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The Life She Left Behind
When I wake up in the middle of the night, it’s not a sound that disturbs me. It’s a feeling. Silently, I creep to my daughter’s room, breathing a sigh of relief when I see her sleeping, her night-light twirling, butterfly shapes moving their pink wings. Quickly, I lock the door. I won’t let anything happen to my little girl.
You tell him everything. The husband you adore, the father of your child, your best friend. He knows, just by looking at your sage-green eyes, when something is wrong. The two of you can communicate with a glance, or a touch of the hand. Except what if you can’t? What if your happy marriage has plastered over one huge lie? A lie you have even started to believe yourself, in order to survive? What if you have a secret, something you have hidden from your beloved husband and your strawberry-scented baby girl, to keep them safe? What if the guilt has kept you up, night after night, for as long as you can remember? What happens when suddenly, after twenty-eight years, that secret refuses to stay buried? What will you do now everyone you love, everything you cherish, is in harm’s way?
An emotional, thought-provoking and beautifully written novel which examines the pieces of ourselves we are afraid of, and the impossible decisions we make when we are desperate. Fans of Jodi Picoult, Kerry Fisher and Liane Moriarty will be moved by this heartbreaking tale.
You tell him everything. The husband you adore, the father of your child, your best friend. He knows, just by looking at your sage-green eyes, when something is wrong. The two of you can communicate with a glance, or a touch of the hand. Except what if you can’t? What if your happy marriage has plastered over one huge lie? A lie you have even started to believe yourself, in order to survive? What if you have a secret, something you have hidden from your beloved husband and your strawberry-scented baby girl, to keep them safe? What if the guilt has kept you up, night after night, for as long as you can remember? What happens when suddenly, after twenty-eight years, that secret refuses to stay buried? What will you do now everyone you love, everything you cherish, is in harm’s way?
An emotional, thought-provoking and beautifully written novel which examines the pieces of ourselves we are afraid of, and the impossible decisions we make when we are desperate. Fans of Jodi Picoult, Kerry Fisher and Liane Moriarty will be moved by this heartbreaking tale.
456 pages, ebook
First published July 1, 2020
1166 people are currently reading
1270 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Trope
43 books1,902 followersNicole Trope writes psychological thrillers about families in crisis and the secrets we keep from ourselves and others. She has always been fascinated by the stories behind the headlines and published her first novel in 2012. In 2026 she will publish her 20th novel with Bookouture. She is a USA Today and Amazon bestseller in the USA, UK, AUS, Canada and Germany. Her books have been translated into German, Italian, Polish, Hungarian and French and Japanese.
She lives in Sydney with her husband and three children
Current Publication: The Therapist-July 31st 2025
Next Publication: What Have You Done?-October 17th 2025
She lives in Sydney with her husband and three children
Current Publication: The Therapist-July 31st 2025
Next Publication: What Have You Done?-October 17th 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
July 11, 2020
EXCERPT: Her breath condenses in front of her and she has a sudden memory of herself as a child standing outside on a winter's morning, blowing out and watching, fascinated, as her breath emerged in a cloud. She is no longer a child but she feels like one, overwhelmed by confusion, by her lack of control.
How has this happened?
How could I not have known?
Is this what I deserve?
The street is eerily silent, the barren housing plots looming large in the darkness, threatening them with their emptiness.
There is a slight hum of cars coming from the highway in the distance, where nothing stops the endless streams of traffic - not the dark, nor the cold, nor the late hour.
She is dressed for the weather, with her coat on and a beanie hat, but she regrets it now that she's running. Her hands are freezing but she can feel a trickle of sweat make its way down her back. She pushes her body to move faster, pushes against the wind that seems determined to send her backwards. They need to get there quickly.
We're coming, baby. We're coming.
'Come alone,' he had instructed?
But she's not alone.
'Don't tell anyone,' he had commanded.
But she had told someone.
'I just want to talk,' he had stated.
But what could there be to say?
'I won't hurt her,' he had promised.
She knows that's a lie.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: You tell him everything. The husband you adore, the father of your child, your best friend. He knows, just by looking at your sage-green eyes, when something is wrong. The two of you can communicate with a glance, or a touch of the hand. Except what if you can’t? What if your happy marriage has plastered over one huge lie? A lie you have even started to believe yourself, in order to survive? What if you have a secret, something you have hidden from your beloved husband and your strawberry-scented baby girl, to keep them safe? What if the guilt has kept you up, night after night, for as long as you can remember? What happens when suddenly, after twenty-eight years, that secret refuses to stay buried? What will you do now everyone you love, everything you cherish, is in harm’s way?
MY THOUGHTS: There is something very personal about the way Nicole Trope writes. It's not like you're on the outside looking in, you feel like you are there, that you know these people, the characters in The Life She Left Behind. So you're not rubbernecking at a life that has been dominated by domestic violence, you're involved, totally involved in trying to extricate Veronica and her daughter Rachel from the clutches of a man who promised to love and protect, but who interprets that as being able to control and dominate. All. The. Time. The abuse is both physical and mental, and Trope delivers an emotional but well balanced portrait of the ongoing effects as a result of living in such an environment.
The story is written over two timelines - When Rachel is a child, growing up in an environment filled with domestic violence and fear; and twenty-eight years later when she is a mother, and her past comes back to haunt her. It is also told from multiple points of view: That of Rachel (Little Bird) as a child, Rachel as an adult, Ben (her husband), and another unknown person whose identity gradually becomes clear.
Sad and chilling in parts, The Life She Left Behind is full of hope and forgiveness in others. This is an emotional read and a very worthwhile one. Tissues required.
4 stars
#TheLifeSheLeftBehind #NetGalley
'Once my anger met alcohol there was really only one way things were going to go.'
THE AUTHOR: Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realised the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because-as her professor pointed out- ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’ She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree in Children’s Literature. After the birth of her first child she stayed home full time to write and raise children, renovate houses and build a business with her husband. She now lives in Sydney with her husband and three children.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture vis NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Life She Left Behind by Nicole Trope 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 and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
How has this happened?
How could I not have known?
Is this what I deserve?
The street is eerily silent, the barren housing plots looming large in the darkness, threatening them with their emptiness.
There is a slight hum of cars coming from the highway in the distance, where nothing stops the endless streams of traffic - not the dark, nor the cold, nor the late hour.
She is dressed for the weather, with her coat on and a beanie hat, but she regrets it now that she's running. Her hands are freezing but she can feel a trickle of sweat make its way down her back. She pushes her body to move faster, pushes against the wind that seems determined to send her backwards. They need to get there quickly.
We're coming, baby. We're coming.
'Come alone,' he had instructed?
But she's not alone.
'Don't tell anyone,' he had commanded.
But she had told someone.
'I just want to talk,' he had stated.
But what could there be to say?
'I won't hurt her,' he had promised.
She knows that's a lie.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: You tell him everything. The husband you adore, the father of your child, your best friend. He knows, just by looking at your sage-green eyes, when something is wrong. The two of you can communicate with a glance, or a touch of the hand. Except what if you can’t? What if your happy marriage has plastered over one huge lie? A lie you have even started to believe yourself, in order to survive? What if you have a secret, something you have hidden from your beloved husband and your strawberry-scented baby girl, to keep them safe? What if the guilt has kept you up, night after night, for as long as you can remember? What happens when suddenly, after twenty-eight years, that secret refuses to stay buried? What will you do now everyone you love, everything you cherish, is in harm’s way?
MY THOUGHTS: There is something very personal about the way Nicole Trope writes. It's not like you're on the outside looking in, you feel like you are there, that you know these people, the characters in The Life She Left Behind. So you're not rubbernecking at a life that has been dominated by domestic violence, you're involved, totally involved in trying to extricate Veronica and her daughter Rachel from the clutches of a man who promised to love and protect, but who interprets that as being able to control and dominate. All. The. Time. The abuse is both physical and mental, and Trope delivers an emotional but well balanced portrait of the ongoing effects as a result of living in such an environment.
The story is written over two timelines - When Rachel is a child, growing up in an environment filled with domestic violence and fear; and twenty-eight years later when she is a mother, and her past comes back to haunt her. It is also told from multiple points of view: That of Rachel (Little Bird) as a child, Rachel as an adult, Ben (her husband), and another unknown person whose identity gradually becomes clear.
