THAT’S NOT A THING has an intriguing premise: What if you couldn’t forget the man who shattered your world, and after years of silence, he reappears in the midst of your wedding plans?

From the beginning, this page-turner packs an emotional punch as the author deftly weaves together a past passion with a present, rock-solid relationship. We see the wildly romantic Wesley pursuing Meredith in college pitted against the amazing qualities of her fiancé, Aaron, a former Ivy League football player and neonatal surgeon everyone adores, including Meredith’s mother. Aaron is gorgeous, sexy, kind, and saves babies for a living. Who wouldn’t love Aaron?

But Wesley and Meredith have unfinished business. He ended their engagement abruptly in the midst of unbearable tragedy, blamed her, and disappeared. They reconnect in a hot new Manhattan restaurant while she and Aaron are discussing venues for their wedding celebrations. “Why not here?” she says, unaware that Wesley is the owner.

The sexual attraction between them is stronger than ever, but Wesley and Meredith can’t escape guilt, anger, and betrayal. New feelings arise when she discovers he’s dying from ALS. Worse, he has no family or friends to care for him, since he has devoted his life to dreams of becoming a famous chef.

When I picked up this book, I thought, “Oh, a second-chance love story with a twist,” and yet it’s so much more. Yes, the love triangle is about reconciling old love with new and finding forgiveness in regret, but the story is not about choosing between two men. THAT’S NOT A THING is Meredith’s story, and ultimately she must choose to be the person she wants—and needs—to be.

These characters will haunt me for months to come …