Laura Taylor is shocked when she reads in a London newspaper that the portrait painted by famous artist Patrick Adams, the same portrait used as security for a loan to fund her tuition at the Royal College of Music, is a fake. The portrait entitled The Things We Don't Say has been pulled from the Tate's exhibition of gay 20th century artists after an appraisal by Ewan Buchanan, art dealer and owner of a well-respected London art gallery.

Laura's first thought is to shield her ninety year old grandmother from this news, for Emma Temple is the subject of the painting, gifted to her by Patrick as a symbol of his enduring love and which still hangs in her bedroom at Summerfield, the country house they once shared.

When Emma learns of the claim and how the bank is calling in the loan putting Laura's dreams of becoming a renowned violinist in jeopardy, her main concern is for Laura's future and how to raise the funds to satisfy the bank. But then the doubts begin to creep in that perhaps her life with Patrick, the one man she had ever truly loved, and his feelings for her were a part of a great deception. Unwilling to concede that she hadn't really known the love of her life, Emma is forced to reappraise their relationship, seeking the truth in her memories from when she first met Patrick in 1913 and how their Bohemian life together developed, significantly changing in 1923.

Those memories alternate with Laura's bid to convince Ewan Buchanan to change his appraisal. Thus, saving her career, but most importantly, ensuring her grandmother that life with Patrick and "the most treasured symbol of their entire relationship" wasn't based on a lie.

I'm a huge fan of Ella Carey's dual time frame novels. This one took me a little longer to get onboard than her previous ones. Although Emma's story engaged me from the start, shedding light on what moulded her character, her relationship with Patrick and the traits she handed down to her granddaughter, I found the 1980 part of the story stalled a little and went around in circles until Ewan re-entered the story and revealed his very personal reason for declaring the portrait a fake. I also couldn't believe that a supposedly valuable painting offered as collateral for a loan wasn't in a more secure place (i.e. the bank's vault) than an unlived-in and isolated country house or that the appraisal by one man, who initially refused to share why he thought the painting was a fake, was never challenged except privately by Laura and Emma. Yet, despite these niggles, Ella Carey's ability to write an emotionally charged narrative, with an enticing mystery element, won out and I can honestly say that when I reached the end I found that I had thoroughly enjoyed it.

The aptly named The Things We Don't Say is a wonderful love story. It is also one of jealousy, revenge and betrayal that certainly tugs at the heartstrings. Another triumph for Ella Carey.

The Things We Don't Say by Ella Carey is another of her historical novels written in two arcs: then and now. It is entirely fiction but was inspired by the early 20th century Bloomsbury group of artists and writers. Emma Temple had been her father's eldest daughter and so took over as his hostess, whether she wanted to or not. He was very traditional and the fact she was an artist meant absolutely nothing to him so long as she was home by 4 to serve tea. Then one day, he was dead and she was charged with taking care of her younger sister and brother. He had not left much money and a monstrosity of a house, which she promptly sold and began to live her own life. Her brother died, which nearly broke her. She married, although it was a mistake she knew and had a son, then pretty much stopped living with her husband who had gone back to his mistress. She painted and stayed up into the night discussing ideas. It was during this time she fell in love with Patrick. Patrick loved her in return but there was a problem: Patrick was a homosexual. They lived for years in this pseudo-friendship, until he died. In 1980 her granddaughter, Laura, discovers the painting of her, The Things We Don't Say, had not been painted by Patrick and as a result, was not as valuable as they had assumed, which caused problems with the bank that had lent money on it, earmarked for Laura's tuition: she was a violinist and geared to become the best, if she could stay in school.

This was a truly lovely story of love and loss and living the life you say you believe in. It is also about people who are there to take advantage of others, and hurt them when they can. Carey always writes a good story and this is no exception. She writes of relationships: where they go right and when they go wrong. She writes of goals and ambition and jealousy. Her characters are real and full of emotions, many just doing the best they can. It is also an amazing story of how one's actions can affect people many years later, and even those we love, after we are gone. It is full of lessons to be learned and put into use. It is full of innuendo and undercurrent and should remind us all to be who we are: ourselves. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of The Things We Don't Say, by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #thethingswedontsay

Emma Temple leads a controversial lifestyle that most would call degenerate and immoral. She was part of a artistic group that believed in having other sexual relationships. During the war the group proclaimed they were pacifists and would not wear a uniform or fight in a war that goes against there principles.

Emma has a relationship with Patrick who is also a homosexual. He is a famous artist and as time progresses his fame grows. The one particular painting of Emma that he does is probably the most important one of his collection. The authenticity comes into question after his death which causes issues not only for Emma, but for Laura the granddaughter as well.