Sad and chilling in parts, The Life She Left Behind is full of hope and forgiveness in others. This is an emotional read and a very worthwhile one. Tissues required.
4 stars
#TheLifeSheLeftBehind #NetGalley
'Once my anger met alcohol there was really only one way things were going to go.'
THE AUTHOR: Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realised the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because-as her professor pointed out- ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’ She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree in Children’s Literature. After the birth of her first child she stayed home full time to write and raise children, renovate houses and build a business with her husband. She now lives in Sydney with her husband and three children.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture vis NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Life She Left Behind by Nicole Trope 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 and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
June 15, 2020
Rachel has come a long way since her traumatic childhood. She has a loving husband and a lovely little girl and has just moved into a new house. Everything should be perfect, but her mother, who she is very close to, is in a hospice dying of cancer and the secret she's been keeping since she was seven is about to emerge and could endanger everyone she loves.
This was at times a harrowing tale of Rachel's early life. Told from several points of view we gradually learn what happened and the danger she is in now. Although, I didn't really understand why she felt she could 'never tell' her secret once she started to get really scared of what was happening, the plot was chilling in the extent of the fear it generated both during Rachel's childhood as well as her current life. The threat that Rachel and her mother had to live with as Rachel was growing up is a very real one for some women and well depicted in the novel. 3.5★
With thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a digital ARC to read
This was at times a harrowing tale of Rachel's early life. Told from several points of view we gradually learn what happened and the danger she is in now. Although, I didn't really understand why she felt she could 'never tell' her secret once she started to get really scared of what was happening, the plot was chilling in the extent of the fear it generated both during Rachel's childhood as well as her current life. The threat that Rachel and her mother had to live with as Rachel was growing up is a very real one for some women and well depicted in the novel. 3.5★
With thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a digital ARC to read
July 2, 2020
Favorite Quotes:
Poor Dad. Things have definitely not worked out the way he hoped. He had a plan for perfection. The perfect house, the perfect kids and the perfect wife. He had an idea of this Christmas card, picture-perfect family, all smiling widely in matching red sweaters. The trouble is, we live in Australia. It’s too hot around Christmastime to wear sweaters. You have to wear T-shirts and T-shirts don’t hide bruises very well. The trouble is, his wife and children hate him. The trouble is, you can’t beat perfection into someone. Although he tried, he really tried.
His mercurial nature kept us all on our toes. We were his dancing monkeys.
My Review:
This wasn’t an easy read, it was a painfully realistic, intensely insightful, tragic, and cringe-worthy tale of family drama with long-held secrets, shame, guilt, anger, violence, emotional battering, mind games, and regrets. The storylines were well scaffolded and cleverly paced with powerful and emotive word choices. There were times I wanted to scream at the characters in disgust for allowing and enabling a long-standing pattern of abusive and violent behaviors, and other times I wanted to comfort them, ease their pain, and assuage their confusion. I despised the male contingent of the family in near equal measure as they were vile and heinously twisted, while the females were nearly inert in their learned helplessness - until they weren’t. I fell into this challenging read and had a hard time resurfacing as while my experiences were paltry in comparison to the horror of this monstrous family, Ms. Trope’s strong word voodoo resurrected and stirred some uncomfortable feelings and memories that left me more than a bit rumpled.
Poor Dad. Things have definitely not worked out the way he hoped. He had a plan for perfection. The perfect house, the perfect kids and the perfect wife. He had an idea of this Christmas card, picture-perfect family, all smiling widely in matching red sweaters. The trouble is, we live in Australia. It’s too hot around Christmastime to wear sweaters. You have to wear T-shirts and T-shirts don’t hide bruises very well. The trouble is, his wife and children hate him. The trouble is, you can’t beat perfection into someone. Although he tried, he really tried.
His mercurial nature kept us all on our toes. We were his dancing monkeys.
My Review:
This wasn’t an easy read, it was a painfully realistic, intensely insightful, tragic, and cringe-worthy tale of family drama with long-held secrets, shame, guilt, anger, violence, emotional battering, mind games, and regrets. The storylines were well scaffolded and cleverly paced with powerful and emotive word choices. There were times I wanted to scream at the characters in disgust for allowing and enabling a long-standing pattern of abusive and violent behaviors, and other times I wanted to comfort them, ease their pain, and assuage their confusion. I despised the male contingent of the family in near equal measure as they were vile and heinously twisted, while the females were nearly inert in their learned helplessness - until they weren’t. I fell into this challenging read and had a hard time resurfacing as while my experiences were paltry in comparison to the horror of this monstrous family, Ms. Trope’s strong word voodoo resurrected and stirred some uncomfortable feelings and memories that left me more than a bit rumpled.
December 2, 2020
The Life She Left Behind is the eleventh novel by Australian author, Nicole Trope. Rachel Flinders has a perfect life: a loving husband, a sweet daughter and their beautiful new dream house. At least, it should be perfect. But her beloved mother is dying, the house stands alone in a new subdivision, and her husband seems tense, edgy. And then, an intruder, who doesn’t take anything, but leaves something that strikes fear into Rachel’s heart.
When Ben Flinders gets a late-night call from his distressed wife, he rushes home; the police are there, but Rachel ascribes her alarm to a possum, and there are no signs of forced entry. Perhaps the stress that Rachel is under with her mother, and the isolation, has affected her perception and equanimity. Himself, Ben is stressed about leaving his young family vulnerable in this empty suburb, in a house that has overextended his means, just when his work situation is looking tenuous.
Little Bird is what Daddy calls her, and she tries very hard to do everything exactly as he tells her, because when they don’t, her (often nasty) older brother Kevin feels the effects of Daddy’s anger; Mummy, even when she does everything right, seems to end up with her skin blue with hurting flowers.
Dr Amanda Sharma’s latest patient on Lyndon Public Hospital’s psychiatric ward knows he has to tread carefully if he wants to avoid a transfer to prison. He got drunk and almost beat a man to death, so he has the twenty-one days of his involuntary admission to prove to her that he belongs here. The system, the doctors, the nurses are all easier to manipulate than the bunch of sadists that run the prison.
Trope’s depiction of life with a psychopath is believable and downright scary: the physical, emotional and psychological abuse that leads to difficult choices and long-held secrets certainly attract the reader’s empathy, although some are bound to find the violence confronting. And those creepy troll dolls will send a shiver down many a spine. An engrossing read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Bookouture.
When Ben Flinders gets a late-night call from his distressed wife, he rushes home; the police are there, but Rachel ascribes her alarm to a possum, and there are no signs of forced entry. Perhaps the stress that Rachel is under with her mother, and the isolation, has affected her perception and equanimity. Himself, Ben is stressed about leaving his young family vulnerable in this empty suburb, in a house that has overextended his means, just when his work situation is looking tenuous.
Little Bird is what Daddy calls her, and she tries very hard to do everything exactly as he tells her, because when they don’t, her (often nasty) older brother Kevin feels the effects of Daddy’s anger; Mummy, even when she does everything right, seems to end up with her skin blue with hurting flowers.
Dr Amanda Sharma’s latest patient on Lyndon Public Hospital’s psychiatric ward knows he has to tread carefully if he wants to avoid a transfer to prison. He got drunk and almost beat a man to death, so he has the twenty-one days of his involuntary admission to prove to her that he belongs here. The system, the doctors, the nurses are all easier to manipulate than the bunch of sadists that run the prison.
Trope’s depiction of life with a psychopath is believable and downright scary: the physical, emotional and psychological abuse that leads to difficult choices and long-held secrets certainly attract the reader’s empathy, although some are bound to find the violence confronting. And those creepy troll dolls will send a shiver down many a spine. An engrossing read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Bookouture.
July 28, 2020
Rachel has a great marriage and daughter. They have a new house that they just moved into. Her mother is in hospice and doesn't have long to live.
Then we find out about Rachel's past that she ran from and has kept secret for many years and it is now coming back to haunt her. A past that she wants to run away from again but has her husband and daughter to protect from her past.
This book moves back and forth from the past to the present and is easy to keep up with. Then we also are in the mind of someone else and what is going on with them. So many things kept me on my toes and wondering. Great twist as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture.
Then we find out about Rachel's past that she ran from and has kept secret for many years and it is now coming back to haunt her. A past that she wants to run away from again but has her husband and daughter to protect from her past.
This book moves back and forth from the past to the present and is easy to keep up with. Then we also are in the mind of someone else and what is going on with them. So many things kept me on my toes and wondering. Great twist as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture.
May 30, 2020
Thank You to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!!
Rachel is enjoying her perfect life with her loving husband, Ben, and beautiful daughter, Beth. Except that she has a secret about her past which she has keep perfectly hidden.
But now twenty eight years later, the secret which Rachel promised she would never tell anyone refuses to stay buried. She comes to realize that no matter how far you go, you can never outrun the past.
Now she has to decide what to do, now that everyone she loves, everything she cherishes, is in harm’s way?
This an amazing and well written book about how a small girl witnesses her mother being abused daily by her father and disrespected by her elder brother. In order to protect themselves, mother and child escape, only to be living in continued fear of being found and subjected to the abuse again.
It was an emotional read and I was engrossed right from the first page and I absolutely loved the ending!!
Highly recommended!!
Rachel is enjoying her perfect life with her loving husband, Ben, and beautiful daughter, Beth. Except that she has a secret about her past which she has keep perfectly hidden.
But now twenty eight years later, the secret which Rachel promised she would never tell anyone refuses to stay buried. She comes to realize that no matter how far you go, you can never outrun the past.
Now she has to decide what to do, now that everyone she loves, everything she cherishes, is in harm’s way?
This an amazing and well written book about how a small girl witnesses her mother being abused daily by her father and disrespected by her elder brother. In order to protect themselves, mother and child escape, only to be living in continued fear of being found and subjected to the abuse again.
It was an emotional read and I was engrossed right from the first page and I absolutely loved the ending!!
Highly recommended!!
July 3, 2020
Rachel has it all, gorgeous and attentive husband, a thriving toddler and a beautiful new house to make their very own. However, she has a troubled past that has suddenly jumped right in front of her. There is also the fact that her mother is in hospice. Rachel wishes her mother could remain with her as long as possible.
Rachel not only has tried to forget her difficult past, to bury it, keeping most of it secret from her husband, even with outright lies. Not only are things beginning to change for her - and not in a good way - she becomes desperately afraid that she will lose her husband if he ever discovered the truth of her past.
As the book moves evenly between the past and the present, we get to see the horrid things Rachel's father did to his family, and how, even years later, Rachel is still tormented by it. As a matter of fact, danger becomes an element of things for Rachel. I also want to add that what Rachel, her mother and her brother experienced at the hands of her father was very difficult to read. Having experienced certain things in my life made me extremely sensitive to the snippets of Rachel's past.
This book had several perspectives. Each time we read Rachel's thoughts, I felt like she was an unreliable narrator. This is where kudos go to Nicole Trope. I love how she dangled Rachel's past in front of us, although rather difficult to read. I also loved the fact that while reading this book I had a certain view of Rachel, and I realized just how good a writer Ms. Trope is. I say this because she reigned me right back in.
This book certainly grabbed my attention, had a couple of intriguing twists to it and delivered a really surprising conclusion. I definitely look forward to seeing what else this talented author has in store for her readers.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Rachel not only has tried to forget her difficult past, to bury it, keeping most of it secret from her husband, even with outright lies. Not only are things beginning to change for her - and not in a good way - she becomes desperately afraid that she will lose her husband if he ever discovered the truth of her past.
As the book moves evenly between the past and the present, we get to see the horrid things Rachel's father did to his family, and how, even years later, Rachel is still tormented by it. As a matter of fact, danger becomes an element of things for Rachel. I also want to add that what Rachel, her mother and her brother experienced at the hands of her father was very difficult to read. Having experienced certain things in my life made me extremely sensitive to the snippets of Rachel's past.
This book had several perspectives. Each time we read Rachel's thoughts, I felt like she was an unreliable narrator. This is where kudos go to Nicole Trope. I love how she dangled Rachel's past in front of us, although rather difficult to read. I also loved the fact that while reading this book I had a certain view of Rachel, and I realized just how good a writer Ms. Trope is. I say this because she reigned me right back in.
This book certainly grabbed my attention, had a couple of intriguing twists to it and delivered a really surprising conclusion. I definitely look forward to seeing what else this talented author has in store for her readers.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
July 3, 2020
I have so many different emotions running through after reading The Life She Left Behind by Nicole Trope. Mostly, I feel anger and yet I also feel sadness for a family that has been put through so much and who have sacrificed so much just to feel normal. The Life She Left Behind is not an easy read by any means. There is both mental and physical abuse that may be hard for some to read through. But, the story is definitely a moving and heartbreaking story on learning how to survive and have a normal life with love and happiness.
Rachel and her husband Ben along with their young daughter Beth have just moved into their very first house in a new housing complex. But, what should be a happy and joyous moment is shattered when someone breaks into their new home leaving Rachel with memories of a childhood she wishes to forget. Is her childhood coming back to haunt her? Is her family safe? While asking herself these questions, Rachel knows she can’t rely on anyone, especially not her mother riddled with cancer. Rachel cannot put the burden on her mother. When push comes to shove will Rachel be able to save her family?
This story is going to trigger a lot of readers. I was even affected by it and at some points I was even raging. Mental and physical abuse is something I detest wholeheartedly. I have been hit before by a man and let’s just say he didn’t walk out unscathed. If this ever happened to me on the level of what happened to Rachel and her mother, Veronica….the person who ever did that to me would have a knife in their back by the end of the night. I do not play around. I will be in jail and wi\ould be well worth it.
Trope really keeps us in the dark throwing very few clues as to the real identity behind the gifts being left behind for Rachel and I must say it was crafted quite well and kept me guessing almost till the end. The story weaves between the past and the present and really paints a terrible picture of what life was like when Rachel was just a child and how hard it must have been and the decisions that her mother made when Rachel was only seven years old. It is absolutely heartbreaking.
I was glued to this story and honestly if this wasn’t an ARC e-book, I probably would have tossed it across the room a million times out of anger. Yes, the book is that good if it can illicit such a reaction from me.
The Life She Left Behind is a heartbreaking, emotionally charged story of one family going through something so terribly evil and yet at the same time so heartwarming to see how abuse doesn’t define you as a person it can only make you stronger. I highly recommend this book! A definite 5 stars from me!
Rachel and her husband Ben along with their young daughter Beth have just moved into their very first house in a new housing complex. But, what should be a happy and joyous moment is shattered when someone breaks into their new home leaving Rachel with memories of a childhood she wishes to forget. Is her childhood coming back to haunt her? Is her family safe? While asking herself these questions, Rachel knows she can’t rely on anyone, especially not her mother riddled with cancer. Rachel cannot put the burden on her mother. When push comes to shove will Rachel be able to save her family?
This story is going to trigger a lot of readers. I was even affected by it and at some points I was even raging. Mental and physical abuse is something I detest wholeheartedly. I have been hit before by a man and let’s just say he didn’t walk out unscathed. If this ever happened to me on the level of what happened to Rachel and her mother, Veronica….the person who ever did that to me would have a knife in their back by the end of the night. I do not play around. I will be in jail and wi\ould be well worth it.
Trope really keeps us in the dark throwing very few clues as to the real identity behind the gifts being left behind for Rachel and I must say it was crafted quite well and kept me guessing almost till the end. The story weaves between the past and the present and really paints a terrible picture of what life was like when Rachel was just a child and how hard it must have been and the decisions that her mother made when Rachel was only seven years old. It is absolutely heartbreaking.
I was glued to this story and honestly if this wasn’t an ARC e-book, I probably would have tossed it across the room a million times out of anger. Yes, the book is that good if it can illicit such a reaction from me.
The Life She Left Behind is a heartbreaking, emotionally charged story of one family going through something so terribly evil and yet at the same time so heartwarming to see how abuse doesn’t define you as a person it can only make you stronger. I highly recommend this book! A definite 5 stars from me!
April 19, 2021
What an emotional read this is! It pulled at my heartstrings, it brought tears to my eyes...it was just breathtaking. Nicole Trope is easily one of my favourite authors as her ability to capture every emotion, every thought, every heartbeat, every moment and transport you to the very heart of the story is phenomenal and just keeps me coming back.
Having said that, THE LIFE SHE LEFT BEHIND is not an easy book to read due to the intense and chilling content. Containing themes of mental, emotional and physical abuse and domestic violence, the story that unfolds is a tragic tale of long-held secrets, shame, fear, guilt and anger that is painfully realistic. Some of the abuse scenes are graphic in nature that feel very real due to Nicole's ability to capture a moment in time with as few words as possible, placing the images in our minds that appear all too real. Our imaginations do the rest. I won't lie...the abuse scenes are harrowing, particularly if you have endured something similar, but the story is incredibly moving and as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking.
Rachel is enjoying a life well deserved with her loving husband Ben and their their beautiful seven year old daughter Beth in a beautiful new house they have recently purchased in a new and up-and-coming estate. But she hasn't always had the perfect life. In fact, she has such a troubled past that not even her husband knows about it. Why? Because Rachel and her mother, Veronica, made a promise to each other to never tell.
But now twenty eight years later it seems Rachel's past is coming back to haunt her. The secret she has kept for so long refuses to stay buried and she wonders how much longer she can keep her secret from resurfacing.
What should be a happy and exciting time in their new house is soon shattered when someone breaks in one night whilst Rachel is alone with Beth. She locks herself in her daughter's room as she hears footsteps pad up the stairs and sees the doorknob turning as someone attempts to gain entry into their hiding place. She calls Ben in a panic and then the police. But whoever had been in the house is long gone...if they were ever there at all. And then Rachel finds a troll doll standing in the centre of the landing...and she knows without a doubt that her past has come back to haunt her. He's found them at last and has come to inflict his revenge.
Frightened for her family and scared for herself, Rachel cannot tell Ben her fears because he knows nothing about her past. The only one she can confide in is the one person who lived through it as well - her mother. Only she can't...because her mother is in a palliative care hospice with end stage cancer and is barely conscious. And even if she was, Rachel couldn't want to worry her mum. So now she is faced with a quandary - should she reveal her past to Ben? And if she does, what will he think of her? Will she lose him once the truth comes out? After all, she has lied to him their whole married life and how can one get over that?
Whatever she does, Rachel knows she cannot keep this secret for much longer. Her past has come back and now the man they have run from for twenty eight years has been leaving little reminders of her past to let her know he is there...waiting...watching...that he can strike at any time when she least expects it. She has a family to protect. A little girl of her own...who is now the same age as she was when she and her mother left their old life behind.
Rachel's life hasn't always been perfect. It hasn't always known love...or tenderness...or care... It only knew rules, cruelty, abuse, violence, mind games and fear. Her father was a man she loved and hated. He could give with one hand and take with the other...either that or he would hit, kick or punch to get his message across. He wanted the perfect house, the perfect wife and the perfect family. Appearances were everything. And control was his weapon...as were his fists. Rachel was just seven years old and she loved her daddy but she hated how he made her mummy hurt. She could hear the thump thump thump coming from their bedroom after she has gone to bed. And in the morning she could see the purple flowers on her mummy's face that made her cry. The slightest thing would make her daddy lash out. An orange that had fallen from the fruit bowl. A frame or ornament out of place. A film of dust on top of the fridge or shelf. A forgotten toy on the floor instead of put away neatly. Everything had to be sparkling clean. Rachel, her mother and the house. Everything clean and fresh with dinner ready by the time daddy walked through the door at 6pm every night.
Except her brother Kevin. He either stays at his friends so he doesn't have to come home or locks himself in his room. He doesn't want to be on the receiving end of daddy's anger anymore than he is. Rachel hates him. He's just like daddy. He's almost as big as daddy but he is just as scared of him as she is. But when daddy isn't around, Kevin is just like him. And then one night Rachel wakes to hear the thump thump thump noise again and makes a decision. At seven years old she is determine to protect her mummy, and so they pack a bag each and leave their life behind, once and for all.
Now, twenty eight years later, it seems that old life has caught up with her. She knows her father will make them pay for leaving him but she doesn't know how to fight him, despite the fact he would be an old man at sixty five now and she is sure who would be a formidable force still. But how can she fight him while her mother is dying? How can she face her past? How can she face him? She isn't even sure she has the strength to. But if that's not bad enough, her perfect life with Ben appears to be also falling apart at the seams. How can she possibly get through with not only losing her mother but losing her marriage also? On top of having to face the monster from her past?
And then just when Rachel thinks that things couldn't possibly be any worse, the unthinkable happens...and her world comes crashing down. Will Rachel come out of this unscathed? Will her family? And will Ben forgive her for not telling him the truth? But most of all, will Rachel make peace with her past once and for all?
Oh. My. God. You will not finish this book without having a box of tissues handy. It will pull on your heartstrings and have you weeping buckets for Rachel - for the child she was and the adult she now is - and her mother. And even her brother Kevin. The abuse they endured at their father's hands is just unfathomable and heartbreaking. But what also tugs at your heart is the glimpse into what made him into the man he became. Children are born innocent. Monsters are made. Violence begets violence.
THE LIFE SHE LEFT BEHIND is one of Nicole's most heartbreaking reads. And yet it is so powerful it will leave you breathless. The story moves between past and present evenly through various perspectives - Rachel, Ben, Little Bird (seven year old Rachel) and an unknown narrator. And yet Rachel's narrative has the feel of an unreliable narrator as she flits between the fear of her past to the reality of her present while trying to balance them with the impending death of her beloved mother.
Nicole combines thriller with contemporary fiction with this dark and harrowing story that instills a fear and throwing very few clues as to the identity of who is leaving behind the gifts that sends chills right through Rachel's core. It is cleverly crafted as the story weaves between the past and present easily despite the difficult subject matter. Nicole takes the reader through a range of emotions along with each perspective - from heartbreak to fear to anger to pain as well a love and happiness - as the story gradually unfolds, revealing a surprising twist turning everything on its head.
THE LIFE SHE LEFT BEHIND is both heartbreaking and heartwarming with it's chilling tale of a secret buried so deep in the hope it would never resurface. The story is harrowing from the abuse to the extent the fear it generated in Rachel from childhood and into adulthood.
Emotional and compelling from beginning to end, THE LIFE SHE LEFT BEHIND is an emotionally charged story that will break your heart. And yet it delivers at the end with its heartwarming conclusion.
I love Nicole Trope and always look forward to her books, knowing that she will draw me in and take me through a range of emotions and deliver a spectacular ending. I have no hesitation in recommending any of her books...though this one I do so with the warning of the sensitive and brutal subject matter.
I would like to thank #NicoleTrope, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheLifeSheLeftBehind in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
Having said that, THE LIFE SHE LEFT BEHIND is not an easy book to read due to the intense and chilling content. Containing themes of mental, emotional and physical abuse and domestic violence, the story that unfolds is a tragic tale of long-held secrets, shame, fear, guilt and anger that is painfully realistic. Some of the abuse scenes are graphic in nature that feel very real due to Nicole's ability to capture a moment in time with as few words as possible, placing the images in our minds that appear all too real. Our imaginations do the rest. I won't lie...the abuse scenes are harrowing, particularly if you have endured something similar, but the story is incredibly moving and as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking.
Rachel is enjoying a life well deserved with her loving husband Ben and their their beautiful seven year old daughter Beth in a beautiful new house they have recently purchased in a new and up-and-coming estate. But she hasn't always had the perfect life. In fact, she has such a troubled past that not even her husband knows about it. Why? Because Rachel and her mother, Veronica, made a promise to each other to never tell.
But now twenty eight years later it seems Rachel's past is coming back to haunt her. The secret she has kept for so long refuses to stay buried and she wonders how much longer she can keep her secret from resurfacing.
What should be a happy and exciting time in their new house is soon shattered when someone breaks in one night whilst Rachel is alone with Beth. She locks herself in her daughter's room as she hears footsteps pad up the stairs and sees the doorknob turning as someone attempts to gain entry into their hiding place. She calls Ben in a panic and then the police. But whoever had been in the house is long gone...if they were ever there at all. And then Rachel finds a troll doll standing in the centre of the landing...and she knows without a doubt that her past has come back to haunt her. He's found them at last and has come to inflict his revenge.
Frightened for her family and scared for herself, Rachel cannot tell Ben her fears because he knows nothing about her past. The only one she can confide in is the one person who lived through it as well - her mother. Only she can't...because her mother is in a palliative care hospice with end stage cancer and is barely conscious. And even if she was, Rachel couldn't want to worry her mum. So now she is faced with a quandary - should she reveal her past to Ben? And if she does, what will he think of her? Will she lose him once the truth comes out? After all, she has lied to him their whole married life and how can one get over that?
Whatever she does, Rachel knows she cannot keep this secret for much longer. Her past has come back and now the man they have run from for twenty eight years has been leaving little reminders of her past to let her know he is there...waiting...watching...that he can strike at any time when she least expects it. She has a family to protect. A little girl of her own...who is now the same age as she was when she and her mother left their old life behind.
Rachel's life hasn't always been perfect. It hasn't always known love...or tenderness...or care... It only knew rules, cruelty, abuse, violence, mind games and fear. Her father was a man she loved and hated. He could give with one hand and take with the other...either that or he would hit, kick or punch to get his message across. He wanted the perfect house, the perfect wife and the perfect family. Appearances were everything. And control was his weapon...as were his fists. Rachel was just seven years old and she loved her daddy but she hated how he made her mummy hurt. She could hear the thump thump thump coming from their bedroom after she has gone to bed. And in the morning she could see the purple flowers on her mummy's face that made her cry. The slightest thing would make her daddy lash out. An orange that had fallen from the fruit bowl. A frame or ornament out of place. A film of dust on top of the fridge or shelf. A forgotten toy on the floor instead of put away neatly. Everything had to be sparkling clean. Rachel, her mother and the house. Everything clean and fresh with dinner ready by the time daddy walked through the door at 6pm every night.
Except her brother Kevin. He either stays at his friends so he doesn't have to come home or locks himself in his room. He doesn't want to be on the receiving end of daddy's anger anymore than he is. Rachel hates him. He's just like daddy. He's almost as big as daddy but he is just as scared of him as she is. But when daddy isn't around, Kevin is just like him. And then one night Rachel wakes to hear the thump thump thump noise again and makes a decision. At seven years old she is determine to protect her mummy, and so they pack a bag each and leave their life behind, once and for all.
Now, twenty eight years later, it seems that old life has caught up with her. She knows her father will make them pay for leaving him but she doesn't know how to fight him, despite the fact he would be an old man at sixty five now and she is sure who would be a formidable force still. But how can she fight him while her mother is dying? How can she face her past? How can she face him? She isn't even sure she has the strength to. But if that's not bad enough, her perfect life with Ben appears to be also falling apart at the seams. How can she possibly get through with not only losing her mother but losing her marriage also? On top of having to face the monster from her past?
And then just when Rachel thinks that things couldn't possibly be any worse, the unthinkable happens...and her world comes crashing down. Will Rachel come out of this unscathed? Will her family? And will Ben forgive her for not telling him the truth? But most of all, will Rachel make peace with her past once and for all?
Oh. My. God. You will not finish this book without having a box of tissues handy. It will pull on your heartstrings and have you weeping buckets for Rachel - for the child she was and the adult she now is - and her mother. And even her brother Kevin. The abuse they endured at their father's hands is just unfathomable and heartbreaking. But what also tugs at your heart is the glimpse into what made him into the man he became. Children are born innocent. Monsters are made. Violence begets violence.
THE LIFE SHE LEFT BEHIND is one of Nicole's most heartbreaking reads. And yet it is so powerful it will leave you breathless. The story moves between past and present evenly through various perspectives - Rachel, Ben, Little Bird (seven year old Rachel) and an unknown narrator. And yet Rachel's narrative has the feel of an unreliable narrator as she flits between the fear of her past to the reality of her present while trying to balance them with the impending death of her beloved mother.
Nicole combines thriller with contemporary fiction with this dark and harrowing story that instills a fear and throwing very few clues as to the identity of who is leaving behind the gifts that sends chills right through Rachel's core. It is cleverly crafted as the story weaves between the past and present easily despite the difficult subject matter. Nicole takes the reader through a range of emotions along with each perspective - from heartbreak to fear to anger to pain as well a love and happiness - as the story gradually unfolds, revealing a surprising twist turning everything on its head.
THE LIFE SHE LEFT BEHIND is both heartbreaking and heartwarming with it's chilling tale of a secret buried so deep in the hope it would never resurface. The story is harrowing from the abuse to the extent the fear it generated in Rachel from childhood and into adulthood.
Emotional and compelling from beginning to end, THE LIFE SHE LEFT BEHIND is an emotionally charged story that will break your heart. And yet it delivers at the end with its heartwarming conclusion.
I love Nicole Trope and always look forward to her books, knowing that she will draw me in and take me through a range of emotions and deliver a spectacular ending. I have no hesitation in recommending any of her books...though this one I do so with the warning of the sensitive and brutal subject matter.
I would like to thank #NicoleTrope, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheLifeSheLeftBehind in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
July 2, 2020
This is a story of families, one family that is loving, safe and protecting while the other family is controlling and dangerous with both physical and mental abuse. Unfortunately Rachel is at the heart of both of them.
Told from multiple perspectives, Rachel’s, her husband Ben’s, little bird who is Rachel as a young girl and an unknown. From little bird we learn that her father is a domineering master in the house and that her mother is beaten. The child’s description of the purple flower on her mother’s cheek meaning a bruise was so very sad and chilling. Rachel, her mother and brother Kevin all suffer at his hands until one day the mother and Rachel escape, leaving Kevin behind. Having to constantly move so her father doesn’t find them and keeping their past a secret.
Flash forward and Rachel is happily married with a daughter of her own. Her husband Ben is everything her father wasn’t. Loving, caring and a wonderful father and so desperate to make Rachel happy. He doesn’t know of her past but senses her sadness. He has been told her father died when she was a child and her mother is now dying of cancer so he puts it down to that. They have recently moved into the dream house Ben always wanted for them and with Ben working late to cover the cost Rachel hears footsteps downstairs and calls Ben who urges her to call the police. Upon hearing the sirens the intruder flees but not before leaving something behind. A stark reminder of her past taunting her….
This was a beautifully harrowing read with characters that are at completely different ends of the spectrum. I am so fortunate that I grew up knowing nothing but love and safety and reading the child’s perspective completely broke me. It is often said that the abused can become abusers and there is also the nature vs nurture debate. Are we what our parents make us? Do we fight against it to make our own children happier than we were? This would make a terrific book club read as it offers so many discussion points.
I did guess the mystery element but in no way did it spoil my enjoyment of the book. Although I’m not sure enjoyment is the right word. As this is a very realistic, emotion wringing tale of the tragedy of domestic violence.
Told from multiple perspectives, Rachel’s, her husband Ben’s, little bird who is Rachel as a young girl and an unknown. From little bird we learn that her father is a domineering master in the house and that her mother is beaten. The child’s description of the purple flower on her mother’s cheek meaning a bruise was so very sad and chilling. Rachel, her mother and brother Kevin all suffer at his hands until one day the mother and Rachel escape, leaving Kevin behind. Having to constantly move so her father doesn’t find them and keeping their past a secret.
Flash forward and Rachel is happily married with a daughter of her own. Her husband Ben is everything her father wasn’t. Loving, caring and a wonderful father and so desperate to make Rachel happy. He doesn’t know of her past but senses her sadness. He has been told her father died when she was a child and her mother is now dying of cancer so he puts it down to that. They have recently moved into the dream house Ben always wanted for them and with Ben working late to cover the cost Rachel hears footsteps downstairs and calls Ben who urges her to call the police. Upon hearing the sirens the intruder flees but not before leaving something behind. A stark reminder of her past taunting her….
This was a beautifully harrowing read with characters that are at completely different ends of the spectrum. I am so fortunate that I grew up knowing nothing but love and safety and reading the child’s perspective completely broke me. It is often said that the abused can become abusers and there is also the nature vs nurture debate. Are we what our parents make us? Do we fight against it to make our own children happier than we were? This would make a terrific book club read as it offers so many discussion points.
I did guess the mystery element but in no way did it spoil my enjoyment of the book. Although I’m not sure enjoyment is the right word. As this is a very realistic, emotion wringing tale of the tragedy of domestic violence.
July 2, 2020
Whew, an emotional read was this. Author Nicole Trope pulled at my heartstrings with the rendering of a tale that so many of us had gone through. I could just sigh at the end. Tough lives we women led.
Rachel had a perfect life, so she thought. But there was a secret buried deep inside her which she had promised never to tell. But like all secrets, it wanted to come out to destroy the life she led.
Having read many books by the author, I should have expected how much the words etched on paper would touch me. But silly me, I went in blind. And came out with a film of tears. The book was not heartbreaking emotional, but it dealt with a subject matter which is so valid today.
Told in multiple POVs, a bit confusing initially, but later got into a good rhythm, I loved how parts of her past were slowly pieced together. The child who was, the child she had to be soon emerged, bringing the full story in sight. Rachel evoked quite a few of my emotions. I felt I was with her in her life journey.
The writing brought the characters to life, their pain and fear became real to me. There were a twist at the end in their lies and revenge, but overall the prose superceded by love and forgiveness.
Real but flawed characters, an emotional story written with a steady hand, it was quite a read!!
Rachel had a perfect life, so she thought. But there was a secret buried deep inside her which she had promised never to tell. But like all secrets, it wanted to come out to destroy the life she led.
Having read many books by the author, I should have expected how much the words etched on paper would touch me. But silly me, I went in blind. And came out with a film of tears. The book was not heartbreaking emotional, but it dealt with a subject matter which is so valid today.
Told in multiple POVs, a bit confusing initially, but later got into a good rhythm, I loved how parts of her past were slowly pieced together. The child who was, the child she had to be soon emerged, bringing the full story in sight. Rachel evoked quite a few of my emotions. I felt I was with her in her life journey.
The writing brought the characters to life, their pain and fear became real to me. There were a twist at the end in their lies and revenge, but overall the prose superceded by love and forgiveness.
Real but flawed characters, an emotional story written with a steady hand, it was quite a read!!
August 26, 2020
Excellent portrayal of a husband who terrifies and violently abuses his wife and their two children and the legacy of the fear that they carry their whole lifes.
"I almost gave up reading this book, the violence was so graphic and the fear of the husband coming home at six o'clock to expect his wife and children to be bathed and dressed in his choice of clothing
that every room in the house was clean and nothing out of place, or he would punch and kick his wife until she collapsed".
"I almost gave up reading this book, the violence was so graphic and the fear of the husband coming home at six o'clock to expect his wife and children to be bathed and dressed in his choice of clothing
that every room in the house was clean and nothing out of place, or he would punch and kick his wife until she collapsed".
August 17, 2021
Loved this book and could not stop turning the pages
This is the second book I've read by this author and it did not disappoint. As I stated in the review I recently wrote for the first book I read by this author, "The family across the street" (which was awesome by the way) I thought the book was so good that after reading it I immediately purchased all of Nicole Trope's books, because I knew they were all going to be good. And so far Im glad I did. This book was just as much of a pageturner, with characters so real you feel the anguish from the page. I love her writing style and the ending really tied up everything I had read before. I'm already looking forward to reading my next Nicole Trope book, and I'm starting it today!
This is the second book I've read by this author and it did not disappoint. As I stated in the review I recently wrote for the first book I read by this author, "The family across the street" (which was awesome by the way) I thought the book was so good that after reading it I immediately purchased all of Nicole Trope's books, because I knew they were all going to be good. And so far Im glad I did. This book was just as much of a pageturner, with characters so real you feel the anguish from the page. I love her writing style and the ending really tied up everything I had read before. I'm already looking forward to reading my next Nicole Trope book, and I'm starting it today!
August 3, 2024
This book was tragic, and so many parts were hard to read. Each perspective was well written and intertwined together.
July 2, 2020
This is an emotive, suspense filled, family drama told from different points of view with flashbacks to previous events. It is centred, in the present, around Rachel and her family. When she was a child she lived with her mother, father and older brother, Kevin but her father was both emotionally abusive to them all and physically abusive to both her mother and brother. This is the story of their life then and her life twenty-eight years later. Now she's happily married to Ben with a seven year old daughter they both adore . . . . but Ben knows nothing of her past. He knows nothing about her father or brother . . . . and her Mum is terminally ill with cancer. That's when her home is broken into and her childhood troll dolls start being found . . . dolls she left behind when she was seven . . .
This is a psychological thriller, an enthralling portrayal of a dysfunctional family and the impact of the abuse on all the members of that family. It is a story of a family torn apart, one packed with fear, a stalker and danger. It is one of those stories that initially seems disjointed but quickly everything starts to connect together, weaving the threads to create a moving tapestry filled with keeping secrets, fear and abuse. It has great characters, brilliantly portrayed as the story progresses, sharing their experiences, attitudes and worries in an easy to relate to manner that keeps you turning the pages to discover what happens next. It takes your emotions and throws them straight into the wringer to be wrung dry in this dramatic tale of domestic violence and its consequences.
I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest review after choosing to read it.
This is a psychological thriller, an enthralling portrayal of a dysfunctional family and the impact of the abuse on all the members of that family. It is a story of a family torn apart, one packed with fear, a stalker and danger. It is one of those stories that initially seems disjointed but quickly everything starts to connect together, weaving the threads to create a moving tapestry filled with keeping secrets, fear and abuse. It has great characters, brilliantly portrayed as the story progresses, sharing their experiences, attitudes and worries in an easy to relate to manner that keeps you turning the pages to discover what happens next. It takes your emotions and throws them straight into the wringer to be wrung dry in this dramatic tale of domestic violence and its consequences.
I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest review after choosing to read it.
May 25, 2020
The life she left behind didn’t really do it for me to be honest, it wasn’t what I expected from the description, I felt the emphasis on the physical and emotional abuse overshadowed the real storyline and was rather repetitive! However this book demonstrated the power of a mothers love, forgiveness,and understanding that we don’t always make the best decisions in times of need!
Thank you net galley for this early read.
Thank you net galley for this early read.
May 29, 2020
Hard topic to read but so well written. First I've read from this author and won't be the last. Was such a great storyline and read up to the very end.
Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for an early release of this book.
Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for an early release of this book.
July 8, 2020
Bookouture just keeps delivering great reads. The Life She Left Behind is a compulsive read about secrets and how they very often catch up with you. Rachel grew up in a dysfunctional family environment with an abusive father. When she was seven her mother left, taking her with her. They spent years moving from place to place. Eventually they settled. Rachel met her best friend's brother Ben, fell in love with him and married. They have a perfect marriage and one child, Beth. The only shadow over Rachel's life is that her mother is now terminally ill.. And then the dolls begin to appear...
Written from multi-viewpoints this book keeps the pressure up all the way through. It's an exciting read which pulls you in and keeps you turning pages. It's an emotional roller coaster too, as Rachel has to deal with so many pressures - her dying mother, her husband's work issues and of course, those dolls...
Highly recommended
Written from multi-viewpoints this book keeps the pressure up all the way through. It's an exciting read which pulls you in and keeps you turning pages. It's an emotional roller coaster too, as Rachel has to deal with so many pressures - her dying mother, her husband's work issues and of course, those dolls...
Highly recommended
July 2, 2020
This is my third book by this author and they have all struck gold!
How is it possible that people can be charming but turn into monsters once they come home? How is it possible that they can live with themselves? How can they sleep at night?
Everybody has already hurt someone either mentally or physically, but more often than not it’s accidental. It’s very hard to understand that you can deliberately hurt someone you love at the same time and even enjoy it!
Children are born innocent. It’s their entourage that influences them and turn them into someone decent or someone despicable.
The author is a great storyteller and she enchanted me with this beautiful and at the same time disgusting book. As soon as I picked it up, everything around me faded to grey. Loved it! 5 stars.
Thank you, Nicole Trope and Bookouture
https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
How is it possible that people can be charming but turn into monsters once they come home? How is it possible that they can live with themselves? How can they sleep at night?
Everybody has already hurt someone either mentally or physically, but more often than not it’s accidental. It’s very hard to understand that you can deliberately hurt someone you love at the same time and even enjoy it!
Children are born innocent. It’s their entourage that influences them and turn them into someone decent or someone despicable.
The author is a great storyteller and she enchanted me with this beautiful and at the same time disgusting book. As soon as I picked it up, everything around me faded to grey. Loved it! 5 stars.
Thank you, Nicole Trope and Bookouture
https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
July 7, 2020
So many different emotions are coursing through my mind having recently finished reading The Life She Left Behind by Nicole Trope. Though quite difficult to read because of some of the content, it is still an extremely compelling story.
Containing themes of mental and physical abuse, domestic violence, and child abuse Nicole Trope's characterisation continues to impress and the trauma suffered felt very real, especially regarding Rachel, who never stopped reliving her experiences. The Life She Left Behind is also a story about strength, courage, and survival. The story moves comprehensibly between dual timelines, from flashback chapters to the present day, to recount the stories of Rachel, her husband Ben, her brother Kevin, and how tragic events that were occurring twenty eight years ago permanently changed their lives, as well as impacting on the present day.
This is a psychological thriller - an enthralling portrayal of a dysfunctional family and a look at the ramifications of abuse for all the members of that family. Seemingly at first disjointed, everything starts to knead together, the strands weaving to create a compelling story filled with long-held secrets, fear and trepidation.
Nicole Trope is a master of this type of domestic thriller and I loved the way the author slowly meted out the clues and built up the suspense until the plot reached the fulfilling denouement. There was such a lot happening that I found this deftly told, emotional and heartbreaking novel really difficult to put down. Highly recommended and well worth five stars.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.
Containing themes of mental and physical abuse, domestic violence, and child abuse Nicole Trope's characterisation continues to impress and the trauma suffered felt very real, especially regarding Rachel, who never stopped reliving her experiences. The Life She Left Behind is also a story about strength, courage, and survival. The story moves comprehensibly between dual timelines, from flashback chapters to the present day, to recount the stories of Rachel, her husband Ben, her brother Kevin, and how tragic events that were occurring twenty eight years ago permanently changed their lives, as well as impacting on the present day.
This is a psychological thriller - an enthralling portrayal of a dysfunctional family and a look at the ramifications of abuse for all the members of that family. Seemingly at first disjointed, everything starts to knead together, the strands weaving to create a compelling story filled with long-held secrets, fear and trepidation.
Nicole Trope is a master of this type of domestic thriller and I loved the way the author slowly meted out the clues and built up the suspense until the plot reached the fulfilling denouement. There was such a lot happening that I found this deftly told, emotional and heartbreaking novel really difficult to put down. Highly recommended and well worth five stars.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.
July 7, 2020
Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf
*possible trigger warning; abuse*
‘The Life She Left Behind‘ is a chilling novel, one that is all too real for many people… female and male alike. Told from several points of view as we begin, it may take a little bit to fall into a natural rhythm of who exactly is speaking, but it didn’t take all that long for it to begin to flow for me. I also feel that this story could have triggering aspects for some readers, hence the triggering warning at the beginning of this review (I’d rather act as if it’s possible than harm someone).
Today Rachel has a good life, a loving, adoring husband, a daughter she would do anything for… yet the past lives behind her eyes, in her compulsive double-checking on Beth as she sleeps, in the knowledge that she is not at all what her husband, Ben, believes her to be for Rachel is holding onto secrets that will not stay buried for much longer.
I’ve chosen to not go into any details in this review. I firmly believe that ‘The Life She Left Behind‘ is a powerful story that each reader needs to experience firsthand for not everyone will read it in the same mindset. While that is, of course, true for any book it is particularly true for this one for when Rachel’s past begins to interfere with her present and her future how that plays out should be experienced in each reader’s unique way. I will say that while I guessed who the culprit was that knowledge (or guess) did not affect how I viewed the rest of the story.
This story is emotional in differing ways. I felt for what Rachel was going through. I was angry on her behalf, scared for her family, and on the edge throughout by not knowing what was coming at them next. It is a compelling story that I would recommend. This would make a chilling movie.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Bookouture, via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
*possible trigger warning; abuse*
‘The Life She Left Behind‘ is a chilling novel, one that is all too real for many people… female and male alike. Told from several points of view as we begin, it may take a little bit to fall into a natural rhythm of who exactly is speaking, but it didn’t take all that long for it to begin to flow for me. I also feel that this story could have triggering aspects for some readers, hence the triggering warning at the beginning of this review (I’d rather act as if it’s possible than harm someone).
Today Rachel has a good life, a loving, adoring husband, a daughter she would do anything for… yet the past lives behind her eyes, in her compulsive double-checking on Beth as she sleeps, in the knowledge that she is not at all what her husband, Ben, believes her to be for Rachel is holding onto secrets that will not stay buried for much longer.
I’ve chosen to not go into any details in this review. I firmly believe that ‘The Life She Left Behind‘ is a powerful story that each reader needs to experience firsthand for not everyone will read it in the same mindset. While that is, of course, true for any book it is particularly true for this one for when Rachel’s past begins to interfere with her present and her future how that plays out should be experienced in each reader’s unique way. I will say that while I guessed who the culprit was that knowledge (or guess) did not affect how I viewed the rest of the story.
This story is emotional in differing ways. I felt for what Rachel was going through. I was angry on her behalf, scared for her family, and on the edge throughout by not knowing what was coming at them next. It is a compelling story that I would recommend. This would make a chilling movie.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Bookouture, via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
May 25, 2020
3.5 stars
The Life She Left Behind really is a page-turner. Each chapter is told from a different character’s perspective - Rachel (the main character), Ben (her husband), Little Bird (Rachel as a young child), and an unnamed character (who you figure out later on in the book).
This is a thriller that’s not too intense. You do want to keep reading to find out what’s going to happen, though I don’t think the point is to figure out who is causing the incidents. If it was, I figured it out very early on.
There was one small thread that wasn’t tied up at the end. It was not a major plot point but could have easily have been addressed in the epilogue.
Trigger warnings include a great deal of domestic and child abuse.
I did enjoy this book and would read more by the author, but don’t go into it expecting an intense thriller.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!
The Life She Left Behind really is a page-turner. Each chapter is told from a different character’s perspective - Rachel (the main character), Ben (her husband), Little Bird (Rachel as a young child), and an unnamed character (who you figure out later on in the book).
This is a thriller that’s not too intense. You do want to keep reading to find out what’s going to happen, though I don’t think the point is to figure out who is causing the incidents. If it was, I figured it out very early on.
There was one small thread that wasn’t tied up at the end. It was not a major plot point but could have easily have been addressed in the epilogue.
Trigger warnings include a great deal of domestic and child abuse.
I did enjoy this book and would read more by the author, but don’t go into it expecting an intense thriller.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!
June 11, 2020
I began this book with anticipation. That quickly waned as I found it difficult to follow and keep my attention. It was halfway thru the book that I could even begin to figure out what was going on. It goes back and forth between the heroine, her husband, her life as a child, her mother, her father, and her brother. It is difficult to really tell who is who in some of the posts and I found it tedious reading. Toward the last quarter of the book it all started to come together. The characters are well developed but the action was a little too scattered for me.. Each character had an extensive opportunity for their side of the story but they all had a positive ending in the end. Almost too positive for a book that was based on horrible acts of domestic violence and its effect on all the family.
July 5, 2020
I have read a few of Nicole's books now and those I have read, I have enjoyed. I read the synopsis for 'The Life She Left Behind' and it certainly sounded like it was going to be an emotional read and then some. I was spot on because it really is an emotional read, which I did enjoy but more about that in a bit.
For me, 'The Life She Left Behind' was a bit of a difficult book to read. I don't mean that to sound negative. Without giving too much away, the story deals with some pretty significant traumatic events. Now fortunately I haven't been subjected to events such as those in this book. I felt a bit uncomfortable in a way because I used to work in safeguarding adults and children and cases involving scenarios such as these would land on my desk. The author has clearly done a lot of research and this shines through in her story.
It took me a while to get into this book. I just didn't feel that much of a connection with the lead character of Rachel. However, the more I read and the more I learnt about her circumstances and her history, I thawed towards her a bit. Once I got into the story, that was it and I was away. This wasn't a book that I could read over the course of a single day because I found myself becoming far too emotional I was able to read the book over the course of three days. The book has certainly made an impression on me and I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come
'The Life She Left Behind' is well written. Nicole has chosen a difficult and emotional subject to write about but she has written about it with great sensitivity and compassion. Nicole certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and she then takes you on one hell of an emotional rollercoaster ride. I did feel as though I was part of the story and that's thanks to Nicole's storytelling.
In short and overall I did enjoy reading 'The Life She Left Behind' and I would recommend it to other readers. I will be reading more of Nicole's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.
For me, 'The Life She Left Behind' was a bit of a difficult book to read. I don't mean that to sound negative. Without giving too much away, the story deals with some pretty significant traumatic events. Now fortunately I haven't been subjected to events such as those in this book. I felt a bit uncomfortable in a way because I used to work in safeguarding adults and children and cases involving scenarios such as these would land on my desk. The author has clearly done a lot of research and this shines through in her story.
It took me a while to get into this book. I just didn't feel that much of a connection with the lead character of Rachel. However, the more I read and the more I learnt about her circumstances and her history, I thawed towards her a bit. Once I got into the story, that was it and I was away. This wasn't a book that I could read over the course of a single day because I found myself becoming far too emotional I was able to read the book over the course of three days. The book has certainly made an impression on me and I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come
'The Life She Left Behind' is well written. Nicole has chosen a difficult and emotional subject to write about but she has written about it with great sensitivity and compassion. Nicole certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and she then takes you on one hell of an emotional rollercoaster ride. I did feel as though I was part of the story and that's thanks to Nicole's storytelling.
In short and overall I did enjoy reading 'The Life She Left Behind' and I would recommend it to other readers. I will be reading more of Nicole's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.
July 11, 2020
Suspenseful psychological thriller"The Life She Left Behind" by Nicole Trope.
"The Life She Left Behind" by Nicole Trope is the suspenseful account of an abusive and dysfunctional family. Rachel's father psychologically and physically tormented her mother and brother, Kevin, and was starting on her when she was 7. I felt the devastating abuse as a reader, and wanted it to stop for the victims. Isn't that why we read these psychological thrillers, to seek redemption for the (good) protagonist.
As is usual in these families, they put up with the abuse for years until sometimes there comes a breaking point. It happened in this case eventually, but there were regrets for how their actions befell.
As a mother 28 years later, Rachel finds that history is repeating itself. The psychological abuse restarts.
A secret she's kept from her husband is threatening to spill. Rachel is desperate to keep her daughter safe, until one day, she finds her missing. It seems that the cycle of abuse is repeating itself in terrifying form. Would an abusive family member come back to torment someone they last saw as a seven year old girl, 28 years later? Only a psychopath would.
"The Life She Left Behind" is told from four points of view, that of Rachel, her husband Ben, "Little Bird" and an anonymous character, whose identity is revealed near the end. The different POVs reveal different perspectives, giving an edge of your seat suspense and heart pounding tingling.
Though sometimes a difficult read particularly in the tracts of "Little Bird's" POV, "The Life She Left Behind" is a well written, page-turning, suspenseful psychological suspense thriller. I recommend it.
My thanks to Nicole Trope, Bookouture, and NetGalley for the advance copy of "The Life She Left Behind" by Nicole Trope, in return for an honest review.
This review also appears in https://thereadersvault.blogspot.com/...
& Netgalley.com & Amazon.com.
"The Life She Left Behind" by Nicole Trope is the suspenseful account of an abusive and dysfunctional family. Rachel's father psychologically and physically tormented her mother and brother, Kevin, and was starting on her when she was 7. I felt the devastating abuse as a reader, and wanted it to stop for the victims. Isn't that why we read these psychological thrillers, to seek redemption for the (good) protagonist.
As is usual in these families, they put up with the abuse for years until sometimes there comes a breaking point. It happened in this case eventually, but there were regrets for how their actions befell.
As a mother 28 years later, Rachel finds that history is repeating itself. The psychological abuse restarts.
A secret she's kept from her husband is threatening to spill. Rachel is desperate to keep her daughter safe, until one day, she finds her missing. It seems that the cycle of abuse is repeating itself in terrifying form. Would an abusive family member come back to torment someone they last saw as a seven year old girl, 28 years later? Only a psychopath would.
"The Life She Left Behind" is told from four points of view, that of Rachel, her husband Ben, "Little Bird" and an anonymous character, whose identity is revealed near the end. The different POVs reveal different perspectives, giving an edge of your seat suspense and heart pounding tingling.
Though sometimes a difficult read particularly in the tracts of "Little Bird's" POV, "The Life She Left Behind" is a well written, page-turning, suspenseful psychological suspense thriller. I recommend it.
My thanks to Nicole Trope, Bookouture, and NetGalley for the advance copy of "The Life She Left Behind" by Nicole Trope, in return for an honest review.
This review also appears in https://thereadersvault.blogspot.com/...
& Netgalley.com & Amazon.com.
April 10, 2022
The Life She Left Behind is a heartbreaking thriller written by Nicole Trope. The characters are so well rounded that they brought this story to life. This is a page turner that you will find difficult to put down. When a well to do mother and her seven year old daughter find themselves living with a monster and after years of physical abuse the decision was made to leave their life behind. Constantly on the run from her abusive husband life was extremely hard but when the decision was made to stop running everything they did had to be done carefully. This story filters back and forth between the past and present which gives the reader a chance to see what they actually ran from. In the present there is someone bringing the past back to them and threats are everywhere. When everything is revealed the actual monster is very surprising.
I was not given a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. I was not approached to post a favorable response and all opinions are my own. I have rated this story with five stars for meeting my expectations of a thrilling mystery that I can highly recommend to others.
I was not given a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. I was not approached to post a favorable response and all opinions are my own. I have rated this story with five stars for meeting my expectations of a thrilling mystery that I can highly recommend to others.
July 2, 2020
First, I want to thank Nicole Trope, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.
Nicole Trope is back with another very emotional, suspenseful, and thrilling read in The Life She Left Behind. Each book I read of hers keeps getting better and better.
The graphic designer did an amazing job capturing the total emotion in this book. Nicole really puts the feels into this book. The cover is what automatically roped me into reading the book-plus I am a fan of the author.
This is one book that you have to pay attention to when it goes from present day to the past. If you blink you will miss something as this is a fast paced book. It sometimes felt like I was reading two books that were intertwined.
This book deals with difficult subjects like domestic abuse, bullying, stalking, and a dying parent.
Nicole focused on the dynamic of Mother and Daughter in this book. The relationship Rachel had with Beth was very special. Beth was adorable and loved her Mommy so much. She captured my heart. The other was Rachel and her mother. That was a heartbreaking one to read. So many times I wanted to hug her.
People always say to write what you know. However, I loved that Nicole said that never worked for her. She writes out of fear. She writes about families in crisis and that is one of the reasons I adore her stories. She comes up with amazing stories.
Nicole Trope is back with another very emotional, suspenseful, and thrilling read in The Life She Left Behind. Each book I read of hers keeps getting better and better.
The graphic designer did an amazing job capturing the total emotion in this book. Nicole really puts the feels into this book. The cover is what automatically roped me into reading the book-plus I am a fan of the author.
This is one book that you have to pay attention to when it goes from present day to the past. If you blink you will miss something as this is a fast paced book. It sometimes felt like I was reading two books that were intertwined.
This book deals with difficult subjects like domestic abuse, bullying, stalking, and a dying parent.
Nicole focused on the dynamic of Mother and Daughter in this book. The relationship Rachel had with Beth was very special. Beth was adorable and loved her Mommy so much. She captured my heart. The other was Rachel and her mother. That was a heartbreaking one to read. So many times I wanted to hug her.
People always say to write what you know. However, I loved that Nicole said that never worked for her. She writes out of fear. She writes about families in crisis and that is one of the reasons I adore her stories. She comes up with amazing stories.
February 8, 2023
Enjoyed this book a lot!
February 13, 2025
Possible triggers - child abuse, domestic violence
October 10, 2025
an intense story no major plot twist and I liked that!
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