Can Olivia Learn About Her Past?
Any time an author I like releases something outside their series, I pay attention, and if it looks good, I jump on it. Since I’ve enjoyed all of C. Michele’s Dorsey’s books, I took a look at Gone but Not Forgotten. The premise was intriguing, so I quickly agreed when I was offered an ARC.
Olivia appears to have a pretty good life. She’s happily married and is in her third year of law school in Boston. The only struggle she is facing is that her mother is declining from Alzheimer’s. It is emotionally a struggle for Olivia, who visits her mother every day in the home where she is now living.
It’s an issue for Olivia for another reason, too. Olivia knows nothing of her past or her family other than, at the age of five, she and her mother fled from Olivia’s abusive father. Her mother has always refused to answer any of her questions about their past. Then, one evening, her mother signs a legal document with a different name. Is this the clue Olivia needs to unravel the mystery of her past?
How intriguing is that, right? The book jumps right in, and I was hooked immediately, waiting to see just what Olivia would uncover about her past. Unfortunately, I feel like the book tried to tackle a few too many storylines, and that made some elements of the book feel very rushed. Overall, things do come together for a satisfying conclusion, but a little more time spent developing some things would have been better.
On the other hand, Olivia is a very sympathetic main character, and I was rooting for her from the first chapter. In some ways, this is a coming-of-age story wrapped up in mysteries, and that means we get to see some really good growth for her, which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed the supporting players, both the good and those we didn’t quite trust.
This is intended as a standalone, and I’m happy with where Olivia is at the end of this book. Gone but Not Forgotten will pull you in for a few hours of pleasant reading and leave you satisfied when you reach the end.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
The plot is very close to one of my favorite mystery sub-genres: geneological mystery. I am interested in reading the book to find out why the mother signed a different name.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the premise of this one though it is a bit disappointing that there's so much stuff crammed into a book. This has been a common complaint for me lately. I'm not sure if it's me being cranky or just something that's happening more lately.
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