A difficult book to review, I thought. A slow burner of a book where the topics of mental health and motherhood were tackled head-on. Author Kelly Rimmer's writing gained its depth into the story as the pages turned.

Beth had to take a difficult decision of placing her father Patrick in a home due to advanced dementia, and while clearing her childhood home, she found paintings and letters where the story of her mother Grace and sister Maryanne soon came to light. Beth was shocked that her mother had not died in a car accident. She read on...

My second book by this author, the first part was slightly slow. But the story soon gained speed as I got pretty involved with the swirls of plots that emerged out. The author dealt with difficult topics like post partum depression sensitively.

Told in two timelines, I found myself empathizing with the women in 1950s and Beth in present time. The reveal of the truth happened one page at a time, and the voices of the three women were pretty strong.

This was a difficult book to read at the present time of world crisis, so I deliberately had to skim read some difficult parts so that I was not affected much. Overall, a poignant book where I realized things had not changed much for the women in my section of the globe.

Beth Walsh is dealing with the responsibility of clearing out her father's home after he is moved to a care facility. It has been years since she called it her home, but she finds it shocking to discover that her childhood playroom is locked. Over the years her father had become quite an accomplished painter. Why were these paintings, as well as lots of other things locked away?

As Beth pushes through everything, one thing in particular stands out, and that is a collection of letters in journal format. What Beth learns is more than shocking. As devastating as each letter she reads is to her, Beth slowly begins to understand a bit more about herself. Will the connection she begins to feel from her long deceased mother heal her or harm her? This story is written in dual timelines. Beth is reading letters that reach back to the late 90s and readers are able to watch Beth's emotions evolve as she reads her mother Grace's words.

This is no easy book to read. It deals with something many young mothers go through - that of postpartum depression. Although I haven't dealt with it, two of my daughters have, so some of these entries brought tears to my eyes more than once. The women in this book dealt with real pain, and the author showed great care in conveying the true emotions behind such feelings. This book will be with me for a long time, especially as my children keep having children! Kudos to Kelly Rimmer for writing such an exceptionally touching story.

Many thanks to Harlequin - Graydon House and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Truths I Never Told You discusses some hard issues , one of which is postpartum depression. I felt the author did a good job in discussing this topic in a relatable way.

Thes story was told from the unique perspective of 3three women's point of view , all belonging to the same family. The book alternated between two different timelines.

There were family secrets and drama , and some twists along the way.

The author does a fantastic job at weaving the multiple story lines and timelines.

A great book not to be missed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher - Harlequin for an advance reader copy of this book for an honest review.

Truths I Never Told You is a historical fiction novel, that is told from the perspective of three women in the same family, the stories take place in the late 1950’s and 1996.

It deals primarily with postpartum depression, and a woman’s right to choose, and some of the difficult decisions and their consequences when those rights are taken away

What I liked about this book
- pretty much everything
- the family dynamics

Kelly Rimmer is one of my favorite authors. If you haven't read Before I Let You Go and The Things We Cannot Say, you need to get on that ASAP! When I heard she had a new book coming out I *needed it* badly. She was kind enough to send one over to me on Netgalley and I love her even more now (thank you, @kelrimmerwrites!). Truths I Never Told You comes out next week and is a must read! All of her books have made me sob and this one is no exception.
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This story bounces between Grace in the 50's and her daughter Beth in the 90's. Both are suffering from postpartum depression and this story very accurately describes the scary thoughts and feelings that come with it. When Beth's father moves into hospice it is up to her to clean out their childhood home. She discovers journal entries from her late mother, Grace, and questions everything she knew about her parents and upbringing. Beth and her siblings thought their mother died in a car accident, but they now must unravel the mystery behind what really happened to her.
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This is a heavy read (triggers: suicidal thoughts, self-harm, PPD, abortion). As a counselor I really appreciated how Kelly bluntly described these women's confusion, pain and despair. It is another amazing, emotional story from her that really focuses on family and relationships in such a real, raw way. It is also suspenseful as you try to figure out the tragedy behind what happened to Grace. I highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a deep, insightful read that will make you think and feel a lot. Pick it up 4/14/2020!

This is a very emotional and compelling read. I instantly connected with Beth and her mother Grace and the difficulties they were facing. I suffered from mild postpartum depression with my oldest that lasted until he was around one so for me this was a story that touched me on a personal level. I also found the mystery surrounding the letters to be enthralling and I wish the book had been more focused on that. There were parts of the story where we get sort of sidetracked with other stuff that is going on and I think it took away from the bulk of the story. I did however really like when we got flashbacks to what was going on during the time when Beth and her siblings were young. I loved the dichotomy of how different issues were handled in both timelines. If you are interested in books that deal heavily with women's topics than I highly recommend this one to you.

My reading slump is OVER and of course it’s thanks to Kelly Rimmer. That woman writes a book that you cannot stop yourself from reading. It took me a day to get into it because of this lack of focus thing, but once she caught my attention...damn, did she have me. She pulled me right out of this darkness of not being able to concentrate.

I want to start off by giving you some trigger warnings. This is an incredibly moving story and for some, it will hit you in places deep inside of your heart. The story centers around postpartum depression and women’s rights. That’s all I’m going to say, but just be ready for some deep emotional and personal feelings.

It’s the 90’s and Beth cannot shake this funk of a feeling. Her dad is sick with dementia, she feels like a failure, and thinks maybe she just wasn’t cut out for motherhood. She’s too ashamed to say anything to anyone, and that includes her 3 siblings. It’s the 50’s and Grace is a young mother struggling with 3 kids under the age of 4. How can this be so hard? Apparently, she just needs to suck it up, buttercup.

This is a story of a woman’s strength, a family’s ties, and how far we will go for the ones we love. Truths I Never Told You is a deep, deep novel that hit me right in the heart. Postpartum depression is real and moms need all the support they can get. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to talk to someone if you’re not feeling quite right after having a child. You are not alone.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

When the Walsh siblings make the hard decision to move their father into a care facility, the youngest sibling Beth volunteers to clean out the family home. Beth is on maternity leave and figures taking on this challenge will help her get through her days because she finds herself struggling more and more with motherhood. When she discovers the door to the attic is padlocked and they have to essentially break in, she finds paintings and dark, depressing diary entries scattered among candy wrappers and other junk causing her to question everything she knew about her mother and her childhood.

Told in two different timelines, Beth as a mother in 1996, and her mother Grace, in 1957. Grace is young and in love, ultimately marrying and having several children very close together. Each diary entry sheds light on a struggling wife and mother, drowning in problems and dealing with them all on her own. Maternal health and societal expectations were very different in the 50’s and 60’s but Beth finds herself recognizing some of her own struggles written in her mom’s diary.

While I ultimately enjoyed the story and the family dynamics, this was a very heavy and emotional book to read. It deals with postpartum depression and Alzheimer’s/Dementia. At times, this book was too much to handle and I had to take a break from reading for a couple days. If you enjoy family dramas with a little mystery thrown in, give this one a try.

This is the first book I read by Kelly Rimmer, and I will read more from her in the future!

Truths I Never Told You was a family drama that, for the most part, had me guessing what was going on. Eventually, I figured out the “secret,” and it was quite earlier than when it was revealed in the book. No matter, I still needed to find out how this book would end.

While I did enjoy this book, I was a little let down by the ending. Maybe it was too foreseeable, or I read too many similar stories and have the formula figured out. There were parts, however, where I was emotionally invested in what was happening. In all honesty, that emotion was most often anger, but any emotion that I can truly feel through someone’s writing is pretty impressive.

I really struggled with the way Beth was “taking care” of her baby. Yes, I understand she had post partum depression and wasn’t getting the help she needed, etc. But as a parent myself, I cannot imagine some of the things she was doing, thinking, and feeling actually felt right to her, and didn’t make her think she needed help.

Aside from all of that, there were some parts in the story that also felt far-fetched for me. I won’t go into detail because I don’t want to give anything away, but there were times when I rolled my eyes and thought, “yeah, right.”

I gave this book 4 stars. There were a few things that didn’t sit well with me, but overall I enjoyed the story. I will be recommending this book to friends, and I will be reading more from this author in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and HARLEQUIN Graydon House Books for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a new mother grapples with postpartum depression, she discovers that she and her deceased mother may have something in common that she never imagined.

Heartaches and grief abound in Kelly Rimmer's latest as she gives us the voices of Beth Evans in 1996, and sisters Grace and Maryann in the 1950s. While Maryann ventures into the world of academia, Grace finds love with Patrick, a contractor, they marry and soon begin a family of their own. But with four children under the age of five and a husband spending his money on whiskey, Grace is completely overwhelmed and battling feelings that she cannot begin to express. Can sister Maryann help Grace and her family in time?

Fast forward to the 1990s, where Grace and Patrick's youngest daughter, Beth is struggling with motherhood and her father's rapid descent into dementia. Much to the astonishment of husband, Hunter and her three older siblings, Beth takes on the task of packing up the family home. When she stumbles across a series of notes written by the mother she only has scattered memories of, questions abound about what really happened to Grace.

Okay, this definitely tugged at the heartstrings and will no doubt be one of my favorites of 2020. I felt all three women-Grace, Beth, Maryann were such good characters and I appreciated their "voices" so much as they each unfolded details of the story. Sometimes we women today forget the privileges we have that women in Grace's time did not have. But Beth also shows that there are still stigmas in our time. The whole comparing ourselves to each other and believing that the other people have it together but we are the ones struggling-yeah that felt so raw and made it easy to connect to the characters. This just is my favorite Kelly Rimmer novel.

A fantastic and compelling family drama


Goodreads review published 07/04/20
Expected publication date 14/04/20

'Truths I Never Told You' artfully explores the way that tight-knit families can mask the truth from each other, sometimes forever, or until the pin holding everything together tumbles out, allowing the truth to come to the light.
In this case it is a sibling group, adults with families of their own, confronting the reality of losing their patriarch and every single thing he struggled to shield them from that they discover while packing up his home.
Is it a good story? Yes, it is executed well. Rimmer weaves the relationships of the siblings together, leaving the weak spots very apparent to the audience.
Does it take it's time getting where it's going? Also, yes. You have to be patient while the story builds and know that while it does there is a lot of tragedy brewing in the main character, Beth's, world.

This book is about a family struggling to deal with the loss of a loved one and finding out that things aren’t what they seem.
It’s sad to think of the so few options available to women back then compared to today’s world. The mind set of men that women can’t have a career and also a family at the same time is appalling.
I really enjoyed the book and had a hard time putting it down. I liked the characters and definitely recommend!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

This is not my first book by Kelly Rimmer and it won’t be my last. I did have difficulty reading the book because of the heavy content but I think post partarum depression is a topic that is very important. The book tells the story from Beth’s point of view in the present and her mothers point of view when she was a young mother. I love the authors writing style and enjoy her books.

Dang, it! I thought for sure I would love this one and have that emotional pull I love so much from a story. Instead, I couldn't connect with the way the story was written and I didn't find the characters all that convincing.

There are some very emotional topics explored here in two timelines and we can see how different things are from each other. I think what I struggled with the most was in one timeline we see the character's struggles through letter and we are told about them and how the character feels. Then it seems like the story itself took on a telling tone to it, creating an overload of drama for me. At times the story felt repetitive with the dialogue between the characters and I wanted the story to move forward faster. This one just didn't work for me.

I was very excited to read this book as I absolutely loved The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer. Perhaps I set my expectations too high as this just wasn't at the same level of awesomeness for me. The beginning was very slow and I wasn't drawn to any of the characters. There are 2 timelines to follow and in the more current one Beth and her siblings are making arrangements to say goodbye to their aging and ailing father. Beth is also struggling as a new mom and in denial about needing help and support. In cleaning out dad's house secrets are uncovered from their deceased mom's letters. There was potential here and covers very crucial topics but it just didn't do it for me.

Family secrets are not always good to keep. What was considered criminal in the 1950’s is not the same in today’s world. Women’s rights and opportunities have fortunately improved in just one generation. Without giving too much away I would say this theme is a major part of the novel.
This story evolves around Beth Walsh, who is the youngest of four siblings. Her father raised his children alone after Beth’s mother, Grace, died in a car accident. At least that is what she and her siblings were told. Beth is struggling as a new mother and she is really missing her own mother at this time.
This story alternated between two time lines. Beth as a very young child and Beth as a new mother herself. As Beth’s father ‘s dementia and his own heath worsens she comes across some conflicting information while she is cleaning her dad’s house. Just when and how did her mother actually die? The secret is slowly revealed as the truth of Grace’s death comes to light. I found the story interesting and it became a real page turner in the second half of the book. I have read this author’s other novel, The Things we Cannot Say, and I loved it, so I was anxious to read this new novel. This is a different type of story and once I got into it, I really enjoyed it.
I received an ARC from the publisher and Net Galley. This is my honest review.

This book totally swept me away. I was so invested in each one of the characters, their individual stories and the story of the family overall that I didn't want it to end! Kelly Rimmer's writing is so natural, her dialogue and ability to convey complex emotions are so spot on, it's very easy to tumble into the story she's telling. I've given no spoilers in this review. All that I have written is my take on the publication description. This is too great a read to spoil for anyone!! One note of caution: if post-partum depression is a trigger for you, do not read this book.

This particular story is of the Walsh family; Patrick, Grace, and their children Tim, twins Ruth & Jeremy, and Beth. It also includes Grace's parents and sister Maryanne.

At the book's beginning, we are introduced to Grace through a diary entry written on 9/14/1957. She is in crisis, her husband not yet home from work, it's hours after he said he would be home, and truth be told, she has no idea where he is. She only knows she can't count on him. But she needs him home, feeling her children's safety depends on it. She feels ready to break, so she's hiding from her four children under 4 years of age - Timmy, twins Ruth & Jeremy and baby Beth. She knows she loves them, she really does. It's just the first year after giving birth that is so hard, so damn hard, with no sleep and demand after demand. "Tonight I'm teetering on the edge of something horrific. Tonight the sounds of my baby's cry might just be the thing that breaks me altogether."

Beth, Grace's youngest child, is the other POV used in the story. Beth writes from the year 1996. She is on maternity leave from her job as a child psychologist at a community center. She and Hunter tried for six years before having Noah. Now she wonders if they made a mistake. But she can't tell anyone that! She and her brother, Tim are trying to get their dad, Patrick, packed so they can move him to the nursing home for hospice care. Has his dementia really come to this? She can't bear it! Their dad, their loving dad.....

Once he's safely in the hospice home, there's his house to clean out. Beth offers to do it - after all, she's on leave, and everyone else is working; Hunter is a junior partner at a law firm, oldest brother Tim is an orthopedic surgeon, Ruth is running the Walsh family construction company and has three children of her own, and Jeremy, an earth science professor lives an hour away. She starts with the "easy" rooms/things and she is pleased with her progress.

When Beth unexpectedly finds the door to their old playroom (the attic) locked, she enlists Ruth's help in sending over two workmen to open the door. Beth and Ruth are amazed by the towering mess the attic has become! There is so much to be sorted through, how could their fastidious, tidy father ever let it get to this point? Ruth is daunted by the mess, so Beth says she'll just keep chipping away at it, it'll just take longer than expected to clean Dad's house. But Beth is not herself, she's struggling, tired, and everything seems so overwhelming. Soon her family notices and tries to help her, but she just hears it as noise, and criticism. Unable to tell them what she's going through and feeling they wouldn't understand, she begins to spiral.

Then she finds a loose page from her mother's diary. When she reads it, she recognizes herself in the words. Did her mom go through this too? When more pages are found and shared with her family, they realize that what their beloved father told them about their mom's death, that she died in a car accident, isn't true. But then, what is the truth? Why would he lie? What other secrets are waiting to be uncovered?

The book alternates between Grace's and Beth's POVs. It is exceptionally well-done and it is extremely satisfying to watch the stories in both time periods develop. The author deals with post-partum depression in two different eras in a sensitive and thorough manner.

If you can't tell, I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

My thanks to NetGalley and Graydon House for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed are my own.

2.5 disappointing stars.

I will start by saying, Kelly Rimmer is one of my most favourite authors and this was one of my highly anticipated reads this year. Two of her previous books are my absolute favourites - Before I Let You Go and The Things We Cannot Say. This book has plenty of excellent reviews, but unfortunately it did not work for me. The fact that I love this author so much makes my less than enjoyable reading experience even more disappointing.

The novel revolves around a family that is preparing for their aging father’s death. Beth is the youngest of her four adult siblings. She is struggling with adapting to her role as a new mother and feels the need to hide her struggles from her family. The siblings move their father to a care facility and during the process of clearing out his home, they discover long hidden letters from their deceased mother. Through these letters, they uncover long kept family secrets that leave many unanswered questions.

There are several heavy topics covered within this book, however, the author did not convey these topics in a connectable way for me. I didn’t truly feel for any of the characters. The storyline felt quite long, repetitive and drawn out which had me wanting to skim read. The novel was high on drama and convenient coincidences which also didn’t sit well with me. I really liked the idea behind this book, but it just didn’t come together for me.

Overall, this wasn’t an enjoyable read for me, but I remain a fan of this author and look forward to what she comes out with next.

Thank you to NetGalley for my review copy!

An engrossing and poignant story, full of emotions.
The author does a great job with the double storyline and creates great characters that you cannot help loving.
It was a good read, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Truths I Never Told You is a powerful and heart-wrenching tale of family secrets and the impact a single decision can have on a family’s future. Be sure to grab the tissues before you start this one, it’s a tearjerker.
Told through flashbacks and multiple points of view, Truths I Never Told You tells the history of the Walsh family beginning in the 1950's.
While cleaning out her father's home, Beth stumbles upon letters that imply her mother didn't die in a car crash as her children were led to believe. With her father's advanced dementia, Beth's hope of solving the mystery behind her mother's death seems lost but her own struggles with adjusting to motherhood drives Beth to find answers. What Beth uncovers upsets everyone's memories of a perfect childhood and sheds light on the mystery of her parent's relationship.
Powerfully told, Truths I Never Told You is a beautiful story of family, and the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harelquin for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.