The story goes something like this… Lexie and Annie are sisters, one is a doctor, the other a drug addict. Yet when Annie calls Lexie for help in her pregnant state, Lexie leaves everything to help her. Annie’s baby is born early but undergoes narcotic withdrawal in the ICU, and Annie herself has a court mandated rehab program to attend. Lexie is the one holding the baby and Annie together and managing her own professional and personal life too.

This book was so gut wrenching and it evoked a plethora of feelings that at the end of the read, I was left vulnerable and sad. The author Kelly Rimmer has brought home one single point

Being a sister is the best thing in the world, and loving your sister comes from the soul. There may have been jealousy and fights, but the pure undiluted love that flows for your sister is indescribable. Nothing can break that bond, nobody can break that bond…

Kelly Rimmer made me cry throughout the journey of her book… She is one of the very few authors in this year who did. I wanted Annie to succeed.. I wanted Annie and Lexie to have their crazy sister moments. As the story went on, I wanted everything to be picture perfect. But life rarely is, and Kelly has shown that beautifully in her book.

This is my first book of hers, and it has squeezed my heart of every single emotion. Her words made my heart soar in happiness and cry in sadness. It brought out anger at the injustice, it reminded me of horrors that some people have to face to survive. Every facet of the sisters, every word of the story touched me deep. Some books leave their mark on you and this book certainly did on me…

There may have been a few niggles but I couldn’t see it as I read the book with tears filming my eyes. I just wish Annie’s truth came out a little earlier but that is just me. I crave justice, I want the world to be fair…

Every addict has a story and it might not fit into our perfect little world, it might also be something we would ever want to understand. But sometimes, just sometimes, maybe we should listen to their story to know what makes turn to drugs to find solace.

Kelly Rimmer made me want to run and hold my sister tight in a hug and keep her safe always. She brought me home, she made me become aware of the love I have for my sister. She made me happy and glad I do have a sister to hold and protect and to love forever.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Harlequin Graydon House books(UK&Canada) and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

There is no doubt at all in my mind that Kelly Rimmer is one of the giants of the Women’s Fiction genre, and time and time again her storytelling, characterisation and story lines have taken my breath away. This time in choosing addiction, abuse and family dynamics as her main themes, she has written a superb, engrossing, dramatic and heartbreaking novel. I was so excited when my copy arrived, because this author never fails to deliver and I knew I was in for a rollercoaster of emotions, thrills and surprises. I started reading straight away and was totally absorbed from the first to the last page.
Sisters Lexie and Annie Vidler have always been as close as two peas in a pod, although they are very different in so many ways. Their dysfunctional family life was assured when their mother joined a closed and highly disciplined sect. It was here that their bond strengthened, but one sister rose above her troubles and another became bowed by them. Her life was ruined forever, whilst the other sister thrived and grew up to serve her community.
Now, years later and having lived independently but chaotically, Annie falls pregnant and with no support at all, her condition soon worsens. She knows that when she phones her older sister, Lexie will come through for her even though they have been estranged for ages, due to Annie’s addiction. Her baby is on the way and she does not know what to do. If she goes to hospital she will lose her child as soon as it is born, but if she does not get help her baby will surely die. Annie is determined to be there like no other mother. She already loves her child. Lexie is a doctor, so Annie makes the all important call. She is right; Lexie would do anything to save Annie’s life and once again comes to her rescue, supported by her fiancée, also a leading surgeon. They rush her to his hospital and Annie gives birth to a very small and sick daughter whose very life is at risk, but Annie is also very ill indeed and is forced to get clean if she wants to raise her baby. She cannot care for her baby by law until she has undergone counselling and is moved to a rehabilitation unit. This is the heartrending story of her fight for survival and Lexie is soon faced by the dilemma; her sister needs her to be there for her, but so does her niece, a helpless infant with no mother to take care of her. Her choices are not lightly taken but they play hard on her conscience.
'Before I Let You Go' is a powerful novel of actions and consequences and sisterly love and support. It is meticulously researched, which makes it even more frustrating and sad. It tackled such controversial and contentious issues that it almost broke my heart because some of the actions and decisions seemed so unfair. But the law is the law. It may need fixing, but there is no choice but to obey its dictates. It is black and white with no room for ‘grey’ in between.
I would like to thank NetGalley and publisher Harlequin for my copy, sent to me in return for an honest review. I loved reading this novel and will certainly be recommending it as an excellent and unmissable read.