Having experienced my inaugural Willow Rose novel, I am certain it won't be my last. I've already acquired some of her other books and eagerly anticipate delving into those as well.

"Don't Let Her Go" unfolds the story of Billie Ann Wilde, a recently promoted detective now heading the homicide division in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Amidst the complexities of her personal life, the narrative kicks off with the disappearance of a child named Emma from her backyard, where her mother, Marissa, is engrossed in doing laundry.

Shortly after, Billie Ann receives a call to investigate the discovery of a child's body. However, upon arrival, she discerns that the victim is not Emma, but a teenager named Cassandra. As Billie Ann delves into the investigation, Marissa visits the police station to discuss Emma with Billie Ann. Yet, when the detective visits Marissa's home for further inquiry, she uncovers a perplexing reality. The family residence shows no sign of children's belongings or toys, contradicting the portrayal given by Emma's mother. Billie Ann begins to suspect that Marissa may be avoiding someone or something.

The clock ticks as Billie attempts to locate Emma, but Marissa, tight-lipped about her history, soon vanishes as well. Soon, Billie makes a chilling realization about Marissa's identity—she is the ten-year-old girl Billie failed to find in her inaugural case fourteen years ago. The trail had gone cold due to a critical error on Billie's part.

As more lifeless bodies surface, Billie is forced to confront her past and grapple with her own demons to locate Marissa and her child and bring a killer to justice.

The narrative of this novel unfolds through various points of view, initially posing a potential challenge for readers. However, as you delve deeper into the story, the characters seamlessly intertwine, making it progressively easier to navigate and understand.

While I found the book enjoyable and a quick read, there were a few areas that could use improvement. One aspect that stood out was the unclear motive behind Cassandra's murder, as it was not explicitly stated. Perhaps Cassandra witnessed the killer abducting Emma, leading to her demise. Additionally, there was a discrepancy in the book's description, as Detective Wilde was not informed via phone call but was approached by the Chief regarding Emma's disappearance.

Despite these points, I appreciated the book's overall appeal. The short chapters kept me engaged and eager for more. The characters, on the whole, were likable and well-developed, with a particular fondness for Billie Ann, who displayed unwavering determination in the face of potential consequences. The plot intricately weaves a suspenseful narrative, entangling the present with Billie's haunting history, making every revelation a chilling step closer to unraveling a terrifying mystery.

The author adeptly sprinkled context clues throughout the narrative, subtly hinting at the identity of the killer without fully disclosing the information until the opportune moment. Thanks to these clues, I managed to deduce the identity of the killer just before it was officially unveiled to the readers.

A massive thank you to Willow Rose, Bookouture, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: child grooming, sexual assault, cancer, kidnapping, homophobia

When Detective Billie Ann Wilde is dealing with two seemingly unrelated cases: a homicide and a potential missing child, she has to dig into her past to find the murderer before they strike again and find the missing girl.

This book is fast paced and kept my interest throughout. I read it almost straight through in one sitting. I enjoyed the subplot of Billie Ann and her marriage and liked the way it was handled seemingly realistically.

The story is told from multiple POVs and jumps back into the past for one of them which I found the most compelling.

I was a little confused about some of the side characters who were introduced for a chapter and then never heard from again and didn’t think it was necessary to have so much background on them. I would have liked this time to dive deeper into the main characters’ lives or backgrounds instead.

I did guess the ending pretty early on but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book and I would check out the second installment in this series.

An absolutely stunning, unputdownable book. Willow weaves a story that is so entangled, it's gripping and makes you want to keep reading. This is my first book of hers I've read but I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the Billie series.

Even though there is so many chapters but they are short, some with cliffhangers that keep you continuing to read. I have so many questions about what happened to Marissa/Kitty next. Does she get her children back?

Billie Ann Wilde is a detective with a stressful personal life. On top of this, she's tasked with finding a missing five-year-old girl who no one in the neighborhood has seen. Emma's mom (Marissa) is less than forthcoming which causes Billie Ann to wonder what is really going on. In addition to the missing girl, a 16-year-old girl is found murdered, and it causes Billie Ann to wonder if they are linked. Billie Ann is a very likeable character - however, I felt all the turmoil in her personal life somewhat distracted from the incredible mystery she was working to solve. Definitely a solid first book in the series - looking forward to seeing where Ms. Rose takes Billie Ann next. Thank you to Bookouture for an advanced reader of this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

This would have been my first book by this author unfortunately I didn’t know about the main character’s breast cancer story line. I lost my mum to breast cancer and am not ready to read books with it mentioned. But when I’m ready this will be the first book on my list

My first book by this author and I can wholeheartedly say she has gained a fan.

