Forget Me Not

WOW. What a page turner! I loved this book. I've never read anything by Vicki Hinze before this, but I'll be looking for more. This book starts you off on the edge of your seat and won't let you up until the end. I couldn't stop reading, even when I wanted to. When forced to do it, I went to bed and dreamed up scenarios. The main character's faith is wonderful. She has that kind of faith that all of us want, need, and respect. She also, thankfully, is real. She's not perfect, she has her moments, but she's CHARACTERIZED by a complete and abiding faith in the goodness of God. Oh, and I didn't mind having my theory that a person with memory loss would still have the Holy Spirit in them and they'd know that they knew the Lord. My own character, Ella, was just validated by this book. This isn't an easy book to read. There are several subplots going on at one time and she literally drops you into them all almost at once. As you read, you peel back the layers of this story until, at the end, you see the whole picture. I found myself rereading portions to be sure I understood what I read and to find out who someone was again. There are a lot of characters. There are a lot of plots. She does a great job of juggling it and keeping the book moving forward, but this is not a lazy read for a hot summer afternoon. Save it for a day when you're ready to engage your thought process as well as your heart. I loved how the relationships developed, but I'll admit, it did feel awfully sudden. It's a personal pet peeve of mine to read about people falling for each other within hours/days of meeting... particularly when there are murder attempts, amnesia, and deep grief in play. Just sayin'. That part seemed a bit implausible to me, but I'm not a natural romantic, so what do I know? Aside from that little quibble, and a few places where the writing was awkward (minor minor quibble but I tend to tell all), Ms. Hinze did a masterful job of telling this story in a way that kept you reading... long after you should have been sleeping. Would I recommend it? OH YES! I definitely do. Without caveat. Buy. The. Book. Period. If you don't like tension and suspense, well then maybe not, but otherwise, you'll be entertained, your mind engaged, your sympathy alerted, and your soul nourished by the example of Susan/Kelly/Karen's faith.

I loved this book. I received a copy from Waterbrook Multinomah for review and what a fun book to review. Seriously, I got so engrossed in this novel, I literally forget to fix dinner for the family. The faith lessons in this book: believable without being preachy. The adventure: enthralling The characters: believable and entertaining At the end, I really wondered "Hey, what happens next?" This is the perfect beach-read. Grab a sand chair, a cold glass of water and enjoy.

Suspense novels are not typical reads for me, but I am glad I chanced this one. This is a book that I did not want to put down. If it hadn't have been for the laundry, meals to fix, and diapers to change, I would have read the book in one setting. Suspense filled ever page. It is one of those books that is pretty confusing at the beginning. So many unknowns. But with each turn, the author brilliantly reveals information. There were times that I was solely confused but as I kept reading, I would understand more and more. It isn't until the very last few pages that the story is totally unwrapped. I will say that there are murders and relatively gross stuff talked about. But for me, things were shielded pretty well (that is saying quite a lot). Forget Me Not is a Christian novel. Here is a quote from Vicki Hinze on why she wrote the book. "Even when we forget who we are, at core level we remember whose we are." This is the jest of the book. Understanding that no matter what we do...what we say...where we go...God has not moved. God has not changed His mind about us. We are loved with an everlasting love. Yes, I encourage you to jump in with both feet and learn with the characters what true faith really is. Thank you to Waterbrook for giving me the opportunity to review this book. It was a privilege.

A woman who can't remember who she is or what happened to her. A man who can't put his life back together after his wife and son are murdered. Yet, his wife's gold cross necklace connects them. This is the premise for the first of Vicki Hinze's Christian Fiction series set at the Crossroads Crisis Center. At last Vicki has found her niche, a place where she can combine her passionate faith and pendant for romantic suspense. In FORGET ME NOT, her skill at creating a taut thriller that exposes a terrorist plot shines through in a "forget-me-not" read. When you start this story, make sure you are not going anywhere because once you begin, from the first page to the last, you will not be able to put the book down. But more than the rollercoaster ride is the story's lasting message of faith, that no matter what abuse or sorrow or shattering experience you suffer, you can endure if you love and trust God. Vicki's Christian heroine whole heartedly relies on God, and that reliance is woven seamlessly into the character's dilemma and search for her identity, after countless attempts to kill her. Seeing the result of her faith wins over a man who has lost everything, including belief in himself. To the non-believer, this may seem impossible, but for those of faith, it is the reality that sustains us day by day. Congratulations, Vicki. A five-star read.

When she awoke in the middle of a field, beaten and with a head injury, she had little memory of her identity or her life. She remembered being in New Orleans and she remembered being car jacked, but she couldn't remember her name, where she came from, or other details of her life. She only had two items in her possession, a card from Crossroads Crisis Center with the name Susan written on the back and a gold cross necklace. Assuming she must be a resident or at least known by people at the center, that is where she decided to begin searching for her identity. When she reached the center, she saw a picture of the founder of the center, Susan, who looks remarkably like herself. Can she really be this Susan, who people believe died three years earlier? With few memories of her past, she's forced to rely on the only certainty she has, her faith in God. Since Susan died, her husband Ben has struggled with not only his faith, but with consuming guilt. When he meets this mysterious woman, who looks remarkably similar to his deceased wife, he immediately suspects she's a con artist. However, as he spends time with her and pieces of her memory returns, he begins to see how Susan and this woman's lives intersected. Perhaps after three years of searching for answers, he'll finally understand why his wife and son were killed and by whom. With a cast of influential, double crossing villains, Forget Me Not is an entertaining story that is both touching and uplifting. I normally avoid books with an obvious romantic storyline. Usually they come across as a bit cheesy and unrealistic. There are times, though, when I'm in the mood for a sweet story that's more in the vein of a typical Christian novel with a love story as a portion of the plot. Forget Me Not was a nice fit for my current mood. While parts of it were somewhat unrealistic and idealistic, the main storyline was extremely interesting and presented a bit of a challenge to untangle the web of deceit the villains had spun. I really enjoyed Hinze's main plot. It was complex, well thought out and developed. How each character's life intersected with another was written superbly and enhanced the intrigue. Good attention to detail was given to make sure that each villain, though plotting only for their best interest, was challenged by another villain plotting for their own best interest. This total consumption with self was not only fun to read, but contrasted nicely with the heroes in the story. The scheming among individuals and the deceit between allies was the best part of this story. An interesting part of the story was the three philanthropists and how their background affected their work. All three people were independently wealthy and worked hard to help others, but their motivations were different. One used charity as a front for his illegal activities. Another person used their wealth to help others due to a difficult childhood and deep faith in God. While another person