The Charleston earthquake has left destruction like nothing Doctor Andrew Warwick has ever seen. On a desperate mission to find the lady who owns his heart, he frantically searches through the rubble, where he finds her injured and lifeless. After she regains consciousness, the doctor’s hopes are quickly dashed as he realizes she doesn’t remember him. Things only get worse when he discovers she … she believes she’s still engaged to the abusive scoundrel, Lloyd Pratt. Now Drew is on a race with the wedding clock to either help her remember or win her heart again before she marries the wrong man.
Waking in a makeshift hospital, Olivia Macqueen finds herself recovering from a head injury. With amnesia stealing a year of her memories, she has trouble discerning between lies and truth. When her memories start returning in bits and pieces, she must keep up the charade of amnesia until she can find out the truth behind the embezzlement of her family’s business while evading the danger lurking around her.
more
Shattered Memories kept me engaged from the first chapter. The author’s descriptions of the city of Charleston after the quake and how the citizens handled the aftermath made me feel as though I was experiencing it with them. The historical aspect of the story made it come alive.
I loved the character of Olivia and her courage to hang on to hope even though the amnesia clouded her judgment. Andrew was compassionate and loving in spite of feeling the love of his life drifting away from him. There were a lot of tense moments between them which created anticipation of what would happen next and kept the suspense going.
Lloyd, on the other hand, was cunning, underhanded, and went to no end to get what he wanted. The perfect villain.
There are beautiful lessons in God’s love entwined throughout the pages of the story that make the reader stop and ponder over them. The unfolding love story weaved within the pages in spite of a lot of deceptions, brings forth a wonderful ending that wraps up nicely.
I received the book as a gift and voluntarily choose to review it
This suspenseful historical romance is set during and after the infamous Charleston earthquake in the late 19th Century. Drew is a doctor who cares for Olivia after her concussion leaves her with short term memory loss. She doesn’t believe him when he tells her that they were to be engaged, but she does remember a year prior being with her late father’s business associate. One of them is playing a dangerous game with her but will the clock wind down before she regains her recent past?
This is a real page turner that will leave you breathless with anticipation and romance.
Shattered Memories begins with the Charleston, South Carolina earthquakes in 1886! Doctor Drew Warwick and Olivia Macqueen are excellent main characters. The two were courting before the earthquake where Olivia receives a head injury and temporary loss of memories including their relationship. Debbie Lynne Costello has woven an exciting tale of suspense and romance amid the tragedy. I recommend Shattered Memories to others who enjoy historical fiction. I won a copy of Shattered Memories in a Heroes, Heroines and History giveaway. This is my honest opinion.
This was my first book by Debbie and I am now a fan and look forward to reading book two in this series. I found the Characters to be real and believable, as their problems were not solved in the blink of an eye. I loved the historical aspect of the earthquake and how it was so descriptive that you felt like you were there without it overtaking the story. It is a story of faith, love, trust, mystery, and real life issues. At times you want to shake Olivia and help her remember what a worthless man Lloyd is, but this is just an an example that all things come to fruition in God’s time.
I won this book and am so happy I did. I sent it home with my sister in TN so she could enjoy it.
3.5 stars
“Confusion still filled her – all of her thoughts and memories were more like a puzzle. What she remembered somehow seemed blurred by what she’d forgotten.”
Olivia Macqueen cannot remember the last year of her life. Remaining unconscious for days after being pulled from the rubble of her Charleston, South Carolina home, she struggles to discern fact from fiction when two men claim to be her intended. The handsome doctor, Andrew Warwick, stirs her from within, but it’s the charming Lloyd Pratt whose memories rise to the surface. The earthquake that leveled her beloved home town has managed to demolish her heart.
Drew Warwick is determined to convince Olivia that Lloyd Pratt is the worst kind of rake. Why doesn’t Olivia remember the physical abuse that landed her in his office; the man’s behavior was inexcusable. When Lloyd discovers Olivia’s amnesia, he takes every advantage of the situation, including besmirching Drew’s reputation and finding ways to spend an inordinate amount of time with Olivia. His father’s advice rings true, he can’t force her to love him again. His need to be in control will not save his future, for “Olivia is not a mission or an undertaking. She is a woman with feelings.”
A truly enjoyable story sprinkled with great Charleston history!
I was gifted with a copy of this book from the author. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.
I never knew that there was an earthquake in Charleston, South Carolina in 1886. Evidently the devastation was widespread and it took quite some time for the city to resemble some form of normalcy. A strong blow to the head to Olivia Macqueen has rendered her memory for at least the last year completely erased.
I can’t imagine experiencing amnesia, with an entire year of my memory simply vanishing. Imagine having your home totally ruined and having to live with a family that you don’t really remember. It’s amazing that she doesn’t remember Dr. Drew Warwick, who was a lifelong friend. But she does remember the abusive scoundrel who would prefer to lie about their broken engagement. It is understandable to see how confused Olivia was, as she was evidently pretty level headed before the accident. Drew was extremely patient with Olivia and I liked that about him. The Warwick family as a whole were good people who opened their nearly intact home as a temporary hospital to care for their friends and neighbors, and I admired their selfless motives. I enjoyed this novel and learning about the earthquake back in the late 1800’s.
Note: This is book 1 in the Charleston Earthquake Series
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a giveaway from the author and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”