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Always Something There to Remind Me

by Beth Harbison (Goodreads Author)

3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 · rating details · 3,139 ratings · 390 reviews

Can you ever really know if love is true? And if it is, should you stop at anything to get it?

Two decades ago, Erin Edwards was sure she’d already found the love of her life: Nate Lawson. Her first love. The one with whom she shared everything--dreams of the future, of children, plans for forever. The one she thought she would spend the rest of her life with. Until one te...more

Hardcover, 358 pages

Published July 19th 2011 by St. Martin's Press (first published July 6th 2011)

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Community Reviews

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Nov 22, 2011 Maree rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, romance, 2011-read

Always Something There to Remind Me was another beautifully crafted Harbison novel. Having read Shoe Adicts Anonymous I knew straight away that I would love this book and Harbison did not dissapoint. Although not as 'fluffy' and cheery as SAA, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

It questions whether one can ever get over their first love and intertwines the tale of Erin (the novel's protagonist) during her teen years with that of her during her adult life. These were wonderfully woven together o...more

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Sep 26, 2011 Regina rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't think I'll be posting this particular review on Facebook as this book has quite a bit of *whispers* s-e-x in it. (A lot of Christians seem to have a problem with this particular topic even though God created it.) However, before Christians discount it completely, let me just add that this book makes a powerful case for teenage abstinence. First of all, it contains an extremely accurate description of a girl's First Time. It's not the passionate, beautiful experience you see in movies. It...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Pghbekka rated it 3 of 5 stars

So, Beth Harbison's Shoe Addicts Anonymous is one of my favorite books. Strong female characters and fashion and friendship and humor...it hits all the right notes for me. This is not that book.

And I had a lot of problems with this book. Sure the plot's unbelievable, but no more so than Shoe Addicts. This is classic wish fulfillment fantasy material. But somehow, I'm more willing to suspend disbelief that a phone sex operator, a politician's wife, a nanny and a shopaholic can found a successful...more

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Aug 14, 2012 J.Elle rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 03, 2012 Angela Risner rated it 1 of 5 stars

Beth Harbison is very hit and miss for me. I sometimes really enjoy her books (Shoe Addicts) and other times am disappointed (Hope in a Jar.) This is one of the disappointments.

I am sure that most of us have the What-If guy/girl, where we wonder what would have happened had we stayed with him/her. Harbison takes this to the extreme with her characters, Erin and Nate.

Erin and Nate meet and fall in love as teenagers. They share a connection that is not often found at that age, but Erin doesn't tru...more

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Mar 24, 2012 Hmo rated it 5 of 5 stars

OK so I am the worst at updating this site, and honestly, this book was so good I actually logged in to get it documented. Maybe it's the author (I do love her style), maybe it's the 80s setting (hereby ashamedly admitting that I was secretly thrilled Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers and beer shampoo were included in the initial chapters), maybe it's the way I sort of wanted it to work out but didn't see how the author could manage it without coming off completely cheesy, and then she got the ending jus...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Jackie Morrison rated it 2 of 5 stars

Can’t we all do ourselves a favor and let go of old loves? High school and childhood sweethearts are overrated. Seriously, lengthy recollections of the main character of Erin Andrews over Nate Lawson is the most nauseating read ever. With its constant references to a high school relationship, not only does the 37-year-old character sound like a perpetual adolescent but also a love obsessed neurotic.

Teenage lovers are an illusion to a past long gone. Who wants to sing love songs to a high school...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Elvia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Erin Edwards is living in two worlds. She is still living as a teenager with the love of her life Nate, then she is living with her boyfriend and daughter as an adult. The thing is that she is, in essence, the same person that she was as a teenager with the same feelings but different because of her experiences. Feelings that she never got over as a teenager haunt her when her current boyfriend, Rick, asks her to marry him. And yet, the person she can think of is Nate. As if she summoned him, it...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Every woman remembers her first love. Maybe it was college, high school, or even younger. And after we grow up, some of us wonder what he is doing now, and others of us think What if? or If only I could go back.... No heartbreak is quite as terrible as the first one, and that experience changes some of us, for better or for worse. Beth Harbison's book, Always Something There to Remind Me, takes the reader on a journey through many moments in her own past as it tells the story of Erin Edwards.

Ch...more Every woman remembers her first love. Maybe it was college, high school, or even younger. And after we grow up, some of us wonder what he is doing now, and others of us think What if? or If only I could go back.... No heartbreak is quite as terrible as the first one, and that experience changes some of us, for better or for worse. Beth Harbison's book, Always Something There to Remind Me, takes the reader on a journey through many moments in her own past as it tells the story of Erin Edwards.

Chapters alternate (for the most part) between present day adult Erin, told in first person, and the past 1980's Erin, told in third person. We learn how the past has shaped the woman she has become. In high school, Erin is madly in love with Nate Lawson, and he feels the same way about her. The problem is that they have found each other too early in life and things just don't last. Over twenty years later, Erin has a daughter, (by a man she wasn't in love with), and is now dating the perfect guy. Rick is handsome, considerate, well able to provide for a family, and he loves Erin and wants to marry her. The only problem is that he isn't Nate.

The loss of her only love has defined Erin's life. She doesn't let anyone get too close, pushing them away when they cross that invisible line. And then something happens. Nate suddenly reappears in her life, and Erin feels the same way she used to as a teenager. But things are complicated now. Erin has her daughter, Camille, and Rick, while Nate has a complicated situation of his own. The book does have a happy ending, giving credence to true love. And although the ending was satisfying, it was completely unrealistic.

Beth Harbison wrote Erin's story with such emotion that it really did take me back.... I can still remember the excruciating heartbreak that went on for years after my first love cast me aside. I'd see him out somewhere, then cry all night long and wake up with a sinus infection the next morning and have no voice left. Not that I'd ever want him back; I'm very happy and in love with my husband. The point is that I can remember the pain in vivid detail, which the author captured extremely well in telling this story. It was also a very quick, entertaining read that I was able to (almost) finish in one sitting. Chick lit isn't my usual genre, but this book was recommended to me, and I did enjoy it. (less)

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Sep 23, 2011 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was alright. I was lucky to get a free ebook of this. The story was about a single mother named Erin who had the love of her life at a very young age. However, it proves that such great things require the right time and mature mind to be able to handle so she kind of screw up when she was young. Her true love slipped. She got pregnant. The man she loves, Nate, came back but she was in a complicated situation. Many years later, she was stuck to make a decision whether to marry this ideal guy b...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Sandy Klocinski rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was lucky enough to get a free advance copy of this book.

The majority of women recall that one "first" love. Whether that "lost love" is from your adolescent years or from later in life - I think we all have that one romance that takes a part of our heart and never releases it. We try to keep it concealed. When a lost reflection floats up about "him", we rapidly crush it with every day habits and troubles since really dwelling on "that guy" will reinstate the sorrow. After chapter 4, I was unc...more

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May 06, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Due to release this summer is Beth Harbison's latest novel, Always Something There to Remind Me. Harbison's recent success as a bestselling novelist is helping to bring her debut, Shoe Addicts Anonymous (2007) to the big screen soon!

Always Something There to Remind Me is about the life of Erin Edwards, featuring two parallel story-lines that jump between her teenage years during the 1980s and the present-day as a single mother in her late thirties. When Erin's current hot-but-dull boyfriend prop...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Janel rated it 1 of 5 stars

I've read all of Beth Harbison's books and liked them all. Except this one. The weakness of the female lead and lack of any kind of development of her character were so disappointing. Trust me, I'm no prude but these teenage sex scenes were very hard to take! My daughter is only 4 and it created so much anxiety for me thinking about her being a teenager. I didn't need that! All I could see that Erin and Nate had in common was sexual chemistry. It wasn't like he helped her through some crisis or...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Jen (Almost Grown-up) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, chick-lit, library

Posted on Almost Grown-up on 9/19/11:

As soon as I heard that Beth Harbison had a new book coming out, I knew that I would be reading it. I've read a few of her other novels and absolutely adored them and from an author of her caliber, I was looking forward to a good read.

Beth Harbison hooked me within a few paragraphs. As soon as I read the words:

"Everyone has a first love, one person they never completely got over, right?

Picture yours."

She had me. I was swallowed up by this book, unable to put...more

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May 02, 2012 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Erin Edwards has spent her adult life thinking "what if?". Now, as she's seriously considering a proposal of marriage from her wonderful, handsome boyfriend, Rick, she's even more confused. Her teenage daughter is best friends with Rick's teenage daughter. Rick is a great, solid, stand-up guy. Erin loves him. But something is missing. She just doesn't have the same spark with Rick that she had with her high school boyfriend, Nate Lawson. But that was high school, right? They broke up forever ago...more

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Oct 08, 2011 Becky Moe rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

Very disappointed in this one, and I had really enjoyed her Shoe Addicts series. It started out well, with the back-and-forth stories about teenaged Erin and grown up Erin dealing with their day-to-day lives. Grown up Erin's absolutely-perfect-in-every-way boyfriend (gorgeous, successful, widowed father to a daughter who is best friends with Erin's fifteen-year-old daughter, etc., etc.) asks her to marry him. Erin, completely blindsided (why is not exactly clear--where did she honestly imagine t...more Very disappointed in this one, and I had really enjoyed her Shoe Addicts series. It started out well, with the back-and-forth stories about teenaged Erin and grown up Erin dealing with their day-to-day lives. Grown up Erin's absolutely-perfect-in-every-way boyfriend (gorgeous, successful, widowed father to a daughter who is best friends with Erin's fifteen-year-old daughter, etc., etc.) asks her to marry him. Erin, completely blindsided (why is not exactly clear--where did she honestly imagine this relationship was going?) finds she can't give him an answer--indeed, she is suddenly in a complete and total panic--because all she can think about is her boyfriend of two years whom she broke up with twenty-three years ago. Yep, twenty-three years ago. She hasn't thought of him in ages (by her own admission), but suddenly there he is, a giant roadblock in the way of her giving perfect Rick his answer. Okay, Nate was her first in every sense of the world...but seriously?

Then the agony begins. We hear all about Erin and Nate's relationship--they had a three year age difference, met when she was fifteen, and pretty much instantly started an intense relationship which wouldn't have been appropriate even for two people in their late teens/ early twenties. Erin lived and breathed her relationship with this guy. They declared their love. They talked of forever and marriage. They spent not only every day, but many nights together. That wasn't enough for Erin, though, because she wanted to spend more time with just Nate on "real" dates and less time out with him and his friends. She wanted to have a "normal" teenage experience, which for her meant crushing on and even going out with other guys (which she did, with his okay) but at the same time having Nate do grand gestures for her a la John Cusak's famous Say Anything boombox scene. She was amazingly selfish and immature, not surprising for a fifteen/sixteen-year-old, but that self-absorption continued into her older self as well. She admits as an adult that she had not treated Nate well back then, but turns around and doesn't act any better in the present time either. It's always what Nate did to her and how she suffered, with no real remorse for what she has done to him and is doing to Rick. Oh, she says she's sorry, but her actions and completely self-indulgent, obsessive, and inappropriate inner monologue tell another story. It was very frustrating to read, and ultimately, just not believable. Her best friend's advice throughout (as an adult she's a psychologist) just doesn't seem like that of a trained professional. Erin's relationship with her daughter Cam doesn't read like that of a real mother and daughter. For much of the novel, Erin doesn't "read" as someone capable of seeing to her own emotional and developmental needs, let alone be responsible for someone else's...just which one of them is in charge in that household? Setting a good example? Holding a realistic view of love and relationships? It is unclear. All in all, it was a frustrating read. It got two stars because it did have its moments and I did enjoy hearing the interview with the author at the end, but I really don't know that I'll be in a hurry to read anything new from this author in the future.

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Sep 06, 2011 Christi Snow rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I will write the full review on this soon. Right now, I am shattered emotionally. I honestly don't think that I have ever had a book affect me this deeply emotionally. Just an incredible book...

My Review:
I am so overwhelmed by this book, I am not even sure where to start this review. I don't think that I have ever been as personally affected mentally and emotionally by a book as this one has affected me and I am not even sure if I can pinpoint the exact reason as to why. This is DEFINITELY a sto...more I will write the full review on this soon. Right now, I am shattered emotionally. I honestly don't think that I have ever had a book affect me this deeply emotionally. Just an incredible book...

My Review:
I am so overwhelmed by this book, I am not even sure where to start this review. I don't think that I have ever been as personally affected mentally and emotionally by a book as this one has affected me and I am not even sure if I can pinpoint the exact reason as to why. This is DEFINITELY a story that resonates close to my heart. Erin is my age, exactly. She also has a 15 yo daughter and I have a 16 yo son. Her high school years were at the exact same time as mine so when she is reminiscing about her high school life and all that entailed, everything she was talking about from the music to the movies to the stores were the details from my high school existence. I also had a very serious boyfriend back in high school who was the center of my then-world. But like Erin, my maturity level was really lacking and her actions were so familiar to me that it hurts to read.

The book jumps constantly from the Present and back to the mid 1980's when Erin was in high school and deeply in love with Nate... like only teen love can be. Much of the lure of this book throughout the first half of the book is that you are told way early that Erin & Nate have not been together in 23 years. The details of their relationship are slowly revealed, and the deeper you read into their relationship, the more the questions press about what in the world happened to keep them apart for the last 23 years. At the same time, you are learning about Erin's life now with her wonderful 15 yo daughter Camille, her really incredible boyfriend Rick who wants to marry her, and his 16 yo daughter Amy who is Cam's best friend.

What is obvious throughout the entire story is, that no matter how young they were, Nate & Erin had an incredible love and the end of that relationship and the pain from that ending has never left Erin. That pain is a palpable entity throughout the entire book. It echoes. It resonates. It hurts me, as the reader, even now to think about it. She was absolutely devastated by the loss of Nate no matter what her actions were that brought on the break-up. That single loss defined her whole life. She never again had another true love, but was it true love or simply the teenage high-emotion definition of true love?

There is also a lot of discussion about fate in this book. What if Nate & Erin had never broken up? What if she had made a single different choice in high school? There are so many what if's? But the one thing that is clear throughout this book is that if she hadn't made the choices that she had, then she wouldn't have had Camille and that is not a choice that she EVER would have made. Camille is her life and in the end Camille is her savior in helping her make the right move. There was a certain rightness to that which was so perfect for the ending in this book.

I experienced this book as an audiobook, and I honestly am not sure that I would have enjoyed the book as much or become as immersed in the story as I did, if I had read it myself instead. There is a lot of internal dialogue by Erin within the book about her feelings and angst. That is one of those things that tends to annoy me when I am reading a book, but listening to it during the audiobook was a completely different experience. The writing in this is gorgeous and when Erin is going on internally about the depth of her feelings, it was so incredibly moving. I honestly don't think that I would have ever gotten that had I read this book myself, rather than listening to it. For that reason alone, I HIGHLY recommend this audiobook. The language and the writing is just gorgeous and listening to the quality of it was really beautiful.

The narrator in this audiobook is also absolutely incredible. Not only did she do all the different voices, but she managed to do 16 yo Erin vs. 40+ yo Erin perfectly. They had the same inflections, but somehow she managed to add the age amazingly. I am really, really impressed by her skill with the reading of the story. Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend either this audiobook or the book. I am so glad that I experienced it as an audiobook first, but I will be honest, I plan to go out tomorrow and buy the book. There are parts that I want to re-read because they are haunting me. It was just really, truly an amazing book! I loved it!!
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Jan 18, 2011 Angela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was lucky enough to be able to get a chance to read an Advanced Reader copy of this book and I couldn't have been more satisfied with this book.

The author was able to take me on a journey of first love and all the feelings that go along with it. I was hooked from the first glimpse into the main characters past life. Through her, I was able to relive all the ups and downs that came along with my first love. I became so involved in every chapter and became obsessed with finding out more about th...more

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Nov 25, 2012 amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. ok so i've finished this book and i have a few thoughts
i thought this book was good. but not as a book.
i found that it would have made a better hollywood chick flcik kind of movie rather than a book.
also, i didn't really find the title fitting.
it indicates that she always held onto something that reminded her of her teenage love. or that there was something in her life, something that can't be removed, that was always there to remind her of him or their time together.
but as i read on, i found th...more ok so i've finished this book and i have a few thoughts
i thought this book was good. but not as a book.
i found that it would have made a better hollywood chick flcik kind of movie rather than a book.
also, i didn't really find the title fitting.
it indicates that she always held onto something that reminded her of her teenage love. or that there was something in her life, something that can't be removed, that was always there to remind her of him or their time together.
but as i read on, i found that there really wasn't anything like that.
it had cliche on top of cliche.
i sort of liked how it switched from past to present, but the way the timeline was being followed, it was kind of awkward, like the author would add something about the past in a present chapter and then it would be very obviously displayed in one of the chapter set in the past.
i found it all very cheesy in a way.
i'm the kind of person that really gets irritated if i see a spelling or grammar mistake in a published book, and i found more than i would have liked to in this book.
also, some of the writing was just very awkward and bad, which brought me to the fact that i thought it would have been better suited as a cheesy hollywood chick flick kind of movie.
all in all, i guess if you're very bored and have a thing for very cheesy, cliche books all about love and happy endings, have at this book.
**edit**
can i also mention how annoyed i was with the main character? She was the worst. sorry, but she was.
Especially in her teen years, everything she said, everything she did was just annoying and every time i'd read a part where she whined about her boyfriend not making grand gestures or paying attention to her and then wondering why he could ever leave her.
all she did was flirt with other guys, and she went out with another guy for a month while she was still dating her boyfriend.
that shit may have gone unnoticed in the 80's but i would never do that to somebody and if i were her boyfriend i would never have let it fly.
frankly, i was surprised he didn't leave her sooner. i would have if i were him. if someone doesn't appreciate you, you can't just let that go on, either make them see what they'd miss if they didn't cut that shit out, or leave. this book was painful to read for those reasons.(less)

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Aug 13, 2011 Georgina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Do you remember your first love? To be honest, doesn't everyone? I know I sure do. I won't bore you with that story but lets just say its something I won't forget and I doubt you will either. Whether you want to or not well thats a totally different story. And first loves is one of the main focuses in Beth Harbison's new novel 'Always Something There To Remind Me." Im sure anyone reading this post will know who Beth Harbison is, but just incase you haven't heard of her; she is a chick lit author...more Do you remember your first love? To be honest, doesn't everyone? I know I sure do. I won't bore you with that story but lets just say its something I won't forget and I doubt you will either. Whether you want to or not well thats a totally different story. And first loves is one of the main focuses in Beth Harbison's new novel 'Always Something There To Remind Me." Im sure anyone reading this post will know who Beth Harbison is, but just incase you haven't heard of her; she is a chick lit author from New York who's previous novels include Thin Rich and Pretty and Shoe Addicts Anonymous.

Erin Edwards, an event planner, is involved with Rick, her current boyfriend, who she has been with for a year. Rick is successfull, kind and raising a daughter all on his own. So when Rick proposes Erin should be ectastic, right? So why at that moment is the first thing that comes into Erin's head the name; Nate Lawson?

Nate Lawson was Erin's high school boyfriend. Except he was more than that, way more than that. Erin was convinced she had found the love of her life in Nate. She think he would be the man she would marry, have children with and that they would grow old together. Theres just one problem; one night Erin makes a mistake that Nate just won't forgive and Erin is left alone to mourn for what she believes is her perfect man. Ever since Rick proposed all Erin can think about is Nate and what if things had worked out differently? She comes to the relalization that she has to find Nate and figure out exactly what she wants from her life.

Still not thinking about your first love? Well trust me if you aren't now you will be after reading this novel and you might just end up asking some of the same questions along with Erin. 'Something There To Remind Me' definatly left me feeling nostalgic. This story will resonate with any woman who has ever thought of a past boyfriend and even just wondered about where he is and what he may be doing. And if you haven't, well don't be put off because you will feel along with Erin. From the first page I was drawn into Erin's life and emotions. I also love the cover of this book, even though it is fairly simple it draws you in and makes you want to know exactly what the novel is about and to delve straight into the pages.

After reading so far you may be thinking that this is the perfect novel. Well if I'm honest, there are a couple of things I didn't like so much about the novel. The first being that after almost two decades of being apart from Nate, now is the time that she all of a sudden begins to think about him in an almost obsessive manner. I feel that it would have been more realistic if these feelings had built up, or always been present, rather than just all of a sudden coming on really strong. I also didn't like the way about half way through the novel Erin ends up seeing Nate again and the first thing they do is end up falling into bed together. After 20 years and all the anger that Nate supposedly had for her. As well as both of them being in relationships at the time, it just does not seem relistic that this would happen. Erin also does not seem to feel much guilt about cheating on her boyfriend Rick, and there is little development of their relationship in the novel. Beth also writes some rather explict sex scenes between her characters, so if this in any way offends you then you may not enjoy this novel.

I really loved this novel to begin with, enjoying the flashbacks between present day life and her teenage years with Nate, however after a while I felt as though this became a little tedious with the story not really going anywhere. Overall, I did enjoy the novel, with Beth taking an emotional look at the agony of first love, without losing any of her tradement humour and chick lit style. I found the novel to be touching and truthful however it is my least favourite of Beth Harbison's books so far.

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Jul 24, 2011 Mary (BookHounds) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, amazon-vine, arc

It is usually a bad sign when someone asks to marry you and the first thing that pops into your mind is the name of your first boyfriend. Erin Edwards has found the perfect guy after being alone since her daughter's father passed away and surviving alone as a single mother. Rick is the total package, but Erin finds there is some spark missing, so when he asks her to marry him, she doesn't say yes. She doesn't say no either.

The story flips back and forth between present time and the 1980's, when...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Tessa Teevan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks

Thirty-seven year old Erin Edwards is seemingly content with her life as a hotel party planner. She has a wonderful, intelligent daughter, Camilla, with whom she has a fantastic relationship. She's been dating Cam's best friend's dad, Rick, for the past year. One night, unexpectedly, Rick pulls out a ring and asks Erin to be his wife. Shocked, the first thing that comes to Erin's mind is Nate.

Nate. Nate what Erin's first in every single way, and he's the one man she's never truly gotten over. T...more

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Aug 12, 2011 Meredith Schorr rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was really excited to read this book. The premise that you can meet someone in high school with whom you fall so deeply in love that it transcends decades of living without him is, well, extremely romantic! And I did really enjoy the book, looked forward to picking up and found the ending quite moving. That being said, I wished the author had showed us a stronger bond between Erin and Nate back in high school so that I could truly believe in their love. Both teenage and adult Erin talked about...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Diane Drennan Pavia rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

OMG, can I choose ZERO stars? I liked Harbison's Shoe Addict books, and Hope in a Jar was OK, but this book was AWFUL! A 30-something with a pre-teen daughter obsesses like a school girl over a HS boyfriend she hasn't seen in 20+ years. I couldn't stand the main character, Erin. She was whiney and immature and selfish both as an adult and in the flashbacks to her teen years. The supporting characters were uninteresting and seemed to be there only to set Erin up for more drawn-out self-serving in...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

3.5 stars

This book focuses on Erin and her first love, Nate. Erin never quite got closure from their breakup and has carried the "what ifs" of their relationship for the rest of her life. The chapters alternate between present day Erin (at the age of 37, she's a single mother dating the perfect man) and Erin and Nate's teenage romance during the 80s.

I found this to be a very sweet and easy read - a little cheesey at times but was just what I needed! Teenage Erin was a bit obnoxious but I think...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Heather P rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who loved some one and let them go.

Recommended to Heather by: Myself

Shelves: favorites

This book was amazing and I can so relate to it! The ending hasn't happened though! This is an amazing story, WOW!

