Book Talk Review; Don't Let Go

I don't know how to explain what I'm feeling...

No One Ever Stays.

Dylan Dosi, lead singer of a famous rock band, battles with his personal demons — an internal battle of hurricane proportions that threaten to overtake him at any given moment. Untrusting, hyper-aware, and always on edge, Dyl keeps people at arm's length while giving the appearance that everything is okay.

Oswald ‘Oz’ Walter is a graphic artist who battles his own internal tempests — ones that cause him to lash out at the most unexpected times. In a constant push/pull struggle within him, Oz stays distanced from people yet craves their company as much as he fears it.

When their individual perceptions can cause the two men to see things in different lights, can Dylan and Oz learn to trust each other? Or will they fall prey to their own self-fulfilling prophecies when yet again no one ever stays?

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This book contains realistic detailed depictions of mental illnesses as well as portraying BDSM and a D/s lifestyle. 

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I am a mess right now, Book Talkers. I don't hide the fact that reading featuring characters with mental illnesses is hard for me. Because while I might not have the same type of illness the characters do, there is usually that same baseline of jumbled thoughts that hit just a bit close to home. That's the best way to explain it without getting into exactly what I deal with on a daily basis.

I'm not going to lie, reading this book is not easy. It hurts, a lot. You can feel how these authors bled the words on the page. These characters aren't just fiction, but they represent the two amazing women who wrote them, these authors gave us major pieces of themselves and it is awe-inspiring.

Dylan and Oz are two very different people in two very different places in their lives, but they both deal with mental illness and they understand each other, even if they don't know they understand each other at first. It's a push and pull of heart ache and pain and hope.

I want to keep Oz safe and sound and never let him go. He deserves everything. My heart broke for him and I had to set my kindle aside and just sob because he just broke my heart.

Dylan didn't make me cry like a baby. But he still hurt my heart. While he seems to have it more together than Oz does it's just a coping mechanism that he's learn to hide his pain. Just because his hurt isn't as obvious does not mean he's less affected. Not only do the characters have two different illnesses, they also respond and react very differently. Which is normal that's what living with mental illness is like. No one responds the same.

These two authors hit all the points with this one book. They describe what it's like to try to live a "normal" life. They show how hard it is to try to pretend you're okay when you're not.

This book is so good. And I had so many "me" moments while reading. I have a love/hate relationship with that. Because it's hard to know that someone else feels something similar to what you do. While it's a relief to know you're not alone it hurts because you don't wish that type of pain on anyone. But the darkness of your mind can be a lonely place and you just want to connect with someone. That's what happens to Dylan and Oz. They both want to connect, but fear that their mental health will prevent that. It's a never ending cycle.

I needed this book more than I was ready to admit until just now. I had a rough go last week and all the feelings the boys had and their strength to try just hit so hard and the truths of them dug in deep and I want to hold them and keep them safe and ugh. I need more of them.

There's hope and feels, and a blossoming love story that makes my heart sing among the heartache.

If you want to feel along with Dylan and Oz than I urge you to pick up Don't Let Go. It will hurt, but all the special ones do.


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"All Dylan wanted was to protect Oz—to take the man under his wing and care for him. Fuck, this was moving faster than he thought it would have but in the past four days, Dylan had found himself more attracted to Oz than he would have expected. His inner Dom wanted to take care of the broken man—to love and hug all the pieces together again."


"What I want to do is catch you when you fall—to be your safety net. Hell, maybe you can be mine too."


"To me you are a wonderful present...A gift and amazing. You may feel like you're broken and flawed, but we both are. You need to know that. Even though we are, you're exactly who I want to be with."


"My anxiety brain tells me I'm not good enough, and my logical brain tells me I have to prove that I am. So I push myself to go after what I want even when inside all I want to do is crawl under the covers and sleep for a few hours, or a few days."


I shared the four quotes that hit me the most, and let me tell you, that was no easy thing, however, I want to share part of the author's note at the beginning of the book, because it hit me deep and I cried and I think it's important to share.

"Dealing with the issues addressed in this book is often a solitary journey. It's easy to say that it doesn't have to be, but the actual act of reaching out can be hard. Hard—but not impossible. There are people who care, and they will do everything in their power to help you. Even if they don't know what to say, they can remind you that you are still loved. You are never alone. If it's darkest before dawn, it'll be sunrise any moment now."


I can't even tell y'all what that note did to me. It's...freeing almost. Because while I know there are people there for me, reading things like this just show me there actually are.


Seriously y'all give this book a chance.


-Abri