**Book Review: Love Untold by Ruth Jones**

Ruth Jones’s *Love Untold* is a heartfelt exploration of love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships. Set in the charming Welsh countryside, the novel follows the intertwined lives of its characters as they navigate the trials and triumphs of romance and personal growth.

At the center of the story is a richly drawn cast, particularly focusing on the journey of its protagonist, whose emotional landscape is expertly crafted by Jones. The author’s keen insights into the characters’ inner lives create a deep sense of empathy, making their struggles and joys relatable and poignant.

Jones's writing is both lyrical and engaging, painting vivid scenes that bring the Welsh setting to life. The picturesque landscapes serve not only as a backdrop but also as a reflection of the characters’ emotional states, enhancing the narrative's depth. The dialogue is sharp and authentic, infused with humor and warmth, which adds a delightful layer to the interactions between characters.

The themes of love and connection are explored in nuanced ways, as characters confront their pasts and seek to understand what true love means to them. Jones does an admirable job of addressing the messiness of relationships—highlighting the moments of joy alongside the heartbreaks, and the lessons learned along the way.

The pacing is well-structured, balancing moments of tension with quieter, introspective scenes. As the plot unfolds, readers are treated to unexpected twists that keep the story fresh and engaging. The emotional arcs of the characters are carefully crafted, leading to a satisfying and impactful resolution that feels earned and true to their journeys.

Overall, *Love Untold* is a beautifully written novel that resonates with anyone who has experienced the highs and lows of love. Ruth Jones has delivered a compelling narrative filled with rich characters and a poignant exploration of what it means to love and be loved. This book is a must-read for fans of contemporary fiction and those who appreciate stories that celebrate the intricacies of the human heart. It’s a tender reminder of the beauty found in vulnerability and the connections we forge throughout our lives.

Love Ruth's writing style. Draws you in and keeps you reading until the story is sadly at its end.
This is a beautiful story of a three generations of women with massive personalities. A book full of love, laughs and tears

A really lovely novel, reading it you really feel the emotions of the characters. A complicated family over 4 generations, all strong women. A story of love, family and all that goes on behind closed doors.
Some great twists and a lovely emotional ending.

This was my first time reading a book from the author but I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more books from the writer in the future.

A lovely book written about 4 generations of Welsh women. I’ve not watched or read anything by Ruth Jones that I’ve not loved and Love Untold is no different.

We first meet 90 year old Grace whom having raised her granddaughter Elin after the disappearance of her daughter Alys.

As Grace comes to terms with life and what being 90 will bring, she is determined to right the wrongs of the past. She so desperately wants to find Alys and discover the truth behind her disappearance. Can she do so without hurting the ones she loves around her.

Wonderful resilient story!

A really interesting read about love, secrets and finding your 'true self'. Loved the different perspectives and characters, hearing the story from the 4 different generations. Embedded with laughter too, a lovely read.

I have read several books by Ruth Jones & have thoroughly enjoyed them all - superb stories of love, family & friendship

Highly recommend

Really enjoyed this book! A great story about a multi-generational family who have quite a few historic issues running through them. Grama Grace seems to be the one who holds it all together as best she can and is an amazing character but even she has her secrets.... Set in a wonderful part of the country which I have visited on several occasions, I could just picture the lovely sounding Dylan's Quay as I was reading.

I would highly recommend this book - I'm sure you won't be disappointed. In the meantime, I am off to find other books by the author....!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review, which is what I have given.

Fabulous. I really enjoy Ruth’s writing style and excellent storytelling.

Full of lifelong feuds and unhappiness, twists and laughs, this is a story spanning many generations and reflection.

I love Ruth Jones, I love everything she has written and this book is no exception. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Ruth Jones for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Another great Ruth Jones book with well thought out and brought to life characters in a charming setting. A lovely holiday read. Very much enjoyed.

I'm afraid this book wasn't for me. I love Ruth Jones but I found this disjointed and hard to keep in my head who the characters were in relation to each other. Sadly I didn't finish this

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
This book has excellent ingredients: 4 strong female characters from a family, plus various friends, their interactions, their love-lives and major events such as Beca sitting her GCSEs and Grace facing her 90th birthday. Each character has good and bad points, their behaviours very different and I really enjoyed the story and the subtle twists it took to the final ending. I did not enjoy the frequent bad language, the use of American spellings (the book is set in Wales and is written by a Welsh author, this was totally unexpected and unnecessary) and the way words were run together in a colloquial fashion (e.g. 'visiting-Homebaseeveryweekend'), completely ignoring correct grammar. I thought it was unrealistic that the funeral was arranged and held in just over a week after the death - recent experiences have had a delay of four weeks between these events for 3 of my family and friends.
Overall I enjoyed the book but the negatives I have described lost one star in my rating.

Beautifully written, moving & heartwarming!
With complex distinctive characters I was gripped from the start.

I cannot wait to see what Jones does next!

Thank you NetGalley for my advance copy of this book. I really love Ruth Jones writing, it is funny, poignant and really absorbing. I really enjoyed this story about 4 generations of women in the same family and that you got to know and care about these characters. It was an emotional book in places and I really would recommend it.

Wow, this book is beautiful. The story follows the lives of 4 women in the same family,with each ladies chapter you find out about them, heart breaking things happen, I was shocked, sad, happy, overwhelmed, I felt all the feelings! As with all Ruth Jones books, you are instantly gripped and want to know everyone's stories. This book did not disappoint. A must read! Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this amazing book.

I read about 60 pages of this book before deciding I wasn’t much enjoying it and I didn’t like any of the characters so I gave up. I picked it up again a few months later and am I glad I did! The story just got better and better and whilst I still didn’t like any of the characters, I could totally understand why they were the way they were. Thoroughly recommended.

Female characters that cross over many generations always makes for a great read, and in this novel from Ruth Jones, her latest that is no exception.

There is Becca, not academic and knows that her exam results are not going to please her mother. Nothing much will it seems, but finding her true self is much more important and in that she also finds her love for her music.

Elin, Becca’s mother is a headteacher, organised and knows what is best for everyone; her husband, her daughter and even her grandmother. But does she know what is best for herself?

Grace is said grandmother, about to turn ninety and living life to the full. Sea swims, visiting friends and embracing life in her own home. Still there are feuds that need to be solved and Grace suddenly feels that times is running out.

For Alys, Grace’s daughter, Elin’s mother she has been constantly running from herself and has come close throughout her life to time running out. Estranged from all of her family, blaming Grace for what has happened to her, it seems ironic that she suddenly reappears in all their lives.

This book looks at multi generation female relationships and familial ties as well as what bonds and binds mothers and daughters. Told from different points of view, this book is measured as it builds on all the past and present frustrations that all the characters have. It shows how complicated and complex any relationship can be, but also how wonderful and uplifting even in the darkest moments that the maternal bond gives you.

A book not afraid to glamourise the wonder of mother and daughter relationships, but to strip it back and let everyone see what it can be like. Ruth Jones is not afraid to push the emotional buttons, and her writing keeps getting better and better.

The first time I have read one of Ruth Jones books and I absolutely loved it! Couldn't put it down, a fantastic story of family through the ups and downs and different generations.

A beautifully written book and a powerful story. Four generations of a family, Grace, Alys, Elin and Becca . This is Ruth Jones ‘s best novel yet . A rollercoaster of a novel with many twists and turns to the plot. Highly emotional and highly recommended!
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Uk and Ruth Jones for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review