ARC Review | Thriller | Release Date: November 18, 2025
Thank you to Caleb Stephens and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The way my jaw hit the floor, you guys. 😱 This is by far my favorite thriller of 2025 so far — and I know I’ve said that before, but this time I mean it.
From page one, Caleb Stephens had me hooked. The story opens with Grant and his wife, Avery, heading out on what seems like a peaceful weekend hiking trip. The air feels calm and loving — that deceptive kind of calm thrillers love to shatter. Just before they begin their hike, Avery reveals she’s pregnant, which comes as a complete miracle given her health history. It’s a touching moment… until everything falls apart.
Avery is abducted in broad daylight by two men in a black van, and suddenly Grant is stranded with a blown-out tire, no phone, no service, and a ticking clock. He’s told to return to their Airbnb to await instructions — and warned that if he talks to the police or anyone, Avery dies. It’s the kind of setup that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go.
The first half of this book is tense, cinematic, and fast. I was fully convinced I was reading a high-stakes abduction thriller — until the twist hit around the halfway mark. And when I say twist, I mean one of those rare, jaw-dropping, everything-you-thought-you-knew-is-wrong twists that flips the entire story.
Usually, when a thriller drops a huge reveal mid-book, the second half fizzles. But not here. If anything, it picks up. Stephens doesn’t just rely on shock value — he digs deep into why these characters do what they do.
His writing style is what really sold me. It’s vivid without being overdone, emotional without feeling forced. I could see the settings, feel the fear, and understand the conflict inside both characters.
Without giving too much away, You’ll Never Know explores themes of guilt, revenge, and forgiveness in a way I didn’t expect. It’s dark, emotional, and layered. You start to question who’s the villain and who’s the victim.
And beneath all that tension lies a quiet but powerful message: hurt people hurt people. Stephens shows how pain, when left to fester, can twist into something destructive — but also how understanding that cycle can lead to empathy and closure. It’s a theme that lingers long after the last page.
It’s marketed for fans of The Chain by Adrian McKinty, but I’d say this one stands on its own. While The Chain was about child abduction and manipulation, this story centers more on revenge and emotional reckoning.
If you love thrillers that surprise you halfway through, make you feel something for both sides, and deliver an ending that stays with you — you need to read this one.
Unputdownable. Emotional. Relentless.
⭐️5/5 from The Recap Vault
I’ve got a lot more to say — including every twist, reveal, and that emotional ending. Head over to the spoiler post to keep reading.
You’ll Never Know by Caleb Stephens releases November 18, 2025.
Pre-order your copy on Amazon here.