First Chapter Review: When I Remember by Sharon Edwards

This first chapter was submitted by the author's business manager. When I Remember by Sharon Edwards is a contemporary romance that was published in March of this year. It can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Sony. It's also available in iBooks.

BLURB:  He was the love of her life. And he had turned his back on her when she had needed him most. She had tried to hate him—and convinced herself that she did. So then, why was he always hovering there at the edge of her thoughts? Why did his memory haunt the deepest reaches of her heart? How could it still hurt so much after ten long years?

Born into a musical family, Cara Matthews was a child prodigy, destined for the world’s concert halls—or so her parents had planned. But Cara’s heart had led her on a different path, to David, to a love and a happiness she had always hoped for. David had understood her and allowed her to be who she really was, had been her strength and comfort. But David had had ambitions, too, casting her aside as he had pursued his own dreams, and nothing else—neither she nor a terrible loss—had seemed to matter. Were her parents right? Had he only used her as a stepping stone? In the end, had he loved himself more than he had ever loved her? But now, what was he doing—here in Paris—at her father’s concert? Why did he suddenly seem to be there, everywhere she turned? After all these years? Just when she was finally putting her life back together.

When I Remember is a tender, heart-breaking tale of the destructive power of lies, manipulation, and deception. But it is also a story of the enduring power of love, when the heart knows better…and remembers.

COVER:  If you didn't read the synopsis, the cover art would make little sense--except for maybe the roses. While in the first chapter you don't know enough of Cara's past to say if the cover art fits, the synopsis makes it appear it is a good match. I find the red roses against the black and white piano a stunning and lovely contrast.

FIRST CHAPTER: Cara is attending a reception when she spots a man across a crowded room. Her fiancé, Richard, asks if she is okay, but she makes an excuse and escapes to the powder room, knowing the man she has just seen at the party is the same man she has done her best to get out of her heart. Why does she care so much? It's been ten years.

KEEP READING:  Definitely. Edwards has an eloquent style that speaks to a bygone era of refinement and charm, despite this being a contemporary novel. She quickly draws the reader in with the mystery of Cara's past. This is a very emotional first chapter, and one expects the story will continue to tug at your heartstrings as it moves along.


I received the first chapter of this novel from the author's representative. This First Chapter Review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.