Finding Forever

by Amanda J. Evans

When Liz wakes up on a beach wearing a tattered wedding dress and her dead husband in her arms, all she wants to do is die along with him. Instead, she is unexpectedly rescued, but Charles' body is left behind. She is determined to go back and recover Charles body to give a proper burial to her beloved.

All is not what it seems, though. The man helping her out thinks she is crazy and an enemy from the past, intent on revenge, hasn't finished what he started. Liz must find out the truth about the accident and what really happened to her husband. She'll put her life at risk in order to find and keep love forever.

Finding Forever is the debut novella from Amanda J Evans. A blend of mystery and suspense, mixed with romance and unexpected twists. Finding Forever will prove to you that when you believe in love anything is possible.
Praise for Finding Forever:

“Really enjoyed it….didn’t want to go to bed without finishing it….brilliant” Maria B Bourke

“I really enjoyed it. The suspense kept me reading to the end.” Lesley Robson

“Fantastic story! Kept me gripped from the beginning. The twists were amazing.” Sarah Ellis

“Absolutely brilliant. It was great. Action, intrigue, and romance all rolled into one neat tidy package.” Terri Osborn

124 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 31, 2017

About the author

Amanda J Evans is an award-winning writer of paranormal and fantasy novels as well as children’s stories. Amanda lives in Oldcastle, Co. Meath, Ireland with her husband and two children. She was published in several journals and anthologies in 2016 and 2017. Her first novel Finding Forever won Best Thriller in the 2017 Summer Indie Book Awards and her second novel Save Her Soul won Silver for Best Paranormal in the Virtual Fantasy Con Awards 2017. Amanda has a publishing deal with Handersen Publishing and her first children’s book, “Nightmare Realities” was released on the 25th of September 2017. Her latest story, Hear Me Cry, a fantasy romance telling of an old Irish myth won Book of the Year at the Dublin Writers Conference in June 2018. Amanda is currently working on a new paranormal romance as well as part 2 of The Cursed Angels. Part one is currently included in the Angels & Magic Collection. Amanda is the author of Surviving Suicide: A Memoir from Those Death Left Behind, published in 2012. You can find out more on her website www.amandajevans.com.

Reviews

[Philomena Callan Cheekypee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've not read anything by this author before. This is a well written quick read that I enjoyed.

Liz Parker wakes up in her wedding dress on a deserted island with her dead husband. When she is rescued by pirates she knows she needs to go back and take her husbands body back home. The captain of the boat John decides to help her... but why?

A lovely romantic story that shows how love can conquer everything. I didn't see the twists coming :)

Looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Paula Genereau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow. I loved this book. It was a amazing story.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pirates and disaster around each corner, what's not to like? The pace was fast and kept me entertained throughout. Liz and Charles are brought to the ultimate test when they both fear the other is dead. What is supposed to be the best time of their lives turns into the worst. This novella was a fun, quick and easy read. Amanda J Evans has written a great first fiction book. I hope to see more from her.

[Richard Crofton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Forever is a story of love conquering all. A great tale that instills within us the hope that anyone can overcome obstacles, both external and internal.

The story is set in 1st person point of view, but switches between the two main characters as narrators from one chapter to the next. This is unique and gives the author her own personal style. I kind of liked this we're not just limited to the thoughts and feelings of only one of the two main characters.

The suspense at the beginning seemed to build quite well, and it may seem like mysteries are unfolded and conflict is resolved a little more quickly than usual, but you have to remember that this is a novella, not to mention that I don't believe the theme is based on nail-biting suspense as much as it is on determination, tenacity, and, as we see through the actions of some of the major characters, the kindness of strangers being more prominent than the dangerous ones.

If you're a hopeless romantic who loves it when the good guys win, then the well-written stories of the talented Amanda J. Evans are definitely for you!

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding Forever is about a newly married couple whose yacht sinks on it's way to an island for their 2 week honeymoon. Liz wakes up on the beach on the island dehydrated, dizzy and distraught with the thought that her husband, Charles, is dead on the beach next to her.

Liz is rescued and taken to the hospital by John and the other men who are part of a pirate documentary. After being examined and seen by different doctors Liz explains what happened and wants to go back to the island to retrieve what she thinks is her husband's dead body. Even though everyone thinks that Liz is nuts and know that a memory altering drug was found in her system, John is willing to take her back to the island to look for Charles.

I recommend you read this suspenseful novella. Find out what happens with Liz with the twists and turns you don't see coming. Is she able to locate Charles' body? Enjoy!

