Never Coming Home - Evonne Wareham

'Who are you Devlin?...Why should I trust you?'

Never Coming Home is a romance novel with a strong hero and heroine as you might expect from publishers Choc Lit, but it is also much more; it is an intriguing and intricate mystery story too - a contemporary romantic thriller. Young Jamie Elmore went to visit her father Jeff in the USA, and was tragically killed in a car accident. Back in the UK, Jamie's mother, Katarina 'Kaz' Elmore, is still gradually coming to terms with the loss of her daughter. A stranger from America unexpectedly arrives on her doorstep, a man simply named Devlin, with the news that he was at the scene of the crash where Jamie died and he was the last to see Kaz's daughter alive. But then, it emerges that the child who died in the car crash may not have been Jamie Elmore after all. Kaz enlists Devlin to help her investigate further, in what becomes a dangerous search. Amidst the tension and anguish of Kaz's situation, a romantic relationship grows between her and Devlin. 

There are a lot of strands to this story; when one element of the mystery seems to have been solved, there is still plenty more action to come. There is a good depth to the story, it is intricately plotted, and I felt the dialogue in particular was well written. The mystery/thriller element drives the story forward and gripped me more than the love story, but having said that, the romance was not without it's own charm; a solitary man who has never really connected or experienced a fulfilling, loving, lasting bond finally meeting someone who may just be the person he could learn to be close to. The rugged, muscular and strong romantic hero of the novel, Devlin is a mysterious character, working in security now, but with a hidden past, when he had 'another name, and another life'. One element I did feel slightly uncomfortable with was the fact that Katarina was contemplating Devlin's attractiveness when I would have expected her to be too consumed in that moment by the thought that her daughter may actually still be alive. I can see thought that the author is establishing a clear emotional connection between them right from the start. 

The events are very dramatic at times, and take us from the US to London, Italy and Wales. It's difficult to comment further on the mystery elements without giving away any spoilers; suffice it to say that a strength of this novel is how the intrigue builds, discoveries are made and the threads gradually unravel as we start to discover the true extent of the mystery surrounding Jamie's disappearance. At it's heart, this story is about families, and love, and it is a very promising debut novel. 

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Thank you to the publishers for sending me an e-book copy of this novel to read and give an honest review.


Published by Choc Lit on 8th March 2012 and available in paperback and e-book formats.


You can find out more about the author here on her blog and also follow her on twitter @evonnewareham


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