Charlotte Levin has only written two novels and her previous book, If I Can't Have You, was one of my favourite books of 2020.
While her first book was more a thriller, this is a very subtle but beautifully written story of an average woman who is dealing with the grief of having lost her daughter at 7 years of age while she was driving, even though it wasn't her fault. Her controlling husband has never forgiven her (neither has she) and 11 years later on her daughter's would be 18th birthday she finds herself involved in a train accident where an eight year old girl is saved from almost certain death.
This is not a page-turning thriller, rather a stunning character study of the grief of a mother who loses a young child and gets caught up in an expanding web of deceit while trying to please everyone else and denying her own needs.

I'm probably one of the last readers who hasn't read If I Can't Have You yet. Everyone tells me it's a great book so I couldn't resist the chance to jump in and read this one.

Janet lives in a loveless marriage with an unpleasant husband, her life lived in the shadow of grief from loosing her daughter eleven year ago.

Her actions following a train crash cast her into the spotlight, but how will this unloved and downtrodden character cope with the adulation and pressure?

It hooks immediately and weaves a strong and involving plot.

This is a rich and deep character driven story. The character writing is exquisite, Janet's grief, self doubt and anxious overthinking are enchantingly real and believable.

From early on I was thinking 'This is what I want to read! Real, believable and emotionally involving characters'.

I really can't fault it for what it is, definitely recommended and really quite different.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan MacMillan

I loved Charlotte Levin's first book and have been waiting for a second - this did not disappoint!

Janet plods through life carrying the pain of unimaginable loss. She goes to work, visits her dad and returns home to her husband day after day, living a sad and predictable life.
The death of her daughter 11 years earlier has left Janet with an unbearable amount of grief and guilt, which is fuelled by her husband Colin who makes very clear he blames Janet for Claires death. Janet's relationship with Colin is nothing short of abusive, controlling her and coercing her into doing whatever he wants. She has nothing and nobody but him, which is just how he likes it.
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.

Amazing, emotional, heart-rending character driven, fantastic.

This was my first Charlotte Levin book and I was expecting great things given the other reviews I’d read.

At first, I was a tad lost. I wasn’t quite sure what I was reading, it was a bit ambiguous and I wasn’t sure it would be for me. But that doesn’t last long. Very quickly, things kick off and I was thoroughly swept up in it all.

I loved Janet. She’s a bit….unique, but I thought she lovely. Whereas Mary and Colin, I did not like. Always trying to be the main character, pushing Janet aside. They were well written, as were the likes of Mia and Molly etc. but Janet stole every scene. She’s a bit timid, insular, controlled, under-the-thumb, precise, organised, structured, lonely. But she has this power, this self belief, determination, honesty and strength that you can tell hasn’t been used for so long, it’s like she’s forgotten how to be that woman. There’s obviously something happening underneath that’s itching to get out.

I liked her description of grief and child loss that Janet goes through. It’s not overly mushy, or overly grim, but it’s this nice balance of reality. Always grieving but learning to move on, a balance that’s hard for anyone grieving to really explain.

I was impressed by Charlotte’s ability to merge happiness and sadness, laughter and tears, within the same paragraph.

It’s a thriller, but not a fast-paced one. It’s not all murder and chasing and fleeing and terror. It’s more slow paced. It feels claustrophobic sometimes, like you’re alongside Janet for the ride, unsure of where to turn or who to believe.

A style that’s more familiar to movies and TV shows, I like how she uses the weather to show the mood (otherwise known as pathetic fallacy). When Janet is sad or stressed, it rains. When she’s feeling perkier, the sun is shine and she’s hot. It’s not always easy to get across in a book but it’s well used here.

For me, this is definitely character focussed as opposed to plot, which I like. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a great storyline, but it’s her depictions of the characters and their emotions and relationships that shine for me.

When I first read it, I wasn’t sure if I liked the ending or not (I won’t give it away). It’s not all wrapped up neatly for you, there are things left to the reader’s discretion. You don’t feel shortchanged but you’re allowed to finish the story.

