A pile of soft porn!

When you're introduced to a book as being a tense psychological thriller, you don't expect to have to put up with quite as many elongated sex scenes as were in this novel.

I felt completely unable to sympathise for the main character. And on top of that, the plot progression and supposed twists were both farcical and predictable.

The narration was probably the only reason I got as far through the book as I did. I will look forward to seeing Mark Meadows' name on any further audiobook I buy. But I doubt I'll be trying any novels by Elizabeth Haynes again.

6 people found this helpful

Excellent

If you could sum up Never Alone in three words, what would they be?

Good enjoyable read.

Any additional comments?

Another excellent book by Elizabeth Haynes. Well narrated by Mark Meadows.The story has plenty of drama and suspense with no excessive violent scenes (which I hate). Never Alone kept my full attention right to the last page.

4 people found this helpful

Breathtakingly awful

Would you try another book written by Elizabeth Haynes or narrated by Mark Meadows?

No

What didn’t you like about Mark Meadows’s performance?

I have nothing against this narrator, and thought he did his best given the quality of the material he had to work with.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No

Any additional comments?

I really can't understand how this awful book got such admiring reviews. It is a clumsily written, badly constructed stalker story that simultaneously tries to scare you and to make you feel sorry for the heroine, lonely Sarah, whose husband has died, has a son who has become mysteriously alienated from her, a daughter who has left home to go to uni, and a passion for an old flame from university days. Old flame turns up again, as expected, and moves into a cottage in her garden. Things progress in a rather predictable fashion from here, with lots of gratuitous sex (I felt sorry for the poor narrator, who must have been wincing as he read) that really contributed nothing much more than embarrassment to the story. The author's odd use of the second person when writing in the voice of the boyfriend, is baffling and confusing. We learn that the son, Louis, hates his mother because he saw her having sex with one of his friends on the evening of his 21st birthday party, a few months after the death of the husband. He is revolted by her and calls her a slut, or a slapper, or something similar, and really, one has to agree with him. Sarah is not a sympathetic character, just a really stupid one. If you are being stalked by a man who lets himself into your house in the middle of the night and wakes you by sitting on your bed and breathing hard, surely it might occur to you to lock your doors? But Sarah, who in the manner of the country folk around her, never locks her doors, doesn't get this bit. Then, just to add bit more confusion to this already unconvincing tale, the old flame turned new lover turns out to be (SPOILER ALERT) a male prostitute. More sex scenes, with massages. These plot elements come together in a prolonged scene of bloodshed and general ghastliness involving Sarah and her daughter, the male prostitute, Sarah's best friend, who has been having it off with the stalker, and even the dog. No one gets off lightly, but, astonishingly, all survive the stalker's slash-and-burn tactics and live (one presumes) happily ever after.Complete rubbish. I nearly gave up half-way, and I wish I had.

6 people found this helpful

Worse than cheap soap opera

Christine

Got half way then gave up through sheer boredom. Sex scenes are too frequent and almost irrelevant. It lacks drive and has too much padding.

1 person found this helpful

Slow burn

I’ve listened to 3 of Elizabeth Haynes books on audible and this was my fourth. I almost gave up. I like suspense but the build up was just too long. The end of the book is very exciting but I don’t think this book is one of her best.

Poor but performed well.

Very odd book that doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. The three different perspectives and how they're narrated does nothing to add to the story and serves zero purpose. Bizarre and prolonged descriptions of sex that again offer nothing to the story and honestly belong in another genre. Extremely drawn out and very thin plot. Avoid.

Totally amazing.

Totally amazing story. Kept me hooked. Great ending. Great characters. Good narration. Enjoyed every minute of it.

Brilliant couldn't stop listening!

The only downfall was that I couldn't stop listening and even cancelled a night out with friends as it was keeping in suspense. Ha ha. Love this author A+ from me :-)

Not Very Thrilling

This was very slow and not at all as good as previous books Elizabeth Haynes wrote.

It's not a thriller until the last hour the book is just raunchy scenes most of the way through with nothing else happening.

I'm returning this it was hours of my life I won't get back very hard work to get through.

1 person found this helpful

Potential to be a good read but crap ending

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No, as it was good to start off then went downhill around half way through

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Ridiculous..didn't explain anything about why what happened & very abrupt.

What does Mark Meadows bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Sinister & great at showing emotion

Do you think Never Alone needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No point at all

1 person found this helpful