"'Everything changes' was his consolation when things were rough. It was his reminder to stay humble when things were good".
-Beth, Things I Never Told You

TW/CW: Post-Partum Depression, Infertility
Beth is the youngest of three. She has two older brothers named Tim and Jeremy, and a older sister named Ruth. They lost their mother Grace when they were just kids. Despite everything and the clashing amongst themselves, they were a tight knit family and loved their father, Patrick. Unfortunately, their father's health is declining because of heart disease and dementia. Beth along with her siblings decide to put Patrick into a nursing home. Beth has taken the grueling task of cleaning her father's home and trying to sell the house. She's on maternity leave from giving birth to her son Noah. What perfect time to do it then now. Beth however hasn't been herself lately. Ever since she had Noah she doesn't have the patience to deal with him, she doesn't get good sleep, and she's constantly giving Noah to her mother in law to babysit to try and get away from him. She's constantly questioning her motherly skills. Even her family notices this change with her. They always ask her if she's ok. She says she's fine but, they all know it's not true. As a psychologist she knows she isn't well, but she refuses to get professional help for herself because she doesn't want her professional career to go down the crapper.

As she cleans her father's attic she comes across a locked door. She wonders why her father has this locked door and where the key for the lock is at. When she finally get's a hold of the key she realizes all the things her father has been hoarding including some papers that her mother wrote. Papers that reveal some deep dark secrets about her father and their marriage. Beth can't believe it. The hardworking and amazing father she knew was different then the young husband her mother married. As a young husband, he stayed out late, didn't help out with his four kids, was always drunk, and provided no type of income because he spent all his money. There was a whole family that Beth and her siblings knew nothing about, including a aunt that knows the actual truth about Grace's marriage and death. The book flips in between the 1950's and the 1990's. It wasn't hard to keep up with the story like some other books.

It was great seeing how both mother and daughter dealt with Post-partum Depression. Grace had a little more of a hard time with it in the 50's because they just expected you to deal with it. I will say though, Beth was not my favorite. She was a selfish and entitled person and that really turned me off from her as main character. The Truths I Never Told You was a amazing book that tackled serious issues such as PPD, infertility, and motherhood. I would definitely recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Graydon House for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

And to think I nearly DNF'd super early on.

This is an extremely heavy read - and I say that as someone who doesn't bat an eye at heavy reads. This one though.. within the first chapter or two there's a father dealing with dementia while his adult children are coming to terms with his nearing death. Not one, not two, but three generations of women dealing with PPD/depression in general/suicidal thoughts/suicide attempts/self-harm. There's an abortion. A botched abortion that took place in an era when such procedures were arranged by code and aliases.

By 15% of the way in, I truly thought I had been going for too long, that there was no point in sticking it out any longer: Grace's and Beth's inner struggles were both so stark and real and when one scene ended there would be Patrick clearly trying to find the correct words to use but unable to and watching his children handle it was so, so difficult.

I'm glad I toughed it out though - once Maryanne came into the story, the novel flew by and I ultimately finished this book in one sitting.

A huge thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first read by this author, and I was immediately drawn to the weighty subjects she tackles. A parent succumbing to dementia, growing up in a single parent household, dealing with postpartum depression. These are all emotionally draining issues, but the author tackled them with finesse.

The narrative switches between three characters - Beth, her mother Grace, and her aunt Mary. Beth has just given birth to her first child after years of infertility. And her child is a long awaited miracle she should be doting on. But when she and her siblings commit her father to an elderly facility, she volunteers to clean out their childhood home. She is only too eager to turn over the daily care of her infant son to her mother-in-law.

The secrets Beth uncovers, and the long-held truths that are challenged will keep you turning the pages.

Rimmer is by far one of my favorite historical fiction authors. In this particular story, she distinctly tells the story of two different generations, the societal pressures put on them in their own times and the very real feelings and actions that come with post partum depression.

I find Rimmer's writing style riveting. She keeps the pace moving and really pulls you into the story. I wasn't as connected with this story as I have been with others she has written. Could be the subject matter. I don't know. I do feel like since each generation was dealing with the same issues, the story tended to feel a bit repetitive and to be quite honest, it was hard to remain in the heads of these women with their thoughts. I realize that maybe the uncomfortableness is the point and I'm ok with being uncomfortable, I just couldn't feel myself caring as much as I wanted to

Rimmer does touch on some very big subjects within this read. I think, for me, it just didn't quite come together as seamlessly as it could have.. it was utter convenience or utter difficulties. I needed something to fit more in the middle. We all know that not all books are for everyone. I look forward to the next read from this author. I did find myself flying through this book, I just wish I had felt more connected.

Beth Walsh is the youngest of four children who lost their mother when they were young. Beth has just had her first child and is suffering from Post Partum Depression and doesn’t think she needs help. Her father has just been placed in hospice, so she offers to start sorting through their family home to get it ready to be sold. When she goes to the attic, she finds a total disaster which she must sort through. In amongst the rubble, she finds letters her mother has written when she herself suffered from the same illness along with paintings her father has done on each of the letters. She has so many questions, but it is to late to get answers from her father. Will she ever find out if her mother really died in a car accident? And who are all her childhood memories of, if it wasn’t her mother?

This was an extremely well written book by Kelly Rimmer. It not only told Beth’s story, but also her mothers story through the letters that Beth Finds. The character development throughout the story was fabulous and I found myself wanting to know more as the story unfolded. I also liked all the information and how well written the trials of Post Partum Depression were told, not only from how women suffered years ago, to what new mothers face today. Thank you to the author Kelly Rimmer, Harlequin and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to read and review.

Pick up this dazzling emotional read and prepare for the book hangover that will follow. Kelly Rimmer's gift of story telling is lyrical. Her characters will linger with you long after the you read the lost page. Beautifully done. Happy reading!

I read halfway and started skimming. Just couldn't connect with the storyline or the characters. Disappointed as I loved Kelly Rimmer's other books. Won't be posting online.. Thanks for the opportunity to read.

Truths I Never Told You hit me right in the feelings, my friends. Kelly Rimmer went for it hard with this story, tackling multiple tough and relatable topics that are couched in a powerful family story. The biggest of the topics dealt with in this one is postpartum depression, and reading the dismissiveness one of the characters receives about how she's struggling, contrasted with the support another has, is striking, and a good reminder that while we have road left to travel, there has been some progress. This story takes on reproductive rights, religion, and mental health in a way that I don't feel readers will find divisive but instead relate to them as human experience. This was brilliantly done, and Kelly Rimmer will remain an auto-read author.

Title: Truths I Never Told You
Author: Kelly Rimmer
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

After finding disturbing journal pages that suggest her late mother didn't die in a car accident as her father had always maintained, Beth Walsh begins a search for answers to the question -- what really happened to their mother? With the power and relevance of Jodi Picoult and Lisa Jewell, Rimmer pens a provocative novel told by two women a generation apart, the struggles they unwittingly shared, and a family mystery that may unravel everything they believed to be true.

With her father recently moved to a care facility because of worsening signs of dementia, Beth Walsh volunteers to clear out the family home to prepare it for sale. Why shouldn’t she be the one, after all? Her three siblings are all busy with their families and successful careers, and Beth is on maternity leave after giving birth to Noah, their miracle baby. It took her and her husband Hunter years to get pregnant, but now that they have Noah, Beth can only feel panic. And leaving Noah with her in-laws while she pokes about in their father’s house gives her a perfect excuse not to have to deal with motherhood.

Beth is surprised to discover the door to their old attic playroom padlocked, and even more shocked to see what’s behind it – a hoarder’s mess of her father’s paintings, mounds of discarded papers, and miscellaneous junk. Her father was the most fastidious, everything-in-its-place man, and this chaos makes no sense. As she picks through the clutter, she finds a handwritten note attached to one of the paintings, in what appears to be in her late mother’s handwriting. Beth and her siblings grew up believing Grace Walsh died in a car accident when they were little more than toddlers, but this note suggests something much darker may be true. A frantic search uncovers more notes, seemingly a series of loose journal entries that paint a very disturbing portrait of a woman in profound distress, and of a husband that bears very little resemblance to the father Beth and her siblings know.

Sometimes it’s hard to pull off narratives with dual timelines, but Rimmer manages to do so and keeps the reader guessing as to what’s actually going on. The characters deal with a lot of underlying issues: postpartum depression, terminal illness of a parent, women’s rights, suicide… there’s a lot going on here, and some of it is deeply emotional and traumatic, but the reader is drawn into the stories and concerns of the characters and experiences their emotions right along with them. This isn’t a light or funny read, but it is engrossing and sure to captivate readers.

Kelly Rimmer is the worldwide and USA TODAY bestselling author of Before I Let You Go, Me Without You, and The Secret Daughter. She lives in rural Australia with her husband, two children and fantastically naughty dogs, Sully and Basil. Her novels have been translated into more than twenty languages.

(Galley courtesy of Graydon House in exchange for an honest review.)

I was really excited to read this book. This is the first Kelly Rimmer book that I have read and I can guarantee it will not be the last.

This book has duel timelines and is centered around two women. Grace is the mother, who died tragically in 1959, and Beth is the daughter.
Beth 1996. Beth and her siblings have made the heart-breaking decision to put their elderly father, Patrick, in a care facility as his dementia has progressed. Together, they need to decide what to do with the beloved family home and all the possessions within. Beth takes it upon herself to started clearing it out, but it all comes to a halt when she comes upon the locked attic. When they break open the door, they find a room stuffed top-to-bottom with boxes, papers, food wrappers, and paintings. Slowly as the room gets sorted, Beth finds what might be clues relating to her mother’s death. Her death certificate states she dies in 1959, but she is sure she remembers her after that. What does this all mean? Together Beth and her siblings search the room for answers.

Grace 1957. Grace came from a good family who possessed some wealth, but she puts it all aside to marry Patrick, who makes a merger wage. After the birth of her first child, Timothy, she acknowledges that maybe she isn’t really mother material. With the birth of more babies, it’s apparent that she is struggling to keep her head above water; the children run around in dirty and torn clothing, and the house is in constant disarray. Patrick spends less and less time at home, opting to met with the boys after work for drinks. One day, after an outing with her sister, Grace never returns home.

Truths I Never Told You is a wonderful book, the parallel struggles between Beth and Grace was perfectly thought out. I also liked Patrick’s character, who had his faults, but was still able to find the right track in life and care for his children in a warm and loving home.

A big thank you to Graydon House and #NetGalley for the advance copy of Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer.

Thank you Harlequin and NetGalley for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Beth Walsh and her 3 older siblings put their dying father into hospice and they discover a series of notes from their mother hidden in the attic behind a padlocked door. They grew up thinking their mother died in a car accident when they were all very young, but the notes indicate there's a much bigger and darker family secret. As a new mom, Beth is struggling with motherhood and as she tries to piece the notes together, she wonders if she has more in common with her mother than she thought.

This book blew me away. I was hesitant to pick it up because of the heavy topic but Kelly Rimmer did a fantastic job with such a sensitive and heavy subject. It's told in alternating timelines and as a reader, you see how society has evolved regarding gender roles, women's rights, and the stigma on postpartum depression. It is clear that Kelly Rimmer did her research on all these topics and she presents them in a way that is easy to understand and you can't help but sympathize with the characters. I was lucky enough to not have PPD after having my son, but I still found the story very insightful and hope I can be there for anyone who may need help. If you love a good family saga with a bit of mystery, pick this one up!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Graydon House Books, and Kelly Rimmer for the opportunity to read and review this book - 5 stars for a book that I was really pulled into and one that covers quite a few heavy subjects; it would be perfect for a book club selection.

Told in two different timeframes: In 1996, Beth and her siblings are going through their father's house. He has dementia and heart disease and has been moved to a Hospice facility. Beth finds the attic locked and once she gains access, full of her father's paintings that she has never seen as well as some letters written by her mother, Grace, who died when Beth was small. Beth is also struggling after the birth of her son, Noah, and her father's imminent death is making that worse. In 1957, we learn about Grace through the writing of those letters.

