Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“He gave her everything. But can she trust him?”

OH. MY. GOD. I am completely baffled as to why I’ve not read this book until now but I am obsessed with it! I have the biggest book hangover! I don’t even know where to begin! Don’t you find that reviews are harder to write when you adore a book because you don’t want to sound like a broken record? Hopefully this review will do this book justice and show you just how much of a perfect thriller this is. I dare you not to race through this in a few sittings – an absolute work of art.

About the book

Her perfect life became a perfect nightmare.

Lauren can’t believe she’s escaped her old life in London for a new start with her partner, Paul, and his two young children. Haunted by her past, Lauren knows how lucky she is: a dream home, a ready-made family. And she also knows how much she could lose.

But as Lauren struggles to adjust to motherhood, her fears grow. She’ll never live up to the ghost of Paul’s perfect wife, or help him forget his grief over her tragic death. And as village rumours begin to swirl about their house in the woods, Lauren feels ever more isolated – despite Paul’s reassurances. She wants to trust Paul – she owes him everything – but how can she, when she can barely trust herself?

The beginning

As soon as I started this, I knew it was going to become one of my favourite books of the year. Lauren and Paul are starting a new life away from the hustle and bustle of London, their relationship instantly piquing my interest. Paul lost his wife from cancer, bringing up two young children alone. Lauren is recovering from something we aren’t quite sure of at this point. Already, we can see the connection they have and what they bring to each other’s lives. Lauren craves motherhood, knowing she can’t have kids herself, and she’s doing her best to give Paul’s kids that motherly figure they so desperately need. Everything we learn about Lauren at the start made me become so attached to her and so protective of her. There was something about Paul, however, that I felt cautious of, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Already, character creation was absolute *chef’s kiss* and after two or three chapters in, I needed to explore this relationship, the reason they were out here in this house in the middle of nowhere. And why were there cameras inside the house?! I just LOVED everything about it so far!

“I’m left standing alone feeling as though someone has chipped away at me. Wondering if he thinks he’s made a terrible misjudgment bringing me here, while also wondering the parallel; am I the one who’s made a terrible mistake?”

The pacing of the book was perfect. Getting to know Jesse and Margo, Paul’s kids, and a deeper more intriguing side to Paul himself was so mesmerising. What was going on with him? Jesse is quite obviously not taking to his new life very well, making Lauren think there is something more to the relationship Paul had with his late wife. Information is fed to us in small snippets, each chapter a crucial component to their story. As soon as one ended, I was straight into the next without hesitation! I became more and more curious about what Lauren had been through in her life as she experiences strange gaps in her memory. Paul also becomes more secretive and strange (and even more gaslight-y… urgh.) Residents in the nearest village seem to know more about “that glass house” and its history than Lauren does… There’s certainly more to discover and I couldn’t wait to find out all the secrets of this seemingly idyllic house and grounds. Already, the book felt chilling, unnerving and unpredictable and I was completely and utterly in love with it.

The middle

I absolutely loved Jesse. The more we get into the book, the more I became attached to this kid, the more curious I became about what was going on in his mind, what he knew, what he’d seen and experienced in the past. But my interest in this character multiplied considerably as we moved into Part Two of the book. I feel limited in what I can say because I don’t want to ruin everything! But what I will say is that a lot more becomes clear and many things started to click in my brain. I felt so much anger, so much resentment and so much sorrow here and I knew we were about to dig so much deeper into a time before Lauren met Paul. The author sharing a different time with us is something I didn’t know I was craving until I started reading it, each chapter involving the reader in the drama, the danger that could potentially unfold. The description and tone the author uses places you directly in each moment, in each scene. It was quickly becoming the book I wish I’d written!

“He’s not perfect, he’s had his moments, but that scary man who stayed with us for a few months seems to have gone away. Besides, doesn’t everyone have a dark side?”

The two timelines collide in such a flawless way. Some scenes felt really tough to stomach but I was blown away by the detail, the feeling in each chapter. The exploration of toxic relationships and something more dangerous hit me hard, the sense of impending doom gripping every part of me. I got that feeling that we were getting close to something big, the real explanation I just couldn’t wait for. There were certain characters I was desperate to keep safe, the tension and suspense building perfectly for what was to come. I can’t put into words how much emotion I felt; the writing was so powerful and had my complete attention, always. This book quickly began to take over my life. Sounds completely dramatic, but it did! I thought about the ending to come while I was in the supermarket, in the shower, before sleeping at night… and it’s been a long time since a book has done this to me. The unpredictability of the ending made me put off reading it for a bit, simply because I didn’t want it to end. But oh my god. The best was yet to come!

The end

The third part of the book is split between the POVs of two characters with so much in common. I was completely taken aback by how perfectly these narratives worked and blended together. A masterpiece! The shorter chapters between these two characters were darkly exciting (is that a thing? It’s a thing) and filled me with tension, worry and fear, but at the same time, it also felt like the perfect build up to the finale. I needed Lauren to be safe. I needed to find out what happened to the other characters in the past and where these timelines meet. I needed this danger to be over and to know they were okay. But was safety even an option anymore? The courage portrayed by these characters was something I held so close. Every single moment of pain and fear affected me too. At times, I wanted to scream out to Lauren, to warn her, to protect her. But I hoped she’d be clever enough and brave enough to do what needs to be done. Seeing a Part Four of the book really had me on edge!

“It must be true. I can feel it. The air echoes with pain. The outer walls, although they are transparent, are as confining as a thousand thick layers of titanium.”

Every chapter here was so damn impressive. I stopped reading multiple times with a, ‘how the hell have you pulled all this off, Emily?!’ face. I loved every single word, everything falling effortlessly into place. And as Lauren finally works out the truth, I felt relief, that she could finally work out her next move. But as we keep seeing, there’s another twist that makes all this even harder for her. The details! So meticulous, so carefully thought over. Lauren’s bravery towards the end made me want to shout “YES, GIRL,” but I was also unsure what the consequences would be. I would love to spill the beans and tell you EVERYTHING but I won’t because you need to read this. I ended the book with tears in my eyes it was that spectacular. Now I have the world’s biggest book hangover and I’m not sure when it’ll end! I just love it when you find an absolute diamond like this book. Do I recommend it? Abso-bloody-lutely. Completely buzzing after reading this!

Overall thoughts

What She Left Behind is the definition of a perfect domestic thriller. It’s chilling to its core, incredibly dark and had me thinking about it constantly! This book takes toxic relationships to a whole new level, and even though it’s disturbing and horrifying, it’s also absolutely fascinating. A harrowing storyline of past vs present combined with flawlessly developed characters really bring this story to life, the emotions I felt throughout reading something that will stick with me for so long. For me, this book was the inspiration and motivation I needed to get stuck into my own writing again. Completely addictive, intense and skillfully plotted. The best of its kind!

Thank you so much to the author, Emily Freud for simply writing this. I am completely in love with it! You can grab your own copy of What She Left Behind right now on Amazon or wherever you buy your books. Make sure you’re following Emily over on Twitter/X and Instagram for updates!

Looking for book reviews?

If you’re in need of reviews for your own book, do get in touch to get on my submissions list! All the information you need is on my book reviews page. If you enjoyed this review and would like to support my blog, you can buy me a coffee 😊