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Before I Forget
(Winter Escape #2)
by
Abby's memories are her most precious thing.
Even though they're sometimes painful, she can't stop herself looking back, reliving the love of her life.
Until a freak accident means that she could lose it all: every memory and experience she has ever had.
Abby can't believe it's true. She feels fine. She is fine. How could she possibly forget all those moments that make her ...more
Even though they're sometimes painful, she can't stop herself looking back, reliving the love of her life.
Until a freak accident means that she could lose it all: every memory and experience she has ever had.
Abby can't believe it's true. She feels fine. She is fine. How could she possibly forget all those moments that make her ...more
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Paperback, 341 pages
Published
July 9th 2009
by Hodder & Stoughton
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Mar 25, 2012
Exina
rated it
did not like it
Shelves:
contemporary,
irritating-heroine,
m-f,
undeveloped-romance,
cliches,
romance,
stand-alone,
annoying,
boring,
irritating-hero
It was bad, really bad…
Irritating characters (Abby is a whiner and making scenes all the time), boring storyline, undeveloped romance, trust issues, and syrupy romance (Paris and a Bentley and a yacht and rose petals… oh, come on…). Not my thing.

We always have to be careful when we make a wish. Abby Ryan was so pathetic about her boyfriend who broke up with her after quite a long relationship, and wished to forget him and everything she’d been through with him. As the book goes on, you learn how much she depended on him. Sadly, her wish had really happened; she was hit by falling debris when she was walking under a ladder on her way to work and has lost much of her long-term memory. Abby can't believe it's true. She feels fine. She eve
...more

It made me cry. I love it!
Can you imagine waking up one day discovering that you have the possibility to lose big chunks of your memories; therefore, your life? and if you can hold on to just one memory, what would it be and what would you do if you can't hold unto it?
Abby just lost Keiran, a man who she gave all his whole heart to for 5 years.. yet, crushed it into pieces saying that they were never meant to be and six months after married another girl..
Finn is picking up the pieces of himself ...more
Can you imagine waking up one day discovering that you have the possibility to lose big chunks of your memories; therefore, your life? and if you can hold on to just one memory, what would it be and what would you do if you can't hold unto it?
Abby just lost Keiran, a man who she gave all his whole heart to for 5 years.. yet, crushed it into pieces saying that they were never meant to be and six months after married another girl..
Finn is picking up the pieces of himself ...more

The entirety of this book irritated me, I think. The characters weren't really likeable, any of them really, and the main character spent most of her time whining, or being too miserable for me to even care about. I understand she was having a tough time, but it made me not care for her at all. The twist near the end also through me off, and confused me a little, and not in a good way, and really, I didn't think it was necessary.
...more

Nov 30, 2019
Ewa ❀
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
rereading,
ㅡread-on-kindle,
ㅡmy-own,
ㅡorigin,
romance-contemporary,
christmas,
read-in-2016,
short-story,
clean,
series
I enjoyed.

A book that takes me to 4 places - New York, Italy, Paris & Dublin. It's as though I was in the story as well....the shopping, food, atmosphere....just beautiful. And interesting characters - Abby, Finn, Caroline (the shopaholic and caring sister), Claire & Erin. Well, it was a good thing that Kieran dumped Abby, if not, things will not change for her. And the accident that knocked her out really changes everything.....especially her perspective of life. And not forgetting the beautiful love sto
...more

Quite enjoyed this one. Abby has a freak accident and is hit on the head. This caused brain damage and she is told she will not remember things soon. But how can this be true she feels fine! Abby starts to live again after being dumped by her boyfriend, who to be honest sounds a right idiot! She meets Finn in New York and again in Ireland. He tries along with her family to help her make new memories and to find different ways of keeping hold of them. Much easier in todays world of technology.

Predictable romance scenario that is made more enjoyable by the background of visiting the New York tourist attractions at Christmas. Well written and a pleasant enough way to spend half an hour when you don’t want to read anything too taxing. Do check out other titles by the same author though as they are very good and there is sometimes a free Christmas trilogy on Amazon Kindle.

There's so many stories about memory loss, but this one is very unique. Every plot twist is page turner. Especially the super romantic ending. This is (yet) the best Melissa Hill book I ever read (so far). Cannot wait to read her other books.
...more

it was just ok. the story is mostly predictable and i did not get into the author's style of writing, particularly the quite repetitive and cliché turns of phrases.
...more

I've read some of Melissa's books before and enjoyed them but this one I was a little disappointed in. Not a strong enough storyline to keep me intrigued.
...more

Abby Ryan is quite happy with life, but all that changes when she’s hit by falling debris when she’s walking under a ladder on her way to work.
When she awakes, she finds out that her memory is damaged, and that she has lost much of her long-term memory. She’s devastated, but also slightly in denial. So Abby sets about creating some new, fantastic memories with the help of her family and close friends, ones that she hopes she will be able to hold onto despite her declining health.
On her amazing a ...more
When she awakes, she finds out that her memory is damaged, and that she has lost much of her long-term memory. She’s devastated, but also slightly in denial. So Abby sets about creating some new, fantastic memories with the help of her family and close friends, ones that she hopes she will be able to hold onto despite her declining health.
On her amazing a ...more

I LOVED THIS BOOK. IS A SWEET, HEART-WARMING STORY ABOUT LOVE. IT TAUGHT ME THAT, EVEN IF WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH TONS OF PROBLEMS IN OUR LIFE, IF WE HAVE SOMEONE BY OUR SIDE WHO LOVES US, THE BATTLE IS WORTH THE FIGHT.
I started this book and I wasn't expecting much but, in the end, it turned out to be a really great book. Abby is the example that when someone has just broken your heart in a thousand little pieces, you need something EXTRAORDINARY to happen to you. Well, I am not sure if I would ca ...more
I started this book and I wasn't expecting much but, in the end, it turned out to be a really great book. Abby is the example that when someone has just broken your heart in a thousand little pieces, you need something EXTRAORDINARY to happen to you. Well, I am not sure if I would ca ...more

The Book is Ahhhhhhhhhhhhmazinngg..!!
I saw the book on Amazon and felt like it is a kinda book I should not miss and
while reading the book I Sometimes saw me on Abby.The way she fought and moved on in life gave me kinda..positivity and Smile on My Face.. Finn..Lucy..
All the characters are now so close to my Heart that I feel All of them live somewhere around me and even If I have completed the book.. I have a feeling that I will meet them tomorrow for sure.
The Best part is.. I donno If I am re ...more
I saw the book on Amazon and felt like it is a kinda book I should not miss and
while reading the book I Sometimes saw me on Abby.The way she fought and moved on in life gave me kinda..positivity and Smile on My Face.. Finn..Lucy..
All the characters are now so close to my Heart that I feel All of them live somewhere around me and even If I have completed the book.. I have a feeling that I will meet them tomorrow for sure.
The Best part is.. I donno If I am re ...more

You know I love Melissa Hill mainly because you always feel good after you finish one of her books. This story was the same. Its starts off Abby is devastated because her long term boyfriend Kieran has dumped her. Her friend Erin tries to get her to go on holiday with her and another friend to Dubai for some girly time but Abby doesn't want to, she is too busy wallowing and now really late for work. As she is rushing out the door for work, she walks under a ladder and is hit on the head by a sla
...more

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

Must be something in the air. This is the second story related to bucket list that i've come across this week. Hmm..
The story is about Abby, who was pretty devastated after she was dumped by her long-time boyfriend. She started absorbing herself in her work & avoiding family/friends. One day she had an accident, causing injury to the head specifically where the memory function is. At first, she tried to deny it but one day she played the piano without ever remembering learning it. It initially ...more
The story is about Abby, who was pretty devastated after she was dumped by her long-time boyfriend. She started absorbing herself in her work & avoiding family/friends. One day she had an accident, causing injury to the head specifically where the memory function is. At first, she tried to deny it but one day she played the piano without ever remembering learning it. It initially ...more

I got this from the library as I was after a quick read that I didn't have to think too much about. In this respect I wasn't disappointed: it was light-hearted and enjoyable enough and easy to follow.
I wasn't really fond of the main character though, I found her a little irritating and whiny. The story was a nice idea though, particularly the list Abby makes in order to try and preserve her memories, but I really thought the ending was a let down. (view spoiler) ...more
I wasn't really fond of the main character though, I found her a little irritating and whiny. The story was a nice idea though, particularly the list Abby makes in order to try and preserve her memories, but I really thought the ending was a let down. (view spoiler) ...more

I really had a hard time deciding between 3 and 4 stars. Here's why: the story is unique, intriguing, and told from the first person perspective of a lost mind. The characters, hidden truths, and the deep emotional connections grab you. My only frustration, besides typos, was the excessive description on certain topics. I actually began skimming those chapters or taking a reading break. This over "discriptoral" caused the book to slow immediately after an interesting start. But the story kept br
...more

