Told in alternating timelines, THE THINGS WE LEAVE UNFINISHED examines the risks we take for love, the scars too deep to heal, and the endings we can’t bring ourselves to see coming. Twenty-eight-year-old Georgia Stanton has to start over after she gave up almost everything in a brutal divorce–the New York house, the friends, and her pride. Now back home at her late great-grandmother’s estate … great-grandmother’s estate in Colorado, she finds herself face-to-face with Noah Harrison, the bestselling author of a million books where the cover is always people nearly kissing. He’s just as arrogant in person as in interviews, and she’ll be damned if the good-looking writer of love stories thinks he’s the one to finish her grandmother’s final novel…even if the publisher swears he’s the perfect fit.
Noah is at the pinnacle of his career. With book and movie deals galore, there isn’t much the “golden boy” of modern fiction hasn’t accomplished. But he can’t walk away from what might be the best book of the century–the one his idol, Scarlett Stanton, left unfinished. Coming up with a fitting ending for the legendary author is one thing, but dealing with her beautiful, stubborn, cynical great-granddaughter, Georgia, is quite another.
But as they read Scarlett’s words in both the manuscript and her box of letters, they start to realize why Scarlett never finished the book–it’s based on her real-life romance with a World War II pilot, and the ending isn’t a happy one. Georgia knows all too well that love never works out, and while the chemistry and connection between her and Noah is undeniable, she’s as determined as ever to learn from her great-grandmother’s mistakes–even if it means destroying Noah’s career.
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I went into this one quite blind just excited that Rebecca Yarros had a new book out. I had no expectations.
This was a great mix of historical Romance and Contemporary. I will be honest I do normally avoid historical romances but this one was different and truly drew me in.
This one was told from multiple POVs and shifted between time periods which was perfectly done and made you become addicted and want more. I did feel more for Scarlett and Jameson’s story than Georgia and Noah but that could be as their romance covered most of the book but it didn’t make their romance any less pivotal.
There are some simply brilliant twists and turns throughout this story and it will honestly stay with me for a long time.
The Things We Leave Unfinished is another spectacular novel by Rebecca Yarros. While it has all of the elements of a romance, I didn’t find it to follow the general formula that most contemporary romance novels do. There is a lot of family drama involved, an enemies-to-lovers romance thread, and a wonderful story of soul mates and a wonderful happily ever after.
There are actually two storylines happening at once in this novel — the current-day tale of Noah and Georgia, and the WW2 storyline of Georgia’s great-grandparents, Scarlett and Jameson. The letters of Scarlett and Jameson are wonderful. The chapters go back and forth between the two tales, telling the overall story. Both romances are epic and swoony, and there is a fantastic plot twist at the end that kind of upends everything that Georgia knew to be true about her life and family.
Although I found this book to be a little slow going at first, I couldn’t put it down by the time I really got into the story. I wanted to see what happens next — but didn’t want it to end! Somehow, The Things We Leave Unfinished manages to be a heartwarming, emotional, gripping, entertaining, sorrowful, happy novel all at the same time!
I received an advanced copy via NetGalley and voluntarily left a review.
Rebecca Yarros is one of the best romance writers. Her books are so perfectly written with so much depth and emotion that I anticipate reading them as much as I dread it. I have to read them and I know I will love them and rave about them and 5 star them every single time. But I also know I will break while I read this book. I will need to be left alone with my emotions and tissues while I wait for Rebecca’s writing to put me back together.
From the first page I was struggling to get a reality break so I could wrap myself up in this story. Because there was so much happening and every single piece of it had me captivated. Watching Noah and Georgia fall in love while they traversed the history, life and love of Scarlett and Jameson was beautiful.
Georgia had my heart breaking for her and I wanted so much to just love her. But she was so strong under all of that pain, that I couldn’t pity her. I just wanted to slay all her dragons. Luckily for all of us Noah was already there with his sword and armour racing off to keep anything from touching her. He just did it so unceremoniously, you didn’t notice until you were standing in a river or dragon blood wondering where it came from.
But damn the twists and turns and heartbreak just kept right on coming. For Georgia and for the readers. Naturally, the other emotions were just as strong and the hope had me sitting on the edge of the seat. I knew coming into this that one of the love stories ended in tragedy which kept me in suspense and made me read this as slowly as possible. Because I couldn’t be ugly sobbing while waiting on my son’s ankle to be x-rayed or while sitting in the school pick up line so I had to take my time while my heart was broken and rebuilt.
