Thank you so much to author Debbie Howells for getting in touch and sending this through via #Netgalley I really enjoyed it, if of course enjoyed should be the correct word.

Reading about deep grief and heartbreak isn't for everyone and this one was hard going, even for cold blackend souls like mine. Casey's story was R-A-W to say the least which subsequently turned into quite an extraordinary journey. And it was her journey that I so enjoyed.

Imagine having to completely rebuild life as you know it? Everything being ripped away from you in an instant? My heart went out to Casey but I really loved being on the path to recovery afterwards with her, it was all rather beautiful.

The life you left behind was written with the utmost sensitivity and care, Debbie clearly wanted to raise awareness for a highly taboo subject which she achieved with gold stars and I really do feel that, I too, have been on the journey alongside Casey. A sign of a great book written by a pro!

Be kind, always ❤️

This is a book which has captured my interest from the beginning. I love how this is written. It is filled with a mix of characters and has been a book I have been unable to predict.

A sensitively emotional read highlighting the terrible issue of depression. Casey is unable to get on her flight to Morocco with best friend Ellie as she has left her passport as home. Ellie goes ahead and Casey says she will arrange a flight for the next day. On her way out of the airport she bumps into a stranger called Ben - he’s found the make up bag she left on the floor when searching for her passport. The story delves io the past and the present on a monthly basis updating us on what happens next, Be warned, this is an emotional read, I loved this book.

The premise of this book captured my attention, which is why I wanted to read it initially. I also love the cover. The story was interesting overall, with a strong narrative throughout. I liked Casey a lot and sympathized with her plight. I couldn't fathom being in a wonderful relationship only to have it end a year after it started. I don't blame Casey for wanting to get away.

The story goes back and forth in time over the span of two years or so. The first year is Casey's life with Ben, which all is talked about in the past. The second year is Casey's life in France, without Ben, and how she's trying to get her life back together and possibly move on when she's still stuck on him. Along the way, she makes a new friend and finds a diary with an intriguing story that mirrors her own in some ways.

There were a lot of good things about this story and I liked how bits and pieces unfolded throughout, painting the bigger picture of what was going on. However, there were some things that didn't work as well for me. The past scenes being written all in italics felt unnecessary as a font choice. It was clear that the events were in the past, due to the chapter headings of "Before." The time progression felt strange too. There were times when a whole month would go by but it felt like nothing was really going on during that time period. Casey finds this diary, reads a couple of pages, and then waits another month before reading more? I would devour that thing in one day! It seemed odd that she kept dragging it out when she had all that time to herself anyway. I also felt like some of the story was preachy. I get that horrible things are happening in the world, but there was an element of guilt for the reader. Finally, I wish the climax had come as more of a surprise. There were so many hints leading up to it and lots of foreshadowing due to Casey writing about the past from the present view.

Debbie Howells tackles the subject of mental health in an honest and sensitive way. The timing actually works well with the return of A Million Little Things, which also covers a lot of mental health topics. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and it had a Leah Mercer, Josie Silver, and Rosie Walsh feel.

Movie casting suggestions:
Casey: Ella Purnell
Ben: Tom Ainsley (I've been watching How I Met Your Father and he just popped into my head while reading this book.)
Ellie: Karen Gillan
Kevin: Jack Farthing
Sylvie: Inès Melab
Julia: Kate Winslet

The life you left behind

This story is so raw and beautiful and touching. After these two years of pandemic and so many changes, the story really makes you stop and rethink everything around us.

The family we love, the friends we make, the environment we live in, whether it is a big city or a small town, each person who we get in contact with every day, they all count.

I must admit that I had to read this book in a few episodes because it made me sad but also filled out my heart with the passages that really touched me.

I would probably recommend this story to anyone that needs a touch raw reality and how we many times forget what humanity means.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley

This book will make you smile, tug at your heartstrings, make you cry, and hopefully, get you to open your mind to the social, environmental and mental health concerns that are so prevalent today. Casey finds herself in the midst of a storybook romance after a chance encounter with Ben at the airport. But she learns that love is not always enough.

Ben is gone. He’s been gone for awhile. Casey Cassidy, Ben’s wife, knows where he is and what happened to him, but it remains a mystery as to whether he’s ghosted, missing, in a coma, or dead–until nearly halfway through the novel.

Chapters alternate between Casey’s present and past. She is grieving this loss, alone, renting an isolated cottage in France on a tip from her dear friend Kevin and at her best friend Ell’s urging. Casey discovers a diary of an affair with an unhappily married, depressed woman, left behind by a previous tenant. She makes friends with the proprietor of a local watering hole and finds a tutoring gig. Her past reflections relive meeting Ben randomly at the airport, their whirlwind romance, his passion for climate change and his growing depression that even her love cannot pull him out of.