Life in 1957 was very different for women, from life choices to available contraception to married women not being hired to the way mental illness is treated. However, mental illness still carries a stigma today. But this was a gripping read for me.

I have been on a roll of mystery reading- this story, though. I'm still thinking about it days later. How many people have secrets from their families? Practically everyone. This is the story of unraveling a mystery that occurred years ago, yet affects this family still in the present day. I enjoyed it, and I can say that you probably won't guess the ending,

I became a fan of Kelly Rimmer after reading her novel, “The Things We Cannot Say.” Hence, when I found she has a new novel coming out, I came to it with high expectations and for the most part, was not disappointed.

Patrick Walsh is suffering from dementia as a result of heart failure, and as a result, his four children make the decision to put him into a nursing home. Youngest daughter, Beth, is on maternity leave and not ready to resume her job as a psychotherapist. As a result, she eagerly volunteers to clean out the family home. Up in the house’s attic, she comes across paintings created by her father. She also discovers old letters that her mother wrote before her death. Beth and her siblings have always believed that their mother, Grace, died in a car accident, but these letters tell another story.

The story flashbacks to the time frame of the letters and the events leading up to Grace’s death, but interweaves those moments to the present where Beth tries to process what the letters say in comparison to her memories. At the same time, Beth wrestles with postpartum depression and whether or not she is a good mother.

This is a heavy topic and it is clear the reader knows her material. Ms. Rimmer does a good job in letting the reader understand both Beth’s and Grace’s struggles. Often Grace’s reactions and feelings mirror Beth’s—and while the choice may be intentional on the writer’s part, it does clarify how misunderstood postpartum depression still is. I also like how Grace’s Patrick was so different from the father that Beth knows and remembers. Beth’s husband and siblings were a little two-dimensional, but that did not bother me so much as this was Beth’s story to tell.

I love a good family saga and this novel does not disappoint. I give this novel three and a half stars out of five. Thanks to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for providing this advance copy.

The Dark Side of Motherhood

Beth and her three siblings are gathered for a meal in the house they grew up in after putting their father, who suffers from dementia and heart disease, into a care home. The house is special to the four. It’s a tie to the father they loved, and they can’t decide whether to sell the house or keep it and rent it.

Beth has a five-month-old baby, Noah. She’s still on maternity leave and can’t quite decide to go back to her job as a psychologist. She volunteers to clean out the house guiltily knowing that she can ask her mother-in-law, who is excellent with children, to babysit for Noah. Beth, although she wanted a child bad enough to go through fertility treatments, now feels overwhelmed caring for him.

When cleaning out the house, Beth finds a lock on the attic door. When she gets in she finds a mess of paintings from her father, and piles of papers. Going through the papers, she finds letters from her mother, Grace. Beth and her siblings believed Grace died in an auto accident, but the truth is different. The letters also reveal an aunt, Maryanne, Beth didn’t know she had. Contacting Maryanne, she learns more about the history of the sisters and what happened to her mother.

The book has a dual timeline. Maryanne and Grace’s story takes place in the 1950s; Beth’s, in the 1990s. Although I don’t often like stories told in two time periods, this one worked well. As Beth gets to know her mother, she realizes how much they have in common. Her mother suffered from postpartum depression, and Beth realizes that she may being suffering from the same disorder.

Although the book is billed as a mystery, it is more of a character study. The theme is the differences and opportunities open to women in the 1990s that were not in the 50s. This is a book women today should read to understand some of the problems faced in their mothers’era.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

I loved the second half of this book. However, in order to get there, I had to get through the first half. The first part of the book really talks about post-partem depression/anxiety, what it is like going through it, how someone may be very reluctant to seek help, and how isolating it can be. This is shown through our main character, Beth, and from older letters from her mother, who experienced the same thing. Beth doesn't read the letters (or know of their existance) at this time, though (and the timeline with the years was a little confusing).

