Blog Tour Review: Memories

Welcome to my stop on the Memories Blog tour Hosted by CLP  Blog Tours. Follow the tour here. 

Everyone who leaves a comment on the blog tour's page here will be entered to win a $50 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of Memories before October 8 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.

Michael DeCara came home from the Vietnam War a wounded man, both
physically and emotionally. He tried putting his life back together, but found civilian life difficult after all he'd experienced in Nam. Raising his young daughter, Vanessa, by himself after his wife left, he found it difficult to commit to one job or one woman for any length of time. Then he met a young woman who made him feel good about himself again and who fell in love with Vanessa as well. But then a life-changing event occurred and he had to choose between his past and the present. He chose to leave without a word to the young woman, believing he was doing what was best for her. Now, years later, she has walked back into his life and he believes they may have a second chance at love-except she hates him and he doesn't understand why. 

Danielle Westerly fell in love when she was only eighteen and her heart was broken when he left her without a word. Her heartache was increased when she made a fateful decision that would alter her future, and she blamed him for her loss. Years later, she is single and has built up a successful career when she accidently runs into the man who was responsible for her past pain. Yet, their chemistry is undeniable. Can Dani give up her anger and let go of the pain of the past and fall in love again with the man she has hated all these years? 
Dani and Michael share a journey of heartache, loss and painful memories that threaten to keep them apart. Can they break past these and finally find love again?
                           

Review:

"I remember the first time I took you to the beach alone, without Vanessa. It was windy and cold and you borrowed my sweatshirt as we walked along the shoreline. All I could do was look at you with your golden hair blowing back, the sweatshirt billowing around you and I wished I was that sweatshirt, encircling you."

This is a beautiful love story. It's something that will melt your heart, maybe it will even make you cry. The author has done an excellent job in evoking emotions and making the readers connect with the story. 

It's not filled with cliches and is much more than a cheesy romantic novel. It's real and honest.

The characters are complex and well developed. I liked Dani. I understood her confusion and anger. She is a smart, kind and beautiful woman who went through a lot of pain in life. Michael hurt her and changed her entire life and she hates him for that.  

How he hurt her, was revealed a little later and I won't spoil it for you but I don't think I would have been able to forgive him as easily, if I had been in Dani's place. I could understand the doubt that Dani felt and was a little angry with Michael and some of his decisions. 

But Michael also goes through his fair share of pain and it's hard to feel anything but sympathetic towards him because there is no doubt that he is a good guy who cares deeply about Dani. He served in war and ever since has been tormented by nightmares of the sights he saw there and the people he lost. War is such a terrible thing. When you see death, pain and suffering all around you. It's difficult to hope and believe in anything. Isn't it?

I loved the relationship he shared with his daughter and grand-daughter. It was all so sweet.  

All fans of Nicholas Spark should definitely read the book. I thought the writing style is a little similar. The book has  a good pace, interesting characters and a lot of real emotions. I felt for the characters and I wanted to give them each a hug by the end of it.

This is my first book by the author and I would love to read more.

"If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him, you'll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of your life."

Author Bio:
Deanna Lynn Sletten is a novelist who writes women's fiction and has also written one middle-grade fiction action/adventure novel. Her novels include Memories, Widow, Virgin, Whore and Outlaw Heroes. She started her writing career as a freelance writer for parenting publications in the early 1990s and transitioned to writing for blogs and websites until she made the jump to novelist. Deanna is married and has two grown children. When not writing, Deanna enjoys walking the trails around her northern Minnesota home with her beautiful Australian Shepherd.

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