This book was just amazing and I know I’m going to reread it a million times.
Overall Grade:
Rebecca Yarros’s The Things We Leave Unfinished is a sweeping tale, a story written within a story. One of the stories is a modern-day romance, a bit enemies to lovers or hate to love between a woman who is allowing her grandmother’s story to be completed and published posthumously. Wrapped in this delicious, emotional story is a story from the past, namely Georgia’s grandmother’s story. As I was reading this book, I got tinges of Nicholas Sparks’s The Notebook with the move from the present to past. There is so much beauty in this story as one woman must come to terms with her own feelings of abandonment and letting go of her grandmother’s story, while the other must deal with a story that doesn’t have the ultimate happy ending, but there is still beauty in the story.
Yarros has written such compelling characters in the form of Georgia and Noah. The way in which they challenge each other, pushing the other to be a better version of themselves while helping Georgia to heal from past hurts. Couple that with the compelling story of Jameson and Scarlett, and this story cannot be put down.
If you’re like me, and you love stories from bygone eras and a little hate to love mixed in, then you should run and grab Rebecca Yarros’s The Things We Leave Unfinished. It will definitely steal your heart.
I’m just going to get this out of the way, the bottom line of this review is, READ THIS STORY!
Not only does it have two heroes but it has two heroes that you will absolutely adore. There are two very distinct stories told in alternating timelines and you can’t stop turning the pages.
The story that is being told in the present is a sweet love story. Noah and Georgia are complicated to say the least. But they work together and form a bond that transcends the purpose of their working relationship. Their love story is complicated and emotional but it’s so worth your time. My favorite part of this book however is the wartime story told in an alternative timeline. Holy cow. I am now slightly addicted to wartime romance. Rebecca Yarros deserves all the accolades for not only weaving two stories into one but to absolutely nail the correct feel of the wartime love story. Taking place in a very different time the feel of it needed to be different and it was amazing. Not just the wartime aspect but the overall feel of that time in history. Relationships were dynamically distinct so even if portions of this book weren’t marked accordingly you would without a doubt be able to tell which story you were in just based on the overall feel of it and to me that is nothing short of amazing.
I’m blown away by this story! Talk about a book hangover! Yes. It’s a love story. But of the most epic proportions! Watching the layers fall into place is beyond perfect. You just MUST Read it! It’s about Noah and Georgia. Buts it’s about Scarlett and Jameson. And ultimately it’s about redefining love.
You know those stories that you rant rave cause you love him there so good this is so much more talk to my soul moved me in ways I can’t even say. It’s definitely emotional but so worth the journey.
What a book! Lovingly written, such a memorable romantic story that is actually two love stories intertwined. I loved how romantic one story was and how tumultuous the other one was. It kept me mesmerized all day!
Georgia Stanton is very familiar with betrayal. First her mother abandons her with her great-grandmother and through her life only made short appearances. Then Georgia marries Damian, a Hollywood producer who ended cheating and getting a younger woman pregnant. Little surprise that she’s jaded and has trust issues. When she comes back home from the divorce to her dead great-grandmother’s house, there’s turmoil. She’s the sole heir and executor of her great-grandmother’s estate, the famous Scarlett Stanton, famous and beloved romance writer. Her mother wants her to sell the rights to an unfinished manuscript, Noah Harrison, famous writer of angsty romances with depressive ends, wants to finish the manuscript, and her ex-husband wants the rights to the manuscript to film it.
Georgia is a chip of the old block and she held everyone’s horses and controlled the deal to what she feels her grandmother would want. And in so doing, she finds a new love and she finds a wonderful love story that her great-grandmother starred in her own life.
With dual story plots, we live how Georgia and Noah navigate their collaboration, see how she deals with her mother’s frequent and greedy manipulations, and her ex-husband’s slimy charm. But the real beauty in this book is the love story between Scarlett and Jameson Stanton, how they met during WWII, fell in love and how it all went on.
Brilliantly written, perfectly meshed and combined, both stories steal your heart and make you cry at times and rejoice at others. I was frequently angry at Ava Stanton and Damian Ellsworth and I laughed at Noah’s frustration while dealing with Georgia. He has a massive ego that he had to leave at the door while dealing with Georgia and likewise, Georgia felt a strong attraction to him but it made her more snarky, not nicer. Their chemistry and squabbling was a great foreplay to their love story that ran as hot and passionate as Scarlett’s and Jameson’s love. I loved that even after her death, Gran would send packages and letters to Georgia for all important events, such a loving gesture!
