| Title | : | Forget Me Not |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 298 |
| Publication | : | First published September 25, 2019 |
Not the good times.
Not the love.
Not the passion.
But the pain and heartbreak and betrayal.
He doesn’t remember that he broke my heart.
But I do.
He doesn’t remember the darkest parts of our marriage.
He doesn’t remember that six months ago, I said goodbye.
Forget Me Not Reviews
-
I want you to be happy. Even if it’s not with me.
What if the person you love and were married to for almost 7 years wakes up in a hospital bed from a car accident and remembers how he made you happy but not how he broke your heart?
This is the question Olivia asks herself in Forget Me Not when her soon-to-be ex-husband wakes up after a car accident. He's stuck in the year 2017, the year he broke Olivia's heart, even though it's 2019. Suffering from memory loss, Bennett Clarke only remembers the happy moments between him and Olivia. He doesn't remember walking into a bar, getting drunk, and cheating on his wife that night. He doesn't remember getting back home and confessing everything to her the day after. He doesn't remember the pain in her eyes, the heartbreak he caused her. He doesn't remember the reasons why he used another woman to ease his pain. All he remembers are the happy moments: meeting Olivia, asking Olivia out, marrying Olivia, and spending 5 years of nothing but happiness with Olivia. Six months before the accident, Olivia filed for divorce, and the pair is set to separate legally in a little over 60 days. So what does Bennett Clarke do when he doesn't remember Olivia's divorce but remembers her marriage?“You never forgot me,” I whisper.
“How could I forget you? You’re the other half of me.”
I’ll tell you what he did: He didn’t do anything.
When I read that this was about amnesia/memory loss, I hoped I would be in for an emotional ride. Even though I got four wisdom teeth removed today morning and have been unable to show proper emotion when reading and interacting (except when the anesthesia was taking control), I still felt no emotion with this book, regardless of my inability to do so because my mouth was numb. Memory loss is hardly a trope I read in books, not because I don't want to, but because I haven't looked for books with it featured as part of the plot.
The only thing about this that was solid was the sex, I guess. Other than that, nothing was memorable.
Also, I loved how Olivia was Black. I've hardly read contemporary romance novels with BIPOC representation, so it was nice to take a break and read about a heroine who wasn’t white. While it wasn't represented highly, there were moments where Olivia would talk about how her international relationship with Clarke would sometimes be a cause of dirty glances and looks.
But, other than that, I didn't really like this book.
🚨⚠️THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS⚠️🚨
Now, I need to say this for safety reasons because I know many of my friends who like to read romance don't like some of the themes featured in this book: Cheating is the center of this book's plot. It's in the blurb, and it's what makes the story go. I knew I was getting into this, which is why I told myself I wouldn't let it ruin the story for me. So why am I going to rate the book lower because I didn't like that cheating was involved? It doesn't make sense.
It's almost like . . . like that's the whole point.
Shocking! I know.
So, if that’s already something that bothers you, move on, friends. I am aware there are better and healthier romance stories to be told. I like my angst though, and I enjoy reading problematic stories sometimes. They’re time killers, and I don’t condone it, but they’re entertaining nonetheless.
However, I found this one to be underdeveloped, boring, and emotionless. No angst and no groveling. Where’s the fun in that?“I assume once I’m better, I’m out of here. And depending on when that is, it’ll be going against my plan.”
I take another large sip of my wine. “What plan is that?”
“Winning you back.”
*Sigh*
When Clarke wakes up at the hospital and is caught up on his memory loss, it doesn't take long for Olivia to give in to Clarke again, even if she didn't want to, and even if she's still hurting from the pain he caused her. For someone who cheated, I expected there to be more action on how the forgiveness was presented. While I understand the book is short, stopping at almost 250 pages, I strongly believe some of those sex scenes could have been replaced with the forgiveness I expected Clarke to make.
I feel conflicted on how I should feel about Clarke. Cheating is not something I accept nor like, no matter the situation. If I were in a relationship, I'd rather my partner leave me instead of cheating on me. There's no in-between for me. If he really loved me, he would leave me instead of hurting me by cheating on me. Although I can't speak from experience, I know the pain would be less. Just imagine being with someone who's in love with someone else while he tells you he loves you or that he's spending time with his mistress instead of loving you? Clarke isn't that type of person, luckily, but my point on cheating still stands. It's wrong, I hate it, and I can't find a supportive excuse for it. Get out of here with that bullshit.
Clarke’s reasoning for cheating is still one I do not accept, no matter the excuse. However, considering its fictional and . . . part of the story, we need to let it be. He got drunk and cheated because he felt miserable. He and Olivia were unable to have a baby, and it really devastated Olivia that she entered depression. Clarke tried being there for her, but she’d ignore him, ask him to leave her alone, or would just be upset and feel miserable herself. This is what affected Clarke a lot that he felt like his only answer was liquor and to get laid. This is such a common thing in real life. Miscarriages leading to depression and a feeling of misery. You feel like you’re not enough and you take it all out on other people or objects.
Personally, I find this to be a ridiculous excuse, but that’s not the point here.
Marriage is complicated, and it’s one reason I don’t want to involve myself in it in the future.
Part of the reason why I didn’t entirely hate Clarke was because the “If they cheat once, they’ll cheat again” statement doesn’t apply to him. He regretted what he did, and even before he regained his memory, he wanted to do everything he could to make it up to Olivia and show her he loved her. He realized he fucked up in one of the worst ways possible, and came to the conclusion that he could have lost the love of his life. He loves Olivia, and he wasn’t going to go in without a fight.“You were always the best thing in my life, Olivia Clarke.”
Yet, I can’t seem to find the “fighting for her” part to be present. Most of the forgiveness was done because Olivia felt bad for Clarke, but also because she was still in love with him. Oh, and also, pretty words from Clarke, sex, and the flashbacks Olivia got from their relationship.
