Maggie Anderson isn’t who she once was–in fact, she’s trying to become someone else entirely, at least until she’s safe. In Deborah Raney’s Remember to Forget, we meet Maggie, a formerly abused woman, who is being pursued by three men: Trevor Ashlock, who has his own secrets; her abusive boyfriend Kevin; and the God who she doubts even exists. As she struggles to remember all the lies she’s told and keep them straight, she attempts to forget all the pain in her past. Could little Clayburn, Kansas hold the keys to unlocking her heart for love and her life for healing? Raney writes more than a contemporary romance. Remember to Forget is also a story of romance between the God who created us and desires a personal relationship with each one of us.
Raney does a beautiful job of creating interesting, yet flawed, characters who strike a cord within us. Tackling the uncomfortable subject of domestic violence, Raney allows the reader to see the effects of such abuse on the heart, mind, and soul of the survivor. Giving the reader a peek into the thought processes and rationalizations of why woman stay in such situations, and how that past colors every aspect of their future.
Raney’s writing keeps the reader turning pages, rooting for the characters, and absorbing the lessons about forgiveness and new beginnings right along with Maggie, Trevor, and the residents of Clayburn. Unique secondary characters, interesting plot turns, and delightful instances of humor will make this a book you pick up time and again. A recommended book for anyone who enjoys women’s fiction and romance. Women in or from abusive situations may enjoy the themes of restoration and healing, especially.