Review: "Remember Me Not, My Love" by J.D. Walker


Note: This ARC was provided by Less Than Three Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Remember Me Not, My Love by J.D. Walker is a short story about two people whose paths crossed when they were teenagers and then cross again years later. It's about being able to forgive and move forward with your life while actually living and not just surviving after having endured hardships. I was able to get through the entire thing rather quickly, though it did leave me feeling disappointed to a certain degree.

Terry Conway was banished from his home, his family, his friends, and the only life he had ever known when he decided to come out about his sexuality. He did what was necessary to survive and while his life my seem scarce at the moment, he's earning a decent living and has a place where he resides. Being homeless made him see what he was willing to do in moments of desperation and it appears as if the cycle has yet to be broken.

Ishmael Gregory survived a brutal beating in high school for being different as well as having an alcoholic aunt who didn't really care that much about him. Nowadays, he works an honest living and has a place he calls home. When someone from his painful past enters the store he works at, Terry is frozen in place, suddenly remembering the torment and abuse he suffered at the hands of this man's friends when they were all in high school.

Ishmael decides to confront Terry and call him on his lack of any action or move to help him when those bullies were beating him up. Terry explains his inaction but doesn't excuse his behavior. What follows are lunches spent together on a park bench without too much conversation. Then Ishmael learns the truth about Terry's own life since the beating and is filled with pity for his new friend.

There's an attraction between the two but Ishmael appears to be more than smitten with Terry than Terry with him. Soon, there are terms of endearment coming out of Ishmael's mouth and things progress really quickly between the two. Is this true love or is Ishmael acting the way that he is because he pities Terry for what he's suffered since he got kicked out of his home.

I'm a fan of short stories that put an emphasis on quality rather than quantity. You can fit a lot into several pages and both the story and character development, along with the manner in which it is written, is what separates really good short stories or novellas from the rest. Sadly, this book was rushed in the second half and the intensity of Ishmael's feelings for Terry seemed to be in warp speed.

Let's not forget that Ishmael in high school by the very same people Terry was hanging out with. When Ishmael was beaten to a pulp, Terry stood there from beginning 'til end and did nothing to prevent or stop the beating. So, forgive me if I don't or can't fully comprehend how quickly Ishmael went from former victim to enamored pursuer. Heck, Terry wasn't even ready to reciprocate the three words Ishmael said to him.

I liked the idea of a former victim confronting someone who stood by and did nothing when bullying was taking place and that there could be feelings of love that develop. The thing is, there wasn't that much story development since I felt this relied heavily on the insta-love formula, one that was limited to just one of the characters. All things considered, I'm forced to give Remember Me Not, My Love 2.5 stars.

Date read: 06 February 2015

Learn more about author J.D. Walker here.

Grab a copy of Remember Me Not, My Love on Amazon | Kobo.

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