The saga of a compelling backward journey through a broken mind
Paige Lyman, an accomplished psychiatrist, is on the verge of madness but she doesn't know it yet. The madness begins when she gets it into her head to write her memoirs. As her brilliant mind assembles bits and pieces of her life for the book, ugly skeletons, long forgotten in the closet, begin to rear their heads.
It had all begun with a simple act of love. And love, for her, was a blond-haired Irish boy named Bill, so when Bill abandoned her for priesthood the world around her collapsed. Now seized by a different passion--vengeance--she seeks her proverbial pound of flesh in the beds of various priests.
But that’s before she meets Stern W. Now, she’s transformed from a psychiatrist to a patient, and is saddled with dark memories she must decipher in order to be free...
Augustine Sam is a journalist by profession, a novelist by choice, and a poet by chance. A bilingual writer and an award-winning poet, he writes, not only hard news but literary works as well.
Before becoming a multi-genre author, he fell in love with poetry the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once. He was the winner of the Editors’ Choice Award in the North America Open Poetry Contest. His poems have been published in international anthologies, including "Measures of the Heart" & "Sounds of Silence."
His poetry collection: "Flashes of Emotion" was the 2015 finalist in the International Book Award Contest.
In Take Back the Memory, a woman Paige goes through her experiences with love while she was growing up. The story takes you from Africa to the States. First, I must say this story isn’t your usual romantic read that deals with fairytale love where the heroine and hero can do no wrong. In this book, there are more gray areas than there are black and white. It explores a woman’s vow to get back at her first love who chose the church over her. Paige is by no means an innocent and she is a woman who will punish you severely if she thinks she has been wronged. The characters were flawed in every way but had strong personalities. Though I could not personally relate to the character Paige and the decisions she made, I was able to read about her story objectively and still enjoy her story. As usual, the writing of Augustine Sam is clean and I am once more impressed by the way he organizes his words to express deep thoughts. He also always paint such visual imagery of time and place. I was eager to finish the book as I read it because I wanted to know the conclusion of Paige. The end was bittersweet with a surprising twist that made me tear up a bit. I applaud Augustine Sam for writing a book that seemingly goes against standard romance where everyone seems to want the perfect fairytale life of no cheating and heroic characters who endure everything but can do no wrong. This sort of book is not easy to put on the market and I’m glad you told Paige’s story. It’s a kick in the butt to wake us up that these fairytales rarely exist and instead we are faced with life and that it is what we make of it, in order to move on and survive. That being said, there are a few jarring moments that did not sit well with me. For instance, the story is really a delve into Paige’s memories recounted to the psychologist through a type of “hypnosis” it seems. Yet, in the flashbacks we are given insights to what was going on with other people, something Paige could not have known to recount to her psychologist. I would have rather the flashbacks to be concentrated on scenes that involved only Paige. The omniscient narrator didn’t sit well with me as it recounted what happened in Stern’s office and what happened with the nuns who decided Paige shouldn’t be valedictorian. To me, it was an interference of the memories that took away from the genuineness of her memories. It’s a story worth reading, especially if you are looking for books with “real” characters who exhibit flaws as is only common with human nature. Sec scenes were done tastefully and not of a very graphic nature.
A very in-depth and emotional exploration of one woman's journey to discover more about herself, her past, and her relationships. This was incredibly thought-provoking and was less entertaining than (at least for me) a compelling story that made me look at my own responses to others in my life with whom I have close relationships, and the value of appreciating who and what you have rather than waiting until it is gone to be sorry for the loss. Abandonment, trust, and the real meaning of loving someone else is explored, and while this story doesn't fit a specific niche in the fiction market, it is a compelling read that will appeal to many readers looking for a reflective and realistic story.
Take Back The Memory is a flashback of Paige Lyman’s eventful life. She is on the verge of a psychological breakdown, and her daughter persuades her to seek help. Though she is an accomplished psychiatrist, she submits to Dr. Wilson’s free association method to draw her out and find the cause of the emotional distress. Thus unfolds the story of Paige’s life and all the juicy details.
The book is basically a biography centered on the sexual awakening and adventures of a young girl who fancied her heart broken because the boy she loved was forced into a Catholic seminary. The baffling thing is she never attempted to find out where he was or what he was doing but went on to inflict pain and hatred on innocent people as a form of revenge. I kept turning the pages because I wanted to know the big secret about her husband. And when it was revealed, it brought an abrupt end to the story and left me wondering if the purpose of the book was to find out how the secret affected her and if Dr. Wilson’s therapy did help her. Even Diane disappears after the initial introduction.
The whole book is a string of sexual escapades described in graphic detail whereas the author could have explored the emotional issues at hand more.
I thought this was an interesting foray into the mind. I liked Paige and even when she thinks she is getting revenge on the priests, they aren't really all that good to start with. One steals money, one invites her to a love nest when she is 18, but still in high school, etc.
I'm not going to spoil the book, but I often times wondered what was so important about Bill if she was so young when she knew him. The author threw in a twist and surprised the hell out of me at the end and I was like, "well, okay the, that makes sense".
The book was well written, as are the sex scenes, which are numerous in the book. I was surprised to find some people shocked they were in there considering the blurb. The sex scenes were good and nothing was profane about them. They were erotic and good to read. That said, this is not really an erotica novel and more like one woman's journey
First off, I really like this cover. I believe it captures the intensity of the character and the barrage of emotions it takes you through.
Secondly, I loved the writing ability and emotion that Augustine Sam was able to evoke in me. From the ups and downs that Paige had to go through, to her heartache and path to each decisions she made, I really felt it come through the pages.
A beautiful journey that shows that everyone has their issues and that it isn't impossible to come back from things or repair relationships, it just takes work.
The story is about Paige, a famous psychiatrist who turns to a psychologist to seek help and identify the source of her trauma. As the story unfolds, you will know why she did all of her actions and you understand better how an event can transform someone's life forever. A lot of Freud's notion of psychanalysis inside this novel: how childhood is determining for someone's behaviour, sexual desire and so on. A little warning: a lot of graphic sex. Pratically the entire adventures of Paige has some sex action in it. The author's writing make the reading actually enjoyable by keeping us in suspense at the end of every chapter. And the "coup final" in the end was absolutely genius! The plot twist was there but the only reason I gave it a 4 stars and not 5 is that I think the storyline revolves too much around sex and would be good with more diversity, exploring her complex feelings and emotions. But other than that , awesome read, praise to the eloquen writing and Plot twisting on point !
Thank you to Augustine Sam for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Trang Book Reviewer and Book Blogger htttp://bookidote.wordpress.com
I was astonished how many people didn't "get" the need for the sex scenes in this book. They're well written and not gratuitous. This is a book for grown-ups and I mean that literally and figuratively. Sex drive plays an important part in the human psyche, which is ultimately what Paige, our main character, is trying to de-mystify. Paige is a psychiatrist psycho-analyzing herself. She's suffered terrible disappointment (not tragedy), but her inability to let things go is her downfall. In her immaturity, she engages in self-destructive acts for the purpose of paltry revenge and it takes years for her to acknowledge the futility of these acts. While she blithely inflicts 'punishment' on those she blames for her disappointment, she wears a set of blinders and misses the 'love of her life.' Despite the betrayals, the separations, and her own stubbornness, Paige has had a really great love experience. She enjoys it and appreciates the gift of her husband, Stern. So, although there's a twist in the end, our girl has managed to pull her life together. She has insight and maturity, so she's accomplished a full character arc. I loved this book. Loved it.
If you like a romance with depth that looks at the powerful emotions and powers associated with love and the loss of love and are OK with frequent sex scenes then this book is well worth a read. I was quite surprised myself at how involved I became in the read and the traumas of Paige as she experienced first love, boyfriends, marriage, betrayal and loss although I did quess the twist to the story early on. As an aside I also thought it portrayed the often claustophobic feel of being an only child with great insight. Very well written with in-depth characterisations. I found this a compelling read.
This was a good book. I liked the character Paige alot. There was sex scenes in it but over all I enjoyed it and the story of Paige. I was given a copy of this book for a review
“Some people prefer to make mountains out of a molehill. I don’t think life is worth that. I’d rather make a molehill out of every mountain.” Truly enlightening these words are. There are many other references related to love, life, and heartbreak and I admired author’s capability of expressing such deep thoughts with such an ease. I loved reading Take Back the Memory and felt completely engrossed as the book uncovers Paige’s life layer by layer. Though I must say the book does contain the graphical description of sex scenes and there are plenty of them. However, the poetic and vivid description of places from Eastern Africa to Cape Cod was vivid and impressive. The descriptions of the characters were flawless and at times it felt as if was watching a movie. The author succeeded in crafting a three-dimensional character of the main protagonist, Paige. The story, however, somehow doesn’t feel very realistic. I couldn’t work out how a childhood crush matters a lot. Paige was quite young when Bill left Kenya for the priesthood, though she carried the burden throughout her life. The book starts with a Prologue where Paige’s daughter Diane is insisting her to visit the psychiatrist but later in the book, I couldn’t find Diane anywhere else in the story except that she was living with her paternal grandmother. Overall, this was an impressive read and I enjoyed reading it. At times, it felt like an erotica with too much description of carnality and sex and at times a philosophical read explaining the human behavior, love and the role of physical intimacy. That being said, it was quite an interesting book and I would recommend this to anyone looking for some meaningful content related to the complexities of human behavioural patterns, a woman’s journey of self-discovery and her sexual reawakening.
Paige is a very interesting character as the book unfolds you see the reasoning behind what she does. Revenge is a very powerful and can make you do things you normally would not. I understood where Paige was coming from and her reasoning. I have to say at times she was a likeable character for me even with all she does. Losing someone close to you can change you when you spiral out of control as the past comes closing in on you, with so much hurt and pain it is easy to give in for payback. The mind is still a mystery, why we do what we do sometimes cannot be explained. We know right from wrong but when one is in pain from a lost we don’t always think clearly. Her daughter talks her into going to therapy where we learn her past as she relives it this really pulled on my heart. It seem the people she loves she loses which is a lot for anyone to take. Bill the love of her life leaving and then becoming a priest was like a slap to her face. Getting over that is something she never really did. It is hard to move on when you love so deep and feel so betrayed.
This story is full of her revenge, lots of sadness that pulls on your heart. Her revenge is her lust for the priests which are kinds of things a lot of people do. If you can’t hurt the one that hurt you go for the ones that remind you of that person. By turning the priests away from their beliefs she felt she won a little. She could smile knowing she got even for a little while but nothing last and on she went to the next one. At times Paige was hard to like but it was such a pull on you that you have to like her in some ways.
We hold some people higher than others it is hard to forget they are normal people with sins of their own. The priests were hard to deal with when you expect so much more out of them , they are almost next to godly. I really found this part to be very believable with each new priest and what they did really fits into the real world. I didn’t like it and I didn’t care for them and what they did it was hard not to be a little shocked.
The author gives a wonderful tale of pain so much love, hope, heartbreak, so much pain, the need for revenge, lust as well as lust for sex, the betrayal from more than one and last forgiveness. Once she found she could use sex to get power over the priest was the day she put her pain for revenge into play. But still not feeling the for fullness. It was a very emotional read. I thought it was well written. I do have to say it is filled with lots of sex and not for those who might want a lighter read. I thought these fit the story giving it more of what I would have expected from such an emotional tailspin she was going through. This is a rollercoaster right with so many men betraying her makes her want that much more revenge. I thought the author got the psychological parts down just right. I would think it would be hard to write a story of this nature. I thought it was a good read that I enjoyed.
Manhattan, NY. At the request of Diane (John wife, Paige’s daughter), she suggested to her mother Dr. Paige Lyman (50+, psychiatrist, BS, MS, PhD, Yale) seek some counseling.
Paige was seeing Dr. Terry Wilson (clinical psychologist) on a regular scheduled basis. He was using the Free association technique on her in their sessions. She was reliving her childhood memories when she lived in Kenya, Africa, with her 2 parent’s: Edward Lyman (Paige’s dad) & Kathy Lyman (Paige’s mom, retired kindergarten teacher). Paige also spoke fondly of her love for her boyhood friend Bill Madigan (Irish boy, Protestant). Who is Phil Wiseman she speaks of? & then there was Sister Theresa who interrupted Father Ted.
Cape Cod, MA. Bless me Father because I have sinned… Dr. William “Stern” Loughlin (medical researcher, Willie) met Paige & they went to dinner at the Merrick Bay restaurant. Paige later met Rita Loughlin (mother). Dr. Terry Wilson switched to Psychotherapy with Paige. Paige speaks of Professor Howell (53, Yale) also from her past.
Dr. Sigmund Freud speaks of frustration.
I guess Paige missed the real life Animal Channel when she lived in Kenya (60’s warped humor). The human females like Paige are called Cougars.
Wow, 4-band transistor home radio; those were the days.
As a former crisis/school social worker I really enjoyed this book.
Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive to some readers.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. Wow, a very well written steamy hot woman’s erotic fiction book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great woman’s erotic movie, or better yet a paid-per-view mini TV series. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Author; Melange Books, LLC.; PDF book Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Soon after Paige Lyman's husband dies, her daughter notices that she's talking to herself and behaving oddly, and so persuades her to see a psychiatrist. Beginning with her childhood in Kenya, Paige's story is told via a series of flashbacks during her meetings with Dr. Wilson. As a seven year old, she has a friend, an Irish boy called Bill, who returns to Ireland a few years later when his father decides he should train for the Priesthood. Paige is left feeling bitter and betrayed. In revenge (at the age eighteen) Paige begins a series of affairs with priests. These encounters, all of which are with much older men, are graphically described. I had a big problem with this aspect of the story as I found it difficult to accept that an adult would be so affected by a childhood crush. However, her plan appears to work as one of the priests has to face serious consequences for his actions. I'm not sure whether it is the author's intention for us to admire the protagonist, or to see her as an egotistical monster. To me she comes across as self-centred and egotistical: a stereotypical narcissist. When she visits a restaurant or goes shopping we are given descriptions of how attractive and stylish she is and we are told how much onlookers admire her. When she has a child she takes every opportunity to dump her daughter onto her parents. When her husband betrays her, she acts the victim, and yet immediately behaves in the same way herself: so hypocritical. I could not find one redeeming quality about Paige and so consequently did not care what happened to her. That aside, the writing is very detailed and descriptive and did keep me reading until the end. There were times, however, when the language used seemed rather stilted. The twist at the end was, to me, totally implausible. An original idea which will be of interest to some readers.
Take Back the Memory is a woman’s journey into the depths of her mind. The journey involves encounters with appalling secrets and agonizing realities. Paige Lyman is a psychologist turned patient who looks back on her life and tries to come to terms with some dizzying secrets and disturbing memories.
Take Back the Memory is more than just a novel—it’s an experience. It is always very challenging to write a book that primarily deals with psychological aspects. The reader is often left in confusion by excessive details and unrelated situations described in many such stories. This book, however, is able to reach the reader and affect him/her. I was impressed with the subtle observations made by the author. The brilliance of the book lies in its ability to convey various and changing sentiments of the protagonist. Some readers might object to the use of certain graphic scenes, but I feel that those were indispensable in the context of this novel. The bravura that marks the opening and closing of the novel is not entirely present throughout. Some parts didn’t match up to my expectations. But it is definitely a great book and I’d recommend it to readers of general fiction with an interest in human psychology.
This read shocked me over and over with Paige's actions but despite those, still I didn't hate her tho I loathed those priests: father Ted who invited Paige for an excursion, father Cochran with the elegant villa where he and Paige stayed for the summer, and father Fitzgerald who stole money from the church to finance Paige's lifestyle and their trips.
A story of love, heartbreak, pain, revenge, sex, lust, marriage, betrayal and forgiveness..... A story of Paige's flashbacks of the Irish boy who abandoned her for priesthood, the day she discovered sex with a stranger, her troubled adolescent life, her confidence and power in seducing priests, her new found love, her cracked married life, her punishment for her husband, her sexual adventure with her professor, the forgiveness for her husband's betrayal and the shocking revelation after her husband's death.....
