VBT# Forget Me Not - Leah Cupps

Review: Forget Me Not - Leah Cupps - December 2025

There's something deeply personal about discovering an author whose work consistently delivers, only to find yourself standing at a crossroads with their latest release—torn between loyalty and honest reaction. That's exactly where I found myself with Leah Cupps's Forget Me Not.

I've devoured quite a few of Leah Cupps's psychological thrillers, so when Zooloos Book Tours offered an advance copy, I didn't hesitate. My excitement doubled when I cracked open the first pages and discovered the story centered on archaeology , a subject that feels like home to me. Growing up, my house was split between my dad's Indiana Jones marathons and my mum's obsession with The Mummy and National Treasure. Adventure, ancient mysteries, and a dash of danger? That's my comfort zone.

Forget Me Not opens with Meredith's death, then jumps six months forward to Riley Donovan a woman drowning in grief. She's lost her husband a year prior, her best friend Meredith six months ago, and in a moment of emotional breakdown, she's torpedoed her career as an archaeology professor. Riley is stuck, isolated, and barely surviving.

Enter Corbin Cross, a fellow YouTuber archaeologist with a complicated connection to Riley's past. He was Meredith's fiancé, and before life got messy, Riley harbored a massive crush on him. When her friend Grace scores tickets to his lecture, sparks fly. Riley and Corbin tumble into a whirlwind romance built on shared grief and a joint archaeological expedition to Guatemala.

But and there's always a but in a psychological thriller Corbin's hiding something. When Riley uncovers his secret, she's forced to wonder: will she meet the same fate as Meredith? Or is someone else watching, waiting to make Corbin pay for his sins? (Side note: I couldn't help but think of that iconic Shortland Street line: "You're not in Guatemala now, Doctor Ropata!")

Here's my struggle: while the archaeology backdrop was fascinating and Leah Cupps's writing remains solid, Forget Me Not didn't quite reach the heights of her previous work for me.  That said, history buffs and thriller fans will still find plenty to enjoy especially if you love stories that blend academic intrigue with psychological suspense.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3L01niL