Review: Remember When 3
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 9, 2014
This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.Writing my review for the last book in the Remember Trilogy is so bittersweet. Not only do I feel like I’m saying goodbye to friends, but this series allowed me to return to a part of my life I thought I’d never get the chance to visit again. That’s right—I was a fan of Rubik’s Cubes, Aqua Net, and watching the muscles in Patrick Swayze’s bare back twist and turn while he ‘dirty-danced.’First of all, I really loved the author’s decision to start this book ‘five years later.’ I feel like it gave Trip an opportunity to resolve some issues that could have overwhelmed the story if it had picked up where the previous one left off. This allowed Trip and Layla to focus on the hurdles of being together as opposed to fighting their own demons.In this last installment, the passing of Trip’s father is the catalyst that leads him once again to Layla. What I loved about this was from the get-go, you could feel Layla’s desire to be there for him. The wedge between them instantly disappeared, because bottom line: they needed each other. And I think ‘need’ really is the appropriate word here. Trip needed Layla to help him through this. He knew it, and he made this clear to her. He didn’t want her for now—he wanted her back in his life, and he wanted her there to stay. And when Trip and Layla decided to go all in, they really went all in.It was nice to see the playful side of Trip that we saw from the first book; I think his character really came full circle in this series. His actions and reactions to the things around him are a perfect example of how full of hope our high school years are, but how, as time goes by, you have to fight tooth and nail to hold onto that hope. If you don’t, the world can really beat it out of you. I feel like that’s what happened to Trip over the first two books, but he found his hope again in this third installment, and the Trip we first met returned—with much more maturity this time around.The changes in Layla over this series weren’t as dramatic, but I don’t feel like they needed to be. She may not have had her mom, but she had a much bigger support system than Trip did, and as a result, she was able to bounce back much more quickly than Trip was when things happened in her life. This was something I really enjoyed about her character. Yes, Layla always had the daydreamer side to her, but she was also a grounded person, and I think that is, ultimately, one of the things that drew Trip back to her.After the first two books in this series and the push and pull between Trip and Layla, I really enjoyed seeing them together. They were determined to make it through whatever issues cropped up, and they really had to fight and make changes in order for this to happen. This really gave the reader a clear picture of how much Trip and Layla have matured throughout this trilogy.One of the things I really like about T. Torrest is that she ties up her loose ends. There were things I felt like needed to be expanded upon, and they were in this installment.I have to say, this is one of my favorite series of all times, and I think it would appeal to a variety of readers. First love? Second chances? Hollywood heartthrob? CHECK, CHECK, & CHECK!If you are looking for a heartwarming story that’s going to stick with you, I definitely recommend this one!