The Memory of Tears is a work in the Christian contemporary romance and interpersonal drama subgenres and forms the third novel in The Levander Brothers trilogy. It can be read as a stand-alone story for the general adult reading audience. Penned by Amanda Lewis, we find ourselves following the exploits of Janie Buchanan, who is exploring the globe and ticking more items off her bucket list while she battles cancer, not for the first time. But when Janie meets the tall, enigmatic Caspar Levander, her plans for the here and now change. Caspar is drawn to her and knows he can’t be without her, whatever the cost.

Amanda Lewis has crafted a unique and powerfully unusual love story that will capture the hearts and minds of audiences everywhere. I was instantly drawn to Janie and her wicked sense of humor, which permeates the usually-fluffy romantic overtones of novels like these and gives it some darker, more realistic spaces to explore. The atmosphere and locations of the work are varied and cinematically rich, with lots of different experiences that put Janie and Caspar in amusing situations for their meet-cutes, growing the tension. Another standout feature for me was the dialogue, which has many sharp, witty turns of phrase and helps the sparks to fly in the exciting dynamic of the central couple. I recommend The Memory of Tears to original contemporary romance fans.

The Memory of Tears by Amanda Lewis is a Christian romance about a terminally ill woman named Janie who meets Caspar Levander in London while ticking items off her bucket list. It is the third book in The Levander Brothers series. Intrigued by Janie, Caspar follows her to Africa, unaware of her diagnosis. They bond while caring for an elephant and, finally, Janie reveals her terminal cancer to Caspar, sharing her fears of getting close to him. Caspar decides to return to his home in Sweden for his father's funeral and Janie accompanies him. She meets and finds solace in his family. Janie opens up about her lukewarm faith, her surrender to God after her cancer diagnosis, and her trust and freedom in God's plan. Janie and Caspar grow closer still, confessing love under the Northern lights. Janie's health worsens and the doctors confirm her limited time, leaving Caspar devastated and with nothing else to do but pray. And pray he does.

Well, if you're looking for a full-on Christian romance with a side of serious armchair travel, you will not be disappointed with The Memory of Tears by Amanda Lewis. Lewis is extremely bold in the conversations of God, faith, the Bible, misrepresentation of scripture, and what Janie cleverly calls 'fluff', which readers who appreciate Christian messaging that does not beat around the bush will consider to be a plus. The romance itself is sweet. When we meet Janie, she has tossed the wedding ring given by her ex-husband into the Pacific, and as we hit the climax she is engaged to the towering Viking-like Caspar, who loves her so much he will cross continents to be in her company. The writing is simple and clean. I could have probably done without the letter writing, but it's restrained and infrequent. The standout is Janie's friend Lizzie who plays a massive role but is off stage the entire time, until she isn't. Then the chills arrive. A good clean story for a weekend reading escape. Recommended.