Author: Janine Rosche Genre: Contemporary Fiction Pages: 304 Release Date: June 6, 2023 Publisher: Revell Is the life she can't remember one she'd rather forget? One year after her family was in a tragic car accident that killed her teenage son, Lori Mendenhall returns home with a traumatic brain injury that has stolen the last eight years of memories from her, leaving the life she has returned to unrecognizable. Her once-loving husband, Michael, is a distant workaholic she isn't sure she can trust, and her once-bubbly daughter, Avery, has spent the last year hidden away in her room. If Lori wants to reconnect with her family, she'll have to uncover the information her brain is trying to keep secret. As her memories return and past secrets resurface, it will take the whole family to repair what's been broken and find a new future together. Reviewer: Joy Hannabass I wasn't sure what this story would tell after reading the book summary, but what a read it ended up being! Dealing with some horrific and difficult issues, this story shows that families can overcome situations life throws at them, forgive, and start over. I just wish there was a stronger faith thread running through this story. Lori Mendenhall is home after suffering a traumatic brain injury in a tragic accident that left her son dead and herself injured, including a bad case of amnesia. As Lori notices the house is fabulous with its beautiful rooms, backdrops, and lavish furnishings, she is more confused than ever about who she is and the kind of life she lived before the accident. Her daughter Avery has her own issues, and Lori just can't figure out her husband Michael. Though he is being extremely nice and caring, what was their marriage really like? Lori is such a sweet person and easy to love. Avery, however, is a different story. She is at a tough age, and the accident takes a different turn for her. Her suffering has been more mental. I wasn't sure about Michael. I thought he was being honest and really wanted to believe he was telling the truth, but the evidence was against him. So, you really need to read the book for yourself to figure all of this tangled web out. I really liked these enjoyable characters. Crafted with their own personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. They all brought their own authenticity and strength to the story. There were some twists and turns that I didn't see coming but were vital to the story. All in all, I found this to be a really fabulous read. I was in awe of this family and everything they suffered. The entire story is realistic and uniquely draws readers in. It is just an all-around amazing story that I enjoyed so much. What I missed, however, was a stronger faith in the lives of the characters, especially with the severity of the story and the impact it had on the family. I wanted God's grace and forgiveness to be clearly shown here. I'm giving With Every Memory by Janine Rosche 4 stars. I strongly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a good, clean, faith-based read. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion. Reviewer: Amy Smelser I was not sure, by reading the back of the book, how much I wanted to read this story. I thought this could be depressing, especially knowing Lori's son died in an accident that stole her memories over the past eight years. Yet, the amnesia, especially only the past eight years, intrigued me enough to pick this one up. I am so glad I gave this one a read. Author Rosche pulls us into the lives of the Mendenhalls through the voices of Lori and her daughter Avery as both try to circumvent life after the tragic death of Avery's twin brother. I can't imagine, nor do I want to, awakening from that horrific nightmare and not remembering the past eight years of your life. For Lori, she remembers her twins younger, Michael and her poorer, yet much happier in their marriage. As she awakens to her reality, she begins to see that not all is what it seems. Not only is her son gone, but there is something wrong with her marriage, and Avery is acting out. On Avery's side, she is experiencing some intense grief. She lost her brother, best friend, and confidant while almost losing her mom. A freak accident changed life as they knew it. Avery is trying to catch up to graduate with the help of her brother's best friend, Xander, who was also her biggest tormentor once upon a time. As Lori forges ahead and memories begin to resurface, she will need all the help she can get to keep her family together. This was a compelling read of love and faithfulness and the strength of the familial bond. And the power of forgiveness. I was provided a copy of this novel from Revell Publishing through Interviews and Reviews. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own. Reviewer: Mindy Houng This is my favorite Janine Rosche novel to date. It addresses devastating loss, grief, and heartache but overflows with hope, forgiveness, and redemption. Sin and consequences bring regret and shame, yet unconditional love triumphs over the ugliest of human actions and emotions. Told from Lori and Avery’s first-person viewpoints, the narrative is raw, heartbreaking, emotional, and real. The dialogue, especially between Avery and Xander, is witty and brings humor to the story. Lori is lovable from the start as she wanders through her slow progress of reclaiming memories to recapture who she was before the accident. There are plenty of secrets and surprises in her journey of self-discovery, which had my mouth hanging open. I had mixed feelings about Michael, her husband, at the beginning but ended up admiring him in the end. Avery, Lori’s daughter, is feisty, smart, and passionate but weighed down by guilt, rebellion, and angst. I loved Xander and his patient, tender kindness, and love for Avery. The accident cost Lori, Michael, and Avery much but allowed them to see their self-imposed prison of selfishness and harm to seek a better way. If you’re a fan of stirring women’s fiction, this book is for you. I received the book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own. Reviewer: Kristina Hall An engaging women’s fiction novel with a touch of romance. Lori and her daughter, Avery, were both well-drawn, sympathetic characters. Both ladies had difficult circumstances they were dealing with. The side characters were good as well. I wasn’t sure at first what to think of Lori’s husband, but I ended up liking him in the end. Avery and her boyfriend, Xander, were sweet together, and their budding romance helped balance out the heavier things going on. And there were plenty of heavy things going on. Sometimes the plot got a little too dramatic for me, though. Some of the content got a little edgy. But most