Never Alone

In Love with Love #2

by Linn B. Halton

Life is all about the choices we make…

Holly is the envy of all her friends; she has lived with the gorgeous Will for five years. She supported him whilst his IT company grew and a life split between homes in the UK and Los Angeles beckons, offering them a glamorous and exciting lifestyle.

A series of terrifying encounters unleashes an inherited psychic sensitivity within Holly and she begins to wonder whether the path she’s on is the one she’s destined to take. The thought of hurting the people she loves the most causes her to bury her emotions, until fate takes a hand. Suddenly her perfect life begins to unravel…

“It’s a gift to be shown something that allows you to make a difference and alter the outcome of someone else’s life. However, the weight of the responsibility that goes along with that is huge and what about the ethics? The thing I have to ask myself is how did my actions change the future?” Holly Elizabeth Atherton

Genres: Mystery

340 pages, Paperback

First published December 5, 2012

About the author

Linn B. Halton writes feelgood fiction: home is where the heart is! In 2013 she won the UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction Award. Originally from Bristol, she now lives in Somerset with her husband, and Bengal cat, Ziggy.

For Linn, life is all about family, friends and writing. She is a self-confessed hopeless romantic and an eternal optimist. When Linn is not writing, she spends time in the garden weeding, or practising Tai Chi. And she is often found with a paintbrush in her hand indulging her passion for upcycling furniture.

Linn is represented by Sara Keane from the Keane Kataria Literary Agency.

She also writes under the pen name of Lucy Coleman.

Reviews

[J.B (Debbie) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly has it all. She’s very beautiful and has a great job as an estate agent in the family business. It’s a job she is good at and actually enjoys. She lives in a lovely apartment with a gorgeous boyfriend who is making it big in the computer industry. She has a lovely and affluent family and a new luxurious lifestyle on the horizon. What more could a girl ask for?


However, Holly’s life is about to be turned upside down whenever she visits a house in Bisley Rise. Holly experiences something utterly terrifying that leaves her questioning her own sanity! Holly has always known she had an ‘intuitive gene’ and could sense things that no-one else could. She’s inherited this from her father and grandmother. Previously able to put this sixth sense to the back of her mind and her life, Holly now finds that her ‘gift’ is determined to re-emerge even more heightened that before! Holly constantly feels she is being watched by some unseen forces and has some frightening experiences. Experiences that leave her shaken, fearful and uncertain about her future.


Will Holly’s rediscovered gift alter the course of her destiny? Will those she loves be understanding and supportive or encourage her to hide her abilities? Support, love and guidance come in unexpected forms for Holly and she must determine whether the life she has been leading really is her true destiny. Is her fate to be determined by her or other forces?


I absolutely adored Linn B Halton’s new book. The characters were well developed and it was interesting to see Holly evolve throughout the book. Some of the situations Holly finds herself in are pretty spine-tingling and on occasion I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck prickle! This is a well-thought out and extremely clever plot with a twist that the reader will not expect! A perfect read for those dark winter nights! For those interested in the paranormal this is the book for you. Whilst the subject matter focuses on psychic abilities, it is a story of mysteries and twists and turns that leaves the reader fearful for Holly and desperate to find out where her life is going! It’s a book that’s hard to put down. Written from Holly’s viewpoint, it offers an interesting take on the ethical difficulties faced by those with a ‘gift.’ It is a book that won’t disappoint!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never Alone begins with meeting Holly Atherton. Holly is a twenty something living a very good life with her boyfriend of five years. Both are in lucrative careers and they have the world before them. That is until Holly, who has always been naturally intuitive, experiences something so strong while showing a house it frightens her. This extremely strong psychic experience starts Holly down a path she was not prepared to go down. She begins to be intrigued by her experiences that grow by the day and this throws a huge obstacle in her boyfriend’s and family’s plans. Though she explores this portion of her life she begins to see her life in two parts. This is a challenge. Her life that was once perfect gets more and more complicated. She doesn’t even know if she wants to continue down this path or divert to a new and unknown path. If Holly does choose to leave the comfort and success of her planned future to something unknown is she ready and able to make that choice?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It really drew me in. It was like a little roller coaster. Every time Holly learned something new about herself you really could empathize with her. Holly was so well written you could easily find yourself stepping into her shoes. I have to say I loved her friendship with Celia. She is the best friend all women want. I liked Will at first but no amount of 6 pack abs could make you overlook his severe personality problems. I also enjoyed the settings. How the story moved to different places in England then highlighting the differences between England and L.A was fantastic. Overall, I really liked this book. It was a good story with a wonderful twist in the end. And no amount of twisting my arm will make me give it away. Go out and read it! You will love it just like me.

[P. Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

When unexplained and stragenst things start to change Holly's perfect little life, she starts to asks herself what does she really wants. She has it all; good looks, for a computer geek unbeliveable handsome and athletic boyfriend, a good job and loving family. She is a girl who was born with a golden spoon in her mouth.

After her peace is disturbed by some strange events, she thinks that she's loosing it. Even people around her see that something going on with her as her behaviour change drastically.

When she starts to dig into her own powers and starts to loose fear from it, she finally discovers that her so perfect boyfriend is not that perfect at all, after his interests might be compromised by her behaviour.

Realising that, she needs to decide what does she really wants...


I enjoyed the whole book and the story is interesting and well written and because I love happy endings.
It's funny but what I didn't 'like' was the main character Holly... a rich daddy's girl... without a spine of her own... or wheter this is true?...

[Anniek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of people envy Holly. They think she's living the perfect life. She has a gorgeous boyfriend, Will, who has a successful IT-company and Holly herself is great at her job as a realtor. She is also beautiful and slim without having to work out at the gym. Holly has always known that she has inherited a psychic sensitivity from her father. They never talk about it, but they have both accepted the fact that they sometimes know or feel more than others. When Holly's brother takes on a house that needs to be sold, Holly instantly feels the negativity. She doesn't want to go into the house and pays for it severely when she has no choice but to enter eventually.

Holly can't deny her abilities any longer and she's in desperate need of guidance. Will is supportive, but he doesn't fully understand Holly. Holly needs to know more about what is happening and how to deal with the changes she is going through as a person. Will's business has taken a big jump forward almost overnight. This makes Will and Holly look for houses in Los Angeles and will give them the space to live a luxurious and glamorous life. Are they able to connect with each other again or will the changes both of them are going through come between them?

Holly is still young and I could easily relate to her fear for some of the things that were happening. She is extremely loyal to her boyfriend Will. Holly supports him all the way and sometimes forgets herself in the process. I liked to read about her own journey, which also made her question her current life. A lot of women would have jumped at the opportunity to live the luxury life of a trophy wife, but Holly values her own needs as well and this made me like her even more.

Linn B. Halton has a way of drawing you into her stories from the very beginning. The events that caused Holly to follow her destiny really freaked me out. I was even a bit scared to read Never Alone after dark. The fact that some people have psychic abilities that allow them to help and guide people through life has always fascinated me. I love reading books about this topic. Never Alone is a story that stayed with me a long time after I finished reading it. It made me ask myself the following questions - What if you're never truly alone? What if someone is there to help you live your life to the fullest? - I love it when a book can get my brain working like this. Linn B. Halton's stories positively affect me. She is one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to start reading another one of her stories.

Quote from Never Alone

“It’s a gift to be shown something that allows you to make a difference and alter the outcome of someone else’s life. However, the weight of the responsibility that goes along with that is huge and what about the ethics? The thing I have to ask myself is how did my actions change the future?”

Holly Elizabeth Atherton

Advice

If you like to read stories about paranormal abilities with many twists and turns and an unexpected ending Never Alone would really interest you.

[Kate’s Book Spot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Sharon from Fiction Addiction Book Tours for sending me this ARC.
I’ve read a couple of other books by this author so I was looking forward to seeing where her latest book would take me.

It began with an introduction into Holly’s life and because it was told by Holly herself it felt incredibly personal, almost like I was listening to an old friend. This also made me like her straight away (even when she announced that she could eat whatever she wanted and still stay thin – so not the case in my world but I can dream), she was mostly a very positive character and while I was reading I found myself feeling positive alongside her.

Holly was an estate agent and her psychic abilities were soon revealed when she had an adverse reaction to a house that was going on the market, I actually got chills at this point and there were many more moments throughout the book when I broke out in goosebumps. Having had a few unexplained experiences myself I felt closer to the story and I think this made it seem more real for me. I’ll admit that I was a bit scared on a couple of occasions at the beginning and I know I’ll be nervous looking in my rear-view mirror after reading this!

I found it very interesting to see how Holly’s psychic episodes affected her day-to-day life, the author had written it beautifully so that I felt like I was a part of each incident too. I was absolutely fascinated by all the little things that was happening to Holly and I couldn’t stop turning the pages to see what the outcome would be. The introduction of Nick and, later on, Peter took the storyline to an interesting new level and I felt that this was when Holly really came into her own.

One of my favourite parts of the book was the clairvoyance evening – I found it so moving and literally had tears pouring down my face by the end of it. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, along came the ending and completely blew me away! It confused me at first but when I realised what was going on I couldn’t stop smiling, in my opinion there couldn’t have been a better outcome. I will definitely be rereading this so that I can look at everything from a different viewpoint.

This was a fantastic read – it was spiritual, thought-provoking and I ended up reading it in just one day because I couldn’t put it down.

[Nikki Bywater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Atherton has a good life, a job she enjoys doing working at an estate agent and she is in a fantastic relationship with a good lucking guy called Will. They have no financial worries, Holly had helped Will build up a successful business and they were now in a position through Will’s work to be dividing their time between the small town they live in and LA.

Holly’s life seemed to be perfect, until she begins to have strange happenings and experiences. She begins to sense and feel things about people and places. Holly soon learns what she is experiencing is paranormal experiences, and when she seeks help and advice on her new psychic abilities, new doors and pathways begin to open up to her to choose a path leading away from what she always felt was her fate. Does Holly have a new destiny to fulfil?

When I had finished reading this book, I was left with that WOW Feeling! It is just one of those great books that you just do not see the end that is coming. Although the book does have paranormal content, which I have to say is thoroughly researched and presented and written in a realistic and believable way. You do not have to be into the paranormal to find the story an enjoyable read. If you are looking for a good storyline and this is a brilliant one, then you too would enjoy this book. I really liked the character of Holly, how she is presented as a normal, everyday person and not stereotyped in a way writers often do when a character as psychic abilities. Another great read from Linn B Halton.

[Stephanie Keyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started reading Never Alone, I had no idea what to expect. I was familiar with Linn B. Halton’s bent towards the Paranomal and Psychic phenomenon. After all, as my first Twitter friend and fellow author on Love a Happy Ending.com, we’d been in contact for years. However, what I didn’t anticipate when I loaded the ARC on my Kindle, was exactly how compelling the book would be.

From the first moment estate agent, Holly Atherton sets foot inside the Bisley Rise property, you feel sucked into her world. Imagine what your life would be like if you actually started seeing those shadows that you always sensed were there but wouldn’t acknowledge. Halton does an excellent job of making the reader feel every moment of Holly’s panic, and self-discovery. If you’re looking for horror, or “push you to the edge of your seat” paranormal, this is not the book for you. However, if you have an interest in the afterlife and how fate can direct us in ways that we never imagined, this book is what you’ve been waiting for.

Never Alone, is a solid read, with interesting characters that will hook readers and a plot that will leave you questioning your own life choices! Then again, this type of intriguing, well-written fiction is exactly what we’ve come to expect from author Linn. B. Halton. Five stars to Never Alone, for sheer originality and intense reader engagement.*

*Although I did receive an ARC of this book it in no way influenced my rating.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing coincidence! I was looking for something different, not your normal staple diet and walla, Never Alone with its distinctive cover captured my eye immediately.

The author gave Holly such an easy narrating style (first person present tense) you really felt as if you were her bestie, her confidante.

Holly has everything any woman could want, a loving family, a fantastic career, great friends and an ambitious boyfriend who loves her to distraction but a series of disconcerting other worldly experiences will leave Holly questioning her sanity, her perception of the world round her and her future role in Will’s life.

I liked Will, okay he was a bit over the top, too career driven and even though he wasn’t happy with what was happening to Holly and the potential impact of her ‘problem’ on his high flying career, he was inherently a decent, if somewhat ignorant guy. l admit to getting a bit anxious for him nearer the end, people do change ya know but when the twist came it did so out of left field and shocked me so much I had to go back and read the last chapter again. Kudos to the author. Brilliantly done.

A clean romance and so wonderfully thought provoking that it might even answer a question or two of your own.

[Katie Mettner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never Alone is Ms. Halton's best novel yet! The reader is immediately hooked and it doesn't let go until the very end, which I did NOT see coming! Holly Atherton is living the life any young 23 year old could only dream to have, a successful career, a good looking boyfriend and a family who dotes on her. When she begins to have dreams and premonitions she finally talks to her dad who admits to her that he too has these same "powers". The reader gets to walk with Holly and Will as she begins to see things she can't explain and he tries to find a logical explanation for it all. Holly begins to understand her gift better and slowly begins to see the path she is really supposed to be walking down, she's just not sure if Will is the one to be walking it with her. You will fall in love with Holly and her family as you get a very intimate look into their lives. You will be sure you know exactly how this will end, only to have such a twist thrown in at the end your mouth will be hanging open, I know mine was! Well done Ms. Halton, you are a star!

