When She Left by E.A. Aymar

When She Left Reviews

• 
  Mary

  I have been meaning to read a book by
  E.A. Aymar ever since I saw
  No Home for Killers come out last year, and what better time than now with his new release?
  When She Left is a pulse-pounding and engaging crime fiction novel that is filled with action and, of course, murder! A family of professional assassins is such an interesting dynamic for me and though we only get a small piece of them (with their very precise pronunciation of their last name), I was sold. I will say that I would have loved some more background on the family as well as the characters themselves since the lack of both left me with some questions on motivation among other things.
  
  There are multiple viewpoints and as the story unfolds you see how they all connect. There is one person that I am not sure about in the story, and if there was an actual reveal of who that was, I missed it. I have an idea though and I hope I'm right! The audiobook would have been nice with a full cast, but I thought Janine Granda did a great job by her lonesome and I enjoyed listening to her. I don't think you can go wrong with the book or the audio in this case. When She Left was nonstop action until the very end and I could totally have seen Aymar making this into a series instead of a standalone. The ending had me giving some side-eye 👀 (in a good way!) and it just made me even more curious about an aspect of the storyline. If you are in the mood for something quick and pacy, and not TOO graphic, I would definitely recommend picking this up!
  
  I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
• 
  Jamele (BookswithJams)

  I love mob thrillers and really enjoyed E.A. Aymar’s prior book, so I was excited when the author and Get Red PR reached out about this one, and it did not disappoint. It was a twisty, suspenseful read that starts off fast and does not really let up, just as you would expect a mob thriller to be. I liked that this was told from multiple POVs, and that several of the characters were trying to find their way out of the life, it only enhanced the tension, and as we all know, it is not that easy to do. This was an excellent read that I definitely recommend.
  
  Thank you to @eaaymar @getredprbooks and Thomas & Mercer for the gifted book to review. I hope you consider adding this to your list!
• 
  Marija

  This suspenseful, twisty psychological thriller kept me glued to my Kindle until I finished it. It is well-written, with nicely placed twists and turns that kept me guessing and flipping the pages. I highly recommend it.
• 
  Julie

  This was a miss for me. I found the different POVs confusing and I just could not make myself care about any of the characters. The last part was hectic and had lots of action but the rest of the book was slow and I found myself skimming parts.
  
  People who like mob-type books would probably enjoy this book, unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.
  
  Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
• 
  Yvonne (It's All About Books)

  
  
  Finished reading: January 22nd 2024
  
  
  

  
  "The bad things we do are always small, compared to their consequence."
  

  
  *** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
  
  REVIEW
  
  I always try to read more international authors, but this was only one of the reasons why I ended up adding When She Left to my shelves. I have a weak spot for crime thrillers with an organized crime angle, and it probably won't come as a surprise when I say that I was absolutely fascinated by the blurb. The couple trying to escape, the professional assassin trying to quit his job, the powerful criminal family not wanting to let go of any of them... Oh yes, the premise had SO much potential indeed.
  
  There is no doubt that When She Left has a very strong premise, and initially things went really well. There is of course a whole urgency about the whole situation; combine this with a healthy dose of adrenaline, a man hunt and a race to survive, and you have an excellent crime thriller cocktail indeed. The story is told with the help of a multiple POV structure, where we switch between the running couple (Melanie and Jack), one of the assassins trying to find them (Lucky) and another member of the Winter crime organization with a secret (Ruby). The different POVs help showing us both sides of the hunt as well as adding more tension.
  
  Sadly, there were certain elements that started to bother me more and more over time. Two of my biggest pet peeves in books are cheating and religion, and sadly both have a rather prominent role in the plot. The first in the form of Melanie: the fact she was actively cheating on Chris just made it SO much harder to properly root for her or feel bad for the situation she is in. I mean, couldn't she already guess how Chris would react to her infidelity?! He would have been angry either way, but the way Melanie handled the whole situation only poked the hornet's nest. As for the religious aspect: this is all Ruby's POV. I started to truly loathe having to spend time with her; both because she is an enormous hypocrite, simply despicable and constantly spouting her religious beliefs. Especially the last is an easy way to antagonize me...
  
  I initially enjoyed following the man hunt, both seeing how Melanie and Jack try to escape and what the other side does to try and find them. There is plenty of action and violence along the way, and things get pretty dark and graphic, so you have been warned! There are also trigger warnings in place for multiple topics including adult/minor relationship, abuse, alcoholism, trafficking... Although some elements are only mentioned briefly, and the main focus is on violence and cheating. Sadly, the plot started to become more and more over the top as it advanced, and the credibility took a nosedive. I'm not always bothered by this, but combined with the other elements that started to grate on me, the result wasn't a positive one this time around.
  
  All in all, I ended up having mixed reactions to When She Left, and I admit that I enjoyed the premise of this story so much more than the actual book. This had to do with multiple elements that frequently seem to antagonize me as well as a lack of credibility and truly likeable characters to root for. This is mainly a personal reaction, so it depends on how you react to certain elements if this story would work for you or not.
  
  P.S. Find more of my reviews
  here.
• 
  Amanda Mercedes

  Based on the title and synopsis of the book, I thought it would be centered Melissa, but really Lucky was the star of the show. In my opinion at least. Melissa’s actions led the plot, but I felt a lot of it was experienced through Lucky’s POV and he was the more complex character. A hitman for hire, who really just wanted to sell houses and be a family man and is just absolutely devastated because he thinks his wife is having an affair. He doesn’t really want to take out Melissa and Jake, but if he does it, then he’s free. Of course, not everything is what it seems and there are a lot of twists and betrayals, but I enjoyed Lucky’s arc. I see why Melissa went for Jake in comparison with Chris, who was getting too involved in his family’s crime organization and that was going to be a very toxic route for her. However, I felt like Jake had some growing up to do. Then again, that could be a development arc between/for him and Melissa. They are in their early twenties so maybe I’m just getting ahead of myself.
  
  Thank you Get Red PR for the copy of this book!
  
• 
  Bethany Mock (bethanyburiedinbooks)

  3.5/5
  
  Thank you @eaaymar for the #gifted copy of this book!
  
  This book starts out with a bang between a jilted lover Chris. Chris has family ties to the mob and doesn’t like being left in the dust by Melissa. Melissa ends up falling for a new man Jake, who is a good looking photographer. Chris will stop at nothing to find Melissa and leans on his relationship with his family’s assassin, Lucky. Doesn’t every family have one of those?! 😅 The relationship is mutually beneficial when Lucky says he will track her down but then after he wants out of the business once he’s done. Melissa herself is on the run and running from this crime family isn’t so easy!
  
  I am always appreciative when an author reaches out as I feel honored to be able to read it. This one is my second book by him and was sucked into this intense cat and mouse game! EA Aymar does a wonderful job creating high tension and heart pounding moments. I found myself rooting for both sides in this one which is unique because that doesn’t always happen. I appreciated the multiple POV and enjoyed the mob family ties and perspectives! If you like crime thrillers give this one a try!
  
  PS. How great is this cover?!
• 
  Stacy40pages

  When She Left by EA Aymar. Thanks to the author for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
  
  A young couple fleeing a criminal family and then real estate agent turned assassin trying to find them.
  
  Being familiar with the setting always makes a good book even more fun. I loved recognizing the locations, as it takes place near me in Maryland. I enjoyed the story. It has some very unique and interesting characters; so unique they had me laughing out loud at times. This book was packed with action.
  
  When She Left comes out 2/6.
• 
  Diane

  Drama, suspense and romance
  
  This plot is a page turner. I couldn't put it down. The characters are incredibly developed from the hitman who is so depressed about his two different lives to the couple caught in a nightmare they have no control over.
  
  The author's writing draws you into each character's life and introduces you to each one's unique problems and how those problems effect their lives.
  
  Although I felt the ending was sad it does hint that there is hope for the couple after everything they went through although still some aftermath to overcome.
  
  
• 
  Lisa Albright

  This suspenseful thriller has a gripping first chapter and I was hooked immediately. I love when a story is told from multiple viewpoints and I think that approach worked really well in this book. There are plenty of twists that kept me turning the pages and I like the author’s writing style. The epilogue is beautiful and I love when a novel lingers in my mind and gives me new things to ponder.
  
