Oh my Goodness!!!! This book, is so good. I can not recommend it enough.

My heart was pounding from the first to the last page. There are a few triggering subjects ie; suicide, sexual assault, so beware.

An emotional mystery with some of my favorite elements. When the main character finds a hidden diary in her family’s old home she gets sucked in to this girls life. Who was she and what happened to her? A slow burn mystery perfect for lovers of the genre.

This was the first book I’ve read by this author, and I really enjoyed their writing style. The pacing kept me engaged, and I especially liked the unique diary entry format which gave the story a fresh, layered feel. I also had fun recognizing some of the city references that were woven into the narrative, which made the setting feel more real. I enjoyed the mystery itself, and the character dynamics kept me turning the pages. A solid, compelling read that makes me curious to check out her first book! Add this one to your list if you like slow burn mysteries!

Thank you to Rising Action Publishing via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review was posted (Instagram, Goodreads, bookishlytara blog, Storygraph, Fable) on August 16, 2025. An additional post (with a reposted review) was posted on Instagram on the publication day as well as an Amazon Canada review. (links below)

Charlotte led a reserved life after the accident when her friends died and even though now a grown woman in her thirties she still relies a lot on her parents especially when she's under stress. The holidays are approaching, she gets sacked, her parents are travelling to Florida, and she's tasked with overseeing the remodeling of their country home. Little Charlotte could expect that in that small town she would find love, friendship, and would become involved in the search for a teenager killer which will almost claim her life. What She Left Behind is a story full of mystery and suspense, romance, and the message that it's always possible to reconnect and start over in life.
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Life hasn’t always gone the way Charlotte Boyd anticipated. After losing yet another job and with her parents away on vacation, they ask her to oversee renovations on their new home. But the house has a tragic history—and when Charlotte arrives to get things started, she discovers the lost diary of the previous teen resident, Lark Peters, who died by suicide. What begins as a simple favour turns into a deep, emotional journey as Charlotte becomes determined to uncover the truth about Lark, all while confronting her own painful past.

Charlotte Boyd is a better woman than me—because I would’ve left those renovations for my parents to deal with! No way would I have turned into a detective.

I absolutely love when a novel includes diary entries, and this one delivered. I was completely drawn into Lark’s story, constantly flipping pages to see if she’d finally reveal the truth in her diary.

Definitely a page-turner!

Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Haunting, emotional, and beautifully written. It has the perfect mix of small-town secrets, an eerie summer house, and a diary from the past into a slow-burn mystery that lingers long after the final page.

Perfect for fans of atmospheric, character-driven suspense. Definitely recommend this author!

Thank you to the publisher, netgalley, and the pulse for the e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this dual POV, dual timeline slow-burn mystery read about Charlotte, a young woman who comes across the diary of a teenager, Lark, who died by suicide sixteen years ago in the house that Charlotte’s parents recently bought in a small town in Ontario. In reading the diary, Charlotte starts to question what really led to Lark’s death and whether any of the town’s residents might have been involved.

One of the POVs was told via diary entries and I thought it was an effective way to tell the past timeline. I also liked that the author sensitively handled issues around trauma and its impact. As I read the story, I kept going back and forth as to who was the villian of the story and the reveal was not one I expected.

Thanks to the publisher for the digital complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Rising Action Publishing Co/ Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC.

I LOVED this book! I'm a fan of Sommerville's first book, If I l Lose Her and had high hopes for this one. I was NOT disappointed!

"Recently fired and adrift, Charlotte Boyd agrees to oversee renovations on her parents’ small-town summer home that holds a tragic past. After discovering an enthralling diary hidden amidst junk the previous owners left behind, Charlotte connects with the author—a troubled teen named Lark Peters who died by suicide at the house sixteen years ago.

When an unsettling incident forces Charlotte to seek refuge at the local pub, regulars, including the police, warn her of Lark’s older brother, Darryl, who has become a recluse since Lark’s death, and may know more than he’s letting on. But Charlotte sees a side of Darryl others don’t, being an outsider herself.

In a search to uncover the truth, Charlotte must question those closest to Lark and reconcile her own past trauma. Because if Lark was actually murdered, then whoever is responsible might be lurking in Charlotte’s own backyard."

This book is two stories in one, beautifully woven together, told from dual POV - Lark's diary and Charlotte's present-day quest to find out the truth behind the teenager's suicide 16 years earlier.. Set for the most part in a small town, it has a touch of the closed-room scenario about it as Charlotte contends with the claustrophobic setting where everyone knows everyone/ thing.

As well as working her way through Lark's complicated story, Charlotte has her own trauma to deal with that is revealed over the course of the novel. I initially found Charlotte a challenging character to like - she is lost at the start but finds her purpose through pursuing Lark's story and grows up considerably over the course of the book. There are a lot of twists I didn't see coming (the ending!!!) and, while the story feels like a slow burn, the pace moves along quite rapidly because of these twists, and I found it an unputdownable page turner. While it was, at times, quite dark, the ending felt lighter, hopeful with some closure for both Lark and Charlotte's storylines.

