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Forget Me Not
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fiction (2023)This tender solo debut by Alyson Derrick, co-author of New York Times bestseller She Gets the Girl, is perfect for fans of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Five Feet Apart.
What would you do if you forgot the love of your life existed?
Stevie and Nora had a love. A secret, epic, once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. They also had a to leave their small, ultra-conservative town and families behind after graduation and move to California, where they could finally stop hiding that love.
But then Stevie has a terrible fall and the last two years of her life are erased overnight. Suddenly Stevie finds herself in a life she doesn’t quite understand – she’s estranged from her parents, drifting away from her friends and dating a boy she can’t remember crushing on. She’s headed towards a future that isn’t at all what her fifteen-year-old self would have envisioned.
And Nora finds herself … forgotten.
Can the two find their way back together through a lost memory?
A romantic ode to the strength of love and the power of choosing each other, against odds and obstacles, again and again.
What would you do if you forgot the love of your life existed?
Stevie and Nora had a love. A secret, epic, once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. They also had a to leave their small, ultra-conservative town and families behind after graduation and move to California, where they could finally stop hiding that love.
But then Stevie has a terrible fall and the last two years of her life are erased overnight. Suddenly Stevie finds herself in a life she doesn’t quite understand – she’s estranged from her parents, drifting away from her friends and dating a boy she can’t remember crushing on. She’s headed towards a future that isn’t at all what her fifteen-year-old self would have envisioned.
And Nora finds herself … forgotten.
Can the two find their way back together through a lost memory?
A romantic ode to the strength of love and the power of choosing each other, against odds and obstacles, again and again.
Audible Audio
First published April 4, 2023
376 people are currently reading
46090 people want to read
About the author
Alyson Derrick
5 books1,821 followersAlyson Derrick was born and raised in Greenville, Pennsylvania, a town where burn barrels take the place of recycling bins. After making her great escape to Pittsburgh, where she earned her bachelor’s in English writing, Alyson started her own food truck, but soon realized she much prefers telling stories over slinging cheesesteaks. She is the coauthor of New York Times bestseller She Gets the Girl. Alyson currently resides in Pennsylvania with her wife and their dog, Hank.
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June 15, 2022Hi! This book is my solo debut and I cannot WAIT for you all to read it. Here are some things you’ll find in FORGET ME NOT:
📦 a secret box of memories
🏳️🌈 two girls madly in love
🌾 a tough, farm girl love interest
💁🏻♀️ Asian-American MC
👩🏻🤝👩🏼 confused pining
🏡 a rural, ultra-conservative town
If you have any questions, about FMN, I've turned on my Ask the Author feature and I'd be happy to answer them. ❤️
📦 a secret box of memories
🏳️🌈 two girls madly in love
🌾 a tough, farm girl love interest
💁🏻♀️ Asian-American MC
👩🏻🤝👩🏼 confused pining
🏡 a rural, ultra-conservative town
If you have any questions, about FMN, I've turned on my Ask the Author feature and I'd be happy to answer them. ❤️
June 18, 2021
Genuinely one of the most honest & beautiful books I’ve ever read.
November 4, 2022
I HAVE MANY FEELINGS AND EACH ONE OF THEM IS GAY
October 30, 2025
**'Sometimes really good readers make really good storytellers -- while on the other hand, not being great at reading makes your storytelling mediocre..'
Elating read!
A nice, heartfelt and enjoyable YA story.
Highly recommended book!
Elating read!
A nice, heartfelt and enjoyable YA story.
Highly recommended book!
June 7, 2023
Actual rating 4.5 stars.
Beautiful. Raw. Chest tightening.
Do you know those books? That seem sweet and gentle but are so brutal at the same time? That read so easily until you fully get what’s underneath? That can leave a knot in your stomach and make you almost stop breathing?
Forget Me Not is such a book. It’s written so captivating I didn’t realize that I flew through the pages. And while Stevie is trying to pick up her life and doing day to day stuff, even though she lost two years due to amnesia, there is so much tension below the surface. Things I knew as the reader but things Stevie didn’t remember. Her mom, so sweet and caring, but also someone who dedicated her life to church. Her dad, who had changed and became a fervent Fox tv watcher. Nora, tough Nora, who had to watch her girlfriend from a distance going out with a boy because Stevie didn’t remember she had been in a relationship for two years. With a girl.
I wholeheartedly loved this novel. And while reading the last part, I tried so hard not to cry because I was on an awfully crowded train. So I blinked and blinked and swallowed the lump in my throat. There was one thing, though, that kept me from rating it a full five stars. I longed to read Nora’s POV, too, instead of snippets of her POV in letters. While reading, I kept thinking of her, and I wanted to know desperately how she was doing. Despite this, I highly recommend this story!
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Beautiful. Raw. Chest tightening.
Do you know those books? That seem sweet and gentle but are so brutal at the same time? That read so easily until you fully get what’s underneath? That can leave a knot in your stomach and make you almost stop breathing?
Forget Me Not is such a book. It’s written so captivating I didn’t realize that I flew through the pages. And while Stevie is trying to pick up her life and doing day to day stuff, even though she lost two years due to amnesia, there is so much tension below the surface. Things I knew as the reader but things Stevie didn’t remember. Her mom, so sweet and caring, but also someone who dedicated her life to church. Her dad, who had changed and became a fervent Fox tv watcher. Nora, tough Nora, who had to watch her girlfriend from a distance going out with a boy because Stevie didn’t remember she had been in a relationship for two years. With a girl.
I wholeheartedly loved this novel. And while reading the last part, I tried so hard not to cry because I was on an awfully crowded train. So I blinked and blinked and swallowed the lump in my throat. There was one thing, though, that kept me from rating it a full five stars. I longed to read Nora’s POV, too, instead of snippets of her POV in letters. While reading, I kept thinking of her, and I wanted to know desperately how she was doing. Despite this, I highly recommend this story!
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September 5, 2021lesbians and my fav flower as the title? you have my attention
March 31, 2023
I watched a lot of soap operas in the 1980s and 90s so I'm no stranger to an amnesia storyline. I was pleasantly surprised the author was able to come up with something that felt fresh and different using this trope. There's a lot of heart to this story and it's a book worth checking even if you don't typically read YA fiction.
Stevie and Nora are in love. Both their families and the town they live in are conservative, so they secretly have come up with a plan to move to California at the end of summer. But tragedy strikes and Stevie has a horrible accident that has left her with no memories of the last 2 years. That means Nora is a complete stranger to her and therefore she has no idea they were dating. Will Stevie regain her memory?
With the two leads being teenage girls, it allowed the author to branch out in a few different directions with the storyline. That's what really sets it apart form other amnesia plots. It was fascinating and heartbreaking to watch Stevie take in the fact she has no clue what has happened over these last few years. Nora having to deal with the aftermath of Stevie's accident was equally interesting.
This is a story that really pulled on my heartstrings. Highly recommend if you are in the mood for a book about love.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for sending me an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
Stevie and Nora are in love. Both their families and the town they live in are conservative, so they secretly have come up with a plan to move to California at the end of summer. But tragedy strikes and Stevie has a horrible accident that has left her with no memories of the last 2 years. That means Nora is a complete stranger to her and therefore she has no idea they were dating. Will Stevie regain her memory?
With the two leads being teenage girls, it allowed the author to branch out in a few different directions with the storyline. That's what really sets it apart form other amnesia plots. It was fascinating and heartbreaking to watch Stevie take in the fact she has no clue what has happened over these last few years. Nora having to deal with the aftermath of Stevie's accident was equally interesting.
This is a story that really pulled on my heartstrings. Highly recommend if you are in the mood for a book about love.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for sending me an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
September 12, 2024
4.25 out of 5 stars!
*Stares at the wall, and will probably continue to do so for at least 3 more days*
This book will wreck and break me multiple times, I just know it.
Too bad the edition I was gifted doesn't exist in Goodreads yet. 🥺
*Stares at the wall, and will probably continue to do so for at least 3 more days*
This book will wreck and break me multiple times, I just know it.
Too bad the edition I was gifted doesn't exist in Goodreads yet. 🥺
April 19, 2023
This was my first ever amnesia book, and I enjoyed it!
Stevie was great. I really felt for her whole journey; before her accident her need to get out of Wyatt was palpable, and after I was so annoyed at everyone lying to her. I just wanted to keep her safe from it all.
Her 'friends' were downright awful, and I'm so happy she distanced herself from them pre- and post-accident.
Her parents were shitty too. Her dad read as a lost cause, and I sensed something was up with the mum and was glad to be proven right. Tbh, the ending with them didn't make much sense to me. If my parents had those views I'd be cutting them out of my life.
I didn't agree with Nora keeping their relationship from her. I understand her reasoning, but it read like a plot device more than something the character would do. In the same vein, I wish we spent more time with them, showing Stevie fall in love all over again. Too much time was spent with Ryan, and while he turned out to be a nice ally, I don't enjoy reading straight dates in my sapphic romances haha. The middle felt bogged down because of this. It picked up towards the end, and ended on a good note.
I felt sad that Stevie lost 2 years of her life that she's never getting back, and felt like maybe that wasn't explored enough, but this is YA so that was fine.
Also worth noting that the word lesbian never appears anywhere in the book, despite both the MC and LI being lesbians.
Overall, this was well written, and I enjoyed the romance between Stevie and Nora.
Stevie was great. I really felt for her whole journey; before her accident her need to get out of Wyatt was palpable, and after I was so annoyed at everyone lying to her. I just wanted to keep her safe from it all.
Her 'friends' were downright awful, and I'm so happy she distanced herself from them pre- and post-accident.
Her parents were shitty too. Her dad read as a lost cause, and I sensed something was up with the mum and was glad to be proven right. Tbh, the ending with them didn't make much sense to me. If my parents had those views I'd be cutting them out of my life.
I didn't agree with Nora keeping their relationship from her. I understand her reasoning, but it read like a plot device more than something the character would do. In the same vein, I wish we spent more time with them, showing Stevie fall in love all over again. Too much time was spent with Ryan, and while he turned out to be a nice ally, I don't enjoy reading straight dates in my sapphic romances haha. The middle felt bogged down because of this. It picked up towards the end, and ended on a good note.
I felt sad that Stevie lost 2 years of her life that she's never getting back, and felt like maybe that wasn't explored enough, but this is YA so that was fine.
Also worth noting that the word lesbian never appears anywhere in the book, despite both the MC and LI being lesbians.
Overall, this was well written, and I enjoyed the romance between Stevie and Nora.
April 24, 2023
Just a wonder of a book. Stevie and Nora are getting ready to ditch the small minds and the tiny aspirations of their small town. They’ve kept their love a secret but now it’s time to start the rest of their lives together. Unfortunately, an accident causes Stevie to lose memory of the last two years which means Nora is a stranger to her now.
The amnesia trope is one of my favorites in fiction and up until recently, kind of a unicorn in sapphic stories. There’s a lot going on in this book which could have set up a mess of a narrative but the author does a good job of keeping it all together. The big moment of truth is great but it’s the little clues that make or break an amnesia story. Stevie has to rebuild her sense of self from the bits told to her by others. Lies, prejudices, hidden agendas, nobody is a reliable narrator she is learning. Meanwhile, Nora has to eat her own heart, watching and hoping that somehow she and Stevie can still be together.
I loved the author’s first book, written with her wife, She Gets the Girl, so I was really looking forward to reading this one. One of the most fascinating things about amnesia stories is that it presents a divergent path. The MC is almost a different person who is given an opportunity to change some things or everything about their life. I appreciate how the author shows Stevie’s painful discoveries and her decisions based on what she learns. But this Stevie is also a different woman from the one in the past so the question is how will she choose this time. I did have one qualm. I wish Nora and Stevie had more on-screen time together. Other things could have been cut because nothing should be more important than Nora and Stevie together on the page. We have to see them fall in love again. Otherwise, we can chuck the book. Finally, the narration by Natalie Naudus is fantastic (thanks to my friend, Gaby, for recommending the audiobook).
4.5 stars rounded up.
The amnesia trope is one of my favorites in fiction and up until recently, kind of a unicorn in sapphic stories. There’s a lot going on in this book which could have set up a mess of a narrative but the author does a good job of keeping it all together. The big moment of truth is great but it’s the little clues that make or break an amnesia story. Stevie has to rebuild her sense of self from the bits told to her by others. Lies, prejudices, hidden agendas, nobody is a reliable narrator she is learning. Meanwhile, Nora has to eat her own heart, watching and hoping that somehow she and Stevie can still be together.
I loved the author’s first book, written with her wife, She Gets the Girl, so I was really looking forward to reading this one. One of the most fascinating things about amnesia stories is that it presents a divergent path. The MC is almost a different person who is given an opportunity to change some things or everything about their life. I appreciate how the author shows Stevie’s painful discoveries and her decisions based on what she learns. But this Stevie is also a different woman from the one in the past so the question is how will she choose this time. I did have one qualm. I wish Nora and Stevie had more on-screen time together. Other things could have been cut because nothing should be more important than Nora and Stevie together on the page. We have to see them fall in love again. Otherwise, we can chuck the book. Finally, the narration by Natalie Naudus is fantastic (thanks to my friend, Gaby, for recommending the audiobook).
4.5 stars rounded up.
January 28, 2024
I’m at a moment in my life where I’m not into coming out stories, I don’t want to read about homophobia or any queerphobia, not just for the sake of escapism but because I don’t need to be reminded. It never leaves my mind. I’ve also been reading a lot less YA and NA. For all these reasons, I didn’t really have this audiobook on my radar until fellow reviewer Marie Sotiriou convinced me to give it a chance. About a third in, I messaged her that it was killing me. In the best way, obviously.
When Stevie wakes up after an accident, she doesn’t remember the last two years of her life. She doesn’t remember finishing high school, she doesn’t remember why her best friends don’t really feel like friends at all, she doesn’t remember the boy they told her she was crushing on… She doesn’t remember, either, the girl she was in love with, nor the plans they had made to leave their close-minded town behind and move to California.
The story is told in first person from Stevie’s point of view and while I felt for her all along, my heart really broke for Nora. Being forgotten by the person you love most, with whom you planned to spend your life… I can’t even imagine nor do I want to. It will come as a surprise to absolutely no one that Natalie Naudus does a wonderful job. There are so many feelings, so many nuances in her narration. I’m sure I would have loved Forget Me Not even if I had read it but I’m grateful I listened.
There’s so much in this story. So much that enraged me—the racism Stevie and Ryan experience as the only Asian people in their town, Stevie’s callous friends, the way Ryan is used and hurt, through no fault of Stevie’s but with no thought towards his feelings (or hers) from her friends, the weight of mandatory heterosexuality, Nora’s mom’s treatment of her daughter—and so much that made my heart swell. I loved witnessing Stevie fall in love with Nora again, choose her again. I enjoyed every one of their scenes together, the heartbreaking ones as well as the joyful ones. I love Nora’s teasing side, her sensitivity, her strength. And I love Stevie’s determination, her sense of fairness, her will to fight.
Alyson Derrick, who drew inspiration from her own life and experience as a Korean American teen growing up Catholic in a small town, added another second chance love story to the obvious one, that of Stevie and her parents. I don’t want to spoil anything about it, but I appreciate the thoughtfulness and sensibility with which the author wrote this arc. This entire book is just beautiful on top of beautiful and I strongly recommend you follow Marie’s advice and listen to it ASAP.
Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
April 19, 2023
Content warnings: homophobia, racism + racist micro-aggressions, amnesia, hospital stay/treatment for amnesia, underage drinking, child abuse (side character, on-page), child being kicked out of home for being lesbian, manipulation.
Rep: Stevie (MC) is Korean-American and lesbian, Nora (LI) is lesbian, Nick (SC) is Korean-American. It is important to note that lesbian is not said on page at all. Stevie can barely say she's gay let alone lesbian. But she's lesbian.
I got this advanced copy and I jumped on it faster than you could say ‘send to kindle’.
Having read, and loved, She Gets The Girl – Alyson’s first book with her wife, Rachael, I was excited when I heard about her solo debut.
As a long-time fanfic lover of the ‘amnesia trope’, I knew this one was going to be right up my alley. And it was.
Stevie and Nora are all set to escape their small town – for its small size and its small-mindedness. They’re young, they’re in love, and with high school done and dusted, they just need to wait a few more weeks before they can set off across the country to California so they can be their authentic selves. They’re both desperate to get out from under the thumb of both of their families – for similar (and also wildly different) reasons.
Then Stevie has an accident and she loses the last 2 years of her life. She wakes up not remembering anything, but worse still – not remembering that she has a wonderful girlfriend, and an escape plan.
*
Stevie’s journey was one I love a lot. She rediscovers herself because she has to. She’s forced into compulsive heterosexuality by her horrible ‘best friends’ who didn’t know that Nora existed, but also because they’re cruel, uncaring, and racist people. I hated the way her friends just manipulated Stevie because she couldn’t remember. And they were so racist to her face and they didn’t care. That made my heart hurt for her.
Stevie learns that she’s not as close with her mum as she used to be, and since she can’t remember why, she’s determined to get that love back. She tries with her dad, but he’s growing homophobic, intolerant and conservative in his old age, which she struggles with.
Then there’s Nora. This girl who saved her. Stevie gets to fall in love with her all over again and it was truly beautiful to read about.
I love that their love transcends Stevie’s amnesia. That she’s drawn to Nora for unexplained reasons.
I felt the way this was written, and handled, was done with such care and grace. It was truly an honour to read.
I did bawl my eyes out at the abuse scene, so heads up for that one, friends.
This book is full of hope and love, and it just makes my heart go !!!
First read: 04-05/10/2022
Second read: 13-13/04/2023
I talk about books at these places: Instagram / Twitter / TikTok / Blog
Rep: Stevie (MC) is Korean-American and lesbian, Nora (LI) is lesbian, Nick (SC) is Korean-American. It is important to note that lesbian is not said on page at all. Stevie can barely say she's gay let alone lesbian. But she's lesbian.
I got this advanced copy and I jumped on it faster than you could say ‘send to kindle’.
Having read, and loved, She Gets The Girl – Alyson’s first book with her wife, Rachael, I was excited when I heard about her solo debut.
As a long-time fanfic lover of the ‘amnesia trope’, I knew this one was going to be right up my alley. And it was.
Stevie and Nora are all set to escape their small town – for its small size and its small-mindedness. They’re young, they’re in love, and with high school done and dusted, they just need to wait a few more weeks before they can set off across the country to California so they can be their authentic selves. They’re both desperate to get out from under the thumb of both of their families – for similar (and also wildly different) reasons.
Then Stevie has an accident and she loses the last 2 years of her life. She wakes up not remembering anything, but worse still – not remembering that she has a wonderful girlfriend, and an escape plan.
*
Stevie’s journey was one I love a lot. She rediscovers herself because she has to. She’s forced into compulsive heterosexuality by her horrible ‘best friends’ who didn’t know that Nora existed, but also because they’re cruel, uncaring, and racist people. I hated the way her friends just manipulated Stevie because she couldn’t remember. And they were so racist to her face and they didn’t care. That made my heart hurt for her.
Stevie learns that she’s not as close with her mum as she used to be, and since she can’t remember why, she’s determined to get that love back. She tries with her dad, but he’s growing homophobic, intolerant and conservative in his old age, which she struggles with.
Then there’s Nora. This girl who saved her. Stevie gets to fall in love with her all over again and it was truly beautiful to read about.
I love that their love transcends Stevie’s amnesia. That she’s drawn to Nora for unexplained reasons.
I felt the way this was written, and handled, was done with such care and grace. It was truly an honour to read.
I did bawl my eyes out at the abuse scene, so heads up for that one, friends.
This book is full of hope and love, and it just makes my heart go !!!
First read: 04-05/10/2022
Second read: 13-13/04/2023
I talk about books at these places: Instagram / Twitter / TikTok / Blog
June 19, 2023
This was a good one! I definitely need to read Derrick’s debut that she coauthored with Rachael Lippincott. I was a little nervous here because let’s be real—an amnesia romance could be really, really cheesy. 🧀 However she did a great job and I didn’t even roll my eyes once! After Stevie has an accident, she cannot remember the last two years of her life, including graduating high school, realizing she might not be straight, and even planning to move across the country with her girlfriend. The entire book is about Stevie trying to find the missing pieces and Nora hoping Stevie will make her way back to her. The LGBTQ+ representation was well done and my heart was sad at Stevie’s fearfulness towards coming out. I would definitely recommend this to high school librarians and their readers. 🧡🤍🩷
April 5, 2024
If I finished this book or did this book finished me? 🥹
I knew that it was going to be fantastic as I read the premise and saw the raving reviews. This was honest, heartwarming but heartbreaking at the same time.
A beautiful love story about two girls who fell in love in a very conservative small town. They keep their love a secret, no one knows except for them and that's why they have plans of leaving it all behind after graduation.
However, Stevie ends up having an accident and she forgets the last two years of her life (Including coming to terms with her sexuality and Nora existence 🥺
I loved these two so much!!!! I HIGHLY recommend this one is you love young adult, sapphic romances. It was everything I needed to be and more 🫶🏻💘
I knew that it was going to be fantastic as I read the premise and saw the raving reviews. This was honest, heartwarming but heartbreaking at the same time.
A beautiful love story about two girls who fell in love in a very conservative small town. They keep their love a secret, no one knows except for them and that's why they have plans of leaving it all behind after graduation.
However, Stevie ends up having an accident and she forgets the last two years of her life (Including coming to terms with her sexuality and Nora existence 🥺
I loved these two so much!!!! I HIGHLY recommend this one is you love young adult, sapphic romances. It was everything I needed to be and more 🫶🏻💘
June 2, 2023
first read of pride month and it’s sapphic 🫶🏼
the amnesia trope isn’t my thing but this was so so cute :’)
the amnesia trope isn’t my thing but this was so so cute :’)
December 11, 2023
this is everything i needed it to be and more. i love being sad
April 30, 2023
Stevie really said:
This book was nice! I really liked the writing and the characters were really easy to understand and love.
However, it has not become a new favourite. Honestly, I just don’t think this book could ever be one of my favourites, because the premise itself stops it from being that. I personally prefer to read about characters falling in love, and this story is about a couple who was already together, but 1 person forgot about it. Don’t get me wrong: the book accomplished that really well! But it just isn’t my favourite type of romance to read about. I do think I would’ve enjoyed this much more if we’d seen some flashbacks of them falling in love and their relationship developing, though.
With that said, I still really enjoyed reading this, especially the 2nd half. I was scared that . I also really liked the ending!! It was so sweet! I actually shed a tear. 🥺
(review written on 08/04/2023)
---------
(11/05/2022)
"an LGBTQ+ romance about Stevie and Nora, 2 girls who plan to abandon their small town for California so they can be together, until an accident steals every trace of Stevie's relationship with Nora from her memory."
oh this is gonna hurt, huh?
i'm ready
This book was nice! I really liked the writing and the characters were really easy to understand and love.
However, it has not become a new favourite. Honestly, I just don’t think this book could ever be one of my favourites, because the premise itself stops it from being that. I personally prefer to read about characters falling in love, and this story is about a couple who was already together, but 1 person forgot about it. Don’t get me wrong: the book accomplished that really well! But it just isn’t my favourite type of romance to read about. I do think I would’ve enjoyed this much more if we’d seen some flashbacks of them falling in love and their relationship developing, though.
With that said, I still really enjoyed reading this, especially the 2nd half. I was scared that . I also really liked the ending!! It was so sweet! I actually shed a tear. 🥺
(review written on 08/04/2023)
---------
(11/05/2022)
"an LGBTQ+ romance about Stevie and Nora, 2 girls who plan to abandon their small town for California so they can be together, until an accident steals every trace of Stevie's relationship with Nora from her memory."
oh this is gonna hurt, huh?
i'm ready
May 9, 2023
This is an amnesia romance, but while that can sound like a soap opera premise—girl meets girl, girls fall in love, girl gets amnesia and forgets girl, girl tries to win her back—there’s an undercurrent of sadness here that keeps it feeling more grounded than that suggests.
I meant to just read the first few chapters of this and found myself instead reading it in one day. Even though we know the answers, it was compelling to watch Stevie try to piece together what happened in the time she lost and consider whether she really needs to recover it or whether she should embrace the opportunity to start fresh. After all, in this missing time she apparently became more distant from her friends and family and also applied to the local community college when she’s been waiting her whole life to go somewhere new. Does she really want to be that person?
This is a very readable, engaging novel, and though their relationship was almost too perfect, that’s helped by Nora’s characterization. She’s not on the page that much, considering this is mostly a romance, but what we do see of her is charming without being one-dimensional. You can see why Stevie falls for her (twice).
Full review at the Lesbrary.
I meant to just read the first few chapters of this and found myself instead reading it in one day. Even though we know the answers, it was compelling to watch Stevie try to piece together what happened in the time she lost and consider whether she really needs to recover it or whether she should embrace the opportunity to start fresh. After all, in this missing time she apparently became more distant from her friends and family and also applied to the local community college when she’s been waiting her whole life to go somewhere new. Does she really want to be that person?
This is a very readable, engaging novel, and though their relationship was almost too perfect, that’s helped by Nora’s characterization. She’s not on the page that much, considering this is mostly a romance, but what we do see of her is charming without being one-dimensional. You can see why Stevie falls for her (twice).
Full review at the Lesbrary.
June 10, 2023
better make an appointment with my therapist before reading this i can't wait
September 19, 2023
cómo se para de llorar?
୨୧ 4.5
Este libro te toca el corazón, especialmente si has vivido o vives en un lugar homofóbico y has tenido que enfrentarte a padres, amigos o personas en general que comprenden o respetan. La forma en que están expresados los sentimientos, los miedos y las confusiones me hizo sentir una conexión profunda con la historia y, sobre todo, con los personajes, a los que amo completamente.
A pesar de que no soy fan del cliché de la pérdida de memoria, tenía una confianza absoluta en que Alyson no me decepcionaría. ¡Y no lo hizo! No sé qué magia poseen los libros sáficos, pero logran darle un giro incluso a esos clichés gastados que no me suelen gustar, haciéndome disfrutar de la historia.
El romance y la trama son simplemente increíbles. No tengo palabras para describir lo mucho que me gustaron. AMO AMO AMO AMO AMO AMO ESTE LIBRO. Experimenté una montaña rusa de emociones en menos de 24 horas que devoré este libro. Pasé de estar furiosa con la madre de Stevie a llorar por lo que escribía Nora en su diario.
La única pequeña crítica que puedo hacer es que quizás habría deseado más capítulos al final, ya que sentí que el desenlace fue un poco apresurado. Sin embargo, esto no cambia en absoluto lo profundamente que amo este libro.
+La frase “But would my mom really choose the Church over me?" (Pero, ¿realmente elegiría mi madre a la Iglesia antes que a mí?) ME HIZO MIERDA😭😭
Léanlo y preparen sus pañuelos porque este libro las hará llorar como si no hubiera un mañana
💌 Nota: Se me hace muy lindo que las autoras sigan haciendo a sus personajes como ellas dos, es super romántico y hace que los ame más. METAS.
୨୧ 4.5
Este libro te toca el corazón, especialmente si has vivido o vives en un lugar homofóbico y has tenido que enfrentarte a padres, amigos o personas en general que comprenden o respetan. La forma en que están expresados los sentimientos, los miedos y las confusiones me hizo sentir una conexión profunda con la historia y, sobre todo, con los personajes, a los que amo completamente.
A pesar de que no soy fan del cliché de la pérdida de memoria, tenía una confianza absoluta en que Alyson no me decepcionaría. ¡Y no lo hizo! No sé qué magia poseen los libros sáficos, pero logran darle un giro incluso a esos clichés gastados que no me suelen gustar, haciéndome disfrutar de la historia.
El romance y la trama son simplemente increíbles. No tengo palabras para describir lo mucho que me gustaron. AMO AMO AMO AMO AMO AMO ESTE LIBRO. Experimenté una montaña rusa de emociones en menos de 24 horas que devoré este libro. Pasé de estar furiosa con la madre de Stevie a llorar por lo que escribía Nora en su diario.
La única pequeña crítica que puedo hacer es que quizás habría deseado más capítulos al final, ya que sentí que el desenlace fue un poco apresurado. Sin embargo, esto no cambia en absoluto lo profundamente que amo este libro.
+La frase “But would my mom really choose the Church over me?" (Pero, ¿realmente elegiría mi madre a la Iglesia antes que a mí?) ME HIZO MIERDA😭😭
Léanlo y preparen sus pañuelos porque este libro las hará llorar como si no hubiera un mañana
💌 Nota: Se me hace muy lindo que las autoras sigan haciendo a sus personajes como ellas dos, es super romántico y hace que los ame más. METAS.
April 22, 2024
Well this had me sobbing (in a good way!) at the end. This contemporary YA novel takes what could be a goofy soap opera-esque plot device -- the protagonist wakes up after a serious head injury having forgotten the last two years of her high school life, which includes her figuring out she's queer and having a secret two year long relationship with another girl -- and thoughtfully explores issues of grief, familial homophobia, coming out, romantic soulmates, memory, and fate.
It's an immensely readable story, with wonderful characters easy to root for. I especially loved how Stevie formed a friendship with Ryan, the only other Asian kid in town, even though they have a bit of a rough start. Nora and Stevie's easy banter was so cute and their immediate connection was very convincingly rendered -- it's not hard to believe they really are meant to be together.
I really liked Derrick's rom com debut, She Gets the Girl, which was co-authored with her wife Rachael Lippincott; while this one is also very romantic, the tone is a lot more serious. I will definitely check out what she writes next!
The audiobook is beautifully performed by Natalie Naudus.
It's an immensely readable story, with wonderful characters easy to root for. I especially loved how Stevie formed a friendship with Ryan, the only other Asian kid in town, even though they have a bit of a rough start. Nora and Stevie's easy banter was so cute and their immediate connection was very convincingly rendered -- it's not hard to believe they really are meant to be together.
I really liked Derrick's rom com debut, She Gets the Girl, which was co-authored with her wife Rachael Lippincott; while this one is also very romantic, the tone is a lot more serious. I will definitely check out what she writes next!
The audiobook is beautifully performed by Natalie Naudus.
April 18, 2024
I'm trying to balance my own feelings about this novel with what a teenaged version of myself might have felt. Because I have a feeling the adult reader in me is reacting appropriately for my age when adult me is not the intended audience. But since I grew up before anyone, but especially not a major publisher, would touch sapphic stories, I will read YA novels that do. The problem with that, of course, is I can't escape that fact I am no longer a teenager with a teenager's brain.
Okay, so for the positives first. I enjoyed reading this book and read it very quickly. I hated when I had to put it down because I wanted to know what would happen and what had happened in the two years Stevie couldn't remember. So kudos to Alyson Derrick for writing a story that I wanted to read and keep reading.
Where the book loses me a bit are things that maybe couldn't be helped given the fact that this is both a YA novel and an amnesia story.
First, Stevie and Nora’s love is super intense--scarily so. I know this is typical of teenagers and first loves. I remember being a teenager in love and how obsessive that love was. But the codependence between these characters really made me uncomfortable. They're 18 years old and are making very adult decisions based on the intensity of their love. This may be surprising from me since my favourite novel that isn't Pride and Prejudice is Her Name in the Sky , which also features an intense love story between 17/18 year-olds, but in Her Name in the Sky, that love is earned again and again throughout the book. Because of the amnesia element, i.e. because Stevie can't remember anything, the reader can't see why their love is so intense. They seem to be more trauma bonded than anything else.
Second, I know not knowing is a central tenet of the amnesia trope, but I get annoyed when I'm strung along for too long. It's one thing for Stevie not to know what's going on; it's another for the reader not to. We get partial glimpses from Nora's journals, of course, but in regards to the drama with Stevie's parents--especially her mother--it went on too long, especially since I'd already guessed what the point of friction was early on.
And then there was the ending... I can't say much because it's a bit of a spoiler, but if Derrick wanted to go there with the ending, it needed to be a bit longer. Or she needed to give us an epilogue.
3.5 stars - Ultimately, I would recommend this book, but it didn't entirely work for me.
Okay, so for the positives first. I enjoyed reading this book and read it very quickly. I hated when I had to put it down because I wanted to know what would happen and what had happened in the two years Stevie couldn't remember. So kudos to Alyson Derrick for writing a story that I wanted to read and keep reading.
Where the book loses me a bit are things that maybe couldn't be helped given the fact that this is both a YA novel and an amnesia story.
First, Stevie and Nora’s love is super intense--scarily so. I know this is typical of teenagers and first loves. I remember being a teenager in love and how obsessive that love was. But the codependence between these characters really made me uncomfortable. They're 18 years old and are making very adult decisions based on the intensity of their love. This may be surprising from me since my favourite novel that isn't Pride and Prejudice is Her Name in the Sky , which also features an intense love story between 17/18 year-olds, but in Her Name in the Sky, that love is earned again and again throughout the book. Because of the amnesia element, i.e. because Stevie can't remember anything, the reader can't see why their love is so intense. They seem to be more trauma bonded than anything else.
Second, I know not knowing is a central tenet of the amnesia trope, but I get annoyed when I'm strung along for too long. It's one thing for Stevie not to know what's going on; it's another for the reader not to. We get partial glimpses from Nora's journals, of course, but in regards to the drama with Stevie's parents--especially her mother--it went on too long, especially since I'd already guessed what the point of friction was early on.
And then there was the ending... I can't say much because it's a bit of a spoiler, but if Derrick wanted to go there with the ending, it needed to be a bit longer. Or she needed to give us an epilogue.
3.5 stars - Ultimately, I would recommend this book, but it didn't entirely work for me.
December 13, 2024
"Good things happen when I follow my heart, even when it's hard, even when it feels impossible."
Thank you SO much to Simon Teen for sending me this beautiful ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Forget Me Not is in the running to be my favorite book of 2023 — and it's one of my favorite books I've ever read. This book was beautiful, heart-wrenching, vivid, and so, so absorbing. I refuse to shut up about this book until everyone has read it. (go on. read it!)
Forget Me Not follows Stevie after she has a horrible fall and head injury, causing her to lose the memories of the past two years of her life. Two years that shaped her into who she is, two years in which she met Nora, the love of her life, and came to terms with her sexuality. Two years full of secrets and hurt and distance but most of all, love.
I rooted for Stevie and Nora the entire way. Their love is one of the most authentic and personal depictions I've ever read. The little details Nora shared with Stevie, the rediscoveries Stevie made about Nora, and the new memories they forged together made their relationship breathe off the page. The love that Stevie and Nora have is indestructible, and it truly transcends all.
There wasn't a piece of this book that didn't have intention, that wasn't handled with love and care and understanding — from the explorations of racism and racist microaggressions, to coming out in an ultra-conservative town, to the contrast between conditional and unconditional love.
Forget Me Not is not a story about fixing the past, it's a story of rediscovery. It's about rediscovering what it means to love someone, and how to have dreams and the will to pursue them. I know this is a book I will hold closer to my heart with each day that passes. I hope you let it enter yours.
Content Warnings: homophobia, racism and racist microaggressions, amnesia/head injury, hospital stay, on-page child abuse of a side character, side character kicked out of the house, manipulation
April 13, 2023
Thank you to Colored Pages Tours & Simon Teen for the physical ARC in exchange for promotion and an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Forget Me Not is a story about love, finding true friendship and embracing your own identity. I enjoyed She gets the Girl a lot and this story, while much more heartbreaking, was just as well written and full of relatable characters.
In this we follow Stevie and Nora. The two have been secretly dating for two years and are working on a plan to escape their suffocating small town and homophobic families. They carved out a space for themselves but everything comes tumbling down when Stevie takes a terrible fall. When she wakes up all her memories from the past two years are gone. Nora is devastated, but when Stevie inevitably finds her again, she’s determined to make her girlfriend fall for her all over again.
My best advice for reading this book is to pack tissues. There are many tender moments and some that are completely heart wrenching. Especially Stevie first waking up after her fall 😭. I had all the emotions reading this book and it was only heightened by @NatalieNaudus’s stellar narration.
This love story is one I won’t forget soon. In fact, I’m going to replay my playlist and cry all the tears for the next week!
Rep: biracial Korean-American cis female lesbian MC with retrograde amnesia, white lesbian cis female MC, various white side characters, Asian-American cishet male side character.
CWs:Lesbophobia/lesbomisia, general queerphobia/bigotry, racism, racial microaggressions, toxic friendship (SCs to MC), amnesia, medical content, underage drinking, alcohol consumption, child abuse(on-page), disowning of child bc they are queer, manipulation, injury/injury detail.
Forget Me Not is a story about love, finding true friendship and embracing your own identity. I enjoyed She gets the Girl a lot and this story, while much more heartbreaking, was just as well written and full of relatable characters.
In this we follow Stevie and Nora. The two have been secretly dating for two years and are working on a plan to escape their suffocating small town and homophobic families. They carved out a space for themselves but everything comes tumbling down when Stevie takes a terrible fall. When she wakes up all her memories from the past two years are gone. Nora is devastated, but when Stevie inevitably finds her again, she’s determined to make her girlfriend fall for her all over again.
My best advice for reading this book is to pack tissues. There are many tender moments and some that are completely heart wrenching. Especially Stevie first waking up after her fall 😭. I had all the emotions reading this book and it was only heightened by @NatalieNaudus’s stellar narration.
This love story is one I won’t forget soon. In fact, I’m going to replay my playlist and cry all the tears for the next week!
Rep: biracial Korean-American cis female lesbian MC with retrograde amnesia, white lesbian cis female MC, various white side characters, Asian-American cishet male side character.
CWs:Lesbophobia/lesbomisia, general queerphobia/bigotry, racism, racial microaggressions, toxic friendship (SCs to MC), amnesia, medical content, underage drinking, alcohol consumption, child abuse(on-page), disowning of child bc they are queer, manipulation, injury/injury detail.
January 15, 2023
Sometimes you start a book and you just know from the start that it will be a shining 5/5 and that it will stay with you for a long time. This was one of those books. I loved every second of it! Such a beautiful book about losing someone and finding your way back. I really felt their connection and love throughout the entire book.
From the beginning of the book its clear why Stevie and Nora need to leave the small town and its beautifully shown through the way they keep their relationship hidden. When Stevie gets in the accident and forgets the past two years her ”friends” acts horrible and tries to get Stevie to become someone else that she wasn’t, and her mother tries to re-establish a close relationship since they’ve grown apart. Stevie has also hidden her relationship with Nora so well that she forgets it completely herself.
I love that we dont only see Steve’s pov in here as she finds her way back to herself and who she is, but also get to read letters that Nora writes to Stevie (but doesn’t send).
I would honestly recommend this book to everyone - its so beautiful, raw, emotional and full of love! Alyson Derrick really did the damn thing with this, I cant wait to see what she writes next! I love both this book and She gets the girl (which she co-wrote with her wife Rachel <3)
Big thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc!!
From the beginning of the book its clear why Stevie and Nora need to leave the small town and its beautifully shown through the way they keep their relationship hidden. When Stevie gets in the accident and forgets the past two years her ”friends” acts horrible and tries to get Stevie to become someone else that she wasn’t, and her mother tries to re-establish a close relationship since they’ve grown apart. Stevie has also hidden her relationship with Nora so well that she forgets it completely herself.
I love that we dont only see Steve’s pov in here as she finds her way back to herself and who she is, but also get to read letters that Nora writes to Stevie (but doesn’t send).
I would honestly recommend this book to everyone - its so beautiful, raw, emotional and full of love! Alyson Derrick really did the damn thing with this, I cant wait to see what she writes next! I love both this book and She gets the girl (which she co-wrote with her wife Rachel <3)
Big thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc!!
December 4, 2025
The ending was very emotional 🥹🥹🥹
April 14, 2023
Human's pillar is their personality. Then experience and memories shape us into a who we are. What happens if we loose a part of these memories?Does it change who we are? This book tries to that question through Stevie's journey.
It's a human defense mechanism to act based on people's reaction toward us, and for someone lost like Stevie, it's the only way at first. But true nature always comes out. It was beautiful to see Stevie struggle to find the path back to her true self despite losing two years of her life, and people trying to take advantage of the situation to change their previous relationship with her. With Nora and Stevie's chemistry, Stevie's body remembers what her mind can't and it was so warming and heartbreaking at the same time. I loved Nora's patience and protectiveness towards Stevie.This book was a quick and way more easy read than I expect. The masochist in me thinks that the beauty of a love story increases with the level of pain characters have to go through to find each other . Of course their story is painful but I think Derrick could have gone even further in the pain to make this book unforgettable. Adding a real Nora's POV (we get it through letters) could have add the extra pain I was looking for.
The upside is that pain level is totally manageable for most readers out there who are afraid to suffer while reading. It's a beautiful love story with a satisfying ending
It's a human defense mechanism to act based on people's reaction toward us, and for someone lost like Stevie, it's the only way at first. But true nature always comes out. It was beautiful to see Stevie struggle to find the path back to her true self despite losing two years of her life, and people trying to take advantage of the situation to change their previous relationship with her. With Nora and Stevie's chemistry, Stevie's body remembers what her mind can't and it was so warming and heartbreaking at the same time. I loved Nora's patience and protectiveness towards Stevie.This book was a quick and way more easy read than I expect. The masochist in me thinks that the beauty of a love story increases with the level of pain characters have to go through to find each other . Of course their story is painful but I think Derrick could have gone even further in the pain to make this book unforgettable. Adding a real Nora's POV (we get it through letters) could have add the extra pain I was looking for.
The upside is that pain level is totally manageable for most readers out there who are afraid to suffer while reading. It's a beautiful love story with a satisfying ending
May 26, 2023
What if you found “the one” and dated them for 2 years, only to have an accident that causes you to develop amnesia and you forget everything that happened in the past two years, including that person. That is the premise for this, at times, heart breaking book. Told from both Stevie’s first person point of view and Nora’s journal this book explores the question are some people just meant to be together irregardless of the obstacles put in their path.
Edit #1 24 hours later.....Some books you move right on from, and some leave you thinking about for days after. I had thoughts about this book all last night. I want to emphasize that I really liked this book. I liked the heart in this book. Forget Me Not had so many wonderful scenes like (I listed some scenes, then removed them and put them under Spoilers at the end of the review....If you plan to read the book it is better that you discover them for yourself). Forget Me Not is also one of the most romantic books I have read.
******Spoilers? maybe **********
My deleted great/heart felt scenes in the book referenced above:
Stevie to Nora, "Tell me about Us";
At The Airport;
Stevie reads Nora's journal;
How They Met
I'm sure there are more, and if you have read the book comment with your own below.
Edit #1 24 hours later.....Some books you move right on from, and some leave you thinking about for days after. I had thoughts about this book all last night. I want to emphasize that I really liked this book. I liked the heart in this book. Forget Me Not had so many wonderful scenes like (I listed some scenes, then removed them and put them under Spoilers at the end of the review....If you plan to read the book it is better that you discover them for yourself). Forget Me Not is also one of the most romantic books I have read.
******Spoilers? maybe **********
My deleted great/heart felt scenes in the book referenced above:
Stevie to Nora, "Tell me about Us";
At The Airport;
Stevie reads Nora's journal;
How They Met
I'm sure there are more, and if you have read the book comment with your own below.
April 7, 2023
Trigger Warnings: church, cursing, toxic beliefs, politics, accident, injury, hospital, coma, amnesia, homophobia, racism, racist micro-aggressions, underage drinking, internalized homophobia, disowning, child abuse, violence, unaccepting parents
Representation: Korean-American, Lesbian, vegan
Forget Me Not is a queer romantic contemporary about Stevie and Nora. While their love is a secret, Stevie and Nora have a plan to leave their small, ultra-conservative town and families behind after graduation and move to California, where they could finally stop hiding that love.
When Stevie has a terrible fall and she finally comes to, she has forgotten the last two years, including California, coming to terms with her sexuality, and even Nora. Suddenly, Stevie finds herself in a life she doesn’t quite understand, one where she’s estranged from her parents, drifting away from her friends, lying about the hours she works, dating a boy she can’t remember crushing on, and headed towards a future that isn’t at all what her fifteen-year-old self would have envisioned. Can the two beat the odds a second time and find their way back together when “together” itself is just a lost memory?
This ARC was provided by the publisher as part of the Colored Pages blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
This is definitely unlike most of the other romance books I’ve read recently. Not only is the amnesia trope not common, the ending is happy but I wouldn’t necessarily call it a happily ever after. Overall, I really enjoyed this story, the characters, and the romance. The vibe just hits different and is hard to articulate an exact reason.
This book is beautifully written and I loved the author’s writing style. Her characterization is very thorough and provides excellent growth and introspective for the main girls. I loved the journal that Nora writes throughout the beginning of the book. The feelings and emotions are raw and lovely.
Representation: Korean-American, Lesbian, vegan
Forget Me Not is a queer romantic contemporary about Stevie and Nora. While their love is a secret, Stevie and Nora have a plan to leave their small, ultra-conservative town and families behind after graduation and move to California, where they could finally stop hiding that love.
When Stevie has a terrible fall and she finally comes to, she has forgotten the last two years, including California, coming to terms with her sexuality, and even Nora. Suddenly, Stevie finds herself in a life she doesn’t quite understand, one where she’s estranged from her parents, drifting away from her friends, lying about the hours she works, dating a boy she can’t remember crushing on, and headed towards a future that isn’t at all what her fifteen-year-old self would have envisioned. Can the two beat the odds a second time and find their way back together when “together” itself is just a lost memory?
This ARC was provided by the publisher as part of the Colored Pages blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
This is definitely unlike most of the other romance books I’ve read recently. Not only is the amnesia trope not common, the ending is happy but I wouldn’t necessarily call it a happily ever after. Overall, I really enjoyed this story, the characters, and the romance. The vibe just hits different and is hard to articulate an exact reason.
This book is beautifully written and I loved the author’s writing style. Her characterization is very thorough and provides excellent growth and introspective for the main girls. I loved the journal that Nora writes throughout the beginning of the book. The feelings and emotions are raw and lovely.
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