This book grabbed me right from the start. I was at Target reading the back of the books. This was the last book that I looked at and I grabbed it and started reading it a few days later. I did pay for it first though. This book was amazing from the Introduction to the End. I couldn't believe the power and force that pulled me from with in. I could relate to all that was going on in...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

The tone of this book was a little overly conversational for me. I am sure that’s the author’s style and I am also sure it draws a lot of people to her writing, but it just didn’t work for me. The tone, the subject, the subplots, and the conclusion were all a little too silly, as was the random insertion of a walk-down-mescal-trip lane somewhere in the final pages of the book. Also, Erin’s relationship with her teenage daughter felt a little inauthentic. I think the whole “pining for a high scho...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Pamela Pickering rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: abandoned, chick-lit, love-story, dual-time-settings

Perhaps I'm out of the mood now for these types of books and this one just fell to me at that point but I read through 150 pages of this thing and just quit--flipped to the end to see who she ended up with then am going to return it to the library. I found it very frustrating that the book was built around Erin's reconnection with Nick but this didn't happen until 150 pages in! AAARGH! I think the author could have trimmed down the high school couple's history quite a bit. I mean c'mon, it wasn'...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Hayley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: review

Always Something There To Remind Me by Beth Harbinson

About The Book:
Can you ever really know if love is true? And if it is, should you stop at anything to get it? Two decades ago, Erin Edwards was sure she’d already found the love of her life: Nate Lawson. Her first love. The one with whom she shared everything - dreams of the future, of children, plans for forever. The one she thought she would spend the rest of her life with. Until one terrible night when Erin made a mistake Nate could not for...more Always Something There To Remind Me by Beth Harbinson

About The Book:
Can you ever really know if love is true? And if it is, should you stop at anything to get it? Two decades ago, Erin Edwards was sure she’d already found the love of her life: Nate Lawson. Her first love. The one with whom she shared everything - dreams of the future, of children, plans for forever. The one she thought she would spend the rest of her life with. Until one terrible night when Erin made a mistake Nate could not forgive and left her to mourn the relationship she could never forget or get over. Today, Erin is contentedly involved with a phenomenal guy, maneuvering a successful and exciting career, and raising a great daughter all on her own. So why would the name “Nate Lawson” be the first thing to enter her mind when her boyfriend asks her to marry him? In the wake of the proposal, Erin finds herself coming unraveled over the past, and the love she never forgot. The more she tries to ignore it and move on, the more it haunts her. Always Something There To Remind Me is a story that will resonate with any woman who has ever thought of that one first love and wondered, “Where is he?” and “What if…?” Filled with Beth Harbison’s trademark nostalgia humor and heart, it will transport you, and inspire you to believe in the power of first love.

My Thoughts:
I am in love with this book. It really touched my soul and made me remember things from my own past that I thought were buried too deep to remember. It's funny how certain things stay with us throughout life. This story is so well told, you feel you are Erin, right in her shoes, feeling her emotions. I have read Hope In A Jar by Beth Harbinson, and loved her then, and I love her even more now. Impeccable story-telling and writing.

About The Author:
Beth Harbison grew up in Potomac, Maryland, in the shadow of Washington, D.C. Apart from the occasional irritation at being held up in traffic by a presidential motorcade, she has remained fairly uninvolved in the politics that define her home town. After an unsuccessful stint in public education, she was moved to a private school for rotten kids, where she met some of her best friends for life. After going to school at the University of London, and graduating with a BA from the University of Maryland, she began writing. Shoe Addicts Anonymous, in 2007, was her first mainstream novel after writing four cookbooks and twenty-two Silhouette Romances. It hit the New York Times bestseller list in 2008, and was followed by Secrets of a Shoe Addict and Hope in a Jar. 2010 will see the publication of Thin Rich Pretty, the story of three girls who meet in summer camp as young teens and have to face the music for that fateful summer twenty years later. Currently, Beth lives in Maryland with her family and dogs. In her time off, she enjoys wine with friends and watching terrible reality TV shows.(less)

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Jun 03, 2011 Tiffany rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I am so glad that I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. A huge thank you to the publisher and the author...the book was fantastic!

At first I wasn't sure how I would feel about the story...Erin met the "love of her life" in highschool...they have a horrific break-up and we get to flash forward with her to present day to see how this experience has shaped her life, and most importantly, her romantic relationships. I didn't have that teenage "first love" to relate to...but I did have the experie...more

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“Who they are today isn't who they were then.” — 19 people liked it

“I missed the idea of him more than he himself.” — 16 people liked it

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