What the Heart Remembers Most by M. Ullrich
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, 2020
- Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Paperback (eARC)
- Page Count: 266 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Love was waning, and the seventeen-year relationship between Jax Levine and Gretchen Mills was no longer worth fighting for. The last few years of their marriage had been hellish. But after an accident that left Gretchen unconscious in the hospital for days, she woke up to Jax sitting by her bedside and without memories of the past three-and-a-half years. She couldn’t figure out what broke their marriage apart or what memories were real. Would this incident be the almost-clean slate the soon-to-be ex-wives needed to love again?
What the Heart Remembers Most is about pain, trust, and hope. I love almost everything about the book – how both main characters were flawed and fierce in their own ways and that every detail mattered. It was important that Jax grew up in foster care system because the experience definitely fuelled her protectiveness of children. I also really appreciate that the supporting characters were crucial for the story to come full circle.
The simple settings worked remarkably well. With most of the plot occurring at the hospital and Gretchen’s home and only a handful of characters involved, Ullrich enhanced the sense of intimacy to this very personal story.
A big part of Jax and Gretchen’s relationship was them connecting through writing. I love this choice of media, and whether it was proclaiming love or just communicating, nothing brought them closer than handwritten words.
We pretty much woke up with Gretchen. The blur between false memory and reality caught me off guard, briefly making me just as confused as both Gretchen and Jax in the most engrossing way possible. I really enjoyed this way of storytelling.
As readers, we see very little of the downsides of Jax and Gretchen’s relationship. Maybe that helped us root for them to reconcile all the way through. I’d like to think both characters wanted a second chance, but the ugly past forgotten by Gretchen and scarred Jax was too much of a landmine that both feared would go off at any time. I reminded myself that both were seeking closure, and should the story had different endings, it would still be wondrous.
What the Heart Remembers Most is a romance that tears through the readers’ hearts. It is a reevaluation of what is important in life. As we experience the traumatic recovery of Gretchen along with all the characters, we feel the desperation and tension and love. We live it all through with Jax and Gretchen, and upon finishing, dared to believe in forevers again. [23 Mar 2020]
I received an e-ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