Small town secrets? Check.
Slow burn suspense? Check.
Compelling dual timelines? Check.
Two vastly different POV that blend seamlessly? Check.
Suspense and psychological twisty bits? Check.
An ending you won't see coming? Check.

This was a great slow burn mystery/thriller with dual timelines. I found myself enraptured in the story and the writing was great!

Truth hides where the past refuses to stay buried.
Recently fired and adrift, Charlotte Boyd agrees to oversee renovations on her parents’ small-town summer home that holds a tragic past. After discovering an enthralling diary hidden amidst junk the previous owners left behind, Charlotte connects with the author—a troubled teen named Lark Peters who died by suicide at the house sixteen years ago.
When an unsettling incident forces Charlotte to seek refuge at the local pub, regulars, including the police, warn her of Lark’s older brother, Darryl, who has become a recluse since Lark’s death, and may know more than he’s letting on. But Charlotte sees a side of Darryl others don’t, being an outsider herself.
In a search to uncover the truth, Charlotte must question those closest to Lark and reconcile her own past trauma. Because if Lark was actually murdered, then whoever is responsible might be lurking in Charlotte’s own backyard.

𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤
I really enjoyed this suspenseful psychological thriller. Told in Dual POVs - one being Charlotte and one being Lark’s diary entries, this book is filled with twists that left me gasping when I finally figured everything out. I definitely was kept on my toes while Charlotte uncovered the truth about the past secrets hidden in Lark’s diary.
The book takes place in southern Ontario - spanning Toronto to the Niagara Falls region. I love reading books with places I am so familiar with as well as supporting local Canadian authors 🇨🇦 this was my first by Brianne, and it’s left me intrigued and wanting to check out her first book “If I Lose Her”

Thank you, Brianne, and @netgalley for gifting me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The most intriguing part of the story was Lark’s diary as Charlotte tried to discern what had actually happened to her.
There’s something about reading a person’s secret diary that elicits the curiosity and nosiness of people.
I wasn’t sure about the outcome between Darryl and Charlotte until almost the end.
If you wrote in a secret diary consider either a very good hiding place or a means of destroying it because they are apt to be discovered!

While overseeing renovations on her parent’s newly purchased small town summer home, Charlotte Boyd discovers the diary of Lark Peters, a troubled teen who died by suicide at the house sixteen years ago.
Regulars of the local pub, including the police, warn her to stay away from Lark’s older brother, Darryl, who has been troubled since Lark’s death and may know more than he’s letting on. However, Charlotte is drawn to Darryl and sees a side of him that others don’t.

The more Charlotte learns and the closer she gets to Darryl, the more she feels the need to search for answers to uncover the truth about Lark’s death. Was it really suicide or was she actually murdered? Because if Lark was actually murdered, then whoever is responsible might be lurking in Charlotte’s own backyard!

This book was soooo good!! From the start, I just wanted to keep reading and couldn’t put it down! I loved how the story alternated between Charlotte’s present day point of view and the excerpts from Lark’s diary that all came together in the end to make one great thriller that kept me guessing throughout! It was such a cleverly written book and there were many directions the story could have taken, so it was fun trying to figure it all out! I love when thrillers have the added element of romance so I really enjoyed the relationship between Charlotte and Darryl and the romantic tension that was continuously building up between them!

I always enjoy dual timelines, and it was even better than usual because the past unfolded via diary entries! It was a great way to keep me engaged.

The author did a great job bringing a teen girl to life in those entries, they seemed very spot on age wise.

I have enjoyed both books I have read by this author and I look forward to more!

Thank you to Rising Action Publishing company via Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I was not a huge fan of Charlotte, she was very whiney and just kind of annoying, but I loved the bounce back and forth from Lark’s diary to Charlotte. It was well done. I did not guess the twist, but this book kept me guessing and I finished it in a day because I could not put it down. I felt the ending left closure which most books don’t. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves Mary Kubica or Lisa Jewell. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Okay guys, let me put this one on your radar ASAP because I devoured it.

Charlotte heads to a house her family is renovating after losing her job and feeling like life’s falling apart. While cleaning out the house, she finds a diary belonging to Lark Peters, a teen girl who lived and died in that very house. As Charlotte starts reading, she uncovers secrets no one ever talked about… and starts piecing together a story that’s haunting and tragic.

This book is layered with so much heart. The dual POV and timelines between Charlotte and Lark flows beautifully. You really feel Charlotte’s emotional journey as she processes grief and ultimately healing. And Lark’s entries? Heartbreaking.
Highly recommend!

What She Left Behind is a slow burn, small-town mystery with a touch of psychological thriller.

The story centres around Charlotte Boyd, an unemployed young woman who relies heavily on her parents for emotional and financial support. They enlist Charlotte to oversee the renovations of their small-town summer house while they're away. During renovations Charlotte unearths the diary of teenage Lark, the young woman who committed suicide at the house 15 years ago.

Told using the dual POVs of Charlotte and teenage Lark's diary entries, readers get pulled into a mystery complete with small-town atmosphere, lies and secrets, someone will do anything to keep hidden.

I'm not one for slow burns but this book kept things moving and I enjoyed how secrets were revealed to the reader, keeping me engaged and guessing. Fans of slow burn tension will enjoy how Sommerville successfully balances a compelling, atmospheric mystery with a sensitive exploration of trauma.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Rising Action Publishing Co for the complimentary digital and trade paperback advanced copies which were given to me in exchange for my honest review.

Charlotte has become unemployed so she agrees to oversee renovations of her parents summer home. While gathering things up to get rid of she comes across a diary left behind by a sixteen year old girl who committed suicide sixteen years ago. She gets to know Lark from reading the diary and starts to wonder if suicide was the real cause of her death.
I thought I had this one figured out but I missed this time and I love that. This is a great phycological thriller with dual timelines and definitely dual points of view. I just couldn't put it down for more than a few minutes at a time until I knew what happened. You are going to enjoy this one I promise.
Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

📚 E-ARC BOOK REVIEW 📚

What She Left Behind
By Brianne Sommerville
Publication Date: August 12, 2025
Publisher: Rising Action Publishing Co

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you SO MUCH to Rising Action Publishing Co, Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse, and NetGalley for this #gifted e-copy of this book in exchange for this honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

I've been seeing so many rave reviews about Brianne Sommerville's What She Left Behind, and they're for good reason! This twisty domestic thriller wove together the past and the present in a chilling mystery that kept me guessing! With its multitude of potentially shady characters and increasing tension as I got deeper into the book, I couldn't put this one down into I figured out what happened.

This small-town thriller is told through dual timelines and the dual POVs of Charlotte and Lark in alternating chapters. Charlotte is an anxiety-ridden character, clearly struggling with trauma from something in her past (though we don't know what it is for quite a while). When she loses her job, she moves into her parents' new home to oversee the renovations while her parents are enjoying a lengthy retirement vacation in Florida. There's a tragic story attached to the house, which seems to have a creepy vibe. Lark's POV is shared through her teenage journal from 2006, which Charlotte begins reading after she discovers it left behind in the previous homeowner's belongings. Charlotte learns that Lark died by suicide in the backyard when she was just a teenager, but reading the journal causes her to question if maybe Lark's death was connected to something much more sinister. As Charlotte gets to know the locals, she starts to wonder if everyone in this town has something to hide.

I loved the atmospheric and haunting vibes in this read! The way Sommerville links Lark's past with Charlotte's present was masterfully done. This book was the perfect mix of suspense and tension, with a little bit of romance and a little bit of potentially unhinged characters - which you know I love! My only minor complaint was that I initially struggled with some of Charlotte's actions, as her anxiety seemed extreme and irrational, almost annoying. This went away as I got further into the book though, and it didn't matter at all once I better understood her past.

This one's for you if you're a fan of dual timelines, dual POVs, past mysteries intersecting with present day, and a little bit of budding romance in your domestic thrillers. Be sure to grab your copy when it publishes on August 12th!!

#WhatSheLeftBehind #BrianneSommerville #RisingActionPuishingCo #thrillerbookloversthepulse #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #eARC #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #bookrecs

i wouldn't be surprised if brianne sommerville's second novel, 'what she left behind', becomes a booktok hit. not only is it a page turner, but the twist at the end genuinely shocked me. i didn't see it coming! charlotte has more self control than myself because if i were to stumble upon a diary of a young woman who unalived herself in my parent's new home, i'd be reading that in one sitting. reading lark's journal along with charlotte help put some of the pieces of the story together, but only in snippets, leaving the reader on the edge of their seat to find answers. i feel like out of the domestic thrillers i've read in the past, there's something that feels more intimate and personal with sommerville's writing and depiction of the characters and especially the setting. although i'm very familiar with toronto and the niagara region, it's not hard to put yourself in charlotte's shoes and experience the book's events just as she is.

this felt like a unique novel to me and i'm so excited to see what else is to come for brianne sommerville. i have no doubt that her reader base will continue to grow with her captivating stories.

thanks to the author and Rising Action Publishing Co. for the arc! #RisingActionPublishing #NetGalley

3.5 Stars

Charlotte was fired from her job and is now keeping watch over the renovations on her parents’ house. While there, she discovers a diary among the things the previous owners left behind. Charlotte feels a connection to the owner of the diary, a young girl named Lark Peters, who committed suicide over fifteen years ago. Charlotte ends up hanging out at the local pub, where the locals and the police warn her about Lark’s older brother, Darryl. Darryl has been a recluse since Lark died, and people think he knows more than he lets on. But Charlotte doesn’t listen and continues to spend time with him.

This is a slow-burn psychological thriller with an amazing setting. The small-town-with-a-secret vibe and eerie past create a fantastic atmosphere. I loved the dual points of view from both Charlotte and Lark, as well as the past and present timelines. The characters were vulnerable and felt true to life. I can understand why Charlotte felt so connected to Lark. Because the suspense grows so slowly, it kept me guessing. This is a slow burn done right, not because of the twists, but because of the way the author handled the sensitive topics. While not perfect, if you enjoy atmospheric thrillers that are more about the characters than the shock value, you will find this a very satisfying read.