I love Jamie Beck and this new series is a winner! I loved and connected with the characters. I can't wait to read more about Sanctuary Sound!

Thank you #netgalley and #montlakeromance for the eARC.

I enjoy Jamie Beck's books and this one does not disappoint. I love the small town feel and the closeness of the characters. I couldn't put the book down and loved the true love story between the characters.

I got through this book quite quickly,I enjoyed the relationship between the characters in the book,would recommend,holiday book can’t wait to read the next book

A heartwarming, relatable romance you won't want to miss.

The Memory of You features Steffi who is trying to start a remodeling business in her tiny hometown and her first love, Ryan, who has moved back to raise his daughter. Watching these two wounded souls find each other again was a true delight. I really enjoyed it!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I'll say that this book is easy to relate to because it shares the journey to healing and forgiveness and clearly shows how we struggle to overcome the hurt. I was interested in reading it when I came across it on NetGalley. It's the first I've read of Jamie Beck's work and she's got a way of blending anger with pride and stubbornness in her characters. She also knows a thing or two about Meddling characters and you can't help but love how they scheme to have their way. I do wish that as a person I'd overcome my bias and not get so impatient with some of the characters in this story, but even then, what good would that do? My parting shot: it's worth a read.

The Memory of You is beautiful, heart warming, emotional, healing and much more then I expected. I loved this second chance read. Steffi is strong willed, independent and trying to heal not only from an attack but her past relationship from the one she let go. I love that she is such a tomboy and can fix just about anything. Ryan may have once been the one for Steffi but he's returned home to heal from a bad marriage with his daughter in tow. You will love Ryan and maybe a little bit of his daughter Emmys bratty ways too. In The Memory of You, you get some meddling from Holly (Ryan's mother) and Emmy too which I loved. Seeing the changes in Emmy once she gets to know Steffi is awesome. Grab some tissues because Ryan and Steffi have a long way to go and a lot of angst and very emotional issues to deal with. It is simply beautiful to watch these old flames grow close and ignite again. I'm so looking forward to more Sanctuary Sound books since book 1 blew me away.

In The Memory of You, Steffi is a young woman who returns to her hometown after she suffers a concussion in a mugging. She started a business with one of her best friends to do home remodeling (think of the women on your favorite home improvement show; Steffi does the construction part).

While giving an estimate to the mother of her former boyfriend who she rudely dumped in college, said boyfriend walks into the house with his young daughter. He's been dumped by his wife, who was his rebound relationship after Steffi dumped him. Poor guy - he can't seem to win. Ryan hasn't forgiven Steffi and doesn't trust her at all.

But, they both still have feelings for each other and forgiveness eventually comes. As their relationship progresses, Steffi's mysterious fugues become more and more worrisome, as do her "freak outs" when she attacks when startled. Ryan begins to suspect that more than a mugging took place. The story is full of the fictional life events that happen in real life - worry about alimony and child support (presented from both viewpoints), a cancer scare, relationship pain, friendship, child-rearing...all written skillfully and realistically by Beck.

After reading the message from the author at the beginning of the book, I expected more pathos, more emotional-manipulating-the-heartstrings-type writing. Curiously, that message kind of misled me. The author wrote that she did lots of research into how people respond to assault, so I was ready for intense drama. Not so. The bulk of the story is not about the attack. The story is about relationships, with interruptions caused by Steffi's blackouts. I didn't feel the panic that Steffi must have experienced during a blackout nor the fright that she must have felt in these episodes she suffered, because it seemed as if Steffi blew off those incidents. The only one who seemed

This review will publish at www.ReadingObsession.com.

I enjoyed the storytelling journey that Jamie Beck to her readers with Steffi and Ryan's story. This series is clearly about redemption and new beginnings. I loved the characters that were introduced and found Steffi and Ryan both relateable and likeable protagonists. Ryan has a sincere deep love for his daughter and is willing to do anything to make her happy, yet he's obviously flawed and is not unwilling to take advice from his ex. Steffi is your typical tom-boy, unwilling to show any weakness. Yet, when she's brutally attacked and gets a possible second chance at love, she must learn to be vulnerable. Beck takes them both on an inspiring and touching inner journey.

This book is very inspiring! Steffi has had a very traumatic assault and blackouts that are interfering with her life. Her close friend Claire also has gone through a traumatic expierence and has overcome it and started her life over. As Steffi has moved back home and started her own business with Claire, she attempts to build a friendship with her high school sweetheart. After Steffi broke Ryan's heart years ago, you will go on a whirlwind adventure to see if Ryan can forgive Steffi. I could not put this book down! Absolutely beautiful love story about trust, forgiveness, strength, and survival!

A great second chance romance by Jamie Beck. Steffi and Ryan are high school sweethearts and first loves. When they go to different colleges, Ryan is planning their future together and Steffi panics. Being an immature 19 year old, she breaks up via texts and then ghosts him. Ryan ends up knocking up his rebound girlfriend and marries her. Now ten years later, both of them are returning to Sanctuary Sound. Ryan is in the middle of a divorce and is busy taking care of his nine year old daughter Emmy. Steffi is starting a construction business with her friend Claire and recovering from a recent brutal attack. When Ryan’s mother hires Steffi for a remodel job, they are forced to confront Ryan’s anger and Steffi’s guilt over their past. What I really enjoyed was the time that it took for the couple to repair their relationship. Steffi did a number on Ryan, and I was glad she had to work for his forgiveness. There is also a nice setup of the secondary characters for future books. I will be impatiently waiting for the next book in the series. I was provided an arc by NetGalley for my honest review.

3 1/2 stars. Just missed that fourth star. I felt like I was reading this forever, yet it wasn't overly long. The pacing was just off for me. And the blurb had me thinking that the story would be more focused on what happened to Steffi concerning her flashbacks. Yet it felt like an afterthought and the main angst was her friends drama. It was my first Jamie Beck book and I liked it enough to continue the series.

3.5 stars I have really enjoyed Jamie Beck's other books & was looking forward to this book. She tackles sensitive subjects of rape, PTSD. It was a good story, but definitely not a light reading experience for a romance story.

I received an ARC of The Memory of You from Montlake Romance and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I give this book 3 stars. The Memory of You by Jamie Beck was an intense read, as this story has triggers (attack/PTSD) and there were A LOT of emotions throughout. It was well written and the story line itself was good, but parts of it felt rushed. I did enjoy the book overall.

Assault can be a difficult subject to tackle, both in the way its written and the way its received. Jamie Beck tells the story of a survivor in a way that feels realistic but still palatable. We see our main character Steffi struggling in the aftermath of a brutal attack. Still recovering she then is thrust into the past and forced to face her first and possibly one and only love. Sadly Ryan is dealing with his own stresses at the moment and coming face to face with the girl who broke his heart is more than is more than he can handle. He is justifiably angry and carrying old hurts and is not looking to engage in a relationship of any kind including friendship.
As a friendship develops between Steffi and his daughter Emmy, Ryan has to admit the positive influence she has on his daughter and gradually is able to forgive so they can move ahead with a friendship. As we see things start to deepen the trauma from Steffi’s assault becomes increasingly apparent and it becomes clear Steffi suffered more than even she realizes.
The author covers the subject well and from the perspective not always written about which is that sometimes even the victim themselves is in the dark as to the extent of the even and their suffering. This is not to say its not still affecting them greatly but just perhaps in a different and possibly confusing way. The story shows the importance of dealing with such trauma’s though its rarely as simple as it might have seemed in this case, but also the impact of having good support and love from those closest to you. This story gives and interesting take on such traumas and positive message of hope and moving on from trauma and trials to find happiness again.
Sidenote – Emmy is gorgeous. I loved her spunk and independent attitude, although it was heartbreaking to see her revert back when around her mum and so desperate for her love and attention. I felt it was an accurate portrayal of a child dealing with divorce.
*Thanks to Author, Netgalley and Publisher for ARC*

Very intense book. PTSD is well explore with Steff story. Love , family and friendship are everywhere.

I have read many Jamie Beck books in the past, so I was super excited when I got this book on my NetGalley shelf.

The writing was great as always. The relationship was very realistic and natural, which I enjoy. Even the relationship between Steffi and Emmy felt natural.

I do feel like the assault/PTSD aspect of the story felt rushed - especially since it had so much build up and was such a huge aspect of the story.

Ryan Quinn had his heart shattered by his high school sweetheart, Steffi Lockwood. He thought the gorgeous Val was the answer to his prayers. But returning to his parents house with his daughter, Emmy after his marriage to Val failed--Ryan realizes that Val wasn't the only person at fault for the failure of his marriage.



