If I Let You Go: The Heartbreaking, Shocking Richard and Judy Book Club Pick

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Then she becomes involved in a train crash, and is feted for saving the life of another little girl. I really wanted to like this book because I read If I Can't Have You and absolutely loved it, it was one of the best books I've read. This book had a slow paced thriller style to it which I really enjoyed and kept me on the edge of my seat at times.

This is the story of Janet Brown, a woman weighed down by guilt and grief, whose small world revolves around her cleaning job, her elderly father in his care home, and controlling husband Colin. Yes, I did root for Janet of course - everything about the story is unashamedly contriving to achieve this. Thrust into the public eye and seen as a heroine, Janet slowly starts to regain memories of that night and it’s not quite what everyone is led to believe. I actually at times was very panic stricken for her , I was on the edge of my seat racing to finish this .As news spreads of Janet's actions, her story inspires everyone around her, and for the first time her life has purpose and the future is filled with hope.

I love Charlotte Levins writing as she draws you in to the story and she's definitely made a fan out of me. The background characters are just as well written, with Colin making my skin crawl every time he was on the page. However, the guilt she still carries about a devastating loss that happened eleven years ago, cannot be erased so easily.I absolutely adored Charlotte’s debut novel If I Can’t Have You (see my full review here) so I was really excited to read her second standalone book If I Let You Go which is out now. If I Let You Go is as scrumptious as it gets: lusciously lyrical prose wrapped around an irresistible protagonist, amid alternating layers of intrigue and humor. I honestly cannot describe how many times i wished I could jump into this book and talk to Janet, or to kick certain people right in the short and curlys!

Janet was both the hero and villain in her own story - she was flawed, troubled and damaged, she made terrible choices but underneath it al was a kind hearted woman who just wanted to feel love and safety in a world that had none of those things. The most wonderful characterisation in Janet - such a flawed, tormented, soulful creature that I could not help but root for.

With each of her books, I read with an overwhelming feeling of dread and discomfort and this is exactly how I like to feel when reading psychological thrillers. Janet finds herself caught up in a situation and can’t remember anything , then when she remembers , she is stuck in a lie , now I couldn’t find it within myself to dislike her for it .