| Title | : | Remember Me |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1250189470 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781250189479 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 336 |
| Publication | : | First published August 6, 2019 |
Nell Martin is moving again, this time to the Winslow Grand Hotel, built in 1878. As Nell is settling in, strange things begin to happen. Doors lock of their own accord, writing appears on bathroom walls--and most horrifying of all--visions of a dead boy permeate her waking life. Thinking it was her mind playing tricks on her, she soon finds the past and the present colliding as she learns horrific details of a murder that happened at the hotel in 1905 involving a girl named Lea.
Nell and a mysterious bellboy must relive that day in hopes of finally breaking a curse that imprisons them both. And Nell discovers what truly links her to the history of the Winslow Grand Hotel.
Remember Me Reviews
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"Pitched as a cross between The Shining and The Titanic"
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So somebody said this was pitched as a cross between The Shining and Titanic and I lost control of myself as the spectre of a young Leonardo Di Caprio temporarily took over my body to press the 'Want to Read' button
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I love, love, loved this!
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You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight .
Oooh this was such a gem! I had a hard time stepping away from the world once I got into it. So let us break down the positives and the less-than-positives, though the positives far outweigh anything else!
What I Loved:
•The entire story was so easy to become immersed in. Off the bat, the author does a great job of setting up the tone and vibe of the story. The whole atmosphere of this southern hotel in summertime radiates. And the feel of the early 20th century permeates, both in the past timeline and the present, as the historical timeline was its heyday.
•The characters are incredibly sympathetic. Both main characters (Lea in 1905 and Nell in the present) are facing some real struggles, struggles that will play a huge part in who they will become. While it took me a few chapters to really connect to Nell (though I definitely did connect to her!), I was enamored with Lea immediately. She's being pressured to marry this awful dude who will never respect her, and she is so torn. While she wants to help her family, she can't fully fight the dread surrounding her future. And as you put yourself in Lea's shoes, you certainly can't blame her! Nell, on the other hand, is trying to find her way in a whole new city, and is still coping with the loss of her mother. Two very different narratives, but both equally compelling as the story goes on.
•There is some romance, and wow it delivers! I loved it a lot. And I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that it is most definitely swoon-worthy.
•The mystery itself was a page-turner! Yeah I needed to know what was going to happen. While some aspects of it became apparent during the course of the book, how things would turn out wasn't. And I absolutely could not book the book down until I found out all the things!
What I Didn't:
•The ending felt a bit rushed. We spent a lot of time leading up to it, and I actually had to go back and re-read it because it was over pretty quickly. But that said, I felt satisfied that the story was tied up properly.
•I would have liked a few more answers in terms of world-building. I think this is probably another one of those "me" things because I am a very logical thinker. So I can't always accept things at face value, I need to know the hows and the whys of the world/plot/etc. I doubt a less annoyingly analytical person would have the same reservations.
Bottom Line: Atmospheric and full of likable characters you can't help but root for. Also, some serious swoons and a unique mystery! -
I bloody loved this. Super interesting plot, some really creepy moments and a romance I was fully, deeply invested in!
I saw someone say this was pitched as Titanic meets The Shining and honestly it's the most accurate way of describing this book I can imagine!
Loved! -
Actual Rating: 3. 5 stars
*Note that this book has content warnings for scenes of sexual harassment and attempted violent sexual assault.
While I don't think the cover is doing it any favors, this is a delightful YA horror-lite that reads a bit like a ghost story set at a possibly haunted old hotel, except one that tackles the patriarchy.
After losing her mother, Nell is moving yet again with her father who works in the hospitality industry. She is about to enter her senior year and hopes to become a professional ballet dancer. But when they arrive at their new home- The Winslow Grand Hotel- haunting occurrences quickly begin to escalate.
In a past timeline, it's 1905 and another young woman names Lea has arrived at the hotel with her family to celebrate her forthcoming arranged marriage that will save them from financial ruin. But no one seems to care what she wants and her fiance is disturbingly controlling.
I didn't expect this book to go the direction that it went, and won't get specific because of spoilers, but it was interesting if a tad predictable past a certain point. I'm not sure I fully bought into the concept or explanations, but I had a good time with this and things it's definitely worth a try. Do be aware there are horror elements in addition to the scenes of sexual assault and violence. -
See my video review here:
https://youtu.be/kTJt4z4xU9o -
“I can feel myself losing something as I stare up at him, but I have no idea what it is. It terrifies and fascinates me in equal measure .”
Trigger Warnings: Forced Marriage, Abusive Spouse, Physical Abuse, Mental Illness, Gun Violence, Death of a Loved One, Grief.
When I saw a creepy looking cover and even spookier sound synopsis I knew that I had to sign up for this blog tour, so I could read an early copy of this book. Did it live up to my expectations? Was it spooky? Let’s get into that.
Remember Me starts out going back and forth between two characters: Lea (Set in 1905) – a young girl who is being forced to marry someone who she doesn’t love and isn’t turning out to be a nice man. Our second POV is another young girl, Nell (set in current time) – who recently lost her mother and has moved to the hotel that Lea stayed at so many years prior. I though both Nell and Lea were extremely likable – I did enjoy hearing about Lea’s story a little more but that is probably because for the first half, it gets a little more focus and depth. We see Lea miserable and her soon-to-be-dick-husband ordering her about and saying disgustingly sexist and abusive things to her. Lea, also ends up falling for a handyman guy that works for the hotel and they have a summer romance (completely falling madly in love, of course), while all the turmoil is happening in her life. I connected more to Lea because I felt her story was more thought out and the pieces connected.
I can’t say the same for Nell’s story. We find out that Lea and her finance were murdered a little before their wedding and no one knows the truth (not a spoiler, this is revealed at the very beginning). Nell seems to have a connection to Lea, and while she is doing a summer job working in the basement sorting out old articles and items from the hotel’s history (how convenient), she starts to piece together the story of what happened to Lea. Of course, we also have to have a brooding love interest who seems very familiar. Nell also starts having nightmares and sleepwalking – she is being chased by someone that she can’t really see clearly. We get some creepy scenes of her wandering around the hotel and some weird shit happening around her and some whispering and music that seems to be coming on out thin air.
I’m keeping this really vague because this is the kind of story that would be easy to figure things out if I went into it too deeply. What I did really like about this story was the non-creepy parts, just watching the story unfold – particularly Lea’s. She was easy to follow and root her. I wanted her to be happy and safe. I also enjoyed the setting, who doesn’t love the a big fancy hotel setting? It gave me all the summer vibes and was easy to slip into the summer romance that Lea was in.
Unfortunately, there were things that I didn’t really enjoy. I thought near the middle the story started to get shaky – I had figured out what was going on but I wasn’t sure how the author was going to take us there and I’m not positive she was either. There were a lot of things that never get explained and needed it. When the reveal happens, things get way too rushed and we have to believe that characters are accepting things very fast and it was a stretch at best. The very last was also kind of anti-climatic, I was left with the feeling unsatisfied. It’s like when you wait for a big fight in an epic adventure movie and they just punch each other a couple times and it’s over.
I know I was a little hard on that second half but it really did let me down some. I think the book was worth a read, I’m not sure it’s something that people would read over and over again. It might be one you want to request from you library (that helps support the author as well). It’s a bit spooky but I don’t think most people will have too much trouble with it but it does have some creepy scenes, so go in knowing that. -
~*Check out all my reviews over on
The Bent Bookworm!*~
I was not, honestly, expecting this book to be creepy. In my experience most YA books that try to be “horror” or even just plain mystery are usually only vaguely so. I am thrilled to report that Remember Me was better than most! I actually felt the hair on my arms raising at points. It was awesome! It did have a little trouble getting off the ground, in my opinion, but once the settings (yes, plural, as the POV alternates with a modern day one and a historical one) were established I absolutely couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend if you enjoy both YA and mystery/paranormal type books! Check out my blog for some awesome quotes from the book (no spoilers).
My one caveat: mental illness is somewhat used as a plot device. Treatment is given respect and not made fun of, and Nell’s feelings about her mother’s death and her subsequent therapy and very common, but I didn’t like the way it was made to be just a result of a THING in the plot. Terribly vague to avoid spoiling.
This is a very hard book to review because of the risk of spoiling, which really would ruin a lot of the story…so here are some quotes to whet your appetite! It really is an amazing, multi-layered tale and I strongly recommend it. Also, there’s a good bit of sweet, swoon-worthy romance. 😉
Blog |
Twitter |
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Official Comments: From the first gasp of fear to the final, heart-pounding moments, Nell's story will take your breath away.
Unofficial Comments: This story had everything I love. Chelsea took my favorite elements and combined them into a fresh new mystery that had me compulsively turning the pages. From the scares to the romance, this book really does have it all! -
Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. Ending and plot was predictable but I enjoyed it enough not to put it down.
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Jack and Rose (Titanic) meets the Haunting of Hill House in this timey-wimey romance where ghosts of the past may be more than they seem.
I really enjoyed the dual timeline of this one. I really felt like the Lea chapters felt so authentic for the Edwardian era, and the Nell chapters where an appropriate modern contrast. The mystery of how Lea and Nell’s lives are connected was really fun to follow and try to figure out, and each new twist and reveal only increased the suspense.
The spooks and tension carefully built over the course of the story as both the paranormal and reality became equally more dangerous.
It was a fun but haunting story of how love can not survive in secret, but must be fought for, and that you never give up, even when it seems hopeless.
Content: Attempted rape, physical abuse -
My last read of 2019 and I am so glad it becomes a favorite one.
4.5 cosmic stars!
I cannot even begin to fathom how this work of art has left me filled with such wonder I'd almost forgotten my own reality exists. It was a slow-build narrative I found myself fully immersed in later on in the book. I also discovered myself wanting to know more of Nell's world almost halfway through the book because of it being provocative, bullish even when things started to go awry, and poignant in a way that the tight bond of love between characters eventually got through to me, causing me to snivel for like a few hours before I went and found myself again.
The storyline is so uniquely written, the connection between timelines beautifully crafted and well-thought of, the characters deftly given genuine voices, the romance unmistakably soul-stirring and the world-building prodigiously inscribed. The readers are given the history of the Winslow Grand hotel where such events occurred, leading to its present state. The writing prose helped me push through pages upon pages and not only did I find it so immersive, it also brought me back in time.
Mind you, this is actually my first time reading any of Ms. Bobulski's literary pieces and I can tell you that, with such vigor, this will certainly not be the last. Her debut novel, The Wood, is still peeking at me from where it was neatly placed in my bookshelf and begging for me to read it soon. And I will, but perhaps not for the time being. I wouldn't want my looking so awful and my heart harshly broken on New Year's Eve now, would I?
What else do I need to do to convince you to put this somewhere at the top of your tbr shelf? And how else do I give the book some justice it so deserves? It rests entirely on your shoulders, folks. So better buckle up and get yourselves the time to purchase a copy of this book. This is my way of telling you to keep your eyes up on the prize because this will surely get your ass out of the reading slump you may have fallen victim to. -
Read this review and more on my blog.
The Book Return Blog
*I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Nell is trying to recover from the loss of her mom when her dad moves her across the country. The move is for his new job in a historical hotel.
In 1907 Lea is being forced to marry a man she doesn't love to improve her families circumstances.
I love me some historical fiction and some spooky stories. So when this novel was described as a cross between 'Titanic' and the'Shining', I knew this story was for me.
The Winslow hotel in this novel was a character in its self. It is so full of life and history while still being so very creepy. Having worked in the hotel industry I really loved some of the hotel lingo and inferences in the novel. This really made both Nell and Lea's hotel stay seem so real.
I liked Lea's perspective more than Nell's. I felt there was more of a mystery there and that her story was more thought out and interesting. I did notice that her story was very similar to Rose's from 'Titanic' though. Her story was nothing unique but it is one that I really loved.
I really liked Nell's character and that of her dad. I really felt for her and the loss of her mom and how that affected her life. I thought her story was different and yet similar to Lea's.
Loved the story. Definitely not something you read in YA often. Loved it. It was just the right amount of creepy and scary with a dash of history.
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This review was originally posted on The Book return... -
4/5 ⭐️
This was so good! I wasn’t quite sure where the plot was going by the middle of the book but the plot twist was actually really cool and creative. -
A very interesting concept, and engaging execution. The story was a bit longer than needed. The cover definitely doesn't do the story justice!
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This was an enjoyable read detailing a haunted hotel mixed between the past and present. It was easy to connect all the pieces from the start so that was a bit of a let down. Lea's point of view was far more entertaining then Nell's; things actually happened with Lea while Nell experienced hallucinations multiple times a day. It grew tiresome a few chapters in.
Part two arrives and confusion sets in. Pieces are forced to connect to obtain the illusion of making sense, but it was too far stretched. The ending was rushed and was easily solved to stop the bad guy and though Nell and Alec spent far too long constructing plans of escape, the obvious answer never appeared to them.
The scenes between Lon and Nell were aggravating. He always pushed her around and though she claimed she was stronger this lifetime, she struggled until Alec saved her. Descriptions portraying women being rescued by men from evil men are eye rolling, and they're beyond cliche. I guess I can tie this to 8.5 years of karate, but it pains me to read any scene where the girl is being knocked around by a guy and she just lets him and doesn't try to fight back. Like Nell's case for example. When Lon is strangling her, she tries to pry his fingers away while succumbing to passing out. That won't solve anything. Weave your arms in between theirs and shove them away to break the hold. Can't do that? Pinch the inside of their arms until you draw blood. They'll let go, trust me.
I'm aware not every women has been fortuitous enough to take karate, but I wish authors would include stronger women in their writing. Not a martial arts expert, but a girl who knows how to defend herself and doesn't rely on others to save her because in real life good guys aren't waiting around every corner to save girls in need.
I knew the story would have a happy ending, but I wasn't in the mood for one this time. It would have been stronger if Lon and Alec perished and Nell lived on independently because it was quite laughable how Nell and Alec fell into instant love.
Remember Me was an entertaining read that would have been stronger with a few tweaks, especially if Nell hadn't been so dependent on Alec.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC. -
'Remember Me' is a perfectly blended YA fantasy/mystery that will leave readers hanging on every word until the very end. I'm a huge fan of these genres, so when I read the description I knew I had to read it. It has all of the elements to make a book that I'm almost sure to love - ghosts, old haunted resorts, the ocean/beach, curses, mysteries, and love. I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but I'll admit that I had pretty high hopes. Luckily, the book turned out to be even better than I thought it would be.
The author's use of vivid imagery and detailed descriptions brought both Nell and Lea's stories to life. I was immediately hooked from the prologue and I didn't (couldn't) stop until I had devoured every last page. I wasn't expecting to feel so lost in the two timelines - especially not the past. Somehow, the author wove her magic and made me immediately fall inside Lea's world just as easily as Nell's. I felt like I was there with the characters as the story unfolded and went on every emotional roller coaster with them. And trust me - between the mystery, the alternating time lines, and the romance - it's one heck of a ride. I don't normally enjoy when romance is an aspect of a different genre because it feels like it almost always takes over the main story line and gets in the way. That was not the case here. I loved every single minute, romantic or otherwise, and I definitely felt "all the feels," which is rare for me.
Another thing that really hooked me was the author's writing style. Not only did she bring these two characters and their lives to life before my eyes, but did so basically immediately from the beginning. One big factor for me was the author wrote the story in alternating perspectives between Nell and Lea. On top of this, the book is written in the first person point of view of both girls. I almost always prefer the first person POV because I feel like we can connect with the main characters on such a deeper level than any other style. The author did alternating chapters from Nell's and Lea's perspective, which sealed the deal for me. I absolutely love that she chose this style for the book. I honestly believe that it made a huge difference and that I wouldn't have been as invested in the plot or characters if done in another writing style. Since it's done in the first person, I really got to know both Nell and Lea - their inner thoughts, hopes, dreams, fears, emotions, and everything in between. I really can't emphasize enough what a huge impact this made on me and my reading experience - in the best of ways.
I can't go into details about the plot because I don't do spoilers in my reviews, but I will say that it was full of mystery and intrigue, history and contemporary, horror and paranormal, fantasy and romance. It's a story that refuses to stick to one label and demands to be put on a level all its own. I very highly recommend this book to fans of YA, mystery, suspense, paranormal, fantasy, horror, historical fiction, and romance.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. -
I haven’t read too many YA Horror novels so when this one popped up for a tour I was so excited to sign-up for it because I want to expand my reading tastes. This was the perfect one for that because it’s a great mix of horror with historical aspects, duel timelines, and duel POV’s. It’s such a unique story and includes some great characters!
Nell has moved around the past four years and now she finds herself in a historical mansion. Soon after she settles in she starts to experience strange things happening. Little does Nell know that the history of this mansion is connected to her in a way she’d never have guessed. Nell definitely goes on a wild ride in this one. I enjoyed her character and watching her make connections between the past and the present. She’s strong and not afraid to take a stand for what she wants. By the end of this story she’ll have to find away to save herself .
Alec is the mysterious boy who knows how to do any job the mansion needs done. Nell isn’t too sure about him in the beginning because he doesn’t seem to like her but that’s just not the case. Alec has a secret and keeping it is the only way he believes will change things. Alec is a complex character who’s had to adjust to losing the love of his life not only once, but multiple times. He’s had to learn to harden his heart in order to protect himself from what he’s had to experience.
I loved the atmosphere of the setting. It really lent to the creepy aspects of the book and you could really feel the tension. I listened to the audio book and the two narrators did a wonderful job! It was a very well produced audio and I would definitely recommend it in that format. -
An absolutely amazing story! Definitely gives off vibes of the shining. Loved this book
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This review and many others can also be found at
Musings of a (Book) Girl.
Content Warnings: gun violence, murder, suicide
Remember Me by Chelsea Bobulski completely captivated me until the very end. I’ve found that, for me, a lot of YA horror has the tendency to focus completely on the scare factor without bothering with any of the other necessary story elements. Remember Me had everything I need in a book – good storytelling, multifaceted characters, and twists and turns at every corner.
Bobulski’s characters were crafted incredibly well. Remember Me is told in alternating POVs between Nell and Lea. Each of the had such strong voices that made telling them apart easy while still making them similar enough that switching between their chapters never felt jarring. I also completely loved Alec and found all of the side characters to be a good addition to the story.
The plot was intriguing and made getting through the book a breeze. There weren’t any points where I felt like things were dragging and I enjoyed seeing the parallels between the past and the present. Everything was woven together amazingly. I just wish the curse had been explained a little more. I like to really know why and how things happen and that wasn’t given to us as much as I would have liked.
Horror books are something I love to read but don’t have the best luck with. I’m so glad to say that the creepiness factor was definitely present in Remember Me. Some of it was more subtle with other parts being directly scary. There were multiple times when I felt very unsettled and it was great.
Chelsea Bobulski’s Remember Me is definitely one of the best young adult horror books I’ve ever read. It will keep you awake at night and desperately turning pages until you get to the very last one. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!
A finished copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. -
Okay,
Also ich habe das Buch in der Bücherei gefunden, ausgeliehen und die ersten 100 Seiten an einem Tag gelesen.
Ich fand es interessant ein Buch gefunden zu haben in welchem die Charaktere meinen und den Namen einer Freundin haben. Es ist als sei es eine Geschichte in der wir vorkommen.
Ich fand die einzelnen Kapitel sehr gut gemacht. Der Zeitwechsel zwischen Heute und der Vergangenheit hat einiges interessant gemacht. Und dann geht es ja noch um den Mordfall.
Generell fand ich dieses Buch sehr gut, auch wenn ich nach den 100 Seiten eher langsam voran gekommen bin. Ich würde es aber noch einmal lesen wenn ich die Zeit dazu habe. -
This was great! I absolutely loved this author's debut novel called "The Wood," and I'm so glad I finally got around to reading their other novel!
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Told in two povs. One in present day and the other in 1907. I was grabbed from the beginning. I was intrigued by the mystery of it all. I was especially interested in the POV of Lea in 1907. I wanted to know what became of her and her love interest, Alec. Alec and Lea gave me Jack and Rose vibes from Titanic. The love story was great. I would recommend to people who love a good romance with a mystery.
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representation: talks of mental health (depression, hallucinations)
content warnings: attempted rape, death (of principle character), murder, suicide, violence (especially against a woman), physical and emotional abuse (from parent), death of parent
The best way that I can describe this book is The Shining meets Somewhere in Time - and, like, I'm dead serious because it picks up elements from each down to the creepy child, bloody elevator, and grand hotel atmosphere. It had interesting elements, but for the most part, it was...well, it just was?
I did like the atmosphere for the hotel, and the setting was super cool. I felt like I was running down the halls of a grandiose hotel, and it is a super intriguing mood. Both storylines were equally interesting, so that is always nice to have both of them keep me invested. I felt like the scenes of abuse and violence were handled with care, but they were still quite hard to read since they did get graphic at times. I tended to skip.
However, besides that, nothing really stood out for me in the book. The characters felt like shells of true characters, and I never got fully deep or connected with them. The writing was okay - it had a habit of having really short chapters that kind of messed up the flow sometimes. The storyline also got eh at times, so by the end, I was just skimming along just to make it through the story.
Overall, this was just an eh read. I didn't hate it, but I certainly wasn't feeling it. It had some good elements like the atmosphere and setting, but nothing really stood out at all. It also wasn't scary??? Since this was a bumpy ride, a Cinderella Rating! -
3.5 Stars
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC. Remember Me has been described as a cross between Titanic and The Shining; a forbidden love story between a rich, upper crust socialite and the help combined with a haunted hotel that exists to torment and kill its victims. Alternating chapters are narrated by Nell, who moves into the hotel in 2019 and Lea, a guest in 1907. I very much enjoyed reading about each of their experiences at the hotel and was invested in each character of this story. Although the book was very gripping and I couldn't wait to find out what happened, I felt that, ultimately, the climax was disappointing. The entire book built up to this one event, and it literally fast forwarded it! I wanted more! The author also never reveals why the characters were cursed. Why did this event cause the curse to happen? Was the hotel built on an ancient burial ground? Why was this never discussed!? Despite my disappointment in the climax, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. -
So this for me is one of those stories that is like been there, done that...and sorry but done better in other books/movies. I would have liked this I’m sure if I was reading it as a teenager, but maybe now I’m just the wrong audience for it and can’t overlook my some things with the book in order to enjoy it. I wasn’t a fan of it being more so a romance focused novel than the horror aspect of it. Definitely agree with other reviewers who say it’s more like a gothic mystery than a horror book. If you like that and don’t mind romance being pretty much the main part of the story, give it a shot. You’d like it more than me than, I’m sure. But again, I just stress that this book isn’t anything that I haven’t read or seen before 🤷🏻♀️ That being said, even though I gave it a 1 star, I’m not like wow...I absolutely hated this, total garbage. It wasn’t “garbage”, but I also just didn’t feel anything while reading it or afterwards except just a bit bored.
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Remember Me was everything I wanted and more!
This book hooked me from the first time I saw it, months before I read it. It’s an eerie, haunting, beautiful story of star-crossed lovers, murder, reincarnation, and the ghosts of the past that echo through time.
Nell and her father move into the Winslow which is this beautiful historic hotel with a tragic past that is more like The Shining. Nell herself is haunted by the past and the loss of her mother and begins to question her own sanity when nightmares begin plaguing her nightly and weird unexplainable things begin to happen.
There she meets the mysterious Alec Petrov who seems to hate her on sight. But is his hatred masking a century of pain and longing? They’ll need each other if they want to correct the mistakes of the past.
Overall, I highly recommend this book, it has stuck with me long after I finished the last page, and will definitely be one of my favorite reads of 2019! -
Ok well this was one of the best books I’ve read this year. I encourage you to NOT read the synopsis and go in blind.
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3.5 Stars
REMEMBER ME is a story that slips from past to present as a mystery unfolds. Set in an elegant hotel with a protagonist that readers will easily connect with who must figure out how to make things right before it's too late. An overall entertaining read full of romance and danger.
I really loved Nell's character. I liked Lea okay, but I felt she was more fake and not as genuine as I did think it was wrong to do what she was doing. I also didn't like her circumstances as much as she had to deal with abuse and a bleak future whereas Nell had a loving father and was an average teen, which made her easier to relate to. I also really liked Alec. He's played the boy-next-door fabulously, but was also much more than that. The other characters were interesting and played their roles, which were all fairly minor.
The whole mystery and how it unfolded was intriguing. I like how the intensity of the story grew as what happened was slowly revealed. I thought for a horror story it could have been more chilling. I could buy the situation, but I did have issues with why or how it happened. It's never explained. I thought there would be something about a Russian witch or something the the hotel's owner or someone needing to be redeemed. I can't really say much without spoiling things, but I basically just had to accept it without reason.
The romance was sweet in the beginning and I actually would have preferred it stayed there, but it gets pretty involved and is a strong aspect of the story - particularly in the past. I would have liked more of a drive behind everything instead of it being a forbidden romance. I think I still wanted the situation to have some reasoning behind it and I'm still wanting that at the end of this story.
In the end, was it what I wished for? I enjoyed this story for the most part. I did have a few issues, but liked the characters and was intrigued by the plot. Romantic suspense and horror readers may enjoy this one.
Content: Mild swearing, abuse, heavy making out, fade-to-black scenes, innuendo, suggestive content.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through the Fantastic Flying Book Club, which did not require a positive review nor affect it in any way.
