REVIEW: Don’t Forget Me by Lisa Nicholas

14 September 2021

Adam thought his old life was finished, that those he loved were gone... little does he know that his new life is still intertwined with her.

Don't Forget Me is out now!

Author of Don’t Forget Me, Lisa Nicholas, lives in Lancashire with her husband, two giant dogs, and one pair of cats. When not writing, Nicholas adores hikes that end with delicious lunches and fine wine.

The synopsis

Adam, Megan and Oliva live together in harmony. They love one another, and the married couple adore having Olivia around. That is, until things turn sinister.

Looking back into the past, Adam tries to forget what happened; he attempts to move on with his new life. But someone is watching him, sabotaging almost every move he makes. Could his past have really caught up with him, after all it took for Adam to keep it hidden?

So, what did I think?

When reading about Don’t Forget Me, I was excited for the plot and wondered what horrors were between the pages. However, the book took its time getting to the climax, which slowed down the pacing ever so slightly.

The narrative of this book promised so much, and while it delivered a memorable third part, the first two were less so. The pacing was the biggest issue I had; I read through many pages with a minor event included every now and again, but sadly nothing shocking gripped me until I was almost at the end.

This was a shame, as it slowed down the book itself and limited my excitement; having said this, however, the language used by Nicholas really intrigued me, and while the story took a little time to get going, I adored the beautiful words laid out before me.

The language used in Don’t Forget Me really allowed the best parts of the book to shine. While I sometimes felt that some words were not needed, there was a sense of elegance surrounding the book, which made for wonderful reading.

While I sometimes felt a little confused at the dynamic between Olivia, Megan and Adam, once the explanation came, I felt a sense of relief; I wasn’t sure what was going on, but once it was explained to me, it became perfectly clear and very interesting.

Don’t Forget Me is told from the first-person perspective of Olivia, and the third-person view of Adam. This was a clever way to go, as Adam felt a little removed from the situation, all the while Olivia was more front-and-centre, just how she liked it.

Nicholas has created an almost villain in Olivia, as her entries in the first two parts of the book reveal her to have a slightly dark mind, and thoughts that surprised me pretty much every time she ‘spoke’; her character was well-done and led me to form ideas in my mind about what was really going on.

Her entries in the third part became more vocal, more interesting, and her character grew into something brilliant.

It was Olivia’s character that, despite some uncertainty along the way, really allowed me to enjoy this book. Her story was told perfectly, as her entries were the saving graces within this narrative.

Her personality was bold yet reserved, angry yet calm, and her thoughts and feelings throughout led me to want to know more about her character, and therefore made me want to read on and see what her part in this tale really was.

In regard to the climax itself, it was not what I was expecting; but I did love it. I didn’t expect certain characters to do what they did, and I certainly did not see the ultimate reveal coming.

If there is one thing Nicholas has done really well with Don’t Forget Me, it’s a twist. She crafted a shocking event that led me to question everything I had read in the best way, and made me want to keep reading to see what else might happen.

Despite the climax taking a little too long, and the pages perhaps not being as exciting as I expected, Don’t Forget Me is still a book worth reading. I adored the writing, Olivia’s character, and the reveal at the end was definitely worth waiting for.

Don’t Forget Me is available to buy now!

Written by Melissa, who you can follow on Twitter @melissajournal