r34d3r's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
hhushaw's review against another edition
4.0
An honest review thanks to NetGalley. Wow. I was not expecting to love this but was so surprised at the effect it had on me. I was entranced from the second chapter on. This love story and journey is epic and you will fall madly in love with the characters and their journey. I was confused after she was in the hospital the second time, there was never an explanation if the first half was all a dream or if time really did reset itself. This is the one thing that caused this book to not receive 5 starts from me. I will most definitely be re reading this again in the future though!
pageswithpayten's review against another edition
3.0
Thank You to NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books and M. Ullrich for the opportunity to read this book in advance for my honest opinion. All opinions are mine!
Gretchen is running late to a Fourth of July barbeque and rushing to get home to her wife Jax and baby boy Caleb. Only it’s not July, and Caleb isn’t a baby anymore, and Jax moved out a month ago. After slipping on ice, Gretchen Miller suffers a brain injury that leaves her in a coma. When she wakes up, she learns that she has lost the last four years of her memory, and her life is not what she thought it’d be and she doesn’t know where it all went wrong. Jax knows, though, and it’s torturing her to relive every fight and heartbreaking moment. She is torn between being at the bedside of her first true love, or to move on with her life with her new girlfriend. After 17 years together, is this Gretchen and Jax getting a second chance to love each other how they once had?
Gretchen must come to terms with her injuries and her new reality. Every day she is faced with new obstacles and past mistakes, but it only encourages her more. Gretchen is not ready to give up on her marriage and her family. Jax is hurt by what happened between her and Gretchen, and even more hurt that it never even happened according to Gretchen. Jax doesn’t want to hurt Gretchen, she’s just had four years to stop loving Gretchen the same way. Caleb is the thread that keeps their family together, reminding them of all they had hoped for and all that they had gotten together.
M. Ullrich takes us on an emotional rollercoaster as we watch two women struggle to figure out what it means to be in love and just how far they’ll go to fight for that love.
Gretchen is running late to a Fourth of July barbeque and rushing to get home to her wife Jax and baby boy Caleb. Only it’s not July, and Caleb isn’t a baby anymore, and Jax moved out a month ago. After slipping on ice, Gretchen Miller suffers a brain injury that leaves her in a coma. When she wakes up, she learns that she has lost the last four years of her memory, and her life is not what she thought it’d be and she doesn’t know where it all went wrong. Jax knows, though, and it’s torturing her to relive every fight and heartbreaking moment. She is torn between being at the bedside of her first true love, or to move on with her life with her new girlfriend. After 17 years together, is this Gretchen and Jax getting a second chance to love each other how they once had?
Gretchen must come to terms with her injuries and her new reality. Every day she is faced with new obstacles and past mistakes, but it only encourages her more. Gretchen is not ready to give up on her marriage and her family. Jax is hurt by what happened between her and Gretchen, and even more hurt that it never even happened according to Gretchen. Jax doesn’t want to hurt Gretchen, she’s just had four years to stop loving Gretchen the same way. Caleb is the thread that keeps their family together, reminding them of all they had hoped for and all that they had gotten together.
M. Ullrich takes us on an emotional rollercoaster as we watch two women struggle to figure out what it means to be in love and just how far they’ll go to fight for that love.
eyrinreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
elvang's review against another edition
4.0
I never know what to expect when I pick up a book written by M. Ullrich. I went into this read knowing one character had suffered a traumatic brain injury and assumed by the blurb that the amnesia angle would resolve resulting in reconciliation or heartbreak for Jax and Gretchen. With Ullrich you can never be sure.
What the Heart Remembers Most is anything but predictable. Halfway through the book I was unsettled and confused and questioning what was real and what I had missed. Kudos to the author for complicating what could have been just another amnesia/second chance romance.
This is a full on angst filled drama which pulls you in and makes you choose sides in a failing marriage. I was impressed with the way the book is structured. It jarred my sense of what was happening and forced me to change allegiance in who I felt was at fault for the disintegration of a once loving relationship. This is not a fluffy read. It's raw and cruel at times. Jax wears her emotions like a shield, a battered warrior unable to take more abuse yet fully aware of the love she once had for Gretchen. Gretchen has no idea what has caused the rift between her and Jax and little understanding of this now cold and distant woman she still loves.
If you are tired of cookie cutter romances then this is a must read. When I read the last page I went back and started rereading the book from the beginning to better understand some of the conversations I glossed over in my initial read. Clever, challenging book.
4.5 Stars
eARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.
What the Heart Remembers Most is anything but predictable. Halfway through the book I was unsettled and confused and questioning what was real and what I had missed. Kudos to the author for complicating what could have been just another amnesia/second chance romance.
This is a full on angst filled drama which pulls you in and makes you choose sides in a failing marriage. I was impressed with the way the book is structured. It jarred my sense of what was happening and forced me to change allegiance in who I felt was at fault for the disintegration of a once loving relationship. This is not a fluffy read. It's raw and cruel at times. Jax wears her emotions like a shield, a battered warrior unable to take more abuse yet fully aware of the love she once had for Gretchen. Gretchen has no idea what has caused the rift between her and Jax and little understanding of this now cold and distant woman she still loves.
If you are tired of cookie cutter romances then this is a must read. When I read the last page I went back and started rereading the book from the beginning to better understand some of the conversations I glossed over in my initial read. Clever, challenging book.
4.5 Stars
eARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.
night_owl_84's review against another edition
4.0
Wow! What an emotional roller coaster. My biggest take away from the story is this: Love Wins! No matter what life brings you or what relationship struggles come up when a person chooses to love, love wins! I honestly would love to see a novella or a sequel just to check in with these characters. Or even a book featuring Amanda and seeing glimpses of Jax and Gretchen. M. Ullrich is an amazing Storyteller And easily will get you sucked into her written world. I’m looking forward to reading more of her books!
brennooth's review against another edition
5.0
It took me one chapter to fall in love with Jax. It took me another chapter to love Gretchen just as much. Cricket and Bug. Amazing. The constant fighting hurt while reading it because you could see how they were both lashing out because they didn’t know better and were scared. The biggest catch about all this is that you don’t expect to get thrown back to the beginning about halfway through. I love Gretchens determination to fight for Jax no matter what. I felt sorry for Meredith for a short moment but was very happy when Jax broke up with her. Their letters are everything. The love shown in these letters is out of this world and I can’t find words to describe it. I’m way too emotional about all this to form proper sentences. I’d give this 10 stars if I could. I couldn’t put the book down, falling asleep on my kindle and so on... this story was all sorts of perfect.
mgncpr's review against another edition
4.0
I've read a few books recently that had a similar premise - and I'm starting to wonder if this sort of thing is more common than I would have thought. How many times does an established couple separate only to be brought back together when one gets amnesia and doesn't remember the impetus for the separation - second chance romance thanks to an opportune bump to the head. Okay - so it sounds like the plot of a telenovella, but I will admit it gives the author (and the reader) a great opportunity to explore an established couple once the honeymoon is over and really delve into the connection, intimacy and really hard work that a relationship requires.
Although this kind of plot makes for a ridiculous amount of angst - and in other similar themed novels, the angstometer was off the charts - Ms. Ullrich manages to keep things under a modicum of control and we didn't see the characters chewing up the scenery. This lent what I thought was a realistic portrayal of the dissolution of a relationship despite the fact that the two characters still loved one another - that day to day tribulations and all too human stubbornness and doubt can eat away at things without being noticed until it seems too late.
I've always liked Ms Ullrich's writing style - its an easy and comfortable read but she adds a nice bit of originality and twists to keep me focused and engaged. The story line itself worked well - blending the drama and the romance to create a captivating novel. The characters of Gretchen and Jax are real and well grounded - both have their faults but there is an undeniable connection between the two that makes the reader root for them to make it work. Ullrich also takes the time to develop the secondary characters of Amanda and Caleb so that they are more than just stereotypes or foils for the main characters to play off.
My main quibble with the book was in the structure - the first half is told primarily from Gretchens POV and there's a really jarring transition to Jax's POV and we re-live the key moments with some slight changes. It took me a bit to figure out what Ms Ullich was doing (at first I thought that someone inserted an older draft of the first part of the book), but then it started making a bit more sense. At first I hated it, then I liked it - it gives another layer to the relationship, as Gretchen gets a third chance and you see the minute changes that can make a large impact - but it all comes down to the women taking the chance small changes can make either big differences or not have an impact.
Overall, I'd recommend the book - well written, engaging characters, just enough angst and an interesting premise that makes you think.
Although this kind of plot makes for a ridiculous amount of angst - and in other similar themed novels, the angstometer was off the charts - Ms. Ullrich manages to keep things under a modicum of control and we didn't see the characters chewing up the scenery. This lent what I thought was a realistic portrayal of the dissolution of a relationship despite the fact that the two characters still loved one another - that day to day tribulations and all too human stubbornness and doubt can eat away at things without being noticed until it seems too late.
I've always liked Ms Ullrich's writing style - its an easy and comfortable read but she adds a nice bit of originality and twists to keep me focused and engaged. The story line itself worked well - blending the drama and the romance to create a captivating novel. The characters of Gretchen and Jax are real and well grounded - both have their faults but there is an undeniable connection between the two that makes the reader root for them to make it work. Ullrich also takes the time to develop the secondary characters of Amanda and Caleb so that they are more than just stereotypes or foils for the main characters to play off.
My main quibble with the book was in the structure - the first half is told primarily from Gretchens POV and there's a really jarring transition to Jax's POV and we re-live the key moments with some slight changes. It took me a bit to figure out what Ms Ullich was doing (at first I thought that someone inserted an older draft of the first part of the book), but then it started making a bit more sense. At first I hated it, then I liked it - it gives another layer to the relationship, as Gretchen gets a third chance and you see the minute changes that can make a large impact - but it all comes down to the women taking the chance small changes can make either big differences or not have an impact.
Overall, I'd recommend the book - well written, engaging characters, just enough angst and an interesting premise that makes you think.
cdownes's review against another edition
3.0
This was ok. The premise was a little bit different to anything I have read recently, so the uniqueness was a positive.
The characters weren't my cup of tea in that they weren't nice or kind, and there was too much anger and hate. I hardly felt myself rooting for them as a couple and while there was detail of their history to help the reader understand, I don't feel like it delivered clearly.
ARC received for an honest review.
The characters weren't my cup of tea in that they weren't nice or kind, and there was too much anger and hate. I hardly felt myself rooting for them as a couple and while there was detail of their history to help the reader understand, I don't feel like it delivered clearly.
ARC received for an honest review.
xtinaaws's review against another edition
4.0
I really do love a good angst-filled romance. Nearly divorced Gretchen and Jax are thrown back together when Gretchen suffers a traumatic brain injury that leaves the last four years of her life wiped from memory. And you know those were the four years where their relationship really started to decay. I thought the angst was strong here, but not too much too overcome. I thought the secondary relationships were handled delicately and in a way that really contributed to the story. And I was super empathetic to the leading couple. My main criticisms come from the plot device (you'll see what I mean) and, as another reviewer has mentioned, you'll either love it or hate it. I think I was more on the "strongly dislike" end of things, but I was such a fan of the couple that I totally overlooked that. I also wanted a BIT more romance (seriously, this is one angsty story) but it was probably more realistic as written. Perhaps a couple more chapters? Would've read about this family for awhile.
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Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an advanced copy. All opinions my own.
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Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an advanced copy. All opinions my own.