Lines We Forget
J.E. Warren
Genre: New Adult
Publication Date: March 8, 2016
Love never comes easy, especially to those who aren’t prepared for it…
Twenty-four-year-old musician Charlie Stone has always played the classics. It’s just another day of playing the same old songs until he notices her—Anna Garrett, a beauty with cold-bitten, rosy cheeks and a coffee cup clutched in her hands.
Five songs later, and she’s still standing there. He vows to steal her heart the only way he knows how.
In the heart of London, chance encounters are few and far between, but a warm melody can bring people together…
New day, same old disappointments. Anna Garrett believes her luck at finding love has stalled before it’s even started when she’s stood up for a second date with a friend of her housemate.
But when she sees a handsome musician playing his heart out, everything changes. Memories come flooding back. As she listens to the music, Anna realises she must take matters of love and luck into her own hands.
When opposites attract, sparks fly…
After a series of wonderful, unconventional dates, feisty Anna and hopeless romantic Charlie declare their love for each other. But their newfound bond is rocked to its core by a New Year’s Eve party gone awry that threatens to throw them off course.
Finally, a bright future appears to be within their grasp. But when Anna’s world fractures and distance comes between them, the real work begins.
Will their love go on in perfect harmony, or become another old song full of Lines We Forget?
This debut novel is a sweet and realistic look at young love. It has everything you expect see in real life situations: the anticipation of the first kiss, the spark of passion that draws to people together, the comradery and friendship of a new relationship. There are many ups and downs in this book that are viewed through a lenses of authenticity, giving the reader a story that sounds like one you would hear from a friend while sharing tales of love and loss. Lines We Forget features two very real and flawed characters, two people who have high hopes and expectations for what they want from life. Charlie and Anna meet by chance and fate intervenes. These two are struggling in their separate realities and a spark between them gives hope to situations that are at times frustrating and disheartening. When you read their story, you cannot help but be caught up in their adventures. Friendship and instant attraction deepens into love. These two come from different backgrounds but together they create a reality that is sweet, brimming with hope for the future and a safe place from the harsh moments of life.
One thing that makes this book a great contemporary romance is that it is real. Anna and Charlie fight and they make up. They jump to conclusions, creating drama and angst. They must learn to trust one another and support each other. These two become a couple you root for. You watch their relationship develop over years and it is a slow burn. The story and relationship flows so very well. There is not a HUGE life altering and life shattering moment that destroys everything and an over the top reconciliation. Instead, it is a gritty reality of what life is like.
The writing is good in this book, giving the reader access to both Anna and Charlies thoughts. We are able to understand their reasoning and feel their heartache when things go wrong. They are both experiencing young growing love, a kind of love that takes a piece of your heart and soul. Warren does a great job of fulfilling the expectations of the reader and giving a story that is sweet, real, and hopeful. I am excited to see what else she comes up with.