  I received a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  DeeAnn

  WHEN SHE LEFT
  by E.A. Aymar
  Release Date 2/6/2024
  
  This is a mob story about the Winter’s family.
  Melissa Cruz wants to leave her boyfriend Chris Winter’s. She is on the run with photographer Jake. Chris has sent assassins after them.
  The story is told and multiple POV’s. I found it a bit confusing at times. However, I still did enjoy it. I do not consider it to be a quick and easy read. But if you like mob crime stories, then this is one you would probably enjoy.
  
  Thank you E.A. Aymar for the ARC
• 
  Justinstaysreading

  I couldn’t peel myself away from this novel. It felt like my heart was beating and my mind was racing the entire time. This story never slowed down and it became increasingly obvious that this was never going to end pretty. My first of this authors writing and it was top tier.
• 
  Lisa Grønsund

  I received an advanced digital copy of this book, courtesy of the author and publisher, via Netgalley, for review consideration.
  
  RTC
• 
  Marie (IfCatsCouldRead)

  I read No Home for Killers last year and looked forward to reading When She Left. This is an exciting thriller that kept me excited to read!
  
  Melissa and Jake are running from her ex, Chris, who is part of a big crime family. Lucky is hired to do away with them. Some connections and twists happen, as well as a deeper look into Lucky's thoughts, which brought the story to a thrilling ending.
• 
  Elizabeth

  Dates read: 10/19 (DNF)
  
  Star rating: 2.5-3
  
  Personally I thought it has a good premise and the story is going great. The only fault is it was very confusing and I couldn’t get through with the four different POVs. Great mystery thriller book; just not for me.
• 
  Michele The Stick

  When She Left was a fast thriller.  Two kids (young adults) in love on the run, a scary bunch of hitmen on their tail, one of whom is dealing with some intense domestic issues and is obsessed with Christmas Villages.  Throw in rumors of a vigilante and a couple of moms, and you've got a damn good story. 
• 
  Carey Calvert

  When two star-crossed lovers decide to make a break for it in E.A. Aymar’s latest thriller, WHEN SHE LEFT, we get just what we want: a panoply of pathos and a movie script waiting for a producer.
  
  Jilted ex Chris Winters won’t let Melissa Cruz just walk out of his life, and Melissa’s new boyfriend, budding photographer Jake Smith, doesn’t seem the type to be able to protect her.
  
  Maybe because Chris is a rising star in his family’s crime syndicate.
  
  And for the Winters family, death is the most effective message there is.
  
  But Aymar’s most intriguing character, the one with whom we walk and cringe the most, is real estate agent Lucky Wilson, who takes calls from prospective buyers as well as calls about prospective hits.
  
  Lucky is commissioned to find Melissa and Jake but Lucky is facing an existential crisis – his marriage is falling apart , but his work is not cutting into his family, his family’s cutting into his work.
  
  “I’ve done this for something like 20 years, why is it affecting me now?”
  
  Obviously, the threat to a marriage, real or perceived, can shake you.
  
  “But have you experienced any other major life changes?”
  
  “I have a daughter.”
  
  Aymar keeps the dialogue fresh and humorous with an underlying threat of malice; an Elmore Leonard romp with the ethos of the DMV and the “festive goofiness” and “tree-filled” neighborhoods of Baltimore.
  
  “Have you always been able to separate your life from your work?”
  
  “I’ve killed people and had dinner with my family an hour later.”
  
  “But you can’t, you can’t do that anymore?”
  
  “No, I could.”
  
  Oh yeah, Lucky is visiting a shrink. That comes every so often in his line of work.
  
  WHEN SHE LEFT is filled with double and triple crosses and has flashes of The Godfather, even The Great Gatsby, and one of my favorite urban gangster movies, little known but critically acclaimed Fresh.  Aymar moves the chess pieces with a deft touch and well-executed precision.
  
  Fans of Aymar’s previous novel, NO HOME FOR KILLERS will be delighted because WHEN SHE LEFT features many of the smashmouth, rock-your-world threats and summations that will satisfy and stupefy but unlike NHFK, WSL is laced with homilies that will haunt.
  
  Like an intoxicating eucalyptus scent, the darkness will wrap around you, pulling you into its depths; violence begets violence.
  
  But we turn the page, always wanting more.
• 
  Miranda Blomberg

  Thank you to #NetGalley for letting me review this ARC.
  
  This is a book in a genre I haven't read much from, and I am pleasantly surprised. I had a bit of a hard time getting into it, with all of the characters being a little too hardcore, and there being a little too much violence and too much let's call it weariness, in a way that I just didn't know how to connect with. But about a third of the way through I found myself drawn in.
  
  We follow several different character, all with ties to the Winters crime family. The story begins shortly after the girlfriend of the head of the crime family makes a run for it with another man, and of course must be found and punished. Several hitmen are sent after them, and one of them is one of the characters we follow throughout the novel - Lucky, who has been working for the family for years but are really quite done with it and is trying to find away to leave.
  
  Lucky was by far the most fun character to follow, and the one with the most original storyline. As I said, it took me some time to get into the novel and part of it was that I had a hard time figuring out the people in it. Are the characters believable? I honestly couldn't say. But after a while I think I stopped caring, and went along with it - much thanks to Lucky's strange and rather sad life.
• 
  Amanda

  E. A. Aymar is one of those authors that has a way of absolutely gripping you by the shoulders and just not letting go until the story is done. When She Left is no different.
  
  Sometimes love gets in the way. It can ruin you…and it can save you. Melissa is finding that out the hard way. Love got her into this mess. She fell in love with a man before learning about his mob-boss family. Love blinded her to believe Chris when he said he wasn’t involved, despite his family’s past. But…love got her out. When she meets photographer Jake, she has long realized that Chris is not a good person. She just doesn’t know how to leave without losing her life. But Chris discovers her plan to leave, forcing Melissa and Jake to run for their lives. But…will both of them survive? Will either of them survive?
  
  This book is full of action, from the first page to the last. I really appreciate that Melissa’s new love interest isn’t a knight in shining armor that just swoops in and rescues her. Melissa is the stronger one, really…but they work together throughout everything. Melissa may be in danger, but she’s no damsel in distress. E. A. Aymar is really good at writing strong female characters. They are strong, but vulnerable and emotional at the same time. They are characters that I would legitimately what to emulate. I also love the tie-in to one of his previous books, No Home for Killers. You don’t have to have read it…but it would help a couple things make sense!
  
  I loved this book from pretty much the first page. Definitely will be reading everything this author comes out with.
  
• 
  Christina Faris (books_by_the_bottle)

  Melissa falls hard for photographer Jake…but there’s one problem. She already has a boyfriend, Chris, who is a star of his family’s crime organization. Chris isn’t going to let Melissa go easily, and turns to his friend, Lucky, (one of his family’s professional assassins), to track Melissa down. Lucky has his own problems; he has managed to keep his profession a secret from his wife, but now that she has found out, he’s desperate to change his ways. So he will help Chris in exchange for his freedom.
  
  It’s been awhile since I have read a crime thriller so I was eager to dig into this one! Told in multiple points of view, this was a fun cat-and-mouse story filled with lots of action. The various perspectives showed just how the organized crime lifestyle affected everyone involved. It reminded me a bit of The Sopranos, which is one of my favorite TV shows. If you enjoy crime thriller/organized crime type reads, you will like this one!
  
  “When She Left” released February 6, 2o24. Thank you to Getredpr, Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC! This review will behsared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)
  
• 
  Shannon (The Book Club Mom)

  When She Left by E.A. Aymar is a fast-paced, action-packed, and suspenseful thriller that will make you chew your fingernails right down to the quick! Wow! Talk about a nail-biter! A young woman and her love interest are on the run from her sketchy boyfriend and his criminal family. They have a slew of shady individuals working for them, and aren’t afraid to cheat, lie, steal, or kill if someone gets in their way. If you enjoy crime fiction, cat-and-mouse chases, mob-style storylines, and multiple POVs, then When She Left is just the book for you. I will say that the abundance of characters got on my nerves a little bit. I just couldn’t keep track of them all. Also, the ending got a tad confusing, chaotic, and wrapped up too quickly. Sure, it’s not my typical type of thriller—I tend to gravitate towards the slower-paced, domestic ones full of drama—but this one was still a lot of fun. When She Left is available now, and I give it 3.5/5 stars!
• 
  Charlie Helton

  This suspense crime thriller gave me such a diverse range of feelings throughout and I really liked it. It was sort of an out of the box thriller in my opinion, not in the story itself, but in the full range of emotion coming from the characters. It is told in multiple POVs. It’s an old aged story of woman meets man, man is part of a crime family, woman and man drift apart as man gets deeper into his crime family. Woman means a nice man and tries to run away, but no one escapes a crime family, right? There are multiple orders from various professional hitmen to find and kill them. One happens to be a middle aged dad living a double life thinking his wife is cheating on him and his daughter is out of control, and he finds himself hunting while going through deep depression. I actually really connected with this killer and his deep emotional side. It made for a very interesting story laced with a bit of humor and I was there for it! I also loved those twists and that ending was a chef’s kiss for me!
• 
  ReadaholicDeb

  Melissa and her photographer boyfriend Jake are on the run from Chris, the boyfriend she left and the rising head of his crime family. Lucky, a hired a$$asin, is a father and husband dealing with some surprising discoveries at home when he's called in by Ruby (who works for the crime family and has her own secrets) to find them. With an unknown vigilante, Melissa and Jake aren't the only ones in danger.
  
  Through the POVs of Melissa, Jake, Lucky, and Ruby secrets, revelations, and betrayals are revealed. I can't say I saw the twists coming. I found my jaw dropping a few times.
  
  I like that this is fast-paced because I found myself completely pulled in.
  
  There is plenty of danger and some unexpected humor. I found myself chuckling and rolling my eyes at a few one-liners and I can't deny that the characters are unique, and even a bit quirky.
• 
  Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase]

  When She Left by E.A. Aymar is a fast paced thriller told from the point of view of several lead characters. There are twists, turns and interlocking stories that come together to end in the story in a realistic and meaningful way.
  
  Jake and Melissa are young and naive when they think Melissa can just walk away from the Winteres crime family. Hunted from the second one, there is suspense at every turn as several murder for hire characters are offered the job.
  
  Lucky Wilson, real estate agent by day and murder for hire by night, takes center stage with his anxiety filled personality and desire for a life away from the crime family.
  
  The mixture of characters kept the story engaging and I was able to finish it in two days, but it’s easily quick enough to finish in a long afternoon.
  
  Thank you GetRedPRBooks for the gifted copy to review.
• 
  boogleloo

  BIPOC Suspense Thriller that finds a young couple on the run and the reluctant assassin tasked to kill them who decide that teaming up might be the only way they all survive.
  
  1/5 stars: This is new stand alone by Aymar that's told in multiple POVs: a young woman, her photographer boyfriend, the assassin tasked with killing them and the woman who relays messages for a criminal family. Aymar's writing is well paced and the character work is well done. This book tackles some very tough topics, so take care and check CWs. This just wasn't a book for me, leading me to DNF it at 12%.
  
  I received this eARC thanks to Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.
• 
  Brianas_best_reads

  🔥Review🔥
  
  Thank you so much @amazonpublishing @getredprbooks for the gifted copy of WHEN SHE LEFT which is available now!
  
  “Love is worth killing for.”
  
  WHOA. I don’t know what I was expecting from this book, but I certainly didn’t realize it would be such an action packed, intense, and wild ride. WHEN SHE LEFT would make a fantastic action movie and I’ll be the first to buy a ticket!
  
  The excitement starts all the way on page one and you get to know the characters better as the story unravels. I loved that each chapter was from a different point of view and I especially loved when their lives intersected.
  
  I would absolutely recommend this book to readers who enjoy a fast paced, twisty read that would be great on the big screen!
  
  4.5/5 ⭐️ rounded down to 4/5 ⭐️