With Every Memory by Janine Rosche Book Review

About the Book:

Is the life she can't remember one she'd rather forget?

One year after her family was in a tragic car accident that killed her teenage son, Lori Mendenhall returns home with a traumatic brain injury that has stolen the last eight years of memories from her, leaving the life she has returned to unrecognizable. Her once-loving husband, Michael, is a distant workaholic she isn't sure she can trust, and her once-bubbly daughter, Avery, has spent the last year hidden away in her room.

If Lori wants to reconnect with her family, she'll have to uncover the information her brain is trying to keep secret. As her memories return and past secrets resurface, it will take the whole family to repair what's been broken and find a new future together.

You can read an excerpt here. 

You can watch the book trailer here.

My Review:

This novel got off to a really slow start for me and remained that way until surprising memories surfaced about three quarters through the book. There were enough heart wrenching twists and turns in the revelations that, in the end, I was really glad I stuck with it. Ultimately, it is a good story about relationships, misunderstandings and relationship restoration.

It seemed like there were two stories here, Lori as she grapples with returning memories and Avery, grappling with the dual whammy of high school emotional theatrics and the loss of her twin. The narrative is seen from both Lori and Avery in an alternating manner. Either story could have been a good novel on its own and the two in one novel may not have given either story its full weight.

Roche's writing style is good, clear and understandable. With respect to the characters, I was surprised at the rather unaffected attitude of the person who, in a real sense, caused the accident and the death of Austin. No remorse, no nightmares, no sense of responsibility, no struggle with guilt. I found that unrealistic. There was a bit of a faith message as the family went to church but there was not the deep faith message of relying on Him during times of tragedy.

I liked this novel in the end, even thought I do think it should have had a much stronger faith message.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Janine Rosche is the author of the Madison River Romance and Whisper Canyon series of novels. Prone to wander, she finds as much comfort on the open road as she does at home. This longing to chase adventure, behold splendor, and experience redemption is woven into her stories. When she isn't traveling or writing novels, she teaches family life education courses, produces The Love Wander Read Journal, and takes too many pictures of her sleeping dogs. Photo Credit: Sarah Moan Photography

Revell, 300 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)