This book goes back and forth from a current period to a period six months prior. Scarlett's father died and she had been working for and living in the same mansion as his friend Arthur (who is about 16 years older than she). In the current time Scarlett fell and got amnesia. We are slowly introduced to when they first got to know each other better just after her father died and how they get "reintroduced" when she loses her memory of their being essentially best friends six months earlier.

I liked the characters and the idea of the book. I was engaged in the story though it was a bit confusing that Scarlett would have "dreams" of things that had happened in the time she didn't remember but both times they fell in love were memorable and kind of similar. I think I might have been expecting something different since I have read and loved her dystopian series written as Claire Kent, but this was an enjoyable and slightly differently organized contemporary romance with a tiny bit of 'taboo" (the "dad's best friend" thing and the level of spice was pretty high).

I received a promotional copy and am giving an honest review.

love Noelle Adams books! I love how romantic they are, how the characters are sensitive and so real in their feelings. I thoroughly enjoyed it!!

Review for Recollection by Noelle Adams
Story: 📖📖
Spice: 🌶️

Is there such a thing as a “meh” romance. If there is this is what it feels like. Subtle in every aspect. Nothing too exaggerated nothing too wild.

It was an OKAY story.

Towards the end of this novel it was hard for me to finish due to the constant reoccurring conversation about the same thing. The characters kept going in circles. It started to not only feel like they were playing games with each other but it also started to bore me heavily. Plus the dialogue started to get a bit cringy…

I understand driving the point home but .. geez.

I love Noelle Adams. I got this one through NetGalley and it was great. Noelle writes books that are just comforting to me.

Scarlett wakes up not remembering the past 6 months. She's been living and working for her fathers friend, Author. He gave her a job going through his library. Scarlett had no where else to go after her father died. He had been stealing from customers and all of his assets had been frozen and redistributed.

The doctor says Scarlett shouldn't be told what's been happening the past 6 months. But we get flashbacks to see what Scarlett had been up to.

We get to see Scarletts love story twice. Which was great. And i did understand why she was so upset at Athur when she finally got her memories back.r And I loved the dog too.

The premise of the story was not a novel one but it was interesting just the same. The 2 main characters could have done with a bit more characters development and I would have liked to read more about their past connection.

Recollection is emotion at it's best. Whether falling in love or breaking a heart, Adams is a master at making you feel. Scarlett and Arthur face tough choices yet somehow they find the courage to beat the odds. When it comes life and love, Noelle Adams breaks the heart wide open and never looks back.

I usually really enjoy Noelle Adams' books, but Recollection missed the mark for me. The heroine loses her memories of the past 6 months, during which she had stayed with her father's friend. It's a fun premise, but I had such an issue with the heroine and with the overall execution of the story.

First of all, the hero's reasoning for being friends with her POS father made no sense. The premise of his friendship with her father was just so ridiculously flimsy. And you wanna know the most ridiculous thing about the amnesia storyline? Whenever the heroine unlocks her past memories, she automatically assumes they are dreams LOL. Does she bother talking to the people around her to investigate if her dreams are past memories? Nope. She just goes on with her life thinking they are fantastical dreams, even though there are multiple hints indicating that they are past memories. What kind of clownery is this?!?!

The story is told in past and present chapters and each timeline has a conflict. The conflicts in both the past and present are tremendously stupid. Why? Because the heroine is stupid AF. She's supposed to be a 28 year old woman, but she acts like an 18 year old girl. In the past, she threw a tantrum and left the hero without saying anything after they had the stupidest argument ever. In the present, she throws another tantrum because the hero had the nerve to respect the doctor's orders about her amnesia. Girl, bye!!!

Honestly, I'm so surprised this was written by Noelle Adams?! It started off well enough, but it went downhill so quickly. Anyway, if you are new to this author, definitely do not start here LOL.

This is a well-written contemporary romance. The writing is simple but readable and I had to admire the actual construction of the plot. I’m not a fan of flashbacks at all – they’re one of my least favourite literary devices – but I thought they were used cleverly here. It allowed for more explicitly romantic content in the ‘past’ segments which would have been out of place in the ‘present’, which was by necessity more of a slow burn. It allowed for the book to hit all of the right beats for a romance novel without the actual romance feeling rushed.

That said, the book itself is quite simple. The plot is fine, it’s just a little predictable in places, but I get that’s going to happen in a book with this sort of plot. I personally found that the book faltered a little towards the end and some of the conflict became repetitive, and the actual ending felt very blunt. But there were some very sweet moments and the love scenes were hot and well-written, so overall I found this an enjoyable romance and would recommend it to anyone looking for an age gap romance with the amnesia trope. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.

Content Notes: Amnesia, head injuries, hospital scenes, grief, death of a parent (in past), traffic collision (in past), child abuse (in past), on-page sex, rough sex, spanking, age gap.

Personally I didn't like this book a great deal. It was perhaps a taste issue. I prefer steamy books (which thus definitely was) but with sassy banter. The dialogue in this book was quite cheesy, on twee and at times cringy.

I also felt that the depiction of Arthur was totally off. He was genuinely.described like some feeble old man with grey ratty hair and a bad back. He was in his mid 40s which is so far from being an old man.

In comparison Scarlett was depicted like a giggling, pouty child. She was almost 30! I have no idea why it read like he was 70 and she was 17. It really threw off the dynamic.

I liked the premise and the overall length, but it wasn't for me this one.

The story starts with the heroine waking to find she's lost her memory.
The reader has past/present chapters, so we see the start of her relationship with the Hero though in the present she doesn't remember it.
It was okay.
Nothing really unusual.
No other woman/man drama.
Breadcrumbs dropped for future book at the end.
Hero is totally devoted to her before and now.


Spoiler.
He basically was reluctant initially to start a romantic relationship as he is approx 20 years older than her and has baggage from his childhood.

ARC from netgalley.

It was a very romantic book! I was startled a little by the 20 yr age difference and the fact that he had targaryen long white hair, but if that’s your thing, then go for it!

"Recollection" by Noelle Adams started off with such promise, and as a fan of amnesia romance, I was truly excited to dive in. Unfortunately, the story didn't quite grab me the way I'd hoped. The anticipated angst that usually comes with such plots was strangely absent, and the romantic aspect left me feeling a bit uncomfortable.

I'm no stranger to the age-gap trope that the author often employs, but for some reason, in this book, it just didn't sit right with me. It felt more like a father-daughter dynamic, and that's not the vibe I want from a romance novel. I had high hopes for this book, so it's a bit of a letdown that it didn't fully meet my expectations.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read an advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Headlines:
Amnesia
Age gap
He's lonely, she's alone

This story had a vague in the background beauty and the beast feel to it with a gentle beast. Add in a stray dog, some amnesia, and two attempts to fall in love and you get Recollection.

Scarlett was younger than the 40s MMC Arthur but it wasn't creepy. Arthur came from a protective stance and to the aid of his friend's daughter. The father storyline behind the scenes was a little patchy but eventually insignificant. All eyes were on the friendship the couple built and what came afterwards.

The tale was told mostly in the present but with some past chapters added in which fleshed out the story in some extra depth. I do enjoy an amnesia storyline and the mystery was low-stakes and low angst but no less enjoyable for it.

I can see a set up for future installments with a different couple and this is an easy reading series I'll continue with.

Thank you for the eARC provided through netgalley.

2.5/5 ⭐️

This was a lovely read! It wasn't too angsty, and the story had a nice flow.
Unfortunately, I didn't feel the spark, the love between Scarlett and Arthur, and it happened way too quickly both times.
In the third act, Scarlett was particularly immature regarding her situation.
This is not a spoiler since it's in the blurb: she lost her memory, and of course, the doctors told her not to force it, that everything would come back naturally. But then she gets mad at Arthur for not telling her everything about their time together "in the past."
It was ridiculous, and it just made me roll my eyes. He did absolutely nothing wrong, followed the doctor's instructions to not put her at risk, at that's his thanks? A tantrum?

The book needed more, especially a more developed plot that delved better into their feelings.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Amnesia romances are so addicting and I flew through Recollection in a matter of hours! The writing kept me engaged and even though there were a few repetitive words - there has to be a synonym for giggle, right? - I really enjoyed it. I do wish the hero had a POV.