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A Modern Fairytale #2
Never Let You Go
From New York Times bestselling author Katy Regnery, comes a tale of regret, betrayal, kidnapping, loss, madness, abuse, passion, love.
In this modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel, thirteen-year-old foster children Griselda and Holden escape from their abductor after three years of brutal captivity, and try to cross the Shenandoah River on foot. Tragically, one of them makes it to safety, but the other is left behind.
Ten years later, Griselda's boyfriend drags her to a fight club grudge match, and her world is turned upside down when she watches Holden step into the ring.
Though the connection between them is fierce, bitter regret, simmering rage, and a tangle of physical and emotional scars lie between them, just as dangerous as the white water of the Shenandoah.
Never Let You Go is a story of fear and hope, defeat and survival, and two people--once profoundly broken--who discover that love is the only thing that can make them whole again.
**Due to profanity, scenes of physical abuse and very strong sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18. (Note: Children are not sexually abused in this book.)**
All novels in the ~a modern fairytale~ collection are written as fundraisers.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Never Let You Go is part of the ~a modern fairytale~ collection, which includes six standalone, completely unrelated novels inspired by beloved fairy tales.
Librarian Note: Alternate Cover Edition for ASIN: B00YOI1EW2.
In this modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel, thirteen-year-old foster children Griselda and Holden escape from their abductor after three years of brutal captivity, and try to cross the Shenandoah River on foot. Tragically, one of them makes it to safety, but the other is left behind.
Ten years later, Griselda's boyfriend drags her to a fight club grudge match, and her world is turned upside down when she watches Holden step into the ring.
Though the connection between them is fierce, bitter regret, simmering rage, and a tangle of physical and emotional scars lie between them, just as dangerous as the white water of the Shenandoah.
Never Let You Go is a story of fear and hope, defeat and survival, and two people--once profoundly broken--who discover that love is the only thing that can make them whole again.
**Due to profanity, scenes of physical abuse and very strong sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18. (Note: Children are not sexually abused in this book.)**
All novels in the ~a modern fairytale~ collection are written as fundraisers.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Never Let You Go is part of the ~a modern fairytale~ collection, which includes six standalone, completely unrelated novels inspired by beloved fairy tales.
Librarian Note: Alternate Cover Edition for ASIN: B00YOI1EW2.
498 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 2, 2015
796 people are currently reading
6276 people want to read
About the author
Katy Regnery
110 books4,262 followersNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Regnery has a heart for smart romance featuring strong women and decent men. Almost exclusively self-published, Katy claims authorship of over 60 titles, including three RITA® finalists. Translated into French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Turkish, Katy has sold over 1.8 million books worldwide.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,042 reviews
June 15, 2015
::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED ::: 4.5 stars :::
HOLY HELL!!! I read this book in one non-stop sitting because I quite literally could NOT put it down. I mean seriously… THE ANGST!!!!! Gah. *clutches heart* It took a while for my heart rate to go back to normal after I was finished, but WOW — this book was unputdownable !!! It felt like I barely blinked or stopped to breathe because I was flipping the pages so fast! It was sweet and romantic, heart-breaking and painful, angsty as all freaking hell, and really just a gorgeous story of undying love!! I loved it!
I’ll be honest, from the moment I saw the blurb, I knew I had to read this book…
See??? I mean, woah!!!
Two things to clarify quickly: First, there is no sexual abuse of children in this book. Second, just because a lot of people have asked me given that it’s based on Hansel & Gretel, but Griselda and Holden are not related. They’re unrelated children placed in the same foster home together, that’s all.
I really connect strongly with stories about the kind of love that doesn’t let go. What Holden and Griselda felt for each other was just so heart-breakingly beautiful. That love is put to the test over and over again, but it made me so happy to see that they made even the most impossible sounding situation work.
The first 60% of the book is more about setting their story up, them finding each other again, and reconnecting after a decade apart. The story was told in a mixture of both past and present day chapters from both Holden and Griselda’s POVs. We see everything — their history in foster care together, their abduction, their reunion and their future. I have to say, I really felt the anticipation build towards their reunion. I just could not wait for them to find each other again!
So many feels! Ten years of separation. He thought she was dead. She had no idea where to look for him, and lacked the resources to seriously try. So much lost time, and yet from the moment they were back in each other’s lives, it was clear that they belonged together.
You should know that there is no cheating in this book at all, but during their 10 year separation, they were both with other people. Griselda had willingly entered a loveless relationship with a total jerk — her rationale was that if she’d been forced to leave Holden behind with that monster, she didn’t deserve to have happiness unless she found him again. Holden on the other hand had actually been told that she’d been killed. Faced with a life without the girl he loved, he slept with any woman he could trying to fill the void of loneliness with meaningless hookups and temporary relationships. But once they reconnected, they both wanted to do everything in their power to stay together.
Now, the last 40% of the book was rough for me. It has huge bucket-loads of A-N-G-S-T beginning with a huuuuuuuge reveal that changed their lives. Truthfully, it was borderline too much angst for me. Seriously, I have that feeling in the pit of my stomach like I’m sitting at the top of a roller coaster abut to go over the highest peak just thinking about it. And, I’m going to be completely honest here. I actually had to stop reading here and go find spoilers to reassure myself that I’d be ok with everything that happened.
I’ve debated whether I should write a spoiler section for this book or not. On one hand, having finished the book, I’m all like “Ohhhhh you guys’ll be fine! Just read it!”…. and also, I don’t want to give the whole plot away. On the other hand, I know that for me personally, this was the kind of situation where I needed spoilers to reassure myself… so, just in case some of you are like that too, I’m going to include them.
Note: I would not recommend reading the spoiler unless you’re like me and just needtofuckingknow. If you don’t desperately need that then just trust that everything works out (no cheating and no death). Maybe even try reading without spoilers and only check back if you really feel the need? Up to you.
Trust me though, Griselda and Holden are completely, utterly and beautifully devoted to each other.
The story is filled with twists and turns and even though I was initially worried about how things would work out, I have to say that Griselda and Holden handled the situation so well. Everything they went through, things that could so easily have torn them apart, in the end just brought them closer together.
If you love unputdownable stories with the kind of romance that is sweet and heartfelt, and the kind of love that you know will last forever, but also are searching for the kind of intense, heart-stopping angst that’ll put you through the ringer, then you’ll love this book!
This is a complete standalone. It’s part of a series of standalones that are not connected to each other. Each book is based on a different fairy tale. You can read them in any order that you wish.
I loved this one and highly recommend it!
Rating: 4.5 stars! Standalone contemporary romance.
_______________________________________
For more of my reviews, book news and updates:
✦ Main blog: Aestas Book Blog
✦ Facebook Blog Page
✦ Twitter
✦ Subscribe by email
HOLY HELL!!! I read this book in one non-stop sitting because I quite literally could NOT put it down. I mean seriously… THE ANGST!!!!! Gah. *clutches heart* It took a while for my heart rate to go back to normal after I was finished, but WOW — this book was unputdownable !!! It felt like I barely blinked or stopped to breathe because I was flipping the pages so fast! It was sweet and romantic, heart-breaking and painful, angsty as all freaking hell, and really just a gorgeous story of undying love!! I loved it!
I’ll be honest, from the moment I saw the blurb, I knew I had to read this book…
“Once upon a sweet and terrible time, she’d loved him, and he’d loved her in return.”
In this modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel, thirteen-year-old foster children Griselda and Holden escape from their abductor after three years of brutal captivity, and try to cross the Shenandoah River on foot. Tragically, one of them makes it to safety, but the other is left behind.
Ten years later, Griselda’s boyfriend drags her to a fight club grudge match, and her world is turned upside down when she watches Holden step into the ring.
Though the connection between them is fierce, bitter regret, simmering rage, and a tangle of physical and emotional scars lie between them, just as dangerous as the white water of the Shenandoah.
Never Let You Go is a story of fear and hope, defeat and survival, and two people–once profoundly broken–who discover that love is the only thing that can make them whole again.
See??? I mean, woah!!!
Two things to clarify quickly: First, there is no sexual abuse of children in this book. Second, just because a lot of people have asked me given that it’s based on Hansel & Gretel, but Griselda and Holden are not related. They’re unrelated children placed in the same foster home together, that’s all.
I really connect strongly with stories about the kind of love that doesn’t let go. What Holden and Griselda felt for each other was just so heart-breakingly beautiful. That love is put to the test over and over again, but it made me so happy to see that they made even the most impossible sounding situation work.
The first 60% of the book is more about setting their story up, them finding each other again, and reconnecting after a decade apart. The story was told in a mixture of both past and present day chapters from both Holden and Griselda’s POVs. We see everything — their history in foster care together, their abduction, their reunion and their future. I have to say, I really felt the anticipation build towards their reunion. I just could not wait for them to find each other again!
“Everything fucking hurts,” he admitted, wincing. When he looked at her face, though, it was impossible not to grin. “Except my heart.” He paused, spellbound by the sight of her so close. “But even my heart hurts a little.”
His eyes dropped to her lips, and he watched as they tilted up a little. “Why’s that?”
“Because I missed all of this. I missed ten years of… you.”
So many feels! Ten years of separation. He thought she was dead. She had no idea where to look for him, and lacked the resources to seriously try. So much lost time, and yet from the moment they were back in each other’s lives, it was clear that they belonged together.
“We’ve always been together,” he whispered reverently, reaching for her… “Even when we were apart, we were still together. Even when I thought you were gone, you still lived inside my heart.”
You should know that there is no cheating in this book at all, but during their 10 year separation, they were both with other people. Griselda had willingly entered a loveless relationship with a total jerk — her rationale was that if she’d been forced to leave Holden behind with that monster, she didn’t deserve to have happiness unless she found him again. Holden on the other hand had actually been told that she’d been killed. Faced with a life without the girl he loved, he slept with any woman he could trying to fill the void of loneliness with meaningless hookups and temporary relationships. But once they reconnected, they both wanted to do everything in their power to stay together.
“You don’t want me to fight? I won’t fight. You want me to break up with Gemma? She’s gone. You want me to quit my shit job, give up my apartment in Charles Town, and move to Maryland? Done. You want to go to college? I’ll make it happen.
I’ve been half dead for ten years, Gris, but when you walked back into my life, I came alive again. You make me want to live. You make me want to be a better man.”
Now, the last 40% of the book was rough for me. It has huge bucket-loads of A-N-G-S-T beginning with a huuuuuuuge reveal that changed their lives. Truthfully, it was borderline too much angst for me. Seriously, I have that feeling in the pit of my stomach like I’m sitting at the top of a roller coaster abut to go over the highest peak just thinking about it. And, I’m going to be completely honest here. I actually had to stop reading here and go find spoilers to reassure myself that I’d be ok with everything that happened.
I’ve debated whether I should write a spoiler section for this book or not. On one hand, having finished the book, I’m all like “Ohhhhh you guys’ll be fine! Just read it!”…. and also, I don’t want to give the whole plot away. On the other hand, I know that for me personally, this was the kind of situation where I needed spoilers to reassure myself… so, just in case some of you are like that too, I’m going to include them.
Note: I would not recommend reading the spoiler unless you’re like me and just needtofuckingknow. If you don’t desperately need that then just trust that everything works out (no cheating and no death). Maybe even try reading without spoilers and only check back if you really feel the need? Up to you.
Trust me though, Griselda and Holden are completely, utterly and beautifully devoted to each other.
“My body is marked with you. My arms. My chest. My eyes. My head. My heart… I can’t erase you… Can’t you see? There is only you for me.”
The story is filled with twists and turns and even though I was initially worried about how things would work out, I have to say that Griselda and Holden handled the situation so well. Everything they went through, things that could so easily have torn them apart, in the end just brought them closer together.
If you love unputdownable stories with the kind of romance that is sweet and heartfelt, and the kind of love that you know will last forever, but also are searching for the kind of intense, heart-stopping angst that’ll put you through the ringer, then you’ll love this book!
This is a complete standalone. It’s part of a series of standalones that are not connected to each other. Each book is based on a different fairy tale. You can read them in any order that you wish.
I loved this one and highly recommend it!
“I missed you like crazy.
I love you forever.”
Rating: 4.5 stars! Standalone contemporary romance.
_______________________________________
For more of my reviews, book news and updates:
✦ Main blog: Aestas Book Blog
✦ Facebook Blog Page
✦ Subscribe by email
June 8, 2020
hansel and gretel is not a story i would consider myself a fan of, but oh my goodness, this loose reimagining feels like it was made for me.
the quickest way to get me to root for two characters is to have them know each other as children. better yet, have them overcome a certain obstacle as children, only to be separated and then reunited later in life. i fell in love with this kind of story in ‘the problem with forever’ and ‘swear on this life’ and now this one.
yes, the obstacle these two children overcome is very unsettling as they were kidnapped and abused, so i know many readers will have a difficult time reading it. but wow. the love and care and protection that grew between H and G is so heartwarming. and its so rewarding to see them meet again and relearn each other as adults.
generally im not one for retellings but, if they are all emotionally compelling like this, then i may finally become converted and continue this series.
↠ 5 stars
the quickest way to get me to root for two characters is to have them know each other as children. better yet, have them overcome a certain obstacle as children, only to be separated and then reunited later in life. i fell in love with this kind of story in ‘the problem with forever’ and ‘swear on this life’ and now this one.
yes, the obstacle these two children overcome is very unsettling as they were kidnapped and abused, so i know many readers will have a difficult time reading it. but wow. the love and care and protection that grew between H and G is so heartwarming. and its so rewarding to see them meet again and relearn each other as adults.
generally im not one for retellings but, if they are all emotionally compelling like this, then i may finally become converted and continue this series.
↠ 5 stars
June 9, 2015
*****FOUR
"You Make Me Whole"
STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author in Exchange for an Honest Review}
He paused at the precipice for only a moment before stepping forward into forever, letting go, opening his heart and releasing his body as her name passed his lips and he surrendered to the inevitability that was his deep and eternal love for Griselda.
"Never let you Go" , is a modern day twist on the children's fairy tale, "Hansel and Gretel". The story centers around the lives of Holden and Griselda. They meet at the age of ten, when they are placed in the same foster home. There is an instant connection between the two. In their short life times, they've suffered great loss and have known very little joy, but they both seem to find a sense of peace when they are near each other. On one fateful day while out on a picnic with their foster parents, the two end up being abducted by a mad man.
This man had a younger brother and sister, who he ended up murdering because he catches them during an incestuous act. When he sees young Holden and Griselda walking along down a dirt road, his delusional mind convinces him that they are his long lost siblings. Holden and Griselda will be held in captivity by this lunatic for several years where he continuously terrorizes and beats them. Then one day the two plan their escape but end up getting separated. Griselda manages to get away but Holden is caught by their captor and is told that Griselda has been killed.
Fast forward to ten years later. Griselda lives near DC with a disgusting piece of shit boyfriend. Not a day goes by that she doesn't think of her Holden and she always has had a plan to hire a Private Investigator to try and find him. She works as a nanny and puts as much money as she can aside towards her fund to locate Holden. She doesn't love her boyfriend, but she stays with this abusive man because she feels that is what she deserves since she left Holden behind all those years ago when they both attempted to escape.
Holden is still living in the area where they were held captive. He works in a glass factory and makes money on the side by fighting in illegal fight club style matches. He's never been in love with any woman because in his heart the only one for him was Griselda. No woman could measure up to her in his eyes.
The two will cross paths when Griselda is dragged to one of Holden's fights. Even though ten years have passed, Holden recognizes Griselda immediately. This is when I started to fully enjoy the story. I do recognize the fact that we needed to get the details surrounding their years of captivity and their years spent apart afterward until present day, but the story just didn't come alive until Gris and Holden were reunited years later.
Once they admit their true feelings and give in to the passion between them, the steam factor was incredible. I just hated that these two never seemed to be able to catch a break. Something always got in their way. But through it all, Holden always made it clear that Griselda was his heart, and that there was nothing that was going to prevent him from being with her. So Holden pretty much had me swooning throughout the story and his stammer just ended up endearing him that much more to me.
This was my first book by Ms Regnery and I honestly can say, I loved her writing style and I will definitely be picking up her other books!
{ARC Generously Provided by Author in Exchange for an Honest Review}
He paused at the precipice for only a moment before stepping forward into forever, letting go, opening his heart and releasing his body as her name passed his lips and he surrendered to the inevitability that was his deep and eternal love for Griselda.
"Never let you Go" , is a modern day twist on the children's fairy tale, "Hansel and Gretel". The story centers around the lives of Holden and Griselda. They meet at the age of ten, when they are placed in the same foster home. There is an instant connection between the two. In their short life times, they've suffered great loss and have known very little joy, but they both seem to find a sense of peace when they are near each other. On one fateful day while out on a picnic with their foster parents, the two end up being abducted by a mad man.
This man had a younger brother and sister, who he ended up murdering because he catches them during an incestuous act. When he sees young Holden and Griselda walking along down a dirt road, his delusional mind convinces him that they are his long lost siblings. Holden and Griselda will be held in captivity by this lunatic for several years where he continuously terrorizes and beats them. Then one day the two plan their escape but end up getting separated. Griselda manages to get away but Holden is caught by their captor and is told that Griselda has been killed.
Fast forward to ten years later. Griselda lives near DC with a disgusting piece of shit boyfriend. Not a day goes by that she doesn't think of her Holden and she always has had a plan to hire a Private Investigator to try and find him. She works as a nanny and puts as much money as she can aside towards her fund to locate Holden. She doesn't love her boyfriend, but she stays with this abusive man because she feels that is what she deserves since she left Holden behind all those years ago when they both attempted to escape.
Holden is still living in the area where they were held captive. He works in a glass factory and makes money on the side by fighting in illegal fight club style matches. He's never been in love with any woman because in his heart the only one for him was Griselda. No woman could measure up to her in his eyes.
The two will cross paths when Griselda is dragged to one of Holden's fights. Even though ten years have passed, Holden recognizes Griselda immediately. This is when I started to fully enjoy the story. I do recognize the fact that we needed to get the details surrounding their years of captivity and their years spent apart afterward until present day, but the story just didn't come alive until Gris and Holden were reunited years later.
Once they admit their true feelings and give in to the passion between them, the steam factor was incredible. I just hated that these two never seemed to be able to catch a break. Something always got in their way. But through it all, Holden always made it clear that Griselda was his heart, and that there was nothing that was going to prevent him from being with her. So Holden pretty much had me swooning throughout the story and his stammer just ended up endearing him that much more to me.
This was my first book by Ms Regnery and I honestly can say, I loved her writing style and I will definitely be picking up her other books!
June 7, 2015
For June and July 2015, 25% of all gross royalties will be donated to the Elizabeth Smart Foundation.
4.5 “Stone to stone. I jump, you jump.” STARS
As a child I loved fairy tales. Actually, I still do. Make believe and escaping into a world of good and evil, a boy and a girl, hoping that ultimately, the light will drown the darkness. That’s why I thoroughly adore this series. Katy Regnery has this way of keeping the essence of that fairy tale while credibly bringing it into our world today with the realities and harshness of the darkness and evil that exist.
"-the marriage of the past and present, the walk on a country road,
fairy tales told on a crowded cot, her eyes in the sunshine,
her parted lips,
stubborn heart, gentle soul."
This was a beautifully moving and emotional tale that truly had my stomach filled with butterflies, my fists clenched in dread or anger, the flutter of delight and passion in my heart and tears rolling down my cheeks!
This modern day version of Hansel and Gretel is about two foster children, Griselda Schroeder and Holden Croft who are abducted and held captive for three years.
Their story is told both in the past and present with the dual POV of Gris and Holden. As children, Gris and Holden..."She's the bright sun and he's the quiet end of the day." but through captivity, enduring cruelty, abuse and starvation, they're only able to hang onto a shred of themselves because of the other. Then one fateful day, they attempt to escape.
But only one of them manages to get away...in a way, both Gris and Holden died that day by the river...
“Don’t look back, no matter what. Stone to Stone. I jump, you jump.”
“Hot tears blurred her vision as she stared out at the water – the same water that had separated them, ripped them apart, split them into something partial, something incomplete, something that would never be whole and would always be broken.”
Ten years later their paths cross. Now as adults, Gris is living a life of penance for leaving the one and only person who ever loved her behind.
And Holden is gone and reincarnated, filled with “…god-awful fury that turned hatred into fuel.” and only able to release his rage, grief and loss with his fists.
“Strange contradiction of Griselda’s life was that the darkest times were also some of the best and the brightest because Holden had inhabited those dark moments with her. Like a match light in the blackness, like hope in the midst of deep, desperate despair, he had been her only joy, and her prevailing source of comfort, strength, and spirit.”
For both of them, their time apart was lifeless, meaningless and heartbreaking.
“There is some pain in your life that, when you experience it, you’re shocked to the core that it doesn’t kill you. It feels like it should kill you, like you heart should stop beating and your lungs should stop breathing and your eyes should stop seeing. Everything should just…stop. With pain that profound and regret that unfathomable, it should be impossible for your body to stay alive.”
When Gris and Holden reunite. It's bittersweet because obstacles still stand in their way. Both are scared that they've been so damaged that they have no clue how to love, encourage it and keep it. These two are beautifully complex and superbly developed characters in that you experience their growth and transformation as the grapple with their fierce love for each other...
their combustible chemistry and connection when they're in the same space...
and who they are together but most importantly, who they are as individuals. I just adored these characters and their love, tenderness and unbreakable bond despite all adversity.
Ms. Regnery magnificently captures a wide range of vivid emotions. The awe, wonder and hope of it all as well as the visceral fear, sadness and frustration at the wrongness of it all. My only comment is that perhaps some parts could have been shortened but nevertheless, it didn't take away from my enjoyment!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a timeless, fierce and formidable love that survives all!
For more reviews and blog posts.
4.5 “Stone to stone. I jump, you jump.” STARS
As a child I loved fairy tales. Actually, I still do. Make believe and escaping into a world of good and evil, a boy and a girl, hoping that ultimately, the light will drown the darkness. That’s why I thoroughly adore this series. Katy Regnery has this way of keeping the essence of that fairy tale while credibly bringing it into our world today with the realities and harshness of the darkness and evil that exist.
"-the marriage of the past and present, the walk on a country road,
fairy tales told on a crowded cot, her eyes in the sunshine,
her parted lips,
stubborn heart, gentle soul."
This was a beautifully moving and emotional tale that truly had my stomach filled with butterflies, my fists clenched in dread or anger, the flutter of delight and passion in my heart and tears rolling down my cheeks!
This modern day version of Hansel and Gretel is about two foster children, Griselda Schroeder and Holden Croft who are abducted and held captive for three years.
Their story is told both in the past and present with the dual POV of Gris and Holden. As children, Gris and Holden..."She's the bright sun and he's the quiet end of the day." but through captivity, enduring cruelty, abuse and starvation, they're only able to hang onto a shred of themselves because of the other. Then one fateful day, they attempt to escape.
But only one of them manages to get away...in a way, both Gris and Holden died that day by the river...
“Don’t look back, no matter what. Stone to Stone. I jump, you jump.”
“Hot tears blurred her vision as she stared out at the water – the same water that had separated them, ripped them apart, split them into something partial, something incomplete, something that would never be whole and would always be broken.”
Ten years later their paths cross. Now as adults, Gris is living a life of penance for leaving the one and only person who ever loved her behind.
And Holden is gone and reincarnated, filled with “…god-awful fury that turned hatred into fuel.” and only able to release his rage, grief and loss with his fists.
“Strange contradiction of Griselda’s life was that the darkest times were also some of the best and the brightest because Holden had inhabited those dark moments with her. Like a match light in the blackness, like hope in the midst of deep, desperate despair, he had been her only joy, and her prevailing source of comfort, strength, and spirit.”
For both of them, their time apart was lifeless, meaningless and heartbreaking.
“There is some pain in your life that, when you experience it, you’re shocked to the core that it doesn’t kill you. It feels like it should kill you, like you heart should stop beating and your lungs should stop breathing and your eyes should stop seeing. Everything should just…stop. With pain that profound and regret that unfathomable, it should be impossible for your body to stay alive.”
When Gris and Holden reunite. It's bittersweet because obstacles still stand in their way. Both are scared that they've been so damaged that they have no clue how to love, encourage it and keep it. These two are beautifully complex and superbly developed characters in that you experience their growth and transformation as the grapple with their fierce love for each other...
their combustible chemistry and connection when they're in the same space...
and who they are together but most importantly, who they are as individuals. I just adored these characters and their love, tenderness and unbreakable bond despite all adversity.
Ms. Regnery magnificently captures a wide range of vivid emotions. The awe, wonder and hope of it all as well as the visceral fear, sadness and frustration at the wrongness of it all. My only comment is that perhaps some parts could have been shortened but nevertheless, it didn't take away from my enjoyment!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a timeless, fierce and formidable love that survives all!
For more reviews and blog posts.
June 7, 2015
3 stars!
From the very first moment I heard about this book, I knew it was one I just had to read no matter what – it was the first book in weeks to give me goosebumps just from reading the blurb...
“In this modern retelling of ‘Hansel and Gretel,’ 13-year-old foster children, Holden and Griselda, escape from their abductor after three years of brutal captivity and try to cross the Shenandoah River on foot. Tragically, one of them makes it to safety but the other is left behind. Ten years later, Griselda’s boyfriend drags her to a fight club grudge match where her world is turned upside down when she watches Holden step into the ring...”
It’s an amazing premise that sets the stage for an emotional romance and promises to be dark and edgy too, which I love, and I couldn’t wait to see how everything would play out. Now, I actually finished this book a couple of days ago and because of certain things that had happened in the story I told myself to wait a while before writing a review, just to see if my initial thoughts right after I finished would still be the same as time passed (they are by the way). While this story overall was beautiful and inspiring and certainly hit hard on the feels at particular parts, I had MAJOR issues with the second half of the book.
It’s impossible for me to explain my reasons for disliking the last 50% so much without giving away some spoilers, so that part will contain spoilers (will be marked).
“Stone to stone. I jump, you jump.”
The book begins with a suspenseful, catchy prologue that immediately had my attention. 13 year old Griselda and Holden have the rare opportunity to escape from their demented captor and they take it. From the blurb it’s obvious that one will make it and one won’t, and the prologue tragically lays that out as well. Fast forward ten years where a grown up Griselda is dating an absolute bastard and a grown up Holden is fighting in a ring. It left my heart in pain for these poor characters, but I also had SO many questions (the who, why, & what) and practically sped through these pages to find answers.
The first half of the book I thoroughly enjoyed. I wasn’t (and still am not) a fan of Griselda simply because I don’t agree with any of her choices (like choosing to stay with an abusive boyfriend as that’s her penance for leaving behind Holden). To me she was a frustrating heroine but because of her circumstances I understood why she was the way she was. This part of the book is all in her POV, and the tone of the story is just sad and so melancholy. It hurt to read that even though she’s free of her captor all these years, mentally and emotionally she’s still chained to her past, which is why I couldn’t wait for that moment when she finally sees Holden again – quite a coincidence – at a fighting ring. Literally, all hell breaks loose.
“There was no rule book for how you were supposed to behave when you found the foster brother with whom you were kidnapped thirteen years ago, with whom you lived in filth and terror for three years, whom you’d lost but had loved and longed for every day since.”
When Holden and Griselda see each other again, instant soulmate bonding happens, and I was really convinced that they belonged together, despite Griselda having a boyfriend and Holden screwing tons of other women heartlessly. The story switches to Holden’s POV and I thought Griselda’s POV was depressing and sad, but Holden’s is ten times worse. His stammer, his naturally shy and reserved personality, and his loneliness for the past decade all tugged hard at my heartstrings and whenever the author would throw in one of the flashbacks to when Griselda and Holden were kids in captivity I just wanted to jump into the story and give them both a huge bear hug.
So for this first half of the book – solid 4 stars (maybe even 4.5 for the parts that were emotionally intense)! Sadly, everything that happened after this halfway mark I had problems with and just thinking about it is making my blood pressure rise.
HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!
If you’ve read my spoilers you can probably tell how frustrated I got (still am!). If not, well, now you know whatever was in the spoiler section had me shaking with anger. For this second half of the book I’d straight out give it 1 star and the reason for that is had the drama in this section been warranted and properly justified I would’ve accepted it easily but that’s not how I felt. I think everyone who reads this book will definitely think that the first 50% and the last 50% of the book have totally different feels, and to me it was just too different I couldn’t reconcile the two as part of the same story. Maybe if the author split the story into two books it would’ve given me time to adjust and get used to the direction the story took? Or maybe if she cut out some of the extra details from the first half and focused more on the rushed second half I could’ve been more accepting of that part? I don’t know.
For the final rating I just averaged the 4-4.5 rating from part 1 and 1 star from part 2 and rounded to 3 stars. It’s still a story I’d contingently recommend only to those who are craving loads of drama and character stupidity. The concept of the book is fantastic but because I personally don’t agree with the author’s direction of the story in the second half of the book I was somewhat let down. Maybe it’ll work more for you! :)
Never Let You Go is a NA romance standalone inspired by the fairytale ‘Hansel and Gretel.’
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
From the very first moment I heard about this book, I knew it was one I just had to read no matter what – it was the first book in weeks to give me goosebumps just from reading the blurb...
“In this modern retelling of ‘Hansel and Gretel,’ 13-year-old foster children, Holden and Griselda, escape from their abductor after three years of brutal captivity and try to cross the Shenandoah River on foot. Tragically, one of them makes it to safety but the other is left behind. Ten years later, Griselda’s boyfriend drags her to a fight club grudge match where her world is turned upside down when she watches Holden step into the ring...”
It’s an amazing premise that sets the stage for an emotional romance and promises to be dark and edgy too, which I love, and I couldn’t wait to see how everything would play out. Now, I actually finished this book a couple of days ago and because of certain things that had happened in the story I told myself to wait a while before writing a review, just to see if my initial thoughts right after I finished would still be the same as time passed (they are by the way). While this story overall was beautiful and inspiring and certainly hit hard on the feels at particular parts, I had MAJOR issues with the second half of the book.
It’s impossible for me to explain my reasons for disliking the last 50% so much without giving away some spoilers, so that part will contain spoilers (will be marked).
“Stone to stone. I jump, you jump.”
The book begins with a suspenseful, catchy prologue that immediately had my attention. 13 year old Griselda and Holden have the rare opportunity to escape from their demented captor and they take it. From the blurb it’s obvious that one will make it and one won’t, and the prologue tragically lays that out as well. Fast forward ten years where a grown up Griselda is dating an absolute bastard and a grown up Holden is fighting in a ring. It left my heart in pain for these poor characters, but I also had SO many questions (the who, why, & what) and practically sped through these pages to find answers.
The first half of the book I thoroughly enjoyed. I wasn’t (and still am not) a fan of Griselda simply because I don’t agree with any of her choices (like choosing to stay with an abusive boyfriend as that’s her penance for leaving behind Holden). To me she was a frustrating heroine but because of her circumstances I understood why she was the way she was. This part of the book is all in her POV, and the tone of the story is just sad and so melancholy. It hurt to read that even though she’s free of her captor all these years, mentally and emotionally she’s still chained to her past, which is why I couldn’t wait for that moment when she finally sees Holden again – quite a coincidence – at a fighting ring. Literally, all hell breaks loose.
“There was no rule book for how you were supposed to behave when you found the foster brother with whom you were kidnapped thirteen years ago, with whom you lived in filth and terror for three years, whom you’d lost but had loved and longed for every day since.”
When Holden and Griselda see each other again, instant soulmate bonding happens, and I was really convinced that they belonged together, despite Griselda having a boyfriend and Holden screwing tons of other women heartlessly. The story switches to Holden’s POV and I thought Griselda’s POV was depressing and sad, but Holden’s is ten times worse. His stammer, his naturally shy and reserved personality, and his loneliness for the past decade all tugged hard at my heartstrings and whenever the author would throw in one of the flashbacks to when Griselda and Holden were kids in captivity I just wanted to jump into the story and give them both a huge bear hug.
So for this first half of the book – solid 4 stars (maybe even 4.5 for the parts that were emotionally intense)! Sadly, everything that happened after this halfway mark I had problems with and just thinking about it is making my blood pressure rise.
HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!
If you’ve read my spoilers you can probably tell how frustrated I got (still am!). If not, well, now you know whatever was in the spoiler section had me shaking with anger. For this second half of the book I’d straight out give it 1 star and the reason for that is had the drama in this section been warranted and properly justified I would’ve accepted it easily but that’s not how I felt. I think everyone who reads this book will definitely think that the first 50% and the last 50% of the book have totally different feels, and to me it was just too different I couldn’t reconcile the two as part of the same story. Maybe if the author split the story into two books it would’ve given me time to adjust and get used to the direction the story took? Or maybe if she cut out some of the extra details from the first half and focused more on the rushed second half I could’ve been more accepting of that part? I don’t know.
For the final rating I just averaged the 4-4.5 rating from part 1 and 1 star from part 2 and rounded to 3 stars. It’s still a story I’d contingently recommend only to those who are craving loads of drama and character stupidity. The concept of the book is fantastic but because I personally don’t agree with the author’s direction of the story in the second half of the book I was somewhat let down. Maybe it’ll work more for you! :)
Never Let You Go is a NA romance standalone inspired by the fairytale ‘Hansel and Gretel.’
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
July 15, 2015
3.5 Stars
When I first saw that blurb I knew that I had to read this book. It sounded angsty, emotional, and oh so beautiful at the same time. And after finishing reading it I can definitely tell you that it was all those things, and more.Never Let You Go was a heart wrenchingly beautiful story about soul mates that get reunited after ten years apart and a tragedy that marked them both. The entire time I was reading I had knots in my stomach. That alone should tell you something.
This is a story inspired by Hansel and Gretel but it's with a brilliant spin. Holden and Griselda first met as foster children and formed a bond that tethered them together for life. When sent on an errand together by their foster mother, they get abducted and live through three years of brutal captivity and mental abuse at the hands of a monster. When they get the opportunity to run, tragically one of them doesn't make it and it irrevocably changes the course of both their lives.
Griselda has never given up on searching for Holden. She's a shell of the person she ones was forced to live with crippling guilt over being free and knowing that Holden was left behind. She punishes herself with relationships that are empty and abusive. She doesn't believe she deserves to be happy. Not until she finds him and knows for sure if he survived or not.
Her current boyfriend is no exception to this. The man is absolutely vile. While I want to say that this should have made Griselda weak or self pitying, it wasn't. Considering her past and what happened, it fits. Having her be any other way just wouldn't fit the story. So if you're expecting some sassy badass heroine, you won't find it here.
Holden has believed Griselda dead all this time. He's not the boy that he once was. His heart died right along with Griselda and all that's left is the shell of man that feels through fucking and fighting. When an underground fight brings these two together again, they're forced to confront the people that they became and try to heal the shattered pieces broken by their shared past.
Both these characters have issues. Their past made sure of it and their present supported it. They may not be perfect, but they were perfect for each other.
If you're looking for a book that will make you feel and make you feel it hard, this is that book. Believe me when I tell you it's one of those stories that will stay with you for quite a while. It was just that powerful and beautifully written.
So why 3.5 stars? I'll explain (and since it's a fairly big spoiler, I'll spoiler tag it just in case). I hate, absolutely loathe, and it doesn't matter how it's written because it never works for me; I'm talking make me want to throw my kindle at the wall or beat my head with it kind of hate. This is an extreme personal bias of mine and I struggled with my rating because of it. While I wanted to rate the book higher simply because it was an amazing story, this particular plot device managed to sour my enjoyment of it quite a bit. So much so, that I found it to be a very big part of the story while I didn't find it necessary to be. I just didn't believe that the story needed it, if that even makes sense. What was the ultimate nail on the coffin for me was the reasoning behind it and how it was resolved. I actually disliked that even more.
I loved the premise of this book and I truly loved the writing. Katy Regnery manages to wrench every single emotion from the reader from heartache, to tears, to lust, and a love so epic it gives you butterflies.
I really wish I could rate it higher but unfortunately my own bias just worked against this book way too much. As much as I tried to look past it, I just couldn't. Do I recommend this book? Absolutely! I really don't think it's a book that should be missed. Is this particular plot issue going to work for others? Sure. Like I said, this is a personal bias of mine and it doesn't matter how great a book is, it will always work against it. But even if you hate it just as I did, you'll still want to read this story. It was that touching. So while I may not have loved every aspect of it, it's certainly not a book I'll be forgetting any time soon.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
For more reviews visit
I missed you like crazy. I'll love you forever."
When I first saw that blurb I knew that I had to read this book. It sounded angsty, emotional, and oh so beautiful at the same time. And after finishing reading it I can definitely tell you that it was all those things, and more.Never Let You Go was a heart wrenchingly beautiful story about soul mates that get reunited after ten years apart and a tragedy that marked them both. The entire time I was reading I had knots in my stomach. That alone should tell you something.
This is a story inspired by Hansel and Gretel but it's with a brilliant spin. Holden and Griselda first met as foster children and formed a bond that tethered them together for life. When sent on an errand together by their foster mother, they get abducted and live through three years of brutal captivity and mental abuse at the hands of a monster. When they get the opportunity to run, tragically one of them doesn't make it and it irrevocably changes the course of both their lives.
Griselda has never given up on searching for Holden. She's a shell of the person she ones was forced to live with crippling guilt over being free and knowing that Holden was left behind. She punishes herself with relationships that are empty and abusive. She doesn't believe she deserves to be happy. Not until she finds him and knows for sure if he survived or not.
Her current boyfriend is no exception to this. The man is absolutely vile. While I want to say that this should have made Griselda weak or self pitying, it wasn't. Considering her past and what happened, it fits. Having her be any other way just wouldn't fit the story. So if you're expecting some sassy badass heroine, you won't find it here.
"I'm b-broken," he finally whispered. "But I think I could be whole again."
Holden has believed Griselda dead all this time. He's not the boy that he once was. His heart died right along with Griselda and all that's left is the shell of man that feels through fucking and fighting. When an underground fight brings these two together again, they're forced to confront the people that they became and try to heal the shattered pieces broken by their shared past.
Both these characters have issues. Their past made sure of it and their present supported it. They may not be perfect, but they were perfect for each other.
If you're looking for a book that will make you feel and make you feel it hard, this is that book. Believe me when I tell you it's one of those stories that will stay with you for quite a while. It was just that powerful and beautifully written.
So why 3.5 stars? I'll explain (and since it's a fairly big spoiler, I'll spoiler tag it just in case). I hate, absolutely loathe, and it doesn't matter how it's written because it never works for me; I'm talking make me want to throw my kindle at the wall or beat my head with it kind of hate. This is an extreme personal bias of mine and I struggled with my rating because of it. While I wanted to rate the book higher simply because it was an amazing story, this particular plot device managed to sour my enjoyment of it quite a bit. So much so, that I found it to be a very big part of the story while I didn't find it necessary to be. I just didn't believe that the story needed it, if that even makes sense. What was the ultimate nail on the coffin for me was the reasoning behind it and how it was resolved. I actually disliked that even more.
I loved the premise of this book and I truly loved the writing. Katy Regnery manages to wrench every single emotion from the reader from heartache, to tears, to lust, and a love so epic it gives you butterflies.
I really wish I could rate it higher but unfortunately my own bias just worked against this book way too much. As much as I tried to look past it, I just couldn't. Do I recommend this book? Absolutely! I really don't think it's a book that should be missed. Is this particular plot issue going to work for others? Sure. Like I said, this is a personal bias of mine and it doesn't matter how great a book is, it will always work against it. But even if you hate it just as I did, you'll still want to read this story. It was that touching. So while I may not have loved every aspect of it, it's certainly not a book I'll be forgetting any time soon.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
For more reviews visit
June 19, 2015
FOUR BROKEN STARS.
“Are you whole or broken?”
“I’m whole … I’m whole because I’m with you.”
I fell quickly in love with this author around a year ago when I read, 'The vixen and the vet' book one in the modern day fairy tale series. You may be surprised to hear that it only took one book for me to be convinced at this authors talent, but that's exactly what happened. I was so enthralled by said book that I can still tell you in detail every gorgeous thing about it. If that particular book was my prologue to this author then this story only proves my love for this authors work. When I discovered that there was to be a second standalone book in this series I was excited to jump head first into what I was hoping to be an epic romantic re telling of the Hansel and Gretal fairy tale. And what a journey it was, blown away and enchanted is how I could sum up my overall state of mind by the end of this book.
What did I love?
'Never let you go' took me on a exploration of hope and love and left me with an abundance of feelings that only this talented writer can create. The characters felt so real and close to home that I felt every dream and promise. Talk about epic love, this story is what heartbreaking romances are made of. Every chapter, all the development and gorgeous characters came to life as this author wove her magic throughout the chapters. One of the highlights of this novel was how convinced I was at this couples love for each other, some of the dialogue and story telling grabbed at my heart and certainly made me swoon at their epic tale of love. Nothing makes me more convinced with a book than when it makes me 'feel' and there's no mistaking how tender and thought provoking this book was. As some of you may be aware I read a lot of books in this genre and although for the most part I appreciate comfort and predictably of the romance world this particular book is far from the expected, in fact it had originality and heart stamped all over it. From beginning to end this book was so well thought out and it delivered exactly what I expected from a romance that takes it inspiration from a fairy tale. Tragic, passionate, agonising and exquisitely written my heart is so full of this book and I'm anxiously waiting to see if there will be more from this author to add to this series.
Why not five?
I won't labour on the negative for too long as this is the type of book that quite frankly is unforgettable. But as beautifully written as this story was I had a few niggles with some of the plot that stopped me from giving this novel a full out five star rating. In addition I have to admit that in between the soul searching chapters and obvious deep feeling of this book I found myself at times distracted and wanting the storyline to unravel a little quicker. However, with that being said without a shadow of a doubt this author has so much talent to give to the romance genre and I'm pretty sure this won't be the last time I pick up a Katy Regnery book.
Final thoughts ...
At various points this book challenged my star rating. Overall this story was heartbreaking, compelling and tragically beautiful. But at other times it felt a little laboured and lengthy, but overall when I finished this book and looked back I realised that Katy Regenery was giving the reader those 'meat on the bones' that some books have missing and in those quiet moments and descriptive chapters the author was providing a depth and class to the story telling that quite frankly took my breath away. If you love a story that has the capacity to make you fall helplessly in love whilst simultaneously making you cry then this will be right up your street. I for one can't find myself saying no anytime soon to a book that advertises itself as a modern day fairy tale, What can I say I'm a forever romantic at heart. Enjoy fellow addicts ... Kisses.
*ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.*
“Are you whole or broken?”
“I’m whole … I’m whole because I’m with you.”
I fell quickly in love with this author around a year ago when I read, 'The vixen and the vet' book one in the modern day fairy tale series. You may be surprised to hear that it only took one book for me to be convinced at this authors talent, but that's exactly what happened. I was so enthralled by said book that I can still tell you in detail every gorgeous thing about it. If that particular book was my prologue to this author then this story only proves my love for this authors work. When I discovered that there was to be a second standalone book in this series I was excited to jump head first into what I was hoping to be an epic romantic re telling of the Hansel and Gretal fairy tale. And what a journey it was, blown away and enchanted is how I could sum up my overall state of mind by the end of this book.
What did I love?
'Never let you go' took me on a exploration of hope and love and left me with an abundance of feelings that only this talented writer can create. The characters felt so real and close to home that I felt every dream and promise. Talk about epic love, this story is what heartbreaking romances are made of. Every chapter, all the development and gorgeous characters came to life as this author wove her magic throughout the chapters. One of the highlights of this novel was how convinced I was at this couples love for each other, some of the dialogue and story telling grabbed at my heart and certainly made me swoon at their epic tale of love. Nothing makes me more convinced with a book than when it makes me 'feel' and there's no mistaking how tender and thought provoking this book was. As some of you may be aware I read a lot of books in this genre and although for the most part I appreciate comfort and predictably of the romance world this particular book is far from the expected, in fact it had originality and heart stamped all over it. From beginning to end this book was so well thought out and it delivered exactly what I expected from a romance that takes it inspiration from a fairy tale. Tragic, passionate, agonising and exquisitely written my heart is so full of this book and I'm anxiously waiting to see if there will be more from this author to add to this series.
Why not five?
I won't labour on the negative for too long as this is the type of book that quite frankly is unforgettable. But as beautifully written as this story was I had a few niggles with some of the plot that stopped me from giving this novel a full out five star rating. In addition I have to admit that in between the soul searching chapters and obvious deep feeling of this book I found myself at times distracted and wanting the storyline to unravel a little quicker. However, with that being said without a shadow of a doubt this author has so much talent to give to the romance genre and I'm pretty sure this won't be the last time I pick up a Katy Regnery book.
Final thoughts ...
At various points this book challenged my star rating. Overall this story was heartbreaking, compelling and tragically beautiful. But at other times it felt a little laboured and lengthy, but overall when I finished this book and looked back I realised that Katy Regenery was giving the reader those 'meat on the bones' that some books have missing and in those quiet moments and descriptive chapters the author was providing a depth and class to the story telling that quite frankly took my breath away. If you love a story that has the capacity to make you fall helplessly in love whilst simultaneously making you cry then this will be right up your street. I for one can't find myself saying no anytime soon to a book that advertises itself as a modern day fairy tale, What can I say I'm a forever romantic at heart. Enjoy fellow addicts ... Kisses.
*ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.*
November 22, 2015
Edited 6/14/15: With the author's permission, I've added an excerpt below.
"I missed you like crazy.........."
I don't know when I've read a story with this much poignancy, with this much emotion, with this much passion, hope and beauty. This is a 'second chance romance' like no other. It's a lesson in 'never giving up’ that should be taken to heart. It’s a heartbreaking yet joyous and uplifting tale of unconditional and truly selfless love. And it's the kind of happily ever after that fairytales are made of."..........I love you forever."
Updated to Note: 25% of June and July 2015's gross royalties from Never Let You Go will be given to the Elizabeth Smart Foundation "which aims, among other things, to support the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and to educate children about violent and sexual crime."
Purchase Never Let You Go here:
Amazon (US): http://ow.ly/NLqSs
Apple iBooks: http://ow.ly/NJGqd
Barnes & Noble: http://ow.ly/NJHXx
Kobo: http://ow.ly/NJBuf
Smashwords: http://ow.ly/NJHx5
Excerpt from Never Let You Go
This girl. Everything about this girl made him want, made him long, made him yearn to change his life, start his life, finally live his life after a decade of going through the motions. He wanted to get a better job to take care of her. He wanted to stop fighting because she disapproved of it. He wanted enough money to have every tally mark lasered from his arm. He wanted some sort of guarantee that she’d never, ever leave him again. And he wanted all of it now. Yesterday. Ten years ago, and every day since.
Standing up slowly, he let his body settle into an upright position before taking his time crossing the hall to the bathroom and then heading out into the common room.
She stood at the stove with her back to him, her feet bare, her hair in a ponytail, the mouthwatering smell of fried chicken filling the entire cabin with goodness. Holden leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest, a grin taking over his face as he watched her.
“It’s just the thought of you—the very thought of you, my love,” she sang, using a fork to transfer a golden leg to a paper towel–covered plate.
As she reached forward to turn off the stove, some of the leftover grease in the frying pan spat up at her and burned her wrist.
“Ow!” she yelped. “Damn it!”
With a sudden rush of adrenaline, Holden crossed the kitchen in two strides. He turned on the faucet and grabbed her arm to thrust her wrist under the cold stream. He held it there, wincing at the red blotch developing on her white skin. When he lifted his eyes to hers, she was staring at him with a surprised, curious expression.
“It’s just a little burn.”
He shrugged, still holding her arm, staring down at the burn.
“You were asleep,” she said.
“You were singing.”
“Too loud?”
“No.”
“You remember that song?”
“I remember.”
He slid his palm down her arm to cradle her wrist from below.
“The stove’s still on,” she said.
Without dropping her hand, he took a step closer to her, reached around her waist with his free hand, and flicked the burner off.
“I made fried chicken,” she said softly, her cheeks flushed.
“I can smell it.”
“You like fried chicken. I mean . . . you must have mentioned it to me a hundred times when we were—”
“It’s still my favorite.”
They were both silent for a few seconds, and Holden knew he should drop her hand and step away from her, but he couldn’t. She’d hurt herself doing something kind for him, and it just about shredded his heart.
Just another moment, he told himself. A few more seconds touching her and then I’ll move away.
“Sorry about the singing,” she whispered, unmoving, her breath kissing his throat.
He jerked his neck to face her, his thumb curling into her palm, his eyes searching hers for mercy.
“I loved it,” he murmured.
She stepped forward, closing the distance between them, her lips parting, her breasts grazing his chest through his T-shirt as she stared up at him.
“Holden, I . . .”
Every breath she took seemed to draw him closer to her, as if she was breathing him, not air. He leaned forward, into her, his free hand reaching for hers.
“Griselda . . .”
Her eyes, dark blue and churning, flicked to his lips, lingered there, then slid back up his face and seized his.
His self-control snapped.
After all, he was only human.
An ARC of this story was generously provided by the author.
June 22, 2015
4,5 “You Jump. I Jump. Stars”
Holden and Griselda were two foster kids that for a long time were kidnapped, beaten, abused, living a nightmare every day. When they finally got a plan to escape only one of them can get free and unfortunately the other stays behind.
Now, more than years later a chance encounter in a underground fight brings puts them together again, but at the same time that feelings they always had resurface in full force, so do their ghosts.
Is this a second chance, or sometimes or past is too dark to let love find its way again?
If you know at least a bit of my book tastes, you know by now that I’m a total sucker for second-chance romances, they’re by far my favorites. I’m also a total sucker for modern twists on fairytales, so put both of them together and is guaranteed that I’m going to read it. (So if you have suggestions under these characteristics, you are more than welcome to share.)
Add the amazing writing ability of this author and her talent for story telling… and you have a winner, ladies and gentlemen!!
If you want to read an addictive, amazing and “hook-you-from-the-first-page” romance story, give this book a try. You will not regret.
Rating: 4,5 Stars.
Characters Development: What a couple of strong characters! Both of them were great and I love how realistic their feelings were during their re-encounter. A very well written couple. Some great supportive characters, as well.
Steam: Hot.
Sensible Subjects:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
Holden and Griselda were two foster kids that for a long time were kidnapped, beaten, abused, living a nightmare every day. When they finally got a plan to escape only one of them can get free and unfortunately the other stays behind.
Now, more than years later a chance encounter in a underground fight brings puts them together again, but at the same time that feelings they always had resurface in full force, so do their ghosts.
Is this a second chance, or sometimes or past is too dark to let love find its way again?
If you know at least a bit of my book tastes, you know by now that I’m a total sucker for second-chance romances, they’re by far my favorites. I’m also a total sucker for modern twists on fairytales, so put both of them together and is guaranteed that I’m going to read it. (So if you have suggestions under these characteristics, you are more than welcome to share.)
Add the amazing writing ability of this author and her talent for story telling… and you have a winner, ladies and gentlemen!!
If you want to read an addictive, amazing and “hook-you-from-the-first-page” romance story, give this book a try. You will not regret.
Rating: 4,5 Stars.
Characters Development: What a couple of strong characters! Both of them were great and I love how realistic their feelings were during their re-encounter. A very well written couple. Some great supportive characters, as well.
Steam: Hot.
