The Hopeless Romantics Book Blog are pleased to be a part of the Blog Tour for JL Berg's "Forgetting August (Lost & Found #1)."
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/1Rf3rhF
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1IsyTSd
Synopsis:
She can forgive, but can she forget?
Some days, Everly still thinks she sees him. In the food court at the mall, or in a car speeding past as the light changes. It only lasts a second, but when it happens, she slips back to a time when she was ruled-and nearly ruined-by August Kincaid. And it doesn't matter that she's moved on, that she's about to marry another man. In those moments the only thing she can do to regain control is take a deep breath and remind herself that August can't hurt her-because he's in a coma. Except that he's not anymore.
August is awake. With no memories, he sets out to solve the mystery of his lost life. He unearths a photograph of a beautiful redhead named Everly and knows instinctively that she's the key. But when he finds her, the August she describes is more monster than man.
Tortured by the thought of having hurt her, August wants only to become the man Everly deserves. As the new August emerges, Everly glimpses the person she first fell in love with. But can she trust that this August is real? When the final secret of their shared past is revealed, one of them will make a choice that changes their future forever . . .
Review: Surj
No!! No!! No!! That wasn't supposed to happen. "Forgetting August" was supposed to be a standalone with a HEA. That is what it was in my head anyway!!! There wasn't supposed to be the mother of all cliff hangers. My jaw wasn't supposed to drop. The rug was not supposed to be pulled from under me. My heart rate was not supposed to sky rocket to unhealthy levels!!!! I was not supposed to be left gob smacked, speechless, dumbstruck.... No... just No!!! It wasn't supposed to be that way. I feel like a child throwing a tantrum in a supermarket because... just because this was such a good book and I could feel that HEA within touching distance. I could smell it ... taste it. It was there calling out to me but then bam... poof ... it was gone within the blink of an eye. I couldn't have wished for a better story... I couldn't have wished for a more shocking ending. I absolutely loved August and Everly's story... it was absolutely brilliant.
Because life really didn't move on from a person such as August Kincaid.
No, you simply learned to adapt and above all, you survived.
"Forgetting August" was a second chance romance but it wasn't as cut and dry as you would have thought. This couple had history.. some of it beautiful and heart warming, parts of it devastating and soul destroying and I couldn't wait to get to the bottom of it. The whole book was shrouded in so much mystery and suspense. When and why had it gone so wrong for the pair. What had turned such a touching, caring, loving man to become a paranoid, obsessive, controlling individual? The thing is, it wasn't so easy to figure out because August had been in a coma for two years and when he did wake, he had no recollection of his past... no recollection of Everly, no recollection of any of his wrong doings. I absolutely love how the author wrote this book because in real honestly, I should have hated August but instead I found myself drawn to him, liking him and eventually loving him. I flew his flag and willed for Everly to give him a chance and trust me, that's crazy when you find out the kind of man he had become all those years ago. The August from the present was such a stark contrast to the August pre coma but hey, I'm a sucker for a sob story... what can I say.
I would not let the echoes of my past pollute the possibilities of my future.
Everly's character really stole my heart. I could feel her internal struggle, the conflict she faced every single living, breathing moment of every single day. The choices she was facing were definitely not easy ones and she tried so desperately to do the right thing. The question was, who was it right for? She had moved on from the monster she had once known. She had built a new life. Created a new beginning and then within seconds, everything she'd build over those two years came crashing down around her. August was awake.
Life was finally moving forward and I finally had everything I'd been searching for.
Until it slipped away, so fast I could do nothing but watch it crumble around me like sand.
This was such a gripping book and definitely not as straight forward as some second chance romances. There was no insta "let's get back together" (thank god). Instead, the process of the characters moving forward and rebuilding their lives was a slow one. August had to learn about himself from scratch and I loved some of those scenes... how did he like his coffee? Which flavour ice-cream did he prefer? What was his favourite movie?What did he do for a job? Yup, he really had to start right at the beginning. This new August was a man Everly didn't even recognise. Who was he? Could she trust him? Could a leopard really change his spots? could she risk it? I loved this journey of discovery the characters went on both as individuals but also together (but not together... which will make sense when you read the book.. lol). There were so many moments that had me excited. That had my heart doing all sorts of crazy but then of course there were those moments where things seemed to go south and my heart felt like it had a lead weight tied around it.
