A chilling reminder of the emotional damage parents and spouses can do. My heart went out to Ellie, a woman who had been subjected to abuse, not only by her stepmother but subsequently by a manipulative bully of a husband.
Mental health issues are very complex and the author captures this very well. It’s a stinging indictment of our times that the majority of homeless people have these problems.
My thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for this copy.

Wow! What a great book! I couldn’t put it down! This book tells the story about Ellie and Jo. Two women who have gone through so much in their lives. It has made me look at homeless people in a different way. It definitely made me think about why this is still an issue in a first world country! Thank you to the author and Netgalley for a free copy in return for an honest review. And thank you for showcasing important issues that society faces. Makes me want to do something.

I struggled with this book at the beginning as I found it confusing going from Ellie to Jo and back wards and forwards in time. however I stuck with it and read it to the end. At which point I gained an understanding into the full story line. Overall I enjoyed this read and feel it was well written and having worked with people in similar situations it was a true reflection of lifestyles. Not sure what the references to flowers at every chapter did for the story line.

Confusing start with two stories being told but persistence is pays off for an extremely well interwoven life of two women. The twist at the end is so relevant to 21st century life. Thoroughly gripping story, well written with a paper turning compulsion..

We meet Ellie in a prison cell, although we’re not immediately told why. What we do know is that she hasn’t had an easy life and that her husband has cheated on her – possibly more than once. However, the love of her life is her little grandson Josh, who she looks after once a week. But one day her husband gets a phone call from the woman he swears he no longer sees and in her distraction Ellie forgets Josh for a few minutes, with shocking consequences.

We meet Jo, a homeless woman wandering the West Country and doing her best to get by. She meets various people along the way, some of whom seem trustworthy but are not always what they seem and so she trusts no-one, even the best of them, as she wanders from town to town, living on what she can. She appears to be running away from something or someone but it is not clear what/whom – even to her. But she is a clearly a good person and we warm to her in her struggles.

We read the stories of Ellie and Jo in parallel for the first two thirds of the book. What connects Ellie and Jo? Why is Ellie in prison and what traumas has she been through in her life that brought her to this point?

This is a moving story which, as well as generating genuine suspense, captures the plight of homeless people and how easily any of us could end up on the streets, touches on mental illness and again how it does and can affect any of us, and it examines the reactions of others – who cares and who looks away. ‘I looked away’ is a clever title – it captures the moment Ellie looked away from her grandson but perhaps also captures the reaction of people who do look away from those in trouble.

An excellent story, thoroughly gripping as well as moving. I’m really keen to see what else this author has written.

I received a copy of this book to review from Netgalley. Here is the blurb.

"Every Monday, 49-year-old Ellie looks after her grandson Josh. She loves him more than anyone else in the world. The only thing that can mar her happiness is her husband's affair. But he swears it's over now, and Ellie has decided to be thankful for what she's got.

Then one day, while she's looking after Josh, her husband gets a call from that woman. And just for a moment, Ellie takes her eyes off her grandson. The accident that happens will change her life forever.

Because Ellie is hiding something in her past. And what looks like an accident could start to look like murder . . ."

I really, really enjoyed this book. The book switches between past and present and 2 different characters. It is difficult to review without posting spoilers! Needless to say I could not put this book down. Eventually how all the stories are linked is revealed and if I am honest it was not a surprise, but this in no way spoilt a really good read. Will definitely read some more by this author.

This book definitely grew on me. I was a little confused at the start and had to look back a number of times until I had worked out how the story was being told. Once this story got going I couldn’t put it down, reading late into the night. The book has many twists and turns, but all makes sense in the end. Well written.

This is not the first book by Jane Corry that I have read and she is fast becoming one of my favourite writers.

The author describes the lives of the main characters in this book so well it feels like you are there watching the action. It has the kind of narrative that makes you wonder what is going to happen next and to whom. I read this book in a couple of days which is quite unusual for me to achieve at the moment, but shows how much I loved it.

I'm already looking forward to the next book by this author.

This book gripped me from the beginning. The story unfolded with the current time and what she thought had happened against the backdrop of her past and the awful things which had happened to her. It was hard to know where the story would go and why it happened and was an enjoyable and tense read.

The book switches back and forth in time, and between the stories of Ellie and Jo. Ellie is looking after her grandson when she is distracted by her errant husband, to find her grandson has disappeared. The stuff of nightmares! The dual stories, many years apart show that Ellie's past was not always a happy one, and she is scarred by past events. I thought the stories unfolded beautifully and didn't guess the end. A great read.

What happened to Ellie and what is Jo’s story. This book takes you on a journey of emotional abuse. And how tragic events shaped someone’s life. Plus following Jo and her journey of homelessness. The book swaps between events of over 30 years ago and the present day.
This is a book that once started you will find hard to put down. A very well written book. The author has also done their homework on what it’s like to be on the street.

A very well researched book, which keeps you guessing – you’re never sure you have the full picture…

Childhood trauma and emotional abuse are prime elements in this novel – together with the lifelong damage they can cause. You read of 2 individuals, in the present day and from 35 years ago. The main characters are ones you support and root for throughout. A very vivid description of living rough in the UK is described, totally believable. The book can be quite depressing at times, but feels more authentic for that. I deducted a star simply because of it being less than ‘edge of seat’ material but sometimes a story that feels ‘real’ does not always provide this. It felt at times that the authenticity drew away from the tension – a conundrum for any author. But still a good read, with many revelations along the way!

Loved this book!
It’s such an easy premise we’ve all taken our eyes off the ball while watching a child or a pet and usually nothing happens. In this book Jane makes us question the what ifs.
Absolutely stunningly written and thought provoking to boot. I love Janes books and as always she delivers

Read this book within a day! I was confused at first when it switched to another character but it cleared quite quickly why the author did that! Perfect for my liking, found some parts hard to read (being a young mum) but I'm glad I requested this title. Well worth reading, interesting plot and some twists which made this book a piece to remember!

Enjoyable and a fun read!

The story caught my eye from the moment I read the blurb, and I just knew I wanted to read this book. I was not let down and can recommend this to everyone!

I really enjoyed this book - it has a great plot, excellent main characters and is a real page turner. I would highly recommend this book.

Ellie's mother dies when she is a young child. Two years later she has a step-mother straight out of the Brothers Grimm. This is the story of the rest of her life, intertwined with some of the story of Jo - a homeless wanderer. The bleakness of much of Ellie's life does not make for comfortable reading at times. The consequences of severe trauma on the mind have been well researched and make this a credible story.

I Looked Away by Jane Corry was a very emotional story of Ellie who has been hiding from a traumatic incident she was involved in as a child. She is now married to a controlling husband who cheats on her. She has two grown up children and a small grandson. Whilst babysitting her grandson one afternoon he disappears and Ellie's life is changed forever.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Books (UK) for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! this is a pretty harrowing read, jumping between narration by Ellie and by Jo.
Ellie is a woman whose entire life has been directed by her appalling childhood at the hands of a truly wicked stepmother, pushing her finally into the hands of a truly awful husband.
Jo is a homeless woman, drifting around the South West and seemingly paranoid that she is being followed.
the mental health issues suffered by Ellie, first at the hands of her stepmother then later her husband are very sensitively dealt with and make the character eminently believable and easy to empathise with.
Although the stepmother also has her issues, which are first hinted at by her own mother (the step granny) and then described more fully she is much harder to like.
I found Jo's life a particularly heart wrenching read. Life on the streets is obviously difficult but this book touches on aspects of that existence that you may not ordinarily consider, all of which are pretty awful.
The book has a couple of very interesting and unpredictable twists and holds the reader enthralled to the very last page.
Well research, beautifully written and a great read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
The plot is fiendishly clever. Totally original, with unexpected twists you'll never see coming. It goes back and forth from past to present and had me absolutely gripped. I couldn't wait to discover the past events that had led up to the events of the present, but would never have figured it out.
The characters were really well thought out. Some were engaging and others loathsome enough to set my teeth on edge. Their situations were well described and considered.
I can't say much more without spoiling the plot, so will just say, buy this book! I'm positive you won't regret it.