This book has tore my heart in two. It's about dysfunctional family and dealing with a narcissist family member. Phoebe and Lucy have not had it easy with a narcissist mother and a father to weak to stand up to her, the emotional scars it has left on the girls are deep. So when Phoebe gets a phone call saying Lucy is missing, Phoebe knows that Lucy would never willingly leave her daughter Darcy. What I loved about this story is how delicately, honestly and knowledgeable the author has dealt with the idea of suicide. She has portrayed how dark and deeply disturbed a person is feeling too think that suicide is the only answer and she has emotionally described how much it affects the people left behind. My favourite character in the story is little Darcy who I instantly adored and the dogs who could sense that she needed them. Jo Bartlett has written a book that is very different from her usual style and I believe she has nailed it! Well done!

TW: suicide and parental abuse

When Lucy goes missing her sister Phoebe returns to her hometown to take care of Lucy’s daughter. In a note Lucy left she made it clear her daughter was to have nothing to do with her mother. Reading this story tugs at your heart. The idea that these things can happen is heartbreaking. I thought the author did a wonderful job with this story and it’s a book I’ll be thinking about for awhile. If you enjoy family dramas and characters that thrive despite their circumstances this is a book you want to read.

Wow what an emotional and hard hitting read. This is very different from Jo’s usual books, but has captured all the emotions brilliantly. She always writes brilliant characters and Phoebe and Lucy has such a heartbreaking story to tell. I was totally caught up in their story from the very beginning.
I thought the support for Phoebe from her friends, both old and new really encouraging and felt it gave her the strength and courage to take one day at a time.

A family drama book that I had a hard time putting down. Phoebe has a lot on her plate, dealing with her sister that vanished, a narcissistic mother and her sister's three year old daughter, Darcy. The story is heart breaking but kept me turning the pages. At times a bit slow and repetitive. You don't find out the truth of the missing sister until the end.

I’ve been a fan of this author for a while, enjoyed her previous book enormously and jumped at the chance to read ‘The girl she left behind.’
Was it truly what I expected? Based on my previous enjoyment of Jo’s books I knew it would be excellently written, with good characters and not shying away from some bigger, realistic issues – what I didn’t expect was the darker, intense storylines; the pain, the sadness nor the themes it includes.
Did this mean I enjoyed it any the less? Absolutely not! It’s an incredible read, a fantastic story that shows Jo’s brilliant skill as a writer to tackle such issues; narcissism, suicide, childhood trauma whilst bringing a powerful story that does give wonderful characters, heart wrenching moments and some resolution.
Phoebe escaped once, left behind her childhood pain and narcissistic Mum, but now finds herself having to go back. Her sister is missing with many believing her disappearance to be a suicide; the note left behind says Phoebe must take care of her daughter. Whilst the search for Lucy continues, Phoebe cares for Darcy with the help of neighbour, Jamie, and friends; she is determined her parents don’t get any chance to cause the damage to Darcy they did to her. Phoebe is determined her sister would never abandon gives Darcy, she loved her, but with each passing day it looks less likely Lucy could return. When she receives a letter from Lucy, Phoebe does all she can to figure out what has happened to her sister and when she realises those around her haven’t been fully honest, she questions everything.
Reading about their Mum, the narcissism, the pain she caused as well as the lasting damage; it was shocking at times. You really did dislike her character from the start, no chinks of anything redeemable and think the implied ending is probably long over due and not a surprise.
It is an emotional read in so many ways, the characters are real and how their emotions are depicted has an impact. I think Darcy is a source of positivity – the love she has for those around her, the innocence and upset all rolled into one small person.
This book contained so much drama and many revelations, yet it didn’t feel rushed. Once I’d started reading, I didn’t really want to put it down.
Excellent read, highly recommend – just expect something darker if you’ve read any of hers before.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this book when I read the Author’s Note at the beginning, but I absolutely loved it from start to finish. You won’t find any spoilers in my review because personally, I think knowing how this ends would make it less enjoyable.

The Girl She Left Behind was sensitively written, with obvious research having gone into how police procedures deal with a missing person and the information which they can and can’t share with relatives.

I loved Phoebe, Jamie and Darcy. Darcy is an amazing little girl who seemingly deals with things the way only children know how to, and with the love and support of those closest to her.

Unfortunately, I could relate to the behaviour of Phoebe and Lucy’s Mum, in the fact that I had to work with someone who showed that sort of behaviour and it did bring up painful memories as I was reading but it did make me realise that I did the right thing by taking myself out of the situation.

The Girl She Left Behind is so much about the loving support of friends in times of need and how trying to at least provide some sense of normality can help with coping mechanisms. I would totally recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a contemporary novel, but please check the trigger warnings beforehand.

Thank you to Boldwood Books, Rachel’s Random Resources and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Girl She Left Behind by Jo Bartlett.

This was a book that really did break my heart, and it was a powerful story with far darker edges than you might be expecting if you’ve read others from the author – although she’s really never shied away from real-life problems and situations, with a particular sensitivity to her emotional touch. Some of the early reviews even talk about it as veering towards thriller territory – but it’s perhaps rather more about what’s in the shadows, the legacy of a difficult childhood, and the emotional impact as the threads of a mystery are slowly disentangled than edge-of-the-seat and fast paced action. It does rather defy categorisation – “family drama” should maybe be in there somewhere too – but I have to say I thought it was an absolutely stunning read.

Phoebe moved to London as soon as she was able, escaping the manipulative control of the mother who’d made her young life a misery – but sister Lucy stayed, making a home for herself and young daughter Darcy, supported by friend and neighbour Jamie, but frequently struggling with life’s demands. And when she disappears, Phoebe has little choice but to return, taking on the care of the child she hardly knows – to keep her away from their mother’s grip and influence, and provide a place of safety – while searching for Lucy and hoping she will return. With secrets he’s unable to share, she’s supported – practically and emotionally – by Jamie, unexpectedly finding herself building a close relationship with the abandoned child and finding the strength and determination to protect her, both from their mother’s self-centred interference and the possibility that Lucy will not return.

The facts that emerge about the sisters’ experiences with their mother are horrifying – and the betrayal that proved to be the catalyst for Phoebe’s departure from her home town and left her struggling to form future relationships had me in tears. The part played by their father saddened me deeply too – enabling the abhorrent behaviour through looking away and pursuing an easy life. But in the present day, there’s real joy to be found in the growing love between Phoebe and her young niece, as she puts her own life on hold and grasps onto every sign that provides hope of Lucy’s return. Her growing relationship with Jamie is well drawn too – a growing attraction to a genuinely lovely man, whose secrets we begin to understand through the sharing of his viewpoint – along with the supportive friendships she finds through the mothers of Darcy’s friends.

Every character is searingly real, their experiences something you can really feel and touching you to the heart – with some of the themes, around loss and memories of the living, having a particular personal resonance. And the writing is quite wonderful, with plenty of the author’s usual warmth and lightness but tempered by those edges of darkness. The whole book is a considerable emotional journey – totally immersive, and gripped me from the very beginning through to its very last page. An unforgettable read, and the author’s writing has never been better – a very strong recommendation from me.

This is a different type of book to what Jo normally writes and what an emotional book it is. It had me gripped to the pages. Very well written.

The Girl She Left Behind is a totally different style from Jo Bartlett’s usual books but I absolutely couldn’t put it down.
When Phoebe gets a call to say her sister is missing she heads to Appleberry where Lucy lives with her three year old daughter. Everything points to Lucy having taken her own life,
Phoebe is determined to find out the truth about her disappearance. Being back in Appleberry brings to the surface why she left in the first place. Janet their narcissistic mother is the root of all the problems that herself and Lucy have faced in life.
This is a very emotional story about suicide and pain within a family who are searching for answers to find their loved one. Jo captures the feelings of both Phoebe and Darcy and dealt with the story beautifully.
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC of this powerful book.

This novel very sensitively handles the subject of suicide. It is at times a difficult read, but is heartfelt and moving. Lucy has disappeared, leaving her daughter Darcy in the care of a friend. Her sister Phoebe returns to their hometown to try to find Lucy. The situation is made worse by Phoebe and Lucy’s narcissistic mother Janet, who has consistently tormented the girls their entire lives. Phoebe meets Lucy’s friend Jamie who has been caring for Darcy and together they attempt to find out what happened to Lucy and why. Thanks to Boldwood books and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel.

This was a more serious book than what Jo Bartlett usually puts out (of at least of what I have read from her), so if you are going in expecting something along the lines of Cornish Midwives (which did deal with some serious topics) than you will want to adjust your expectations pretty quickly. Although there is a romance to this story it is really more about Phoebe's relationship with her sister and parents. I thought Jo Bartlett did a fantastic job with handling the mental health aspects of this story. She allowed Phoebe to have an array of emotions about her sister's actions including guilt, sadness, and anger. As the story goes on you do get to see Phoebe go through the stages of grief as she clings to the belief that Lucy may just be in hiding and then has to come to terms with the fact that she is really gone. This was another aspect of the story that Jo Bartlett wrote to perfection - until the second letter from Lucy I really thought there was a chance that she hadn't gone through it. So much of what Lucy does could have gone either way so you understand why Phoebe, who loved her sister, would also not immediately give in to thinking she was gone permanently. Given what she had gone through with her mother and the lasting impacts that had on her as an adult and mother herself, I understood why Lucy would feel suicide was her only choice but I really hated that she went about things in such a way that it gave Phoebe any hope that she was going to be coming home. I equal parts felt terrible for their father and disappointed in him that he had never stepped in to protect his daughters, it definitely made me wonder what his mental health state was and what had happened to him the past that would have made him the way he was. And is it suggested that maybe he killed his wife in the end? I wasn't sure and like Phoebe says, maybe it's best that we don't know. I thought Phoebe's relationship with Jamie was also well done. It was subtle rather than being put at the forefront of everything going on. And it was just nice to know that Phoebe finally had someone who would support her and be there when she needed someone. Their relationship is not without its own problems (mostly from Jamie keeping information from her even though he was in a difficult position and really couldn't tell her) but in a lot of ways they worked through them as adults. Phoebe does get upset with him and shut him out, but in the end if able to understand why he did what he did. Other than Scarlett she had never really had that in her life. One of my favorite parts was when Scarlett told Phoebe not to let her mother take away any more from her than she already had. I think Phoebe needed to be reminded that by giving up her home and friends because of her mother wasn't making her life better, just quieter. Having the responsibility of now caring for Darcy also helps Phoebe to keep from running away when things were getting difficult. There is a lot of hope by the end that Phoebe will be able to move forward and continue to allow herself to make connections.

Wow this is a book and half so dark in places. Phoebe and Lucy were sisters who had a terrible childhood with their mother. Lucy disappears and leaves her 4 year daughter behind. It is a very moving story as a mother it is shocking at times. I learnt a lot about stuff that I had no idea about . You do have a nice love element . You can’t believe the girls father at times but you get a sort of peace at the end. Not an easy read at times but read it .

There was a lot to unpack with this book and it was a real humdinger of a read. Learning about the unhappy childhood that Phoebe and Lucy shared was definitely testing. The descriptions that ran through the book, both historical and contemporary showed what it was like to live with a master manipulator. I’ve certainly met a couple over the years.
As the synopsis explains, it’s Lucy’s disappearance that prompts Phoebe to return to their childhood hometown and take care of Darcy, Lucy’s young daughter. Filled with self-doubt about her suitability and lack of parenting skills, she sets up home in Lucy’s cottage. With the support of neighbour, Jamie, she finds the strength to bond with Darcy and provide a safe place until Lucy returns.
I certainly got a feel for the childhood that Lucy and Darcy had shared. As each instance of their mother’s behaviour was revealed, I could feel the shock rising and when her ultimate betrayal was revealed, I was genuinely relieved to realise that I was reading fiction.
The friendships that formed between Phoebe and the other school mums were a pleasure to see developing. Their support, along with help from Jamie, certainly helped Phoebe to anchor herself back in to where her childhood memories were formed. I found myself reminiscing about people and events from my childhood. Some elements were sadly familiar and yet cathartic.
There are some dark themes and wonderfully imagined characters with relatable storylines. The storytelling is skilled and held my attention despite being tired. This was definitely one that I struggled to put down.
If you have never read this author, this is a great place to start. It showcases her abilities and confirms her as a worthy bestseller.

I’d like to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Girl She Left Behind’ written by Jo Bartlett in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Phoebe receives a phone call from her father saying that her younger sister Lucy is missing. Phoebe moved from their home town a long time ago as she was unable to cope any longer with her mother Janet’s narcissism that caused her to be verbally cruel to both her daughters, but whereas Phoebe got away Lucy stayed with her four-year-old daughter Darcy hoping that eventually their mother Janet would love her. But as the weeks of Lucy’s absence increases, Phoebe learns more about her sister’s state of mind and realises that she may not be returning.

‘The Girl She Left Behind’ is the heart-breaking story of two sisters one of whom feels she has no choice but to take her own life leaving her four-year-old daughter Darcy in the capable hands of her older sister. The topics of suicide, narcissism and mental health issues are handled sensitively and with empathy making me feel a great sadness at the sisters’ childhood, but although the story is powerful I feel it could have been even better had it not been so long and drawn out and having fewer pages might have helped. But despite this, it’s a beautifully written story that kept me reading as I was captivated by the characters and needed to know more of Lucy and Phoebe’s outcome. It's a lovely story that brought tears to my eyes and I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

First, I want to thank Jo Bartlett, Boldwood Books, Rachel’s Random Resources, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

WOW!!! I should have stocked up on tissues for Jo Bartlett’s The Girl She Left Behind. Her book pulled all the raw emotions out of me and pulled hard on my heart strings!! This is a 5 star must read book that needs to be put on your TBR list.

The graphic designers for The Girl She Left Behind did a brilliant job with the cover design. As I was reading this book I pictured Darcy as the girl on the cover.

I admired and respected that Jo started the book with a beautiful written letter to her readers regarding the sensitive theme of the book suicide. I personally want to reach out to Jo and other readers who have lost someone like this and give them a comforting hug. I loved that she included some websites that offer support with some of the topics that are mentioned in the book.

This book is dedicated to L who couldn’t stay.

Jo instantly pulled on my heartstrings within the first paragraph and I was hooked! It was one of those beginnings that you go back and re-read after you finished reading the last page.

Hate is a strong word but out of all the characters that I have read in books (and there have been a lot of books read) Lucy and Phoebe's Mom was the most hated woman! Oh the emotional and verbal abuse that she put them through over the years were inexcusable! There were times when she pushed me over the edge and I wanted to give her a piece of my mind!!

The Girl She Left Behind brought up many extremely important issues, life lessons and eye opening moments.

The character that I loved the most was sweet 4 year old Darcy! She is such a sweet girl that was dealing with a lot of changes at such an early age.

There were so many twists and turns, secrets, revelations, and emotional ups and downs.

This is one book I can see being turned into a movie on Lifetime!

This is a heartbreaking story but very sensitively written .
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review

I thought I could read this book as I'm quickly becoming a huge fan if Jo's but this book has a subject that is still too raw for me: suicide.

I wish Jo all the best with this book as its an important subject. I look forward to reading her next book.

Sorry Jo and Boldwood.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This is a heartbreaking and very emotional read, which is very well written.

When Phoebe receives a call to inform her that her sister Lucy has gone missing, she goes back to the town she grew up in, although she’s not looking forward to it, as she’ll have to meet and interact with her Mum, who isn’t an easy person to deal with.

When she arrives, Phoebe finds out she has to look after her niece, and she thinks that this means her sister is coming back.

But, with the passing of time, there’s not much news of Lucy, Phoebe is now thinking that something bad has happened to her., and thinks of what will happen if that’s the case.

Why did Lucy return leave and will she come back?

It was lovely to see how Phoebe and her niece are with each other, making it a difficult read at times.

We also read about their mother, which is weaved into the storyline giving us an insight on what sisters childhood was like, which again, was hard to read, but gives a picture, possibly why Lucy is missing.

A brilliant book written by Jo Bartlet which I highly recommend.

I received an E-ARC with a request for my honest review.

This emotional and heart-breaking read follows Phoebe, who when she finds out her sister Lucy is missing travels back to her childhood town. She is reluctant as this means seeing her difficult to deal with Mum.

Phoebe is asked to look after her niece, which makes her believe even more that her sister will be returning as she adores her daughter.

As time goes on with no news of her sister, she starts to fear the worst, and must decide what her future holds.

Will Lucy return? What caused Lucy’s disappearance?

This is a very emotional read, and the longer Lucy is gone the more heart-breaking the storyline becomes.

I loved the interaction between Phoebe and her niece, as they help each other through an impossible time. It was hard to read at times, but also uplifting in the way her niece dealt with everything.

There is a side storyline which entwines about the sister’s mother, which is also difficult to read, but adds a broader picture of the possible mystery of reasons behind Lucy’s disappearance.

Overall, an emotional and heart-breaking read where the disappearance of a sister changes a family’s lives forever.

A sensitively written, emotional read and although I found it slow to get into, I really did enjoy it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.