The story grabbed me by the throat, broke my heart more than once and I love every minute of it.

I loved the characters, the good ones as well as the bad ones. How can you love a baddie? Simple. When characters are as well built as they were by this author there is nothing you can do but to appreciate that.

And then of course there is Billie Ann. She is like a dog with a bone when she has set her mind on something. Besides the things she has to deal with in her professional life, she also has a battle on her hands in her private life. I could understand all parties, but after all everybody has to be respected for who they are even if you, maybe, not see it from their point of view. That's why it is important to put yourself, every once in a while, in the other persons shoes and try to see it through their eyes.

I also loved the short chapters. They helped to up the pace of this amazing book. 

If this book is a reflection of how the series will develop, we are in for quite some treats. 5 stars

Thank you

Holy SMOKES…

That was one dark, twisted crazy ride. I could not put it down. I was in desperate need of a distraction today. And man did this book provide it. It was unputdownable. I started in wee hours after a power outage and could not stop. It was fast and wildly furious. So much going on. I’m looking forward to what’s next in the series.

Don't Let Her Go is book one in the Detective Billie Ann Wilde series by Willow Rose.
I devoured this new crime novel. A suspenseful tale with great characters and great dialogue. I always enjoy her well thought out characters and edge of your seat suspense.
I’m excited for this new series!

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Brilliant! If you didn’t guess already but I loved this book! Like honestly I’m in such awe of these characters, the plot and meanings portrayed. It’s exceptional. I will very likely be placing an order for the physical copy when it becomes available and in the meantime hope to read some more of this authors work! I warmed to the characters in this book and it had some interesting twists. I never lost interest and it was a case of 'just one more chapter' every night.

Great read! I was interested in this story right away. The characters coming and going did get a little confusing, especially the ones that weren't constant and didn't appear for a while.
I couldn't keep track of how old the young girl was in the flashbacks, so I had to go back and check on that when her story progressed, but it was intriguing until the very end.
The end was predictable, and I caught myself rolling my eyes as people kept dying but it didn't take away from the fact that I enjoyed reading the book.

Don’t Let Her Go (Detective Billie Ann Wilde Book 1) by Willow Rose is quite a twisty mystery and suspense thriller.

Don’t Let Her Go is the first book in this series, and this series has started off well. Billie Ann is an interesting character I would probably like to learn more about in future books.

There were a couple of “whoa, I did not see that coming” or did not guess those revelations. As the author mentioned in her afterward, the story is reminiscent of the Jaycee Dugard kidnapping.

The story takes place in Florida, and I had to laugh when the character mentioned you get soaked in sweat from the brief minute it took to walk from your house to your car. I live in a similar area, and it is quite daunting at times when it is so hot.

The story had very good twists and red herrings. It ended a bit quickly, but I look forward to more in this series.

#DontLerHerGo #NetGalley @bookouture

This had me hooked from the first pages. I am always drawn to stories written from different points of view and different times. This had me guessing until the end. As soon as I figured it out, it was revealed. So. I certainly didn't figure it out early. I read this in 2 days so if you are looking for a fast-paced mystery, read this one! I am already excited for Book 2! *triggers for child grooming and sexual assault*

Detective.Billy..is a new series, giving us different characters over a period of time.
Beginning with a mother worrying were they safe, to her child now missing.
This story will keep. you on the edge thru the whole book. .
It has twist and surprises, the author was a master as how this story unfolds.
Given arc by Net Galley.and bookouture for my voluntary review

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my approval to read and review a digital arc.

The main character is Detective Billie Ann Wilde is in charge of Homicide in Cocoa Beach, Florida. The story begins with a missing child followed soon after by a murdered girl. The mother Marissa Clemens races to the site and finds it isn't her 4 year old daughter Emma. The plot is fast paced, full of twists and turns with a few red herrings. The book is told using different characters over different time periods. The ending came as a huge surprise to me. I recommend this book.