Thank You for Remembering

by Emily Harding

A woman wakes up with amnesia to a totally different life and teams up with her charming new neighbor to piece together her missing memories in this tender and funny romantic comedy from the author of How Freaking Romantic.



Growing up, Marnie Stephens believed in magic. That destiny was real, the universe had a plan, and every problem could be fixed by one of her grandmother’s many crystals or mantras. But now, at thirty, Marnie’s dreams have fallen by the wayside as real life proves to be more difficult than divine. That’s all about to change, though, thanks to her upcoming move from LA to Boston with her boyfriend Matt. Sure, she still has some nagging worries about the future, but those things will work themselves out. She just needs a fresh start.



Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Marnie gets when she wakes up at a hospital in Boston with no knowledge of how she got there. Her doctor tells her she suffered a head injury, Matt insists they broke up months ago, and, most distressing of all, her hair is somehow eight inches shorter. Nothing makes sense, but one thing is clear: Marnie has no memory of the past year. Soon, she’s discharged and finds herself in an apartment she doesn’t remember with a new neighbor, Ben Morgan, a man she’s sure she won’t forget.



Now, with the clues she finds scattered around her home, and Ben, who knows Boston like the back of his hand, Marnie sets out to retrace the past year to figure out where things went wrong and set them right. But despite what her grandmother always told her, there’s no magic to make her recovery easier. Between doctor’s visits and treks across the city in search of her lost memories, the last thing Marnie needs is to start falling for the grumpy—and incredibly attractive—man helping her. But the universe has other plans, and it’s not long before Marnie begins to wonder if fighting for the past is as important as the one person who could be her future.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

336 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 15, 2026

Reviews

[jenny reads a lot]

THIS COVER IS AMAZING!

I need this right meow!

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[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

I have a lot of thoughts and opinions about this story.

1. The writing was so easy to fall into and binge. I found myself yearning to read even when things were bothering me simply because it was so consumable
2. I see the vision with the romance. Watching Ben and Marnie go through this list together was so easy but I wish we got more of it. I so desperately loved their quiet intimacy and chatty interactions with her yapping. However, I felt that when she was in love with him, there wasn’t enough time, butttt I was fully captivated by their chapters
3. Ben is quiet but he sees all of Marnie and I loved that. His little gestures and helping her in a way that’s just them building a friendship was really nice
4. There was WAYYYY too much repetition. This was ultimately my largest issue. Her bangs being wonky, yellow and brown eyes, the universe - it’s became a lot and I found myself starting to roll my eyes. The issue was the phrasing was so similar/the same - begging for a fresh angle on some of these
5. Sara bugged me because girlie your judgement is getting in the way of you friendship/stop putting your dreams and wants above what your friend wants - wish Marie shut that down sooner
6. Plot was relatively predictable but not in a bad way. I saw what was coming but I wasn’t mad (just wanted more Ben and less Matt drama/sara- the balance could have been a little better
7. There was an ease to reading this story, if felt like we were just following Marnie’s daily life
7. Again I could not put this book down though, I kept getting sucked in but then annoyed at a bang references etc. I read from page 88-323 in one day.

Ultimately I enjoyed the story but the little things added up to spoil part of my enjoyment.


Lobsters mate for life 🦞

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank You For Remembering by Emily Harding was a fun and breezy read.

Marnie wakes up in a hospital with no memory of her past year. She’s broken up with her boyfriend and is living in Boston. She has no friends or family nearby and no memories.

I loved following Marnie along on her journey to try and recover her memories with the help of her cute neighbor Ben.

I really love the amnesia trope and this was done so well and felt realistic. Definitely will read more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC.

[felicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from NetGalley

Thank you for remembering is an amnesia love story with mystery : Marnie figuring out what happened in the past year

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I cannot be the only reader who needs this spoiler: Marnie figures out where she works and does not lose her job. Don't be like me and spend the first half of the book panicking. 😆 My millennial heart could not handle the fear that she would be fired. I wish Harding had Ben or Sara reveal this knowledge to Marnie earlier so that I could have been spared the anxiety. 😅

Second, Matt (and Ben) needed to do better. Matt is evasive and unhelpful when he meets with Marnie the day after her discharge. They may have broken up, but he previously cared for her, and she just suffered a major medical event! While I'm annoyed that Ben acted like they were strangers, at least he took the time to assist Marnie as she went about trying to recover her memory.

Third, how annoying is Sara? Usually, I love the supporting characters in books, but she painfully pushed her own agenda on repeat.

Finally, sweet Marnie and her animal-loving heart. 🦞🐭 Chattering excessively about everything and nothing. Learning to be tough and independent. I love that this story is about Marnie adapting and growing after experiencing trauma.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marnie wakes up in the hospital and doesn’t remember the last year of her life. As far as she knows, she’s in California preparing for a cross country move with her boyfriend. She’s shocked to learn that she’s lived in Boston for a year and broke up with her boyfriend 6 months ago. Scared but determined, she gets help from her neighbor to get around the city to try and jog her memory.

This was so great! Such a fun, easy read. I laughed out loud at several parts and I was counting down the hours until I could keep reading! Marnie was delightful once she grasped her situation, and I loved Ben. I really liked that he didn’t push all their history on her right out of the hospital and let her figure things out in her own time. 4.5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC

[Anna (annareadit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

rtc

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m obsessed with the amnesia trope when it’s executed well. In the right hands, it transforms into the perfect mystery drama—like slowly fitting together puzzle pieces only to discover an entirely different version of a person. But what makes this story special is how beautifully it balances that mystery with a deeply emotional, heartwarming romance. At its core, it’s about a woman whose life has completely fallen apart after losing her grandmother, a loss that shattered not only her sense of purpose but also her belief in magic, joy, and herself. Ironically, the tragedy that steals her memories may also become the very thing that gives her the chance to start over.

Marnie Stephens is such a relatable, compassionate, and easy-to-love heroine. After a terrible accident leaves her hospitalized with a brain bleed and memory loss, she wakes up unable to remember the last year of her life. Suddenly, everything feels unfamiliar and wrong. She has no idea why she moved to Boston, why she broke up with her longtime boyfriend Matt, or why she brutally chopped off her beautiful hair in what looks like a full emotional breakdown. She doesn’t know the password to her phone, barely recognizes the apartment she now lives in, and has absolutely no clue why she quit the stable job she once loved—or what she even does for a living anymore.

The only bright spot in this terrifying situation, besides the doctors trying to help her recover, is Ben—her mysterious, quiet, frustratingly handsome neighbor who rushed her to the ER and possibly saved her life. I loved the reveal that the comforting man sitting beside her hospital bed in a sweater wasn’t actually a doctor at all. Ben has that classic brooding energy, but underneath it he’s incredibly caring, patient, and warm.

One of my favorite elements of the story is the box of clues Marnie discovers: bookstore receipts, movie tickets to Rear Window, random fragments of a forgotten life that slowly guide her toward the truth about who she became during that missing year. Alongside Ben—who knows every hidden corner of Boston and gently helps her reconnect with herself—those little pieces create such an engaging emotional mystery.

What if losing your memory isn’t actually the worst thing that can happen to you? What if forgetting gives you the opportunity to see how unhappy you truly were? The story beautifully explores the fear of losing yourself while also asking whether love, happiness, and healing have been right in front of you all along—if only you’re brave enough to reach for them.

I ended up enjoying this book so much. Marnie is the kind of heroine you immediately root for, and Ben slowly opening up throughout the story made the romance even sweeter. He’s lovable from the very beginning, even behind all the guarded silence. The only character who genuinely irritated me was Sara, the best friend, whose controlling “I know what’s best for you” attitude often felt suffocating instead of supportive—especially considering everything Marnie was going through emotionally.