Apart from the blistering passion, there are other layers to the story, friends and family that add to the complexity and fascination that is this book. I loved every word!
Two epic love stories are told in this incredible read. One in the past, Scarlett and Jameson and one in current time, Georgia (Scarlett’s great granddaughter) and Noah who is helping her write her great grandmothers story. This is definitely a story that will elicit every emotion in you and make you cry without even realizing you’re crying. Such a beautiful story!!
This is one of the best stories that I have read in a long time.
After I was done reading it, I sat there for a long time just marinating in it.
A day later, and I am still thinking about it.
This story was so masterfully crafted between the 1940s and present day.
Part of it is told as the characters are living it and some of it is told as letters that they wrote to each other. It has to be difficult to get that right, but it was seamless.
It’s romantic. I basked in the love between Scarlett and Jameson. I could feel it. I think they might be one of my most favorite couples and they weren’t even the only primary characters in the story. I fell in love with both of them and their love story.
It’s a bit twisty and the whole idea behind the story is so clever that I didn’t see it coming. A true surprise which doesn’t always happen when you read so much.
I was an emotional wreck and I am suffering from the biggest best book hangover.
The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros is a wonderful standalone novel. We meet our heroine, Georgia Stanton, who returns home to her deceased grandmother’s estate in Colorado, which she inherited. Georgia is coming off of a divorce from her movie mogul husband, who was cheating on her, and all she cares about is her privacy. Stopping at the local book store, she runs into an arrogant man, and they both get into a discussion on romance books. Scarlett Stanton was a famous beloved romance author, and Georgia grandmother, who always thought Noah Harrison ended his books without happy endings.
Georgia quickly goes home, only to find her mother, whom she rarely sees (unless she needs money), looking over papers belonging to her grandmother. She learns her mother is trying to sell the unfinished book of Scarlett Stanton, much to Georgia’s dismay. The editor is there discussing arrangements, and to make matters worse, they want Noah Harrison to finish Scarlett’s book; and when someone else arrives at the house, it is that young man she met in the book store; who happens to be Noah Harrison. Georgia will put a stop to this, but her mother begs her that she needs this money, and Georgia will give in but with restrictions that she controls.
What follows is an amazing story between two time periods; the present time with Georgia and Noah and the past with Scarlett and Jameson. The basis of the story is the beautiful romance between Scarlett falling in love with World War II pilot, Jameson, which gave the feel of all those old times historical romances, and fully left open to an ending to that story. The author does do multiple chapters revolving around Scarlett and Jameson in a row, and then it starts switching back and forth to Noah and Georgia.
Noah is determined to work on that novel, and come up with a fitting ending to this novel, especially a happy ending. Georgia, who currently isn’t in the romantic frame of mind, does not want a happy ending, just the sad truth of what happened. The both of them get off on the wrong foot, and it does take time for that to change, as later they begin to fall for each other.
Scarlett and Jameson’s love story were heartwarming and wonderful. You can’t help fall in love with them over and over. As I said, at first, we could not see anything happening between Noah and Georgia, but it was fun to see this change into another sweet romance; which turned into a great modern-day romance. However, we did spend a lot of time worrying if Noah and Georgia would open their hearts to each other.
In each of the time periods, we had some wonderful secondary characters and some evil ones. In the past (Scarlett and Jameson), her sister Constance was wonderful, as was Jameson’s pilot friend. Scarlett’s mother and father were terrible. In the present, Georgia’s friends were very good, as was Adam, Noah’s friend. I did not like Georgia’s ex Damian, nor her mother, Ava.
Rebecca Yarros wrote an amazing enchanting story filled with love, heartbreak, tragedy, sadness and happiness. I will note that I was totally blindsided by a twist at the end, which made this even more intriguing. Very well done. The Things We Leave Unfinished is a captivating must read.
The Things We Leave Unfinished is like reading two books in one. The first about Scarlett and Jameson and the second about Georgia and Noah. Both stories are heartbreaking but beautiful.
This book had me sobbing for a good portion and at some points, I couldn’t even see through the tears. This is definitely a story that makes you feel like you can’t understand how the world just keeps on going while you’re over here emotionally tapped out.
The angst is high but every tear was worth the end.
The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros is absolutely incredible!!!
This is a MUST read! I just finished and so agree with Denise Milano Sprung, I want to shout from the rooftops about it.
I’m so grateful I had Denise, and Nicole Sands to message throughout the whole book.
This is one you’ll want to buddy read with a friend.
