rhia reviews | Everything We Left Behind by Kerry Lonsdale

Two months before his wedding, financial executive James Donato chased his trade-laundering brother Phil to Mexico, only to be lost at sea and presumed dead. Six and a half years later, he emerges from a dissociative fugue state to find he’s been living in Oaxaca as artist Carlos Dominguez, widower and father of two sons, with his sister-in-law Natalya Hayes, a retired professional surfer, helping to keep his life afloat. But his fiancée, Aimee Tierney, the love of his life, has moved on. She’s married and has a child of her own.

Devastated, James and his sons return to California. But Phil is scheduled for release from prison, and he’s determined to find James, who witnessed something in Mexico that could land Phil back in confinement. Under mounting family pressure, James flees with his sons to Kauai, seeking refuge with Natalya. As James begins to unravel the mystery of his fractured identity, danger is never far behind, and Natalya may be the only person he can trust.

My Goodreads rating: ★★★☆☆

Publication date: July 4th, 2017

Thanks to netgalley & the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Compared to the previous book, I was a little disappointed in this. I wanted the story to continue from Aimee’s POV and it didn’t – this book is the continuation of Carlos/James’ story. Aimee and some of the other characters from EVERYTHING WE KEEP do make a couple of cameos, but the main focus of the story is Carlos/James and his family.

I don’t think I could say this book suffers the dreaded “second book syndrome”, but it is definitely not as good as the first one. The writing is great and the tension is definitely there, but I think I just wasn’t as invested in these characters as I was with Aimee and the other characters in the previous book.

I’ve got some theories about where the story will go in the third book, and I’m really hoping the psychic makes another appearance – and that we see the characters from this book again.

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