Skip to main content
book cover for Mildly Forgetful, Madly in Love

Mildly Forgetful, Madly in Love

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on Waterstones
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 14 May 2025 | Archive Date 30 May 2025

Talking about this book? Use #MildlyForgetfulMadlyinLove #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

One missing woman, two hopeful hearts, and a trail of sticky notes no one can decipher.

When seventy-five-year-old retired botany professor Betty Wilding vanishes, again, her family assumes she’s wandered into another greenhouse or accidentally joined a silent retreat. But Betty isn’t lost. She’s chasing down a long-lost love, a decades-old betrayal, and the truth behind the letters that never reached her.

Meanwhile, Daniel Wren, gentle hardware-store philosopher and wearer of tweed in inappropriate seasons, is trying to find Betty, armed with nothing but old memories, unsent letters, and a romantic’s refusal to give up.

But nothing is simple in the small town of Willowend, especially with:

One fiercely loyal sister with a planner and a temper, a meddling society woman with suspiciously fresh lipstick and a plan of her own, and a pair of middle-aged kids who may just be falling in love while tracking down their runaway parents.

Mildly Forgetful, Madly in Love is a charming, heartfelt romantic dramedy for fans of The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It’s about second chances, the beautiful mess of memory, and what happens when love refuses to be forgotten, even if you sometimes forget where you put your keys.

If you like your love stories witty, wistful, and just a little wild, this is the one to add to your cart right now.

Because love might grow old, but it never grows up.

One missing woman, two hopeful hearts, and a trail of sticky notes no one can decipher.

When seventy-five-year-old retired botany professor Betty Wilding vanishes, again, her family assumes she’s...


Available Editions

ISBN 9798284085738
PRICE

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Reader (PDF)
NetGalley Shelf App (PDF)
Send to Kindle (PDF)
Download (PDF)

Average rating from 12 members


Featured Reviews

Words might fail me trying to describe how wonderful this book was..

The title and the premise got my interest initially and they did not disappoint - I was hooked from the first page. Somewhere around 20% I stopped highlighting quotes because I realized I'd have to highlight the whole book. The acrobatic turns of phrases had me cackling every few pages. The pages are full of wit, personality and whimsy.

I loved the main character Betty and how comfortable she was with herself. I loved the description of that quiet confidence in ones self that comes with age and experience . She *knew* herself - her likes, joys and pet peeves, even as memory started to fail her.

Linda and her big sister energy were a riot, older daughter traits on full display. She's the type of person that takes no nonsense and no prisoners and I loooved her for it.

If Daniel had been young he'd have been all red flags . But make him a sweet and gentle old man and I was rooting for this hopeless romantic

I will definitely add this book to my physical collection. Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the absolute pleasure of reviewing this book.

Was this review helpful?

(NOTE: I missed the download date so I downloaded from Amazon).

Two words that would describe this book:
Cute and Cozy.

I loved the fresh premise of this second chance romance later in life. It was cute and often times funny!

Was this review helpful?

Mildly Forgetful, Madly in Love is a warm, whimsical story that made me laugh out loud, tear up a little, and fall in love with a cast of wonderfully quirky characters. The plot weaves between generations as Betty chases a love she never let go of, while her grown children discover that romance isn’t just for the young. I especially enjoyed the way the book balanced humor with emotional depth—there’s something really comforting about seeing older characters at the center of a love story that still feels fresh and hopeful.

Was this review helpful?

Mildly forgetful and madly in love is definitely a book that I will need to add to my physical bookshelf. What an incredible read!

This book follows Daniel and Betty who are both now older, however they had a short romance when they were younger. Daniel has spent years looking for Betty snd when we start the book we are jumping right into this search as Betty starts to remember Daniel.

This book was written beautifully; with wonderful quotes, characters and an intriguing plot. I highlighted so many things while reading on my kindle and will be annotating a physical copy when I get around to ordering it. If you love a cozy story with beautiful quotes then this book is for you.

It truly captures what it is like to continue crossing paths but missing each other all at the same time. It captures what it means to wait for love. This book was amazing

Was this review helpful?

This book is like a cozy sweater with pockets full of unexpected candy. I cracked it open expecting a cute story and ended up giggling, swooning, and maybe texting an old flame (oops). Mildly Forgetful, Madly in Love is packed with nosy neighbors, long-lost letters, runaway elders, and a romance that proves love doesn’t care about timelines—or memory lapses. It’s equal parts chaos and charm, and I didn’t want it to end. 💕📝🌼

Was this review helpful?

Betty is in her 70s and experiencing the first signs of forgetfulness that might signal the onset of possible dementia. While cleaning out the attic of her recently deceased mother, Betty discovers a cache of letters addressed to her from someone named Daniel, a man she doesn’t remember. But the more she reads the more she realizes he must have been a long lost someone special. And she decides to track him down. Meanwhile Daniel decides to track her down. What results is a charming story filled with crazy situations, missed connections, and the beauty of second chances. 5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Love never retires—it just misplaces the map.

This book had me giggling, tearing up, and yelling “Go, Betty!” like I was cheering on my favorite rom-com grandma—Mildly Forgetful, Madly in Love is the second-chance love story you didn’t know your heart needed (plus, bonus points for a man in tweed!).

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: