Thursday, 13 August 2020

New Book Release Spotlight & Review: The Girl You Forgot by Giselle Green



The Girl You Forgot by Giselle Green

Does the heart never really forget?
When Ava’s partner Will is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour, the doctors give Will one chance to survive - an operation which means he will lose his recent memory. Ava begs him to take the chance, sure that she can cope with Will forgetting her. After all, they have something very special to live for.
But they are also keeping a heart-breaking secret, and if Will loses his memory, Ava will have to carry that secret alone.
Can they rebuild their love from scratch or will their secrets and past come between them? Will Ava really be a stranger when Will wakes up – or does the heart never really forget…
Giselle Green returns with a heart-breakingdeeply moving story of love, loss, and what it really means to be alive. Perfect for all fans of Jodi Picoult, Susan Lewis and Diane Chamberlain.



Waking up from a life-saving operation, Will is grateful to be alive. However, he's lost seven years of his memory and therefore no memory of how he met his partner, Ava. As they become close again, Will wants to know about their life before his operation. However, will the secret Ava is keeping, destroy the relationship they are rebuilding?

Ava is a woman in an unenviable situation. The man she loves needs a lifesaving operation which will erase his memory. She's promised to keep the other devastating news they found out before Will's operation a secret. After his successful surgery, they begin to rebuild their relationship, but the burden of keeping the secret could tear them apart.

Will is a musician, a successful one, not that he remembers that part of his life post-op. When he's re-introduced to Toby, his American song-writing collaborator, music is something he remembers playing and creating. It's a connect to his past which makes sense, however, he's unaware of how successful his musical career was or of the burden, he placed on Ava.

Ava and Will's story is both heartfelt and heartbreaking. They're both dealing with unknown emotions; Will can't remember the woman he loved and Ava's hoping the man she loves will fall in love with her again. Their emotional journey's complemented by secondary characters as the protagonists try to make sense of the situation they are in. The extras highlight events from the past, bringing issues to the surface which should have remained buried. It's a thought-provoking scenario for both the protagonists and the reader. What would you do in a similar situation?

The originality of the narrative is noteworthy but missed a beat or two for me. I fell out of the plot intermittently, in contrast, was fully amerced within this roller-coaster of a ride story for the rest. For me, it's the timing of when the secret is revealed… I won't spoil anything by saying more.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel but not as much as I'd hoped. Ms Green is a new to me author and won't hesitate to pick up and read other books she's written.
***arc generously received courtesy of Boldwood Books via NetGalley***

Giselle Green is an award-winning, bestselling contemporary women's fiction author. Mum to six boys (half of whom have flown the nest) and owner of one bright orange-and-cinnamon canary who hopefully never will, Giselle enjoys creating emotionally-gripping storylines about family and relationships.
Social Media Links –
Twitter Profile: @gisellegreenUK
Facebook Profile:Giselle Green Author

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