Aussie Book Review: Unforgettable by Elise K. Ackers

Book reviews

10 Jan

Unforgettable by Elise K. AckersebookReview copy provided by publisherEscape Publishing (Harlequin), January 2013 Synopsis- In hospital following a near-fatal accident, Conner has temporary retrograde amnesia, and there’s a blank slate where the last three years of his life should be. It’s a woman with haunted eyes and secrets who offers to help him rediscover his past.Colleague, friend and ex-lover, Emma warns Conner they must be discreet. No one knows about their past relationship, and for the sake of their jobs, no one can. She reintroduces him to his life and the fascinating redevelopment project they are working on, and the more he wants a future with her in it.But Emma Blames herself for Connor’s accident and she won’t confess to what broke their relationship in the past. Now Conner is fighting for love, for his job, and another chance.Review- Following a serious accident, the love of Emma's life and colleague, Connor awakes in Hospital with temporary amnesia. He can't remember the last three years and as a result has no recollection of having ever met Emma let alone their intense relationship that ended in disaster.When she arrives at the Hospital- despite her having his supposed girlfriend Asha in tow- he can't help but be drawn to Emma and want to know her better. Emma is devastated by Connor's memory loss and it takes much of her self-control to reign in her love for him and be the friend he needs through this difficult time. When he asks her to help him remember his past, she reluctantly agrees, fearing the close proximity to him will break her heart all over again.It isn't long before Connor begins to fall head over heels in love with Emma, again. She resists the temptation at first but then succumbs to a second chance at being intimate with Connor. But there's something about her past she's holding back, the very same secret that shattered their relationship the first time around and she is petrified of a repeat ending. Connor insists that whatever she is hiding won't send him running again, but Emma's fear of losing not only Connor's admiration but it's also their friendship that keeps her from telling him the truth. Just as she feared, the reaction she predicted eventuates and Emma is faced with overcoming the loss of Connor in her life, yet again.Unforgettable is an intense contemporary romance that explores the possibilities of a second chance for a couple when their history is wiped clean. The intensity of the feelings Emma has for Connor is obvious from the outset and she tries so hard to guard herself from falling for him again. Emma is a strong, hard-working protagonist who is loyal to her friends and committed to Connor's recovery. Connor is a laid-back kind of guy who likes to joke around and really compliments Emma's more serious nature quite well. I really enjoyed seeing this couple retrace their steps and because of his openness, I was more drawn to Connor than Emma initially, but as her story unfolded I empathised with Emma immensely.I did have some reservations about the conflict in the story, because I wasn't totally convinced. The secret Emma kept from Connor didn't really seem like that big a deal to me, beside the fact that the other person involved was despised by Connor (I'm trying not to give too much away!). So Connor's reaction also felt a little over the top. I also couldn't understand why Emma was so hung up about keeping their relationship (the first time around) a secret in the workplace. I understand that Emma was in a position of authority and Connor was her employee, but they worked in a project management role, it wasn't like she was a doctor or therapist or in a position where her power could be abused. The author did a good job at trying to flesh out this conflict, because I think the secretiveness really tapped into some of Emma's core values of wanting to be perceived as professional and keep her personal life separate- but I just couldn't relate to how far she was willing to keep it a secret given her occupation.That aside, I really enjoyed how Emma and Connor's relationship re-developed and the effort Connor went to make it up to Emma was really sweet and thoughtful. Both characters grew and learnt from their past mistakes to make the most of their second chance to make things work. Fitting with the genre, their romance does have a happily ever after and a very satisfying ending. Unforgettable is Elise's first novel published with Escape Publishing (previously published with Destiny Romance) and I believe was originally self-published. I've really enjoyed the various stories Ackers has released over the past six months with romance digital imprints in Australia and I'm sure there will be plenty more!