Thank you GetRedPR and the author, #partner, for the advanced copy of Don’t Forget To Write in exchange for my honest review. I purchased the audiobook.
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing / Brilliance Audio
Published: September 1, 2023
Summary:
In 1960, a young woman discovers a freedom she never knew existed in this exhilarating, funny, and emotional novel by the bestselling author of She’s Up to No Good.
When Marilyn Kleinman is caught making out with the rabbi’s son in front of the whole congregation, her parents ship her off to her great-aunt Ada for the summer. If anyone can save their daughter’s reputation, it’s Philadelphia’s strict premier matchmaker. Either that or Marilyn can kiss college goodbye.
To Marilyn’s surprise, Ada’s not the humorless septuagenarian her mother described. Not with that platinum-blonde hair, Hermès scarf, and Cadillac convertible. She’s sharp, straight-talking, takes her job very seriously, and abides by her own rules…mostly. As the summer unfolds, Ada and Marilyn head for the Jersey shore, where Marilyn helps Ada scope out eligible matches—for anyone but Marilyn, that is.
Because if there’s one thing Marilyn’s learned from Ada, it’s that she doesn’t have to settle. With the school year quickly approaching and her father threatening to disinherit her, Marilyn must make her choice for her future: return to the comfortable life she knows or embrace a risky, unknown path on her own.
My thoughts:
After loving Sara’s last book, I knew I had to read this one and I have to say, this might be my new favorite of her books that I’ve read. It’s her third book, but the second I’ve read and it’s so charming and heartwarming and funny.
What I love most about Sara’s books is the way she is able to develop such strong female relationships. This one really stands out for the bond we see between Marilyn and her great-aunt Ada, who she is forced to spend the summer with after a fiasco involving the rabbi’s son. I loved that both females were so head-strong, but ultimately, they developed such a tight bond. There were many laughs along the way, lessons to be learned and oh how I would love to get a story of Ada in her glory days!
This book gave me all the feels and it is one of those books that you just don’t want to end because you feel so much for the characters. I also loved how this book touched on how it was to be a woman in the 1950s. So glad I didn’t live then!
I cannot recommend this one enough. It’s thought-provoking and heartwarming and an all-round good story!
Audio thoughts:
This was such a good book to listen to – so much so that I ended up listening to it in just one day because I really could not put it down. The narrator, Helen Laser, does a great job bringing the story to life, infusing just the right amount of emotion into her voice as needed. I’m sure there were quite a few people wondering what I was laughing hysterically about as I was walking the dog…it was this book!
