Rebecca Reviews ~ More Than We Remember by Christina Suzann Nelson

Paperback, 352 pages

Expected publication: February 18th 2020 by Bethany House Publishers

One night changes everything for three women. . . .

When Addison Killbourn's husband is involved in a car accident that leaves a woman dead, her perfectly constructed life crumbles apart. With her husband's memory of that night gone and the revelation of a potentially life-altering secret, Addison has to reevaluate all she thought she knew.

Emilia Cruz is a deputy bearing a heavy burden far beyond the weight of her job. Her husband is no longer the man she married, and Emilia's determined to prevent others from facing the same hardship. When she's called to the scene of an accident pointing to everything she's fighting against, she's determined to see justice for those wronged.

Brianne Demanno is hiding from reality. She was thriving as a counselor, but when tragedy struck a beloved client, she lost faith in herself and her purpose. When her neighbors, the Killbourns, are thrown into crisis, Brianne's solitary life is disrupted and she finds herself needed in a way she hasn't been in a while.

As the lives of these women intersect, they can no longer dwell in the memory of who they've been. Can they rise from the wreck of the worst moments of their lives to become who they were meant to be?

Rebecca's Review 

3.5 stars

"Once again, life wasn't playing fair."

The lives of three women converge one fate filled night on the Darlington-West Crow Highway. One, being the officer who responded; another, the wife of the driver; and the third, was simply a neighbor. Tragically for all three, there was nothing remotely simple about the head on collision that claimed the life of a single mother, especially when the man responsible maintains no recollection of the accident, or why he had even been on the road that night.

Determined that she has the evidence to convict Caleb Kilbourn of drunk driving and vehicular homicide, Deputy Emilia Cruz presses the case forward. Addison Kilbourn has never known her husband to drink alcohol, but she does know that he had not been truthful about his whereabouts on the night in question. Brianne Demmano has been living in virtual solitude after tossing her counseling career aside, until her distressed neighbors, the Kilbourns, desperately need her assistance during their current family upheaval.

Memories are a curious thing. Some lead to thoughts of bitterness and revenge, others simply confuse and confound, while others are twisted out of proportion; producing guilt and regret. Others still can be manufactured after repeatedly injecting falsehoods.

The author has woven all of these scenarios into a fascinating story with the assurance that " . . it's a dangerous thing to make decisions out of fear. Fear can stop us from seeing the wonderful adventures and people who are waiting for us to show up."

I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.

Rebecca is a graduate of Bryan College with a degree in Christian Education, and is currently serving at the First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Gastonia, North Carolina as the Director of Children's Ministry. With over 30 years of experience in her field, she has had many opportunities to use her love of reading and writing in creative ways across the generations. A wife, mother of four "nearly" grown children, and grandmother to four beautiful grandchildren, Rebecca has been able to return to her love of reading and more recently reviewing, with a renewed passion for the "beauty of story".