The description of the book sounded so interesting but unfortunately it wasn’t for me. I didn’t find it to be the thriller that it was stated to be. I listened to the audio version and the narrator was good.

Isabel ran away from home at the age of 16. Now fifteen years later she returns with her 15yr old son looking for refuge from a violent partner. Her mother Ruth is head of a private school founded and owned by her family . Isabel also has an older sister who is deputy head of the school.
The first thing that struck me was ,why was Ruth not asking Isabel why she left? It is surely the first thing you would want to know . It's obvious that her son Isaac is part of the reason Isabel left home but her mother doesn't even address this.
The reasons are that Ruth is like an ostrich with her head in the sand she doesn't want to disturb the status quo of her life in the school and it's future.
The more I read the more I understood that running away was probably the only thing Isabel could have done at the time and it saved her sanity.
Moving in with Ruth didn't automatically make Isabel and Isaac safe and when incidents happen it's obvious that someone is out to hurt them.
As with all Leah Mercer's books I read this one in a day too. There are a few not very nice people in this book and some who were nice on the surface only.
Ruth was a complex character , stern on one hand, loving in the other but not willing to put her family before her job. The book had a good ending and I enjoyed it. Leah Mercer just gets better and better.

Great family drama. Loved the characters in this one. Well written story about family and life values. Suspenseful with some crazy twists and turns. Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Isobel will do anything to protect her son, Isaac, even if that means returning to her mother’s home. Having left abruptly at 16, Isobel must try to keep her mother, sister and their family business, an exclusive private school, at arms length while trying to rebuild her life. Isaac is drawn to the family he never knew and is soon happily accepting of his new life, until there is an accident. Or is it something more? Can Isobel truly move on from her past and will her mother put her first for once?

I found this book quite bland. It had enough to keep me reading but not in a desperate ‘I need to know what happens next!’ sort of way. More a ‘oh, ok that’s what happened’ kind of way. It wasn’t thrilling or enthralling but it also wasn’t a slow burning mystery. Everything just sort of happened. There was one big reveal towards the end but it felt quite rushed and I didn’t really think it was expanded on or explained enough- I’m not giving spoilers but it didn’t quite work for me.

It’s written fairly well and there are some nice descriptive passages but overall it was too slow and obvious for my taste. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

Whilst I think this book had a really interesting premise and started out well, I have to say it didn't really grab me and by the end I felt a bit flat.

Isobel shows up at her mother's home, which she left over a decade ago, with her son alongside her. Isobel never told her mother why she left and we slowly find this out through the novel as the family seek to come together again after such a long time apart.

One of my main issues with the book was the lack of characters. Whilst the characters who were present throughout the novel were real and believable, the lack of characters meant that the story could only go in certain ways and didn't give the reader any element of surprise or intrigue. When the ending came, it was almost like it couldn't have gone any other way.

The writing was good however and the characters were real and believable. It is an author I would look out for again and try some of her other novels to see if they work a bit better for me.

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this arc through netgalley and the publishers.
We meet Isobel and her son Isaac, Isobel left home at 16, but when she finds herself in a difficult situation she returns home.

Through the book we find out why she returned and why she left in the first place.

I enjoyed this book and will be looking for more books by Leah Mercer.

Family drama doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of this book. Family dysfunction is more like it.
Regardless of how it is labeled, it is a compelling read that touches on some important nuances in families.
When is it okay to bulldoze a family member’s dreams? Is being stubborn helpful or detrimental to personal growth? Is anything worth sacrificing a family member’s trust?
All these and more are addressed thoughtfully (and often cleverly) in this book.
You can get an idea of the plot from the blurb (as usual). If it doesn’t sound odd to say, I enjoyed Isobel’s dilemma. In some ways, it is unique – especially given her mother’s position.
Isobel is more like her mother than she wants to admit. They both bury their heads in the sand to preserve their pride – and their egos.
Isobel’s stubbornness makes her blind to a lot of things, mostly personal, which results in incidents that could have been prevented. She is the very definition of a train wreck.
Which also begs the question: does an incident that happened decades prior control a person’s life forever? Or is there a way to fight and overcome it? Isobel addresses this subconsciously at first, and then full-on later in the story.
I guessed one of the twists in the story fairly early on, but it took a long time for the motivation of the character to become clear. This definitely kept me reading.
There is also a bit of a mystery element as Isobel and her mother, Ruth, try to figure out who is behind some unfortunate (and dangerous) incidents. The culprit was not who I thought it would be.
I did get the feeling that the author didn’t know exactly what to do with Cecily. She is on the periphery of the story for most of the novel. I guess in a way that mirrors her position within the family as well. (No spoilers).
I will also say that there are examples of gross abuse of power from a couple of characters. Again, not to give anything away, but it should be noted in case any readers have issues with that.
Ultimately, Isobel finds the strength she needs to move forward for both her and her son, Isaac. The journey for the two of them is the stuff that a family drama is made of and makes this a decent read.

Why do young people run away from home? On the one hand it can be because they want to get away for the terror they have been going through for a long time and enough is enough. On the other hand though it can be because they have to hide something they are ashamed of and feel guilty about and want to protect their family.

Life goes on and sometimes you are forced to go back home even if you really do not want to be there. But maybe things are different now and you can start building bridges. It seems, for a while, that you did make the right decision until that one devastating event…

Sometimes people have to make choices. They think they are making the right ones in order to keep a legacy alive for the sake of the family. In the progress they are forced to be harsh too, but sometimes you have to take some collateral damage in your stride in order to achieve your goals. It’s a pity, but there is no way around it or is there?

Sometimes you have to be very careful and pick the right people to believe or trust or it will come back to haunt you.

This is a great story about a family being torn apart and reunited again for good…

I loved it. 5 stars

Thank you

Why She Left is a tense family drama centred around a prestigious London school run by matriarch Ruth Cosslett.

Isobel left in a hurry at 16, returning at 31 in a similar fashion with her 15 year old in tow.

Her mother and sister are shocked and delighted in equal measure at their arrival, but things won’t stay warm and fuzzy for long.

I give this 3 stars as while I found it compelling in parts, I wish it had gone a little slower and the character development been a bit more nuanced in places. I also wish we’d got more detail on what Isobel and Isaac left behind.

Worth a read and Leah Mercer is without a doubt a talented writer, painting a vivid picture of a broken family trying to heal.

Isobel’s story was pretty interesting - I admit I saw the big twist pretty early on, but couldn’t quite figure out the details and the “how and why” too easily, which kept the book entertaining. There was a lot of internal monologue and the story was told from dual points of view which is becoming a common writing trend but not one I usually enjoy. In this case it works for the most part, however. All in all a pretty good novel.

A good domestic thriller read, well written with some suspense although I did find it a bit dull in parts and the characters mainly were good.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Why She Left
by Leah Mercer

Thanks to NetGalley for the AEC for my honest opinion. Why She Left was just ok for me. It seemed to drag in a few spots. It was clear it was not a mystery, maybe suspense read.. I just had issues after I figured out the BIG reveal.

Plenty of suspense and tension in this gripping tale of family secrets and lies. It really pulled me in and I had to keep reading to see how things would play out. Having read a lot of books in this genre I sometimes get the feeling it's a bit "same old" but not in this case. I'd really like to read other books by this author now and I know there will be readers at our library who will enjoy this.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I found this domestic drama to be fairly predictable.

It's the story of Isobel, who left home fifteen years before, and has now returned to her mother Ruth's doorstep with her teen son Isaac in tow, having escaped from an abusive relationship. Ruth, whose lifetime loyalty has been to the school she runs that has been passed through the generations, is thrilled that Isobel has returned and can't wait to bring her back into the fold and get to know her grandson. Ruth has always wondered why Isobel left, and hopes that she will eventually find out. Isobel, on the other hand, went through some awful experiences and isn't ready to deal with them even all of these years later. Told from the alternating perspectives of Ruth and Isobel, we learn what each one is hiding.

It was fairly easy for me to figure out what had happened to Isobel, and while I started off disliking Ruth I pretty much hated her throughout the entire book. There's an attempt to redeem her at the end, but I didn't buy it. There are some twists in the book, a couple that were satisfying that I didn't predict, but taken as a whole the book is just an okay read for me. There wasn't anything very unique or original and there were a couple of days when I set it aside and didn't spend much time listening.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did a decent job with voicing Ruth and Isobel. I didn't find that two narrators were necessary because their voices weren't that distinct from each other. Once the book got going I was drawn to listen to it more to find out what was going to happen, but the book is a bit of a slow starter and it took a bit for the action to begin.

Overall, this is a decent read as a domestic drama with a bit of suspense.

Isobel leaves a violent relationship and takes her son back to where she grew up. She had a wonderful childhood and was very close to her mother but then something very bad happened and she left home at 16. Now back she must face many challenges including resentments from family members who she needs to build relationships with again and trying to come to terms with what happened to her. I found the story quite predictable and really didn't warm to any of the characters so struggled to get through this book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Years ago Isobel left the family house never to be heard from again, 16 years later she turns up with a teenage son at her Mother Ruth's doorstep. Ruth quickly enfolds Isobel and her son Isaac back into the life she left at the prestigious school her Great Grandfather founded. The school is Ruth's entire life but also the reason Isobel left. When strange things start happening and an attack on Issac leaves him in hospital Isobel wonders will she have to leave again. The book alternates chapters told by Isobel and Ruth
This book is a domestic thriller full of family secrets and recrimination from the past. Sadly I couldn't empathise with Isobel or Ruth. Neither woman was a particularly likeable character. I would have liked Issac to have his own chapters as he was the only person I felt for.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Bookouture and #NetGalley for my honest opinion. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A family themed suspense thriller. Sit down and settle in for this one.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Isobel flees her family home and business only to return 16 years later with a son. Her beloved mother accepted her back into the home never having gotten over her daughter's running away. Secrets are revealed.

3.5 star. A gripping and dramatic family suspense. Three generations of one family are tied through allegiance and dark secrets to an elite London private school; a school that threatens to destroy them all. The school, the protagonists, the past and the present all clash with seismic repercussions for all.

The narrative POVs comes from Ruth, the current Headteacher and Isobel her daughter, who had fled the school and her family 15years previously and now returns only through sheer desperation to escape an abusive relationship. She returns with her son Isaac, harbouring a dark secret - one that will affect her family and the school. Will her past destroy her family's present?

The school is in physical decline, but the secrets vying for escape also threaten to destroy it. Isobel and Isaac are catalysts to destruction of secrets built up and hidden over decades. Some of these are predictable, but satisfyingly revealed; many twists I didn't see coming. Dramtic tension is high throughout with the desire to unravel the truth. With thanks to #leahmercer #netgalley and #bookouture.

Title: Why she left by Leah Mercer
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Verdict: Leah’s latest novel is a fabulous triumph dealing with PTSD and a family that values a good reputation over everything else.
I loved that the novel had a mother/daughter narrator, and we got to see Ruth’s and Isobel’s thoughts. It was interesting to see their ideas overlap at times despite being estranged and vehemently opposed to each other’s morals.
This book has revenge at its heart, and it was gratifying to watch the catalyst implode! One character is running from her past, and one is bitter and jealous, the other is trying to rewrite the history, and one is blinded by duty and riddled with guilt - I just loved the way the author peeled back layer by layer and slowly giving us clues, a great trait of a good thriller and a good author exploring the family dynamic. I liken this book to those written by Kelly Rimmer, Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlaine. I thoroughly enjoyed it, particularly the cat and mouse chase as the past catches up with the family. It was one of those books that kept me guessing and waiting with bated breath till the very end! Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read this Arc! I very much enjoyed this emotional read and will be adding Leah to my list of favourite domestic fiction writers! This book will keep you up all night and stay with you long after. If you enjoy TV soaps, then this is the perfect book to get you through the winter nights.

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