Into The Night Book Reviews: In the Spotlight: A Night to Forget by Jessica Wood

Today we're shining a spotlight on A Night to Forget by Jessica Wood. This is Jessica's debut book and we think she's done a pretty fine job. It's short, steamy and will leave you wanting more.

A Night to Forget is the first book in the two-book series, Emma's Story. The second book in this series, The Day to Remember is scheduled to be released in August 2013.
What happens in Cancun doesn’t always stay in Cancun.
When Emma Anderson and her friends decided to spend their senior year Spring Break in Cancun, she expected some crazy memories to end their final college days. What Emma didn’t expect was to meet Brandon Fisher. Tall and sexy, with dimples that would make any girl swoon, Brandon Fisher was literally the man of Emma’s dreams. She couldn't quite believe that this stranger, who seduced her every night in her dreams, actually existed.

After serendipitously bumping into each other, Emma could not resist Brandon’s pull and spent an unforgettable night with him. Passing it off as a spring break fling, Emma never expected to see Brandon again. But when she started her first day at her new job a few months later, there he was. The only problem was, Brandon didn’t even remember her.

A Night to Forget by Jessica Wood is a short read with just over 120 pages, so it’s not long, but there was enough in the story to whisk me away for a couple of hours and I really enjoyed it. I know there have been variable reviews about this book but I was impressed by this first effort from Jessica Wood. Some of the elements I use in my assessment/rating of a book are how engaged I am with the story, whether I'm entertained and whether reading is effortless. A Night to Forget ticked all of those boxes for me. There were some minor editing issues, but nothing substantial. Characters were well developed, the dialogue was good, particularly some of the exchanges between the group of girlfriends. While some of the story line is a little far fetched - it is a work of fiction and the romantic in me appreciated it.

Emma Anderson is in her final year of college. Despite having a steady boyfriend for almost a year, Emma has not yet lost her virginity and is not actually convinced that Mike (her boyfriend) should be the one to take it. Adding to her reluctance are the fairly sensual encounters she's been having each night with the man of her dreams.

Emma heads to Cancun for spring break with three of her friends and much to her surprise she fleetingly sees the man she's been dreaming about. On the night before she is heading home, Emma runs into Brandon again and has an encounter equal to those in her dreams. With a flight to catch early the next morning Emma leaves Brandon a note with her number and hopes that he'll make contact - but unfortunately for Emma, he doesn't. Fast forward six months and Emma is in San Fracisco to take up her internship with a marketing company. Imagine her shock to discover that Brandon, her dream man, is her new boss and it would seem he has no recollection of their encounter in Cancun.

A Night to Forget then follows the interactions between Emma and Brandon as she tries to balance her feelings for him against the fact that he does not seem remember what was a significant event for her and of course that he is also her boss. There is definitely an attraction between the two.

Given the length of the book things do move fairly quickly, but I didn't feel like it was rushed. This book is part one of a two part series and it does finish with a bit of a cliffhanger. While I'm not really a fan of those, I didn't mind this one so much. I am very keen to find out how the balance of the story will play out and book two is due for release in August, so there is not long to wait!

4 out of 5 stars

Jessica Wood writes new adult contemporary romance and chick-lit.

While she has lived in countless cities throughout the U.S., her heart belongs to San Francisco. To her, there’s something seductively romantic about the Golden Gate Bridge, the steep rolling hills of the city streets, the cable cars, and the Victorian-style architecture.

She loves a strong, masculine man with a witty personality. While she is headstrong and extremely independent, she can’t resist a man who takes control of the relationship, both outside and inside of the bedroom.

She loves to travel internationally, and tries to plan a yearly trip abroad. She also loves to cook and bake, and—to the benefit of her friends—she loves to share. She also enjoys ceramics and being creative with her hands. She has a weakness for good (maybe bad) TV shows; she’s up-to-date on over 25 current shows, and no, that wasn’t a joke.

And it goes without saying, she loves books—they’re like old and dear friends who have always been there to make her laugh and make her cry.

The one thing she wished she had more of is time.