Sensible Subjects:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
June 7, 2015
4 'Hansel and Gretel' stars
This book is slightly dark and heartbreaking and came with some angst that drove me up the wall. A completely different tone to the previous book The Vixen and the Vet: A Modern Fairytale.
Holden and Griselda are foster siblings who got kidnap by a deranged madman in West Virginia. They were in captivity under his brutality for three years before their attempt at escape with only Griselda successfully flee, while Holden was left behind.
Ten years later, Griselda working as a nanny and remain in an abusive relationship. She still haven't given up hope in search for the boy from her childhood, hope one day they will be reunited again.
During a trip to West Virgina with her boyfriend, Griselda stumble upon an underground fighting ring and it turns out the fighter named 'Seth' is her long lost Holden.
What do you say to the person you loved so deeply as a child? How do you make amends for the lost years and broken promises?
The emotion is running rampant from the moment these two soulmates reunite once again. They have this bond that is iron strong even after a decade. Is like they are dead for years and now their hearts start to beat yet again. Even though they both are in a relationship with other people at the time, nothing can keep them apart ever again.
"Are you whole or broken?"
"I'm whole. I'm whole because I'm with you."
Their love for each other is undeniable. So it frustrated me that they are tip toeing around feeling unsure about the others feeling. Oh my goodness. I was thinking just kiss, have reunion sex and make babies already.
The whole thing with Holden's girlfriend, Gemma really threw me a curveball. I know it is a plot to make some obstacles for Holden and Griselda, but really... it just drove me up the wall. I'm not a big fan of these kind of angst, it just make me plain uneasy and worried that either Holden or Griselda will end up making some bad decisions.
However, despite the whole ex-girlfriend fiasco, I actually like the way Holden handle everything. He showed his maturity, determination and commitment to Griselda and vise versa.
The only thing that make me didn't rate this a 5 stars is because I felt the story drag at a certain points. This is a 456 pages book and I really do felt it was too long. If the author shave off some of the lengthy inner dilemma of the main characters, it would be a much more engaging read.
"I'll hold you while you sleep. I'll change for you. I'll live for you. I'll never let you go."
This book is slightly dark and heartbreaking and came with some angst that drove me up the wall. A completely different tone to the previous book The Vixen and the Vet: A Modern Fairytale.
Holden and Griselda are foster siblings who got kidnap by a deranged madman in West Virginia. They were in captivity under his brutality for three years before their attempt at escape with only Griselda successfully flee, while Holden was left behind.
Ten years later, Griselda working as a nanny and remain in an abusive relationship. She still haven't given up hope in search for the boy from her childhood, hope one day they will be reunited again.
During a trip to West Virgina with her boyfriend, Griselda stumble upon an underground fighting ring and it turns out the fighter named 'Seth' is her long lost Holden.
What do you say to the person you loved so deeply as a child? How do you make amends for the lost years and broken promises?
The emotion is running rampant from the moment these two soulmates reunite once again. They have this bond that is iron strong even after a decade. Is like they are dead for years and now their hearts start to beat yet again. Even though they both are in a relationship with other people at the time, nothing can keep them apart ever again.
"Are you whole or broken?"
"I'm whole. I'm whole because I'm with you."
Their love for each other is undeniable. So it frustrated me that they are tip toeing around feeling unsure about the others feeling. Oh my goodness. I was thinking just kiss, have reunion sex and make babies already.
The whole thing with Holden's girlfriend, Gemma really threw me a curveball. I know it is a plot to make some obstacles for Holden and Griselda, but really... it just drove me up the wall. I'm not a big fan of these kind of angst, it just make me plain uneasy and worried that either Holden or Griselda will end up making some bad decisions.
However, despite the whole ex-girlfriend fiasco, I actually like the way Holden handle everything. He showed his maturity, determination and commitment to Griselda and vise versa.
The only thing that make me didn't rate this a 5 stars is because I felt the story drag at a certain points. This is a 456 pages book and I really do felt it was too long. If the author shave off some of the lengthy inner dilemma of the main characters, it would be a much more engaging read.
"I'll hold you while you sleep. I'll change for you. I'll live for you. I'll never let you go."
June 8, 2015
3.5 STARS! ★★★☆
"Even when we were apart, we were still together. Even when I thought you were gone, you still lived inside my heart."
This is one of those reads that left me feeling a little conflicted on how I should rate it. On one hand, I really did like the story as a whole but on another, there were just some plot devices that I could've done without. This is my first from this author but with a blurb so tempting and the idea of a modern fairytale twist as such, I couldn't pass up the chance to read this.
Never Let You Go is a modern fairytale twist of Hansel & Gretel, the story of two kids; a boy and a girl who got lured and tricked into captivity. In this version, we have Holden & Griselda who were foster kids that got abducted for 3 years and in an attempt to escape, one of them got left behind.
Almost 10 years later with either one thinking that the other is dead, fate reunites these two in the same town that they were abducted. As they find their way back to each other again, this is a story where we find if their love will be strong enough to mend their broken souls and battle against the cruel circumstances that they were left with since the tragic incident.
Honestly I've been sitting on this read for a few days to figure out how exactly I felt about this book. I really liked the first half of the read, it was a huge relief when they reunited quite early on in the read and there is no doubt in your mind that they both belonged to each other. Throughout the read, there were flashbacks that actually let you witness what these two kids went through during their captivity and those scenes definitely tugged at my heartstrings. Especially those moments where you heart breaks over the innocence of these kids as they find comfort in each other during those dark times.
The book really focused on these two coming to terms with finally seeing each other again after all those years and in a way, making up for the lost time since they were apart. I appreciated the author took the time to rebuild slowly their connection instead of jumping at each immediately and allowed us to see how the characters have grown since the tragic incident with the alternating flashbacks.
With all these emotional scenes that would have warranted a solid read for me, I was left rather disappointed when I ventured into the second half of the book instead. When the first plot bomb was dropped, I started to feel wary about the direction this read would take as it fell under one of my pet peeves. Personally, I really could have done without this plot device and thought it was just uncalled for just to stir up unnecessary drama.
I'm spoiler tagging this in case:
With all that above, mostly I was left rather annoyed by how everything was conjured up and not soon after, tied up neatly so quickly in the same amount of time. I felt like it didn't give much purpose to an already amazing story from the start and could have appreciated the read better without that entire chain of events. Perhaps I would have been more accepting of Holden's decision had it not been tied in with the events of the plot bomb.
Overall I still think it was an emotionally charged read for the better part of the story and my mediocre rating is mostly attributed to my personal preference. The story also felt quite draggy at some points and in my opinion, could have been shortened at some parts. If you're a fan of a modern fairytale twist concept and in a mood for something a little heavy, I think you would want to give it a shot :)
Never Let You Go is a NA standalone romance read and based on a modern fairytale concept.
ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
"Even when we were apart, we were still together. Even when I thought you were gone, you still lived inside my heart."
This is one of those reads that left me feeling a little conflicted on how I should rate it. On one hand, I really did like the story as a whole but on another, there were just some plot devices that I could've done without. This is my first from this author but with a blurb so tempting and the idea of a modern fairytale twist as such, I couldn't pass up the chance to read this.
Never Let You Go is a modern fairytale twist of Hansel & Gretel, the story of two kids; a boy and a girl who got lured and tricked into captivity. In this version, we have Holden & Griselda who were foster kids that got abducted for 3 years and in an attempt to escape, one of them got left behind.
Almost 10 years later with either one thinking that the other is dead, fate reunites these two in the same town that they were abducted. As they find their way back to each other again, this is a story where we find if their love will be strong enough to mend their broken souls and battle against the cruel circumstances that they were left with since the tragic incident.
Honestly I've been sitting on this read for a few days to figure out how exactly I felt about this book. I really liked the first half of the read, it was a huge relief when they reunited quite early on in the read and there is no doubt in your mind that they both belonged to each other. Throughout the read, there were flashbacks that actually let you witness what these two kids went through during their captivity and those scenes definitely tugged at my heartstrings. Especially those moments where you heart breaks over the innocence of these kids as they find comfort in each other during those dark times.
“Don’t look back, no matter what. Stone to Stone. I jump, you jump.”
The book really focused on these two coming to terms with finally seeing each other again after all those years and in a way, making up for the lost time since they were apart. I appreciated the author took the time to rebuild slowly their connection instead of jumping at each immediately and allowed us to see how the characters have grown since the tragic incident with the alternating flashbacks.
With all these emotional scenes that would have warranted a solid read for me, I was left rather disappointed when I ventured into the second half of the book instead. When the first plot bomb was dropped, I started to feel wary about the direction this read would take as it fell under one of my pet peeves. Personally, I really could have done without this plot device and thought it was just uncalled for just to stir up unnecessary drama.
I'm spoiler tagging this in case:
With all that above, mostly I was left rather annoyed by how everything was conjured up and not soon after, tied up neatly so quickly in the same amount of time. I felt like it didn't give much purpose to an already amazing story from the start and could have appreciated the read better without that entire chain of events. Perhaps I would have been more accepting of Holden's decision had it not been tied in with the events of the plot bomb.
Overall I still think it was an emotionally charged read for the better part of the story and my mediocre rating is mostly attributed to my personal preference. The story also felt quite draggy at some points and in my opinion, could have been shortened at some parts. If you're a fan of a modern fairytale twist concept and in a mood for something a little heavy, I think you would want to give it a shot :)
Never Let You Go is a NA standalone romance read and based on a modern fairytale concept.
ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
February 8, 2017
This is me when I received my copy of Never Let You Go by Ms. Regnery.
My Review
Griselda and Holden were in the same foster family that was until one day they were abducted at the age of 10. They became each other’s world and tried to escape. One succeeded the other was left behind. 4.5 IMYLCILYF Stars.
„Get up Holden!“ She hissed at him, one dirty hand waving wildly in his face.
“I mean it. Now”
“Stone to stone. I jump, you jump.”
And then there was darkness.
The reasons for the abduction are madness.
10 years later.
Griselda, now just Zelda lives in Maryland and works in Georgetown as a nanny she lives in an abusive relationship with her so called boyfriend Jonah. He is a parasite, crude and acts like a nice guy but has a black heart to match his soul. He actually has the audacity to ask Zelda to steal from her employees. She doesn’t though. Zelda has been saving money to try and get a PI to look for Holden. There isn’t a day that goes by that she regrets leaving him. Being with Jonah is her penance pretty fucked up but I get it. Jonah wants to take her to a cabin near the Shenandoah River.
Holden, now Seth is back in Charles Town near Shenandoah River, working at a glass factory and illegal fighting at night. He has had a tough life after thinking that Gris is dead he is full of anger there will only ever be one girl/woman for him. But obviously needs need to be met and well, Holden has a girlfriend. But one song has always kept him going.
When the rain is blowin' in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love.
They meet and it is like nothing has changed whereas at the same time so much as changed. Gris wants to take the easier route and leave but in the end she stays and they get to know one another again that is until the conniving little bitch Gemma says that she is pregnant. I thought it was going to be a false alarm but that is just wrong what that cow did. No shame or remorse.
So my moral compass can be a bit off at the best of times. I think that is one of those cases. So I don’t like cheating in most cases senseless cheating and this is where my moral compass kicked in or actually didn’t. Is it cheating if you never loved the person you were with? Does it count? Can it be morally accepted? I found it acceptable most of you might not though. There are certain elements of Stockholm syndrome and non-consensual sex but not with the H/h.
The story goes back between the time they were abducted and the in the present. It frustrated me because I’m inpatient. Extremely inpatient. The beginning was excellent and when they finally met the middle dragged just a smidgen and the ending was fantastic. This is grittier and dirtier than her other books and I can understand that it was hard to write compared to her other books. This is a good start and Ms. Regnery has branched out and developed her writing skills.
I’m torn with this book. It is really hard to write a review for this book. Please don’t get me wrong I loved it but this is how I didn’t see it pan out quite the way it did. This is extremely different to what Ms. Regnery has written before. Even ‘The Vixen and the Vet’ wasn’t as gritty, heart wrenching, fucking frustration laced with desperation. There is passion between Gris and Holden. Reformation as they both turn their lives around. Nothing in life is ever black or white there are so many shades of Grey.
Ms. Regnery listed and brought out a lot of emotions in me. There was the regret I felt, the loss, the pity, the betrayal but most of all the love that can bloom in the most unlikely places.
****An ARC Never Let You Go: A Modern Fairytale by Kate Regnery was generously provided to me in exchange for an honest review. Ms Regnery made my day today and asked if I would like to have an ARC. I mean is the Pope Catholic? Thank you
So although I was given an ARC. I'm still going to buy it.
My Review
Griselda and Holden were in the same foster family that was until one day they were abducted at the age of 10. They became each other’s world and tried to escape. One succeeded the other was left behind. 4.5 IMYLCILYF Stars.
„Get up Holden!“ She hissed at him, one dirty hand waving wildly in his face.
“I mean it. Now”
“Stone to stone. I jump, you jump.”
And then there was darkness.
The reasons for the abduction are madness.
10 years later.
Griselda, now just Zelda lives in Maryland and works in Georgetown as a nanny she lives in an abusive relationship with her so called boyfriend Jonah. He is a parasite, crude and acts like a nice guy but has a black heart to match his soul. He actually has the audacity to ask Zelda to steal from her employees. She doesn’t though. Zelda has been saving money to try and get a PI to look for Holden. There isn’t a day that goes by that she regrets leaving him. Being with Jonah is her penance pretty fucked up but I get it. Jonah wants to take her to a cabin near the Shenandoah River.
Holden, now Seth is back in Charles Town near Shenandoah River, working at a glass factory and illegal fighting at night. He has had a tough life after thinking that Gris is dead he is full of anger there will only ever be one girl/woman for him. But obviously needs need to be met and well, Holden has a girlfriend. But one song has always kept him going.
When the rain is blowin' in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love.
They meet and it is like nothing has changed whereas at the same time so much as changed. Gris wants to take the easier route and leave but in the end she stays and they get to know one another again that is until the conniving little bitch Gemma says that she is pregnant. I thought it was going to be a false alarm but that is just wrong what that cow did. No shame or remorse.
So my moral compass can be a bit off at the best of times. I think that is one of those cases. So I don’t like cheating in most cases senseless cheating and this is where my moral compass kicked in or actually didn’t. Is it cheating if you never loved the person you were with? Does it count? Can it be morally accepted? I found it acceptable most of you might not though. There are certain elements of Stockholm syndrome and non-consensual sex but not with the H/h.
The story goes back between the time they were abducted and the in the present. It frustrated me because I’m inpatient. Extremely inpatient. The beginning was excellent and when they finally met the middle dragged just a smidgen and the ending was fantastic. This is grittier and dirtier than her other books and I can understand that it was hard to write compared to her other books. This is a good start and Ms. Regnery has branched out and developed her writing skills.
I’m torn with this book. It is really hard to write a review for this book. Please don’t get me wrong I loved it but this is how I didn’t see it pan out quite the way it did. This is extremely different to what Ms. Regnery has written before. Even ‘The Vixen and the Vet’ wasn’t as gritty, heart wrenching, fucking frustration laced with desperation. There is passion between Gris and Holden. Reformation as they both turn their lives around. Nothing in life is ever black or white there are so many shades of Grey.
Ms. Regnery listed and brought out a lot of emotions in me. There was the regret I felt, the loss, the pity, the betrayal but most of all the love that can bloom in the most unlikely places.
****An ARC Never Let You Go: A Modern Fairytale by Kate Regnery was generously provided to me in exchange for an honest review. Ms Regnery made my day today and asked if I would like to have an ARC. I mean is the Pope Catholic? Thank you
So although I was given an ARC. I'm still going to buy it.
June 15, 2015
4.5 “I’m Finally Home” Stars
Never Let You Go is book that tugs at your heart. It is melancholy, it is happy, it is heartbreaking, it is uplifting, it is about believing, it is about trusting, and it is a book about redemption.
This story is about the kidnapping of two 10 year old foster children. They are not molested, which I think everyone should know that reads the story, but they are beaten and treated awful. But what kept them alive and hopeful was that they had each other. Their story of captivity is not easy to read but it does show how the connection between Holden and Gris (Griselda) come together, a connection that would forever bind them. Three years later, they know that if do not try to escape; their captor may in fact kill them. So they escape and only one makes it to freedom......how do you survive and live, how do you go on without guilt and turmoil and believe that your life should be happy when the other has to remain in Hell? Griselda escapes and Holden is recaptured........10 years later, and after many years of guilt and remorse, Gris and Holden find each other again. This is their story, their past and their present and their attempt at rediscovering and reconnecting.
I will tell you that this is a very emotional read. It is written beautifully. Gris and Holden are not rich and live lives that are hard. My heart broke for the both of them. The guilt that Gris carried for escaping and leaving Holden behind was distressing. The pain and emptiness that Holden felt for being left behind and thinking Gris was gone was heartbreaking. Each of them living life in an empty vacuum, their sadness not allowing them to really live, and their grief preventing them for real happiness. These two were broken but when they found each other they were whole. But their situations would test them. Could they trust each other, could they believe in one another despite real life working against them?
Their story has many ups and downs. You are rooting for them all along the way.It was about BEING WHOLE and not broken. It made my heart happy and it made me cry for joy. Their journey was incredibly inspiring. It is a story that I will always remember. Learning to trust and live again in the wake of utter evilness is what being whole is all about.
