Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

THEN

She was fifteen, her mother's golden girl. She had her whole life ahead of her. And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone.

NOW
It’s been ten years since Ellie disappeared, but Laurel has never given up hope of finding her daughter.

And then one day a charming and charismatic stranger called Floyd walks into a café and sweeps Laurel off her feet.

Before too long she’s staying the night at this house and being introduced to his nine year old daughter.

Poppy is precocious and pretty - and meeting her completely takes Laurel's breath away.

Because Poppy is the spitting image of Ellie when she was that age. And now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back.

What happened to Ellie? Where did she go?

Who still has secrets to hide?

Then She Was Gone is a very great mystery read. I love the style in which it was written. Past and present and even from several different characters perspectives. There weren't many twists and turns and I wasn't left guessing often but I actually didn't find it predictable. I was a bit surprised several times at different outcomes but not shocked if that makes sense. I'm glad Laurel kept looking for answers. It didn't end how I thought it would but I loved it nonetheless. This is one of those books you just don't want to put down &I absolutely recommend this book!

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BOTM Prediction - January 2026

Hey bookish friends! I can’t believe how long it’s been since I last shared my BOTM predictions. I took a break from my subscription for a couple of years, but I’m officially back for 2026. Life has brought a lot of changes along the way, but I’m happy to say I’m finally in a place where I can slow down, relax, and truly lose myself in reading again. BOTM (Book of the Month) is a popular book subscription service that offers members a curated selection of 5–7 newly released hardcover titles each month, handpicked by a panel of judges. Subscribers can choose one or add more if they’d like at a discounted price or before the official release date. With the flexibility to skip months and customize each box, BOTM makes it easy to discover new reads, especially popular fiction and thrillers. If you’re interested in joining, feel free to use my referral code . You can sign up for just $5! I am going to post my predictions like I did before, 3 titles per genre. Keep in mind, these ...

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