My Never Ending List

I really wanted to love this novel. I wanted to be in this emotional, sentimental, dreamy state as Amanda put back together her world with the man who others thought saved her but it just didn’t happen like I thought it would. I wanted depth and tender-hearted moments as the two of them struggled to find themselves but I felt as if the author didn’t go as deep as I thought she should. The beginning of the novel had the emotional intensity that I was looking for but as the novel progressed, I thought its intensity weakened.  I really enjoyed the story, the characters were wonderful but I was ready for the characters and their emotions to hit me hard as they came to grips with what their lives had become.

As the novel opened, Amanda existed in a hidden section of Jake’s basement.   The intensity, edginess and urgency of the words that the author poured out onto the pages had me immediately draw into the story and I was worried for Amanda and her safety. Chained with heavy shackles, she existed only for Jake but Amanda kept company with Chase whom Jake knew nothing about. His image on the wall suddenly becomes more than just a picture and he gave her life and hope. Miraculously, Jake slips up and Amanda finds her freedom once again outside the walls of his darken tomb.   It is now years in the future and Amanda is still dealing with the trauma of her past.   She wants to move forward but the memories are still there and haunting her. Chase, the man who kept her breathing and moving forward during her captivity is fighting his own battles. Once a successful actor, Chase needs to shine again in the public’s eye and his agent believes touching base with Amanda while the camera’s are rolling just might be the ticket. What a powerful and emotion journey this encounter begins. I was excited thinking about what reactions the two of them might have meeting for the first time. It’s quite a journey, one for the books. I never thought Amanda would react the way she did, she was brave yet I kept thinking as I read Amanda, what are you doing? Family is important and I think Amanda realizes how important her family is throughout this ordeal.  All the characters are searching for something although they are not quite sure what they are willing to give up to get what they want in the process. It was an interesting novel and it made me think.