Remind Me (Magnolia Sound, #1) by Samantha Chase [Blog Tour: Review]

Hello! Welcome to the next stop on the Remind Me blog tour hosted by InkSlinger PR. I'm really happy to share my thoughts on this book with you! 

Title: REMIND ME

Author: Samantha Chase

Series: Magnolia Sound, #1

Release Date: March 12, 2019

Find it on: Goodreads, Amazon, Apple, Nook, Kobo, Google Play

It’s been years since Mallory Westbrook set foot in Magnolia Sound, but the death of her great-grandfather forces her back. Two weeks to get his affairs in order then she would return to her life in New York. The perfect plan, if not for Jake Summerford—her first love who broke her heart.

Jake always regretted the way things ended with Mallory and now that she’s back in town, he’s hoping they can put the past behind them. As they reconnect, old feelings resurface and Jake realizes that friendship is only the beginning of what he wants from Mallory.

With one foot out of the door, Mallory is looking for any excuse to leave Magnolia Sound behind. Forever. Will Jake’s plan to replace the old, painful memories help him finally show her their love deserves another chance? 

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I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I read the prequel, Sunkissed Days, a few weeks ago and enjoyed everything except the ending! I dislike it when characters have problems because of a lack of communication, which was the source of most of Mallory and Jake's problems. They both leave things unsaid, and it causes a rift between the two. However, I do understand that they were both younger and this problem needed to be there to set up the first book in the series, Remind Me.

Mallory and Jake have both been through college (yay for Jake making it work after six years!), and have been living separate lives. Jake is back in Magnolia Sound, which I love, because I feel like it's a place they're all meant to be. It was important to Pops that his family stayed around the area, and he considered Jake to be family, too. Mallory has been avoiding Magnolia Sound, and cancelling her plans to visit, because she's worried about bumping into Jake. It was sad that it took a hurricane to bring everyone together, and only when it resulted in more than just property damage.

I will admit to being wary about this one at the start, because it's clear that Jake lied about something in order to push Mallory away after the last book, but we don't know what the lie entails (I thought it was going to be something cruel or shocking, but it wasn't). If I dislike a lack of communication in books, a single lie that the story revolves around is worse. However, the story doesn't depend on the lie, but it does impact Jake's relationship with Mallory. She doesn't fee like she can trust him with her feelings, although she has no such reservations about her body (seriously, they were like rabbits).

I still really like Sam and wish he'd played a more prominent role in the book. Maybe he'll get his own story one day? He's constantly moving from place to place, and it almost feels like he's running from something. He's relationship with Mallory is solid, and I love that she thinks they have some sort of twin telepathy.

I did have a few small issues with the story, but they were easy to overlook and didn't really impact by overall feelings about the book. At the beginning, when Mallory first bumps into Jake, she tries to leave and Jake grabs her and forces her to stay. He tightens his hold when she tries to get away, and that bothered me. She never asked him to let her go, or told him to stop, but it was clear she was trying to leave and he was preventing her from doing so. It rubbed me the wrong way. Also, some of the language felt weird. The characters were more thoughtful and well-spoken than most people, and it made some of the conversations feel unrealistic. Lastly, everyone was always making a sandwich! ;)

Occasionally it felt like the story was going in circles, and it lacked real confrontation and conflict. It was like reading a play-by-play of people living their lives in a small town, complete with unnecessary details. Basically, Mallory needs to decide what she wants to do with her life (stay or go), and she repeats the same internal debate throughout the book. All of the characters were a little too dramatic for me, and sometimes they felt interchangeable. When the characters "fight" with each other, it's just them talking loudly about the things we already know they've been thinking about, and it's over within minutes. We turn the page, and it's like it never happened.

In the end, Remind Me filled me with fluffy feelings (totally not a bad thing you naysayers), and also really made me miss my grandfather. Pops was a huge part of the last book, and his absence was significant throughout this one. He's clearly impacted the town, townspeople, and his own family in a very profound way. I love that Jake and Mallory are committed to honoring his memory and his legacy.

If you're looking for a quick romantic read, I would suggest giving this one a shot. I'm curious where the series will go from here, but I'm not sure I will revisit Magnolia Sound in the future.

About the author:

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Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than forty titles under her belt! When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.