The feels are off the charts and having a story within a story is mesmerizing!
Thank you Rebecca for gifting us with these phenomenal characters.
This book is one that I needs to be read over and over, and I could definitely see being turned into an incredible movie.
5 Stars
Beautiful, mesmerizing, heartfelt, unique!
The Things We Leave Unfinished is all this and more! It is actually two wonderful love stories all rolled into one book. From the past to the present and back again we are treated to excellence both in the writing, the characters and the storyline!
Take a step back into time as Jameson and Scarlet find their way to each other even with the challenges of a war raging on. Their story will pull you in, grab your heartstrings and make you believe that soul deep love does exist.
Jump into the present and another love story is in the making as Noah and Georgia have to work together to complete a epic love story that was started by Scarlett, Georgia’s great mother only to find that there is so much more to this story of love and sacrifice that either of them could imagine. And along their own road they also find that true love they have been searching for with each other.
There is love and there is the all encompassing, forever after type of love and that is what both Scarlett and Georgia were both lucky enough to find.
This is an incredibly beautiful story with different timelines. So, not only did I get one love story, I got to see two happening.
It did take me a little while to get into, and I had to take breaks to keep from being overwhelmed by my emotions. Not a bad thing, but it did make it harder to be fully invested like I wanted.
Overall, an incredible journey, an extremely well written book, and something that will linger for awhile.
If you need a book to remind you of why you read romance this book is it.
I just adored this book.
It’s what our generation needed in the romance department. It brought back the simplicity of love. Not that love is simple but that it doesn’t take a lot to truly be in love with someone. I love old time love. I miss hand written letters and the way men used to be.
But I also loved how this author brought the best out of the way people love now.
Jameson is hands down the best man you’ll read in a romance book with the short glimpses we get. Y’all! Seriously! He is the one to judge every book boyfriend after. Scarlett is an amazing woman and I’m so glad we got to see what her life was like through her writing.
I loved the back and forth of time and POVs. It helped understand each character just a little more.
This book is just another reason this author is one of my favorites. This book is more than just a romance.
What a touching story, actually, touching stories! I’m so glad I had the honor of reading this great emotional book. If you enjoy wonderful characters and lots of emotion, then this is the book for you.
Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!
This book is so amazing and I am so emotional, and torn apart in this amazing story.
Yarros deeply engrossed me into this novel about 28 yo Georgia Stanton, who has hit rock bottom and having to start all over and leaving NYC after a brutal divorce. Georgia ends up in her grandmother Scarlett Stanton’s estate in Colorado. The last thing she is in the mood for was to be dealing with the ever so handsome and yet oh so arrogant superstar author Noah Harrison, who intends to finish Georgia’s grandmother Scarlett’s final novel.
This romance novel is so deftly written with an amazing background that brought these characters together. The characters and the stories jump off the pages giving the readers an emotional and heart felt read that explores all the emotions associated with love – heartache, heartbreak, sacrifice, sometimes sadness before you reach your happy ever after.
Don’t miss this amazing book!
Holy. Smokes. You are not ready for The Things We Leave Unfinished, but trust me, you need to read it. Before this book, I hadn’t yet read Rebecca Yarros. Clearly that was a mistake if this book is any indication of her abilities.
This was a PHENOMENAL love story. Absolutely phenomenal. It’s been a while since a book touched me the way this one has. I just wanted to keep reading and reading and never have it end.
The Things We Leave Unfinished was a story within a story…..with an unexpected, heartbreaking yet lovely twist. I still can’t get over it.
Georgia and Noah, Scarlett and Jameson. You don’t want to miss it.
***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***
4.5 stars.
My God, this story.
We have two romances in here, in different timelines, but intertwined beautifully.
Not sure what to say about this story, tbh. The writing is superb, the characters engaging, the story at times heartbreaking, but gorgeous none-the-less. And that’s why I’m having a hard time gathering my thoughts: this is a beautiful story but it broke my heart so hard, guys. I couldn’t stop crying, and that right there tells me this was a great story. I love it when I laugh, rage, cry with a book, it tells me the author did a great job at making me feel and care for the characters.
Still, I had to stop reading and start something else, I had ALL THE FEELS.
I loved Scarlett, Jameson, Constance, Georgia and Noah and they sure will stay with me for a long time after this.
This is a great story, but not sure I’ll re-read, lol. But I’ll sure be reading more of Ms. Yarros.
*Thank you to Entangled Publishing for providing a copy for which I’m giving my honest opinion*