I really enjoyed this book! I liked how it had a good combination of romance and mystery throughout the book, and the author balanced them very nicely. I love romance and mystery novels so this was the perfect book for me. I really enjoyed the characters throughout the book, especially Remy as I found myself rooting for her self-healing journey. I did find myself getting confused at points as to why there was so much about Fiona (Jeremiah's mom) in the book but at the end, I noticed that the next book would include her so that makes sense! I liked her character and story but it seemed random at times when she would just pop in the chapters.

The only negative thing I have to say about this book is that there definitely should be a trigger warning at the beginning as it touches on a sensitive topic that I think could really upset people who are reading this and didn't know this was a storyline in the book. But besides that I loved it!

This was my first Becky Wade book and I think I will try her previous novels. After reading reviews from trusted reviewers I follow, I know this one was pretty different from her previous works. That being said, I am on the fence with this one.

LOVED:
- This cover is so cute and matches the story so much!
- A woodcarving female main character who loves fantasy?! Yes girl!!
- The mystery aspect was done really well and although I strongly suspected the correct culprit, the leading up to the reveal was great.
- JUDE. I am SO excited to get his story!!!!
- The unveiling of Jeremiah's memories. I could feel his emotions so vividly when he would remember new things.

LIKED:
- The brotherhood between Jeremiah and Jude <3 We love a healthy sibling-ship moment.
- The side characters were great! Wendell, Leigh, the O'Sullivan family!
- The romance is interesting for me. I understand the reasoning about why they couldn't get together sooner and Jeremiah's gentleness towards her trauma was fantastic (besides that one scene lol). I just wish Remy made her feelings more clear to him earlier than the last 5% of the book.

MEH:
- I felt that there were too many storylines. I know there was a lot of set-up for the next book, but it felt a bit overwhelming with keeping track of all of them.
- Connected to ^^, getting random POVs from Jude and their mom kind of took me out of the Jeremiah/Remy situation.
- I would have loved to know more about Remy's family. I know Jeremiah's family is a main focus for the series, but getting to know her backstory more would have helped me to connect with her character.
- The faith aspects seemed out of place, although some of Jeremiah's contemplation scenes were strong.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Happy book release week to author Becky Wade, who released her latest novel on Valentine’s Day! There’s no better day to put a book into the world about love than on a day completely devoted to it, right? I quickly devoured this in just a couple of days worth of reading, staying up later than I probably should have because it was just too good.

“Memory Lane” is the first book in Becky’s new Sons of Scandal Romance series. I was beyond excited to be able to read an ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op, as Becky is one of my favorite authors - I’ve read everything by her (multiple times). I was actually in my millionth reread of “My Stubborn Heart” as I downloaded this read and switched off between the two at times. Don’t judge me!

You can think of this story as “While You Were Sleeping” meets “Pride and Prejudice,” with a bit of amnesia, messy family dynamics, a relationship de resistance. It’s also peppered in with fiery dialogue and passionate tension between the two lead characters, Remy Reed, small town artist who lives on a quiet island and keeps to herself, and the mysterious man who finds his way into Remy’s world, by no doing of his own.

Remy rescues a man, who gains the nickname of Jonah. As the mystery of his identity is still unbeknownst to him, she takes him into her home and nurses him back to health. The caveat? He has amnesia after Remy finds him at sea unconscious. He remembers nothing.

Close proximity forces the two to become very well-acquainted with one another, through witty bursts of one-liners and irritations from the other.

Both come with demons from their past - ‘Jonah’ discovers his identity and starts to remember bits and pieces of his not-always-picture-perfect life — the death of his wife, the betrayal of family members and his not-so-private profession. He comes from a rich family that everyone has their eyes on (very Kennedy-esque).

Remy has been hurt by someone and has a hard time giving up control and letting others in. Slowly, as she spends time with this man over the course of time, she learns to let go a little more and to let him love her. Her world isn’t quite the public one ‘Jonah’ is used to, and she’s been playing life on the safe side from a smaller island in Maine. She likes her bubble and ‘Jonah’s life is really messing that up for her.

Just as we’re hanging onto what’s going to happen in ‘Jonah’s’ recovery, new names and plots are introduced, including other members of the Camden family. We quickly become just as interested in the ‘side’ stories as we do for the leading man and woman, including Jeremiah’s mother and the relationship she has with her sister, his brother Jude and father, Felix.

There’s a lot to be untangled, but Becky does so in a way that is effortless - making the narration and backstories seem simple, so you know a lot of research and observation was involved. There are a lot of moving pieces and details that make it so rich and textured. There’s always an element of history, whether it’s the details of family lineage or facts about the place that the story takes place in. It feels more like a journal or an actual account of someone’s life than just reading a work of fiction. As all of Becky’s novels, it’s more than just a romance. With each book she’s written, they become very real people processing faith-based themes with God and self.

