Everything We Left Behind

The highly anticipated sequel to Everything We Keep, Everything We Left Behind tells James' story as he wakes from his fugue state after more than six years.

I really enjoyed this book, it's a beautiful story that reminds us just what is important in life. I do think that you definitely need to read the first book before trying this one. Four stars from purplebookstand.

I was lucky to be provided with a copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it.

This is a complex sequel to Everything We Keep, telling the story by James of his disappearance, and his subsequent life after he goes missing. A former financial executive, James has been missing for six and a half years before he awakens from a dissociative fugue state in which he lived as artist Carlos Dominguez, only to discover who he truly is. This story is about how he deals with this, who he can trust, how he goes forward, and who he still has to fear.

Thanks for Netgalley for my free copy.

Everything We Left Behind is the follow up Kerry Lonsdale's debut book Everything We Keep. Perhaps, the nonlinear timeline creates a disconnect. Perhaps, James is a less interesting character than Aimee. Perhaps, the styles of the books and the story they tell is too similar. Perhaps, I read the two books one after the other. Perhaps, the mystery is lacking, and the ending is predictable. For all these reasons, this book is still an entertaining read but a less engaging one than the first.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/10/everything-we-left-behind.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

This is the second in the "Everything We Keep" series. Like the first there are things that annoy me and spoil the continuity of the book. I found myself questioning the who he did and did not know / recognise in his fugue and recovered states. However I did enjoy it more than the first as the author drew some of the story lines together. I think she developed the characterisation well and it was an easy read. I would be interested in the third instalment of the series.

James/Carlos is back! And this time the reader follows him, instead of Aimee, through the events before, during, and after his fugue state. If you haven't read the first book, don't read this review and don't read this book. Ms. Lonsdale does a good job of getting the reader refreshed on what happened in the first book, but this book will be confusing on its own. Even having read the first book, I found it hard to follow along. The timeline bounces around a LOT! And in the middle of all that bouncing, James/Carlos has flashbacks. Combine this with two children who are stuck in the middle of all this confusion and it all got to be too much for me. I suppose this means Ms. Lonsdale created characters we care about. I am happy with the way things ended and am worried that will all get ruined in the third book in the series.

Everything We Left Behind is book 2 and heart wrenching. I love, Love, LOVED book 2!!!! I’ve recommended these to everyone I meet! I found book 1 a little frustrating that it took Amiee so long to go look for James but overall I enjoyed it. I think book 2 blew it away. James/Carlos's story is well thought out and crosses back and forth seamlessly. I like that the author doesn't go down the expected path for James/Carlos.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ecopy of the book for my Kindle.
The 1st book was o.k., but this book was not a good one. Not enough suspense and surprises, pretty much knew what was going to happen. Like the 1st one, I would have liked the book more without the foul language and sexual scenes.

I was lucky enough to read this book immediately after I had read "Everything we Keep' . This was good because I had Aimee's story still in my mind so knew what was happening with James/Carlos. I found this book to be much deeper than the previous one and somewhat predictable in it's outcome. I understand there will be a third book which I hope moves the story on as I didn't feel this did.then it falls short of the mark.

These books are part of a series of 2 books, third i believe to be on its way.
I read Everthing we keep and followed straight on with the second book everything we left behind. I would recommend that you have red the first book before starting the second as it does give you a much stronger sense of the story, and things from the first book are mentioned in the second.
It is quite difficult to write much a a review without giving too much away but i enjoyed the books, maybe book 2 more than the first, but the story does have some twist and turns and keep me page turning to find out what happens next. A couple of characters I found a little annoying. But generally and enjoyable enough read. Will probably read book 3 as there are still things which need answers!!
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
These books are part of a series of 2 books, third i believe to be on its way.
I read Everthing we keep and followed straight on with the second book everything we left behind. I would recommend that you have red the first book before starting the second as it does give you a much stronger sense of the story, and things from the first book are mentioned in the second.
It is quite difficult to write much a a review without giving too much away but i enjoyed the books, maybe book 2 more than the first, but the story does have some twist and turns and keep me page turning to find out what happens next. A couple of characters I found a little annoying. But generally and enjoyable enough read. Will probably read book 3 as there are still things which need answers!!
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Everything We Keep and Everything We Left Behind - Kerry Lonsdale.

You might have noticed that pretty much everything I've been posting recently is reviews, that's because I've had a backlog of ARCS building up and I'm finally getting around to reading them all, so I figured as these two are part of the same series, I'd do them at the same time! As Everything We Left Behind was scheduled for release, the publisher was kind enough to send me both books so I could catch up.

