Things We Never Said

I can honestly say this is one of those books you will not forget.
When Catherine finds out she is dying, she decides to leave her husband Sean a box of photos and tape recordings documenting the the secret, thoughts and things they never said during their lives together. Some things Sean finds hard to hear.
I laughed and cried throughout this book. It hold a little place in my heart.

I received a copy of this book compliments of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It is being published in paperback on September 4, 2018.

This book begins at the funeral of Catherine Campbell, wife to Sean and mother to April. Sean and Catherine are both in their early 50’s, living in Cambridge, when Catherine is diagnosed with cancer. Their daughter, April, is in her 30’s and is living in London. Catherine’s decline is rapid and two years after diagnosis she has passed away.

Shortly after the funeral, a mutual friend, Maggie, drops by Sean’s house to give him a package that Catherine had asked her to pass on to him after her death. Inside the package are 29 cassette tapes with corresponding photographs. Catherine provides a photograph and then on each cassette, talks about what was happening in the picture; what was happening in their lives at the time and/or going through their heads during the time the picture was taken. For example, one of the pictures is of a vacation that they took and Catherine talks about the fun they had on the vacation and other funny things that occurred while they were there.

Things We Never Said is reminiscent of another book “P.S. I Love You” by Cecelia Ahern, except that it is with audio cassettes rather than letters and the couple in this book are mature adults rather than the young couple in Ahern’s book. I think I like the idea of cassettes better simply because you would get to hear the person’s voice again.

I really enjoyed reading a book where the main characters are around the same age as me because although I have never been married, there were a lot of things that I could relate to having lived over five decades.

I found this to be a very enjoyable book. Yes, there was a lot of reminiscing of this couple over their past vacations, raising their child, etc. but there was also hurts identified and secrets revealed. While Sean is devastated at the death of Catherine, we also get a chance to see him start healing and beginning to live again.

What a lovely book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this , it’s a little in the style of p.s I love you. After his wife’s death Sean finds his wife Catherine has left him momentoes of their life together. I don’t want to be a spoiler so won’t give too much away but sometimes I was shouting in my head “no don’t tell him!” The bringing together of past and present created an intricate story and gave a thoughtful insight to the secrets many marriages probably have.
I was surprised to find this book was written by a man, that’s not meant to be a sexist remark, purely that it was very sensitivity written and a love story which is rare for a man to do, and even more rare to do it so well.
Excellent book, I will definitely read more of Nick Alexander’s !

This book was a true testament of love and real human relationships. I really enjoyed the entire book and would highly recommend it to anyone.

My favorite book of 2018. The first chapter reminded me of the movie “ps I love you” and coincidentally made me cry 5 minutes in.

A beautifully written about love, loss, and growth.

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC!

Wow! This was sad, beautiful and romantic at the same time. I wasn't so sure at first if I would enjoy it, because I didn't know the author before. I also try to avoid stories of people dying from cancer but, for some reason, I just really felt that I needed to read this one. After the first cassette, I knew it would be one of my favorite books. Catherine and Sean made me cry so many times. I simply couldn't put it down. Everything sounded so real to me that I actually had to check if it was indeed just fiction. Loved it!

This was cute and had a really good message weaves into the story.
While I didn’t connect with the story as much as I wanted to I still enjoyed it and would recommend it. The writing style is not one I usually enjoy but I did in this story

3.5 stars to Nick Alexander’s ‘Things We Never Said’

🌟🌟🌟

A nice, easy read. Set just after the death of Sean’s wife, Catherine, he discovers that she has made a series of tapes for him to play after her death. Taking you up to 8 months later, he plays each tape every week and Catherine talks through the major events in their relationship from her perspective.

It’s a very similar format to ‘PS, I Love You’ and ‘13 Reasons Why’, in fact it’s pretty much exactly the same. There are a few revelations, nothing hugely shocking, but it’s still fun to read along. The characters are very believable and well rounded and it’s fairly fun to find out more about them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Publication for this title is expected September 4, 2018.

"Things We Never Said" by Nick Alexander tells the love story of Sean and Catherine Patrick. The book begins immediately after Catherine's death from cancer. We meet Sean, their daughter April, and their best friend Maggie. Shortly after Catherine's funeral, Maggie stops by to check in on Sean, and while he's not really paying attention, Maggie leaves a box in the center of the dining room table. In the box are 29 envelopes, each containing a photograph and a cassette tape. Tape #1 is a recording made by Catherine and gives Sean the instruction that he is to open one envelope each week. As tempted as he is at times to listen to all of them at once or to stop listening altogether, he stays pretty true to Catherine's wishes. She was, after all, the love of his life, and this was her dying wish. The story walks us through each photograph, each tape, and each week of Sean's life as he listens to them.

There were so many things that I loved about this book. It had me thinking quite a bit about "The Notebook" by Nicholas Sparks, and I will tell anyone who asks that "The Notebook" has been my favorite since I read it.

Each chapter starts with a description of the photograph -- Snapshot #1, Snapshot #2, etc. They were well-described, although I found myself wishing that we could actually see them. In some cases, we get Sean's reaction to the photo before we "hear" Catherine's narration, and in some cases, the narration comes first. This is how we learn Sean and Catherine's whole story and how we learn the things that Catherine never spoke about. Some of the things will make you love her more, and some of them will make you really despise the way she chose to reveal her secrets. At one point in the book (you'll know when), I was thinking that I really hated that the story went there, that some things are better left unsaid. But by the end, I could appreciate that this was Catherine's grieving process, that she didn't want to leave anything unsaid even if she wasn't there to face the music, and it was her way of helping Sean through his grief by reminding him of their love story. When he finishes going through all of the envelopes, it's been nearly eight months since Catherine's death, and we have watched him go through all the stages of grief and start the road to acceptance and healing and confirming his belief in destiny.

This is a great read and a reminder to say the things that need to be said while you can and enjoy life now because the future is promised to no one. On one of Catherine's tapes, she tells Sean "...like the Buddhists apparently say, there is no future and there is no past. They're both just things that happen in your mind. In reality, there is only ever the present moment."

Pick this one up. You'll be glad you did.

Having reflected on this for a couple of days, I’m afraid that this book just didn’t work for me. I must have missed something as the reviews are really strong.

I love this book, it’s one of those stories that stays with you a long time after reading it.
It’s a beautiful, touching and emotional story that I really enjoyed. Nick Alexander is an author who’s very easy to read and I’d recommend any of his books.

This book really pulled on my heart strings, was a good, but emotional read. Reminded me of ' the notebook' I believe fans of that book would enjoy this

WOW!

I am speechless. I ugly cried at the end. So beautifully written and so real.

5 stars for author Nick Alexander's bittersweet story of husband Sean, whose wife Catherine dies and leaves some memories behind for him to learn things about her that he never knew and to see her perspective of certain events that occurred in their lives. Some things were painful and hard to hear.

Catherine's messages to Sean were so real, and just like Sean, I waited anxiously and with some trepidation for each Sunday to see the photo and hear the message.

Read this book, it is worth every tear.

Sometimes not every book is warm and fuzzy and that's okay, because I don't know about you, but I need a good dose of reality every now and again.
or
THANK YOU to NetGalley and the Author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

There is something about this author's writing style that just feels so comfortable to me. It also helps that he does tell a good tale too. Oh and he writes some of the best characters that are really easy for me to connect with emotionally.
In this book, we start with a funeral. Wife, mother and friend Catherine has died leaving Sean, April and Maggie mourning for her. In the day that follow, as everyone is slowly coming to terms with their loss, Maggie visits Sean and hands him a package. On opening it, Sean discovers 29 numbered envelopes with instructions in the first to open the rest one a week. In the first there's also a photograph and a cassette, recorded last, practically on her deathbed, Catherine explains what she is doing. And so begins a trip down memory lane and voyage of discovery for Sean as the subsequent tapes charter their lives together, some he knows and some he has yet to find out.
Oh my days, I devoured this book in just a few sittings. It tugged at my emotions, all of them, happy and sad. I followed Sean as he found things out and how some of these revelations spilled over into his present day life. At the same time, Maggie and April, oblivious to what Sean was doing, were also trying to come to terms with their loss. Yes, of course some of the things that happened in the book were a little predictable but there was definitely enough along the way to keep my interest completely, making it very hard to put down.
As already mentioned, this book hit me emotionally. But I was a willing participant, gladly investing those emotions and indeed my time in these characters. I wanted to read more, I wanted to get to know them better, I wanted them to... well, you'll just have to read the book for that to be revealed.
I sniggered, I laughed, I cried, happy tears and big, ugly ones. I felt for them every step of the way and, by the time I had finished, I was a bit of a wreck. But I was satisfied and that's what matters to me at the end of the day. I'm already a bit of a fan of this author having read everything he has published to date and with every book he never ceases to amaze me with his storytelling. Roll on the next one, hope it's not too long in coming.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I loved this book. I laughed and cried the whole way through. Catherine and Sean had so much love for each other and yet so much was left unsaid. This is a beautifully told story about relationships, love and loss and I will remember it for a long time.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A familiar storyline which I have read in a few other books. But it was rather endearing and honest, but perhaps lacking in excitement or anticipation of what was coming next.
I did not like the way that the author seemed to confuse the tenses the book was written in as I find this really off putting in a book.
The characters are well written and likeable.
Overall a 3*** from an author whose previous books I enjoyed reading more

No spoilers. This story follows the marriage of Sean and Catherine-after Sean loses Catherine. Do all marriages hold secrets? Does the notion “meant to be” truly exist? This was a wonderful book, albeit sad in places, but ultimately it was real. One marriage will produce two realities because two different people are at the heart of it. Sean is forced to confront the questions he has after going through their life together in detail. I recommend this book to anyone who has ever questioned love and those with whom we are supposedly in love with.

This book is just brilliant.

The story of Catherine who lost her battle with cancer but left her husband cassettes and photos of their life together and the thoughts she never shared with him.

It is beautiful written and will definitely pull on your heart strings, along with making you laugh at times. Following Sean’s journey after losing Catherine is a journey everyone should read! I could not put this book down and five stars just does not seem to be enough for this brilliantly written story.

I LOVED this book. So unique from all the other books that are out there. I found myself feeling really guilty for not liking this poor woman, she had cancer, she suffered, she died but for a lot of the book I could not like her. And I felt bad about it. My heart broke for Sean listening to the tapes, listening to the woman he loved telling him things he probably didn't want to hear. And sometimes the way it was said, was blunt, brutal and heartbreaking. But he had to go through that to look back on their life and see it for what it was, certainly not perfect but it was full of love. I highly recommend this book, very good read !

I had really high hopes for this as I’m a fan of the author, however transcripts of tapes did not keep me wanting to read on - this was definitely a trudge through read to see if it improved. The story is very well written, but I just wasn’t gripped enough by it.

Thought this book was special, and so different. I felt the grief displayed through the main characters and the emotion was unbelievably real. The concept behind the pictures and the recordings was awesome. Learning the good, bad and ugly was raw- but in the end, such a well- thought out idea! As I was reading, I felt so connected and couldn’t help but imagine how that must have felt- both being the wife/mom and even the dad/daughter in the novel. Thoroughly enjoyed the book, I even found myself initially only reading one snapshot at a time- so I could truly grasp the feelings behind the idea- but that didn’t last too long, because I enjoyed the book so much I had to know more!

This book could have been overly emotional, a proper tearjerker, but it wasn’t and it was all the better for it.

The book opens at the funeral of Sean’s wife Catherine. A bit later Sean discovers that his wife left him a box of pictures and tapes. It is a story that has been done before, but it is the first time I am reading it.

This is a novel that deals with death in such a hopeful constructive way. It deals with family and relationships, with grief, but I guess mostly with getting ready to move on. It manages to do this without ever getting too fluffy. It feels very realistic and also comforting in a strange way. It is a novel that made me think about my own life and my own relationships and it made me appreciate what I have.

Yes, a tear did escape every now and then, but the novel skilfully avoids becoming a puddle of tears.

An absolutely beautiful book.

This was a beautiful story - well written and easy to read - I have read many of this authors books in the past so was happy to see he had a new one coming out. I wasn't disappointed. The story of Sean and Caroline is told through tapes she has left him after she passes away from Cancer, which I thought was a unique angle, and did work well. Though I don't know if anyone would actually go into so much detail on such tapes (or letters which has been done before) but I guess it had to be written that way so that we can understand as much as possible of Sean and Carolines history.
They seem like any ordinary couple in their 50's, except Caroline got sick and left Sean and their adult daughter to cope with the grief. Then he finds 29 tapes where his late wife talks about various parts of their love and marriage, from when they met as teenagers to when they had their daughter, moved on with careers, seen parents die, and friends come and go. I wanted to hear what Caroline had to say in each tape so was desperate to read on. She gives out some pretty shocking secrets, and Sean has to deal with them alone, which leaves him struggling with many emotions. It is definately one of those books that makes you think. If they had spoken about their thoughts, fears and feelings instead of keeping them inside, things may have been different. Sean is right to feel angry, but he is lost without his wife, and is still keeping her alive by listening to the tapes. The story draws a nice conclusion and leaves you feeling like things worked out, but still sad that such things happen. A truly memorable book.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I look forward to more by this author in future!

