I really loved the commentary on friendship, mental health, and discovering your own indenity. The writing was stunning! Characters were complex and honest, great story, I think this book is overall stunning.

The narrator is excellent. The main character is likeable and I think that her serious manner is intriguing. The story is very well written and it’ shows that the author is very talented. The tone is hard to describe, it’s serious, and feels a little drama without really being drama. Hard to word! I enjoyed this.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for review.

A perfect read for fans of Mafi's An Emotion of Great Delight. Shirin Bayat is a tired 26 year old. She feels disconnected from friends, her job, and herself. One day she runs into her former best friend Kian at a party and their relationship slowly rekindles, but neither one wants to acknowledge their painful past. The novel slowly reveals the past through the lens of Kian and Shirin. Will a second chance at love help Kian and Shirin heal?

Audiobook narration is well done.
Honor Gilles' narration brings depth to Shirin's emotional highs and lows. Her voice enhances the rawness of Shirin's experiences, making the listener feel more connected to her struggles and triumphs. Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy (Kian) soothing and deep tone provides a comforting contrast to Kian’s internal struggles, making his moments of uncertainty feel even more touching.

Well done! This was great. Thought provoking look at life and how we react to injustice and full circle moments.

An old friend comes back into Shirins world and she has to confront the past while dealing with her grown up problems. It has romance but definitely dealt more with life than romance as the focus.
The discourse around racism and sexism was chefs kiss.
Definitely recommend.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan audio for an alc

I had to DNF this one. I wanted to like it but the narrator's voice didn't work for me. Will seek out a print edition

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reading Things Left Unsaid felt like catching your breath after holding it for way too long—a soft, aching exhale that stays with you. If you loved Maame or Honey Girl, this one will slide right into your heart like it always belonged there.

The story follows Shirin Bayat, a 26-year-old living in London and just trying to stay afloat in a world that feels increasingly uncertain. Burned out from her job in publishing (been there), stuck in shallow friendships, and feeling more lost than found—Shirin is just trying. Then one night at a party, she bumps into Kian. Cue: heart flip.

Kian isn’t just a random blast from the past—he was the one, her closest friend from school before a painful rift broke them apart a decade ago. All the old feelings and things left unsaid bubble up fast, and suddenly, Shirin has to face what it really means to reconnect, to trust again, and to maybe—just maybe—love again.

Their chemistry? Electric. The emotional tension? Deliciously unbearable in the best way. But life has a funny way of testing people, and just when you think it’s all going to work out, the book reminds you that healing isn’t linear, and timing is everything.

Sometimes you're just meant to be. When Shirin meets Kian again after so many years, all the old feelings come back instantly. Can the two try again and make things work?

This was a great audiobook. I liked our two main characters though I did struggle to feel much of their connection at times. The writing style was fantastic and I'm pleased to see that the author has other books which I will definitely be on the lookout for now as I'm keen to read more by her.

really enjoyed this book of second chance friendship and potentially love, but also the reality of living in institutions and society that are at best ambivalent to us and at worst hostile and violent to us.

Things Left Unsaid publishes on April 15, and I cannot recommend it enough—especially the audiobook, which adds another layer of depth and emotion to this stunning novel.

As an Iranian-American, so much of this book rang true for me—it felt like stepping back into my family home in Iran, filled with emotions, unspoken words, and beautifully captured cultural nuances. Sara Jafari’s storytelling is breathtaking, weaving a heartfelt, deeply relatable narrative about love, identity, and finding where you truly belong.

Shirin and Kian’s story is one of long-lost friendship, missed chances, and reconnection, and their emotional journey is both tender and gut-wrenching. The audiobook narration brings their dynamic to life so well, enhancing the tension, nostalgia, and raw emotion between them. I loved how Jafari explored the weight of things left unsaid, the complexities of family and career expectations, privilege, racism, and the messy, beautiful nature of relationships.

This one is deep, thought-provoking, and unforgettably heartfelt—a true five-star read. If you can, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook for an even richer experience!

This book was fantastic and when I read the blurb I knew I would love it. So happy to say I do and this ALC was amazing.

Following Shirin and Kians journey from high school to 10 years later was difficult, very honest, and we had some sweet moments as well.

I was so angry for Shirin in so many instances in this book. From the blatant racism she and Kian deal with not only in HS, but in their careers as well. The publishing industry needs to be called out like it was in this book. I appreciated the authors honesty in micro aggressions, topics of diverse reading in book spaces, how systematic racism plays a massive role in what is published and pushed out.

Their love reminded me in some instances of the love we find in Normal People. The yearning, the things they want to say but don’t know how/aren’t ready to share.

It was beautiful.

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

Two friends who share a past that has kept them apart for 10 years reconnect through mutual friends in London. Even though much has changed about their lives, what they both experienced still affects them to this day. Of the course of this book, our main character characters learned how to stand up for not only what they believe in, but also themselves.

I appreciate how honest this book is about how hard it is to broach difficult conversations. Our main characters struggled to process, let alone talk through things they experienced as teens and things they were still experiencing as adults.

I greatly enjoyed the many layers involved/discussed in this book. There were poignant storylines related to the main characters’ intermingled histories that I found interesting and relatable on an emotional level. There were also very important discussions about the importance of recognizing white privilege, white tears, and practicing what we preach when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, school, and our communities. As an American reader, the DEI discussions really came at an important and ironic time. Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me the privilege of experiencing this book. I will be recommending it to all my reader friends.

Not my cup of tea. I found it hard to connect to the characters and the story. I’m sure this will connect with readers who Fong mind anti semitic authors who write like Sally Rooney

This was an extremely well-written book with a powerful message about the impact of microaggressions and injustices. Shirin is struggling with depression, anxiety, and a workplace that doesn’t respect her contributions. She is struggling to feel grounded in adulthood and navigating her relationships with friends. I thought the way depression was talked about was delicately and accurately done. Shirin’s journey to empowerment was one I was always interested to read and will recommend to others. Her relationship with Kian felt real, and I liked that his presence changed her but also she stood up for herself without needing him. Her friendship with Hannah made me feel uncomfortable because it was so real, but I was so happy they had come back together.

Ending in February 2020 was a choice.

The audiobook narrator was brilliant!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC.

Things Left Unsaid was a powerful read. Shirin, the FMC is relatable and her journey through childhood trauma, which impacts her adult life, is portrayed so authentically. I loved seeing her take control after enduring so much.

The slow rekindling of her friendship with Kian was beautifully done, and their relationship felt natural. The writing is descriptive, making the characters' emotions and growth feel real.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

Both narrators were amazing!

Things Left Unsaid is a well written and empowering story that will tug at your heart strings. The reader is taken on an emotional journey exploring numerous deeply personal subjects including anxiety, depression, racism and so much more,

Through rich character development, the reader comes to know 26-year-old Shirin. Shirin is someone so many of us can relate to on one level or another. When someone dear to her from her past reappears in her life ten years later, she is forced to face the memories of the events that tore their relationship apart.

Kian was the person that Shirin confided in and trusted most in life. When they meet again, everything comes rushing back. Depressed and burned out, Shirin finds comfort in her old friend. While their lives have gone in different directions over the years, when they came face to face again, the connection between them was instant.

This book is about acceptance and learning from your past, while embracing the future. It is a story about love and second chances told through two very relatable characters that are easy for the reader to connect with.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ARC of the audio version of this book. It was a touching and through provoking story.

I’m saying RIGHT NOW that this book is going to be huge. It’s Sally Rooney meets Zadie Smith. The characters are lovely and full, the story is compelling, and the style is so fluid. I LOVED this book.

Thank you so much Sara Jafari, MacAudio2025 and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC. I thought the narration was absolutely perfect and the production was well done on this audiobook. As for the story and characters, I may not have the same lived experiences as these characters, but my heart ached for Shirin hearing the discrimination and abuse she faced not only in high school but then to relive it as an adult. The workplace gaslighting and lack of compassion, the friends who often just didn't get it... it was still quite relatable even living a different experience. Kian was a delight through and through and it was awful to hear his guilt and inner battles as well. Overall, I thought this was a great read. Pacing could have moved faster, but not enough to take away a star.

Things Left Unsaid was a well-written and thought-provoking novel, but it didn’t fully resonate with me the way I had hoped. While I appreciated the themes of identity, racism, and second chances, I found the pacing a bit slow at times. Shirin was a compelling character, but I didn’t connect with her as deeply as I wanted to. Still, the book had its moments, and Jafari’s writing is undeniably strong. A solid read, just not a personal favorite.

Sara Jafari takes us on Shirin’s journey of self discovery. Her story begins in high school with her insecurity and the bullying she receives due to her Persian background.
A British woman growing up under the cloud of racism, she moves from bullying in high school to micro aggressions in adulthood and discrimination in the workplace. In school she forms a bond with a Pakistani boy, Kian, who has also experienced similar harassment. As time passes something stronger than friendship begins to grow between them.
It is powerful to be pulled into their world and feel the fear of rejection and tentative excitement that engulfs them. Jafari wrote this with such intensity that I felt pulled back in time to my own experiences. It was also written from both POVs and we could see the yearnings and mistakes on both the parts of Shirin and Kian.
In this book in high school Shirin helps Kian find the strength to follow his dream. He is there when she needs protection. As an adult Kian helps Shirin gain the confidence to break free of the trauma that has plagued her and stand up for herself. She eventually refuses to be intimidated any longer, be it at work or from people who have unwittingly stifled her in her past.
People often justify using free speech as an excuse for hate speech and this book calls them on it. We see people vilify silent protest by slapping the label of cancel culture on it. Non racist actions are derisively called woke by those who perpetuate them. This book is searing in its intensity as we watch Shirin living amidst the hate and denial.
It is about the desire for diversity versus actual inclusion, the recognition of habitual friendships versus real friendship and the importance of second chances.

The narration of this book was engaging and well paced. I would like to thank St. Martins Press, ManMillian Audio and NetGalley for and ARC of this fantastic book. 5 stars. These opinions are my own.