GRR Reviews Forget Me Not (Loveless and Dunn) by Erika Marks

Forget Me Not let me rather underwhelmed by starting strong, with a good setup and great escalation, but the darkest hour and grand gesture somehow just didn't do it for me. I think it could have delivered a better emotional punch for the ending.

To recap, aspiring writer Mallory Reynolds left Magnolia Bay for New York City, leaving a lot behind, including her sweetheart Josh Loveless. Her breakout series was erotica called The Lost Diaries of Scarlet under a pen name, and it became a bestseller. She was just enjoying her success when her publisher leaked her real identity. Now people are whispering behind her back, and Mallory decided to go home and hide... and ran into Josh again. Josh spent all his energy on his dream and opened his sports equipment store, and he just invested into a grand re-opening... And found Mallory was back in town. Things were never finished between them, but both felt betrayed when neither were willing to accommodate the other. One can't leave, the other can't stay. Years later, both were a little wiser, but when the scandal followed Mallory home, it would be up to Josh to decide whether he can accept Mallory for exactly what she is... Or will she be forever marked by her creation?

To explain why I rated the book above average, I'll have to spoil the ending

SO HERE GOES

SPOILER ALERT

Anyway, Mallory was going to be a teacher in the town school, as she definitely has the credentials to teach English and so on. But when the scandal followed her home, head of school board (being a prick) withdrew the hiring offer. So Josh called a school board emergency meeting and forced a vote to countermand the withdrawal, so Mallory can stay, write, and be near Josh for his HEA.

Really? The darkest hour was Mallory was going to run away AGAIN, and the grand gesture was Josh calling a school board meeting so she can stay? Somehow, this gesture wasn't... that... "grand". While it made perfect sense, when you read it it just somehow feels underwhelming. Also, the publisher seems to be totally insensitive, as in "any exposure is good exposure", right down to distributing books and t-shirts in her hometown when she just wanted to get away, and no apology to the author either. How about some karma?

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Outed erotica writer had to flee home to hide, and confront her feelings for the hot sporting goods store owner she left behind

Tropes: romance writer, disguise, return, reunion, betrayal

Overall Rating: 4/5 (rounded up)