What do you think?
Rate this book
Once More With Feeling
She's suffered the very worst of betrayals. And now Sarah's facing a divorce she never expected. With Christmas round the corner, what better time to re-evaluate her life? As she reconsiders every choice she's made, she starts to wonder if her life was so perfect after all. This winter, lose yourself in Sarah's world of unmade decisions, lost friends and old flames...
357 pages, Paperback
First published December 6, 2012
11 people are currently reading
963 people want to read
About the author
Megan Crane
63 books673 followersUSA Today bestselling, multi-award-nominated, and critically-acclaimed author Megan Crane has written more than 150 books and shows no sign of slowing down. She publishes contemporary romance and paranormal romance as Megan Crane (and briefly M.M. Crane) with an extensive backlist of women’s fiction, rom-coms, chick lit, and young adult novels—among other things. She’s also won a large and loyal fanbase as Caitlin Crews with Harlequin Presents, Harlequin Dare, Harlequin Historical, and contemporary cowboy books. And for Midwestern small town coziness, found families, romance, and some paranormal scariness thrown in, Megan partners with Nicole Helm to publish as Hazel Beck.
Megan has a Masters and Ph.D. in English Literature, has taught creative writing classes in places like UCLA Extension’s prestigious Writers’ Program, and is always available to give workshops (or her opinion). She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her comic book artist husband, though, at any given time, she is likely to either be huddled in a coffee shop somewhere or off traveling the world. Preferably both.
You can find out more than you ever wanted to know about her at www.megancrane.com
Megan has a Masters and Ph.D. in English Literature, has taught creative writing classes in places like UCLA Extension’s prestigious Writers’ Program, and is always available to give workshops (or her opinion). She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her comic book artist husband, though, at any given time, she is likely to either be huddled in a coffee shop somewhere or off traveling the world. Preferably both.
You can find out more than you ever wanted to know about her at www.megancrane.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
November 5, 2018
What a gem! I picked this one up for free and I'm glad I did. I was hooked from the beginning by the drama. But this book is so much more.
Very brief synopsis: Sarah walks into her bedroom to find Tim, her husband of 5 years, "in the act" with her sister Carolyn. Tim wants a divorce and moves in with Carolyn. Then, Tim is in a car accident and in a coma, later to awaken with amnesia of the previous 6 months.
This is an awesome book. I loved it. I couldn't put it down. When I was about 35% of the way through, someone asked me what I was reading. I began to describe it and they immediately went to download it.
Sarah's journey to make sense of her life when she walks out of the hospital after a confrontation with Carolyn while Tim is still in a coma is painful but necessary to discover who she really is now and what she wants out of life. While looking up old friends can be joyful, listening to their opinions/views of major life events can be very painful. However, looking at the events in retrospect and being honest with yourself is the most painful of all. But, it is the only thing that can help you make needed changes.
Sarah is an average person. When she was younger, she had ideals and idea of what her life and future looked like. Choices and painful experiences tempered her ideals and plans and she made choices that she needed and/or were good for her at the time. The situation with Tim and Carolyn cause her to re-examine her life to make sense of them, then and now.
This is a wonderfully written and executed story. I felt Sarah's heartbreak and pain. I understood her confusion and why she did things the way she did. I felt all of the emotion - even from the other characters. The author did a great job of opening up many of the other characters so they were not just 1-dimensional. Having said this doesn't mean I forgive - just that I understand.
I am waffling on 4.5-5 stars. Why?
Very brief synopsis: Sarah walks into her bedroom to find Tim, her husband of 5 years, "in the act" with her sister Carolyn. Tim wants a divorce and moves in with Carolyn. Then, Tim is in a car accident and in a coma, later to awaken with amnesia of the previous 6 months.
This is an awesome book. I loved it. I couldn't put it down. When I was about 35% of the way through, someone asked me what I was reading. I began to describe it and they immediately went to download it.
Sarah's journey to make sense of her life when she walks out of the hospital after a confrontation with Carolyn while Tim is still in a coma is painful but necessary to discover who she really is now and what she wants out of life. While looking up old friends can be joyful, listening to their opinions/views of major life events can be very painful. However, looking at the events in retrospect and being honest with yourself is the most painful of all. But, it is the only thing that can help you make needed changes.
Sarah is an average person. When she was younger, she had ideals and idea of what her life and future looked like. Choices and painful experiences tempered her ideals and plans and she made choices that she needed and/or were good for her at the time. The situation with Tim and Carolyn cause her to re-examine her life to make sense of them, then and now.
This is a wonderfully written and executed story. I felt Sarah's heartbreak and pain. I understood her confusion and why she did things the way she did. I felt all of the emotion - even from the other characters. The author did a great job of opening up many of the other characters so they were not just 1-dimensional. Having said this doesn't mean I forgive - just that I understand.
I am waffling on 4.5-5 stars. Why?
August 25, 2014
What a completely and utterly fantastic read. I highlighted so many sections of this, pausing to re-read sections and reflect on them, I doubt I can do this justice in a review.
Sarah's whole world caves in around her when she returns home and catches her husband in bed with someone else. I've read this set up in so many stories, but the writing really made her nightmare feel gut-wrenchingly real.
At first Sarah is shell-shocked and disappears into herself, blaming herself, feeling hatred for Carolyn, the other woman.
I have to say it is another mark of this author's writing that she manages to make me feel a level of utter loathing for a character that I have never, ever felt for any fictional character before. Carolyn is vile. Her betrayal is profound and ruthless. Reading this I was revved up with self-righteous indignation on Sarah's behalf:
Gradually her asshole husband, Tim, the evil Carolyn and even Sarah's parents turn on Sarah she is left swinging in the wind without the support network she had always taken for granted at her back. The first few chapters are incredibly hard to read because it did make me feel so emotional and het up, but at the same time, it was an exhilarating read - this isn't something you could read passively without being affected by it I think.
Before long Tim has an accident that leaves him in a coma. At this point Sarah feels a mix of guilt and anger but thankfully she begins to fight back with a mixture of rage and some fine, beautifully written observations on the evil Carolyn that gave me hope for her future. She also takes stock and sees that she needs to understand how she got here:
There is lots of Sarah's inner monologue as she re-evaluates her life, how she ended up married to Tim and living in the suburbs, but it isn't a slow read at all. She begins to see the life she had convinced herself was happy and contented wasn't quite all it seemed:
Sarah spends time reconnecting with her former bestie who she unceremoniously dropped when she became a suburban wife and then finally Dr Alec.
I absolutely loved Alec. If Carolyn was my most loathed character ever, Alec was the hottest, knows what he wants and takes it, doesn't make promises he can't keep but keeps the promises he does make kinda guy I've ever read and I absolutely loved him. He hasn't seen Sarah for 10 years, but he strides across the field, throws down his axe, shoves his gloves in his pocket and this is how he greets her:
I read so many books looking for a scene that good. It gave me butterflies and kept a smile on my face for days. The chemistry between Sarah and Alec is bloody brilliant and the smut really intense, but more than that, Alec was such a great character; curmudgeonly, surly, candid and smart. Their banter was great but their conversation even better, it really resonated with me and I think will touch anyone who has ever wondered what happened to the naive, idealistic 18 year old that's still somewhere inside of them.
Problem is, Alec has his flight back to Africa booked, he's still as determined as ever to never marry and settle down and Sarah can't see any way out of her nightmare with Tim. Matters really come to a head when he wakes from the coma and can't remember having an affair...
I was nervous as the ending approached, worried because this is more contemporary fiction than the romantic fiction usually read and so a HEA isn't always guaranteed in stories like that, but boy this was exactly what I would have hoped for. I would have loved an epilogue a few months later, but only because I'm greedy and I didn't want this to end.
I can't recommend this highly enough, it was one of my top reads this year.
*I was gifted a copy via netgalley in return for my honest opinion.*
Sarah's whole world caves in around her when she returns home and catches her husband in bed with someone else. I've read this set up in so many stories, but the writing really made her nightmare feel gut-wrenchingly real.
