This story is written over two timelines.
The storylines were well paced.
This is a very emotional read.

The Life She Left Behind by Nicole Trope was just an amazing psychological thriller from start to finish. Nicole always writes from her heart and always grabs her audience from the very first few pages which make's Nicole one of the best authors out there.
Trigger warning - You will need tissues for this book and a lot of them.

I highly recommend all of Nicole's books they have been all an excellent read. But, if you are going to read this book on holiday I would strongly suggest you wear Sunglasses.....to hide your tears. lol.

Big Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for my ARC

Great read!
Rachel seems to have it all. A loving husband, a gorgeous daughter, a beautiful new home and an extremely close loving relationship with her mother but behind the scenes she is struggling. He mother is battling cancer and they both have a past that they feel they can never escape! This is a story of domestic violence that at times is difficult to read but something that is more common than we can even imagine. This is not the first Nicole Trope book I have read and once again I have not been able to put it down from start to finish!
#netgalley #nicoletrope #thelifesheleftbehind

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.

Did not care for this book due to subject mater (domestic/child abuse) and multiple POV, which I found very confusing.

Wow. I absolutely ripped through this book in one day. What a thrilling storyline,
This book really had me hooked and I loved the way it was written, the author did a fab job of letting us see the story unfold from numerous characters points of view.
Trope did a great job of conveying the point of view of a child in this and reading through Rachel's life when she was younger almost had me tearing up.

Overall a fantastical past-paced thrilled. I'll definitely be on the look out for other titles by this author.

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.

We begin this book with Rachel and her mother escaping her abusive father and starting a new life. We learn the story of Rachel, who is now married with a daughter of her own and what happened when her past comes back to haunt her. An amazing, gripping read! A nail bitter.

This was a brilliant read albeit disturbing at some points. The strength of the characters and storyline was brilliant. Not really a story with loads of twists and turns but it was more about becoming invested in the characters and understanding their actions. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Highly recommended and well worth the 5 stars.

Thank you Bookouture and Netgalley.

Rachel and her mother escape her abusive father and start a new life. This tells the story of Rachel, now married with a daughter and what happened when her past comes back to haunt her....a gripping read!

An emotional, completely captivating read... I adored this book!.

The story follows Rachel, who is a wife and young mother who is carrying a huge secret. Her life before was difficult, filled with pain and abuse on all levels, but she made a promise to her mother that she is desperate to keep. Her husband Ben is also dealing with his own demons, and in turn the couple find themselves drifting further apart. Then Rachel is dealt another huge blow when her mother becomes unwell.
This story is so beautifully written, it completely captivates you from beginning to end. A story that will stay with me for a long time to come.

New author for me but I've been wanting to read one of Nicole's books for awhile and finally glad that I did.

The words from the book blurb sum this book up perfectly which I quote herewith "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" . I couldn't have described it any better if I tried.

It was truly well written and the characters all well developed. I was literally captivated by the story from start to finish. The story does deal with some sensitive difficult topics such as domestic abuse, physical abuse which some readers may find upsetting but I truly feel that the author has done very well in the telling of such a story as this.

I will definitely be looking forward to reading more books by this author in the future.

The Life She Left Behind by Nicole Trope is a riveting, emotional ride. The story follows Rachel, a young mother and wife with a secret. Her childhood was strife with pain and abuse, both emotional and physical. She made a promise to her mother when they left that she would never tell. And she hasn't. But, her past is back. It is trying to destroy her., to make her pay for the choices she made as a seven year old child. Her husband, Ben, is struggling with his own emotional turmoil and the two are drifting further apart. Add in that Rachel's mother is dying from cancer, and the emotions can get extreme. The story was good. It really touches on abuse and how it affects both the abused and the abuser. I have read a few of Trope's books before now, but I think this was my favorite so far.
Good book, you won't be disappointed.
I freely offer my opinions on this story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me this opportunity.

Rachel has the perfect life and a loving husband and beautiful daughter. But she is not what she seems and has got a secret which she wants leave in the last . The book goes between the past and the present. Rachel and her mother escaped from an abusive husband/father but they left the son/ brother behind. She thought it was all behind them but someone broke into her house but escaped when they heard the sirens coming and then the dolls started to appear.
Thanks NetGalley

A fascinating tale of generational abuse haunting a young woman. Rachel is concerned when she hears an intruder in her house one night, her worst fears are confirmed when the intruder leaves a parting gift, a troll doll. A gift that holds a special meaning from her childhood. Rachel's mother lies dying of cancer and she must protect her young daughter and husband from her past. This book is hugely emotional, interesting and sad. It kept me engaged and I wanted to hear all about Rachel's life. I recommend this book , it hammers home how much the childhood influences the life.

This book was such a good read. It was very emotional read that had me in tears at times. It is a book with quite disturbing subject matter that can be quite difficult to read at times,

La serena vita di Rachel sembra d'improvviso andare a rotoli: sua madre, a cui è legatissima, sta per morire di cancro; il lavoro di suo marito è in pericolo; la loro casa dei sogni, appena acquistata, è in un quartiere ancora disabitato e inquietante, e, quel che è peggio, l'incubo più spaventoso della donna, da cui era riuscita a sfuggire da bambina, si sta lentamente materializzando di nuovo davanti ai suoi occhi...

Blame, Forgotten e My daughter's secret, i romanzi di Nicole Trope che hanno preceduto The life she left behind, mi erano piaciuti moltissimo. Perciò, dopo un attimo di titubanza, ho scelto di leggere questo libro nonostante la trama poco convincente.
Purtroppo, però, ho riscontrato due problemi principali. Innanzitutto, la storia non è per niente originale e, mi duole scriverlo, anche abbastanza prevedibile. Inoltre, la tematica affrontata, ovvero la violenza domestica, è davvero pesante.
Ad essi si sono aggiunti una protagonista piuttosto piatta, per la quale ho provato solo indifferenza, ed un finale troppo frettoloso e buonista.

Ho spesso pensato di abbandonare il romanzo, e di sicuro non morivo dalla voglia di continuare a leggerlo.
Ciò che, nonostante tutto, non mi ha fatto mollare, è stata la prosa della scrittrice. Sempre eccellente, e, se possibile, anche migliorata rispetto ai romanzi precedenti.

Ho apprezzato inoltre il racconto secondo diversi punti di vista, l'impegno della Trope nel cercare di tenere celate le identità di Little bird e del narratore senza nome, l'uso delle bamboline troll per creare una tensione crescente nella protagonista (purtroppo non nel lettore) e, soprattutto, la riflessione sulla scelta compiuta dalla madre di Rachel.

I capitoli in cui è l'"uccellino" a parlare, rappresentano il racconto, da parte di una bambina di soli sei anni, delle reiterate violenze domestiche subite dalla mamma, a cui fa sempre male la testa a causa dei "fiori dolorosi" che il padre le fa sbocciare sul viso. Un padre spaventoso e crudele, a cui si aggiunge un fratello violento, che, piuttosto che essere un porto sicuro, diventa ben presto un'ulteriore fonte di paura.
Il palpabile timore della bimba, il suo vivere in uno stato di continua tensione, ne fanno i capitoli più potenti e devastanti.

The life she left behind è sicuramente una storia ben raccontata e ancor meglio scritta, che affronta tematiche importanti e che può di certo piacere, ma a cui manca quel qualcosa di speciale che aveva reso gli altri romanzi dell'autrice così accattivanti e impossibili da mettere giù.

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.

TRIGGER WARNING: this book contains domestic abuse which may be upsetting to some readers
Rachel and Ben are going through a tough patch: his job is insecure, her mother is dying and they have just moved house. One night, Rachel is convinced that she can hear someone in their house, trying to get into her daughter Beth's room. Then troll dolls start appearing, ones from Rachel's childhood that she abandoned when she and her mother fled from her violent father...
The Life She Left Behind is a top quality psychological thriller about the pernicious effects of domestic abuse and the repetitious nature of the cycle of violence. It becomes clear that Rachel's father and brother are copying behaviours that they have been brought up to see as normal, even though they understand the pain it causes.
The plot is told through four main perspectives: Rachel, Ben, Little Bird and a nameless person who is Rachel's brother Kevin. Little Bird is in the past and it is utterly heartbreaking to read how a little girl understands the abuse and suffering she witnesses and is subjected to. In particular, the description of 'hurting flowers' for the bruises she sees on her mother made my heart ache each time.
The portion of the book from Kevin's perspective is also tragic. He is also a victim of abuse but was showing tendencies to behave in the same way. As an adult, he has used his anger and violence to get revenge on people for any perceived slights. But really he is still a little boy emotionally, desperate for his father to be a better man or his mother to stand up and save him. He is angry at his mother for failing to protect him and leaving him when she ran away.
The four viewpoints were written so well and so separately that it was eays to distinguish between their experiences. My sympathies were wholeheartedly with whoever was leading the chapter. I could understand the pain that Rachel is facing at the loss of her mother, the worry and shame that Ben describes at his job uncertainty, the fear of Little Bird and the mixed strength and weakness of Kevin.
The Life She Left Behind is incredibly powerful and utterly fascinating as a personality study of the cycle of abuse.

This book was called “heartbreaking” and now I see why. This little girl has such a hard life. She went through so much terrible.
I did not understand the letters at the end. Were they meant to be old letters never mailed? They made no sense.

Also wish they had put a little more into the ending of the story with the husband and wife.
Still a good book.