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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Tale of Two Best Friends, June 21, 2010
This review is from: I Remember You (Paperback)
After reading this author's last book I couldn't wait for this one to be released and I wasn't disappointed after reading it. At times funny, poignant, and emotionally captivating it was hard for me to put this one down once I started. Evans writes characters that I would want to be friends with and I find myself more times than not either laughing along with them or crying from their pain. If you liked her last bestseller, "The Love of Her Life," you undoubtedly will enjoy this one as well.
This is the old story of boy and girl grow up together, boy and girl move away and remain friends, and boy and girl become emotionally involved to a point where they are more than just friends but with a new twist that you wouldn't expect in the normal chick lit book. I'm not going to reveal the secret but it did throw me for a curve and gave the book the depth that I am used to reading about in her previous books. Tessa and Adam grew up together in a small town (Langford) that is known for its story-book like appearance and small town values. They are known to all as the little married couple because they are seldom seen without the other. As college approaches they both can't wait to leave their small town but for different reasons. Tessa wants to experience the exhilaration of a big city like London and Adam's excited about furthering his education.
Fast forward ten years and each of their lives have taken a different direction than they had originally planned. Upon the death of Adam's mother he loses the dream of going to college and just stays in the house he grew up in, working in the local bar. Tessa has been let go from her job and broken up with her boyfriend and sees a position as a teacher back in Langford where she had grown up. Though they have remained friends all of the past ten years their relationship is strained by Tessa moving away from Langford and Adam's inability to face the reality that his mother has died and he has to move on.
I loved this book for its ability to make me feel the emotions of the characters. At times I found Adam to be very selfish and Tessa to be a pushover but I also think that the flaws in these characters were what made them more human. I found myself hoping that they would find a way to be together but at the same time wondering if it was a good solution for them. This book was a really engrossing read from start to finish and I really hope that she continues writing books that make me stay up all night reading as she has done in the past and in this book as well.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Easy to Fall in Love With, September 11, 2010
This review is from: I Remember You (Paperback)
Tess Tennant makes a drastic decision when she moves from London back to her quaint hometown of Langford. After living 12 years in the fast paced town of London, Tess loses her job and her boyfriend, and decides to hightail it back home. She secures a job as a classics professor, and quickly finds another London transplant to room with her. Tess's bests and oldest friend, Adam, still lives in Langford, and their friendship quickly becomes strong once again after Tess moves back. Friends since their childhood, Tess and Adam have survived many tests of friendships. But now, after years living in different cities, they are forced to deal with the situation that almost tore their tight bond apart.
I Remember You by Harriet Evans is a breathtaking read of friendship and love, filled with many surprises and twists along the way. Each time I thought I figured out the plot, another loophole was thrown in to knock me off balance. Evan's writing is fun yet emotional, and though I thought the story started off a bit too slow, the characters easily overpowered me and pulled me into their lives. With so many supporting characters- Tess's London roommate, the elderly and cruel town villain, and the American heartthrob Tess falls for in Rome, it is near impossible not to fall in love with this novel.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing and Unbelievable, February 6, 2011
I've loved Harriet Evans' other three books and was looking forward to this one - but what a disappointment! It reads like a book that was completed in a hurry to meet a deadline, and edited without much thought. The book starts well, with all the usual romance and humor you would expect of an Evans novel. However, by the time you are half-way, the inconsistencies and flaws become too irritating to allow you to enjoy the plot. I appreciate the book IS a romance and, as such, you should expect some leeway in the writing, but after a while it simply became a relief to get to the last page. See below for a few examples - but be aware, Spoiler Alerts:
Eg - are we really expected to believe that a 5-Star hotel like Claridges in London would allow an unregistered guest into a room before the actual registered guests have checked-in? And would Claridges have a 'sleepy' doorman on the night shift?
Eg - would a College of Further Education organise an overseas field trip without having a contingency plan in the event of one of a party falling ill?
Eg - would travel insurance cover the cost of cancelled hotel rooms and re-booked flights for the whole group of travellers; none of whom are related or even friends with the party member who falls ill? If yes, can you please give me their name for future reference!
I hope the next book is written with more care and with the usual flare for storytelling that Ms Evans has demonstrated in the past.
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