This is a story about Fiona, who had been in self isolation for the last five years due to her agoraphobia. Her only visitors are her parents and her hairdresser. That is until she gets a request from her neighbor, Bethany to babysit her daughter, Evie. What follows next is a series of events that brings the two of them closer and eventually, together.

The plot isn't thrilling or as such, extraordinary, but definitely unique. The characters are simply lovely and gives you the cozy vibes. I didn't expect this book to actually take me out of a reading slump, as it is a bit slow paced, but I'm glad it did.

Short synopsis: Fiona just can’t leave her house after moving in 5 years ago, until Bethany a single mom shows up needing help.

My thoughts: The synopsis of this one pulled me in from the getgo. Why was Fiona scared? What happened in her past?

I really liked watching the unlikely friendship form between Fiona and Bethany, and watching both of their walls come down.

Read if you love:
- overcoming the past and finding strength
- unlikely friendships
- courage
- easy to read storyline

An interesting read with well developed main characters. This is a story of love and friendship. It is emotional but also funny in places too.

Hopeful, heartfelt and uplifting, Catherine Miller’s The Girl Who Couldn’t Leave is an emotional rollercoaster ride readers won’t easily forget.

Fiona Dexter hasn’t left her house in five years. It’s been 1,825 days since Fiona last set foot outside her house and she has absolutely no plans to remedy the situation. She knows the score. She will never fall in love or know simple pleasures like sitting on a park bench or going to a café with her family yet Fiona knows that no matter how hard she tries, she will never manage to walk out of her front door. But could a chance meeting with single mother Bethany who lives next door end up giving Fiona the courage she so desperately needs to strike forward and stop living in the shadows?

Bethany is desperate for help. Having knocked on Fiona’s door with her two year old daughter Evie in tow, Bethany hopes that her neighbour will be able to assist her in her hour of need. As the two women begin to talk and bond, Fiona finds herself confiding in Bethany things she had never even confided in anyone else before. Yet, the more she reveals of herself and musters up the courage to face her demons, the more she finds herself wondering whether the decision to unshackle herself from the past will set her free or end up shutting her off from the world forever…

A sensitively written and beautifully-told page-turner that will break readers’ hearts, The Girl Who Couldn’t Leave is a stunning tale about finding the courage to conquer our fears, moving forward when all seems hopeless and healing from the past which will have readers reaching for their tissues on many an occasion.

Catherine Miller certainly knows how to tell a poignant and powerful story that will leave readers sobbing their hearts out and in The Girl Who Couldn’t Leave, she has written an exceptional novel guaranteed to linger in the mind weeks after the last page has been turned.

This book was everything I look for in a book. It was so exciting. The plot was fantastic. It really had me on the edge of my seat, and my heart racing. It was very well written and flowed well.

Thank you, Netgalley and the author, for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book. This in no way affects my review, all opinions are my own.

This was a great and uplifting story of love and friendship, as well as the impact we can have on others. Sometimes we have to leave our comfort zone to help others. For Fiona, this step is even harder since her fear of leaving her comfort zone, aka her apartment, is rooted in a traumatic experience which has resulted in her being terrified to leave said apartment. The writing was great, the characters are flawed and so relatable. I really enjoyed this one!

I didn't enjoy this tbh. At first, it was interesting and then it became boring and dragged on and on. All of a sudden the two MCs are in love. Like whaaat? I don't know but it just wasn't for me

Quite a sweet story of friendship and love and the bonds between people
I enjoyed the feelings that it evoked in me.
I loved Fiona and cheered her every action displaying her courage
Well recommended.

I liked this book a lot. There's nothing a 2-year-old can't fix. I loved the
development of the relationship of the women.
Catherine did a wonderful job developing these characters.
This book gets 5 stars from me.

I’m of mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it was a pleasant story about overcoming fears, finding friendships, and learning to trust people. Fiona’s growth was interesting in this regard. I particularly liked Fiona’s interactions with another neighbor because they illustrated that all people have problems to deal with and it’s how the individual chooses to address their issues that defines their self-worth. While I thought that the themes and messages of the story were highly worthwhile, I am not sure that all of the mechanisms used to convey those messages worked. In all, it just seemed like the author was trying to do too much, especially at the end where the pandemic is mentioned. In fact, the entire last chapter served as a wrap-up that I could have done without. It actually felt quite preachy and took me away from the gentleness of the book. But, others may have a different opinion of it all, so I would still recommend it. For a detailed review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. This review is based on a digital copy of the book from Bookouture.

The Girl who couldn’t leave
Beautifully written, gorgeous characters including sensitive subjects that are usually avoided.. I loved the style of this book and the way sensitive topics were discussed. Well done Catherine another fantastic read

'The Girl Who Couldn't Leave' is a beautiful, heartwarming story about life, hope and resilience. Catherine Miller has created likeable characters at the heart of a story that reflects on the importance of friendship and having other people in our lives. Sometimes we don't know what we need until it (or she) knocks on our door and this is certainly the case in this story. Five stars from me.

I love the cover of this novel and the inside. "The Girl Who Couldn't Leave" is an exciting novel by Catherine Miller. A page turner for sure.

4.5 Stars
Wow! Just wow!
The Girl Who Couldn't Leave is everything I was hoping it would be.
I love the way everything develops and the connections made.
It's truly a beautiful story.
Fiona's experiences are so well written, with plenty of compassion and care.
And the way little Evie and and her mom, Bethany worm their way into her world, is wonderful.
I quickly devoured this book and loved it all!

This was a good read. I really enjoyed the character of Fiona and the journey she was on. Overall the story was good. An easy summer read

Fiona lives on her own and never leaves the house she has done this for the past five years .
One morning there is a knock on the door . Fiona opens it to Bethany and her two year old daughter Evie
Bethany needs someone to look after Evie as she has an important appointment and Evie’s dad has let her down again.
Fiona agrees with some trepidation
But this leads to a friendship she wasn’t looking for.
This is another great book by Catherine just love her books
Thanks NetGalley

The Girl Who Couldn't Leave is the first book I have read by Catherine Miller and I was a great read. I was hooked within the first ten pages and was beautifully written throughout. Fiona Dexter isn’t the girl she used to be and she has not left her house Wellington Drive, for over five years, every day is planned on what she is going to do, staying inside is the safest thing Fiona can do. Until one day there was a knock on the door which catches her by surprise when she opens it, to find a single mother called Bethany asking a total stranger to look after her two year old daughter Evie, who is desperate for help. Fiona can not turn them away and finds herself opening up her safe place her home to two strangers. As little beautiful Evie charms the reclusive Fiona, she begins to imagine a world outside her front door again, where she can find happiness and love being with others and a friendship is formed that will forever alter the life that she has constructed as a means of self-preservation.

But, does it have a happy ending?

This book is very emotional with a good ending. I will be reading more books from Catherine in the future and I really enjoyed this book.

I highly recommend this book.


BIg thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC
.

What a gorgeous book this is. I love Catherine Miller’s books and she’s one of those authors that I don’t even need to know what the book is about before I say yes to reviewing it, but this one is really one of her best yet.

It mentions in the blurb that fans of such wonderful authors such as Jojo Moyes, Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlain will love this book, and this is certainly true, but at the same time, this book is just so unique and so special. It will totally capture your heart and leave a lasting impression.

Fiona seems at first to be a bit of a quirky character, loving her routines, set in her ways, even at a young age, and unfortunately, afraid to leave her house. But when I got to know her better I realised that there was so much more to her, and that she had been through some difficult times, which had led to her agoraphobia. She’s actually a much stronger person than you realise.

Bethany is lovely, a great mother and a good friend, coping with her own difficulties. As they become closer, Bethany can teach Fiona how to live again, and they are such a great combination.

I just loved this book from the first page to the last. It’s a story that will bring a smile to your face, life-affirming and thought-provoking, but most of all, such a pleasure to read. Just wonderful.

The Girl Who Couldn't Leave by Catherine Miller is a beautifully uplifting story about what it means to finally find home in the most unconventional of ways.

Fiona has not left her home for five years, building a wall around herself as protection from an often cruel world. Working as a ghost writer out of her house, Fiona is caught by surprise when, approached by single mother Bethany asking her to watch her two year old daughter Evie, she finds herself opening her carefully contained world to the two strangers. But as little Evie charms the reclusive Fiona, she begins to imagine a world where she can find love and happiness in being with others, and a friendship is formed that will forever alter the life that she has constructed as a means of self-preservation.

This is a wonderful read that will leave you feeling hopeful in the possibility of new beginnings.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

Fiona has a problem with leaving her house, she hasn't left it in 5 years. She also doesn't let other people into her house (other than her parents) until the knock on her door from a cute 2 year old.....

Bethany is a single mum of two year old Evie. Her ex, Kev, turns up when he feels like it and is a bit of a waste of space, all in all. Bethany makes amazing cakes and she juggles her job with the demands of single parenting, until a health scare upsets the balance.

This story was beautifully crafted, with all the feels that this author is known for. It explores what it means to be family, in whatever form it takes, and how important it is to look after your health. I thought Bethany and Fiona were just lovely and I felt for them both, with their mothers the way they were and the lack of support in some quarters. Everyone should have a Jill and Will in their lives, those two were so cute! I would have liked the author to explore the source of Fiona's issues a little more though :)

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.