Just Finished: Blank Slate Kate

I've already read (and adored) three other books by Heather Wardell so I didn't hesitate when she asked me to take part in this week's blog blitz for her newest novel, Blank Slate Kate. (You can check out my other reviews here, here, and here) As usual, I loved what I read and I think you will too.

Want to know what this one is about? Read on for the synopsis from Goodreads:

Waking up with a strange man is scary. Realizing you lost fifteen years of your life overnight? That's terrifying. With her memories from seventeen to thirty-two gone, Kate has no idea who she is and where she belongs. As she begins to fall for the man who found her, she wonders if she forgot those years for a reason. Should she keep trying to retrieve her original self, or start a new life?

I was immediately emotionally invested in Kate's story. I really couldn't imagine what she went through when she woke up and didn't know who she was, where she was, or who she was with. Not only that, but once she starts to get her bearings she looks up everything that's happened since she lost her memory. Do you want to relive the horror of learning about 9/11 all over again? I sure don't and I totally felt for Kate when she read about everything that's happened in the world since she was a teenager. I just wanted to give her a huge hug and tell her that, somehow, everything will be OK.

I love that I was able to get totally involved Kate's life. I felt what she was feeling, especially the absolutely heart wrenching moments (I won't give anything away but there's one moment with Kate and Ryan that had me tearing up). I commend Wardell on her ability to write in a way that made me feel like I was experiencing all of Kate's emotions right along with her.

I've read other amnesia stories before (most notably, Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella) and was interested to see how Wardell would put her own twist on this kind of story. I always say that I don't care if the ending of a novel is predictable if the journey to that conclusion gives me something different or exciting.  I really don't know a ton about amnesia so wondering how it happening right along with Kate was interesting. It was equally interesting to find out what had actually happened to Kate to make her lose her memory. It was something physical with a heartbreaking emotional tie to it.

I honestly had no idea what was going to happen with Kate in the end. She had so many options and so much to work through that I couldn't predict where she'd end up. I absolutely loved that. There are too many times when I can figure out what's going to happen in the books that I'm reading. I'm happy that Wardell kept me guessing and kept throwing me curve balls. This had me quickly turning the pages to find out the conclusion. The novel was wrapped up so well and I could not have imagined a more perfect ending.

Think you'd like to try out some of Wardell's books? Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo can be downloaded for free from a variety of sources (Smashwords, Kindle, Kobo) and Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many, which is exclusively on Amazon, will be free for this week only (January 23-27). So what are you waiting for? Get reading!

It's a busy week here at Books Etc. - stay tuned for an interview with Heather tomorrow (the 24th) and guest post from Heather herself coming up on Thursday (the 26th). Both are very interesting so you don't want to miss out!

Happy reading :)