This book was a cute, typical romance story! I think the plot is everyone's worst nightmare, but it was a little hard for me to believe that she was brave enough to write all those emails and just leave them in her inbox?

Better Left Unsent was a quick enjoyable read. It’s filled with a full cast of friends and villains who are there for Millie after her draft emails accidentally get sent out after an IT glitch at work.

Why is this such a big deal to Millie? Because she writes exactly what she really wants to say to friends, family, coworkers and exes but never really sends them, sorta her diary of sorts.

Her emails start to cause riffs immediately. Her Dad starts questioning her Mom, friends stop returning texts and phone calls, one email even threatens to break up her exes engagement. But it isn’t all bad, Millie finds out what and who really matters in life.

Better Left Unsent
Lia Louise
Pub: 5/21/24
3.5☆

Better Left Unsent was a light, fun, and overall entertaining read. I was drawn into the premise because omg could you image if your entire draft folder of rants was accidentally sent out. While it wasn’t my favorite of Louises, it was a solid story that a lot will enjoy. I adore Lia’s writing and look forward to more books by her.

If you’re in the mood for a cute, quirky, drama filled romance, this one just might be for you, so check it out.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lia Louis writes light hearted romance with charm and tenderness, this may be my least favourite of her books but it was still satisfying and had the Louis touch.

I wanted a bit more character development from this one over all but an enjoyable quick read.

This was a cute story but not my favorite book by this author. I loved The Key to My Heart and Eight Perfect Hours but this book didn't do it for me. I loved the story concept. It's so relatable in the world we live in. We've all had that fear of sending an email/text/DM to the wrong person or something getting out that shouldn't. Millie was also a very relatable main female character and developed so well. I loved the supporting characters too. Ralph and Cate were great. However, I felt that there was too much emphasis on the ex and not enough on the love interest. I didn't feel like Jack's character was fully developed, so I didn't grow to love his character like I tend to in a romcom. Overall, it was an enjoyable read although a little flat. But I'll still look forward to more books by Lia Louis. Thank you!

🫣 OUTLIER REVIEW?

Millie Chandler has kept her feelings locked up tightly inside of her-after a very public break up at work with Owen-now engaged to Chloe, another woman they work with.

Ouch!

But, she does write emails—107 of them to be precise-ranging from sarcastic replies to her rude boss, to hard truths to her close friends, and unfortunately a one-thousand-word love declaration to Owen.

The emails are like a journal of sorts-never meant to be shared -until one day, they have suddenly all been sent- “Every. Single. One.”

Oops!

Apparently there was a server outage at work which caused the “glitch”.

It’s been really hard to face everyone since, but at least the email professing her crush on Jack (one of the bosses) didn’t reach him since his email address had recently changed.

That would’ve been really humiliating!

After the emails are read, Millie goes about her days trying to repair the damage-with baked goods and by volunteering to help out wherever she can.

Sounds like a cute premise right?

Yet, I struggled to finish this book!

So what went wrong? The book’s dialogue did not resonate with me- it wasn’t witty, and it didn’t sound authentic. Conversations about Rhubarb and Vortexes just didn’t ring true.

And, although I appreciate a “closed door” romance-I didn’t feel ANY chemistry between Millie and Jack-which is a MUST in a ROM COM!!

The second half was better-as we find out how the “truths” in those emails changed the lives of the recipients-

But it wasn’t enough to push my rating above a (generous) 3 stars.

Humor is so subjective-so hopefully it will resonate more with you!

Thank You to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by this author and likely will not be my last! Being that I am from the US and this was written in British English, some of the wording was difficult to understand. I struggled with the first half of the book not keeping my attention at times, but the second half of the book was fantastic! I am such a mood reader that I think my attention span is more a me issue than the book itself. I love how the author showed the FMC building her self up from rock bottom and the dynamic she had with the MMC. I love that she emphasized how much he made her feel safe. I think we need that more in books. The ending and the epilogue were written perfectly!

Better Left Unsent has a great premise. I was laughing and cringing all at the same time. There were a lot of emails sent and initially I felt bombarded. I would have liked to see some of them play out a little more. It was hard to be fully interested in the outcomes, I needed more details! Overall I did enjoy this read that has a mixture of comedy and romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5-4 stars. I’ll start off my review of Better Left Unsent by saying that its premise justifies my paranoia about removing email addresses in my drafts because I am afraid they will accidentally send before I am ready. I don’t know if that could actually happen but why risk it???? Poor Millie didn’t do that and instead decided to utilize email drafts as a form of catharsis, by saying what she really wanted to say but never intending to send anything to anyone. Then there was a server outage at work and suddenly all of those drafts were sent into the world. The premise is truly fodder for my nightmares!

Poor Millie, this situation created drama for her in multiple settings - work, romantic and platonic relationships, family - and because of that, there is a lot more going on in this story than the romance between Jack and Millie. I liked all of this but really wanted more Jack and Millie scenes (such as, but not limited to, the cloakroom scene, iykyk). Even scattered texts would have been good. It was a definitely a slow burn, so much so that at times I forgot there was a romance at all until closer to the end. In addition to Millie and Jack, I adored the dynamics between Millie, Cat (who made me laugh several times), and Ralph (the mushroom wine completely sent me). I also loved Petra and Vince. The drama over a key event (which I cannot name without spoiling), the big reveal over that, and how it contributed to conflict at the end of the book really took me out of the story which was disappointing. If that storyline had not been as prevalent, or less convoluted, I think it would have greatly improved the story. But then the last 5 percent wrecked me in a good way. Overall, this was a very cute book.

Thanks very much to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Better Left Unsent by Lia Louis is story on the surface that might appear to be light hearted and without much depth but that is not the case.

Better Left Unsent presents an interesting concept. What if instead of telling everyone how you feel about them and their behavior, you just compose an email instead and don't send it to those people.
But what if those unsent emails all get sent to those people. So now, everyone knows how you actually feel about them.

Would this be a good thing in the end and help your relationships or will it cause irreparable damage?

Lia Louis gives the reader something to think about. I enjoyed the concept and the story. I will be watching for more releases from this author after reading this book.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Atria books and NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review.

I have enjoyed Lia Louis's previous books, but Better Left was very underwhelming, and moved slowly. The premise had a lot of promise. Our protagonist, Millie, follows all the rules and avoids confrontation. Her secret vice is writing up email drafts to people where she is brutally honest with them. She doesn't send them, but the act is cathartic. Unfortunately, somehow all of the drafts in her folder get sent...colleagues, exes, friends, family, crushes...

She freaks out and attempts damage control, but some things are beyond repair, like her relationship with a close friend. But, maybe she will learn from this and be ready to open up to people?

I never really got a sense of Millie, and in the end she was hard to root for. Not because she was a bad person, there just was no there, there.

Oops!

Better Left Unsent is a light, fun, rom-com that had some fun moments, some interesting emails, some embarrassment, and some cute relationships. For some individuals it helps them to write down what is on their mind without giving the note/letter/email to the individual who they are writing. It's a tool to process feelings and emotions. For Millie Chandler, writing emails helps her to get things off her chest. She has no intention of sending them, she is just processing. But one day, after a power outage at work, those emails that have been sitting in her drafts folder, get sent to EVERYONE!!!! How mortifying!!!!!!

I felt for Millie as everyone, and their brother got to read those emails. Image having to face everyone after that! UGH! Talk about uncomfortable. I felt for Millie as she tried to navigate her life and relationships post email scandal. There are a nice number of characters in this book and there were some that were more likeable than others. Then there was one that was a complete and utter jerk! I had fun trying to figure out how the emails got sent. I also enjoyed the multiple relationships in this book.

I found this book to be a fun, light, charming, entertaining, well written, read which left me smiling. This was a nice change of pace from what I typically read.


Thank you to Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steam Level: 🔥 (kissing only)
Trigger Warning: psychological abuse recounted

Millie Chandler's life is over. For months she's been drafting emails to vent her frustrations without ever intending to send them. Until she comes to work and finds they've all been sent without her knowledge. Now her inner thoughts have been made known to her friends, family, colleagues, and more. As she deals with the fallout, she finds safety and friendship with the handsome Jack Shurlock at work. Could the worst day of her life have a silver lining and lead to actual happiness?

This was another enjoyable read from Lia Louis! While I felt major secondhand embarrassment for Millie, I was also curious to see what would come from her messages being sent. I loved how several of the emails were included in the book, along with several responses. As you might guess, some characters did not appreciate what Millie had to say, but in other instances the emails actually did some good. I loved Millie's friends Cate and Ralph and how they supported her throughout the book. I also liked how several characters were able to get out of abusive relationships because of Millie's honesty. Owen was the absolute worst, and I was groaning every time he entered a scene. He deserved every bad thing that happened to him. And Jack? He started out a bit too aloof for me but absolutely won me over in the second half. I loved how he saw Millie and brought her back from a dark place. I can't wait to see what Lia Louis writes next!

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Millie Chandler, a receptionist with a penchant for keeping her feelings under lock and key, finds herself in a whirlwind of chaos when a server outage at work sends all her carefully crafted emails—filled with sarcasm, hard truths, and a lingering love declaration—to their unintended recipients.
Louis deftly navigates Millie's predicament with wit and charm, bringing to life a relatable protagonist whose struggles with vulnerability and authenticity will resonate with readers. As Millie grapples with the fallout of her unintentional confessions, she must confront the truths, lies, and secrets she's been hiding from herself and others.
While the premise may seem lighthearted, Louis skillfully delves into the complexities of human relationships and the consequences of keeping secrets, delivering a story that is both entertaining and deeply moving.

Thanks to #NetGalley and SIMON & SCHUSTER for the #ARC! While slightly similar to To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, yet I don’t think I’ve read a story quite like this one before. Kudos to the author for thinking it up: The FMC treats her work email account like a journal, and over the years gets her feelings out in emails that were never meant to be sent. Until one day, they mysteriously were. While that’s supposed to be the A story line, in morphs into the B or even C story line as she goes on a journey from people-pleaser to a more fleshed out a person (not giving away any spoilers here since most main characters evolve over the course of a story). In the midst of all this, relationships with side characters, including the MMC, change and grow.

Honest review: I had a hard time staying interested in the book at the beginning, but I’m glad I stuck it out. One of the romantic scenes in the book involving a rhubarb might be my favorite of all time. I loved how the FMC character evolved in the book, and how it wasn’t exactly because of romance, and maybe in spite of it. And of course, loved that there’s a HEA. I thought the characters and scenarios were based on reality, and not totally implausible. It’s not rom-com, but it’s definitely rom. Overall, I recommend for a good beach read.

Lia Louis is one of my very favorite British romance authors. I absolutely loved this love story! It’s funny, heartfelt, angsty, life-affirming, and absolutely relatable in an “oh my gosh, I hope this never happens to me” sort of way. Millie makes a colossal mistake, which isn’t quite her fault, and she has to deal with the fallout time and time again. Along the way she finds out who her friends really are, and even makes some new ones. One very special new friend has the potential to become more, and their romance is a delight. I highly recommend Better Left Unsent and hope you love it as much as I do.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Not quite a 4-star, more like a 3.75. And probably my least favorite Lia Louis to date.

That said, I still had such a fun time with it.

Lia Louis is so good at MCs, friendship groups, and witty banter. I swooned over the romance quite a bit. The MC went on quite the journey after all of her emails got sent out, and she grew a lot. I just didn't connect with this one quite as much as some of Lia Louis's other books. Absolutely love this author, though!

This book is basically perfect. The only thing that could have made it better was a butt dial on the ancient phone. <3

The story is completely relatable, the characters are real and multi-layered, and I loved the way everything came together. This was exactly the book I needed.

DNF @ 25%

Better Left Unsent follows thirty-year-old Millie, a receptionist who uses her email drafts as a diary. When a power outage sends all of her drafts out, Mille must work to resolve all of the chaos brought on by her messages being sent.

I had a huge disconnect with the main character Millie, and could not find myself rooting for her. Ultimately, because of how much I adamantly disliked her, I could not finish this book. I am truly disappointed by this as I previously loved Lia Louis's book, Eight Perfect Hours. Better Left Unsent unfortunately did not have any of the charm I found in her previous work. This is not necessarily a case of bad writing or an uninteresting plot- the book had a nice flow to it and I enjoyed the idea of an adult "To All the Boy's I've Loved Before". I genuinely just could not sympathize with Millie and found her to be extremely immature, and I did not want to read 300+ pages about her character.

If you are interested in this one based on the plot, I'd give it a shot. I'd avoid it if you dislike quirky main characters.

I wanted to love this book but it ended up being just ok for me. While, the story hooked me at the beginning things lagged in the middle and the plot didn’t develop as much as I was hoping. I love Lia's writing and have adored her other books but there were just too many little things that kept this from being a winner for me.

It’s still a solid story that I know many will love digging into.


Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy.