This book is about an acclaimed author from Scotland who goes on a book tour in the United States and meets someone who looks a lot like a long lost love from his time as an exchange student in Kentucky. Personally, I found this book a little slow and it was hard for me to get into the story, but once I did I enjoyed it overall.

While I loved the idea which inspired this book- a “forever moment” that affects you throughout the rest of your life, in this case being a relationship- I felt somewhat disappointed in the execution. I would say the novel is much more character-driven than plot-driven, which unfortunately is not my taste. That said, fans of Sally Rooney would likely love this title as well! It does a great job at building mystery/suspense but I felt it took to long to get to the plot twist. Conversely, the resolution of the book felt rushed; I wish the first 70% or so had been condensed and the final 30% extended, mainly because I enjoyed the present timeline more so than the past. The book is told in third person POV, however focused mainly upon protagonist Charlie and I would have liked to see more of love interest Laura.

'The Forever Moment' sounded like a fun book and both the synopsis and the cover made me want to pick it up. And I wasn't disappointed, kind of.

I liked the idea of the book and how the plot developed and I enjoyed how fast it read and how it made me think that in fiction as in life things don't go as planned. I couldn't get used to the long chunks of narration, description or monologue that went sometimes for pages and pages, which made me read slower and sometimes even lose focus. I also wasn't a fan of the information put in brackets that most of the time, personally, I could've done without, because I didn't feel like it added something and also it took me out of the story. These are very subjective so maybe you won't have a problem with them.

I didn't feel anything as I read and for me is very important to get close to the characters, to understand them or at least feel something when I'm reading. But I couldn't have been more neutral or far from these people as the pages went on and the plot unraveled. Which made me ask myself for a second if is my fault or I can't just gel with the writing or maybe the characters aren't as deep or layered or alive as I would've liked them to be. Even though for a bit I understood Laura and how she reacted in some parts when Charlie tried to talk to her and they had their discussions.

Also, I know this is seen as a romance and for me it wasn't really. Because when I got to the end, Laura and Charlie seemed on different pages and wanting different things and besides the conversations they had, their past and what else linked them, they had nothing else. Maybe it was romantic and I missed it, but for me there was no emotion or love or desire to have anything or do something forward. Just coming back full circle to the beginning just with some blanks filled and a very short past together which to me one doesn't know what it wants about and the other might be more in love with the idea of her and a relationship than the real thing.

Putting these aside, I'm happy to say that I managed to read this pretty quick (~ 3 hours) and that overall I liked it. 'The Forever Moment' could be considered a fast and breezy read, maybe something you read when you're on vacation or in a plane or going to work or you're home and you just want something to keep you busy, but you don't want to read something too long or that's gonna take you a while to get into.

Also, if you like writer characters or books that have to do with writing or books maybe this one's for you, cause you get a bit of that in this one.

I'm glad I read 'The Forever Moment' and I'll say you could give it a try. Maybe you'll love it more than I did.

Thank you to The Book Guild and NetGalley for the review copy.

Charlie is a teen who does an exchange program with a family in Kentucky. He meets his host family, including Brian and Laura who are twins. He’s immediately taken with Laura and they start a passionate teenage love affair, which ends in sex and him leaving shortly after to go back home. He grows up to be a writer, and this story is told in flashbacks and present day.

I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn’t get over several things. 1) insta love is not my favorite trope. 2) Laura was incredibly selfish to keep a secret from Charlie. 3) it seemed highly unlikely that these two get back together, they argued nearly the entire time they were reconnecting. 4) why did it matter that her husband was black? - This book was definitely not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When an acclaimed Scottish author, on a book tour to the US to promote his latest romantic novel, The Forever Moment , meets a young woman who looks strikingly similar to a long-lost love from a high-school exchange to Kentucky, he wonders if he left behind more than memories twenty-two years ago. But when he digs deeper and is finally reunited with his lost love, who he thought had abandoned him after a whirlwind romance, he discovers that life isn’t quite like the plot of a trashy novel. And some memories can hold you back as well as spur you on. The Forever Moment is a wryly funny, dramatic and gripping story that takes us back to the first heady stirrings of teenage romance. It examines how we hold onto and romanticise the past, which can stop us moving forward. And that, with maturity, comes a deeper understanding.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I went into this book blind, and almost put it down twice. It wasn’t bad, but it started off a little slow for me and I had a hard time giving it my full attention. However at about 1/4 of the way through the book I started to really enjoy it. 4.5 stars for me.

When one picks up a novel by Paul A. Mendelson, the writer responsible for six seasons of the now classic 'May to December' TV series, one can be forgiven for having Great Expectations. Especially as the main protagonist is Charles Dickens - and a writer no less!
The author has honed the art.of storytelling to the point of perfection. Here he juggles two time frames - 1982 and 2004 - two cultures - Kentucky and Glasgow - and turns teenage aspirations into middle aged enigmas.
This is a book full of witty one liners but there's also profundity and meaningful observations. It entertains with a deceptive ease. I didn't want it to end.
I unashamedly steal a line from Oliver Twist: 'Please, sir, can I have some more?'

I was fascinated by the premise of this story, but it was a bit hard for me to get through. Starting with what I liked-- I love a good second chance romance! Charlie & Laura had a whirlwind teenage romance many years ago when he was an exchange student in Kentucky & now, as a successful author he's back in the US & decides to go find some closure. I also love books about books. the fact Charlie is an author, always telling a story, I loved that nuance to this book.
I had a hard time with the writing style. I think I tried to read it too fast, it might have been easier to read if I gave myself the time to fully immerse myself in the story, like going on vacation where I have no other things on my mind. I was determined to finish the story, despite some plot points I had a hard time believing (like Charlie being convinced he had a long lost daughter right away, instead of a more logical conclusion at first) and think this was a very well thought out- well developed story. I had a bit of a hard time following it, with alternating pov's, but from what I gathered, this story was unique, while also being a classic second chance story with its own twists & turns.
I rate it 3.5 so rounding to 4 stars. I think this could be a great story for a more patient reader. Thank you for the ARC!!!

Really sorry but this book wasn't for me. I just couldn't engage with it and I didn't like the writing style. Sorry

I think the style of writing is just not my cup of tea, the premise of the book seemed interesting but since I am not really the biggest fan of insta love which the book reads as it didn't work for me.

This book ended up being a dnf. I do think others will enjoy this book. I was very overwhelmed by the word choices and trying to fully engage in the story. I want to thank the publisher, author and netgalley for allowing me to read this arc. My review will only be posted on Netgalley. I wish nothing but the best for the author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Forever Moment is a well paced enjoyable read. I always enjoy a Scottish love story!

In 1982, Charlie's an exchange student visiting Lexington, Kentucky all the way from Glasgow, Scotland. He gets to spend nearly a month living with a host family and experiencing American high school and culture. He doesn't have much in common with his host "brother" Brian, but Brian's twin, Laura, is most welcoming. They share their literary interests and soon begin a secret relationship, with stolen kisses and clandestine cave meetings. Distraught when Charlie's time in the US is up, they promise to write one another, but though Charlie sends multiple letters, he never hears from Laura again. We jump to 2004, where Charlie, or C.D., as he's known as an author, is on a book tour in New England when a familiar-looking girl catches his eye. She reminds him of Laura, and he decides to return to Lexington to get closure. Not everything is as he remembers, and Charlie must make the decision to either keep living in the past, or decide to move on into the present.

An interesting concept, with the book revolving around another book, which focuses on the fictionalized relationship of Charlie and Laura. Setting the present-day portion in 2004 was convenient, as there was no Facebook, or other methods of tracking people down, so Charlie had to return to Lexington to find Laura.

For a book supposedly about the "forever" moment, the one you can't forget, I never really felt the magnitude of their original relationship. It all seemed very high-school, and as we can tell with the fictional novel, Charlie never moved on, but Laura has. I can't see how that works for a successful future for them, especially when you throw in the feelings of her family. I didn't really connect with either character, but especially Charlie, and his interactions with Abi, which quickly became quite disturbing.

This ended up being a DNF for me, although I'm sure others will enjoy the literary tone. I couldn't settle into the story because the word choice was distracting. Commercial romance readers may find the language too elevated for the subject matter, Like, the opening scene is a book signing, not the Battle of Troy. Repeatedly using less accessible words like "commence" instead of "begin" unnecessarily exercises the reader IMO. But some people like this sort of delicately wrought prose, so this book is for them.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

*spoilers*

The catalyst for the whole story is just nonsense. A man meets a young woman who reminds him of his first love, twenty years prior, and immediately assumes she must be the daughter he never knew he had.

Then that they might eventually rekindle the romance, when it’s revealed they’ve both been clinging to the past, but the rekindling is supposedly based on their current selves falling in love? It’s just not consistent.

The novel is primarily presented from the protagonist point of view, but very occasionally, the viewpoint will change to that of a secondary character. However, not often enough for it to feel intentional. Just in random jarring moments.

It’s a shame as the writing is fine, even if the premise absurd, and there are some great moments of humour and humanity. I feel a good editor could have helped realise this book’spotential. As it was, I was bored, not at all invested, and just willing it to end. Were it not an advance copy from NetGalley, I’d have abandoned it before finishing the first half.

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!