Sheila is a loner drifting through life, and likes it that way since the death of her boyfriend five years ago in a tragic accident while working on an archeology dig in New Zealand. She has completely left that life behind and struggled to build a new life with no ties to her past. Her friends are really just work acquaintances and besides work her only real interest is in growing and collecting slime molds. When she meets Jason, she is instantly attracted and that frightens her. She doesn’t want to get close enough to someone to be hurt again if she loses them. Jason knows more about Sheila than she knows and he has omitted telling her about his connection to her past; maybe she won’t hold that against him? Can Jason bring Sheila back to a real life or is it too late for any hope of rekindling her ability to love?

Artifact is an interesting contemporary romance. I have never read about characters that collect slime mold, but apparently it is a real hobby for some people. The story is primarily set in the present, but the characters do flash back in their memory to the things that happened when Sheila’s boyfriend was killed. This method works well to give the needed past information to the reader. Sheila is wounded, cautious and has really withdrawn from a meaningful life. Her job is tedious and boring. Her friends are not really friends, so her social life is basically non-existent. Jason sweeps into her life and demonstrates that he is interested in her but that frightens her. Jason being around is also causing her to feel unsettled, and she finds herself remembering the terrible past that she wants to forget. Jason wants Sheila to remember, but he is sly about it. What neither of them can deny is their chemistry.

I both liked and disliked parts of this story. I didn’t dislike parts because they were bad but because I was so wrapped up in Sheila and Jason’s story that I was felt bad for them. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it was emotional in parts and yet found a balance so that it was still entertaining. I will look for other work by Melody Knight because she tells a wonderful story and that is what I like to read best.

Reviewed by: Stephanie B.