What do you think?
Rate this book
UnAuthored Letters: A gripping and inspiring psychological suspense novel
Dr. John Sanders has given Rebecca Brownell a new chance at life. After an isolated childhood, an abused adolescence, and an institutionalized existence, Rebecca is finally free to conquer her demons and build a promising life.
However, just as it appears Rebecca has achieved her dreams, eerily personal letters begin arriving in the mail. Letters sent from an unidentified source who knows far more about her past than anyone should. Letters that threaten and question Rebecca’s sanity.
Unauthored Letters is the inspiring tale of a woman’s troubled past, a man’s quest to protect her, and their fight against a mysterious foe. It’s a story of trust strained by illness, love tried by lies, and promises terrorized by illusive danger.
393 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 11, 2013
807 people are currently reading
900 people want to read
About the author
Tara C. Allred
11 books71 followersTARA C. ALLRED is an award-winning author, instructional designer, and educator. She has been recognized as a California Scholar of the Arts for Creative Writing and is a recipient of the Howey Awards for Best Adult Book and Best Adult Author. She lives in Utah with her husband.
Her published works include REMEMBER (The Existence Series), SANDERS' STARFISH and UNAUTHORED LETTERS (John Sanders Series), HELPING HELPER and THE OTHER SIDE OF QUIET, a 2015 Kindle Book Award Finalist and Whitney Award Winner.
To learn more about the author, visit www.taracallred.net.
Her published works include REMEMBER (The Existence Series), SANDERS' STARFISH and UNAUTHORED LETTERS (John Sanders Series), HELPING HELPER and THE OTHER SIDE OF QUIET, a 2015 Kindle Book Award Finalist and Whitney Award Winner.
To learn more about the author, visit www.taracallred.net.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
July 25, 2014
As a bookstore owner, this book caught me by surprise! Having read as much as possible in my profession, a common reaction for me upon ending a book is disappointment. Regardless of a positive or negative ending, I still feel unsatisfied when an ending does not have a meaning or seem to come full circle- oftentimes, they just kind of taper off. The Help, Secret Life of Bees, The Red Tent & Ocean at the End of the Lane just to name a few. Although, lovely to read, their endings lost the 'aha' factor. Unauthored Letters was different.
The main characters Rebecca and John, have a significant history (as detailed in the first book, Starfish)that begins in a mental institution. As Rebecca heals and overcomes strikingly difficult obstacles, she blossoms as a healthy woman, to the point that the reader really questions whether or not someone can permanately conquer mental illness. Ultimately, her therapist becomes her husband-which was a bit weird and uncomfortable concept to me, however, the author handles this very delicate subject in a very tasteful way. The book never crosses the line of being unsuitable for a young adult, but manages to maintain an edgy element.
Reading it almost felt like a movie to me; there is a ton of dialogue, descriptive scenes, real (flawed) characters and a definite time line, where the characters move from stage to stage in their relationships. Then, boom! Once the letters start to arrive, the plot transforms, the mystery deepens and the story crescendos into a romantic suspense thriller. The author's style is not to withhold information to prohibit decoding the outcome,but rather writes the characters to explore all possible scenarios, which therefore, rules out conceivable possibilities. A chilling unforeseen conclusion for the reader! It's just a fun fresh book!
I should state that I was not given a copy of this book, nor did I receive any compensation for this review. I simply chose to pick up the book for my store's inventory having met the lovely author for a book club event. It is available in bookstores and online.
The main characters Rebecca and John, have a significant history (as detailed in the first book, Starfish)that begins in a mental institution. As Rebecca heals and overcomes strikingly difficult obstacles, she blossoms as a healthy woman, to the point that the reader really questions whether or not someone can permanately conquer mental illness. Ultimately, her therapist becomes her husband-which was a bit weird and uncomfortable concept to me, however, the author handles this very delicate subject in a very tasteful way. The book never crosses the line of being unsuitable for a young adult, but manages to maintain an edgy element.
