Wide Awake by Shelly Crane

Wide Awake

by

Shelly Crane

A girl.
A coma.
A life she can't remember.

When Emma Walker wakes up in the hospital with no knowledge of how she got there, she learns that she's been in a coma for six months. Strangers show up and claim to be her parents, but she can't remember them. She can't remember anyone. Not her friends, not even her boyfriend. Even though she can't remember, everyone wants her to just pick up where she left off, but what she learns about the 'old her' makes her start to wish she'd never woken up. Her boyfriend breaks up with the new girl he's dating to be with her, her parents want her to start planning for college, her friends want their leader back, and her physical therapist with the hazel eyes keeps his distance to save his position at the hospital.

Will she ever feel like she recognizes the girl in the mirror?

Okay, so this is how this review is going to happen... I'm going to tell you how amazing this book was, and then you who are reading this post are going to click on this link and purchase it. Get it?

Got it?

Good. Let's begin.

So picture this... You're sitting around on your couch, surfing around on your favorite social media site   mine happens to be Facebook, go figure   and suddenly this post pops up telling you that one of the books you've most anticipated for months is finally available for purchase, but you can't get it because you maxed out your book buying funds for the rest of the month. Dejection sets in and you find yourself pinning Voodoo dolls made to resemble the profile pics of all of those people in your news feed who aren't feeling the same level of pain as you are and are just gushing about how great the book is... Yeah, don't pretend you've never wanted to do it.  I see you. I know who you are. *giggles maniacally* 

So anyway, that was me, minus the Voodoo dolls, when Wide Awake released. Then, miracle of all freaking miracles, Shelly decided to host a giveaway in a group we're in together, and Fate shined her ever loving light on me and I was one of three winners to receive a copy of this book that I had been waiting on for half of my life. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but I'll never tell you the truth. So, wham, bam, long story short and thank you ma'am, I'm in possession of Wide Awake, however, I'm in the middle of the final book in a trilogy that I'd been putting off reading for ages, so... I can't get to it yet. Well, a few short hours, and some ugly tears later, I'm finished and diving head first into Wide Awake. And let me explain something to you right.now.

It. Was. SO. Worth. The. Wait!!!

Holy bat shit!!! This. Book. Is. GOOD!!!

Shelly took my already screwed up emotions, and metaphorically said, "Stop sniveling, little girl, I'm going to wreck you. But in a good way." *insert evil plotting smile on Shelly's face*

So yeah, I was wrecked and it was more than I could ever thank her for. I can only dream of writing a story like that! Trust me, I've tried. It wasn't pretty, and that is why you will never read it. But you HAVE GOT TO READ THIS!!!!

Now for the hard stuff. 

Emma Walker is damaged, literally. This poor girl doesn't know who she is, who her parents are, or where the hell she even is. It's tragic, and confusing, and through the beginning stages of this story, the reader can't help but to be confused with her. The one thing she does know is the man standing over her when she first opened her eyes is the one person who is going to help her to function and to become the girl she's supposed to be. And Mason does exactly that. 

He never treats her like she can't do it, and he lets her fall apart when she needs it. He's patient and he's kind, and he doesn't push her to be someone she isn't, someone that she doesn't remember. For that, Emma is grateful.

Enter Emma's parents... Now look, I know that they mean well, and God knows that all they want is the daughter they lost back, but I really just wanted to knock the ever loving snot out of Isabella, Emma's mother. Rhett, Emma's father, well I cried for that man and though there was a point in the book when I wanted to hate him, I couldn't because he was just as lost as anyone. My heart broke more for Rhett than anyone else, though by the end of the book, I adored Isabella. See, even moms have redeeming qualities. Well, in Shelly Crane's books they do. 

Andy, he just gave me the creeps. Like literally, my skin crawled whenever he showed up. Ick.

But back to Mason... Mason was just perfection. Hot, hazel eyes, dark hair, tattoos... Mmm... Delicious. And he got it. He understood. He understood what Emma was going through, he understood that what she needed was to find herself, he understood her. And why did he understand, you ask? Well, read the book, you'll find out. I can't tell you everything. But he says things to Emma like, "It doesn't matter who you were or what you've done in the past. The only thing that matters is who you are right now," and you just know that he gets what she's going through, but then he says things like, "I want to kiss you when, if we go another second without it, one of us will combust," and you just have to hold on, because you know you're going to fall just as much in love with this guy as Emma is and trust me when I tell you that it is SO worth the fall. Whole E. Shit! God, it is good!

In all seriousness though, you really should not miss this book. It's absolutely incredible, and it is definitely one of those books that I wish I could go back and read again for the first time. The pace is perfect, the plot is heavy without being too dense, and the characters are flawless. The editing could use a small tweak here and there, but I think that some of that could have been formatting too, so we can let it slide. All in all, this book is high up there on my list of 2013 Must Reads, so you know, read it! However, if you hate it, then you're not my friend and I will disown you if you follow me on any social media sites. *wink*

Wide Awake gets my seal of approval, and FIVE BLUE BUTTERFLIES!!!!

Best wishes, and happy reading y'all!

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Amity Hope's Twisted Blog Tour & Giveaway

Wow!! So I hadn't realized that it's been as long as it has since I last posted something on the blog! Craziness has ensued around here since my last post, and I've neglected SO MUCH! For this I apologize. I hope that it won't happen again!

Now, what do you say we work past our differences, and my neglect, with a tour stop and giveaway, huh? I was asked a bit ago by Book Nerds Across America if I would like to participate in Amity Hope's blog tour for her recent release Twisted. I said yes, and committed to writing a review for the book. Might I say, this is a good one!

Allow me to introduce you to Amity Hope by sharing a little bit about her, and then we'll jump directly into my review...

I live in Minnesota with my two sons, two cats and our Rottweiler named Daisy.

I have been a book-addict my entire life. I have always enjoyed reading and writing stories just for fun. In 2012 I decided to try self-publishing. To my delight and dismay, my debut novel took off. Since then, I have been fortunate enough to write full-time.

If I'm not writing or spending time with my kids, I'm most likely reading.

You can find Amity by clicking on any of the following links.

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Maya Anderson has faced more than her share of tragedy and heartbreak. For the past six years she’s constantly been on the move with her mom. When another disaster strikes, she finds herself back in her childhood hometown of Beaumont, living with her older sister for her senior year.

A chance meeting reacquaints her with Ben McCaffey, a long-forgotten classmate from her past. After the death of his girlfriend, Ben has become a social outcast. He’s despised by some and feared by most.

Determined to become Ben’s friend, Maya begins to break through his layers of emotional protection. It isn’t long before they realize that they both have secrets in their pasts. As the line between dealing with grief and struggling with a desire for revenge begins to fade, the secrets that draw them together may be what will ultimately tear them apart. Because the closer Maya gets to Ben, the more dangerous her situation becomes.

I have to tell y'all that I absolutely enjoyed this book. It was deep, but not dark. It was fluid, while at the same time keeping you on the edge of your seat. The touches of suspense were just enough and very tasteful. There isn't really much I can complain about when it comes to this book, however, by the time I was finished, I was looking for more. I couldn't believe it was over so quickly. I felt like there was so much more to tell, so you can imagine how elated I was to read that there IS a follow up companion. That small bit of news tucked into the back of the book made my heart sing. 

I have to admit that there were some editorial flaws within the text, but it wasn't so bad that it completely threw me off the story. I was able to read through them as though they were barely there. Now, having said that, I have to tell you this... 

I adored Maya, and I loved Ben. I felt awful for the both of them, and I think it's okay for me to say that I was just as frustrated with the entire situation as Maya was. I literally found myself wanting to toss my Kindle across the room a time or two, because I was so fed up with certain characters and a few aspects. There were some portions in which I caught myself tearing up and then others I could almost feel the strain coming through the pages when Maya couldn't break through. It was enough to make me want to crawl into the book and squeeze her and thank her so much for trying. 

All in all, this book captivated me from the opening scene and held on to me until the closing sentence. It's a great read, with strong characters and a beautiful, touching premise. I'm giving it FOUR Blue Butterflies (because that's how I roll over here at Ramblings of a Writer.). Do yourself a favor and check out the buy links below. Don't forget to enter in the giveaway for your chance to win a signed copy and/or one of 3 e-books. Also, check out the book trailer, it is awesome! 

Best wishes and happy reading!!!

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Hoax

Hoax by Lila Felix

She's spent a long time in a bubble. In an odd turn of events, Corinne is taken out of boarding school and plunged into high school where bullies reign and nice guys come in last.

But this is after she's already fallen in love with Abel over the summer.

Abel is trapped, with friends he secretly hates, but has chosen to stay with the status quo. It's just high school, right?

What do you do when the person you love sees the very worst part of you? And how do you help them when they discover their life is a hoax?

I've got to be honest here, y'all. I loved this book. I really did. It was great. Not really great, but it was great. Having said that, let me explain to you why. 

For me, Hoax was missing something. I can't put my finger on what exactly, but it was something that I feel like would have granted me the ability to fall head over heels for it and give it five stars. Was it my favorite from Lila, no. Nothing can beat Love & Skate... Not yet anyway. We'll see soon enough, but this isn't about that. 

Hoax was a wonderful story about hope, trust and love. Corrine has a hard time trusting people, mostly because no one has ever been there for her. Not her parents, not anyone. Not until Abel. Spending the summer with Abel taught her the meaning of trust, faith. friendship, and love. But, when Corrine sees Abel sitting on the sidelines watching while his "friends" terrorize someone she cares about, she snaps and loses the faith that she had in Abel during their summer romance. Corrine loses further control of her life when things come to light about her family. However, with the damage done, she internalizes and refuses to let anyone in. Even Abel.

I feel like, looking back, what Hoax was missing was a deeper bond for Corrine. I feel like if she'd had another person to lean on, someone who could help her heal, it would have been better. Please don't misunderstand, I'm not saying that Corrine's character was underdeveloped, I'm saying that this book needed something more.

All in all, I would recommend this book to friends. It really is a good book, and it may not be missing something for other readers. Give it a chance. You may find something that I didn't.

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Miss Me Not Review

Miss Me Not

by 

Tiffany King

Madison Hanson's past demons have given her a "shadow" of an existence. Like so many others who feel lost, she believes suicide may be her only way out—then she meets Dean Jackson, a popular boy from school who gives her hope, and shows her the power of love and acceptance.

With Dean's help, Madison discovers a desire to live, and learns to embrace life and all its gifts.

I have to start this review by saying that suicide is never the answer. No matter how lonely you think you are, no matter how screwed up things may be, no matter how miserable you feel, there is ALWAYS someone watching. Someone who cares. Someone who would give anything to make things right for you. Please! Talk to someone. Anyone. Just get help!

I will admit that I am friends with Tiffany. I'll also admit that I have a weakness for her books. However, this one was hard for me to swallow. Mostly because it deals with something so incredibly personal to me that it has taken me more than a month to finish it. 

You see, I lost someone extremely important to me once, and when Tiffany sent me the ARC for Miss Me Not, I didn't realize how close to the anniversary of his death it was. This book broke me apart. That wall that I had built around myself, the one that shielded me from the pain that was Danny's death on the anniversary, was shattered and all of those feelings that I had thought long buried were able to seep into me and take hold.

Needless to say, I put the book down and refused to touch it again. After explaining to Tiffany why, I made a promise to her, and to myself that whenever I felt ready, I would finish the book. And I have done exactly that. I've finished this book. It was hard, and there were plenty of moments when I wanted to wash my hands of it, but being me, I kept pushing through and finally made it to the end. Because of that, I have this to say...

I have nothing to say. I have no words to describe what I'm feeling now that I'm finished. I feel like I've been forgiven without even knowing what I did to deserve the forgiveness. I feel like if Danny were standing in front of me right this instant, he would smile and say, "I forgive you, but you never needed it because you did nothing wrong." 

This book is real, and it is raw, and it is unrelenting in the way it grabs hold of your heart and doesn't let go. This book isn't for everyone and it may even be considered taboo based on the topic of discussion, but it is well worth reading. I give it 5 stars. 5 HUMONGOUS stars!

Great job, Tiffany. I couldn't be more of a fan if I tried. And thank you for giving me this sense of peace. I've needed it for so long now.

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Ten Tiny Breaths... An ARC Review and Giveaway

Ten Tiny Breaths

by

K.A. Tucker

K.A. contacted me not too long ago and asked me if I would be interested in doing a cover reveal for her upcoming book Ten Tiny Breaths (you can find it here), and naturally, I jumped on it. Of course I wanted to be a part of the cover reveal. DUH! Who doesn't want to be a part of one of their favorite author's new works in some small way? I know I do!

Well, after the reveal went off without a hitch, K.A. reached out to me once again and asked me the one thing that I had been dying to hear her ask... "Would you like to receive an ARC of Ten Tiny Breaths?"....... Pardon me a moment while I scream my utter delight and utmost fan girl joy....... 

AAAAHHHH!!!!

And we're back... I'm sure you can all guess what my response was, right? I should hope so, because you're all too smart for that! 

Well, I JUST finished the book. Like literally, I just turned the final page and all I can say is W.O.W! This book is absolutely fan-freaking-tastic!!! It's the love story you've been dying to read, but by the time you're halfway through it, you want to scream and throw things and punch someone in the mouth, because all of the tension is eating you alive.

It's so beautifully written that you can't help but feel every single touch, hear every single breath, and live every.single.minute. It sucks you in and it doesn't let you go. I mean it. And I know what you're thinking, "She says that a lot," but it's true! It is so true about Ten Tiny Breaths.

You see, Kacey is messed up. Like really, REALLY messed up. She's lost everything. Well, not everything,everything, but everything that meant the world to her. Everything she thought she'd never lose. And it's all because of a decision that someone else made. A decision that left her broken and alone and scarred beyond just the physical damage. She's compartmentalized her feelings over the trauma that she's suffered, channeled all of her rage into kick-boxing, and shut herself off from almost all human physical contact. Let me tell you, this girl is one step away from owning the crazy train! 

After her sick uncle climbs into bed with her sister, Kacey has had enough. She packs their bags and moves them both to Miami. Once there, she meets a gorgeous guy named Trent who slowly begins to try to put her back together. Only there's just one problem... Trent is hiding something, and it's a complete game changer. This gorgeous hunk of man, isn't who she thinks he is, and falling in love with him will change everything she thought she ever knew. Because when the truth comes out, Kacey learns about forgiveness in a way that not many people ever do. Letting go is hard, but facing your past is even harder. Especially when your sanity is involved.

K.A., I am happy to say, totally delivered! Even as I sit here writing this review, I still feel as though my emotions and my heart have been ripped out of me, tossed to the ground, and mercilessly stomped on... Repeatedly. This story is beyond powerful. It's beyond gut-wrenching. It's beyond phenomenal. I feel comfortable telling y'all that I'm sure this book with haunt me for quite some time. It is definitely in a class of it's own! 

And now I have a giveaway for you... Just fill out the Rafflecopter below and you'll be entered to win one of 3 e-copies of Ten Tiny Breaths!!!

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Love and Skate

Love and Skate

by Lila Felix

On the rink she’s tough, she’s a leader, she’s fast and she’s the epitome of a rebellious girl. But Nellie’s been hurt, only once, but it was enough to make her look at life through different eyes and off the rink she’s a timid girl who loves with no pretenses.

A long time ago Owen Black was betrayed by the girl he thought he loved and the guy he called his best friend. The anguish set off a domino effect of negativity in his life and he never has fully recovered. He meets Nellie Forrester and thinks he can let it go for her. 

But how can you love someone when the wounds from your past are still wide open?

I cannot even begin to tell you guys just how much I loved this book. It is literally beyond words, but I am going to try. 

I absolutely, 100%, positively, L-O-V-E-D this book! Now, I know I say that a lot, but as we all know, you will only find reviews written by me for this blog, ONLY if I LOVED the book. Therefore, that explains why you are now reading this review. Now, according to Amazon, I can only give a book 5 stars, but in the case of this book, I feel that all the stars in the universe should be awarded to this story. 

Love and Skate is steamy, it's beautiful, it's heartbreaking, and it has a resolution unlike any other. I wanted to literally crawl into this book and wrap both Nellie and Owen in my arms and tell them that they could get through anything. I wanted to kiss Falcon smack on the lips (Don't judge me, read the book, you'll see) on several occasions, because the guy was just too much of a mess and he made me giggle. I found myself wanting to nail Nellie's mother to the wall, and believe me, you might want to as well. That woman is... well, she's... Okay, just read it for yourself. You'll see. And I absolutely adored Owen's parents, and now I have this need to find out Sylvia's recipe for lemon cheesecake and make it for myself!

It's hard to find too many things that I can share with you that won't give anything away, so let me share with you one of my favorite lines in this book. I think I laughed for a good 3 minutes afterward...

"We spent the next day skating. Well, I skated and Owen tried but honestly he looked like the Hulk trying to glide on a Hot Wheels car."<----Funny stuff, right??? This book is filled with stuff like this. I swear.

Now, I will admit that there were a few times when I wanted to scream at them that they were moving too quickly, but in all honesty, if things had happened any slower, it wouldn't have captured my heart the way it did, and it certainly wouldn't have left me aching when the inevitable happened. I literally finished the book with tears in my eyes. Unshed ones, but tears are tears, right? 

Again, I'll tell you that this book sank into my heart and touched my soul. And it made me was a new tattoo, spider bite piercings and blue, pink, and purple hair! I'm not even kidding. It's my second favorite book of the fall (2012) and I hope you will all give it a try! You'll thank me. You have my word!

Also, be sure to check out the links below to get to know more about Lila Felix and her books! You'll also find the purchase links for Love and Skate below as well. Thanks for stopping by!!! 

Love and Skate on Amazon

Love and Skate on B&N

Lila's Facebook

Lila's Twitter

Lila's Blog

Just Remember to Breathe

 Just Remember to Breathe

by

Charles Sheehan-Miles

Blurb:

Alex Thompson's life is following the script. A pre-law student at Columbia University, she's focused on her grades, her life and her future. The last thing she needs is to reconnect with the boy who broke her heart.

Dylan Paris comes home from Afghanistan severely injured and knows that the one thing he cannot do is drag Alex into the mess he's made of his life.

When Dylan and Alex are assigned to the same work study program and are forced to work side by side, they have to make new ground rules to keep from killing each other.

The only problem is, they keep breaking the rules.

The first rule is to never, ever talk about how they fell in love.

When I first read the blurb for Just Remember to Breathe, I knew that it had to be the book I had been waiting for.
 
Just Remember to Breathe was different, and in very many ways. The most profound way being that every so often I would have to remind myself that this wasn't my story written by someone who knew it.

This was fiction, and it was amazing.

The story grabs hold of you and does not let you go. I cried, I laughed, and I cried a little more.

When I turned to the last page, I was astounded. It was over. I wanted more, so much more. I had become completely invested in the world that Charles created, and I wanted...needed to know how the story would continue. Mostly, I wanted to hug Alex and Dylan. Watching, or reading as it were, the struggles of a wounded warrior and the woman who loved him was difficult. Here's why...

I understand this book.

I know this book.

I have lived this book.

Having said that, I must tell you that Just Remember to Breathe is, hands down, my FAVORITE book of 2012. This book is too good to pass up, and I beg of you, please read it. You may find yourself somewhere inside its pages too.

Don't forget to grab your copy by following one of the links below.

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The Perfect Game

The Perfect Game

by J. Sterling

 

Blurb:

He's a game she never intended to play.
And she's the game changer he never knew he needed.

The Perfect Game tells the story of college juniors, Cassie Andrews & Jack Carter. When Cassie meets rising baseball hopeful Jack, she is determined to steer clear of him and his typical cocky attitude. But Jack has other things on his mind... like getting Cassie to give him the time of day.

They're both damaged, filled with mistrust and guarded before they find one another (and themselves) in this emotional journey about love and forgiveness. Strap yourselves for a ride that will not only break your heart, but put it back together.

Sometimes life gets ugly before it gets beautiful...  

I went into this book knowing full well it would impact me. J and I had talked about it and so I was prepared. At least I thought I was. I have to admit to those of you who are reading this though, that I have never...I repeat NEVER...been more unprepared in my life! This book brought me to my knees. I'd like to tell you that it brought me down figuratively, but that would be an out and out lie. This absolutely spectacular book brought me down literally as much as figuratively. I can assure you that this will be a book that I will return to over and over again.

When The Perfect Game starts, we're introduced to Cassie, a beautiful headstrong girl, who is determined to make her own way in the world, secure her dream job, and live a happy life doing what she loves. Taking pictures and sharing her craft with the world. The last thing she wants is to tie herself to someone whom she can't trust or give her heart over willingly to allow someone to break it and then hand the shards back to her. It's just too bad that a chance encounter on the way into a frat party changes all of that, and that encounter comes in the form of Jack Carter, the star pitcher of the university baseball team, MLB hopeful, and the world's biggest play boy. Much as she tries to heed her best friend Melissa's warnings to not get involved with the likes of Jack Carter, Cassie can't shake him, and he's not going away until she agrees to do something for him. One date. Just one. If she doesn't like it by the time it's over, he'll walk away and she'll never have to worry about him again. If only it were that easy. Thus begins a journey into the unknown... For the both of them. 

I have always liked the saying, "Trust is like a sandcastle. Build it without water, and its nothing but a mound of tiny grains that mean nothing and can be easily washed away in the rising tide or blown away on the breeze. Build it with water, far enough from the shore and reinforce it, and it will harden and stand even as the tide rises around it and the wind whips fiercely." Don't ask me who said it, I couldn't tell you, but the fact is that throughout this book, I wanted to crawl into the pages and give both of them, especially Cassie, that little morsel. I think they'd have both fared well knowing it. However, trust is a finicky thing, and when you've never been able to depend on someone in your life, it's pretty hard to build to begin with.

I loved Cassie. To death. I felt her pain, and more times than not, I wanted to take it from her, but most often I wanted to castrate Jack. I'm not even kidding. I literally felt a sort of bond with Cassie, a sisterhood if you will. And like Cassie, I loved Jack fiercely and I caught myself a few times praying for the release of the pain for the both of them.  As I said earlier, while I thought I had been prepared I most definitely was not, and while I didn't cry, it didn't stop me from wanting to. I honestly think that had I been listening to the right playlist while reading this book, I'd have certainly been in tears on several occasions. This book is powerful, beautifully written, and incredibly put together...beginning to end. If I'm being truthful, I found myself dreading the end, because I knew the second my Kindle said I was at 82% that it wasn't going to be enough once I finally hit 100%. It wasn't, it isn't, and I fear that it never will be. 

My favorite part of this book is hands down the quarters. It's sweet, beautiful, and spectacularly original. If you'd like to know what I'm talking about, read this book. You'll understand.  

So... It is with great pride, and huge amounts of pleasure that I recommend that you read The Perfect Game. Well done, J. Very well done! I <3 you more now than I did when I finished reading Chance Encounters. Tell Jackson that he's still my number 1! *grins*

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