The Moment I Met You

Johnson (Maybe One Day) tugs hard at the heartstrings with this emotional tale of natural disaster and its impact on a woman’s love life. Elena Godwin, 26, and her longtime boyfriend, Harry, are on vacation in Mexico and hoping to rejuvenate their weakening relationship when a 6.1-magnitude earthquake hits, killing 28 people and injuring dozens more—including Elena, who is initially trapped underground with Swedish widower Alex. After they are miraculously rescued (thanks, in part, to the ABBA playlist they play on his phone), Elena feels a connection to him like nothing she’s ever felt before. Harry, though, who has been paralyzed, asks Elena to marry him during a TV interview. Against her better judgment, she agrees—and spends nine lonely years with him. But after a fellow survivor begins filming a documentary, Elena becomes occupied with thoughts of Alex, and secrets held by both Harry and Elena regarding their extramarital affections percolate to the surface. Well-drawn characters add depth to the perfectly paced narrative. It’s not a complicated story, but it hits the spot. (Mar.)