[Joanna Gawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone whose psychic abilities are awakening, the new experiences and sensitivities can be scary and unsettling. Linn Halton deals with Holly's increasing psychic awareness with empathy and compassion, whilst also keeping the storyline interesting and moving along at a fast pace.

I found Holly, Matt and Celia very likeable. It can be difficult for some people to deal with burgeoning spirituality and/or psychic awareness, and I was glad that Holly had people around her who could offer her unconditional support as her perceptions and interests changed.

As with Linn Halton's other books, the characters in Never Alone are well-rounded and believable. The book holds plenty of tension and pushed me to keep reading so that I finished it within two days.

I'm honestly not sure how I feel about the ending - all I will say is that Never Alone was a genuinely enjoyable read, and earns a solid 4 stars from me. I'm looking forward to starting the author's 'Angels Among Us' series soon.

[Mandy Baggot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Atherton is young estate agent with a fantastic future ahead of her with doting and ambitious boyfriend, Will. However, is it the life she wants? A paranormal incident at a house she's showing opens her mind to what she's truly capable of.

A wonderfully written tale with a heroine you will feel for! Spooky in parts but leaves you with an uplifting message. Fate or a path we choose? Find out!

[Kerry-Ann (A Bookish Redhead) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved it, I was unable to put it down from start to finish! I'm not gonna lie yeah it sorta scared me at the start... when reading it.. alone in the house! BUT I'm a scaredy cat! ;) Linn B Halton has wrote a brilliant novel which will stay with a reader for ages after reading it!

The characters and scenes were so descriptive you coulsn't help but picture them in your head. I cannot wait to read more of the authors novels.

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book after winning a competition,and I'm so glad I did,as I couldn't put it down!!!!!
It was gripping from the start, although I felt sorry for holly the main character as her boyfriend will wouldn't win boyfriend of the year!!!!
Great UN expected ending,definatly a reread!!!!
Congratulations lin x

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the twist at the end!
“It’s a gift to be shown something that allows you to make a difference and alter the outcome of someone else’s life. However, the weight of the responsibility that goes along with that is huge and what about the ethics? The thing I have to ask myself is how did my actions change the future?” Holly Elizabeth Atherton

[Isabelle D · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a really good book, with very likeable characters, by an author who knows what she's writing about. Holly may be a psychic/medium, but she's also just a normal person, with a job, a boyfriend, a brother, a best friend... and important decisions to make. I really enjoyed following her story.

Just a little warning: if you're easily scared by "ghost stories", read this only in daytime and particularly not before you go to sleep. But don't worry - most of the story is not scary at all, so I'm sure you'll enjoy it too and find it hard to put down.

[Gary R Borman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Believable

I love the way this writer builds her story and keeps you invested in compulsive reading until you reach the end.

[Jo Notary]

332P Life is all about the choices we make 26
Holly is the envy of all her friends; she has lived with the gorgeous Will for five years. She supported him whilst his IT company grew and a life split between homes in the UK and Los Angeles beckons, offering them a glamorous and exciting lifestyle.
A series of terrifying encounters unleashes an inherited psychic sensitivity within Holly and she begins to wonder whether the path she 19s on is the one she 19s destined to take. The thought of hurting the people she loves the most causes her to bury her emotions, until fate takes a hand. Suddenly her perfect life begins to unravel 26
1CIt 19s a gift to be shown something that allows you to make a difference and alter the outcome of someone else 19s life. However, the weight of the responsibility that goes along with that is huge and what about the ethics? The thing I have to ask myself is how did my actions change the future? 1D Holly Elizabeth Atherton

[T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway. It is not something I would have chosen for myself, as I'm not much into psychics and precog genres, but the story was very interesting, albeit, a bit slow overall in development. The story was great, but I sometimes wondered if the writer would ever get to the point. Not sure how I feel about the ending (not a cliffhanger, so don't worry about that), it was just so odd that it almost felt out of step with the whole story. Overall, it was a good read and an original story. Well written and kept me wondering. The pace is somewhat slow, and if you're like me, you may split this one up with reading other books at the same time due to the slow pace... but stick with it. I will be interested in more books by this author.