I’m not a big fan of straight-up romance novels.

I thought I’d get that out of the way right off the bat.

Still, ‘Wait For Me,’ by Elisabeth Naughton has its moments when it comes to touching on real human emotion – and it manages to reel readers in, thanks to a solid plot that doesn’t overdramatize the actual romance of the book.

‘Wait For Me’ centers on Kate Alexander, a mother who finds out that her life isn’t exactly what it appears to be – but only after the sudden death of her husband.

When Kate, who was injured in a horrific car accident a few years before, starts to follow the trail of the life she can’t remember (amnesia from the car accident) she finds that she’s not who she thinks she is at all.

Not only is Kate really Annie Harrison, the wife of a rich businessman and mother of an orphaned daughter, but she also has a brother and parents she can’t remember.

‘Wait For Me’ is not about Kate realizing who she is. That happens very early in the book. ‘Wait For Me’ is about Kate struggling to reconcile the past she can’t remember with the future she thinks she wants.

Not only is Kate struggling with her forgotten husband, Ryan Harrison, but the daughter who thinks she abandoned the family as well. When you add to that a sudden son – a boy Ryan thought died in a plane crash with his wife – the whole scenario is pretty much a big mess.

It should be pointed out that this is basically the plot for a Lifetime movie. In fact, I’ve seen something relatively similar starring Meredith Monroe. Still, the writing in ‘Wait For Me’ is so strong that the reader can’t help but be engaged.

Both Kate and Ryan are sympathetic figures – and yet they don’t always act in a sympathetic way. When you add in the petulant Julia – who absolutely hates Kate – things become combustible.

The romance factor in ‘Wait For Me’ is handled pretty well – and the sex scenes are definitely hot. I may not think the timetable is believable, but that happens to me a lot in books. I think other people disagree.

 

My only quibble with this book – and it’s minor – is that the mystery surrounding what happened to Annie (and how she became Kate) feels a little forced. When I was done with the book, I realized the thing it really was missing was a confrontation scene between Kate and the people responsible for stealing her life.

Still, that’s a very minor complaint.

In the end, I was satisfied with the bulk of the books. The typos are practically non-existent and the stories flows from a place of genuine emotion. I would recommend it to anyone that likes the romance genre.

In fact, I give Naughton credit for not going the "safe" route in the end. I don't want to ruin it for readers, but Naughton had the choice of wrapping everything up in a neat little bow -- and wisely opted that wasn't the way she wanted to go.

 

 ‘Wait For Me’ is available from the Kindle store for .99 and in paperback for 11.99.