The Moment I Met You
Fiction
William Morrow
March 8, 2022
Advance reader copy
304
Free from publisher
Elena Godwin has scrimped and saved for a relaxing dream holiday in Mexico with her handsome but laddish boyfriend Harry. Life has felt a bit less exciting than she'd imagined her twenties would be, and she's hoping the trip will add some sizzle. But on a gorgeous summer evening an earthquake strikes--shattering their peaceful vacation. The trauma changes Elena's life forever.
Ten years later, Elena still can't forget the face of the stranger she met that night--the man who may have saved her life. When they're suddenly and unexpectedly thrown back together again, Elena starts to uncover the truth around that fateful night, and question whether she should have lived her life differently in the years afterwards.
What if it's not too late?
My review:
Hooray, a book that looked like your typical romance read that turns out to not be at all what I was expecting! Don't let the cutesy cover fool you, this book deals with some super heavy (and sad) subjects, namely how to deal with your life in the aftermath of a catastrophic event. An earthquake hits when the protagonist (the book is told in first person from her view) is on vacation in Mexico. The immediate and long term after effects are the main subject of the narrative. I loved this main character, as well as the secondary characters of Alex and Em. Without giving too much of the plot away, I really felt for Elena, and thought the decisions she made along the road to recovery were vey believable, even if not what the reader may have wanted. I did have a tiny issue toward the end when I thought the final twist was revealed too early (to sleuth-y thriller readers capable of picking up on subtle hints), but the ending justified the slight disappointment in guessing it. I thought the pacing and descriptions of place and mood were spot on, and I never felt the book dragged in any portion. Excellent examination of how different people respond to trauma, especially the long term effects.
Not what you expect when you see the cover, this book is an excellent portrayal of grief, trauma, and life choices in the wake of a life altering event. You will get your romance sprinkled in, but that is not at the heart of this one, and I was a huge fan of that!