At the 51 percent mark, though, things get interesting. There is now a question of how Beth's mother died, where these letters are, who finds them, and what happens. This part of the book is now told in alternating perspectives from Beth, who is still dealing with post-partem depression and the death of her father, and Maryanne, Beth's aunt.

Kelly Rimmer is an excellent writer - I loved the way the second half of this book was written. I loved the characters, the scenes, the way she showed a scene rather than told you what was happening. It was very well done. The first half was well-written also, but it was just kind of aimless. I didn't know where the book was going to go until the halfway mark, and it shouldn't take that long to get there. I almost feel the format of the book should have changed where the letters weren't revealed until Beth found them, but I'm sure the author had a reason for why she told it the way she did.

Overall, I really liked the book, but that was because I really liked the second half. The first half was important to read, but slower.

This was one of my most anticipated books for 2020 after absolutely loving The Things We Cannot Say. That book meant so much to me and it touched a part of my soul, it’s definitely one of my all time favorite books and I don’t say that lightly. All of that to say, I had incredibly high expectations for this one and I’m thrilled to say that once again, KR has written a gorgeous story that I won’t forget.

There’s two timelines here, one in the late 1950’s and the other in the 1990’s and both were equally compelling. The author has an uncanny knack for writing about women’s issues from the past that still have relevance today and she explores them with grace and sensitivity. Post partum depression is at the core of this book and seeing the difference between how it was handled in the past (or really not even discussed at all) and in more contemporary times was heartbreaking and thought provoking. This was not an easy read, but it’s an important one and while I myself was lucky enough not to experience PPD after the births of my children I was still able to very easily connect and sympathize with the women in the story. Highly recommended by me and if you’re looking for an author to read during quarantine KR is an amazing one!

Truths I Never Told You was emotionally difficult to read, but beautifully written. It discussed some hard issues impacting women in the 1950s and much of it still relevant today (postpartum depression).

It’s a historical fiction that bounces between the 1950s with Grace and in the 1990s with Beth, her youngest daughter. It also shares the perspective of Grace sister. I felt that the different perspectives and times lines complemented each other well.

I found this book was a little difficult to read at times as the topics were quite heavy, but it’s definitely worth a read!

Let me start out with the positive. I really enjoyed Rimmer's writing style. The flow and pacing was excellent, the characters came alive on the page, and it was never a book I wanted to put down because I was bored. The emotions and reactions felt authentic and genuine and it made the characters easy to connect to even when I didn't necessarily like them.



I do feel like this was a bit of a case of wrong book wrong time in a lot of ways. The beginning where Beth and her brother are moving their father into assisted living and debating on what to do with the house hit too close to home for comfort for me at this time though I do feel like it was realistically done. It did make the first part of the book incredibly difficult for me to get through and I think anyone who had dealt with a similar situation with a loved one recently would struggle as well.



As Beth discovered more about her mother I did find that it became more repetitive. The issues brought to light were very serious and very real but don't have real solutions so it mostly became a lot of grimness and hand twisting. There were a couple of points towards the end that set my teeth on edge a bit (there was a mention of taking a pill and fixing PPD almost instantly. While I'm all for medication I don't see it as instant fix) and felt a little forced. It ended up feeling like a grim read that I was marching through just to get to the end.



I feel like this was a well written book but one that just isn't for me. If you enjoy issue driven books and books that really delve into grim facts of life I think you'll really enjoy this but I do recommend caution if you have recently had to tackle either postpartum depression or moving a loved one into a nursing facility.

Truths I Never Told You covers some heavy topics, all of which are emotional. Nevertheless, I struggled to connect with both the characters and the story for about the first half of the book. The second half did hold me a little tighter than the beginning, but the writing still had a somewhat detached feeling to it, which I think contributed to the lack of connection to the characters. I do think the issues involved were pretty accurate to the time periods, and while this isn't a relaxing story by any means, it is worth the read. Parts of this one were harder for me than others, which again, may have something to do with my struggle to get through it, and if I had it to do over, I would've stretched the reading out a little more than I did, taking the book in smaller pieces at a time.