Reading it almost felt like a movie to me; there is a ton of dialogue, descriptive scenes, real (flawed) characters and a definite time line, where the characters move from stage to stage in their relationships. Then, boom! Once the letters start to arrive, the plot transforms, the mystery deepens and the story crescendos into a romantic suspense thriller. The author's style is not to withhold information to prohibit decoding the outcome,but rather writes the characters to explore all possible scenarios, which therefore, rules out conceivable possibilities. A chilling unforeseen conclusion for the reader! It's just a fun fresh book!
I should state that I was not given a copy of this book, nor did I receive any compensation for this review. I simply chose to pick up the book for my store's inventory having met the lovely author for a book club event. It is available in bookstores and online.
May 16, 2018
Good
This story started out slow and I wasn't sure who's story it would be. I had the villain figured out early but it was a good read. Quite suspenseful.
This story started out slow and I wasn't sure who's story it would be. I had the villain figured out early but it was a good read. Quite suspenseful.
April 14, 2019
Unauthored Letters is a very gripping story.
If you or anyone you know suffers from a mental health issue I recommend this book because it's moving and very intense. I myself suffer from Bi-Polar disorder and I recognized myself in this story. I think Ma. Allred has a great future ahead of her with her writing.
If you or anyone you know suffers from a mental health issue I recommend this book because it's moving and very intense. I myself suffer from Bi-Polar disorder and I recognized myself in this story. I think Ma. Allred has a great future ahead of her with her writing.
August 23, 2014
I read Unauthored Letters in 2 sittings, and only stopped because I have children and they needed tending. I wanted to know what was going to happen to Rebecca Brownell and how the connection between she and Dr. John Sanders was going to play out. I was intrigued by the stories that unfolded almost immediately in the plot. This is the second book I read this summer that dealt with the relationship between father and daughter.
I was engrossed in this novel. Tara Allred weaves a mystic and edge-of-your-seat tale about mental illness, politics, greed and the power of love. These alone are reasons to read Unauthored Letters. Rebecca Brownell suffered enough abuse at the hands of adults and as a side effect of mental illness that she delved into her own mental abyss. Dr. John Sanders became her therapists at “special” institute where she was being kept and mis-treated. He knew he could free her from the prison in which she lived and he wanted to give her a second chance at life. Only he had no idea how deep her issues went into the politics and criminal activity at the institution.
As a story that we fear when we think of the institutions that should help people dealing with mental instabilities unfolds, a woman finds her freedom and the strength to overcome a horrid past, even when it doesn’t want to let her go; the best of an institution lives beyond it’s end, and a man finds his family, true love, and his vulnerabilities.
There were a few things about the book that I wanted to have resolved differently – some of them would be spoilers so I will hold onto them. However, I was not okay with Dr. Sanders switch in attitude. From the very beginning he was sure of what he believed and who he believed. His resolved switched for no reason and didn’t seem true to his nature as a character. There were other characters whose stories remain untold – so I hope there will be a sequel to tell those stories or resolve those characters. Kim’s story doesn’t tie in well on all relationship sides.
As the story goes, these are very small issues in a great, great novel. I highly recommend it.
I was engrossed in this novel. Tara Allred weaves a mystic and edge-of-your-seat tale about mental illness, politics, greed and the power of love. These alone are reasons to read Unauthored Letters. Rebecca Brownell suffered enough abuse at the hands of adults and as a side effect of mental illness that she delved into her own mental abyss. Dr. John Sanders became her therapists at “special” institute where she was being kept and mis-treated. He knew he could free her from the prison in which she lived and he wanted to give her a second chance at life. Only he had no idea how deep her issues went into the politics and criminal activity at the institution.
As a story that we fear when we think of the institutions that should help people dealing with mental instabilities unfolds, a woman finds her freedom and the strength to overcome a horrid past, even when it doesn’t want to let her go; the best of an institution lives beyond it’s end, and a man finds his family, true love, and his vulnerabilities.
There were a few things about the book that I wanted to have resolved differently – some of them would be spoilers so I will hold onto them. However, I was not okay with Dr. Sanders switch in attitude. From the very beginning he was sure of what he believed and who he believed. His resolved switched for no reason and didn’t seem true to his nature as a character. There were other characters whose stories remain untold – so I hope there will be a sequel to tell those stories or resolve those characters. Kim’s story doesn’t tie in well on all relationship sides.
As the story goes, these are very small issues in a great, great novel. I highly recommend it.
January 3, 2014
Only available through Amazon right now, this just released novel by Allred is a sequel to her first novel Sanders' Starfish. Ok, I am officially tired this morning because I got to a point where I could not put the book down last night and kept reading to its conclusion. Following the same characters as the first book, the story continues. Though it could easily be read without reading Sanders' Starfish first, I'm really not sure why anyone would want to miss out on the whole story. Allred weaves enough of Starfish into this novel that the reader isn't missing out, but it also doesn't feel like a review lesson for the reader of both books. Unauthored Letters is a well written mystery as well as an exploration of how relationships work for and against each other. I've waited ten years for this sequel and was excited to see it finally hit the marketplace. I was not disappointed.
Allred exhibits an amazing understanding of the human heart and that comes through in her writing. Unauthored Letters continues the story of Dr. Sanders and his patient Rebecca. When she starts seeing things and appears to be reverting back to her illness, his reaction ceases to be one of analytical psychologist and more of a frightened husband fighting to retain his family status. I found myself pulling for Rebecca and angry at Sanders and wanting everything to work out in some kind of happy conclusion. And about half way through the book I hit a point where the story was so compelling I couldn't walk away from it. Very well written, I would recommend it for anyone 12 and older.
Allred exhibits an amazing understanding of the human heart and that comes through in her writing. Unauthored Letters continues the story of Dr. Sanders and his patient Rebecca. When she starts seeing things and appears to be reverting back to her illness, his reaction ceases to be one of analytical psychologist and more of a frightened husband fighting to retain his family status. I found myself pulling for Rebecca and angry at Sanders and wanting everything to work out in some kind of happy conclusion. And about half way through the book I hit a point where the story was so compelling I couldn't walk away from it. Very well written, I would recommend it for anyone 12 and older.
August 30, 2014
I didn't want to put the book down. I wanted to read to the end and see if they both go a happy ending....
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy as a member of The Book Stalker Blog Tours. All opinions are my own.
Unauthored Letters by Tara C. Allred is one of those books that makes you really root for the main characters. During the entire story we see Rebecca struggle to overcome an extremely troubled childhood and mental illness and try to find faith in herself as well as the ability to trust others, only to constantly be thwarted along the way. It seems like both Rebecca and John have lives that are decided for them without much control of their own.
In this story there is suicide, corruption, mental illness, lies and secrets. The mystery is well written and although we can guess who the letters are coming from and what is really going on, the story line keeps you interested. I read this book in one reading because I wanted to know what happened with both Rebecca and John. I didn't want to put the book down. I wanted to read to the end and see if they both go a happy ending.
There are some extremely vicious people in their lives. But there are also some amazing, strong, loving folks as well. We get to see how evil the world can be but we also see how a few people an make such a difference in someones life.
This book is pretty long, but if you're looking for a mystery with well detailed twists and turns, check out Unauthored Letters by Tara C. Allred.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy as a member of The Book Stalker Blog Tours. All opinions are my own.
Unauthored Letters by Tara C. Allred is one of those books that makes you really root for the main characters. During the entire story we see Rebecca struggle to overcome an extremely troubled childhood and mental illness and try to find faith in herself as well as the ability to trust others, only to constantly be thwarted along the way. It seems like both Rebecca and John have lives that are decided for them without much control of their own.
