Review ~ A Night to Forget - Jessica Wood

eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: 20th June 2013

Publisher: All Night Reads

Description:
A Night to Forget is the first book in the two-book series, Emma's Story. The second book in this series, The Day to Remember is scheduled to be released in August 2013.

What happens in Cancun doesn’t always stay in Cancun.

When Emma Anderson and her friends decided to spend their senior year Spring Break in Cancun, she expected some crazy memories to end their final college days. What Emma didn’t expect was to meet Brandon Fisher. Tall and sexy, with dimples that would make any girl swoon, Brandon Fisher was literally the man of Emma’s dreams. She couldn't quite believe that this stranger, who seduced her every night in her dreams, actually existed.

After serendipitously bumping into each other, Emma could not resist Brandon’s pull and spent an unforgettable night with him. Passing it off as a spring break fling, Emma never expected to see Brandon again. But when she started her first day at her new job a few months later, there he was. The only problem was, Brandon didn’t even remember her.

My Opinion

This was a short and easy read that took me an hour to finish. It was a nice summer read that was an enjoyable novella to relax with in the sun. I'm starting to really get into the new adult genre so this book caught my eye when I saw it on NetGalley.

All in all it was like most books in this genre already out there but that didn't make it any less enjoyable. There were moments that had me smiling - mostly the playful teasing between Emma and Brandon - and others that had me laughing. When I read the first chapter I must admit I didn't think I was going to enjoy it. I mean it was littered with cliches and cheesy lines that were so stereotypical. It was like the author had picked out every cheesy line and thrown them all into a few paragraphs. You can imagine my relief when it was explained as a dream and the rest of the book was not going to be like that!

After I got over the initial writing I was really engaged by the book and was hooked. It intrigued me with what actually happened to Emma (I knew vaguely but not details) and the girls on spring break in Cancun. I loved the relationship with the girls - Jill, Sarah and Gloria. It was believable, fun and moments had me smiling as I could relate to them.

Although what happens when Emma starts her job is slightly predictable it was still enjoyable and I liked the banter and suspense between the two characters. It also built nicely and developed well. I didn't see Brandon's confession about what really happened in Cancun coming so that was a nice surprise. Basically it was just a fun read.

There were a few things I didn't like however. First of all it was a little repetitive. I would have liked the author to either vary the use of phrases/words more and some times I was reading and felt I had read the same sentence 3 times or more. As well as this I would have liked it to be longer and include more background detail and description, rather than repeat the same information over and over. I mean we are told that Brandon is "clearing up personal things" but it's not until the end we find out any more, the phrase is just repeated a lot. I would have liked more development and new information.

The only other thing I hated in this novella is the ending! I really don't want to get started on it as I got to the end and wanted to scream, it was just so frustrating! Although it is a cliff hanger and I really want to see what happens in the next book it was just too abrupt. It cuts it off too early for me and leaves you with more questions and no resolve. I have my suspicions of how the 2nd book will go but I still want to read the sequel. I wished the book was longer and it ended better as for me the ending ruined it as it left me irritated and my first thought was "WTF!!" rather than being happy and eager to read the next book. 

Overall a good, quick summer read that hooks you. It has a few faults but all in all it was interesting and makes you want to read on.

3.5