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agentkp's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I don't really know why I didn't love this book, maybe because reading about someone having to go through painful gay awakening for the second time wasn't that enjoyable.
netgyrl's review
4.0
3.5 stars I am in for a good amnesia trope
I enjoyed this book, but……. THEY DON’T TELL HER SHE IS MARRIED AND HAS A SON??!! Like what?? I mean maybe I can understand not revealing she is married to a woman right off the bat because of her background which I sympathize with but not telling her about her own flesh and blood child? And he is only 5. Sorry that didn’t sit right with me. Yes, the do finally tell her but it went on too long imo.
Also I didn’t understand the reasoning in not filling her in on what a f’ing douche canoe her ex-boyfriend is? I mean seriously? He is a horrible person that you would warn a complete stranger against having anything to do with much less the love of your life who YOU ARE MARRIED TO! Ugh.
I enjoyed this book, but……. THEY DON’T TELL HER SHE IS MARRIED AND HAS A SON??!! Like what?? I mean maybe I can understand not revealing she is married to a woman right off the bat because of her background which I sympathize with but not telling her about her own flesh and blood child? And he is only 5. Sorry that didn’t sit right with me. Yes, the do finally tell her but it went on too long imo.
Also I didn’t understand the reasoning in not filling her in on what a f’ing douche canoe her ex-boyfriend is? I mean seriously? He is a horrible person that you would warn a complete stranger against having anything to do with much less the love of your life who YOU ARE MARRIED TO! Ugh.
claire60's review against another edition
5.0
Read this is one sitting, it was so refreshing to have a lesbian story set in the UK! Apparently, its a trope to have stories where one character loses their memory but this is the first one I've read, (although I have seen the Vow). In this story, Elena wakes up in hospital having been hit by a bus with no memory of the last 8 years, which includes her wife Jax and son Jamie. I thought I knew where this book was going to take me but we went off in a direction I wasn't expecting, that was more painful to read but also much more realistic. I was gripped form the beginning and the author does a great job of moving the story long. The characters are believable including Jax's best friend Greg who is a trans man and one of the more authentic portrayals I've read in fiction. Elena's relationship with her sister Cat is also realistic, fights and all. Really enjoyed this book and especially the UK setting, it gets an extra star for that alone, its about time...
With thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
With thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
00leah00's review against another edition
4.0
“Aurora” by Emma L. McGeown is a sweet, slow burn romance about an amnesiac patient who loses her memory after being hit by a bus.
Elena Ricci wakes up one day in a hospital to find out she’s been in an accident. As the doctor asks her questions, it becomes obvious she can’t remember anything from the last eight years of her life. She has no memory that she’s had a son, Jamie, that she’s come out as gay, and last but not least, that she’s married a woman, Jax.
Elena did not have the best life in her younger years. She was sent to a Catholic school that believed in conversion therapy when she was fifteen. She spent years denying her sexuality because she felt it was wrong and ended up spending a lot of time in therapy trying to undo all of the damage and to accept who she is. This is all undone by her accident. Elena once again, tries to deny she’s attracted to women even when she finds out she’s married to one. She gets in touch with the last person she remembers being with, Tom.
While I really liked the book overall but there were some pretty frustrating parts I didn’t understand. I failed to understand why the doctors didn’t want anyone to tell her any of the things that matter. They don’t tell her she’s married to Jax, yet, they send her home with her (a complete stranger), pretending to be roommates. Jax also becomes a single parent as it is determined they can’t tell Elena about her son as well or it could be too traumatic for her. I also had a hard time understanding why she would contact her old boyfriend after everyone has told her they broke up a long time ago. Even if that’s the last thing she remembers, she knows it’s been eight years since they were together and there would be a reason for that.
Although I had those issues, they still don’t take away that this is a very good book. There’s the standard angst that comes with amnesia and forgetting one’s family. It’s well written, (though it was a little confusing at times with the timeline but I eventually just ignored it.) There are also some secondary characters which add some comedic relief such as Elena’s sister, Cat and Jax’s best friend, Greg.
It sent me on a pretty broad emotional spectrum while reading. It made me laugh, it made me mad and it made me tear up a bit. It’s a debut book by McGeown and it has me excited to see what she comes out with next.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
Elena Ricci wakes up one day in a hospital to find out she’s been in an accident. As the doctor asks her questions, it becomes obvious she can’t remember anything from the last eight years of her life. She has no memory that she’s had a son, Jamie, that she’s come out as gay, and last but not least, that she’s married a woman, Jax.
Elena did not have the best life in her younger years. She was sent to a Catholic school that believed in conversion therapy when she was fifteen. She spent years denying her sexuality because she felt it was wrong and ended up spending a lot of time in therapy trying to undo all of the damage and to accept who she is. This is all undone by her accident. Elena once again, tries to deny she’s attracted to women even when she finds out she’s married to one. She gets in touch with the last person she remembers being with, Tom.
While I really liked the book overall but there were some pretty frustrating parts I didn’t understand. I failed to understand why the doctors didn’t want anyone to tell her any of the things that matter. They don’t tell her she’s married to Jax, yet, they send her home with her (a complete stranger), pretending to be roommates. Jax also becomes a single parent as it is determined they can’t tell Elena about her son as well or it could be too traumatic for her. I also had a hard time understanding why she would contact her old boyfriend after everyone has told her they broke up a long time ago. Even if that’s the last thing she remembers, she knows it’s been eight years since they were together and there would be a reason for that.
Although I had those issues, they still don’t take away that this is a very good book. There’s the standard angst that comes with amnesia and forgetting one’s family. It’s well written, (though it was a little confusing at times with the timeline but I eventually just ignored it.) There are also some secondary characters which add some comedic relief such as Elena’s sister, Cat and Jax’s best friend, Greg.
It sent me on a pretty broad emotional spectrum while reading. It made me laugh, it made me mad and it made me tear up a bit. It’s a debut book by McGeown and it has me excited to see what she comes out with next.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
gaybian's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
brennooth's review against another edition
5.0
What a heart-wrenching story that was. I absolutely adored it and couldn’t put the book down for even a second. Somehow they crawled into my heart and made themselves a home. Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I loved the pace. Perfect little story with a happy ending and a lot of heart-wrenching things in between. I want to hug them all.
mgncpr's review against another edition
4.0
When I read the blurb for this book I figured it was the perfect book to settle into a comfy chair and spend a few hours feeding my guilty pleasure of angsty romance novels. When Elena wakes in a hospital room, she's shocked to find out that she's been hit by a bus and the injuries she's sustained has caused amnesia - she's lost eight years. Of course, everyone believes that allowing Elena to recover her memories on her own and not tell her that over the last eight years she's kicked her jerk boyfriend to the curb, had a baby, fallen in love with a woman and has been living as a happily married woman and mother. Having her return home to live with her "roomate" Jax and Jax's son. It was bit like being a passenger on a speeding train and seeing that the bridge around the bend is gone.
Preposterous? Yeah. Angsty? Oh yeah. But the blend of characters, story and writing work really well and this was a great read.
The book switches 1st person POV between Elena and Jax - so you get the double whammy of angst as they both deal with the situation. Jax is so desperate to not push Elena too fast or too far she often takes a more passive role, even when Elena starts reaching out to her (ex) boyfriend - who she last remembers being in a relationship. On the other hand, Elena's struggling to deal with the blanks in her memory - and once she learns about her current life, it's still so foreign and terrifying for her to have to come out again (she's got a lot of baggage)..
I was really impressed that this was Ms McGeown's first novel - she's managed to find the difficult balance of angsty situations and real and interesting characters that are compelling. She provides enough backstory and past events to make the characters' actions and reactions believable and to ground the angst from getting out of control
Preposterous? Yeah. Angsty? Oh yeah. But the blend of characters, story and writing work really well and this was a great read.
The book switches 1st person POV between Elena and Jax - so you get the double whammy of angst as they both deal with the situation. Jax is so desperate to not push Elena too fast or too far she often takes a more passive role, even when Elena starts reaching out to her (ex) boyfriend - who she last remembers being in a relationship. On the other hand, Elena's struggling to deal with the blanks in her memory - and once she learns about her current life, it's still so foreign and terrifying for her to have to come out again (she's got a lot of baggage)..
I was really impressed that this was Ms McGeown's first novel - she's managed to find the difficult balance of angsty situations and real and interesting characters that are compelling. She provides enough backstory and past events to make the characters' actions and reactions believable and to ground the angst from getting out of control
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