This book was heartfelt, moving, and truly sad in all the right ways. The author told a beautiful story through the words and mind of Catherine. The emotion that I felt from this novel was real, and I am so thankful I was able to read this before publication date! Will be recommending to my friends in my local book club, as this would make a great discussion and I know they would love it too.

If you take PS I Love You + 13 Reasons Why - self harm + a hint of The Notebook and a dash of One Day, you will get Things We Never Said.

This is a tearjerker.

Catherine is dying and makes a series of tapes of her husband to listen to after she's gone. Highlights key points of their relationship, both good and bad shake up Sean's world after Catherine is gone. This is a romantic book about fate and the kind of love that last beyond space and time.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This is a nice easy read, its a little sad in places but also warm in others. What a lovely idea.

I would like to thank both NetGalley and Amazon Publishing uk for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Things we never said by Nick Alexander’ in exchange for my honest unbiased review.

Thoughtful,rich, heartbreaking, heartfelt, joy and sadness.. This book will take you through every emotion that you have.
It’s based on couple Catherine and Sean ,who are married. Catherine receives devastating news that she has cancer. So as a parting gift she makes up some tape recordings of things that they have never said to each other.
As with any tape that’s left to listen too there are a few surprises for Sean.

Really took to this book. Get the tissues ready.

Not a bad story, just a bit formulaic and predictable. Pulls on the heart strings for sure. It’s an easy to read book, one that’s satisfying enough.

I have a mixed opinion about this one. When I read the blurb, which, by the way, is interesting, I was expecting this to be an emotional and heart-wrenching story of a dying wife. But, the story turned out to be more of a series of shocking revelations.

The story starts with Sean and April returning from Catherine’s funeral service. Maggie is waiting at the door. She tries to console Sean but all he wants is a little time to himself. As the story proceeds, Maggie makes her appearances, initially, as a nosy neighbor who pokes her nose into everything. Later on, when Maggie’s friendship with the Patricks is revealed, I was a little bit convinced of her ‘interference’.



Maggie leaves Sean with a box. As he opens the box, he finds a set of envelopes. He opens the one that is marked “1”. He finds out about Catherine’s “Reveal It All”. Each envelope contains a photograph and a cassette. She asks him to open one every week. When Sean discusses this with Maggie, she says that Catherine is not around to check up on him so why not open it all at once. However, Sean decides to follow Catherine’s rules and opens one envelope every week. Maggie tries to convince Sean by saying that Catherine is no more and whatever she chooses to ‘reveal’ in the tapes doesn’t matter anymore. How I wish Sean had paid heed to her advice!

Sean is happy seeing the pictures of their wedding and their trips. But then, when he hears about Catherine assuming that he and Maggie were having an affair, how he wishes that Catherine had confronted him about this when she was alive so that he could tell her that he was a very faithful husband. And Catherine’s one-time affair breaks his heart. He skips opening an envelope the next week. He just cannot take it that his wife has cheated on him. These moments were heart-wrenching and how I wished that Catherine did not mention it. But then, in the beginning, she did say that there are few tapes which might give Sean a shock of his life. So, pretty expected I suppose? And the whole point of the tapes was to tell Sean a few things (about Catherine) that he didn’t know.

Apart from these, the story was pretty good. I liked the concept of snapshot+ cassette. Things We Never Said is the story of Catherine’s life captured on camera and tapes. It is also an emotional journey for Sean – there are moments of happiness, and then, there are moments where I wish he could somehow go back in time and unhear the tapes.



What I did not understand is, why did Catherine have to tell Sean about certain things that would only make his life worse than what it is right now.



I really felt bad for Sean, although he’s just a fictional character, he now knows that his wife was unfaithful, even if it was just for once. He now has to live knowing that his mother was cruel to his wife. He has to live with the fact that his wife suspected him of cheating on her. And there’s nothing he can do now, for, his wife is dead.

This book is similar to P.S. I Love You, in that a dying spouse leaves, in this case, a collection of photos and cassettes to be listened to once a week.
I liked the idea but did get cross that some of the revelations would have been better left unsaid. Because of this, I found it hard to identify with the main characters. Nevertheless a good story.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

I would like to thank Amazon Publishing/Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for giving me a copy of ‘Things We Never Said’ by Nick Alexander in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Sean’s much-loved wife Catherine dies of cancer and following his return from her funeral he’s given a wrapped cardboard box by family friend Maggie. The box contains twenty-nine envelopes each with a photograph and tape that Catherine recorded on a Dictaphone machine before she died. As Sean opens them, one envelope every Sunday, he relives their life together and it feels that Catherine is still with him in spirit if not in body.
‘Things We Never Said’ consists of ‘snapshots’ which move smoothly from when Sean met Catherine in Margate, to when April was born in Wolverhampton, and then to the present time. Right from the first ‘snapshot’ I was in tears and thought the novel might be depressing but I needn’t have worried. As I continued reading I became involved in their life together, their friends and family, and the descriptions were so vivid I felt as if I knew Sean and was there with him.
This novel has been beautifully written with sensitivity and empathy. At times I was in tears and then I was laughing out loud, but I had to keep reading to find out what happened to Sean. It’s a wonderful story of love and life and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this book - at first I did think that starting it in public was a mistake as the tears flowed, but I soon got to grips with the joy and purpose of the story. A lovely read.

This is the story of Catherine and Sean, told from two PoVs: one is Catherine's, who recently died of cancer and left pictures and recordings for her husband, revealing some of her silent thoughts and feelings, the other is Sean's memories and impressions regarding this one-sided communication and how he comes to terms with his wife's death.

It's clearly not an action packed novel, the twists are somehow expected, but it's heartful and emotional. As a conclusion, it reads easy and fast and is quite enjoyable.

This book resonated so deeply with me, The writing was superb, the characters so deeply developed that I knew Catherine as if she were alive and talking to us. The premise with pictures starting each recording was innovative. The layers of the dialogue, the stories, I could feel Sean's pain April's loss, Maggie's fear all of it.
These are some the highlights that I made while reading this book and they will stay with me for a long time
We turn our dead into saints
We met people and sometimes they are more important to you than you are to them
All we ever see of each other is the representation we hold inside our own minds
Happiness is an option

Things We Never Said is a fascinating, tear evoking, heartfelt story that is hard to put down as you become more and more involved in it. Widowed Sean is left a box of pictures and voice message tapes from his just deceased wife. The contents of the box chronicle their lives, both together and apart. You read the happy, the sad and the hurtful of their relationship and marriage. As you continue, you see the grief process in Sean evolve as it plays out against his wife’s memories. This is a very touching and skillfully written book.

I enjoyed the story well enough however I just didn’t enjoy it completely as I was constantly having flashbacks to p.s I love you and a few other things I’ve read and watched. Due to this I had a hard time to stay in the story line

When I saw the title of this book - Things We Never Said by Nick Alexander - I was intrigued enough to read the description of the book. I'll admit I was a little worried that it would be too emotionally charged given my current real life status.

Things We Never Said starts out with the funeral of Catherine, who has passed leaving her husband, Sean, April and Maggie to mourn for her. As everyone is trying to come to terms with their loss, Maggie visits Sean and gives him a package, which turns out to be 29 numbered envelopes with instructions in the first one about opening the rest of them one week at a time. There's also a photograph and a cassette with Catherine explaining what she's doing with the journal of her life. 

Catherine has planned this journal to be read by Sean after her death, sharing things with him both painful and beautiful things she could never say when she was alive.  In order to "talk" to Sean, Catherine uses photos and cassette tapes to share her memories - some that are already known by Sean and some that are not.

I really connected emotionally with this story and these characters. There were times that the story was uplifting and other times that were actually amusing. The story shares how both a father and daughter can come to terms with the loss of a wife and mother in very different ways.

I was provided with a complimentary electronic advanced reader copy through Net Galley in exchange for my post.  I was not required to post a positive review, but have chosen to do so because this book was great! Thank you!

