The Moment I Met You by Debbie Johnson: Despite being on a guided tour of Mexico, Elena begins to seriously 
question her relationship with first love Harry, feeling very much like the spark has gone and indeed perhaps their love has run it’s course. Deciding to spend an hour or so apart doing their own thing in the little Mexican village, Elena enjoys a glass of wine with fellow tourist Alex and out of nowhere a 6.1 magnitude earthquake literally tears their lives apart.
Trapped underground for 30 horrific hours, Alex and Elena do everything they can to buoy each other’s spirits – trying to resist falling prey to the sheer terror of being buried alive. Subsequently, they share parts of themselves they have never shared with another and throughout their time together get to know each other on that kind of deep level that normally takes a lifetime – if ever.
The spark is real, the love is real and yet despite this, Elena knows her destiny is bound to Harry’s who will carry his physical injuries from the earthquake forever.
Consistent throughout were these genuinely sad notes, like a gently plucked A Minor that captured the life that Elena never had the chance to live. Strong themes of survivor guilt were apparent and a fairly open and honest appraisal of what it means to live life with significant trauma punctuated each page.
Jumping 9 years in time post earthquake, it isn’t until another survivor reaches out to Elena that she begins to unpack how effective her self-denial skills have become; revealing how good she is at putting Harry’s needs and wellbeing ahead of her own to the point where she invariably had to freeze the deep soul-breaking love she had for Alex.
To this end, Elena was the type of well crafted character whose self-lessness, humility and care were utterly admirable and thus, there was this ongoing thrum that desperately wanted for her to fully find her heart and happiness because she genuinely deserved those things.
From beginning to end, this was a truly beautiful read, and despite the very realistic sense of grief, loss and guilt, it was a thousand percent wrapped in love and the enduring nature of humanity and our resilience. I highly recommend!
Book Info:
Publication: 8th March 2022 | William Morrow & Company |
Elena Godwin has scrimped and saved for a relaxing dream holiday in Mexico with her handsome but laddish boyfriend Harry. Life has felt a bit less exciting than she’d imagined her twenties would be, and she’s hoping the trip will add some sizzle. But on a gorgeous summer evening an earthquake strikes–shattering their peaceful vacation. The trauma changes Elena’s life forever.
Ten years later, Elena still can’t forget the face of the stranger she met that night–the man who may have saved her life. When they’re suddenly and unexpectedly thrown back together again, Elena starts to uncover the truth around that fateful night, and question whether she should have lived her life differently in the years afterwards.
What if it’s not too late?
