Left Behind

In Left Behind, Vi Keeland and Dylan Scott team up to bring you a young adult romance that revolves around a story of tragic loss and restoring hope. Fate.

Nikki spent her life moving around central Texas and taking care of her mother. But when her mother passes, Nikki is not quite yet 18 and is either going to be moved to a foster home or move to California to live with an Aunt she never knew existed.

Zack saw her when he was just nine years old. The girl on the yellow bike, the one he knew he’d love. Eight years later, Emily is still standing next to him. Although she isn’t always the same girl he remembered as a child. One night changes everything, Zack never imagined that life could be so cruel.

Nearly six months have passed when Zack sees her, the girl from the track. The one that makes him feel something again. The one that seems to understand the loss that he feels. Learning to let go of the guilt of feeling something for this girl, Zack begins to fall, more deeply than he knew was possible.

But a new start isn’t the only thing that led Nikki to California. She has a sister, a twin. A piece of her she never knew existed. She knows the answers can be found in California, but nothing could have prepared her the truth that she was going to discover.

Although this venture into the genre of Young Adult was a little different than what I’ve come to love from this author, the collaboration with Dylan Scott on this book was very much enjoyed. Even though the twist wasn’t buried too deep in the story, I found that I was still excited to see how it would play out. Both Nikki and Zack were very likable characters and were easily to get lost in. I did feel like I was lacking a bit of an emotional connection at times. There was potential for this to have a very emotional moment, but I think that figuring out the story line early on, turned that moment down a few notches. I was prepared for it, so when it happened I sort of glazed over the emotional impact of it.

The story is told in dual POV’s that start off with giving you a glimpse into both their lives before the move to California and their meeting. I enjoyed being able to be a voyeur into both their lives as this story unfolded. I absolutely loved the little notes, I am sucker for these sweet little gestures in books. Something so simple outshines the grandest of gestures and this just made loving Zack a little easier.

A wonderfully told coming of age Young Adult romance that shines a little bit of light in the darkness of loss and shows you that not all hope is lost when you lose someone you love. That sometimes things happen a certain way, in the most crushing ways, to bring you something so beautiful that the all the pain is worth it, because without it you wouldn’t have experienced the love.

This change in scenery for VK was refreshing and although I love her more adult titles, I would definitely not hesitate to pick up another YA title if she ever decides to write another. After all, Keller and Ash might just have a story that is yet to be discovered.

Left behind was a very sweet romance that left me with a wide smile on my face and my heart feeling a little lighter. A love story of two kids where the usual angst and drama fueled story lines didn’t exist because their own experiences were enough to drive the story forward.

Cute wholesome story, but SUPER predictable. Still a good read though. Very apropos for young adults. Nothing racey about this one. Just young high school love.

This story has hit all of my emotions! It’s the type you just don’t want to put down! Loved this story, it’s one of my favorite that she has written.