Reunion Romances: Remember Me?

I just finished reading one of my favorite types of romances -- the reunion romance.  It was wonderful!  There's just "something" uniquely appealing about characters who have known each other intimately in their past being thrown back together.  Or maybe a lot of "somethings."     

My short list of the reunion romance "somethings."

1. "Remember me?"answered by "How could I forget?"  It's knowing you're getting a story that has one of the best questions and answers in romance.  (Or is that two questions?)
2. It's the appeal of second chances.  Yep, that seems most likely, but it's more than just retracing steps. 
3. It's the back story.  Yes, sometimes I like back story.  Actually, that's one of the rather unique things I think is so great about a reunion story.  I know I can expect some "shared baggage" and I kind of like that. This kind of baggage is shared memories.  They formed a bond that's still intact, and I want to hear about it. 
4.  It's the lure of unfinished business.  I'm curious as to why these two split up in the first place.  Or, for that matter, why do they have a chance now?  What has changed? 

 And that's several things I can think of on the appeal of a reunion romance.  Or maybe it comes down to one other "something."  I really can't stand not knowing how something is going to be fixed.  From the start, I know something has broken and I just love knowing it's going to be put back together again.

"You Had Me at Hello" Reading: Amnesia Plots

I've done it again. Yep, in the midst of my latest reading binge, I've read two romances in a row with my favorite plot device and I'm not sure I've satisfied the craving. Before the day is out, I'll probably be scanning the back-of-the-book-blurbs for again that one word: amnesia.

Yes, it's an odd little obsession that's as addictive as chocolate. But, unlike chocolate, this binge is not a guarantee of satisfaction. For instance, in the first of the two books I read with the amnesia theme, the story didn't grab me at all and I skipped through the pages like a stone over water. I wanted it to work because it had what I think of as "great potential" (more on that later), but the execution just didn't happen. But with the second book I read, my persistence, or rather loyalty to the plot device, paid off with an engaging reading experience that promises to keep me hooked.

So, if there's one thing I know about my reading habits, the draw to a story is all about this "great potential." Simply put, is the book likely to have most of the things I enjoy? What are these "things" exactly? Well, that's a personal list that is kind of like that line from the Jerry Maguire movie, "You had me at hello." It's instant attraction. And with all instant attractions, what comes next is sort of unknown, but there is definitely "great potential."

For me, few story devices have as much "great potential" to fulfill this list as amnesia stories. My "You Had Me at Hello" list could also read "You Had Me at Amnesia." An odd connection, I know, but it seems to work. If I attempted to define just some of the intangibles for this appeal, here's what I'd choose, in no particular order: