Review by Kayleigh
This is a classic Christina Lauren romance with a hint of sci-fi mixed in.
Favourite Quote:
It’s been three years, but Luca and I still don’t make much sense to people. I’m not unattractive, but Luca is absolutely gorgeous. Like, golden skin and muscles and toothpaste-commercial-smile kind of gorgeous. You may think I’m biased, but I once watched a grown man ride his bike into a tree because my husband was working in the front yard shirtless.
Book Synopsis:
Three years ago, Emery Finch did something completely out of character: She got married. To Luca—the impossibly charming landscaper she met on one blistering night in Vegas who made her laugh, made her dance, made her feel.
But now, Emery is consumed by her top-secret job, missing dinners, forgetting anniversaries, and promising herself Luca will understand once her cutting-edge research comes to light. Until the unthinkable happens: A tragic accident takes Luca from her.
Desperate not to lose him, Emery breaks every rule to bring him back. And Luca would probably thank her for it, if only he could remember her. Their first kiss, their Sunny Sundays at the beach, the life they built together . . . all of it is gone.
It may be a miracle of science, but for Emery it’s her one shot at a second chance. And this time, she won’t waste it—because true love is always worth reviving.
Review:
The Romance Revival starts of with a bang, literally when Emery and Luca, two of the most unlikely people to get together, have a one night stand and end up married a few short months later. Emery is basically a workaholic mad scientist whose work dominates her life, and thanks to a strict NDA, she can’t share what she does with her hunky and adoring husband. Her research has the potential to save lives after people are medically declared dead. She’s bringing people back to life.
Well, right now the research is top secret and has only been tested on animals, but that’s the goal of her work, which started after a catastrophic accident took her mom and dad from her when she was a teen. Since then, her entire life has been focused on her work. Luca is a nice guy, and honestly it’s hard to know why he’s putting up with Emery’s behaviour. Frankly, Emery would be an awful partner and he sees to her every need with love and patience. I would personally like to put a request in for a Luca in my life.
After a bad day at work, which causes her to miss her anniversary dinner with Luca (come on Emery! Do better!) she ends the day watching Luca get fatally hit in a hit and run just down the street from their house. Because of the work situation, Emery has her magic, life saving potion on her and she does the most reckless action of her life: she brings Luca back to life.
The only problem is that he doesn’t remember anything about his life. What happens next is a classic romance novel of second chances and Emery working on being a better human in general. Emery and Luca are hot together and it’s clear that their chemistry survives the accident. Throughout the second chance, both Emery and Luca share parts of themselves that they hadn’t shared before. Emery realizes that Luca is the best thing that’s ever happened to her and that there are things more important in life than work (duh).
The twist? Mysterious things keep happening to Emery, Luca and their adorable rescue dog Honey (who was also revived). It seems like someone is out to get Emery and possibly take down her house of cards. She and Luca could be collateral damage in someone else’s scheme.
This book is a romp. You have to suspend your disbelief and just enjoy the dramatic ride. The villains are villainy, the science is fantastical and the sex is hot. There’s some fascinating ethical questions that do come up at the start of the book about how much scientists and doctors can and should push past the end of life and what it means to be really dead. I found these narratives fascinating and do wish it had come up a bit more at the end of the story.
This is a fun read that kept me highly entertained.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