Olivia was a little too stupid when it came to forgiving Clarke. I thought she would make him fight for her, but she really didn't. She gave it a small hint of it, and it honestly excited me, but it never happened. Clarke kept asking for forgiveness over and over, one way or another, but never really doing anything about it.
In a 200+ page book, I don't expect much showing to be done compared to telling, but I thought this had neither. I would prefer some telling instead of nothing at all, but this? This didn't even have telling. Moments of Clarke earning Olivia's forgiveness (respectfully, considering he has memory loss) were never even told. The majority of the forgiveness between the two was spent on Olivia pondering on her feelings for Clarke and instantly being turned on at the sight of him (which I must admit, I also grew tired of). Her arousal and sexual attraction towards Clarke was clear from the very beginning, and now that I've read this plus Love Unconditional by this author, I feel like all her characters are like that. Since they're so short, we, as the readers, are just thrown into the actions, but we're not exactly shown nor told about them. They just . . . happened.
In other words, groveling who?“You and me, remember? There will never be anyone else again.”
Adding on to that, Clark knew and accepted what he did is wrong, yet he makes himself feel like the only victim. I understood both sides of the story, considering Clarke didn't remember what he did, why, and how, but I find it unattractive when men 1) make the woman they love clean their mess and 2) make it seem like it wasn't all their fault. Part of this has to do with how Clarke reacted with David Jacobs, who was Olivia's "boyfriend," who was really being used to move on from Clarke. I rolled my eyes every time Clarke got mad at Olivia for bringing up David or his general reactions towards him. I definitely found myself on Olivia's side more when the two discussed him, and I found it ridiculous of Clarke to get mad at Olivia for "moving on" and having another boyfriend.
The story starts 6 months after Olivia told Clarke goodbye and settled on a divorce. While I may have never experienced heartbreak of any kind, I understood Olivia's side of the story more and found Clarke's reactions to be quite selfish. Even though he didn't remember what happened, I thought it was stupid and overall wrong of him to lash out at Olivia the way he did. He doesn't remember it, but he cheated on her, and she didn't. I have friends who have done the same thing Olivia did, used someone else to move on. I don't condone it, really, because you're also playing with their emotions, but the way I saw it, Clarke still had no reason to act the way he did. He didn't try and understand Olivia's reasonings. It was always about him and how he was feeling. Besides playing the victim card when he got the chance to, Clarke hardly felt sympathy for Olivia. Adding on to that, every time he snapped at Olivia angrily, he would apologize the next day or so and, again, ask for forgiveness, which Olivia gave to him easily.
Since he was suffering from amnesia, I feel like we're expected to fall for his words, feel bad for him, and understand what he's going through, but I thought he could have cut Olivia some slack. Maybe it was because of his possessive side, but I still found his attitude towards her wrong, considering the situations.
Not only that, but I need to add how angrier he put me when he wouldn't tell Olivia he regained his memory. I think about how different some of the situations could have been if he did and how happier the two would be. It was clearly done to add drama, but I gotta admit, when will authors stop adding that unnecessary break-up scene? Can't the two ever spend the entire book earning each other's forgiveness (in this case, that earn was minimal) without an unnecessary break-up happening? Or just drama overall? I’ve read the same break-up scene happening for similar reasons so many times now that I have it memorized at this point, even if they’re different situations. My trust issues with Clarke started when he got mad at her for having "another boyfriend," and I knew my trust issues would still be there throughout the entire book, no matter how his "redemption arc" was.
I was right.
Considering he wanted a second chance from Olivia, he was clearly doing a hell of a good job, making her feel like she was at fault only and only her. His soft voice towards her when he found it unfair of her to bring David felt manipulative to me sometimes, and I had to agree with Alyssa, Olivia's best friend, and even Amanda, the woman Clarke slept with, when they told Olivia that she's getting brainwashed and Clarke is making it into her head. This ties into the groveling of the story and how I expected there to be more action. I understood Olivia's side of the story more. I couldn't argue with her for still loving Clarke (I can't imagine how difficult a situation like hers must be, and I don't think it's really that simple and easy to get over the man you loved and trusted for five years in the span of 6 months). I say this not from personal experience but from seeing others' experience. Also, love is tough. It wins almost every time, no matter how hard one can try to get over it. It's not an easy thing to get over.“The only reason you say it’s not fair is because you can’t remember. It doesn’t mean shit, Bennett. It was still you. You’re not a different person. You’re still the man that broke my heart.”
Adding on to that, it impacted how I felt about both Clarke and Olivia together. I loved their flashbacks, and I found them to be a cute addition to the story. I thought they definitely made their relationship more believable and overall cute. However, I liked the flashback moments between the two more than the present, mostly since we actually read about their moments together and the relationship wasn't just thrown in for us to accept and say, "Oh, this happened."
Memory loss in books is definitely something I'd like to read more about, but Forget Me Not missed the punch with this one. I felt no emotion whatsoever with Clarke, and while I could understand Olivia's side of the story more, she also got on my nerves a little. Admittedly, I'm still interested in reading some of the rest of this author's works, but I won't go into them with too much enthusiasm. If they continue boring me and letting me down, I'm going to have to call it quits.
I tried though.“No. Nothing can change the past. But you can change the present. You can do better for the future. There’s no room for pride in love, Olivia. Marrying someone is the most humble act. You’re promising to put another person first. Sometimes even before yourself. I can’t make you do something you don’t want to do. But I can empower you to make the choice you want to make but are too afraid to.”
-
4 Stars!
... About redemption.
I guess I'm one of those few who forgave Bennett. What did the bastard do, by the way? He only just cheated on his wife, not once, but multiple times, while drunk. The most difficult challenge I had to face was to try to forgive Bennett. He cheated but he wasn't one of those hardly redeemable heroes I've met. I've encountered worst, but I've forgiven.
Note: This is a second chance romance.
"Love really isn’t enough."
This book is full of angst and feels. Bennett and Olivia were very passionate couple and their chemistry was off the charts. The love and lust they had towards each other was so palpable. I enjoyed every banter, argument, and sexual encounter. I was rooting for this couple to forgive each other, move forward, and finally have their happily ever after.
Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room. Our dearest friend, cheating. There is no valid reason if you cheat. That means, whatever reasons Bennett has in store, if you couldn't find the heart to forgive such act, you would only just hate this book. I liked how the author developed this story in such circumstance. You got to be brave to write a love story that focuses on cheating and make the readers read it. Q.B. Tyler did a good job writing characters that was so sincere and raw. I felt how truly sorry they were. I felt how they missed and loved each other. I felt how hard they fought for a happy ending. And I felt that they could survive everything when adversity shows its face again.
"I can’t believe I let you go. I know I’ve said it a million times while I’ve been alive, but maybe it means something in death. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry that I broke you. Broke us. I love you so much. Till death do us part, right? I’m waiting for you on the other side. Maybe we can try this again in the afterlife?"
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I liked that it was steamy, angsty, and emotional. Bennett's reasons for his unfaithfulness, as what I've said earlier, was unacceptable. Completely and utterly ridiculous. I hated that he used other woman for his bullshit reason. But I loved, no, I could shed a fucking tear the way he treated his mistress because that woman was a fucking homewrecker. She deserved it. That woman knew that the man was married, and she clearly had no chance, but she didn't stay away. I've never been so enraged in a fictional character until I met her.
I do NOT recommend this to those who dislikes: cheating in any way, shape, or form.
I recommend this to those who likes: Q.B. Tyler, second chance, erotic, emotional read, and a happily ever after.
"Being married to Olivia Clarke has been the greatest adventure of my life..."
-
TW miscarriage and cheating
SO MUCH ANGST AND I WAS LIVING FOR IT. I think this book just came to me at the perfect time. I needed something angsty and heartbreaking and this was it. Olivia and Bennett were married and madly in love, but they hit a rough patch in their marriage and Bennett cheated on Olivia. Now, Bennett gets into a car accident and can't remember the last two years of their marriage. To him, they're still madly in love with one another and can't keep their hands off of each other. Olivia has to tell Bennett what happened and he refused to believe that could ever happen. Bennett has to stay with Olivia as he recovers and the two have to go through what went wrong and if they could ever reconcile. Usually, I detest cheating in a book, but I honestly loved how his mistake was discussed and how broken Bennett was thinking he could ever hurt Olivia in that way. My heart broke for this relationship, but OMG THE SEXUAL TENSION. There is no question these two are attracted to each other and Olivia can't help but remember how amazing they could make each other feel. But the physical side of a relationship cannot save a relationship, so they have to learn to communicate and go through what drove them apart in the first place. I literally could not stop reading this book and was so invested in this romance. I loved the angst and just wanted these two to open up to one another and really delve into their problems. If you want a marriage-in-trouble romance, you have to pick this up! This is the kind of angst I've been missing in my romances! -
4 ⭐️
#unpopularopinion
Regardless of the subject that this book approached, it was a good read.
I do not like books with cheating in them, BUT I don’t mind this one, because here the cheating was the story. From beginning to end, it was about what follows after a betrayal like that, and how a couple may or may not overcome it.
I'm not sure if I can be completely objective in writing this but I’ll try. While I believe that some people can go through this kind of experience and overcome it together, some make the mistake of trying to overcome it and they learn that "a leopard can't change its spots".
I feel like this story is very universal but also very unique. It happens more than we'd like to admit, with the distinction that, the people in question are not exactly soulmates, just comfortably in love and willing to risk another go.
In this book, the MC's were portrayed to be crazy in love, the soulmate type of love. Crazy. Obsessive. Intense. They went through a rough patch and he made a mistake. I get it. No one is perfect.
I personally, would never be able to forget. Forgive yes. Forget, no. I wouldn’t give it another go. Would that be a mistake? Would that make me miserable? Would I regret not forgiving and putting it behind me? Those are questions that this book poses.
This was a case of Olivia (the heroine) - searching deep and trying to find out what will hurt her more. Setting aside her pride and hurt OR casting him aside forever? I suppose it's different for every situation and every person, this is not a black or white type of decision, (although, many people would argue it is, this is not a book for those) it's in the shades of grey that people find the answers..
Plus, this book had top notch grovel! The best! The emotions you travel through while reading this.. pfew, it’s gonna batter your poor little heart just a little (more).
If the issue of cheating does not put you off but makes you curious (to read about), I'd recommend this book because it was actually good and relatively short so you won’t be dwelling in angst for too long. -
4.25 stars
aight folks, if you’re not in the mood for a not so safe read, then this book is not for you.
BUT if you’re curious and in the mood to read something that’s kinda hard to read, i definitely recommend this because it was great.
why?
because of the emotions !!!
i felt the guilt, the pain, the longing, EVERYTHING.
the premise is so interesting, i mean, the H forgetting the shit he did (memory loss from car accident) and his last memory was of them 2 years ago, whereas the h remembers everything he did and now she's kinda forced to take care of him? damn.
what the H did? yeah that’s unforgivable. it’s really easy for me to say that if i were in the h’s shoes, i would NEVER forgive him (and my feelings haven’t changed) but damn its really hard to hate the H because he was just a good guy.
so, yes, the H cheated (once before they separated) and the story starts 6 months later when the h filed for divorce (rightfully so).
❥ what i liked:
- the grovelling.
the book is basically just one whole grovel fest.
- the h is a WOC (finally !!!)
- i actually like the H. i HATE what he did, i will never forgive and forget that he cheated because i am petty like that but he was a good guy.
though imo, he’s honestly the kind of guy who won’t EVER cheat on his wife. like, he won’t even look at women because the h was the “center of his world”. he was so devoted to her, he even kept/wore ponytail holders cuz he knows his wife needs it! he always took care of her and treated her like a queen... BUT he did cheat (once) so, can’t really forget that.