The angst in this book is thick and palpable as the lump that will be in reader’s throats, and the writing beautiful, poignant and raw. Howell shares deep, universal truths through Casey’s healing. Readers who enjoy a little bit of mystery and a slow story may find their own catharsis in Casey’s pain and recovery.

I received an advance reader's review copy of #TheLifeYouLeftBehind via #NetGalley.

One year ago Casey Cassidy was happy. She had great friends, a wonderful teaching job and a busy life – until with one missed flight, everything changes.
One year later Casey knows what it means to find that once-in-a-lifetime love people dream of. But when Ben leaves, her heart is shattered.
I still have goosebumps! Omg......... this book was amazing I flew threw the pages with Olympic speed I was hooked from the very first page.

I sort of have a lot/dislike relationship with this book, only because it hit a little too close to home.

Its a story about love, grief and what could have beens. Something I am all too familiar with. I don't want to go into too much detail, but I warn you, Have tissues ready for when you read.

I had expected this to be a rather light and sweet read, that I could devour quickly before it was my turn on the Blog Tour, but it turned out to be a lot more serious and not light at all and with life getting in the way I simply could not rush through this story, hence me being late on the Tour.

The righting is really very good and I would not hesitate to read another story by Debbie Howells.

I loved the romantic side to this story, but it quickly became more serious and I really felt for both Casey and Ben. The tough subject matters were also eye-openers for me. It was interesting to get an insight into how intensely some people feel what is happening in the world. On a similar note, with everything going on in the world today you hear of people for instance who have no family or relations in war zones, yet the news literally gives them sleepless nights.

The story within the story, the one written in the diary Casey found in the cottage in France was also really touching.

I really look forward to seeing what else Debbie Howells will write and whether she will continue with women’s fiction.

This novel felt like a book of contrasts. There is the euphoria of Casey and Ben's early relationship. with all the hope and appreciation of life and then the darkness and sadness of other periods in their lives. Despite the serious underlying themes of depression and mental illness, there is an overarching uplifting feeling of Casey's zest for life and growing sense of adventure. She does not feel like this throughout the book however. You follow her as she works through her sadness and grief and struggles to find a way forward.
Family and friendship are important themes and, in many ways, Casey re-evaluates her relationships with her parents as she deals with her grief. She also is able to look at the positive side of her relationship with Ben and to appreciate some of the environmental issues which he felt about so deeply. Whereas Ben is overwhelmed at the effects of man on the environment, Casey sets about learning more and then looking for positive ways to educate and make changes. They are like two sides of the same coin. There are some interesting issues raised in the story and it takes a thoughtful approach to the quality of life and relationships.
In short: Uplifting but with darker elements.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book
#BlogTour

Initially I found the story of a woman without her mate to be interesting in the way she was trying to again find her life.

However, I do need to find a book to be entertaining. Her story was so sad and the visit with regard to the pig farm finished me. I had to put the book down. I want to be entertained not depressed..
I' sure it's a wonderful book and many will love it.

Let me preface everything I’m about to say with a few indisputable facts…
...this was a deeply emotional story that draws you in to its very soul…
...you’ll get to know the characters on the page as well as you do those you hold dear off the page…
...the author’s descriptive ability will transport you to every gorgeous environment visited around the world, so much so, you’ll be looking for the stamps in your passport.


Now, with all that said, let me say a few other things that may not be perceived as having a positive experience with the story. First and foremost, for most of the story...about 80% of the ebook to be a bit more precise...I was entirely upset. For those of you that don’t want even a hint at a spoiler, skip this part, but I’ll do my best not to reveal anything either direction with too much clarity...which is almost exactly the problem I was having with the book. For that large chunk of the story, you’re left in a lurch...did Ben DIE or simply LEAVE? I mean, it’s not that I wanted him to be literally gone from this, or rather that, plane, but there were so many passages that were inconclusive, to me at least, that I was having trouble getting behind my feelings for Casey’s plight. I didn’t know if she was literally in mourning, or mourning an emotional loss.

Second item on the list of not-popular-things-to-mention….this is an IMMENSELY SAD story. Don’t get me wrong, I get the “find your way” vibes, and actively followed Casey’s journey out of darkness, and while there were cracks that let in the light, overall I wasn’t left on an emotional high, but rather a low. To me, it was almost to the point of suggesting a trigger warning for those that suffer from depression, or perhaps are empathetic in the extreme. I’ve read sad stories, in fact, I’ve had a recent run of them for some reason or another, but they’re the ones that have me crying between the pages...this one simply left me drained.

