Lexi wakes up in a
hospital bed after a car accident, thinking it's 2004 and she's a
twenty-five-year old with crooked teeth and a disastrous love life.But,
to her disbelief, she learns it's actually 2007 - she's twenty-eight,
her teeth are straight, she's the boss of her department - and she's
married! To a good-looking millionaire! How on earth did she land the
dream life??!She can't believe her luck - especially when she sees her stunning new home. She's sure she'll have a fantastic marriage once she gets to know her husband again. He's drawn up a 'manual of our marriage', which should help.
But as she learns more about her new self, chinks start to appear in the perfect life. All her old colleagues hate her. A rival is after her job. Then a dishevelled, sexy guy turns up... and lands a new bombshell.What the **** happened to her? Will she ever remember? And what will happen if she does?
Comment: I got this book almost an year ago at a used books shop and more than the book itself, it was the author's name that made me get it because I've read her before and although her books aren't to serious or perfectly executed, I liked them enough and thought this would be just as entertaining.
This is the story of Lexi Smart, she's a young British woman who works with her best friends in the same company and the story starts with them celebrating the bonus they all received..except Lexi because she joined the company one week later than all the others.
But while looking for a taxi, Lexi slips and falls and when she wakes up she is confused because everyone keeps telling her she' married, has a very different life than the one she had, has a different image and the date is three years later than that last day she remembers. What could have happened to Lexi?
Ok, I confess. I admit I thought the solution to this book was a weird time travel but it's really not the author's style. Then I thought the reason Lexi didn't remember time passing was because she had actually been in a long coma and everyone around her didn't want to shock her and pretended a different reality. But this is really an over the top plot, although not new or impossible!
So, the solution was simpler and rather obvious as soon as the book starts, she had an accident in 2007 and when she woke up she had memory loss and it looked like her life was still in 2004 before that slip waiting for the taxi.
Once Lexi realizes this she has to come to terms to her new life which she doesn't remember. At first everything is exciting and the reality she sees around her lets her know she has a dream life: she did something to her teeth which were crooked and now are perfect, she is one of the bosses at the place where she works, she has a beautiful house, countless clothes and shoes and is married to a gorgeous, caring husband.
However, because of her memory loss she can't connect the dots on why some people no longer seem to like her, why her behavior is weird to everyone, why those she loved are away from her, she can't remember details about her job or her new life and then she realizes someone at the job wants to humiliate her and a man she doesn't remember tells her the biggest shock of all.
All these things are expected in a story where the protagonist can't remember anything from a certain date. I think the author did well in setting the stage to let us know how Lexi was struggling to be the same person while she was different and still in the past.
The way the book is written, we, the reader, find out at the same time Lexi does, what she did with her life, what happened to make her change, why things are the way they are three years later. Of course this had to be this way for the story to have a bigger effect, but honestly I think such a theme has to have heartbreak. Things can't just be solved with magic dust and someone in Lexi's shoes would have a really hard time coping and getting back on their feet. I liked that this story didn't end in a traditional HEA. To me, it was more of a HFN because the idea is there but rest assured, Lexi's life isn't magically restored, when the book ends things are still confusing, processing. In a way this is god because it's closer to what would happen in a real life situation.
But, being this a fictional romance, it means the plot looses some rhythm and power when things don't have a stronger path or decision making. It felt like the author told a story, shared some information about Lexi and those around her, but nothing really happened and the only - cliché / expected - lesson to learn is you should be truthful to who you are deep down.
There's a situation, which is the main shock in the plot, that while I understand for plot and drama effect, I didn't like seeing, no matter how it was made to look good or positive. I think memory loss is an already enough problem to deal with, much less what happened. I'd have done it differently. Those who read must know about it and I would have made it happen after Lexi wakes up and makes another decision first.
I think the idea is god, some paths are necessary but overall I think the story wasn't executed in the better way. I liked Lexi but the way the story develops isn't the most likable one to make Lexi someone we can fully connect with. My opinion at least.
This was so so.
I do plan on reading more by the author, though.
Grade: 6/10
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