Book of the Week #61 "Forget Me Not"

Forget Me Not

by Amber Stokes

Elizabeth Lawson never knew she had a brother. Her parents died when she was little and her neighbor, Sarah Anne, began raising her. Now in 1885, Elizabeth is eighteen, and Sarah Anne has decided to tell her about her older brother Jacob, who had already left home by the time Elizabeth was born. Angry with Sarah Anne and curious about the older brother she's never known, Elizabeth leaves for Virginia City, where Jacob moved to when he left home. On her journey, Elizabeth falls into a creek and is swept away by the current. Passing by with his horse named Liberty, David finds and rescues Elizabeth, taking her to his cabin to rest until she wakes up. When Elizabeth awakens the next day and tells David of her plans to find her brother, David doesn't think she should go alone and goes with her. When they arrive, they meet Joe Clifton, who works for Jacob and is smitten with Elizabeth. This puts David's nose out of joint, who finds himself falling for Elizabeth. When they arrive in the city, something feels off at Jacob's home with his wife Annabelle. Soon David learns Jacob's secret, which he knows will devastate Elizabeth. Yet he also has a secret.

This was a neat story. It really kept me guessing through the whole reading about numerous things. What was David's secret? What was Jacob's secret? Who was Elizabeth going to choose? The characters were likeable and I'm interested in reading more about them in the next book, Bleeding Heart. Elizabeth seemed like a sweetheart and I liked her and David together.

I think one of the most interesting parts was the diversity in this story. Whenever I think of the Wild West, I usually just think of cowboys, pioneers and saloon girls. But in Forget Me Not, we see other cultures, like people of Cornish decent and Jews. I think that was a really neat thing to incorporate.

I like how the title plays in this story too. Forget-me-not flowers play a role in the story, as well as the feeling of being forgotten. 

All in all Forget Me Not is a nice story that fans of historical fiction, Westerns in particular, will enjoy.

I give this book a 4 out 5.