A review by hannahmaybookreviews
Forgive Me by Susan Lewis

3.0

Title: Forgive Me
Author: Susan Lewis
Publisher: Harper Collins
Rating: 3/5

A huge thank you to Susan Lewis, Harper Collins, Netgalley and Random Things Tours for letting me be part of the blog tour.

Synopsis:

Claudia Winter’s is giving up everything for a fresh start. Changing her name and leaving her old life behind she has fled to Kesterly with her mother and daughter. The reason for this being her safety, to escape the clutches of her abusive, criminal husband. Claudia and her family soon adapt to their new life and their safe haven, finally finding happiness but Claudia knows the past can not stay hidden, it will always catch up on you. One disastrous night it does just that and things are about to change forever.

Review:
The cover is what initially caught my attention with this read, I found it to be very appealing. Then I read the description and it does a good job of hooking you in without giving anything away, I was left with questions and I needed to read to find out those answers. The reviews also hinted that this could be a promising read so I was eager to find out for myself.

I found the opener of Forgive Me to be very powerful, it left me itching to uncover the story ahead. However, I did find that it took a few chapters from then on to get my head around the story line and confidently know who was who, this got easer as I continued to read.
Some characters intrigued me and I was very curious to see how they would develop throughout the story. I was also very intrigued to see how the story would also come together, I knew something wad coming, I just wanted to know what it was. Despite the fact I really felt for Claudia at times in this read, I loved how united she was with her mother and daughter, there relationship with each other was lovely and touching.

As for Marcy, by far she was one of my favourite characters, I just adored. She was genuine, sweet and very likeable. When Marcy’s character changed due to reasons I will not spoil, it really tugged on my heart strings and I began to miss the bubbly character she used to be. Her resilience however is to be admired and it is an important lesson for us all.

I felt the pace of this read was a little too slow for me and the build up too be a little too long for my liking. I found I would zone in and out as I was reading and I love it when a book has you captivated from the start to the very last page. However, I knew something was coming and when it did, it was very unexpected and caught me off guard. I was shocked and it got me in my feelings quite strongly so this I really appreciated and thank the author for.

The author does a brilliant job at writing in a way in which you really feel for the flawed characters and as a result of this is thought provoking in parts. Forgive Me highlights how important it is to try find forgiveness so you can be at peace. This read opened my eyes at times especially when characters were talking about restorative justice. It brings home how important it is to be able emphasise with others and show compassion.

Forgive Me wasn’t the read I expected, it was more about a family facing and over coming barriers than the usual thriller I read. There wasn’t as much tension and suspense that I’d of liked but there were strong messages throughout and the read itself was pleasant and I enjoyed the writing style of the author.