In an emotional, thought-provoking journey filled with secrets and regret, a young woman has a second chance at love after abuse. This book is so heartbreaking and amazing at the same time. I truly loved this!

This is a debut novel from Emily A Myers. The author's writing is very descriptive and the emotions she describes are convincing and heartfelt. This was a hard story to endure as a female but the dark world discussed in the book exists and this discussion needs to be heard. Emma is a Southern girl who bucks tradition and social and parental pressures to live the life she feels she was born to. She endures much along the way, a cheating and violent fiance, a disapproving mother, a naive younger sister, and family secrets discovered along her journey to bring justice for the victims she encounters on her journey to expose her ex-fiance. She finds true love along the way and her journey of healing is heart wrenching as well as affirming. This was a psychological thriller, I enjoyed that aspect of the book as well as the inward fight for our heroine to step up and be a fighter!

This book was not my cup of tea. By 25% of the way in, not much had really happened in the book.
I also had issues with the synopsis. I truly thought I was getting a different kind of story based on the synopsis. Unfortunately, the book ended up playing out more like a typical romance and that is not what I wanted at all. My expectations were not met with this story.

Emma and Beaux are engaged and are planning to have a gorgeous and expensive wedding. However, Beautiful is a cheat. After Emma discovers this, Beaux turns into a minster and does unspeakable acts. During this time, a secret Brotherhood is discovered that also engages in unspeakable acts. Sadly, Emma discovers a loved one close to her is involved. Throughout this, a new friend Julian helps her escape both Beaux and the Brotherhood.

This heart-wrenching book had me gripped till the early hours of the morning. I absolutely could not put it down.

I was reeled in and riveted from start to finish. New Orleans was brought to life on these pages as we glimpse into Emma’s struggles as she deals with a horrific betrayal. This book will break and mend your heart.

I can’t wait to see what’s next from Emily Myers.

This is author Emily Myers debut novel-and wow it is definitely an emotional rollercoaster that grips you from the first chapter!

The main character, Emma, has uprooted her life from her wealthy family to move to New Orleans LA. She goes to college, becomes a journalist, and meets her fiancé Beaux. At first she thought Beaux was everything she wanted and more-but then she discovers that Beaux has two sides, and Long buried secrets she has yet to discover.

She meets Julian, the new next door neighbor, with the help and encouragement of her BFF-Kat, who has been there to support Emma and help her through the trauma. Julian and Emma have this undeniable instant connection, but one day-something triggers Emma-and she realizes that she is not ready for intimacy yet after what she has been through.
Her emotions trigger her to want to dig deeper into her ex, Beaux, and his background. Emma discovers way more than she ever anticipated, the deepest & darkest lies-and not just about Beaux.

We follow Emma as she experiences trauma, pain, loss, feeling broken and alone. She uncovers secrets, so dark and so horrible-about the ones closest to her. She experiences the lowest of lows, but eventually climbs her way back up. Emma learns how to open up and be vulnerable after experiencing trauma, she learns to find peace with herself, and she finds true love.

This book is definitely not for the faintest of heart-it is definitely an emotional roller coast, but it is definitely worth the read. If you are a fan of mystery with a mix of a love story-and a strong female character-this is for you!

I loved watching Emma recover from her trauma, overcome her fear and self doubt and get the happy ending she so deserved!

I am looking forward to what Myers has in store for us next!

I enjoyed this book even though it was not what I expected. There is much going on (rape, abuse, murder, abortion) and even romance. I liked Emma a lot and kept wanting her to get her life together. I didn't feel that some of the things that happen along the way, however, were always believable. I think Beaux's character was a bit over the top. After all given what he was.like why would he want to get married in the first place? I liked Kat and was glad Emma had a friend like her. All in all this is a good read that I recommend
Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this arc for my honest review.

"...it wasn't just a dream, none of my nightmares are. My nightmares are memories and my monster is real."

I have so many emotions from reading The Truth About Unspeakable Things by Emily A. Myers. The fact that this is the author's debut novel is mind blowing to me. She has written a story with such depth, grace and sensitivity about an ugly often unspeakable crime, rape.

When we first meet Emma she is on her way, after being gone a month for work, to tell her fiance, Beaux their relationship is over. Before she left the country for a writing assignment she found him in bed with another woman. She knows it will be tough but what she does not see coming is Beaux's brutality and violence. Afterwards, she tells no one determined to move on from this vicious betrayal.

Needless to say her mind and body won't let her move on and this becomes very apparent when she meets Julian who is just about perfect. Now this is not a story about how a new man helped Emma with her PTSD. There is so much more going on. Beaux is far from leaving her alone. Julian's family has its own drama. His brother Mason is connected to Beaux in a way I never saw coming. Most upsetting to me was Emma living with guilt not just from the attack but her response to it in a way that will lead to many book club discussions.

I stayed up to 4:30am to finish this book. As a thriller it is a roller coaster with many WTF reveals. As a journey of a woman finding her empowerment it is gut wrenching at first and then you want to yell, "Hell Yeah!", while hugging Emma. There was a lot going on and maybe a few sub plots were not needed but, then again, don't we all live through too much at one time in our lives at some point?

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was not an easy book to read, but it is a subject that people avoid. Like the elephant in the room, it should be addressed more. Rape - an ugly subject, marital rape almost glossed over and then rape in a committed relationship which is so hard to move away from, when you've trusted someone and hope that you are going to be together for a long time.

This is what happened to Emma. Engaged to be married to flashy, bright Beaux she did not see the violence just simmering below the surface. When it exploded, she had the courage to break off the relationship but she did keep it all bottled inside. Her parents were the last people she could talk to on the subject - her mother particularly came across as being vacuous, selfish and an egoist. Till Emma met her knight in shining armour in the form of Julian Cole, next door neighbour who was an answer to a damsel in distress!

The story flows from the abuse and is very well handled. Like most abused women, Emma hid her hurt and her fears.

This book was allright. I'm not a big fan of romance stories.

It starts off as a jilted love story and domestic abuse. Then it takes a turn into a typical romance with insta love and complicated relationship dynamics with parents. I liked the part about the mother- daughter relationship problems. It felt real and emotional.

Then the typical hero steps in who makes all wrongs right. This felt a bit too stereotyped.

And then a new angle about a secret club..felt a bit thrown in..as if popped out of nowhere.

Finally all events in the end get a closure but still I felt the plot could need more structure and organization.

For a debut novel; its well written and descriptive but I felt it needed a bit more work.

Although this book was entertaining, it fell short. It was very predictable. It was not what I expected from the synopsis given. I thought the story was going to be about the struggles of abuse and overcoming the effects of it. Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the eARC.

** thank you netgalley and the author for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review **

The synopsis of this book really intrigued me, but unfortunately I was really disappointed. I just felt as though the majority of what happened in the book was so predictable, and when it did happen I felt myself cringing at how unrealistic and forced it felt. Similarly, I felt as though some of the ‘twists’ were just so unnecessary and at times absolutely ridiculous - I appreciate that the author was trying to make links but what should have gave a shock factor just really fell flat for me as it just felt so silly. I also just could not take to Emma’s character at all - I felt as though she was just a real cliche and the same as every other girl in a book where the main character falls in love with someone she feels as though she shouldn’t.

I liked the authors use of flashbacks and the last 20% of the book was definitely a lot stronger than the rest but personally I just didn’t enjoy this book. I’m not a big reader of romance and this might be perfect for somebody who is, but for me it was far too predictable and the characters just didn’t have enough depth to them.

I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Truth About Unspeakable Things was an interesting book to say the least. I really didn't know to expect when I first began reading the novel. I originally thought that this novel was going to cover the struggles of sexual abuse and overcoming the guilt, shame, and PTSD that comes with it. However, I was disappointed with what the novel delivered to me. The novel reminded me of Lifetime Movie Network in book form. The book was entertaining but fell short in many aspects.

If you are looking for a realistic novel about dealing with your abuser and overcoming the trauma afterword, this book might not be for you. Even though the novel was entertaining, I rated it 3 out of 5 stars.

4.5 actual rating. A big thank you to the publisher for the copy!

The Truth About Unspeakable Things by Emily A. Myers is a book I wasn't sure if I wanted to read. To my delight, I took a risk and did not regret it. Great debut for the author. I like her writing style and I would read her future books. Emma Marshall is a journalist. She is engaged to a famous lawyer. Their engagement breaks down when she finds out he is cheating. Emma ends their relationship without expecting what her ex-fiancé is capable of. Here is the place to say that the book is not for everybody. It touches on very difficult and painful topics, such as violence and harassment - physical, emotional and sexual. Although things are not described in the smallest detail, it is still difficult to read without getting upset. Especially after the #metoo movement, when you know that so many women have been through and are going through things like that. After being brutally beaten by her ex, she does not file a complaint because she is ashamed of the things that happened. A year later, she meets the handsome Julian and they really like each other. Emma, ​​however, has not yet fully recovered from the horrors of her last relationship. Of course, he's not stupid, and he can guess that something really bad has happened to her. In the course of the story, we see how a person can be harrassed emotionally, and Emma finds many more women who have been in her situation. The culprits are members of a secret club, and her family is also involved. She wants peace and security for herself and Julian, but that seems impossible.

I liked Emma's character. I don't know if in her situation, and I hope I never get into one, if I would file a complaint. Even when she finds the strength to oppose her abuser, she sees the extent of his influence. In the course of the story, she begins to accept everything that has happened to her and find a way to talk about it. She denies some of the things to the last. Kat is her best friend, who actually saves her from her fiancé before things end fatally. She's the only one who knows the extent of what he did to her on that fateful night. Their friendship was beautiful and very well described. Emma is definitely a strong woman, but at first she doesn't realize it. Over time, she realizes that she doesn't really want to be accepted as a victim, but as a survivor and a fighter. Julian is a great character. I really liked how kind and considerate he was to Emma, ​​as well as sincere. He is also a person with shortcomings, but he is aware and strong enough to accept and acknowledge them. Their relationship was really beautiful, although things were not very easy.

The book definitely makes you think a lot. How many women are actually being harassed? Is the violence only physical? I don't think so. One can also be emotionally abused. Emma bears the scars of physical assault on her for a while, but the emotional ones will stay there for a lifetime. We see how a person who has not provoked this act with anything is tortured for months. Could she have acted differently, would this have changed the outcome of the situation? The rather delicate topic of abortion also opens up. This is a personal decision of every woman and she must live with it. The relationship between Emma and her mother was interesting. At first it was very difficult for me to sympathize with her mother's character, but in the process of the story we see her point of view and why she behaved like that. In the end, I liked how things ended with them. I would talk a lot about the relationship between father and daughter, and especially considering what he really is, but that would spoil the story. The book is definitely worth reading and I'm glad I gave it a chance. Although it is difficult to talk about these topics, I think it is important to make them public.

Warning: This book contains scenes of rape and murder.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read the ARC in return for an honest review.

After walking in on her fiancé Beaux and another woman Emma decides to end things. She knew that Beaux would be upset but she never thought he would physically and sexually assault her. She doesn't notify the authories but instead she keeps this awful secret to herself and tries to move on.
While trying to piece her life together she meets the new neighbor Julian and has an instant connection with him. Physical contact with Julian triggers her one day and she knows she can no longer live in silence. Gathering evidence against Beaux she soon realizes that she's in grave danger. Beaux is an high powered attorney and has connections.
This is a story of how one woman puts everything she loves on the line to try to bring down power people while trying to cope with trauma.

If you or anyone you know is a victim please reach out. Call 800-656-HOPE rainn.org meetoo.org

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy. After catching her finance Beaux cheating Emma Marshall breaks off their engagement. This is the beginning of her problems. Beaux was not the man she thought he was. Then she meets Julian and has the chance to be happy but will the past let her?

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read an advanced copy of The Truth about Unspeakbable Things.

Unfortunately, this book really wasn't for me. From the blurb and the cover, I assumed this was going to be a thriller, and I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into a new one with the addition of it being a surviour's story. This book wasn't that. The author describes it as a romantic suspense novel, but I didn't feel that it was either of those things.

The biggest disappointments for me were how we don't really see Emma deal with her trauma. She locks it away, doesn't deal with it in my opinion, and then uses it to justify some really poor decisions. There was much more focus on the traumatic event than the aftermath and her truly dealing with what had happened.

So much of this book felt forced and just unbelieable too. One of the things that bother me more than anything is Emma and Juilan's relationship. It just didn't make sense to me. I couldn't see any real connection between them, and their relationship felt like it was just forced to make the novel more dynamic.

There was another scene which made me feel sick to my stomach, and that was when an abortion was compared to a murder and the repeated rape and abuse of women. That could NEVER be compared in my eyes and the fact that it was a thing in this book just made me dislike it even more.

Wow!!! This book was intense, I am not going to lie, this book kept me on my toes, all the way til the end, there were so many secrets and everything started to unravel super fast. This book even had me on edge on and I was a little disturbed by what was going on, but even though this is works of fiction, I watch enough true crime on TV to know that things like this really do happen, there are secret places that promote violence against women, and people in power are not that far from places like what is illustrated in this book. And the majority of the rapes and other types of abuses, are not being taken to court, women and men are scared, even though I wish this book had a slightly more happier ending, this is what really happens in the real world.

The only character that I really liked in this book was EMMA, and I see that the author made sure to make her the full focus regardless of the other characters in the book. I felt like every characters story was rushed, like Emma’s new relationship with Julian, and Julian’s brother, which breaks my heart to know about his secrets, I really wanted to like him. Even when Emma finds out that her own secrets run deeper, especially in her family. I never saw half of the things coming until I read it and it was too late, I kept gasping, other than that I love a book that keeps me on my toes.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

(TW: sexual assault, abuse, abortion)

THE TRUTH ABOUT UNSPEAKABLE THINGS is a daring novel, delving into how trauma affects a person, and how difficult it is to stop the cycle of abuse and power.

The story centers on Emma, who is haunted by the night she ended her engagement with cheating fiancé Beaux—the night she suffered abuse and lost her power. Almost a year later, she meets a new man, Julian, and gains a renewed sense of hope. she finds a reason to fight and take her agency back, but she has to find her voice before it is too late.

I really liked what the book was aiming for, as it is absolutely important to talk about these difficult topics—these unspeakable things, if you will—so that people can recognize signs of abuse of power, and feel empowered in turn to speak their truths. There was also great character development, specifically with Emma, and the novel did a good job going into the psyche of the abused and abusers.

That said, a lot of things just didn’t work for me (and that’s okay!). I felt like a lot of the dialogue felt very forced and unnatural, with characters speaking in a way that no real person that I’ve ever met talks. The story also switches genres halfway through, going from being an empowering tale about the aftermath of trauma into something that more closely resembles a thriller. Lastly, I was really bothered by the way that they spoke about abortion in the book, it made it out to be something monstrous and the ‘wrong’ choice, which didn’t land well amidst the larger feminist framework of the novel.

Some things worked, some things didn’t for me, but all in all, the message about sexual assault and taking back your own power and agency in whatever way that looks like to you was powerful.

Triggers: Physical abuse, Rape, Abortion

Emma is engaged to a handsome, successful man that her parents actually approve of. Then, she finds him cheating and decides to end the engagement. This unleashes a new side to him, that she's never seen before. But, it's not a new. She tries to move on with her life, and is hesitant when she finds herself attracted to her new neighbor, Julian. Just when she thinks that she's ready to start a new relationship, her past comes back to haunt her. Can Emma protect the people she loves while uncovering her ex-fiancée's dark past and dealing with her own demons along the way?

I liked Emma and was rooting for her to find her strength and comeback from her traumas. I liked Emma and Julian, as a couple, from the start. But, there were scenes throughout that were a little unbelievable and far-fetched. The first half of the book was great and then it got splotchy and confusing for me, in the middle. And the suspense picked up at the end. I liked the inclusion of the change of story line, but I don't feel it was presented properly. It was a quick switch that felt forced and a little off. Also, there were situations occurring where Emma's reactions should have been urgent, but I felt she was trying to counsel the person instead. There was one descriptive phrase that was over-used, in my opinion.

Overall, I really liked this book. It was suspenseful, romantic, traumatizing and touches on a few sensitive subjects.
I received this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.