when he goes missing, in an elevator. A mother's worst nightmare. What will someone do for a child? What will someone do for her child? These are the questions Lost You answers. I highly suggest.

Haylen Beck, in one of his interviews, says “a strong female character” bores him. Is this why his entire female characters, especially his two protagonists, in “Lost You” are sad, pathetic women who run on pure emotion?

Haylen Beck’s psychological thriller, “Lost You,” explores the lives of two emotionally weak women who look for something to fulfill their unhappy and uninspired lives. Surrogacy, an illegal one at that, intertwines them. Libby Reese, who can’t have children due to endometriosis, and Anna Lenihan, for some reason looks almost identical to Libby, grew up in poor families and are daughters of unloving and prideful mothers. Libby, however, manages to have an education, a humble job as an Administrative Assistant at Albany City Hall, is married, and is an aspiring author, while Anna resides in a trailer in Lafayette, living from hand to mouth, and has just lost her waitressing job. Both of their mothers play favoritism to their older siblings.

Libby’s mother biggest and only accomplishment in life is humility. She passes this on to Libby like it is the secret to life mystery and success. “Always remember who you are, where you’re from, her mother had said. Don’t have to be ashamed, but you’ve nothing to be proud of. Not with the father like yours. When you’re a mother, that’s when you can hope to be proud, she’ d said. I raised my boy right, and he served his country. That I am proud of.” She is proud of her son but says nothing when her daughter asks if she is proud of her. Also, she is inattentive to Libby and discourages her from honing her natural talent in art when her art teacher advised her to take private lesson. She tells Libby that it’s only “for the rich kids, not the likes of her.” Libby experiences dark times with her mother more often than not, before the latter dies. Libby, as a teenager, can’t even come to her mother for advice when she experiences terrible cramps and heavy bleedings. She discovers birth control pills help her. When her mother finds her stash of pills, she gives Libby a savage beating, drags her by the hair, and locks her in the closet beneath their stairs.

Anna Lenihan’s mother is a proud woman. She sees Anna as a troubled eighteen year-old girl and doesn’t believe her words against her older sister’s fiancé who kissed and molested her. He says she has thrown herself at him. “As Anna wept and tried to explain what had happened, Marie and their mother turned their stony faces away and would not listen. Stephen and Marie had a long talk with Father Turlington, and Anna packed a bag and left. She had never returned.” Even years later, after the grabby Stephen is accused of sexual harassments at work and being sued by one of the women, Marie and her mother never go out to search for Anna and apologize; not until Anna returns home to hide after having stolen the baby boy she had surrogated for Libby; but only Marie apologizes, as their mother has too much pride.

Granted Libby and Anna grew up in an unloving environment and have complex relationships with their mothers, but the two women have no redeeming qualities about them either. They allow themselves to be victims of their pasts and believe that a baby completes them. They fight over him with every fiber of their being to a tragic end. The baby represents unconditional and pure love—the love they give and receive since they have never received such love from their own mothers.