different – Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

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?

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My Review

When Emma Walker wakes up in hospital she is more than confused. She has no idea where she is, how she got there but more importantly who the strangers are that are telling her they are her parents. She’s been in a coma for six months and now she can’t remember anyone.

Her parents want her to pick up from where she left off, her boyfriend wants the old her back and her friends want their leader back. But how can she be all this when she doesn’t know who she is?

But then a hazel eyed guy in the name of Mason, her physical therapist seems to be the only person who isn’t pushing her to remember her old life, he treats her with kindness and patience and Emma feels he is the only one who understand her. She begins to develop feelings for him but he needs to stay away to save his job at the hospital and Emma is determined to work her butt off to graduate with her ‘friends’. But what will happen when she leaves hospital and is no longer a patient?

Firstly, I have to say I love books that include coma patients who lose their memory and really are starting over again. I know I sound creepy, but there is something about them I love. Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella is one of my favourite books and Wide Awake reminded me a bit of that, I think that’s why I knew I had to download this book too! Not just because the synopsis drew me in, but because of the journey of beginning again, finding who you truly are.

It was the first book I had read by Shelly Crane and it won’t be the last. I couldn’t stop reading Wide Awake and I did sing along to the song by Katy Perry a fair few times too! I read it on the train to work, thought about it throughout my shift then read it home and well into the night. I loved both Mason and Emma and I just needed to know what was going to happen, if she would remember her old life, about Mason’s life and along the way there were some shockers for me. Especially near the end with the ex-boyfriend. Yeah, I wasn’t expecting that to happen. But really, I whizzed through the books, only putting it down for my shift at work.

I pretty much loved Emma. Although she didn’t have a clue who she was, who her family and friends were or anything to do with her ‘old’ life, not even recognizing herself until she looked in a mirror, and it scared her, she was so determined in her life to graduate, to find herself, now that she didn’t know about herself but also determined to be anyone other than who she used to be once she got a glimpse into her own life back at school where she used to be a spoilt brat who was top of the food chain along with her ‘boyfriend’. It was nice to see that she just didn’t want to be that person anymore and couldn’t believe it was her for so many years.

She grows up a lot in this book, I suppose as you would do if you couldn’t remember anything at all. Although it’s a scary prospect and her friends and family weren’t exactly supportive as they wanted the old her back, she had Mason to lean on when everyone was telling her to try and be the old her, she brushed them aside and focused on herself, on learning to be her true self, not the old her. She definitely grasped at having a second chance at life and put everything in her past – like her friends – in the backburner, knowing that she would never want to be like them and wondering how she ever was. She was such a strong character, I admired that about her.

I adored Mason. My tattooed sweetheart, he was simply amazing, yet also harbouring some secrets away – secrets that tore at his heart and mine, because everything he was doing, it was for his family. You’ll understand when you read it. He’s one of the good guys and I could totally see why Emma fell for him. He was always there for her, helping her through her physiotherapy sessions, so proud of her for pushing through the pain and learning to walk again and the flirty banter between them was brilliant! Everything he and Emma had been through, alone and together, well, it only made them stronger. I loved that Mason told her he would wait for her and that’s exactly what he did. He really was a great guy and he was perfect for Emma, they both were together. It was also great to see a vulnerable side to Mason, a side that he has shielded away for so long, so when Emma came alone, told he she wasn’t leaving, I think it was great to see his reaction, to know that someone was there for him, as he was for them too.

I normally tell you my favourite scene, but I really don’t want to spoil it for you because although it’s a shorter book, there is a lot packed into it that you have to read by yourself without me telling you what is going to happen. But take a chance on this book, it’s awesome.

I definitely recommend it. I’ve already told you I like books like this so of course, I was going to love Wide Awake. It really is a journey, for everyone really, in the book, from Emma, to Mason, to her parents and friends. Everyone goes through something and has their life changed by the accident. It’s beautiful, it’s a breath of fresh air and you all should read it, you will instantly fall in love with Mason and root and be so proud of Emma!!

