Forgetting Ophelia by Julie C. Gardner

Blurb

Ever-hopeful Lia thinks she’ll be with handsome, brooding Jake forever. Until one day he completely blindsides her and makes her question everything she knows… Lia Townsend is expecting a trip to Hawaii for her fifth wedding anniversary. Instead, her husband, Jake, walks out on her. Out of the blue. Devastated, Lia vows to win back Jake and the perfect life they shared. Because it was perfect, wasn’t it? As Lia searches for the truth behind Jake’s departure, the cracks in the shiny varnish begin to show. And once she uncovers his secret, all that she once knew and believed in crumbles. Lia’s eccentric mother, her best friend, and two vastly different men each pull her in new directions, and Lia attempts to push past the pain and start anew. But Jake isn’t gone for good. When an accident rocks the lives of their best friends, Lia and Jake are thrown together. Will Lia choose to salvage her old life with the man who broke her heart – or was everything they shared an illusion?

Review

This story is as much about discovery as it is about forgetting. Ophelia is forced to reinvent herself, to work out who she really is when her world is turned upside down, and as a consequence, she overcomes her accepted version of herself and moves past it. She takes a long, hard look at her life, how others see her, how she fits in with her family, and what she really wants as opposed to what she thinks she wants, and makes new and sometimes surprising discoveries and decisions.

Along with a very relatable character, the book has some unexpected revelations, and all of this serves to keep the reader engaged.

About the Author

Julie C. Gardner is a former English teacher and lapsed marathon runner who traded in the classroom for a writing nook. Now she rarely changes out of her pajamas. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two children, and three dogs. To find out more about Julie and her upcoming books, visit JulieCGardner.com or follow her on Twitter (@juliecgardner), Instagram (@juliecgardner), and her Facebook Author Page (Julie C. Gardner).

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