Everything She Forgot by Lisa Ballantyne (Book Review)

In association with Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the virtual book tour event for Everything She Forgot by author Lisa Ballantyne!

Everything She Forgot by Lisa Ballantyne

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Publication Date: October 6, 2015

Format: Paperback - 432 pages

               Kindle - 1113 KB

               Nook - 693 KB

ISBN: 978-0062391483

ASIN: B00SG1ELOG

Genre: Mystery / Suspense / Thriller

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.

Book Description:

Driving home, Margaret Holloway is rear-ended and trapped in the wreckage of her car. Just as she begins to panic, a stranger pulls her free and disappears. Though she escapes with minor injuries, Margaret feels that something's wrong. Flashbacks to the crash are dredging up lost associations from her childhood. And somehow, Margaret knows that it's got something to do with the man who saved her life. As Margaret uncovers a mystery with chilling implications for her family and her very identity, Everything She Forgot winds through a riveting dual narrative and asks the question: How far would you go to hide the truth-from yourself?


My Book Review:

In Everything She Forgot, author Lisa Ballantyne weaves an intriguing suspense thriller that captivates the reader's attention and makes it hard for them to put the book down. Set in London and Scotland, and alternating between the present (2013) with flashbacks to the past (1985), this multi-layered story features four alternating perspectives with intertwining themes of love, family, childhood trauma, sacrifices, secrets, lost memories, choices made, and consequences.

When Margaret Holloway is involved in a near-fatal car accident during a blizzard and is saved by Maxwell Brown, a mysterious burn-scarred stranger, long-held suppressed memories from her childhood come to the surface. As Margaret searches her memory to uncover her hidden traumatic childhood past for her true identity, the author intertwines Margaret's search with a man's abduction of his seven year old daughter, and a newspaper man's determination to uncover the abduction.

Everything She Forgot is a fascinating suspense thriller that interweaves four people's lives in a riveting tale that has enough drama, tension, emotions, secrets, and surprising twists and turns that easily keeps the reader turning the pages in search of what will happen next. This is a complex and slow-building multi-layered story that makes the reader ponder about buried family secrets and the choices that are made. It delves into such issues as child abduction, PTSD, and how a person's mind can suppress traumatic truths when one chooses to protect themselves. I loved how the author takes the reader on a long-winding journey that alternates between the past and the present via the four major characters, their intertwining stories dovetails into one that ultimately brings a family's relationship full circle.

Author Lisa Ballantyne weaves a haunting story that will stay with the reader for a very long time.


RATING: 4 STARS 

About The Author

Lisa Ballantyne was born in Armadale, West Lothian, Scotland and studied English Literature at University of St Andrews. She lived and worked in China for many years and started writing seriously while she was there. Before being published, Lisa was short-listed for the Dundee International Book Prize. Her debut novel, The Guilty One was translated into over 25 languages, long-listed for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and short-listed for an Edgar Allan Poe Award. The Guilty One was also the Autumn 2012 Richard and Judy Book-club Winner. She lives in Glasgow.


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Virtual Book Tour

Everything She Forgot by Lisa Ballantyne ~ Virtual Book Tour Event Page

Tour Schedule:

09/14/2015 Showcase @ Books Chatter
09/15/2015 Review @ A Fold in the Spine
09/16/2015 Review @ Wall-to-wall books
09/18/2015 Review @ 3 Partners in Shopping
09/19/2015 Review @ The Book Divas Reads
09/21/2015 Review @ Tales of a Book Addict
09/22/2015 Review @ JulzReads
09/24/2015 Review @ Vics Media Room
09/26/2015 Showcase @ Hott Books
09/28/2015 Review @ Kritters Ramblings
09/30/2015 Review @ Booked on a Feeling
10/02/2015 Review @ From the TBR Pile
10/07/2015 Review @ Books Direct
10/07/2015 Showcase @ Writers and Authors
10/08/2015 Review @ Lazy Day Books
10/09/2015 Review @ Book Babble
10/09/2015 Review @ Deco My Heart
10/10/2015 Review @ Rockin Book Reviews
10/11/2015 Review @ Bookalicious Traveladdict
10/12/2015 Review @ Jersey Girl Book Reviews
10/13/2015 Review @ Deal Sharing Aunt
10/14/2015 Review @ Book Club Librarian
10/15/2015 Review @ Curling up by the Fire
10/16/2015 Review @ b00k r3vi3ws