It’s definitely a good book to start with if you haven’t read her before.

I loved Charlotte's first book and was keen to read this one. I constantly felt sorry for the character of Janet, trapped in a downtrodden life, bearing guilt for something that was not her fault. Like all of us would, she saw an opportunity and took it, spiralling into a lie that became almost impossible to bear. Great characters, even the ones I didn't like! Excellent plot and I could really feel Janet's crushing guilt throughout.

Another amazing book by this Author! I absolutely loved this one. Janet was such a likeable character. Lots of serious topics mixed with some humour. I cannot wait to see what this author comes up with next

Poor Janet. This seems such a trite thing to say given the huge events of the story but I just felt so sad for her. She was so relatable, I could completely see how she got herself in such a pickle at the beginning. And as we find out more about her history she is such a tragic character, but she still keeps putting one foot in front of the other and tries to keep going. Colin is despicable, and very well drawn. For such a sad story there are little glimmers of hope and love and friendship which were welcomed.

I really enjoy Charlotte Levin’s writing style, she has such an effortless flow that it’s easy to read for far longer than I planned each night. I look forward to more of her books in future.

Although Charlotte Levin has only published two books she is one of my favourite authors. Her debut novel is one of my all time favourite books and so when I heard she had written a second book, I knew I had to read it. If I Let You Go does not disappoint. Just like If I Can't Have You this is a page-turning, I can't put it down sort of book. The characters are written so well and are so rounded you feel like you are there and you feel everything the characters do. The writing is on another level, the descriptions of feelings are exquisite. It's so good. I don't know what else to say. So clever, so brilliant, just read it!

The descriptions at the very start immersed me into the story immediately.
Janet is a complicated character, and the story follows her closely with lots of intrigue.
Full of atmosphere and tension which is maintained throughout.

Suspenseful.

Beautifully written with a storyline that gripped me and didn't let go. I couldn't put it down and I didn't want to. A great read.

4 - 5 stars

Janet 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.

Wow, this is such a powerful and beautifully written character driven novel with a portrait of Janet so sympathetically and carefully portrayed. It’s a poignant and very moving novel as via the short focused chapters we get clarity on how the couple arrive at the destination which kicks off the events and view the stasis of a life. The characterisation is superbly incisive as we get a portrait of fractured lives and relationship.

I love Janet, she is brave, gutsy and caring she does not get everything right but she has the courage to put the one foot in front of the other. You feel the anxiety that situations induce in her yet she also has humour even if it’s the self deprecating kind. For a while events really transform her in a chrysalis to a butterfly way but then things change and become a bit mysterious. She’s in a big hole with nothing to dig herself out with and then there’s the building dread of Colin. As for him, well, you’ll just have to meet him and decide for yourself!

This is an immersive novel and I enjoy how the author matches the weather to moods to highlight situations. I love the ending, it feels absolutely right.

If you like character driven novels then I recommend you meet Janet.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan McMillan for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

The perfect book for a rainy weekend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

If I Let You Go is Levin's second novel and it is told from third person. It is more of a general fiction novel so a departure from Levin's first novel. The story follows Janet who is coming to terms with a loss. Janet Brown works at some cleaning offices. Janet finds the cleanliness calms her. Janet carries a lot of guilt from something that happened years ago but then she ends up in a train crash. Janet has some secrets, and her story is far from simple. The writing of this novel was really good, it flowed really well and had a lot of personality. I loved Levin's first novel and this one was quite different. I did like this story, but it does have some heavy topics and there is a sense of foreboding about it. This is a deeply human story and I do think people will emotionally connect with this. Overall, I would recommend this especially if you love human stories with a lot of heart. 3.5 stars rounded to a 4.

What a beautifully written book! I was gripped from the start, it was compulsively readable! I really felt like I was there. Very atmospheric

just. stunning. Prose so beautiful, so intricate. so emotive that it made me gasp. The most wonderful characterisation in Janet - such a flawed, tormented, soulful creature that I could not help but root for. I was wondering how Charlotte would follow her triumph of a debut, and my gosh, she has somehow delivered. Exquisite.