Don't Let Me Go

by Rachael Sommers

Faking a relationship with your bestie might be fun…if you weren’t crushing on her gorgeous, grumpy, older aunt. A lesbian romance filled with fighting, flirting, and feisty ice queens.

New Yorker Kenzie Wilson agrees to play a fake girlfriend for her best friend for a family Christmas vacation in an idyllic Portuguese town. It’s no hardship for Kenzie…until she meets Alice’s aloof, rude, and annoyingly attractive aunt.

CEO Carolina Costa returns to her family’s home after years of estrangement. About the only thing making the dreary reunion worthwhile is meeting her niece’s new “girlfriend.” Making her squirm is vastly entertaining.

It doesn’t take long for Kenzie to creep under Carolina’s walls, which is concerning. It’s even worse when the truth comes out, because Kenzie being free—and interested—might mean Carolina having to risk her own heart. And there’s no way she’s ever doing that…

Genres: Lesbian, LGBT, Queer

268 pages

Published July 16, 2025

About the author

Rachael Sommers was born and raised in the North-West of England, where she began writing at the age of thirteen, and has been unable to stop since. A biology graduate, she currently works in education and constantly dreams of travelling the world. In her spare time, she enjoys horse riding, board games, escape rooms and, of, course, reading.

Reviews

[currentlyreadingbynat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sapphic fake-dating romance set in Portugal over Christmas? Yes, please. Don't Let Me Go had just the right mix of tension, banter, and family drama to keep me hooked. The dynamic between Kenzie and Carolina was everything - sharp, snarky, and slowly softening into something more. I could’ve read so much more of just them - their chemistry and connection really carried the story for me.

The Portugal setting was a great choice too. I loved the small-town vibe of Sintra and the way it grounded the drama. And yes, there was drama in this, mainly from one side character.

But overall, this was a fun, sexy slow-burn that was low-angst but with plenty of emotional pull. The romance was believable, the family dynamics were messy but engaging, and I devoured it over a few days. Would definitely recommend if you’re after a sapphic story with heart and heat (but not too much spice).

Many thanks to Netgalley and Ylva Publishing for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Rosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fake relationship during the Christmas season and traveling to a foreign country – what could possibly go wrong? Kenzie, a biochemistry Ph.D. student, lives with her roommate Alice, a lawyer who works at her family's firm. Alice has to attend her family's Christmas gathering in Portugal, the first since her grandmother's death. Her family has invited her ex-boyfriend from high school, who's bringing his fiancée, so Alice doesn't want to go alone. She proposes that Kenzie accompany her and pretend to be her girlfriend for the four-week vacation.

Alice's family has some serious skeletons in their closet, so she's going to find herself caught in the middle of the drama between her mother and her two sisters, especially Carolina, who's been estranged from the family for fifteen years for unclear reasons.

With a setup like this, the story was bound to be a massive soap opera, seriously. It's got everything! And honestly, it was super entertaining. Watching Kenzie melt the ice queen Carolina? Hilarious. If you're into age-gap romances, this one's got that and then some


Ylva Publishing was kind enough to send me a copy via NetGalley for an honest review

[Simone11 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Wonderful MCs and the Portuguese setting was a bonus. The age-gap romance was perfect and beautifully written. Interesting family dynamics.
I’m hoping for an audiobook in the future.

[Juniper L.H.]

The first thing I will say about this novel was that it is a lot of fun. The next things would be to mention that it is heartwarming and tackles some important topics of family dynamics, grief, stopping generational trauma, healing damaged relationships, and accepting love. There was a wonderful cast of characters, a vivid setting, and a well-executed plotline. I will sing high praise for the flow of the plot in this book; the author had their plot pieces set up at the start and knew where they wanted them to end up, and the transition between was navigated flawlessly and felt entirely organic. This is especially noteworthy because the premise of the novel is, of course, silly and unrealistic to begin with.

Also; I found myself giggling at several points while reading this book. I don’t giggle? So…?

I LOVED the relationships between the (main) protagonists. The author made the excellent choice of making a long enough timeline for things to develop realistically and naturally between them. I liked how this was entirely an emotional connection between the characters and not one based on sexy-times (that’s good too, but I liked this) because it resulted in much deeper feelings that were very easy to root for. They had wonderful chemistry, but also the way they really saw each other, and were vulnerable. More bonus points to the author because this book never had any of the anxiety and worry around them getting caught or someone getting hurt that fake-dating-falling-for-your-family-member books usually make me suffer through.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.

[Sam’s Sapphic Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book caught my attention throughout the whole thing, I never found myself bored. I do think I just have trouble with age gap books, this one wasn’t wrote poorly by any means, but I just didn’t feel like there was a huge connection between the two MCs. I overall enjoyed the story, it just didn’t stick out much to me. Caroline was such an ass the whole time, and Kenzie seemed so timid. It just didn’t click for me.

[Cam Bautista · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny and quick read. I only wish we could have seen more of Kenzie and Carolina together as a couple but this was sweet and had just the right amount of angst.

[Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kenzie plans to spend the holidays alone, but those plans are derailed when she’s roped into pretending to be her best friend's girlfriend for the holidays. Alice, the best friend maybe might’ve possibly told her mom that they are dating. Why in the world would Alice lie? Because her ex is going to be there with his girlfriend, and she obviously can’t show up single. So, reluctantly, Kenzie agrees to go along with the charade and maybe things won’t be so bad after all. At least they weren’t until Alice’s ice queen of an aunt showed up.


Carolina hasn’t had any contact with her family in over two decades, but she received an invitation to spend the holidays with them. Naturally, she has reservations about returning home after everything that has happened, but she ultimately accepts the invitation. It’s not all bad though. Things actually become interesting after meeting Kenzie, her niece’s girlfriend. So what if she enjoys getting under the younger woman’s skin?


But like...I loved the tension and trash talk between Kenzie and Carolina. I just couldn’t get enough of them and wanted more. For a plot where there was that holiday time limit, I thought the pacing was done well and most of the characters were likable. IYKYK. Oh, and plenty of drama and humor, so I was thoroughly entertained. There was a smidge of spice, but this book really didn’t need more than that because I was very much here for the emotional connection that developed. Overall, it was a page-turner for me and I couldn’t put it down, so I recommend giving it a whirl. Happy reading! 


💕 Age Gap
👠 Ice Queen
💕 Slow Burn

[Sam]

I enjoy Rachael Sommers’ writing. It’s always on point and has a nice flow to it.
I read this book on the hottest 1st of July ever in my home country, which was odd. Not because of the temperature, but because of the timing of this book - Christmas time. While not necessarily being a holiday romance, the holiday is mentioned a couple times and some Christa s tradition are being upheld. I enjoyed the setting in Portugal, it sure was a different country to visit in these books.
Age gap romance is never really my favourite, and always troublesome for me when there are other relationships affected by the romance as well. I think in this case it didn’t bother me as much due to the estranged element of the relationships.
I have some questions about the age of some secondary characters, all a tiny bit confusing to me. It’s not majorly important, but I feel like we should have been told their (approximate) age.

The story is fun enough, the romance could have happened a bit sooner in my opinion. It feels slightly rushed now. While the characters bond throughout the book, I would have liked them actually being a couple a bit more.

Overal a fine read, maybe read it in winter/ closer to Christmas.

[Gooders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kenzie has got herself into a right predicament....Not only has she agreed to go with her roommate to Portugal and pretend to be her Girlfriend for Christmas with Alice's family, probably doesn't sound like a hardship, but she's also got a 'thing' for older women.... And when Alice's estranged Aunt Carolina Costa makes an appearance after 25 years of staying away from family, Kenzie finds herself enjoying getting under the Ice Queen skin.

When Carolina was thrown out of her family home 25 years ago by her awful mother, whilst her sisters stood by and watched, she was determined not to let it show how much it affected her.
Now she's the owner of her own company, she's driven, successful & doesn't need anything more.
Well, until her mother dies and her sisters want to make amends and invite her for Christmas. Can she deal with the past and finally have her family back?.

As she starts to get to know Kenzie, she realises she enjoys their time spent together out of everyone else there. She really isn't sure just why this younger woman has such an effect on her.. And let's not forget that she's her niece GF!.

We've got a few side characters in the forms of two older sisters, a niece and an ex bf of said niece and his NEW gf, who've been invited on the family holiday 😱. .

The style of writing is spot on for me. No struggling to get into the book and it flows great.

We also have both MCs POV which I love!. Sometimes you just want to know what the other character is thinking and boy do we know with this one.
It's a seriously slow burn but well worth it!.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️

[Paulina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very charming age gap romance.

Kenzie, after being ambushed by her best friend Alice, agrees to fake a relationship with her during Christmas holidays. Alice's ex boyfriend will be visiting her family with his new girlfriend and Alice doesn't want to face that alone. The problems start when Kenzie meets Alice's estranged aunt who's spending the holidays with the family for the first time in over 20 years. And the attraction between them is unstoppable.

I really enjoyed the twist on fake romance when the person you fall for is not the person you're faking a relationship with.

The story was both hilarious and heartbreaking at times. Both main characters were easy to get invested in and their chemistry was undeniable. And I really loved how the suspicion of "cheating" on the fake relationship was not coming from our main characters relationship. I thought it added a funny twist to the story. I will say though that while Alice came off as a well written character, she was a terrible friend over and over again, and honestly Kenzie should never have forgiven her. It would make family reunions awkward in the future though.

Very enjoyable, fun, light read.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Don’t Let Me Go, we get a different spin on fake romance. It's not the main characters, Carolina and Kenzie, who have a fake romantic connection, but rather a fake relationship which comes about between Kenzie and her best friend, Alice. Alice is feeling a bit anxious about facing her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend at her family's annual vacation, so she ropes Kenzie into pretending to be her partner.

Carolina, Alice’s aunt, who hasn't been invited to the family vacation in years, receives a surprise invitation this time around and decides to accept the invite to confront the past. The ensuing blend of family dynamics, awkward interactions, and heartfelt moments serves up a delightful journey that kept me thoroughly entertained.

[Carol Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such fun!

Kenzie agrees to help her best friend, Alice, by pretending to be her girlfriend for their family Christmas holiday to Portugal. Alice’s aunt, Carolina has returned to their family home after years away only to meet her niece’s girlfriend, but something about Kenzie gets under her skin.

Loved this! There was instant connection and building drama from the second Kenzie and Carolina were introduced. Throw in all the family drama with Carolina being back and it was the perfect recipe for chaos. The most perfect thing is all of this build up and drama comes slowly, dragging you in as the reader to the point where I couldn’t put it down because I wanted Carolina to know Kenzie and Alice were faking and that there was possibility to explore their unspoken connection, even if Carolina was hesitant to want to.

There was an edginess to both Kenzie and Carolina that complimented one another so well. Being stuck in Portugal and in a small village meant there really was no getting away from one another and pushed them into situations that where pulling them closer together even when they tried to avoid it. They aren’t the only ones with things going on between them though, and with a whole case of characters in Alice’s family adding in their own issues, there really was a whole big family drama piece going on that meant there was never a dull moment.

I love Kenzie and Carolina together, so hope there will be future stories with them and we’ll get to know them even better.

[Teddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Everything about it, really. Mostly Carolina and her fierce walls and beautiful heart. But Kenzie too with her tremendous capacity for kindness and low drama. It hooked me from the get go with Carolina’s debate whether to reconcile with her estranged sisters and carried me all the way through with the slow burn relationship build. I thought it was all really well done and the fact it took place in Sintra, Portugal was icing on the Christmas cake. A refreshing take on a bunch of tropes- age gap, fake dating, holidays. I devoured it.

Short summary: Carolina isn’t sure she should accept her sister’s invitation to join them at their family villa for the holidays when they haven’t spoken in 20 years. Kenzie doesn’t know why she agrees to Alice’s hare-brained plan to be fake girlfriends at her family’s home over the holidays. But they both accept and try as they might, the night owls/workaholics can’t seem to avoid each other in the library late each night, or the spark that flashes between them.

[wren4777 · Rating 3 out of 5]

For as hyped as this novel was (probably just by myself, to be fair), I found it to be more or less mediocre.

I didn't click with Carolina's character at all. I found her to be more of an arsehole who took her emotions out on Kenzie, rather than an actual ice queen. The extreme vagueness about her "tech empire" also ticked a checkbox for a pet peeve of mine.

The very strange pacing didn't help things, either. We don't really see much romance between the two before they get together, which happens extremely close to the end of the novel. And when they do finally become a couple, it happens so fast and with so little communication that I have a hard time believing in their relationship.

But it's an age gap novel in 2025, which is becoming more and more of a rare commodity. So at least that's something?

[Nat E · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn’t fond of Carolina through out most of the book, therefore I wasn’t rooting for the two MCs to get together. In my opinion, Kenzie and Jonathan were the only likable characters. The whole family sucked! Alice was not a good friend. Didn’t love this.
Also random but I thought the summary of book stated Kenzie’s last name is Wilson. Mariana welcomed her back as “Doctor James”. Ehh whatever lol

[M the avid reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drama and angst aplenty yet love blooms despite it all
If you love drama and angst in your romance stories, an age gap, ice queens and a setting that's not a standard go to country or city for lesfic, this one delivers all that and more. Love blooms in Don't Let Me Go under less than ideal circumstances and in an unexpected way but the pairing is one you want to find a way to get and stay together despite all the shenanigans and deception going on around them, and family trauma and resentment brought to the surface after many many years. There is some sharp barbed dialogue that made me chuckle and say 'whoa' under my breath for its bluntness; the family dynamics ring true as do the conversations had with a therapist, who is a fabulous secondary character. The events in the story take place over a short amount of time but so much happens the characters ought to be clamoring for another holiday to recuperate from this one.

The story is hopeful under all the drama and angst, showing the pathways for love, forgiveness, connection and reconnection can occur between the characters. Some readers may identify with a character and see their growth and development possible in the real world. The story trajectory will very likely stir up a plethora of emotions while reading, from strong reactions to certain characters' behaviors to circumstances of their upbringing informing and influencing their present day but not trapping them in it. The themes lean heavy with the humor not always enough to break the tension in a scene but the story is perhaps all the more immersive for that reason. I found the book very hard to stop reading during certain moments, eager to see what would happen next but also challenging to sit with the characters in the heavy swirling unsettled emotions at time. If you're prone to getting sucked in to a compelling story, consider starting to read this one earlier in the day if possible in case the urge to read for longer comes over you.

I recommend this and the author's other books for unconventional and refreshing reading if the usual lesfic fare has lost its shine or you crave novelty.

[Cally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't too sure about this one at first, as it isn't the usual plot I'd go for. However, I have loved books by Rachael Sommers in the past, and am very glad I decided to give this a try! I loved the development of the relationships in this book. Not only is there the great romantic buildup between Kenzie and Carolina, but also you get to see Carolina and her sisters learn how to trust each other again. I also enjoyed the friendship between Alice and Kenzie, and their relationships with Jonathan.

In terms of the romance itself, I really liked the way that Carolina slowly opened up to Kenzie and let her in. She fell without even realizing it, whereas Kenzie was attracted from the start. When they finally did get together it was so sweet and I loved how all in they both were.

My only complaint about the book is how Carolina acted in the beginning of the book. I understand she was coming into a difficult situation with people she believed had abandoned her, however her behavior was still a bit much. Not to mention, Alice was a toddler when Carolina last had met her and she had never even met Kenzie before. Carolina treated them pretty badly (even for an ice queen) with the way she yelled, slunk around the house, and ran off at the start. Luckily, she does warm up throughout the book and start to appreciate the people around her.

As far as the "forbidden" nature of their romance, I wasn't sure it was going to totally work for me. However, it didn't end up being as big of an issue as I thought. There are many moments that keep you wondering how things are going to work out, but as the book goes on you start to see things falling into place.

Overall, this is a pretty cute romance featuring an age gap, ice queen character, and a somewhat "forbidden" romance. 4.8/5 stars rounded up!

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 Stars) Alice begs her NYC roommate, Kenzie Wilson, to be her fake girlfriend for a family holiday vacation in Portugal. Her old boyfriend and longtime family friend has been invited and she doesn’t want to come alone. Kenzie reluctantly agrees as long as she can have time to work on her PHD thesis while at the family chateau. Alice’s aunt, Carolina Costa is coming for the first time after being estranged from the family for 24 years. Her mother threw her out of the house and family when she was discovered with a girl. She has gone on to become a successful CEO of a NYC tech firm. But she still resents that her sisters stood by her mother and only now reached out after her passing.

Alice is surprised and intrigued by Kenzie. And they spend time together many late nights in the library of the house while working. Kenzie for her part knows she likes older women and has past relationships with them. But she can’t flirt as she is there as Alice’s girlfriend. There is some flirting. But Carolina is dealing with big emotions being back with her sisters and she can’t understand why Kenzie isn’t more concerned Alice is spending so much time with her old boyfriend. I enjoy age-gap romances and appreciated much of the dramatics. Alice was intentionally annoying not being a very good friend at times. But I chose to look at that with humor. With the family drama it was a bit more serious than I was expecting in this slow burn romance. Thank you to NetGalley and Yulva Publishing for the eARC and I am leaving an honest review.

[Gina L · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Holiday Reunion That Yields A Few Secrets!

This was a very interesting read. You have a dysfunctional family who has suffered under the hands of the mother. Carolina was thrown out over twenty five years ago, her two older sisters are requesting her to come to a family holiday at the family home since their mother died. Carolina has deep reservations but if she wants answers from her sisters she will need to go back and ask them. Alice’s mother has reported that her ex boyfriend and his new girl will be there this holiday so Alice convinces her roommate and best friend Kenzie to go with her as her girlfriend. Kenzie, although not happy to be lying for Alice doesn’t have a family and was tired of spending the holidays alone. So what could possibly go wrong. It is a story about lost years, between sisters, between ex loves and between friends. This is a must read on my list.

[Shannon Luchies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carolina is going to Portugal for a vacation with her estranged sisters, whom she has not seen since their mother tossed her out. She is, understandably, dubious.

Kenzie finds herself there with the niece, Alice, and is equally uncomfortable. Worse, Carolina is her type.... older, frosty, but hot.

The sisters Mariana and Clara seem sincere, but as both are powerful lawyers, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Mariana also seems to think they can instantly fix nearly twenty years of issues in a week...

And Alice's ex being there complicates too. Especially when they start getting feelings again and she thinks Kenzie might like Carolina.

Just about done... i do find Alice's behavior doesn't feel like it makes sense. She seems to just randomly stir up shit to advance the plot. Third act breakup, ugh.

4 out of 5 stars. Solidly good.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

You had me at aloof.

Seriously I preordered this so fast because of the age gap + the aloof, rude, and annoyingly attractive aunt.

I feel like I said this the last time I read a Rachael Sommers book. The build up, the tension, the angst... It's chef's kiss. But then it's such a let down when we get to see them actually together. In my opinion it's not really believable that they'd take it slow after all that build up, but maybe that's just me. But then when they do get together, I don't know. The spice is lacking. But that's probably because I'm used to reading Harper Bliss, Carol Wyatt, Meryl Wilsner etc. I really do appreciate the build up though. I couldn't put this book down. I just wish the payoff was as good as the build up.

[Petrina Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The slow burn, the character development, the longing - all written wonderfully. While they were in Portugal, the power dynamic of the age gap didn't seem as noticeable.
But once they were in NY, the wealth gap and the stark contrast between where they each were in their respective lives was so much more obvious.
And rather than address it, the storyline just sped up, threw them into a relationship, barely spent any time on their romance or how their relationship worked practically, and then cut to the predicable one year later back in Portugal. It felt like a lot of beautiful build-up for an anticlimactic end.
To cap it all, in the novel, Kenzie's surname is James, but the bio for the book says her name is Wilson.
However, despite the rushed ending, I really enjoyed this book.

[e · Rating 5 out of 5]

If u were to ask me to list my favourite tropes and character types you would come to something that looks a lot like this. I will be thinking about this one for a while, and it feels like a full circle moment because chemistry by sommers was one of the first sapphic books I ever read and it was one I have since gone back to so its not too surprising that this one captivated my attention like it did!

arghhh I wanna read it again right now but considering that I only read it yesterday maybe I will wait like a week? who knows patience is not a virtue I often possess

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5

It was an okay read? I enjoyed the book overall, but I have to admit I started to lose interest around the middle. The biggest issue for me was that both Carolina’s and Kenzie’s backstories were revealed too early. I wasn’t even warmed up to them yet, and suddenly they were unloading all their emotional baggage to the reader. It took away a lot of the mystery that could’ve made their characters more compelling.

[SSA · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot. It was pretty messy as a concept but was surprisingly low stakes and angst in the relationship between Kenzie and Carolina. The descriptions of Portugal and the small town Sintra were cool. Although I would have liked a bit more time with Kenzie and Carolina as a couple before the book ended.

I disliked Alice a lot. She was a shit friend and I didn’t like how she was forgiven so easily by Kenzie. She did quite a few awful things to her and Carolina.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you loved Mistakes Were Made, this book is for you!

Kenzie is put in an awkward position when her best friend Alice asks her to be her fake girlfriend on a family Christmas vacation since her ex will be there with his new girlfriend. And to make matters worse, Kenzie soon discovers she has feelings for Alice's aunt that the family hasn't seen in over 2 decades due to past family drama.

The tension!!! I ate this book up!!! Highly recommend!!!!

[Bianka Zuniga · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited for a new book by this author, but was let down to feel there was really no chemistry between Kenzie & Carolina until the last few chapters of the book. I sometimes got the feeling that Kenzie simply crushed on Carolina all because that was her type of women. I feel there could have been a little more chemistry between the two, but the book was still a good read. Not her best in my opinion, but I will always look forward to her next story.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 out of 5

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this one. Sometimes it moved a bit too quickly for me, but that's also due to how short this story was. Would have preferred it if it was just a little bit longer. I definitely do recommend it, though. It was short, but sweet.

[Sandi D · Rating 5 out of 5]

ice queen, age gap, perfect..

I almost stopped reading this book just wasn’t feeling it. I’m so glad I didn’t give up. Was probably me.. haha. Anyway, loved the story line, characters and it was nice to see Carolina open up. There’s nothing like an age gap story. This one is certainly worth reading.

p.s. had some wonderful vulnerable scenes that you could identify with.

[Kate S · Rating 2 out of 5]

Carolina is not an ice queen. She is just an asshole.

Kenzie isn’t a manic pixie dream girl or whatever the author was going for here. She’s just a punching bag for Carolina, her best friend, and her best friend’s family.