Book Review — Nineteen Letters by Jodi Perry

What would you do if the love of your life had no memory of you?

A man tries to win back the love of his life after an accident has her in a coma in this emotional, romantic drama…

• Buy NINETEEN LETTERS (Kindle)
• Buy NINETEEN LETTERS (Audiobook)
• Buy NINETEEN LETTERS (iBooks)

OMG. OMG!! What a beautiful book! I finished reading it with tears pouring down my face. Don’t worry though – they were happy tears! This was a story of true, undying love that was strong enough to overcome even the most heart-wrenching situation. And seriously… THE FEELS!! This man loved his wife so incredibly much. Just wait til you read it and you’ll see what I mean. You can feel it in your heart on every single page of this book. They went through something incredibly catastrophic and painful, but the love, healing, and pure heart-warming happiness that brings this book full circle are absolutely gorgeous. If you’re looking for a ROMANCE WITH FEELS, this is it!!

The hero and heroine were childhood best friends who spent every moment they could together and, as they grew older, fell in love. They were everything to each other. They were the kind of couple who everyone knew were meant to be. But after a tragic accident left her in a coma, everything came crashing down when she woke up with no memory of her husband. Even though it was tearing him apart, he knew he had to find a way to help her remember their love so he began to write her letters. Nineteen letters, to be specific. Each one told her a little part of their history, how they fell in love, how much they meant to each other. Each one gave her back a piece of the past she’d lost in hopes that someday, even if she never remembered him, she might one day fall in love with him again.

The blurb was actually what drew me to the book in the first place so I’ll share it here:

“The 19th of January, 1996 … I’ll never forget it. It was the day we met. I was seven and she was six. It was the day she moved in next door, and the same day I developed my first crush on a girl.

Then tragedy struck. Nineteen days after our wedding day, she was in an accident that would change our lives forever. When she woke from her coma, she had no memory of me, of us, of the love we shared.

That’s when I started writing her letters.The stories of our life. Of when we met. About the happier times, and everything we’d experienced together.

What we had was far too beautiful to be forgotten.”

And if that blurb alone wasn’t enough, by the time I read the prologue, I was beyond HOOKED on this story. I don’t know how anyone could read the prologue and not desperately want to read the rest of this story!

I did however begin reading it rather cautiously, both craving the emotional emersion that I was sure was coming, and feeling slightly scared of it. Emotional reads are kind of like diving into a cold pool on a summer’s day. You know you want get in, but that initial contact can be a little intimidating until you finally commit to jumping in.

My heart was in my throat as the officer pulled into Braxton’s driveway to tell him that his wife had been in the accident. Barely a few pages into the book and I was already FEELING for this story. And my heart strings just kept on being pulled as I read on.

Bending down, I place my lips on her forehead. “Please come back to me soon.” I lie back down on the recliner and slide my hand under the blanket that’s covering her. I need the contact. Maybe this might help me sleep; I need to be a my strongest when she wakes. “I love you,” I whisper as my fingers wrap around hers. We have never gone to sleep without saying these words.

It’s one of everyone’s worst nightmares — to have a loved one torn away, not knowing if they’re going to survive. But Braxton was hit with it twice — once when the accident happened. And then a second time when the relief and sheer joy of having Jem wake up was quickly followed by the panic of realizing that she had no memory of him or any part of their life together. It was like losing her all over again.

I’m not giving up on us. Never. Optimism is all I have right now. We belong together, and in time I’m sure she’ll come to realize that as well. My heart belongs to her, like hers belongs to me.

When the accident happened, I worried she would never wake up, and I would lose her. Not once did I contemplate the possibility that she would wake up and I would lose her anyways.

But I loved his determination to never give up on her. Whether she remembered him or not, he loved her with every part of his heart and soul and he was going to stick by her side each day and try to help her remember everything they’d once shared. The letters he wrote were such a beautiful way to help her regain the memories she’d lost. Even if she couldn’t get back her own memories, she was able to experience their story again through his eyes.

Enclosed you’ll find a memory bracelet. For not, it’s empty, but over time you’ll understand why I’ve called it this. Since you’re not comfortable talking to me, I’ve decided to write to you instead. I hope you take the time to read my letters when you’re ready. They’re letters about our past, and of the happier times we’ve spent together. Memories of your life through my eyes. It’s my way of trying to give you back a piece of what you’ve lost. Whether or not these letters lead you back to me, you need to know what we once shared, and what out life was like for us… What we had is far too beautiful to be forgotten.
Yours always,
Braxton

My favorite thing about this book was that there is literally not one bit of ‘extra drama’ to it. There is no love triangle, no cheating, no stupidity, nothing. This is a LOVE STORY. It’s about a men who loves his wife more than anything. This is their story. It’s a pure love story with nothing else to distract from it and I absolutely loved that about it!

Just because she doesn’t remember our bond, doesn’t mean it’s not there. All those old feelings are buried somewhere deep inside her, I know it. You can’t love someone so completely one day, and feel nothing for them the next. It’s not possible. It’s just going to take time to coax those feelings back to the surface.

I read over the letter before folding it in half and sliding it into the envelope… These letters were supposed to help Jem get back pieces of her past, but they’re helping me as well. She may be lost to me for now, but reliving all these precious memories I’ve made with her over the years will keep me going until I have her back.

Even though so many parts of this story were heart-wrenching, the only tears I cried were happy ones. While this book does deal with saddness, it is ultimately a story of healing brought on by the unwavering strength of true love. I cried at the end and through the beautiful epilogue. It had all the gorgeous heart-warming feels that so beautifully and completely brought this story full circle.

I thoroughly loved this book and highly recommend it to any romance reader who crave reading emotional, heart-felt stories that’ll stay with you long after you finish the last page.

Rating: 4.5 stars. Standalone Contemporary Romance

• Buy NINETEEN LETTERS (Kindle)
• Buy NINETEEN LETTERS (Audiobook)
• Buy NINETEEN LETTERS (iBooks)