Joe Applin feels good about his life. His cafe, Apple'n Pies, is doing well. He has a great team working for him, and his business is booming. Yes, he doesn't have a man in his life, but that's okay. Considering what happened last time and how hard he had to work to get his life back on track, he's in no rush to find a relationship. Even if one of his staff thinks he's really overdue...

When the team discovers an injured man in the garden next to the restaurant, things take a turn. Tom--the name he takes since he can't remember who he is--is running from someone. He doesn't know who he's running from, but he knows he needs to find a safe place to hide. Joe offers to let Tom stay with him, despite his obvious attraction for the mysterious man. Joe figures the walls he's put up will keep things on a friendly level.

But there is a real danger following Tom. And if they find out where he's hiding, what will that mean for Joe? Or once Tom remembers who he is, will he go back to his old life and leave Joe behind?

--

Joe is one of those characters that just gets you right away. He's endearing and funny. As a reader, I couldn't help but cheering from him from beginning to end. And when Tom shows up, the two just create an even more endearing picture. These two are pretty great, to be honest.

I really enjoyed the pacing of this book. The story moves in the right directions at the right times, and it certainly kept me engaged right through to the end. It also makes it feel like a shorter read than it really is--but in the best way possible. ( )

‘Forgive and Forget’ is one of the sweetest action/adventures I’ve read. With two main characters who come from very different backgrounds, a cast of secondary characters who are hilarious yet very loyal, and the setting a small coffee shop, this novel had my interest from the moment I read the blurb. Then there is Joe, a man with disappointment in his past who now focuses on baking divine pies and running his business. Add a hot stranger who was hit over the head and lost his memory, and the mystery is high from the start. Despite the focus being firmly on the budding romance between Joe and the stranger he decides to call Tom, this story is maybe best described as a romantic thriller. Or a thrilling romance. But never mind the labels, it is very entertaining and delightful all around.

Joe has no interest in adventure, excitement, or anything other than an orderly life. He has worked hard to be where he is, and when I found out what caused his skittishness, I could certainly understand him! Joe loves his shop, baking pies for people, and working with three members of staff who are as slightly off the beaten track as he is. So when he finds a total stranger in the small garden behind his shop, and finds out the man is bleeding and mumbling he doesn’t want to go to a hospital, he is understandably shocked. Stuff like that just doesn’t happen in his life.

But once the stranger wakes up and can’t remember anything, things take a turn for the mysterious. Joe knows he should be much more worried than he is, but there is something trustworthy about Tom. And with Tom, which is only a name they agree on so he has one, not even sure about his past, Joe should be a lot more careful. He just can’t seem to help himself. And when Tom’s past finally catches up with them, things get a little crazy.

If you like sweet romances, if two men who are very unlikely partners get thrown together by fate and fumble along as best they can are your thing and if you’re looking for a read that is as funny and entertaining as it is hot, then you will probably like this novel.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )