3.5 ★

This book delivered what it promised—a story of love and family. 

We find Eleanor and Rachel grieving the loss of their husband / father and through a dual timeline NOW and THEN, we discover Eleanor's past and Rachel's present. There is a huge grief and loss component to this, letters and secrets, with a dark tone throughout. There is romance and heartbreak in this, and while there are moments and couplings I really enjoyed, many, most really, are skipped over or things just fade away. 

Furthermore, Eleanor and Rachel's characters are private and aloof. You could definitely tell they are mother and daughter. Things between them never, truly feel resolved. I felt I never quite got to the bottom of them as people and in their relationship as we saw it. Even though the truth came out and things were mostly resolved. it still felt unfinished somehow. The supporting cast (almost all) were more open and brought life to the page. 

I did enjoy this book, it wasn't a page turner, but it kept drawing me back in. I found the writing style impactful and impressive, I just feel underwhelmed by it on reflection. The third person POV was a was a bit clunky at times, especially in the beginning. 

(ARC KINDLY PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW)

A wonderful story. When Rachel is jilted she goes back home to live with her mother Eleanor who is a famous painter, and having recently just lost her father she is grieving for him as well as for herself. While she is there a tragedy occurs that leaves Rachel searching into her mother's past to find answers about her life. The story flows effortlessly from past to the present and eventually uncovers many secrets, and finally comes to terms with the past so she can finally find happiness in her own future. A fabulous read

A really heart warming book. Thanks Emma Kennedy and NetGalley. It was easy to fall in love with various characters and the scenes set were excellent. Following the lives of Eleanor and her sister Agnes during the 60’s through to modern day the story moves about but each chapter is either Then or Now so it’s easy to follow. Eleanor is at art college in London and meets some crazy artistic people along the way. In the Now chapters it’s Eleanor’s daughter Rachel who takes centre stage. Easy to read and follow. Loved this book.

A fairly predictable and light story, which never really seems convincing.  It's pleasant enough, but I found it a bit dull and would only really recommend it as a beach-read.

This is gentle and sweet. It's very well written and the dialogue is excellent.. Not a pacey/exciting plot but very readable.

Rachel and Eleanor are a mismatched mother and daughter, but - when a crisis happens - Rachel starts to delve into her mother’s past and it’s secrets.
The story flits backwards and forwards between Eleanor’s life as an aspiring artist in the 1960s, and Rachel’s in the current day. 
I found it a teeny bit of a slow burn at the start, but I was soon engrossed and the plot deviated from my expectations in a pleasing way.
There are some familiar plot devices - hidden diaries, a gardener with romantic leanings - but they’re well played. 
I’d really recommend it. It’s an easy read but with some hidden depths, and the characters are well-drawn and believable too.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
The Things We Left Unsaid by Emma Kennedy  is a wonderful trip down memory lane, to a time no longer, when the swinging sixties were happening and life seem very vivid. The storyline is of a family saga but one lovingly portrayed and written by the author.
 We read of the lives of Eleanor, Agnes, Jake, John, Hen and Charlie and then of Eleanor’s daughter, Rachel and the deaths of her beloved father, Charlie and then the death of Eleanor, her mother. Both the past and present are very vividly portrayed by Emma Kennedy and all of the characters with the exception of Claude are all fondly portrayed.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
Highly recommended.

Emily Kennedy's family drama focuses on a mother and daughter relationship and secrets that turn out to have tumultuous effects. Rachel gets hit by events that leave her reeling and griefstricken, six weeks ago her father Charlie died and to compound this emotional stress, her fiance, Claude, jilts her at the altar, and she cannot get in touch with him. Having no other options, Rachel returns to the family home, and her famous artist mother, Eleanor, despite the fact the two have had a tense and troubled relationship that has never been addressed. Both women are in such pain and grief, that they are unable to offer any sense of comfort to each other. When Eleanor tries to tell her some critical information, Rachel is not in any frame of mind to want to listen to her.

Tragedy strikes, and Rachel is at long last left curious about Eleanor and wondering what it was that her mother needed to tell her. In a narrative set in two different eras, we learn of Eleanor's time in the 1960s at a London Art College, her relationship with Jake and the life he introduces her, its the swinging 60s and she finds herself amidst the bohemian artistic circles that is to have a life long impact on her future. Eleanor and Charlie struggle to conceive a child, and when Rachel is born, they pour out all their love and care on her. Rachel has always got on better with her Aunt Agnes, and is shocked at what her mother had kept from her.

Kennedy's storytelling is compassionate and human, exploring the nature of family dynamics, grief, loss, love, and a mother and daughter relationship that had Rachel feeling that her artistic talent is overshadowed by Eleanor's, with little understanding of the challenges that Eleanor had faced in her life. Many thanks to Random House Cornerstone.

This is a wonderful read. I couldn’t put it down and got pulled in to Eleanor and Rachel’s worlds,  through time. It tells of the folk of Soho in the sixties and the Chelsea Art school. The author then flits back to the present to deal with Rachel’s sadness following her relationship breakdown,
I especially liked the character of her aunt to, Agnes, who was such a believable and fun element to the book. 
It’s a very satisfying read although the end seems a bit hurried and I could have read on much longer as the story concludes. 
I would recommend the novel very highly and absolutely loved it. 
I would buy it for all of my friends.

Rachel and her famous artist mother are grieving following the death of Rachel's father. Just when she thinks life can't get any worse 6 weeks later she is jilted at the altar. The situation forces Rachel to move back into her family home.The dual timeline story tells an emotional story of their tricky relationship. A very emotional read.

The strength of this novel is its pacing, with a dual timeline of a young woman in 1960s London and then her daughter in modern day Oxfordshire. It moved between the two timelines well, never spending too long following either. I was, however, rather unconvinced by Rachel, the daughter. Kennedy never quite gets to the bottom of how she managed to ever love the awful Claude, and she appears to have absolutely no friends (only her cousin and her aunt are ever mentioned) who could have helped her through the terrible events around her wedding. I also wasn’t convinced by her eventual romance, as it felt like a whole chunk of how they get together is missed out.

Written as part flashback and part set in the present, this is an emotional and sweet story showing relationships, families and secrets. It took me a little longer that usual for me to get into the book but I’m so glad I persevered as in the end I really enjoyed it

Vivid and vibrant story surrounded by love, art, family secrets, grief and Soho.  Completely beautiful.

A lifetime of secrets unravel in a summer of new beginnings... Will the truth set her free? You decide but whatever happens you MUST read this book!

Sometimes a fluffy family tale is just what you want but for me this book just missed on every level, not one of the characters rang true and as the calamities kept building I longed for an earthquake to swallow them all. The one thing I really liked was the evocation of the places - I felt I was chain smoking along with Hen in the French, in Eleanor's garden and studio...just a shame that none of the characters were relatable in the same way

OMG loved it so much read over 2 days and when l wasn’t reading l was thinking about it! I don’t read a lot of this style of book so this was a treat to find one so worthwhile loved the parallel storylines and yes it was cosy and easy to read but just what l needed in these difficult times just perhaps wish it was  explained why Eleanor’s relationship with Rachel was so strained guilt maybe? Go ahead dive into such a feel good delight of a book 📚

Rachel and her mother Eleanor have a very rocky relationship. Rachel has always felt she was living in the shadow of her famous artist mother, not quite good enough at anything to please her. However she was the apple of her fathers eye and he was her touchstone. 

Now Rachel is back at her parents home after her fiancé didn’t show up to their wedding, her father has died and everything seems to be bleak. 

Eleanor, herself, has had her fair share of heartbreak. Which we learn about in flashbacks. She has untold secrets and things she really needs to share with her daughter, but isn’t brave enough to do so. 

The title of this book is so apt. Why do we take so long to tell people we love how we feel? Why do we stay so long in situations that make us unhappy?

I really enjoyed this book (so much that I got on the wrong train while reading and ended up miles away from work 😆) and look forward to reading more by this author.

An emotional read that will send you on a full on rollercoaster of emotions. A mother and daughter who sadly don’t have the best of relationships . There are secrets to be revealed. 
It is a very thought provoking read and the writing is spot on.
The concept/plot is quite an easy one yet it is the way the characters are written that adds the passion behind it all and marries it so beautifully

Unusually (for me) I was far more gripped by the flashback scenes than the ‘present’. I really enjoyed these moments and the characters from the past were brilliant. Oddly, I did not find the next generation of characters as intriguing, and I wonder if the author preferred taking us back in time? A thoughtful plot, though it wasn’t hard to guess one or two of the revelations. I know I didn’t love it because I began skimming after part one ended.

An emotional. vibrant coming of age story, highlighting the relationship between a mother Eleanor, and her daughter, Rachel. Still reeling from the loss of Charlie, her father, she is jilted at the altar and has to return home to heal, and decide what to do next, Her complex relationship with Eleanor makes this emotional and difficult, and despite Eleanor's efforts, they remain estranged. 

With secrets untold, Rachel faces her third life-altering event and begins to realise what she has lost. She begins to look back into her mother's life and discovers, she' suffered pain and setbacks despite her glamorous persona. Told from dual points of view we revisit Eleanor's life, coming of age, in the swinging sixties and Rachel' solves a family secret that gives her hope for the future, whilst she comes to terms with her present, with the help of family and new friends.

The characters are complex and easily draw you into their lives. The snapshot of life in the sixties highlights the decadence, but also the prejudices that still need to be overcome. There are many poignant episodes in this story, which has an authentic ethos.

The plot is simple, and I have read similar stories, but this doesn't detract from the excellent storytelling.

I received a copy of this book from Penguin Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.