I received this book for free from the Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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A tragedy brought them together as teens, and then fate tore them apart. After fifteen years, can the pain and secrets of the past be forgiven to rekindle a once-in-a-lifetime love?

As a teen, Milo Covell’s life was destroyed when his mother was killed and his father was imprisoned for causing her death. His first love, Olivia Dunham, was the only beacon that brought his soul back into the light, promises of forever whispered under the stars creating an unbreakable bond—until the night Milo left Olivia heartbroken and alone.

When an unexpected phone call draws Milo back to New York, he’s forced to face the ghosts of the past he left behind fifteen years ago. Finding his estranged father, Mac, losing his battle with cancer, Milo is overcome with anger and betrayal when he discovers the girl he once loved has befriended the man who destroyed his life.

As Olivia struggles with her grief at the thought of losing Mac, she must also confront the man who abandoned her in her greatest time of need, leaving her life in pieces.

Brought together by fate during this trying time, the two must face hard truths, unshared secrets, and long-forgotten feelings.
Is their teenage love strong enough to span the decades and heal old wounds, or is the pain of the past too powerful to be forgiven and forgotten?

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to receive a review request by the author herself. ‘Forgive or Forget Me’ is this authors debut novel, and after reading the book description I knew this was a book I wanted to read. So when the time came I dived right in.

In ‘Forgive or Forget Me’ we read the story of Milo and Olivia. Milo and Olivia meet in their teens right after Milo receives some devastating news. At the worst time of his life, Olivia is right beside Milo. They become very close and soon learn there is more to them than just a friendship. But  unfortunately life has more hard moments in store for them. And when Olivia needs Milo the most, he disappears on her.

Now many years later Milo comes back into Olivia life, and he is not prepared to find the guy he hates the most right beside her. Milo’s dad did the unthinkable, and Olivia has been spending the last few years by his side. Milo feels betrayed and hurt, but above all else he finds himself unable to leave Olivia again. The years he spend without her have been the worst, but can he forgive her for her betrayal?

‘Forgive or Forget Me’ is right from the start a very emotional and touching story, that kept me sitting on the edge of my seat. It really is astounding to me that this book is the authors debut! I mean.. wow! This book is filled with emotion and it made me tear up several times. We get to read the story through both Oliva and Milo’s point of view, and we go from present time to past time. And it never got confusing at all.

Yes, this book is a romance and it has some swoon worthy moments, but most of all it was a story about friendship, love and loss. We learn that every story has more sides to it, and how important it is to try to look at things from multiple perspectives. The setting was fun, and I enjoyed the side characters in this book almost as much as the main characters.

The one thing that bothered me at times was Milo’s character. I don’t particularly liked him a lot of the time. He acted so selfish, and horrible towards Olivia, that although it was understandable.. It didn’t make me love him at all. Olivia on the other hand was just amazing. She was one tough lady and I loved her.

‘Forgive or Forget Me’ was a wonderful, touching read that is definitely a stunning debut. I can’t wait to read what this author has in store for us next.

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About Ann Einerson

Ann Einerson is the author of imperfect love stories that will tug at your heartstrings, keeping you invested until the very last page.

Her strong-willed heroines aren’t afraid to take on their moody men when they need to be put in their place. Each of Ann’s novels feature a found family, an ode to her love of travel, and incorporates a rollercoaster of emotions so get your tissues ready.

She keeps an ample supply of sticky notes on hand to jot down the stories that live rent-free in her mind.

When she’s not writing, Ann enjoys spoiling her pet chickens, listening to her dysfunctional playlists, and going for late night runs on the treadmill. She lives in Michigan with her husband.

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Maureen Bakker

Maureen is a mom, wife, nurse, and Ravenclaw living in the Netherlands. She spends her days juggling mom-life, reading, blogging, planning date nights with her husband and working as a nurse. Maureen also is a big Anglophile, loves cooking, Gilmore Girls, Bridgerton and Harry Potter.. Always!  Facebook | Instagram