Night, Forgotten

by Meghan Joyce Tozer

A dramatic and undeniably addictive psychological thriller about a young woman whose life changes in an instant, and nothing is ever the same.

Before . . .
Life is idyllic for Julie Dolan and her husband Owen. They’ve bought their dream house in the Berkshires; their careers are on the upswing; and they have the world at their fingertips. They’ve never been so in love. They’ve never been happier. The only thing that’s missing is a baby--but Julie’s got a plan, and they’re right on schedule.

Until Owen falls ill with food poisoning, leaving Julie to attend a neighborhood holiday party alone. When she wakes up, half-naked in her neighbor’s bathtub, Julie doesn’t know how to tell Owen, the police, her friends--anyone--that she has been sexually assaulted. So she keeps it secret until she realizes that she’s pregnant with her assailant’s baby.

After . . .
Life is unmanageable for Julie. She can’t function in the world with a newborn, and she’s unable to be present for her husband, her family, her friends. Desperate to solve the mystery of what happened to her, Julie’s driven to more and more erratic behaviour, until the truth about that night is revealed. Afterward, no one will be the same ever again. Not Owen. Not the baby. And especially not Julie.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Audiobook, Book Club, Psychological Thriller

344 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2022

About the author

Meghan Joyce Tozer, a former music historian and soprano, was born and raised outside Boston, Massachusetts. After graduating from Harvard University and earning a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, she moved to San Francisco's East Bay where she lives among the redwoods with her husband, their two young children, and their dog.

Reviews

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐
Genre ~ mystery
Setting ~ New York
Publication date ~ November 1, 2022
Publisher ~ W by Wattpad Books
Est Page Count ~ 265 (28 chapters)
Audio length ~ 7 hours 16 minutes
Narrator ~ Jennifer Pickens
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ debut, now and then timeline, off page rape, obvious rapist, surprising twist

Julie attends a neighbors party without husband, Owen. She blacks out and is raped by someone at the party. With no memory of it she decides not to tell her husband. But weeks later when she finds out she's pregnant she has no choice but to.

We're in the now after the baby is born, so there's no mystery of whether or not she has an abortion, which was something that was considered. The then is after the rape as they try to figure out who did this to her. The police become involved, but it's over a month later, so what they can do it slightly limited.

Overall, this was a straight mystery suspense, with no thrills, and really slow moving. While the rapist was quite obvious to me I was pleasantly surprised by the final twist, so whoop whoop for that, and why I rounded up.

✔️ed another old one off the list!

I was able to listen to a copy as well
Narration notes:
A little monotone at times, but still I thought she did a wonderful job.

Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

From netgally’s book description:

Before . . .
Life is idyllic for Julie Porter and her husband Owen. They’ve bought their dream house in the Berkshires; their careers are on the upswing; and they have the world at their fingertips. They’ve never been so in love. They’ve never been happier. The only thing that’s missing is a baby--but Julie’s got a plan, and they’re right on schedule.

Until Owen falls ill with food poisoning, leaving Julie to attend a neighborhood holiday party alone. When she wakes up, half-naked in her neighbor’s bathtub, Julie doesn’t know how to tell Owen, the police, her friends--anyone--that she has been sexually assaulted. So she keeps it secret until she realizes that she’s pregnant with her assailant’s baby.

After . . .
Life is unmanageable for Julie. She can’t function in the world with a newborn, and she’s unable to be present for her husband, her family, her friends. Desperate to solve the mystery of what happened to her, Julie’s driven to more and more erratic behaviour, until the truth about that night is revealed.

……………………….

Let me start with what I liked. The author writes well! Your eyes drift smoothly from page to page without interruptions, although the descriptions could be too detailed at certain points. In some places I felt emotionally involved too, so the author certainly can connect with the reader. The behaviors of the characters fitted with their personalities, but I feel some of the characters were a bit shallow and hollow. The book’s twist was surprising for sure, but unfortunately it came at a very confusing point in the book, where the author jumped back and forth between recollections and what happened right then in a way that confounded me. I actually had to read some of the last paragraphs again to not miss anything and shake off the confusion. There were also some unanswered questions that the reader will struggle with (or maybe it’s just me) for example how Liza communicated with Julie in the end? All in all, the ending felt rushed.

The book wasn’t thrilling enough, either. I only felt mildly curios as to what would happen next, maybe because the plot didn’t have any hints or possible suspects, from what I gathered.

Thanks to netgally and the publisher for this arc!

[Rachel the Page-Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sat down two hours ago to just ‘get a start’ on this book, but excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor, as I just finished it. WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! This is seriously a debut? If so, what a start…

The synopsis lays out really the only part that can be said without spoilers. Long story short, Julie went to a party at a neighbor’s house, and after only a couple glasses of wine, woke up in their bathtub, naked from the waist down. I don’t normally put trigger warnings in my reviews since I review horrors and thrillers, but this book does deal heavily with rape and the struggle of said rape conceiving a child. It’s written delicately but rawly, without sensationalism or bias, and I commend the author for that.

Julie doesn’t want to believe it, but it’s clear she’s been sexually assaulted. She decides to keep it from her husband and the police, since she has no memory of the assault and her many wounds can be explained away. That secret was hard to keep though, once she realized she was pregnant with her rapist’s child. The current abolishing of Roe vs Wade and American states making abortion illegal, even in cases of rape, makes this extra timely (though you can tell the author was careful to not make this political). What do you do when you want a child, but it was delivered to you in such a fucked up way? Mentally, how does one deal with that?

The author takes you through not only this delicate situation, but through a page-turning psychological thriller. I sped right through this, and since it wasn’t excessively long, it was a very quick read. The whole book was fantastic, and I was wavering between 4 or 4.5 stars, which I planned on rounding up for being a debut … then I read the ending, and all I can say is this is a solid five-star book. I’m still reeling. I can’t believe such a great thriller about domestic and neighborhood relationships also delved into a thoughtful subject that most authors probably wouldn’t touch. I loved it, and cannot wait to read more from this fantastic writer.

(Thank you to Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group, Meghan Joyce Tazer, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released October 31, 2022.)

[Jackie Welcel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the idea behind this story sounded so interesting, I was pretty disappointed in how it turned out. When Julie is awakened nude from the waist down in the bathtub at her friends' house with her friends' husband sitting there watching her all I could think was woman why the heck aren't you screaming and throwing things at this guy? She was muddy and bloody so he takes off her clothes and puts her in his tub, that's being nice!? No!! Then after she tells her husband about that night and her friend what happened nobody thinks it was wrong of Marcus to sit there with her naked? When she finds out she was pregnant after being raped I can certainly understand the struggle Julie and Owen went through in deciding to have the baby or not. Since there was a list of everyone at the party I don't understand why the police didn't do more. Instead, they doubted her claims? Well maybe if she would have alerted everyone in the house by screaming when she woke up in the bathroom that night that wouldn't have happened! Of course, you get the shocking ending she is a ghost and died in childbirth. She tells us it was her or the baby, there is no way I believe her husband would save a rapist baby over his beloved wife. They had considered abortion but because of Owen's religious beliefs they said no. When she delivered it was a 27-week baby where the odds were against it even making it. No way do I think a husband would choose a baby that unfortunately was born way too early to be viable, that they had considered aborting over a wife he was madly in love with. Even then that baby wouldn't have come home as soon as it did. That baby would have been in the NICU for months! Going back and reading some of the parts where she was a spirit and was interacting with Owen, his mom and niece,no! How did the baby get unswaddled? Too many inconsistencies for me. Disappointing,I hate giving poor reviews but I just didn't like this book.I

[Courtney (caffeinereadrepeat) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freak-a-deek Rubber Ducky! 😳😯🤯😳🤯

Absolutely, undeniably thrilling & crazy suspenseful! This novel left me absolutely speechless. An incredible psychological thriller, with one heckuva twist for an ending. You won't see it coming! It provoked so many emotions out of me and it was welcomed. Be prepared to gasp, drop your jaw & have eyes as wide as an owl while reading this. I highly suggest a bowl of ice cream (or your favourite treat) & a pet aside you while reading this because... WOW!

Mყ 𝐒ყɴ𝐨ρѕιѕ: Julie & Owen are happily married and finally thinking about starting a family; how they're at the point in their lives where they have their dream home, financially ready and in their prime. But be careful what you hope for... When Julie has to attend her neighbours and close friends party alone one night, it will set a disaster in motion. Julie remembers the party up until a certain point, & then she wakes up in a her best friends bath tub, half naked. It's clear she's been assaulted but she keeps it quiet. Until weeks later, she's pregnant with the attacker's child. When the baby arrives, it is everything and nothing she expected. She will have to come to face what actually happened that night and worst, what's happening with her now.

Man oh man this novel was something else! I devoured it in two and a half hours, pausing for nothing! I was gripped, hooked, reeled like I was baited by the biggest bowl of homemade Mac & Cheese. I regret nothing! The ending tore at my heart strings and yet was the perfect ending to this unbelievable psychological thriller. Absolutely, remarkably fabulous! Nothing could have prepared me for that astounding conclusion - but so beautiful nonetheless.

🔴 Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assault ; Talk of Abortion

Thank you to NetGalley & Wattpad Books for this ARC.
Release Date: November 1, 2022

𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 5 / 5 Beach Waves! 🌊

[Jennifer Oslowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a debut book that starts out with Julie and Owen, a happy couple who talk about having a baby. Fast forward to a party at the neighbor's house where Julie wakes up half naked in her neighbor's bathtub with no memory of the night before. Julie doesn't know how to tell her husband and then she finds out she is pregnant.....

This is a solid debut, I was engaged with Julie and her story. There was a nice twist, but I was a bit confused by that point. The author went from past to present but it wasn't clear which was which. It also didn't follow the assault as much as I would have hoped or liked. Overall, I believe this author to be promising and I would read her next book. I give this 3 to 3.5 stars!

A big thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

[Heather Waite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ummmm, WOW. Just wow. If I could rate this book 10 stars I would. I feel like I need to read it again following that amazing twist. This book had me guessing to the very last pages! I went through so many thoughts, ideas and emotions with this one, from sadness, to anger to shock. I couldn’t put this one down, it’s a rare gem, so far a new favourite. I 10/10 recommend,

[Carrie Shields · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one started off so strong! I was caught up in the story of Julie and Owen, a married couple living a beautiful life. All that was missing was a baby, but that was in the works. When Owen falls ill with food poisoning, Julie decides to go alone to a neighborhood holiday party; after all, it's only a short walk through the woods. In the early morning hours, Julie wakes up half nude in her neighbor's bathtub, covered in bruises and scratches, and though she can't remember the details, she knows she's been sexually assaulted.

There were many things in the narrative that wouldn't make sense to someone who hadn't suffered a SA, but other than a call to a crisis hotline that she cuts short, Julie doesn't tell anyone, not even her husband. Her worst fears are realized when she becomes pregnant with her attacker's baby. There is much back and forth about abortion and keeping the baby.

Julie has the baby and immediately distances herself from her newborn. Her mother-in-law moves in, and now Julie feels she has two disapproving forces in her life, adding credence to her belief that she never should have been a mother. Things started going off the rails a little right before the big twist, and I remember thinking. "This book better not go there," and it straight DID. The ending really cheapened the entire read for me. I was halfway through the book convinced I had a five star read, but that wasn't the case. I enjoyed the story and I think a different ending could have made ALL of the difference. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early read. Publishes November 1, 2022.

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this twice 🤯🤯😱...

This is a tricky one because I hated the writing (2/5), liked the premise and themes (3/5), and LOVED the ending (10/5) — how do you rate a book like that?

There's been quite some buzz around this debut and I can see why. I loved its exploration of grief, trauma, mental illness, motherhood and its pressures, as well as the stigma that SA victims face.

Unfortunately, I did not click with the writing at all. It was repetitive, extremely disorganised and at times inconsistent. How many times do we need to know that the protagonist's parents died in a plane crash? Just search 'plane' or 'crash' and you can see how many times they come up.

The story is told in dual timelines of past and present, but that isn't always clear despite chapter headings. There was also more telling than showing, with lots of gaps in the story (though later you'll realise it's intentional... but it's so stilted). As with most domestic thrillers that have a small cast, the whodunit was underwhelming and predictable. The characters annoyed me and I felt detached from the protagonist most of the time.

However, the ending was brilliant and freaking chef's kiss. It totally blindsided me and I was like, wait what?! I actually teared up and then went to read the book right from the start again.

So tell me how do you rate a book like that....

Thank you to Wattpad Book Group and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

[Mehva]

A woman struggles with her pregnancy and then her child in much detail after a rape. Told in multiple timelines. Would have been better as a short story for me.

[Diane Merritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never heard of this author and truthfully as I was reading it though ho hum..not much happening really other than the beginning. ...then I got to the end..and it kinda blew my mind as it was not what I was thinking at all!!!
Great writing style that is easy to read and make you want to read it.
Glad I never gave up on this one.
Would definitely check out more from this author.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

[Nikki Bogard · Rating 5 out of 5]

My brain has short circuited. I cannot form a coherent thought. When I say this book will forever live in my head, I’am SHOOK!! I could not put this book down and forgone all my adult responsibilities just to find out what was happening. This was the most addictive thriller I’ve picked up this year. The twist new my mind and I never saw it coming. Don’t sleep in this book!!

Julie and Owen are the perfect couple. They are happy, thriving and ready to start the journey of parenthood. Unfortunately life can throw a wrench in when you least expect it. Julie attends a friends party alone and the cost is devastating. Julie was having a great time until she wakes up half naked with no memory of what has taken place. She knows however just by the way her body feels that some thing isn’t right. This night sets into motion a whirlwind of damage and no one will ever be the same.

Hands down my favorite of 2022. My emotions were all over the place and I was here for it! My heart is broken but I wouldn’t change a thing. Be prepared to block out your entire life as you are sucked into this truly astonishing thriller.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Meghan Joyce Tozar and Wattpad Webtoon book group for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Night Forgotten is a compelling jigsaw puzzle, a domestic thriller you won’t be able to put down and when you have finished it, you’ll want to reread it to see what you missed.
It grabs you from the first chapter when Julie Porter, having just given birth, muses “Owen will be struggling with this for a long time. After all, Thomas is not his son.”

Julie and Owen Porter have moved to the Berkshires as their careers have flourished. They are madly in love and planning to start a family. So when Owen comes down with food poisoning before the glamorous neighbors’ Christmas party and Julie prepares to go by herself, you are remembering that first chapter and thinking, no, no Julie. Bad idea. Yes, it is. I hate spoilers so you are on your own from here. Burt listen to me: buy or borrow this book. It’s like nothing I’ve read before. This is Megan Joyce Tozer’s debut novel and it will take your breath away. She’s going to be a powerhouse author. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGallery, Wattpad Books and Megan Joyce Tozer for this ARC.

[Kathy Ready · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down and was completely surprised by the ending. It's been awhile since that has happened to me. It is hard to talk about Tozer's book without spoiling it for someone else. I recommend just diving in and not putting it down, at least not for too long, until you are done. Otherwise you may not get the full impact of the ending and the depth of this work. I am so impressed that this is Tozer's first novel and recommend it highly. I am not usually into psychological thrillers, but I am so glad I picked this one up.

[Aline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Addictive and twisty. Couldn’t put it down.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

What!? Flew through this - so good! I am a little confused, so not a full 5-star, but close!

[Tatyana (The Literature Llama) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a roller coaster of emotions and truly a wonderful thriller.

While I almost wished it was a 3rd person POV, Julie’s narration grew on me. I felt that there were a few bits and pieces that went unanswered but that felt very intentional. I loved the writing style and the storyline was engaging all the way thru. I blew thru most of the book in a day and finished it the next.

The ending had me REELING. I did not see this coming in the slightest. While I like to think I’m good at guessing from context clues, I did not predict any of that emotional tornado at the end.

This book made me feel 1000 different emotions all at once and honestly, I’m still in shock about how to feel. What a phenomenal debut novel!

Pick this up now!

TW: sexual assault, talk of abortion

[Jamie Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life is going great for Julie and her husband Owen. They just bought their dream house, their careers are going great, and they've never been more in love. All that's missing is a child of their own but Julie has a plan. They are supposed to attend a party but Owen gets food poisoning so Julie goes alone. She wakes up half naked in her neighbor's bathtub and realizes she has been sexually assaulted. She keeps it a secret until she realizes she's pregnant from the assault. Julie can't function with their newborn child and can't be there for her husband and family. She finally finds out the truth of what happened to her that night and no one will ever be the same again.
The scenario of sexual assault aside, this was such a great book. Once I started it I couldn't put it down and the ending was definitely a shock. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
My attention was grabbed in the very beginning, and I couldn’t let go.
There was a little bit of everything in this book - suspense, psychological thrills, romance, deception. And it was written so very well. The characters developed quite well, although the focus truly was on the main 6 or so characters.
The story did end a little quickly for me. The twist at the end was fantastic, and I did not see it coming at all! However it did seem rushed and I feel a little more explanation would have tied it up nicely.

[Lorinda Mugnolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark subject, mixed with Psychological thriller.The writing style was definitely choppy and a little bit confusing to follow throughout the story. I had to re-read some of the paragraphs over again to fully understand the scene in the story and there was also a little bit of repetitiveness. However the way the book ended made total sense as to the many holes in the story. Definitely shattered a few tears at the end! haha

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow! you need to read every page, the last couple chapters bring the entire book together, have kleenex ready! this ranks up there with freida mcfadden!! for some major twists.

i loved this and would give 10 stars. going between then/now wasn't clunky and flowed well.

[Cassandra Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sometimes get confused when they jump back and forth between two time periods. This one was fairly easy to follow and kept your attention. I really liked the story line and had a like/dislike relationship with the characters. I won’t say more or I’ll spoil the ending.

[Brett · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a well written book, but the story was just okay. I was much more interested in the first half of the book. However, after a certain point it started to drag and was not as good and didn't make as much sense.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hauntingly poetic story of a fortunate marriage and a horribly unfortunate event.

[Angie Dokos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possible spoiler ahead, read at your own risk.

This was a good book but the shock factor was no shock. If you’ve never watched the movie “Sixth Sense” then this book may surprise you. That movie got me good! I knew that’s where this one was going from the beginning. But the story was still good. I still enjoyed the book. Although it was horribly sad and I wanted to shake some sense into some of the characters at times.

[Louise Mullins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story, told well. I had no idea who the offender was and the ending was satisfactory. It was just the right length too. Short and no fluff. Plausible too and the characters behaved authentically.

All in all, it was a solid read, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

[MacKenzie Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was not expecting the twist at the end! Can’t wait to reread this.

[Holly Radabaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
That ending 🤯
I didn’t see that coming!

[Marylene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty easy read. It was a bit slow in the middle but still kept my interest. I was completely surprised at the end by one of the outcomes. I kind of figured out the other part of the ending but wasn't sure. This was read for bookclub.

[Kimber · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were moments I struggled with this book, frustrated over choices made by the characters, not agreeing with the author on how a rape survivor would be or should be treated… the police, mother-in-law, and friends were heartless when Julie tells them she was raped. But maybe some survivors have experienced such awful treatment, and a good writer is going to make stir up your feelings, which is what Tozer did. Not to mention the MIND BLOWING twist at the end that I did not see coming. Thinking back on what I read, after finishing the book, I’m like, “wow, it makes much better sense how they were treating her 🤦🏼‍♀️ .” So while I may have some qualms about parts of the book, the ending by far made up for it. 👏🏼 👏🏼