REVIEW: Never Forget You by Fiona Lucas

In Never Forget You by Fiona Lucas, The old ruins of a church in London are hardly the place to meet what could be the love of your life, but that’s exactly what happened to Lili and Ben. Everything about their short day and a half together was magical. From the easy conversations to the simmering attraction between them, it seemed like fate had drawn them together for a reason. But why did it have to be when Ben was traveling the world for his career? His compromise with Lili was a plan to meet up at the same location in exactly one year so they could continue to see where things went between them. Although fate had other plans.

“We’ll meet one year from the day we met. Here…”
“In the garden at the church…at St Dunstan-in-the-East.”
He smiled at me. “It’s perfect. And it’s a date. Nothing will stop me being there.”

So, when Ben is back home in the Highlands of Scotland five years later and he sees a woman who looks very much like his Lili–the woman who got away–he has to speak with her. But this woman doesn’t know who she is, how she got to Invergarrig, or why she’s even there. Ben doesn’t even think twice about helping Alice. They soon set off on a journey together to figure out who she is and why she’s lost all of her memories, with very few clues to lead them in any direction. The one that squeezes Ben’s heart the most, though, is the bee necklace she’s wearing. It’s the same one he bought for Lili during their short time in London. Could this truly be the same woman? The one he’s dreamed of for five long years? If so, Ben won’t rest until Alice regains her memories–or at least finds out who she is for sure.

‘Until he knew she was safe with people who loved her and would take care of her, he wasn’t walking away. He was going to stay, no matter how gut-wrenching it got.’

Never Forget You is an emotional novel that will stay with you long after reading the final hope-filled words that author Fiona Lucas wove into this heartfelt, bittersweet tale.

‘How could you grieve for a life you never even remembered you’d had? She just knew it was missing, felt the gaping hole inside of her. But it didn’t ache. It was just…empty.’

Content Warning: View Spoiler »Addiction & overdose (mentioned), emotional abuse including: gaslighting, manipulation & coercion, stalking. « Hide Spoiler

I’ve read many books with dual timelines where I’ve spent more minutes than I care to admit trying to piece everything together before the ending. And I’ve also read stories that were heartbreaking in a way that you can’t fathom how things can possibly work out for the character(s). But I haven’t experienced many novels that pair both of these elements together. At least not the way Never Forget You did. And wow did it make for an intense time.

It’s difficult to describe exactly how intricately woven everything was in Lili, Ben, and Alice’s extraordinary story. Author Fiona Lucas did include some darker themes in some of the toxic relationships (see the CW if you are sensitive to certain subjects), but it was how she showed the contrast between the light and the dark moments that grabbed me. Because through everything, even when it was clear that Lili, Alice, and Ben had all gone through some horribly difficult things in their lives, there was always that tiny bit of hope that it would be okay. That what each of them endured would only make them stronger and more able to recognize–and cherish–something good when it finally came their way.

I also have to say that Never Forget You was cleverly written, filled with many seemingly small details that either came into play later on in the story or that made more sense as the past and present got closer to colliding for Lili, Alice, and Ben. It truly made this a page-turner of a book that wrung every emotion possible out of me. And I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

QOTD: What was the last book that left you an emotional mess?

Book Info:

Publication: Expected Publication: April 4th, 2023 | HQ |

Some love stories end before they even begin…

When Lili meets Ben by chance one hot summer’s day, it feels like fate. But life is about to take them in different directions, and so they agree to meet next July, in the beautiful hidden garden where they first laid eyes on each other. But one of them never shows up…

Five years later, Ben still wonders how he got things so wrong – he let the love of his life slip between his fingers. And then a stranger, Alice, arrives in his tiny Scottish hometown. Alice has no memory of how she got there: she can’t remember anything before that morning. The only clue to her past is the silver bee necklace she wears – the very same one Ben bought for Lili that magical summer’s day…

As Ben, Lili and Alice’s stories converge, so begins a beautiful and deeply emotional story of love, forgiveness and second chances. Perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover and Lucy Score.

***

Readers LOVE Never Forget You:

‘This story was unputdownable, and absolutely wrecked me… an incredibly moving and often poignant story with truly authentic characters and a perfect ending. Just exquisite.’ 5****

‘A powerful novel about love that just sinks into your heart and soul.’ 5*****

‘Oh my, what a heart-wrenching read! I loved it!’ 5*****

‘Gripping, beautifully written and all-consuming. One of my favourite reads this year’ 5*****

‘An enthralling love story… The perfect novel in my opinion!’ 5*****

‘This was absolutely beautiful – I was completely blown away by the writing and the storyline’ 5*****

‘This book is so well written, I couldn’t put it down! So many emotions!!!!’ 5*****

‘Simply stunning…you won’t be able to put it down. Beautiful and yet also heartbreaking’ 5*****