The Sweetness of Forgetting by Kristin Harmel Book Review + Giveaway!

Hope McKenna is 36 and in many ways her world is crumbling down around her. She lost her mother to cancer, her hopes of a law career are pretty much dead, her husband has left her for a much younger woman and her beloved grandmother Mamie is suffering deeply from the throngs of Alzheimer's disease.

Hope is running her grandmother's bakery on Cape Cod, raising her pre-teen daughter and trying to understand what Mamie is trying to tell her about her own past. Mamie's revelations send Hope on a trip to Paris to learn of secrets her grandmother has held inside for seventy years. She learns of the tragic events her grandmother endured that shaped how her life turned out.

I have read a massive amount of novels this year. I guess it comes along with the territory of being a huge lover of fiction and getting absolutely lost in stories. I can say without a doubt that The Sweetness of Forgetting would be my pick for favorite book I have read so far in 2012...and I have read some pretty good novels. This was a refreshing story in so many ways. It was filled with things I am interested in- The Holocaust, baking, and getting to know characters not only in the present, but also in the past. This was a novel I couldn't put down. I wanted to know what Hope was going to find out about Mamie's life. I felt sorrow for both when reading about the terrible things each had endured in her life. It was especially interesting to me learning of Mamie's woes and how the tragedies that befell her in her youth shaped every essence of her being as an adult. This was a well written story, with characters you can definitely sympathize with and that you will find yourself wanting to know more about . I practically read this in one sitting. If I didn't have 3 little ones to look after, I absolutely would have finished it in one day. I think this is going to be HUGE for Kristin Harmel. I absolutely  recommend The Sweetness of Forgetting to anyone who is interested in fiction that takes a peek into history, who enjoy romance or tragedy or who like to bake! One of the coolest things about this novel is that Mamie's recipes are sprinkled throughout the book. I know there were several that made me think, "Oh, I definitely have to make that" while I was traveling through this story with Hope.

If my review isn't enough to make you want to read this wonderful novel (although I hope that it is) Marie Claire also included it in their Summer 2012 reading guide!

I am so thrilled to announce that I have 3 AUTOGRAPHED copies to give away to you to, my awesome readers, to celebrate the August 7th release date of The Sweetness of Forgetting! 3 winners will receive their very own autographed copy of the novel. This is one giveaway you definitely want to enter! Check out the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win!



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*Disclaimer- I received a complimentary copy of The Sweetness of Forgetting from Simon & Schuster. I was not required to wirte a positive review. All opinions stated above are 100% my own.