BETTER LEFT UNSENT is a workplace romance about millie chandler, a receptionist who uses her email drafts as a diary, until the day her emails are accidentally sent to everyone—ranging from her soon-to-be-married ex-boyfriend, her unattainable (or so she thinks!) work crush, her best friends, and all the people she doesn't like in her office. new fear unlocked, right?! millie is struggling to figure out how to pick up the pieces and patch things up with the people she hurt, and she just so happens to get closer to her quasi-boss/work crush, jack, in the process. i absolutely loved millie and jack's relationship, their dynamic, and the way she felt comfortable enough to be her true self with him. i also really loved all of the side characters and would gladly read a novel about cate and ralph or petra and kira. the pacing did feel a little off, with the beginning of the book dragging while the second half went by super quickly, and i would've loved to see more of millie's other best friend, alexis. but overall, i really enjoyed the book and can't wait to see what lia louis writes next!

read if you like:
- messy FMCs,
- office romances,
- lovable side characters,
- low spice

thanks to netgalley and atria for the advanced copy! BETTER LEFT UNSENT comes out may 21st.

I have to say first off that this book made me cry and hug my iPad. I don’t read a lot of romance, this one fulfilled all my romance needs. I laughed and cried and kicked my feet up. The character, Jack, had me swooning all over the place and had me yelling at the main character telling her to look at him already.

Don’t get me wrong, I never want the emails I have in drafts and not sent to people, sent.. I would be probably leaving the country!

This had a slow slow burn and those are my favourite.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Lia Louis for the chance to read the eARC for an honest review.

Okay, this was so cute! Such an original and fun storyline.

Millie finds herself mortified as numerous drafted emails get delivered all at once to the intended targets. (The thought of this actually happening?! Terrifying!) I really enjoyed going along for the fall-out ride with Millie and those around her that received her emails. It changed everyone, and for the better.

And Jack? Sigh. I love Jack. Jack is just what an MMC should be.

Would recommend this one highly!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC for my honest review; all opinions are my own.

I love the premise of this book and could not wait to read it. I felt that it was not exactly what I was hoping for but I still enjoyed the book. I will give Lia Louis another try for sure.

I have never read anything by this author and have heard such good things but honestly I kind of slogged through this even though I found the premise to be completely fascinating and I was very eager to give it a try...

I may go back and some of the author's other work as she is so highly recommended by others.

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy. It is my pleasure to write an honest review.

super slow burn romance
Millie was OK but did not have great character development... she kinda just changed from one page to the next

This book was not for me. I was unable to finish it. I didn't see a point to the story. The premise was good but it didn't follow through.

Not surprisingly, I absolutely loved this one, as I have loved all this author's other books. At the advice of a friend, Millie drafts emails to communicate the things she wants, but can't actually say and they mysteriously all get sent overnight, including to her ex-boyfriend, best friends, work crush, and boss. Nothing was said in bad spirits, and everything needed to be said, but Millie feels so apologetic over it and tries to make up for it. I absolutely loved Millie and her best friends, Cate and Ralph. But Jack. JACK is one of the best boyfriends ever. Honestly, this book - funny, heartwarming, romantic, was near perfection. My one complaint was when Millie said that her fifty-two-year-old colleague was a baby boomer and it wasn't in a teasing "Ok, Boomer" sort of way. Since this book is contemporary, 52 is the belly of Gen X and nowhere near Baby Boomer! I hope this typo was picked up in copy edits because Gen X-ers are not going to like it!

I've loved this author's other novels (the grand gesture in key to my heart was one of my all time favorites 🫠🥰) and couldn't wait to dive into this one. The premise 🤣 but since her books have left me all the feels (and tears in dear emmie blue), I was also curious about how this one would pull at heartstrings)

Who hasn't typed out an initial response to an email only to delete it and send something slightly more work appropriate?? I loved Millie's journey through through this story, her found family (cate and ralph!!) her chemistry with Jack, and trying to piece together the mystery surrounding emails getting sent. This felt like one of those books where you're trying to be up on all the office gossip to see who might spill the tea. And as a corporate girlie who has hung out by a water cooler or two....I can definitely relate!

While this story didn't hit me in the feelings as I was expecting it to/the authors other books have, I definitely enjoyed it none the less!!



Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Unfortunately, I gave up at 33%. It started out strong but quickly lost its steam. I no longer cared what would happen and the main character read a a whiny woman who needed to grow up.

Better Left Unsent is the latest novel from one of my favorite author's, Lia Louis.

This was such a fun premise for a book. All of the drafts of the main character's emails (over 100 of them)get sent, and some of them are not ones that Millie wants to get out. This author's novels always make me smile smile & laugh out loud. I like the unexpected twists that always seem to happen in her novels as well. I especially loved the emphasis on friendship & family in this one and how these relationships + how we think about our loved ones can evolve.

Millie, however, was not one of my favorite main character's by this author. Some of the side character's, especially those at Millie's work, I thought didn't really add much depth to this book.

Thank you Netgalley & Atria Books for this ARC!

I found the premise of this book to be quite intriguing. Who among us wouldn’t be horrified to have our innermost thoughts revealed to the very people we never want to hear them?

The book starts with Millie learning that her draft emails - the ones she writes when she doesn’t have the heart to speak her thoughts out loud - have been sent to family, friends, and colleagues. Disaster. The rest of the book follows Millie as she tries to recover from the damage her words have caused.

The book was unable to maintain the solid start and I found myself pushing through a good chunk of it. There were definite highlights, including Millie’s relationship with Jack who is just do darn nice. I also appreciated Millie’s growth as a character as she learned to be honest with herself and those around her rather than suppressing her feelings.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Before I deleted my Facebook, I used to compose replies to posts that annoyed me or got me fired up. The catch - I never hit post. I found it very cathartic to get it out there, but I knew many of those comments were better kept to myself. Because of this, I really related to Millie's penchant for composing emails she would never send. I understood the why, but oh, boy! I felt terrible for her when all 100+ emails were sent.

I liked the way Louis explored all the different ways these way-too-honest emails affecting the recipients. Obviously, there were people who were hurt, but surprisingly, the emails were motivated some to make changes in their lives. One of those people ended up being Millie herself. Initially, she went into cleanup mode, but as she kept digging to figure out how those emails got sent, she also dug a bit into herself and reflected on her past, present, and future.

Part of her future could be her co-worker, Jack. He was this affable, free-spirit type and I liked him for Millie. He may have seem too "shake it off" at times, but I think Millie needed someone like that in her life as she became more and more obsessed with the emails. There were some wonderfully swoony and sweet scenes between these two, and I had my fingers crossed for them the entire time. I just wish they had a bit more time together.

This book started out with the email debacle, and it felt very much like reading a Shopaholic book. That humor and energy was there, and I found it easy to like Millie. Somewhere in the middle, the pacing was off and it dragged a bit, but then it got to that BIG moment where important story-things happen and all the heartwarming stuff plays out, and I was very pleased I muddled through.

Overall, this was a fun and light one from Louis which put a smile on my face.

💻Good results from a bad situation😯

4-4.5🌟stars
Author Lia Louis has come up with another out-of-the-ordinary plot that I really enjoyed. The pleasures and pitfalls of workplace romance kept me heavily involved, though the female lead's family subplot just seemed to lengthen the novel with minimal relevance, especially their kumbaya FaceTime sessions.

Office receptionist Millie Chandler goes through a series of worries and trials when somehow the dozens of email drafts she's been writing to let off steam, never intending them to see the light of day, get sent. Over a hundred drafts of her very private musings about colleagues, friends, family and the man who dumped her go out into the ether. While I thought this was an interesting way to push off the drama, I did not understand why anyone, after venting, would keep rather than delete the email drafts. Nevertheless, suspending disbelief, the story of how Millie handles the snafu and works to combat some tricky aftereffects, like the breakup between her former boyfriend Owen and his fiancee Chloe, and Millie's criticism of the way her best friend Kate's boyfriend Nicolas treats her, is a very good story. The email draft mishap brings unexpected results and I liked the way things actually headed, especially the closeness that develops between Millie and Jack, a more senior office colleague.

There are some very romantic scenes but they are done without steam and just as good for it, in my opinion. Millie's growing attachment to Jack is full-on dreamily romantic but bittersweet at the same time as he plans to leave on world travels almost before their relationship gets off the ground.

I found the novel a bit drawn out but still sweet, emotionally engaging and well-written, with touches of whimsy.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

I’ve been a huge fan of Lia Louis’s previous books, but there was something lacking from Better Left Unsent. The premise was unusual and had a lot of promise: Millie writes down her thoughts, the ones she would never say out loud, in draft emails as a way of releasing them. One day, she finds that all her drafts were delivered. Millie is left to pick up the pieces of her life when her deepest thoughts have been shared with the exact people who were never supposed to see them.

Louis always writes wonderfully quirky and loveable characters, and this was no exception. Millie and her friends seem realistic in their quirks and I loved spending time with them. Although the romance was on the back burner for much of the book, I really enjoyed Jack and Millie’s chemistry. It was clear that they complemented each other wonderfully and I was so rooting for them.

The premise definitely did not feel deep enough to sustain the whole book. Millie’s constant need to clean up after herself/the emails got old pretty quickly and there wasn’t much else plot-wise to keep me hooked.

The loveable characters and promise of romance kept me reading, but the charm I expect from Louis’s books wasn’t sustained throughout.

Cute heartfelt romance with definite Bridget Jones vibes! Louis is one of my favorite authors and I’ll always read everything she writes!

3.5 stars!

There are so many things we say every day to the people in our lives, our coworkers, our loved ones, our frenemies, but then there are the things that we don't say...the thoughts we have that are our innermost feelings, not always fit for other ears. No one knows this better than Millie, who finds herself writing all those thoughts as email drafts...that one day get sent out to everyone, upending her life and relationships as she knows it!!

This kicks off a great reckoning for Millie as she figures out who she is, what's really important to her, and helps her understand more about the people around her. She's got her best friend, Cate, whose boyfriend she REALLY didn't like. She's got her newly engaged ex and his fiancee who both happen to work with her. She's got the man, Jack, who she's had a crush on forever and thought she lost her chance with when he moved away. She's got her parents, dealing with some trickier aspects of life. And then, there's Millie herself- lost, unsure, stuck in a people pleasing rut- but the thing that might have ruined her life, actually saved it!

This was a sweet, simple story of a girl finding herself. The romantic connection wasn't that deep, but was quite adorable. The friendships were not too involved, but still supportive and loving. I enjoyed this book- and would have enjoyed it even more if I was reading it poolside!

Thank you so much to Lia Louis and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

When Millie’s draft emails accidentally get sent her world spirals. Some emails were sent to family members, coworkers and friends leaving her with no choice but to deal with it head on. We follow Millie as she tries to make amends for all of her snarky emails. I loved the clever plot, I mean can you imagine if this happened to you? Lia Louis has a gift of exploring real situations with humor, from dysfunctional family situations, healing after a breakup, to falling in love again.
Medium paced, lovable characters, a mystery to solve why and how these drafts got sent, made this book a very entertaining read!


Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC of one of my favorite authors in exchange for my honest opinion.

Get your copy May 21, 2024

Have you ever wanted to be able to speak your mind and just be honest with yourself and others? Well in Lia Louis’s Better Left Unsent Millie Chandler gets that opportunity when all of her email drafts are sent out to everyone. We’re talking drafts of things she wished she could say to her co-workers, ex, besties, parents, and even someone she has a teeny tiny crush on. Although completely devastating at the time, what unfurls is Millie discovering herself and what it’s like to truly be yourself and who she is when she stops hiding and starts trying to live her life. This book is definitely for people who love slow burn, romance novels with touches of epistolary correspondence, and strong friendships (I’m looking at you Cate and Ralph!). I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one, and would say it is a tad slow at the beginning, but definitely worth the read if you stick with it. Watching Millie gain her confidence, discover self-love, and then finally true love was *chef’s kiss* Also, who knew rhubarb could be so sexy?!? IYKYK ;)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Lia Louis and Atria for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

Millie types email drafts like they're a journal. When all of her unfiltered thoughts get sent out, she is rightfully panicked and suspicious even though the company has assured her that it was all due to a server surge. In the chaos, she finds an ally in Jack, her boss, who offers advice and reassurance regarding Millie's regretful words.

This story moved a bit slower than I had hoped. I enjoyed the chemistry and creativity in Millie and Jack's dates, but I felt like all of the other relationships were toxic. Jack's godmother's marriage that was barely part of the story was the only example of lasting love. Millie's parents, Cate's relationship, Millie's previous relationship, Millie's ex's new relationship... Millie recognizing that she had been emotionally abused seemed to take an exceptionally long time, considering she had been out of the relationship for a couple of years and was witnessing Cate deteriorating in her relationship. I wish the prologue had showed Millie as a young adult who was in her head dreaming so that her stunted emotions and dreaming was really apparent.

Overall, I felt like the email aspect was handled differently than I anticipated, but in a good way. Millie gets drunk but then she faces the repercussions of her words and tries to make amends. In several cases, her (somewhat brutal) honesty brings positive change for her and for the email recipients.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.