Review: “Unforgettable”
This is the third book I’ve read by this author, and the second from this series. After enjoying “Man Candy” and the other one in this series, “Irresistible“, I chose this one when I saw it in a newsletter promotion because I had really enjoyed the other one in the series.
The Premise
Former professional baseball player Tyler is living in the shadow of his former glory after tanking his career. Under the veil of public scrutiny about his failures, he visits his hometown for his sister’s wedding. There, he runs into his former friend April — who he’d had a one-night stand with, eighteen years ago. The result was a baby neither of them had expected, but April dealt with it on her own and let Tyler go on to live his dreams, for which he was grateful. When they meet again as adults, they reconnect and realise the chemistry is still there. But as the past begins to creep into their present, it becomes emotionally heavy for them both. Can they overcome their challenges and heal their way to a happy ending?
The Pros
I liked the dialogue between the characters, which is my expectation from a Harlow romance. The sisterly relationships for both main characters were heartwarming and made me smile, and I really enjoyed seeing the glimpses of side characters that I’ve read about in the other book — Mack and Frannie. The Cloverleigh farm scenes were really well done, and I felt so much pride at seeing the family and legacy that had been built over the past four decades; I was happy to celebrate it with them. I appreciated the highs and lows of redemption and forgiveness, and the use of April’s therapy as a means of healing from the past. I also really liked that this was a positive adoption story, which gives us a lot to hope for as a young woman in this position — sometimes, a mother’s love means making a difficult choice.
The Cons
I was absolutely thrilled after the other book I’ve read in the series, so I really wanted to like this book more. Unfortunately, I found myself struggling to really like either the hero or heroine — she was a doormat, and he was a douche… there’s no nicer way to put it. He apparently had no qualms about abandoning her as a teenager, and even as an adult did it all over again. While this may be realistic, it’s not exciting from a reader’s perspective to be in the head of someone so self-absorbed and unlikeable that they hadn’t even thought of the child or the mother of the child in eighteen years until she reenters the picture. I kept waiting to fall in love with him, and it didn’t happen. The plot was also predictable, and I wished for a bit more of an element of surprise, or a bit more drama — but instead I thought there were missed opportunities… April and Tyler both just tell their families about their past secret; their son is welcoming and accepting without judgement; and at the end their solution comes quickly and felt too simple. Usually with a romance, there’s a moment when your heart soars for the couple and you’re on the edge of your seat in shock frantically turning the pages to get to the next one… but for me, it just didn’t happen here.
Conclusion
Overall this was a nice story about second chances, redemption and forgiveness… but just a let-down. Maybe my expectations were too high as I am familiar with the author’s work, but I felt like it could have been so much better. I’m a picky reader — especially for romance! — and this book has hundreds of 5-star ratings, so I’m sure most people will love this book and not have the same feelings as me, so I will recommend it to others. I also would love to continue reading more of the author’s books, because I have faith that thought this was just okay for me, another book will make my heart soar again.