This is my second Katy Regnery book. I find her writing to be beautiful, inspiring, emotional and most of all uplifting. I feel honored to have read this book.
ARC gracious given by author in exchange for an honest review.
Never Let You Go is book that tugs at your heart. It is melancholy, it is happy, it is heartbreaking, it is uplifting, it is about believing, it is about trusting, and it is a book about redemption.
This story is about the kidnapping of two 10 year old foster children. They are not molested, which I think everyone should know that reads the story, but they are beaten and treated awful. But what kept them alive and hopeful was that they had each other. Their story of captivity is not easy to read but it does show how the connection between Holden and Gris (Griselda) come together, a connection that would forever bind them. Three years later, they know that if do not try to escape; their captor may in fact kill them. So they escape and only one makes it to freedom......how do you survive and live, how do you go on without guilt and turmoil and believe that your life should be happy when the other has to remain in Hell? Griselda escapes and Holden is recaptured........10 years later, and after many years of guilt and remorse, Gris and Holden find each other again. This is their story, their past and their present and their attempt at rediscovering and reconnecting.
I will tell you that this is a very emotional read. It is written beautifully. Gris and Holden are not rich and live lives that are hard. My heart broke for the both of them. The guilt that Gris carried for escaping and leaving Holden behind was distressing. The pain and emptiness that Holden felt for being left behind and thinking Gris was gone was heartbreaking. Each of them living life in an empty vacuum, their sadness not allowing them to really live, and their grief preventing them for real happiness. These two were broken but when they found each other they were whole. But their situations would test them. Could they trust each other, could they believe in one another despite real life working against them?
Their story has many ups and downs. You are rooting for them all along the way.It was about BEING WHOLE and not broken. It made my heart happy and it made me cry for joy. Their journey was incredibly inspiring. It is a story that I will always remember. Learning to trust and live again in the wake of utter evilness is what being whole is all about.
This is my second Katy Regnery book. I find her writing to be beautiful, inspiring, emotional and most of all uplifting. I feel honored to have read this book.
ARC gracious given by author in exchange for an honest review.
March 7, 2020
♥ "I feel this novel is a stunning achievement; so deep, intense and moving. I was blown away by it, and the characters resonated for a long time after I finished!" -- Tessa Shapcott, Katy's developmental editor ♥
This book is a bit of a departure for me. It's dark. Not midnight black dark, but there is some serious darkness in this book. There is also...
Regret.
Betrayal.
Abduction.
Loss.
Madness.
Abuse.
Passion.
Reformation.
Forgiveness...
and True Love. ♥
This book is part of the same series of standalone modern fairytales that includes The Vixen and the Vet, and like The Vixen and the Vet (which dealt with the real-life issues of war, IED injuries and the treatment of returning veterans) this story will be edgier than my Heart of Montana or English Brothers books.
However - of course, as always - I guarantee a happy ending.
Note: 25% of all gross proceeds for June and July 2015 will be donated to the Elizabeth Smart Foundation.
To read the first chapter of Never Let You Go ,/b>, head over to my Facebook page where you can find Chapter 1 in the Notes section or click here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/katy-r...
This book is a bit of a departure for me. It's dark. Not midnight black dark, but there is some serious darkness in this book. There is also...
Regret.
Betrayal.
Abduction.
Loss.
Madness.
Abuse.
Passion.
Reformation.
Forgiveness...
and True Love. ♥
This book is part of the same series of standalone modern fairytales that includes The Vixen and the Vet, and like The Vixen and the Vet (which dealt with the real-life issues of war, IED injuries and the treatment of returning veterans) this story will be edgier than my Heart of Montana or English Brothers books.
However - of course, as always - I guarantee a happy ending.
Note: 25% of all gross proceeds for June and July 2015 will be donated to the Elizabeth Smart Foundation.
To read the first chapter of Never Let You Go ,/b>, head over to my Facebook page where you can find Chapter 1 in the Notes section or click here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/katy-r...
June 12, 2015
TITLE: Never Let You Go
AUTHOR: Katy Regnery
GENRE: Contemporary Romance | New Adult
EXPECTED PUBLICATION: June 12th, 2015
MY RATING:
༺**Complimentary Copy**༺ Provided by the Author in exchange for an Honest Review..Thank you..
I've not read anything by this author before so I don't have any expectations, alot of high ratings so I'm really keen to get my teeth into this..
Never Let You Go is a modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel, it's about Regret, Betrayal, Loss, abuse, survival, passion and love..
The story starts off with Griselda and Holden trying to escape their abductor of three years, one gets away the other doesn't..
"Don't look back, no matter what. Stone to stone. I jump, you jump."
Caleb Foster's Farm The place that her body had escaped, the place where she'd left her heart in darkness with a gray-eyed, sweet smelling boy.
The only reason why I've rated this 4 stars and not 5 is because I felt like it was too drawn out, my mind started wandering and that's not a good thing when I do that when reading, my whole focus should be on the book. I liked the concept of the story, kidnapped, reunited etc I think if it was cut down in size it would make for better reading (that is just my opinion) but all in all it was an enjoyable read..
It all began when a battered red truck pulled up on the side of the road beside Holden and Griselda, both children jumped in not thinking of the terrible consequences this will bring..The man as they called him abducted them because he thought they were his long lost brother and sister (Ruth and Seth)
Griselda thinking that Holden was dead tried to carry on with life as best as she knew how, living but not really existing, until she was reacquainted with Seth aka Holden during a no holds bar illegal fighting ring..
November 6, 2018
HOLY HELL!!! I read this book in one non-stop sitting because I quite literally could not put it down. It took a while for my heart rate to go back to normal after I was finished! It felt like I barely blinked or stopped to breathe because I was flipping the pages so fast! It was sweet and romantic, heart-breaking and painful, angsty as all freaking hell, and really just a gorgeous story of undying love!! I loved it!
The story is filled with twists and turns and even though I was initially worried about how things would work out, I have to say that Griselda and Holden handled the situation so well. Everything they went through, things that could so easily have torn them apart, in the end just brought them closer together.
If you love stories so engrossing that one can't stop reading it with the kind of romance that is sweet and heartfelt, and the kind of love that you know will last forever, but also are searching for the kind of intense, heart-stopping angst that’ll put you through the ringer, then you’ll love this book!
This is a complete standalone. It’s part of a series of standalones that are not connected to each other. Each book is based on a different fairy tale. You can read them in any order that you wish.
Thank you D.p. for the recommendation!!!
The story is filled with twists and turns and even though I was initially worried about how things would work out, I have to say that Griselda and Holden handled the situation so well. Everything they went through, things that could so easily have torn them apart, in the end just brought them closer together.
If you love stories so engrossing that one can't stop reading it with the kind of romance that is sweet and heartfelt, and the kind of love that you know will last forever, but also are searching for the kind of intense, heart-stopping angst that’ll put you through the ringer, then you’ll love this book!
This is a complete standalone. It’s part of a series of standalones that are not connected to each other. Each book is based on a different fairy tale. You can read them in any order that you wish.
Thank you D.p. for the recommendation!!!
June 8, 2015
Book – Never Let You Go: A Modern Fairytale
Author – Katy Regnery
Publication Date –June 12, 2015
Genre –New Adult
Type – Stand Alone
Cliffhanger – No
Rating – 4 out of 5 Stars
Complimentary copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
My Thoughts - Story
When I first finished this book, I was going to give it a lower rating but the damn thing stuck with me and I couldn’t stop thinking about the ‘past’ of these two characters. So based on that, the Ms. Regnery did a kick-ass job at creating a story that sticks.
The problems with the story….
~Some of my problems at first was the back and forth between the past and present and then the not so far past back to the past and then back to the present…I got a bit confused at times.
~Then it was some of the repetition of the past for these two characters that there were times I would just skim through the past scenes when they were kids.
~The other problem I had with it was around the 60% mark where there is a plot twist that I just wanted to bang my head against the wall…but….and that’s a big ‘butt’ that plot twist redeemed itself at the very end.
The positives of this story…
~Strong connection to the characters and the emotions that were brought out in me during very angsty times
~It was REAL…well, parts that weren’t fairy tale driven…like for example – Gris and Holden don’t magically win the lottery or become millionaires – instead the future for them is something that can very well happen and it’s not exaggerated.
~Their stories were INTENSE and their reunion was HEARTSTOPPING
~I found myself at times…holding my breath at what was going to happen next – I was captivated at times that everything else around me faded away
~The author did a great job at quotes that will stick with me for a very long time! “I jump, you jump”…..”Ask me if I’m whole” ---- Damn…those gutted me!
Re-Cap
I’m not going to waste your time with giving you a recap of this story – there is just too much going on that I will end up leaking a spoiler so I’m going to leave you with…
Two kids in the foster system get kidnapped…one gets away…one gets stuck…years later they reunite and the story goes from there.
Reason for Reading – Author Request
Story – 4 out of 5 Stars
Steam – 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Angst – 4 out of 5 Stars
Writing – 4 out of 5 Stars
Content Flow – 3.5 out of 5 Stars
HEA (Spoiler) –
Would Read More from Author? Yes
Recommend To – Readers who love a lot of angst and fairy tales
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
Author – Katy Regnery
Publication Date –June 12, 2015
Genre –New Adult
Type – Stand Alone
Cliffhanger – No
Rating – 4 out of 5 Stars
Complimentary copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
My Thoughts - Story
When I first finished this book, I was going to give it a lower rating but the damn thing stuck with me and I couldn’t stop thinking about the ‘past’ of these two characters. So based on that, the Ms. Regnery did a kick-ass job at creating a story that sticks.
The problems with the story….
~Some of my problems at first was the back and forth between the past and present and then the not so far past back to the past and then back to the present…I got a bit confused at times.
~Then it was some of the repetition of the past for these two characters that there were times I would just skim through the past scenes when they were kids.
~The other problem I had with it was around the 60% mark where there is a plot twist that I just wanted to bang my head against the wall…but….and that’s a big ‘butt’ that plot twist redeemed itself at the very end.
The positives of this story…
~Strong connection to the characters and the emotions that were brought out in me during very angsty times
~It was REAL…well, parts that weren’t fairy tale driven…like for example – Gris and Holden don’t magically win the lottery or become millionaires – instead the future for them is something that can very well happen and it’s not exaggerated.
~Their stories were INTENSE and their reunion was HEARTSTOPPING
~I found myself at times…holding my breath at what was going to happen next – I was captivated at times that everything else around me faded away
~The author did a great job at quotes that will stick with me for a very long time! “I jump, you jump”…..”Ask me if I’m whole” ---- Damn…those gutted me!
Re-Cap
I’m not going to waste your time with giving you a recap of this story – there is just too much going on that I will end up leaking a spoiler so I’m going to leave you with…
Two kids in the foster system get kidnapped…one gets away…one gets stuck…years later they reunite and the story goes from there.
Reason for Reading – Author Request
Story – 4 out of 5 Stars
Steam – 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Angst – 4 out of 5 Stars
Writing – 4 out of 5 Stars
Content Flow – 3.5 out of 5 Stars
HEA (Spoiler) –
Would Read More from Author? Yes
Recommend To – Readers who love a lot of angst and fairy tales
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September 8, 2017
📚 📌 FREE on Amazon US today (9/5/2017) 📌 📚
Stand-alone.
FREE: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Let-You-...
BLURB:
n this modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel, thirteen-year-old foster children Griselda and Holden escape from their abductor after three years of brutal captivity, and try to cross the Shenandoah River on foot. Tragically, one of them makes it to safety, but the other is left behind.
Ten years later, Griselda's boyfriend drags her to a fight club grudge match, and her world is turned upside down when she watches Holden step into the ring.
Though the connection between them is fierce, bitter regret, simmering rage, and a tangle of physical and emotional scars lie between them, just as dangerous as the white water of the Shenandoah.
Never Let You Go is a story of fear and hope, defeat and survival, and two people--once profoundly broken--who discover that love is the only thing that can make them whole again.
FREEBIES are often good for MORE than one day. I have gathered all my FREEBIES on a special shelf: Kindle-freebies (currently over 700 books)
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November 5, 2020
Unputdownable.
I was bawling my eyes out for about 50% of the book. And the shit Holden's ex pulled made me want to bitch slap her, pregnant or not. I didn't even hate Dolores Umbridge with this fervor.
These two went through so much together, I really wanted to see them happy for a change. The epilogue was sweet, but I needed more. Also, to think that the psycho ex ended up with a decent guy did not sit well with me. Arghhh.
TW: Quite graphic physical abuse.
I was bawling my eyes out for about 50% of the book. And the shit Holden's ex pulled made me want to bitch slap her, pregnant or not. I didn't even hate Dolores Umbridge with this fervor.
These two went through so much together, I really wanted to see them happy for a change. The epilogue was sweet, but I needed more. Also, to think that the psycho ex ended up with a decent guy did not sit well with me. Arghhh.
TW: Quite graphic physical abuse.
July 12, 2015
⭐️ 2.5 STARS ⭐️
I discovered Katy Regnery completely by chance, when one of my friend told me about the Vixen and the Vet right when it was about to release. I gave this fairy tale inspired romance a try and loved it.
I loved Miss Regnery writing, I fell in love with her concept of modern fairy tales. Even more so, I fell in love with her compelling writing, her easy going characters and low drama stories.
I’ve read quite a few books of hers in a short span time, having found my happy place back then, I didn’t want to let it go.
I was over the moon to learn she intended to continue with her Modern Fairy Tales idea, with ‘Never Let You Go’ and ‘ Ginger’s Heart ‘. So when I was proposed to review her new book I jumped on the opportunity.
Hansel and Gretel is one of my favorite Grimm’s tale. I can remember reading it hundred times when I was little, from my mother’s pale blue fabric covered book, with the gold lettering… A precious and magical book, holding secrets and fantastical stories. Grimm tales are my favorite because they most often starts ugly and dark and in a way are mirrors to the human nature.
I dove into Never Let You Go my expectations high. I expected angst, emotions, sweet romance, sexy times all wrapped up in magic.
Now, did Never Let You Go delivered? Yes and no. Or more accurately, it provided too much. Interiorly there’s a battle of wills and discord about how I should rate this book. My appreciation for this author and her idea to give her own spin at classic fairy tales? Huge Yes. Lots of Stars.
The actual execution? Not so much.
This review contains spoilers
In Never let you Go, you’ll find similarities to the Grim’s tale Hansel and Gretel, yes.
Holden and Griselda (Hansel and Gretel) both foster children are dreaming of running away from their miserable lives. They both lived in terrible foster families, saw a little too many bad things for they young age.
Never Let You Go is told in 3 POVS. It’s told from 3rd POV for the flashbacks, and told from Griselda and Holden POV as well…
A note about the POVS : Maybe this needs to be tighten up a bit, as at some point, we’re told who is telling the story, and somewhere along the way, the mentions of Holden POV or Griselda POV disappear. Furthermore, the POVs will change in the middle of a scene? It was hard to follow at times.
We first meet our heroes in similar circumstances to which Hansel and Gretel were. They’re running away. They’re finally trying to escape their abductor after 3 years of captivity, suffering and fear. The man that kidnapped them apparently reenact the fact that both his brother and sister—Seth and Ruth— were living in sin, loving each other. By abducting them, he’s trying to “save” his brother, Seth (Holden) from his sister, Ruth(Griselda) evil temptress ways.
Only their attempt at escape is not going to go as they hoped for. Holden is not going to make it, and while Griselda is running away for a better life, he’s left with the man that kidnapped them.
We jump forward 10 years later, to get acquainted with Griselda as a young 23 years old woman. She made it out the foster system, she supports herself, works but still lives in the past. Her only goal is to make enough money to hire a top notch private detective that will help her find Holden. She kept looking for him those past 10 years without any success but won’t rest until she knows what happened to him.
With her focus to find Holden and filled with guilt to have abandoned him, she apparently self-flogs herself and get the meanest boyfriend she could find. Her penance for leaving Holden behind.
Hmm yeah. I had and still have troubles to get my head around that. I thought it was a pitiful excuse at explaining Griselda situation. Why would a woman who known beating as a young child, then working her damnedest to get a “good life” would coop up with an abuser all over again? More over, she’s described as a smart and level headed young person, she’s a well respected nanny, she tells the most incredible stories… But she chooses to keep her abusive boyfriend, from whom she gets beating, sex shaming treatment, demeaning back talk… Sigh.
Meanwhile, we learn that Holden is still very much alive but grew up in an all different mindset. He lived with his abductor for many years after Griselda’s escape. At first as a captive, but with time and probably with his will and hope broken, he left himself think the situation could be worse than what his hell was and decided to just stay. Stockholm syndrome of sorts.
At his jailer’s death, Holden is however keeping is new identity and continues his life as Seth. He went so far as come back and live in the same area he known hell. So far as keeping his tormentor’s car…
He grew up mean, cold and angry. He has no interest for the future, thinking Griselda died in her escape. He’s got a girlfriend of sorts, Gemma, has a steady job and fights on the side.
By fate the two of them are reunited. (I thought the parameters of this fateful reunion were a bit too much to believe in, even for a modern fairy tale take.)
At this point, I liked the back and forth between present and past. The development of Griselda and Holden friendship, love and feelings as child, this I liked very much.
