I have to admit that I struggled with this book for the first half - there are some strong themes in there, of miscarriage and abuse, that are really hard to read about.

However, I kept going, and I was glad that I did! The second half of the book is packed full of twists and turns. You think you know what's going on, and then bam!

Although this is a gritty read, it is well worth it for the conclusion, and will certainly divide opinion about one of the main characters!

Even though this book had everything I usually go for in a book I have to say I was actually quite disappointed. Most definitely did not live up to expectations.

I really didn’t like this! I am clearly one of those readers that likes a bit of Disney in a book! I found it bizarre that the kind of people we meet in this book are actually meant to be believable! It was dark, dark, dark, miserable and repetitive! I hate to slam debut novels, and judging by the reviews, loads of people really rated it! My advice - never go there!

Never go there is a good one for all those who like an addicting dark thriller. Emphasis on dark, this one isn't a happy story! Really enjoyed the style of writing and will be looking out for future books by Rebecca.

Based on other reviews, I expected to love this book. A dark mystery thriller with a shocking turn - what’s not to love?! But I hated it. I know hate is a strong word but I had to check 4 times that I was reading the same book with all the glowing reviews.
It follows Nuala and Emma, the wife and the (for the sake of no spoilers) ex-girlfriend and the mystery surrounding the husband.

Set in a small village in Somerset but portrayed as if it were based in the wilds of an undiscovered land. Everyone was described so inhumanely as if living in a small village was to blame. The dirty people, lack of education and criminal goings on were almost blamed upon it being a small village in Somerset as if London is the centre of the world and everything else a bit savage.

Three quarters of the book were written from the standpoint of Nuala and Emma and almost glorified domestic and mental abuse. ‘He said I’m an idiot, so I am an idiot’ repeated over and over and over again. I just sincerely hope no one who has suffered at the hands of domestic and mental abuse reads this. The constant repetition of the deplorable husbands vile words grated on me. There was no purpose for it, no redeeming features for any character.

This book was constant misery, it was dirty and dank and it left me needing a hot shower.

I was so excited when I got accepted for an arc of this book. I’d seen lots of reviews already, each raving about the massive twist at the end. So,as soon as I downloaded it, I couldn’t wait to start.

I was actually quite disappointed. I hate to say it but it just didn’t live up to what I expected.

Yeah, there were some twists I didn’t see coming. But the one at the end I guessed.

I felt it was very dark. Which is fine. And it may just be me but I tend to like a little light with the dark. A little humour. Anything. But this is just dark from start to finish.

The author does describe everything in a way that makes you able to visualise,smell etc exactly what she is describing. But I also felt her writing was overly repetitive at times too. There is only so many times I can read the same sentence over and over again in one paragraph before I’m gonna lose interest.

I do understand that so many people love this book so I really do hold my hands up and say this is just my opinion and maybe the book just isn’t for me so don’t let this put you off it. Give it a go and decide for yourself.

I received an arc of this book from the author and publisher via NetGalley bit this has in no way influenced my review or opinions of this book. (As you can tell...)

James tells wife Nuala never to go to his village, but after he dies, she goes there - of course she does! Instead of a pretty, chocolate box village with nice people, she finds herself in the back of beyond, with some quite peculiar inhabitants. Not a feel good kind of story, it’s actually quite depressing and no one comes out of it well. Intriguing, shocking and bleak - the sort of book you are glad to finish, but what a debut!

I received a copy of Never Go There in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to netgalley.

What if you found out that you'd been married to a stranger?

Nuala and James had the perfect relationship.
They were young and in love, and so Nuala never questioned why James forbade her from contacting his family... and why he told her never, ever to visit the place he was from.

But now James is dead and Nuala is alone, without the husband she worshipped.
Grieving and desperate, she decides to ignore his warning.

Nuala is about to find out that some secrets are better left buried.
And that uncovering the dark truth about the man she married will have terrible consequences...I enjoyed this book, great idea for a book. Well written and covered the characters back story in detail and pieced together you got to the How's and Why's of peoples actions in this novel.

Many twists and turns that you don't see coming. Had me hooked and reading long into the night.

Highly recommended and give it a full five stars.

When I read other reviews about this book, just now, I can't believe it is the one I read! My reviews are always honest and therefore some are bad. This is a dreadfully dark and depressing book. I didn't like any of the characters and the village was a place that time forgot. The storyline was easily guessed which made for a predictable, unremarkable plot.

Good read with new secrets revealed at every turn, enjoyed reading and would recommend!

After his death, Nuala decides to visit her husband James's childhood home, even though he told her repeatedly to Never Go There. What she finds there is a hotbed of seething anger, resentment, and worse.

Now, I like dark and twisty, but I felt tainted after reading this, and there were a couple of points where I almost stopped reading due to the subject matter. Overall, it is a well-written book with twists and turns, and the ending is fairly good too but I didn't enjoy reading it. That's just my personal view and many other reviewers loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers, Hodder & Stoughton, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

An interesting read, but I didn't find the characters particularly believable, and there seemed to be too many occasions when one of them felt obliged to repeat what had previously happened in the story.

I really loved this book! Excellent story with brilliant main characters. I would recommend this book.

I really really enjoyed this book, it kept me guessing which is always a good thing. I also doubted my own judgement even though I'd guessed right I kept thinking I was wrong. I enjoyed the style of writing and it had just the right amount of detail. It kept m up until late last night so I could finish it. The ending really shocked me if I'm honest, even though I'd guessed the plot right the outcome was totally unexpected. It's a shocker alright

What if you found out that you'd been married to a stranger?

Nuala knows nothing of her husband James's past. He made her swear that she would never contact his family and never, EVER visit the place he was from.

But now James is dead, and Nuala is alone. Grieving and desperate, she decides to ignore his warning.
Nuala is about to find out that some secrets are better left buried - and that uncovering the truth about the man she married will have terrible consequences...

I read this book in one sitting! I couldn’t put it down! For a debut novel it’s brilliant! I didn’t see that coming! And all these exclamation marks! I would highly recommend this book. I can’t wait to read more from this author. 5*

Despite being a lover of psychological thrillers I found this a little too dark for me. A truly despicable line-up of characters - not one enduring one. A story set recently and seven years ago. They are cleverly and slowly drawn out to meet with the conclusion but there really are some creepy and disturbing sagas getting there. A good twisty ending.

When I first started reading this book, I found it a bit hard to get into it properly. I thought that the characters were a bit flat and, well, annoying. That didn't change much as the story unraveled, but the plot itself got a lot more captivating. There were a lot of twists and turns, some expected, some catching me off guard.

Overall I'd say that even though it started off slow, as I kept reading I enjoyed it more and more. I would recommend this book if you're into twisty thrillers.

A one sitting read. Clear the calendar to read this one.

Suspenseful and a read that will have go holding your breath. A great plot, with lots of twists and turns and a surprising ending. Didn’t see that ending!

The characters are not easy to relate to, but it doesn’t detract from the story.

A great read got those who enjoy suspenseful thrillers. Thank you to Hodder and Stroughton and Rebecca Tinnelly for the arc.

When Nuala's husband dies she travels to the town he grew up in to find out about his past. The idea of the plot was good. I found it hard to relate to the characters. It was hard to like them and find empathy with them. The twist at the end was good. It was a shock and a clever way to end it.

When her husband James dies Nuala is devastated, her entire life revolved around her marriage and making herself perfect for the man of her dreams. However, when she decides to visit his home town, a place he has always asked her to never visit she learns more about his dark past than she ever wanted to find out.

Never Go There is a psychological thriller with a lot of twists and turns. As much as I absolutely hate books telling me what to think about them in their title, the end twist did actually shock me, just as it promised that it would. I thought a lot of the book was very well written – the descriptions of the village and the portrayal of depression and loneliness were absolutely beautiful in places. The depiction of manipulation by several characters was also very well done, and you did feel genuine hatred towards some of the men for their actions. That said, it did feel a bit much in places – a bit too melodramatic and depressing – no-one seemed to have a positive outlook on anything and a lot of the characters were very similar in their attitudes and coping techniques. Although you felt hatred towards the men, you didn’t really feel any genuine sympathy or emotion for the female characters, you just wanted them to get over their sadness and move on.

The first chapter I found a bit of a vague introduction that almost put me off the book, as two women fight but neither are described or identified. I understand it’s a big scene later in the book and anything identifying them would give everything away but having the first chapter with a lot of ‘this woman did that to the other woman’ constantly being used wasn’t the best introduction to the story. Although I enjoyed the twist at the end I did think that it threw a few other parts of the book into question rather than resolving everything – as if the twist had been created for shock value rather than being worked into the plot properly. I also thought that the chapter headings of whose perspective the chapter is in was unnecessary and should have just been worked into the chapter itself without the need to be explicitly stated.

Overall I enjoyed Never Go There as a twisty, psychological thriller but found it quite depressing in places with characters I found hard to sympathise with. Although there is a great twist ending, it’s perhaps best to not look into it too hard or other parts of the book start to fall apart. Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a copy of the ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.