In this story there is suicide, corruption, mental illness, lies and secrets. The mystery is well written and although we can guess who the letters are coming from and what is really going on, the story line keeps you interested. I read this book in one reading because I wanted to know what happened with both Rebecca and John. I didn't want to put the book down. I wanted to read to the end and see if they both go a happy ending.
There are some extremely vicious people in their lives. But there are also some amazing, strong, loving folks as well. We get to see how evil the world can be but we also see how a few people an make such a difference in someones life.
This book is pretty long, but if you're looking for a mystery with well detailed twists and turns, check out Unauthored Letters by Tara C. Allred.
May 15, 2017
Strong psychological thriller!
Love, hate, greed. Very well written. Because of his sorrow at loosing his wife, Rebecca's father was manipulated into giving her over to the care of a greedy man who married her after his death then divorced her and used her inheritance to keep her locked away in a mental hospital until John came along as her therapist and saw that she was stronger than anyone ever thought.
Love, hate, greed. Very well written. Because of his sorrow at loosing his wife, Rebecca's father was manipulated into giving her over to the care of a greedy man who married her after his death then divorced her and used her inheritance to keep her locked away in a mental hospital until John came along as her therapist and saw that she was stronger than anyone ever thought.
May 21, 2017
I was surprised at this. It seemed much later in the book that you started to figure it out. A little slow in the beginning. It gave me a bit of an insight into how mental illness can affect people and also how complex the problem is. Although this is fiction I think it shows how complex these issues can be and that we should realise how difficult it is to treat patients with mental illness.
June 8, 2017
What a wonderful book. Makes you feel like you are a part of the story and takes you through a range of emotions from joy, fear, hope, anger as you live the plot with the characters gh
What a wonderful book that makes you live the experiences that the characters do and go through a range of emotions from joy to despair
What a wonderful book that makes you live the experiences that the characters do and go through a range of emotions from joy to despair
June 8, 2017
A psychological thriller
I really enjoyed this book. It was insightful, well written and kept me on the edge of my seat. It also offered a good lesson in compassion for the mentally ill.
I really enjoyed this book. It was insightful, well written and kept me on the edge of my seat. It also offered a good lesson in compassion for the mentally ill.
December 7, 2019
This is the second in the series, the first being Sanders Starfish. A clinical psychiatrist becomes obsessed with a patient and is determined to improve her condition so she can be released and live a normal life. The woman has a strange background and the Dr. decides to do some investigative work to figure out if her past has anything to do with why the head of the mental institution seems determined to keep her. He begins to see finances as the motive. In book two, after she is released, he realizes he has fallen in love with her and they wed. After a while, a number of letters begin to arrive for her and she feels she is being followed. I didn't get into the second read as much as the first. Some of it seemed pretty obvious. But, it kept my attention. I would probably read more of this author.
June 29, 2019
An amazing story about a woman’s battle with schizophrenia, knowledgeable and beautifully written by Tara C. Allred. Like Rebecca, my daughter battles this, too. Like Rebecca, she wouldn’t take her meds because she didn’t like the way they made her feel. Like Rebecca, she had a loving, supportive husband. Like Rebecca, she went back to school. Now, ‘Unauthored Letters’ is a suspenseful, mysterious, find out ‘who done it’ excellent goodread and my comparison shows author, Allred knows the disease. Her knowledge and beautiful writing are entwined in this exciting thriller of Rebecca’s past coming back to life to make her doubt what’s real, break her husband and destroy her child. It’s the best mystery, thriller I’ve ever read.
May 20, 2017
Enjoyably but predictable
This book was very readable and it did hold my interest. But the plot was so very predictable. You could see from the beginning how it would end. And I felt the characters were somewhat hollow. The heroine Rebecca, who had suffered from psychological problems and had been hospitalized for a period of time, often came off as a sainted and naïve teenager, except for the times she would act as a spoiled kid having a tantrum. But, I still found it readable.
This book was very readable and it did hold my interest. But the plot was so very predictable. You could see from the beginning how it would end. And I felt the characters were somewhat hollow. The heroine Rebecca, who had suffered from psychological problems and had been hospitalized for a period of time, often came off as a sainted and naïve teenager, except for the times she would act as a spoiled kid having a tantrum. But, I still found it readable.
June 10, 2017
Long and drawn out
This book just didn't work for me. It was long and convoluted and taught me a bit about mental illness, but I don't read novels just to learn something. The story was 60 percent in before the letters started and 80 percent in before it was established that they were coming from an outsider. There was no suspense at all and I found it difficult to empathise with John and Rebecca. It probably would have worked better if Rebecca had been telling the story or at least if it had been told by both of them.
This book just didn't work for me. It was long and convoluted and taught me a bit about mental illness, but I don't read novels just to learn something. The story was 60 percent in before the letters started and 80 percent in before it was established that they were coming from an outsider. There was no suspense at all and I found it difficult to empathise with John and Rebecca. It probably would have worked better if Rebecca had been telling the story or at least if it had been told by both of them.
November 26, 2020
The power of love!
This novel is very well written and powerfully constructed. I enjoyed John's point of view, even though it was a bit obvious what would be happening. But the flow was good and realistic. It was easy to feel for Becca and understand why John thought she was regressing. When the inevitable confrontation occurred, I was left wishing for more details. Becca's recovery was also a bit quick. It's almost like the author was just ready to end the story. But all in all, I really enjoyed this book. The writing is stellar, with almost no typos. I highly recommend it!
This novel is very well written and powerfully constructed. I enjoyed John's point of view, even though it was a bit obvious what would be happening. But the flow was good and realistic. It was easy to feel for Becca and understand why John thought she was regressing. When the inevitable confrontation occurred, I was left wishing for more details. Becca's recovery was also a bit quick. It's almost like the author was just ready to end the story. But all in all, I really enjoyed this book. The writing is stellar, with almost no typos. I highly recommend it!
April 19, 2019
Perhaps the most honest and open book about the challenges of mental health and how it is from another person's viewpoint. I cried at the end. This book is hard to put down. I didn't want to end this book, I was so comfortable with the characters in the book. I know this book will stay with me long after I have finished it. I definitely recommend this, to all my friends, no matter what genre you are interested in.
May 31, 2023
🤔
So this was a weird one. Don't know if I just picked up the beginning of the book wrong or not but I got the impression it was set in a time when women needed a man to get along in the world or be deemed a spinster?
But after a certain event it was like the whole book took on a different time?
It was a good story regardless but for me anyway a bit confusing between the beginning and the half way point in the changes.
So this was a weird one. Don't know if I just picked up the beginning of the book wrong or not but I got the impression it was set in a time when women needed a man to get along in the world or be deemed a spinster?
But after a certain event it was like the whole book took on a different time?
It was a good story regardless but for me anyway a bit confusing between the beginning and the half way point in the changes.
May 26, 2017
Mixed feelings
About 3/4th through this book I thought I wouldn't be able to finish it. The character development started lacking resulting in my not really caring what happened. I did finish the book and decided that the author got in a hurry to finish and didn't put the same effort in the last quarter that was apparent earlier on. Just an okay book.
About 3/4th through this book I thought I wouldn't be able to finish it. The character development started lacking resulting in my not really caring what happened. I did finish the book and decided that the author got in a hurry to finish and didn't put the same effort in the last quarter that was apparent earlier on. Just an okay book.
April 27, 2019
Tangled Thoughts
Rebecca is a character you want to feel sorry for when though first meet her. She struggles with issues throughout the book. You want to cheer John on in his quest to bring her back from the brink. It goes into too much detail at times but you want to keep reading!
Rebecca is a character you want to feel sorry for when though first meet her. She struggles with issues throughout the book. You want to cheer John on in his quest to bring her back from the brink. It goes into too much detail at times but you want to keep reading!