Yes, the mystery itself becomes somewhat predictable, but honestly, the emotional journey and romance are strong enough that it hardly matters. This is ultimately a comforting, hopeful story about rediscovering the magic inside yourself, opening your heart to love again, walking away from a life that’s draining your soul, and finding the courage to choose your own happiness. It’s an incredibly fast and enjoyable read, and like the author’s previous works, I ended up completely charmed by it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this witty, heartfelt, and inspiring romance in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[Dawson Sprinkle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this.

On one hand, I dig the premise. On the other hand, I don't like what Harding did with the premise. Not that her execution was poor, but I feel like it just needed a little extra something.

On the romance plot side of things, I don't feel like it was done quite as well as it could have been done. The romance doesn't actually really start until about half-way through, and they don't kiss until around two thirds in which just feels pretty late, considering the first half of the book doesn't really do a whole lot.

Not to say that I could write this book better, because I almost certainly can't, but I do have some wishes. I am glad that this book adapted a more accurate version of traumatic brain injury related memory loss, I think that's pretty underrepresented in most media, but I wish she was recovering more of her memory because it would allow her to learn about this new version of herself along with the reader, and come to terms with the changes. She does this a little bit, but I really wanted more of that. I wish that we could see some of her memories with Ben before her memory loss. I think it would really help build the romantic tension between the two of them. As they do stuff together in the present, have those memories also come back to her to bolster the feelings that she's developing.

I think that was my biggest gripe with this story. I didn't get the building of feelings on her end. She comes home from the hospital; he helps her go to some of the places that she has trinkets or scraps from, and she very quickly develops strong feelings for him. I understand if Harding was going for a "she develops the feelings really quickly because she already had feelings for him before the accident" kinda thing, but if that was the intention I would have liked her to play with that concept a bit more.

Overall, this is a cute and fun book that has some story and pacing problems that keep it from reaching full potential of the concept. Definitely worth a read though.

[Annie K · Rating 5 out of 5]

TLDR: Amnesia + a soft, mysterious love interest + a Boston treasure hunt = funny, heartfelt, slow-burn story about figuring out who you are.

Marnie wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the last year—and a stranger in a blue sweater sitting in her room who definitely isn’t her doctor. She and Ben set off across Boston, retracing her steps through a series of mementos to piece her life back together.

Wow. This is my first book by Emily Harding, and now I want to read everything she’s written. Once I picked this up, I couldn’t stop.

Marnie’s stream of consciousness is genuinely hilarious, but what made it work for me was how chaotic and emotionally honest it felt. Her inner world is messy in a way that feels very real. I know it’s tied to her brain injury, but as someone familiar with ADHD, a lot of her emotional swings and thought patterns felt oddly relatable.

Her backstory is also surprisingly tender. There’s a lot of sadness there, but the whimsy she was raised with—especially through her grandma—adds this layer of warmth that I really loved. It made me think about how important that kind of imagination and playfulness is to happiness.

Ben (the mysterious sweater man) is such a great counterbalance to Marnie. He’s quiet, steady, and soft-spoken in a way that grounds her chaos without dimming it. Their dynamic works so well, even though this is definitely a slow burn. The romance builds gradually, but it never feels frustrating because Marnie’s personal journey is clearly the heart of the story.

The memento “treasure hunt” structure was such a fun way to explore Boston and unfold both the mystery and the relationship. It kept the story moving while still leaving space for reflection.

At its core, though, this book is about identity—figuring out who you are, what you want, and accepting that you might always be in the process of figuring it out. And honestly… aren’t we all?

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Marnie wakes up in a hospital with no memory of the past year. Turns out, she's in a completely different city, not in a relationship anymore, and has changed jobs. As she tries to connect the dots in her life in an unfamiliar city, she meets her neighbor, Ben, who helps her navigate her memory loss.

This was an easy read and the plot moved at a good pace. Ben and Marnie are definitely a slow burn. One thing that annoyed me about Marnie was how much she rambled and talked, and how she kept mentioning that she was a "ditzy blonde" or a "dumb blonde." I felt like that stereotype was definitely more outdated and seeing how much she kept repeating it was kind of an ick when there was really no basis for it. I also didn't really like Ben. Other than being nice and attractive, which is fine, I just didn't get book boyfriend vibes.

I also felt bad for Marnie that she really had to figure things out on her own and pull the truth from the people around her, specifically from Ben and Matt, her ex. Even with Sara's, her best friend, many faults, at least she was able to fill in some of the blanks for Marnie right off the bat. I understand trying not to overwhelm someone with memory loss, but with life-changing events, I feel like that's ok to reveal to her. Both Ben and Matt had monumental explanations that would have helped Marnie a lot with her questions, but she basically had to figure things out herself and confront them first before getting the whole truth. Ben was supposed to help her, but he was basically her tour guide around the city so that she wouldn't get lost when he could have done way more. Marnie deserved better, and honestly, she did a better job handling the memory loss than I would have.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Vmndetta ᛑᛗᛛ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really know how I feel about this book. I really enjoyed it at the beginning. This book tells the story of Marnie, who lost her memory and forgot about one year of her life. Then she meets Ben, her neighbor, while trying to get her memories back and figure out why she broke up with her (ex) boyfriend, Matt. The book had a really good and promising start, but later on… not really.

The book is quite short, but the romance between Marnie and Ben only really starts around the middle of the book, and that made me unsure. There are also a lot of things that feel repetitive, like the same setting with the neighbor playing some random music, or bringing up her grandma and the magic over belief and over without anything new, which was a bit annoying to read.

Marnie is an okay character. But sadly I didn't really like Ben, I just couldn't like him no matter what. Maybe because I didn't feel any chemistry between them, or maybe because their interactions only got intense near the end of the book. They just ... felt like normal neighbors making small talk and 'being nice' like when he takes Marnie to places she doesn't remember. Also, I didn't feel any sexual tension or any kind of attraction between them at all---the most disappointing thing.

I wouldn't mind if this book was longer and gave more time to develop Ben so he could actually feel like someone Marnie could have chemistry and attraction with. But yeah, this is pretty much all I got from it. I'd recommend this book if you're not really looking for an intense romance.

[Faith Gravesend · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book opens up to a woman named Marnie lying in a hospital bed and the movie Overboard is playing on the TV in her room. As someone that LOVES Overboard, I appreciated that reference and how what happened to Goldie Hawn's character paralleled what was happening with Marnie. Marnie's inner dialogue captured my attention immediately. The banter she was having with herself in her head and the twist at the end of chapter one had me SAT. It was refreshing to read about an FMC that was exactly my age - and then she dropped the inner monologue line "I could feel how much my life had narrowed with each choice, taking all my possible futures with it" and wow that stung and hit home for me. I don't read a ton of books that reflect my age, so it was nice to be in a 31 year old's head that didn't have her life together. It felt relatable without the FMC feeling insufferable. This book felt real. None of this felt like I couldn't invasion it happening in real life. The way the characters interacted with each other, the conversations that were had, the events that were happening, it all felt believable. I like when book feel like they could actually happen. It makes me care even deeper for the characters. I was frustrated for Marnie, I cried for her and with her as well as laughed with her. This was such a sweet book. I will be thinking about Marnie and Ben for a while.

[Suz Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marnie wakes up in the hospital and discovers she’s had a head injury and lost a year’s worth of memories. Her attractive neighbor Ben helps her navigate Boston as she tries to figure out why she’s cut her hair, broke up with her boyfriend, and quit her job.

The author does a magnificent job of bringing Boston to life through Marnie’s eyes while showing the struggle to make sense of an unfamiliar life. Characterization is another strong point for the novel for both the hero and heroine as well as side characters like Bobbi, Lauren, Pete, Janine, and Marnie’s deceased grandmother. Marnie’s mementos nicely act as clues. The epilogue provides the perfect frosting to this tasty romance novel cupcake.

