Loved this book, loved the story, loved the characters, loved the authors writing style. I found this to be a quick and exciting read!

My thanks to @bookouture for my spot on the book tour, and for the advance copy of the book via @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book written by Leah Mercer that I have read. If her other books are anything like this, I’ve found myself a new favourite author!
 
The style of writing, the use of suspense, hidden twists, red herrings, with the strong undertow of deep resentment, secrets, desperation, and resolve, made this a book reminiscent of the writing of some of my favourite authors @louisecandlish, @cltaylorauthor, or @klslaterauthor. Initially I though this would be a slow burner, but it had bursts of energy that threw me off balance and kept me feverishly turning the pages.
 
Isobel should feel safe at her mother's home. It's where she grew up. But there are secrets she cannot reveal. They would destroy her life, her son, her mother and her precious school.  Isobel is concerned about her violent ex showing up, and I think I would have liked to see more of his part in her life, if only to see him get his comeuppance. Isobel left fifteen years ago without a word and has actively avoided any contact. She and her sister simply don’t communicate, which means their tenuous relationship is more strained. And I’m not going into how she and her mother Ruth get on...
 
Overall, I found this to be an engaging, compelling, suspenseful, book with the right mix of mystery and pace to hold my attention right through to the end. Would I recommend this book? In a heartbeat! I gave Why She Left, by Leah Mercer five stars.

Leah Mercer is a newer author to me! This is not a debut but one of her more popular books I've come across. The cover and title is appealing to me. I always love a good domestic thriller.

Isobel (MC) returns home ro her teenage son after years of being away. As the story unfolds, you will learn about why she left and the secrets her family has kept hidden for so long.. There is great character development and growth throughout the novel. You will love and hate the characters in the best way possible.

The story is slow at first, but I relaized at the end that it was important to the story line to fully understand the characters current life to understand their past even better.
All and all, quick fast thriller. I was underwhelmed, but it did not put me off to the authors writing., she has great potential!

All my reviews can be found on my goodreads page, story features on release dates and primarly on my instagram book blog page: https://www.instagram.com/homebodyreads

Mystery a touch of mayhem and family drama - sign me up!!!
While fairly predictible, I enjoyed how the story unfolded. Ruth's daughter vanished 15 years ago, shows up on her door step with her son and we enter into a broken mother/daughter relationship, erroneous ideas and a dance with a nutjob. While a touch more family drama vs. mystery - I still enjoyed the story. A touch slow paced in some places and I may have wanted to smack a character or two at times (why does everyone always screw up worse by "protecting" someone else) ?? I would like to thank #NetGalley #LeahMercer for my ARC of #WhySheLeft in exchange for an honest review

Why She Left is a 3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4⭐️.
Isobel ran away from home fifteen years ago and now she’s back, her mother never knew why she left and still doesn’t but is determined to keep Isobel at home where she belongs along with her teenage son she has brought back with her. Ruth is a headmistress at a private school owned by her and in time to be left to Isobel and her sister Cecily. Ruth can’t wait to enrol her grandson she’s only just met and luckily he loves it although Isobel just wants to get out of there as quickly as she can save some money up. Things start to happen and not for the good, who is trying to upset this newly together family and why?
This was a bit of a slow read for me, I did enjoy it, I just could have done with a bit more speed and revelations and also for Cecily to have played a bigger part and got to know her more.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Fifteen years. What happened fifteen years ago to make Isobel leave home at age sixteen without a more than a note? Her mom Ruth has been wondering this since it happened.

Then, Isobel shows up on Ruth's doorstep with her son Isaac looking like the complete opposite of her mom's upscale home. Ruth is so happy to see Isobel, she enrolls Isaac in the school she runs that has been in the family for generations.

However, being home is one of the absolute last things Isobel thought she would do. She is keeping a painful secret that caused her leave in the first place. The longer she stays with her mom, the more the secret pushes to the front and threatens to derail her life.

I did not find this book very surprising. It was pretty predictable from the start. I was surprised by who did the assault in the book. The rest, figured out pretty quickly.

Isobel ran away from her home 15 years ago due a painful secret. Her mother, Ruth, wonders why Isobel left. After 15 years, Isobel returns to her family home, needing a safe place for her son, Isaac. Ruth, is a headmistress to a prestigious private school, and runs it with her other daughter, Cecily. Ruth is excited to welcome Isobel home and have the opportunity to enroll Isaac in the prestigious school. The family, Isaac included, is caught up and affected by mysterious events, someone is trying to destroy the school that Ruth holds dear to her. Is the secret the Isobel ran from all those years ago connected to the current events? I found this book to be an enjoyable, but slow read. It was difficult at times to follow and I don’t think that Cecily played enough of a role as I would have liked. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley in for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Heartbreaking with twists & turns galore! Once I started, I was dying to know why Isobel left her life that she loved so much. It’s the constant focus on all the drama that kept me going.

I listened to this as an audiobook and i LOVED it. The narrator was really captivating and I got into it so quickly. The storyline is easy to follow and engaging. Often I thought I knew what was going to happen next and every single time I was wrong. I loved the characters so much and I couldnt wait to listen to more. Definitely 5 stars and a book I would recommend to everyone!

Intriguing. Full of twists. A thoroughly absorbing read that gripped me from the first page and did not let go until the last. Just wonderful. Do read this one.

3 for neutral, just couldn’t get into this one, but will definitely update if able to finish at a later date! I’m a moody reader, so likely that’s what was going on, but just didn’t grab me on the occasions I tried to read!

Why She Left by Leah Mercer is a mystery/thriller novel. The story in Why She Left is one that is told by changing the point of view between the two main characters in each chapter with a bit of flashing back to past events.

When Isobel was sixteen she left her home with a huge secret weighing her down but she was determined to make a life on her own. Isobel now has no other choice but to return to her mother’s home as she needs to get herself and son to safety from an abusive relationship.

Ruth never knew why her daughter Isobel left her when she was sixteen but when she opens the door to her daughter and a grandson she didn’t know she had she can’t turn them away. Ruth is excited to welcome her family back not only to her home but to the private school her family begun generations ago but she doesn’t know the school is the place in Isobel’s nightmares.

Why She Left is the first book I’ve read by Leah Mercer and I was glad to find that her writing flowed well between the characters and gained my interest. The story is a solid mystery/thriller plot but being a reader of so many books the twists and turns weren’t not a surprise and dare I say a bit predictable to me. Despite figuring out the whos and whys I did find this one a decent read that I would rate at three and a half stars and be interested in reading this author again.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
This is the first of Leah Mercer's novels that I have read. The storyline is told from the viewpoint of Isobel (Isaac's mother) and Ruth (Isobel's mother) and centres around the relationships between all family members. The truths behind secrets are revealed very slowly, whilst the school and it's reputation looms behind decisions made.
There are a couple of inconsistencies about what happens when, but nothing that impacts upon the story. I thought it unrealistic that Isobel would run away without explanation when it is made clear that the relationship between Ruth and Isobel is very close. Isobel seems totally unaware of aspects of her son's life, and wallowing in her 'nightmares' despite claiming to know what is best for him whilst hiding his parentage and her family background. I thought the 'twists' were completely predictable and the whole story relies on unrealistic behaviour. It was an easy read but I didn't find it held my attention.

Left with nowhere else to go, Isobel returns to her childhood home for the first time in years, with the teenage son her mother doesn’t even know exists.
Ruth, who is headmistress of their prestigious family-run private school, is delighted at her daughter’s return and quickly forms a bond with her grandson Isaac. But the detente doesn’t last for long as being back home doesn’t prove to be a safe haven at all.
While not entirely unpredictable, the story still had me engrossed waiting for all the simmering resentments and shocking secrets to come to a head. And for Ruth to find out why she left and the instrumental role she had to play in the ensuing events.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Why She Left' by Leah Mercer.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Leah Mercer, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 13th December 2021.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'A Mother's Lie' which I highly recommend.


I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Jodi Picoult and Imogen Clark.' I am a huge fan of Jodi Picoult so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Leah and if this is half as good as 'A Mother's Lie' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 43 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in London, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 , UK 🇬🇧 . The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have recently visited London so will be interested to see if there are any places I visited mentioned.

This book is written in a mix of third and first person perspective and the protagonists are Isobel and Ruth. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything. To have the benefit of both first and third person perspective ensures you don't miss out on anything.

'Why She Left' discusses some topics that may trigger some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Leah discusses/includes sexual assault.

OMG!!! JUST WOW!!! WELL DONE LEAH YET AGAIN ON AN ABSOLUTE PAGE TURNER!!

his book is extremely well written with fantastic descriptions that really set the scene and put you in the storyline. The cover and synopsis suit the book perfectly!!

This book is absolutely addictive, I just could not put it down. The storyline isn't just one plot but has many layers that peel apart as you read it and each one is more shocking than the last. The book just keeps getting better and better as you go on. It is based around the school which, to me, had a dark and gothic feeling to it which suited the plot perfectly. The storyline is filled with lies, secrets, abuse, twists, turns, red herrings, suspense, tension and everything you could want in a psychological domestic fiction. I thought I knew what was going on until BOOM!!! I was completely thrown sideways by the revelations which I was not expecting so a huge CONGRATULATIONS to Leah. There is nothing worse than working out what is going on within 50% and actually being right about it. However, to think you knoe what is going on just to be thrown into a blender of bombshells and emotions I'd most definitely something I love in a book!! The atmosphere was perfect for the storyline and it brought up the serious and sadly still hidden subject of abuse from people in trusted positions. Thank you Leah for including this in your book as I am very much the type of person who believes the more something is talked about the more that people come to realise it does go on and victims realise it is not OK and speak out. An absolutely riveting, page turning and addictive read that I would love to see turned into a movie.

The characters were all well written, realistic and strong. The lead characters were female and I found Isobel to be a string female. I'm always pleased to see strong female leads being female myself. They all made the storyline believable and worked well with each other. I was shocked by a certain characters actions and disgusted also. However, I also did have sympathy to them after putting their life on hold. I won't say more than that as I don't want to ruin the book for future readers.

Congratulations again Leah on yet another riveting page turner!! This is exactly why you are one of my favourite authors and here's to your next success 🥂


Overall an addictive page turning domestic, psychological fiction with a deep meaning that will keep you up late at night.

Genres covered in this novel include Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller and Psychological Fiction amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Jodi Picoult and anyone looking for an addictive, meaningful page turning psychological domestic fiction.


272 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews

#WhySheLeft #Bookouture #LeahMercer #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@LeahMercer @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86

https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86

https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?ref=bookmarks

https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__tn__=%2As-R

Isobel Cosslett turns up on her mother's doorstep fifteen years after walking away from her family. Now she is escaping an abusive relationshp and has nowhere left to turn. But Isobel is haunted by the past and now the present is dangerous too for her and her son....
Why She Left is a domestic drama novel with elements of psychological thriller.
The book is wirtten from two perspectives: Ruth in the first person and Isobel in the third person. I thought this was an interesting way round to have the narration as Isobel is more prominent so allowed more of a balance betweeen the two women.
Ruth is the headteacher of an exclusive London school which had been on her family for generations. Her daughter Isobel ran way 15 years earlier but is now forced to return to escape a violent lover. The women begin to rebuild a tentative relationship but a crisis occurs surrounding Isobel's son Isaac which sets the women against each other.
Secrets form a major part of the plot and character development. Isobel has been severely affected by her past which she has kept hidden from everyone else. Now Isaac is keeping secrets and Ruth tells lies to maintain her family's and school's reputation. Can they rebuild their relationship again and what danger are they facing?
I had some sympathy for both Ruth and Isobel. They both act out of family loyalty and duty but the caring side of their natures have not been allowed to flourish except for with Isaac. Twists and revelations continue until right up to the end of the book, leaving both women shocked and confused as the truth is uncovered.
Why She Left is an intriguing book about the damage that lies and secrets can cause.

This was more of a family drama than a domestic thriller, and I had a hard time getting into it. It centers on Isobel, who leaves home as teenager and returns 15 years later with her own teenager in tow. You also get alternating chapters from Isobel’s mother, Ruth, whose life revolves around being the headmistress at a prestigious school.

I had trouble connecting with these characters, who were not very likable or deep. I had a really hard time getting behind the fact that Isobel and Ruth were SO CLOSE yet Isobel runs away without even talking to her mother and Ruth doesn’t try all that hard to find her.

The book itself moves a fairly slow pace and rehashes many of the same sentiments and activities throughout. The story is fairly predictable but did get a little more action-packed towards the end. The loose ends were all tied up nicely.

Overall, just an ok read for me. Not really much of a mystery and characters with whom I didn’t connect. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A family drama, based on the reappearance of a daughter after disappearing from school 20 years prior. Honestly wanted to feel sorry for the Mother, after all it would be horrible to lose a child, but honestly couldn't, just so hard hearted and self absorbed, which of course adds to the drama. Very interesting characters and twists you can't predict.

Isobel ran away from home many years ago. Her mother, Ruth, is the headteacher at the prestigious Burlington Square School. I really wanted to find out what had gone on all those years ago.
A domestic drama that really got inside me.
Ruth is a character to whom I took an instant dislike and this carried throughout the whole book. So greedy and self-centred and only cared about her school and its reputation.
Isobel on the other hand, I warmed to straight away. She wanted what was best for her son Isaac, and her love shone through.
There is a lot of anger and resentment in the book surrounding Ruth and her daughters Isobel and the older sister Cecily.
It’s an interesting story and very well written. It pulled me in and I was anxious at times, my heart pounding! It caught me out too, as I thought I knew what would happen.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the review copy in which I give my honest opinion.

This book was a little slow to start, but once it got going I couldn’t stop. Such a twisty story I was surprised at every turn.