What the Heart Remembers (Memory House
Collection # 3) by Bette Lee CrosbyPublished by: Bent Pine Publishing
Published: November 17, 2015
Kindle Version, 137 pages
Book Description:
Max Martinelli spent her junior year of college in Paris,
and fell in love. Julien was a wickedly handsome young man who was crazy in love
with her, or so she thought. He was a free-spirited artist and she an aspiring
architect – impressionable, young, and standing on the brink of womanhood. That was over three years ago but the memory
of him still haunts her. Max's life is stuck on hold because she can't stop
wondering what would have happened if she had gone back. Was Julien simply part
of the magic of Paris? Or was he mean to be her destiny? After a New Year's Eve
party that ends in disaster and bad dreams, Max decides to find out once and
for all. She is going to return to Paris and search for Julien. But will her
search bring forever after happiness or a truth so ugly it will change her life
forever?
My Review:
Reviewed by Sandra
Olshaski
This is one of those books that beckons me and draws me
in before I even start reading it. The cover says it all – the wet pavement, the
Eiffel Tower, and a suitcase draped with a red scarf. It gets even better as the prologue sets up
the reader's expectations for a fascinating story. My expectations were fulfilled and then some.
Maxine (Max) is still pining for her lost love, Julien,
who she met three years previously in Paris, when she was an architectural
student there. She can't get on with her life until she figures out why they
have lost contact. Her memories of him and their time together keep her captive
so she decides to return to the City of
Lights to find him. What happens to her there is the basis of the story. Paris seems so familiar and yet at the same
time different in ways that Max can't see but only feel. Watch for the
situation where Max declares, "what the
heart remembers isn't always a true picture of what was." Perfect!
It's obvious that the author is familiar with Paris as
she evokes the atmosphere represented by the cobblestone streets, the cafes, the
bistros, Chateau Versailles and the Musee d'Orsay. It's authentic.
All of the characters are well drawn, but my favourite is
91-year-old Ophelia Browne who is one of the narrators. The reader gets a
glimpse of her in this story, but to know more read the author's two previous
books in this series. Ophelia is definitely intriguing. I'd like to know more
about her.
My favourite line in the book is something Max says. "…..love
isn't the flourishes and fancy ironwork that decorates a façade; it’s the foundation
of a building. It's what forever is built on."
I highly recommend this tale of lost love, new-found love
and the power of memory set against the backdrop of that most romantic of
cities – Paris.
Note: This book is rated G.
Note: This book is rated G.
About this author:
 by Bette Lee Crosby ISBN: 9780989128995 Published by: Bent Pine Publishing Publ...){kind=link}
I love Bette's books.
ReplyDeleteI have read quite a few of her books, but I have not read this one.
Thanks for the great post.
LOVE your new blog design....FANTASTIC!!
Elizabeth
Silver's Reviews
My Blog