Teach Me to Forget

by Mona Karel

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

Teach me to forget is a poignant contemporary romance set in San Francisco. The setting was appropriately described which I believed helped with the development of the story.
Bethany, the lead female character, is an accomplished writer who has been emotionally and psychologically abused by her ex-husband. After escaping the source of her abuse, she embarked on a whole new life; however the issues of her abuse had not been dealt with. She basically isolated herself and never stayed in one place for too long. She was nervous about getting close to anyone and she used her writing as an emotional crutch. She tried to cover up her insecurities by being overly sarcastic and acting tough.
Jonathan Merritt is a wildlife photographer. He is very arrogant and egoistical. I believe that this was a defense mechanism on his part based on the issues of his past. Both he and Bethany had a lot in common a fact which he was to eventually learn. Even though he displayed such arrogant behavior it was obvious that he was a man of compassion and was capable of genuine love. This was evident in his photographs and in the way he treated Bethany.
I loved how the characters grew throughout the story. Bethany was able to overcome her pain and insecurities with Jonathan’s help. During this time Jonathan was able to come to terms with his past and the role he had inadvertently played in Bethany’s past. During this process of healing they fell in love. I was glad to see Bethany overcoming her past and being able to trust again.
The plot was interesting and as result I was compelled to continue reading to see the outcome of the story. I say this because I felt that the story was moving too slowly. The concept was easy to follow.
The romance between the characters developed gradually and was very realistic. The love scenes were tasteful and not too graphic. This story emphasized that the first step to overcoming emotional wounds is the forgiveness of self and of that of the person who was the initial cause. Readers can identify with Bethany and her problems and how she was able to triumph in the end.
This is the second story I am reading for this author and I would definitely recommend this book to readers who are looking for an atypical contemporary romance.