Romancing The Memory Collector * Philip's Review

Title: Romancing The Memory Collector

Author: Virginnia De Parte

Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing

ASIN: B00L0OABT0

Pages: 128

Genre: Sci-Fi Romance

KATE BENTLEY is short-sighted but too vain to wear glasses. When she is tossed backward by the up-escalator at Sydney Airport she is rescued by THOMAS WINTERS. She falls for his kindness and melted-chocolate voice and doesn’t notice his lined face or the double-chins caused by his blood-hound genes. 

For Thomas, single and lonely, meeting Kate is the chance of a lifetime. Shy and hesitant, Thomas courts her with gentle determination. When he discovers she can see memory bubbles and collects them to return to her father’s failing mind he suspects she could be g-altered. He asks WILLIAM CORBAN to investigate. 

Their romance falters when Thomas adopts SUZIE, a genetically-altered child, but when Kate finds COLIIN BENTLEY has wandered she asks Thomas for help. Colin is found with the help of Thomas’ g-altered friends and Kate realizes her future is tied to this gentle man, who has won her heart.

 Welcome! Virginnia is a New Zealand based poet and writer who publishes exclusively on e-books. She writes flash fiction, short stories and romance. Her futuristic novels are spiced with romance and adventure. Her books are published by Secret Cravings Publishing and Total-e-Bound. Her poetry and young adult novels are published under the pen name of Deryn Pittar.
A love of words and changing the way they are arranged, drives her writing.  Setting her stories in the future allows her imagination to run riot and she waits for the world to catch up with her inventions, instead of having her work dated by the rapid present-day advances in technology.

She lives in the aptly named Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, a land of beautiful scenery, four million people and a number of hobbits.

Romancing the Memory Collector was a very sweet and touching story of love, both romantic and family. The story of Kate Bentley and Thomas Winters could happen at any time to anyone; however this takes place in the future. In a time when some people are genetically altered. Thomas Winters grew up in a home for altered children. He was never adopted and finally left as a sixteen year old adult. His features resembled that of a dog as he had dog genes in him. This left him alone and lonely, except for his job as a Customs agent at the local airport and his dog, Buster, who also worked with Thomas in customs.

Who knew that when he went to work one day he’d run into a young lady named Kate. Kate had her own issues at the moment. Not only was her father in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, she was very short-sided and should wear her glasses all the time, even though they were the size of bottles. She didn't like them at all and thus she wasn't wearing them that day at the airport when she stepped on the up escalator hoping to go down. After her fall Thomas and Buster happened by and helped her up.

For him it was love at first sight. He just didn't know how to express it. For her she was more preoccupied with her father and his disappearing memories than she was with falling in love. After Thomas sends her flowers her feelings change.This story continues and the love between Kate and her father is apparent as the love Thomas has for his dog. He decides to adopt a young child from the same place he grew up in. He wants a boy but a young nine year old girl captures his heart.

All I can say about the rest of this story is that it so well written and comes across so real that it tugs at your heart strings over and over. When the reader learns of Kate’s ability to ‘see’ memory bubbles and tries to help those who lose them regain them the title becomes apparent. I found myself wiping a few tears away myself as the story develops.

This is a tale of love, understanding, and seeing what a person has inside of them instead of what they look like. I recommend this book to anyone who feels lonely or is dealing with a parent or friend who has Alzheimer’s.