So yeah, I enjoyed the story as a whole, appreciating the beauty the author wove into a tale, and the skill with which she takes us back in time, while keeping us grounded in the present. I loved the characters and all the colors they brought to the page, both personality wise and through their own histories. It was great to see a love so all consuming and quick to mature, as well as the downside when together is no longer an option. I still had the issues I had with it, but perhaps some of them were simply my own desires projected on the author’s story. Perhaps those were the very things she wanted to keep “secret” until the right moment, or the emotions she wanted to steep the reader in to truly take on the pain that some people actually go through in life. Give it a read, and let me know what you think!

When Casey Cassidy met Ben, she thought she had find the One and that they would be together forever. Now he is gone and she is left bereft. Not knowing what to do with herself without him, she goes and stays in a quiet French town and takes the time to rediscover herself. The current day narrative is interwoven with flashbacks to the past of her time with Ben. Will Casey be able to manage alone and start to look to the future or will her devastation drag her under? A beautifully written story that is devastatingly sad at times.

My Thoughts :
We meet Casey Cassidy, after arriving at the airport with her friend Ellie about to board a plane for their holiday, Casey realises she has left her passport at home. When stranger Ben Summer saves the day, Casey doesnt realise that this is to be the start of something big between them. We soon learn that a year later, Ben has gone, leaving devastated Casey single, alone and not sure what to do.
Deciding to leave everything about her life with Ben behind, Casey moves to France to rey and sort her head out and think about where her life is going to go next.
As we get into the story, it tells us about their life together after they met, running in a duel timeline of Casey in the present and her life in France without Ben.
This is easily followed as they are marked before and after so we dont loose where we are in the story. I found this was a book that was hard to put down, it totally grips the reader and leaves you wanting to finish the story to find out what happens.
A heart breaking story full of emotions, loss, grief and love.
Debbie Howells has sensitively written a gripping story that I am sure with stay with many readers for a long time to come.

I had no idea this was going to be such an emotional read. It is told over two different timelines about Casey’s life before Ben and after Ben. Caseys is happy she has a good job and then Ben comes into her life and everything changes in a year. I can’t really go into to much detail with out spoiling the book for you.
This book does address Mental Health issues and how Casey deals with it which is always a important issues. If you read this have your Kleenex ready

This is a powerful book, one that left me needing a moment to absorb all I had read. It is about loss and grief, but it is also about love, friendship and kindness.

We follow Casey through two tumultuous years of change in this dual timeline novel; the year she meets Ben and her first year after he has left her. The spark of a new romance and the excitement of discovering that special someone, contrasting against the dark days of loneliness and feeling lost. So much has changed, she is unable to go back to where she was just a year before, but she is equally as uncertain about where her future lies. I really enjoyed the way the past and present are interlinked and the slow reveal this gives to exactly what did happen to Casey and Ben.

With so many layers woven into this book, it creates a strong plot, with depth and emotions that left me quietly contemplating the bigger questions in life. It enriched my mind and my soul – powerful words for a book review, but it is a powerful read that touches on issues like grief and loss, but also gently maps out the journey, understanding and change that comes from losing someone special. Many emotive subjects are treated with a sensitivity that will hopefully help readers understand and be more aware. I learned a lot reading this book.

Casey’s journey is interlaced with that of her friends, and it is the power of friendship and its love that I felt strongly as I was reading it. It also raises important questions about the planet, the way we treat it, and how we interact with each other. Seeing as I only tend to pick up the blog tours where books have a link to France, I am so glad that author Debbie Howells chose a remote cottage in France as the peaceful haven Casey needed to escape to. To think I could have missed this book if Devon or Spain had been used instead – it was a sign and I like signs.

The Life You Left Behind is a beautiful read that I really hope you will enjoy and get as much out of as I did.

Oh be still my beating heart...❤
A story that was so much more than I was expecting.
Having been writing psychological thrillers, The Life You Left Behind is the authors first novel away from this genre.
We meet Casey Cassidy in this story, Cassidy to her friends.
She is at the airport on her way to Marrakech with her friend Ellie when she realises she has left her passport at home. Saying goodbye to her friend with promises of taking the next flight, she dashes out of the airport only to be stopped by Ben running after her with her makeup back that fell out of her luggage. What ensues is the start of a 'this is it' type of relationship for them both.
The story is told to us through two timelines. Two people meeting and falling in love and then a year on from the start of the relationship, Ben is not around and Casey is trying to put her life back together again..
I read this story with such trepidation and if I'm honest much sadness as I wondered where Ben was and what had happened as they did seem so in love.
Casey has taken herself off to France, staying at a friend's vacant house and is giving herself time to heal, to accept her grief and understand what happened.
The author writes with such care for her characters, their struggles, their issues and how sometimes we can all get to a place in life where we just don't want to be.
She delved into topics that are painful and hard to understand and watch when someone we love is suffering.
This is a story powerful in its telling and so full of emotion. At times I didn't want to leave it down being so wrapped up in the lives of Casey & Ben but yet I needed to just to understand that little bit more.
Author Debbie Howells has given us an incredibly heartbreaking read but one you do need to get to.
She has made an incredible start in the world of women's fiction.
I'm really excited for her and what she brings next..
Well worth your time..