This book was a quick read with a good story and plot which was easy to follow. It was a nice method to use the tapes as flashbacks and it switched from past to present easily

Things We Never Said is touching, and sweet in many places without overdoing it. The protagonist, as well as the family situation is relatable, and the story unexpectedly thought provoking.

A solid and enjoyable tale. Would happily take a look at the author's other works on the back this.

This was an ARC in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to Netgalley and Amazon UK.

What a delightful book. Sean is a stoic, loveable man who is quietly grieving. At times I just wanted to bundle him into a big hug. Catherine, a woman who wants to leave with a clean slate leaves him with dark and troublesome thoughts, about who she was deep down, things she had done, and all the things she wished she’d said. The writing was clear, witty and ambled along at just the right pace. The story lines merged in a way that was as comforting as a blanket, cup of tea and an open fire on a winters’ day.

This book was one of those books that leaves you with happy and sad at the same time.

Thank you NetGalley, I would happily recommend this and am looking forward to Nick Alexander’s next book.

Beautiful and heartfelt story! From the very start of this book, my heart goes out to Sean, who is in the grieving process after his wife, Catherine, died of cancer.

This is my first time reading a book written by Nick Alexander and I truly enjoyed his writing. It's delicate and emotional, without being overly done. Most of all, I loved how each chapter is uniquely started with a description of a picture, followed by Sean's thoughts and Catherine's narration of the picture, in a form of cassette recording that she made during her stays in the hospital.

THINGS WE NEVER SAID has a steady pace plot with an unexpected surprise in the middle. It's a great tale of love, marriage, and friendship. It will leave you to contemplate the life and relationship of your own.


** Thank you to Thomas & Mercer Publisher and #NetGalley for providing me this digital ARC of #ThingsWeNeverSaid**

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange for an honest review.
A book to make you laugh and make you cry and in the end just enjoy a good romantic love story.
Highly recommended

This is a well written emotional journey through one family’s heartbreaking loss. A wife and mother dies of cancer and she leaves tape recordings for her husband to listen to over a several month period. Kind of a P.S. I Love You scenario. But instead of encouraging the partner left behind to do tasks these tapes talk to her husband about their life together and reveal secrets and thoughts that were never spoken of outloud. Some of which aren’t what he expects. I actually got teary eyed while reading this book. The characters are believable, the situation is believable. There’s no outrageous stuff going on. Just a love story that continues beyond the grave.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review. I know my opinion on this one will be unpopular, but I didn't like this story...at all! I typically would love a story about a dying woman who leaves behind messages for loved ones to guide them on their way, but I felt her letters were completely self-serving. Her way of purging her conscience and not at all about leaving her family better off because of her wise words from beyond. This one is a strong NO from me.

I felt quite disappointed reading this book, as I have simply adored this author's previous titles. I didn't enjoy the diary structure where by Sean discovered secrets about his dying wife, when Catherine was speaking through the cassettes, I couldn't connect with her character, she didn't come to life for me.
I found the pace of the story to be slow and unimaginativly predictable, I felt that the concept of the story unraveling through the tapes was frustrating and slightly tedious to 'look forward' to.
I had expected much. more and I felt let down from this read.

A story about love and the relationships we forge that leave an impression on us. When Sean's wife passes away, she leaves him 29 letters and cassette tapes to listen to, hoping that she'd talk him through the memories she cherished of their relationship. It's as heartbreaking as it is a sweet gesture. Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.

This book felt like P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern but much more depressing and uninteresting. It was flat and dull and boring, just Catherine reminiscing things and Sean going through it... I don't even have an adverb for it, but like there were hardly any emotions for the reader to feel. I really did not understand the point of this story.

The story opens with Sean and April returning from Catherine's funeral. Soon after the funeral April leaves her dad alone as she needs to go back to her job.
Just trying to get through the day Sean finds himself enveloped in grief. A while later he receives a box with 30 envelopes in it. Each one contains a snapshot and a message from Catherine. She asks him to open one a week.
So begins 29 weeks of going back over their relationship: where and when they met; the people they were when they were younger; rediscovering elements of his past self and what he enjoyed; finding out her secrets that she kept so hidden from him. He discovers all the things that they never said to each other that shaped their relationship without them even knowing the powerful influences the unsaid things were on their marriage.
A soft, gentle read. You are let into Sean's grief process and watch how each tape shapes him and allows him to move past the crippling grief into a new journey.
I found the ending to be a very strong one where it guides the reader to "see" what was going to happen next.
I really enjoyed this book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the chance to read this.