Synopsis

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…

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My Review

“You’re both so screwed up alone that together you’re like the perfect mess.”

I’m going to be honest with you. I’ve had The Perfect Game on my kindle for a few weeks now, and every time I have gone to read it, I have been scared and chosen another book. The reason? When I download books, I read reviews, as do many other people, but I read one review that said something really bad happens and if you follow me on twitter or have read some of my reviews, you know I become too emotionally attached to books, the storylines and the characters, and I knew, if I read this book, I’d probably have my heart ripped out and throw my kindle away from me. And that is exactly what I did reading this book. But it was worth every second because I fell head over heels in love with this book from the beginning.

College junior Cassie Andrews and her best friend and roommate Melissa end up going to a frat party and that is when Cassie and Jack meet. Jack is your typical manwhore who gets any women he wants until he meets Cassie who is turned off by his charms and won’t give him the time of day. Jack’s cocky and always gets what he wants but when Cassie bites back, something switches in him and he pursues her until she relentlessly gives in to a date with him. Only one date though, and then he’ll leave her alone. But things aren’t always that easy when it comes to Jack when she gets to know him, the real him over dinner and that’s when everything changes for the both of them.

You find out that Jack isn’t all that cocky and deep down he’s been burnt badly by his parents leaving him and his brother when they were younger and that he has major trust issues, hence why he only sleeps with a girl once and lets them pursue him. He’s way out of his comfort zone with Cassie, but he knows there is something different about him than all the other girls. She doesn’t care that he’s an athlete, she only cares about him as a person and that’s when he knows he wants something more with her. She asks him to prove it, and that’s exactly what he does. Proves he can be a one women man, especially for Cassie.

Their relationship started off great, apart from the group of girls constantly making snide comments about Cassie. Things are perfect for them but they both have major trust issues especially Cassie. Her issues stem from her Dad who never follows through with his promises and so because of this, Cassie finds it hard to trust any man. Jack’s issues are from his parents leaving and the fact he’s never been in a relationship so he keeps telling Cassie he will screw up eventually. But together, they both refuse to let anyone get in-between them; they are determined to make this relationship work.

To see Jack change for Cassie was beautiful. She’s the one girl who sees Jack for who he really is and not the cocky, manwhore that everyone else sees. He’s real with her and it seemed that he needed Cassie as much as she needed him. As their relationship blossoms and they have been through a lot to get through to the other side, Jack has been drafted for his Baseball and is travelling and Cassie is doing well in college and has earned herself a photography internship. Things are going great but as any great book, nothing good ever lasts too long and things change dramatically over night between them when they are apart.

I screamed, shouted and threw my kindle away from me while I took in what I had just read. Then when I got my breathing back to normal and read the next page few pages, I did it all over again. To say I was affected was an understatement. I just couldn’t believe what I had read. It made me hate Jack for what he had done to Cassie after telling her he would never hurt her. I couldn’t condone what he had done, but then I felt remorse towards him. He felt so sorry and guilt was eating him up that he knew the right thing was to own up to Cassie about it, even though he knew he would lose her and that’s what he never wanted to do – she was his life. Then the way he handled it, going to the extreme of what he did, even when everyone was telling him not to, it got me frustrated and angry at him again. I know he wanted to make things right, but to do that? There was really no need, but in a way I could see his reasoning’s but it was definitely the wrong way to go as it backfired on him.

I am really glad that you get to see Jack’s POV in certain chapters. If we didn’t, I would have definitely hated him throughout the book, wondering if it was a bet or something to try and be with Cassie but alas, don’t worry, it’s not and he truly does want Cassie forever, which I thought was amazingly sweet.

This book goes through a journey. A journey of love, changes, breaking down barriers, heartbreak and friendship. There is a happy ending for both Jack and Cassie and after everything that they went through; the way he apologized would clinch at my heartstrings too. The ending was positively perfect in my opinion and although after everything that happens between the pair and many would probably not forgive him; it seemed the right choice for Cassie to do so. I, for one, am so excited to read book two The Game Changer, when it is out in 2013. Please hurry up and release it J.Sterling!!