This is one of the most beautiful time travel novels I've read, because it's all about emotion, getting a chance to do things over again, and finding answers to painful questions. The premise is unique, and the writing was superb. Thoroughly enjoyable.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for the e-ARC.

Liked: Multi-POV connected time travel gone wrong

Disliked: Was totally different than expected, and one of the characters, Andy, was almost insufferable for me.

Four people, and strangers to one another, are granted the fantastic opportunity to travel to the past using a new, revolutionary technology.

-Elizabeth, who cannot move past her overwhelming grief for her son, who was killed in a hit-and-run.

-Andy is searching desperately for a young woman who vanished abruptly from his life after their lifechanging romance.

-Logan wants to be able to move, climb and run again, something he can no longer do now that he's confined to a wheelchair.

-Brooke wants a small time when she no longer has to feel crippling grief for one bad mistake she made.

Each goes into the time travel procedure knowing they'll have only sixty minutes to reexperience a critical moment in their past lives. But then, once under, they find that their time in the past lasts much longer, and gradually, they find themselves meeting each other, and discover that their lives became entwined, however unknowingly, on one particular night.

This story was utterly dripping and gut-wrenching. I could not stop reading once I started, as I was absolutely pulled in by Elizabeth's grief, then by Andy and Logan's desperation, and finally by Brooke's deep guilt. All arrive in their pasts hoping for a last moment with a loved one, and end up finding out much about the person they lost, as well as themselves. This is heart wrenching story, which gradually transforms into one of hope. I loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

The Memory Collectors by Dete Meserve was a fabulous read with realistically flawed characters. I loved the time travel and concept so much. This book felt fresh and different.

Review coming soon.

The year is 2028. Aeon Expeditions has invented an innovative technology allowing limited time-travel to the past...

Four strangers in Ventura, California, are selected.
Each client is allotted sixty minutes to spend their way:
* Elizabeth: with her deceased son, Sam...
* Andy: locate Kate, his missing first love...
* Logan: in his sports-driven life before he's paralyzed...
* Brooke: free of a shattering mistake...

Each client carries a compelling backstory that unveils, through alternating POVs, as their time-travel gets underway. After their hour ends, and days pass, they realize they're stranded in the past...

"The Memory Collectors" is hard to put down, and as you read, you understand why Dete Meserve is a bestselling novelist and an award-winning producer. The total package is hard to resist: main characters to root for, a creative premise, short chapters that keep you reading, a speculative-mystery that keeps you wondering, a pace that never lags, and a coastal setting—who doesn't want to visit a California beach town, I ask you!

This DRC was paired with the Audible audiobook narrated by Andrew Eiden, Erin Bennett, Hillary Huber, and Michael Crouch, whose voices differentiate the four main characters. It's a great listen.

"The Memory Collectors" is a thoughtful and thought-provoking story about dealing with the past, something we can't change, and our perspective, something that we can!

4.5⭐

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Dete Meserve for the gifted DRC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

What I liked: Four interconnected characters temporarily stranded in the past was a thought provoking time travel mystery.

What I disliked: Disappointed the mystery morphed into a cheesy romance ending.

True Confession: I am a sucker for "impossible decisions" stories with magic and direct challenges to a person's identity and way of life. THE MEMORY COLLECTORS by Dete Meserve was the perfect read with a solid sense of place, fascinating characters, and a gripping story that kept me up way too late reading. I especially enjoyed the fact all the characters were interesting and relatable -- and the setting in a part of California I know well. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

I'm going to forgive the slightly baffling science/motivations here (HOW much would people pay to relive just one hour??) because I found the characters so compelling here and I really liked how the whole plot came together. Overall recommended.

My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the early read. I loved the sci-fi element. Easy to follow along and though I’m somewhat a novice at reading these mind-benders I had no issue here. The character development was strong and I had no problem following each of their past lives.

A fun idea for a plot and a good read. Author did a great job of weaving stories together in a way that is easy and enjoyable to read. Lots of twists and turns to the plot but they all work.

I loved the premise of this novel. It involved time travel but with no effect on the future. I enjoyed following the four jumpers as they all had one memory they were hoping to relive. Getting to know their back story and a little bit about how the jumps worked along the way kept me interested. As the pieces of how everything was related came together I was sucked in even more. The conversations they had and details they picked up on a second time allowed them some closure. It was emotional, had some dramatic and powerful moments and I loved the ending.

Thank you @detemeserve @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.

The Memory Collectors by Dete Meserve

So many times I have asked myself: Where would you go? Who would you choose to see again? What would you say? Would it make a difference? And my answer is always: Jessica, it will only bring you heartache because what’s done is done.

You can’t bring them back, you can’t make them love you and there is nothing you can do about what other people decided to do with their lives.

This novel was so perfect for me, I could barely believe it. It’s been years ever since I’ve come across such a well written and well thought story. Where everything falls in place, in perfect place and where I feel so comfortable with each character.

I loved having a different voice to tell the story of each character and I found it fascinating how every single one of them had an agenda. They suffered loss, pain and to tell the truth they were devastated. However, they found a way.

This is a story about time traveling, about loss and grief. It’s about love and opportunities and how we face life even in the darkest of times.

Go for it! It’s so worth it! You will have an amazing time! And luckily, it will become a part of your soul.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advanced reader copy of The Memory Collectors in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED this book! "What if we could spend and hour in our past, fully knowing it couldn't affect the future?"

What would YOU do?

The Memory Collectors is the story of a group of people who all return to the same day - day that changed all of their lives for the worse, each in a different way but all connected in some fashion. Let me start by saying that this book blew me away. It hit everything - a clever storyline about technology in the future mixed in with all of the emotions possible, all so raw and so real. Grief, guilt, forgiveness, love, and resilience. Seeing these characters confront the past, learn from it, heal from it and connect with each other broke me in so many ways and also filled me with so much love and hope. To see what people will do for the ones they love. How to learn from your mistakes and become a better person from it. And learn to love yourself again. So powerful and just so well done.

If you could go back and relive one hour of your past, would you? What part would you choose?

Elizabeth, Andy, Logan, and Brooke all want to do this and travel back to a part of their past. They all have different reasons, and events, they want to relive, and they apply to be part of this new travel invention that allows participants to time travel to the past. But what happens when the hour is up and they are still stuck in the past? What will they find out? What will happen to them?

I thought the topic of this novel was very interesting, and it got me thinking about whether I would ever want to time travel if I was able to. I also enjoyed how the characters’ stories were intertwined throughout the novel.

Heartfelt, Thoughtful, and Full of Mystery

I thought this story was fantastic. For me, it was a true 5-star read. It was incredibly gripping and, at the same time, deeply moving. I just couldn’t stop reading because I needed to know what was really going on behind it all.

Four people travel back to a defining moment in their past, each with their own unique story. A lost child, a great love, guilt, pain. I found all of their journeys compelling and relatable. Some scenes really touched me and stayed with me.

What I especially loved was how the book explored love in its many forms, whether it’s love for yourself, a child, a partner, or your family. It was handled in such a sensitive, honest way, and simply beautiful to read.

All the main characters were lovable in their own way, even though they weren’t always easy people. I appreciated that they had flaws and edges, and I loved seeing them grow throughout the story, gaining such moving insights about themselves and life in general.

And then it gets truly exciting: over time, the pieces come together like in a great mystery novel, leading to a resolution I found really satisfying.

The time travel aspect was also very well done, interesting, thoughtful, and easy to follow. I was completely immersed in the story from beginning to end.

For me, The Memory Collectors was a real highlight. I’m genuinely thrilled and will definitely be reading more by this author.

In this book time travel is possible! Four people all go back to the same night when all their lives changed - but when their hour is up, they get stuck and don’t return to the present.

I loved the premise of this book! It was fast paced and I wanted to finish it quickly to see how it all shook out.

I loved the characters and the author did a great job of intertwining their stories so that they all crossed paths.

The ending left me wanting more. I felt like there were still so many unanswered questions. An epilogue might’ve been helpful. Other than that - it was a great read. If you like books with time travel elements, this is a great one to pick up!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC of The Memory Collectors!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
✍🏻 have ever wanted to rewrite your past
😣 feel guilty for something you did in the past
⚖️ want to see justice served
💰 are rich and would use that money to travel back in time

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

What would you do if you could spend an hour in your past? Four strangers in the beach town of Ventura, California are about to find out.

Elizabeth aches for one more precious hour with her son who died in a senseless accident. 

Andy is desperate to find his first love who vanished after a whirlwind romance. 

Logan craves the rush of surfing and mountain climbing, yearning to reclaim the freedom he lost after a misstep landed him in a wheelchair. 
Brooke is looking for an hour of relief from the guilt of an unforgivable mistake.

Enter Aeon Expeditions, the groundbreaking time travel invention of Mark Saunders—which allows some lucky clients the chance to spend an hour in their past. Even though Aeon’s technology ensures time travel can’t alter the future, all four clients, including Mark’s ex-wife Elizabeth, yearn to revisit the hour that changed their lives forever. 

But when their “hour” extends beyond sixty minutes, they find themselves stranded in the past. As their paths intertwine unexpectedly, they unearth shocking secrets hidden in the shadows of their shared history: All their lives were shattered the same night on a secluded highway by the beach. As they delve into the hidden truths of that pivotal hour, a startling revelation emerges. They were not alone. Someone else was present, harboring deadly intentions.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was such a thought provoking read! Marketed as sci-fi, it felt more like a twisty mystery to me that involved a handful of POVs revolving around people who were involved in a terrible accident on August 25th years prior. All four strangers decide to travel back in time for 60 minutes to relive the night everything changed for them. I enjoyed getting to know each of them through their separate POVs and learn more about who they were both before and after this fateful event. Each of the characters felt relatable to me in their own way, and I loved uncovering their secrets. Definitely a fun read!

This was onr of the most original books that I have read. This book puts a whole new perspective on loss and grief with a pacing that kept me reading it faster than most of my books. It was thought provoking and I could see this one adapted into a streaming series.

While I’ll quibble on the designation of SciFi, I’ll be accepting zero other criticism regarding this book.

The characters were flawed and meaty and nuanced.
The premise was fascinating and heartbreaking and weirdly REAL.
The convergence of all the storylines was satisfying and touching and good for the soul.

I loved the multiple POVs.
I loved the friendships forged in both necessity and adversity.
I loved the multiple redemption arcs.
I LOVED THIS BOOK.