I loved the romance, it was so well-written. My only issue was that I didn't like Amelia, who I know we were supposed to feel empathy for, but I just didn't take to her, probably because of the way she was in the hospital the first time round. A good read however, which held my attention. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have always loved Dani Atkins, her writing and the magical, heartstring-tugging plots she comes up with, so much so that I would say she is one of my top 5 favourite authors: so it’s fair to say I had high hopes for this book because of that! However, I found this book really hard to enjoy.

I’m hesitant to give any spoilers in the review, but I will say that Atkins’ plots often have a bittersweet twist to them but I found this one rather depressing all round, and that was before I even reached the epilogue. I can’t say I fell in love with the characters or the central love story itself, although I did empathise with the protagonist.

Overall, I found it was easy to read and by no means a bad book, but perhaps not what I was expecting from one of my favourite authors. The writing style actually seemed a little different to me, and I normally ‘know’ I’m reading a Dani Atkins, but not this time.

This was a hard read as my husband died of a massive heart attack weeks before I read the book. Please be aware of this before you read.
Really well written story of sisters who find themselves having to face up to the very real possibility of living with a life limiting condition. For me it also made me think about whether it is better to lose someone suddenly or have the knowledge that your precious person has a limited time.

Wow, this book had my emotions all over the place. It was so beautifully written. Nick was my favorite character. He was so kind and compassionate. I don't want to leave any spoilers in this review, so this is very brief. I cried many times throughout the book, but I felt the ending left me feeling complete and was a good conclusion to this emotional story. If you are in the mood for a heartfelt book, I highly recommend picking this book up.

This was a really good emotional read.
Dani is a fab author.
Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

When Lexi's sister Amelia is admitted to the hospital following a cardiac arrest at the beach, Lexi is shocked to hear Amelia wake up and ask for her husband Sam... Because Amelia isn't married, and Sam doesn't exist. But when Lexi meets Nick, a man who looks exactly as Amelia describes Sam, Lexi enlists his help to recreate some memories of their confabulated relationship. Things get complicated when Lexi starts falling for Nick herself.

This read ended up being a pleasant surprise. The first part of the story, as described above, was a bit drawn out and frustrating. Once we got to the how and why, I was a lot more interested and emotionally invested in the story and it was so much more than I was expecting. I can't say much more about the plot without giving away key points, but the plot was reminiscent of a couple of books I'd read many years ago, definitely tugging at the heartstrings a bit. The two main characters were ok, but both annoyed me quite a bit for the first half. I appreciated them a lot more in the latter half once it was revealed what was happening. I was again frustrated with the very end for reasons I can't explain without spoilers, but that is simply a personal opinion and I think most readers would appreciate how this wrapped up.

This emotional book started a little slowly for me but when the story began to unfold I began to get invested in the story.

The bond between sisters is explored beautifully. Being the youngest of two sisters myself I could relate to the unique bond sisters have and how far they will go to protect each other. Lexi and Amelia’s relationship is written with great insight and the love they share shines from the pages.

I found Lexi’s plan to recreate Amelia’s memories a little misguided but I realised it came from a good place and wasn’t sure how I would react if I had been in her position. The ending left the reader to decide their own conclusions which I admit to hoping for a positive one. I admit a few tears were shed whilst reading this book.

Family bonds, love, romance, memory loss and grief are only some of the complex issues explored in the storyline. A perfect book to curl up with with a box of tissues close at hand.

I enjoyed reading this book from beginning to end. Lexi changes throughout the book to become who she was meant to be, all because she comes home to help take care of her big sister. This book was unlike any other book I’ve read. It had me laughing, crying, and feeling every emotion in between. If you’re looking for a good book to take you on an emotional journey, this is the book for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this book.

This was a little slow to start and I didn't think I'd end up liking it as much as I did. Beautifully written story about the lengths you go to for your sister. It was quite a ways into the story before the science was explained as to how these sisters could be twins, since they were born many years apart. I wish that had been revealed earlier. Yes, there is a romance (closed door) between Lexi and Nick, yet this is more about the bond between Lexi and Amelia. There were tears shed towards the end, but it was a satisfying ending. I would definitely read this author again.

The memory of us by Dani Atkins is another heartfelt, emotional story.
The story starts when Amelia is found unconscious on a deserted beach by two doctors. Apparently, she had a cardiac arrest and is lucky to be alive because of the two doctors. Older sister Lexi gets a call at home in New York that her sister is gravely ill and told to come home. So, she takes the first flight out.
When Amelia wakes up, she asks where her husband Sam is. But the only problem with that is she has never been married and there is no husband Sam. She tries to argue and describes him. She is asked by her sister to search for him. But when he is discovered. The guy’s name is not Sam, but Nick and he has not heard of woman called Amelia. To help with her sister’s memory, she asks Nick to help take photos. To try and jog her sister’s memory to find out what happened to her that she ended up on the beach.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of ‘The Memory of us’ I have read books from the author before and know that she writes emotional, heartfelt stories. But when I read the first few paragraphs of this story. My first thoughts that the author has changed her genre and was surprised how it started. But as it went further it came to a story full on emotion I know and love. This is a beautifully written and poignant tale about sisters’ relationships and dealing when someone you love has a type of Alzheimer’s that is relevant to today. This is a great read. 4 stars from me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Memory of Us by Dani Atkins in return for my honest review.
This is a lovely heartwarming story of love and family and in true Dani Atkins style is beautifully written. This is a perfect holiday read.

Oh my goodness, what a wonderful story. It was such a heart wrenching read with such amazing characters, all very believable. I thought it was going to be quite a soppy love story but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The exceptionally strong bond between the two sisters was something else!! The storyline of Amelia & Sam was adorable and i am glad it was all explained at the end. Who wouldn’t want to be Lexi with a guy who completely adored her the way Nick did, it was a crazy path but they got there in the end. It was so well written and I can’t wait to read more by this author. If i could give it 6 stars then I would.

Thanks to Aria and Aries and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy to read in exchange for my open and honest review. As always, my reviews will also be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and Waterstones and interaction on Facebook and instagram where possible.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was hooked on this novel from the beginning, but an ick factor hit about halfway through.

This is the first book that I have read by this author, I had read the synopsis and was intrigued. This was a fantastic story of two sisters. One of the sisters Amelia is found on a desert beach where she had died for a few minutes so her sister flies’ home to take care of her and when she gets there, she realizes that Amelia might not be the same as she was because she is now convinced that she has a husband and a personality change. Lexi ends up finding a man that fits the description of her ‘husband’ Sam who’s really named Nick and he agrees to help build the memories for her sister. This was a crazy whirlwind of emotions, I’m excited to see what other books this author has written.

Wow, when I first started reading this I thought it was going to be a typical cheesy rom com how wrong was I? I have just finished this and the tears are still rolling, it's been a long time since a book has done this to me. I absolutely loved this story, bit unbelievable at times with the photos I can't imagine any stranger agreeing to that lol. But it was so powerful, the love between mimi and lexi shone through and the ending was spot on. Absolutely my book of the year thank u

Oh god, this book! I haven’t ugly cried over a book in a while, but this brought tears, lots of tears. Make sure you have tissues and a stiff drink before starting.

I really enjoy the authors writing style and need to catch up on her back catalogue, you can really feel the emotions that the characters are feeling. All of the characters are relatable and the bond between the sisters was beautiful.

I loved the whole parallel universe had me hooked and I couldn’t wait to see how each of the photo were staged, also the development of love through both romantic and family relationships. this needs to be a film!

What an amazing story. Such an interesting idea. I was hooked right from the start and I really had no idea what was going to happen until it did.

Amelia has memories of a life she appears to not have lived. I really didn’t know if it was going to be a parallel universe thing, or the second half of the book being told from an Amelia with no memory of a husband, I was kept on my toes.

I really enjoyed how it all panned out and I admit to crying my eyes out with all the emotion. Lexi and Nick are amazing and so in love. So many feels in this book and everyone should read it.

The Memory of Us had me hooked in! I couldn't put it down. I was not expecting this book to be such an emotional rollercoaster (get your tissues ready). I liked that this story was so much more than a romance. Atkins did a beautiful job creating multi-dimensional characters. Nick was the definition of a book boyfriend! He was supportive, vulnerable, and witty. I thought that the conflict between Lexi and Nick was devastating and believable. There were some things in the book that felt unanswered at points. There was one point where I found myself wondering about Lexi's job. I also was confused about Holly at the end of the book. Where did she go? Speaking of the ending, I was not happy about the unanswered questions. I sort of wish the author never included that final bit at the end. Despite that, I highly recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the ARC.

Dani Atkins books are always so beautiful and tear jerking. Been reading and acquiring them for many years. She happens to combine love, loss, and the in between so poignantly. Thrilled to have read this one! Readers are going to devour it! The mystery has me on my toes!

I had never heard of the author but when I saw the blurb I knew I had to read it, and I am so glad I did.

This is the story of 2 sisters who started life in the same petri dish as twins, but one was born several years before the other. The younger sister, Lexi, was living and working in America when she got the call that her sister had ‘died’ on the beach, and been brought back by some doctors who just happened to be there. When Lexi comes home and races to the hospital, she finds her sister Mimi in a bad way, and changed in personality – she is also convinced that she has a husband called Sam, who doesn’t exist.

When Lexi finds a man who matches the description of the fictitious Sam, Lexi asks him to recreate some of the scenes in Mimi’s imaginary dates with Sam. There starts a relationship between Lexi and Nick (the Sam look alike) that threatens to break the sisters apart.

I absolutely loved this book. It ran the through all the emotions – and left me with a book hangover when it was finished. I loved it and will be looking for more books from this author.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195391756-the-memory-of-us