From the internationally bestselling author of over 40 novels comes a gripping story of love, family, and the price of forgiveness, for readers of Diane Chamberlain and Lisa Scottoline.In prison, Archie Colbrook spends his time writing letters. Letters addressed to a person against whom he committed terrible, nameless harm. Archie knows he doesn’t deserve forgiveness. Yes, he didn’t mean to hurt … forgiveness. Yes, he didn’t mean to hurt anyone, and sure, he was only following orders. But does that matter? He still did it.
In a small coastal town of Northern England, Claudia Winters hopes to feel safe for the first time in years after fleeing from her abusive husband with her mother and daughter. Their new life is supposed to be a fresh start. But Claudia knows the past won’t stay hidden for long—and she can’t help but feel that someone is watching her. And that something terrible is about to happen.
Linked by one irrevocable act of violence, Archie and Claudia’s lives intertwine. Claudia can’t overlook what Archie did to her family—but is forgiveness the only way to truly move on?
Tense, emotional, and gripping, Susan Lewis’s latest novel is a spellbinding story of family and the power of forgiveness.
more
This was a GR’s Giveaway that I wasn’t too confident I’d enjoy. I love selecting books exclusively by their covers, and this was one of those. I didn’t read the description until after I received it and was a little disappointed. But the explosive prologue sucked me right in. It wasn’t filled with the type of excitement I usually crave. I wouldn’t consider it a thriller. The pace was slow and steady, after the initial tension wore off. It had a unique premise and was more of a domestic drama, centered around an awful family disaster. I’m glad I gave it a chance!
The most fascinating parts were the letters from Archie—an inmate imprisoned for a horrendous crime. Was it intentional? Is his remorse real? I spent a big portion of the book trying to figure out who his victim was and how all the characters would eventually come together.
This is the second book I’ve read that included the subject of Restorative Justice. I found it to be an intriguing concept. I’m not sure it’s something I’d want to participate in, but it sounds helpful in some circumstances.
Life has been pretty chaotic lately, so I haven’t had a lot of time to sit down and read. I found myself waking up in the middle of the night to sneak in some reading time….and when my alarm went off at 6 am, I was irritated with myself, lol!
My first book by Susan Lewis was a well-written, darkly-twisted and emotional tale of forgiveness, after an excruciating tragedy. I felt like the ending was a little too slow, but I’m still adding her to my favorite author’s list! Most of the characters were likable and well developed. I enjoyed following Marcy, Claudia and Archie through their painful journey.
Thank you to GoodReads Giveaways, Susan Lewis and William Morrow for this free digital ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion!
My Rating: 4 ’s
Published: January 26th 2021 by William Morrow Paperbacks
Pages: 416
Recommend: Yes
@susanlewisbooks @WmMorrowBooks @Goodreads #goodreadsgiveaway
#ForgiveMe #NoRulesJustThrills #InExchangeForReview #JustFinished #BookReview #RestorativeJustice #Forgiveness #DomesticViolence
I received the digital copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange with review.
The story begins with a narrator who seems to be the “victim” of what Archie did to him. He writes his “story” in a sequence of letters at the encouragement of Dan Collier who we eventually discover is an attorney who works for a Restorative Justice Project. The program serves as a mediation for joining victims with offenders in an effort to provide a resolution for both parties. The story alternates between these letters and the story which eventually ties into the letters.
The story explains Archie who is a 19 year old who grew up with a “weirdo” mother. He didn’t know his father who was never around but misses his grandfather, Brookie, who mostly raised him. He learned to read and write, played football and learned to take care of himself. Unfortunately, his life changed when his grandfather died, he was left living with an unfit mother and was forced to worked for BJ who would beat his mother.
Marcus Huxley-Browne was an influential man who was very cruel to his wife who is aware of his illegal business practices but threatened into silence. Eventually, he was arrested prompting her to escape with her daughter and mother to a secret location. Although, how safe can anyone feel when hiding from such dangerous people?
They change their names and attempt to resume a “normal” life. Rebecca changes her name to Claudia Winters who is a 36 year old widower whose husband Joel died. She is taking her daughter Cara who now becomes Jasmine and an experienced violin player. They live with Marcy Llewelyn who becomes the mother of “Claudia”.
Even though several months have passed since they left their old lives behind them, they are aware that people are still looking for them. The police were digging up the yard at the Kensington house and who knows what they will discover. They lived in fear given the criminal activity of Marcus and his sister Eugena who managed to elude conviction. Through some complicated connections their safety is eventually exploited.
Where does the Restorative Justice Project Fit into this equation? Do people have the ability to change if given a second chance? Are people products of their environment, resorting to crime for survival? Is forgiveness possible after someone experiences the unspeakable of offenses? Does it take courage to do the right thing or is it more complicated?
Forgive Me by Susan Lewis is a highly recommended domestic drama that ultimately examines the power of forgiveness.
Claudia Winters along with her daughter Jasmine are escaping her abusive husband Marcus after he is on trial and begins serving a prison sentence. Her mother Marcy joins the two as all three move to a small coastal town in Northern England and live under their new names. Claudia lives under a constant fear that her husband will send someone to find her and harm her and her family. As the three begin to settle into their new town and make a good group of friends, Claudia still feels apprehensive that she is being watched. And then someone horrible does happen…
Archie Colbrook is in prison awaiting trial and spends his time writing letters to the victim of his crime for his Restorative Justice Counselor. He knows he is guilty and doesn’t deserve forgiveness, but he also knows he didn’t intentionally set out to cause a person harm. Even when the victim chooses to read his letters, he doesn’t expect any forgiveness or a meeting.
These two different story lines unfold in alternate chapters and ultimately the two plots come together and showcase the power of forgiveness, even when it doesn’t seem possible. The message is a good one, but the plot is a little less than believable. Setting that aside, it is an enjoyable novel and does provide insight into the Restorative Justice program. It also has an undercurrent of the support and love that can be found within a family and among a close group of friends. It starts out feeling like a thriller, but that is deceptive as it is decidedly a family/domestic drama, however a novel with a theme of forgiveness is always a positive thing.
Some characters are more realistic, believable, and likeable than others. That will quickly be determined and sorted out by the reader. The recovery of one of the characters is definitely heart-wrenching and you will pursue this plot thread closely and wish for a good outcome. The ending is predictable, but ultimately this is a feel-good novel with drama thrown in to keep you engrossed in the story and the outcome.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/01/forgive-me.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3769316033
A unique and well written story of a woman starting over with her daughter and mother after escaping an abusive husband. In a quiet town full of wonderful and welcoming people her helping begins. Meanwhile a young man writes letters to someone he hurt bad. As he tells his story we begin to understand the healing that can happen with acceptance of your actions and how letting go of anger and hate can heal you and change your life. It’s a great story with characters you love and want to just give a big helping hug!