‘’A true novel of the heart, Rachel’‘sThe Things We Need to Say is at once beautifully written and achingly honest. This is a story that carries you away, taking you on an incredibly poignant journey, and which stays with you long after you finish. Read it!’’ Jenny Ashcroft, author of Beneath a Burning Sky ‘’Devastatingly beautiful, inspiring and extremely thought provoking; Rachel Burton has … Burton has written from the heart as she unintentionally becomes the voice of everything we need to say.’’ The Writing Garnet
Sometimes the things we never say are the most important.
Fran loves Will with all her heart. They had a whirlwind romance, a perfect marriage and a wonderful life. Until everything changed. Now Fran needs to find her way again and teaching a yoga retreat in Spain offers her just that. Leaving behind a broken marriage she has some very important decisions to make.
Will needs his wife, he needs her to open up to him if they’‘re to ever return to the way things once were. But he may have damaged any possibility he had of mending their relationship and now Fran is in Spain and Will is alone.
As both Fran and Will begin to let go of a life that could have been, fate may just find a way of bringing them back together.
From the best-selling author of The Many Colours of Us comes an emotional story perfect for fans of Katie Marsh, Amanda Prowse and Sheila O’‘Flanagan
Praise for The Things We Need to Say
‘’Utterly spectacular. For me, The Things we a broken marriage she has some very important decisions to make.
Will needs his wife, he needs her to open up to him if they’‘re to ever return to the way things once were. But he may have damaged any possibility he had of mending their relationship and now Fran is in Spain and Will is alone.
As both Fran and Will begin to let go of a life that could have been, fate may just find a way of bringing them back together.
From the best-selling author of The Many Colours of Us comes an emotional story perfect for fans of Katie Marsh, Amanda Prowse and Sheila O’‘Flanagan
Praise for The Things We Need to Say
‘’Utterly spectacular. For me, The Things we Need to Say is a real-life love story and one that will stay with me for a long time.’’ Laurie Ellingham, author of One Endless Summer
‘’The Things We Need to Say is a wonderfully well-written novel which covers the issues of infertility, infidelity and temptation in a heart-wrenchingly honest way.’’ Victoria Cooke, author of The Holiday Cruise
‘’If you love novels that have warmth, charm and heart I strongly recommend that you read this poignant and uplifting book.’’ Kerry Postle, author of The Artist’’s Muse
a broken marriage she has some very important decisions to make.
Will needs his wife, he needs her to open up to him if they’‘re to ever return to the way things once were. But he may have damaged any possibility he had of mending their relationship and now Fran is in Spain and Will is alone.
As both Fran and Will begin to let go of a life that could have been, fate may just find a way of bringing them back together.
From the best-selling author of The Many Colours of Us comes an emotional story perfect for fans of Katie Marsh, Amanda Prowse and Sheila O’‘Flanagan
Praise for The Things We Need to Say
‘’Utterly spectacular. For me, The Things we Need to Say is a real-life love story and one that will stay with me for a long time.’’ Laurie Ellingham, author of One Endless Summer
‘’The Things We Need to Say is a wonderfully well-written novel which covers the issues of infertility, infidelity and temptation in a heart-wrenchingly honest way.’’ Victoria Cooke, author of The Holiday Cruise
‘’If you love novels that have warmth, charm and heart I strongly recommend that you read this poignant and uplifting book.’’ Kerry Postle, author of The Artist’’s Muse
s a wonderfully well-written novel which covers the issues of infertility, infidelity and temptation in a heart-wrenchingly honest way.’’ Victoria Cooke, author of The Holiday Cruise
‘’If you love novels that have warmth, charm and heart I strongly recommend that you read this poignant and uplifting book.’’ Kerry Postle, author of The Artist’’s Muse
nship and now Fran is in Spain and Will is alone.
As both Fran and Will begin to let go of a life that could have been, fate may just find a way of bringing them back together.
From the best-selling author of The Many Colours of Us comes an emotional story perfect for fans of Katie Marsh, Amanda Prowse and Sheila O’‘Flanagan
Praise for The Things We Need to Say
‘’Utterly spectacular. For me, The Things we Need to Say is a real-life love story and one that will stay with me for a long time.’’ Laurie Ellingham, author of One Endless Summer
‘’The Things We Need to Say is a wonderfully well-written novel which covers the issues of infertility, infidelity and temptation in a heart-wrenchingly honest way.’’ Victoria Cooke, author of The Holiday Cruise
‘’If you love novels that have warmth, charm and heart I strongly recommend that you read this poignant and uplifting book.’’ Kerry Postle, author of The Artist’’s Muse
s a wonderfully well-written novel which covers the issues of infertility, infidelity and temptation in a heart-wrenchingly honest way.’’ Victoria Cooke, author of The Holiday Cruise
‘’If you love novels that have warmth, charm and heart I strongly recommend that you read this poignant and uplifting book.’’ Kerry Postle, author of The Artist’’s Muse
f you love novels that have warmth, charm and heart I strongly recommend that you read this poignant and uplifting book.’’ Kerry Postle, author of The Artist’’s Muses a wonderfully well-written novel which covers the issues of infertility, infidelity and temptation in a heart-wrenchingly honest way.’’ Victoria Cooke, author of The Holiday Cruise
‘’If you love novels that have warmth, charm and heart I strongly recommend that you read this poignant and uplifting book.’’ Kerry Postle, author of The Artist’’s Muse
more
I don’t have a great deal of time to dedicate to reading which is why I am a big fan of Audible audio books. After a few pages I made sure to carve out some time to read sit down and read/devour it. It is a realistic look into a relationship. It tackles real issues that couples deal within an honest way while taking you along the journey with them. Is love always enough? What happens when a couple stops talking and start to lose each other? When they are afraid to tell each other their own fears and truths. Can find their way back to each other while dealing with the pain of infertility, infidelity, and physical distance? Is taking some time away from each other the right thing and if so, for one or both of them? It takes you on an emotional journey that is well worth the ride. It is written with kindness and honesty, but does not hold back. It is my first novel by Rachel Burton, but surely will not be my last. If you are looking for something that is more than a quick beach read (which I also love) with some characters that will stay with you for this is the book for you. It gave a lot to think about.
The Things We Need to Say was a little out of my reading wheelhouse of late, but something about it caught my attention. The book is wonderfully written and such a compelling story that I finished it in one day. The story moves back and forth in time to give some insight into what made Fran and Will the people they are today. I was a bit worried that those jumps in time would get confusing, but it’s quite well done and those parts do help shape the reader’s opinions of this couple. I did spend a considerable amount of time waffling on whether they should try to make their marriage work or move on separately from one another, but with everything they’ve been through, it was hard not to root for their happy ending. The story is emotional as Fran and Will go through their ups and downs – some more serious than others – but the book is about so much more than working through problems in a marriage. It’s about love, loss, and picking up the pieces to find a way back to happiness and hope.
Beautiful, emotional, and heartfelt book on loss, grief, and hope!!!
Once upon a time Fran and Will had it all! They were deeply in love and had their lives in front of them until they didn’t. Grief can do devastating damage to a marriage that was one of the strongest. So, Fran needs to find herself again, so she leaves to teach a yoga retreat in Spain with Will’s blessing. He even thinks it would be good for her. Neither one will realize that it will shine a light on the cracks of their marriage, and each will have to decide if their love is worth fighting for.
The chapters are told in alternating POVs which any one who knows me knows that I love that, especially in a book like this one. It was heartbreaking to see how much each of them hurt and sometimes kept that hurt from each other, taking it upon themselves instead of trusting the other with it. Just as I thought there might be no hope left, fate stepped in to maybe give them a second chance.
As I have written before, I love reading an author’s acknowledgements. Sometimes it can give you a deeper understanding of who the writer is. It amazed me that Burton wrote this book at an incredibly difficult time for her. So, I knew this book meant a great deal to her. That is clearly illustrated with every word she wrote. Never have I loved watching a couple make their way back to one another.
My Rating:
4.5
Favorite Quotes:
Midlife crisis? … Couldn’t he have just bought a Porsche or something?
His family were of the traditional British stiff-upper-lip variety; tall and robust with good bone structure – the kind of people who could drink all night without appearing inebriated and still be up at dawn to feed the dogs and shoot the pheasants.
My Review:
I surprised myself with the level of engagement and I experienced with this insightfully written, melancholy, and slowly developing story. I have no personal interest and typically avoid or don’t relate to the main issues at the foundation of the storyline, but the emotive and well-crafted words chosen and artfully arranged by this talented author required that I stop and reevaluate my opinions. Most of the characters were facing life-altering transitions and several were living in significant turmoil caused by messes or their own making, yet I couldn’t look away. I am usually annoyed by the avoidance tactics, extreme waffling, and flight tendencies displayed by the character of Fran, however, Fran was so endearing and making such an effort to put herself back together, I could easily forgive her shortcomings. The storyline was evocative, unpredictable, and intriguing; I remained engaged and speculative from beginning to end. Ms. Burton’s writing was superb throughout, and the characters’ inner musings were profoundly insightful, observant, and thoughtfully executed. This book is a cautionary tale to remind us what happens when people become so entrenched in perfecting and achieving their goals that they lose sight of themselves and everyone/everything around them. Been there, done that, bought that shirt. Though thankfully, not the same shirt as these characters.