After breaking up with her boyfriend, the main character suffers a head injury which causes her to lose bits of her memory. The rest of the book is about her trying to learn how to live with her new injury. I enjoyed this one, even if I found it predictable in parts. I saw the end coming, although I really wasn’t sure how we were going to get there. Some of the characters I found two dimensional, but I enjoyed her interactions with them none the less. I like the idea of her ‘bucket list’. I thin
...more

i really enjoyed the book although the start was not as interesting as i had hoped.
appy has not been the easiest person to deal with in the past few years but with a family like hers anyperson no matter wat is he going through or wat is his personalty is(even if he is as horrible as kirean) will open up and be the most enjoyable person ever.
quick note she canm gain all the info that finn deleted by some programs found nowadays or at least lets just hope that kirean had a backup on his computer.
F ...more
appy has not been the easiest person to deal with in the past few years but with a family like hers anyperson no matter wat is he going through or wat is his personalty is(even if he is as horrible as kirean) will open up and be the most enjoyable person ever.
quick note she canm gain all the info that finn deleted by some programs found nowadays or at least lets just hope that kirean had a backup on his computer.
F ...more

I wanted a light Christmas read over the holidays. Unfortunately that is not what this book offers. It's not really about Christmas or New York. It's about memory loss and how it has changed Abby's life. I didn't really like Abby as a character. She was so wishy washy and kept changing her mind about everything. Even as romance novels go I didn't find myself believing the story between her and Finn. I read THE CHARM BRACELET by this author a few years ago and loved it. This one was a miss for me
...more

Anyone other than me who thinks this book is like the more serious version of the movie "50 First Dates"?!
Still.. I liked the book. Its kinda scary thinking that though the brain is one of the major organs of a human being, a thick skull can't really prevent anything bad happening to it. I can't imagine how I'd feel if I knew I'd lose most of my short term memories and gradually, all my other memories..
*shudders*
...more
Still.. I liked the book. Its kinda scary thinking that though the brain is one of the major organs of a human being, a thick skull can't really prevent anything bad happening to it. I can't imagine how I'd feel if I knew I'd lose most of my short term memories and gradually, all my other memories..
*shudders*
...more

I really loved this book, it was a little slow in areas but that didn't matter because the story needed it. The last 5 chapters I read all at once (I usually only do 1 or 2 at a time as I'm an incredibly slow reader) as I was desperate to find out how it was going to end.
I think if you have never experienced true heartbreak you may not get on with Abby but I liked her and related to her a little.
Overall thrilled with this book. ...more
I think if you have never experienced true heartbreak you may not get on with Abby but I liked her and related to her a little.
Overall thrilled with this book. ...more

This is a great book. I really enjoyed the time spent with Finn and Abby
This is a story about true love. Abby has a lot to learn about an accident which causes her to not remember. She has to learn how to live her life without a relationship she had been in for several years. Then she meets Finn. The journey they travel is not easy. Unconditional love and respect is the path they choose
This is a story about true love. Abby has a lot to learn about an accident which causes her to not remember. She has to learn how to live her life without a relationship she had been in for several years. Then she meets Finn. The journey they travel is not easy. Unconditional love and respect is the path they choose

Jan 13, 2011
Adeem AlHassan
added it
What I liked the most in this novel was the optimism in her, the strength to never give up! Even though doctors didn’t give her any hope! She ignored the negativity of life. She believed in herself. Hope, faith and belief that’s all we need to get through any hard time in life. Also it made me realize that (Every problem has a solution), That’s it.

Mar 06, 2012
Marcia
added it
I order romance for my library. This author came to my attention and I got the book on ILL. She is not really published in the US. I can imagine myself finding it in a hostel in Ecuador or Nepal and because I have to read something always, I would read it. The storyline is a bit original, but the writing is so so.
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USA Today & international #1 bestselling Irish author Melissa Hill lives in Dublin. Her page-turning, contemporary novels of families and friendship are published worldwide and translated into 25 different languages.
Her books are regular chart-toppers in Ireland and internationally, and SOMETHING FROM TIFFANY'S (aka A GIFT FROM TIFFANY'S) - a holiday romance set in New York - became one of Italy's ...more
Her books are regular chart-toppers in Ireland and internationally, and SOMETHING FROM TIFFANY'S (aka A GIFT FROM TIFFANY'S) - a holiday romance set in New York - became one of Italy's ...more
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Winter Escape
(2 books)
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