Love Water Memory

Love Water Memory by Jennie Shortridge

(Summary taken from the back cover of the book) "At age thirty-nine, Lucie Walker has no choice but to start her life over when she comes to, up to her knees in the chilly San Francisco Bay, with no idea how she got there or who she is. Her memory loss is caused by an emotional trauma she knows nothing about, and only when handsome, quiet Grady Goodall arrives at the hospital does she learn she has a home, a career, and a wedding just two months away. What went wrong? Grady seems to care for her, but Lucie is no more sure of him than she is of anything. As she collects the clues of her past self, she unlocks the mystery of what happened to her. The painful secrets she uncovers could hold the key to her future--if she trusts her heart enough to guide her."

I loved this story. It is written so well (except for the profanity, which I will get to later.....). The language of the story is beautiful and captivating. I was hooked from the first paragraph. How could you not be? I mean, a very well dressed woman finds herself in the water searching for something, and she can't remember anything about herself. What happened to her to cause this? Who is she? Does she have a family? Friends? A job? Where is she from? I had to find out. The first part kind of reminded me of the old movie "Overboard" with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. Do you remember that movie? So cute. Anyway, this woman can't remember anything, and it intrigued me from the get-go. Not only is the writing beautiful and the story captivating, but the characters are so well done that you just fall in love with them. I couldn't get Lucie off my mind, even when I wasn't reading. I wondered about her and her past. I did kind of find it hard  to believe that she had these fancy clothes and an expensive bag and she decided to dump them for a mini denim skirt, a t-shirt with a saying on it, and a bag from Guatemala. But, what would I do with a new start? That's just it.....I never stopped thinking about Lucie while I was reading this book, and even after I finished. I just kept wondering what I would do, and how would I feel if I were Lucie, or how would I feel if I were Grady? Grady, now he is another character that comes to life on the pages. I felt bad for him because here he had this fiance and now she doesn't remember him or anything about their life together. I felt his frustration, but at the same time, I think he handled it fairly well. I loved that they got a fresh start. I loved that they could both start over. The story of them re-finding their love is both maddening and beautiful, but fascinating all the way around. I never really liked Helen. I know she had endured a difficult life, but she was so angry and mean. This story is crafted so well. It has mystery, intrigue, romance, and a fresh look at life.

One of  the only things about this book that I did not like was the profanity. Oh. my. I LOVED the story, but I can't recommend it to any of my friends because the language is terrible. Awful. The kind of every day, common, swear words aren't that bad. However, there are so many "f" words that it made me sick.  Ahhhhhhh!!! Why do authors feel the need to ruin such incredible stories by using such awful words? I don't get it. I don't. I'm sorry. When the profanity is that bad it totally detracts from the flow and quality of the story; it's disappointing to say the least. The other thing I didn't like was the sexual language. I know, they're consenting adults and they had at one time been quite "intimate." I also know it's a real issue in relationships, but that doesn't mean that I want to read very descriptive details about when a man gets excited (that's the nice way of putting it) or all the explicit details about what goes on. 

I wish I could recommend this book to my friends because it's an amazing story. I just wish it didn't have the profanity or the explicit details of their "intimate" relationship. It is crafted so well, the language of it is so beautiful (if you take out the profanity), and the characters come to life on the page. Lucie's past turns out to be not-so-pretty, so there are some disturbing, graphic, and violent scenes as well. However, if profanity doesn't bother you, you will love the story.

Rating: R (This is not appropriate for younger readers.) Profanity (especially the "f" word), explicit "intimacy" details, domestic violence, murder.

Recommendation: Adult

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.