Title: Better Left Unsent
Author: Lia Louis
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publishes On: May 21, 2024
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Source: digital (Netgalley)
Pages: 352
Synopsis:
So many ways to torpedo your career and your love life…So little time.
A woman accidentally reveals all her secrets in this witty and charming novel from the author of Eight Perfect Hours.
Two years ago, thirty-year-old receptionist Millie Chandler had her heart spectacularly broken in public. Ever since, she has been a closed book, vowing to keep everything to herself—her feelings, her truths, even her dreams—in an effort to protect herself from getting hurt again.
But Millie does write emails—sarcastic replies to her rude boss, hard truths to her friends, and of course, that one-thousand-word love declaration to her ex who is now engaged to someone else. The emails live safely in her drafts, but after a server outage at work, Millie wakes up to discover that all her emails have been sent. Every. Single. One.
As every truth, lie, and secret she’s worked so hard to keep only to herself are catapulted out into the open, Millie must fix the chaos her words have caused, and face everything she’s ever swept under the carpet.
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
Lia Louis stole my heart with Dear Emmie Blue and I’ve been a fan of everything she’s written since. So I was excited to pick up Better Left Unsent, her next romance, and I was hooked from the start, loving Millie AND her friends.
Who hasn’t sent an email or text to the wrong person? What about something you wrote and never intended for anyone to read? It’s something anyone can sympathize with, and I felt every ounce of Millie’s distress when her folder of email drafts—thoughts she wrote out like a diary with no intention of ever sending—were mysteriously sent from her work computer. All her private thoughts and gripes were sent to their sources: co-workers, friends, and family.
And the fall-out is not surprising. Secrets revealed, feelings hurt, and friendships strained.
I miss the quiet, simple life. Before—well. Before the truth was set free. And some (Ralph) might argue, why would you want a quiet, simple life if it’s based on lies. But I do. In this moment, I do. I’d love a simple life; a lovely little slice of under-the-radar, B.E. life. To feel safe, for a moment, and not like everything is my fault, and I’m alone out here, amongst the debris of it all. I’d give anything.
I was thoroughly enjoying this one…. until we got more time with Jack, Millie’s co-worker and crush. Sometimes he was kind and sweet but other times I didn’t feel like he could be trusted, which skewed my reading experience. There were a few times I felt like he came across as uncharacteristically selfish. I think I needed more of Jack’s backstory and more time with Millie and Jack together to get a more complete picture of who Jack was.
But I did enjoy the side characters and stories of Millie’s best friend Cate, Millie’s roommate Ralph, and Millie’s parents and how they were incorporated into Millie’s story. There was even a surprising twist in the story involving a side character that I didn’t expect, and I was happy to discover I didn’t mind it.
Better Left Unsent seemed to be lighter than Louis’ previous three books, which was fun, but I do think I prefer her more layered stories. This one is still well-written, I would have just liked a bit more depth. The ending also wrapped up a little too nicely and quickly for me; I wanted a little more time with Millie in a good place.
I had fun with Better Left Unsent and would recommend it to other romance readers. It’s a heartwarming story with a relatable plot that kept me turning pages, eager for Millie to find her happiness.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.
(All quotes are taken from the advance copy and are subject to change in final print.)
My Rating: 3.75 stars
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My reviews of Lia Louis’ previous books:
Dear Emmie Blue
Eight Perfect Hours
The Key to My Heart
About the Author
Lia Louis lives in the United Kingdom with her partner and three young children. Before raising a family, she worked as a freelance copywriter and proofreader. She was the 2015 winner of Elle magazine’s annual writing competition and has been a contributor for Bloomsbury’s Writers and Artist’s blog for aspiring writers. She is the author of Somewhere Close to Happy and Dear Emmie Blue. (Photograph by Patrick Harboun)
A Song For A Book
I’ve chosen to highlight The Bravery’s “An Honest Mistake” for Millie in Better Left Unsent. She feels responsible for her words being mistakenly sent out, with the weight of the world on her shoulders, and she’s at a loss about how to fix her broken relationships.
…My old friend
I swear I never meant for this
I never meant
Don’t look at me that way
It was an honest mistake
Don’t look at me that way
It was an honest mistake
An honest mistake…
Have you read Better Left Unsent? Did you add it to your tbr? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
I feel like Jack was supposed to seem a bit selfish, but he changed from the beginning to the end of the book. I thought that was the point.
Great review! With your review and Sam’s comment I’m already suspicious of Jack and it sounds like he could definitely skew the reading experience. Sorry to hear that’s what happened for you!