At first Sarah is shell-shocked and disappears into herself, blaming herself, feeling hatred for Carolyn, the other woman.
I have to say it is another mark of this author's writing that she manages to make me feel a level of utter loathing for a character that I have never, ever felt for any fictional character before. Carolyn is vile. Her betrayal is profound and ruthless. Reading this I was revved up with self-righteous indignation on Sarah's behalf:
She was stealing every single thing I loved about my life - she'd done it before I'd even known to look, before I'd had any inkling there was any danger - and now she was thanking me for my witless help in letting her go right ahead and do it.
And I wasn't beating the life out of her because I was worried about making a scene. I was pathetic."
Gradually her asshole husband, Tim, the evil Carolyn and even Sarah's parents turn on Sarah she is left swinging in the wind without the support network she had always taken for granted at her back. The first few chapters are incredibly hard to read because it did make me feel so emotional and het up, but at the same time, it was an exhilarating read - this isn't something you could read passively without being affected by it I think.
Before long Tim has an accident that leaves him in a coma. At this point Sarah feels a mix of guilt and anger but thankfully she begins to fight back with a mixture of rage and some fine, beautifully written observations on the evil Carolyn that gave me hope for her future. She also takes stock and sees that she needs to understand how she got here:
"No more waiting for Tim to wake up and reconsider, no more hoping Carolyn might apologize, no more holding onto some childhood dream that my parents might stand up for me. I needed to act. I needed to understand how I'd become who I was no, whoever that was, and then I needed - even more desperately - to figure out who I wanted to be next.
There is lots of Sarah's inner monologue as she re-evaluates her life, how she ended up married to Tim and living in the suburbs, but it isn't a slow read at all. She begins to see the life she had convinced herself was happy and contented wasn't quite all it seemed:
I remembered that wildness inside of me, that feeling that the sky wasn't big enough to hold me or all the things I wanted to do. I remembered when it seemed as if all the songs spoke to hidden pieces of my soul, and that deep down conviction that there was greatness out there, waiting for me, if I could only find it. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt that way."
Sarah spends time reconnecting with her former bestie who she unceremoniously dropped when she became a suburban wife and then finally Dr Alec.
Alec was the kind of man that women lined up to ruin themselves over.
I absolutely loved Alec. If Carolyn was my most loathed character ever, Alec was the hottest, knows what he wants and takes it, doesn't make promises he can't keep but keeps the promises he does make kinda guy I've ever read and I absolutely loved him. He hasn't seen Sarah for 10 years, but he strides across the field, throws down his axe, shoves his gloves in his pocket and this is how he greets her:
"Took you long enough," Alec said, in the voice I remembered, rough and soft all at once, that always hit me in places that made me blush. Which I did, I couldn't seem to help it. Or, to be honest, care too much that I was turning red beneath his scrutiny. And then he reached over, slid his hand over my jaw and into my hair with a gentle intent, tugged me closer, and kissed me.
I read so many books looking for a scene that good. It gave me butterflies and kept a smile on my face for days. The chemistry between Sarah and Alec is bloody brilliant and the smut really intense, but more than that, Alec was such a great character; curmudgeonly, surly, candid and smart. Their banter was great but their conversation even better, it really resonated with me and I think will touch anyone who has ever wondered what happened to the naive, idealistic 18 year old that's still somewhere inside of them.
Problem is, Alec has his flight back to Africa booked, he's still as determined as ever to never marry and settle down and Sarah can't see any way out of her nightmare with Tim. Matters really come to a head when he wakes from the coma and can't remember having an affair...
I was nervous as the ending approached, worried because this is more contemporary fiction than the romantic fiction usually read and so a HEA isn't always guaranteed in stories like that, but boy this was exactly what I would have hoped for. I would have loved an epilogue a few months later, but only because I'm greedy and I didn't want this to end.
I can't recommend this highly enough, it was one of my top reads this year.
*I was gifted a copy via netgalley in return for my honest opinion.*
July 18, 2023
I am definitely going through a restless phase in my own life, but despite this I had some problems with this book and how it ended. First, let me address the key issues:
1. Some have pointed out that it is cosmically wrong that the sister and the h’s husband had an HEA. However, I urge readers to think about the fact that immensely selfish people can only have an HFN. Their inherent selfishness will eventually cause them to turn against their partner because of overweening self-interest. They’ll get theirs, as well all of the other relatives who condoned them.
2. The H made a very solid love declaration, but he did make the statement that I associate with male idiocy, “I don’t believe in marriage and I don’t see that changing.
” If he is vowing to be faithful to her and stay with her forever, why can’t he agree to marry her? Honestly, it’s women who should be making that statement, considering that there’s a load of research that shows that married men are happier and live longer, whereas married women are less happy than their single counterparts. So why should he all het up about marriage? It shows a lack of intellectual fortitude. He is, at best, an HFN. She’ll get her traveling and adventure out of the way with him as a coach and supporter. Then when she decides she wants to move on she’ll notice that he hasn’t moved on and can’t.
3. I see her as ending up with a third person or alone, not with the H. His arrested development concerning marriage is going to eventually be a dealbreaker, not because she is so high on marriage, but because it is a reflection of him being withholding and arrested on a larger basis.
1. Some have pointed out that it is cosmically wrong that the sister and the h’s husband had an HEA. However, I urge readers to think about the fact that immensely selfish people can only have an HFN. Their inherent selfishness will eventually cause them to turn against their partner because of overweening self-interest. They’ll get theirs, as well all of the other relatives who condoned them.
2. The H made a very solid love declaration, but he did make the statement that I associate with male idiocy, “I don’t believe in marriage and I don’t see that changing.
” If he is vowing to be faithful to her and stay with her forever, why can’t he agree to marry her? Honestly, it’s women who should be making that statement, considering that there’s a load of research that shows that married men are happier and live longer, whereas married women are less happy than their single counterparts. So why should he all het up about marriage? It shows a lack of intellectual fortitude. He is, at best, an HFN. She’ll get her traveling and adventure out of the way with him as a coach and supporter. Then when she decides she wants to move on she’ll notice that he hasn’t moved on and can’t.
3. I see her as ending up with a third person or alone, not with the H. His arrested development concerning marriage is going to eventually be a dealbreaker, not because she is so high on marriage, but because it is a reflection of him being withholding and arrested on a larger basis.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2021
There will be spoilers in this review...I can't seem to help it!
Boy oh boy. This one was a heavy read for me. Yes, this book starts with a 1990's day-time talk show-worthy caught-in-the-act cheating scene. That's a fairly aggressive start to the book, but as I read along, I could see that our poor h probably needed more than gentle nudges to wake up and make some serious changes in her sad-sack tepid life. I tend to be a little more decisive (impulsive?!) with my decision-making and, unfortunately, a lot less patient with folks who waffle (my interpretation) or simply let things happen to them because that's easier than calling those shots themselves. That said, I found myself very, VERY frustrated with the h whose husband, sister, and parents were abominable, unreasonable monsters in this terrible pageant. The book takes the h on a one-step-forward, two-steps-back journey of self-discovery to see how it is she found herself clueless and betrayed (and shocked by that betrayal). I felt like our h did a lot of self-flagellating, but didn't change her behavior to a position of confidence or strength. She seemed more content to let things happen to her and that drove me nuts.
The H is off-sides for most of the book because, of course, there's an accident that results in a coma and some amnesia of the pertinent betrayal events. The perfect canvas for our h to slip right back into her life. Before the accident, the H came across to me as a smarmy jackass. Who does that? And the way he pressured her about the divorce was monstrous, too. But again, I got the impression that for most of the book, the h would probably have been content to stay married on paper and live in the house with H and homewrecking sister (with bun in the oven, no less) if that option had been made available. Time to gut up, h!!
The sister and parents are almost caricatures of the worst sorts of people you've heard of and made me crazy with book rage. The friends are suitably supportive and the old/new love interest is vague but compelling.
The writing is solid, I didn't spy any spelling, grammatical, or editing errors that can detract from the reading experience. And because it was so well-written, I honestly felt like I wanted to wring so many of these characters' necks. Enough with the navel-gazing, Sarah!
Kudos to Megan Crane for a book that enthralled and enraged me in equal parts!
Boy oh boy. This one was a heavy read for me. Yes, this book starts with a 1990's day-time talk show-worthy caught-in-the-act cheating scene. That's a fairly aggressive start to the book, but as I read along, I could see that our poor h probably needed more than gentle nudges to wake up and make some serious changes in her sad-sack tepid life. I tend to be a little more decisive (impulsive?!) with my decision-making and, unfortunately, a lot less patient with folks who waffle (my interpretation) or simply let things happen to them because that's easier than calling those shots themselves. That said, I found myself very, VERY frustrated with the h whose husband, sister, and parents were abominable, unreasonable monsters in this terrible pageant. The book takes the h on a one-step-forward, two-steps-back journey of self-discovery to see how it is she found herself clueless and betrayed (and shocked by that betrayal). I felt like our h did a lot of self-flagellating, but didn't change her behavior to a position of confidence or strength. She seemed more content to let things happen to her and that drove me nuts.
The H is off-sides for most of the book because, of course, there's an accident that results in a coma and some amnesia of the pertinent betrayal events. The perfect canvas for our h to slip right back into her life. Before the accident, the H came across to me as a smarmy jackass. Who does that? And the way he pressured her about the divorce was monstrous, too. But again, I got the impression that for most of the book, the h would probably have been content to stay married on paper and live in the house with H and homewrecking sister (with bun in the oven, no less) if that option had been made available. Time to gut up, h!!
The sister and parents are almost caricatures of the worst sorts of people you've heard of and made me crazy with book rage. The friends are suitably supportive and the old/new love interest is vague but compelling.
The writing is solid, I didn't spy any spelling, grammatical, or editing errors that can detract from the reading experience. And because it was so well-written, I honestly felt like I wanted to wring so many of these characters' necks. Enough with the navel-gazing, Sarah!
Kudos to Megan Crane for a book that enthralled and enraged me in equal parts!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2015
Why did sister have to get happy ending?? This story just felt unfinished to me and even tho she got with Alec in the end it just felt too vague and unfinished.
August 29, 2014
**I received this book from NetGalley for my honest review**
I stayed up till the wee hours of the morning, 230am on a weeknight when I have to be up at 6. Today dragged, but it was hard to put down.
Hubby cheats on her with her sister, her sister doesn't care, her family is basically on the surface of things..on the sisters side, hubby goes into a coma, main character is all, I have to find myself! and reunites with BFF she basically ditched for a guy way back when, and former flame, both of which she totally forgot about until seeing a picture in the closet. and off she goes while hubby is a coma to find herself, meanwhile he wakes up and doesn't remember cheating on her. Does she take this second chance for her hubby? or does she move on? I just had to know.
There are some parts of this book I didn't like. I didn't like the denial the main character was in, I didn't like the sister, I didn't like the wishy washy "He's mine and you can't see him!" from the main character even though he pretty much ruined her life. I didn't like the fact that the character basically forgot the bff and bf in the past. I didn't like a lot of it, but I did like the fact that I had to keep on reading to find out what she was going to do.
I wanted with all my heart for her to move on, forget everyone, the ex flame, the hubby, the sister, the parents, the bff, forget it all and go on a travelling trip around the world and show the reader how she finds herself. I kept screaming for her to just freaking be a independent woman already! I didn't get what I wanted. Instead I got reunions, I really enjoyed her reunions, and self awareness of her self absorption.
While I didn't care for a lot of it, I can't deny that the book held me in its grasp, I stayed up way to late because I had to know..JUST HAD TO! I wish it went beyond the ending too, find out what happens afterwards, there were a lot of open endings, no resolving of family problems, ex problems, or anything. It was pretty well written, and makes you feel some of the anger and emotions of the character and what she was feeling. Overall it was a good book.
I stayed up till the wee hours of the morning, 230am on a weeknight when I have to be up at 6. Today dragged, but it was hard to put down.
Hubby cheats on her with her sister, her sister doesn't care, her family is basically on the surface of things..on the sisters side, hubby goes into a coma, main character is all, I have to find myself! and reunites with BFF she basically ditched for a guy way back when, and former flame, both of which she totally forgot about until seeing a picture in the closet. and off she goes while hubby is a coma to find herself, meanwhile he wakes up and doesn't remember cheating on her. Does she take this second chance for her hubby? or does she move on? I just had to know.
There are some parts of this book I didn't like. I didn't like the denial the main character was in, I didn't like the sister, I didn't like the wishy washy "He's mine and you can't see him!" from the main character even though he pretty much ruined her life. I didn't like the fact that the character basically forgot the bff and bf in the past. I didn't like a lot of it, but I did like the fact that I had to keep on reading to find out what she was going to do.
I wanted with all my heart for her to move on, forget everyone, the ex flame, the hubby, the sister, the parents, the bff, forget it all and go on a travelling trip around the world and show the reader how she finds herself. I kept screaming for her to just freaking be a independent woman already! I didn't get what I wanted. Instead I got reunions, I really enjoyed her reunions, and self awareness of her self absorption.
While I didn't care for a lot of it, I can't deny that the book held me in its grasp, I stayed up way to late because I had to know..JUST HAD TO! I wish it went beyond the ending too, find out what happens afterwards, there were a lot of open endings, no resolving of family problems, ex problems, or anything. It was pretty well written, and makes you feel some of the anger and emotions of the character and what she was feeling. Overall it was a good book.
June 20, 2014
I went into this after just reading the synopsis and that was enough to peak my interest but jeepers this really took me through a whirlwind of emotions.
Sarah is married to Tim and they have been together for 7 years, married for five of them. They are partners in a law firm and have a lovely house. Everything in their life is carefully planned out by both of them.
Therefore, Sarah did not expect to come home early from court, stripping off her clothes as she walked into the bedroom and find her husband energetically having doggie-style sex with another woman. It’s more who he is with that blows her away.
When she needs her parents the most she feels completely unsupported. I have to say that I am totally on Sarah’s side with this whole situation. It was so bizarre that her family seems to brush everything under the carpet and almost tell her that she was the one with the problem.
When there is a tragic accident, Sarah finds herself back ‘in charge’ of the situation, just when everything feels like it is out of her control. Maybe there is a chance she can hang on to her sham of a marriage and have a future with Tim?
Is she better off walking away with her head held high and take this chance to reflect on the choices she has made over the past 8 years? What about all those dreams she had to travel and then there is a certain doctor who still has a piece of her heart.
Sarah is married to Tim and they have been together for 7 years, married for five of them. They are partners in a law firm and have a lovely house. Everything in their life is carefully planned out by both of them.
Therefore, Sarah did not expect to come home early from court, stripping off her clothes as she walked into the bedroom and find her husband energetically having doggie-style sex with another woman. It’s more who he is with that blows her away.
When she needs her parents the most she feels completely unsupported. I have to say that I am totally on Sarah’s side with this whole situation. It was so bizarre that her family seems to brush everything under the carpet and almost tell her that she was the one with the problem.
When there is a tragic accident, Sarah finds herself back ‘in charge’ of the situation, just when everything feels like it is out of her control. Maybe there is a chance she can hang on to her sham of a marriage and have a future with Tim?
Is she better off walking away with her head held high and take this chance to reflect on the choices she has made over the past 8 years? What about all those dreams she had to travel and then there is a certain doctor who still has a piece of her heart.
September 3, 2014
This was a difficult book for me to rate.
While I loved the storyline, the endless, droning inner monologue that just went on and on and on was frustrating.
I felt sorry for the heroine, but her inability to just muster some strength and let rip in those hideous people just let her character down - IMHO. She was still after everything, defending her cheating, scumbag asshole, husband and I just lost respect for her.