Sous chef Aimee Tierney has the perfect recipe for the perfect life: marry her childhood sweetheart, raise a family, and buy out her parents’ restaurant. But when her fiancé, James Donato, vanishes in a boating accident, her well-baked future is swept out to sea. Instead of walking down the aisle on their wedding day, Aimee is at James’s funeral—a funeral that leaves her more unsettled than at peace.
As Aimee struggles to reconstruct her life, she delves deeper into James’s disappearance. What she uncovers is an ocean of secrets that make her question everything about the life they built together. And just below the surface is a truth that may set Aimee free…or shatter her forever. 

So, Everything We Keep begins at James' funeral, on what should have been Aimee's wedding day and the book then follows the next year of her life as she tries to pick up the pieces and move on. She makes new friends, starts a new career, but she can't seem to shake James, told through a series of flashbacks to her and James' lives together and the present, we learn about his dysfunctional family and eventually that she was right to have questions about his disappearance.
Though this book has a few twists and turns and enough intriguing moments to keep you interested, there does seem to be a a lot of big subjects being thrown around in an almost flippant manner. One character is assumed to have disassociated fugue, yet there isn't much gravity given to what comes across to me as being a big deal.
It's much more of a character driven book than plot driven, with the story being second fiddle to Aimee and her supporting cast. Its a very long winded, winding story about Aimee trying to rebuild her life and get over James. There isn't much drama, but sometimes, it's nice to read something that meanders and lets you have time to process.

The second book picks up precisely where the first one left off, and this one follows more of Carlos' story and ties up some loose ends involving various characters and mysteries from the first book it also features a lot of flash backs to fill in the blanks and we learn a lot more about what happened to James. I would leave the blurb here, but spoilers! This is a 'true sequel' you literally can't read this without having read the first book.

This was told in much the same way and again dealt with large subjects without much gravity. Again this was character driven and they plodded along nicely. Everything We Left Behind alternates between Carlos and James, telling the whole story through flashbacks and present day. Like the first book, there is a lot of dramatic events unfolding without much actual drama or urgency.

If you're a fan of soap operas, you'll love these books. There are gripping stories, but some of the moments veer on the outlandish and wouldn't be out of place in Eastenders. (Has the whole split personality thought I was dead but I'm not thing been done on there before? I think it has!) I think these two books would be perfect holiday companions, they're the sort of thing you could lose yourself in whilst being sat by a pool or beach.

I would say that I would rather there were a bit of a cover redesign, they're both fine covers, but they don't match the story all that well, particularly the first one. The two girls aren't even the same!

Carlos Dominguez, an artist in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, is aware that his life could change at any moment. He’s been in a fugue state for the past several years, and knows that his original personality can re-emerge without warning.

James Donato’s last memories are of his fiancée, Aimee, and the shady dealings of his older brother, Phil, that put the family’s import furniture business at risk. James awakens one morning in Puerto Escondido with two young boys jumping on his bed and asking for breakfast. Somehow he must merge Carlos’s role as father with his own focus on learning the truth.

While I enjoyed the first book in this series, I was quickly confused by the storyline jumping from Carlos five years ago to James present day to Carlos 18 months ago…and so on. Even the tags at the beginning of each chapter didn’t help; it was still difficult to follow and I found the pacing slow. Not sure if I’ll take a chance on the third one.

Was really pleased that this continued the story line and filled in the gaps leading up to the identity change. It still got confusing at times but stick with it. Pleased to hear there is a final installment in the offing? Thank you NetGalley.

Genre: Romance, Mystery, Fiction
Steamy?: Mild
Cliffhanger?: Kind of – just a little tease to prime you for the next story in the series which appears to be about a different TBA character. This book ends in a HEA.
Can be read as Standalone?: No
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

***COMPLIMENTARY COPY PROVIDED IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW***

Wow…. Just, WOW!! First, let me say this book has changed my perspective on its predecessor. I now give the first book in the series a slightly higher rating, now hovering around between 4 and 4.5 stars.

But THIS book…. This BOOK! It blew my expectations. EASILY a 5. It had my heart from the beginning and not only did it never let go, it squeezed tighter! James…. James, James, James… how my heart broke terribly for him. But also, how it melted for him in the way we took the mess he was given and worked HARD to put all the complicated pieces back together again. The car scene with him and Aimee was probably the most heartbreaking scene I’ve EVER read, and I’ve read a lot of books. That was the first time a book has even made me want to bawl like a baby. And the scene with Julian on the beach just solidified a spot for James in my heart.

