🚄 🚧 ✨🌄 “With Every Memory” (2023) 🌄✨🚧 🚄 – Book Review

 

MY REVIEW

 

Paperback: 304 Pages
Publisher: Revell (June 6, 2023)
Language: English
ISBN 10: 0800742958
ISBN-13: 978-0800742959
⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information

 

“Is the Life She Can't Remember One She'd Rather Forget?
 
 One year after her family was in a tragic car accident that killed her teenage son, Lori Mendenhall returns home with a traumatic brain injury that has stolen the last eight years of memories from her, leaving the life she has returned to unrecognizable. Her once-loving husband, Michael, is a distant workaholic she isn't sure she can trust and her once-bubbly daughter, Avery, has spent the last year hidden away in her room.

 If Lori wants to reconnect with her family, she'll have to uncover the information her brain is trying to keep secret. As memories return and past secrets resurface, it will take the whole family to repair what’s been broken and find a new future together.”

 

Thank you in advance to the publisher, Revell Books (a division of Baker Books), for providing a complimentary review copy through the Revell Reads blogger program. A positive review was not required nor requested, and all words are my own.

 

This is the second book by the author I’ve read. I was “introduced” to her writing in 2021 with her Berkeley Books release of Aspen Crossroads, the first book in the Whisper Canyon series. After enjoying that read, I couldn’t wait to read this one.

 

Unlike some authors (and that’s not saying they’re bad or anything), Rosche starts the book off with an author’s note about potential triggering topics. I honestly enjoy this type of “warning”. It helps readers make an informed decision, as well as prepare themselves for what they’re about to read.  

 

For those wondering, Rosche lists: death of a child, sexual assault, adultery, and divorce. I would like to add this story also deals with a fatal train versus car collision, as well as Lori’s TBI (traumatic brain injury). The author states she tried to handle the subjects with sensitivity while showing the reality of trauma in the family system. I have to agree, she definitely accomplishes this. After all, the story isn’t about the triggers, but Lori’s recovery journey.

 

Right off, from the cover, one can tell this is going to be a stunning, emotional, and reflective read. But, since it is distributed by Revel, which is a primarily Christian book publisher, there will be themes of faith in it. These are not heavy or prevalent, so it doesn’t come across as preachy.

 

Rosche introduces the readers to:

 

🔐 Lori

👗 Avery (Austin’s twin sister)

💼 Michael

📚 Xander

🍹 Enid (Lori’s friend, and Margot’s mother)

💘 Sarah (Austin’s long-time girlfriend)

💔 Jake (dumped Avery after the accident)

🌼Courtney (Jake’s current girlfriend, former friend of Avery)

 

While in the background, Lori’s mother Anita lurks, as well as other students from Avery’s school (Margot, Sarah, Jake, Courtney); and some friends of Lori’s (they are briefly mentioned and seen during a trip to Napa).

 

The story is told in first person from Lori and Avery’s POVs. I honestly would’ve LOVED Xander’s POV in the middle of it given his connection to the family.

 

Rosche starts the story with Lori getting reading to go home. She’s been in a rehabilitation hospital since a train versus car wreck that took the life of her son, who was also her daughter’s twin.

 

Lori has amnesia and can barely recall the past eight (8) years before the accident. She’s concerned about going home – will it be the same? Her nurse offers the hope it might be better.

 

Absent from picking her up is her teen daughter Avery. Then again, the girl didn’t seem to enjoy visiting her mom in the rehab center. I can sort of relate to that as well.

 

Despite her mom being home, Avery is distant, and is clear to Lori that something is wrong. Her husband is distant as well and working long hours. Lori also doesn’t recognize the home she once helped design.

 

Avery is dealing with her own grief – she is in danger of not graduating, and needs a tutor. What she doesn’t need is her late brother’s best friend, Xander, the boy who relentlessly teased her. He does agree to help Avery. As it turns out, he has always “been there” for her, and checked on her the night of the accident. Though, at first, Avery doesn’t want to cooperate with Xander.

 

Lori begins finding her way and learns through her daughter that she and Michael were dealing with some “junk”, though what the “junk” is, is unknown. It doesn’t help that Lori’s mother, Anita, makes things sound cryptic. It’s also clear, for some reason, Michael doesn’t want Lori to regain too many memories from prior to the accident. Lori is also worried about the lack of intimacy in the marriage.

 

Eventually, Enid connects with Lori and offers her a girls’ trip over the anniversary of the accident which she at first refuses. That coincides with a conference in Dallas that Michael has. Avery convinces her mother to take the girls’ trip, Michael goes to Dallas, and Avery stays home. On the trip, Enid lets out that Michael was having an affair with Jade. Yet, towards the end of the trip, Michael shows up. He still shies away from the intimacy Lori craves though.

 

Of course, Avery and Xander start getting close, but she too is dealing with a triangle herself – Xander, herself, and Sarah. Sarah had been dating Austin, but now wants to move on with Xander.

 

As everything comes together, it begins to fall apart, again – scandals, secrets, and guilt. Lori and Avery each believe they’re to blame for the accident, each hiding something from those they love. Lori ends up separating from Michael.

 

On a trip to Utah, things are revealed about Sarah, Xander, and Avery that causes a catastrophic moment for the girl, but brings her and Xander, though that won’t be the only reveal for the girl.

 

Lori, in the middle of an argument with her mother, tells her something that was shocking and in a way, controversial. But, it is a secret that brings to light Michael’s true sacrifice. However, in the wrong moment, Avery finds out and questions everything her parents have told her.

 

Eventually, the past and present collide where the accident happened, bringing the hurt and pain to a point where the healing can start for everyone in an ending that brings tears of joy to those who read it.

 

Despite the topics and tone, I was immediately drawn in, and this completely held my attention. I didn’t want to put it down. I was honestly curious as to whether Lori was going to regain her memories, if Michael was having an affair, and whether Avery was going to realize she and Xander were meant to be together (after they graduated, of course).

 

The short chapters were a bonus in keeping me reading, but they also moved the story along. The pacing wasn’t too slow, but not too fast either. There was a bit of confusion at one point, but after re-reading the part, I understood it.

 

There was a slight bit of an environmental message about fashion in it that Avery talks to Xander about. It centered on her goal to find sustainable fashion and what drives her to choose her career path.

 

There were moments of levity. I enjoyed a lot of the 1980’s music, the Sound of Music movie reference, and had to laugh about Avery’s thought on Xander’s height (before his “glow up)” about not being able to meet the roller coaster height requirement. At 5’ 1” myself, I took that personally 😂 But, I do relate to being “vertically challenged”.

 

The notebook that Avery used to “communicate” with Austin was such a sweet measure. Back in the late 1990’s, my mom and I used notebooks to communicate – I’d write in it before going to bed (she went to bed before I did), she’d write in it before leaving for work early in the morning before I got up. We continued this for about 2-3 years, so I enjoyed that part.

 

My heart also broke when Avery wondered why she wasn’t taken in the accident as the two started life together. It is an interesting look on the surviving twin grief. This is touched in the novel at a point where Margot (Enid’s daughter) begins reading from the journal and throws it in the fire as retribution for Avery “stealing” Xander from Sarah. Though, Xander never felt like that towards the girl.

 

With Every Memory is a deeply emotional, stirring, riveting, tragic, and beautifully poignant read that puts every decision into perspective; a book that will stay with the reader for quite some time.

 

As this is a standalone read, all of the story arcs are wrapped by the end. And, it was definitely and ending that moved me to tears. I was crying happy tears at the end. I know I will be eagerly awaiting the next book by the author, and I’m fairly certain her fans will no doubt embrace this book like I did.

 

 

 

RATING: 

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads 

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub 

 

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html; update: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2022/07/what-goes-into-my-reviews-2022-edition.html)

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Janine Rosche is the author of the Madison River Romance and Whisper Canyon series. When she isn’t traveling or writing novels, she teaches family life education courses, produces The Love Wander Read Journal, and takes too many pictures of her sleeping dogs. Learn more at www.janinerosche.com.

 

 

He can be found on the following social media accounts:

 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/janineroscheauthor

 

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/janinerosche

 

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/janinerosche

 

 

 

 

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