Forget Me Not: A Dark Romance (2024)

This is my first ARC read, so bare with me! I’m normally the one reading reviews, not writing them! I came across Jessi Hart via IG and the cover of the book drew me in right away- it’s gorgeous! And her biography at the end of her book said she’s from Ohio, so of course I gotta show some support!

This was such a GREAT read! Small beach town, dark pasts and undeniably steamy?…count me in! The story is definitely a fair mix of contemporary romance and dark romance. The spice level was solid and I know it can be difficult to write those descriptions, but Hart executed it in a desirable manner. I have read many tamer stories and I have also read many darker stories. I think if you’re somebody who is just getting into dark romance, you will enjoy this story and be intrigued to dig deeper into the genre.

What I was really pleased with was the FMC, Nova. I feel that more often than not, those characters are written as helpless and watered-down. Nova is strong, will do anything for anyone who is in need and is stubborn; I know her and I would be BFFs and I think that’s why I really connected with her. I saw a lot of myself in her with holding onto guilt and keeping herself from truly “living” as well as her love for animals..you’ll meet Toast and Creamsicle and you’ll see what I mean! The MMC, Reid was sarcastic, mischievous and had so much love to give. Reid was definitely one of the better book boyfriends I’ve recently met…dark eyes and dark hair…flannels…and there’s a scene when he turns his cap around..he had me in a chokehold. 🥰

This book made me laugh, tear up, feel uneasy and more and if I can feel all those emotions in a story, it’s guaranteed to be a winner on my list. The chemistry between Nova and Reid is definitely goals and what everyone should strive for.

The only reason I am giving 4-4.5 (Good Reads should definitely look into editing our own numbers in) stars is because there were a handful of grammatical errors. The writing was entertaining and the author was able to promote humor and banter easily and clearly. However, there were a lot of noticeable spelling errors.

All in all, I am looking forward to reading more of the author’s stories! “Forget Me Not” is available for pre-order via Kindle for 3.99 and will be released on 6/7. It will also be available on Kindle Unlimited.

This was my first ever ARC read which was so exciting so thank you Jessi Hart for allowing me to read this beautiful story.. and wow!..I absolutely loved this book! It was so well written and I loved the character development of Nova and Reid. They are both broken and have experienced terrible things that has left them guarded and kind of stuck in their past traumas..when they first meet their chemistry is off the charts and they both deny what they are feeling because they don't feel they deserve anything good in life..but then they start to slowly both heal each other..their experiences in the story were very relatable and their emotional growth throughout the story was so beautiful..the slow burn is so good and the spice is 🌶🌶🌶🌶 without giving too much away, this is a beautiful, slightly dark romance story that gives you all of the feels and is hard to put down once you start reading it! Definitely recommend this book! 5 star read for me ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

Nova and Reid's story is going to pull at your heartstrings and you're going to be rooting for these 2 to work their sh*t out!! These 2 were made for each other and if they could just workout their past traumas, their lives would be so much better... But getting over your husband's death and childhood trauma isn't easy.

If you're looking for a great banter and 2 main characters who are stubborn as hell for how they're feeling, this is for you!! I loved this book and he prepared to get emotional.

Tropes:
- Strangers to Lovers
- Widow
- Touch Her and 💀
- Obsessed MMC
- Little Forced Proximity
- Innkeeper & Mystery Man
- Dark Romance
- Emotional
- Healing from grief
- Dual POV
- Twin Flames

TW's:
- Detailed Sexually Explicit Scenes
- Descriptions Of Drowning
- Talk of death and the loss of loved ones
- Physical And Emotional Abuse (flashbacks)
- Emotional Manipulation (flashbacks)
- Nightmares
- Talk Of Child Physical And Sexual Abuse (not depicted)
- Murder (not depicted)
- Sexual Kinks Such As Spanking
- Survivor’s Guilt And Grief
- Cancer (not MC’s)
- Death (not MC’s)
- Cheating (not MC’s)
- Depression
- Anxiety

***ARC REVIEW***

Wow…. WOW. This was incredible.

This is one of those that you don’t want to finish because when it’s over you’re broken and lonely without it. Even with the HEA.

This story follows Nova, a sweet girl, desperate to find some meaning in her life after her traumatic past. She finds “home” working at her grandparents Inn on a small island off the coast of Maine. It’s old and run down and needs a lot of TLC and she tries like hell to be everything and everyone they need to keep it running.

Then there’s Reid. A lonely fisherman who has only ever loved one woman - his mom. Who died when he was young. This set in motion, a series of traumatic events all his own. He lives on his boat alone and has never taken issue with the isolation it brings… until his boat breaks down and he finds himself stuck on the same island as Nova for five weeks until parts come in to fix it. And then the idea of leaving feels like it could kill him.

Dual POV ✅
Enemies to lovers ✅
Forced Proximity ✅
Summer love ✅
HOT HOT HOT 🥵 ✅

It is always so surreal to me to read a book like this and not be able understand how this author isn’t on the featured stand at the front of any book store you could walk into. This is off the page writing that makes hours move like minutes. I got lost in this story and I wish it could have gone on forever.

Excuse me while I go download every other piece of literary work that has been put out by Jessi.

“Hᴇ’s ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʟᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ᴍᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ. Iɴ ғᴀᴄᴛ, ɴᴏ ᴏɴᴇ ʜᴀs. Lɪᴋᴇ ʜᴇ’s ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ᴀᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ sᴇᴇɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ. Nᴏ, sᴇᴇɪɴɢ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ sᴄᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴀᴍᴀɢᴇᴅ ɢɪʀʟ ɪɴsɪᴅᴇ.”

* The way this book tore through me and made me feel so many emotions! Seriously, it made me cry and smile.

* Nova, is such an AMAZING FMC. She has past trauma that really weighs on her. But she’s also the sweetest and most caring person. And Reid… ahhhh REID. The elusive man who is so used to be alone. Doesn’t care to form relationships, he doesn’t stay in one place long enough to form them anyways. But then they collide and man is the tension palpable. I was and still am so invested in them. Their story took me on a journey, and I am so glad I got to read this early.

* If you like a story that rips you apart and puts you back together. (In a good way) then I cannot suggest this enough!

Nova and Reid's compelling journey resonates deeply, portraying the challenges they overcame before crossing paths. Reid's nomadic lifestyle, characterized by a reluctance to settle down, contrasts with Nova's personal struggles, which she has diligently worked through over four years.
Their shared experiences have molded them into the individuals they are today, perfectly complementing each other. This narrative evokes a range of emotions, from cheering them on to shedding tears, experiencing worry, and sharing moments of laughter.
Their bond epitomizes an enduring and profound connection, blending fierce love with a deep friendship. For those seeking a tale of unwavering devotion and companionship, this book is a must-add to your collection.

If I could give this book a million stars, get it gold plated and keep it on the highest shelves in every museum that exists? I would. If I have to trade the next best thing to happen to me for this book? I would. Why? It deserves it. Nova, Reid and Jessi Hart deserves this. Even before I got the book, I knew I will be ruined and boy was I wrong. It went overboard but in all the good ways. The plot, the emotions, the lines, the slow and steady character change, the love, the hate, the heat, the lust and everything transitioning from the journey from hate to love was packed so beautifully and intricately in this that I don't even have words to explain. I wish I could pinpoint exactly at the words and say, "Hey. That describes everything." but I can't. This book, as I told Jessi too, rips you open, throws your organs out, makes sure you're starving like a fish on land, then slowly starts rearranging the organs being put back inside you, at a very slow pace, giving you mentally more life just because you see yourself getting those organs back, only to sew you up and tell you when you finally wake up from your coma that the doctors left scissors inside of you lmao. But? In a good way. LOL.

A must must read for this beautiful book. Reid and Nova are broken in their own ways, they are struggling their own demons which have a tight grip hold onto them, but they are twin flames for a reasons. Love burns brighter together and these two little love birds are proof of that. I never knew I'll fall in love with fishermen. But a love story like theirs is to live in my head, rent free, for decades. I am so glad Jessi Hart was born one fine day and she chose to push through the harshest parts of her life only for one day to give me this marvelous book that I will cherish for my entire life. It's one of those books I would have recommended to my daughter if I chose to have a family. Welp. But still, a massively beautiful read, and one that guts you painfully but puts you back together beautifully. Jessi? You are amazing, my love. You are truly incredible and I don't even think you yourself know how freaking precious you are. Just like Reid found his Nova in an abandoned island, I found my soul sister through insta AHAHAHAHHAHAAHA. Love ya!!!!

—————— 🖤💞🖤💞🖤

So this is what it feels like to earn one of her smiles? Like coming home after a long, hard-fought battle.

---

I don’t say it because I’m not trying to scare her off, but she’s the prettiest f*cking thing on this beach tonight.

---

“You have me.”

---

When I thought about all the possible outcomes of staying on this island until my boat was ready to go, I forgot to factor in how that one little word, please, would likely become my undoing.

---

“Right here, in this sh*tty little boat, with a girl who paints and rescues every f*cking animal she sees and drives me so damned crazy I can’t think straight.”

---

I’m playing with fire right now, but I’ve never wanted to be burned more.

---

“I’m not a hero, Nova. I’m just a man that was on his way across the states who stopped to see a goddamned fireworks show. You, though . . . you have stayed burned in my brain for years.”

---

I love Nova more than I’ve ever loved anything in this f*cking life. More than Hope’s Grace. More than the freedom it granted me. More than the ocean.

---

“I . . . I came to find you . . .”

“And I came home for you.”

Rating: 3.25 stars

Do you know that feeling when you’re doing a puzzle and you’ve put together small clusters? That’s what this book was like. It had individual, small clusters where everything fit perfectly, but bringing the whole picture together didn’t quite work out for me. Which is a bummer because this book had all the ingredients for a solid five-gut-wrenching-stars read.

I had trouble with the first 30% because I felt that Nova’s inner monologue frequently pre-empted emotions and thoughts, which made the angst, doubt, and self-doubt less effective for me. Sometimes, even if the leitmotif is that someone feels undeserving, that doubt needs to come through in the text, in the inner monologues, and in the dialogues. Now, Hart delivered on the inner monologue, but I had an issue with the gestures that followed being too grand to be doubted, which made things not make sense at times.

Also, some stylistic elements were used in the wrong place. For instance, the first big revelation considering the Mississippi incident, it felt significant but wasn’t further developed. I was left thinking, “Okay, but you still want to hold on to your plans? Why mention it then?” This revelation should have been used later or differently because this way it completely lost momentum.

I actually liked Reid's decision considering Alaska; I expected that. But if I spend nearly two pages on an inner monologue explaining why I don’t want to (or can't) do a certain thing, then the big epiphany scene needs much more input and introspection. To me, it ended up being quite underwhelming. The letter + graveyard scene as well as the scene with Sophie didn’t work well either. They felt superficial and not fully thought through.

That said, there were parts I genuinely liked. Reid's backstory was sad and well done, and the effect it had on his character was well-thought-out. Reid, despite being a grump, was a swoon-worthy character!
I loved the found family aspect and using "the strays" as a recurrent theme. These moments added warmth and depth to the story. I wish Reid had more scenes with Nova's grandpa because it could have added a great comedic relief to the overall story and would have added more facets.

Nova’s character was quite likeable, and her interactions with Toast and the strays were some of my favourite parts of the book. They brought a touch of lightness and hope amidst the angst. I could fully relate to Nova, but somehow still believe she deserved more of a closure.

Overall, Forget Me Not has its moments and some well-crafted clusters, but as a whole, it struggled to bring all the pieces together cohesively. If you enjoy stories with emotional elements, hurt and healing aspects and found family themes, there’s still something here for you to appreciate.

*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving the ARC didn't affect my opinion of the book.

I didn't want to put this book down in the best way possible. At one point, I turned to my partner and said, "I just wish I could read faster." What a rollercoaster this book was, tearing me apart and helping put the pieces back together in the end.

If you like morally grey MMCs, tragic love stories, touch-her-and-die vibes, and healing from grief, then this book is for you. The description of twin flames is perfect for this emotionally dark romance, where we meet our two main characters, Nova and Reid. They are both running from their pasts and forcing each other to stare into what happened in the hopes of healing one day.

Reid a broody lobsterman who is determined to never settle in one place for too long, and Nova a young widow still dealing with the grief of what happened that fated day. Nova was so much fun with her caring attitude and wanting to rescue strays while coping with her guilt. Then Reid, with his heated comments and ability to lay the truth out for Nova. They are a perfect match, even if their story is hard-earned.

The banter had me laughing out loud, but it was the characters' emotional journeys that truly resonated. I teared up at many points within the book, feeling their heartache and internal battles. The author portrays the path of healing from grief in such a powerful way, making their journey feel real and relatable. I knew I was going to like this book from the very first chapter and I wasn't disappointed.

The book's impact will stay with me for a long time. The heat and open-door spice were just the cherry on top of a fantastic romance I will remember for years. I now have an odd desire to visit a small fishing island one day.

Please check trigger warnings before reading, as heavier topics are discussed within the book. The HEA is worth it to me but protect your mental health first.

I, hands down, will recommend this book.

4.25/5 ⭐️

This book sucked me in almost immediately and these are the books that I love.

Thank you to the author for allowing me to get an advanced copy.

You have Reid and you have Nova. Reid is a grumpy fisherman has been running all his life, has never stopped for nothing or nobody. Nova has been living a guilt filled life since becoming a widow, promising her ex husband that she’d be single forever if he ever died. *cough* *cough* it’s a form of manipulation if you didn’t know that already.

Right from the start, the chemistry is there. The girl who’s kind and tries to help everyone and the brooding mysterious man who’s always grumpy, what a cliché, but an amazing one at that. The chemistry only grows as the two get to know each other and for the first quarter of the book you’re just screaming at the characters to kiss already, the sexual tension is too much! I love these two together I think they push and pull at each other the right amount where they are meant for each other.

Although this book was classified as a dark romance, I didn’t feel as it was as I read it. I thought it was definitely more of a contemporary romance with dark histories. While you should always check trigger warnings, I wouldn’t group this with dark romance.

I loved Reid immediately, he’s mysterious and there’s so much to his past that you just don’t know about. Nova took a little bit longer for me to warm up to but once she started throwing Reid’s sh*t back at him, I knew I liked her. This was a fast paced book, it caught my attention almost immediately and I loved it. However, I do think it could’ve been shorter, when I got to the halfway point it definitely felt a bit more repetitive than needed.

Tropes:
•Grumpy x Sunshine
•Summer Fling
•Strangers to Lovers
•Emotional Healing
•Touch her and 💀 energy

~ARC Review

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶 🌶🌶 out of 5

Tropes:
❤️Strangers to Lovers
🏞Small Seaside Town
❤️‍🩹Healing from Grief
💥Obsessive MMC
🌶Spicy "The Notebook"

Review:
This is definitely a spicy "Notebook", so if you like anything with those vibes, you will love this! Nova (FMC) may seem fiesty and bubbly around her small town hotel but beneath the surface she holds pain, regret and a secret. When a dark haired, chocolate eyed, Moody Fishman blows into her town, she's taken aback by his gruff manners. Nevertheless he's handy around her family owned Inn and she starts to find his teasing somewhat endearing.

Reid (MMC) carries scars of his own and the pain that's seared into his heart desperately tries to keep Nova and her infectious warmth away.

Whilst their attraction grows, they try to agree to not let feelings get too serious, but the heart doesn't always listen. I did very much enjoy the journey of healing with these two characters. Reid feels he's not worth loving and Nova has her own path of acceptance of a past incident that she feels responsible for.

The push and pull between them was effective, though sometimes I felt with all their intimacy, it was more clear what their true feelings actually were to one another....even though they said they weren't when they spoke. And the spicy scenes were a biiiit long for my taste, along with the pet names, but that's my personal taste.

About 80% in we get quite the jackhammer of a reveal and it paves way for a sprint to the finish line and a fulfilling epilogue. I didn't get the "super feels", but this was a solid romance about grief healing and allowing oneself to be loved and know that oneself is worth loving too.

*ARC REVIEW *

“Let me take over, little bird. Your demons are nothing compared to me.”

“I’m always ready for you, little bird. You just weren’t ready for me.”

“I’m in love with you, little bird. I tried to leave. I can’t. I’m here to ask you if you think you can feel even a fraction of what I feel for you.”

Please check triggers before reading this book

📕 Forget me Not by: @jessihartauthor

This read follows Nova after she’s been through a trauma and is desperately searching for some meaning to her life, but it’s so hard to let go of the past! She ends up moving to her grandparents inn on a small island off the coast of Maine. The only place where she truly felt home.

In comes Reid, a lonely fisherman who is on the move and can’t seem to stay in one place for to long. While out on his boat it breaks down and he has stop at the very small island Nova is on. He is told it will take 5 weeks for his boat to be fixed, this is not ideal since he makes his money being out on the water and he took up a job at the end of summer.

Reid finds himself getting a room at the inn Nova works at and he end up helping around and fixing the rundown place. Nova’s friend convinces her it would be best to start living her life and what would a summer romance hurt anyways?

The banter and growth between these two is ✨ Reid being someone who has never loved a woman besides him mom and the traumatic childhood he had really puts his heart out there.

Tropes:
Strangers to lovers
Widow
Obsessed MMC
Healing from grief
Dual POV
Twin flame
Innkeeper & Mystery Man
🖤🌶️🌶️.75

“I can be reckless. I can fall because I know he’ll catch me.”

I loved this book so much! Thank you, Jessi Hart, for allowing me to have an arc of this amazing novel! *As always, please check triggers before reading.*

For me, this book was a little slow in the beginning, but once I got into it, I wasn’t able to put it down. I was feeling all the emotions while reading this; sometimes I would be laughing and giggling over the banter between the two, while others I was tearing up over the past trauma of our main characters. I think the relationship between Reid and Nova is so beautiful, and I love how it shows the effects of grief and healing while falling in love.

This story follows Reid and Nova. Reid is a lonely fisherman who doesn't like to stay in one place for too long. He has had a rough childhood, and it still haunts him. Nova is a widow who has been through something traumatic and is living a life of fear and guilt. When they meet on the island, you can instantly feel that they have chemistry, but they both deny it. The tension builds, and as the reader, you are begging them to kiss and get together already. Eventually, they come to a mutual agreement to have a no-strings-attached "relationship." As his time comes to an end on the island, you are desperately waiting for them to admit their obvious feelings for each other. There is a shocking plot twist in this book that makes you love the couple more. And the ending had me in tears (happy tears). Also, the playlist was amazing and will also bring tears to your eyes.

This book will shatter you and put you back together! This book has an HEA.

I just wanted to add that this was listed as a dark romance, and I personally don’t feel that it fits that category. It is more of a contemporary romance with heavy and dark themes.

*I received this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

🦀🐈🐕🛥🎣 𝕬𝕽𝕮 𝕽𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖊𝖜 𝖔𝖋 𝕱𝖔𝖗𝖌𝖊𝖙 𝕸𝖊 𝕹𝖔𝖙 𝖇𝖞 𝕵𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖎 𝕳𝖆𝖗𝖙 🎣🛥🐕🐈🦀

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶/5

This book gripped me from the moment I delved into its tropes. Despite one of the trigger warnings aligning with one of my deepest fears, I felt an undeniable pull to confront it, even if only through the pages of this captivating tale. And indeed, "Forget Me Not" delivered beyond my expectations. Reid and Nova, with their intricate pasts and palpable emotions, held me captive, urging me to invest in their story. Throughout my reading, tears flowed freely, evidence of the profound impact of "Forget Me Not's" beautifully woven narrative. With each turn of the page, I found myself longing for more, a testament to the raw power of Hart's storytelling. This book delivered heartbreak in the most satisfying manner.

"I voluntarily reviewed a free advance copy of this book provided by the author. The opinions expressed are my own."

What to Expect:
♥️ Healing from Grief
☠️ Touch Her & Get Toe-tagged
🖤 Dark Romance
🏘 Inn Keeper
🎣 Fisherman
😭 Emotional
🔥 Strangers to Lovers
🌶 Spicy

#ForgetMeNot #ARCreader #BookReviewer #DarkRomance #JessiHart #ReidandNova #Bookworm #Bookish #BookCommunity #ReadingCommunity #BookReview #AdvancedCopy #BookLover #BookAddict #AmReading #ReadersOfInstagram #BookNerd #BookRecommendation #MustRead #NewRelease

“No . . . with Reid, I want more. I need more. His touch is like an anchor, holding me in place even though there’s a storm raging inside me.”

Reid and Nova are near-perfect MMC and FMCs. The author did an incredible job of building these characters so the reader can see inside of (and feel) their souls. Their individual trauma was represented well and the two of them coming together to heal individually, as well as with each other, was the best full-circle moment.

The last part of the book (without giving away any spoilers, once you read it you’ll know what I’m talking about) had me SOBBING. Like truly ugly crying and feeling the heaviness in my heart. I say this in all of my reviews… I’m a HUGE stickler for endings. The ending will make or break a book for me. And this one was perfectly written. The epilogue was also chef’s kiss. 🤌🏻

The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is because there were several grammatical errors (didn’t ruin the sentence or paragraph, but was still noticeable) and there was one intimate scene that just felt forced, out of place, and not the best resolution for that moment. Otherwise, the rest of the spicy scenes were on point 🥵🫣🤭

This was my first Jessi Hart novel, but will definitely not be the last!!

Wow! Definitely a Summer 2024 must read! This book was simply put amazing. The banter and witty remarks from the main characters was just stunning and you can't help but fall in love with Nova and Reid! I will say please read the trigger warnings!

Older MMC ✅
Brat/ Little Bird nickname ✅
Spice ✅ 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Enemies-to-Lovers ✅
Summer Relationship Deadline ✅

The book follows Nova, a widowed 29 year old with survivors guilt four years after a crash where only she survived. And Reid a lonely fisherman who is stuck at Port Nova while his boat is being fixed. Reid stays at the local Inn run by Nova's grandparents. Nova is set to inherit the Inn but it is in desperate need of repair as her grandparents can no longer keep up with the growing list of needed maintenance. This book tackles a lot including abuse (child and adult) again not graphic or in detail, secrets between husband and wife, death, murder( nothing detailed just mentions it), and manipulation. However, you follow both Nova and Reid as they learn to heal from their past and forgive themselves. Nova and Reid navigate their feelings for each other promising just the summer as Reid is set to be a captain for the dangerous and deadly Alaskan crabbing season. The spice in this book 😮‍💨🌶️🌶️🌶️

***Happy Ending***

⭐️: 5/5

It wasn’t Reid’s plan to stop before getting to the mainland, but after his boat broke down he didn’t have another choice. He ends up on the small island, Port Nova. There he finds himself, in a close knit town, at an inn with an inn-keeper who he just can’t keep away from.

Reid and Nova both have a traumatic and dark past that they have been running from. They start to heal themselves while spending time together, but Reid is leaving for Alaska in September. While their time is short, they are making the most of it and it seems each may want it to last longer than they agreed to.

🩵Healing From Grief
🖤Strangers-to-Lovers
🩵Obsessed MMC
🖤Tragic Lovers to HEA

I am a mood reader and this definitely fit the bill. This was a super emotional read for me. I loved every second of it and could not put it down! Nova and Reid’s relationship building was so perfect. A couple twists I did not see coming that were absolutely perfect. I cried at three separate instances (haven’t cried reading a book in a long time). This book wrecked me in the best way. Definitely worth the read!

Thank you for the ARC!

I don't even know where to begin. I loved everything about this book. The storyline. The characters. The raw emotion. Reid and Nova have my heart. Both are struggling with traumatic pasts. Nova left her life on the mainland for the little island of Port Nova to help her grandparents run their inn. She's just going through the motions, always waiting for what haunts her to creep back in. But she has a soft spot for strays.. only the cute ones of course. Reid is a fisherman, on the run since he was a child - from the life that haunts his mind. His boat broke down, and he didn't have much choice, other than to stop at the nearest little island. Port Nova. Where he has to stay at the only inn in town because that boat happened to be his home.

This book is about past and present colliding, past traumas, grief, second chances, and a rough road to healing. It was so easy to get pulled into the emotions of the characters, along with their back stories. I laughed a lot. And then I was reminded that life can be pretty dark. By the end, my heart was pieced back together.

Wow! Absolutely amazing, thank you for the ARC.

Loved reading about Nova and Reid and the journey they had to take in order to get to where they are now.

Nova is this sweet woman who moved to Port Nova to help her grandparents out with their inn after a horrible loss in her life.

Reid is this lonely fisherman/ lobsterman who is intent on spending his life out on sea exploring the world when his boat breaks down and he has to spend the next 5 weeks in Port Nova while his boat gets fixed.

Watching Reid and Nova together and realize that the tragic losses in their life don’t define them and watch the two do them grow together was amazing. Watching them both open up to each other more than they have anyone else I thought was pretty special in creating that bond between the two of them. Seeing Reid realize that being lonely your entire life and spending it on the ocean is not something he truly would want and finding out he can love someone so fiercely to change his mind.

Would love to read more about these two.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

“I’m playing with fire right now, but I’ve never wanted to be burned more”.

Jessi Hart has created a beautifully emotional book that follows Nova, an innkeeper owner on a small island, and Reid, a lobster fisherman who is stuck on said island. Forget Me Not is a dual perspective novel that follows them both as they struggle to navigate their past traumas. They’re both stubborn and witty, and don’t forget that they’re twin flames!

It is such a rich novel with the grumpy x sunshine trope, which is personally one of my favourite tropes, especially when accompanied by the “touch her and die” microtrope. Tie this in with their burning passion for each other and spicy scenes, and it’s instantly a 5 star read for me!

Thank you so much to Jessi Hart for allowing me to be an ARC reader for your novel. I would love to have this opportunity for any future novels.

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Please check your trigger warnings

I loved Reid and Nova. Reid, the obsessive fisherman, and Nova, the sweet innkeeper.

The tension between these two is thick but oh-so-perfect. That tension band finally snaps (thank goodness) and Nova lets Reid take control. And boy does he 🥵 While fighting their attraction, they are also battling internal demons. Reid, running from his past and Nova haunted by her nightmares.
What they didn't expect to find was hope, healing, and peace beyond their deep-seated trauma and hurt.
They said it would only be for the summer...... Is that all this is? It's all it can be.

This book pulls you apart and weaves you back together in the best way.

"We're two people who share the same heart"

Please take the time to read this story, it's worth it.

🛥️ARC Review🌊
Release date: TODAY!!
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This book sucked me in right from the start and I did not want to put it down!

We have our FMC, Nova, whom everyone on her island loves. She has a traumatic past that she still struggles with. Then we have our traveling sexy fisherman of a MMC. His engine breaks down on his boat and has to go to the closest place to get it fixed, Port Nova. He also has his own traumatic past. He’s an asshole, but they feel drawn to each other. He’s planning on leaving as soon as his boat is fixed so they decide to have a summer fling.

“Sometimes things have to be broken to be put back together again.”

This book will be available today and I highly recommend it. You’ll love their story until the very end. This is a standalone book.

Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Touch her and 💀
Forbidden love
Dual POV
Summer love

"Pain is inevitable. Heartbreak is a promise. Death is forever. It can force you to give up completely. Or it can make you start over again."
This book is magical. The story will grab your heart strings. Jessi did amazing at character development and her sneaky twists. I was captivated the entire time. Reid was the perfect hurt crump who didn't believe he deserved anything good. His heart of cold stone was worth warming up. Nova is a force locked up by personal guilt and loss. They are the true definition of twin flames and soulmates. Together they were able to heal and grow something unbelievably beautiful. Grab your tissues and tell everyone to leave you alone because you don't want to miss a single word of this story!

Nova and Reid y’all have some issues but I love you so much 💙

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

This dark romance can come across like a hallmark movie in the best ways but please check the trigger warnings before you start

I cannot find the words to express my love for this book. The character development, plot, setting, new comer in a small town romance? Perfect! The running from the past, survivors guilt, over coming trauma, and the spice? Also perfect! The description in the beginning about this book being “fluffy dark”? Nailed it!

I felt all the feelings. Both main characters were so relatable during each of their POVs. I couldn’t get enough: I hate that it ended. But I loved the ending so much.

I’m so glad I had the chance to read an early copy of this book.

This was my first read by Jessi Hart.
To start off with, how have I never read this author before?! Right away, this story drew me in, and once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I finished this book within one sitting.
I fell in love with Nova and Reid as well as the entire town right away.
The banter between the two was one of my favorite parts of this story, and I loved the dual pov's.
This book made me cry, laugh, and cry some more.
I wish this book would've never ended because I just loved it that much!
This book has everything! Spice, Dark Romance, Second Chance, Touch Her and Die Vibes, Obsessed MMC, and so much more!!
I can't thank Jessi Hart enough for this ARC! I can't wait to read the next book you have!!

There's so many things to love about this story. It's a phenomenal page turner. I really liked the concept of this book and how everything was laid out. A few things that I enjoyed about this story was it was an enemies to lovers kind of situation, a little bit of a forced proximity concept, forbidden love, and the spice between the characters. Reid and Nova are two characters that'll have you rooting for them. Their story is filled with all kinds of emotions. As you read this you can't help but not feel like you're a part of their story feeling what they feel and what they're going through. I felt for what these two went through and I was invested in these characters from page one. It's such an amazing story and an absolute must read.

Where do I even start…I’m gonna try my hardest to not give any spoilers🤐🤐 I loved the strangers to enemies to lovers vibe of Nova and Reid. The banter was so good and their relationship/growth felt very realistic. Nova has dealt with so much grief and trauma in the past year and Reid’s been through so much as well but they help each other in the best way. I’m gonna be honest I can’t stand extreme slow burns and this definitely is one but I pushed through and I’m soooo glad I did😭😭😭😭 The third act of the book had me sobbing, the spice is anazing and so well written, the epilogue is perfect, there’s not enough good things I could say about this book🥹🥹🥹

I received this book as an ARC copy and am leaving this review of my own free will.

Where to start? Nova and Reid’s love story is amazing! Watching the two of them struggle through their demons and finding one another. There were moments I giggled, and at the end. I sobbed my little heart out. Their story was just so amazing. I quickly got sucked in from the very start! I have no idea how to put into words how much I absolutely love this book. I don’t think there are enough words in the English language! There was a perfect amount of angst, spice and all the other emotions! Seriously, like a roller coaster of emotions! 10/10 would recommend!

I want to thank the author for giving me an arc copy of this book to devour and enjoy!

This book has so much heartache and love! Definitely a big of dark smut that was 🔥🔥🔥! This book ripped my heart out at times, the last 1/4 of the book each page my jaw kept dropping at the things that were being revealed!

This book is about a heartbroken widow who feels she doesn’t deserve happiness or to move on and a fisherman who thinks he deserves to live a nomad life and doesn’t deserve a full happy life! Together they fight each other, their pasts and everything in between!

I really enjoyed this story!

Nova and Reid both have to overcome things from the past, and while doing that, I could feel this in my heart. It was so emotional to read, it really got to me. My heart broke into a thousand pieces, but the author put it back together in the end.
But the trauma they both went through, is what brings them together. If they can let the stubbornness go…
We see these characters grow throughout the book, grieving their past and the trauma, but finding a way to overcome that.
For me, this wasn’t really a dark romance. There are parts of their past that are a bit darker, but the story now wasn’t dark for me.