I greatly enjoyed the many layers involved/discussed in this book. There were poignant storylines related to the main characters’ intermingled histories that I found interesting and relatable on an emotional level. There were also very important discussions about the importance of recognizing white privilege, white tears, and practicing what we preach when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, school, and our communities. As an American reader, the DEI discussions really came at an important and ironic time. Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me the privilege of experiencing this book. I will be recommending it to all my reader friends.

Not my cup of tea. I found it hard to connect to the characters and the story. I’m sure this will connect with readers who Fong mind anti semitic authors who write like Sally Rooney

This was an extremely well-written book with a powerful message about the impact of microaggressions and injustices. Shirin is struggling with depression, anxiety, and a workplace that doesn’t respect her contributions. She is struggling to feel grounded in adulthood and navigating her relationships with friends. I thought the way depression was talked about was delicately and accurately done. Shirin’s journey to empowerment was one I was always interested to read and will recommend to others. Her relationship with Kian felt real, and I liked that his presence changed her but also she stood up for herself without needing him. Her friendship with Hannah made me feel uncomfortable because it was so real, but I was so happy they had come back together.

Ending in February 2020 was a choice.

The audiobook narrator was brilliant!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC.

Things Left Unsaid was a powerful read. Shirin, the FMC is relatable and her journey through childhood trauma, which impacts her adult life, is portrayed so authentically. I loved seeing her take control after enduring so much.

The slow rekindling of her friendship with Kian was beautifully done, and their relationship felt natural. The writing is descriptive, making the characters' emotions and growth feel real.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

Both narrators were amazing!

Things Left Unsaid is a well written and empowering story that will tug at your heart strings. The reader is taken on an emotional journey exploring numerous deeply personal subjects including anxiety, depression, racism and so much more,

Through rich character development, the reader comes to know 26-year-old Shirin. Shirin is someone so many of us can relate to on one level or another. When someone dear to her from her past reappears in her life ten years later, she is forced to face the memories of the events that tore their relationship apart.

Kian was the person that Shirin confided in and trusted most in life. When they meet again, everything comes rushing back. Depressed and burned out, Shirin finds comfort in her old friend. While their lives have gone in different directions over the years, when they came face to face again, the connection between them was instant.

This book is about acceptance and learning from your past, while embracing the future. It is a story about love and second chances told through two very relatable characters that are easy for the reader to connect with.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ARC of the audio version of this book. It was a touching and through provoking story.

I’m saying RIGHT NOW that this book is going to be huge. It’s Sally Rooney meets Zadie Smith. The characters are lovely and full, the story is compelling, and the style is so fluid. I LOVED this book.

Thank you so much Sara Jafari, MacAudio2025 and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC. I thought the narration was absolutely perfect and the production was well done on this audiobook. As for the story and characters, I may not have the same lived experiences as these characters, but my heart ached for Shirin hearing the discrimination and abuse she faced not only in high school but then to relive it as an adult. The workplace gaslighting and lack of compassion, the friends who often just didn't get it... it was still quite relatable even living a different experience. Kian was a delight through and through and it was awful to hear his guilt and inner battles as well. Overall, I thought this was a great read. Pacing could have moved faster, but not enough to take away a star.

Things Left Unsaid was a well-written and thought-provoking novel, but it didn’t fully resonate with me the way I had hoped. While I appreciated the themes of identity, racism, and second chances, I found the pacing a bit slow at times. Shirin was a compelling character, but I didn’t connect with her as deeply as I wanted to. Still, the book had its moments, and Jafari’s writing is undeniably strong. A solid read, just not a personal favorite.

Sara Jafari takes us on Shirin’s journey of self discovery. Her story begins in high school with her insecurity and the bullying she receives due to her Persian background.
A British woman growing up under the cloud of racism, she moves from bullying in high school to micro aggressions in adulthood and discrimination in the workplace. In school she forms a bond with a Pakistani boy, Kian, who has also experienced similar harassment. As time passes something stronger than friendship begins to grow between them.
It is powerful to be pulled into their world and feel the fear of rejection and tentative excitement that engulfs them. Jafari wrote this with such intensity that I felt pulled back in time to my own experiences. It was also written from both POVs and we could see the yearnings and mistakes on both the parts of Shirin and Kian.
In this book in high school Shirin helps Kian find the strength to follow his dream. He is there when she needs protection. As an adult Kian helps Shirin gain the confidence to break free of the trauma that has plagued her and stand up for herself. She eventually refuses to be intimidated any longer, be it at work or from people who have unwittingly stifled her in her past.
People often justify using free speech as an excuse for hate speech and this book calls them on it. We see people vilify silent protest by slapping the label of cancel culture on it. Non racist actions are derisively called woke by those who perpetuate them. This book is searing in its intensity as we watch Shirin living amidst the hate and denial.
It is about the desire for diversity versus actual inclusion, the recognition of habitual friendships versus real friendship and the importance of second chances.

The narration of this book was engaging and well paced. I would like to thank St. Martins Press, ManMillian Audio and NetGalley for and ARC of this fantastic book. 5 stars. These opinions are my own.

I really appreciated the perspective in this book on growing up a minority in a small town in England and working as one in the publishing industry and all the trauma the main character had to overcome as a result. I also loved the romance between Shirin and Kian and was really rooting for them to get together. It was definitely a relatable story of what it's like to be in your mid-twenties and figuring yourself out and feeling really alone, and I enjoyed watching Shirin come into her own and find her voice and learn how to make her life what she wanted. I thought it was well-written, if a bit depressing in parts. In the end, it was uplifting and poignant.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC.

Jafari beautifully crafted an incredibly realistic FMC in Shirin, a 26 year old woman battling depression, burn out at her job, daily racial micro-aggressions, friends that may or may not have her best interests at heart, and a growing feeling of not having anyone in her corner (until she bumps into her old best friend Kian).

Kian was an interesting character as well, but Shirin was definitely the star of this novel. I would have preferred only getting her perspective for the whole book, even during the flashback sections that we see from Kian’s POV.

Stunningly descriptive writing, extremely believable, and really thought provoking.

This book was exceptionally well-written and offered compelling insights into the impact of choices made during one's teenage and young adult years. The portrayal of Iranian family dynamics and their relationships was particularly insightful. Overall, it was a great story.

Thank you to #MacmillanAudio and #Netgalley for providing this ARC.

This is a well done book about old relationships and people changing over time. Made me reminisce about relationships in my life as well. It’s a quieter book but also some fierce commentary on the publishing industry. It was a treat to read!

It took me a little while to get into Things Left Unsaid and at first, I wasn't sure what I thought of it. But as it went on, I started to enjoy it more and more and by the end, I felt like I had gotten a lot out of my reading experience.

The book begins with 26-year-old Shirin bumping into an old friend/crush (Kian) at a party. As readers, we don't know what happened between them... what kind of relationship they had, why they grew apart, etc. and we will spend the rest of the novel uncovering those details, along with what their future is like. We spend most of our time with Shririn, getting peeks at her relationships with friends, her work life at a publishing house where she's often focused on diversity efforts, and her family life. I especially enjoyed the work bits! We also go back in time to get a better understanding of Shirin and Kian's early relationship and circumstances.

One of the things that drove me a little bit crazy about the book was some of the miscommunication, especially between Shirin and Kian. I wanted to yell at them to just say how they feel!! But I had to remind myself that they were in high school when they met and even now are in their 20s. Also, I feel like the book does a good job or recognizing this by the conclusion.

Ultimately, I found this to be a really enjoyable read, so I recommend you keep with it even if you're having a little trouble getting into it. I think it's an especially important novel in these current times with lots of people not understanding why diversity efforts are important.

Things Left Unsaid is a heartbreaking yet empowering story. Shirin reminds me of that time in life when you’re between college and career. Still recovering from so much of youth while being expected to be an instagrownup.

She feels a bit complacent in life, work, friendships, relationships, family but as her past creeps into her present, fears infiltrate and seem to block her chance for the future she’s worked hard towards.

As someone who’s wondered if I’m overthinking things that stuck with me from high school, reading this reminded me that some of my experiences ARE unacceptable AND traumatic. Shirin had to navigate and contemplate many relationships in resolution and I’m quickly reminded how necessary it is to advocate for ourselves.

A well done, thought provoking story with a deep, personal voice in Shirin.

Thank you for the ARC! Fans of Normal People, buckle in! This story follows Shirin and Kian through different stages of their life. They had grown apart over the last decade, and find each other again as they age.

This story does an excellent job navigating the weight of the past, self discovery, resentment, micro aggressions, the weight POCs carry in the work place. This book is modern and has depth. The ripples of their childhood continue to ripple throughout their adult lives, and the story of their bond is beautiful and heartbreaking. This is a must read!

Wow, wow, wow! This novel might just become a top read of 2025. “Things Left Unsaid” delves into the pain that the past can carry and the insidious undercurrents of racism that permeate various aspects of life, including work, school, and everyday interactions. As a white man, this story serves as an excellent mirror, prompting me to introspect and examine my own relationships—do they truly embody the values they preach?

But the heart of the story lies in its captivating love story and the transformative power of second chances. Shirin and Kian’s relationship is so intense and relatable that it’s almost unreal. As they navigate the complexities of their pasts, the author’s exquisite and painful prose draws me in, making it impossible to put the book down.

Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and MacMillian Audio for the incredible opportunity to read this story early. I can’t wait to add it to my permanent shelf.

“A novel for millennial times”
Set in London, Shirin, age 26, has her dream job working in the publishing industry as an assistant editor. She is still dealing with harassment that she faced all through school and taking anti-depression/anxiety medication. And the job she always wanted has it’s issues with diversity and ethical dilemmas.

Kian, is a talented artist, that Shirin hasn’t seen in a decade who makes an unexpected reappearance into her life. He is a roommate of one of her friend’s boyfriends, and he is pursuing an advanced master’s degree in fine art. Just when their spark is being rekindled, he is sent to study abroad in New York.

After being apart for a decade, Kian makes Shirin feel like herself again. But this is not just a reunited love story. It is about confrontation and saying things that are difficult to address in our professional and personal lives. It’s about realizing that it is okay to end a friendship with someone that you’ve grown apart from, especially when gaslighting is involved. Shirin matures over the course of a couple of years and as she’s approaching 30 finds contentment and is able to find the good in her life.

I think the narration was lovely and soothing. The only negative is that I don’t love the cover art. With one of the characters being skilled at portraiture, I would have liked it to be more artistic. I think the bright green block letters of the title are a bit harsh.

4 stars

This is an understated but powerful read.

Shirin and Kian are close in high school, but they experience both separate and mutual traumas that force them apart. When they reconnect a decade later, their bond is stronger than ever, and readers - along with both characters - are left wondering what the future holds for these two characters, who are richly developed on their own but may be even better together.

While this book is billed as a romance, and that is undeniably a vital and intriguing part of this read, the most gripping element for me is the separate character development of each half of this couple. Shirin's story, including her experiences in the publishing industry, is particularly arresting. I expect that when I reflect on this book over time, it'll be the full development of each character even more than their compelling connections to each other that really stands out for me.

My interest in this book was piqued by comparisons to other reads I've enjoyed, and I'm so glad I had the chance to dig in. The audiobook is exceptionally well narrated, and the pacing, timbre, and measured presentation add so much to the experience. I appreciate having had the opportunity to engage, and I know others will, too.

I am so happy that I picked up this audiobook to listen to. It was the 5 star read that I needed this year. The audiobook was a great listen and I enjoyed the narrators (I can be very picky with that). The writer did a good job with the characters and finding so many things that everyone can relate to — things left unsaid between people that should have been said, career ethics, falling out of love with your career or job, the reality of racism around every corner, and the trauma you carry with yourself. The writer truly did a great job making me fall for these character and see a small part of myself within them.