Steffi Lockwood is starting a new business with her best friend Claire. She doesn't have the option of being picky who her clients are--even Molly Quinn, who Steffi hasn't spoken to since she ghosted Molly's son in college. Steffi thought breaking up with Ryan was the right thing to do. She wanted to see the world without any hinderances. Ryan wanted to start a family and begin a new life together. Steffi ghosted him with the support of her women's soccer team. But ten years later, she questions whether she made the right decision even though Ryan seems happy with his wife and daughter. After Molly hires Steffi to convert the screened in porch to a fuctional family room. Steffi has to deal with Ryan and his daughter Emmy during the construction. Steffi wants closure with Ryan. Ryan hates her for what she did to him.

Ryan notices how sweet Steffi is to his daughter and how Emmy confides in Steffi. All of his old feelings resurface, but Steffi has a secret that even she doesn't entirely understand. She blanks out and freaks out. Steffi thinks its from the numerous concussions she suffered while playing soccer--the last concussion, a mugging in Hartford. But Ryan knows it's something more. Something that she blocked out and that could keep them apart.

Jamie Beck lays an amazing foundation to her new series Sanctuary Sound. From the start we know that Steffi has suffered a brutal attack and has residual problems with memory lapses. For me, I was glad this tid bit was made known beforehand as it lendt to the character of Steffi- someone you could easily not liked after she ghosted her longtime friend and boyfriend, Ryan, in college. Back in Sanctuary Sound, Steffi has a remodeling business with her friend Clare, and is remodeling Ryan's mom's house.

Ryan and his sweet little girl, Emmy, are back home in Sanctuary Sound after a messy break up with his wife who has fled with her boyrfiend and gave custody to Ryan. Ryan's ex came along as a rebound to Steffi in college and they ended up pregnant and tried to make a relationship. As the story goes on you will have emotions good and bad about this ex- but in the end- she sucks as a mom!

Ryan is so bitter with Steffi, and for good cause. She shattered his heart and now wants to be friends again. When his daughter is fascinated with Steffi's work on the home Ryan decides that thawing out a bit might be okay.

I love the title "The Memory of You" and found it to be very fitting. These two shared a magical childhood/teenage life together and had wonderful memories. Tearing one's heart out hasn't ridden Ryan of those memories and it's hard to forgive Steffi when he remembers how good it used to be. For Steffi, she saw her mother pass away at a young age without experiencing life outside of their hometown. When she has a chance in college to take of for a spectacular soccer trip, Ryan talks her out of it. Not realizing the damage this has done to Steffi, Ryan keeps up with a stronghold on Steffi all the while pushing her away.

Steffi made the bold and difficult move to break it off with Ryan; however, she used a coward way of doing so and has regretted not only the manner but doing it altogether.

Trying to get Ryan to warm up to the idea of being her friend again is hard, but when old emotions rear up on both sides they find themselves in a tangle. This is compounded when Steffi keeps experiencing zone outs and can become defensive or lost and not where she is. Problems arise from this and they must decide to charge ahead together or leave themselves just a fond memory.

Oh Jamie Beck, I had high hopes after you dialled down the angst in When You Knew but obviously the stress was too much and you've reverted to type in this latest novel.

Stefanie Lockwood ghosted her high school boyfriend Ryan Quinn after she realised he could persuade her to give up all her dreams of leaving Sanctuary Sound and exploring a life full of possibilities. Now, after a brutal attack leaves her with a recurring concussion problem she has returned to Sanctuary Sound to set up a construction and decorating business with one of her best friends. One of their first jobs is for Ryan's mother, she wants an extension to give further room for Ryan and his daughter who have returned home after his wife leaves him for another man.

There was just too much everything in this book. Steffi is having episodes triggered by day-to-day events, in which she has flashbacks to the attack, which she subsequently doesn't recall - although the reader is left in no doubt as to what the flashbacks mean. Her two best friends have fallen out after Claire's boyfriend left her for Peyton. Claire is lame after a school shooting incident. Peyton has cancer. Steffi's mother died of cancer when she was a child, her father looks as though he is on the verge of dementia. Ryan hates Steffi for ghosting him, he had revenge sex and ended up getting the girl pregnant while still in college. His wife has left him for a millionaire but still wants half the house AND alimony. Ryan's mother is scheming to get Ryan and Steffi back together. I also found the signalling for the other couples in the series was a bit heavy handed. My prediction is that Claire and Peyton's millionaire photographer brother are secretly in love with each other, ditto Peyton and Steffi's brother Ben.

I wanted less angst and more of Steffi's fledgling building business. I liked the interactions between Steffi and Ryan's daughter and think if there had been less angst flying around it would have been a more enjoyable book because those parts were fun, flirty and cute.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

It was a good read. At first reading g it I thought I was predictable but the author added a little twist to it that made it more interesting.