The Love We Left Behind

by Katherine Slee

A heartbreaking, heartwarming story of two best friends―and the choices that could tear them apart. London, 2012. With her adoring fiancé, financial independence and a close-knit group of friends, Erika should have life all figured out―but she can’t shake the feeling that there’s something missing. And when she stumbles upon a reminder of her past one day, she’s confronted with a part of her life she’s spent almost twenty years trying to forget. 1995. Smart, tenacious Niamh is in her second year at Oxford University. Unlike her best friend Erika, she’s shy and feels like she doesn’t belong, so she’s happy to let Erika take the lead in their friendship. But everything changes when she meets Leo and feels the uplifting power of love for the first time. As Erika’s story takes us back into the past, Niamh’s brings us forward towards the present, until the two meet one fateful summer’s night that will change the path of their friendship forever.

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Love, Chick Lit, Contemporary

333 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2021

About the author

Katherine Slee has a Masters in Modern History from Oxford University and is a member of MENSA who left the crazy and chaotic world of investment banking to enter the crazy and chaotic world of being a stay-at-home mother to two children and wife to a workaholic husband. She grew up as a bit of a tomboy, with scars on her knees and mud in her hair, and as a result developed a taste for everything from Star Wars to whiskey, with a dash of ornithology thrown into the mix. When she’s not either reading or writing, she enjoys baking (with various degrees of success), photography and walking the dog. Her favorite place to be is on the beach in France, where the light is always surprising and the ice cream is the best she’s ever tasted.

Reviews

[Carolina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was honestly incredible. It follows the life of someone who's confronted with the truth after a life of wondering and hiding, allowing her to move forward with her friendships, love and herself. I couldn't help but relate to the main character on several occasions and I wish some characters were better explored, giving more to the story. The writing was amazing, pulling you in instantly and making you feel like part of the plot. The switch between past and present was very easy to follow and I have to say I was totally not expecting that plot twist, although the end was a bit bittersweet. I definitely enjoyed it but at the same time I'm left feeling it wouldn't be so bad to have ended up in a different way.

I definitely recommend this one to everyone who is considering reading it.

I received an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley!

[John Gilbert · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really tried with this one, but in the end I threw in the towel at 65%. It takes a skilled writer to use more than one narrator while going back and forth in time for the story. Ms Slee is not a skilled writer, by the end I was totally confused by who did what when and finally just did not really care.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am afraid Niamh's self pity got rather boring. I struggled on to the end, which did pull all the strands together to create a happy ending, but it was SO contrived.
Sorry, but did not live up to expectations for me.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful love story. A stunning tale of friendship. A heart wrenching tale of loss and the things we do for love.

Niamh and Erika are best friends. Meeting at university with their best friend Duncan, they meet all of life's challenges together. Only Niamh always has a small voice in her head saying if she didn't happen to look like Erika' s deceased best friend they wouldn't be friends at all. Add to that the fact Niamh is adopted and by no means from money, and Duncan and Erika have blue blood pedigrees and the finances to back it up.

A chance meeting with Leo ignites in Niamh the feelings of love for the very first time. While Erika tells us their past, Niamh narrates the story of their lives now. With an earth shattering conclusion that made me gasp so loud I woke my baby, this book is one to savor. Five out of five perfect stars.

🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, Katherine Slee, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Derval · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. This was an easy read in some ways, but also an annoying one. I was ready to give up when the phrase "just shy of" was used twice in about three pages, but I persevered. The timeline jumps all over the place between Niamh and Erika, to the point that I had no real idea of when they were in their story- but at no point did I care enough to go back and confirm the sequence of events. The whole way through, Erika was dreading the revelation of a huge bad thing she did. I felt the "tension" around this was dragged out for way too long- and then of course it wasn't even that bad. A cloyingly sentimental ending did nothing to undo the rest of the book's flaws. It's only getting 2.5 because it was quite readable, and if did attempt to centre female friendship (however badly).

[Heidi (MinxyD14) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written book, and I look forward to reading more from the author. My heart gives the story 5*. However, while the twist was unexpected and the format was pleasantly unconventional, the story's execution doesn't really align with the description.

It starts as the tale of three good university friends. The two females in this trio are close, but you sense from the beginning that there are secrets and the push-pull of jealousy/resentment. There is so much clinginess that the relationship never feels healthy or like one of those special unconditional connections between close female friends. After the "falling out", the focus is on one love affair. I wish the author could have given us more of the good times in that situation because the rest is pretty heartbreaking until the ending and ultimate redemption.

[Dee (readaholic_dee) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. Completely off genre for me but I am so pleased I took the plunge. Well written, thoroughly enjoyable.

[Christine Ann Gilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning book

This was what I needed after a period of mediocre books.I really didn't want it to end. There is so much weaving about of people,time and places that I frequently thought, Am I missing something? It was one of the most unusual books I have read in a long time,and I look forward to reading more of Katherine's work.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

A saccharine slog. Admittedly, the writing does have moments of good technique but can be long-winded for an already excessive story of which very little actually happens. I found none of the characters to be particularly interesting and became very tired and bored of their personalities and exchanges.

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cried, a lot. Beautifully written and made me so nostalgic for uni. Definitely read if you’re a fan of one day/normal people as it very much gave me those vibes! Did not see the twist coming at all but now thinking about it seemed kind of obvious!

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable love story

A beautifully crafted plot, with interwoven sub plots, leading to a delightful true love conclusion to the story, so unlike real life. This captures the reality and full gamut of human emotions in an especially detailed account.

[Laura Hands · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. 🥰

[Beverly Bigmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a complex story

Thank you Prime for offering this book in my July picks. I throughly enjoyed it I did not see the twists and turns of the story which kept me glued to the end. Loved it.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Was hooked from the start and really interesting twist. Looking forward to more from Katherine

[Sarahleen Strickland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bitter sweet and thoughtful.

From the first page I was drawn into the lives of Niamh and Erica, their friendship, univerity days etc. It was interesting how the story line draws one in with starting in later life but then develops and expands back into the past. I did not expect the twist and surprise conclusion towards the end of the book. I really liked the book but felt one part of the twist was not in character of what I have build up of the strong personality of the main character. Loved it and really identified with the highs and lows of Niamh and Erica.

[Letitia | Bookshelfbyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC! This book is a story about love, friendship and loss with twists I did not see coming.

Follow my Book Instagram for more reviews and recommendations https://www.instagram.com/bookshelfbyla/

‘The Love We Left Behind’ follows the friendship between Erika and Niamh who are best friends at college in Oxford University in 1995. However, we are transported to Erika in London 2012 with an appearing perfect life but she still feels incomplete. We find out there has been a huge rift in their friendship that results in over a decade of silence. Erika’s story takes us back into the past and Niamh’s brings us forward toward present day as we find out what went wrong and all the choices that tore them apart.

I normally love when books balance the past and the present but the constant flip between in this book was at times difficult to keep up with. There is a HUGE plot twist that completely shook me [still very confused] and once everything is revealed I felt the ending was a bit rushed and cliche especially because of the long build up.

However, I am sucker for a story with a great message that pulls on the heartstrings. Bonus points because it’s a quick read and I love books that aren’t based in America.

It is available on Kindle Unlimited so if you have it, I recommend checking it out!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dragged myself through this book because it was good enough. But there is an extremely important plot point that it all hinges upon, plus another very important element. Without those two, it didn't really make any sense at all. And the two pieces of information that made everything happen the way it did were extremely contrived.

So... if something particularly momentous happened as it did, would not someone have somehow managed to let Niamh know? It seems ridiculous that there was no way she knew about it. Her following decisions made some sense, but the book glossed over these and it would probably have made more sense to focus on what was going on in her head and what she was experiencing.

As for Erika, well, she was just a convenient part of the story. The synopsis suggests some kind of important meeting between the two and that's not really the case. Niamh made some really stupid decisions in her life and Erika was just in the background. The most ridiculous choice that Niamh made makes absolutely no sense to me at all.

I hoped for more, but it did not really deliver. And the changing timelines and points of view were really hard to keep up with, I was often confused about what I was reading.

[Karen Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read once I figured out how the author was using time.

Good plot twist near the end.

Story follows Nimnh and Erika - two friends from college (along with Duncan), who end up falling out over a 'boy' (Leo), but really, it is because Nimnh isn't honest enough with Erika about what her plans are and both Leo and Erika have plans for Nimnh during the summer. The book continues to follow Erika after the fallout - starting 20 years later as she is about to call off her wedding to Hector and then tracks backwards in time until we understand Erika's big secret (she is really Nimnh, who changed her name after she had Leo's baby and their secret wedding never happened). We find out the wedding never happened because Leo was killed on the way. So Nimnh never knew until she was told by Erika and Duncan years later - at which point she also reunited with the baby she had given up for adoption (Luke). At the end, she ends up marrying Hector, now that she can finally let go of Leo. The ending was a little too 'easy' to wrap up all of the loose ends so well for Nimnh.

[Wendie Carlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be tedious and frustrating - maybe I should have given it 2 stars instead of 3...

The entire book is about looking back and regretting, and feeling unworthy of being loved. Just pitiful and sad. I really didn't like the 2 main characters. The twist at the end was interesting - too bad 95% of the book was everything leading up to a surprise ending. And the realization that "if there is one thing I've learnt from discovering was happened... it's that looking back, wishing you could change things, is nothing more than a complete waste of time."

[H J Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thought I would enjoy this having read the Lucinda Riley Seven Sister books which also swap between the past and present, but this book switches between all sorts of years for 3 /4 different characters. I found the continuity of the story baffling which is a shame as the ending, whilst obvious, was well written, just a shame about the rest of the book.

[Cathie Maison · Rating 2 out of 5]

i usually like books that weave back to the past but this just didn't hold my interest. I got this with Prime could only read 30% before giving up. I did read a bit of the last chapter to see where it was going but didn't encourage me to go back and read it

[Shaztwirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not For Me

I couldn't decide which was worse. The head hopping or the time hopping. Either way, life is too short to spend time on books that don't bring you joy.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had The Love We Left Behind by Katherine Slee borrowed from Kindle Unlimited for months and for some reason, I finally got around to listening to it. It took me some time to understand some of what was going on. With Niamh’s story starting in college at Oxford and moving forward in time and Erika’s story starting at present day and moving backwards, I would get confused as to what was happening. Since I was listening to the story, it was easy to keep track of who’s story I was following, though, due to there being two different accents for the two main characters. The novel was creative and the author did a wonderful job weaving the storyline together. You could really tell Niamh’s insecurity of not being good enough and also of Erika’s jealousy of her friend. It is interesting to see how friends can see the same situation so differently and both be so jealous of the other. Glad I finally got to read this one.

#KatherineSlee #TheLoveWeLeftBehind #Oxford #London #NewYork #FriendsLikeFamily #Adoption #Family #FirstLove #Lovers #Pregnancy #Nuns #College #University #TrueLove #BestFriends #AudioBook #September #2022

[Sharondblk · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up.
This is a rather odd book. It is told from two viewpoint starting at the beginning and at the end. And there is clearly a mystery in the middle. It takes a long time to get to that mystery, and then it twists and it swerves and some of what it serves up is not quite believable. It also has a very tidy ending. and the whole attitude towards adoption / family is weird. Calling you birth mother "mum" when you meet them for the first time seems very dismissive of the people who raised you. But then i found the whole pregnancy plot a bit weird. And spending 15 years craving people you had a falling out with, but not trying to locate them when they were very easy to find. And having someone who had only ever known you under one name immediately forgive you and flawlessly change the name they used seems unlikely Anyway, putting aside these somewhat major issues, the book was quite a good read, but went on a bit.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Love We Left Behind by Katherine Slee

Niamh, Erika and Duncan are best friends at Oxford in 1995, until Niamh meets Leo and things unravel. In 2012 Erika is living in London and although she is successful, has great friends and a lovely fiance, something is missing and the past still hurts. The story gradually fills in the period inbetween.

Wow what an AMAZING book - I absolutely loved it! So cleverly constructed and with a gobsmacking twist and finale. The characters were brilliant and they were at university at the same time as me so I loved the music and cultural references too. I was so invested in their story that I cried almost continuously for the last part of the book and feel bereft now I've finished it - always the sign of a brilliant book! Very highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

[Norma Endersby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not gonna lie ... this book confused the hell out of me, but - oh boy - it was SO worth it. That said, I went back and reread it ... well, actually scanned it deeply, making notes. I wish I'd kept a list of dates and names from the get go as it jumped around ... a LOT! But, that was actually part of the charm, as it turns out, because it keeps you off guard.

The conclusion sucker punched me and while I didn't cry (not a book crier, as a general rule) it sure choked me up in the best kind of way! It was an amazing story about many kinds of friendships. I loved the characters, even the ones that tended to annoy me, and felt like they were well developed. Well written, it's a heart-wrenching story about loss and the unimaginable things we do out of love for the people in our lives.

Based on this book, I will definitely read something else by Katherine Slee.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Love We Left Behind - one of my favorite novels to read this year. A beautifully written, heart-wrenching story of love among friends and between those who become more than friends.

The story moves back in forth in time, from the 90's to the 2000's and back again, gradually meeting up with itself in the lives of best friends Naimh and Erika. Their friendship is deep and powerful, yet is challenged by the presence of another true love who enters Naimh's life.

Some readers were put off by the constant change of time, but if read carefully, it all comes together in an explosive surprise which is nothing short of perfect.

Plenty of tears in this book, and a deep look at insecurity and loss, but an immensely satisfying and ultimately lovely ending.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed the book. It’s told in alternating timelines/perspectives, one from the past moving forward, the other from the story’s present moving backwards. It could be a little confusing at times, but I think mostly it worked well. A couple things bugged me—the overuse of one phrase (three times in the first 10 pages) and I know the author is British, but I’ve never seen the word “whilst” used SO often. I read another review where a reader was bothered by a different phrase and I didn’t even notice that one, so it’s quite possible the issue was mine alone. The ending was tidy with several coincidences, but satisfying.

[Michelle Rayon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about love, grief, loss and friendship.
I loved the writing in this book, the prose is truly beautiful.
I understand the pain and fear that defines Niamh's life, and how she is unable to let go.
I would have liked to get to know Hector better, I think the back and forth of the narrative makes it difficult for us to really get to know the characters

I really liked the ending ( though a bit fantastical) and couldn't help the tears.

*I received this ARC from the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent book with an interesting premise. A little hard to keep track of at times due to the structure. I found myself getting bored of the constant references to a “secret” or “big event” & must admit to skimming some of the middle chapters. Once the timelines merged the direction was certainly unexpected, which is a rare accomplishment. But I found the ending a bit too neat to be realistic. And too quick, lacking emotional depth. A more realistic (sad) ending might have gotten another star from me.