Then She was Gone

By Lisa Jewell

Rating: 4/5 Stairs

After Ellie Mack disappeared, the police concluded she was a runaway. For ten years, her mother Laurel has lived a life of anguish, going through the motions but not really moving on. She finally gets to a point of peace in her life and then meets Floyd, who seems to be the perfect boyfriend. But is there more to Floyd than meets the eye?

Ms. Jewell pulled me in from the first page and didn’t let go until I’d finished. So many questions. What really happened to Ellie? Is Floyd as perfect as he seems? What’s the deal with his daughter Poppy, and her mother’s disappearance from their lives?

Honestly I don’t want to say much here because – SPOILERS! What I liked about this one is that while Ellie’s disappearance is central to the plot, the story itself isn’t really about Ellie’s disappearance and the logistics of searching for her afterwards. It’s about Laurel and her journey to finally find peace 10 years after her daughter disappeared. And I think in the end (no spoilers!) it’s about realizing what’s in front of you – what you still have, what you didn’t lose. You can find beauty after a tragedy.

This book is a great summer read – definitely add this to your pool bag.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.