Favorite Quotes:

Alicia came with him a few times, then suddenly stopped helping out. As far as I can tell, she’s very busy being a “media personality.” Given she hasn’t had an acting or modeling gig for at least a decade, “media personality” seems to mean she spends her mornings at the gym and her afternoons with her socialite friends, hoping she’ll make it into the frame of a paparazzi photo so she can complain about her lack of privacy.

Here, more than anywhere, I feel his absence. The room smells like Dad— his aftershave and deodorant linger in the air. This scent is warm hugs on sad days, and laughter over the breakfast bar, and suffering through the sheer boredom of the old black-and-white movie marathons he so loved to inflict upon us on rainy weekends.

Mrs. Hills and Aunt Nina insisted on taking me out for a bachelorette party the weekend before the wedding. I protested furiously at this, mostly because I wasn’t exactly excited by the idea of suffering through two octogenarians offering me sex advice.

“For your generation, these problems have names, and because they are defined, solutions can be found for them. But for my generation, we didn’t have access to those solutions and it made life endlessly complicated… and for women like your mother, endlessly cruel.” Two weeks ago I stuffed a script for Prozac into my tote bag, and it’s still there— resting between baby wipes and spare pacifiers and my purse. I clutch the strap tighter in my hand… Sometimes moments of change happen during quiet conversations like this, when a simple shift in perspective empowers you to make a choice you just haven’t been able to make before.


My Review:

I finished Kelly Rimmer's latest work with tears in my eyes and hot rocks in my throat, a condition I had experienced several times during my perusal of this poignant and keenly written piece. Poignant is the word that keeps circling in my gray matter, and while accurate, poignant falls short of doing justice to this thoughtful penned story. Let me add a few more adjectives and adverbs in my paltry attempt to express my scattered thoughts, including - profoundly insightful, real-world issues, extremely relevant, heart-squeezing, painfully honest, highly emotive, sensitively handled, cleverly nuanced, masterfully written, and brilliantly paced. Ms. Rimmer seems to have an adept and nimble skill at walking the line of both sides of a controversial subject and deftly and thoughtfully exposing the grim disparities, inequities, and nitty-gritty parts that neither side can ignore. I covet her mad skills and will ever remain her ardent fangirl for life.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Netgalley, and Graydon House for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

This was such a hard book to read with the mental illness component involved. I may not be a mother, and I may not have a firsthand account of what postpartum depression does to a woman, but seeing it in this novel was hard to take in. I think about my friends that have probably gone through this without telling anyone, and I think about how there’s this huge stigma that new mothers should be so happy with what’s happening with them that there shouldn’t be any reason for them to suffer from any sort of depression – postpartum or otherwise. How wrong that thinking is.

Rimmer really gave me a novel to think about. I love historical fiction novels that also have alternating time periods sprinkled throughout it. It’s interesting how authors are able to blend in the past and the present together in a way that makes the story easy to follow and give you two different characters to root for in some aspect. I feel like Rimmer did a great job with this.

Not only do we have the story of Grace and the postpartum depression that she suffered, but we also have Beth dealing with her father’s dementia in the present time (or at least closer to the present than Grace’s storyline), so there are at least two different mental illnesses that the readers are dealing with through different characters. I feel like the representation was okay, although like I mentioned I can’t really judge enough to tell whether it’s accurate or not. I would hope that someone that either has personal experience with either of these illnesses, or knows someone that does can weigh in on this.

While I don’t know if I would read this book again – difficult plots like these rarely get a reread for me regardless of how well I like it – I think that there will be certain people that will enjoy it. I look forward to reading other novels from Rimmer and seeing what else she may have in store.

Truths I Never Told You is the latest offering from Australian author Kelly Rimmer. It's the deeply evocative story of one woman's quest to understand not only her past but the ways in which that past affects the life she's currently living. Once I started reading, I hated putting the book down, and actually managed to finish it in less than twenty-four hours.

Beth has always been close to her father and her siblings. The youngest of three children, she possesses only hazy memories of her mother, who died in a car accident when Beth was not quite two years old. As an adult, Beth works as a child psychologist, a job she deeply loves. She and her husband have just had their first child, and although Beth is overjoyed to be a mother, there's a part of her that worries she will make a mess of this whole parenting thing.

As if this inner turmoil isn't enough, Beth's father has been slipping deeper and deeper into dementia, and Beth and her siblings have finally made the difficult decision to move him into a nursing home where he can receive the care he needs. His house is empty now, and Beth, who is feeling a bit adrift given the stress she's been under, offers to sort through her father's belongings and get the place ready to sell. At first, no one thinks this is a very good idea, but Beth assures them she's getting a bit bored with maternity leave and focusing on the house is just the thing she needs to help get her emotions back in check.

When Beth arrives to start cleaning out the family home, she is astonished to discover the door to her childhood playroom secured with a padlock - but the locked door is only the first surprise she encounters. Once she manages to get the door open, she finds piles and piles of miscellaneous junk, much of which seems to be trash. She's understandably quite disturbed by the state of the room, and as she begins to sort through the clutter, her feelings of unease grow. What could have caused her extremely organized father to keep so much trash in this one room, and why are there crumpled up pages of what appears to be someone's journal sprinkled throughout the mess?

Beth glances through the entries and is shocked to discover her long-dead mother is the one who wrote them. Suddenly, she's been granted a glimpse into the life of this woman she barely remembers, and she's honestly not sure how she feels about that. Still, the draw of the journal is too much for her to resist, and it's not long before she's completely immersed in the pages.

What follows is a story sure to appeal to any woman struggling with questions about her place in a confusing and often unfriendly world. As Beth finally begins to get to know the woman who gave birth to her, she's forced to confront aspects of her own life she's been ignoring for years. The author perfectly captures her sadness, her confusion, and eventually, her feelings of peace and acceptance, giving me the impression Beth was someone I could easily meet on the streets of my own city. Every nuance of our heroine is brought to vivid life on the page, and I found myself completely caught up in her emotional upheaval.

Postpartum depression is a major theme of the novel, and I was beyond pleased with the author's handling of this difficult topic. She doesn't use it as a mere plot device or as a way to elicit shock from her readers. Instead, she painstakingly illustrates the numerous ways the disorder can affect women from all walks of life, and although I don't have personal experience with the condition, her depiction aligns well with other books I've read on the subject.

If you love books that really focus in on family dynamics, Truths I Never Told You will be right up your alley. The story is about Beth first and foremost, but her family relationships make up a huge part of her everyday life. It's clear these characters love each other deeply, and although mistakes are made in their dealings with one another, that love shines through, evoking a feeling of overall rightness as I read. Families are complex and messy, and Ms. Rimmer captures all of this perfectly, making this a book I'm thrilled to recommend.

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This is my 4th Kelly Rimmer novel, and she’s definitely become a go-to author for me. I have loved ALL of her books & although they’ve been really different, she has managed to write amazing books, no matter the genre. This book was so emotional… although I’ve never struggled with PPD, I have definitely felt overwhelmed as a mother. I’ll admit, this one was hard to read at times, as the grief and emotions just seep off the page. There’s a mystery element that made this truly “unputdownable”. A heart-wrenching, beautiful story.

*** Blog Tour ***

Through the stories of Grace, Beth and Maryanne, Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer tackles the issues of a woman's right to choose, motherhood, and postpartum depression. What I love about the book is the voice it gives to these issues. My only hesitation about the book is that by the end, I feel like it tries too hard and in too many ways to make its point. Nevertheless, the book remains a memorable story about an important issue not often written about.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020/04/truths-i-never-told-you.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and the Harlequin Trade Publishing's 2020 Spring Read blog tour.

I received a reviewer copy of Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer from the publisher Harlequin-Graydon Books from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: Beth is having a hard time dealing with the birth of her son Noah and the timing couldn't be worse: her beloved father is dying and facing dementia. Beth is devastated because the only parent she has truly ever known is her father, since her mother died in a car accident when she was three. However, when she volunteers to clean out her father's house she discovers notes from her mother that suggest it wasn't a car accident that killed her after all. The book switches between present day (1997) and past (1957) and alters

What I Loved: I LOVED this book so much. It has everything I love in a book: complex characters, moral issues, family drama, and more. This book tells the story of a close knit family raised by a father and the siblings all felt he provided for them the best he could and was pretty open minded. And yet we see that their mother felt alone and unsupported. We get to find out what truly happened to their mother and how their father grew into the man they loved. Also, the book discusses post-partum depression in such a heart wrenching way that you feel as if you are experiencing it as well. It is raw and heartfelt and perfect for people who love dual timelines and family sagas in their writing.

What I didn’t like so much: I can't think of much I didn't love. I thought this was a great story. At times I wish we had gotten Patrick's (the father) perspective but otherwise nothing to complain about.

Who Should Read It: People who love family sagas. People who love dual storylines. People who love strong women who face challenges.

General Summary: A woman uncovers a shocking unknown truth about her family which might just save them all.

I really enjoyed this book and found the glimpse into post-partum depression very interesting. Personally, this was not part of my experience and what the author portrays through both the protagonist and her mother just made me so sympathetic for those who go through this.

There is a whole theme in this book that is about women’s reproductive rights and choices with their bodies and I think it would make for a good though possibly heated book club discussion, depending on your own thoughts and beliefs. Regardless, Grace’s story will stay with you long after you finish reading and I kept thinking about these characters after the novel was done.

Thank you for making me part of the tour, Harlequin, and for my e-copy through Net Galley. I look forward to reading more novels by this incredible author!

Most of the time I prefer to read romance books. More specifically, I prefer romantic suspense above all else. Reading this book’s blurb, for some reason I felt as if it was going to be a romantic suspense book. And there were amazing suspense elements to Truths I Never Told You…but it was so. Much. More.

This book delves into the painful truths of post-partum depression and the stigma surrounding those who suffer from this devastating disorder and from the labeling that people are left to live under regarding mental health issues.

NICUnurse’s Rating: Truths I Never Told You was an intimate journey into a family’s several generations of mental illness in the form of post-partum depression. It is heartbreaking, yet heartwarming at the same time. A truly emotional read that will have you alternately crying and rooting for these brave female characters. For fans of women’s fiction full of the broad spectrum of emotions these books evoke, Truths I Never Told You is a must-read. Kelly Rimmer was a new-to-me author when I began this story, but I will anxiously await her next title, for sure.

I give Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer 5 out of 5 stars!

TRUTHS I NEVER TOLD YOU by Kelly Rimmer is an intense new women’s fiction/historical mystery/suspense novel. This story follows a mother in 1957 and her daughter in 1997 with two simultaneous intertwining plot lines.

Patrick has been a beloved single father for many years and now his four children are finding it difficult to come to terms with placing him in a care facility due to his dementia and heart disease. When the youngest, Beth begins to clear the family home, she finds a disaster of paintings, papers and garbage behind the locked attic door. The siblings discover a trail of personal papers which lead them to question what they were told of their mother’s death in a car accident when they were very young.

Grace fell in love with Patrick and married young. Their family started immediately as they were strict Catholics that did not believe in birth control and money was always a problem. The twins came next and then little Beth. Patrick always promised to help, but not being able to deal with his wife’s difficulties, he turns to drink. All the children were barely over a year apart and after each birth Grace lived in a state of despair and depression. When Grace discovers she is once again pregnant, she knows she cannot go through with it and asks for help from her older sister, Maryanne.

Beth Walsh and her husband finally have a baby after years of fertility treatments, but since Noah’s birth Beth has not been herself. Her husband and sister finally get her to see a doctor and even though she is a child psychologist by profession, she fails to realize her own severe post-partum depression.

As Beth pieces together the mystery in the attic, she discovers her mother may have had the same difficulty with post-partum depression, but they were different times for her mother in the 1950’s. She and her siblings also want to find out about the mysterious Maryanne. Will the loving family be able to withstand their family secrets?

Ms. Rimmer did an amazing job of researching post-partum depression in both the 1950’s and present day and her empathy is apparent as you progress through the story. She made the inner secrets and feelings of both mother and daughter intertwine in a realistic portrayal for both their generations. I felt completely immersed in both timelines as they alternated throughout the story. Even as you are reading the intense mother/daughter stories, the author also brought Maryanne, Patrick and her three siblings lives to life on the pages. I loved how Beth cherished the written pages from her mother in the attic as a way to understand and connect with her. It is hard to not get completely immersed in this book, but it is also an emotionally difficult book to read.

I can highly recommend this novel!

Kelly Rimmer is definitely added to my list of go-to authors. Truths I Never Told you is another amazing alternating timeline novel by Kelly where in one timeline, you have a 1990s woman named Beth suffering from postpartum depression after her son is born, and in the alternate timeline in the 1950s, you hear from Beth's mother through a series of letters that she had written around the same time in her life recently after bearing children.

This book had so much depth, covering issues like women's rights in the 1950s and showed how much society has changed since that day in terms of managing pregnancies, etc. I found myself thinking about how lucky we are to live in modern times where women have the right to choose and control their own bodies. This book also showed great angles of motherhood and how it is not always what it seems.

This is definitely a heavier book, so might not be for everyone during the quarantine, but definitely add to your TBR list.

Truths I Never Told You is the third book I’ve read by Kelly Rimmer and each one has been impressive for different reasons. This story focuses on family secrets left untold and the effect post-partum depression has on a woman and as a result on her family as well.

When the family patriarch is sent to a memory care facility, it lands on one of his four kids to clean out his home so they could sell it if need be. When Beth, a psychologist, volunteers for the task, all she finds is what seems to be a hoarder’s paradise, and soon realizes it’s so much more than that. When she finds bits of journal entries from her late mother and random paintings by her father, a mystery ensues. Who was their father as a young man? How did their mom really die? Who is this mysterious woman Maryanne?

What was most impressive about this story was Rimmer’s detailed and seemingly accurate description of post-partum depression. It physically hurt to read as you were put you in the character’s state of mind when she was filled with desperation. On the flip side, it seemed unrealistic that a psychologist couldn’t diagnose her own symptoms. I fell for it at first, thinking of the adage that the shoemaker’s kids don’t have shoes, but after a while, it became so blatant that it grated on me.

The story was told in two time-lines, one in the 1950s and one in the 1990s. It worked well in this story as the past was quite foretelling of future events. How different the 90s would be if women had more choices in earlier times. Everything from family-relationships, work ethic, feminism, uncovering secrets, guilt, alcoholism, class prejudice and abortion was touched on. There was a lot of depth in this story and left me thinking about some of the characters long after I finished it. She’s an author not to be missed!

Truths I Never Told You is a novel I was so looking forward to reviewing and I'm so glad I did.

The Walsh family are immersed in worry about their father since he was diagnosed with dementia and they have to do what they think is best for him. But what is?

When they have no choice but to accept that he will have to be in a home, their world is turned upside down. Tensions rise, blame is placed and cutting comments and hurtful judgement starts.

What really happened to their mother?

Truths I Never Told You is fast paced, gripping, heartfelt and realistic.

The plot and characters are multilayered, true- to- life and I devoured this novel. It is the second book I have reviewed by Kelly Rimmer after A Mother's Secret and both were incredibly moving.

I was hooked on the synopsis of Truths I Never Told You and the mystery of the title. I requested it also as the blurb likened the writing to Jodi Picoult's and she is one of my favourite authors.

After this, I think I have found another favourite author in Kelly Rimmer, her writing style is clean, fresh and heartfelt. It's clear she is passionate about writing and tackles sensitive subjects like family feud and bonds, heartbreaking decisions moral dilemmas and mental health with a professional yet interesting manner.

I adored this realistic and absorbing novel. Have the tissues ready, it's a tearjerker in some parts.

5 sparkly stars.

Huge thanks to Kelly Rimmer and Harlequin for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

I reviewed Truths I Never Told You as part of the Harlequin Spring Reads Blog Tour.

I have every single one of her books on my TBR list and I can't wait to listen to another!

This book tackles some serious topics – Beth’s father has dementia and her mother battled postpartum depression. Beth Walsh, the protagonist in the story, is a new mother who is having difficulty connecting with her son Noah. Her mother died when she was young, and her father is now in a care facility. Beth has now volunteered to clear out her father’s house. She is surprised when she finds that her old playroom has a heavy-duty padlock on it. She is then shocked to find the formerly neat and clean room now a mess – piles of papers, boxes, clothing, the usual junk. But she also finds her father’s paintings and a page from a journal – her mother’s journal. What is written on that errant page jars her. She had been told that her mother died in a car accident, but the note suggests otherwise. As she finds more of her mother’s writings, she realizes her father was not always the loving man she knows.

I thought the pace of the book was very slow. Just as it would get my interest it would then slow down again. I also never connected with the characters. Definitely not a page-turner. It gets better if you can stay with it through the slow parts.

Thank you to Harper Collins for the advance copy to review. All opinions here are my own.

"...loneliness is worse than sadness...loneliness, by its very definition, cannot be shared."

This is a moving story told mainly from a mother and a daughter's point-of-view who both suffered/suffer terribly from postpartum depression.

Grace is a young mother in 1956-57 who has four children under the age of five and a husband who, not only doesn't believe in birth control, but distances himself from his family with work and drinking.

Beth is the youngest of Grace's daughters in 1996 who has a new baby plus a father, who she and her siblings dearly love, in hospice care.

This book is about family, about the stigma and/or the ignorance of depression, and about impossible choices.

This was an emotionally difficult story to read but it was also about the ties of family and overcoming adversity.

I received this book from Grayson House through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

I was really hoping this book would be an intriguing journey of discovering family secrets, but it ended up being so much more than I expected. In it we follow two timelines in the same family, with the main character, Beth, discovering what happened when her parents were younger. She does this while going through her own difficulties and emotional issues. She and her siblings have to work through a number of things related to their father's impending death and secrets that start to surface add another layer to the story.

Definite trigger warnings for death of a parent, postpartum depression (and depression in general) and talk of dementia. I really enjoyed the writing style and the dual timelines, with more and more of the past being revealed as time went on. There's also some good discussion about the way contraception and abortions were looked at in the 50s as well as the roles women were expected to play at that time. Both timelines and the generations of this family were full of personality, depth and secrets and while unwinding them was hard, it was worth it.

With Truths I Never Told You, Kelly Rimmer delivers a riveting family drama that had me completely captivated. The story unfolds at different times, and from different perspectives, but Rimmer ties it all together in a compelling manner. Told via journal entries from wife and mother, Grace Walsh, and also from the perspective of Beth, Grace's youngest daughter, the reader is brought into a world of depression and deception. A third voice, that of Grace's sister Maryann, comes into the story and provides the bridge between the past and present and the dark family secret is revealed.

Centered on Patrick Walsh's declining health, the Walsh siblings are facing the fact that they need to move him out of the family home and into a nursing home. Beth, who steps up to manage this is motivated by her own shame at not enjoying motherhood, one that she fought hard to gain. The story is equally intriguing and sad. As Patrick and Grace's early years are shared, we see two people facing financial and emotional hardships. As Beth packs up her father's house, she discovers things he kept from his children, and the mystery of their mothers' death gives her pause.

This story kept me guessing. It was one of those reads where I found myself ruminating on what the secret might be. If you like a family drama with a well thought out cast of characters and plot, this story is for you. 4 Stars and recommendation.

This story revolves around a family that has recently moved their father into longterm care, with the expectation of his rather imminent death. He has a form of dementia that has shocked the family with how far it has advanced. Beth is the youngest of four adult siblings. She is struggling with adapting to her role as a new mother and feels the need to hide her struggles from her family. Being a mental health professional, she is afraid of being diagnosed with a mental illness as losing her job. She is also afraid to go back to work. Beth has volunteered to clean out their family home. During the process of clearing it out, she discovers hidden letters from their deceased mother. Through these letters, they uncover long kept family secrets that leave many unanswered questions. While dealing with all this, Beth's family are trying to determine what is going on with her and to help her deal with whatever it is. Will the letters guide them to a solution? What secrets has their father been hiding?

Kelly Rimmer is one of my go to authors and I have been waiting, somewhat impatiently, for this book. After reading a few of her others and recently The Things We Cannot Say, I was disappointed with this offering. The story has some rather heavy topics, specifically postpartum depression and mental health, as well as the stigma of being diagnosed with depression. Having relatives who have suffered from this as well as dealing with depression, I thought I would connect with Beth and her mother Grace, however that was not the case. The dual timeline added some interest to the story, but I felt I was being told the story, not experiencing it for myself. It felt stilted for me and I was not able to feel for the characters like I wanted to. The story also felt quite long, repetitive and drawn out which had me doing some skimming at the beginning. The last half of the book was better and finally drew me in. I read it quickly and began to feel for the family, especially Maryann, Grace's sister. As the story progressed other issues that were dealt with were abortion, pro-choice, women's rights in protecting themselves from pregnancy, and women's rights to work with a family. Fortunately the last half of the book redeemed it for me, but overall, it was not as good as her other books have been.

I have never read this author before…but I am about to read everything she has ever written!

Beth has been given the task of cleaning out her father’s house. She comes across many disturbing paintings and some notes from her mother. Her mother passed away years ago. But these notes tell a different story than what Beth and her siblings were led to believe.

This is the best book of 2020 for me! I finished it several days ago and I am still thinking about it. This book gives you all the feels…anger, sadness, hope, love…it has it all. The anguish…oh the anguish in this book is astounding. The postpartum depression experienced by Beth and her mother just tear your heart and soul apart. The author did a FANTASTIC job.

There are so many parts to this book and I want to touch on them all. The characters, the story, the mystery make up one fabulously written novel! However, I am a firm believer in short reviews…so JUST READ THIS BOOK NOW!

Beth Walsh is dealing with some heavy issues right now. Her father is suffering from dementia, which is getting worse by the day. With heavy hearts, Beth and her three siblings must place their father in a health facility as they cannot care for him on their own. Beth volunteers to clean out his house and is surprised when one room is locked and she is unable to find the key.

Once Beth gets the door open, she discovers her father was a secret hoarder. The room has his paintings plus quite a bit of garbage and papers. Beth goes through everything and is surprised to find notes from her late mother scattered in the debris. She’s stunned when she realizes her mother died earlier than she and her siblings were led to believe. To add to her shock, the man described in the notes doesn’t sound like the loving father she grew up with.

Beth is determined to find out the truth, but she’s hampered with her own issues as well. She has a newborn son and not handling it very well. Still, she wants to know about her family.

This book is a large slice of life. The issues involved from dementia to postpartum depression are all realistic and can happen to anyone. The author portrays the issues in a poignant, touching way. I felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster reading this one.

I could not put this one down. I cried along with Beth and her family. I could feel their pain. This book goes between the late 1950's and the late 1990’s. It’s told from the POV of three generations of Walsh women. It’s beautifully written. My eyes were blurred with tears by the time I got to the last page. It’s a book that touched by heart and stayed with me long after I finished reading.

If I rated books higher than five stars, this would be one of those. It’s my favorite of the year, so far,

This was a, could not put down, cried throughout the entire read, heartbreaking, mystery, pulled at all of your emotional strings book. Wow. I didn't know this book was what I needed until I read it. It is a very emotional, touching read and I so did not expect to be so moved by this one. Wow.

This story is told in 2 parts, in the 1950s and in the 1990s. We hear from the mother, Grace, and her sister Maryanne in the 1950s and in the 1990s we hear from Beth, Grace's daughter. As Grace's father lays dying from heart failure and dementia, she starts to uncover their family past might not be how her and her siblings quite remember it.

Beth is going through her own hard time and as she cleans out her father's house, she stumbles across notes that might just save her life. Beth is struggling with postpartum depression and does not feel she can open up to anyone. With her father's failing memory she gets a few bits and pieces of what is going on with her mother and her family figures it all out.

I cried so much. I put myself in the shoes of Beth. I put myself in the shoes of Grace. I put myself in the shoes of Maryanne. I was so happy that the ending came together so nicely...and then I bawled like a baby.

This book was penned so beautifully. There was so much going on in the 1950s and I loved how Rimmer had 2 sisters, one following the status quo and one who went against it. This tale was penned with just enough forgiveness that made your heartbreak ok.