Book Review: Memory Lane by Becky Wade

MEMORY LANE by Becky Wade
SERIES: Sons of Scandal #1
GENRE: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Author Becky Wade
RELEASE DATE: February 14, 2023
PAGES: 426

Christy Award Hall of Fame Author

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.

Travel to the rocky coast of Maine for “opposites attract” banter, witty humor, a fascinating mystery, and destiny-changing love. This sweet contemporary romance kicks off Becky Wade’s new Sons of Scandal series!

Each time I crack open a new Becky Wade book, I do so with giddy anticipation, knowing that I’m in for a deliciously swoony, witty, and heartfelt ride. Her latest release, Memory Lane, is a blend of sweet romance (with a gentle faith thread), deep topics, light mystery, and hilarious banter.

Let’s talk about that hilarious banter for a minute, because to me this was one of the highlights of the story. Imagine with me, if you will, Ryan Reynolds as a man who’s been rescued from the choppy seas of Maine by a ‘schedule-dependent’ free spirit on an isolated island … and he has no memories. Doesn’t know his name, his job, his anything. But he has retained his dry sarcasm-humor and seems to be a relatively good guy in general. This is how I pictured “Jonah” in his interactions with Remy (our heroine) and even Leigh (Remy’s lobsterwoman neighbor), and as you might imagine he quickly endeared himself to me. I was rooting for him to get his memories back, of course, and to solve the mystery he was working on before his untimely swim in the sea… but mainly? I loved watching him fall in love – and be in love – with Remy. Becky Wade sure knows how to write a yummy hero, and “Jonah” is no exception!

Remy at first is a bit of an enigma. On the one hand, she adheres to a schedule and a list of key things (hydration!). On the other hand she is an artist who gets wrapped up in her work to the exclusion of all else. She’s open-hearted (Wendell!!) but also keeps people at a certain distance – after all, she willingly relocated to an island that’s fairly cut off from modern conveniences like spur-of-the-moment groceries, restaurants, decent Wifi, etc. As Wade peels back the layers of Remy’s story, however, it’s clear why she has hidden herself behind an emotional fortress of protective walls. Here is where “Jonah” really shines in his affection for her…. and here I go swooning again. Don’t be mistaken in thinking that “Jonah” rescues Remy from her trauma, though. Rather, he provides her the same anchor in the storm that she’s been for him and allows his steadfast love for her to be a picture of God’s own love for her. I thought the author handled this difficult topic with great grace & sensitivity, while still building in some to-die-for, toe-curling kisses that also don’t dismiss Remy’s past trauma – or “Jonah’s” for that matter.

Bottom Line: Two broken souls. One remote island. Witty banter. A grumpy-sunshine romance in the making (with those roles not necessarily applying in the order you might expect). Sounds like the set-up for a swoonilicious Becky Wade novel to me – and Memory Lane is exactly that! “Jonah” and Remy have instant chemistry and their snappy back-and-forth dialogue had me grinning from ear to ear. So did their kisses … well, okay mostly I just FANNED over those because hello yummy hero who is a gentleman with a dash of rogue. Some minor subplots added greater dimension to both of the protagonists and to the story, and I’m particularly intrigued in Jude’s story which is coming next. Bring on more Sons of Scandal romance! I’m here for it all.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4.5 stars / loved it!

KissingBook Level: 4+ / keep those fans & fainting couches handy… and know where your freezer is, just in case.

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Becky Wade is 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.

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