This is a touching & honest, yet heart breaking love story, told by a wife dying from cancer. After her passing, she leaves letters to her husband on her perspective of their marriage.

Even though this is an emotional tearjerker, it is a must read. It's very well written & will have you thinking about your own life & marriage!

When Catherine learns she is dying of cancer she leaves a box of pictures and an audio tape for her husband. She wants him to remember some of the good and bad times in their life and she wants to tell him things she wished she had. Sean's life as a widower becomes a turmoil as he opens a new envelope each week. He discovers things about his marriage that he never knew and ideas his wife had but never talked about. Everyone has their own way of dealing with grief, I don't think this would be my ideal way. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is the story of Sean and Catherine, and the life they lived through pictures and a tape recording of all the things Catherine wished she could have told Sean. But when Catherine's life is cut short, she has just enough time to tell Sean all the things she never said.

It is a wonderful story of a look at life through pictures, and everything that Catherine was thinking at those times, but just could say. From fun vacations, to the birth of their child, to friends they have had, to affairs both real and unreal. It is a story to show Sean that she had a good life, a loving life, and one she wished she could continue, but knows she cannot. It is a story of loosing a partner to illness, and having to survive those following months after her death, but to have that one time a week to hear her voice. To be happy, mad, angry, sad, and joyful with her. To hear her say she had a good life and that she regrets nothing.

This was a take on how to tell someone a story more than the pictures say, to tell that person how they really felt at that moment the picture was taken and what was happen at that time. And in the end, to think that they really were destined to be together was the greatest gift he could get. But that she wished him to keep living and be happy even though she was not. I would recommend if you just need a quick read, a good little cry at the end, and to see and feel the love between these two characters.

Enjoyed the premise of this book, with Catherine looking back on their life together through tapes and snapshots. It's sometimes funny but often poignant and heartwarming. Another great read from Nick Alexander! Loved the characters.

A first-time reader or Nick Alexander and I quite enjoyed it. So much so, that I searched out and read the quick novella "Three Christmases" that follows up this book and gives us some closure on what happens to our characters after this novel ends.

The concept drew me in and at first I thought it would be a road of lovely reminiscing of this couple's marriage. But Alexander throws in a few twists that make us, and the widowed husband, really face the reality of their lives together. Both husband and wife have to reckon with mistakes they made and in the course of this book, we begin to see Sean heal and move on.

Enjoyed!

Wonderful read, beautifully written. The revelations keep coming, and characters get increasingly complex Highly recommend!

Emotional, poignant and thoroughly absorbing. I absolutely loved this book. When Sean's wife dies of cancer, she leaves him a box of envelopes to be opened one a week. Each envelope contains a photograph and a recorded message. The messages are memories of their life together with a few surprises thrown in. It's an emotional rollercoaster of a read and I was totally absorbed in the story from page one. Nick Alexander writes beautifully and his characters are thoroughly believable.

This book didn't work for me unfortunately. It aimed for deep and meaningful but missed its mark by a mile - I found it weirdly emotionless, given the premise, and it elicited zero feels from me. The messages in the tapes felt off to me - it read like the written, and not the spoken, word and contain too much obvious exposition for the benefit of the reader. This made the whole story lack authenticity for me. I thought the character of Maggie was flat and unconvincing and the ending was predictable.

A heart warming and heart wrenching must read! It makes you think! If you were dying would you record a message to be heard after you died? I think I might have cried while reading this book!

I have never read a book written by Nick so wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was not disappointed.
This book is very touching, yet heart breaking love story, told by a wife dying from cancer. she leaves letters to her husband after her passing, very sad.

A must read! But have your tissues ready.

This wasn’t the book for me. It wasn’t what I hoped. Not what I expected. I couldn’t give it a chance. It’s not something I would read

I was extremely enamored with this title.

The alternating descriptions of photos and narration really set the book apart from others I've read.

The secrets that are revealed are devastating. The tale of the missed chances to communicate, even more so.

This book has taught me to be honest about my feelings with others and why it's so important to do so before you leave the earthly plain.

This book felt too similar to 13 reasons why and couldn’t keep my attention. Took me a while to read because of the pace. The characters bothered and annoyed me and really weren’t interesting to read about. I’m so sorry