“She had now unearthed seven letters from their hiding-places around her house; seven letters that laid out before her the kind of love she had known, the kind of person she had become as a result of it. In those handwritten words, she saw herself reflected in myriad ways: impulsive, passionate, quick to temper and to forgive.”

The Last Letter from your Lover
By Jojo Moyes

When Ellie Haworth goes to the newspaper archives in hope of finding material for her next piece little does she know how her life will change thanks to a short hand-written letter she finds. It’s a beautiful love letter dated from 1960 and the only signature is a letter B.

As the story continues the narrative takes the reader to the other main character of the story. Jennifer Stirling is the perfect wife of a wealthy business man and her story begins as she’s come out of the hospital after a terrible accident. Her memory is impaired but the one thing she still can’t make sense out of is her feelings, or lack of, for her husband. Everyone tells her she’s been through a lot and she just needs time until one day she finds a letter signed by B addressing her.

Who wrote her such heart-felt letters? And how could she have risked everything to be with a lover? As Jennifer tries to regain her memory and find B, she also has to deal with how others will see her. No longer a perfect wife and a woman not conforming to the standards of the day.

The two women, Ellie and Jennifer, may be from different times but both are longing for true love. There are missed connections and misunderstandings but this is about finding love that will withstand those things. While I didn’t think this story packed the emotional punch that Me Before You did, I still enjoyed it very much and hope you’ll give it a chance.

For those of you who haven’t read I have a copy from the publisher to giveaway (U.S. address only please). Just leave me a comment and if you have a good love story to recommend I’d love to hear about it. I’ll draw a winner by next Friday.

Oh and the other thing I forgot to mention is that this book goes towards two of my challenges. The Romance Reading challenge and the Postal Reading challenge. Love it. Happy weekend everyone!

Source: Advance review copy

My mailbox has been overflowing lately and I wanted to share some of the books that have arrived recently. I wish I could dive into these right now but you know how it is.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. Alice wakes up on the floor of the gym with a nasty bump on her head and worst of all realizes that she’s lost 10 years of her life. What has happened to the girl she once was?

Baghdad Central by Elliott Colla. From Bitter Lemon Press a crime story set in Iraq in 2003. I’ve not read any book set in Iraq so I’m really looking forward to this one.

Middle Men by Jim Gavin. A collection of short stories of men stuck in the middle  between their dreams and their realities.

The Rebel Pirate by Donna Thorland. This is the second in the Renegades of the Revolution series. I don’t read many series which are not mysteries but this sounds promising. A young woman is caught in a scandal and must save herself and secure her family’s future.

All I Have In This World by Michael Parker. Two strangers meet over the hood of a used car in Texas. The two strangers will form an unexpected friendship.

Half World by Scott O’Connor. A literary thriller that vividly imagines a world were the citizens are under government mind-control.

Careless People: Murder, Mayhem, and the Invention of the Great Gatsby by Sarah Churchwell. A unique literary investigation that reconstructs the farcical inquiry into a gruesome crime, as well as a passionate, scrupulous search for the roots of America’s best-loved novel.

So have you heard of some of these? Read any of them? I think part of my weekend plans will be to make room for these on the shelves. And, stay tuned for a giveaway I’ll post about tomorrow!