AAgghhh, I really wanted to love this book because Ruth Jones is a total superstar, but I just couldn't get into it. I gave up a quarter of the way in as the plot wasn't moving along quick enough. I think it was because there are multiple POVs and the story moves along quite slowly as it is split between them all. The set up seems intrigiuing enough, but it wasn't for me unfortunately.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

A new Ruth Jones book is always a joy to look forward to, she has such a gift for summing up the small details of family relationships that make every family tick – or not. I lapped up Ruth’s first two books, Never Greener and Us Three, and couldn’t wait to read her third book ‘Love Untold’, published on 29th September 2022.

I was hooked from the outset, from a mysterious couple- reunited after years apart- to the wonderful Grace Meredith, a nearly 90 year old great-grandma who sea swims every day and is as full of life as ever. Grace holds the family together for her 50 year old grand-daughter Elin who has a spiky relationship with her husband Gareth and their16 year old daughter Beca. Missing from the family picture is Grace’s daughter Alys, who left the family under an alcoholic cloud years before, and no-one’s heard from her since. Elin has been angry at her mother ever since, whilst Beca has never even met her grandmother, and has been told she’s dead.

The chapters are told from the point of view of each of these female characters and jump back and forth across the family timelines, going as far back as when Grace was first married right until the present day. Each distinct character has been brilliantly drawn, with a strong sense of who they are and what drives them.

The story is told so tenderly, with its focus on family love and fallings out, how loyalties can be tested and broken, misunderstandings can be disastrous but that hopefully there’s time to make amends with one another.

I would recommend it to readers who love Marian Keyes, Matson Taylor, Jessica Ryn, Matt Cain and other character-led stories.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bantam Press for the chance to read the ARC.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

My first read of Ruth’s books and I throughly enjoyed it. Can’t wait to read her others.

Grace’s 90th birthday is coming up and she doesn’t want a fuss. She wants to deal with the thing that has been breaking her heart for ages - reconnecting with her daughter Alys. Will her granddaughter Elon agree as this will affect her too. Will Grace be able to put right the past before she dies?

A story of love between mothers and their daughters.

Ruth Jones is so talented. I love the way she writes. Her ideas and ability to capture real life in a book is outstanding. She truly is one of my all time favourite authors. This book is so special as it delves into a family with issues. Lots of female characters all very strong willed. A number of subplots weave in and out as the story of these ladies is told. The core of the book is cantered around love and how hard it is to actually live with someone, even if you love them dearly. From young mums to affairs, Ruth covers so much in this book. For me though, the ending was the magical but, it was where they love story really shone. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing me to read this book before publication- I shall share my review far and wide as I know people will love to read this book. .

A heart warming family story but also a romance on many levels. The main characters all have their faults and issues but despite that you are drawn to them and want the best for them. Multi generational, a sad but uplifting ending. A lovely read, rooted in Wales, for me the Welsh touches made the story even more special.

Another wonderful read from Ruth Jones and I think her best to date. An multi-generational tale of four women from the same family from 89 year old Grace down to her great granddaughter teenager 16 year old Beca. Delightful relatable characters each with their own problems held together by matriarch Grace. A real emotional heartwarming read with plenty of drama, sadness and heartbreak. A little dip into the past along the way but cleverly interwoven so the thread of the present day story is not lost. Highly recommended.

Brilliant and an easy five stars from me! This book dealt with several generations of a family who have been estranged. The book wasn't all as it seemed and revealed its secrets gradually. I love Ruth Jones' writing and am particularly impressed at how easily she has moved from writing from television to novels. I have enjoyed her previous books and this one didn't disappoint either. She brought realistic touches and I appreciated how the plot moved back and forth in time without losing touch with the main narrative thread.

Simply put, I loved it!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance copy of Love Untold in exchange for an honest review.

This is a joy of a story. Written with Ruth’s beautiful, conversational voice, this is a multi-generational story of a family of women and their relationships with each other.

Elin is the exact opposite of her alcoholic, wayward mother Alys and can go too far in trying to keep daughter Beca’s life ordered and sensible… when we discover the chaos of Elin’s early childhood it’s easy to see why she behaves as she does.

Beca has her own path though and she’s fabulous, knowing her own mind doubtless comes from her great-grandmother Grace, who is 89 and still swims in the sea most days.

Alys is, well, Alys. And Grace would love to know what has happened to her daughter in the 30 years since they last saw each other.

A story of love, passion, deceit and heartbreak, this is a joy of a story, funny, witty, well-observed and at times desperately sad.

Definitely pull up a cosy chair, grab a cup of tea - or Ovaltine - and prepare to spend an afternoon with these fabulous women in beautiful Dylan’s Quay.

Ruth Jones does it yet again with this Joyful, emotional & compelling story set over the years from 1950's strict Chapel driven Wales to the freedoms of 2022. It centres around the Females of one Family divided at times by the restrictions society put on women & still does in some respects still today. Gracie , Alys , Elin & Becca will take you on a life affirming journey . So I highly recommend this book to women every where . #NetGalley, #GoodReads, #FB, #Instagram, #Amazon.co.uk, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/358a5cecda71b11036ec19d9f7bf5c96d13e2c55" width="80" height="80" alt="100 Book Reviews" title="100 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>

This has got to be my favourite so far by Ruth jones! I was captured by the story right from the beginning. I had my favourites initially – I loved Grace (who wouldn’t!) and Beca, but Alys and Elin took some warming to. Of course, their storylines twisted, linked in with each other and turned throughout the entire book. We had revelations of secrets, grief, sadness, heartbreak, fun, joy and love, all in equal doses! The storyline had its serious undertones, but it was also full of so much humour, which was no surprise as we all know the author is so well known for her comedic writings! The book is based mainly in South and West Wales and fondly uses the Welsh terms and ways of speaking. I’ve said it before in the author’s previous books that there is always one character who will remind you of the infamous Nessa!
I loved this book - it was such an emotional read, reducing me to tears on several occasions. The women’s stories were all sad but yet heart-warming and the author certainly knows how to tug on those emotional heartstrings. I was captivated with their stories throughout and thought the ending, whilst it had me reaching for the tissues, was absolutely perfect. A beautiful read with loveable and realistic characters. Would recommend! Top mark!

Sat around the pool and sobbed my heart out, absolutely fabulous book about families and the bonds between mothers and daughters

This is the first book by Ruth Jones I have read, and I really enjoyed it. This multi layered story of four generations of women in the same family is intriguing. The characterisation is excellent, I could connect with all of the main players, as I have encountered women like all of these in my lifetime.
I became completely immersed in the convoluted story of Grace, Alys, Elin and Beca, as well as Soozi, the larger- than- life friend of Beca. It was by turns amusing, frustrating and heartbreaking, as the narrative delved into the women’s pasts. I couldn’t wait to get back to it whenever I had to stop reading.
The writing is exceptional, with some beautifully descriptive passages, some brutally descriptive, of their earlier lives, their loves and their losses. I loved it. I will search out Ruth Jones’ previous books.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book. I highly recommend it.

I loved Ruth Jones' previous book about three friends but not this one so much about family. 89 year-old Grace is trying to reunite with her wayward daughter Alys, unbeknownst to her less forgiving granddaughter Erin and great granddaughter who thinks Alys is dead. Its a beautifully written, emotional story with four well-developed and different characters but for some reason I just didn't really connect with any of them or their lives.

Ruth Jones has created four generations of women in this story of secrets, lies and tension. Each of the women is a strong-minded individual, forging her own path through life. Engaging and easy to read but by no means easy reading!

This is the third book I have read by Ruth Jones. You can definitely say she does not follow a theme. Each one has been original stand alone and pulls on your heart.
This one is no different. I don't want to give away any spoilers but difficult family life through the generations.
I saw part of myself in each of the characters.
I totally enjoyed the book and will be looking out for the next one Ruth writes

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from Ruth Jones. She keeps the narrative going and you want to read and read to see how the characters evolve. The story is about relationships within families and this one a family in drama mainly by absences . Grace has Alys in a loveless forced marriage. Alys is besotted with her father who she feels her mother does not love which is true enough. Dad passes away and Alys goes off the rails and disappears for 30 plus years. Grace brings up Elin when Alys is found wanting as a parent and life for Elin has been wonderful. She in turn has a daughter, Beca, who does not know anything about her grandmother (Alys) and absolutely adores her great grandma (Grace). The story continues through the decades going from one character to another and it all blends in really well. There are other characters in the book which fit into the story really well. I loved the idea of Grace at 89 still going sea swimming. As Grace has got older and near her 90th birthday she becomes increasingly sure she would like to see Alys. This comes about in a strange way but, of course, not all the family are as happy when Alys turns up. The story then continues with the generations fighting verbally and then sorting themselves out. I thought Becca was such a lovely character and for a young person coped with her life very well. The ending was bittersweet and worked for me. This is a very heartwarming story and I felt I was in the book completely and utterly. Loved it

Love Untolda by Ruth Jones was a slow burn for me, it took me a while to get into it and then I don't think I became overly invested in the outcomes for any of the characters, I just wanted to finish the book.

Grace was portrayed as the matriarch that everyone loved but her relationship with her daughter was very strained and some of the decisions she made after her husband died, were very questionable. Ripping her daugther away from her home and everything she knew, without much of an explanation, it was no wonder she ended up down the path that she did. No one really ever talked about the deep trauma of what had gone on for a lot of the characters and I think that's what I found frustrating and probably tainted my view on the book.

Another great story from Ruth Jones. Loved the characters and their stories and histories. Certainly makes you think and appreciate families.

I really connected with this book. 4 generations of a family/mothers/daughters, set in Wales mainly. I loved the endearments in Welsh and the turn of phrase. The ninety year old feisty Great Grandmother Grama Grace, the alcoholic Grandmother Alys, the uptight mother Elin and the young 16year old Beca. All strong women in their own right, but with their problems and dilemmas brought about by circumstance and societal expectations. Other lovely and very endearing characters, beautifully described were Soozi and John in particular, but others too. The author really drew a great picture of life for this extended family. Written with humour, made me laugh and feel sad, but a true to life story.

What a really lovely book ! I would have read this in one go if I could. Spanning 4 generations and from the perspective of each mother / daughter. Heartwarming and emotional I really felt like I was in the story with them, like I knew them. Would make a wonderful film and I highly recommend the book.