I received a copy of this book from Lola’s Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review.
For most people, Christmas is a time of joy and anticipation.
But when a freak accident robs Gracie of her memory, the lines between fantasy and reality blur.
There’s only one thing Gracie wants for Christmas this year and the only man who can bring it is not Santa.
“THE DOOR TO MY PAST MIGHT HAVE BEEN LOST, BUT MY SOUL HAD FOUND ITS MATE. IT WAS THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT, EVER.”
Remember is undoubtedly the first of a few Christmas Reads that’ll be featured on my blog in the run up to the most wonderful time of the year and I can promise you that it’s a delightful little read.
It’s a very short novella at around a hundred or so pages, but it was just what I needed to get
into the Christmas reading spirit. Remember is a light and fun read that’ll charm you in an instant with its clever writing and endearing characters – except for Todd and Victoria. Those two can go to hell.
While I was intrigued when I first read the premise when it found it’s way into my inbox, I had my worries that it would it be a little The Vow-esque and too lovey-dovey and eye-roll inducing. However, the minute I began reading I knew I had nothing to worry about. Carney’s little novella is so well-written and you can tell she put a lot of thought into these characters and this storyline. Yes, there is some overbearing romantic cliches, but it’s nothing too typical or too cringeworthy. In fact, it has got the right balance between plausible and dramatic.
We get thrown right in the action with the incident that causes Gracie to lose her memory and we follow her journey as she haphazardly attempts to put the puzzle pieces back together.
I’m not usually a fan of alternating point-of-view style stories as I tend to think that if the author wanted to switch the POV that much then they should’ve written the book in third person, but I think something short and sweet as Remember pulls off the multiple point-of-views well as we didn’t have as much length nor time to develop the story in loads of chapters like in a full novel.
That being said, it doesn’t mean any of the details and overall quality are compromised by the fact this is a short novella. We had a vast array of characters each of whom were excellently developed in terms of how they played a part in Remember and had a clear personality with establishing traits. I loved that there was a solid plot and Carney didn’t try and throw in too much. From mistaken identity, to genius comedic timing, to Gracie standing up to her abusive ex – which is a moment that’ll have you screaming ‘Yes! You go, girl!’- there was just the right amount of drama and comedy.
On a whole, Remember is the kind of fuzzy romance read that is a perfect for curling up on the sofa with a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits and you’ll likely finish reading it within the hour. You’re also likely to fall in love with Jack – don’t say I didn’t I warn you!
Before anyone begins to wonder why I’ve opted to give it three stars despite saying how much I adored it, allow me to explain. I would’ve given it four stars, but it’s just too short! I wanted more of Jack and Gracie. That’s my only complaint.
I am, however, looking forward to reading Joan Carney’s other novel Fated Memories which I believe is a lot longer and, sadly, a lot less Christmassy than Remember. It is a historical fiction, so any fellow history-buffs should stay tuned for that review which’ll likely be up after the Christmas period.
RATING
★★★
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