Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
Janet clearly has a miserable life, one of her work colleagues is friendly but she has no real friends due to her controlling husband, Colin. There's a mystery around the death of her daughter, Claire, although Colin blames Janet. Janet has the opportunity to become a heroine and minor celebrity due to the reports of her actions following a train crash. I read half of the book and that's all that has happened in the unremitting boredom of minutiae - we're even told that Janet goes to the toilet before they are due to leave for London. I gave up at that point, and reading other reviews about the 'non-ending' I'm glad I did.

Oh Janet, Janet, Janet! If I Let You Go is a classic example of "Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!" (Sir Walter Scott, 1808).

The heroic tales of her actions during a train crash catapult downtrodden Janet Brown into the eyes of the world as she is heralded as a modern day wonder woman, elevating her from her frankly awful life and allowing her to briefly glimpse a a desirable future for herself.

Charlotte Levin explores some weighty subjects within the pages of this book, tackling both grief and domestic abuse without shying away from their devastating impact.

I was torn between sympathy for Janet, and sheer frustration at her acquiescence and seeming willingness to lead herself deeper into hot water.

A clever and dark emotional tale that had me hooked - my thanks to the author, NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I love a novel centred around its characters and this is exactly what it is, From the very beginning, we meet Janet going about what seems a normal day - on her way back from her cleaning job, visiting her elderly father in his care home, buying a small gift for her daughter on her birthday, heading home to her husband. As she does this, the atmosphere changes and it becomes charged with negative energy under the reader's eyes. This is not a normal marriage at all, and Colin is another character who is depicted so well, revealing himself as an abusive husband in front of our eyes. We find out that Janet's daughter is also alive only in her soul, with a room kept intact as it was 11 years when she tragically died. From here, events unfold and Janet's life changes forever. This is not an action packed story and it can feel slow at times - but this only gives it an extra layer of authenticity. In addition to the ARC, I purchased the audiobook which is beautifully narrated by Maxine Peake.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

This is a beautiful written character driven novel. It’s a very moving book. The characters are well developed.

This is not something i would usually read. However i enjoy giving books outside my usual reads a chance to recommend to loved ones in my life. This will be one of those reads!

Janet enjoys her job as a cleaner but is married to a controlled and abusive husband. You learn how the couple deal with grief in the years following the death of their only daughter, and follow the story of Janet as she is involved in a train crash. It was a decent read overall, and very emotional in places, but also somewhat predictable.

I gave five stars to the author's debut novel, If I Can't Have You, describing it as 'a beautifully constructed and highly original story. Does her second book measure up to the first? Without a shadow of a doubt.
This time we enter the life of Janet, devastated by loss and grief. Her less-than-supportive husband, Colin — how I loathed that man — is a needle of pain in her side.
When another shocking event leads Janet on a journey of possible redemption, my heart went out to her. Especially when all is not as it seems and she is quickly caught up in a web of lies.
So many stand-out lines, vivid and jagged imagery and a liberal lacing of dark humour.

Dirt erased; surfaces shined. All the things we can't do with our souls can be achieved elsewhere with a damp cloth and some Cillit Bang.
For such an honest person, lies slide from her tongue like satin.
With each nice comment, each word of praise, more bricks are added.
Janet repeats (the words) over and over in her head. Each time, endorphins release like a puff from one of her air fresheners.
The author writes with consummate skill, balancing the harrowing with the mundane, keeping the reader guessing throughout.
The ending may be ambiguous, but for me it hit just the right note. Another memorable read from a writer who deserves all the accolades. Highly recommended.

This book is so well written that I persevered, despite there not being any likeable characters in the whole story. It’s just too morbid and there’s no redeeming features throughout. I’m sorry to say, it’s not for me but perhaps the author has the potential to produce an exceptional story with a more positive/uplifting narrative. My thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review the book. I only wish my review could be more positive.

it took me a long time to get into this book and i ended up putting it to one side and coming back to it many months later. i think perhaps i was in a bit of a reading slump as this time i picked it up i raced through it and found it very enjoyable. I did still think the beginning of the book was a little slow for my liking.

This is a pacey, dark and engaging novel with so many twists and turns to keep you guessing. I really enjoyed Charlotte’s first novel and the dark, complex characters she weaves. Janet is no exception. The depiction of her awful relationship with Colin is a masterpiece in setting out the way that women can remain trapped in abusive situations. I really like the way that Charlotte has built a flawed and complex heroine and the novel doesn’t shy away from the difficulties, mistakes and contradictions of human behaviour. A fully recommend this book and I am very excited to see what Charlotte produces next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for the opportunity to review this book.

