Made to feel unspectacular by her judgmental parents, Savannah Brooks has always known that there was one industry where she could truly excel: literature. A born writer, Savannah left behind her small town in Maryland for New York City, where she became the lead reader for Margolis, Sutton & Klein, a prestigious literary agency. All the while, she has been keeping up on her own writing as she polishes and repolishes several thrillers with strong, inspiring women at their helms.

Bennett Bryson is a literary wunderkind who rose to immediate fame with the publication of his debut, Promise Me Never, a twisty horror novel that remained at the top of the bestseller list for months. Since then, his works have been published to moderate acclaim. But now it’s time for him not only to wow the public with his next book, but to emerge from his remote writer’s den in the process. 

Savannah specifically tracked down and made an impression on her future boss, Marion Sutton, because she represents Bennett, whose career (and sales numbers) Savannah has been closely monitoring throughout her employment. Now, with Bennett’s latest novel set to release, Marion has booked him as the keynote speaker at a major literary festival, and Savannah is thrilled to be there to help him.

"With its mix of shocking twists and dread-filled atmosphere, PROMISE ME NEVER is yet another terrific release from Liv Constantine, an author who will keep you guessing until the book’s very last page."

Wowing Bennett with her command of the crowd, his fans and her own presence, Savannah quickly secures an invitation to dinner. After one steamy night together, Bennett commits to spending a month in New York; after only two weeks, the two trade “I love you's”; and after just 30 days, Bennett proposes. Now, not only has she secured the love and affection of a handsome, charming writer who seems to have it all, she also can’t deny that her proximity to Bennett could help her career. 

There’s just one little wrinkle in Savannah's plan: Rumors have been swirling for years that the accident that took Bennett’s first wife, Poppy, wasn’t all that accidental. After all, who better to plot and execute a murder than someone who quite literally gets paid to do so for a living? Well, Savannah is not that girl. She is an ambitious go-getter and will not let Bennett cast her aside…or learn the truth about her own dark past.

As their marriage begins and she moves to Bennett’s gorgeous estate, Savannah is surprised to learn that she’s not exactly competing against herself for his attention. Beyond his late wife, for whom he still seems to be carrying a torch, there’s his housemaid, Felicia, a possessive, Mrs. Danvers-esque figure who isn’t shy about her dislike of Savannah or any of Bennett’s former partners. But Bennett’s first and most important commitment is his writing career, which keeps him isolated in his office at all hours of the day.

Savannah is given strict orders to make herself comfortable, redecorate, write, whatever she wants…as long as she never, ever goes near that office. But the days are long with Bennett locked away, and as she begins to visit the town and meet some people, strange messages follow. “You’re in grave danger,” they say. “Bennett Bryson isn’t who you think he is.”

As Savannah digs deeper into her husband’s past, she discovers a slew of oddities. It seems that tragedy follows Bennett everywhere he goes. Or is she just reading into his career as a horror novelist? Would she feel the same way if he were, say, a gardener? When Bennett isn’t writing, he offers her notes on her own manuscript. But his criticism is barbed and wildly inconsistent, forcing her to wonder if he really wants her to succeed at all. Suspicion, paranoia and second-guessing form an intoxicating cocktail as Savannah struggles to learn who her spouse really is. 

Meanwhile, alternate chapters give readers the perspectives of Bennett and Poppy --- the former as he grapples with recovering from “what went wrong” with Poppy and how to avoid it this time, the latter as she chronicles her fast-paced romance with Bennett and his emerging controlling tendencies. Liv Constantine weaves a propulsive, twisty mystery about ambition, authorship, greed and control. But with two writers attempting to deceive and uncover the truth about each other, PROMISE ME NEVER proves that no story begins on chapter one. There’s always a prologue, and if you miss it, you just might miss the truth.

The novel pulled me in right from the start with its dishy, behind-the-scenes look at publishing, but it was the characters who made it impossible for me to put it down. Savannah is a domestic thriller lover’s dream with her dark, hidden past and her questionable morals. But by tossing her in the middle of her own domestic thriller, Constantine pushes her development into high gear. Bennett is also an immediately compelling character, both arrogant and charming, regretful and controlling. Admittedly, some of the later twists moved beyond the realm of believability, but the journey getting there is so addictive and jaw-dropping that you won’t mind suspending your disbelief. 

With its mix of shocking twists and dread-filled atmosphere, PROMISE ME NEVER is yet another terrific release from Liv Constantine, an author who will keep you guessing until the book’s very last page.