Jessica Roberts (1)

I wish I could give this book 4.5 stars! This story follows a young girl as she leaves high school and her small town behind to take control of her life at college. Something happens and she ends up in a coma. She spends a majority of the book telling us (well actually a doctor) about her life and her time in college. We're left with the mystery of what is true and what is in her imagination.

I found myself wanting to constantly pick up this book so that I could get to the end and find out the answers....Is the boy of her dreams real? How did she get in the coma in the first place?

I would definitely recommend this book for young adults and also for adults (it brings back those special memories of falling in love). I loved the ending and can't wait for the next book in the series to see how things play out!… (altro)

Originally reviewed at Witchmag's Boekenplank

I received a copy as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review

* May contain some spoilers*

This is one of the most frustrating books I’ve ever read. Maybe even the most. I was this close *puts thumb on index finger* to bursting out in tears because of all the pent-up emotions. And because I was frustrated. A lot. The beginning is just toooooo slow for my taste! Right at the start you already know that she had an accident. It’s even in the blurb. But instead of knowing what exactly happens, there are 200+ pages you have to struggle through before you get to know what happened with Heather. This really worked on my nerves. I wanted to know what was going on. Not experience everything she went through in the six months or so before her accident, with full details. Okay, it helped with forming an image of Heather and her friends. And what lead to the crash. But couldn’t this be done in fewer pages? Or couldn’t we return to the here and now from time to time, so I would know how she’s faring now? Since you already know it’s just a dream….

The most frustrating part was definitely the ending. We’re finally in the here and now. Get to know what happened, why it happened. The consequences. AND THEN THE BOOK ENDED! AAAAAAAAAAAAAA! You’ve got to be serious? This is no ending at all! How could it end like this? Why did I read all of her memories if the book finishes here? It was such an anticlimax and cliffhanger at the same time. And I was left hanging! With a lot of emotions that I couldn’t give a place! Therefore my almost bursting in tears reaction ;)

I also had a hard time understanding Heather. Who she was, what her real character is like. Cause you experience everything through her memories, who are sometimes pretty otherworldly, or making no sense at all. This makes it hard to believe that everything is real. Especially when you keep in mind this is supposed to be a dream. And in the end it left me confused and with no information about Heather at all. Fortunately this was a very compelling read, so the book managed to keep me interested, even if I didn’t have a clue of what was going on. I really wanted to know how it ended! (Of course this was before I read the actual ending -.- )

Conclusion

I haven’t got the tiniest idea of how many hearts this book is worth. On the one hand it’s a book that occupied my mind, even after finishing it. On the other hand it was pretty boring and frustrating to read about all those memories. Therefore let’s strike the golden mean: 3 HEARTS. I’m a little scared for the next book though, I don’t know if I’ll be able to survive another roller coaster like this…… (altro)

AMAZING, TEAR-JERKING, AWE-INSPIRING-ROMANCE!!

The love story between Nick and Heather couldn't feel more real or in this case lack there of. The premise seems totally real and really imaginative. I don't know if I could stand to be in Heather's shoes as she wakes up from her coma. I don't even know if I could attempt to be as strong as her when it comes to matters of the heart. I was so very pleased with the ending of the story too! I was so emotionally attached to this story, I didn't want it to end, but the ending was so perfect that I didn't have a huge book depression after it was over.

Cover/ Writing Style
I like the cover of Reaction, however I liked the Reflection cover a little better. Plus the model looks kinda young for my idea of Heather. The thing I really like about Jessica Roberts' writing is how she mixes first and third person POV. It can be hard to differentiate between dream/memory state and real life, so I think her decision to mix the two was perfect. Also, the third person was done so well, that I could relate to Heather while still getting glimpses of the other characters.

Swoonworthy Points: 9
Both books were super swoony to me. Yeah, there were lots of hot kissing scenes, but I really loved how the story made you fall in/out of love. I loved how much my heart ached but also how much it was healed. Here's a swoony scene for you:

Before I had another coherent thought, his mouth descended on mine like a leisure cloud on a sunny day. His lips were soft and pressed warmly against mine.

Bonus points
This series has one of my top ten book boyfriends in it.. which is why Reaction earns itself some bonus points. I love Nick!!! He is a great guy who is loyal to a fault. He doesn't want to let anyone down. Lets not forget how freaking DELICIOUS he is.

...his short buzzed hair made his features nearly overwhelming. Three years, short hair, and a tailored black suit transformed him into a man. He looked severely handsome.

...Like always, He made every other guy around him seem weak and wanting.

...It wasn't the warm way he looked at me, suspicious and yet somehow devouring.


Summary
Three years with nothing but dreams of Nick, that's all Heather had the day she woke up from a 3 year coma. Nick had moved on. Heather was left trying to pick up the pieces of her life.. that is after she decided what was truly the real part of her life. But there is one thing she can't let go of, her undeniable love for Nick. She struggles to decide if she wants to do whats right and let go, or risk heartache chasing after him.

I really-really-realllly loved this book duo and would highly recommend it!
… (altro)