The Life You Left Behind by Debbie Howells is a heartbreaking story of loss and self exploration. It’s not my usual type of book but I loved this book! It incorporates family, relationships, grief, friendship and self journeys. It’s a raw love story but it was weirdly uplifting too. Have the tissues ready!

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It's a very emotional story, and I could relate to certain themes, like depression for example, but I found some parts to be a bit repetitive. I liked the dual time narrative, through which the author lets us know what's happening at the moment and what was happening in the same period the previous year. The writing style is very good, I especially loved the "Before" chapters, even though the dialogues seemed sometimes stilted or unnatural.
This book touches a lot of difficult themes, and I think that is maybe why I have mixed emotions about it, it was really a lot to deal with, for me. But I would love to read other books by this author, because I really loved her style.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Debbie Howells and someone sign me up for all her books. What happens when you miss your flight and meet the love of your life? That is what happens when Casey and Ben meet when she misplaces her passport. Her heart is broken when he leaves. Does love come once in a lifetime? Reading this book was as heartbreaking and devastating at times yet so real that I felt like Casey was me. The author did a good job of writing this story that it completely immerses you until you move forward as Casey does. Enjoyed it and recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are entirely my own

😓Darker than expected: not really my thing😕

Major trigger warning: depression figures large in this work.
2.5-3.0 🌟stars
This book has a love story that it is enveloped in a lot of darkness and despair: it was challenging to read and not what I was expecting. The author has created a quite enchanting image of a quiet, country life in southern France. She also populates Cassidy and Ben's world with some lovely, supportive secondary friends and family. And, yes, it addresses important, worthwhile topics. But I can't say I enjoyed the read all that much.

The story is told continuously alternating between the heady days of a whirlwind romance (Before) and the following year (After) when Cassidy, the female lead, is picking up the pieces after things with Ben go tragically wrong. The part of the novel from the After was glum, slow moving and, for the most part, depressing, the wind-up chapter and Cassidy's tutoring sessions notwithstanding. The Before chapters started more positive and eventually descended into depression and worse. This ill-fated couple definitely had some good moments of connection and happiness but those occasions are far outweighed by difficult days of barely coping.

In addition, the author includes long discussions of the horrors of industrial livestock farming, pollution, climate change and economic inequity and injustice. It's all relevant, true, and key to Ben's state of mind, yes, but IMO a bit too strident for a romance that is already soaked in sorrow.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

I found this quite a dark story dealing with subjects that I found uncomfortable to read. This book was a slow non-starter and didn’t really get going at all. It read like I was walking through treacle which is such a shame as I enjoyed her previous book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Warning, before you read this book grab some tissues as your heart will be broke! But do not fear, follow up by reading ‘The Secret’ and your heart will be racing! @_debbiehowells affecting readers hearts in every way!

I loved this book, it incorporates family, relationships, grief, friendship and self journeys.

The author writes about a sensitive subject in such a respectful way and the emotions of all the characters came through in each page.

I loved the setting of the book which I could completely visualise, the flashbacks/backstory’s enable you to fully understand what Casey has been through.

This is absolutely beautiful, heartbreaking but beautiful.

Such an emotional book! Raw emotion that I could physically feel.
Casey's life is turned upside down when Ben 'leaves her behind'! She decides to stay in a friend of a friend's house in France & to spend her time 'finding herself'.
The book is set in a now & then format that I liked & it was brought together in the end & the book fitted like a jigsaw. Great, likeable characters who I could relate too.
Recommended read.

This is a heartbreaking story of loss and self exploration. I really enjoyed the writing style with the diary and the flashbacks to “before.” The characters were complex and well written.

It’s not my usual type of book and it’s a raw love story but it was weirdly uplifting too.

An emotionally gripping, if sometimes unsettling read.
When Casey travels to France, she is fleeing the heartbreak of being left by Ben, her soulmate. She thought they'd be together forever. As she settles into the remote cottage in France loaned to her by a friend of a friend, and Casey reflects on the year she and Ben sent together, a heart-breakingly beautiful love story unfolds. Will she ever be able to forgive Ben for leaving her, or learn to trust and love again?
This was a compelling and deeply satisfying read. One one level it’s a love story, but underneath it is so much more. There is heartbreak along the way, and the author does not shirk away from tough, thought-provoking themes. Issues of loss, grief, betrayal and mental health are all here, portrayed with great sensitivity.
Environmental issues play a large part in the story, too, and may well challenge your thinking.
Balancing out the more serious issues is the importance of friendship, of laughter and joy to remind us that in the darkness in which Casey finds herself, stars still shine – and that one day, she, too, could shine again.

Casey is meant to be flying away with her friend but forgetting her passport means that she meets her knight in shining armour at the airport.

Each chapter alternates between before and after. Picking up the pieces and learning about how their relationship developed.

A beautifully written book with characters that draw you in to lead you to want to know the story of Casey and Ben. Full of raw emotions.

People come into your lives when you need them most and Casey has to go on a journey to rebuild herself.

TW : Mental health and depression

Highly recommend this read.

"Whit whatever fires you, babe. Follow your heart. Find other people that feel the same."

Oh boy. I was not expecting this kind of emotions. I am deep deep touched. I will have this book forever in my heart. It so hard to explain how I feel.

The story is told in two timelines. Past and present. Everything happens in 2 years. So much love, so much regrets, so much emotions, so much coincidences. Everything was so much it hurts. It really does. But is also so warm and tender that is worth, worth of everything.

"It was not my fault. Tragic accidents simply happens."

We are not here forever, but we can to the best from what we have. We have to follow our heart.
We all lose, we all make mistakes. Everyone have bad experiences. This book give you reay everything, I mean really everything.

Cassie and Ben were here, they took my heart and did everything with it. It will be really hard to feel same emotions again. It felt all so much real.


"The best think you can do to honor her memory is to live - fully and wholheartedly."


Thank you to Debbie Howells for reaching out in the perfect time. Thank you Bolwood Publishers and Nettgaley.com

This is a love story about Casey and Ben. They met one day at the airport and their love for each other blossomed rather quickly. A year later, Ben has disappeared from Casey's life leaving her shattered and in despair. She leaves their home they lived in together and travels to France. She is staying in a home offered by a friend of a friend to work out what happened and to try to figure out the next steps for her future.

This is a very emotional book. I didn't properly prepare myself for what I was about to read. But I am so glad I read this book, even though it explores heavy topics like mental health. I was blown away by the author’s storyline and how she made me really feel all the emotions. I really enjoyed the story, it was different than anything I would normally read. I think Debbie Howells did an amazing job of writing something outside of her normal thriller genre. I would highly recommend this book to others, but be prepared to have some tissues handy!

Many thanks to Boldwood Book and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

One year. So much can happen in one year- love, loss, healing, learning about yourself in ways you ever imagined.
This book is thought provoking and hard to read- but so good. Hard because it touches on topics that are a trigger and source of pain for many of us, but good because it also shows that even in the darkest times, we can find light, if we only try.

What a brilliant, emotionally draining and also rejuvenating / life affirming story! I found it to be profoundly moving, reflective, emotional and powerful.
This is a change of direction for the author, having previously written brilliant and successful psychological thrillers. Whilst the storyline of this book could be clearly classed as women’s fiction, I feel the book offers huge insights into some very challenging areas and could stir up great debate. I won’t go into all the areas covered, for fear of giving away a spoiler. The difficult subjects covered (some I can mention: mental health, grief and massive global issues) are handled brilliantly, creating a deeper understanding and hopefully, tolerance.
It cannot be classed as an ‘easy’ read once you get to the second half, nor should it be - raising awareness of some horrific practices.
The plot cleverly tells the story of Ben and Casey Cassidy, the year leading up to Ben leaving ‘Before’ and the year ‘After’. The basic storyline, although quite simple, is written masterfully, entwining life lessons and values for us all to re-evaluate. There is plenty to discover from the back stories of the characters to keep the reader thinking and the reveals certainly made me stop and reflect upon my own life choices and what actually matters.
I was fascinated by the descriptions of a condition called ‘solastalgia’ and also by ‘mitote’ (pre-Aztec).
The characters were realistically portrayed, showing human flaws, whilst themselves growing in understanding. The outstanding trait across the story was one of the enduring and limitless power of friendship and of personal strength and purpose.
I would totally recommend this and look forward to the next Debbie Howells book.

It was clear from fairly early on in this book that Casey felt almost betrayed by Ben’s departure and again, how that departure played out. As the novel progresses you feel on a journey with her as she comes to terms with what has happened and strengthens herself to be able to move forward without him.
Theirs was a beautiful love story and Debbie Howells writes with great sensitivity about Ben and his family as she explores what happened.

The long and arduous journey of a young woman is touchingly and tenderly relayed in this novel. Casey Cassidy is bereft after the loss of her soul mate, Ben. Her friends bolster her up as she goes to a tiny town in France to find herself again and begin a life without Ben.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Unfortunately I am unable to continue reading this novel to provide a full review. I have read 44% and have found this book to be very depressing. I am still unsure whether Ben is alive or deceased, as the wording used has made me flip flop my belief. It's clear the main character is very distraught over losing Ben (whether to death or a breakup) and doesn't seem to be getting over it at any rate.

If at some point I can bring myself to finish this book I will update my review at that time. Thank you for the opportunity and your understanding.

This book sounded so good. However, I just couldn’t feel any empathy towards the characters and unfortunately I wasn’t able to finish it.

This is an emotional read at times addressing some difficult and serious issues. plus dealing with the stresses of modern life by taking time out. Full of tragedy and grief this book seemed to drag at times as well as jumping between past and present with a written diary thrown in the mix of another time completely plus imagined voices made it all somewhat confusing. The main characters are well drawn plus the wonderful French countryside between Auch and the Pyrenees. Not a book to switch off, escape and to relax with on holiday but making the reader face certain aspects of the world today.

A word of warning, this is a difficult read. It is definitely a case of don’t judge a book by it’s cover and not one for taking on holiday with you this year because it will put a dampener on any good times you may be having