I wanted to love this book. I’ve loved two of the author’s previous works and the concepts of someone’s email drafts accidently getting sent out sounded like such a fun premise. BUT unfortunately the pacing killed this one for me. I was having to make myself read it until about 60%. The last 40% the pacing was much better and it felt like it was getting somewhere. But I was already finding myself checked out from the characters at that point unfortunately. I would have loved for Millie and Jack to have started growing closer much sooner in the book. I also was expecting much more fall out or sticky situations from the emails going out but it almost seemed like it was the set up for the whole book but just glossed over. I wanted more hilarious interactions due to this embarrassing situation but they just never really came. I will still read this author’s future work but this one was a bit of a disappointment.

As with other books by this author it was fun and cute. Slow in a few places that made it not as desirable to pick back up. But overall I liked it. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

3.5 stars.

"Better Left Unsent" by Lia Louis takes everyone's worst fear, that their private thoughts will somehow become public, and makes it happen to the main character, Millie. Millie wrote many emails and left them as drafts in her work inbox (which, I know what you're thinking, why would you do this in work your inbox?!?!? to which I say, RIGHT?!?!?). After a glitch, all of these messages get sent to their recipients! Messages to her best friend, the guy she likes, coworkers, her parents... everything sent in the blink of an eye... and Millie is MORTIFIED (and rightfully so!). Slowly but surely, Millie begins to own the thoughts she wrote down, learns to tell the truth more and to stop being such a people pleaser. There is also a romance involving her boss, Jack, as the two find their way to one another after the email mishap. I loved Lia Louis's book "The Key to My Heart." I hoped this one would be as good as that one was, and unfortunately, that's just not the case. It is much more slowly paced, and it made my heart go "pitter-patter" a lot less. While I did like the exploration of the relationship between Jack and Millie because it felt very real and lived-in, I found my attention drifting as I read the rest of the book. It's not a bad book by any stretch, it's just a little underwhelming.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lia Louis, Atria Books, and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I loved Dear Emmie Blue and was so excited to read Lia Louis’s newest novel Better Left Unsent. This story is a modern day version of “writing the letter you’ll never send”, only this time they’re emails that have been saved in MC Millie Chandler’s draft file. Millie uses emails as a personal diary, a way to process her feelings without hurting anyone else’s, since they’ll never be sent. The story starts with Millie sitting in a full board room, a stack of her emails being projected onto a screen. Somehow, all 107 of her email drafts with her sarcastic replies, complaints, rants, secrets and hard truths were sent and delivered to her coworkers, her boss, her friends, and even her ex. How did that happen? Will she lose her job? Will everyone hate her? How does Millie survive the embarrassment and pick up the pieces?

This was such a cute story of perseverance, healing, finding yourself, finding love, and discovering that family, true friends and handsome men in tuxedos should love you without any pretenses.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this eGalley book in exchange for an honest review.

4 1/2 stars

Do you ever wonder why–exactly–you return to certain authors? Sure, they write good books. But there are lots of good books in bookstores, on the web, in your library. So, why this author? The reason why I enjoy reading Lia Louis is that she obviously cares about the characters in her novels. They are quirky and real. And there is gentle, and sometimes not so gentle, humor in the storytelling. But quirky, real, gentle, loving–those words describe a Lia Louis novel to me. And, Better Left Unsent falls right within those parameters.

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I think we all experience moments in our lives when we need to vent (if you don’t, please tell me your secrets for a vent-free life in the comments). Millie Chandler follows the advice of a colleague and vents her frustrations, anger, and hurt in emails that she will never send. Unfortunately for Millie, she keeps them in her draft folder believing that they are safe and sound. Well, sound may be the key word, because they do sound when a supposed computer glitch sends all of those draft emails, over 100 draft emails, out into the world. Millie’s first clue that something is wrong is when she is called into the conference room and all eyes in the office are on her, or studiously avoiding her. Will she lose her job over this? Or worse, her friends, relationships with her family? Oh, this is just the beginning of a bumpy ride for Millie but along the way, she’ll discover things about herself, friends, family, and work colleagues that will change her perception and her.

As fallout from the accidental email purge, Millie’s ex-, Owen, has his wedding called off by his fiancé. Of course, Millie feels major guilt but also has a major desire to avoid a confrontation with him until she can come to terms with the momentousness of the situation. In waltzes her super crush, Jack, who helps hide her from Owen and then proceeds to help her get her balance.

Jack is a good guy who loves spontaneity, which would seem to be completely opposite to Millie but as the novel progresses, we see that perhaps Millie is also longing for a bit of spontaneity. Their romance is charming and witty and is an excellent foil for some of the more serious topics that arise.

All in all, Better Left Unsaid is a heartwarming, frequently funny novel about facades and trying to keep up in a world where few people ever show their real selves.

And I sort of realized . . . we all have these unsaid things. All of us. Everyone. … nobody is exactly who they tell you they are. Are they? I spend my life holding myself to everyone else’s standards. Comparing myself to everyone else, what they’re doing what they’re posting online, what they’re saying at brunches or announcing on Facebook. But what I’m comparing myself to a lot of the time isn’t even real, anyway.

And let’s not forget the lovely romance between Millie and Jack. A recommended read.

Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy.

Better Left Unsent by Lia Louis is a cute rom com. Millie writes email drafts as a diary or venting session of sorts, when those emails accidentally get sent out her life is turned upside down. This book was exactly what you want to pick up for a cozy afternoon.

Millie uses her email draft folder as a diary of sorts; she tells people in email what she cannot say to their faces - it’s therapy for her. Unfortunately one day Millie comes to the office and discovers that her entire drafts folder (i.e. her most private thoughts) has been sent out to all of the recipients. However, what she first believes may be the worst thing that ever happened to her may actually be a the best thing for both Millie and many of the recipients, people learn things about themselves that no one would ever be comfortable saying to them about their relationships, how they treat people and a few people learn how Millie truly feels about them (for good or for bad). In the end Millie learns that holding things in may not always be the best way to live your life.

I thought this was a really cute read. I enjoyed the sweet romance, the humor and the backstory of Millie and her office life and relationships. There was a nice story arc watching Millie learn how to be a stronger person and a bit of sleuthing to figure out how her emails were released. I hadn’t read anything else by the author and I will look into her backlist (yet another backlist to add to my never ending TBR). This is definitely on the lighter side of reads but still enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books

3.5 stars

In Better Left Insent, the main heroine, Millie, discovers that all her draft e-mails, where she vents about other people but doesn't intend to send, get sent out without her knowledge in an apparent system glitch. It causes her many problems and embarrassment with her co-workers, family, and friends.

I enjoyed the premise of the book. The story has a little bit of romance, a coming of age, family dynamics, and friendship drama. I loved the chemistry between Millie and Jack and their office romance. I liked Millie's relationship with her friends. Millie is a hot-mess heroine, which I found irritating occasionally, but I appreciated her character growth throughout the book. Overall, I enjoyed Better Left Unsent but didn't love it as much as Dear Emmie Blue.

An unfortunate DNF! I have loved all of Lia Louis’ books and was thrilled to receive a copy of Better Left Unsent. I found the main character insufferable. Major major bummer.

This book was a perfect fit for me right now, delivering a heartwarming, funny, and swoon-worthy story. Millie, the protagonist, faces a nightmare when her unsent email responses are accidentally sent out, revealing her inner thoughts and truths to her coworkers and loved ones. This mishap prompts Millie and others to reevaluate their lives and desires, resulting in a touching and feel-good read. I highly recommend this book as a delightful escape that will put a smile on your face.

A big thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this as a fun, page turning beach read. About halfway through I got a little bored and wondered where the story was going, but the ending had some unseen twists and some good closure! Definitely would recommend as a good beach/summer read.

I appreciated how the book jumped right into the email scandal, but I think I would have liked to know their dynamics BEFORE this all happened. Right away a lot of it was damage control, and since I didnt know any of the characters personally, I felt like I was just watching a bunch of people I didn't know. However, I can see if the author did that, some people would say "too much backstory" -- the author is darned if they do or don't!

I really didn't understand or care for the parents side conflict?? I just ignored that as I wasn't invested and stuck to the main conflicts of the story, which honestly wasn't that big of a conflict either since one is a POS and the other is a gem who's moving away.

I'm so nosy so I loved being able to hear what was in the emails directly instead of it being a retelling. Can you imagine not only drafting mean emails but also including the send address?! Millie literally had no one to blame but herself no matter what!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

"Better Left Unsent" was an amazing and enthralling story about finding your place and speaking your mind. Millie made a terrible mistake, and now everyone knows her deepest feelings. She's trying to control the damage and behave her best at work, but is that really what she should be doing?
I loved this book; it was fun when needed but also addressed important topics. I really liked Millie and Jack as characters and the chemistry they had together. It was easy to read, and the only reason I didn't finish it sooner is that I was enjoying it so much that I didn't want to say goodbye to the characters and the story yet.
Overall, I think "Better Left Unsent" is fighting for the top spot among my favorite Lia Louis books. I deeply enjoyed it, and it left me with such a warm feeling.

i did enjoy this but something felt like it was missing, at times it felt a little chaotic but over all the story was really enjoyable! thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for this E-ARC!

Better Left Unsent by Lia Louis
Contemporary romance, chick lit. Location - United Kingdom, Leigh-on-Sea.
Two years ago, Millie Chandler had her heart broken. And everyone knew about it. Since then, she’s kept her feelings and dreams to herself. She doesn’t want to go through another humiliating event. To deal with her feelings, she writes emails that will not be sent. Private emails where she can express her frustration, her anger, her hurt, and her interest.
A server outage at work somehow ends up with all those emails being sent and Millie is in trouble. Her coworkers know she still loves her ex. Her best friend knows how upset she is with her behavior. The list goes on and on. Millie can’t afford to quit her job and hide in bed for a year. Time to fake it and deal with the consequences.

What a nightmare! I have a lot of those emails myself. They are cathartic. But never send one! Time for me to review and make sure there aren’t any legitimate Send To addresses in those.
Responses around Millie are interesting. The ex’s new relationship seems to implode because of her email. And the hot crush is now talking to her!
Humor, light self deprecating dialog, and hope. Provocative.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

I really felt for Millie in this one, and what started off as a really strong novel petered out for me. Overall, I did enjoy this book, but Millie's characterization and her perseveration on her emails being sent was frustrating.

As a people pleaser who hates confrontation, I really sympathized with Millie to start. If someone essentially mailed out my private journal/thoughts I'd also be mortified, but her inability to move past it, even as others have moved on, became frustrating.

Louis' earnest writing is what really holds this book together. While Millie's reactions to her emails is frustrating at times, she is a human, flawed character with strong friendships and romantic dynamics with the other characters, which holds the book together. If you've enjoyed Lia Louis' other books I recommend giving this one a read, but it wouldn't be the first of hers I'd choose to start with!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The storyline was original and funny. I instantly felt bad for Millie but I was here for the reaction her emails would get. A complete surprise to what I thought the book would be like. It was lighthearted and funny. Millie's story was the center of the book and the romance was secondary. I enjoyed her personality and how she went about her situation, it made for a good time reading this book.

When the draft emails a woman uses to vent all her complaints accidentally get sent to everyone, she must deal with the fallout of her most secret thoughts and wishes becoming public knowledge. As she circles back through everyone who was affected by her emails, she comes to some important realizations about herself and what she wants from life. Author Lia Louis takes readers on a mostly humorous journey where the stakes feel fairly low in her newest book, Better Left Unsent.

As the receptionist at Flye TV, a British sports TV station, Millie Chandler doesn’t have to worry about the big decisions of the company. She does, however, have to worry about all the little things; the things that make everyone else’s lives easy. Millie doesn’t mind her job much. It’s just that coming to work every day is a stark reminder of losing the love of her life.

Millie met Owen at Flye, and she thought they were made for each other. They spent enough time with one another that she believed he was The One. That’s why she was blindsided when he broke up with her right before moving away for an out-of-town Flye TV project.

What’s even worse, Owen started dating another colleague in the office, Chloe, when he came back from the long-distance assignment. As if things couldn’t get any worse, Owen proposed to Chloe and she said yes. Now Millie comes to work every day facing the reality that someone else will be Owen’s true love forever, and she’s required to sit at her desk and pretend everything’s normal.

One thing definitely helps: writing emails that she’ll never send and saving them in her drafts folder. In these unsent messages, Millie has poured out her heart about losing Owen and watching him cozy up to Chloe. She’s complained to coworkers who are rude. She’s even shared with a friend how she and one of the higher-ups at Flye had an almost-kiss at a recent work party.

What is supposed to be a safe space suddenly turns into a danger zone when a server glitch sends all of the emails in Millie’s draft folder to the recipients. Suddenly everyone knows how hard it was for Millie to get over Owen. Fortunately not all of the emails were “Reply All,” but Millie still wishes she could slump behind her desk and stay there for a week or two or 20 until everyone forgets she works at Flye.

Even worse, Millie had written several emails to her personal contacts that also got sent. Now her best friend is furious with her, and her parents’ marriage is on the rocks. Millie is horrified. Why did the server at work have to go on the fritz and ruin her life?

Bit by bit, Millie fights to normalize things at work and at home with apologies and baked goods. But a budding romance as well as the realization that the world has not, in fact, stopped turning because of her rogue emails leaves Millie to wonder whether the work server did her a favor. Because she’s finding that she’s a little braver than before and that new love does have room in her life after all.

Author Lia Louis takes her readers through Millie’s journey with a gentle tone and sweet humor. Many laugh-out-loud lines will keep readers engaged as Millie tries to recover from the discovery of the emails that she never meant to send. Millie is a likable, relatable character, and readers will find themselves sympathizing with her embarrassment.

After the passage of some time, however, Millie’s embarrassment feels a little out of proportion to the reactions by the recipients. Because many reactions happen off the page, readers don’t get to see how upset—or not—those people are. Louis manages to work in many of the recipients in creative ways through text messages and the emails themselves, but the overall effect is that the stakes of the wayward emails seem much bigger to Millie than they are in actuality. The result is that the book’s pace slows down about 60 percent of the way through until the inevitable ending.

Still, her winning, lovely personality will guarantee that readers root for Millie all the way to the end. Those wanting a romance that doesn’t require a deep emotional investment but could be a good beach read might want to check this out.

The premise of this one is slightly unbelievable but completely mortifying! For years Millie Chandler has used her email as a diary — spilling out her inner frustrations and secret thoughts in a drafted email with zero expectations of them ever being seen. But thanks to a supposed server glitch in the workplace, Millie wakes up to discover the entirety of her drafted email list has been sent. FML.

As she works to patch things up with her friends, family, and co-workers, she makes a new friend/hot-sexy co-worker who helps her to see that this was actually a blessing in disguise. Owning your truth, caring less about what people think, and being comfortable in your own skin are just a few of the lessons Jack teaches Millie along the way.

I loved the romance at the heart of it. This was light and fun and the perfect summer read.

Thank you to @netgalley and @atria for the advanced reader copy.

3.5 stars rounded down

"There's something about giving your whole entire heart to someone, saying, 'Here I am in front of you, no barriers, no masks, prepared to do whatever it takes, to make this work, because I love you' and having that someone look at it, at all you are, and saying no that makes you hold things back. Keep things closer to your chest. That just in case it happens again, you still have parts of yourself that you never exposed to the elements."

Lia Louis will forever be an auto-buy author for me. I fell in love with her writing when I read Eight Perfect Hours several years ago and I've been an avid fan ever since. But despite my love for her, this book fell a little flat.

Millie Chandler is our protagonist and to say I related to her is an understatement. She is heartbroken after a breakup that happened two years ago and still feels the effects of it daily. It has consumed who she used to be and she has lost herself in the aftermath. But when all of the drafts saved in her work email accidentally get sent... life goes topsy turvy. Along the way, she realizes that she has let this heartbreak take full advantage of her and she eventually turns her life around with the help of her friends and the very handsome Operations Manager slash Chief of Staff Jack Shurlock.

There's no denying that this had the typical Lia Louis charm and humor. I always end up giggling when I read her books and this one was no different. However, the plot itself was lacking that something that I normally feel when reading Louis' prose. It could have been that I have no interest in sports or sport-involved careers so my eyes would sometime glaze over when a description lasted a little too long. It's also possible that the pacing was just off. It took almost 250 pages for Millie and Jack to act on their feelings for each other and for a 360 page romantic comedy, that was a little too much of a slow burn for my interests.

Although I found myself relating to Millie in several aspects, I also wanted to knock some sense into her and tell her to snap out of it. I was consistently frustrated with her inability to just say how she felt and she stumbled over her words so many times that it felt like a personality trait.

I think my biggest issue was that although this was branded as a romance, it was severely lacking in that department. I loved watching Millie grow and mold back into the person she used to be so if this had been branded as a late stage coming-of-age, I wouldn't have felt that slight sense of disappointment.

All that being said, I still completely enjoyed this book and found myself getting lost in Jack Shurlock's golden hazel eyes just as often as Millie did. I laughed with her, I cried with her, I felt all of the pain and embarrassment she experienced. Better Left Unsent is not without its flaws but as in true Lia Louis fashion, I will be visiting it again when I need a little push in the right direction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. But the biggest thanks goes to Lia Louis herself; I won her Instagram giveaway and she sent me not only the physical ARC that I won but a copy of the book newly published.

I received this book as an Arc through NetGalley and I really did enjoy.

This book is like one of my worst nightmares come true. I often type out texts or emails that never get sent because I am in the heat of the moment and need time to process.

Millie uses her e-mail as sort of her personal diary. One day all of those e-mails are mysteriously sent out and the people in her life including her family, friends and co-workers all learn her deepest thoughts and feelings. Relationships are broken due, secrets unfold and friendships are lost in the aftermath of these e-mails being sent. However friendships are also built, relationships come together and Millie is forced to evaluate her life and the things she really wants.

There are a lot of characters in this book to keep track of but I thought this was a heartwarming, funny, slow burn romance. This was just the pallet cleanser that I needed.