This was a really compulsive read. Although parts of the subject matter were sad, I did enjoy it a lot. ( )

“Before I Let You Go” is a heartbreaking story about two sisters whose lives are forever changed by their father’s death. Having been raised in a religious sect, their mother returns to her roots after his passing, bringing along Lexie and Annie to rejoin the conservative world from which she came. Forced to try and adapt to a culture that is different from what they’re used to, Lexie conforms. Annie rebels, and in the wake of that rebellion comes life-altering trauma that leads to spiraling drug addiction.

Fast forward some years later and Lexie is an engaged physician, about to marry a surgeon, when Annie calls in the middle of the night pleading for help. She is pregnant and addicted to heroin. Lexie and Sam rush to her aid, but it becomes quickly clear that both Annie and the baby need medical care only available in the hospital setting. Annie tests positive for drug use and endangerment charges are on the table. Lexie, who has done so much to save her sister over the years, cannot stop what comes next.

For a while, I wasn’t sure how deep this book was going to delve into isolated sect life. That’s not necessarily my topic of choice and I worried that Lexie and Annie's story, which I was quickly drawn into, was going somewhere I wouldn’t enjoy. I’m from a medical background so this book immediately hooked me with well-researched, well-fleshed out medical scenes that feel authentic enough as for me to believe that the author has some experience in this world, too. I don’t get that sense from the Afterword, so huge kudos go out to her for doing such a great job with this controversial subject.

More than a story, "Before I Let You Go” is a study of what happens when addiction and pregnancy intersect, and medicine, and society, have to choose between treating the illness (mother) and protecting the innocent (baby). Annie’s story is an eye opener, because yes, even I was conflicted. Beautifully written. Compelling. A real tear-jerker. This one is highly recommended with a side of tissues. I think I cried through the entire last third of the book. ( )

This novel is earning very positive reviews on GoodReads but there were times as I read it that I wanted to scream in frustration. The relationship between Lexie and her younger sister, Annie, was not a healthy one. Lexie's obsessive need to control and fix things became annoying very quickly and I soon lost all time for her. Annie's story, by comparison, was heartbreaking and the events that led to her drug addiction broke my heart.

However, the character I adored the most was Sam, Lexie's long-suffering fiance. That man was a saint and far too good for Lexie. He was kind, patient and supportive despite the numerous times Lexie kept him in the dark or yelled at him. Personally, I would have walked out and left her to deal with the situation on her own. An exasperating read. ( )

Another easy read, page turner but I didn’t enjoy this as much as another book of hers that I’ve recently read(The things we cannot say). I think I found this one to be a little too stereotyped/soapy. The style is very much Jodi Picoult meets Liane Moriarty, so if you’ve enjoyed these authors, you should try this book. ( )

This was SO well-written, emotional and heart-breaking. The story of two sisters, Anna, who struggles with addiction, and Lexi, who struggles with how to be emotionally honest with those around her. Anna calls in the night, pregnant and medically in trouble. The two sisters are drawn back together in yet another attempt to help Anna’s sobriety stick, this time with a third life in the mix. Told in dual perspectives and dual timelines with Lexi narrating in the present, and Anna telling the heartbreaking story of their past, this is one of the best books of the disease of addiction and its effect on families.

Trigger Warnings: drug use, child abuse, sexual abuse, overdose

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. ( )