Through “Memory Lane,” we uncover the beauty of redemption in second chances, grace and forgiveness. And how to move on when life doesn’t quite go as we thought it would. But, of course, the greatest of all, is the love shown throughout, in romance and the friendships along the way. But, not without a bit of drama, action, mystery and a bit of a plot twist that has you sitting on the edge of your seat in the last several pages of the book.

While I'm not able to replace "My Stubborn Heart," "Her One and Only," "True To You," and "Undeniably Yours," for "Memory Lane" as a favorite, I very much loved this one. I’m thrilled to see what comes of the next story as we learn more about the other ‘son of scandal.’

Do yourself a favor and grab a copy and cozy up on the couch, because you won’t want to do anything else once you start.

3.75-4 star read

Memory Lane by Becky Wade wastes no time jumping right into the story. From the very first chapter, there's action, and it's fast-paced, and I really appreciated how the author jumped right into the story. Having just finished Memory Lane, I think having a fast introduction to the characters was a great idea.

Some things I appreciated about the book:

-The witty banter and enemies-to-lovers trope (I don't always enjoy this trope depending on how the author crafts the story, but I think this book did it well!)

-The themes of former abuse and trauma. The author did a good job of making Remy's character arc relatable because all of us have experienced trauma in some form--whether it was physical, like Remy's, mental, or emotional, every form of trauma comes with triggers. Remy's hesitancy to put herself out there and take a chance on love was understandable, and just how she hid away and ran to what was safe and comfortable rather than what was new and scary was also well done.

-Faith elements. While not explored in too much depth, there were some scenes/moments that were powerful and related to how God allows suffering when He has the power to stop it.

Two things I didn't love as much:

-For a few chapters, there were some random POVs that I felt distracted from the story and didn't serve a strong purpose. Jeremiah's mom was one of those. I'm wondering if the next book will include more of her journey? If so, I wish there had been more chapters with her so her character and purpose in the story was better established. If not, I kinda wish her POV had been cut. But that's just my personal opinion :)

-I really wish that, after Remy had realized that she did love Jeremiah and wanted to take a chance on love and learn to trust again despite all her past trauma/triggers holding her back, that *she* had been the one to reconcile with Jeremiah first. Circumstances (which I won't mention here for spoilers) bring them together, but I...wish she had been the one to reconcile with Jeremiah before--or at least, even texting him and saying she'd like to talk, so the reader at least knows that that was her goal before things went haywire. Again, my personal opinion :)

(Content Warning: mentions of sexual assault (rape); mentions of affairs and children born out of wedlock.)

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an eARC of Memory Lane. A positive review was not required, only my honest opinion. All thoughts are expressly my own.

I DEVOURED this book!!!!! I love how Becky Wade writes somewhat scorching romances, but in a Christian way, and now she's adding mystery and intrigue to it?! LOVE IT!!!!! I can't wait for the next book in this series and to get to know Jude better. I will say I did think there was a lot of Alcohol in this book which I didn't love. I get that some Christians are a ok with drinking but I'm not one of them. It also didn't seem like the book had a ton of God stuff in it, if that makes sense. Just a few references here and there. I felt like it needed either less and just be mainstream clean romance, or more of it to really be a inspirational romance.

I have had a few of Becky Wade’s books on my physical TBR pile for awhile now. While I have been slowly making my way to them, I was excited to see her newest book, Memory Lane, on Netgalley. I am so happy that I was given the opportunity to read this as it was the perfect introduction to her writing!

I came into the book expecting to get a clean romance. What I found was so much more. Memory Lane, is a mystery wrapped in a contemporary Christian romance package. It was a true four star read that managed to melted my heart and keep me on my toes!

By far, the best aspect of the book was Wade’s character development. She created authentically flawed characters in both Jeremiah Camden and Remy Reed. The journey the two of them took together and separately will stay with me forever.