All the ups, down, lefts and rights come together for a very satisfactory ending. The only thing I’m unhappy about is that James’ story is over. But I’m sure we’ll get glimpses of him in the next book so I look forward to seeing him and his ohana again in 2018!

Now this one was a complete contrast with the first book. The characters were full of spirit and the storyline was very good.

Continuing from the first (which is a must read before you get to this one) we continue our story of Aimee and how she is still trying to come to grips with her loss.

James (the husband) has metamorphosed into Carlos and the confusion and anger is overwhelming. He is not dead and coming to terms with that is alone huge and naturally dramatic. Equally dramatic is that he is now the father of two young sons. Aimee's life after six years has also moved on. She is now married and mother of a young son.

Trying to put all these different and jarring elements together is not an easy job. Making a story of a convoluted mess is also not easy but this author does it all and presents a rather dramatic story with a lot of sexual overtones rather well!

Definitely enjoyed the pace of this second story as against the first book.

Goodreads and Amazon review up on 15/9/2017. Review on my blog 6/10/2017. Also linked to my FB page

I read this book straight after I'd read 'Everything we Keep' and I'm pleased I did because I think you need the background to the story of James/Carlos to understand what's going on. However I'm afraid I have very mixed feelings about this book and nearly abandoned it on more than one occasion. If you're looking for a romantic read with a little bit of intrigue thrown in then it's probably a book you'll enjoy, but if you're looking for a thriller then it falls short of the mark.

Did not finish; since I did not really enjoy the first part of this series, I did not finish this one. Sorry.

i read this immediately after finishing the first in the series, and i am a little bummed there will be a 3rd. i did like both of them, i liked the second almost as much as the first. it was hard reading about james feeling disconnected from his life as carlos with his boys and i wish his story with nat was wrapped up a bit neater but i suppose that is what the 3rd will be about. honestly if the 3rd was out right now and i had it in my hand, i'd probably read it, though i don't know if it's a series i will remember or want to read as time passes. i did like the writing and the story was unique. thanks netgalley.

If Everything We Keep was amazing, Everything We Left Behind is doubly so. What happens seems almost unbelievable, but you’ll be instantly drawn in and unable to let go. Aimee and Ian are together. But is James James again, or is he Carlos? How can this be? This is a writer who knows how to hook you and keep you hooked. Just like with Everything We Keep, the premise is unusual, but it works and you so want these characters to have a happily ever after. Even when you don’t like what they say or do at a moment in time, you are invested in their lives and just want everything to work out.

Everything We Left Behind is the sequel to Kerry Lonsdale’s fantastic Everything We Keep. Even though Everything We Left Behind stands alone and is a perfectly good read on its own, I strongly recommend you read Everything We Keep first to get the full effect. At the end of Everything We Keep you sigh and say, “Wow.” At the beginning of Everything We Left Behind you say, “Oh no, how can this be?”

In Everything We Keep I found myself wavering between two men from Aimee’s perspective. In Everything We Left Behind I found myself wavering between the two perspectives of one man. The mystery is compelling, but the love and loss almost break your heart.

The story is fast-paced, full of danger, suspense and surprises. A lot is at stake and people will go to any lengths to keep secrets. Secrets that go way back and leave you wondering how those that should love you most can be so cruel.

The characters are so well developed you can feel their pain and and anxiety and fear. The story is complex but not confusing. This is due to Kerry Lonsdale’s superb writing and the way she keeps the action flowing, making it easy to follow along.

I won’t give away the plot in this review because there is no way to add any more detail without introducing spoilers, and the story is too good to do that. Furthermore, I again strongly suggest that you read Everything We Keep first. I read Everything We Left Behind immediately after Everything We Keep. I just couldn’t stop. I was so worried for the characters and had to know if they would be safe, if they could be happy. I just learned there will be a third story in this series. I can’t even imagine where that will take us, but I know that I want to go along on that journey. Kerry Lonsdale will be at the top of my TBR stack from now on. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to discover this wonderful author.

A sequel to Everything We Keep, Everything We Left Behind is now from a different character's perspective. While the fugue state seems like a very soap opera style plot line, the writing is solid and the strong, complex characters really pull it all through to make this a memorable series.

Abandoned at about 20%. It started beyond predictable, in fact so predictable that I felt the author just wanted to milk to story for all its worth. Maybe it would have been a good idea to stop after the first book. As it is, I just cannot force myself to read it. Thank you for the opportunity.