EXCERPT: After - March
I know exactly what you'd say if you were sitting next to me.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Not your words - they're Lao Tzu's. You loved old wisdom - the way it held true, even hundreds of years later. And you would have loved this journey: the wide, open road ahead of us, the ever-changing landscape, your imagination sparking off in a hundred different directions. Poring excitedly over spread-out maps, you'd have made lists of places to check out, while I'd be thinking about getting my nails done and wondering how many outfits I could cram into a small suitcase.

But adventures were your lifeblood - you told me your boyhood tales of climbing and wild camping, gazing at seascapes and skyscapes, riding waves harnessing the wind. The beaten track wasn't for you. There are a million other paths, Cassidy, you'd say to me. The same old is never going to take you anywhere new. It was one of the hundred reasons I fell in love with you.

ABOUT 'THE LIFE YOU LEFT BEHIND': Two strangers.

One missed flight.

It only takes a moment to change a life.

One year ago Casey Cassidy was happy. She had great friends, a wonderful teaching job and a busy life - until with one missed flight, everything changes.

One year later Casey knows what it means to find that once-in-a-lifetime love people dream of. But when Ben leaves, her heart is shattered.

Left facing a year of firsts without him, piecing her life back together seems impossible. But then a friend offers her a home in rural France.

In the solitude and emptiness, Casey needs to comes to terms with what’s happened and find a way to move forward. She has no idea where that will take her one year later...

MY THOUGHTS: (may contain spoilers) What I read was totally not what I was expecting. I was looking forward to a bit of light relief from what I have been reading. That's not what happened. From the publicity blurb, The Life You Left Behind sounds like a light and fluffy read with a bit of heartbreak in it. Believe me, that's not what you're going to get. It's the absolute reverse.

Written over two alternating timelines a year apart, we follow Casey Cassidy as she meets, marries and loses the man she regards as her soulmate. It could still be light and fluffy, but it's not. There's a lot of darkness.

The Life You Left Behind deals with depression and suicide. And eco-something (stress caused by concern over the environment), a term I thought I must remember but then neglected to either highlight or write down.

I couldn't get invested in the story at all, nor the characters who simply did not seem real to me. I felt like I was being lectured on mental health and environmental issues, both extremely important I know, but if I want a lecture I'll buy textbooks rather than fiction, thanks.

Debbie Howells may have achieved what she set out to achieve, and kudos to her for even attempting this, but I didn't enjoy it at all, and didn't like the feeling that I had been hoodwinked by the book's description. I also didn't like the way the author initially tried to make a mystery out of where Ben had gone, saying he had left, or gone, when all the time . . .

⭐⭐

#TheLifeYouLeftBehind #NetGalley

I: @_debbiehowells @bookandtonic

T: @debbie_howells @BoldwoodBooks

#contemporaryfiction #deathanddying #mentalhealth #sliceoflife

THE AUTHOR: Having previously worked as cabin crew, a flying instructor and a wedding florist, Debbie started writing during her busiest summer of weddings.

Debbie now writes full time, inspired by the peacefulness of the countryside she lives in with her partner Martin and Bean the rescued cat.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Boldwood Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Life You Left Behind by Debbie Howells for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

My thoughts –
When I first started reading this book, it felt like the start of a romance novel, as it unfolded it became something much deeper - how Casey dealt with and tried to process and move on from what happened to Ben. There was much mystery in the book and it kept me guessing, I formulated my own theories, nevertheless shocked by what happened to Ben.
Male mental illness is something I don’t often come across in novels, good on the author for discussing it. How Casey and Ben dealt with what was happening to them was believable and emotive, even at times painful to read. Eco grief and solastalgia were terms I was largely unaware of and although not something I look to read about in novels, it was informative. I enjoyed snapshot of life in rural France provided some lightness to the story and an extra element of intrigue.
Overall, although I look for escapism in novels, this novel was something different to the norm and I did find myself invested in Casey’s story. With thanks to Boldwood Books, Rachel’s Random Resources and NetGalley for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.