Unfortunately, from the moment they found each other again, I couldn’t care less about what would happen to them. And I’m confused about it because it was the moment I was dying to get to.
It seems like the author let this Grimm fairy tale turned into a bad soap opera scenario.
I’ll keep it short and with a HUGE SPOIER WARNING , but here’s a contraption of what is happening in the remaining half of the book :
The other woman Gemma is staking a claim, the declarations of love from Holden and Griselda after being apart for 10 years, the consumption of this love while still in a relationship with a third party, the “not yet ex girlfriend” pregnancy announcement, the threats of abortion to make Griselda go, the attack of Griselda by her ex boyfriend, Griselda coma’s and temporary memory loss, Holden growing a pair and deciding to enlist with the marines, Holden best friend and Gemma’s former boyfriend loves her again and wants to take care of the baby, Griselda going to university of Cali and unexpectedly meeting the real Seth and Ruth there… Holden renouncing his paternity in favor of his best friend…
I’m really disappointed over all that took place after the 50/60 % mark. I was looking forward their reunion, their second chance at love… Why the author crafted so much Jerry Springer drama is beyond me and goes against the reasons I fell in love with her writing in the first place.
And with all the loose ends she created, the needs to wrap them all up must have been too strong, because the unexpected meeting with the true Seth and Ruth was way too “magical and unbelievable” to me. So was the fact that Clinton—who was Gemma’s former boyfriend— suddenly realizes he loves her when she’s pregnant from another man, albeit the other man being his best friend
I think maybe without all the drama created around the ex-girlfriend, this would have fit, but like I said, I stopped to care from this moment on.
Something else surprised me in this book, was the level of heat of the sex scenes. Maybe it’s been a while since my last Katy Regnery’s book, but I thought she amped up the hotness quite a bit. I don’t recall her being so descriptive… I think this is a good thing? I don’t know, really, I thought it was… unexpected from the author and a good surprise.
Never Let You Go had all the ingredients to be a superb second chance at love wrapped with a modern fairy tale romance, unfortunately, too much conflicts and unnecessary drama left me with a bitter taste.
I have no doubts I’ll continue to read Katy Regnery’s work, but I truly hope she’ll continue to write stories the same way she did when I discovered her, charming and simple.
(Arc offered in exchange for an honest review.)
More reviews and book talk at :
I discovered Katy Regnery completely by chance, when one of my friend told me about the Vixen and the Vet right when it was about to release. I gave this fairy tale inspired romance a try and loved it.
I loved Miss Regnery writing, I fell in love with her concept of modern fairy tales. Even more so, I fell in love with her compelling writing, her easy going characters and low drama stories.
I’ve read quite a few books of hers in a short span time, having found my happy place back then, I didn’t want to let it go.
I was over the moon to learn she intended to continue with her Modern Fairy Tales idea, with ‘Never Let You Go’ and ‘ Ginger’s Heart ‘. So when I was proposed to review her new book I jumped on the opportunity.
Hansel and Gretel is one of my favorite Grimm’s tale. I can remember reading it hundred times when I was little, from my mother’s pale blue fabric covered book, with the gold lettering… A precious and magical book, holding secrets and fantastical stories. Grimm tales are my favorite because they most often starts ugly and dark and in a way are mirrors to the human nature.
Once upon a sweet and terrible time, she’d loved him, and he’d loved her in return.
I dove into Never Let You Go my expectations high. I expected angst, emotions, sweet romance, sexy times all wrapped up in magic.
Now, did Never Let You Go delivered? Yes and no. Or more accurately, it provided too much. Interiorly there’s a battle of wills and discord about how I should rate this book. My appreciation for this author and her idea to give her own spin at classic fairy tales? Huge Yes. Lots of Stars.
The actual execution? Not so much.
This review contains spoilers
In Never let you Go, you’ll find similarities to the Grim’s tale Hansel and Gretel, yes.
Holden and Griselda (Hansel and Gretel) both foster children are dreaming of running away from their miserable lives. They both lived in terrible foster families, saw a little too many bad things for they young age.
Don’t look back, no matter what. Stone to Stone. I jump, you jump.
Never Let You Go is told in 3 POVS. It’s told from 3rd POV for the flashbacks, and told from Griselda and Holden POV as well…
A note about the POVS : Maybe this needs to be tighten up a bit, as at some point, we’re told who is telling the story, and somewhere along the way, the mentions of Holden POV or Griselda POV disappear. Furthermore, the POVs will change in the middle of a scene? It was hard to follow at times.
We first meet our heroes in similar circumstances to which Hansel and Gretel were. They’re running away. They’re finally trying to escape their abductor after 3 years of captivity, suffering and fear. The man that kidnapped them apparently reenact the fact that both his brother and sister—Seth and Ruth— were living in sin, loving each other. By abducting them, he’s trying to “save” his brother, Seth (Holden) from his sister, Ruth(Griselda) evil temptress ways.
Only their attempt at escape is not going to go as they hoped for. Holden is not going to make it, and while Griselda is running away for a better life, he’s left with the man that kidnapped them.
I’m whole. I’m whole because I’m with you.
We jump forward 10 years later, to get acquainted with Griselda as a young 23 years old woman. She made it out the foster system, she supports herself, works but still lives in the past. Her only goal is to make enough money to hire a top notch private detective that will help her find Holden. She kept looking for him those past 10 years without any success but won’t rest until she knows what happened to him.
With her focus to find Holden and filled with guilt to have abandoned him, she apparently self-flogs herself and get the meanest boyfriend she could find. Her penance for leaving Holden behind.
Hmm yeah. I had and still have troubles to get my head around that. I thought it was a pitiful excuse at explaining Griselda situation. Why would a woman who known beating as a young child, then working her damnedest to get a “good life” would coop up with an abuser all over again? More over, she’s described as a smart and level headed young person, she’s a well respected nanny, she tells the most incredible stories… But she chooses to keep her abusive boyfriend, from whom she gets beating, sex shaming treatment, demeaning back talk… Sigh.
Meanwhile, we learn that Holden is still very much alive but grew up in an all different mindset. He lived with his abductor for many years after Griselda’s escape. At first as a captive, but with time and probably with his will and hope broken, he left himself think the situation could be worse than what his hell was and decided to just stay. Stockholm syndrome of sorts.
At his jailer’s death, Holden is however keeping is new identity and continues his life as Seth. He went so far as come back and live in the same area he known hell. So far as keeping his tormentor’s car…
He grew up mean, cold and angry. He has no interest for the future, thinking Griselda died in her escape. He’s got a girlfriend of sorts, Gemma, has a steady job and fights on the side.
Got to the ends of earth for you… to make you feel my love.
By fate the two of them are reunited. (I thought the parameters of this fateful reunion were a bit too much to believe in, even for a modern fairy tale take.)
At this point, I liked the back and forth between present and past. The development of Griselda and Holden friendship, love and feelings as child, this I liked very much.
Unfortunately, from the moment they found each other again, I couldn’t care less about what would happen to them. And I’m confused about it because it was the moment I was dying to get to.
It seems like the author let this Grimm fairy tale turned into a bad soap opera scenario.
I’ll keep it short and with a HUGE SPOIER WARNING , but here’s a contraption of what is happening in the remaining half of the book :
The other woman Gemma is staking a claim, the declarations of love from Holden and Griselda after being apart for 10 years, the consumption of this love while still in a relationship with a third party, the “not yet ex girlfriend” pregnancy announcement, the threats of abortion to make Griselda go, the attack of Griselda by her ex boyfriend, Griselda coma’s and temporary memory loss, Holden growing a pair and deciding to enlist with the marines, Holden best friend and Gemma’s former boyfriend loves her again and wants to take care of the baby, Griselda going to university of Cali and unexpectedly meeting the real Seth and Ruth there… Holden renouncing his paternity in favor of his best friend…
Breathe…
I’m really disappointed over all that took place after the 50/60 % mark. I was looking forward their reunion, their second chance at love… Why the author crafted so much Jerry Springer drama is beyond me and goes against the reasons I fell in love with her writing in the first place.
And with all the loose ends she created, the needs to wrap them all up must have been too strong, because the unexpected meeting with the true Seth and Ruth was way too “magical and unbelievable” to me. So was the fact that Clinton—who was Gemma’s former boyfriend— suddenly realizes he loves her when she’s pregnant from another man, albeit the other man being his best friend
I think maybe without all the drama created around the ex-girlfriend, this would have fit, but like I said, I stopped to care from this moment on.
“Jesus,” he murmured, his thumb pressing her bundle of nerves like a button as he slipped two fingers inside her slippery sex. She was soaked and ready for him, and they’d only just gotten started.
Something else surprised me in this book, was the level of heat of the sex scenes. Maybe it’s been a while since my last Katy Regnery’s book, but I thought she amped up the hotness quite a bit. I don’t recall her being so descriptive… I think this is a good thing? I don’t know, really, I thought it was… unexpected from the author and a good surprise.
Never Let You Go had all the ingredients to be a superb second chance at love wrapped with a modern fairy tale romance, unfortunately, too much conflicts and unnecessary drama left me with a bitter taste.
I have no doubts I’ll continue to read Katy Regnery’s work, but I truly hope she’ll continue to write stories the same way she did when I discovered her, charming and simple.
(Arc offered in exchange for an honest review.)
More reviews and book talk at :
June 3, 2015
5 I jump, you jump stars out of 5.
I was given an ARC copy of Never Let You Go by Katy Regnery by no one other than the generous author herself in exchange for an honest review.
Out of about the 120 books I read last year, The Vixen and The Vet was my absolute favorite. Naturally when Katy emailed me via Goodreads offering me an ARC of her next installment of A modern fairytale I jumped on it like it was my lifeline. I impatiently waited for my daughter’s bed time and all but threw her in her room. (I didn’t, just made my husband put her to bed.) I curled up and sacrificed any sleep I’d get reading this book. Start to finish I never put it down once and my payoff was book nirvana!
Never Let You Go is about two children dealt bad hands who became adults knowing struggle and pain were normal. When fate puts our main characters together in the same foster home it was like life offering each of them extra strength. H+G would be their key to survival in their three year hell, little did they know, it was also what kept them both alive the next ten years.
Griselda made it. She crossed the Shenandoah to safety, to freedom, to emptiness and regret. Leaving her foster brother behind was one of the hardest things she had to do.
…living after that was even harder because living without your heart is impossible.
Holden was a fighter. He poured everything he had into just going through the motions and dealing with the loss of his one true love, that he never really lived. His fists and anger led him to the fighting ring and once again H finds G.
Their reunion is a meeting of two ghosts slowly coming back to life. The scarred, bruised hearts and bodies of two kids resurfaced. Would they still be the key to each other’s survival? Could love heal all wounds?
This story is heartbreaking and breathtaking. It’s a gritty dark tale of a possible real life situation. Emotions run high...Fear, defeat, pain...hope, survival. But the more you read the more you fall in love and the more you feel hope.
Your own finger itch to hold onto H+G.
Katy Regnery does a beautiful job telling Holden and Griselda’s tale, it’s a true modern fairytale equip with its own happily ever after.
I adore this book and would recommend it to anyone looking to be immersed into a non-stop, can’t put down rollercoaster story.
So if you were to ask me if I am whole?…Yes. After reading this book, yes.
I was given an ARC copy of Never Let You Go by Katy Regnery by no one other than the generous author herself in exchange for an honest review.
Out of about the 120 books I read last year, The Vixen and The Vet was my absolute favorite. Naturally when Katy emailed me via Goodreads offering me an ARC of her next installment of A modern fairytale I jumped on it like it was my lifeline. I impatiently waited for my daughter’s bed time and all but threw her in her room. (I didn’t, just made my husband put her to bed.) I curled up and sacrificed any sleep I’d get reading this book. Start to finish I never put it down once and my payoff was book nirvana!
Never Let You Go is about two children dealt bad hands who became adults knowing struggle and pain were normal. When fate puts our main characters together in the same foster home it was like life offering each of them extra strength. H+G would be their key to survival in their three year hell, little did they know, it was also what kept them both alive the next ten years.
Griselda made it. She crossed the Shenandoah to safety, to freedom, to emptiness and regret. Leaving her foster brother behind was one of the hardest things she had to do.
…living after that was even harder because living without your heart is impossible.
Holden was a fighter. He poured everything he had into just going through the motions and dealing with the loss of his one true love, that he never really lived. His fists and anger led him to the fighting ring and once again H finds G.
Their reunion is a meeting of two ghosts slowly coming back to life. The scarred, bruised hearts and bodies of two kids resurfaced. Would they still be the key to each other’s survival? Could love heal all wounds?
This story is heartbreaking and breathtaking. It’s a gritty dark tale of a possible real life situation. Emotions run high...Fear, defeat, pain...hope, survival. But the more you read the more you fall in love and the more you feel hope.
Your own finger itch to hold onto H+G.
Katy Regnery does a beautiful job telling Holden and Griselda’s tale, it’s a true modern fairytale equip with its own happily ever after.
I adore this book and would recommend it to anyone looking to be immersed into a non-stop, can’t put down rollercoaster story.
So if you were to ask me if I am whole?…Yes. After reading this book, yes.
March 1, 2018
This was a long one... and I absolutely loved it!!! It was a unique and interesting take on Hansel and Gretel. I love fairy tale adaptations, and this one delivered! I can't say much without giving things away but if you are a lover of fairy tales and/or enjoyed The Vixen and the Vet you should absolutely read this. You will not be disappointed <3 <3
February 21, 2017
5 Stars -- Originally read - no date on GR with this new update :(
4 Stars -- Re-Read 2/19/2017
Overall Opinion: I'm going to keep this on my favorites shelf, because it is still such a touching and unique story. I will, however, drop my rating from 5 stars to 4. Why? Well, I found the pacing a little off (see below), the h grated on my nerves with her constant inner dialogue about her mistrust in their relationship and self-doubt (why wouldn't she just talk to him?!?), and the ending wasn't nearly as satisfying as it could've been. I've definitely become tougher in my ratings, so I'm not all that shocked that it's dropped a star. I still really enjoyed it, and for me 4 stars is still really high ;)
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Griselda and Holden's story. I'll keep this extremely brief and vague, so I hopefully don't ruin it. They met when they were ten and experienced something traumatic that connected them forever. They were tragically separated and then ~10 years later, when all hope was lost that they'd ever see one another again, they find one another. There are some big obstacles in the way of them still finding their happiness together, but they do get there and get a HEA.
POV: This alternated between focusing on Griselda and Holden in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Ok. The ending felt a little to abrupt to me in that we don't get that much of them making their HEA come true. I also found myself skimming some. I'm not sure if it is because I've read it before, or if I just found it a little too wordy (because it is on the longer side being 495 pages in my kindle app). There was what felt like a little bit too much of their inner dialogue (especially the h) that even seemed to feel repetitive by the end.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings (they've known each other since they were 10).
H rating: 4.5 stars. Holden. I liked him a lot. I appreciated how he wanted to be a better man for Gris and did something about it!
h rating: 3 stars. Griselda. She was ok. I didn't remember her constant self-doubt and not being trusting -- that bugged me a good bit. Especially with the H!
Sadness level: Moderate. I just teared up a few times this go-round, but I remember crying more the first time I read it.
Push/Pull: Minimal
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: Yes
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: Yes
Cheating: Yes IMO (but not between mcs)
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes **BIG SPOILERS HERE**
Closure: This had decent closure with a jump ahead epilogue and a HEA ending. I just wanted more! These two had so much going against them for so long that I wish there was more of them making their dreams come true as older people.
How I got it: I had read it originally with my scribed subscription, but then I bought it off Amazon for $0.99 before this re-read.
Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most safety gang readers
4 Stars -- Re-Read 2/19/2017
Overall Opinion: I'm going to keep this on my favorites shelf, because it is still such a touching and unique story. I will, however, drop my rating from 5 stars to 4. Why? Well, I found the pacing a little off (see below), the h grated on my nerves with her constant inner dialogue about her mistrust in their relationship and self-doubt (why wouldn't she just talk to him?!?), and the ending wasn't nearly as satisfying as it could've been. I've definitely become tougher in my ratings, so I'm not all that shocked that it's dropped a star. I still really enjoyed it, and for me 4 stars is still really high ;)
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Griselda and Holden's story. I'll keep this extremely brief and vague, so I hopefully don't ruin it. They met when they were ten and experienced something traumatic that connected them forever. They were tragically separated and then ~10 years later, when all hope was lost that they'd ever see one another again, they find one another. There are some big obstacles in the way of them still finding their happiness together, but they do get there and get a HEA.
POV: This alternated between focusing on Griselda and Holden in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Ok. The ending felt a little to abrupt to me in that we don't get that much of them making their HEA come true. I also found myself skimming some. I'm not sure if it is because I've read it before, or if I just found it a little too wordy (because it is on the longer side being 495 pages in my kindle app). There was what felt like a little bit too much of their inner dialogue (especially the h) that even seemed to feel repetitive by the end.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings (they've known each other since they were 10).
H rating: 4.5 stars. Holden. I liked him a lot. I appreciated how he wanted to be a better man for Gris and did something about it!
h rating: 3 stars. Griselda. She was ok. I didn't remember her constant self-doubt and not being trusting -- that bugged me a good bit. Especially with the H!
Sadness level: Moderate. I just teared up a few times this go-round, but I remember crying more the first time I read it.
Push/Pull: Minimal
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: Yes
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: Yes
Cheating: Yes IMO (but not between mcs)
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes **BIG SPOILERS HERE**
Closure: This had decent closure with a jump ahead epilogue and a HEA ending. I just wanted more! These two had so much going against them for so long that I wish there was more of them making their dreams come true as older people.
How I got it: I had read it originally with my scribed subscription, but then I bought it off Amazon for $0.99 before this re-read.
Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most safety gang readers
July 8, 2015
Never Let You Go is Katy Regnery as we’ve never seen her before. While this book is a love story in the end, it’s darker than Ms. Regnery’s Blueberry Lane series. The characters are not millionaires. They are gritty and real. The reader takes a journey with Griselda and Holden from the first to the last page.
You’ve probably read the synopsis, so I won’t repeat it here. Let me start by saying that out of the 700+ books on my NOOK, I have NEVER cried after reading a Prologue…until now. Without giving away any spoilers, I will say that I thought this story was going to center around the anticipation of Gris and Holden’s reunion, followed by the angst with Holden not wanting to rush and scare Gris off, with Gris mistaking his controlled distance as brotherly affection and residual feelings for his girlfriend Gemma. While this does have a part in the story, there are other obstacles and plot twists that I didn’t see coming. Gris is on a road to redemption for forgiveness from Holden, and both characters have to find out who they are now that they aren’t searching for each other anymore. Both of them realize they want/need to find their place in the world.
Something else that struck me with this book was that certain words, phrases, mantras that the hero and heroine repeat throughout the book were the driving force behind my emotional responses…and boy was I emotional. The language and dialogue is extremely thoughtful, and beautifully written.
In my opinion, Never Let You Go is Katy Regnery’s SWAN SONG. I’d like to think that her writing legacy will forever be associated with this book. Griselda and Holden’s story was a heartbreaking, intense, sexy, suspenseful, and enduring journey toward true love….the PERFECT blend of everything I yearn for in a good book. If you like books by Mia Sheridan and Amy Harmon, you will love this book. I rarely give 5 stars on reviews, but if I could give more to this one, it would be well-deserved. Bravo Katy Regnery!
*This is a stand-alone novel with alternating points of view.
You’ve probably read the synopsis, so I won’t repeat it here. Let me start by saying that out of the 700+ books on my NOOK, I have NEVER cried after reading a Prologue…until now. Without giving away any spoilers, I will say that I thought this story was going to center around the anticipation of Gris and Holden’s reunion, followed by the angst with Holden not wanting to rush and scare Gris off, with Gris mistaking his controlled distance as brotherly affection and residual feelings for his girlfriend Gemma. While this does have a part in the story, there are other obstacles and plot twists that I didn’t see coming. Gris is on a road to redemption for forgiveness from Holden, and both characters have to find out who they are now that they aren’t searching for each other anymore. Both of them realize they want/need to find their place in the world.
Something else that struck me with this book was that certain words, phrases, mantras that the hero and heroine repeat throughout the book were the driving force behind my emotional responses…and boy was I emotional. The language and dialogue is extremely thoughtful, and beautifully written.
In my opinion, Never Let You Go is Katy Regnery’s SWAN SONG. I’d like to think that her writing legacy will forever be associated with this book. Griselda and Holden’s story was a heartbreaking, intense, sexy, suspenseful, and enduring journey toward true love….the PERFECT blend of everything I yearn for in a good book. If you like books by Mia Sheridan and Amy Harmon, you will love this book. I rarely give 5 stars on reviews, but if I could give more to this one, it would be well-deserved. Bravo Katy Regnery!
*This is a stand-alone novel with alternating points of view.
June 7, 2015
I have so many feelings after reading this book and all of them amount to a fantastic 5 star read. It is no walk in the park, with some difficult subject matter and definitely more intense than 'the vixen and the vet' but honestly it was a gritty and emotional read. It is based loosely on the Hansel and Gretel fairytale but this is no fairytale you'd tell your children.
Gris has been in a foster family for some time when Holden arrives to be fostered also. Holden has a stammering problem and Gris defends him within the family. When on an errand for their foster mother, they are abducted by a man who is clearly something of a psychopath. Their tale of childhood is mostly narrated as memory or flashback and this is good as small chunks make it more easily digestible. Gris and Holden have been separated by a decade of hurt but their story is something quite amazing. Their characters have such depth and reality and as adults they are fascinating. Gris has never stopped searching for Holden, but Holden doesn't even go by his real name anymore. The odds are truly stacked against this pair and their story is lengthy but all the better for going the extra mile.
This series is shaping up to be a favourite of 2015.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.
Gris has been in a foster family for some time when Holden arrives to be fostered also. Holden has a stammering problem and Gris defends him within the family. When on an errand for their foster mother, they are abducted by a man who is clearly something of a psychopath. Their tale of childhood is mostly narrated as memory or flashback and this is good as small chunks make it more easily digestible. Gris and Holden have been separated by a decade of hurt but their story is something quite amazing. Their characters have such depth and reality and as adults they are fascinating. Gris has never stopped searching for Holden, but Holden doesn't even go by his real name anymore. The odds are truly stacked against this pair and their story is lengthy but all the better for going the extra mile.
This series is shaping up to be a favourite of 2015.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.
June 5, 2015
when i read a book, i want to be transported from my world into that of the characters. I want to feel their emotions their thoughts and energy. In 'Never let you go' a modern Hansel and Gretel story, Katy Regnery has led me into a world full of the emotions i require as a reader. Her sharp, witty and sensitive writing has created characters and a plot that i feel Everyone MUST read. The two main characters Holden and Griselda go through such an array of changes throughout their life from childhood to adulthood. A love story that knows no bounds whilst hitting on some tough emotional journeys on their way. This book doesnt just open a another world that im transported to ,but a world that captures the pure meaning of LOVE, loyalty and the definition of being ones soulmate. But what this book also gives is Hope. That no matter what crap life throws at you, you need to stay strong and positive. Katy Regnery has written a very special storyline here and deep meaning. An author that gives hope to her readers and the definition of love and life. I am purely smitten with this book and Everyone needs to go get it. A top class book from a Top class writer that is Katy Regnery.
June 4, 2015
What a wonderful update of Hansel and Gretel. I have to admit, I needed tissues just a few pages into the book, but I found it to be a story that kept my attention and I hated to put it down.
Can you imagine meeting the love of your life at the tender age of 10, and know that somehow that was the one you were meant to be with? For Holden and Griszella, the chemistry was there, right from the start. Now imagine having that ripped apart at 13, and thinking you'll never see them again? Imagine your dismay when they wander into your life again 10 years later?
Never one to make a story simple, Katy takes you through all the ups and downs of the story. At times you'll think "D'oh!" and other times "oh no". It's tale of love, lust, heartache, sacrifice and fulfillment.
I loved fairytales as a little girl, and I'm enjoying the grown up version now.
Can you imagine meeting the love of your life at the tender age of 10, and know that somehow that was the one you were meant to be with? For Holden and Griszella, the chemistry was there, right from the start. Now imagine having that ripped apart at 13, and thinking you'll never see them again? Imagine your dismay when they wander into your life again 10 years later?
Never one to make a story simple, Katy takes you through all the ups and downs of the story. At times you'll think "D'oh!" and other times "oh no". It's tale of love, lust, heartache, sacrifice and fulfillment.
I loved fairytales as a little girl, and I'm enjoying the grown up version now.
June 7, 2015
I received an ARC of this book a couple of days ago and once I started it, I couldn’t put it back down. If the phone rang, I was annoyed. If the kids needed a ride somewhere, I was irritated. I wanted to read my book, dog-gone-it! I need a sign that says, “Don’t bug me, I’m reading and do not want to be disturbed.” (Don’t worry, my kids are 18 and 22, it’s not like they need me to take care of them like young kids would!) In any case, this was a book that sucked me in and wouldn’t let go. And then, last night, I stayed up really late (I think close to 2:30 am) to finish it and I’m pretty sure I dreamed it too. I have no idea when this book will stop holding my heart hostage but even though this book-hangover is fierce, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. This book is amazing!!!
I first became a fan of Katy Regnery’s books when I read her first modern fairy-tale, The Vixen and the Vet (and I seriously feel a reread coming on…) Her style of writing is refreshing and realistic and a fantasy-come-to-life and horrific at times (all fairy tales have villains, after all)! I know that all sounds like they don’t belong in one book but somehow, she makes this style work, and it works very well!
This book is a modern-day take on the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel. It’s set in the modern day and at times, was so realistic I found myself on the edge of my seat worrying and fretting. There were other times my heart just ached. There were yet other times that I felt like jumping up and dancing around in a victory dance.
Some of my very favorite genres are 1. A second-change romance, and 2. When the human spirit overcomes all odds and adversities and just thrives instead of dwindling and being stomped down like you’d expect. These are the types of reasons I love to read! When people overcome incredible odds and yet their spirit lives on and finds happiness, it always touches my heart and usually brings tears to my eyes. And this book succeeded in doing both of these!
When they were young, Holden and Griselda were kidnapped from their foster-family and held in captivity; forced to work by a cruel man and kept locked in chains or in a barn or basement for three years. They were beaten regularly and often went without food. The only reason they lived through this horrific time was that they had each other. They developed an incredible bond and comforted and encouraged each other to keep going, to survive. At thirteen, they attempted an escape, one of them made it, one of them didn’t. Griselda made it across the river on foot, and followed the road to get help. Holden was recaptured by their evil kidnapper and the last thing he said to her was, “Run!” and she did! But she never forgot about him, she was always searching for him, praying to find him one day. She kept running away once she was found, escaping from her foster homes to try to go back to where the police had (roughly) said the farm they’d been held was located; she wanted to see if she could find some sort of clue about where Holden was. Some way she might be able to find him…
(Excerpt)
As she walked up the dusty path from the road, she could tell the place hadn’t been lived in for years. The grass was high and unkempt, and the paint on the house and the barn was peeling worse than it had been three years ago. But even more than that, there was a dead feeling to the place: no animals, no people, no fear, no hope, no life. Empty. Like a vacuum…Auction notices were stapled to the front door and the two porch pillars, and the warm afternoon breeze made them flap lightly. At the base of the pillars were two long, rusted metal chains, the ends hidden somewhere under the porch. Griselda didn’t need to see the ends of the chains to know what was there. Her ankle twitched in remembrance of the tight metal cuff she’d been forced to wear on gardening days – a cuff that kept her tethered to the porch. A shiver ran through her as she looked to the little garden plot where she’d first told Holden about her plan for escape. It was nothing but dead, dusty earth now, though she could still make out the several dozen rows they’d painstakingly created and tended together. She could almost hear the metallic jingle of the long, long chains that had almost sounded musical in the very beginning. Like Christmas bells with every step they took. Like the hope of being rescued. “Oh, Holden,” she sobbed, sinking to the lowest porch step, her legs weary and her eyes burning. “Holden, I’m so sorry.”….
In the meantime, Holden grew up strong physically from hard work but the day he lost Griselda, he lost his heart. He was an empty boy to man just going through the motions of life. The day his kidnapper died, he grabbed his money from where he knew it was hidden, grabbed the truck keys, and drove away, never looking back. He got a basic job is a basic town and just went through the motions of life without his spirit really being alive. To make extra money, he fought guys in a hay-bale ring where he got a cut of the bets. He was just going through the motions of life. He was alive, but he didn’t feel like a whole man. He knew he was damaged and he had no hope of ever becoming a whole, unbroken man in his lifetime.
In the meantime, Griselda didn’t feel she deserved happiness until she knew Holden was okay. She became a nanny but was with an abusive jerk of a boyfriend and although she didn’t even like him, she didn’t feel she deserved better. She felt she shouldn’t have listened to Holden telling her to run, and has felt guilty ever since. She has been secretly saving money to hire a private detective to find Holden, and she’s almost got enough saved.
Her boyfriend, Jonah, drags her out of town to some cabins near where she was kidnapped one weekend. He has a buddy who’s got a handle on some “luxury” cabins they can rent, and Jonah was all over that and told his buddy they’d love to go! His buddy and his girlfriend, Griselda, and Jonah all headed out of town, very much against Griselda’s wishes since that is a part of the country she just doesn’t ever want to return to. And once there, the guys hear of a fight later that night that sounds exciting and they decide to go and to drag their women along for the event. When Griselda hears a guy named “Seth” is fighting, she has to wonder…it’s so close to where they ware held and her kidnapper had called Holden “Seth.” She gets a bit shaken to hear that name again; especially so near to where they are standing! And when they get to the fight, and after “Seth” wins, he notices Griselda, and fights his way through the crowds to see her better. He wonders, could this be his Gris – because “Seth” is in all actuality her Holden. He can’t believe it’s her, but there, under her lip is the same scar he knew well on her face. She doesn’t recognize him at first, he’s been beaten up pretty badly during the fight, but when he asks, “Is it you?” she is shocked. (And is then knocked out cold by an elbow to the head in the scuffle.)
The next day, before they head out of town (everyone else is out fishing), one of “Seth’s” friends shows up to the cabin to talk with her; to tell her “Seth” is asking for her. She goes with him; no questions asked. If this could possibly her Holden, she doesn’t hesitate. And it is her Holden. She cannot believe her eyes, and neither can he. But their bond is still there, it is still the most important thing to either of them, even ten years later. His friend who runs the fights shows up and offers him the key to his nearby cabin; where they can go and let him heal and get reacquainted. He takes it with thanks and they head off shortly thereafter. Griselda’s boss has granted her time off since her foster brother has been injured and he’s so hurt from this fight, his boss has also given him some time off too. So they leave to go somewhere to be alone; to reconnect. She calls and tells Jonah she’s not coming home for a while and to just leave without her. He’s angry but it doesn’t matter to her. She doesn’t really even like him. All she had cared about for years was finding Holden again and this was her chance to reconnect and she wasn’t letting go of it for anything or anyone.
Once at the cabin, neither are sure quite where they stand with the other and what the other wants, but they both know they cannot give up this opportunity. While Holden lays down to rest to recover from his injuries, Griselda is keeping herself busy cooking his favorite (fried chicken) and…
Excerpt:
Looking out the window over the sink, at the meadow of sweet wildflowers, she paused, breathing deeply and acknowledging the brutal and massive weight that Holden has just willingly and lovingly lifted from her shoulders. For most of her life, she’d felt guilty about two terrible things that she’d done: getting into Caleb Foster’s [their kidnapper] truck, and running across the Shenandoah River without Holden. And now, in the space of minutes, he’d relieved some of her burden. Leaving the fry pan, flour, and chicken for a moment, she crossed the small living room and headed out the front door and into the field. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so lighthearted that she could take pleasure in something trivial or beautiful, so tears fell from her eyes as she leaned down to pull bluets, buttercups, black-eyed Susans, and white aster into a wild and colorful bouquet. Bringing the warm blooms to her nose, she breathed deeply, then looked around at the field of flowers, the trees in the distance, and the bright sun shining down on her slick, upturned face. “Thank you,” she whispered, watching the drifting clouds break up the clear blue of the summer sky with think puffs of cheerful white….
Not only did I enjoy this book more than I can tell you, but it also felt like such vindication to see love and good win over evil. There were also several times while reading, I said to myself, “Wow, I didn’t see that coming!” – there were twists to the story all over the place; just when you thought you knew what was coming, there would be a new twist and I found myself glancing at how much more of the book was left and wondered where it was going to go from there. It kept me guessing – it was not at all predicable and I loved that! I never knew what was going to happen next.
But what I did know, is that Holden and Griselda had an once-in-a-lifetime connection and love than knew no limits and would recognize no more barriers until they found each other again. It was sweet. It was sexy. It made anything good in this world seem possible. It truly is a modern-day fairy-tale!
This series (all complete stand-alones) is so unique, so different, that they are genius! They are being written in such a way that although they are based on a fairy-tale we all know, they are not those stories at all. They are all completely original and so wonderfully done I have to wonder why no one has ever thought to do this before (yes, I know, there have been attempts, but nothing at all in the same neighborhood as these)! These books are absolutely worth your time and your hard-earned money (although Vixen is only $3.99 on Amazon and Never Let You Go is on sale pre-release right now!) I loved them and hope you do too!!! They will touch your heart and not let go!
I first became a fan of Katy Regnery’s books when I read her first modern fairy-tale, The Vixen and the Vet (and I seriously feel a reread coming on…) Her style of writing is refreshing and realistic and a fantasy-come-to-life and horrific at times (all fairy tales have villains, after all)! I know that all sounds like they don’t belong in one book but somehow, she makes this style work, and it works very well!
This book is a modern-day take on the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel. It’s set in the modern day and at times, was so realistic I found myself on the edge of my seat worrying and fretting. There were other times my heart just ached. There were yet other times that I felt like jumping up and dancing around in a victory dance.
Some of my very favorite genres are 1. A second-change romance, and 2. When the human spirit overcomes all odds and adversities and just thrives instead of dwindling and being stomped down like you’d expect. These are the types of reasons I love to read! When people overcome incredible odds and yet their spirit lives on and finds happiness, it always touches my heart and usually brings tears to my eyes. And this book succeeded in doing both of these!
When they were young, Holden and Griselda were kidnapped from their foster-family and held in captivity; forced to work by a cruel man and kept locked in chains or in a barn or basement for three years. They were beaten regularly and often went without food. The only reason they lived through this horrific time was that they had each other. They developed an incredible bond and comforted and encouraged each other to keep going, to survive. At thirteen, they attempted an escape, one of them made it, one of them didn’t. Griselda made it across the river on foot, and followed the road to get help. Holden was recaptured by their evil kidnapper and the last thing he said to her was, “Run!” and she did! But she never forgot about him, she was always searching for him, praying to find him one day. She kept running away once she was found, escaping from her foster homes to try to go back to where the police had (roughly) said the farm they’d been held was located; she wanted to see if she could find some sort of clue about where Holden was. Some way she might be able to find him…
(Excerpt)
As she walked up the dusty path from the road, she could tell the place hadn’t been lived in for years. The grass was high and unkempt, and the paint on the house and the barn was peeling worse than it had been three years ago. But even more than that, there was a dead feeling to the place: no animals, no people, no fear, no hope, no life. Empty. Like a vacuum…Auction notices were stapled to the front door and the two porch pillars, and the warm afternoon breeze made them flap lightly. At the base of the pillars were two long, rusted metal chains, the ends hidden somewhere under the porch. Griselda didn’t need to see the ends of the chains to know what was there. Her ankle twitched in remembrance of the tight metal cuff she’d been forced to wear on gardening days – a cuff that kept her tethered to the porch. A shiver ran through her as she looked to the little garden plot where she’d first told Holden about her plan for escape. It was nothing but dead, dusty earth now, though she could still make out the several dozen rows they’d painstakingly created and tended together. She could almost hear the metallic jingle of the long, long chains that had almost sounded musical in the very beginning. Like Christmas bells with every step they took. Like the hope of being rescued. “Oh, Holden,” she sobbed, sinking to the lowest porch step, her legs weary and her eyes burning. “Holden, I’m so sorry.”….
In the meantime, Holden grew up strong physically from hard work but the day he lost Griselda, he lost his heart. He was an empty boy to man just going through the motions of life. The day his kidnapper died, he grabbed his money from where he knew it was hidden, grabbed the truck keys, and drove away, never looking back. He got a basic job is a basic town and just went through the motions of life without his spirit really being alive. To make extra money, he fought guys in a hay-bale ring where he got a cut of the bets. He was just going through the motions of life. He was alive, but he didn’t feel like a whole man. He knew he was damaged and he had no hope of ever becoming a whole, unbroken man in his lifetime.
In the meantime, Griselda didn’t feel she deserved happiness until she knew Holden was okay. She became a nanny but was with an abusive jerk of a boyfriend and although she didn’t even like him, she didn’t feel she deserved better. She felt she shouldn’t have listened to Holden telling her to run, and has felt guilty ever since. She has been secretly saving money to hire a private detective to find Holden, and she’s almost got enough saved.
Her boyfriend, Jonah, drags her out of town to some cabins near where she was kidnapped one weekend. He has a buddy who’s got a handle on some “luxury” cabins they can rent, and Jonah was all over that and told his buddy they’d love to go! His buddy and his girlfriend, Griselda, and Jonah all headed out of town, very much against Griselda’s wishes since that is a part of the country she just doesn’t ever want to return to. And once there, the guys hear of a fight later that night that sounds exciting and they decide to go and to drag their women along for the event. When Griselda hears a guy named “Seth” is fighting, she has to wonder…it’s so close to where they ware held and her kidnapper had called Holden “Seth.” She gets a bit shaken to hear that name again; especially so near to where they are standing! And when they get to the fight, and after “Seth” wins, he notices Griselda, and fights his way through the crowds to see her better. He wonders, could this be his Gris – because “Seth” is in all actuality her Holden. He can’t believe it’s her, but there, under her lip is the same scar he knew well on her face. She doesn’t recognize him at first, he’s been beaten up pretty badly during the fight, but when he asks, “Is it you?” she is shocked. (And is then knocked out cold by an elbow to the head in the scuffle.)
The next day, before they head out of town (everyone else is out fishing), one of “Seth’s” friends shows up to the cabin to talk with her; to tell her “Seth” is asking for her. She goes with him; no questions asked. If this could possibly her Holden, she doesn’t hesitate. And it is her Holden. She cannot believe her eyes, and neither can he. But their bond is still there, it is still the most important thing to either of them, even ten years later. His friend who runs the fights shows up and offers him the key to his nearby cabin; where they can go and let him heal and get reacquainted. He takes it with thanks and they head off shortly thereafter. Griselda’s boss has granted her time off since her foster brother has been injured and he’s so hurt from this fight, his boss has also given him some time off too. So they leave to go somewhere to be alone; to reconnect. She calls and tells Jonah she’s not coming home for a while and to just leave without her. He’s angry but it doesn’t matter to her. She doesn’t really even like him. All she had cared about for years was finding Holden again and this was her chance to reconnect and she wasn’t letting go of it for anything or anyone.
Once at the cabin, neither are sure quite where they stand with the other and what the other wants, but they both know they cannot give up this opportunity. While Holden lays down to rest to recover from his injuries, Griselda is keeping herself busy cooking his favorite (fried chicken) and…
Excerpt:
Looking out the window over the sink, at the meadow of sweet wildflowers, she paused, breathing deeply and acknowledging the brutal and massive weight that Holden has just willingly and lovingly lifted from her shoulders. For most of her life, she’d felt guilty about two terrible things that she’d done: getting into Caleb Foster’s [their kidnapper] truck, and running across the Shenandoah River without Holden. And now, in the space of minutes, he’d relieved some of her burden. Leaving the fry pan, flour, and chicken for a moment, she crossed the small living room and headed out the front door and into the field. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so lighthearted that she could take pleasure in something trivial or beautiful, so tears fell from her eyes as she leaned down to pull bluets, buttercups, black-eyed Susans, and white aster into a wild and colorful bouquet. Bringing the warm blooms to her nose, she breathed deeply, then looked around at the field of flowers, the trees in the distance, and the bright sun shining down on her slick, upturned face. “Thank you,” she whispered, watching the drifting clouds break up the clear blue of the summer sky with think puffs of cheerful white….
Not only did I enjoy this book more than I can tell you, but it also felt like such vindication to see love and good win over evil. There were also several times while reading, I said to myself, “Wow, I didn’t see that coming!” – there were twists to the story all over the place; just when you thought you knew what was coming, there would be a new twist and I found myself glancing at how much more of the book was left and wondered where it was going to go from there. It kept me guessing – it was not at all predicable and I loved that! I never knew what was going to happen next.
But what I did know, is that Holden and Griselda had an once-in-a-lifetime connection and love than knew no limits and would recognize no more barriers until they found each other again. It was sweet. It was sexy. It made anything good in this world seem possible. It truly is a modern-day fairy-tale!
This series (all complete stand-alones) is so unique, so different, that they are genius! They are being written in such a way that although they are based on a fairy-tale we all know, they are not those stories at all. They are all completely original and so wonderfully done I have to wonder why no one has ever thought to do this before (yes, I know, there have been attempts, but nothing at all in the same neighborhood as these)! These books are absolutely worth your time and your hard-earned money (although Vixen is only $3.99 on Amazon and Never Let You Go is on sale pre-release right now!) I loved them and hope you do too!!! They will touch your heart and not let go!
June 7, 2015
5+ Stars
Never Let You Go is a modern day fairytale, the newest from one of my favorite authors Katy Regnery. Although this story is edgier than Katy’s other novels, I can still feel her presence through the writing never doubting that this is definitely one of her stories. The emotions she makes me feel while reading her books is indescribable always giving me the experience of such an intense connection to her characters as their lives leap off of the pages of my Kindle and touch my heart.
Griselda and Holden spent their lives at a young age in the foster system after the loss of their parents/family, ultimately living together in the same home. But when they are suddenly abducted, they end up spending three years being held captive together and both being abused. As they begin to fear for their lives, they finally make the decision to attempt an escape never anticipating that one of them will ultimately be unable to get away.
Having spent the last ten years never giving up hope of seeing Holden again, Griselda unexpectedly finds him in a situation she never anticipated. From the moment they reconnect, the chemistry and deep connection they shared as children which had intertwined their hearts once more awakens their souls as adults never having been broken despite their separation and the passage of years. When they decide to disappear from the lives they have been living to get to know each other again, their mutual physical craving skyrockets out of control finally leading them to the relationship they had never shared in their youth. Now as they begin to rediscover each other and learn how they have each spent their lives while separated, they both struggle to understand the individual decisions they ultimately made. Will Griselda and Holden be able to overcome those choices and learn to let go of the past to finally find their happily ever after and build the life together they had always dreamed of?
Through this story, my emotions ran the gamut from laughter to heartbreak. The unfaltering and never-ending love shared between Griselda and Holden despite some of the obstacles they must face is deeply touching, and their intense passion for one another practically shot sparks off of the pages. As I now sit here writing this review reliving their story in my mind, it brings tears to my eyes and a soreness and lump in my throat while simultaneously leaving me with a smile on my face as I recall the tender moments and overwhelming love Gris and Holden shared. This is an absolutely incredible story proving that despite the hurt and pain suffered in the past, the strength that can grow from within (both individually as well as together) can lead down a path towards the undying love that developed from an early age which becomes even stronger and guides them towards an everlasting connection unable to be broken.
I applaud Ms. Regnery for this outstanding and remarkable story. I wish she could have seen me as I read the final words delivering to her a standing ovation for Never Let Me Go. Such a spectacular novel this is, and I have again fallen in love with Katy’s characters and was sad to have to say goodbye. There were definitely countless times that I found myself wanting to read faster just so I could know how the story ends, while at the same time wanting it to go on forever as I didn’t want to let them go.
Never Let You Go is a modern day fairytale, the newest from one of my favorite authors Katy Regnery. Although this story is edgier than Katy’s other novels, I can still feel her presence through the writing never doubting that this is definitely one of her stories. The emotions she makes me feel while reading her books is indescribable always giving me the experience of such an intense connection to her characters as their lives leap off of the pages of my Kindle and touch my heart.
Griselda and Holden spent their lives at a young age in the foster system after the loss of their parents/family, ultimately living together in the same home. But when they are suddenly abducted, they end up spending three years being held captive together and both being abused. As they begin to fear for their lives, they finally make the decision to attempt an escape never anticipating that one of them will ultimately be unable to get away.
Having spent the last ten years never giving up hope of seeing Holden again, Griselda unexpectedly finds him in a situation she never anticipated. From the moment they reconnect, the chemistry and deep connection they shared as children which had intertwined their hearts once more awakens their souls as adults never having been broken despite their separation and the passage of years. When they decide to disappear from the lives they have been living to get to know each other again, their mutual physical craving skyrockets out of control finally leading them to the relationship they had never shared in their youth. Now as they begin to rediscover each other and learn how they have each spent their lives while separated, they both struggle to understand the individual decisions they ultimately made. Will Griselda and Holden be able to overcome those choices and learn to let go of the past to finally find their happily ever after and build the life together they had always dreamed of?
Through this story, my emotions ran the gamut from laughter to heartbreak. The unfaltering and never-ending love shared between Griselda and Holden despite some of the obstacles they must face is deeply touching, and their intense passion for one another practically shot sparks off of the pages. As I now sit here writing this review reliving their story in my mind, it brings tears to my eyes and a soreness and lump in my throat while simultaneously leaving me with a smile on my face as I recall the tender moments and overwhelming love Gris and Holden shared. This is an absolutely incredible story proving that despite the hurt and pain suffered in the past, the strength that can grow from within (both individually as well as together) can lead down a path towards the undying love that developed from an early age which becomes even stronger and guides them towards an everlasting connection unable to be broken.
I applaud Ms. Regnery for this outstanding and remarkable story. I wish she could have seen me as I read the final words delivering to her a standing ovation for Never Let Me Go. Such a spectacular novel this is, and I have again fallen in love with Katy’s characters and was sad to have to say goodbye. There were definitely countless times that I found myself wanting to read faster just so I could know how the story ends, while at the same time wanting it to go on forever as I didn’t want to let them go.
January 6, 2016
Jaime's Review
This book was so different from anything else that Katy has written, except for the fact that the it's the purest kind of romance that I've come to expect from her.
This book gutted me and then it slowly built me right back up, only to be knocked right back again. Fear not HEA lovers, it all comes back around in the best kind of way. Proving that real, true love built on honesty, strength and hope endures all.
Griselda is the epitome of strength and perseverance. Other than punishing herself by staying with Jonah to make up for what she felt she did wrong in the past, she never gave up fighting, if not for herself then for Holden. Despite everything she's been through in the past her one focus always remained to find Holden again.
Holden is everything you'd expect in a broken man who has gone through everything he's has. First losing his family as a young child and then losing the only person he ever thought he could have a family with, it's not surprising how he chooses to live his adult life. Fighting lets him get out his anger and it's empowering to know that this time, he's in charge of the outcome. Sleeping around with nameless faces lets him try to forget what he's lost and to pretend that instead it's her underneath him. On the outside Holden seems like a bit of a jerk who cares about nobody and nothing but on the inside he's still just a lost teenager trying to find his way.
Separately Gris and Holden are broken and battered with only memories to help them get by. Together they are complete. But complete doesn't mean their life together is perfect. When they finally find each again, the reunion is perfect. The emotions you'll feel when they reconnect are truly powerful, but at the same time, everything isn't just magically perfect. It's an emotional and happy moment but it's also a bit awkward and heartbreaking. Left alone in their own world for a few weeks their love comes back full force but slowly and safely. It's only when they finally seemed to find their bearings that life decides to test them again.
Once again Gris and Holden are being torn apart but this time they have choices and decisions to make. Gris continues to be he strong one making the decision that feels right for Holden. Meanwhile Holden becomes the driven and focused one, following Gris' lead he lets her go but with full intentions of fighting his way back to her.
Stumbling block after stumbling block Gris and Holden hold onto the fact that they always find each other again because their love is that strong and special. Even apart the thought of the other helps each of hem grow into the people they want to be for each other.
There are so many symbols in this book that connect them together and you'll feel so connected to them that, if you're like me, you'll find yourself repeating their words of encouragement to each other.
Their journey is long and emotional. A love so powerful you'll find yourself holding on to the letters right along with them. This story even has some things that I hate in a romance but to be true to their story those things are exactly what needed to happen to complete their story and to make this exactly what a romance is supposed to be.
Staying true to her tag line, this book is a little bit heat, a little bit sweet with a whole lot of HEA, but this time there is also a little bit of darkness and angst done well. Katy Regnery never disappoints and I can't wait to see her modern take on fairy tales.
*I received an ARC from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review
This book was so different from anything else that Katy has written, except for the fact that the it's the purest kind of romance that I've come to expect from her.
This book gutted me and then it slowly built me right back up, only to be knocked right back again. Fear not HEA lovers, it all comes back around in the best kind of way. Proving that real, true love built on honesty, strength and hope endures all.
Griselda is the epitome of strength and perseverance. Other than punishing herself by staying with Jonah to make up for what she felt she did wrong in the past, she never gave up fighting, if not for herself then for Holden. Despite everything she's been through in the past her one focus always remained to find Holden again.
Holden is everything you'd expect in a broken man who has gone through everything he's has. First losing his family as a young child and then losing the only person he ever thought he could have a family with, it's not surprising how he chooses to live his adult life. Fighting lets him get out his anger and it's empowering to know that this time, he's in charge of the outcome. Sleeping around with nameless faces lets him try to forget what he's lost and to pretend that instead it's her underneath him. On the outside Holden seems like a bit of a jerk who cares about nobody and nothing but on the inside he's still just a lost teenager trying to find his way.
Separately Gris and Holden are broken and battered with only memories to help them get by. Together they are complete. But complete doesn't mean their life together is perfect. When they finally find each again, the reunion is perfect. The emotions you'll feel when they reconnect are truly powerful, but at the same time, everything isn't just magically perfect. It's an emotional and happy moment but it's also a bit awkward and heartbreaking. Left alone in their own world for a few weeks their love comes back full force but slowly and safely. It's only when they finally seemed to find their bearings that life decides to test them again.
Once again Gris and Holden are being torn apart but this time they have choices and decisions to make. Gris continues to be he strong one making the decision that feels right for Holden. Meanwhile Holden becomes the driven and focused one, following Gris' lead he lets her go but with full intentions of fighting his way back to her.
Stumbling block after stumbling block Gris and Holden hold onto the fact that they always find each other again because their love is that strong and special. Even apart the thought of the other helps each of hem grow into the people they want to be for each other.
There are so many symbols in this book that connect them together and you'll feel so connected to them that, if you're like me, you'll find yourself repeating their words of encouragement to each other.
Their journey is long and emotional. A love so powerful you'll find yourself holding on to the letters right along with them. This story even has some things that I hate in a romance but to be true to their story those things are exactly what needed to happen to complete their story and to make this exactly what a romance is supposed to be.
Staying true to her tag line, this book is a little bit heat, a little bit sweet with a whole lot of HEA, but this time there is also a little bit of darkness and angst done well. Katy Regnery never disappoints and I can't wait to see her modern take on fairy tales.
*I received an ARC from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review
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