Maybe sometimes love isn't pure. Maybe sometimes it's toxic- so toxic it
consumes a person until they will do anything to have it. Like a drug.
I loved "Finding August." The writing was brilliant and the story line completely unpredictable and unique. This is the first book by this author that I've read but of course it won't be my last. Roll on next summer. I need the next instalment.
I rated "Forgetting August" ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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Excerpt:
My hand shook as I pulled the box into my lap, preparing myself for what may lay hidden within. I felt nervous and sick with anticipation. I suddenly wanted to flee, but where would I go? And how would I get there? Moving my leg took more concentration than I was willing to admit and I was still attached to what looked to be a hundred monitoring devices.
The box stared back at me, waiting...wondering when I would crack its lip and finally divulge the secrets it had been keeping for so long.
What if I didn't like what I found? What if I did?
Taking a deep breath, I placed my hand on the lip and pulled, knowing there was only one way to find out.
All neatly arranged inside, I found clothes, a wallet and a scattering of other personal belongings. I immediately went for the wallet, knowing it would hold the most information. Everything else forgotten, my fingers traced the smooth edges of the soft leather as I bent it open.
There staring back at me was a picture of my own face. Because of the mirror across the room near the sink, I'd managed to catch a glimpse of my reflection a time or two since awaking here hours earlier.
The man looking up at me on the California driver’s license photo was a stark contrast to the person I was today.
Cold empty green eyes looked through me, as if the world and everything in it were beneath him. With a crisp white shirt and flawless green tie and jacket, there was no smile permeating through the lens--not even a hint of emotion was showing. My now long, unkempt hair had been trimmed short and neat, matching the impeccable persona that could be seen even through the tiny picture.
My attention turned towards the address.
1023 Sea Cliff Lane, San Francisco.
I looked out the window, trying to see if anything beyond its paned glass brought back any hints or memories of a life I once led.
San Francisco.
Even though the driver’s license confirmed what the nurse had already told me, I still felt no connection with the city below. Nothing called out to me, nothing held my attention.
Was there anyone down there that would remember my name?
I dug further through the wallet, finding a couple hundred dollars in cash, as well as several credit cards and a few membership cards to places I'd never heard of, but apparently belonged to.
Or had belonged to.
What happened to your life when you went into a coma? Did you disappear? Cease to exist or did life carry on? I looked at the address on my driver’s license and wondered if I still had a home...a bank account? I wasn't dead, but who had been paying my bills for the last two?
Did I have money to pay the bills?
Fuck.
Suddenly, all I wanted was to slip back into that coma and never wake up again.
And then I saw her.
It was just a glimpse at first, the edge of a picture sticking out from inside the wallet--a wisp of hair that had me pulling at it to see it properly.
With the golden gate bridge as our backdrop, a much younger, carefree version of myself held a girl in my arms and suddenly the world didn't feel so lonely anymore. Copper red hair tumbled down her back like a fiery mane. Her bright blue eyes sparkled as if she held untold secrets waiting to be revealed. In my own eyes, I didn't see harshness or the rigid void of nothing. I saw her, reflecting back in spades, the love radiating between us.
I flipped the photo over, hoping for something...anything that would tell me who this girl was.
There was nothing but a date and a name.
August and Everly - 2005
Everly.
She had a name.
Now all I had to do was find her.
About J.L. Berg
Author J.L. Berg is a California native living in the South. She is the author of the self-pubbed Ready series, which has sold over 100,000 copies. Married to her high school sweetheart. She and her husband have two beautiful girls that drive them batty on a daily basis. When she's not writing, you can find her with her nose stuck in a romance book, in a yoga studio or devouring anything chocolate.
Website: http://jlberg.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorjlberg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjlberg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjlberg/
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Giveaway: $50 Gift Card
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