Forgetting Ophelia: A Novel (Friendship & Secrets #3)

WOMEN'S FICTION:  Lia Townsend has waited patiently for everything to go according to "The Plan." When she goes out with her husband for their fifth wedding anniversary, she expects tickets for the honeymoon they always wanted. Instead, he walks out without explanation and her perfect life is shattered. As Lia tries to understand why her perfect marriage is breaking apart, she is forced to examine her life and determine if it really is as perfect as she always thought and if she really wants Jake back. With her eccentric mother, best friend, and three men pulling her in different directions, Lia will have to decide whether she wants to rescue her old life or begin anew.

A contemporary romance that feels like a "slice of life" tale, “Forgetting Ophelia” is the third book in the Friendship & Secrets series but can be read as a stand-alone tale. The story starts with the disastrous anniversary date and ends rather suddenly with the conclusion feeling only half-finished or somewhat open-ended.  The character development is interesting. Lia has made so many choices with negative consequences that she has plenty of room to grow. The romance is strange in many ways since it feels like it’s half heartbreak, part rebound and part rediscovery with three different guys filling those roles without clear conclusion on one. Still, the characters feel real, the writing smooth, and the situation vivid enough readers will want to know what will come next.

Sarah E Bradley