Sweet! I read this book and thought wow! This book blew me away. I really enjoyed this book and will definitely look forward to reading more books by this author!

Ms. Beck writes such heartfelt romances that will have your heart breaking for everything her main characters go through on their journey to happy ever after, but will without a doubt leave your heart whole at the end of her stories when the couple find their way back to each other forever.

Really, this is exactly how I was feeling throughout this first book of this Sanctuary Sound series, as Steffi has returned to her hometown after many years. She's working as a carpenter and started a company with her two friends; a company that is finally starting to take off for the three friends. Except the only bad thing is she's found herself working for her ex-boyfriend's mother; the ex-boyfriend whose heart she broke when she left him.

Both the main characters really impressed me. Steffi is a strong woman who has survived so much and managed to go forward with her life when it would have been easy to give up. She's also a very determined woman that is out to prove she can do the job she's been tasked with. However, she's also a woman with a lot of regret, mostly with how she left Ryan. How could she have done what she did when she was so in love with him? While Ryan, he's a good guy with a lot of baggage. He's now a single father trying to balance fatherhood with being back in his hometown and coming face-to-face with his first love. The woman that broke his heart. Yet, at the same time, the connection between him and Steffi is still very much alive, despite what she did in the past. Can he forgive her? Can they make things work, even when it's clear Steffi is hiding something? Will she open up to Ryan about what happened to her?

Overall, Ms. Beck has delivered a wonderful second chance romance in this story, which was filled with plenty of emotion; incredibly likeable characters in the main and secondary; and a plot that drew me in from the beginning and kept me hanging on every word until I was at the end of the book.

My first book by this author and I absolutely loved every page, every character. every emotion. I loved the author's writing style, and how connected I felt to each character. I loved how I've been left wanting more from these characters and from this author.

THE MEMORY OF YOU is the first book in the SANCTUARY SOUND series, and it deals with the effects of trauma in relationships. Three life-long best friends, Steffi, Claire, and Peyton, each have tragedies affecting them in different ways. Those tragedies definitely affect their friendships as well. This is Steffi and Ryan’s story, who were first loves and childhood sweethearts but went in different directions when Steffi hurt him. Now that they’re both back in their hometown, will they have a second chance at love?

Ryan has a lot of baggage when he returns home with his eight-year-old daughter, Emmy, to live with his parents. He’s going though a divorce, and his wife seems high maintenance. She’s hard to like, although I appreciate how she and Ryan both act like adults in the way they treat each other. Steffi is in business with Claire and is doing a home improvement project for Ryan’s parents, so Steffi and Ryan’s paths keep crossing. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Will their memories cause them pain or help them heal?

There are family and friends along with many layers to the story and a depth to the characters. Their losses have a definite impact on their lives. The story has a lot of secrets and memories that help the relationships evolve. I liked the way Emmy had interactions with so many of the characters. The descriptions of the town, the homes, and the businesses made me feel like I was there.

There are unexpected twists and turns to the story. We learn how Steffi’s childhood and home life shapes her. There’s a nice flow to the plot, but there isn’t the closure I was looking for even with the epilogue that takes place three months later. Too much of the ending is glossed over to get to the happily ever after. There is an excerpt from the next book in the series, PROMISE OF US, and it left me wanting more. I can’t wait for it to be released and am looking forward to returning to Sanctuary Sound once again!

Jamie Beck is a new-to-me author and I look forward to reading more of her books, not just those in this series.

A clean second chances romance. High school sweethearts that breakup during college because one wants to experience more than small town life. His mother hires is former girlfriend to remodel a room in her house.

I loved this one! It was so swoon worthy and romantic! I can't recommend this one enough to people! It makes me want to read more from the author

An okay read for me, but that's probably because I am not always the biggest fan of angsty romance. I also felt like with all the history between the main characters, the male MC forgave the female MC way too easily. I also wasn't a fan of them getting together physically off page. Not for me, but could be for someone else!

The Memory of You was a great read by Jamie Beck. This is book one in the Sanctuary Sound series. Steffi finds herself as a survivor of an assault when she returns to her hometown. She starts a remodeling business with her longtime friend. Ryan is a public defender who finds himself raising his daughter alone when his wife leaves them. He also returns to his hometown where he sees Steffi who he has a past of hurt. I loved reading Steffi and Ryan's story andcan't wait to read more in this series.

Jamie Beck's The Memory of You is such a wonderful read. It grabbed me from the very first page making it hard for me to put it down when bedtime rolled around.

Fantastic opening to Sanctuary Sound. I adored Steffi, Ryan, Emmy and the cast of other characters. The stories of love, loss and tragedy are inspiring. This book touched me with its sensitive topics and I love how all was handled by Beck. I honestly enjoyed the storyline and getting to know these characters.

Jamie's new Sanctuary Sound series starts off with The Memory I You and I loved it.It's a second chance love story that draws you in to the storyline right away and doesn't let go. Great characters that have a few problems that any family in today's world could be going thru.

Great start to a new series! Steffi is offered a job renovating a room in her ex boyfriend's mom's house... and that about says it all, doesn't it?! Seriously loved the good relationship between Ryan's mom and Steffi - and the slow refreshment of a friendship between Ryan and Steffi. Good, solid story with likable characters, great dialogue, and cool references to the state I call home. I'm looking for book 2 as soon as this review is done being written!
NetGalley provided an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
https://randombookmuses.com/2019/01/20/review-the-memory-of-you-by-jamie-beck/

I really liked this book which is the first in a romance series. Steffi was an interesting heroine and her story, particularly around her assault and the resulting trauma, was an important one. Not only is this book a good romance, but it also has a lot of substance and explores the issue of trauma very effectively. This is more of a cozy romance than a super sexy one. It was nice to visit the world of Steffi and Ryan while also having a bit more of a complex story than a typical romance. I definitely recommend this one.

Too much sadness and bitterness

Regretfully I had a hard time getting through Jamie Beck's The Memory of You. I even went back to the book blurb thinking maybe I'd picked the book in error as I don't like really sad stories but there was no real warning.
No specific spoilers but I felt that the horrific situations Steffi and some of the secondary characters faced overwhelmed the story. I wasn't a real fan of Ryan either, he just came across too bitter. If you like s box of Kleenex with your read uou may enjoy this book. I want to feel good after I finish a book, this just made me feel bad.
I received an advance reader copy via Netgalley.

Jamie Beck’s The Memory of You was a great story with so many emotions!

Stefanie returns to her hometown to start over after an attack. She runs into Ryan- her ex. He is trying to recover from a divorce.

As they try and put their own lives back together- they realize perhaps there is more to their past. There was angst, a real connection, so much emotion, I encouraged the relationships and characters throughout the book!

A great second chance romance where I just wanted to both to be happy!

This is a story about second chances. It has a lot going on from Steffi's flashbacks to an attack she doesn't quite remember, to her bestfriends not getting along, to Ryan not being sure if he can ever fully trust her again, and his meddling mother. But, I did enjoy the scenes between Steffi and Emmy...the angst was just too much in the rest of it. I will probably give the next book in the series a try to see if it gets better.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆
Triggers: Assault/rape

This book has a good plot and storyline, but it just didn't grab me. I'm not sure if it was just the mood I was in or if it was the way the story was written.

The characters are sound, but I think Steffi's independence is, while well-written, a little over the top. I completely understand blocking out traumatic things that happen to us, but I think her inability to talk about the assault at all is a little too much. While we may not want to open up to family about the things that bother us, normally we have at least one good friend or sibling, that we open up to, even if we don't go into detail about what's wrong.

Ryan is written almost the same way. He's still holding a grudge from 10 years ago when Steffi dumped him out of the blue. To top it off, his wife has practically abandoned his daughter to pursue a relationship with another man. His anger at the entire situation is heartfelt and honestly, I feel like he should consider therapy as well.

This book has a lot of storyline to resolve and I think the ending was rushed. Granted, the epilogue helped, but I think the ending could have benefited from a few more chapters.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first story in a new series by the talented Jamie Beck – her Cabot series was excellent, so I was delighted to get the chance to read this book. The premise for the series is set out early on, and we know the three main protagonists – I rather liked this as it made me think about each woman and their impact on each other. I am curious to see progress in underlying stories through the future installments. I did find the story a little slow, but it was in part building the new world of Sanctuary Sound and so, forgivable.

Steffi is a strong, independent woman, who is making a new life for herself with one of her best friends back in their home town. She is struggling with blackouts after an attack, but is determined not to get the help that we all probably believe that she needs. I did wonder if her stubbornness was come by honestly as she had mostly grown up around her father and brothers; her mother died when she was barely a teen. I liked her clear skills as a builder, and as a friend to Ryan's daughter, but her dealings with Ryan are incredibly stilted for a significant part of the book. One couldn't really just blame her, as Ryan behaved in a very rigid and unforgiving way. It was a relief when they finally started talking, although other issues in life kept interfering.

I am keen to read on and find out how things move forward for Steffi's friends.

What’s emotional read this book was. My heart aches for those who have been through what Steffi went through.
This was amazingly written book with so many emotions with every character in the book. The second chance for Steffi and Ryan to the friendships and family. A must read book but be ready to feel and cry.
I received a advanced copy for a voluntary honest review.

Jamie Beck is a relativly new author to me and I’m really wondering why I haven’t read more by this talented author.
Steffi and Ryan have a history they grew up together and were high school sweethearts but Steffi did they unthinkable she may have loved Ryan but she wanted to travel before she settled down so she dumped him. 10 years on Ryan is now back in town with his daughter he is trying to settle his daughter while going through a messy divorce and the last thing he expects is to find Steffi working on his parents house. Can Steffi and Ryan forget the past will true love find a way ......guess you need to read the book to find out.
The Memory Of You is book 1 in the Sanctuary Sound Series it’s an easy enjoyable read with loveable characters but it does touch on some difficult subjects it does include sexual assault and the lingering effects but it’s written with compassion and in a realistic way. Looking forward to book 2

At age nineteen, Steffi Lockwood did the unthinkable, and ghosted her lover, Ryan Quinn. Though she truly loved him, he could always convince Steffi to see things his way. Steffi wanted to do some travelling before they married, while Ryan didn’t want them to be separated at all. Knowing how weak she was, Steffi chose to abruptly end all contact, and leave Ryan behind. After weeks of unanswered calls and messages, heartbroken Ryan has a rebound affair, which leads to an unplanned pregnancy and marriage. When Steffi comes to realize that Ryan is everything she wants, it’s too late.

Fast forward about ten years, and Steffi has now returned to her home town, having opened a remodeling business with her friend. She’s very surprised to get a commission from Ryan’s mother. Though they had a great relationship when she was dating Ryan, she didn’t expect such a warm welcome now after the cruel way she dumped Ryan. Even more surprising is to find out that Ryan’s marriage has fallen apart, and he and his daughter, Emmy, are temporarily living with his parents while the details of his divorce are ironed out.

Ryan is less than happy to come home to find Steffi happily ensconced in his family home, working on a fairly long term project. He’s unhappier, still, to find that Emmy seems captivated by Steffi. The feelings that Ryan has tried to keep buried come back full force – the anger, the betrayal, and the confusion. He decides to give Steffi a wide berth, but she’s there every day, now apparently wanting to bury the past and be friends.

Steffi actually wants to be more than friends. It didn’t take her long a decade ago to realize what a huge mistake she had made, and just how cruel her actions were. She’s greatly ashamed of how she acted, and no man has ever come close to touching her heart since then. While she doesn’t expect Ryan’s forgiveness, she does hope to make him understand that she was young, unwise, and feeling somewhat smothered. If friendship is all they can have, she will accept it.

As the days pass, Ryan and Steffi talk, and she tries to explain why she acted the way she did. Though Ryan actually does forgive her, and rather quickly, at that, he’s not sure he can trust her again. His ex-wife left their daughter totally in his custody, and he begins to envision how things might be if he, Steffi, and Emmy created a new family. Ryan and Steffi attempt going on a date, and are regaining some of their old magic. The situation abruptly changes when their kisses become heated, and Steffi totally loses it. It seems that Steffi was mugged several months ago, and suffered a bad concussion. She is still having episodes where she appears to zone out, and either becomes zombie-like or combative. Is there hope for a rekindled love to be lost because of Steffi’s injuries?

THE MEMORY OF YOU is a compelling read, and for those who avoid reading about it, does include sexual assault and the lingering effects. Ryan is truly a dream hero. His fairly quick forgiveness of the huge wrong Steffi did to him is nothing short of amazing. Then his care and patience with her as the details of her assault come to light made me fall in love with him. It’s hard to judge Steffi’s actions when you haven’t experienced the trauma she did, but I found her avoidance of her symptoms and the danger they posed frustrating. When Ryan and Steffi are finally able to physically connect once again, I was very sad to be told that it happened, rather than seeing it. By that, I don’t mean that I was needing an explicit sex scene, but it was such an important milestone, I wanted to watch it unfold.

All of us have made mistakes due to youth and inexperience, and Steffi is no exception. Second chances at love are rare, and so sweet when things work out. THE MEMORY OF YOU covers some difficult subject matter, but deals with it in a realistic way. A strong love that never died, forgiveness, healing, and new beginnings make for a very captivating and satisfying read.