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In Medias Res
Sometimes you have to forget who you were to remember who you are.
For Sydney Stanton, nothing could be closer to the truth. Suffering from amnesia, Sydney finds herself alone in the middle of O’Hare Airport with no idea how she got there, where she’s headed, or even who she is. Her only clues to her identity are the ticket to Key West in her hand and the items in the backpack slung over her left shoulder.
Halfway around the world, Dr. Jennifer Rekowski, Sydney’s best friend and longtime confidante, holds the key to unlocking Sydney’s memory. But Jennifer, nursing a broken heart and trapped in the middle of a civil war, remains agonizingly out of reach.
For Sydney Stanton, nothing could be closer to the truth. Suffering from amnesia, Sydney finds herself alone in the middle of O’Hare Airport with no idea how she got there, where she’s headed, or even who she is. Her only clues to her identity are the ticket to Key West in her hand and the items in the backpack slung over her left shoulder.
Halfway around the world, Dr. Jennifer Rekowski, Sydney’s best friend and longtime confidante, holds the key to unlocking Sydney’s memory. But Jennifer, nursing a broken heart and trapped in the middle of a civil war, remains agonizingly out of reach.
208 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2010
4 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Yolanda Wallace
18 books94 followersYolanda Wallace is not a professional writer, but she plays one in her spare time. She has written seven novels, and her short stories have appeared in multiple anthologies. She and her partner live in beautiful coastal Georgia, where they are parents to four children of the four-legged variety — a boxer and three cats.
Yolanda Wallace also writes under the pen name Mason Dixon.
Yolanda Wallace also writes under the pen name Mason Dixon.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 12, 2018
I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the gentle pace of Sydney trying to figure out who she was and who she is as she unravels her amnesia. I would have liked more interaction between Syd and Jen with a greater knowledge of Jen but because the story is told from the first person point of view, Sydney's view is dominant.
January 15, 2020
The book promised to be an f/f best friends to lovers with amnesia plot. So, it really irked me that Sydney and Jennifer didn't even have any scenes together for a big portion of the book, save the flashbacks.
There were so many things that didn't make any sense, e.g., the MC was like yes, I got amnesia, no I am not gonna share that with my family and friends or try to understand how i lost my memory instead i'll just go snorkeling with this random chick i just met dafuq?? Another thing when she told Jen that I've wanted you since we met. YOU WERE 3 WHEN YOU MET HER WTF
.. '“You look happy,” she said.
“That’s because I’m looking at you.”'
The second half of the book was much better. Since I a sucker for friends to lovers, I did liked Jennifer and Sydney. I just really wish their relationship was better executed.
There were so many things that didn't make any sense, e.g., the MC was like yes, I got amnesia, no I am not gonna share that with my family and friends or try to understand how i lost my memory instead i'll just go snorkeling with this random chick i just met dafuq?? Another thing when she told Jen that I've wanted you since we met. YOU WERE 3 WHEN YOU MET HER WTF
.. '“You look happy,” she said.
“That’s because I’m looking at you.”'
The second half of the book was much better. Since I a sucker for friends to lovers, I did liked Jennifer and Sydney. I just really wish their relationship was better executed.
June 10, 2016
My third book that I’ve read by this author.
And I wish to immediately lead off with noting that I might, possibly, have ended up giving this book a higher rating if I had read this first instead of third. This is vaguely unfair to the author, since this book is the first one that got published. Still, after two books I gave 5 stars to, one of which I seriously considered making a six star shelf for, I kind of set myself up for failure. Sure, a counter to that might go, most of these books by this author appear to have relatively low ratings by other readers, – but that includes the two I gave 5 stars to.
Right, so. This is a book that stars Sydney Paulsen Stanton. And by star, I mean that everything and everyone is experienced by the reader through Sydney. Even the person who is . . . um, I guess I’ll go with ‘her other half’ gets short changed. It’s all about Sydney.
The book opens with Sydney running through an airport in Chicago. While running she realizes that she doesn’t know where she is, nor, for that matter, who she might be. Yes, I knew that she would end up having amnesia, I just expected something more than ‘poof – you have amnesia now; bump on the head? Why, no. Illness/disease? *shrugs* doesn’t appear to be the case. Just . . . ‘here, have some amnesia with your tea’.’
She does have, though, a ticket to Key West in her hand. And . . . . she boards the plane. Here’s a woman with the inability to figure out who she might possibly be, and she . . . leaves the city? Maybe everyone on earth who knows who she might be is located in Chicago. Maybe, I don’t know, try to get help in Chicago? Or, you know, ever try to get help? Oops, jumped ahead there. But then, so does the book.
See, we are in ‘present time’ while Sydney’s stumbling around with amnesia. But she does get some flashes of her past while she’s on the plane digging through her own stuff. That’s also how she learns that she happens to have a house in Key West and that happened to be where she had been rushing off to. Course she learned this on the plane. For all she knew she might have found the ticket on the ground and had been rushing after someone to give it to them. Wouldn’t she have been surprised if she found that out once she dug through her bags on the plane – or maybe once she arrived in Key West. She might have ended up in Key West without money, identification, and without that actually being her destination. Lucky then, eh? That she actually was the one that belonged to that ticket.
Even so, this part isn’t the part that felt like a let down from the prior books I’ve read. I actually found the mystery created by the lack of memories to be intriguing. And I liked where the story was going with that woman she bumped into in Key West. Seemed quite interesting. Then, of course, she started to get more memories, her husband turned up and . . . well; I didn’t particularly like how everything turned at that point. My biggest issue, though, was when there’s this massive chunk/scene/section wherein Sydney relives what had caused her to get the amnesia. I just . . . maybe it was the placement in the book? At that exact moment I didn’t want that, I wanted [insert what I can’t say without using spoiler tags]. Instead I got [again with the spoiler tags].
Bah. I’ve used spoiler tags before.
Vaguely humorous, on one level, that I read MF paranormal romance book before this book here and got a woman who kept getting aggressively groped/kissed by another woman (and hating it I should add); then read a FF lesbian romance and get . . . MF sex. Well . . . yay?
Ah well. What the book might have been like if Marcy and Syd had been able to spend more time together. ….. (ETA: Marcy's the woman Syd meets in Key West, by the way - I kind of left that hanging there)
I feel like I should say more, write more, but . . . there isn’t really anything else I wish to note
---
crap. the last third of my review disappeared. No idea where it went. I just went on to note that the book takes place in Chicago, Key West, and Honduras. And . . . there were a few other things but can't recall what they are now. mmphs.
March 10 2016
And I wish to immediately lead off with noting that I might, possibly, have ended up giving this book a higher rating if I had read this first instead of third. This is vaguely unfair to the author, since this book is the first one that got published. Still, after two books I gave 5 stars to, one of which I seriously considered making a six star shelf for, I kind of set myself up for failure. Sure, a counter to that might go, most of these books by this author appear to have relatively low ratings by other readers, – but that includes the two I gave 5 stars to.
Right, so. This is a book that stars Sydney Paulsen Stanton. And by star, I mean that everything and everyone is experienced by the reader through Sydney. Even the person who is . . . um, I guess I’ll go with ‘her other half’ gets short changed. It’s all about Sydney.
The book opens with Sydney running through an airport in Chicago. While running she realizes that she doesn’t know where she is, nor, for that matter, who she might be. Yes, I knew that she would end up having amnesia, I just expected something more than ‘poof – you have amnesia now; bump on the head? Why, no. Illness/disease? *shrugs* doesn’t appear to be the case. Just . . . ‘here, have some amnesia with your tea’.’
She does have, though, a ticket to Key West in her hand. And . . . . she boards the plane. Here’s a woman with the inability to figure out who she might possibly be, and she . . . leaves the city? Maybe everyone on earth who knows who she might be is located in Chicago. Maybe, I don’t know, try to get help in Chicago? Or, you know, ever try to get help? Oops, jumped ahead there. But then, so does the book.
See, we are in ‘present time’ while Sydney’s stumbling around with amnesia. But she does get some flashes of her past while she’s on the plane digging through her own stuff. That’s also how she learns that she happens to have a house in Key West and that happened to be where she had been rushing off to. Course she learned this on the plane. For all she knew she might have found the ticket on the ground and had been rushing after someone to give it to them. Wouldn’t she have been surprised if she found that out once she dug through her bags on the plane – or maybe once she arrived in Key West. She might have ended up in Key West without money, identification, and without that actually being her destination. Lucky then, eh? That she actually was the one that belonged to that ticket.
Even so, this part isn’t the part that felt like a let down from the prior books I’ve read. I actually found the mystery created by the lack of memories to be intriguing. And I liked where the story was going with that woman she bumped into in Key West. Seemed quite interesting. Then, of course, she started to get more memories, her husband turned up and . . . well; I didn’t particularly like how everything turned at that point. My biggest issue, though, was when there’s this massive chunk/scene/section wherein Sydney relives what had caused her to get the amnesia. I just . . . maybe it was the placement in the book? At that exact moment I didn’t want that, I wanted [insert what I can’t say without using spoiler tags]. Instead I got [again with the spoiler tags].
Bah. I’ve used spoiler tags before.
Vaguely humorous, on one level, that I read MF paranormal romance book before this book here and got a woman who kept getting aggressively groped/kissed by another woman (and hating it I should add); then read a FF lesbian romance and get . . . MF sex. Well . . . yay?
