REVIEW: How Not To Let Go by Emily Foster

In How Not To Let Go by Emily Foster, medical school student Annie Coffey is determined to get over Doctor Charles Douglas, who had been her T.A. He claims he was too broken to give her what she wanted–his love. When they reunite at a medical conference, they decide to pick up their friendship. Only both realize they can’t simply be friends, but can Charles put aside his past to give her more?

This is the second book in the series. I would highly recommend reading the first book, How Not To Fall, first. That is the beginning of Charles and Annie’s relationship. This book picks up right after their break-up, and I wasn’t initially impressed with Annie. It seemed all she did was cry for month.

I cry myself to sleep.
I wake up, cry a little more, go for a run, take a nap, eat dinner with my parents and watch a movie with them, and then cry myself to sleep again.

After she finally stopped crying she grew on me a little. What I couldn’t get past was her over-use of “dude”. It was a little much. For one who’s supposed to be so smart, you would think there would be something else she could call Charles.

Then there’s Charles. I had mixed feelings about him. I felt for him; he had a childhood in which his father treated him and his siblings awfully, and he watched his father belittle and abuse his mother. Still, he uses his fear that he’ll turn into his father as an excuse to keep Annie at arm’s length. I appreciated that he eventually sought help to move past his emotional roadblock, but when it seemed like he was making progress, he takes another step back. Every so often he would toss out big words but they felt out of place, almost as if the author simply threw them in there to occasionally remind readers that the man was a genius.

I wasn’t quite sure why Charles had avoided his siblings for years. He knew his sister was dealing with anorexia, one would think he would want to be there for her. It seemed like he went out of his way to avoid both of them. It was clear all the siblings had all been affected by their father’s behavior, as they were hesitant to even place a hand on each other’s shoulders. I did like to see them all finally put their issues aside, banding together to help each other deal with their father’s illness.

How Not To Let Go was simply an ok read for me. For the most part I didn’t feel the connection between Charles and Annie. Maybe if I had read the first book I would understand their relationship a bit more. As it was, I didn’t understand what Annie saw in Charles through a good portion of the book.

Book Info:

Publication: December 27, 2016 | Kensington Publishing Corp | Belhaven #2

Once upon a time, med student Annie Coffey set out to have a purely physical fling with Charles Douglas, a gorgeous British doctor in her lab. It didn’t quite work out that way. Instead, secrets and desires were bared, hearts were broken, and Annie knew she had to leave this complicated, compelling man who remains convinced he can never give her what she needs.
Walking away is one thing. Staying away is another. Annie and Charles reunite at a London conference, rekindling a friendship they struggle to protect from their intense physical connection. Little by little, Annie gets a glimpse into Charles s dark past and his wealthy, dysfunctional family. Soon, she s discovering what it means to have someone claim her, body and soul. And she s learning that once in a lifetime you find a love that can make you do anything except let go.”