[Everything Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read from this author. From the very first chapter, I was hooked. We first meet Liz Parker ends up stranded on an island during her honeymoon, only to assume her husband has died. After running into some pirates, being lead my the ever-so-sexy John, Liz finds herself mixed in a suspenseful and drama-filled adventure that is full of twists. It's a short read so I would have liked it to be a little longer, especially more romance.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and will recommend to anyone who's a fan of suspenseful romance. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Amy Crull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine if you will..you just married the man of your dreams,remember everything from that day and then you wake up alone on a beach next to what you think is a band of pirates.. This is what happened to Liz. She was so happy in love but that all changed. She had to fight to survive and save her love. If you were in her shoes and everyone thought you were crazy, what would you do? Would you fight through it and prove his existence? This is what Liz did. She pushed these guys to believe her story and at the end she had to prove her strength. This was a great book and a testimony to their love! This book is short but it packs a punch!

[Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's like a classic Lifetime movie!

This book was exactly what I needed to read. It was like all of my favorite Lifetime movies rolled into one! It's mostly an edge of your seat thriller with a bit of star-crossed lover action, and pirates!

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not usually a big romance fan, but I really enjoyed this book! I like Amanda Evans' writing style. I particularly like that she doesn't limit the point of view that the reader gets to just the main characters but rather switches perspectives in each chapter. It's intense action and suspense from the opening chapter on where a young couple's wedding plans are ruined by disaster. Liz finds herself on a beach in a torn bridal gown beside her husband Charles whom she presumes is dead. That's how it begins. I also like that it is a story of love and hope and triumph. I want to read more of Evans' books, and because of her I've become a fan of romance.

[Tanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, romance isn't my style, I don't go over the moon for the genre, but I did enjoy the book. The writing flowed well, I believed the love interests actually loved each other and the characters were very well written. I could get behind Liz and Charles, I enjoyed seeing their stories parallel and unfold, and, the book itself was a rather quick read yet, not rushed.

[Jennifer Richey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recieved a voluntary copy of this book and wow it blew me away with all the twists and turns! Liz thinks her husband is dead so when the police find her she thinks she's laying with her dead husband! Lots of surprises in this book and omg moments! This is a new author to me so I'll b reading more of her stuff I liked the mystery and not knowing!

[The Endless Unread · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing plot and good characters

[Cissy Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts off quick and powerful from the very beginning and moves along at a great pace that never once lost my interest. It has so many twists and turns every few pages. I loved this book. It took me on a roller coaster ride through CRAZY and brought me back home safe and sound.

[Giulietta Spudich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page-turner for sure! And how lovely the sentiments. Twists and turns, unpredictable- with love at the centre. And pirates, real or pretend, are always a plus.

[S.E. Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast, fun read.

When Liz wakes up on a beach, in a tattered wedding dress and holding the hand of her dead husband, only to be rescued by pirates, you know you're in for a wild ride. At first, it's hard to even know if Liz can be trusted as a narrator, with an odd mystery unfurling unfurling and Liz's mental health questioned.

It's exciting, and the author builds the suspense perfectly. It leaves you wondering what is really going on. However, the plot relies heavily on coincidences (especially towards the end, with one twist in particular) that removes the reader's ability to suspend disbelief. It felt as if the story was building to something, only to have it wrap up maybe too nicely. The first half was fantastic, and the second felt a little rushed to get to an ending.

Liz's character was brilliant, and I would love to read more with her. Her character growth was phenomenal over the course of these 100 or so pages. It's short, so there's not much time to go into the characters depth, but I would have loved to see more from John, as he was fantastic but a certain character trait seemed out of place (or only in place for dramatic purposes). I don't mind this so much since Liza was so perfect!

If you need a fun read for a rainy day, then you're going to want to read this novella. It's fun and has flair: it's exciting and thrilling!

[Nancy George · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great story of finding courage through love. Liz doesn't know what to do but she has to find Charles. She enlists the help of John. They find him and in the process she helps John too. Even though she is scared and alone she does it for love.

[Katie Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding forever was a quick read with some interesting twists. At one point, you think the story is headed in one direction only to find that is the opposite. It didn’t take me long to read this book, I am usually not one to choose a mystery type genre but this one still has a love story with it so it wasn’t like other suspense types. From what I understand there will be more in this series so I will definitely be on the look-out for book 2.

[Sherry Sias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read. I loved how the aithor wrote the characters, the plot was amazing with a twist I never thought about.
The dynamic of Liz, Charles and John was amazing. How their story connected surprised me.
a cute little short read.

[Plum Report (Kimberly) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this novella after reading Hear Me Cry from Amanda J. Evans.

Finding Forever is a multi-person POV which had me in suspense from both sides. By Chapter 3, I was so engrossed in the unexpected twist of this story, and I ended up finishing this book in two sittings!

Without giving away any spoilers, I think one would have to go into this book knowing there's a lot more to the plot than what's in the synopsis. It's a leap of faith, for you to read and for Liz (the MC) to discover the truth about what happened to her newly wedded husband, Charles. I'm glad I squeezed this novella in between my TBR novel lineup:)

A full novella review coming soon to my book blog: https://www.plumreport.com

[✰ Charlie ✰ Chisholm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short quick very enjoyable read.

Very well written will be reading more of this authors work

[Melody Hillier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply emotional

Deeply emotional with lots of action and character growth that keeps you Interested and the pages turning. A quick amazing read!!

[Jen C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Forever is the first book I've read by this author and it won't be the last.
Finding Forever is a short read but a complete page turner

I received this book as an ARC this is my honest review.
I went into this book without knowing anything about it as I never read the blurb. I was really surprised, as I read the book it wasn't what I was expecting all the twists and turns that unfolded.

There is a friendship made through unexpected circumstances, a love that is unwilling to give up, a hatred that will do anything to get revenge and questions answered from beyond the grave.

[Daryl Ball · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short but fun and at times intense story of a couple separated following their wedding. It has a lot of dark tones to it and an antagonist who is willing to go to great lengths to make their lives miserable. It does have some funny moments and a couple of really neat surprise twists, the first of which is almost impossible to see coming.

I would have loved to have seen this book be a bit longer to allow a couple of elements to be expanded upon, especially as it pertains to how things wrap up. For a novella it had a lot packed into it, yet never felt that way when reading it, and that is a great balance to be able to find.

[K.J. Simmill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liz, had her fair share of problems growing up, events that gnawed at her confidence, left her questioning her own value. So when she met, and married, Charles, a man intent on loving her, helping her grow, she couldnt have been happier. But the happily ever after was cut short before it even begins. Washed ashore following a tragic accident, wearing the tattered remains of her wedding dress, Liz as wakens holding the hand of her husband, his cold, lifeless hand. Her world begins to crumble, nothing makes sense. She just needs someone to believe her, but when they do they uncover a horrific truth. Start the clock, because time is running out. Liz must become more than she ever thought she could be if she wishes to discover what really became of Charles, before it is too late.

Brilliant. An engaging and well-written romantic suspense with more than a few twists. It is certainly a book that will keep you turning the pages. Written in alternating first person perspective from Liz and Charles' viewpoint (with a special devational reward at the end) Amanda J Evans has no difficulty portraying the two unique personalities of her leading characters, as well as using them as tools to give depth and development to the rest of the cast. A brilliant debut novel from a clearly talented author.

I initially read this on KU but picked up a copy to keep as well

[E.A. Comiskey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book didn’t feel like the typical romance. It starts off quick and powerful and moves along at a great pace that never once lost my interest. I’m not a huge fan of the romance genre, but this novel was something different and fun to read. I loved the sense of adventure and the richly developed story of Liz and Charles. The story was beautifully told with none of the melodramatic tropes that one might expect. This is the first book I’ve read from Amanda J. Evans, but I can’t wait to read more!

[Bubbles The Book Pimp · Rating 2 out of 5]

First novella by this author first read by this author.

Great Original concept, the book starts off following an accident at sea and Liz waking up to find her new husband dead on the beach beside her. What follows is a very fast paced story. Set between Liz and Charles' POV.

I could have done with a little more book and story development because at times I found my self thinking 'ooh that was convenient) , however it is a novella so short and sweet and to the point.

[Joy Yehle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the twists and turns of the first few pages I was hooked! This novella is an exciting and sweet tale of how intersecting fates and love can lead to healing and happiness. I found it intriguing that each chapter is told from a different character's point of view, it made it feel like a movie. In fact, I think the author should expand it into a screenplay and pitch it to Lifetime network!

A great read if you like mystery, suspense, and romance. It’s length make it a perfect vacation or before bed read (although I stayed up past my bedtime reading it)!

I will be reading more from this author.

[Jane | Shelf in Bloom♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read from this author. From the very first chapter, I was hooked. We first meet Liz Parker ends up stranded on an island during her honeymoon, only to assume her husband has died. After running into some pirates, being lead my the ever-so-sexy John, Liz finds herself mixed in a suspenseful and drama-filled adventure that is full of twists. It's a short read so I would have liked it to be a little longer, especially more romance.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and will recommend to anyone who's a fan of suspenseful romance. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Zoraida · Rating 5 out of 5]

*****

I love the storyline. The story telling. The characters and now the author. This was a entriging read that I couldn't put down. Well written!