Marnie cries an awful lot and suspending disbelief that she isn’t more worried about figuring out her job situation is sometimes challenging given her having no family and potentially accumulating medical debt from her head injury hospitalization and follow-up appointments. However, the amnesia trope, the humor, and the chemistry between Marnie and Ben make the book a super fun beach read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC, for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Mary Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars!
A woman wakes up in a hospital and realizes that she cannot remember the last year of her life. She apparently lives in a new city, has a terrible haircut, and is no longer with her boyfriend of two years. With the help of her neighbor, she tried to piece together the last year and figure out who she is now.

First, this is a totally bingeable book. Quick to get into, easy to read, and had fast pacing. Second, while marketed as a romcom, I think this leans more women’s fiction. The romance was slow, cozy, and sweet. It felt tender and natural.

The focus really is on our FMC, Marnie. There are side characters, but they weren’t as involved in the story as they tend to be in romcoms. However, her friend Sara was the worst. I could NOT stand her. I couldn’t tell if the author wanted us to still hate her by the end or feel like she was redeemed. There was no redemption for me 😅

If you’re looking for a book without high stakes, some romance, and is a quick read, this is a great option. Sometimes you just need a book like that to reset your reading and I feel like this is one of those books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy!

[jessie_bookmind · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up on this easy to read rom com.

Just like Emily Harding’s previous book, How Freaking Romantic, I read this in one day. Her writing is so easy to read and enjoyablet. I went in blind to this book, so like Marnie (who loses her memory at the start of the book), I was trying to figure out what was going on with the character.

The characters are really sweet and likable. Marnie seems like sunshine even when her world is falling apart. Ben is a strong silent type and interesting. I did get frustrated at times with the lack of information Marnie is able to figure out of the lost year of her life, as even though she doesn’t have a lot of people in her life, she does have her neighbors and coworkers who could’ve helped a little more.

With that said, this easy to read book held my interest and was a fun and sweet read and has you thinking about what would you do if you suddenly could not remember the last year of your life and woke up in a new city around strangers.

Thank you, Emily Harding, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 100% bingeable read! I finished the book in one day.

Marnie wakes up in the hospital after a traumatic head injury with no memory of the past year including the move across the country to Boston with her boyfriend, breaking up with said boyfriend months earlier, moving to her own apartment, finding a new job and more. With the help of her charming neighbor Ben, and a collection of mementos and clues in her apartment, she tries to piece together what went wrong in her life and more importantly, who she is now. The journey was absolutely lovely as Marnie rediscovers herself, finds her passion, and reclaims her independence.

This book is a witty, charming, and well-paced story that will have you believing in true love. The fact it is set in my former hometown of Boston - my favorite American city – was an added bonus. Absolutely loved it and could not stop turning the pages.

SPOILER: I could tell where the story was heading within the first few pages and enjoyed every delicious chapter as I watched Marnie fall in love with Ben for a second time.

[Jenni Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, thank you to Galley Books and NetGalley for the ARC, I was so excited to read this one! We start off with Marnie in the hospital with no memory of the last year, and (no surprise), a lot of things have happened in the last year. She’s left to pick up the puzzle pieces and try to put them back together, with the help of her (no surprise) super attractive and somewhat broody neighbor.

Loved it, while simultaneously being annoyed no one ever told her anything the whole book. Nor did Marnie seem to be asking the questions that NEEDED to be asked. 😂

The writing and storyline made it hard to put down, and the banter between Ben and Marnie as they navigate her unknown made me laugh out loud at some points. As exhibited by my husband, I love a good bearded, introverted, broad shouldered man.

The spice was minimal until the end, and it wasn’t my favorite style of spice writing- but it was skippable without messing with the storyline. I could’ve done without it, honestly.

4 ⭐️ and I would read more if the story continued!

[Meredith Redding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let’s just start off by saying what everyone is thinking. Who loses access to their phone and computer and doesn’t do everything in their power to get back in?!?! My entire life is on my phone, so if I lost my memory, you’d better believe that’s the first place I’d be looking for clues!

