Words We Cannot Say

Labor and delivery nurse Penelope is an expert at her job but a complete mess when it comes to her personal life. After her boyfriend dumps her in favor of saving his marriage, Penelope discovers she’s pregnant. Now Penelope must face motherhood, her greatest fear, or consider the alternatives.

Jesenia, a first-generation American, made her mark as a model then quit the business in favor of a nine-to-five and wedded bliss. After three years of fertility treatments and pressure from her family, trying to become a mother is her full-time job. But when her past mistakes threaten her chances, Nia will have to confront her youthful choices and over-involved family’s opinions on bloodlines if she wants to become a mother.

If choosing a homebirth and nursing a toddler don’t make Lotus unconventional, growing up in a commune and choosing a polyamorous marriage certainly do. After her grandfather’s unexpected death and the inheritance of his Victorian home, Lotus just wants to run her business, take care of her family, and live in her version of normal. That peace is threatened by her husband’s former lover, the end of his sobriety, and a new love interest, all of which will turn her world upside down.

Book source ~ ARC. 

My review is voluntary and honest.

Words We Cannot Say

Sita Romero

19 April 2022

Women's Fiction

321 Pages

My Rating ~ 5 bites

Penelope is a Labor & Delivery nurse, Jesenia (Nia) is the wife of one of Penelope’s favorite obstetricians, and Lotus is Penelope’s cousin. All three women are very different, but all are going through a difficult time in their lives. Penelope has gotten pregnant by her ex-lover who is married, Nia has been trying unsuccessfully for three years to get pregnant, and Lotus is pregnant with her second child but having marital problems. This is their journey to motherhood.

Life is messy. It throws curveballs, it takes unexpected turns, and sometimes it just sucks ass. Hopefully you have someone (or more than one) to help you through those times. Pen, Nia, and Lotus are three people who start out as strangers walking hugely different paths in life and end up best friends. This is a book full of despair and pain. But also of hope and joy and discovery. The beginning starts off with a bang and doesn’t let go. The writing is superb, the characters compelling, and the plot consuming - an all around excellent read.

Red Adept Publishing