The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren
Publication Date: July 14th 2026 by Gallery Books
Pages: 352
Source: Publisher
Rating: ★★★½
My
Thoughts:
Emery and Luca, opposites in so many ways, met and fell head-over-heels
in love. Now Emery’s life is consumed by work, focused on a top-secret project
Luca doesn’t know about.
Emery’s project becomes vital when Luca is victim to a
hit-and-run. It works, but Luca wakes up with no memory of Emery. Their
marriage-in-crisis gets a second chance as Emery and Luca get to know each
other all over again.
Reviving Luca has the potential to land Emery and her
best friend/co-worker, Annie, into big time hot water and they work to keep it
secret. Unfortunately, someone’s been paying attention.
I liked that Emery, even before the accident, realized
things needed to change on her end, but had a hard time believing they
communicated so little with how the relationship was described. I had a hard
time thinking that Luca would’ve gone through with his plans before trying to
talk to Emery first, given the chemistry between them.
The Romance Revival was a addictive second-chance
romance/marriage-in-crisis type of story. I actually loved all the sci-fi
intrigue with Emery’s revival project, and I was more engrossed with that than
the romance. The ending was exciting with more danger and thrills than I
expected and I enjoyed how it all wrapped up.
3.5 Stars
An unforgettable novel in which one fateful accident erases a troubled marriage from memory—and love gets one extraordinary do-over.
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.
I haven't read this author in forever. I'm not a fan of "amnesia to fix problems" storylines, but CL always does a good job, and this one sounds pretty good. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy the story overall. I guess the romance conflict wasn't all that convincing to me.
DeleteWhat Jen said...it doesn't feel right that Emery could take advantage of the accidental amnesia she induced in his husband in order to repair their marriage. I'm not surprised that you ended up liking the sci-fi aspect more than the romance one.
ReplyDeleteI actually felt for Emery even though she should've been honest. I was more irritated with Luca for being ready to jump ship without even talking about things. It didn't sound believable for the situation to me.
DeleteI liked this (4/5), but I usually love their books. I feel the sci-fi element pulled me out of the story, though I did appreciate how hard Emery was willing to work to save her marriage.
ReplyDeleteI usually love their romances too. I was annoyed with the reveal about Luca and his plans. It didn't feel true to the story.
DeleteI'm a big fan of this author and usually enjoy their books. This one just didn't appeal for some reason.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart
I'd be interesting in hearing what you though, Anne.
DeleteI usually really like Lauren's books, but I just can't get excited about the story line in this one, so I'll probably end up skipping it.
ReplyDeleteI get that. A lot of people were thrown by including a bit of sci-fi, suspense, but I actually liked that part a lot.
DeleteSo I like some of these authors' books, but they don't all appeal to me. This is a so-so one for me. I got a physical copy when I went to see the authors at a local event, although to be fair I went more because Ali Hazelwood was there since I'd met them before. I don't know when/if I'll get around to reading this one. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteThe sci-fi stuff interests me . I enjoy second-chance romances.
ReplyDeleteSuddenly a lot of older posts showed up, oops. So weird
ReplyDelete