The Things We Need to Say by Rachel Burton #BookReview

Sometimes the things we never say are the most important.
Fran loves Will with all her heart. They had a whirlwind romance, a perfect marriage and a wonderful life. Until everything changed. Now Fran needs to find her way again and teaching a yoga retreat in Spain offers her just that. Leaving behind a broken marriage she has some very important decisions to make.
Will needs his wife, he needs her to open up to him if they’re to ever return to the ways things once were. But he may have damaged any possibility he had of mending their relationship and now Fran is in Spain and Will is alone. 
As both Fran and Will begin to let go of a life that could have been, fate may just find a way of bringing them back together.
 Perfect for fans of Katie Marsh, Amanda Prowse and Sheila O’Flanagan

I'm delighted to be able to share my review of The Things We Need to Say by Rachel Burton today. I'd like to wish Rachel a very happy publication day and to thank her, the publishers and Rachel Gilbey of Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to read the book which I received through Netgalley.
The Things We Need to Say is a gently paced, thoughtful novel about a couple who have reached the point in their marriage where they need to decide if what they have is worth fighting for, or if the time has come to walk away. They have faced so much heartache over the years and in their grief have become isolated; two people living in the same house but not sharing their lives. Fran has accepted a position teaching on a yoga retreat in Spain but on the eve of her departure learns some devastating news about her husband. Will begs her to stay but she realises she needs the space to decide what to do next. The story is told from both Fran and Will's perspectives, with occasional chapters set in the past which gradually let us know how their relationship progressed from falling head over heels in love to crisis point. It was fascinating to see both sides of their story but I think I knew Fran more by the end of the novel. I felt she developed separately during the course of the book whereas Will was perhaps still defined by his relationship with her.
I'm not going to give too much away about the plot suffice to say that is an emotional, honest and empathetic look at issues which affect many couples. As the novel progresses the truth about just what Fran and Will have endured is slowly revealed and it is heartrending. There are moments in the book where it would only be too easy to blame Will for their problems or to become infuriated with Fran for her failure to communicate her fears to her husband. However, this is a novel about forgiveness and acceptance, about the need to be truly present in a marriage and the importance of sharing every emotion - even those that are perhaps easier to put a brave face to.
Much of the book is set in Salou in Spain (Or Catalonia to be more precise) and this beautiful setting gives the story a lovely summery feel which contrasts poignantly with the often sad themes in the novel. As Fran shares her yoga knowledge with the other people on the retreat we learn their stories too and follow their journeys as they face their personal issues and begin their own healing processes. I found it particularly refreshing to read a book where there is no-one who could be considered a negative character. There are moments when somebody may be off-hand, or even rude and there's one particular relationship which I definitely had conflicting feelings about but each character shares their hard won experiences and in doing so they help each other to decide what they want next in life.
The Things We Need to say is a touching and very relatable novel and although the themes may be upsetting, it's a book about forgiveness, communication and ultimately about hope. It is undoubtedly a tear-jerker but it is also a life-affirming read and a rather beautiful, very honest love story.

The Things We Need to Say is published by HQ Digital and can be purchased here. Check out @rararesources timeline and #TheThingsWeNeedtoSay hashtag on Twitter for more reviews as bloggers help celebrate the book's publication day.

About the Author

Rachel Burton has been making up stories since she first learned to talk. After many false starts she finally made one up that was worth writing down. 
After graduating with a degree in Classics and another in English, she didn't really know what to do when she grew up. She has worked as a waitress, a paralegal and a yoga teacher.
She has spent most of her life between Cambridge and London but now lives in Leeds with her boyfriend and three cats. The main loves of her life are The Beatles and very tall romantic heroes.
Her debut, The Many Colours of Us, was an Amazon Kindle bestseller. Her second novel, The Things We Need to to Say, is released on 11 May 2018. She is currently working on her third novel in which the heroine follows the love of her life to live in a city in northern England. It has no autobiographical elements at all.....maybe. 
Find her on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. She is always happy to talk books, writing, music, cats and how the weather in Yorkshire is rubbish. She is mostly dreaming of her next holiday....