A Gift to Remember by Melissa Hill

Darcy Archer works in a small bookstore in Manhattan. A daydream believer, she refuses to settle for anything less than being swept off her feet by the perfect man… literally.

One day, when cycling to work, Darcy accidentally crashes into a sharply dressed gentleman walking his dog. He is knocked out cold, rushed to hospital and the poor pup gets left behind.

Wrecked with guilt, Darcy takes the dog and makes plans to reunite him with owner, Aiden. As she discovers the mysterious stranger's world of books, travel, adventure and all the wonderful things she's ever dreamt about, Darcy builds a picture of this man and wonders if he could be THE ONE…

But does fantasy match reality? What happens when Prince Charming wakes up? Will Aiden be the happy ever after she's always imagined?

MY THOUGHTS:
Cycling to work, bookworm Darcy Archer collides with a handsome pedestrian, Aidan Harris, knocking him out cold. Feeling terrible, all she can do is take his dog under her wing after the ambulance whizzes off. When Aidan suffers temporary amnesia, she feels the least she can do is help him piece together his identity.

As she delves into their few clues, it appears he has the wealth and sportiness to match his good looks. Darcy regrets the thought of leaving his life once his memory returns. But is everything as it seems?

There are some really cheeky tricks directed at the reader. It's fun to look back at the trail of red herrings placed directly for our benefit.

Darcy herself makes this such a pleasure to read. She's so down-to-earth and sweet, content with her tiny apartment, low paying job and collection of books, even though people try to push her to sharpen up her act and be different. I love her brushes with the opulent upper-class and the conclusions she draws. It's great when a heroine helps us remain happy with just who we are.

There are a few stand-outs among the other characters too. Who can resist a hero like Aidan, devastatingly attractive but seemingly unaware of that? Bailey, the dog, is as well-drawn a 3D character as some humans I've come across. And then there's the likeable Nathaniel Cleaver-Parks Junior, the senator's son who pulled a few strings.

I actually bought this book at K-Mart on impulse, something I rarely do, and I was amazed to find the amnesia thread, as I love amnesia novels and have written one myself. It's also good when a lighthearted read can help us to start thinking about significant things.

4.5 stars

A Gift to Remember available from Amazon