Love Water Memory

When Lucie Walker comes to, she’s knee-deep in the San Francisco Bay with no recollection of how she got there. Lucie, now an amnesiac, is quickly claimed by her former-fiance—a stranger she now has to try and fall back in love with—and, as it turns out, is not much of a likable person. As she strives to remember her past and figure out who she wants to be in the future, she finds that her lack of memory might just be a golden chance to start over. Jennie Shortridge’s fifth novel takes pains to find sure footing but seems to stumble its way towards a climax. The characters are less well-rounded or real as they are sketches for a made-for-TV movie. Still, there’s something in a light read that strives for depth, not quite catching it. If you like your traumatic back stories as more of a footnote or are a fan of Nicholas Sparks, then it might be for you. Save this one for hotter days and sandy beaches.