4 out of 4 stars
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Yesterday by Samyann is a romantic story about love, loss, reincarnation, and soulmates.
After the tragic loss of her boyfriend, Amanda is determined to live a life of solitude in the company of her cat. But fate has other plans. While on her way to work, Amanda witnesses a train accident, and instead of running and hiding, she jumps into the midst of the falling wreckage to save a policeman who’s been thrown off his panicking horse.
The policeman, Mark, soon regains consciousness and hauls Amanda into an antique shop for safety. This is where Amanda spots an old clock that for some strange reason captivates her so much she decided to buy it. Not to mention, the moment Amanda and Mark meet, they immediately get the feeling of knowing each other, although they had never met.
Despite the initial inexplicable attraction, Amanda is reluctant and afraid to start another relationship, but Mark is resolute to do anything it takes to prove it to her that they are destined to be together, and that their chemistry goes beyond this life. And the mysterious clock might hold the clues to the mystery of their attraction.
First of all, I must say that the editing of this book was excellent. I found only one minor mistake. If there were more, the story must have sucked me in so much I missed them. Honestly, it was one of those stories that keep you glued to the book until the end, and leave you thinking about the story days after you’ve finished it.
My main complaint would be the cover. While the Chicago Fire plays a big role in the plot, I don’t think the cover accurately represents the genre. It looks more suitable for a thriller than a love story, so the level of romance in the book might take some people by surprise once they begin to read it.
Yes, it is certainly a romance, but at the same time, so much more. With Amanda’s hypnosis sessions, we are introduced into the Civil War period. The mood, the people, and the events of those times are so vividly described that you get the feeling of actually witnessing the horrors of the war and loss through a child’s eyes.
Then, there is a psychological element of the story – how people react and cope with immense tragedies. I loved the scene where Amanda’s Godmother pointed out to her that while she is focusing only on bad memories, she is forgetting all the good ones. Isn’t this what many of us do? We tend to remember mostly bad events from the past and feel sorry for ourselves, often ignoring all the good we experienced.
I honestly enjoyed the book. After all, I read it in one day. Maybe because the book was so captivating, I felt a bit disappointed with its ending. It seemed too rushed. I will not go into details to avoid spoilers, but I felt like the author loved writing the book, but the deadline was coming, so it was time to end it. I also wish there were more sessions where Mark would have regressed into his past lives instead of one chaotic and short attempt. The way he actually discovered the truth at the end was too staged and didn’t really have the same mood as the previous plot.
Nonetheless, the book is excellent, despite the rushed ending. I cannot give it less than 4 out of 4 stars, and I would recommend it to anybody who likes romantic stories with a supernatural twist, suspense, and a good dose of history.
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Yesterday
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