Forgive and Remember (Greater Life Romance #1) by Robin Merrill

Forgive and Remember (Greater Life Romance #1) Reviews

• 
  Judith McNees

  Very Emotional
  
  I read a ton of Christian romance, and I have to say, I was able to guess the big secret fairly early in the story, but that didn't take away from the big reveal AT ALL. It was very emotional and poignant, especially when she reveals her story to the hero. Typically, I'm rolling my eyes at the characters for making a mountain out of a molehill at that point and just plain ol' failure to COMMUNICATE LIKE GROWN UPS, but this was really done in a way that was appropriate and believable and well done. I don't want to get into it more than that because I hate spoilers unless they're necessary.
  
  This was a clean read with no swearing and the romance was chaste. There were very strong Christian themes with Scripture quoted throughout.
  
  Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys emotional Christian romance in a small-town setting with some suspense and drama.
• 
  Lillie

  Emotional and heartwarming
  
  A woman must overcome the trauma of her past and forgive herself before she can accept love. She thought she had to give up personal happiness in order to serve God.
• 
  Nicki

  Let me start by saying I am a Robin Merrill fan and that is the singular reason I read this book because to be blunt I am not a romance fan. Maybe I have become jaded over the years but I find myself rolling my eyes a lot. And at the beginning of this book I could feel myself putting up the same walls. Getting prickly at the will they/won’t they push/pull. Rolling my eyes at the knight in shining armor leading man.
  
  BUT….
  
  Robin is skillful. As the book progressed I found my icy heart melting. I found myself caring for the characters. Robin is very good a slowly developing a character. She doesn’t throw it all out at the beginning or waiting until the end and putting it all out in the last two pages. I also appreciated that while it wasn’t one of her “cozy mysteries” she still included a little sleuthing in the story.
  
  This story was so much more than “just” a romance. There was God’s redemption, forgiveness of ourselves and that which God freely gives, allowing others to love us despite our mistakes, as well as a mystery to solve.
  
  So even if you don’t typically read “romance” type books this book is for you! You won’t be disappointed!
  
  I was gifted an ARC of this book, however it did not influence my review in any way.
• 
  Ann

  What a beautifully written story! It is full of emotions and you can feel ever one of them. It's so much more than a sweet romance, it's a story of the redeeming love of God and forgiving yourself for past sins. This story stays with you long after you've read the last page.
  I received a complimentary copy and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own
• 
  Cinnabug

  I was pleasantly surprised by this sweet book. Sometimes, I don’t like the “single father finds new love” trope, but I did in this book because it focused more on the “now” than on the “then” of his story. Usually I get sad reading about the father’s loss of his spouse and his grieving (before he finds new love), but this book didn’t spend a lot of time on those things and only touched on them briefly, as an explanation. This centered more on his (Lincoln’s) present happiness with his daughter and family and his new hope for new beginnings. I also loved that Lincoln was stalwart and faithful; the tenderness and love that he showed for his family and others helped to make a sweet story.
  
  I enjoyed the characters, especially the lovable matchmaking Cindy. Everyone needs a Cindy in their lives! 😏 And since this is the first book I’ve read where a character who shares my name is not a prissy girl or a killer and—added bonus—she’s a matchmaker and a hugger, that’s high points for me!
  
  I loved that Shelby is a new Christian, that you can practically see her glowing with it, but also that she still has unfinished business in the faith department so we can be with her as she fully embraces God’s plan for her life and begins to heal. Many times in books we see the conversion, but not the struggles that new Christians have following a conversion, so it was refreshing to see Christianity at a different stage than is usually shown in books.
  
  I don’t often highlight books, which I really should do more often, but there was one part that I just couldn’t resist: “Cindy had been right. Of course.”
  
  Now, I’m on to book two, Trace’s story, and I have a feeling that it will be just as sweet!
• 
  Malgorzata

  I received this book as a ARC and despite being out of the gender which I usually read, I like it very much. The characters are authentic and changing, growing through the book, the plot is interesting and it was hard to put the book on a shelf before finishing it.
• 
  Melanie Mason

  a beautiful story
  
  This was such a beautiful story full of love and kindness and forgiveness. It was interesting to see how everything played out and how the characters grew in the end.
• 
  Kelly

  Sweet story
  
  A sweet story with some serious themes, all well done with a happy ending. It took some time to figure out what Shelby was hiding. What a precious memorial and an adorable first date.
• 
  Renee Helton

  I received a copy of this book..
  Great Story.
  Looking forward to reading more books by this author.
• 
  Angel Graham

  Good read.
• 
  Deb Shank

  Good read. Clean read.
  
  Good read. Clean read. Life is tough. We all carry lots of baggage. So much easier when shared. God can make all our burdens lighter.
• 
  Brenda Poulos

  Home
  
  A story with a bit of nostalgia for small town life. Healthy, wholesome characters that made reading this book a pleasure.
• 
  Birgit

  A Christian Romance, with a message about forgiving oneself - a bit too sweet a far from reality for my taste.