ARC review of Better Left Unsent

First, thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Better Left Unsent is out in May!

Millie Chandler finds herself in a predicament she’s pretty sure no one has been in before. All her email drafts—written without the intent of ever sending them—have somehow been sent. Her complaints about her colleagues’ annoying habits, her anguish over her ex’s upcoming wedding announcement, her frustration with her friends— it’s all out there now. The only positive: the email sent to incredibly cute and interesting Jack Shurlock bounced back, keeping her crush on him a secret--for now. As Millie goes about trying to right the wrongs her technology error created, she starts to learn about how to live a little more in the now and to be who she is, even if it doesn’t please everyone else.

What I liked about Better Left Unsent:

• I liked Millie. She’s a bit of a mess and very much in her own head sometimes, but it was easy to connect to her.

• I liked the romance that grew between her and Jack. I especially liked it because you could see almost right away that he enjoyed being around her the most when she wasn’t trying to fit into the box others put her into. He sees her, and that is very apparent from the get-go. I’d take a Jack any day!

• The ex-boyfriend is really a jerk. His jerkiness makes sense, but I wasn't prepared to have to deal with him quite so much, and although I didn't like that because I didn't like the character, it made sense to have to see him so much.

• I appreciated how Millie handled things when the reason for the email glitch was discovered.

• I loved how loyal her best friend is. Their friendship really was a bright star in this story.
  

What I wasn't really vibing with:

• There are a lot of characters to keep track of, especially all the names of the people she works with. Some we see once or twice and don’t have too much of a role in moving things along, but others seem important. They pop up here or there with something poignant to say or provide a way for the plot to move forward, but enough time was spent with them that I’m expecting more than just a blip.

• Along the same lines, her roommate, Ralph, is important in the beginning chapters, then fades into the background, only to reemerge in the last third as important.

• Some of the problems for why she and Jack can’t be together seem contrived. Their argument at the end felt wrong and unbelievable for the characters.

• The first third of the story feels slow. Too slow. I definitely wanted things to speed up a little more and get to the good part.
  

Overall:

Better Left Unsent is a lighthearted romantic comedy about life. It has lots of silly moments as well as lovely moments that make you hold your breath to see what happens next. The spice level is low, but I didn’t find myself wanting more. The amount worked well for the story. Millie and Jack are likable characters that you want to root for. It’s a sweet story with some funny moments that lighten the mood, but if you are looking for a straight-up romance, you might be a little disappointed.