The Life You Left Behind: A breathtaking story of love, loss and happiness from Sunday Times bestseller Debbie Howells

The Life You Left Behind is the seventh novel by best-selling British author, Debbie Howells. Fifteen months after she first met Ben Summer, the love of her life, twenty-nine-year-old Casey Cassidy is driving to rural France. Her destination is a remote cottage, the sort of stay Ben would have loved, but she’s going alone. All she has of Ben is his commentary in her head, countering any negative thoughts. Casey met Ben in an airport where her forgotten passport led to Ben’s Good Samaritan move. His genuineness and sensitivity overrode her usual caution. Mutual attraction did the rest: she was, almost instantly, in love. Within a few months they were living together, and their relationship progressed quickly from there. At her somewhat-isolated French retreat, Casey tries to work out what direction her life will take now. She can’t live in the house she and Ben had together, too many memories to deal with. But does she want to stay in France? Searching for distraction, she comes upon an anonymous diary: someone who has lived in this house, has suffered a great loss, bears a burden of guilt, has to reassess his direction. Casey sees parallels to her own situation. It is difficult to say much more about this rom-trag (as opposed to rom-com) without spoilers. The story is told through a dual time, one describing Casey’s relationship with Ben, the other, her life in France. In tandem with these are the diary entries. Featuring bipolar disorder, solastalgia, depression and eco-grief, the story is quite dark, and is heavy on the message of climate change, environmental damage and factory farms. Howells gives the reader a complex protagonist who is supported by caring, loyal friends. However, the pace leading up to the reveal is almost glacial and impedes any meaningful connection with Casey. The synopsis given indicates a much lighter read than what is delivered, until the hopeful ending. May appeal to fans of tragic romance stories. This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Boldwood Books.