Book Review: Forgotten

Forgotten: A Novel

About the Book:

Emma Tupper is a dedicated lawyer with a bright future. But when she takes a month-long leave of absence to go on an African vacation, she ends up facing unexpected consequences. After she falls ill and spends six months trapped in a remote village thanks to a devastating earthquake, Emma returns home to discover that her friends, boyfriend, and colleagues thought she was dead—and that her life has moved on without her.

As she struggles to re-create her old life, throwing herself into solving a big case for a client and trying to reclaim her beloved apartment from the handsome photographer who assumed her lease, everyone around her thinks she should take the opportunity to change. But is she willing to sacrifice her job, her relationships, and everything else she worked so hard to build?

In Forgotten, Catherine McKenzie tweaks a classic tale of discovering who we really are when everything that brings meaning to our lives is lost.

My Comments:

What if you died and then, six months later, came back to life?  Of course, everyone else's life would have moved on without you.  Emma didn't die; everyone just thought she did, and their lives moved on.  Now she is back, but nothing is the same.  What should she fight to reclaim; to what should she say "good riddance"?  To what should she move?  

I enjoyed spending a few months with Emma as she was forced to look at her "old" life and decide what was worth reclaiming--and what was not.  She had to look at other people's expectations for her, and what she expected of herself.  While all of us have more control over the trajectory of our lives than we sometimes admit, the reality is that for most of us, inertia takes over, and barring some outside force, we continue along much the same path without considering whether another path would suit us better.  

What does Emma decide?  I won't tell you that, it would be a spoiler. However, I will say that though I enjoyed the book, I found the ending to be both a surprise (not a shock, but a mild surprise) and I found it a little too tidy.

I'd like to thank the publisher for providing a complimentary galley via Edelweiss.  I was not obligated to write a positive review.  Grade:  B+

Book Review: Arranged

Arranged

About the Book:

Every single one of Anne Blythe's relationships has ended in disaster, so when fate leads her to the doorstep of a highly secretive arranged-marriage agency, she decides to take a chance

Anne Blythe has a great life: a good job, good friends, and a potential book deal for her first novel. When it comes to finding someone to share it with, however, she just can't seem to get it right.

After yet another relationship ends, Anne comes across a business card for what she thinks is a dating service, and she pockets it just in case. When her best friend, Sarah, announces she's engaged, Anne can't help feeling envious. On an impulse, she decides to give the service a try because maybe she could use a little assistance in finding the right man. But Anne soon discovers the company isn't a dating service; it's an exclusive, and pricey, arranged marriage service. She initially rejects the idea, but the more she thinks about it-and the company's success rate-the more it appeals to her. After all, arranged marriages are the norm for millions of women around the world, so why wouldn't it work for her?

A few months later, Anne is travelling to a Mexican resort, where in one short weekend she will meet and marry Jack. And against all odds, everything seems to be working out....

My Comments:

Romance novels are great when you want a predictable read with a happy ending.  The pattern is pretty set--boy meets girl, attraction, problem, resolution...and you know the resolution, if it brings tears to your eyes, will bring tears of joy, not sorrow.  In some ways, this is a romance, but in other ways, it is not.  I won't tell you what the problem is, or the resolution--except that it isn't  a guaranteed happily ever after.  I will tell you that it can make you stop and think about your own relationships--not only dating relationships but also marital ones, and to some extent even close friendship.

When preparing for and entering into an arranged marriage, Anne is forced to look at her past relationships and what they had in common, and why they failed.  The set up of the arranged marriage made her re-think her priorities and consider other parts of the relationship than the heady "in love" feeling.  I can't say that I think arranged marriages are the way to go, but I think a lot of people would be a lot happier if they worked on the relationship they are in rather than looking for a new one.

Anne does end up in bed with her husband, but it is after the wedding and we don't get to watch.

I can't say I particularly liked Anne.  Sometimes I felt sorry for her; at others I thought she was clueless or worried too much about dumb stuff.  Her guy comes off as the lovable rogue, but I understand the feelings she had about him at the end of the book.

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via edelweiss.  Grade:  B+

About the Author:

Catherine McKenzie was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. A graduate of McGill University and McGill Law School, Catherine practices law in Montreal. Her novels SPIN and ARRANGED are International Bestsellers. They, along with her third novel, FORGOTTEN, will all be published in the US by William Morrow in 2012. SPIN has also been published in French (Ivresse) and German (Sternhagelverliebt), and ARRANGED will be published in French in June, 2012.  Her website can be found at http://catherinemckenzie.com/

Other Books by McKenzie: