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

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Imagine what it’s like dating. I’ve had relationships. I’ve been in love. But I also appreciate it’s difficult for the other person. When talking to potentials online, I dread making the announcement. But then that can create a horrifying lead-up where I declare that there is something so awful about me I need to tell them, that when I do, they’re usually just relieved I’m not a convicted killer. The catch-22 is that being with someone helps. I feel safer with a person I trust and love; someone who would be there for me if I collapsed in M&S, which in turn would reassure me that I wouldn’t collapse in M&S. A thoughtful, beautifully written book about grief, and ordinary people being thrown into extraordinary circumstances. Unusual and compelling, with just a touch of humour. Loved it -- Catherine Cooper author of The Chalet and The Cruise I think that this book would make an excellent reading group choice. There is so much food for debate not least Janet’s decisions, her marriage and her choices.. Janet felt so broken that I just wanted to wrap a blanket around her and whisk her away! She is married to Colin who made my skin crawl, I can’t remember the last time I physically felt consistently repulsed by a character to this degree and I wish I could give you spoilers of the ending but I won’t don’t worry🤣

If I Let you Go is the story of Janet who lives with husband Colin. They lost their daughter Claire as a child..Janet throws herself into her cleaning job; Colin blames Janet for what happened to Claire..Their marriage is unhappy. Colin is controlling and this and Janet’s grief trap her into a situation of deep misery…And then there is a train crash..A genuine and honest story about love and loss, with a darkly funny streak that reminds us just how strange life really is. If I Let You Go is a story that quietly worms its way under your skin, gradually revealing the details of its protagonist’s life. This book tells the tale of Janet, a woman who is coming to terms with loss and trying the navigate the way out of her trapped life. It’s a slow thriller with fantastic characters and wonderfully easy to read. read #readreadread #readersgonnaread #reading #reader #readingcorner #readmorebooks #readstagram #readersofig #ifiletyougo

Until the anniversary of Claires death when Janet rebels against Colin with tragic consequences when Janet is involved in an accident that has her hailed a hero. Janet believes she has been redeemed for Claires death, but as she becomes well known for her heroic act, she starts to remember what really happened that night. The characterisation in this book was absolutely fabulous, every character was so well developed and well rounded. I loved that there was such a wide range of characters in there too, Mary was such an annoying nosy neighbour. I adored Janet and she just seemed like such a lovely woman. She is a character I will think about for a long time. I really disliked Colin throughout and hated the fact that he was constantly punishing her for what had happened to their daughter. bookshelf #bookshelflove #booklove #bookishlove #bookish #booktok The writing is crisp and edgy. The characters are anxious, tormented, and flawed. And the plot is a tense, unpredictable tale full of twists, turns, revelations, insecurities, deception, grief, manipulation, lies, and tragedy. Janet is such a great and relatable character - flawed & struggling but so much more than she initially believes herself to be.It is both heartbreaking and hopeful - Charlotte writes the most stunning prose and her character observations are both darkly humorous and incredibly insightful. I loved it!" - Nikki Smith This is the story of Janet Brown, a woman weighed down by guilt and grief, whose small world revolves around her cleaning job, her elderly father in his care home, and controlling husband Colin. She is wholly subservient to Colin, who dictates her every move. It’s a sad little life, but no more than Janet deserves; the penance she pays for the tragic mistake of eleven years ago. We meet Janet on what would have been the 18th birthday of her daughter, Claire, who died in a tragic car accident 11 years earlier. Janet blames herself and so does her husband, Colin. If I Let You Go is as scrumptious as it gets: lusciously lyrical prose wrapped around an irresistible protagonist, amid alternating layers of intrigue and humor. I DEVOURED it!

Simultaneously tragic and uplifting. And I have to say at times funny. Charlotte Levin is SUCH a clever writer . . . A magnificent read." - Ruth JonesJanet Brown works as a cleaner and she’s a very good one too as she finds gleaming surfaces calming. She’s married to Colin, who seems to punish her for any minor infraction as he sees it. One evening, she’s had as much as she can take and she makes a break for it channelling her inner Thelma or Louise. What follows on has far-reaching consequences she could not have foreseen as things utterly spiral out of control. There is no doubt in my mind that Charlotte could be the next “Mistress of Misery” or “Dame of Dysfunction” because she creates the most incredible characters and puts them in situations that make my sphincter clench!! With each of her books, I read with an overwhelming feeling of dread and discomfort and this is exactly how I like to feel when reading psychological thrillers. Tremendously powerful. Nobody writes quite like Charlotte Levin. It's at once uplifting and heartbreaking; excruciating and inspiring. She captures the essence of her characters like no other writer I know. A brilliant achievement. -- Emma Christie, bestselling author of Find Her First and The Silent Daughter Utterly gripping, almost unbearably poignant yet warm, wise and full of hope - a story I'll remember for a long time. -- Frances Quinn bestselling author of The Smallest Man