Forgotten April [Kindle Edition]

Robyn Bradley (Author)

Book Description

For April Sullivan-LaMonica, the last ten years have been hell: her husband and young son were killed in a car accident, and soon after, her mom descended into the darkness of Alzheimer's. So when broadcast journalist Maggie Prescott shows up claiming to be April's half sister and tries to capture their reunion on film, April outwardly regards Maggie with much suspicion. In reality, she's simply afraid to grow close to someone again, only to have that person leave--or worse.

Maggie, meanwhile, is battling her own demons: figuring out why her biological mother gave her up, facing a secret she's kept from the one man she's loved all her life, and giving herself permission to follow the dream she's had since she was a child.

Separated by nearly two decades and radically different life paths, April and Maggie must decide if pursuing their sisterhood is worth it...or even possible.

A story of loss, love, survival, and redemption, Forgotten April will speak to anyone who's experienced the pains--and riches--of an unexpected friendship that emerges from family ties.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Finalist in BookBundlz "The Book Pick" 2012 contest

Received 5 "coffee cups" from Coffee Time Romance

Named the July 2011 book of the month by book reviewer Tracy Riva

About the Author

Robyn Bradley is a Novelist Ninja and Short Story Seductress. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University, and she won a short story award in 2007. Her work has appeared in FictionWeekly.com, Metal Scratches, The Breakwater Review, Writer's Digest (under her now defunct nom de plume, E.T. Robbins), and The MetroWest Daily News, among other places. When she's not writing or sleeping, Robyn enjoys watching Law & Order marathons, drinking margaritas, and determining how many degrees really separate her from George Clooney.

Product Details

• File Size: 438 KB
• Print Length: 361 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 146114972X
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004W9BXYM
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #315,228 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling June 28, 2011

By Rhonda

Format:Kindle Edition

I didn't think I'd like this novel very much. I thought it was a romance novel. I was given a complimentary copy for review, and I felt an obligation to try to read it to the end and give a fair assessment minus my bias. My main genre is historical novels, with a second in slice-of-life vignettes, and I find I'm hit or miss with contemporary romances, usually miss by a mile. I prefer romance that is secondary to the story.

What a nice surprise Forgotten April was! Within minutes of beginning to read, the story had me wanting to know more about the characters and their situations. There is great character voice, so that once I got to know all the characters I didn't have to check whose chapter it was (each chapter is in the voice of a different character)to know who was talking when I started to read the story again. The characters are very complex with appropriate issues that make them very lifelike.

I think some might think the main character, April, is too overloaded in bad mojo over the past 10 years, but I found it exteremely realistic, and presented in a matter-of-fact way. There was never a feeling of "poor April". Bad things do happen to good people, and sometimes it really is one bad thing after another, sadly enough. But the author didn't overwhelm me with sadness over the cards April has been dealt in life. April isn't a sad sack, and she isn't made to be a superwoman either. She is like most of us dealing with lots of bad stuff-- trudging through and dealing with it the best we can. The same for characters Maggie, Hugh, and Nigel.

It was very hard to put this novel down. I thought about it when my mind wasn't otherwise occupied, wondering what was going to happen next. I could never predict what did happen, which I loved. I almost always "see it coming" in a book or movie, and it is a treasure when I don't. This book kept me on my toes with very believable plot twists that left me unaware of the ending until it unfolded as I read.

I'm impressed with the epilogue to this novel as well. Some who have not had to deal with this issue (I'm not giving it away-- read the book!) in their family might find it contrived in order to tie up a loose thread. I felt it made perfect sense of some behaviors in one of the characters. It not only tied up a loose thread that wasn't dangling terribly in the first place, but gave me an "aha" moment as well. Who expects that from an epilogue? I didn't.

Excellent engrossing writing, and the best kindle editing I've seen in awhile. I'll be looking for more works by Robyn Bradley.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Stunning Debut August 8, 2011

By Tracy Riva

Format:Paperback

Forgotten April is Robyn Bradley's debut novel and if it is anything to judge by then Robyn Bradley has a bright and promising future as a novelist.

Forgotten April is a tale of eight lives wound together in a fascinating twist of fate and told with exquisite crafting from multiple points-of-view.

It is the tale of April, her mother who is suffering from Alzheimer's and her newly discovered half-sister, Maggie Prescott, who is a television newsperson. It is a tale of love found and love lost. Of lives inextricably woven together in a unique tapestry made all the more beautiful because of its flaws.

It is the story of Hazel, a long-term resident of Saint Anthony of Padua who has become precious to April, who worked at the center even before her mother became a resident there. Hazel who has become as dear to April as her now failing mother; Hazel who is the only thing April has to herself after Maggie shows up in her life, that is, until it turns out Hazel isn't really April's either.

It is the story of choices and how they can impact so many lives. It is the story of the pain of losing a loved one to a disease that eats away at the very essence of who they are and what they signify in your life. It is the story of family, good or bad, in whatever shape it may take. It is a story of life with all its joys, hopes and sorrows. It is a story of the many faces of love.

I enjoyed every moment spent in the pages of Forgotten April and I would highly recommend it to anyone. I plan on reading it again and again and it will be among the books I treasure.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Pierces the ennui of post-modern fiction. April 1, 2012

By Panther Modern

Format:Paperback

Forgotten April was one of the most clear-headed and fascinating works of fiction I've read in years, and stands out as exceptionally well-written and poignantly conceived.

More About the Author

Robyn Bradley is a Novelist Ninja and Short Story Seductress. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University and won a short story award in 2007. Her work has appeared in FictionWeekly.com, Metal Scratches, The Breakwater Review, Writer's Digest, and The MetroWest Daily News, among other places. When she's not writing or sleeping, Robyn enjoys watching Law & Order marathons, drinking margaritas, and determining how many degrees really separate her from George Clooney. Visit www.robynbradley.com to learn more.