Blog Tour: Things I Can't Forget

Things I Can't Forget
(Hundred Oaks #3)

Author: Miranda Kenneally

Publication Date: March 1st 2013

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: Contemporary

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Synopsis:

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

My Thoughts: Once again, Miranda Kenneally does a wonderful job creating an emotional story that you can't help but get even a bit teary eyed at. Well at least I can't. I was happy to finally pick up Things I Can't Forget, after really loving Stealing Parker. You might be happy to note that Parker and Will are involved in Things I Can't Forget. Even Jordan makes an appearance. As a companion novel, you don't really have to read the other novels for this story to make sense to you, but it helps to know why certain people are who they are. Like Stealing Parker, Things I Can't Forget deals with a lot of religion and very controversial topics. I didn't mind, even though I'm not very religious because it wasn't in an overbearing way.  

This time we are out of high school, it's the summer before Kate, the protagonist starts college and she is feeling completely alone in the world. Kate is a good Christian girl who never does anything wrong, that was until her best friend came to her for help. Kate feels guilty for helping Emily and they have a falling out, leaving Kate to work at the summer camp that they were both supposed to be at, alone. Kate somewhat bothered me a tiny bit because she was, like everyone else thought, a tiny bit judgemental. Her best friend had to make this agonizing decision that completely changed her life and beliefs, but Kate was acting like it had happened to her. She wasn't there for her friend in her time of need, so they fell apart. She is a nice person, and I liked her overall, but she is just a bit naive. She has strong beliefs and doesn't like when one of those beliefs is broken by someone close to her.

There is romance of course. Matt was Kate's first kiss back when they were younger and going to summer camp. He's also a counselor this year and he's hot! He's in a fraternity, which Kate isn't really sure she can get over, but she really likes him. He's a really nice guy and writes his own music and is very outgoing. Very different from the shy geek she knew and kissed. She is very much interested but isn't sure what to expect as she's never dated before. I liked Matt a lot and think he is a great guy.

So there is romance, ups and downs. Girl drama. Christianity, premarital sex and abortion all touched in Things I Can't Forget. Real issues that real people deal with. Miranda has woven it all together in an amazing story, one that I personally couldn't put down. I was reading and my husband just turned off the lights when it got too late, so I didn't even realize how fast time had gone. I really like the Hundred Oaks books and am looking forward to reading more. I like that these issues are touched in a way that shouldn't bother anyone. Both sides are there and sometimes you just have to agree to disagree for the sake of a friendship. People change as Kate learns. There is a really great message in all of these books and I'm hoping for another one in the next book. I highly recommend this one!

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