Ah well. What the book might have been like if Marcy and Syd had been able to spend more time together. ….. (ETA: Marcy's the woman Syd meets in Key West, by the way - I kind of left that hanging there)
I feel like I should say more, write more, but . . . there isn’t really anything else I wish to note
---
crap. the last third of my review disappeared. No idea where it went. I just went on to note that the book takes place in Chicago, Key West, and Honduras. And . . . there were a few other things but can't recall what they are now. mmphs.
March 10 2016
December 30, 2014
In the middle of a busy airport and just about to catch a flight, a woman suddenly suffers total amnesia. The premise is a bit far-fetched but once you get past that, its a light, enjoyable read. Not much goes on until her memories return in full force, and suddenly she needs to face a life altering choice.
September 3, 2018
I actually own a physical copy of this book! That makes it one of only a very few queer books I own in physical form. And it's lovely--Bold Strokes Books makes taller/longer books than I expected? But it's a lot of fun to have one to hold in my hands. But anyways.
I enjoyed the amnesia aspect of this book, Sydney trying to figure out facts about herself and her life. Of course, it did not seem terribly realistic, but who cares? It was interesting, and quite mysterious. Tho if it were me I'd probably just phone a friend. Even at the end of the book she hasn't actually told anyone she temporarily got amnesia which is...odd tbh but a little bit funny lols.
I have to say the plot of "straight woman realizes she's actually a lesbian" is still not my favorite. Idk how realistic or unrealistic it is, but at least in this case it sends Sydney on a guilt trip for not being able to figure out her shit soon enough, and I'm really not into that. Especially since it seems Jen never actually confessed her feelings anyway? And immediately gets mad at Sydney when Sydney does? Ehhh... I was not super into Jen's attitude in general.
On the other hand, I loved the light tone and many of the side characters, especially Marcy, Alex and Jack. I just wish I could root for Jen and Sydney more; instead I'm rooting for Sydney living her best life, but I'm not so convinced that she should be with Jen.
I enjoyed the amnesia aspect of this book, Sydney trying to figure out facts about herself and her life. Of course, it did not seem terribly realistic, but who cares? It was interesting, and quite mysterious. Tho if it were me I'd probably just phone a friend. Even at the end of the book she hasn't actually told anyone she temporarily got amnesia which is...odd tbh but a little bit funny lols.
I have to say the plot of "straight woman realizes she's actually a lesbian" is still not my favorite. Idk how realistic or unrealistic it is, but at least in this case it sends Sydney on a guilt trip for not being able to figure out her shit soon enough, and I'm really not into that. Especially since it seems Jen never actually confessed her feelings anyway? And immediately gets mad at Sydney when Sydney does? Ehhh... I was not super into Jen's attitude in general.
On the other hand, I loved the light tone and many of the side characters, especially Marcy, Alex and Jack. I just wish I could root for Jen and Sydney more; instead I'm rooting for Sydney living her best life, but I'm not so convinced that she should be with Jen.
October 28, 2019
Forget to Remember
Sydney finds herself in an airport unable to remember anything. Luckily she has a ticket in her hand and a backpack with her. With these clues she heads to her destination and with that trip, her destiny. Jennifer is a Dr and Sydney’s best friend and has been since childhood. She is also hopelessly in love with the woman. Not being able to cope with Sydney’s marriage to someone else and a man at that, she escapes to dangerous areas in the world to treat patients in need. When Sydney’s memory returns she knows what she has to do and finding Jen has never been more important.
I quite enjoyed this book! I liked the storyline, the settings, the characters, all of it. It was fun and sweet, deep things happen but it’s not heavy or slow. The romance was beautiful and I liked all the angst! Sydney is a confused mess but eventually she gets it and makes things right. I loved the scenes where she arrives in Honduras on the way to and at the camp, they were all kinds of perfect. This is a great book to idle away an afternoon while giving you big smiles. The only truly bad part about this book is that Sydney has sex with her husband before she gets her memory back but other than that it’s good. Enjoy!
Sydney finds herself in an airport unable to remember anything. Luckily she has a ticket in her hand and a backpack with her. With these clues she heads to her destination and with that trip, her destiny. Jennifer is a Dr and Sydney’s best friend and has been since childhood. She is also hopelessly in love with the woman. Not being able to cope with Sydney’s marriage to someone else and a man at that, she escapes to dangerous areas in the world to treat patients in need. When Sydney’s memory returns she knows what she has to do and finding Jen has never been more important.
I quite enjoyed this book! I liked the storyline, the settings, the characters, all of it. It was fun and sweet, deep things happen but it’s not heavy or slow. The romance was beautiful and I liked all the angst! Sydney is a confused mess but eventually she gets it and makes things right. I loved the scenes where she arrives in Honduras on the way to and at the camp, they were all kinds of perfect. This is a great book to idle away an afternoon while giving you big smiles. The only truly bad part about this book is that Sydney has sex with her husband before she gets her memory back but other than that it’s good. Enjoy!
September 26, 2018
Worth the read - but too "amateurish" to receive 5*s - unfair perhaps but never gripped nor excited. Workaday, nothing more.
October 8, 2023
Fogotten Love
Sydney and Jennifer had been best friends since childhood. When Sydney finds herself running through Chicago airport she can’t remember who she is or what she’s running from. With her ticket she heads to Key West. Sometimes you have to forget everything to remember who you are. A love story long in the making. Loved it.
Sydney and Jennifer had been best friends since childhood. When Sydney finds herself running through Chicago airport she can’t remember who she is or what she’s running from. With her ticket she heads to Key West. Sometimes you have to forget everything to remember who you are. A love story long in the making. Loved it.
July 30, 2019
Recommend this book
I really enjoyed this book it's a story about one of the main characters finding herself . The characters are very likable. A sweet love story. I really enjoyed this book.
I really enjoyed this book it's a story about one of the main characters finding herself . The characters are very likable. A sweet love story. I really enjoyed this book.
October 8, 2019
Highly implausible.
Contains heterosexual sex. Vaguely non consensual. No explanation really given for the memory loss.
Well written but the plot lets it down.
Contains heterosexual sex. Vaguely non consensual. No explanation really given for the memory loss.
Well written but the plot lets it down.
December 22, 2016
Good read. I wish it had been longer.
July 22, 2017
In Media Res — Yolanda Wallace (22 chapters) July 20-21, 2017
Note: This is a story surrounding consenting adults. Both heterosexual and homosexual (lesbian) sex is described.
As explained at the beginning of the book, in media res is Latin for “into the middle of things.” This is where the story starts and for the first half of the book the reader is following along with the protagonist as she discovers who she is…literally. Not only the reader, but the protagonist has no idea who she is, where she is, where she is going. Nothing. Every discovery she makes, the reader learns about. The story is about this re-discovery of self and re-learning what is most important to the character.
I read this book years ago, but never reviewed it, and my only memory from then is that it was a fast, compact read. After reading several more depressing stories, I needed a HEA, and I hoped this might be one.
Hooray! It was. It was as I remembered it: compact. I was at the end in no time, but I felt I had read a much longer story. And it was a pretty decent read as well.
I only have two tiny issue with this story, which drops it a star. I had to take a break between chapter 13 and 14 (for other who have already this book: I know…not a great break, right?) Well, when I came back and started dreading chapter 14, I found myself flipping back to the end of the last chapter. Did I miss something? I mean. Sydney’s memories came back so fast, that I suddenly felt like her partner. Confused and maybe a little bit angry. The other issue I had is that two characters were introduced, their storyline was well developed, and then the author just leaves them.
If the author’s other books are this compact and read this fast, I will be reading more by her. This was was a very good plot, which read to the right length.
Four stars.
Note: This is a story surrounding consenting adults. Both heterosexual and homosexual (lesbian) sex is described.
As explained at the beginning of the book, in media res is Latin for “into the middle of things.” This is where the story starts and for the first half of the book the reader is following along with the protagonist as she discovers who she is…literally. Not only the reader, but the protagonist has no idea who she is, where she is, where she is going. Nothing. Every discovery she makes, the reader learns about. The story is about this re-discovery of self and re-learning what is most important to the character.
I read this book years ago, but never reviewed it, and my only memory from then is that it was a fast, compact read. After reading several more depressing stories, I needed a HEA, and I hoped this might be one.
Hooray! It was. It was as I remembered it: compact. I was at the end in no time, but I felt I had read a much longer story. And it was a pretty decent read as well.
I only have two tiny issue with this story, which drops it a star. I had to take a break between chapter 13 and 14 (for other who have already this book: I know…not a great break, right?) Well, when I came back and started dreading chapter 14, I found myself flipping back to the end of the last chapter. Did I miss something? I mean. Sydney’s memories came back so fast, that I suddenly felt like her partner. Confused and maybe a little bit angry. The other issue I had is that two characters were introduced, their storyline was well developed, and then the author just leaves them.
If the author’s other books are this compact and read this fast, I will be reading more by her. This was was a very good plot, which read to the right length.
Four stars.
September 6, 2012
Absolutely lovely story. Makes me believe that its never too late to decide on future life and happiness :-)
November 7, 2012
I liked the style anf the whole amnesia part in the beginning ... original.
January 15, 2013
A very readable unique story. A little rushed in places, but overall a very good read.
March 21, 2016
An absolute ball of crap. This book has no redeeming qualities.
March 23, 2017
The premise is difficult to believe especially since I am still waiting to understand her clinical diagnosis. ...was it fear?
Anyways....not a bad read...unbelievable as well that she had to wait that frigging long to realise IT!
Anyways....not a bad read...unbelievable as well that she had to wait that frigging long to realise IT!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews