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Always Something There to Remind Me
Can you ever really know if love is true? And if it is, should you stop at anything to get it? Two decades ago, Erin Edwards was sure she’d already found the love of her Nate Lawson. Her first love. The one with whom she shared everything--dreams of the future, of children, plans for forever. The one she thought she would spend the rest of her life with. Until one terrible night when Erin made a mistake Nate could not forgive and left her to mourn the relationship she could never forget or get over. Today, Erin is contentedly involved with a phenomenal guy, maneuvering a successful and exciting career, and raising a great daughter all on her own. So why would the name “Nate Lawson” be the first thing to enter her mind when her boyfriend asks her to marry him? In the wake of the proposal, Erin finds herself coming unraveled over the past, and the love she never forgot. The more she tries to ignore it and move on, the more it haunts her. Always Something There to Remind Me is a story that will resonate with any woman who has ever thought of that one first love and wondered, “Where is he?” and “What if…?” Filled with Beth Harbison’s trademark nostalgia humor and heart, it will transport you, and inspire you to believe in the power of first love.
358 pages, Hardcover
First published July 6, 2011
113 people are currently reading
8701 people want to read
About the author
Beth Harbison
27 books1,695 followersBeth Harbison grew up in Potomac, Maryland, in the shadow of Washington, D.C. Apart from the occasional irritation at being held up in traffic by a presidential motorcade, she has remained fairly uninvolved in the politics that define her home town. Her latest book is CONFESSIONS OF THE OTHER SISTER, William Morrow 10/11/22
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 717 reviews
September 7, 2023
Actual Stars 2.75 rounded up.
Does anyone remember that song “Always Something There to Remind Me?” I may be dating myself but I do. I wasn’t quite a teenager when it came out but I remember it was such a catchy song with its classic 80’s synth pop, I couldn’t help but sing along. I had to look up who sang it though, Naked Eyes and I’m assuming it was their one hit wonder because I don’t even remember that group.
I wish the book had lived up to the catchy tune, but unfortunately After reading Always Something There to Remind Me again I realize just how much my reading tastes have changed. I read this about 11 to 12 years ago and what I remember really enjoying I found a bit boring the second time around.
Erin is a single mother raising her 15 year old daughter who she adores and actually loves (let’s be honest some teen children are not always a joy to be around at times 😁) spending time with. She is currently involved with a fantastic, drop dead gorgeous lawyer who also happens to be a single dad and the father of her daughters best friend. She enjoys her job as an event planner for a large hotel, well that is until their recent and newest client being Roxanne a bratty teen dead set on a list of impossible tasks for her Sweet 16 party.
Even with Roxanne making work hell life all around is pretty good for Erin, that is until the night her boyfriend proposes. Instead of an immediate yes what comes to mind is Nate Lawson.
Nate Lawson was Erin’s high school boyfriend and first love, the one she pined for years later after they had broken up and he was the one that got away. Nate and Erin were each others everything the minute they met. And after 2 years of sharing dreams, planning a future including children they were destined to be one of those couples that got married right out of high school. But one night after Erin made a terrible mistake that Nate could not forgive or forget he dropped all communication and refused to have anything more to do with her. And Erin was left with a broken heart mourning her loss over Nate.
Erin has to figure out if she can actually love Rick as much as he loves her. Erin’s big decision involves her taking a walk down memory lane through all the ups and downs of her relationship with Nate. And trying to figure out if a high school boyfriend is truly ever the one.
The story is told in Erin’s POV with alternating past and present. And while I enjoyed the way the story was told it still fell a bit flat. It just didn’t have a lot of substance and I hate to say this but felt like a lot of nothing.
I truly didn’t understand what Erin missed so much in Nate. There seemed to be more trouble than paradise to me. And also the reason for them breaking up I really thought was lame. But that’s high school for you. So why would you want to go back to that?
Also the timeline was super confusing to me. The way it was laid out I wasn’t sure if Erin and Nate did actually see each other again (when they were younger) after their initial break up? Erin brings up timelines that seemed like they might have but I wasn’t sure because she didn’t go into detail. This really irked me because I could never figure it out. But maybe it was just me.
I think my favorite part of the book actually involved Erin’s work life. Especially with her handling Roxanne’s party. Roxanne (the teenage diva) and her tantrums were one of the only things that actually brought a bit of life to the story for me.
Chick Lit can be a fun genre for me but unfortunately Always Something There to Remind Me was just not the entertaining book I remembered or was hoping it would be. That doesn’t mean I won’t be willing to try more Beth Harbison books, she has a lot of other titles that I’m hoping are more to my liking.
Does anyone remember that song “Always Something There to Remind Me?” I may be dating myself but I do. I wasn’t quite a teenager when it came out but I remember it was such a catchy song with its classic 80’s synth pop, I couldn’t help but sing along. I had to look up who sang it though, Naked Eyes and I’m assuming it was their one hit wonder because I don’t even remember that group.
I wish the book had lived up to the catchy tune, but unfortunately After reading Always Something There to Remind Me again I realize just how much my reading tastes have changed. I read this about 11 to 12 years ago and what I remember really enjoying I found a bit boring the second time around.
Erin is a single mother raising her 15 year old daughter who she adores and actually loves (let’s be honest some teen children are not always a joy to be around at times 😁) spending time with. She is currently involved with a fantastic, drop dead gorgeous lawyer who also happens to be a single dad and the father of her daughters best friend. She enjoys her job as an event planner for a large hotel, well that is until their recent and newest client being Roxanne a bratty teen dead set on a list of impossible tasks for her Sweet 16 party.
Even with Roxanne making work hell life all around is pretty good for Erin, that is until the night her boyfriend proposes. Instead of an immediate yes what comes to mind is Nate Lawson.
Nate Lawson was Erin’s high school boyfriend and first love, the one she pined for years later after they had broken up and he was the one that got away. Nate and Erin were each others everything the minute they met. And after 2 years of sharing dreams, planning a future including children they were destined to be one of those couples that got married right out of high school. But one night after Erin made a terrible mistake that Nate could not forgive or forget he dropped all communication and refused to have anything more to do with her. And Erin was left with a broken heart mourning her loss over Nate.
Erin has to figure out if she can actually love Rick as much as he loves her. Erin’s big decision involves her taking a walk down memory lane through all the ups and downs of her relationship with Nate. And trying to figure out if a high school boyfriend is truly ever the one.
The story is told in Erin’s POV with alternating past and present. And while I enjoyed the way the story was told it still fell a bit flat. It just didn’t have a lot of substance and I hate to say this but felt like a lot of nothing.
I truly didn’t understand what Erin missed so much in Nate. There seemed to be more trouble than paradise to me. And also the reason for them breaking up I really thought was lame. But that’s high school for you. So why would you want to go back to that?
Also the timeline was super confusing to me. The way it was laid out I wasn’t sure if Erin and Nate did actually see each other again (when they were younger) after their initial break up? Erin brings up timelines that seemed like they might have but I wasn’t sure because she didn’t go into detail. This really irked me because I could never figure it out. But maybe it was just me.
I think my favorite part of the book actually involved Erin’s work life. Especially with her handling Roxanne’s party. Roxanne (the teenage diva) and her tantrums were one of the only things that actually brought a bit of life to the story for me.
Chick Lit can be a fun genre for me but unfortunately Always Something There to Remind Me was just not the entertaining book I remembered or was hoping it would be. That doesn’t mean I won’t be willing to try more Beth Harbison books, she has a lot of other titles that I’m hoping are more to my liking.
June 22, 2012
OMG, can I choose ZERO stars? I liked Harbison's Shoe Addict books, and Hope in a Jar was OK, but this book was AWFUL! A 30-something with a pre-teen daughter obsesses like a school girl over a HS boyfriend she hasn't seen in 20+ years. I couldn't stand the main character, Erin. She was whiney and immature and selfish both as an adult and in the flashbacks to her teen years. The supporting characters were uninteresting and seemed to be there only to set Erin up for more drawn-out self-serving introspection. The author also was painfully conspicuous in trying to connect with her readers by dropping 1980s references like Body on Tap Shampoo and Champale; a sledgehammer would have been less obvious. I like a good sex scene, but these were unrealistic for teenagers as well as gratuitous, perhaps to make up for the flat writing. The dialog was boring, and the narration was stiff and jumbled. And the back story about her job was completely lame; it was a HUGE stretch to tie it into the main plot, which was simply weak and lazy. It was also overly repetitive, chapter after chapter after freaking chapter, in its effort to jam down your throat the idea that this really was "true love." Enough already! This is the kind of book that gives real chick lit a bad name.
September 26, 2011
I don't think I'll be posting this particular review on Facebook as this book has quite a bit of *whispers* s-e-x in it. (A lot of Christians seem to have a problem with this particular topic even though God created it.) However, before Christians discount it completely, let me just add that this book makes a powerful case for teenage abstinence. First of all, it contains an extremely accurate description of a girl's First Time. It's not the passionate, beautiful experience you see in movies. It's awkward and painful and not much fun, especially when it's with someone you aren't madly in love with and not married to.
The second reason I think there is a message of abstinence here is that in this book you see a woman still hung up over her first love decades later. What girls don't realize is that when you give your heart and body to someone, they will always have a piece of you. Shouldn't that be the person you're going to spend the rest of your life with? I actually think that this wouldn't be a bad book to remember when it's time to give your daughter The Talk. There's more at stake than just unplanned pregnancies or STDs.
Just a note: In real life, most stories don't end like this one. That's the difference between fiction and reality.
The second reason I think there is a message of abstinence here is that in this book you see a woman still hung up over her first love decades later. What girls don't realize is that when you give your heart and body to someone, they will always have a piece of you. Shouldn't that be the person you're going to spend the rest of your life with? I actually think that this wouldn't be a bad book to remember when it's time to give your daughter The Talk. There's more at stake than just unplanned pregnancies or STDs.
Just a note: In real life, most stories don't end like this one. That's the difference between fiction and reality.
June 2, 2011
I was lucky enough to get a free advance copy of this book.
The majority of women recall that one "first" love. Whether that "lost love" is from your adolescent years or from later in life - I think we all have that one romance that takes a part of our heart and never releases it. We try to keep it concealed. When a lost reflection floats up about "him", we rapidly crush it with every day habits and troubles since really dwelling on "that guy" will reinstate the sorrow. After chapter 4, I was uncertain if I could or would finish this book. I recognized that it was going to plainly take my heart back to my teens and a guy named Patrick...
The tale unfurls with chapters that rotate between the 1980s and the present. In the 1980's, Erin Edwards was a self-involved high school student, fervently caught up with boyfriend Nate. In the present, Erin Edwards is a single mother with a difficult job as an event co-coordinator at a luxury resort.
I did make it through till the end. In fact I had no problem reading this in record time. I chuckled and sniggered and wept more than I'd like to confess. We get to know the characters. And you know what -Nate WAS my "lost love" Patrick and I appreciated each written word. Without ruining anything - go for it. It's just great.
The majority of women recall that one "first" love. Whether that "lost love" is from your adolescent years or from later in life - I think we all have that one romance that takes a part of our heart and never releases it. We try to keep it concealed. When a lost reflection floats up about "him", we rapidly crush it with every day habits and troubles since really dwelling on "that guy" will reinstate the sorrow. After chapter 4, I was uncertain if I could or would finish this book. I recognized that it was going to plainly take my heart back to my teens and a guy named Patrick...
The tale unfurls with chapters that rotate between the 1980s and the present. In the 1980's, Erin Edwards was a self-involved high school student, fervently caught up with boyfriend Nate. In the present, Erin Edwards is a single mother with a difficult job as an event co-coordinator at a luxury resort.
I did make it through till the end. In fact I had no problem reading this in record time. I chuckled and sniggered and wept more than I'd like to confess. We get to know the characters. And you know what -Nate WAS my "lost love" Patrick and I appreciated each written word. Without ruining anything - go for it. It's just great.
September 6, 2011
I will write the full review on this soon. Right now, I am shattered emotionally. I honestly don't think that I have ever had a book affect me this deeply emotionally. Just an incredible book...
My Review:
I am so overwhelmed by this book, I am not even sure where to start this review. I don't think that I have ever been as personally affected mentally and emotionally by a book as this one has affected me and I am not even sure if I can pinpoint the exact reason as to why. This is DEFINITELY a story that resonates close to my heart. Erin is my age, exactly. She also has a 15 yo daughter and I have a 16 yo son. Her high school years were at the exact same time as mine so when she is reminiscing about her high school life and all that entailed, everything she was talking about from the music to the movies to the stores were the details from my high school existence. I also had a very serious boyfriend back in high school who was the center of my then-world. But like Erin, my maturity level was really lacking and her actions were so familiar to me that it hurts to read.
The book jumps constantly from the Present and back to the mid 1980's when Erin was in high school and deeply in love with Nate... like only teen love can be. Much of the lure of this book throughout the first half of the book is that you are told way early that Erin & Nate have not been together in 23 years. The details of their relationship are slowly revealed, and the deeper you read into their relationship, the more the questions press about what in the world happened to keep them apart for the last 23 years. At the same time, you are learning about Erin's life now with her wonderful 15 yo daughter Camille, her really incredible boyfriend Rick who wants to marry her, and his 16 yo daughter Amy who is Cam's best friend.
What is obvious throughout the entire story is, that no matter how young they were, Nate & Erin had an incredible love and the end of that relationship and the pain from that ending has never left Erin. That pain is a palpable entity throughout the entire book. It echoes. It resonates. It hurts me, as the reader, even now to think about it. She was absolutely devastated by the loss of Nate no matter what her actions were that brought on the break-up. That single loss defined her whole life. She never again had another true love, but was it true love or simply the teenage high-emotion definition of true love?
There is also a lot of discussion about fate in this book. What if Nate & Erin had never broken up? What if she had made a single different choice in high school? There are so many what if's? But the one thing that is clear throughout this book is that if she hadn't made the choices that she had, then she wouldn't have had Camille and that is not a choice that she EVER would have made. Camille is her life and in the end Camille is her savior in helping her make the right move. There was a certain rightness to that which was so perfect for the ending in this book.
I experienced this book as an audiobook, and I honestly am not sure that I would have enjoyed the book as much or become as immersed in the story as I did, if I had read it myself instead. There is a lot of internal dialogue by Erin within the book about her feelings and angst. That is one of those things that tends to annoy me when I am reading a book, but listening to it during the audiobook was a completely different experience. The writing in this is gorgeous and when Erin is going on internally about the depth of her feelings, it was so incredibly moving. I honestly don't think that I would have ever gotten that had I read this book myself, rather than listening to it. For that reason alone, I HIGHLY recommend this audiobook. The language and the writing is just gorgeous and listening to the quality of it was really beautiful.
The narrator in this audiobook is also absolutely incredible. Not only did she do all the different voices, but she managed to do 16 yo Erin vs. 40+ yo Erin perfectly. They had the same inflections, but somehow she managed to add the age amazingly. I am really, really impressed by her skill with the reading of the story. Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend either this audiobook or the book. I am so glad that I experienced it as an audiobook first, but I will be honest, I plan to go out tomorrow and buy the book. There are parts that I want to re-read because they are haunting me. It was just really, truly an amazing book! I loved it!!
My Review:
I am so overwhelmed by this book, I am not even sure where to start this review. I don't think that I have ever been as personally affected mentally and emotionally by a book as this one has affected me and I am not even sure if I can pinpoint the exact reason as to why. This is DEFINITELY a story that resonates close to my heart. Erin is my age, exactly. She also has a 15 yo daughter and I have a 16 yo son. Her high school years were at the exact same time as mine so when she is reminiscing about her high school life and all that entailed, everything she was talking about from the music to the movies to the stores were the details from my high school existence. I also had a very serious boyfriend back in high school who was the center of my then-world. But like Erin, my maturity level was really lacking and her actions were so familiar to me that it hurts to read.
The book jumps constantly from the Present and back to the mid 1980's when Erin was in high school and deeply in love with Nate... like only teen love can be. Much of the lure of this book throughout the first half of the book is that you are told way early that Erin & Nate have not been together in 23 years. The details of their relationship are slowly revealed, and the deeper you read into their relationship, the more the questions press about what in the world happened to keep them apart for the last 23 years. At the same time, you are learning about Erin's life now with her wonderful 15 yo daughter Camille, her really incredible boyfriend Rick who wants to marry her, and his 16 yo daughter Amy who is Cam's best friend.
What is obvious throughout the entire story is, that no matter how young they were, Nate & Erin had an incredible love and the end of that relationship and the pain from that ending has never left Erin. That pain is a palpable entity throughout the entire book. It echoes. It resonates. It hurts me, as the reader, even now to think about it. She was absolutely devastated by the loss of Nate no matter what her actions were that brought on the break-up. That single loss defined her whole life. She never again had another true love, but was it true love or simply the teenage high-emotion definition of true love?
There is also a lot of discussion about fate in this book. What if Nate & Erin had never broken up? What if she had made a single different choice in high school? There are so many what if's? But the one thing that is clear throughout this book is that if she hadn't made the choices that she had, then she wouldn't have had Camille and that is not a choice that she EVER would have made. Camille is her life and in the end Camille is her savior in helping her make the right move. There was a certain rightness to that which was so perfect for the ending in this book.
I experienced this book as an audiobook, and I honestly am not sure that I would have enjoyed the book as much or become as immersed in the story as I did, if I had read it myself instead. There is a lot of internal dialogue by Erin within the book about her feelings and angst. That is one of those things that tends to annoy me when I am reading a book, but listening to it during the audiobook was a completely different experience. The writing in this is gorgeous and when Erin is going on internally about the depth of her feelings, it was so incredibly moving. I honestly don't think that I would have ever gotten that had I read this book myself, rather than listening to it. For that reason alone, I HIGHLY recommend this audiobook. The language and the writing is just gorgeous and listening to the quality of it was really beautiful.
The narrator in this audiobook is also absolutely incredible. Not only did she do all the different voices, but she managed to do 16 yo Erin vs. 40+ yo Erin perfectly. They had the same inflections, but somehow she managed to add the age amazingly. I am really, really impressed by her skill with the reading of the story. Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend either this audiobook or the book. I am so glad that I experienced it as an audiobook first, but I will be honest, I plan to go out tomorrow and buy the book. There are parts that I want to re-read because they are haunting me. It was just really, truly an amazing book! I loved it!!
Read
August 31, 2025Yes, this is my mother's book, and you might think I'm biased. But it was INCREDIBLE. My absolute favorite of her books.
I loved this one unreasonably, and recommend it to everyone who has ever angsted or felt the pull of the past. Or anyone who has ever liked to read, really. It's a book about first love and all of the agony and ecstasy that goes with it. In this story, the author delves into deeper stuff than she's ever done before, and shows her readers what she can really do with words.
Read it!
I loved this one unreasonably, and recommend it to everyone who has ever angsted or felt the pull of the past. Or anyone who has ever liked to read, really. It's a book about first love and all of the agony and ecstasy that goes with it. In this story, the author delves into deeper stuff than she's ever done before, and shows her readers what she can really do with words.
Read it!
March 2, 2012
Can’t we all do ourselves a favor and let go of old loves? High school and childhood sweethearts are overrated. Seriously, lengthy recollections of the main character of Erin Andrews over Nate Lawson is the most nauseating read ever. With its constant references to a high school relationship, not only does the 37-year-old character sound like a perpetual adolescent but also a love obsessed neurotic.
Teenage lovers are an illusion to a past long gone. Who wants to sing love songs to a high school jock anyway? People need to grow up. A lifelong urge to ruminate over 16-year-old issues and its unfinished business is a choice. You can finished old unresolved situations in a heartbeat but choosing to let go. Instead, this fictional tale is siply one long addiction to love drama.
The story opens with Erin Andrews, hotel event planner, working on a Super Sweet 16 party. She is engaged to a handsome Washington, DC lawyer and is a single mother to her own teenage daughter. Once she gets a proposal the face and name of Nate Lawson pops into her mind. Without a thought of her adult life Erin sets out to find Nate for God knows what. Turns out Nate broke up with her when he thought she cheated on him. Adolescent boys can be so moody too. Yet Erin fails to forgive her indiscretions and searches for redemption with her one and only Nate.
People troll high school reunions in search of that first love or unrequited high school crush. The one who meant everything to them as kids and many realize how foolish they were to hold on. Is it really love one is after? Or more accurate it is some kind of approval from days gone by? Why do some give such power away? Isn’t the better choice to seek out a therapist? Erin does find Nate and all the drama starts up again. Nate is married himself and as the story progresses its clear how misguided both Erin and Nate were and still are. Nostalgia is a bitch.
Teenage lovers are an illusion to a past long gone. Who wants to sing love songs to a high school jock anyway? People need to grow up. A lifelong urge to ruminate over 16-year-old issues and its unfinished business is a choice. You can finished old unresolved situations in a heartbeat but choosing to let go. Instead, this fictional tale is siply one long addiction to love drama.
The story opens with Erin Andrews, hotel event planner, working on a Super Sweet 16 party. She is engaged to a handsome Washington, DC lawyer and is a single mother to her own teenage daughter. Once she gets a proposal the face and name of Nate Lawson pops into her mind. Without a thought of her adult life Erin sets out to find Nate for God knows what. Turns out Nate broke up with her when he thought she cheated on him. Adolescent boys can be so moody too. Yet Erin fails to forgive her indiscretions and searches for redemption with her one and only Nate.
People troll high school reunions in search of that first love or unrequited high school crush. The one who meant everything to them as kids and many realize how foolish they were to hold on. Is it really love one is after? Or more accurate it is some kind of approval from days gone by? Why do some give such power away? Isn’t the better choice to seek out a therapist? Erin does find Nate and all the drama starts up again. Nate is married himself and as the story progresses its clear how misguided both Erin and Nate were and still are. Nostalgia is a bitch.
June 19, 2015
Very disappointed in this one, and I had really enjoyed her Shoe Addicts series. It started out well, with the back-and-forth stories about teenaged Erin and grown up Erin dealing with their day-to-day lives. Grown up Erin's absolutely-perfect-in-every-way boyfriend (gorgeous, successful, widowed father to a daughter who is best friends with Erin's fifteen-year-old daughter, etc., etc.) asks her to marry him. Erin, completely blindsided (why is not exactly clear--where did she honestly imagine this relationship was going?) finds she can't give him an answer--indeed, she is suddenly in a complete and total panic--because all she can think about is her boyfriend of two years whom she broke up with twenty-three years ago. Yep, twenty-three years ago. She hasn't thought of him in ages (by her own admission), but suddenly there he is, a giant roadblock in the way of her giving perfect Rick his answer. Okay, Nate was her first in every sense of the world...but seriously?
Then the agony begins. We hear all about Erin and Nate's relationship--they had a three year age difference, met when she was fifteen, and pretty much instantly started an intense relationship which wouldn't have been appropriate even for two people in their late teens/ early twenties. Erin lived and breathed her relationship with this guy. They declared their love. They talked of forever and marriage. They spent not only every day, but many nights together. That wasn't enough for Erin, though, because she wanted to spend more time with just Nate on "real" dates and less time out with him and his friends. She wanted to have a "normal" teenage experience, which for her meant crushing on and even going out with other guys (which she did, with his okay) but at the same time having Nate do grand gestures for her a la John Cusak's famous Say Anything boombox scene.
She was amazingly selfish and immature, not surprising for a fifteen/sixteen-year-old, but that self-absorption continued into her older self as well. She admits as an adult that she had not treated Nate well back then, but turns around and doesn't act any better in the present time either. It's always what Nate did to her and how she suffered, with no real remorse for what she has done to him and is doing to Rick. Oh, she says she's sorry, but her actions and completely self-indulgent, obsessive, and inappropriate inner monologue tell another story.
It was very frustrating to read, and ultimately, just not believable. Her best friend's advice throughout (as an adult she's a psychologist) just doesn't seem like that of a trained professional. Erin's relationship with her daughter Cam doesn't seem like that of a real mother and daughter. For much of the novel, Erin doesn't "read" as someone capable of seeing to her own emotional and developmental needs, let alone be responsible for someone else's...just which one of them is in charge in that household? Setting a good example? Holding a realistic view of love and relationships? It is unclear. All in all, it was aggravating to read. It got two stars because it did have its moments and I did enjoy hearing the interview with the author at the end, but I really don't know that I'll be in a hurry to read anything new from this author in the future.
Then the agony begins. We hear all about Erin and Nate's relationship--they had a three year age difference, met when she was fifteen, and pretty much instantly started an intense relationship which wouldn't have been appropriate even for two people in their late teens/ early twenties. Erin lived and breathed her relationship with this guy. They declared their love. They talked of forever and marriage. They spent not only every day, but many nights together. That wasn't enough for Erin, though, because she wanted to spend more time with just Nate on "real" dates and less time out with him and his friends. She wanted to have a "normal" teenage experience, which for her meant crushing on and even going out with other guys (which she did, with his okay) but at the same time having Nate do grand gestures for her a la John Cusak's famous Say Anything boombox scene.
She was amazingly selfish and immature, not surprising for a fifteen/sixteen-year-old, but that self-absorption continued into her older self as well. She admits as an adult that she had not treated Nate well back then, but turns around and doesn't act any better in the present time either. It's always what Nate did to her and how she suffered, with no real remorse for what she has done to him and is doing to Rick. Oh, she says she's sorry, but her actions and completely self-indulgent, obsessive, and inappropriate inner monologue tell another story.
It was very frustrating to read, and ultimately, just not believable. Her best friend's advice throughout (as an adult she's a psychologist) just doesn't seem like that of a trained professional. Erin's relationship with her daughter Cam doesn't seem like that of a real mother and daughter. For much of the novel, Erin doesn't "read" as someone capable of seeing to her own emotional and developmental needs, let alone be responsible for someone else's...just which one of them is in charge in that household? Setting a good example? Holding a realistic view of love and relationships? It is unclear. All in all, it was aggravating to read. It got two stars because it did have its moments and I did enjoy hearing the interview with the author at the end, but I really don't know that I'll be in a hurry to read anything new from this author in the future.
March 25, 2012
OK so I am the worst at updating this site, and honestly, this book was so good I actually logged in to get it documented. Maybe it's the author (I do love her style), maybe it's the 80s setting (hereby ashamedly admitting that I was secretly thrilled Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers and beer shampoo were included in the initial chapters), maybe it's the way I sort of wanted it to work out but didn't see how the author could manage it without coming off completely cheesy, and then she got the ending just right... but I *LOVED* this book!
It's a light read (I can't handle deep anymore - my life is deep enough thankyouverymuch) and there is just enough real single-mom-with-teenage-daughter and flashbacks to the 80s teen life that make you feel like you're reading about your best friend from high school, if not yourself. Basic plot is single mom (result of good co-parenting with brief fling) who can't forget her first love. Is he seen though the lens of teenage life, or was it the real thing? Everyone has that fella - you know the one, broke your heart when you were young and as soon as the Google allowed anonymous voyeurism you were all over it like a duck on a junebug - and this gal is no different. But what if you ran into him again? What if it was still like he never left... except of course now others are in the picture who are affected? A GREAT look through the lens of "what if..." - no disappointments.
Grab a good glass (or hell the whole bottle) of wine - this one's worth staying in.
It's a light read (I can't handle deep anymore - my life is deep enough thankyouverymuch) and there is just enough real single-mom-with-teenage-daughter and flashbacks to the 80s teen life that make you feel like you're reading about your best friend from high school, if not yourself. Basic plot is single mom (result of good co-parenting with brief fling) who can't forget her first love. Is he seen though the lens of teenage life, or was it the real thing? Everyone has that fella - you know the one, broke your heart when you were young and as soon as the Google allowed anonymous voyeurism you were all over it like a duck on a junebug - and this gal is no different. But what if you ran into him again? What if it was still like he never left... except of course now others are in the picture who are affected? A GREAT look through the lens of "what if..." - no disappointments.
Grab a good glass (or hell the whole bottle) of wine - this one's worth staying in.
August 29, 2011
Everyone in this book is an asshole
April 3, 2012
I've read all of Beth Harbison's books and liked them all. Except this one. The weakness of the female lead and lack of any kind of development of her character were so disappointing. Trust me, I'm no prude but these teenage sex scenes were very hard to take! My daughter is only 4 and it created so much anxiety for me thinking about her being a teenager. I didn't need that! All I could see that Erin and Nate had in common was sexual chemistry. It wasn't like he helped her through some crisis or they bonded in any real way. She came across as so needy and truly desperate. And realIy immature! Even as a 37 year old woman. It was hard to stomach for a modern girl. Also the guy, Nate was 3 years older than Erin...isn't that like illegal or something, a 16 year old and a 19 year old? I don't know. It just made me feel bad. This girl should have been mad at him for stealing her innocence and youth and all the adventures you should be having at that age. It was too much. The side story lines were kind of boring to me as well, like her planning a sweet sixteen party for a real brat that I kept picturing in my head as Snooki. I didn't like how this book made feel, it didn't have much depth and I wouldn't recommend it to anybody. I was looking forward to reading this one too and was happy when it finally came in at the library....at least I didn't pay for it. Okay I need to read something else right now to erase this book from my brain.
August 6, 2011
I give ZERO stars to this book (but it seems zero star ratings really are not possible). Worst book I've read this year. The words are dead on the page, there is no engagement of the reader, nothing that stimulates or drives. The characters are flat and formulaic. The plot is tired, boring, uninspired, and unimaginative.
August 14, 2012
Generally, I think women will be able to relate to the premise of this book (Erin finds that she is unable to truly move on from her first true love even after 25 years and she finds that she must revisit the past and try to put it to rest in order to move on with her future), but I was really, really, REALLY disappointed when she encounters the true love in the yard of his old home by happenstance and then, in slow, dream-like motion, they walk towards each other and make-out desperately, stopping only long enough to stumble inside and have satisfying sex on his old bed. Suddenly every effort that had been put into building any kind of suspense or anticipation was totally gone, as was any feelings of goodwill I had towards the book. Then, Erin gets up to go to the bathroom and finds his WEDDING RING on the sink. Suddenly, my lack of goodwill swung towards malice. So, while I feel the premise of the book was a thoughtful one, I do not feel like it was handled well at all. Finally, I’m glad I read this book in two days because I could not have handled having this song in my head for one more minute. (Did the statute of limitations run out on the copyright for the title of this song or did some book editor massively screw up?)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2015
Always Something There to Remind Me was another beautifully crafted Harbison novel. Having read Shoe Adicts Anonymous I knew straight away that I would love this book and Harbison did not dissapoint. Although not as 'fluffy' and cheery as SAA, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read.
It questions whether one can ever get over their first love and intertwines the tale of Erin (the novel's protagonist) during her teen years with that of her during her adult life. These were wonderfully woven together often leading into and out of each other so that the reader never really felt as if they were departing from the story. Unfortunately, this is a technique that many writers have not yet mastered and can result in the loss of the 'flow' of the story.
Throughout the novel Erin questions the effect that the loss of her first love Nate had on her and whether she could have, or should have, tried to change that.
A beautiful ending which had me almost begging for more, a must read for any chick-lit lovers.
P.s Good luck trying to pick it up without singing the song of the same title!
It questions whether one can ever get over their first love and intertwines the tale of Erin (the novel's protagonist) during her teen years with that of her during her adult life. These were wonderfully woven together often leading into and out of each other so that the reader never really felt as if they were departing from the story. Unfortunately, this is a technique that many writers have not yet mastered and can result in the loss of the 'flow' of the story.
Throughout the novel Erin questions the effect that the loss of her first love Nate had on her and whether she could have, or should have, tried to change that.
A beautiful ending which had me almost begging for more, a must read for any chick-lit lovers.
P.s Good luck trying to pick it up without singing the song of the same title!
June 4, 2012
Beth Harbison is very hit and miss for me. I sometimes really enjoy her books (Shoe Addicts) and other times am disappointed (Hope in a Jar.) This is one of the disappointments.
I am sure that most of us have the What-If guy/girl, where we wonder what would have happened had we stayed with him/her. Harbison takes this to the extreme with her characters, Erin and Nate.
Erin and Nate meet and fall in love as teenagers. They share a connection that is not often found at that age, but Erin doesn't trust that this could be everlasting love and wants to date others. Nate does not take that well and they break up. Despite efforts to reconnect during high school, they end up not meeting again until over 20 years later.
Erin has never forgotten Nate and wonders what might have been.
Overall, this is an old tale. Really old. And there's just nothing fresh here about it. It's predictable, it's mundane, and to be honest, the characters are just not that likable. I find myself feeling sorry for the significant others over the two main characters. I can't recommend it.
I am sure that most of us have the What-If guy/girl, where we wonder what would have happened had we stayed with him/her. Harbison takes this to the extreme with her characters, Erin and Nate.
Erin and Nate meet and fall in love as teenagers. They share a connection that is not often found at that age, but Erin doesn't trust that this could be everlasting love and wants to date others. Nate does not take that well and they break up. Despite efforts to reconnect during high school, they end up not meeting again until over 20 years later.
Erin has never forgotten Nate and wonders what might have been.
Overall, this is an old tale. Really old. And there's just nothing fresh here about it. It's predictable, it's mundane, and to be honest, the characters are just not that likable. I find myself feeling sorry for the significant others over the two main characters. I can't recommend it.
August 25, 2014
I was very excited to read Always Something There To Remind Me. I love these kinds of books because every woman can relate to the story line. Every woman has had a first love, whether it went well or not, and she always remembers him.
It's the story about Erin and her high school sweetheart Nate. He was her first, and they were together for two years, but a misunderstanding, and her need for attention, and his quiet ways of attention and affection finally broke them up. They moved on.
Now, twenty years later, Erin has a 15 year old from another relationship, which failed, and the father of the child has passed away, leaving her a single hard-working mother. She's never really gotten over Nate, but she's tried to quietly move on. She's been in a year long relationship with a great guy -- everything on paper is perfect--he's hot, he's got a great job, and his daughter is even best friends with Erin's daughter. But Rick doesn't spark the love fireworks that Erin ever felt with Nate. No one has, and Erin fears that no one ever will.
When Rick unexpectedly proposes to Erin, the first thing that comes to her mind isn't YES or NO. It's NATE. She realizes she needs to find NATE. That's all she can think of. She can't answer Rick because she has not gotten the closure she's needed in order to move on in the present. The past won't let her move on.
Always Something There To Remind Me tells the story of Erin's and Nate's young first passionate love and then in alternating chapters shows the present time as well. Erin finds Nate, and discovers some shocking news of her own. Will it be too much for her to take, and make her realize that the break-up was exactly that - something that was meant to be long ago? Or is fate stepping in once again, and letting her know that the time is right for a do-over, and this is the second chance she'd always hoped for?
A fast-paced, fun read about first love and the decisions that are sometimes made for us, and what it's like if there was a second chance, Always Something There To Remind Me is a book that all women will want to read. It'll bring you back to those hot steamy nights in the back of the car when you knew you were breaking your curfew, but you also knew you wanted to take it a bit further. And you also knew deep in your heart that if you left, you feared you might not ever breathe again!
It's the story about Erin and her high school sweetheart Nate. He was her first, and they were together for two years, but a misunderstanding, and her need for attention, and his quiet ways of attention and affection finally broke them up. They moved on.
Now, twenty years later, Erin has a 15 year old from another relationship, which failed, and the father of the child has passed away, leaving her a single hard-working mother. She's never really gotten over Nate, but she's tried to quietly move on. She's been in a year long relationship with a great guy -- everything on paper is perfect--he's hot, he's got a great job, and his daughter is even best friends with Erin's daughter. But Rick doesn't spark the love fireworks that Erin ever felt with Nate. No one has, and Erin fears that no one ever will.
When Rick unexpectedly proposes to Erin, the first thing that comes to her mind isn't YES or NO. It's NATE. She realizes she needs to find NATE. That's all she can think of. She can't answer Rick because she has not gotten the closure she's needed in order to move on in the present. The past won't let her move on.
Always Something There To Remind Me tells the story of Erin's and Nate's young first passionate love and then in alternating chapters shows the present time as well. Erin finds Nate, and discovers some shocking news of her own. Will it be too much for her to take, and make her realize that the break-up was exactly that - something that was meant to be long ago? Or is fate stepping in once again, and letting her know that the time is right for a do-over, and this is the second chance she'd always hoped for?
A fast-paced, fun read about first love and the decisions that are sometimes made for us, and what it's like if there was a second chance, Always Something There To Remind Me is a book that all women will want to read. It'll bring you back to those hot steamy nights in the back of the car when you knew you were breaking your curfew, but you also knew you wanted to take it a bit further. And you also knew deep in your heart that if you left, you feared you might not ever breathe again!
July 25, 2011
The tone of this book was a little overly conversational for me. I am sure that’s the author’s style and I am also sure it draws a lot of people to her writing, but it just didn’t work for me. The tone, the subject, the subplots, and the conclusion were all a little too silly, as was the random insertion of a walk-down-mescal-trip lane somewhere in the final pages of the book. Also, Erin’s relationship with her teenage daughter felt a little inauthentic. I think the whole “pining for a high school love” is just a hard thing for me to get really jazzed about when reading a novel. My high school boyfriend was great and all but it was a relationship for a different time in a different place when I was a different person. I just can’t relate to the longing and the what-ifs. I’m not surprised many have rated this highly, it just wasn’t my type of book.
March 4, 2012
I officially give up on Beth Harbison. "Hope in a Jar" was bad enough, but I couldn't even make myself power through this tripe. I got about 1/3 of the way through and just stopped caring about what happened to anyone in the book. None of it made any logical sense (who thinks of their high school boyfriend in the middle of a proposal from their current hot, sweet boyfriend 23 years later?!) and I did not find the main character (it has been 3 days since I stopped reading this book, and I honestly cannot remember this character's name. She is that forgettable!) relateable in any way. I'm also slightly bitter that I now have "Always Something There to Remind Me" playing on a loop in my head, and I really hate that song! Who keeps paying Beth Harbison to churn out this stuff? Very glad *I* didn't pay for it myself!
October 9, 2011
Every woman remembers her first love. Maybe it was college, high school, or even younger. And after we grow up, some of us wonder what he is doing now, and others of us think What if? or If only I could go back.... No heartbreak is quite as terrible as the first one, and that experience changes some of us, for better or for worse. Beth Harbison's book, Always Something There to Remind Me, takes the reader on a journey through many moments in her own past as it tells the story of Erin Edwards.
Chapters alternate (for the most part) between present day adult Erin, told in first person, and the past 1980's Erin, told in third person. We learn how the past has shaped the woman she has become. In high school, Erin is madly in love with Nate Lawson, and he feels the same way about her. The problem is that they have found each other too early in life and things just don't last. Over twenty years later, Erin has a daughter, (by a man she wasn't in love with), and is now dating the perfect guy. Rick is handsome, considerate, well able to provide for a family, and he loves Erin and wants to marry her. The only problem is that he isn't Nate.
The loss of her only love has defined Erin's life. She doesn't let anyone get too close, pushing them away when they cross that invisible line. And then something happens. Nate suddenly reappears in her life, and Erin feels the same way she used to as a teenager. But things are complicated now. Erin has her daughter, Camille, and Rick, while Nate has a complicated situation of his own. The book does have a happy ending, giving credence to true love. And although the ending was satisfying, it was completely unrealistic.
Beth Harbison wrote Erin's story with such emotion that it really did take me back.... I can still remember the excruciating heartbreak that went on for years after my first love cast me aside. I'd see him out somewhere, then cry all night long and wake up with a sinus infection the next morning and have no voice left. Not that I'd ever want him back; I'm very happy and in love with my husband. The point is that I can remember the pain in vivid detail, which the author captured extremely well in telling this story. It was also a very quick, entertaining read that I was able to (almost) finish in one sitting. Chick lit isn't my usual genre, but this book was recommended to me, and I did enjoy it.
Chapters alternate (for the most part) between present day adult Erin, told in first person, and the past 1980's Erin, told in third person. We learn how the past has shaped the woman she has become. In high school, Erin is madly in love with Nate Lawson, and he feels the same way about her. The problem is that they have found each other too early in life and things just don't last. Over twenty years later, Erin has a daughter, (by a man she wasn't in love with), and is now dating the perfect guy. Rick is handsome, considerate, well able to provide for a family, and he loves Erin and wants to marry her. The only problem is that he isn't Nate.
The loss of her only love has defined Erin's life. She doesn't let anyone get too close, pushing them away when they cross that invisible line. And then something happens. Nate suddenly reappears in her life, and Erin feels the same way she used to as a teenager. But things are complicated now. Erin has her daughter, Camille, and Rick, while Nate has a complicated situation of his own. The book does have a happy ending, giving credence to true love. And although the ending was satisfying, it was completely unrealistic.
Beth Harbison wrote Erin's story with such emotion that it really did take me back.... I can still remember the excruciating heartbreak that went on for years after my first love cast me aside. I'd see him out somewhere, then cry all night long and wake up with a sinus infection the next morning and have no voice left. Not that I'd ever want him back; I'm very happy and in love with my husband. The point is that I can remember the pain in vivid detail, which the author captured extremely well in telling this story. It was also a very quick, entertaining read that I was able to (almost) finish in one sitting. Chick lit isn't my usual genre, but this book was recommended to me, and I did enjoy it.
August 26, 2013
I just started reading this book, so I don't know how I'll like it overall (I'll write another review if it's significantly better or worse than 3 stars in my opinion) but already I've noticed several annoying things that irk me:
1. Flipping from 1st to 3rd person. Pick one, already! Some people like this method, but I am not one of them.
2. Anachronisms. "Jordan" was not a girls name in 1969. Trust me, I know about 1969 girls' names. I was one of several Kimberlys or Kims everywhere I went. There were Lisas, Michelles, Loris, Kristens, but Jordan became a girl's name sometime in the 1990s
3. The songs. These kids, for whatever reason, seem to like soft rock songs that are 8 years old. Fleetwood Mac from the "Rumours" era and Billy Joel from the "Stranger" album. Once they even listened to Air Supply, which was only a few years out of date in 1985. No Duran Duran, Culture Club, early heavy metal, Michael Jackson? Teens don't usually like adult contemporary music, that's why it's called "adult".
I'll give it a chance to see if it gets any better, but it's not promising so far. I wish I had ordered the sample for my kindle instead of just impulsively buying the whole book.
**********
OK, I'm done reading it. Still 3 stars. It's interesting and a quick read for sure, but not the best book I've ever read. It 's realistic about teen dating life--the hanging out and having sex without dating. It's sort of a dark, depressing book, which makes it different from your usual chick-lit novels. But there is almost no characterization at all. We know nothing about Nate and Erin as teenagers except that they love, love, love each other (but fight all the time). Are they good students? Is Nate in college? Do the families know each other? Are they new wave, heavy-metal, preppy, artsy, popular jock/cheerleader types? You never find out. It's hinted that she's from a more affluent background than him, but that plot isn't developed.
It reminds me quite a bit of Judy Blume's "Wifey." "Wifey," however, had humor and social satire. It also had developed characters with better motivation behind their actions. It's interesting how that book was considered so "dirty" in its day. There is actually much more sex in "Always. . . Remind Me," written 35 years later.
1. Flipping from 1st to 3rd person. Pick one, already! Some people like this method, but I am not one of them.
2. Anachronisms. "Jordan" was not a girls name in 1969. Trust me, I know about 1969 girls' names. I was one of several Kimberlys or Kims everywhere I went. There were Lisas, Michelles, Loris, Kristens, but Jordan became a girl's name sometime in the 1990s
3. The songs. These kids, for whatever reason, seem to like soft rock songs that are 8 years old. Fleetwood Mac from the "Rumours" era and Billy Joel from the "Stranger" album. Once they even listened to Air Supply, which was only a few years out of date in 1985. No Duran Duran, Culture Club, early heavy metal, Michael Jackson? Teens don't usually like adult contemporary music, that's why it's called "adult".
I'll give it a chance to see if it gets any better, but it's not promising so far. I wish I had ordered the sample for my kindle instead of just impulsively buying the whole book.
**********
OK, I'm done reading it. Still 3 stars. It's interesting and a quick read for sure, but not the best book I've ever read. It 's realistic about teen dating life--the hanging out and having sex without dating. It's sort of a dark, depressing book, which makes it different from your usual chick-lit novels. But there is almost no characterization at all. We know nothing about Nate and Erin as teenagers except that they love, love, love each other (but fight all the time). Are they good students? Is Nate in college? Do the families know each other? Are they new wave, heavy-metal, preppy, artsy, popular jock/cheerleader types? You never find out. It's hinted that she's from a more affluent background than him, but that plot isn't developed.
It reminds me quite a bit of Judy Blume's "Wifey." "Wifey," however, had humor and social satire. It also had developed characters with better motivation behind their actions. It's interesting how that book was considered so "dirty" in its day. There is actually much more sex in "Always. . . Remind Me," written 35 years later.
May 6, 2011
Due to release this summer is Beth Harbison's latest novel, Always Something There to Remind Me. Harbison's recent success as a bestselling novelist is helping to bring her debut, Shoe Addicts Anonymous (2007) to the big screen soon!
Always Something There to Remind Me is about the life of Erin Edwards, featuring two parallel story-lines that jump between her teenage years during the 1980s and the present-day as a single mother in her late thirties. When Erin's current hot-but-dull boyfriend proposes marriage, Erin instantly thinks of her high school sweetheart Nate Lawson, with whom she broke up with after having a simple miscommunication. Of course, since Erin can't stop thinking about Nate, she attempts to track him down and makes a few awkward discoveries. Erin learns that in order to ultimately be happy, she must be true to her heart.
Always Something There to Remind Me is definitely Harbison's most touching novel yet. While the plot is not picture-perfect, the story itself is wildly romantic and endearing. The 1980s flashbacks are awfully repetitive and tiring at times as each chapter commences with heavy petting, crazy teenage sex, and endless "I love yous" -- however the end result is worth your while and you'll definitely forget how exasperated you were while reading these scenes. I especially like Erin's take on choosing to be a single mother and the concept of being alone and in love rather than being forced to spend time married to someone you're not entirely crazy about.
My favorite part of the novel is when the present-day Erin speaks with an elderly woman about the woman's deceased husband. The old woman remarks on how important it is to "try" many different men until you can find the one you can "stay" in love with. Definitely a true statement!
My least favorite part of the novel is the highly theatrical and unrealistic scene regarding Erin and Nate's "reunion" in present-day. No spoilers here, read the novel to see what I mean!
Always Something There to Remind Me is about the life of Erin Edwards, featuring two parallel story-lines that jump between her teenage years during the 1980s and the present-day as a single mother in her late thirties. When Erin's current hot-but-dull boyfriend proposes marriage, Erin instantly thinks of her high school sweetheart Nate Lawson, with whom she broke up with after having a simple miscommunication. Of course, since Erin can't stop thinking about Nate, she attempts to track him down and makes a few awkward discoveries. Erin learns that in order to ultimately be happy, she must be true to her heart.
Always Something There to Remind Me is definitely Harbison's most touching novel yet. While the plot is not picture-perfect, the story itself is wildly romantic and endearing. The 1980s flashbacks are awfully repetitive and tiring at times as each chapter commences with heavy petting, crazy teenage sex, and endless "I love yous" -- however the end result is worth your while and you'll definitely forget how exasperated you were while reading these scenes. I especially like Erin's take on choosing to be a single mother and the concept of being alone and in love rather than being forced to spend time married to someone you're not entirely crazy about.
My favorite part of the novel is when the present-day Erin speaks with an elderly woman about the woman's deceased husband. The old woman remarks on how important it is to "try" many different men until you can find the one you can "stay" in love with. Definitely a true statement!
My least favorite part of the novel is the highly theatrical and unrealistic scene regarding Erin and Nate's "reunion" in present-day. No spoilers here, read the novel to see what I mean!
August 24, 2016
Erin Edwards is a typical girl with crushes. Only that she only wants one boy,Nate Lawson. Not because he is extremely gorgeous or a bad reckless guy like the movies. Rather it is because he is unlike his friend Todd who is notorious for being a player. Previously she had a history with him,knowing that it led nowhere but a one night stand.
Nate is different from him,she likes the chase of him being not taken. Thus when he confirms her suspicions,she is drawn to him like a magnet and the two of them become inseparable.
Shifting the past to the present,Erin is engaged to a man she does not really love. Nate has been consuming her mind ,though it has been 23 years since the last time she laid eyes on him. Now she is stuck with an impending proposal and a choice between going with her heart or making amends with Nate. Desperately trying to repair the broken pieces,Erin must decide who is more important. Is it Nate her ex who left her or her current relationship? It seems like an impossible choice,and it only gets harder when she realizes Nate moved on. Told with brilliant consistency,this book took me by surprise!
I am a very picky rater,let me start of with that. Seldom do I round books to fives,but what impressed me about this book was how relatable it was. Nostalgia was apparent,it somehow reminded me of high school. Did it have perfect characterization? No. Was the story cheesy and unbelievable? You know it! So why the five? Cause I couldn't pull away from it,also the author did a terrific job comparing the Past to the Present. Furthermore,the ending was a beautiful cliffhanger,really hope there is a sequel!
Really good book,love it when books unexpectedly surprise me!
Nate is different from him,she likes the chase of him being not taken. Thus when he confirms her suspicions,she is drawn to him like a magnet and the two of them become inseparable.
Shifting the past to the present,Erin is engaged to a man she does not really love. Nate has been consuming her mind ,though it has been 23 years since the last time she laid eyes on him. Now she is stuck with an impending proposal and a choice between going with her heart or making amends with Nate. Desperately trying to repair the broken pieces,Erin must decide who is more important. Is it Nate her ex who left her or her current relationship? It seems like an impossible choice,and it only gets harder when she realizes Nate moved on. Told with brilliant consistency,this book took me by surprise!
I am a very picky rater,let me start of with that. Seldom do I round books to fives,but what impressed me about this book was how relatable it was. Nostalgia was apparent,it somehow reminded me of high school. Did it have perfect characterization? No. Was the story cheesy and unbelievable? You know it! So why the five? Cause I couldn't pull away from it,also the author did a terrific job comparing the Past to the Present. Furthermore,the ending was a beautiful cliffhanger,really hope there is a sequel!
Really good book,love it when books unexpectedly surprise me!
January 18, 2011
I was lucky enough to be able to get a chance to read an Advanced Reader copy of this book and I couldn't have been more satisfied with this book.
The author was able to take me on a journey of first love and all the feelings that go along with it. I was hooked from the first glimpse into the main characters past life. Through her, I was able to relive all the ups and downs that came along with my first love. I became so involved in every chapter and became obsessed with finding out more about these characters. I finished the book within a day, I was so captivated!
I am a regular reader of Harbison but this book is by far my favorite. It is a book about love and the growth and changes we all must experience in order to become who we are in life. I recommend it to anyone looking for a blast from the past reminder of the innocence of first love .
Make sure you have a clear day ahead before you read it because you will not be able to stop reading until the end.
The author was able to take me on a journey of first love and all the feelings that go along with it. I was hooked from the first glimpse into the main characters past life. Through her, I was able to relive all the ups and downs that came along with my first love. I became so involved in every chapter and became obsessed with finding out more about these characters. I finished the book within a day, I was so captivated!
I am a regular reader of Harbison but this book is by far my favorite. It is a book about love and the growth and changes we all must experience in order to become who we are in life. I recommend it to anyone looking for a blast from the past reminder of the innocence of first love .
Make sure you have a clear day ahead before you read it because you will not be able to stop reading until the end.
January 1, 2014
**To be AVOIDED**
Could not endure to the end. One of at the worst books I've ever read. We know NOTHING about these characters except that they're young and enjoy hopping into bed together. Nate, the boyfriend is nothing more than a name. Erin, is nothing more than a whining, sobbing self-absorbed teenager.
I have better things to do with my time. There are better books out there to enjoy.
I'm pulling the plug on this one.
My first & last Beth Harbison novel unless someone makes a compelling argument for some of her other work.
Could not endure to the end. One of at the worst books I've ever read. We know NOTHING about these characters except that they're young and enjoy hopping into bed together. Nate, the boyfriend is nothing more than a name. Erin, is nothing more than a whining, sobbing self-absorbed teenager.
I have better things to do with my time. There are better books out there to enjoy.
I'm pulling the plug on this one.
My first & last Beth Harbison novel unless someone makes a compelling argument for some of her other work.
June 5, 2015
Set in 1987 and "present" smart and funny, don't need to say more :)
August 19, 2020
I wish I hadn't bothered to finish this book. It wasn't terrible, but it was predictable and trite, and while Harbison is good at writing dialogue, that couldn't save a book with next to no plot beyond "Woman obsesses over high school boyfriend until he materializes in her world for real and she has decisions to make". The flashback chapters were oddly written in 3rd person while the present ones were in first person, and I found that distracting and it didn't work for me. I found myself closing the book repeatedly going "This can't be all this is about", but I was wrong- it genuinely WAS only about that. There were zero interesting supporting characters, and the main character was immature and difficult to like. There are tons of better women's fiction/romance books out there to read. Pass on this one.
April 2, 2024
This book gives such a great perspective for a past relationship and growing in life to be someone different, but still in love with the "first love". I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would it is a 3.5 stars for me rounded to a 4 here on goodreads. But, I thought this book was emotional at times but also very relatable.
April 30, 2019
3.5 stars - quick, easy read, however, the main character is an idiot.
September 7, 2018
Overall I really enjoyed this book. The writing was light, fun and REAL. Beth created a story around a young woman named Erin, who was recently proposed to. Erin then reflects upon her first love.
The book toggles between past and present until eventually her past catches up to her. The ending was sweet, if anything maybe a little too optimistic for the situation.
[SPOILER]
I might have preferred for her to have ended with the more mature relationship, Rick, rather than reverting to her high school sweetheart. But it definitely provided an overall closure for the character.
The self reflection on Erin's part definitely put a lot of perspective on a woman's first love. For those that ever wondered about the past, this book is for you!
This is not the first book that I've read by Beth and it definitely won't be the last.
The book toggles between past and present until eventually her past catches up to her. The ending was sweet, if anything maybe a little too optimistic for the situation.
[SPOILER]
I might have preferred for her to have ended with the more mature relationship, Rick, rather than reverting to her high school sweetheart. But it definitely provided an overall closure for the character.
The self reflection on Erin's part definitely put a lot of perspective on a woman's first love. For those that ever wondered about the past, this book is for you!
This is not the first book that I've read by Beth and it definitely won't be the last.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2011
"Everyone has a first love, one person they never completely got over, right?" Well Erin Edwards never forgot her first love: Nate Lawson. Twenty-three years later, she still remembers him and the old feelings. Nate was the only man she truly fell in love with. It doesn't matter if they were teenagers. It was real. It was emotional. And it was heartbreaking when he got away and their relationship abruptly ended over a petty misunderstanding.
Now Erin has a successful career, a beautiful 16-year-old daughter, and a boyfriend who just proposed. Sounds like the good life, right? Except Erin still hasn't gotten over Nate. She can't stop thinking of him. Her every thought, literally, is about Nate. She just can't seem to forget the past and move on with her future. There is always something there to remind her. It certainly doesn't help when they happen to cross paths and meet.
The chapters alternate between past and present. I usually don't prefer this writing style, but it flowed in Always Something There to Remind Me. I actually preferred the narration of the main character's past rather than her present. Erin's younger self seemed way more smarter and focused than her adult self. It is even more apparent when Erin gets sound advice from her teenage daughter. Maybe her indecisiveness is why the book sort of moved slow to me. I wanted to just tell Erin to make up her mind already! Stop wallowing in self-pity and get it together, lady!
I am a fan of Beth Harbison, bestselling author of Shoe Addicts Anonymous, Secrets of a Shoe Addict, and Hope in a Jar just to name a few. She's one of the few chick lit authors that write with more than fluff. There are actually story lines and well-developed characters. Always Something There to Remind Me is no exception. I wouldn't call it a page-turner, and doubt the characters will linger around the fiction portion of my brain. And it did drag out (because of the character, not the author's writing style). However, the concept and life lesson rings so true. You never forget your first love, or the one that got away. It leaves you wondering about your own past experiences or lost love. Hmmm, what if...?
Literary Marie of Precision Reviews
Now Erin has a successful career, a beautiful 16-year-old daughter, and a boyfriend who just proposed. Sounds like the good life, right? Except Erin still hasn't gotten over Nate. She can't stop thinking of him. Her every thought, literally, is about Nate. She just can't seem to forget the past and move on with her future. There is always something there to remind her. It certainly doesn't help when they happen to cross paths and meet.
The chapters alternate between past and present. I usually don't prefer this writing style, but it flowed in Always Something There to Remind Me. I actually preferred the narration of the main character's past rather than her present. Erin's younger self seemed way more smarter and focused than her adult self. It is even more apparent when Erin gets sound advice from her teenage daughter. Maybe her indecisiveness is why the book sort of moved slow to me. I wanted to just tell Erin to make up her mind already! Stop wallowing in self-pity and get it together, lady!
I am a fan of Beth Harbison, bestselling author of Shoe Addicts Anonymous, Secrets of a Shoe Addict, and Hope in a Jar just to name a few. She's one of the few chick lit authors that write with more than fluff. There are actually story lines and well-developed characters. Always Something There to Remind Me is no exception. I wouldn't call it a page-turner, and doubt the characters will linger around the fiction portion of my brain. And it did drag out (because of the character, not the author's writing style). However, the concept and life lesson rings so true. You never forget your first love, or the one that got away. It leaves you wondering about your own past experiences or lost love. Hmmm, what if...?
Literary Marie of Precision Reviews
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