While I thought the book was amazing as a stand-alone; I was so excited to learn that it will continue. This is just the beginning of The Sons of A Scandal Romance Series. Wade is set to release a second book focusing on Jeremiah’s younger brother, Jude. Readers can expect to learn more about Jude’s life in the FBI as well as find closure to storylines in this book. However, Jeremiah and Jude aren’t the only brothers born from a scandal. I am holding out hope that Wade releases a third book focusing on Jeremiah and Jude’s half brother!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Victoria Editing for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a book! I have to say, this is a typical Becky Wade book but with deeper, grittier levels of character wounds and growth. I love what she did with Remy and Jeremiah. An absolutely moving story about learning to not only lean on and trust God but to try and move past the pain and not let it lock you down forever. Remy values safety. Jeremiah can be a bit reckless. These two couldn't be more opposite, and I loved watching them get so much pleasure out of pushing each other's buttons. I definitely laughed out loud a few times at their crazy interactions, but the root of the story hooked deep. It's one I'm not going to forget. Memories ground us. They can hurt us. They can heal us. For these two characters, memories hold unique differences.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I’m a big fan of Author Becky Wade’s work and have read all her novels. This newest addition starts a new series Sons of Scandal and focuses on Jeremiah and Remy. Memory Lane is an inspirational romance with an added dimension of a mystery throughout the storyline and isn’t solved until the end. I enjoyed the plot and it had some twists and turns I didn’t anticipate. Becky’s character development is one of the things I love best about her writing and she did not disappoint in this story. Her writing gives the reader great insight into why her character said or did something. I also loved how the tempo of the plot’s unfolding went simultaneously with Jeremiah regaining his memories,

Oh, how I loved this book! The banter between the two main characters was fun! I really liked the characters which doesn't always happen for me. I thought their reactions to the unusual circumstances they found themselves in was believable. I thought the story itself flowed really well. I read it yesterday and I am still thinking about the story today! I really liked the writing style of the author too. She has this way of making the story relatable, believable, heartwarming and fun! I highly recommend this well written story!

A famous Family, scandal, a mystery, and adding both characters with a complicated past, you have a story that will keep you wanting to read what happens next. Don't let the cute illustrated cover fool you, charming story- fun-banter dialogue, with a good measure of depth- suspense-emotional scenes, and lots of twists and turns. I thought the memory-lost trope was done exceptionally well!

"After surviving a trauma several years back, Remy Reed relocated to a cottage on one of Maine’s most remote islands. She’s arranged her life just the way she wants it, spending her time working on her wood sculptures and soaking in the beauty of nature. It’s quiet and solitary—until the day she spots something bobbing in the ocean."

Becky Wade knows how to write an intriguing story, the pacing felt perfect, and I really enjoy the witty banter laced with humor, the mystery, and the amnesia angle. I highly recommend it! looking forward to the next story.

Clean Read. lots of kissing, but nothing further.

The story's theme for me was God's in control, His timing not yours, and when God calls you from your comfort zone.

This is the first book I have read by this author but I have heard so many good things. This was so much better than I expected! I went in expecting a light hearted romance with a little mystery, but it actually had a whole lot more depth and mystery than I expected! I also loved the setting of this book! Currently living in a small town (not as small as the one in the book), it is refreshing to see a small town trope done well. I also felt like I could connect and relate to the main character a lot. It was a refreshing book, especially being from a Christian author!

However, I had to stop reading this at 50% because of the recounted rape scene. Having experienced sexual assault personally (not as intense as what was described),, it was too graphic and stirred up too many emotions I had worked through and didn’t seem to be a one and done moment for the story since elements of the recounted story carried into the following chapter. Had the descriptive scene not been in there and she just said she had gone through what she did in very plain language I probably could have continued, but there were too many elements that were very close to my personal experience that were some of the most triggering things I’ve read. If that isn’t a trigger for you then you should be fine.

Thanks to Netgaley for an ARC of this book - I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.

First of all, this is the first book by this author that I have read. It's the first in the Sons of Scandal series.

I enjoyed this book - the premise was great and there was depth evident with the characters, especially Remy. I liked the way the author leaves a little bit of Rem's history back for a while, and that she's not a typical stunning beauty that rescues Jonah from the sea, but a creative, insular woman who wants her solitude.

Although the descriptions and sentence structure seemed a little clunky at times, I liked the banter between the two main characters and I liked how everything tied together in the end.

A sweet valentine read with a little more depth than expected.

Memory Lane by Becky Wade is a contemporary romance that tackles some tough issues. Remy is someone who is struggling with demons from a past experience. Jeremiah has no idea who is or why he was found half-unconscious in the ocean. What he does know is that he needs Remy in his life. At first she does not reciprocate those feelings. Over time her heart does begin to soften towards him as they work together to reclaim his past and figure out who is and why he was injured in the ocean.

I really enjoyed both characters but I did find Remy's attitude towards Jeremiah to be a little mean at times. Given her circumstances I was able to give her a pass since she was still struggling with some things. I enjoyed the other points of view from side characters in this book and look forward to reading more about them in future novels in the series. The mystery of who killed Jeremiah's first wife and injured him was enjoyable and I'm glad that it was included.

I have read all of Becky Wade's books and she never shies away from tough topics but this one felt a little different. It may be because it is self-published. I wouldn't really classify this as a Christian Romance but more of a clean Contemporary Romance. This didn't bother be at all but I thought I'd point that out. Over all I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to read the next novel in the series.

Wow. What a raw story. That's probably the best descriptive word I can think of for Memory Lane. Both Remy and Jeremiah's storylines separately and together will rub your emotions raw. But never fear, Becky Wade does a great job of healing those wounds by the end of the book. This is all in a good way. Like a page turning, must keep reading kind of way. Trust me on this. You'll want to ride this roller coaster.

The characters are so well written in this story. Remy is such a quirky, independent lady, who is admittedly flawed and works on this during the course of the story, even if it takes prodding. Jeremiah is just a heart throb who is trying his best to make a new life and new memories for himself after tragedy. (But don't get us wrong, also flawed and working on it!) I adored Jude and can't wait for his story! I'm also interested to see more of Fiona's story. Plus Wendell was another great side character.

Memory Lane has all the usual elements I look for in romance novels but also felt very unique in its storyline. Also, this book is definitely clean but there's no lack of sizzle and sparks between Remy and Jeremiah, which I don't mind. Just as a random side note, I love the names Jeremiah and Jude.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and I'm leaving an honest and voluntary review.

I went into this book wanting to love everything about it as I normally adore this author. However, I will say that this one fell a little flat for me.

Here are some of the things that I liked:
I really love the premise of the book. The man washed up on the shore and not know who he is or why he is there. The female being the one to research him. (great role reversal there).
I also loved the secrets and the bit of mystery that went into him unraveling his past.
I really did like his brother and I am totally curious about his story. (He's actually the character I enjoyed the most in the book).

Things I didn't care for:
While. I tried to so hard to feel for the characters I had a really hard time connecting with either of them. For some reason I found that they were somewhat stiff for some reason I didn't feel for them.

I didn't really care for the Fiona overall as a character and therefore didn't like her POV chapters. I was hoping for more of the main two each time I read in her POV.


Overall the book felt a little flat to me, but again not every book is for every reader. I don't think this was the book for me. I am curious to see how the series plays out so I might end up picking. up book two. I will say that I have loved this author in the past so again, this just might not have been the book for me.

#BookReview: MEMORY LANE by Becky Wade

The cover is different from the author’s books, but pretty nontheless. I didn’t know how Fiona and Jude were connected to the MC’s at first. The world of the Camden family and their drama were slowly infused with Jeremiah and Remy’s story.

Memory Lane is the first book in the series which features Jeremiah and Remy's story. Jeremiah had amnesia and I actually liked the name Jonah. He was really confident for a person who lost his memory.

I liked the mystery, suspense and plot twist. The characters were likeable but I didn’t connect well with them as I wanted to. It was nice to see them work together on Jeremiah’s case. Remy was cute when she thought she had figured out something. Note that there were some trigger warnings on death and accounts of a prior trauma. Remy and Wendell's friendship was sweet and interesting.

The island setting, complicated family relationships, banter and some faith made this book a compelling one. I can't wait for Jude's story.

Rating: 4 stars
Series: Sons of Scandal, Book 1
Pub date: 14 Feb 2023

Thank you #netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I had mixed feelings about this book. The cover makes it look like a romcom type book, but instead it is a mystery romance. If I looked at that cover and picked up this book, I would be a bit annoyed that it doesn't fit the story.

I enjoyed most of the relationship between Jeremiah and Remy, but there were a few things that made their relationship not feel authentic and made me dislike the characters. One thing that irked me was how Jeremiah described Remy. When he first saw her he described her as "medium sized, plain. her oval face might be pretty with makeup, but she wasnt wearing any. eyes- no particulat color" But when talking about his dead wife or his ex-girlfriend he mentions aspects about them he found beautiful. That is a major ick to me and lowers my opinion on Jeremiah.

It took me a while to like Jeremiah, because at first, he just seemed like an ass, and I didn't see how he could be redeemed. I mean, he had just been fished out of the freezing ocean by Remy, was borderline hypothermic and he had the audacity not to be thankful. Remy made him a cup of hot tea to help with the cold, and he turned it down and asked for "fresh ground arabica coffee". I mean who does that??

Also, what was with the random POV chapters. There was no need to have chapters from his brother or mothers POV. They added nothing to the story and only made it harder to read.

I take it back, maybe I liked this book less than I thought I did because I am having a hard time finding positives to write about.

I enjoyed this story and think it is an excellent start to a series. The characters were slightly irritating to me, but I did like their journeys. I really enjoyed Maine and would love to visit.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

“Why are you here?” […] “Because this is where you are. If this is where you are, then this is the only place I want to be.”
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Thank you @netgalley for sending me the ARC of Memory Lane by @beckywadewriter 🫶🏼 Il libro esce proprio oggi, 14 Febbraio🎊
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Memory Lane è un libro che mi ha ispirato dal primo momento che l’ho visto. Adoro questo stile di cover e proprio per questo è stato amore a prima vista, ma dopo aver letto la trama sono proprio partita per Marte✈️.
📖: Dopo essere sopravvissuta ad un evento traumatico, Remy Reed ha deciso di trasferirsi in un cottage situato in una delle più remote isole del Maine. Vive la sua vita proprio come vuole, passando le giornate a creare le sue amate sculture di legno. Tutto è tranquillo e solitario, fino a quando una mattina nota qualcosa in mare. Il suo binocolo rivela una persona che sta facendo fatica a mantenere la testa al di fuori dell’acqua. Corre fuori da casa per andare a salvarlo e lo porta in casa sua. L’uomo è ferito gravemente ma questo non sminuisce la sua bellezza. Quando quest’uomo si sveglia inizia a fare richieste alquanto sofisticate. Remy non vorrebbe fare altro che trovare la sua famiglia così da riportarlo da dove è venuto, ma l’uomo non ha alcun ricordo della sua vita prima del momento in cui lei lo ha salvato. Con il passare dei giorni lui comincia a sviluppare una sorta di attaccamento nei suoi confronti. Ma chi è lui esattamente? Come ha fatto ad arrivare sulla sua isola? Ma soprattutto perché dopo anni passati ad allontanare tutti, Remy sta iniziando ad apprezzare il tempo che passa con lui? Non c’è niente di meglio che camminare per questo viale della memoria insieme a lui e vedere tutti i segreti venire a galla.
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Ammetto di apprezzare molto la trope dell’amnesia se trattata nel modo giusto e in questo libro si incastra perfettamente con la parte mystery della storia quindi un lavoro ben fatto✨. Ho amato tanto Remy per la sua indipendenza e forza. Quello che ha subito in passato l’ha cambiata radicalmente e vedere il suo percorso verso la libertà è stato veramente bello ed emozionante.
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Mentre leggevo il libro vi ho spoilerato qualcosina riguardo a Jonah, questo è il nome che Remy ha inventato per chiamare il ragazzo che ha perso la memoria, che mi ha fatto letteralmente impazzire proprio perché non me lo aspettavo😂 se ricordate questo particolare bene, altrimenti mi dispiace, non lo spoilero una seconda volta ahahah. Il personaggio di Jonah mi è piaciuto anche se avrei voluto qualcosa in più da lui, qualcosa che a fine lettura mi ha lasciato un po’ l’amaro in bocca (no non so nemmeno io di cosa sto parlando, so solo che qualcosa mi è mancato🙃).
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Questo libro è il punto perfetto in cui l’insta love incontra lo slow-burn. Diciamo che dalla parte di lui i sentimenti arrivano più velocemente e vengono etichettati già nei primi 10 capitoli, mentre per Remy la situazione è un po’ più lenta per via del suo passato e questa è una scelta che ho appresso e rispetto molto, l’autrice ha gestito il tempo in maniera eccezionale.
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Ho amato tantissimo il mystery anche perché non ero arrivata a scoprire il plot twist, però forse questo magari è solo un mio giudizio perché non leggendo tanti mystery il mio naso non fiuta da subito il sospettato non essendo abituato😅. Diciamo che la mia faccia è stata più o meno questa in quel momento “😳😲😱”.
Quindi si, lo consiglio assolutamente se state cercando un libro leggero che vi travolga sin da subito! Voto: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 (no a scene spicy, non ce ne sono).
Alla prossima,
Sabina❤️

Memory Lane // Becky Wade 💭
⭐️⭐️⭐️

10/10 recommend if you’re looking for something with a dash of everything! 🥰

~ I was IN-VESTED from the start! Remy & Jeremiah ughhhh!! That grumpy/sunshine situationship! ✨

Jeremiah’s amnesia has essentially forced him into lodging at Remy’s humble abode where he feels she’s the safest of places. However, Remy is not a fan of this forced proximity in any way, shape or form ‼️

Slowly but surely follows the scandals, the romance and finally the truth comes out, what’s gonna happen now?🤫

~ For sure an unusual romance read, but I did really enjoy the “drama” involved, figuring out each individuals mysterious qualities, quirks and honest dreams.