Alec - loved him. Would have liked to have read an epilogue with them...
So - because I loved the overall plot but didn't like the execution I've rated it what I would consider 'halfway'.
3.5 stars.
While I loved the storyline, the endless, droning inner monologue that just went on and on and on was frustrating.
I felt sorry for the heroine, but her inability to just muster some strength and let rip in those hideous people just let her character down - IMHO. She was still after everything, defending her cheating, scumbag asshole, husband and I just lost respect for her.
Alec - loved him. Would have liked to have read an epilogue with them...
So - because I loved the overall plot but didn't like the execution I've rated it what I would consider 'halfway'.
3.5 stars.
September 14, 2014
Free copy provided via netgalley for an honest review.
89321489321848435 I promise Stars (wayyy more than 5 )
Im going to start out by saying a bunch of things you may not care about but I want you (you is the reader by the way) to put yourself in my shoes when you happened upon this gem.
The cover: adorable
The title: Once more with feeling --- umm hi loved the title
The Blurb- The blurb??? I totally didn’t even known what I was getting myself into the cover sold me. So the story in this bad boy took my heart and wrecked it and my brain didn’t even have the capability of prevented the heartache I felt I hurt like I was Sarah, I felt every emotion as raw and real as they all were.
The story: Sarah is the perfect character she is everything I want in a female role. She gets off of work early to walk in on her husband and her sister doing it doggy style. Now she didn’t just hear moans and explore them. She started undressing and looked over so there she is nearly naked with the full image of her sister and husband butt naked making noises and expressions.
During this her mother obviously chooses her sisters side in the matter and her father tries to establish common ground. This author did an amazing job of character roles. I hated Carolyn and her mom easily!
You're telling me that my cheating husband might get mad at me for not being overly nice to his girlfriend?
Tim ends up moving in with her sister and Sarah embarks on a soul searching journey trying to find herself and where she went wrong. She discovers that she gave up her 10 yr friendship to be with Tim and her life ambitions all because a man (Alec) was the love of her life and left her to follow his dreams and Tim came around and promised her security.
Tim gets in an accident and winds up in a coma to finally wake up and not remember cheating but then accepting he must not of been in love with Sarah and he was going to see what he found with Carolyn was about.
At the end Alec proposes (not for marriage) and I couldn’t stop happy crying. It was pure beauty.. I will attach a screen shot so you can understand and perfectly beautiful it is.
I just cant stop feeling for this book and I know you are probably annoyed that I am still rambling about this…
And frankly Megan Crane
I wanted more of a conclusion… while it was cute I wanted more of it…maybe im just greedy… but I haven’t read a solid 5 book in awhile and this book saved me from my slump and I never wanted it to end. This book wrecked my heart and every emotion I have ever stored away. This is a must read for everyone!!
I cant stop bawling in happiness right now
89321489321848435 I promise Stars (wayyy more than 5 )
Im going to start out by saying a bunch of things you may not care about but I want you (you is the reader by the way) to put yourself in my shoes when you happened upon this gem.
The cover: adorable
The title: Once more with feeling --- umm hi loved the title
The Blurb- The blurb??? I totally didn’t even known what I was getting myself into the cover sold me. So the story in this bad boy took my heart and wrecked it and my brain didn’t even have the capability of prevented the heartache I felt I hurt like I was Sarah, I felt every emotion as raw and real as they all were.
The story: Sarah is the perfect character she is everything I want in a female role. She gets off of work early to walk in on her husband and her sister doing it doggy style. Now she didn’t just hear moans and explore them. She started undressing and looked over so there she is nearly naked with the full image of her sister and husband butt naked making noises and expressions.
During this her mother obviously chooses her sisters side in the matter and her father tries to establish common ground. This author did an amazing job of character roles. I hated Carolyn and her mom easily!
You're telling me that my cheating husband might get mad at me for not being overly nice to his girlfriend?
Tim ends up moving in with her sister and Sarah embarks on a soul searching journey trying to find herself and where she went wrong. She discovers that she gave up her 10 yr friendship to be with Tim and her life ambitions all because a man (Alec) was the love of her life and left her to follow his dreams and Tim came around and promised her security.
Tim gets in an accident and winds up in a coma to finally wake up and not remember cheating but then accepting he must not of been in love with Sarah and he was going to see what he found with Carolyn was about.
At the end Alec proposes (not for marriage) and I couldn’t stop happy crying. It was pure beauty.. I will attach a screen shot so you can understand and perfectly beautiful it is.
I just cant stop feeling for this book and I know you are probably annoyed that I am still rambling about this…
And frankly Megan Crane
I wanted more of a conclusion… while it was cute I wanted more of it…maybe im just greedy… but I haven’t read a solid 5 book in awhile and this book saved me from my slump and I never wanted it to end. This book wrecked my heart and every emotion I have ever stored away. This is a must read for everyone!!
I cant stop bawling in happiness right now
May 2, 2021
Chick lit
December 5, 2012
Originally reviewed at: http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/...
I absolutely loved this book and I’m fairly sure I would have devoured it in one sitting if I had more free time to actually sit down and read. I had no idea what to expect from this story because the synopsis doesn’t really give away too much. I glanced at the cover (which is gorgeous, by the way) and I thought it would be a nice, atmospheric Christmas read. Something light you can curl up with under a warm blanket, a mug of hot chocolate in hand. And it just shows why we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Once More With Feeling is a great Christmas read but at the same time, it’s so much more than that.
If you’re looking for a light, feel-goody Christmas novel that that you can curl up with on Christmas Eve, sipping hot chocolate or mulled wine next to a blazing fire Once More With Feeling might not be your number one choice. It’s a great book for those cold and dark winter afternoons but it’s definitely not a sappy, feel-goody Christmas story. At all. It’s dramatic, sometimes heartbreaking but at the same time very hopeful and optimistic. It will make you feel angry, nostalgic, and quite emotional too. It’s the kind of book where, once you get to the end, you feel as if you’ve been holding your breath all along. And only when it reaches a conclusion, when Sarah figures out what do to with her life are you able to breath normally again.
Sarah is a wonderful character and I loved her from the very beginning. I loved the way she tells her story, the way she lets you take a glimpse into her life, her past and her dreams as a twenty-something girl trying to find her way in the world. And maybe one of the things I loved the most is that she’s so real. You know it’s all fiction but the fact that she’s so real, so much like any of us, makes the book even better, even more easy for us to relate to her and the story she tells.
Reading Once More With Feeling was an emotional roller-coaster ride for me but I enjoyed every minute of it. A great narrative, realistic characters and the beautiful, witty writing are what make this book as fantastic it is. I cried my eyes out over the closing chapter but I couldn’t imagine a better ending to the story. (I’m going to be really mysterious here and say to those of you who’ve already read it: wouldn’t it be nice if there was a sequel? I would really like to read about how Sarah’s ‘adventure’ goes and what places she ends up in!) It was the first book I’ve read by Megan Crane but it definitely won’t be the last.
I absolutely loved this book and I’m fairly sure I would have devoured it in one sitting if I had more free time to actually sit down and read. I had no idea what to expect from this story because the synopsis doesn’t really give away too much. I glanced at the cover (which is gorgeous, by the way) and I thought it would be a nice, atmospheric Christmas read. Something light you can curl up with under a warm blanket, a mug of hot chocolate in hand. And it just shows why we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Once More With Feeling is a great Christmas read but at the same time, it’s so much more than that.
If you’re looking for a light, feel-goody Christmas novel that that you can curl up with on Christmas Eve, sipping hot chocolate or mulled wine next to a blazing fire Once More With Feeling might not be your number one choice. It’s a great book for those cold and dark winter afternoons but it’s definitely not a sappy, feel-goody Christmas story. At all. It’s dramatic, sometimes heartbreaking but at the same time very hopeful and optimistic. It will make you feel angry, nostalgic, and quite emotional too. It’s the kind of book where, once you get to the end, you feel as if you’ve been holding your breath all along. And only when it reaches a conclusion, when Sarah figures out what do to with her life are you able to breath normally again.
Sarah is a wonderful character and I loved her from the very beginning. I loved the way she tells her story, the way she lets you take a glimpse into her life, her past and her dreams as a twenty-something girl trying to find her way in the world. And maybe one of the things I loved the most is that she’s so real. You know it’s all fiction but the fact that she’s so real, so much like any of us, makes the book even better, even more easy for us to relate to her and the story she tells.
Reading Once More With Feeling was an emotional roller-coaster ride for me but I enjoyed every minute of it. A great narrative, realistic characters and the beautiful, witty writing are what make this book as fantastic it is. I cried my eyes out over the closing chapter but I couldn’t imagine a better ending to the story. (I’m going to be really mysterious here and say to those of you who’ve already read it: wouldn’t it be nice if there was a sequel? I would really like to read about how Sarah’s ‘adventure’ goes and what places she ends up in!) It was the first book I’ve read by Megan Crane but it definitely won’t be the last.
July 15, 2014
Not what I was expecting when I got this story to read. I was annoyed with the whiny and unsure Sarah and how she reacted to the events in her life.
January 20, 2018
I should have known that this book wasn’t for me. But the cover on my Kindle copy was less off-putting than this one and I wanted something lighter to read because I had just enjoyed a book so much I wasn’t in the mood to get stuck into another book that might draw me in. But this was too light. Too predictable and way too drawn out.
As this type of book goes it’s not badly written, which is why I challenged myself to finish it. But it gave me nothing. It didn’t enrich my downtime. I honestly couldn’t recommend it.
As this type of book goes it’s not badly written, which is why I challenged myself to finish it. But it gave me nothing. It didn’t enrich my downtime. I honestly couldn’t recommend it.
December 21, 2012
I couldn’t wait to get stuck into this one, the cover is gorgeous; it screams classic chick lit, the blurb was simple yet appealing and it contains all the essential ingredients: betrayal . . . check, drama . . . check, exboyfriends . . . check. But don’t be fooled, this is no fluffy rom-com. The story has so much more depth and feeling than an easy chick lit read, as you are taken on a deep journey into Sarah’s head and come out feeling exhausted after living a month of her hurt, tears and joy. When Sarah walks in on her husband, Tim, mid-cheat, her whole world collapses but instead of falling apart like you’d imagine she would she ends up having second thoughts about her life and whether she was really happy. As she revisits her past to try to ‘find herself’, she finds an old friend and a lover, with both managing to steer her in the right direction. Tragedy strikes, just before Christmas, and Sarah’s forced to cling on to her marriage and be there for a husband that may or may not want her back. There is, however, the good old happy ending but it’s not quite what you think it will be.
Sarah is a fab character; she’s honest and real. In most chick lits the main character never lashes out or expresses his/hers feelings until the last second, but that’s not the case with this book. Sarah tells it how it is and when she confronts Tim and his lover she’s angry as hell, letting them have it with both barrels. I loved that and felt myself thinking ‘good on ya girl!’ There are some great supporting characters too, Sarah’s best friends would do anything to help her be happy, and then there’s the sexy ex Alec. Was it a mistake for Sarah to turn up on his doorstep?? This book is a sneaky gem; a deep, thought provoking wolf in fluffy chick lit clothing. I felt the beginning was a bit slow as I was expecting an easy bouncy read but once I got stuck in it’s thoroughly engrossing. I thought there could be a hint of a sequel to follow Sarah on her journey, which would be nice, but judging by the book’s closing line, maybe not.
Reviewed by Francesca Verbeenten on behalf of BestChickLit.com
Sarah is a fab character; she’s honest and real. In most chick lits the main character never lashes out or expresses his/hers feelings until the last second, but that’s not the case with this book. Sarah tells it how it is and when she confronts Tim and his lover she’s angry as hell, letting them have it with both barrels. I loved that and felt myself thinking ‘good on ya girl!’ There are some great supporting characters too, Sarah’s best friends would do anything to help her be happy, and then there’s the sexy ex Alec. Was it a mistake for Sarah to turn up on his doorstep?? This book is a sneaky gem; a deep, thought provoking wolf in fluffy chick lit clothing. I felt the beginning was a bit slow as I was expecting an easy bouncy read but once I got stuck in it’s thoroughly engrossing. I thought there could be a hint of a sequel to follow Sarah on her journey, which would be nice, but judging by the book’s closing line, maybe not.
Reviewed by Francesca Verbeenten on behalf of BestChickLit.com
August 26, 2014
Once More with Feeling, Megan Crane.
Review from jeannie zelos book reviews
I really liked the sound of this but....sadly gave up on it about halfway through. I got bored with Sarah's long inner monologues...they seemed to go on for pages, “what if/maybe I should/what about?” I get she’s had a shock – an awful betrayal by people she should be able to trust but....from feeling sorry for her I just wanted Something to happen. we seemed to go on for ages getting no where. Then when something does happen, and further info comes out it’s more musings. Her parents – wow – I couldn’t believe them, and as for her sister...I wanted Sarah to lose her temper, show some spirit but she just seemed to let things play out slowly without her input. I just couldn’t like any of the characters and I guess thats where I lost interest, I just didn’t care what happened next.
I can see loads of five star reviews – and that shows just how subjective reading taste is. This didn’t work at all for me – that doesn’t mean its a bad book, just that its not to my taste. Clearly it does suit lots of others.
Stars: Two, sorry just not one for me and DNF.
ARC supplied via Netgalley and publishers
Review from jeannie zelos book reviews
I really liked the sound of this but....sadly gave up on it about halfway through. I got bored with Sarah's long inner monologues...they seemed to go on for pages, “what if/maybe I should/what about?” I get she’s had a shock – an awful betrayal by people she should be able to trust but....from feeling sorry for her I just wanted Something to happen. we seemed to go on for ages getting no where. Then when something does happen, and further info comes out it’s more musings. Her parents – wow – I couldn’t believe them, and as for her sister...I wanted Sarah to lose her temper, show some spirit but she just seemed to let things play out slowly without her input. I just couldn’t like any of the characters and I guess thats where I lost interest, I just didn’t care what happened next.
I can see loads of five star reviews – and that shows just how subjective reading taste is. This didn’t work at all for me – that doesn’t mean its a bad book, just that its not to my taste. Clearly it does suit lots of others.
Stars: Two, sorry just not one for me and DNF.
ARC supplied via Netgalley and publishers
December 23, 2017
This book circles listlessly and while that may be somewhat akin to real life, it doesn’t make for a good novel.
****spoilers ahead****
This woman walks in on her husband and sister having fantastic sex in her home. She freaks out and sends them packing. Understandably, she is a mess. She does the sad thing for awhile; talks to her best friend and tries to avoid people because small town gossip spares nobody. She is dealing and while this is not terribly exciting to read about, it is good and insightful. She knows from early in that she wants her husband back. She wants her old life and all it represented and dammit he is a part of that and she will have him. This is just a bump in the road. You roll your eyes but keep on reading because she is grieving and letting go is hard. You sympathize with her. Also, you hate her sister and are somewhat conflicted on the husband (although you really shouldn’t be. Our narrrator is trying to skew your sympathies).
The author can’t think of a more original way to move the plot and the main characters introspection forward and thus guess what happens? Husband goes into a coma! You contemplate giving the book away, unfinished, to your least favorite aunt as a Christmas gift. You understand that that’s probably why you got it in the first place for only $1.00USD. You digress and continue because you’ve suffered this long and there’s only 2/3rds of the way to go.
The coma forces her to interact with her cheating sister. It forces her to see that her parents are majorly flawed and they want her to pretend nothing bad happened. In their eyes, it’s her own fault for not being able to hold onto her own husband. You roll your eyes and wither away a little inside. Family drama occurs and continues and eventually, sister drops a bomb. She is in love and bearing his child. As such, sister feels no shame and won’t let her alone at the hospital and feels she has as much right to his bedside. He did, after all, choose her. Yo agree with sister on this and encourage main character to get her sorry self out of there. It takes time but eventually, she listens.
Her sister left to take care of the husband main character hasn’t yet divorced, we get dragged into a trip to the past. Main character reconnects with old friends and lovers. The old friend is interesting, the lover is too. Both would have been better main characters but alas, main character leaves them again (another not completely good idea on her part).
You think (read: hope) that main character is finally over her delusion that husband will take her back when he wakes up asking for her! He has no recollection of his cheating months! You begin to hate the author because you predicted this from the moment he got put into a coma and yet you didn’t think they’d be allowed to publish something so painfully predictable (and not a good kind of predictable). I stop reading and start skimming a few chapters after this because I simply cannot deal with this brand of stupidly delusional from a grown woman. Main character is someone I hope to never even meet in passing.
Things happen, she tries her life with cheating husband who forgot. Then in a (predictable) moment of self clarity, she realizes that this is stupid; she can’t go on. With her track record, you fear that she will go back to ex-lover that she recently reacquainted herself with. In the best moment of the book, she doesn’t immediately jump to that. Instead, she decides to get back to what teenage her wanted to do and decides to do some travelling on her own for a year. You applaud this decision and recognize that this should have been the start of the novel.
I have no complaints about the writing style itself. In fact, the writing style was perfect. There wasn’t too much description, nor too little. There was use of simple language and thus it was an easy read. Furthermore, one thought flowed seamlessly into another to make for an overall wonderful novel; if it weren’t for the unfortunate storyline and characters.
****spoilers ahead****
This woman walks in on her husband and sister having fantastic sex in her home. She freaks out and sends them packing. Understandably, she is a mess. She does the sad thing for awhile; talks to her best friend and tries to avoid people because small town gossip spares nobody. She is dealing and while this is not terribly exciting to read about, it is good and insightful. She knows from early in that she wants her husband back. She wants her old life and all it represented and dammit he is a part of that and she will have him. This is just a bump in the road. You roll your eyes but keep on reading because she is grieving and letting go is hard. You sympathize with her. Also, you hate her sister and are somewhat conflicted on the husband (although you really shouldn’t be. Our narrrator is trying to skew your sympathies).
The author can’t think of a more original way to move the plot and the main characters introspection forward and thus guess what happens? Husband goes into a coma! You contemplate giving the book away, unfinished, to your least favorite aunt as a Christmas gift. You understand that that’s probably why you got it in the first place for only $1.00USD. You digress and continue because you’ve suffered this long and there’s only 2/3rds of the way to go.
The coma forces her to interact with her cheating sister. It forces her to see that her parents are majorly flawed and they want her to pretend nothing bad happened. In their eyes, it’s her own fault for not being able to hold onto her own husband. You roll your eyes and wither away a little inside. Family drama occurs and continues and eventually, sister drops a bomb. She is in love and bearing his child. As such, sister feels no shame and won’t let her alone at the hospital and feels she has as much right to his bedside. He did, after all, choose her. Yo agree with sister on this and encourage main character to get her sorry self out of there. It takes time but eventually, she listens.
Her sister left to take care of the husband main character hasn’t yet divorced, we get dragged into a trip to the past. Main character reconnects with old friends and lovers. The old friend is interesting, the lover is too. Both would have been better main characters but alas, main character leaves them again (another not completely good idea on her part).
You think (read: hope) that main character is finally over her delusion that husband will take her back when he wakes up asking for her! He has no recollection of his cheating months! You begin to hate the author because you predicted this from the moment he got put into a coma and yet you didn’t think they’d be allowed to publish something so painfully predictable (and not a good kind of predictable). I stop reading and start skimming a few chapters after this because I simply cannot deal with this brand of stupidly delusional from a grown woman. Main character is someone I hope to never even meet in passing.
Things happen, she tries her life with cheating husband who forgot. Then in a (predictable) moment of self clarity, she realizes that this is stupid; she can’t go on. With her track record, you fear that she will go back to ex-lover that she recently reacquainted herself with. In the best moment of the book, she doesn’t immediately jump to that. Instead, she decides to get back to what teenage her wanted to do and decides to do some travelling on her own for a year. You applaud this decision and recognize that this should have been the start of the novel.
I have no complaints about the writing style itself. In fact, the writing style was perfect. There wasn’t too much description, nor too little. There was use of simple language and thus it was an easy read. Furthermore, one thought flowed seamlessly into another to make for an overall wonderful novel; if it weren’t for the unfortunate storyline and characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2016
I received this book as an e-ARC free from Netgalley. Below is my review.
This type of book is usually right up my alley so it's a real shame I just can't give it high marks. What went wrong? Well, let's take a look at the characters, shall we?
We have Tim, who loves and marries Sarah knowing full well she is not 100% his in her heart. Tim decides he is tired of that kind of marriage, you know, the one he freely and willingly entered into, and allows himself to be "caught" by Sarah's sister Carolyn, at Sarah's birthday party no less. The one who is having a baby with Carolyn but keeps saying "If we could have done this without hurting you..." to Sarah. Yeah, dude, could have kept it in your pants, gotten a divorce, and then after gotten with Carolyn. What a crock.
Then we have Carolyn, who really doesn't give a flying patootie about anything or anyone but her own desires and wants Tim so she sets out to get him even though her is married to her sister.
We have the parents, you know, the ones who tell Sarah to get over it and that they love both their daughters and won't tell Carolyn what she did was wrong and get mad at Sarah for not being home for the holidays and making nice with Carolyn.
Anyone you like yet? Because I hated them all. Not one of these people were worth my time.
After that, we get Lianne and Brooke, the best friends. Brooke is full of passive aggressive bs. Lianne is the "I'll get him for you" friend. Brooke hated Tim because he "took Sarah away from her".
And now we get to the principles. Sarah. Sarah had a lot of wild and crazy dreams in college with Brooke. She wanted to travel the world and find herself. She was fun and pretty and exciting and ... and ... She was the way college kids are. Then she met and fell in love with Alec (who we'll get to next). Alec offered her travel, offered her the world. She turned him down because he didn't offer permanence (no marriage in his future, not ever). She wanted that more than she wanted the world and all the wild and crazy. So, when Tim came along offering love and safety and the white picket fence she did want, she took it. With Tim being a total shit, she's reeling and goes on this "fact finding mission" to figure out where she went wrong. And that mission takes her to, you guessed it, Alec.
Alec trots around the world saving people; he's a doctor (a la Medecins sans Frontieres). But, he always comes home for Christmas. And sure enough, he's home in Vermont when Sarah shows up. Alec is thrilled; he's all over Sarah, doing his level best to reel her back in. It's obvious he never got over her. But he's still not willing to offer her any more than he was before. Take him as he is or don't take him. But he wants to do his thing and well, the hell with her wants and needs. But he still wants her and loves her. Um, yeah, ok. /sarc
Then, miracle of miracles, Alec goes after Sarah instead of taking the flight to wherever he was headed after the holidays and makes all these promises to her, but yeah, still no marriage, just a bunch of promises. And Sarah, she's off to do her world tour so maybe she'll hook up with him later or maybe not.
Alec is a jerk. He still wants his cake and eat it too. Sarah seems to want to turn back the clock and be a college kid again. Neither seem to realize life is about compromise.
In the end, I couldn't like Alec because anyone can make promises but there's no follow through. He doesn't do anything that convinces me he'll really be there for Sarah. And Sarah, midlife crisis girl, hasn't figured out that if she really wanted the world and the wild and crazy she would have gone with Alec the first time. I'm not sold on their great love.
Meh. Just a bunch of people acting like idiots and douches.
This type of book is usually right up my alley so it's a real shame I just can't give it high marks. What went wrong? Well, let's take a look at the characters, shall we?
We have Tim, who loves and marries Sarah knowing full well she is not 100% his in her heart. Tim decides he is tired of that kind of marriage, you know, the one he freely and willingly entered into, and allows himself to be "caught" by Sarah's sister Carolyn, at Sarah's birthday party no less. The one who is having a baby with Carolyn but keeps saying "If we could have done this without hurting you..." to Sarah. Yeah, dude, could have kept it in your pants, gotten a divorce, and then after gotten with Carolyn. What a crock.
Then we have Carolyn, who really doesn't give a flying patootie about anything or anyone but her own desires and wants Tim so she sets out to get him even though her is married to her sister.
We have the parents, you know, the ones who tell Sarah to get over it and that they love both their daughters and won't tell Carolyn what she did was wrong and get mad at Sarah for not being home for the holidays and making nice with Carolyn.
Anyone you like yet? Because I hated them all. Not one of these people were worth my time.
After that, we get Lianne and Brooke, the best friends. Brooke is full of passive aggressive bs. Lianne is the "I'll get him for you" friend. Brooke hated Tim because he "took Sarah away from her".
And now we get to the principles. Sarah. Sarah had a lot of wild and crazy dreams in college with Brooke. She wanted to travel the world and find herself. She was fun and pretty and exciting and ... and ... She was the way college kids are. Then she met and fell in love with Alec (who we'll get to next). Alec offered her travel, offered her the world. She turned him down because he didn't offer permanence (no marriage in his future, not ever). She wanted that more than she wanted the world and all the wild and crazy. So, when Tim came along offering love and safety and the white picket fence she did want, she took it. With Tim being a total shit, she's reeling and goes on this "fact finding mission" to figure out where she went wrong. And that mission takes her to, you guessed it, Alec.
Alec trots around the world saving people; he's a doctor (a la Medecins sans Frontieres). But, he always comes home for Christmas. And sure enough, he's home in Vermont when Sarah shows up. Alec is thrilled; he's all over Sarah, doing his level best to reel her back in. It's obvious he never got over her. But he's still not willing to offer her any more than he was before. Take him as he is or don't take him. But he wants to do his thing and well, the hell with her wants and needs. But he still wants her and loves her. Um, yeah, ok. /sarc
Then, miracle of miracles, Alec goes after Sarah instead of taking the flight to wherever he was headed after the holidays and makes all these promises to her, but yeah, still no marriage, just a bunch of promises. And Sarah, she's off to do her world tour so maybe she'll hook up with him later or maybe not.
Alec is a jerk. He still wants his cake and eat it too. Sarah seems to want to turn back the clock and be a college kid again. Neither seem to realize life is about compromise.
In the end, I couldn't like Alec because anyone can make promises but there's no follow through. He doesn't do anything that convinces me he'll really be there for Sarah. And Sarah, midlife crisis girl, hasn't figured out that if she really wanted the world and the wild and crazy she would have gone with Alec the first time. I'm not sold on their great love.
Meh. Just a bunch of people acting like idiots and douches.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2013
This book has been sat on my bookshelf for some time, just waiting to be read. I had been waiting for winter to set in, as the cover is so beautifully wintery. The cover is a little deceiving; it makes you feel like it will be a christmassy book. Whilst this book is the ideal book to settle down with in front of the fire on a crisp winter day, it isn't a Christmas eve read. (For that I would recommend the author Scarlett Bailey and her fabulous Christmas books!)
I very much enjoyed this book. It resonated with me, and I found it very easy to relate to Sarah. Not because of the affair, but because of the back story which comes out as Sarah delves into her past to try and discover why she made the choices she did. Did she settle for Tim? Has she really been as happy as she thought all those years? What happened to her dreams? How did she end up being the type of lawyer she always hated?
To answer all those questions, and try to work out how she ended up where she is today, Sarah takes a trip down or two down memory lane. This is the point in the book where I really started to get into it. I saw similarities between Sarah and Brooke's friendship and an old friendship of my own. It made me smile, and I didn't want her to leave Brooke again. But then came along her old flame, Alec.....
Alec....Alec is delicious and sounded like my perfect man! At this point, I wanted to dive into the book and take Sarah's place!
Megan Crane does a fabulous job at making you feel everything Sarah feels: disbelief, anger, frustration at her parents, confusion, love for an old friend, lust for an old flame....! The pace is perfect, and the storyline twists and turns to keep you turning the pages.
You know a book is good when it leaves you wanting more, and this book left me begging Megan Crane to write a sequel (quite literally, I actually tweeted her before I embarked on this review!). It wasn't the predictable ending I expected and it only hints at the future, which I'm dying to know more about.
I very much enjoyed this book. It resonated with me, and I found it very easy to relate to Sarah. Not because of the affair, but because of the back story which comes out as Sarah delves into her past to try and discover why she made the choices she did. Did she settle for Tim? Has she really been as happy as she thought all those years? What happened to her dreams? How did she end up being the type of lawyer she always hated?
To answer all those questions, and try to work out how she ended up where she is today, Sarah takes a trip down or two down memory lane. This is the point in the book where I really started to get into it. I saw similarities between Sarah and Brooke's friendship and an old friendship of my own. It made me smile, and I didn't want her to leave Brooke again. But then came along her old flame, Alec.....
Alec....Alec is delicious and sounded like my perfect man! At this point, I wanted to dive into the book and take Sarah's place!
Megan Crane does a fabulous job at making you feel everything Sarah feels: disbelief, anger, frustration at her parents, confusion, love for an old friend, lust for an old flame....! The pace is perfect, and the storyline twists and turns to keep you turning the pages.
You know a book is good when it leaves you wanting more, and this book left me begging Megan Crane to write a sequel (quite literally, I actually tweeted her before I embarked on this review!). It wasn't the predictable ending I expected and it only hints at the future, which I'm dying to know more about.
June 17, 2014
I'm very familiar with Megan Crane's books. She hasn't written a book yet that hasn't found its way into my heart. I thought this book might be the exception and I've never been more afraid to read a book. Saying I'm not a fan of cheating is an understatement. I didn't think I was going to be able to read the book let alone like it after I read the first chapter.
I get really involved when I read. I had this dull ache in my chest for most of this book. You might be wondering how I can give 5 stars to a book that had me in physical pain? The fact that I was able to forget to take notes and read cover to cover in under three hours is one. (The book is 360 pages long.) Secondly I really connected with Sarah. She was blindsided by this betrayal and couldn't understand how it'd happened; her pain was my pain. I admired Sarah for her fortitude in handling everything. I don't think I'd ever be able to recover from a betrayal like the one she did or handle it in such a way. Another point regarding why this book is 5 star worthy is all the feelings I had. I wasn't just hurting. There was anger, confusion, and even hate. The fact I reacted so passionately to this story is enough to give it 5 stars alone.
There's so much I want to tell you about this book. But, I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't read it yet. So I'm going to bite my tongue and hope if/when you read it, you feel the same things I did. I'd love to know your thoughts. Megan's written some great books. All of them have given me much thinking fodder and entertainment over the years. Once More With Feeling is both devastating and uplifting at the same time, and her streak of books I love continues unblemished. I really hope she writes more fiction, except maybe less full of angst. Of course I'd read her grocery shopping list if she published it.
I get really involved when I read. I had this dull ache in my chest for most of this book. You might be wondering how I can give 5 stars to a book that had me in physical pain? The fact that I was able to forget to take notes and read cover to cover in under three hours is one. (The book is 360 pages long.) Secondly I really connected with Sarah. She was blindsided by this betrayal and couldn't understand how it'd happened; her pain was my pain. I admired Sarah for her fortitude in handling everything. I don't think I'd ever be able to recover from a betrayal like the one she did or handle it in such a way. Another point regarding why this book is 5 star worthy is all the feelings I had. I wasn't just hurting. There was anger, confusion, and even hate. The fact I reacted so passionately to this story is enough to give it 5 stars alone.
There's so much I want to tell you about this book. But, I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't read it yet. So I'm going to bite my tongue and hope if/when you read it, you feel the same things I did. I'd love to know your thoughts. Megan's written some great books. All of them have given me much thinking fodder and entertainment over the years. Once More With Feeling is both devastating and uplifting at the same time, and her streak of books I love continues unblemished. I really hope she writes more fiction, except maybe less full of angst. Of course I'd read her grocery shopping list if she published it.
August 29, 2014
**I received this book from Netgalley for my honest review***
This book is so filled with emotion. I literally had to eat tums while reading this book because it filled me with so much turmoil.
Sarah Lowery comes home and walks in on her sister Carolyn sleeping with her husband Tim in their bed. When she confronts him about what she saw, he demands a divorce. Before the divorce could go further, he is hurt in an accident and left in a coma. Sarah finds out that her sister is pregnant and her parents treat Sarah as she is the problem and give their support to Carolyn –so Sarah is left with practically no help or anyone to turn to.
During this time, a man that Sarah knew from years ago, Alec shows back up on the scene and has Sarah re-visiting their past together, and has Sarah thinking of what she needs to make her life viable again.
WOW. This book has the roller coaster of emotions. This is my first time reading this author. I have to tell you, I disliked Tim and Carolyn-COMPLETELY. Sarah’s parents run second prize to my dislike in this book. The intense emotions rocked me throughout. It was only the last 20 pages that things really started to look up. I would recommend reading this because the author created such a vivid emotional piece of writing. I do hope she writes a follow up to let the readers know how Sarah and Alec are.
My rating: 4 stars ****
This book is so filled with emotion. I literally had to eat tums while reading this book because it filled me with so much turmoil.
Sarah Lowery comes home and walks in on her sister Carolyn sleeping with her husband Tim in their bed. When she confronts him about what she saw, he demands a divorce. Before the divorce could go further, he is hurt in an accident and left in a coma. Sarah finds out that her sister is pregnant and her parents treat Sarah as she is the problem and give their support to Carolyn –so Sarah is left with practically no help or anyone to turn to.
During this time, a man that Sarah knew from years ago, Alec shows back up on the scene and has Sarah re-visiting their past together, and has Sarah thinking of what she needs to make her life viable again.
WOW. This book has the roller coaster of emotions. This is my first time reading this author. I have to tell you, I disliked Tim and Carolyn-COMPLETELY. Sarah’s parents run second prize to my dislike in this book. The intense emotions rocked me throughout. It was only the last 20 pages that things really started to look up. I would recommend reading this because the author created such a vivid emotional piece of writing. I do hope she writes a follow up to let the readers know how Sarah and Alec are.
My rating: 4 stars ****
June 20, 2014
A brilliant story filled with a lot of emotion. It will make you question what you would do if in this position.
Sarah Lowery has been completely betrayed. Not only by her husband Tim, but by her sister Carolyn too, when she catches them having sex. Soon, after Tim has a car accident and is in a coma. More secrets of the affair come to surface. Faced with the uncertainty of her future, Sarah takes a good look at her life and what she gave up on for her career and marriage. She looks to her old friends for support. She discovers entire memories that she has hidden including Alec who she was once in love with. Will Alec accept her with open arms as her other friends have?
I found myself crying for Sarah and what she was going through. Then, I found myself cheering her on as she was discovering herself again.
Sarah Lowery has been completely betrayed. Not only by her husband Tim, but by her sister Carolyn too, when she catches them having sex. Soon, after Tim has a car accident and is in a coma. More secrets of the affair come to surface. Faced with the uncertainty of her future, Sarah takes a good look at her life and what she gave up on for her career and marriage. She looks to her old friends for support. She discovers entire memories that she has hidden including Alec who she was once in love with. Will Alec accept her with open arms as her other friends have?
I found myself crying for Sarah and what she was going through. Then, I found myself cheering her on as she was discovering herself again.
July 16, 2014
I honestly don’t know what I was expecting when I started reading this book, but it wasn’t what I got. Instead it was a book about a woman coming to terms with her life, the choices she made and the reality of her future. Ms. Crane took us into Sarah’s world and showed us how one thing can cause a lifetime’s worth of issues for you and for everyone around you. Told entirely from Sarah’s point of view we see her find herself as a person while breaking through the shell she has been in for so long. While not a typical romance novel, for any woman going through a rough time or just wanting to read about how life really can change I highly recommend. Oh and yes there is a HEA.
October 10, 2014
Got caught up in the protagonist's self-righteous indignation - but towards the end, author made her "escape plan" a necessary solution to all this crazy bitter circumstances. Hero was made part of that plan right fom the start, making his "flaw" to be a "strength" after all - doing a 360 to her POVs just because a curveball of the half-antagonist made.
Also realized that that half-antagonist easily changed POVs - just because of the accident? He lost his charming, self-placating personality? Amnesia is the easiest reason to do a 360?
Also realized that that half-antagonist easily changed POVs - just because of the accident? He lost his charming, self-placating personality? Amnesia is the easiest reason to do a 360?
July 3, 2014
I usually love Megan Crane's books but this one was hard for me to get into. It is the story of one woman's struggle to find out who she really is after her husband has an affair. I thought it was a little slow moving in the beginning. Maybe too much background info on the characters. I found myself skimming the pages at times. It is a sweet story about how what you had planned all your life might not be what you actually want. It was interesting watching Sara review her life choices and seeing which path she chooses to take in the future.
November 18, 2015
The storyline had a lot of promise but the reality was too cheesy & there was a lot of unnecessary waffle
It was on OK read but doesn't make me want to read any other books by this author.
If you like a soppy love story, you'll really enjoy this book but I prefer something a bit more gritty & realistic.
It was on OK read but doesn't make me want to read any other books by this author.
If you like a soppy love story, you'll really enjoy this book but I prefer something a bit more gritty & realistic.
November 8, 2013
I really wish that there was a second book to give us a glimpse into the lives of Alec and Sarah!
This book has made it to my favorites list and most definately my to re-read list!
This book has made it to my favorites list and most definately my to re-read list!
August 30, 2014
unusual book, not a romance, sad but not sad in that you got to see character growth
September 4, 2020
2.5/5. I'm a sucker for a holiday theme, doesn't matter the holiday if I'm being entirely honest but christmas is my biggest holiday theme weakness. I've no idea what is wrong with this main character, like what would ever possess you to take those circumstances and defend the one that wronged you? If she'd had a bit more of a backbone or big epiphany moment I would've been a lot happier but she's still a flawed character (usually forgivable to me) but this time not so much. I liked the first half of the story but things didn't end on a totally solid note for me, especially in regards to Alec. After reading a classic novel this was a nice palette cleanser and a quick read but not one that I enjoyed as much as I was expecting which was disappointing as holiday settings can make forgive a lot of things.
August 11, 2017
What had caught my eye about this novel was the cover, how it had little in-dents of snow and how beautiful it had looked altogether.
I really like this novel, how it was thought and how it was written. I was absolutely starstruck at some of the plot and was in shock most of the time reading it as I had thought 'It couldn't get any worse then this!' but it does. The reader keeps you wanting to read more and more, it keeps you waiting for the big reveal which is nice. It was very hard for me to put the book down and it's nice to know that the faster I read a book the more I was into it and the more it had me interested in it. Which was what happened with this novel.
I would definitely recommend this book to others.
I really like this novel, how it was thought and how it was written. I was absolutely starstruck at some of the plot and was in shock most of the time reading it as I had thought 'It couldn't get any worse then this!' but it does. The reader keeps you wanting to read more and more, it keeps you waiting for the big reveal which is nice. It was very hard for me to put the book down and it's nice to know that the faster I read a book the more I was into it and the more it had me interested in it. Which was what happened with this novel.
I would definitely recommend this book to others.
January 8, 2025
This was a pretty great read! The drama was good and I like that she ended up with Alec in the end but is still going to accomplish her travel goals alone and rediscover herself, which I feel is important especially in a situation like this! The sister Carolyn annoyed me to no end, and so did the mom.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews