After You Left

By: Carol Mason

Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden

Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

You want to know what the worst thing is? It's not the embarrassment, or the looks on people's faces when I tell them what happened. It isn't the pain of him not being there - loneliness is manageable.

The worst thing is not knowing why.

When Justin walks out on Alice on their honeymoon, with no explanation apart from a cryptic note, Alice is left alone and bewildered, her life in pieces.

Then she meets Evelyn, a visitor to the gallery where she works. It's a seemingly chance encounter, but Alice gradually learns that Evelyn has motives, and a heartbreaking story, of her own. And that story has haunting parallels with Alice's life.

As Alice delves into the mystery of why Justin left her, the questions are obvious. But the answers may lie in the most unlikely of places...

©2017 Carol Mason (P)2017 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

heart wrenching

a very good story that everyone can relate to. the narration was excellent. this is a book you can read all in one day. you don't have a choice, it pulls you in, all in, the first chapter.

Loved it!!

absolutely loved this story!! I couldn't put it down! It is now one of my favorites.

A story within a story

This book took me a minute to get used to but once it sucked me in, I couldn’t put it down. The story of Alice and Justin is the “setting” of the story but there is another story told within this story - the story of Evelyn - that was so moving. While I suppose this is technically a romance, the romance is not as “in your face” or graphic as some, and it really feels like more of a mystery.

I kept thinking 'what the heck???'

For better or worse, After You Left will keep you on your toes. Is it a mystery? Well, yeah- but not the one you think it is. Is it literary? Maybe; some aspects of the book are quite fine while others are straight out of the chicklit handbook. Is it engaging? Yes- except when it isn't. And last, 'What did she say?' Narrator Knoweldon does an excellent job but in that whispery-childwoman voice that keeps me rewinding.

Yep, I am ambivalent about After You Left. The story line seemed forced at times but the storytelling was excellent. I'll certainly try more Carol Mason novels because despite everything I've said, After You Left is better than 2/3 of the books I listen to.

too hard to follow

too hard to folliow, the story jumps around in time, no voice changes for chsracters.

Romance & real life!

So enjoyed this well done intriguing love story. The narrator was fabulous! I will think about these characters for a long time!

Interesting

I appreciate the lack of explicit sexual content in this book. The story was interesting. I wasn’t greatly moved, but mildly entertained. 4⭐️s.

Mesmerizing and Thrilling

A beautifully written novel that weaves together its stories in a way I could never imagined. It felt real, as if I were there watching and listening, not at all contrived. It also kept me up late, having to read on to understand more, wondering what might happen next. What each person would do, what decisions they would make.

This was my first book by Carol Mason. I will be look for another. Also my first book narrated, so beautifully, by Elizabeth Knowelden.

Intriguing

I didn’t like the book at first as I was listening to it and it changed bag to Alice from Evelyn and honestly I wasn’t paying attention so I missed something so I went back and listened.I really enjoyed the reader she was quite good.
This story is about love and love lost and found.Moral of the story love can be manifested in many ways love the one you are with and avoid and problems.

Four and a half stars for a very well-written book

I reserve 5 stars for the best classics, but it has been a long while since I have enjoyed lighter reading as much as I did this book. The theme revolves around common dilemmas of being human, including character weakness, strength, loss, honor, consequence, forgivenss, and redemption.. The characters are well developed and the author skillfully tells two stories that unfold chapter by chapter. From the start, I was engaged, but ithe simple and obvious reason for the two stories turned out to be much less the point than I had guessed. I usually predict the twists of these types of stories. I didn't this time. For those like me who like the Audible version, it is well acted, and the F words are very few. But if you are uncomfortable with having children hear you listening to literature that is below a standard you may require of them, be aware these occasional words sneak up on you. I wish Audible would give info about language so you would know what to expect before buying.