Paige's life indeed was like a one hell of a roller coaster ride... A disturbing but well-written read. A highly recommended in your TBR list that will rattle your mind.
*Note: Contains sexual scenes. Not intended for young readers.
Paige Lyman, an accomplished psychiatrist, has skeletons in her closet that she is unable to face. Her daughter, Diane, is worried about her sanity because she has started talking to herself, like she is giving a speech to an audience. Diane thinks this might have come about because of her father’s sudden death. Paige does consult a fellow psychiatrist, Dr. Wilson. During their sessions Paige uncovers many distressing memories about her past. Can Paige overcome her revealing history or will her lucid memories destroy her? This book is well written. The plot-line is easy to follow and the characters are well developed. While there are parts of the story that are sad and /or troubling, there is also happiness within. I loved the surprising twist at the end. Stephanie Lasley, from The Kindle Book Review The Kindle Book Review received a free copy of this book for an independent, fair, and honest review. We are not associated with the author or Amazon.
This was an absolutely fascinating story. The writing is excellent and filled with wonderful imagery from Paige's memories. The story opens with Paige's daughter concerned for her mother's mental state. She convinces her to see someone and the complicated, beautiful story is unraveled for the reader.
This book is suspenseful, heart-wrenching and an emotional roller coaster. It was well worth my time as a reader.
This book was very interesting to me. I really liked the character Paige in spite of some the things about her in this book. The author took us with this character on a journey that was unforgettable. This was a great way to write a book. * This book was given to me from the author in exchange for an honest review*
3.5 Stars There was things I loved about this book, things I liked about this book and things I would have preferred a little bit differently. Overall, the writing is thoughtful and beautiful. There is a lot of heart and emotion in the characters. Big points for character development, especially with regards to Paige.
Paige is quite a naughty girl. After her childhood love is forced by his father to abandon his life for the Priesthood, Paige is emotionally devastated. She carries that hurt and anger with her into her teens and early adult years and embarks on a journey to seduce Priests as revenge for her hurt. So, really naughty things. So I would have thought that would have warranted some naughtier word choices. The language and terminology used for these scenes was quite tame considering the taboo nature of Paige's sexual escapades. I would have preferred to see some bolder word choices in the sex scenes. If you are a reader who prefers tamer words choices, then this book is going work well for you. Also, at times due to the language, I sort of felt like this book might have been translated from another language to English.
Now, the twist. Somewhere in the second half of the book I saw it coming. I put two and two together with some clues. It really was a brilliant twist, but the book ended with some answered questions and I sort of feel like I didn't get my HEA as a result.
Overall, definitely well written. Thoughtful and poignant with excellent character and plot development. I would recommend this book to a more mature and reserved reader. The style of this book isn't something I typically read. I generally like my books a little more explicit so my 3.5 star rating isn't because the book wasn't good, it's just that it's not really my style.
Take Back the Memory was an interesting look at the life of Paige, a psychiatrist on the other side of the interaction, as a patient spilling her life for a colleague from the couch at the request of her worrisome daughter. Some of the other reviews mention the sex scenes, but I felt that these were in no way obnoxious or unnecessary. These scenes, graphic they may be for some readers, are essential in understanding the demons that plague her thoughts and have shaped her life and behavior for so long.
This was an intriguing tale of awakening and desire and the emotions that follow from experiences throughout her life. First, the language and descriptions are very thorough, the author does a fantastic job of placing the reader right beside Paige both on the couch, and in her tales from her earlier life. As I said before, I felt the descriptions of the sex were appropriate and relevant, and I believe they helped mold the personality of Paige and her various suitors. I thought her plan, her goal, was clever and unique.
I took a star because there were a couple points in the story that were difficult to believe, I know this is fiction, but a couple spots were pretty unrealistic for me. I am not going to include them in this review, since they didn't ruin the story, they merely slowed me up in a couple scenes. But those are small in comparison to the story as a whole, and the overall experience this book brings into your life.
Overall I enjoyed this read, and am glad I came across this story. If you look to the blurb and the previous reviews you will have some idea of the story and its plotline, but there is a killer twist and you can't always believe what you read. Including this. Pick it up and take a look yourself, you will be glad you invested some time in the story.
Take Back the memory is like an autobiography of Paige.The story starts when Diane is worried about her Psychiatrist mom Paige when he behaves in an odd way by talking to herself and a parrot. Diane convinces her mom to see a Psychiatrist and Paige explains all incidents of her life to the Psychiatrist. Basically, this story is about the love life, her sexual encounters and heartbreaks of Paige. The narration and the details are very good. All these revelations are to know the cause of her depression/ something that pains her heart still. But I couldn't understand the reason why she is upset even in the old age after having an ideal marriage life.The climax definitely is unpredictable but the base of the story is not very believable. There are a lot of erotic sexual descriptions throughout the book. I liked the part when his professor Dr. Howell explains about love life and practicality in life like below lines: “Heartbreaks?” He grinned, shaking his head. “Well, young lady, hearts are not glasses, you know; when glasses break they’re gone. When hearts break they can be mended.” Overall, I recommend this book to readers who love erotic and psychological thrillers.
I found the writing style of this book a little difficult to read, though I know that others will adore it. I kept getting distracted by seemingly out of place descriptions which took me away from the scene and dropped me somewhere else entirely (ie, describing the noise a woman makes during lovemaking to the sound of an onion squealing on the grill - in my head I was instantly out of the sex scene and preparing dinner).
The premise of the story is good as the MC is taken back through pivotal points in her life via the psychiatrist's couch. However, I was left with more questions than answers on many occasions and I did not find the ending satisfying. The sex scenes were detailed and fairly good but once again - out of place descriptions kept jarring me out of the story.
If you're seeking something a little different and don't have a mind that takes descriptive phrases in books too literally and can gloss over them, this is a book worth taking a look at.
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. I cannot in good conscious give this book 3 stars. I've combed it for attributes and could only come up with enough for a two star rating. Usually, I like to start off my reviews with a pros and cons list however, I'm not going to do that here. I don't want to list all the things I found unpleasant and struggle to explain the things I did like about it. What I will say is that the author portrays a command of the English language that is impressive. However, the matter in which she exploits it is ridiculous. Having not read many erotic novels, if any, I can't really comment on it's tactfulness however, I found Paige to be a promiscuous, self loathing, self-centered nymphomaniac. I also found her choice in victims quite distasteful. We all may have had an awkward moment catching our parents in a moment of intimacy but I certainly do not want to hear the details. The plot had merit however, without adequate composition and content about her infatuating first love it was difficult to believe in her heart brake. The authors use of expletive verbs, adjectives, pronouns etc. distracted from the point of the paragraph rather than enhancing my visual conception. A book is like a movie in my head; It felt like I knew more about the furniture and weather then about the emotional presence of the characters. I am going to credit the author for the twist at the end of the book however, I find it unlikely that Paige would not recognize the one person who broke her heart irrevocably. The most preposterous thing about the construction of this story was that Paige found it necessary to talk about her orgasms in titillating detail while in therapy but didn't seduce her psychiatrist, for he would've been the most aroused of all.
Note: This work was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I am a believer that the blurb should tell the contents without revealing the whole of the book. This blurb tells about seventy-five percent of the book without one having to read it. That, in itself, causes the work to lose about ½ a star from the gate … at least for me.
As a suggestion, Take Back the Memory should have a disclaimer in the blurb about the erotic content. I’m no prude—people know that one of my favorite genres is erotica (when it’s done properly). However, as a favor to one perusing something to read, it would help that person to know if there’s going to be a “phallus” or “nipple” in every other chapter.
Normally I would start with the pros yet there was not one pro for me. Even the author’s attempt to romance the words so that the sexual scenes would be stimulating was a fail. As a matter of fact, I compare it to watching a porn video but not being able to “get off” due to being distracted—the lady’s nails are chipped, the man’s butt is ashy, the music doesn’t fit the mood. Not that I’m an expert at looking at porn or anything … lol. I’m basically saying that it was more comical than sensual, especially one line which stated that a man’s eyes “were eating into her buttocks”.
The misplaced modifiers were the main culprit that kept Take Back the Memory from scoring any points in the syntax area. I would point them out but that would take up the majority of the review, and I want to spend more time on the actual premise of the book.
It takes more than “speaking of love” to establish a love connection. It was expressed over and over again how much Paige had this “love at first sight” bond with this guy named Bill. However, they were very young at the time—try at around age eight or so. I kept waiting for examples, painted out as vividly as the sex scenes—for this special chemistry between them in the interim. Instead, the foundation that led to the vendetta was skipped over, as if the author was in a hurry to get to the corruption of not only Paige’s way of thinking but also of these priests that caved in (too quickly if you ask me) to her seductive whims. I was not convinced of the love connection—even with the twist in the end.
Plus, I’m not one hundred percent sure if Paige was experiencing “madness”. Acting out, maybe. Being eccentric, for sure. However, there’s not enough revealed in Take Back the Memory for me to drink the psychiatric Kool-Aid. Besides, with Paige being a psychiatrist, she would be knowledgeable on the ins and outs of what justifies insanity, if you will. How could one really be sure that her deterioration was not conjured, as opposed to involuntary? There were not any gaps between the ending of one session and the beginning of the next for me to draw up a definite conclusion, which placed Swiss cheese holes in the point of this tale to begin with.
Unleashed Verdict: 2 out of 5 Stars
Due to misplaced modifiers, story holes, and not being able to take any of the characters seriously, I cannot recommend Take Back the Memory. I feel if there was more thought given to the background to build the conflict and less focus on the sex, this book could have possessed better resonance.
Paige seems a successful psychiatrist until her husband dies and she spirals into a black void.Her daughter becomes concerned when Paige begins talking to herself and urges her to seek therapy. While reversing the situation into becoming the patient herself Paige is asked to relive her life and pulls a few skeletons from the cupboards.
She fell in love while growing up in Kenya, Bill was the love of her life but he mysteriously left her and eventually became a priest. She never got over this ultimate betrayal of trust and love.
This story is full of the ultimate revenge, sadness, but also hope at times. It does contain some graphic sexual references as Paige declares her lust for the priests and how she sets about destroying either herself or them. It is quite heart-wrenching but Paige makes herself pretty difficult to like.
There is a lot of detail to take onboard, some parts require significant concentration to fathom whose view we are seeing. The writing is vivid and descriptive. The author’s poetic talents shine through when the book starts to flow.
I enjoyed it but felt a little uncomfortable with some of the situations, no idea why because I read a huge variety of genres. Possibly my mind was in the mood for a lighter read, this in no way detracts from the book.
Thanks to Augustine for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Paige is a successful psychotherapist, but the recent death of her husband has sent her into a tailspin. Her daughter convinces her to seek therapy which she reluctantly does. Her story starts in Kenya where she’s fallen in love with a boy named Bill. His is whisked away by his father to join the priesthood leaving Paige heartbroken. This heartbreak stays with her and becomes the driving force in her life. At eighteen she returns to Africa and loses her virginity to the son of the ranch’s owner. When they return home her newly released sexuality becomes a weapon for her to destroy the priests around her in revenge for the priesthood claiming Bill. There is a lot of sex, I will leave it to the reader to decide if that is a good thing or not. There is a little bit of plot to hold the sex scenes together. As is not uncommon in romances the point of view moves around a lot, and we aren’t always clear whose head we are watching from. In spite of the sex, there is not a lot of evocative emotion in the book, and I found it challenging to empathize with the main character. If you like plenty of graphic sex, I can recommend this book for you. If you don’t, you won’t enjoy it.
Summary: Paige Lyman is a psychiatrist who becomes, you could say, unhinged after her husband’s sudden death. Her daughter insists that she meet a doctor. She reveals to the psychiatrist (a colleague of hers in the medical world) that she grew up in Kenya and was in love with a boy named Bill, who left her to become a priest. She turns vengeful, and seeks revenge by seducing other priests.
What is good about this book is the level of detail – the scenes are described vividly and we can visualize the scenes as they happen. You realize early on that Paige Lyman’s heartbreak has turned her into a Ms Havisham kind of character and she will go to a ridiculous extent to exact her revenge.