That tidbit aside, I really enjoyed this one! The memory loss aspect gives it a bit of mystery, so you want to keep reading. It wasn’t a suspenseful type of mystery, though, just the type where you’re sure it’s going to work out, but you’re not exactly sure how yet. I had a few minor hangups with a couple plot points (the phone thing, and also why didn’t she outright ask people the things she wanted to know??), but overall, Marnie and Ben were both very sweet, soft characters, who you just want to see happy.

I like Emily Harding’s writing style and Thank You for Remembering was a slightly different and engaging story, so I’m definitely interested to see what she releases in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC of this book!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ive read a lot of amnesia trope romances but I dont think Ive read one before that was also a rom-com . This was a cute story about a woman who falls, hits her head and when she wakes up in the hospital, a shes list a year of her memories. She doesnt remember moving to Boston, doesnt remember where she lives including her cute , sweet neighbor in her complex. She doesnt remember breaking up her boyfriend or why but is told right away that they are no longer together. As she tries to piece together her life ( amd remember her phone pass code that she had changed), she becomes friends with the cute neighbor, finds out she works at a coffee shop and tries to figure out her new life in Boston.

I did think this story was well written and there were some moments of surface angst ( I really like angsty, drama filled stories. I rated this 4 stats because although the banter between characters, I wanted to see more longing, more fireworks and mor emotional e chemistry

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. Spoilers ahead.


A cute, romcom-esque story reminiscent of While You Were Sleeping and Overboard, but with a modern twist. I really enjoyed the dialogue and the connection between Marnie and Ben — and while Marnie’s dialogue could be a little cringey at times, it mostly worked. It was a quick read, and while I appreciated the snappy chapter structure, some sections felt too rushed. The arc from Marnie’s accident to rediscovering her love for Ben and uncovering the truth moved a bit too fast, and I was able to piece together the twist well before the reveal, which made it feel predictable by the end.
At times, the story also felt overcrowded — juggling her grandmother’s death, feelings for Ben, what happened with Matt, combating Sara, her job, the mouse, and her fragmented memories all at once was a lot. Overall, it’s a cute book, charming when it lands, even if it’s a little too tidy and familiar to fully surprise you.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨️Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

What happens when you wake up at a hospital with only memories of things that you are being told happened years ago. Marnie has amnesia, and not only that but she wakes up to a life that she has no recollection of, in a new city and apparently no support system around.

This was such a cute and quick read. I really enjoyed the banter between Marnie and her neighbor, the overall journey that Marnie has to go through to put her life back together and how she ended up finding love while being in a chaotic situation. The only thing that frustrated me was the beginning with how no one in her life seemed to care that she had no memory and didnt offer to help, like who does that. Other than that, I enjoyed this read and as someone who has never been to Boston, I enjoyed living and seeing the city through Marnies perspective.

[Reading Xennial · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book quite a lot. I’m not always the biggest fan of amnesia tropes, but once you suspend your disbelief on that and just go with it, this was an enjoyable time. Marnie wakes up in a Boston hospital and doesn’t remember the past year. She doesn’t remember breaking up with her LA boyfriend, cutting her hair or how to get around the new (to her) city. Her neighbor from across the hall, Ben, helps her get around the city and things go from there.

This was cute and had good dialogue and banter. The writing was fluid where I could shut my bain off and just enjoy my time. The characters had a decent amount of depth. Some were likeable and some were not which added a lot of intrigue. This will be a great book for summer time when you want to read to relax and have some fun. I recommend this book to romance lovers everywhere.

Thank you, NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

[Mariana · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Marnie Stephens wakes up in a Boston hospital with much shorter hair and zero memories of how she got there, she is devastated to find out a year of her life seems to have disappeared.
Her neighbor Ben Morgan, who was the one that got her to the hospital, is a calming presence for her as she visits locations she has collected mementos from. Even if she feels a strong pull and attraction to this current stranger to her.

***Amnesia trope
***Boy next door
***Starting over
***Slow burn

‘How Freaking Romantic’ was a standout solo debut by this author, and I was excited to receive this ARC. I loved our MMC Ben - strong, nuturing, a man of few words but more than enough. I loved how he let Marnie get her memories back herself and was just an amazing support system for her.

This was an amnesia storyline done right! Looking forward to more novels in the future by this author.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for the ARC of this novel ; all opinions expressed are my own.

[Sasha K · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy!**

Compulsively readable, very romantic, and also just sweet. I read it in one sitting! A lot of the Boston stuff was pretty stereotypical or maybe also just not totally accurate (obviously Flour is the coffee shop on the corner of Cambridge & Blossom but no one would ever describe it as a “soulless” unless they’re clinically insane and also have no taste, and why mention so many real establishments by name without mentioning that one, unless your info about Boston is ~15 years out of date…) - that said, my favorite part was the Red Sox game, which was also maybe the most accurate - there were chirps in here that I haven’t heard since a high school hockey game. Also fig and vine catching strays lmao. Anyway I highly recommend and was reading it with my editor cap on, as it is an ARC!

[Rachael Misluck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Gallery books for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! The writing style was very easy to fall into and get hooked on. I liked Marnie’s character as well as the premise of the book which I thought paid off well. While some things were definitely a little predictable, I only had two negatives for this book.
1. Especially at the beginning, there was a lot of repetition such as Marnie hating her hair and needing tea, etc. I couldn’t tell if this was done on purpose to mimic how her brain was working.
2. Marnie’s friendship with Sara didn’t totally work for me. I struggled with where things were left at the end, because I’m not sure if I was satisfied with that relationship’s development.
BUT, I really did enjoy this book and the characters of Marnie and Ben. I wish we got to see more of his sister and the brother in law!

[Emmy Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2026, and getting approved for the ARC on NetGalley definitely involved some squealing and happy dances. I can confidently say this story did not disappoint.
I loved it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The premise: Marnie wakes up with no memory of the last year — including moving cities, breaking up with her longtime boyfriend, and apparently making a major career change. Now she’s on a journey to rediscover herself with the help of her neighbor.
I did have to Google what a lobster tail dessert was, but I fully agree with Ben and Joyce that they’re the perfect antidote to a bad day, and I’ve now made it my mission to find one.
This book reads like a love letter to finding yourself, embracing change, and discovering who you are meant to be — and I was completely here for it.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the early copy. All opinions are my own.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a delightful rom com, I binged it in one sitting on a rainy day. It really made me want to go to Boston and explore Marnie and Ben's neighbourhood and try all those pastries! I really felt for Marnie trying to piece together the year missing from her memory, especially given she's lost all of her family. She was sharp, fun and warm - definitely not the ditzy blonde she viewed herself as. I loved the way she used her memory loss as a way of working through her life choices that led her to Boston and examine what she really wants for her future. I loved her chemistry with the dependable and steady Ben who encouraged her with her quest. At times though I didn't understand why Marnie felt no sense of urgency, such as sorting out her locked phone.

A gem of a slow-burn romance with captivating characters that felt like real friends.

[Serena Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my I just absolutely loved this book. Has the loss of memory been done, yes everyone has watched Overboard and if you haven’t….why? This book is so heartfelt, funny and I just truly adored every word. Marnie has an accident and loses a year of her life which apparently a lot happened in that year. Her neighbor Ben could tell her but instead he allows her time to attempt to get her memory back. It comes to a head when she finally learns a key piece of information from her ex. Had he just told her how her recovery would have been so different. The drama that plays out is sooo good! I actually requested to read this one as I enjoy this authors style. Many thanks to Gallery Books through NetGalley for allowing me to read this and review it. Brilliant love story!!

[Lucie Rangel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very cute romcom. I think I am in minority, but I really enjoy the amnesia trope. I like finding out with heroine all about her life!
The only reason I am taking star away is: the people in her life needed to do better. She woke up in a hospital all confused and they all flaked out on her with: you need space and I was letting you figure it out for yourself. The poor girl has to get ride from hospital to unknown to her apartment. And nobody tells her where she works or any helpful info. My anxiety was at all high until she wondered off to the coffee shop where she found out she worked. And she never gotten into her phone!

But I live the revisiting places from her memory box. That part was so cute!