There but for the grace of God...

If nothing else, this book shows us how easy it could be to find oneself in the exact same predicament. Homeless doesn't mean hopeless and this story is so full of hope it almost made me cry. And to think that the author based it on some of her own experiences  especially her dependence on alcohol, made it all the more poignant.

I've got a feeling this story will stay with me for a very long time to come.

Heartfelt, heartwarming writing that makes you think - Ms Tonge has done an excellent job!

I am a huge fan of this author and couldn’t wait to read her latest offering.

This is a brilliant story showcasing forgiveness, homelessness and the fragility of life itself. It made me laugh and cry in equal measures. I had so much sympathy for Emma while reading, and was desperate for her to find some peace of mind and acceptance at some point. Her journey is not an easy one, but perseverance eventually pays off and she begins to find her feet again.

This is a great book and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a feel good story to read.

Huge thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy.

Read this book in one sitting. It was very enjoyable.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC>

Samantha Tonge really outdid herself with this book. The words like amazing and incredible I usually use to describe a book I enjoy don’t really fit here. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a well-written book because it was, and it was a very emotionally moving book.

Emma returns home after leaving years ago after alienating not only her family but almost the entire village. She is hoping she can make amends, but she quickly finds out it won’t be as easy as she thought. To make matters worse, her mother doesn’t recognize her. When she was away, she worked very hard to become a better person, and now all the skills she learned will put her to the test.

The book was described as a “gritty, heartbreaking novel that will take your breath away.” Those are the perfect words to describe it. Emma is a complicated character…yes, she did some really horrible things. As you read, you will see that she also was dealing with something that exacerbated her issues. She did have consequences. She lost everything she held dear, and she reaches deep down inside to not lose herself again. I really admired her for that.

Without spoiling anything, I have to say, this book hit very close to home for me. We recently lost someone close to our family who suffered with what Emma struggled with. Seeing things from Emma’s perspective opened my eyes and made me think. It also made me see the importance of forgiveness. When a writer can move me like that, she has more than done her job!

’ve read all of Samantha Tonges books and enjoyed them all immensely. This book is in a completely different vein from previous reads. This read is a journey of discovery and a quest for forgiveness which contains a story that will not leave you for quite some time. A at times heart breaking account of family life ripped apart by alcohol and Alzheimer’s. The description of the effort needed to fight internal demons and build bridges is portrayed in such a real way. I did not see the twist at the end! An amazing read. I finished this in 24 hours as I could not put it down. This book is a fantastic reading web you need to tangle your self up in

It was only after I read Samantha Tonge's blog post that I realised just how personal this book is to her. (You can read her post here). Forgive Me Not is a courageous piece of writing and deals with its subject matter in a clear- sighted but non-judgemental way. You build up a respect for Emma and wonder at her resilience which she shows she has, to keep going despite the rebuffs she finds in her home village. I don't want to talk in detail about her situation as that would spoil the read. Through a series of flashbacks, you learn about her struggle to get back to the person she wanted to be. The layers of her character are peeled back and, in the end, you get to see just who she is.

In addition to Emma's problems, there is the heart-breaking situation of her mother who can no longer remember who she is. Her sister cannot forgive her but is clearly barely managing. There is also a cast of other complicated characters who live in the village who have been affected by her previous actions. You get to see how Emma acquires the skills to help others through practical actions. I was not prepared for the reveal right at the end of the story which I had not seen coming but which left me wanting to know what happened next.

This is a real class act of a novel. It has hope and despair in equal measure and the author weaves a tapestry which portrays the fragility of everyday life.

In short: A gem of a book which challenges your perceptions and touches you with its honesty.
Thanks to the author for a copy of the book.

Wow, this was a powerful book. Emma is an alcoholic trying to make amends with her family. It's very realistic and true to life look at relationships, family, and addiction. There were parts that were a bit tough to read but very touching.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Emma had decided to return home to Foxglove Farm after being away for over two years, but what will her reception be........ she certainly didn't leave on good terms! Her optimism is totally blown out of the water, her sister hates her and can't even look at her and her mother has dementia and doesn't know who she is. For once in her life though Emma is determined not to run away and so stays to try and build bridges and give the much needed help to her sister

A great book it works well telling Emma's back story in flashes and I loved all the stories of the homeless people showing how anyone can end up in that predicament, andI thought it was a great little twist at the end.

This book was so good. I didn't expect it from the first few chapters. Once you get into the book, you learn about making amends and the other person's role in it. I literally could not stop reading.

This is a fabulous book!!

I loved everything about this book from the gorgeous front cover to the ending!

I have been a fan of this authors books for a while now and I was delighted to see that this book was being released and sat patiently for it to be available for me to read – and I have to say now, I absolutely loved it – I read it in a few hours after it landed on my Kindle and have been raving about it to family and friends since!

The book has some fantastic characters and I warmed to hem right from the outset, the story is one that makes you think and it is one that will stay with me – definitely five stars and easily one of the best books I’ve read in 2018!!

Make sure you grab your copy now – it will be worth it – I loved the whole thing!

Even though this was a work of fiction, the storyline of forgiveness and addiction is true to life. Anyone that has a loved one or who has suffered from addiction can relate to this. Definitely recommend!

Forgive Me Not is a warm yet thought-provoking tale about hitting rock bottom and the tough climb back out of the rut. Samantha Tongue’s writing is honest, observant and raw and at times this makes for uncomfortable reading because it often rings true. As we go on with our daily lives, it’s easy to forget or ignore the struggles of others. It’s a no-holds-barred story about fighting for a second chance to be a better person. It’s a must read.

I previously read One Summer in Rome by Samantha Tonge, and I just knew that I would be in for another treat. This book has a harder edge to it but the characters and plot were equally as compelling and the author doesn't shy away from some sensitive subjects. The issues are extremely well researched, informative and thought-provoking.

The main character Emma returns to her former home, Foxglove Farm, to make amends for something she did in the past. Her family are hostile, even the villagers and the pub landlord are unhappy to see her back, but what could she have done that was so bad?

The book takes us back to what happened to Emma whilst she was away, and she certainly had a rough time, but the reader is not told why Emma's life hit rock bottom until much later. This kept me gripped and made me think how easily life can turn on its head and the unthinkable can happen to almost anyone.

The book is about forgiveness and new starts in life. Emma seems determined to do whatever she has to do to regain her place in the family. Since she left, her mother's health has deteriorated rapidly, and sister Andrea feels angry that she has been her mother's carer along with running the farm almost singlehandedly.

The characters are completely believable, flawed and strong. I wasn't sure about some of them at first, but in typical Samantha Tonge style, the reasons become apparent as the story unfolds. I loved how the family sheepdog accepted Emma back without hesitation, it was heartwarming to see that one relationship could never be broken.

I'm sure if you are a fan of Samantha Tonge you will know that this book is a slight change in direction. I guess you could say that this is a more emotive story however you will still find the same warmth and love just like in her other stories. In Forgive Me Not we meet Emma who has had a very turbulent past and as this story progresses we see exactly how her actions not only affected her but others close to her. It is a deep and honest story about what happens when a person reaches rock bottom but then luckily begins to see a way forward. After all the hardest thing to do is live with yourself and that is what Emma faces. Emma is such an interesting character, I felt drawn to her even if at times the things she did were so very wrong. I always appreciate the flaws in characters as they are truly the ones that are most realistic.

Forgive Me Not has a balance of warmth and grit that easily pulled me into the story. As we are shown Emma's past and present giving you a complex character that made me want to know more about her. The storyline isn't what I would call light hearted but I still loved the message that this books portrays. It highlights human frailty but also strength and determination. How we all have struggles that can be hard to face but it is all written in a sensitive and honest way.

The theme of forgiveness is a big one and I loved how Samantha Tonge explored this from all sides within the story. I was left thinking about the characters long after I had turned the last page proving this book had the power to get under my skin.

Thought provoking and emotional with a powerful message.

Five stars from me!

With thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources and Canelo for my copy.

I have been meaning to read a Samantha Tonge book for a while now and what a superb book to start with. I have to say that the cover is stunning; it's very hard to tear your eyes away from it but, believe me, it's even better inside.

You would be forgiven (despite the book title) for thinking that you are about to read some lighthearted, hearts and flowers chick lit from looking at the cover of Forgive Me Not, however, that couldn't be further from the truth. Absolutely filled to the brim with heartrending emotion, I was surprised to find myself caring about every single character in the book and these feelings remained even after I had turned the last page. Samantha Tonge writes with such intense feelings that you can't help but become emotionally invested in the story and, with such high quality writing, I was more than happy to invest my emotions in the bank of Samantha Tonge.

Emma is our intriguing and complex main character. After leaving home under a cloud she returns to make amends, but the only welcome she receives is from the family's 3-legged dog, Dash. The reader is immediately drawn into the web of intrigue about Emma's past as you wonder what she did that was so bad that her family, friends and even the whole village don't want to know her. As the present day story plays out, the reader jumps on an emotional rollercoaster as we glimpse into Emma's past to fill in the blanks between then and now. When a family secret emerges that threatens Emma's recovery, she learns that forgiveness is a lot harder to give than she first thought, especially when you must also forgive yourself.

Forgive Me Not is a tremendously engaging, emotional and uplifting book. Emma's strength in adversity is both inspiring and heartbreaking as she carries so much weight on her shoulders and in her heart. It would be easy to turn away at the first hurdle but Emma shows great sense of character when she perseveres to show everyone that she has changed. They might not be able to forget what Emma has done but can they forgive her?

A deep and meaningful book that will definitely stay with you long after turning the final page. In fact, the final page just took the wind out of my sails and I can certainly say that I was completely blown away by Forgive Me Not.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

How many of you reading this, have made a mistake which later cost you the people you loved?
How many of you have found yourself stuck in a rut due to your own bad choices, have chosen to put yourself on the straight and narrow, yet people refuse to give you the benefit of the doubt?

Of course you have, we all have. We can't all be perfect.

Emma has chosen to return to the place her life changed forever - her childhood home. Even though it took Emma a lot of guts to return to the 'scene of the crime' so to speak, she found herself underestimating her family's reaction to her reappearance. Emma knows that she has made a lot of mistakes, she also knows that she has paid the price for every single one of them, but will her family see that she is being genuine? Or is it too little too late?

At first, Samantha Tonge keeps Emma's mistakes under lock and key, building my curiosity every time I turned the page. What on Earth did she do for her family to turn their backs on her? Has she learnt from her mistakes, whatever they may be?

Emma's story certainly made me sit up and take notice. At first, I couldn't see much wrong with what she did, but as soon as the author went into detail about the bad decisions Emma made, my opinion changed and I could see why the outcome is what it is. That said, I couldn't help but feel as though I was missing something as, instead of feeling as though I was reading a brand new novel with brand new characters, I felt as though I had walked into the storyline halfway through and couldn't seem to work out why I felt as though I had missed out on a lot of things. Before anyone says anything, no, I didn't begin the book halfway through, it just felt like that for me which was a bit of a shame.

However, I have to say that that was the only irk I had with the book! I loved how the authors change in direction was written from the heart, bringing the story to life on various different levels. Personally, I couldn't really ask for more!. Samantha Tonge hasn't just picked a theme from random and decided to write about it, she has chosen a theme which she knew needed to be written about to not only educate people, but to also make people take notice and think about their own decisions in life. I have to say that after reading 'Forgive Me Not', my opinion of one thing in particular has changed dramatically. Without giving anything away, I used to be like many of the characters in the book and look down my nose at people who had to set up camp where required, pretty much because I looked at it from a pessimistic and disbelieving angle. But now? Now I can't help but look at them like one of us and, if I had to choose one important lesson to take away from this book, it would definitely have to be the vague lesson I just mentioned. How could it not be?

I will say one thing though, there were times where I felt that Emma was expecting far too much from her loved ones, yet there were times where I felt as though her loved ones were hearing her but refusing to listen. The phrase 'I'm sorry', is one of the most overused lines ever. Even though, as humans, we expect apologies, how many of us can truly say that we believe every single one of them? Saying that you're sorry is all well and good, but for me it's the actions that got alongside it is what I take more notice of. Reading 'Forgive Me Not' cemented the fact that I just can't forget, but it has taught me the value of learning to forgive.

I am very proud of Samantha Tonge and this book, as I know it must have taken a lot to write a novel that is so close to home. It takes a lot of courage and determination to write something like this and personally, I think that the author has aced it.

A life-affirming, thought-provoking, emotional, and poignant novel which holds even more power than Iron Man himself. Such a pleasure to read.

Best-selling romantic comedy author Samantha Tonge makes her women’s fiction debut with a poignant, thought-provoking and extraordinary read fans of Diane Chamberlain, Rowan Coleman and Julie Cohen are going to love: Forgive Me Not.

Emma’s departure from Foxglove Farm had been fraught with misery, anguish and heartache. She had let down and disappointed the people who loved and cared for her most and had caused them untold pain with her actions. Foxglove Farm had been a part of her past Emma had been determined to put behind her, but moving on and forgetting was anything but easy. Two years might have passed since that fateful day, but Emma has never quite managed to put everything behind her, which is why Emma now feels the time has come for her to go back home. Can she ever build bridges with the people she had hurt so much? Are they ready to let bygones be bygones and begin anew when there is so much anger and resentment standing between them?

Foxglove Farm might have once been home for Emma, but the people she had turned her back on are, unsurprisingly, not keen to welcome her with open arms. Forgiving and forgetting is certainly not part of the agenda for them and the one person Emma wants to reconnect with more than anybody else – her mother – cannot remember who she is! It is going to be a long, hard and difficult road for Emma, but slowly she begins to gain their trust and reconciliation begins to seem to be within reach – until a family secret is revealed that threatens to jeopardise and destroy all of Emma’s hard work.

As past secrets and old crimes threaten to destroy the future she has been working so hard to build, will Emma ever belong at Foxglove Farm? Can she atone for her past mistakes and errors of judgments? Or is saying sorry simply not enough?

A searingly emotional, compulsively readable and affecting novel written with sensitivity, pathos and heart, Forgive Me Not is an exceptional tale of starting over, second chances and healing from the past that will strike a chord with readers everywhere, Samantha Tonge has written a wonderful story of family, forgiveness and moving on that will make readers laugh, cry and think. Having already proven herself as a first class writer of romantic comedy, Samantha Tonge adds another string to her bow with this intelligently written, heart-wrenching and compulsively readable tale.

Forgive Me Not is a book readers will remember long after the last page is turned and Samantha Tonge’s seamless switch to women’s fiction is one guaranteed to satisfy her legion of fans and win her loads of new followers – I cannot wait for her next book!

The first time I read the blurb of this book I knew it would be something special and important. I knew it would probably make me emotional and it would probably be one of those books that make us think about our lives - past, present and future. I wasn't wrong.

This book was a beautifully done. A book about forgiveness, second chances, family, and friendship... And about being human. It touched my heart because it made me realize some things about my personal life, about all the actions, mistakes and stubbornness attitude I had that cause me pain, or cause me to stay away from some people that once upon a time had an important part in my life. It doesn't mean that by staying away from some people was the wrong decision. In some cases it was the right decision, but in other, it makes me sad.

So with this book, I start thinking if I can have a second chance with some of my childhood friends. It was eye opening and the way we can create empathy with the characters speaks highly of Samatha Tonge's writing style.

But the book is also about addiction and how not only does it affect the person dealing with it (the addict) but also the family and friends. Although personally I can't relate to it, as a Social Educator, I did study about it, and I spoke with people that were going through the rehabilitation process. I listen to them talk about how it changed their relationship with family and friends. And reading Samantha's book made me think about that afternoon in the rehabilitation clinic and it made me think about life.

And if you think addiction, forgiveness, coming back home, family and friends, are all the topics that this book talks about, you are mistaken. It talks about Alzheimer's too. Again my college times helped me connect with this subject and because I understand it, it was easier to believe the storyline and the plot, related to this topic.

So, as you can see, and if you read the book you will fully understand it, this book touches a lot of strong subjects that are a part of our life, our societies. The way it's brilliantly written, with a good development of characters and plot, in a good pace of the storyline, made me feel connected to the story and feel like I know those characters in real life.

As you read the book you get to feel all of that because Samantha gives you the chance to understand all side of the story. And you end up loving the message she's trying to teach you. Aren't we all human? Don't we make mistakes? Don't we have bad moments? Don't we have cracks in our hearts, and are even self-conscious? Don't we try hard to get better when we wish and need to accomplish our goals or change our lives?

Well, we are complex beings and life is unexpected. Do we deserve forgiveness? I personally believe that sometimes the only person we have to forgive is ourselves. And other times, we really don't understand what we are loosing and all the opportunities we have lost until we really fall into an abysm and there is no more light or help, and we are stuck with the voices in our heads and all the pain and sorrow and whatever else is there. So, yes, life is messy, second chances are sometimes more like 1000 chance, it's sometimes hard to believe someone after they have disappointed us some many times, and life keeps going.

Those are just some of the thoughts I had after reading the book and thinking about forgiveness and life. Nevertheless, the realism in this book made it so much exciting to read. And for all those reason, I loved the book, and I recommend it to everyone.

This book is just fantastic. Dealing as it does with a number of incredibly sensitive subjects, there was always the chance that things could go very dark, very quickly. However, Samantha’s delicate handling of each and every one of these topics made the book thought provoking, but never depressing. this book serves as a resounding reminder to just be kind to the people you meet. Everyone has their own story, their own struggles, which are not detectable by the naked eye.

The book is exceptionally poignant and covers some tough subjects such as alcoholism, homelessness, and forgiveness. All were handled with care and thoroughly researched, which shows in the superb, realistic writing.

The story moves between the present day and months before Emma’s return home in which she was in Manchester and sleeping rough in the city centre. With Manchester being my hometown it was lovely (even in the circumstances) to see all the areas mentioned, giving me plenty of scope to perfectly visualise the scenes. It was also eye-opening to see just what those sleeping rough in the city go through.

‘Forgive Me Not’, is a new direction in writing for Samantha Tonge, away from her Rom Coms. She may have thought it was a risk heading in a different direction, but it definitely has paid off as this book was an absolute joy to read. I loved every minute of it and congratulate Samantha Tonge on writing a fabulous, heartfelt and insightful, book that will stay with me for a long time.