* Review * THE THINGS WE DON’T SAY by Ella Carey

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * THE THINGS WE DON’T SAY by Ella CareyThe Things We Don't Say by Ella Carey
Published by Lake Union Publishing on July 1, 2018
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five-stars

A beguiling painting holds the secrets of a woman’s past and calls into question everything she thought she knew about the man she loved…

Nearly sixty years ago, renowned London artist Patrick Adams painted his most famous work: a portrait of his beloved Emma Temple, a fellow bohemian with whom he shared his life. Years after Patrick’s death, ninety-year-old Emma still has the painting hanging over her bed at their country home as a testament to their love.

To Emma’s granddaughter, Laura, the portrait is also a symbol of so much to come. The masterpiece is serving as collateral to pay Laura’s tuition at a prestigious music school. Then the impossible happens when an appraiser claims the painting is a fraud. For Laura, the accusation jeopardizes her future. For Emma, it casts doubt on everything she believed about her relationship with Patrick. Laura is determined to prove that Patrick did indeed paint the portrait. Both her grandmother’s and Patrick’s legacies are worth fighting for.

As the stories of two women entwine, it’s time for Emma to summon up the past—even at the risk of revealing its unspoken secrets.

 

An emotional journey of everlasting love! When faced with the possibility that something she believed to be true might have been far fetched, a woman travels through her memories to recall the love story that defined her life. Going back and forth between present time and the past, we learn about the life that Emma lived and watch her granddaughter try to secure the truth for her. The characters are well developed and the storyline is intriguing. We are left wondering until the very end what truly happened, and it doesn’t disappoint in the emotion and depth of mystery. There was a little lag in parts that could have been improved upon, but overall, a really stunning read!

Emma Temple has lived a full life filled with love, loss and accomplishment. She’s happy to fill her artistic heart with the painting that has brought her joy throughout so many of her ninety years along with loving memories of the past. When a scandal makes it’s way into her life, she’s left bewildered and doubting things she thought were true from the past. Could it be possible that the portrait the love of her life, Patrick Adams painted and gifted to her wasn’t actually his work?

Laura Taylor trusted in her grandmother’s painting enough to secure a student loan to attend a prestigious school of music using it’s value to secure the funds. Now that it’s validity is in question thanks to an art dealer, she’s struggling to figure out how to prove it is authentic. She’s on the verge of losing everything, and if she finds out that Patrick didn’t actually paint the gift of love he bestowed upon her grandmother, it will break Em’s heart!

five-stars

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