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!

This book is based on the character of Lindsey Nash who was able to flee from an abusive relationship with her now ex husband, Andrew.

This book takes place in 2016/2017 but flashes back every few chapters to Lindsey's past of 2005. Lindsey and her daughter are able to restart their lives over and Andrew has been in jail. Everything has been going steady for Lindsey. She is an owner of a cleaning company that pays her bills and gives both her and Sophie, her daughter, a good life. Lindsey was able to move on and also start new relationships with not only friends but a boyfriend as well.

That is until Andrew gets released from prison. Lindsey starts to notice strange thing and starts to believe that someone is watching her, following her. Uneasiness sets over her and she is sure it is Andrew coming back to make sure he finishes the job. She has a hunch that he is still angry for going to jail for a crime that is not totally his fault.

Andrew knows where Lindsey lives, what she does for work, and the places she goes all because Sophie befriended him as a pen-pal while in jail. He claims to be a different person and wants to be a good dad to Sophie. Someone wants Lindsey dead, will she be able to figure it out before its to late.

This book has many twists and turns and is a must read for EVERY Chevy Stevens fan or anyone looking for a psychological thriller. Once you pick it up you won't be able to put it down!!! I give this book 5+ stars. Thanks for letting me review this book.

Wow! Read this in just over one day and didn't want to put it down. I only read my first CS book back in June 2015 (That Night) and since then have read Those Girls and I loved both of them. As soon as I saw this I wanted to get stuck in but had no idea how quickly I would be drawn in. Linsey Nash is married to Andrew and the first part of the book explores their early years and the descent into abuse by her husband who I learned to loathe pretty much from the start. Linsey has a daughter Sophie and a lot of what goes on, it's clear is allowed to happen due to the threat of something happening to her, and leaving her daughter without a Mother. The writing and descriptions of Linsey's home life are very dark and sinister and set the mood for the book.

We then fast forward and see Linsey and her daughter Sophie moving on with their life. However, when news filters through that Andrew has been released from prison the years fall away and Linsey is gripped with the fear she had become accustomed to in her early days from her marriage. You can literally feel the fear rolling off the pages and it makes for an incredibly tense read. Linsey is determined to move on but everything has now changed and although she is fighting for her safety and independence she cannot shake the feeling of being watched and followed.

Sophie, the daughter also has her own part to play in this book and as her own secrets are revealed the book becomes more involved and to be frank I ended up suspecting anybody that wasn't a woman to be a potential suspect in becoming a danger to both Linsey and Sophie. The magical thing about this book is that it lulled me into a false sense of security and then the ending was just super exciting! Although the subject of abuse (domestic/verbal/physical) seems to be cropping up in many books I have read lately, this lady shows how it's really done. There were moments my skin was crawling, and others where I would unconsciously feel a little bit wary. That level of skill to draw a reader in that much is something I absolutely love. I devoured this book and have no doubt this will make it to my top ten list for the coming year. Massively recommended, and I for one will be adding all of her unread books to my 'to-read' list.

I want to start out by saying... I absolutely loved this book. It caught my attention from the very beginning, and I just could not seem to put it down. I would highly recommend this to my friends and family.

This novel is about Lindsay, her daughter Sophie, and her husband/now ex-husband Andrew. Lindsay married Andrew young, and soon thereafter, he became abusive. Sophie, their daughter, was the only motivator to keeping Lindsay in the relationship, but things get so bad, she finally decides to change their lives. The outcome- Andrew ends up in jail.

Flash forward to several years later, when Andrew is released. He tracks down Lindsay and Sophie in their new home, and after a series of strange events occur, Lindsay (and Sophie) start to believe that Andrew is to blame- and that he is back to kill her and take Sophie away from her once and for all. Although Andrew claims he has changed, and that he just wants to get to know his daughter, you just can't be sure of his motivations. Insert plot twist here!

I don't want to ruin the rest for everyone else. Just know that this story is suspenseful, thrilling, and had twists and turns that left me always guessing what would happen next, and who was to blame for all the mysterious events. Just when I thought I had it all figured out... nope!... something new and exciting would happen that would make me change my mind.

This book will immerse you into it's content very rapidly... so don't start reading until you have some time to devote to reading this rapidly!

More than a bit formulaic Never Let You Go details a marriage that should not have been., and a wife never learns any lessons. I have a hard time with books where main characters make bizarre and and ultimately stupid decisions about their lives. If you feel the same way avoid this one.

Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens. Great thriller! This is the first book I have read by this author. I will read more!

First, let me thank the publisher, NetGalley, and of course the author, for providing me a copy of this book for an honest review.

This book kept you in suspense...to the end.

Eleven years ago, Lindsey finally gathered her courage (and her little girl), and left her abusive husband Andrew. Since that night, he has been serving time in prison for drunk driving causing death, and Lindsey has felt relatively safe. She and her daughter Sophie have made a life for themselves. Lindsey has her own small cleaning company, a new boyfriend, and a guy teaching her self-defence. She's feeling good. Sophie, a budding artist, and a typical teenager, has her first real boyfriend, and of course her Mom doesn't like him. Is she just being a protective Mom, or is there something more about Jared that doesn't feel right?

When Andrew is released from prison, everything changes, and Lindsey fears for her life. Sophie, on the other hand, wants to get to know her father, and does so without her Mom's knowledge. When one of her client's houses is broken into and the pet bird is killed, Lindsey is sure it is her ex-husband. That will be the first of many strange events. Andrew denies everything. He loves Lindsey and Sophie, and just wants to protect them. Is this just more manipulation on his part? Will Lindsey and Sophie have to pick up and move yet again? Will Andrew kill his ex-wife this time?

I liked how the author kept us informed by alternating the story-telling between Lindsey and Sophie, as well as the flashbacks to illustrate their backstory. The plot was good, and the twists kept coming. I think Stevens nailed teenage Sophie perfectly. A naive young girl who wants to fit in, and who wants to know her father. I think her actions rang true for the situation. (I really wanted to sit down and have a talk with her about some of her decisions, so they were pretty realistic). And yes, Stevens got Lindsey's reactions to her daughters behaviour accurate as well, although I question whether she would have stayed with Andrew as long as she did. She seems stronger than that.

Overall, this was a really good thriller. Oh, and the fact that this author is a fellow Canadian....just makes it better.

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.

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!