May 15, 2019
Couldn’t finish it
This started out ok, then became too long to finish it. It was interesting but I got bored. There were a lot of repetition in the story and I couldn’t take it any more. I read about half of it. Maybe it ended better but I just couldn’t bring myself to go through the craziness to finish it.
This started out ok, then became too long to finish it. It was interesting but I got bored. There were a lot of repetition in the story and I couldn’t take it any more. I read about half of it. Maybe it ended better but I just couldn’t bring myself to go through the craziness to finish it.
September 28, 2020
Page turner.
I couldn't put that s down. Every page made me want to read the next. It is a story that will make you feel even dry thing and leave you guessing the entire time. The characters are real and flaws but so easy to like. The story leaves you feeling hopeful and the mystery made me doubt myself Tim the end.
I couldn't put that s down. Every page made me want to read the next. It is a story that will make you feel even dry thing and leave you guessing the entire time. The characters are real and flaws but so easy to like. The story leaves you feeling hopeful and the mystery made me doubt myself Tim the end.
July 10, 2017
Psycho drama
The circumstances were too contrived for my taste. The soul searching a bit too predictable. That said, I kept reading to see if I could deduce the villain. Not to spoil the end.... just know I was right.
The circumstances were too contrived for my taste. The soul searching a bit too predictable. That said, I kept reading to see if I could deduce the villain. Not to spoil the end.... just know I was right.
November 8, 2017
Gripping
Loveable characters, a few twists and turns and here you are with a beautiful story.
Intriguing and gripping story as you try to guess what will be the fate of the main characters.
Loveable characters, a few twists and turns and here you are with a beautiful story.
Intriguing and gripping story as you try to guess what will be the fate of the main characters.
September 18, 2018
Boring
I can't believe I wasted the time it took to read this book. Terrible plot, one dimensional characters and horrible continuity. I kept thinking it would get better, but it didn't.
I can't believe I wasted the time it took to read this book. Terrible plot, one dimensional characters and horrible continuity. I kept thinking it would get better, but it didn't.
November 5, 2018
A new kind of horror
Rebecca's past continues to haunt her as she fights for her dream of a happy family while her husband battles to understand which is real and which is a product of the mind. A captivating twist on mental illness.
Rebecca's past continues to haunt her as she fights for her dream of a happy family while her husband battles to understand which is real and which is a product of the mind. A captivating twist on mental illness.
April 10, 2019
This was a better book than I was expecting. It did take a while to get into what the plot was about but all of it was good. The ending was powerful. Rebecca seeing that her life is good and has people in her corner. She fought and survived.
April 24, 2019
Wow! Had me guessing. Though I knew, then changed my mind about four times only to discover that my first guess was correct.
Good insight into 'knowing' our bodies and minds, mental health, relationships.
Good insight into 'knowing' our bodies and minds, mental health, relationships.
October 26, 2019
Super suspenseful
Mental illness is a scary condition. This story began with the book titled "Sanders Starfish". The story continues in this book.. Both novels are captivating. The suspense will keep you intrigued from cover to cover.
Mental illness is a scary condition. This story began with the book titled "Sanders Starfish". The story continues in this book.. Both novels are captivating. The suspense will keep you intrigued from cover to cover.
November 14, 2019
Hard story worth reaxing
Had I unchanged where the story was headed, I would hAve skipped.this book. However,once I stArted i becAme caught up in the story. And though I had anticipated the identity of the tormentor, it didn't take Away from the story. Well written.
Had I unchanged where the story was headed, I would hAve skipped.this book. However,once I stArted i becAme caught up in the story. And though I had anticipated the identity of the tormentor, it didn't take Away from the story. Well written.
August 27, 2020
Good read kept you in suspense as you weren’t sure if it was Rebeccas mental health or if it was real. John her husband thinks her health is deteriorating and make him disbelieve what she is telling him. Mental health is a terrible thing and I felt for the family and there pain.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews