After reading through the Heroes of Freedom Ridge series (still two-thirds to go!), am I ever glad that there's a spin-off series, Christmas in Redemption Ridge, with the amazingly talented authors I've already encountered. I was even more excited that I got to read a Liwen Y. Ho book in advance of her release date as I pretty much binge read almost all of her books earlier this year and was waiting for the next one to come out (Remembering the Rancher is book #41 for me!).
For full disclosure, I was on Liwen's ARC team and received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Book Synopsis
Will her forgotten memories of the past be the key to healing their future?
Annabella Knight would be the first to admit that her marriage has been on the rocks for a while, but she never expected to be served divorce papers at work. Already feeling like a disappointment to God and to her family, there’s plenty that she would like to change about her past. But for now, she needs to find a way to salvage her relationship with her high school sweetheart for the sake of their son.
Since giving up his football dream to support his young family, Maverick Knight has tried his best to be the husband and father they deserve. Poor money decisions, however, have gotten him mixed up with dangerous men. When Annabella’s life is threatened, the only way he sees to protect his wife and son is to distance himself, even if it means breaking up their home.
When a car crash leaves Annabella in the hospital with amnesia, Maverick realizes his family needs him now more than ever. As they learn how to live together as husband and wife, will this loss of the past be an unexpected chance to start over? Or is it just the calm before the storm before old memories surface to tear them apart again?
Source: Amazon
Book Thoughts
Have you ever read an author where the words just seem to flow off the page and become imprinted on your mind as if they've always been there? I would say that Liwen Y. Ho is this author for me. Somehow, when I read her books, they are simply effortless for me. Not that I don't have to think, mind you, but rather that everything makes sense, and when she is describing another element of the plot, my brain is completely onboard with what's next. Mav and Bella's story did this for me, where it felt like their story was always meant to be shared. One thing I appreciate about Liwen's writing is that she does not gloss over the difficulties in life. Sure, we could have a sanitized version of Mav who is just waiting for Bella to fall back into his arms, but I know by now that Liwen specializes in writing complex characters. A testament to how good she is at this? Well, in some Asian cultures, there are particular vices that are heavily frowned down upon. I won't say which one plagues the story, but the fact that I was able to sympathize with the character despite this issue means that she was able to bring me around.
Amnesia is probably not an easy trope to tackle, but Remembering the Rancher succeeds in being a story about the characters' hearts and not just their circumstances. This is one of the reasons why I am trying to look beyond tropes; the book usually contains so much more even if it's a helpful device to bring people together. Ultimately, Liwen has written a moving story about redemption that fittingly takes place at Redemption Ridge. Mav and Bella are characters that you truly feel like you can know, and God's hope is sprinkled throughout from interactions with supportive friends and family members. This book is another reason why Liwen is an author who is hard to forget.
Book Summary
- Format of book: 📱
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Recommendation: 👍
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