- despite what he did, i can’t help but root for the MCs to be together. the flashbacks and their history was full of passion and love and i was just ughhhh.
i wanted to hate H but i really couldn’t!
- and the steamy scenes? whew, they were hot af. i really didn’t expect all the dirty talks.
❥ cheating:
so yeah... H cheated on h when he was blind drunk and didn’t even “know” what he was doing (pfft ok) and he was still intimate with this OW when they were separated.
i HATED that.
i mean, i get his feelings and perspective but damn. REALLY?
he said she was only with her 3 times after they separated but wtf man?I was devastated over losing Olivia and Amanda was there. She let me use her to try and fill the void. It was wrong and stupid and pathetic, and it happened way fewer times than I’m sure Olivia imagines, but I was drowning in self-loathing and pity and frustration as well as still mourning our miscarriages and I just wanted a moment where I didn’t hate myself or my life.
Amanda did provide that moment of peace.
Before the shame that came with sleeping with her overwhelmed me further.
ahh yikes...
so yeah, i don’t know how to feel about this. he was holding onto hope and begging the h for a second chance but dammit man, why would you sleep with the same OW that you cheated with while “trying” to get your wife back?! that i don’t get.
like, the fact that he could even, uh, get it "up" with the OW... this is so hard for me to think about. it's kind of implied that he was thinking about the h but im so annoyed with this reason cuz this excuse is so overused in every other book where H sleeps with OW and they have to explain why they were being a ho and they're all like yeah, it doesn't matter i was thinking about you the whole time blah blah blah. PUH-lease. but honestly, it was ew and i hate him for that.
i mean, yes, i get he was depressed and hated himself and just wanted to feel like he’s not a piece of shit but this was the dumbest thing ever! there are other ways to "cope" like watch Netflix or eat ice cream or go to disneyland or SOMETHING. jeezus.
thank god the h was with OM during the separation too. this made my petty side happy.
❥ safety:
- H cheated on his wife once before they separated but slept with the same OW three times after (wtf, right?). no scenes of this though.
- surprisingly, just a little bit of OW/OM drama. nothing too frustrating cuz the H really did just love the h and he was jealous as hell when OM shows up (my petty self was happy about this because he deserved it).
- one flashback scene of him waking up after he cheated.
- OW causes drama and lies about their "history"
____________________________
listen, i’ve read H’s who did not cheat but they were still jerks and i HATED them. why? because their grovelling was SHIT. i didn’t feel their pain or remorse or guilt for what they did to the h. i felt all of these here though.
“Because living with regret is tough, Olivia. Trust me when I say that. It’s a pain that is so deep in your soul that you can’t ever be free from it. You fall asleep with it, wake up with it, and then it haunts your every waking second. It changes the way you see yourself in the mirror. The way you interact with other people. The way you talk to yourself. It’s a lonely, self-deprecating feeling that preys on your mind and your heart and it never goes away.”
see what i mean?
anyways, i still loathe/hate/despise cheating and this is only the third book i’ve read with this trope in it and it is still very hard to read.
so again, if you’re in the mood to read something different, i definitely recommend this. -
1.5 Stars
Spoilers!
I only decided to read this because I felt like an angsty read, but this unfortunately didn't satisfy me. It was actually pretty disappointing especially for a cheating book, seeing as I was bored most of it.
I never felt like he was ever truly sorry for cheating. Yes he may have "fought" for her, but it wasn't enough especially seeing as he continued to see the girl he cheated with and additionally had sex 2 more times with her. You don't do that if you are truly sorry and love and want your wife back. Also, I hate how he kind of threw it in her face that she was going through depression. She may have disconnected from him, but that still in no way justifies him cheating. That is a foundation of trust that is broken and sometimes impossible to repair so he can't also keep saying "but she still wants and loves him". Like no, it doesn't really matter if they love you if you're not trustworthy anymore. Add on, I truly don't think he suffered enough. We were told he did, but getting drunk a lot and still sleeping with your mistress isn't suffering really IMO. I felt like he always just cared about himself and what he went through instead of what she went through. And then when his amnesia self found out he cheated, I felt like he was a little too nonchalant about it and wasn't h
as devastated as he should be, in fact, I felt like a lot of the reactions these characters had were all a little odd or just not right. Also, some little things that annoyed me about the hero, was him keeping condoms in his wallet which means he expected to have more sex with the mistress or somebody else. He took his rings off his finger, showing he gave up on the marriage even though he "loved" her so much, and he also changed his cell phone password which used to be their anniversary date, and I wonder how long it took him since they were only separated 6 months.
I am glad the heroine left him and filed for divorce though, but she was too wishy washy for me. She would sound like she had a backbone but then her actions would completely say otherwise. The only thing I liked that she did, was ask for space at the end, but that was a little too late for me. She is definitely one of those heroines that listen to their body and not their head. Literally. I feel like at least once every chapter was her getting turned on from even just a glimpse of him and acted like a horny teen even though they were together for almost a decade. Like no. Stop. He cheated on you when you were at your lowest, and yet you're still pining after him. Also, her using David and how he was turned into a bad guy because he was mad she totally ditched him and didn't tell him the hero was staying with her, essentially all she did was use him, was pretty screwed up and made me hate the heroine.
Then the plot was poorly executed. I felt so emotionally disconnected from this story. I think it may have to do with the nonstop sex and not enough real and emotional conversations. Even the flashbacks were mostly about them having sex, when we could have gotten so much better content, like the good parts of their marriage or how they are as a couple or them meeting. Not just how they are sexually together, especially because we already got enough of it in present time. The sex was hot sometimes, but his dirty talking became a little too much and focused on, and sometimes people need to zip it a bit. We don't need the same repetitive "your pu**y around my c*ck" stuff everytime they have sex.
Overall, there is more I want to say but I'm too lazy and tired right now lmao, so I'm going to just summarize how I felt really quick. Too much sex/not enough emotional connection, hardly groveling, selfish hero, annoying wishy washy and weak heroine, too much OP drama that it took away from their relationship, no chemistry/didn't really feel any love between them, cheating was handled poorly, not enough depth or sweet moments to ever root for or sympathise for them, and the execution of the plot was lacking. I'm not sure if it's this author's writing I'm not a fan of, but I will def try out another book by her to see. -
4 Silver Lining Stars ⭐
If cheating is a hard limit for you, then I presume this book is not for you. However if you a content to explore a different perspective, I highly recommend. In Forget Me Not, we meet a couple who were once in love until life derailed their happiness. Neither party were assholes, they simply failed each other.
"I pushed him away when I needed him. I pushed him away when he needed me.
I did give up.
On him.
On myself.
On us."
Bennett and Olivia have been separated for 6 months and have moved on. When Olivia is summoned to the hospital because her ex Bennett was in a car accident, they are horrified to discover that he now has amnesia. The past two years have been erased from his memory. Now they're left blindly piecing their lives back together. A man that wants his wife back and a woman who believed it was over.
"How could I forget you? You're the other half of me."
And with those simple words, their divorce plans are placed on the back burner while Olivia can care for the husband that cheated on her. Meanwhile Bennett sees this as the perfect opportunity to win back his wife.
"Last night, you were drunk and vulnerable and I wasn’t going to take advantage…but don’t fucking tempt me, Olivia. You’re still my wife and I still very much desire you, and what I know to be the best pussy of my life."
Many will claim that there is no getting past cheating, although until you're in this predicament one can't know. Bennett and Olivia must face a few uncomfortable truths if they want to reconcile and grab their second chance. Obtaining forgiveness has never been more confronting and delicious. -
God this put me through the wringer and spat me out the other side..I felt everything Olivia and Bennet went through!! Such a heartfelt, emotional journey, of loss, and rediscovery.
The author did such a great job with this book, a book where I didn't end up taking sides, a book where I didn't like one character over the other, this just made me so unbearably sad. I could understand the fallout, the heartache not only one endured but both of them. Bennett did cheat on Olivia which I hated with a passion, and didn't condone, but this was written in such a way that slowly you kind of forgave him for his discrepancy..
Bennett was in a car accident, and up to that point he was still involved with the female that he cheated on Olivia with.
He wakes up from a coma and doesn't recall anything of their break up, his mind has jumped back to 2 years ago where they were happily in love, in a bubble of wedded bliss. For him to recover fully it is advised that he go and stay with Olivia, and this is where all the emotional upheaval to your heart comes into play.
This was such a raw, real, emotional journey but well worth the read.
-
“You were always the best thing in my life, Olivia Clarke.”
I love this book so much This is my second read by Q.B. Tyler and I can't get enough of her beautiful stories and her amazing characters.
This book is such an emotional roller coaster I cried so much happy and sad tears. Olivia's character is my favorite she's strong and Indbendent and she's not afraid to speak her mind and I adored that about her, I felt so connected to her. Clarke's character is the definition of an alpha male, He's possessive and protective of her. He cared for her so much, He fights for her with everything he got even when she pushes him away he still tries to win her back.
I love them so much, Their story is heartbreaking and beautiful. I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to know what they will do next. I liked that they admitted to the mistake they made and they tried so hard to fix it and make it work together even when things get hard they still care so much about each other. at first, I thought that I don't like cheating in books but this one I don't mind.
Amanda is so annoying omg I wanted to punch her in the face, She's a liar and I hate her and David too, They're ANNOYING. Q.B. Tyler is now one of my favorite authors and I'll read anything this woman writes because everything I read by her become one of my favorite books. -
Heroine is too dumb for me. Girl move on. You don’t need him. If he seeks someone else over something both of you went thru. He will so do it again and again.
This is a trope that is so common with these miscarriages. The guy always cheats. Is this what happens in real life? -
2.5 Stars
I couldn't really connect with either of these characters so I had a hard time getting into this. However, I just finished binging Shadow and Bone which caused me to cast the hero as Ben Barnes and that really amped up my reader experience
This is definitely the best book I've read so far by this author, but I think I've come to the conclusion that her heroes just might not be for me 😔 Although her smut will always be top shelf.
I'm a hoe for quality groveling, and while this book was 80% groveling it didn't hit quite right for me. The hero and heroine were married but they went through a rough patch after having two miscarriages which caused her to push him away. Then he cheated and she filed for divorce. A while after that he got in a car accident and lost his memory of the last two years so he didn't remember the cheating/the divorce. So when he woke up and was groveling for shit he didn't even remember doing, it just felt a little hollow to me. This was was by no means bad I just never fully connected with the characters or the plot really. -
No review as I scanned though it to see all the why’s
*he cheated because she was in depression and ignoring him due to multiple miscarriages
-Seriously?? She may have shut down and been depressed BUT that does not mean you find comfort in OW
*he sought solace in the OW additional times when he was drunk and lonely but he was soooooo in love with his wife and wanted her back
- Yeah....nothing shows you regret your cheating like continuing to hook up with said OW...and it’s probably NOT the best thing to do when claiming to love your wife and wanting her back
*he made HER kick the OW to the curb and explain that they were back together
- OMFG....what a real man you are!
* heroine gave in to him in less than a week
- Girl have some pride...
* they get a baby and an HEA
- kill me now....
Only good thing is that the heroine did move on....but of course he got kicked to the curb - rather rudely- the first day the hero was back in the picture
Overall...def not a winner with a weak ass heroine and hero! -
( spoilers )
I love cheating books more than i love sleep..and thats says a lot 😌 this story is about Bennet who has been an accident and forgot the last 2 yrs of his life where he cheated on his wife Olivia and now he has to stay with her to regain his memory and get used to his new life but he also tries to win her back. This story was really emotional and i love Olivia. She is so strong and i loved how she didnt forgive Bennet till the end but i hated how she gave in quickly. Bennet did regret a lot, dude suffered till the end of the book to win her back cuz he loved her so much, the love between them was showing and the chemistry was hot. Bennet cheated on Olivia and it was heartbreaking...i liked his character even tho i wanted Olivia to never forgive him. What i hated the most is that Bennet used Amanda “ the mistress” and kept fucking her when Olivia left him, he even introduced Amanda to his mom but when Olivia and he got together again they both were so rude to Amanda..i get it she is the mistress but Bennet is the one who used her and also kept fucking her after Olivia left in the name of “getting over olivia”....it didnt make sense. After Olivia left, Amanda was basically Bennet’s girlfriend since he kept seeing her and she really didnt deserve that treatment after the two got together since it was Bennet’s fault that he cheated on his wife, and kept fucking another girl after she left. Olivia also on the other hand didnt make him suffer for sleeping with Amanda after she left. Even tho she couldnt trust Bennet till the end, she gave in really quickly which i hated. Overall, i liked how emotional it was, the love between Olivia and Bennet was real and so precious. -
*i change my rating from two stars to one. i thought about this book and it's ✨trash✨*
i don't know why i did this to myself.
This sucked! It fucking SUCKED balls and I hate myself for it. I suck!
I hate the cheating hero, I hate the annoying heroine, I hate the spiteful side chick, I hate the pushy bestfriend couple, I hate the horrible mother.
I cannot root for a hero who fucks someone else while his wife was grieving. I cannot root for the heroine who is horny as fuck can't even think straight and just forgets about her husband's indiscretions. I cannot root for a couple with two unlikeable irrational parties.
And where was the groveling? Groveling would've saved this book but there was none. Nope. Nu-uh. Na-fucking-da.
This was a waste of my time and I don't want to read about hetero couples because of this. I'll give amnesia romances one more shot then I'm done.
Glad other people were able to enjoy this, personally not for me. -
I read negative reviews on Forget Me Not due to the cheating aspect. I am not shy of cheating topic on my romance collection. Some stories need a break or die aspect to make the story works.
In Forget Me Not, Miss Tyler delivered. She brings two side argument from 2 people who were soul mate and break apart due to the heart wrenching lost. I like how Miss Tyler done justice for both Olivia and Bennet side without being one sided.
The argument on the last chapter is like a volcano exploded and reveal the raw truth how the separation and marriage effect both Olivia and Bennet. Trust. As a person who value trust above everything, I symphatized with both Olivia and Bennet.
Please read this book with open mind.
5 stars -
-ˏ͛⑅ ғᴏᴜʀ sᴛᴀʀs ⑅ˏ͛-
“I don’t deserve you, Olivia, but I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying.”
sᴏɴɢ ʀᴇᴄ ♫ -
Before He Cheats (CARRIE UNDERWOOD)
ミ✿ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs ✿彡
Forget Me Not ripped my heart out, stomped on it a bit, tore it apart, and then oh so slowly put it back together again. Basically, I was a sobbing mess the entire time I read this heat wrenching story. Here's a lovely visual of the beating organ that is my heart -
Let's get this out of the way, FORGET ME NOT is a book all about cheating. The hero, Bennett Clarke, cheated on his wife, Olivia "Livi" Clarke. FORGET ME NOT does not shy away from Clarke's mistake, nor does it absolve him, but the book does test the idea of forgiveness and unconditional love. Livi is tasked with answering an impossible question, how much are you willing to forgive? And Bennett has to fight like he's never fought before.
Personally, I loved this book. It was messy, had that good-good grovel, and Livi & Bennett were an easy couple to root for. -
Oh yes, I read this bunch of crap. I read because I was curious what pathetic excuses this author would give to justify the cheater. I thought there would be something different from the other selfish mischievous crap I've been reading lately, but again, I was wrong. Besides the lack of originality we also have the old pathetic excuses. "The love of my life had TWO ABORTS AND DIDN'T know how to deal with it, she was depressed and so much suffering what I did? I fought for her? Since you know, she had TWO abortions? Did what a man who REALLY loves his woman did? No. He did nothing about it. He just got drunk and fucked another woman. And after adding more this suffering to "call" love of his life" What does this pathetic excuse for a man do? Does he regret it? YEEEESSS !! HE TRIES TO GO BACK TO HER ?? YEEESSSS !!! AND KNOWING THAT HE LOVES HER SO MUCH AND STILL FUCKING MARRY HE AT LEAST TRY TO REMAIN FAITHFUL???? NOOOOOOOO !!!! HE LOVES SO MUCH HIS WIFE SO MUCH THAT KEEPS FUCKING THE WOMAN THAT HE BETRAYED HER DURING ALL THE MONTHS WHICH THEY WERE SEPARATE !!!! I don't know why I'm still surprised with the ability of these authors to be able to write this type of garbage. Because that's what this is about for me. Garbage. Trying to justify the fact that he cheated is absurd, but insisting that he really loves his wife while continuing to fuck the other woman knowing how much it could hurt HIS WIFE goes beyond ridiculous. I really feel sorry for this author if she believes this kind of shit would be acceptable to a woman's life. If this is her the view of an acceptable attitude. I would seriously recommend a therapeutic follow-up for her to realize how absurd this garbage is and who knows the next time she writes a book, she would think twice before throwing up this ridiculous sexist shit to women who still have a sense of self respect.
The only star is just for pity. -
Trigger Warnings:
This was a buddy read with lovely
TEESHA, I had a feeling I wouldn’t like this and I didn’t. The characters are so fucking selfish, the poor FMC, Liv, was cheated on and everyone was gaslighting her into believing that she was in the wrong for not staying and fighting for the relationship. It makes me bloody furious, I was so angry while reading this. The MMC, Ben, didn’t remember what he did so it wasn’t that angsty IMO, I was just frustrated and annoyed. In order for me to feel for the characters, I have to believe that the characters had a strong, emotional relationship. But their relationship was mainly sexual, and the emotional stuff is more tell than show which I hated. So I didn’t want the characters to get back together and I was angry with almost all of the side characters. This doesn’t have grovel IMO cuz the guy doesn’t even remember his fuckup, he believes he is in love with the FMC and would never do her dirty. The FMC is constantly horny and is kinda a doormat even if she stands up for herself sometimes.
Liv has been separated from her husband for months. What started off as a loving marriage, ended with the biggest betrayal. While Liv is tryna move on, she gets a call from the hospital finding out that her ex got into a car accident. When she gets there, she’s surprised to see her ex-husband currently believes they are still happily married, the past two years are erased from his memories, the two years where things went wrong.
Now for spoilers
That is all, stay safe folks!
-
Review to come
Merged review:
I really thought that authors might have learnt by now that cheating is just not ok, but more importantly that why would we believe in a characters true love, when the hero continues to sleep with the woman he cheated with, and helped end his marriage? To me any chance of redemption or true claims of love, die when the MC continues to see the person they committed the betrayal with. To me if you really love the spouse and regret the betrayal, you should feel sick even being reminded of it, so if you continue to commit the same betrayal after ruining your marriage, to me you are not redeemable. There is a pattern of this in second chance romances and it just does not work or add up! If readers are meant to believe in a love story than make it plausible. I have read stories on infidelity where there was reconciliation, and it was done so well! But to have the cheater continue seeing the OW/OM just taints everything. It’s a pattern that needs to cease in romances and second chances. -
Disgusting. Not interesting in reading about a wife forgiving her worthless piece of shit cheater husband.
To make matters even worse, he cheats on her because she was severely depressed after several miscarriages. There’s no redeeming this scumbag pig. Ever. What a pathetic doormat of a heroine. -
Forget Me Not clearly comes with a trigger warning that it contains cheating. And knowing that, I was skeptical to read it. (And I hate myself for it now!) But I wanted to read it! So, I convinced myself nobody is perfect. And the characters which portray them, make them human. So, I went ahead and started reading it. (Well, listened to the audiobook version. Semantics!)
When I read the blurb, I wanted to read the book even more. Bennett cheated on his wife Olivia. Both of them were devastated due to the turn of events prior AND following their separation. And then he got into an accident where he lost two years of his memory. When he woke up, he still believed they were blissfully married.
He may not remember the past, but I do.
Even as I think the thoughts, I don’t believe them.
No one could save me from Bennett.
My heart. My mind. My soul.
All of it still belonged to him.
You know the really sad part of the story was they really loved each other. My heart went for both of them. I guess, people would blame Bennett for cheating. Yeah, he is guilty of cheating. But for their separation? No. It always takes two to tango. I am nowhere justifying his actions, but neither Olivia and Bennett were innocent in their failings. I loved how the author put both sides of discussion into the book. Olivia's and Bennett's failures, their hurt, their love. Forget Me Not does not justifies their actions or absolves them. But it speaks of unconditional love and forgiveness.
Feelings of guilt bloom in my chest and it aches thinking about what I did to the man I love. I left him to deal with everything alone. I was so busy trying to survive the storm, I’d forgotten there was someone else fighting beside me.
As I said, they really loved each other, and I desperately wanted them to get back. It was breaking my heart to see them struggle. The chemistry, sexual and otherwise, between them was powerful and binding. Oh the angst! You know what, I would love to have someone like Bennett in my life. I loved him.
Marriage, as often told, is no happily ever after. We often read books which end in characters getting married, and we think all of them are happy. Well, it is not. It is just the part where the authors end the story. Marriage is an compromise, an adjustment. And it is holy. Lies, cheating and betrayal, in whatever form, often shakes the very foundation. But, it does not necessarily mean, it is an end. Bend, not break. Love triumphs all!
There’s no room for pride in love, Olivia. Marrying someone is the most humble act. You’re promising to put another person first. Sometimes even before yourself.
Ah, I know I am ranting. But I really loved how different aspects were brought into my focus. We love happing endings, but we always shy away when things get hard. Self-harm. Abuse. Cheating. We end up go for the 'happily ever after's. How can we really to judge and blame Bennett, when we do the same?
Um, so, point being... I loved this book. And I loved Olivia and Bennett. Despite everything, it is one of the best books I have read. 😊
Oh, I am definitely checking other books from Q.B. Tyler.
Oh, and thank you Drey to bringing me to this book. -
GENRE: contemporary romance
TROPES: a second chance, amnesia
TRIGGER WARNINGS/CONTENT WARNING: cheating, miscarriage
HOTTIE METER: 4🌡
RATING: 5 ⭐
SONG: honestly just the whole Lemonade album
Can you forgive your husband for cheating on you?
Can you move on with your life?
What if you still love him?...
What if he was in an accident and gets memory loss of the last two years..so he doesn't remember all the pain and hurt..divorce..no last thing he remembers is a happy memory of you two being blissfully married
This book took me on an emotional journey.
I think that the author did an excellent job with the topics such as; failed marriage, cheating, loving someone while being separated, pain over miscarriages, anger, resentment over cheating.
If you pick this book up know that it is not a perfect little romance you might look for. No, it is messy and hard...devastating and raw...strong in its weaknesses... just like life.. and just as so many real-life relationships...
In the end, it was beautiful!
Definitely a book that will stay with me. In a sea of countless books that I read, I will remember this one.“...living with regret is tough, Olivia. Trust me when I say that. It’s a pain that is so deep in your soul that you can’t ever be free from it. You fall asleep with it, wake up with it, and then it haunts your every waking second. It changes the way you see yourself in the mirror. The way you interact with other people. The way you talk to yourself. It’s a lonely, self-deprecating feeling that preys on your mind and your heart and it never goes away.”
-
this surprised me. I wasn't sure how i would feel about this considering the fact that I'm a petty bitch. When i found out this contained cheating i was v reluctant in picking this up. But OH MY GOOD. It was sooo good.
Unfortunately it wasn't emotional enough for me. I felt the heroine's pain, but i couldn't shed a fucking tear. But that's just me and not the book.
About one month after the divorce, Olivia finds out that her husband, Bennet, was in a car accident and suffers from memory loss. He remembers their marriage but not their divorce and definitely not the events of him cheating on her.
past : Olivia and Bennet went through two miscarriages. The second one took a tole on them, and Olivia suffered from depression. She didn't eat or sleep or talk and she completely shut Bennet out; hurting him the process since he couldn't comfort his wife. He gets drunk and ends up in bed with another women.
what i couldn't understand was why he continued sleeping with his "mistress". well three more times!! I personally would've never been okay with continuing a relationship with Bennet but it takes two to tango. Cheating is a hard limit for me in real but Olivia did have her own faults through the relationship and i was able to look past it all towards the end. ( kind of)
I tried to hate Bennet. I reaaallly did. But i couldn't. He was fucking McSteamy (yes, not McDreamy)
This entire book was basically him groveling and trying to win olivia back while she took care of him after the accident. I could handle some of the things he said to her. His begging. His words. His fucking letter wrecked me you guys.
I know I’ve said it a million times while I’ve been alive, but maybe it means something in death.
I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry that I broke you. Broke us.
I love you so much. Till death do us part, right? I’m waiting for you on the other side.
Maybe we can try this again in the afterlife?
Forever and ever,
Clarke
I think the only thing i was uncomfortable with was them solving their problems with sex. I loved the sex scenes. It was dirty and kinky and steamy to another level. But some of them could've been avoided. I also didn't like that they didn't have the most splendid communication at times.
But overall : considering the fact that i haven't conjured up 50 ways to bury Bennet alive....I call this a win. -
This is gonna be the longest review I've written in a while:
I like this author's writing, and I know this is probably not going to be the last book of hers I pick up even if it's the first.
(Although, sadly none of her other books are in audio so it will be unlikely. I mostly, if not ONLY read through audiobooks.)
I genuinely appreciate her writing.
And this was supposed to be easily a 4 or 5-star book, because the author is very talented, and her words just melt in your ears, (strictly audio listener here) and her story flow is smooth, but there is a big BUT coming.
I haven't cared for a book's "message" since High School. I read now and will continue to read for my own enjoyment and not be "taught" something.
BUT for some reason, I feel like this book was trying to teach me that cheating is okay lol. Out of all the lessons...😆
Not only did the hero cheat, making him utterly undesirable/sort of unredeemable in my eyes from the start, but the author didn't make him grovel AT ALL, and the heroine didn't need him to, because she took him back on a whim.
I especially cringed at the scenes where the heroine was jealous of The Other Woman.
Frankly the OW is and should always be irrelevant in these situations because it is NEVER about her, it's about you keeping your dignity and moving on with your life.
So arguing with her, and making a fuss over the woman your husband cheated on you with is embarrassing, get yourself together, girl! Stand up!
The heroine should have stood her ground, and made it clear to the hero that he would have to move the Earth and sky if he wanted her to even LOOK his way.
Girl, even if you are "in love" I believe retaining your dignity and self-respect should always be the top priority after something like this. Someone ALREADY humiliated you by cheating and the last thing you should want is further humiliation by arguing/confronting the other woman lol.
And the heroine barely held on before she gave in; it was pathetic.
And I cannot emphasize this enough, the man CHEATED.
CHEATED!
(after she had two miscarriages and was going through a period of depression, may I add...)
There's nothing sexy about a hero who cheats. But if you are gonna write about it, at least make the heroine a strong one, and make the hero go through absolute HELL ON EARTH.
And this might be a personal thing, but from my point of view, there should never be forgiveness for cheating.
At least in real life.
But in romance books, I expect the man who cheats to burn in Hell before he could even think of getting her back, and this hero barely had to work for it; He just whistled her way and she took him back lmao.
If a marriage has someone you can refer to as "his mistress," that's a failed marriage, bestie.
And the heroine should have NEVER taken him back, at last not so easily. -
this book is basically a lovechild of
All Your Perfects and a random steamy romance novel. -
It sounds like a good book from the reviews I've read but I never want to read about a woman forgiving his cheating husband (ex-husband, as they got a divorce after he cheated on her), no matter how sorry he is!
-
Forget Me Not is a marriage in trouble and second chance romance. Two of my favorite tropes so I was very excited to jump in. If cheating is a trigger for you then this book is not for you.
Forget Me Not started out well. Filled with tension, hurt and pain. Add in memory loss to the equation and an ex-husband, Bennett who’s going to stay at his angry wife Olivia to recuperate and I was so in.
Sadly the pace of the story and all the sex became a huge factor in me enjoying this story. I felt giving the struggles Olivia and Bennett were facing that they reconnected too soon. They stopped communicating and Bennett cheated. That’s not something that’s going to be resolved in a couple of weeks. They started being intimate way way too soon. I get they have a connection and sizzling hot sexual chemistry after being married for years but I needed more communication than them having sex. The flashbacks mostly consisted of them being intimate in one way or another. I needed a deeper emotional connection especially after the losses they’d been through.
I like a man with a dirty mouth and Bennett definitely delivered on that and so did Olivia. Their friendship with Alyssa and Wren were great.
Sadly Forget Me Not didn’t live up to my expectations but don’t let that deter you from reading it. If you enjoy those tropes I listed in the beginning then you should definitely try this book. -
Never explored the cheating, possible grovel and redemption as I had to DNF at the epic friend betrayal and pimp out.
-
Book: Forget Me Not
Author: Q.B. Tyler
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Dual
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: DNF
DNF'd at about 30%.
I know it's an unpopular opinion but this book was just not for me. I absolutely hate cheating, no matter what the reason was. There's no excuse for cheating on someone, especially if you genuinely loved that someone. And Bennett cheating on her once, I can overlook that, but continuing having sex with the other woman while he supposedly loved his wife with all his heart? That I can neither forgive nor forget. And after they separated, he went back to that woman?! While everyone was after Olivia that she should just forgive her husband because he was still in love with her. Like I said, this book was not for me.
