Book Review: Memory Lane by Becky Wade

Book Review: Memory Lane by Becky Wade

Becky Wade is one of my absolute favorite Christian contemporary romance authors. Every new novel of hers is an automatic-preorder for me. I’ve read (and I own) all of her inspirational romances, several of them more than once. I waited with great anticipation for Memory Lane to drop in February. But life and other commitments got in the way, and I finally just finished it. I’m excited to tell you about this first book in Wade’s new Sons of Scandal series.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

After surviving a trauma several years back, Remy Reed relocated to a cottage on one of Maine’s most remote islands. She’s arranged her life just the way she wants it, spending her time working on her wood sculptures and soaking in the beauty of nature. It’s quiet and solitary—until the day she spots something bobbing in the ocean.

Her binoculars reveal the “something” to be a man, and he’s struggling to keep his head above water. She races out to save him and brings him into her home. He’s injured, which doesn’t detract from his handsomeness nor make him any easier to bear. He acts like a duke who’s misplaced his dukedom…expensive tastes, lazy charm, bossy ideas.

Remy would love nothing more than to return him to his people, but he has no recollection of his life prior to the moment she rescued him. Though she’s not interested in relationships other than the safe ones she’s already established, she begins to realize that he’s coming to depend on her. 

Who is he? What happened that landed him in the Atlantic Ocean? And why is she drawn to him more and more as time goes by? 

There’s no way to discover those answers except to walk beside him down memory lane.

MY THOUGHTS:

Did I find Memory Lane worth the wait and my unbridled excitement? Yes and no. First, the “yes.” One of my favorite elements of Memory Lane was the banter between “Jonah”/Jeremiah and Remy. It was flirty, snarky, and oh-so-funny. The duo had a nice blend of a grumpy/sunshine (I adored that Jeremiah was the sunshine to Remy’s grump!) and enemies-to-friends-to-more thing going on. It was so fun and helped develop the ratcheting tension between them. They had some sizzling chemistry.

Despite my initial concerns that an amnesia trope would be difficult to pull off realistically, I should have known it would be well-tended in Wade’s capable hands. I LOVED the amnesia storyline and how Remy worked to try and help Jeremiah recover his memories. Wade handled the influx of memories deftly and in a way that felt authentic. 

Wade painted life on Islehaven as quirky and interesting, and it made the idea of retreating to such a remote place intriguing. That retreat felt like a realistic way for Remy to handle her past trauma. Wade’s depiction of Remy as an artist was fascinating, and the way Remy dreamed up entire stories for her sculptures lended depth to her character and her creativity as an artist.

While both Remy and Jeremiah’s character arcs were well-done and nicely paced, Jeremiah’s was my favorite. The way he slowly discovered who he was before the accident, determining he didn’t like “Jeremiah 1.0” so much so that he worked to make big changes and reprioritize his life made my heart sing.

While at the end of the book, I can honestly say I truly enjoyed it and look forward to the next in the series, there are a few things I didn’t love (hence the “no” from above). For some reason, I could not stand Fiona. I get that not all characters should be likable, and I’ve had more fondness for other off-putting peripheral characters in some of Wade’s other novels. (I’m looking at you, Bradford Sisters’ grandma!) I’m sure over the series, readers will see Fiona’s growth trajectory, but I just did not like her at all and struggled to care about her.

And the multiple POVs pulled me out of the story a few times. I know the purpose was to set up the subsequent books, but it still messed me up. That said, I adored Jude and cannot wait for his story. Sweet, handsome FBI guy – sign me up! Along with too many POVs, I also felt there was SO much going on in this book! Wade typically writes more complex novels – which is something I love about her – but this had so many subplots that (for me) detracted from rather than added to the story.

Lastly, I would have liked to see a little more in-depth faith development, especially for Remy. It felt a little unfinished or rushed at the end. I understand that faith isn’t a destination, but a journey, and perhaps Remy will grow more in her faith over the series, but I would have liked to see a little stronger decision to turn back to God and maybe a little more exploration of that than what we got.

Overall, I was entertained by Memory Lane enough to finish it and will absolutely read Jude’s story. I have high hopes for the next book, that it will be more in line with the excellent storytelling we’ve all become accustomed to from Becky Wade.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Becky Wade’s a California native who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and settled in Dallas with their three children and one Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She loves writing sweet contemporary romances laced with sizzling chemistry, mystery, faith, banter, and humor. Her twelve novels and five novellas have been recognized with a Carol Award, INSPY awards, and a spot in the Christy Award Hall of Fame.