Member Reviews
I was actually give the ARC of book 2 before I even picked up book 1 so I started off really on the wrong foot. The publisher then gifted me book 1. and in two days I read both of these books. Its something new out there this fugue state aspect. This book is written by the male POV. its heart breaking to see the pain Carlos goes through knowing his perfect life is about to change and the panic that comes with it. Its also painful from the POV of the Children and Natalya. this book is 6 years after book 1. There are flashbacks and pieces of the puzzle given periodically as well so don't skim this book.
this book hurt my heart at the end because theres literally three epilogues.
and of course at the end of the book there are more questions!!! I need book 3.
I liked this one less than Everything We Keep, the first in the series, and I doubt I'll be back for the third installment next year.
I'm still not a fan of rounded eyes, ducking heads, or dipped chins.
I found James & Carlos difficult, and the story dragged as it flashed back and forth in time and tense. While I accepted the need for suspension of disbelief in the first book, that need was harder to accept this time around. I found myself less patient with the Donato family than I was with Aimee and Ian last time around.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
This book takes us back to the majorly f-ed up Donato family, and if you haven’t read the first book, Everything We Keep, there is almost no point in reading this one, as it’s hard to pick up the threads of the plot – I even had a hard time in sections as I forgot some of the plot points from the first book. Long story short, it is five years later and James wakes up from his “fugue” state. He’s been Carlos for over six years, has two kids and a long-term girlfriend, but remembers none of it. He wants to go “home” to California and reclaim his former fiancée Aimee, and he uproots his family and discards his old life. But remnants of Carlos remain, and there’s some unfinished business with his cousin/half-brother Phil, who is about to get out of prison.
James needs to remember the circumstances surrounding his accident in order to know what kind of a threat Phil is to him, and he has to navigate the increasingly complicated web of his family: Aimee has moved on with Ian and has a child with him, his mother was pretending to be his neighbor for the last five years to get to see her grandkids, and he somehow fell in love with his dead wife’s sister. There’s plenty more sex in this iteration, and the book moves along at a fast pace, making it a worthy beach read. Oh, and there’s a hint at the end that there might even be a third offering in the future, though if James/Carlos changes personality again I might not be interested in the result.
Filling in the gaps from Everything We Keep. This is a terrific series!
James Donato has just woken up to find himself in a strange room in Mexico with two young boys that speak only Spanish. When they realize that he is only speaking English and appears afraid and confused, they bring him a book full of journals and other information where he discovers that he has been living the last six years of his life as Carlos Dominguez, a talented artist who has two children and his wife died five years ago. He also discovers that his fiancée Aimee has left him and is now married to someone else and they have a child together. Crushed, he takes his sons back to California to see his brother Thomas and move into his childhood home when he learns that his other brother Phil is about to be released from prison after he attacked James in Mexico, which is believed to have caused the memory loss. In an effort to keep his sons safe, James takes them to Hawaii to see his sister-in-law to try to understand what happened during the last five years.
This was a much needed book to finally understand what happened to James to make him Carlos and what happened to Carlos to switch him back to James. The epilogue of Everything We Keep matches the beginning of this book with James suddenly waking up to his alternate reality. However, we as readers didn’t know what happened during that five-year period. Now we do. With an alternating story line between Carlos during the past and James in the present, the pieces begin to fit together and we find that James family is more screwed up than we thought possible.
James uses a lot of harsh language throughout this book, but he is very angry and confused and was believable. I felt that the romance in this book was a little more predictable. During the previous, it was intense trying to figure out what Aimee was going to do. However, this one played along really well. The big question is would James and Raquel be able to find each other again after his switch. However, I did not guess what was going to happen with Phil. That was a surprise that I didn’t see coming. I can’t wait for the next installment.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
It's difficult to review the storyline of Everything We Left Behind without providing spoilers for the first in the series Everything We Keep. Upon finising Everything We Keep I was eager to find out what Kerry Lonsdale had in store for her characters. As the first book was entirely from Aimee's perspective, I wondered if that would remain the case and that we'd get more of Ian's story in book 2, or whether we'd catch up with Jamie. It wouldn't have bothered me either way because I had a soft spot for all 3 characters. Turns out book 2 turned the spotlight on Jamie although I have a hunch we'll catch up with Ian and Aimee again when book 3 (Everything We Give) is published.
<spoiler> In book 1 we learnt Jamie had not died but was living in Mexico as Carlos. Carlos had no recollection of his life as Jamie and had even less interest in learning about it, nor about the people who had been a part of his previous life. As that book ended Jamie had re-emerged from the fugue and now had no memory of his life as Carlos. Book 2 provided alternating narratives from Carlos and Jamie, switching between past and present. From Carlos we came to understand his concerns about reverting to Jamie, knowing he would not remember his sons, nor Natalya the love of his life, but being powerless to stop the change which he'd been warned may happen suddenly. He's been told not to worry as both he and Jamie have the same heart, same body, same soul...yet how can he trust this when Carlos and Jamie are such different people? From Jamie's perspective we came to understand the difficulties of losing 7 years of memory, of waking up and being in love with someone who has long since moved on, of dealing with the anger upon learning what your own family has done and the way it was justified, the fear of what might happen next, of wanting to love your loved ones even when you don't remember them. </spoiler>
The two books held my interest in completely different ways. I thoroughly enjoyed the unique style of this book which kept me on my toes as we moved from past to present and back again. It was very cleverly done and the threads were never tangled. I'm a self confessed sucker for a good love story and a happily ever after ending and I enjoy any series with likeable and realistic characters. Though Jamie's condition is rare it is real and his responses felt genuine. So, for me this one ticked alot of boxes. I'm not convinced I'd have enjoyed it so much as a stand alone novel so would definitely recommend starting at the beginning of the series.
Many thanks to Kerry Lonsdale for bringing us this series, to Lake Union Publishing for approving my request and to Netgalley for making these digital ARC's possible. I was thrilled for the chance to read Everything We Left Behind in exchange for an unbiased review and now look forward to Book 3.
Thanks to Net Galley & Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review. I did not enjoy this book as much as the 1st book - Everything We Keep.
James is still living as Carlos with his sister in law Natalya and his two sons . The story, in this second book, is told by the one man, James and then Carlos, they share on body one heart and one soul. James is living in afugue state as Carlos following an accident, he has no memories of his previous life, his brother Creates a new identity and leads his family and fiancée Aimee to believe that he is dead.
Carlos is struggling with constant headaches and nightmares, his past is trying to present itself and when that happens he will be James again and possibly have no memories of his two sons or Natalya, he will not know them. His mother, who has been living as his neighbour and friend decides to help his memory along. Can Carlos become James again and make peace with his mother and brothers?
It's quite a complicated story and I definitely would not recommend reading if you haven't read book 1 - Everything We Keep. 3.5 stars
I was really excited to get to read this after I read Everything We Keep and was looking forward to hear from James/Carlos, even if I was a little bit worried. I liked how things ended with Aimee and Ian in the first book and was worried that James remembering who he was would mess that up.
When we meet James (for the first time, really) he's trying to pick up his old life where it left off. Only now he has two sons and his fiancee is married to another man. Oh, and his brother who allegedly tried to kill him is getting out of prison soon.
That's not complicated or anything.
Despite these things, this story flows very well. It's told in both James' and Carlos' points of view and, while they are the same person, they are still very different. I loved reading about both men's feelings and ideas about their family and their lives, as well as the safety of their sons.
I'll admit to being a little annoyed at James for about half of the book, but as he learned more and interacted with his sons more he definitely grew on me. It was great to see how James grew and changed throughout the book and how he was the one who brought everyone together. Even his relationship with Natalya was smooth and lovely to read. I actually enjoyed this book more than the first one and loved reading about James' struggles and triumphs.
“Everything We Left Behind” by Kerry Lonsdale is Carlos/James’ story. It picks up right where the first book of the series “Everything We Keep” left off with Carlos coming out of his fugue state. He remembers nothing of the last six and a half years… not his marriage, wife or children. It is as if the last six and a half years never happened.
I did read the first book, but if you didn’t, don’t fret. I think you would be OK. You would miss tiny details (and a great book), but the author fills you in on the large picture of what happened in the first one. It was well written and was interesting till the end (read it in less than 24 hours). I figured this book was going to end one of two ways… wrong again. Lots of twists and turns and a very satisfying ending.
There were a couple of heartbreaking scenes with Carlos/James and his son. He does not remember being a father or his sons. He was quite smart and loved his sons enough as Carlos to attempt to assist himself if he ever did emerge from his fugue state. He kept extensive journals and spoke to his older son so he would know what to do if Carlos, at some point, did not know him.
Release/Publication Date: July 4, 2017
Genre: Romance, suspense
Cover: Great.
Source: I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!
Rating: 4 stars
I wish I’d enjoyed this one more. It was good but not great. It felt considerably slower paced than the first book did. I definitely recommend reading Everything We Keep BEFORE this one as this one will spoil that one for you. This is really the same story as the first book but from a very different perspective. I found it interesting to experience that switch as a reader. I think the fact that it is a very similar story given that its in the same world with the same characters made it a little more sluggish for me. I suspect that is because Aimee wasn’t in this one as much. I really enjoyed her in the first one and didn’t connect with the character at the focus of this book. I’m glad I read it so I could see how everything came together but this one was not quite as good as the first for me!
Do not read this book without reading the first. Just don't. You'll be lost. I got confused on occasion having read the first one just because it's been some time. This book was a little too heavy on the romance and back and forth between lovers for my personal taste, a little too heavy-handed. I did enjoy finding out more details about James and Carlos though, and learning more family secrets. I didn't find it very suspenseful, more an outlandish family drama. If you like soap operas, you'll probably love this book!
James Donato spent years in a fugue state. Going by Carlos and living in Mexico, he's lived a lot in those years. He married and adopted a son and fathered another. He lost his wife and forged a connection with her sister. He remembered nothing about his previous life as James... until the memories and trauma that caused him to lose his mind come rushing back. Now he remembers nothing that happened to him as Carlos... including the woman he came to love or his two sons, who are terrified. This book goes back and forth from James as he attempts to figure out his life and Carlos as he learns of his memory loss and makes preparations for when it happens again.
Complicated? Yes. And a good reason to make sure you start with the first book. James longs for his old love Aimee, but it's been years and she's moved on and will soon be a mother. He feels some kind of connection with the woman Carlos loved, but she's wary of the man with the different mind and the same face. The children are lost and confused at best, and just want their old dad back. More family secrets come to light as James attempts to fix his life and put the pieces of his mind back together.
I was given an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
One of our favorite authors, Kerry Lonsdale has a July 4th gift for us. Today EVERYTHING WE LEFT BEHIND (LakeUnionPublishing) is being published. It’s the sequel to her bestselling, EVERYTHING WE KEEP. Once again, Kerry intrigues readers with suspense, mystery and romance. And of course, Kerry has lots of surprises along the way.
So the question, we all want answered: What the heck is going on with James-Carlos or Carlos-James?
Before I continue, I suggest readers read EVERYTHING WE KEEP first. You’ll have the background on what’s happening in EVERYTHING WE LEFT BEHIND and it’ll be a much richer read. If I hadn’t read the first book, I would have been totally lost, but maybe that’s just me.
So far we know, James/Carlos didn’t die, when he was lost at sea. After six plus years, Carlos, now totally James is out of his fugue and leaves behind “Carlos Dominguez” in Mexico for Hawaii. There as a widower, he lives with his twos and sister-in-law, Natalya. As he starts regaining his memory, things becomes clearer and he begins to remember the past, he knows some kind of danger is biting at his heels, and he doesn’t know who to trust.
There’s something kind of surreal reading this series. I feel as if I’m watching a telenovela – a Latin soap opera. All the drama is heightened and the most outlandish things are happening. We have money-laundering, people being lost at sea, another losing his memory and entering a fugue, and of course, someone is in prison and might be getting out to wreak havoc. I can’t help but chuckle a little while reading, EVERYTHING WE LEFT BEHIND, because in many ways, it’s all so concocted, I just want to sit back and enjoy!
I appreciate author Kerry Lonsdale’s ability to keep all the plot lines straight and to keep the action moving forward. Again, I’d suggest reading EVERYTHING WE KEEP before reading EVERYTHING WE LEFT BEHIND. You’ll be happy to know a third part of the series is coming out next year, so you have time to read up. I suggest a nice margarita would be a perfect companion during your read.
This book took me longer than I expect to read. It is not because the book is bad, I was just emotionally invested in James and felt so bad for him that it was hard to read about him 6 years later. I did finally get to a point in the book that I had to keep reading to find out what happened. I did get a little annoyed with all the going back to Carlos because really I wanted to read all about James but it was actually good to go back and read about Carlos and what happened during that time. Overall I really did enjoy this book and wonder where the author is going next but I think I have an idea.
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read and review an e-ARC of this book.
I didn't like Everything We Keep (first book in this set) because I found Aimee so insipid and annoying. This book focuses on James/Carlos as he struggles to find out who he really is and come to terms with it. Two months before his wedding to Aimee, James disappears under mysterious circumstances to resurface in Mexico as painter Carlos, a widower left with his wife's two young sons.
He lives in Mexico for six years, slowly realizing he doesn't think he's Carlos at all. Watching this man comes to terms with his "fugue state" and the impact it has on the people in his lives is interesting. If you had two lives, two "pasts", which would you choose? What would you do? Where would your loyalties lie?
Much better than the first book, but still just rates an okay for me...
This is the second installment of the 'Everything we keep' series. The book starts with James waking up out of his fugue. The book follows him on his journey to discover what really happened on that boat with Phil, to realise that Aimee has moved on, to form a new bond with his sons and rekindle his romance with Natalya.
I was anxious to read this after reading the final chapter of everything we keep. Lonsdale has a brilliant way of portraying the character's feelings and emotions. One thing that I loved throughout this book was the flashbacks to Carlos, it gave added depth into his love for Natalya and showed how his relationship with the boys have changed since he woke from the fugue.
I also loved the journey of building the bond back up with his sons, it was a heart-wrenching but beautiful climb.
Although the ending wasn't what I had expected, I think it was the best way to end it. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Thank you to Net Galley for an early copy in exchange for a review.
Such an interesting story that had me hooked from the last line of the preceding book! Everything We Left Behind is the second book in a series, but I would definitely recommend reading the first book, Everything We Keep first. I suppose you could just start with book two because the author does give back story to explain what is going on, but I feel you would miss too much. The first book is really good, so reading both books is a great way to prolong the enjoyment of being immersed in the story! I liked getting perspectives of before and after the fugue in alternating chapters, but must admit, my favorite parts to read were the "current" ones. I also appreciated the included epilogue, I'm always curious as to what happens "next".
It takes skill to tell this story - one man's story from two point of views - and Kerry Lonsdale has that skill. I think this second book was way better than the first. Kerry Lonsdale took us from the present and the past as James gets to know himself and his two children. I was glad with how his character evolved. I enjoyed this story and am glad to see there will be a part 3. Very good read.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC
Lonsdale is brilliant and capturing every human emotion in this wonderful novel.
This was second book after Everything We Keep, which was excellent. This book, however, went back and forth in time so many times that it was really hard to keep track and I was so disappointed because her first book was so good. I think it would have been a really good book if she didn't have the time changes.
I had no idea that there was going to be a sequel to the first book. So I was pleasantly surprised to see this. Some very complex and interesting character development in this one that kept me rivetted throughout the entire book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to the last page and eagerly await the next novel. I would have no doubt recommending this book to anyone who likes this genre.