of it was handled tactfully, and I’d still consider it clean. It’s just not a book I’d recommend to younger teens. I enjoyed Janine Rosche’s writing style and appreciated that she kept the language clean. Overall, I found With Every Memory an interesting read that I’d recommend to those who enjoy Christian and women’s fiction novels. Disclosure: I received this book free from Revell through Interviews & Reviews. My opinions are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this following the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. Reviewer: Laura J. Davis With Every Memory by Janine Rosche explores many topics - traumatic brain injury, adultery, child loss, and rape. The author does warn the reader at the novel's beginning about these issues for those who might be triggered by them. The main topic of the story was Lori's memory loss. How she lost it, and the knowledge that her daughter's (Avery) twin brother was killed in the same accident kept me reading. The author's research into traumatic brain injuries was very well done. Because Lori has no memories, we have to learn her backstory at the same time she does. This is an interesting way to come at the story, and kept me engaged. However, the formatting in the NetGalley version was off-putting. At least, I think it was the formatting. More than once, the scene changed without warning to what seemed like a jump into another scene. One minute Lori is at home, and then suddenly, she is on a trip with her friends or talking to her doctor. It wasn't apparent if there was a paragraph division. I don't think this was the author's fault, but more likely NetGalley's inability to format books for Kindle. I loved Avery and Xander's relationship. The author also brilliantly depicted teenage angst. I didn't care too much for Lori, Michael or her mother. The surprises along the way as Lori's memories return were very well done. However, the lack of Christian content was a big disappointment for me. Showing the family going to church was not enough. While I appreciated how the author tried to keep this as real-to-life as possible, there were many opportunities to make this a life-changing, God-honoring story instead. Ultimately, I struggled as to why this was considered a Christian book. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through NetGalley for my honest review. Reviewer: Rebecca Maney "Even the best makeup couldn't hide the fact that I'd been raised from death to life." Home. What did that mean exactly? Lori Mendenhall barely remembered her family, much less a gorgeous house that hosted one less resident and boasted gorgeous high-end finishes and furnishings. Who had she been before? A traumatic brain injury left her in a coma, and she is now struggling with retrograde amnesia. Her physician assured her that recollections would improve, but maybe there were there things best left forgotten? What she did recall was painful enough. "I'm glad you're home, Mom." Avery Mendenhall had survived her family's horrific accident without visible scarring, but the emotional injuries had been devastating. Once one of the popular teens in high school, Avery had become an empty shell of her former self and struggled to finish her senior year (kind of hard to do when you never went to class). One person was determined to give her the help she needed but did not want - her brother's best friend, Xander Dixon. Yet another character in this story is prominent in Lori's and Avery's everyday lives. Lori's husband Michael . . . and let's leave it at that. . . for now. Honestly, giving this book an actual "star" rating was very difficult. In many ways, it transcends that measure of simplicity. On one level, this story "begs," I would even say, "pleads" to delve deeper into the restorative power of faith in the God Who Heals. On the other hand, the author demonstrates an impressive amount of courage, forcing her readers to wrestle with the "ground zeroes" of life and love in just one sitting. My conclusion? You will just have to read it for yourself. I received a copy of this book from Baker Publishing through Interviews and Reviews. The opinions stated above are entirely my own. Reviewer: Paula Shreckhise Authentically told story of Lori, whose memories are slowly unfolding after a brain trauma. The author gives us a peek into the lives of a family dealing with not only memory loss but are grieving 18-year-old Austin, twin to Avery, in her vulnerable senior year of high school. She has support from her long-time friend Xander, who tutors her so she can graduate on time. It is a rediscovery for Lori and her husband, Michael, into who she was before the incident and who she wants to become since. Ms. Rosche educates us on rehabilitation after severe brain injury but also tells a tale of soul searching by the members of the family. With an underlying faith element, she asks us to examine our motives to see if we are living our faith or merely giving lip service. There is a resolution, but only after struggles. The author gives us a reconciliation and a bit of romance along the way. With Every Memory is well worth the read. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell through Interviews & Reviews. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own. Reviewer: Anna Bottoms It’s not often that I’ve found a book so profound it has me thinking about its message throughout my day. This book touched on death, adultery, memory loss, and much more within the family dynamic. Though the issues were hard, they were presented in a way that was real and preserved the message and integrity of the story. Some themes were forgiveness, love, and a journey of discovery. Lori has lost eight years of her life after surviving an accident that took her son. Physical and emotional challenges are only part of the problem. As her memories return, she’s not sure she likes who she has become. Michael sees his wife’s memory loss as a way to reset their marriage. He’s not sure how to go about it, and blaming himself for the accident isn’t helping. Add in Avery, a moody teenager who lost her twin brother, a best friend who could become more, a few mean girls, and not so subtle mother-in-law, and you have the makings of a wonderful family drama. I can’t describe how touched I was by this book. It stirred my emotions, so I felt every pain and every triumph. I longed for Lori and Michael’s marriage to be restored to a new place and for Avery to come to terms with her brother’s death. This is a novel I highly recommend. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews. This is my honest opinion of the book. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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