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wellingtonestatelibrary 's review for:
The Girl You Left Behind
by Jojo Moyes
This is one of the hardest books to rate, for me. There were parts that I really loved about it, and parts that I didn't like at all. This was a difficult read for me, and that is partly my fault. I read Me Before You in a day, and loved it so much that I quickly picked up the one beside it on the shelf. I didn't even bother to read the dust jacket but jumped right in, assuming it would be another contemporary similar to the first. That's where I went wrong. I actually love historical fiction way more than contemporary but Jojo had gotten me into the mood for contemporary. So, it was a bit shocking to be thrown way back into World War I France. It took me a while to get into the flow of the story and then when I had become fully invested in Sophie's life and outcome, I was hauled back out of it! Well, that's what it felt like anyway. I had a very hard time with the contemporary half of the book, and found myself skimming a lot, trying to get back to Sophie's story. Thankfully, Jojo did get back to Sophie eventually, and that helped, but it wasn't until the last few chapters, that I became riveted by the story and then closed the book feeling like it had all been worth it. I decided to give it 3 stars for all of these reasons, and also because I don't love stories about art, "then and now" stories, or contemporary romance, and this one had all 3 of those. I wasn't really into the quick relationship that developed either...it seemed a bit unrealistic. I do understand how this book has so many 5 star reviews, and do feel that her writing deserves them but I'm just not in love with this book like I was with Me Before You. That doesn't mean that I don't have faith in her other books, and will likely give her another chance very soon!