The author starts out with a interesting storyline, but as it progresses it slows down for me. I felt that there wasn’t enough of a intrigue, but I am sure that others will like the artistic flair of the book.

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

In 1980 Laura is pursuing a career in music and attending the Royal College when a news article proclaims that a portrait done of her grandmother by the famous artist, Patrick Adams is a fake. The portrait was used as collateral for Laura's school loans. In addition to threatening Laura's career it also calls into question the love her grandmother Emma had with Patrick. Did he lie to her all those years and a student really painted the portrait? Emma and Patrick had an unconventional love affair. They were the center of each other's lives but Patrick was gay and Emma was married. Ewan is a gallery owner who claims the portrait is a fake but resists telling Laura why.

The story is told in two timelines. One is Emma's POV from her early life starting before World War I. The second is 1980 when Laura finds out that the painting is a possible fact and her career is in jeopardy.

Even though this was somewhat of a mystery I lost interest. Emma seemed to embrace a bohemian life style of freedom from convention and letting people do what they wanted. To me it seemed like she would rather let people do what they wanted even if it hurt her just to avoid confrontation. I had no sense of who the younger Emma was. Emma's daughter, Clover, turned her back on all that and lead a very conventional life whereas her daughter is more like Emma and is passionate about the violin. There were so many secrets that if people didn't keep silent there would have been a lot less turmoil.

There were parts that made no sense to me or seemed glossed over like Emma's relationship with her dad and what happened to her brother. I kept reading and hoping for more depth.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with an ARC for review.

This was a very well written book and I throughly enjoyed it. I loved Emma’s story and found Laura’s story a bit harder to get into. Ella Carey is a wonderful storyteller

An intriguing dual timeline story focusing on the authenticity of a painting by the charismatic artist, Patrick Adams. As the story starts, we're introduced to Emma's younger self - her friendships and relationship with Patrick and the source of the painting, and we get a fascinating insight to the bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Circle of the time. Fast forward to 1980 and the story moves to the musical aspirations of Laura, Emma's grand-daughter, who needs to untangle the history of her grandmother and the portrait.

Wow. I've never read a book what's art is key to the story and The Things We Don't Say didn't disappoint. I felt as though this was a true story. Laura's relationship with her grandmother was divine as most are and Emma has stood guarantor for her granddaughter using her partners painting as collateral. Unfortunately, an expert decrees the painting as a fake and the two ladies have a short time to find the truth. A wonderful story of art, love and friendships..

The Things We Don't Say is the second novel I have read by Ella Carey. Like the previous one, this story takes part both in the past and the more recent past. The story focuses on a painting, titled The Things We Don't Say. It was painted back in the '30s and is now worth a small fortune. Emma, the subject of the painting has used it as collateral for a loan for her Granddaughter, Laura's tuition at the Royal College of Music. When it's authenticity is questioned, it puts not only Laura's course at risk, but also throws into question the love that she shared with Patrick who painted it.
This was an interesting and entertaining read. I loved the way that the characters were based on the Bloomsbury Group. I also enjoyed the crossing from the 1980s to earlier. The story unfolding in the 1980s is just as interesting as the mystery of who painted the portrait and how the belief that it might be fake has occurred.
There was one little thing that I didn't quite buy into. The loan that Laura has for her study is enormous. Even today, it would cost nowhere near that much to live in London and study at the Royal College of Music. Entry there isn't restricted by cost, but by talent. Even if she had completed her undergraduate degree there, fees weren't charged for bachelor degrees until the late 1990s. Why such a huge loan is taken out is never explained. Without it though, there would be little drive for the bank to make such a fuss. I suppose we can put it down to artistic licence, it just struck me as odd.
This was a very enjoyable read. I wasn't entirely sure how it was all going to resolve itself, but was happy with the way that it all played out in the end.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Note that this was originally published in 2018 so this is a reissue. It is, however, another excellent dual time line historical novel from Carey, who has a knack for capturing a period. In this case, it's the Bloomsbury group, a community of artists, some more famous than others. Laura, in modern times, needs to sell her grandfather's painting in order to pay her bills and continue her education but it's deemed a fraud. This is a blow but she perseveres to learn the true story of her grandparents. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is nicely written and plotted and, best of all, there are some cameos!

This book looked interesting so I was really looking forward to reading this. Unfortunately, although I liked the idea of it and even the plot, I felt the finished product was not very good~ Sorry

A historical novel that alternates between past and present. With a granddaughter trying to unravel and hide the past from her beloved grandmother and another good read from Ella Carey !

I chose this because the blurb sounded interesting and the first part of the book was , it sagged a bit especially the Laura part and I wanted to shake her but towards the end, it picked up again and the ending was a combination of a bittersweet and a happy ending. It’s my first time reading anything by this author and would like to read more by her.

I so tried to get into this story but it just didn't hold my attention. I'm sure it's a delightful novel but just not for me.

I was looking forward to reading this but quickly found out that it wasn't for me. The dual time period was interesting. I think Emma was trying to hard to be like her grandmother and needed her own path. Is the painting a fake? Readers are encouraged to read to uncover the truth.

Ella Carey’s emotional and compelling historical novel, “The Things We Don’t Say,” discusses the relationships that shape us and sheds light on the secrets we keep for a lifetime.

At the heart of this story is the potential for damage when the truths that one has built a life on start to crumble.

An article in the local paper raising questions about a painting’s provenance causes Emma Temple, a bright, nearly ninety-year-old, to reflect on her life as one of England’s most influential artists. Caught in the middle of the conflict is Temple’s granddaughter, Laura, who relies on the painting to fund her music education at a prestigious university. On a quest to authenticate the artwork, Laura uncovers truths about her grandmother and mother that were long buried.

Carey’s storyline highlights her masterfully created characters and pulls readers into the bohemian art world of the twentieth century. Readers will be in awe of the protagonist who lived through two world wars; kept her relationships with all the men in her life intact, including an ex-husband, a gay man whom she loved, and another man who loved her all his life; raised two children; and had a career doing what she was passionate about. It was empowering to read about Emma’s progressive approach to both art and life. Through Emma, Carey brings to light ideas about personal freedom, love and what makes a family. These issues, lived out in Emma’s life, are issues that society still grapples with today. You will experience the gamut of emotions as Carey takes you on a journey through the tumultuous decades of the twentieth century and come out of the experience with more compassion, acceptance and knowledge than before. This gripping story with major potential for screen adaptation is to be published January 25, 2021.

Thanks to Ella Carey, Bookouture and NetGalley for this fantastic historical fiction advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

With thanks to netgalley and Ella Carey for an early copy in return for an honest opinion.
Having read many of this authors other books I was delighted to have an early copy.
What a totally fantastic read extremely informative and very well thought out spanning 60 years of turbulence, Emma was one amazing lady, I can highly recommend this gorgeous book

This book is what I call a time piece book. It goes back and forth in various time periods. Emma is a young girl in the early 1900's that lives under the thumb of a harsh farther. More so since the death of her mother and now Emma takes care of her sister Freya and lives to go out to see the outside world with her brother Frederick. Until the untimely death of her father Emma is now in charge of the whole family and trying to keep the family going. Then you jump to 1980 and we meet Laura Emma;s granddaughter a musical violinist. who is trying to stay at the Royal Music College while working and making sure her grandmother is taken care of.
We then jump back to the 1920's and Emma's backstory. I enjoyed how the author smoothly brought us back and forth between the time periods.. We learn that Emma becomes an artist and lives the life of a bohemian living among other artists. Marrying Oscar and has a son Calum whom she protects from the outside world especially the war and Hiltlers army. Emma falls for Patrick Adams a very talented gay artist and we see how their lives span over the years and the heartache Emma feel with Oscars's infidelity loving a man she cannot have.
We meet Clover Laura's mother and find out the hidden secrets behind her hatred of her mother and her lifestyle with all The Circle Members. The secret that might prevent Laura from finishing her studies and why this secret could hurt so many people and put a stain on Patrick Adams legacy.
So much goes on in this book it sometimes a little hard to keep track of the characters, but the beauty of the story written by Ella Carey draws you back to the characters and made me read on. If you like historical fiction this is a story for you. I would recommend this to a friend and look forward to other works of Ms. Carey.

A wonderful historical fiction book. Love this author. A story behind a portrait that includes a great love story that takes place over 60 plus years and through 2 world wars. I find this author shares such intimate detail in her writing. I feel this is well researched historical fiction. I enjoyed it so much. Thanks t Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Ella Carey writes lovely historical fiction. The Things We Don't Say, besides being a well-researched historical novels gives us a bit of mystery with some twists and surprises along the way. Loved it!

This was a first for me from this author, and I will definitely check out this author’s other novels. The writing was very well done and executed and the switching back in forth in time really held my interest. It’s an entertaining historical novel that tells a well plotted story with quite a few bits of surprise and mystery interspersed throughout the novel. All in all a very worthwhile read for any readers who love a good historical mystery that is easy to follow and has depth and character, highly recommend!