the things we leave unfinished review
I ADORED this audiobook. I could not stop listening to it. I had it on while in the car, while cleaning, while cooking, even while I was at the gym which is far different from what I normally listen to while at the gym…think Eminem and 50 cent.
This love story captured my heart and would not let go ❤︎
It lifts your spirits and makes you believe in true love, and at the same time crushes your soul. It’s a very rollercoaster type of read when it comes to your emotions.
This novel consists of dual timelines AND dual POV. The story flops between the 1940s set in London, England, and present day in Colorado, USA.
In the middle of War World II, we get to follow the intense love story between Scarlett, a female British officer, and Jameson, a fighter pilot from America. Their relationship is a once-in-a-lifetime love, and the fear that either or both of them could die at any moment does nothing but intensify their feelings for each other, and keeping me guessing, wondering, if every scene would be their last together.
“Without the potential for disaster, would we ever really know what we have?”
I treasured each moment they had together. And when they were apart, they each wrote each other love letters that help so much passion in them.
“I wish I could keep you safe as well. Our lives have turned out so very differently than we planned. I wish you were with me, that we had taken this journey together. You have been my compass all these years, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to find my way without you, but as I promised this morning as we said our goodbyes, I will do my best. I carry you with me in my heart, always.”
In present day, we follow Scarlett’s great-granddaughter, Georgia who is now incharge of many of Scarlett’s affairs after she passes. Scarlett, who became a romance novelist legend, has left behind an unfinished manuscript based on her love story with Jameson. Noah, an author well-known for his heart-wrenching endings, gets hired to finish the novel so that it can be released into the world. Georgia and Noah spend quite some time together as Georgia gets the final say on this novel. Together, they unravel what happened between her great-grandmother and great-grandfather through the love letters. What kind of reader or writer doesn’t love a book centered around writing a book!
“Personally, I think she liked living there, between the pages with him. Always adding little bits of memory but never closing the door.” UGHHHH!!
There is so much that I loved about this novel. The prose, especially from the 1940s era, was as sweet as honey. The intensity of the war kept things interesting. The narration for the audiobook really brought these characters to life for me; if you’re into audiobooks, I would recommend that method of reading this one. Jameson was very swoon-worthy. It was also spicy af for those who are into that. If you’re not, I’d still suggest reading the book and just skipping over those bits.
There were a few twists, including one big one towards the end which really caught me off guard. The final one both broke my heart, yet made me so happy. I didn’t know one singular event could make me feel both of those things at the same time.
“Tragedy has a way of breaking gentle things and soldering the shattered pieces together in ways we can’t control. Some, it remakes into stronger, more resilient creatures. In others, the pieces fuse before they heal, leaving only razor-sharp edges.”
I also appreciated the tough female characters. Scarlett was in the middle of fighting a war, so she had to be tough. Georgia was made tough after many unfortunate life events as well. Neither of them let the male love interests walk all over them. They both had lives of their own and weren’t obsessed about finding a romantic partner - it just happened for them both. Even though this was a heavily romantic book, I appreciated that the female characters had well-rounded lives of their own.
“You fight and you thrash because this fated, deep-rooted thing you called love refuses to go down with a single shot. That would be far too merciful. Real love has to be choked out, held under the water until it stops kicking. That's the only way to kill it.”
I would absolutely recommend this book if you want to feel all the feels! If you want to chat about this book, especially about that big twist, don’t hesitate to reach out!
