The ending to Everything We Keep left me wanting so much more! There were knots left all tied up and people on the verge of breakthroughs or breakdowns that I never had a chance to see. Everything We Left Behind picks up with James and tells his totally crazy story.



We start with a whammy - his memory comes back. His real memory. That means the person he has been for the past several years is completely erased. The man with a family, children, friends, and a business are wiped away forever as the original person re-emerges. I can't even imagine how confused and disbelieving he must have been. But Kerry Lonsdale took me there! It was amazing - not what happened to him - but how I was brought into that situation and those feelings.



Fast forward a little and we have a family quickly becoming dysfunctional. James' memories pick up with him still together with Aimee, who has moved on and is living a new life. Their conversations and interactions were another brilliant look into the lives of these people. We finally find out exactly what happened with Phil and how James almost died in the first book.



There were a few moments that things got confusing. I wasn't sure which part of the timeline I was in as things jump around quite a bit. Just a tad more streamlining and I think this would have been just about perfect.



*I voluntarily received a review copy of this book*