I loved Charlotte Levin debut novel so I was extremely excited to sink my teeth into this novel. I was gripped from the first page. This story did not disappoint.

What an exquisite read. I loved Charlotte’s debut but this was even better. You can see how she has brought the story to life. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Charlotte is an exceptional author. I'm afraid I wasn't able to finish this novel by the archive date, but plan to purchase and read at some point soon. It's no reflection on the writing - more on my workload. Apologies to Charlotte and publisher.

If I Let You Go follows Janet Brown, a woman who lost her daughter in an accident and who lives with unbearable guilt as a result. Colin, her husband blames her for their daughter's death. It’s a fast paced, character- driven, complex and dark tale and it didn’t disappoint. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Pan Macmillan, Mantle via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This was a very gripping and intense story. I absolutely loved Janet and my heart broke for her again and again. Would definitely recommend.

If I Let You Go by Charlotte Levin is a deeply moving and gripping portrayal of a woman coming to terms with loss.Thank you for this advanced copy which was a great read, I had trouble putting this down! I liked the way it was written and it made for an easy read. I would definitely recommend and look forward to reading another book by this author! A stunner!

If I let you go is a story from Charlotte Levin that will put you through the emotional wringer. Janet's life is very small, she cleans offices, comes home to her emotionally closed down husband who rules the house, and watches the same tv shows again and again. She's mourning the loss of her daughter but her husband doesnt like that she's still grieving and tries to put a stop to it
One day she's in a train crash and finds a way to change someone's life for the better as a result -but opening herself up to others will mean addressing those hurts from the past.

I did enjoy this book and take it as a good sign that I couldn't wait until the end to see what happened! Janet is married to Colin, works as a cleaner and is a quiet, shy person who takes what life throws at her. But Janet has suffered a tragedy in her life and is still struggling with her part in this. At times I wanted Janet to get a grip even though I felt sorry for her and liked her as a character. However, her life isn't made any easier having to live with her coercive, controlling husband who I really wanted to strangle! There is such empathy in this book and so many emotions when events happen that carry Janet along. At times, it did make me cry and I salute the author to bring about such a range of emotions. A very empathetic but wortwhile read.

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!

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.

When Janet is offered the chance of redemption, she grasps it with both hands, graciously accepting her unexpected elevation from insignificance to celebrity in the wake of her heroic rescue of a little girl in a train crash. All is not as it seems, however. And as Janet’s memory of the crash returns, she finds herself caught in a frightening spiral from which there seems no escape.

If you’re a fan of Joanna Cannon, then you will fall in love with Charlotte Levin. There are many similarities between the two, not least the masterful use of language. Levin’s writing is stirringly evocative, perfectly framing the repetitive mediocrity of Janet’s life and her inner turmoil — and secret joy — as it takes its surprising turn.

I loved the compulsive ebb and flow of the narrative, the highs and lows of Janet’s journey. Her transformation from a cowed, colorless individual into a women wholly alive for the first time in years. This blossoming then crushed by her anguish as the truth unfolds.

The story embraces some difficult topics — loss, grief, guilt, blame — but Levin handles them with the utmost sensitivity. I even found some sympathy for Colin, who at the end of the day was also a victim. But it was Janet I cared and rooted for.

As for the ending, it couldn’t have been more perfect; quietly teasing before finishing on the gentlest, most satisfying of flourishes.

I absolutely adored Charlotte’s debut novel If I Can’t Have You (see my full review here) so I was really excited to read her second standalone book If I Let You Go which is out now. Despite the very similar covers and titles, both books are standalone stories and have nothing to do with each other, so you can read them in any order.

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.

The book description above has told you a little about the book premise. Janet Brown works as a cleaner. She lives with her husband who won’t be winning any “husband of the year” awards and she’s still grieving an unimaginable loss eleven years ago.

After a night out drinking with her friends she wakes up the next day in hospital having survived a horrific train crash and saved the life of a little girl but with no memory of the event. Thrust into the public eye and seen as a heroine, Janet slowly starts to regain memories of that night and it’s not quite what everyone is led to believe.

Another thoroughly thrilling, twisted tale which kept me glued to the pages.