I would like to mention I didn't realise this was a fantasy novel before I started reading the book. I am not a fan of fantasy so this has clouded my enjoyment.
If you like fantasy and magic with a tinge of more serious issues thrown in for depth then this is the novel for you

Forget Me Not by Em Shotwell is a homespun, heartfelt romance that shows that sometimes even a perfect match isn’t, well, perfect. Evelyn Cadeau is powerfully Gifted. Able to bring life and vitality to anything organic, she is a prime catch for people in her magical community. Rex Somersby? Not so much. His Gift of perfect memory can come in handy for tests but doesn’t really get you far on a farm in Missouri. When their respective matchmakers claim that the two are a perfect match, a very rare event indeed even for the magical, Evelyn can’t believe it. Not only is Rex not her type, she’s in love with someone else. But life -and love - can be funny things. When Evelyn is forced to go on an arranged date with Rex, things take a dramatic turn. A bottle of wine, some late-night skinny dipping, and a cheating boyfriend can have a girl seeing things in a whole new way:

She couldn’t look at Rex without remembering the way her Gift had responded to his touch. How it had rushed through her, making her head spin. Now, every time his hand innocently brushed against her, she couldn’t help but think of the way his touch set her on fire, of how that heat had traveled the full length of her body, and how if she hadn’t pulled away at that exact moment she wouldn’t have pulled away ever.

But when Rex is forced to go to Vietnam and fight in the war, will the boy with the perfect memory ever be able to heal from the horrors he has seen? Proving that no road to happily ever after is ever really trouble-free, this tale of love, heartache, and healing is sure to be a hit with fans who appreciate a bit of sour with their sweet.

The story starts off as a coming of age story where Evelyn, fighting against the tradition of matching, falls for the bad boy in the community. After she agrees to meet her perfect match Rex, she realises that he might not be as boring and straight laced as he appears. Just when it seems Evelyn and Rex will get their happy ever after, their story turns into one of heartbreak and the effects of the Vietnam war.
It was well written and very easy to read, albeit a bit slow to start with. The pace increases and the ability to put it down flies out the window when Rex is drafted. The effects of his time in Vietnam on his mental health is terrifying for both reader and characters. But like all good fiction, a beautiful and happy ending is in sight.

The story follows Evelyn and Rex from their first meeting to the start of their very own love story. The plot itself is rather straight forward, from the blurb you can tell more or less what’s going to happen throughout the book but it’s enjoyable nonetheless. The book is very easy to read and sort of sucks you in as you go. While it does have quite a light fluffy feel to it, it touches on a lot of harder hitting issues, particularly with the Vietnam War which does get to show another side the characters.

Both of the main characters were well developed though I’ll admit to liking Rex a little bit more than I did Evelyn, one of the main reasons for this was that I felt Rex was a lot more likely to turn around and surprise you (which he did) a lot more than Evelyn. The secondary characters all of which seemed to have there own little stories were well incorporated and it definitely gave of the sense that you would want to know more about them. One thing that I did adore about this book was the magic system the author had in place, the idea of everyone having their own unique skill or magic made it all the more interesting for me especially as some of the powers I would not of been able to think up myself. If your looking for a short easy read I would highly recommend to check it out.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5

Would I read again: Maybe

Would I Recommend: Yes

Would I read another book from this author: Yes

Wow from the beginning I knew I would like this book. A family that has special gifts, and figuring out how those gifts helps each other. Rex has a gift that is not always good but can be and Evelyn gift is the best of all but when tragedy happens she can't do a thing to being back the one she loved. That was totally up to him.