REMEMBER WHEN 3 (Remember Trilogy #3) by T TORREST

Jenny:  Well, we’ve put this one off for a while because….well, to be honest, we didn’t want this series to end did we G, and we picked the perfect time to delve back into a series that has been one of our favourites. Yep, the timing was perfect to catch up with Trip and Layla and lose ourselves in their story, to reconnect with the humor, warmth and emotion that is T Torrest’s way, and why I adore this series so much and why it will always have a very special place in my heart.

‘This was my old friend Trip; the boy I had loved and the man who had broken my heart.’ – Layla

Remember When #1 was a book that completely stole my heart and these characters are ones I’ve truly loved along the way. And not just Layla and Trip, but the whole gang from the class of ‘91, each has played a part in the lives of Trip and Layla and G, we’ve loved them all. We’ve laughed and cried with them, we’ve shared their frustration (and we’ve wanted to hit Trip and Layla over the head a time or two) we watched them grow from awkward teens to responsible (well, some of them haha) and I feel as if we’ve closed the pages on a bunch of friends. Such is my love affair with this series.

“My God, every time, it never fails. You happen to me all over again.” – Trip

Whilst I really did enjoy catching up with them again, I have to be honest and say this final instalment was my least favourite of the three, but it did answer a lot of question and we did see Trip and Layla work out a lot of their issues from their pasts. For me, after experiencing so much with them in previous books and after being left with my jaw open and my heart shredded at the end of book two, the fast forward felt rushed, their feelings felt unexplored and I would have loved to have spent more time experiencing the rebuilding of their feelings and relationship as opposed to having them arrive at a point so instantaneously. It had the effect of denying me the emotion I was expecting to feel after book two.

‘You own me. You always have.’ – Trip

Having said that, when they finally did have “the talk” so much of what transpired during that time was brought to light and I have say, Trips revelation of what had transpired for him during their years apart broke my heart and I sobbed.

‘The Talk. But we couldn’t bury our problems forever.’ – Layla

This was our Trip. The light-hearted, gorgeous man with a beautiful heart, who everyone loved, admired and revered. To hear of his struggles was devastating and I despaired and felt even sadder for them over the time they both wasted being apart through lack of, and miscommunication.

There were times I became frustrated with Layla in RW3, when she would be snippy over Trip’s past. We had been through so much with these two that rehashing his past as she did, and being affronted by it felt unnecessary. By this stage of their story, I wanted that all ironed out. I wanted them to move past all that. But, I understood her frustrations she felt as she navigated her way through Trips crazy world.

There were also times when the Trip in RW3 felt quite different to the Trip I fell in love with in previous instalments and it wasn’t just a case of maturity creeping in. His persona seemed to have changed in that he became something he previously wasn’t. As if he suddenly became an alpha male and that isn’t the Trip I lost my heart to. Oh the old Trip would spring up quite regularly throughout RW3 and I would be reminded of why I fell completely head over heels for this passionate, funny and beautiful man, but the ‘other’ Trip seemed out of place.

“Don’t worry, Lay. I’m gonna fuck you just right.” – Trip

Trip and Layla’s love is a one and if you’re lucky to experience it, you grab it with both hands and you never let it go. Whilst it may have taken them a long time to figure each other and themselves out, the love between these two could be felt through the pages and they’ve certainly made me laugh and torn my heart inside out in equal measures throughout this series. There were some real moment of beauty in this RW3 and even though I did have a couple of issues with it, T Torrest certainly regaled me with her story. It was sad saying goodbye to this series……but…is it really goodbye? I’m not so sure. What about you G, did you feel the same about RW3?

Gitte: Well, it was certainly with a worried heart that I picked up the final instalment in this trilogy. Worried for what state I’d find Trip in after how book #2 ended and worried for what would become of Trip & Layla. The tension and emotion being so intense. However, I was excited too as I couldn’t wait for them to find their way and realise that they were just meant to be.

The nostalgia and romance of this series is so heart felt, so real and beautiful, with moments of pure brilliance, humour and it has such a passionate heart. I’ll never forget my Trip from RW1 & 2, he was so unique and such a beautiful and passionate man, so getting a snap shot in RW3 into the missing years was so emotional and moved me to tears. Not only what he went through, but his desperation, his longing and his attempts at reconnecting with Layla.

Now, parts of his development in book #3 confused me as yes he’s older now, but more emphasis was perhaps placed on the alpha male side of him which yes he inhabits, however, Trip is so much more, so much better than just that. He’s amazingly funny, cheeky and sweet. He’s sensitive, caring as well as commanding, passionate and intense. My favourite scene with Trip is one towards the end. Trip shone so bright and I was reminded just why I’ll always love him and why I fell for him to begin with.

The re-connection between Layla and Trip after the drama from RW2 was instantaneous and the working through their relationship came much later. I don’t know Jenny, it felt to me as if it was written somehow in reversal.

‘We weren’t those same stupid kids anymore. We’d gone through a lot to get to this point, and this wasn’t going to just slip away like it had the last time. Or the time before that…’

Yes, Trip and Layla were meant to be, we knew that right from the start of RW1. However, so much time has passed, so much hurt and pain. How do you sweep that aside without working through those years first? In my personal opinion I wanted more, their story is epic – they deserve the world and they need to work through years of wanting, hurting, loving and suffering.

“I never stopped loving you, Lay. You were always with me. Everywhere.”

The emotional aspects weren’t there for me as much as I thought they would be, however when they were they packed a punch reminding me of why RW1 will always be one of my favourite books. And I have to say I wanted the ending to be something more too, be a tangible reflection of the journey we’ve followed, Trip and Layla’s final meant to be.

‘I’ve loved him as both a girl and as a woman. I have both a history and a future with this man. This man I will love forever.’

There are moments in this story where Tina had me in awe at the beauty and romance, the beauty of a character’s thoughts and actions, the beauty of a simple gesture carried out by a love of epic proportions.

“I’m not me without you.”

‘You’re my home, Lay-Lay.’

I can’t reiterate enough how bloody special this series is and I’ve loved being part of Trip & Layla’s journey no matter how frustrated I’ve been at times. Tina Torrest is a fabulous storyteller, her wicked sense of humour is spot on for me, her writing style unique and unrivalled in its ‘tongue in cheek’ style. The era and music/movie references are brilliant and I’ll always hold a special place in my heart for Trip & Layla. Oh and yeah…ketchup on steak really is a deal breaker……hahaha…..

J&G: So, here we are, we’ve spent some wonderful times, with some truly wonderful characters and we’ve shared their love story, their humour, their heart break, their pain and their everlasting friendships.  They’ve never let us down and they’ve entertained us right through this series.

Whilst this instalment didn’t live up to our expectations, we still enjoyed it nonetheless and Remember When will always remain one of our all-time favourite series. How can it not. We’ve gone through the teenage years with some extraordinarily beautiful characters and we’ve been through their trials and tribulations right beside them, every step of the way and we wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

“It’s always been you and me, Lay….” – Trip

 With every breath we felt for this Trip and Layla as they steered their way through a new life, as they came to grips with becoming a couple, as Trip fought to accept and enjoy his fame and as they both fought to forget and forgive their pasts. All of this was handled beautifully by an author whose work we will always 1click.

“Because I’m not just some fucking face, okay? I might play the game, but it doesn’t mean I like it.” – Trip

We do have to mention that the epilogue felt a little incomplete. We were hoping for a glimpse into the future of Trip and Layla and the way it was left off leaves us thinking we haven’t heard the last of their story just yet.