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Lucidity
A novel that combines the worlds of supernatural horror, medical thrillers, and a love story that spans eternity.
Fate tore them apart…can a madman bring them back together?
Grace Moran would do anything to be with her lost love…then she’s forced to choose between saving the world and saving him.
Former ER doctor Grace Moran has been through a lot. After witnessing her husband’s murder and barely surviving herself, she’s left medicine and become a prisoner of her own house and mind. Until she wakes up in her old hospital, told that she has a brain tumor that can only be treated if she agrees to participate in an experimental treatment.
Grace sees her brain tumor as a blessing rather than a curse. It’s a chance for her to die and be reunited with her lost love, her soul mate, her husband.
True Love never dies…
Fate tore them apart…can a madman bring them back together?
Grace Moran would do anything to be with her lost love…then she’s forced to choose between saving the world and saving him.
Former ER doctor Grace Moran has been through a lot. After witnessing her husband’s murder and barely surviving herself, she’s left medicine and become a prisoner of her own house and mind. Until she wakes up in her old hospital, told that she has a brain tumor that can only be treated if she agrees to participate in an experimental treatment.
Grace sees her brain tumor as a blessing rather than a curse. It’s a chance for her to die and be reunited with her lost love, her soul mate, her husband.
True Love never dies…
394 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 21, 2010
34 people are currently reading
332 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Lyons
80 books893 followersNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over forty novels, former pediatric ER doctor CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting edge Thrillers with Heart.
Two times winner of the International Thriller Writers coveted Thriller Award, CJ has been called a "master within the genre" (Pittsburgh Magazine) and her work has been praised as "breathtakingly fast-paced" and "riveting" (Publishers Weekly) with "characters with beating hearts and three dimensions" (Newsday).
Learn more about CJ's Thrillers with Heart at www.CJLyons.net
Two times winner of the International Thriller Writers coveted Thriller Award, CJ has been called a "master within the genre" (Pittsburgh Magazine) and her work has been praised as "breathtakingly fast-paced" and "riveting" (Publishers Weekly) with "characters with beating hearts and three dimensions" (Newsday).
Learn more about CJ's Thrillers with Heart at www.CJLyons.net
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 21, 2015
I see where a lot of people have given this lower ratings but I have to tell you I really loved this book! Paranormal? Love Story? Thriller? Why yes, all of the above and beautifully told. This book weaves so many elements together, slowly, piece by piece bringing the characters together to an ending I was not ready for! I say Good Job C.J. Lyons!
February 24, 2011
LUCIDITY by C.J.Lyons is an amazing medical thriller/suspense with paranormal tendencies set in present day Pittsbough,PA. It is written with twist,turns,depth,details and medical complexity.It has good versus evil,passion,illness,medical,time travel,love,death,happiness,sorrow,passion,friendship,an ancient Irish Queen,an experimental drug,Lucidine, ghosts, fear,hope,horror,romance,suspense, children battling illness,and a love that transcends time and eternity.Choices will have to be made and be able to live with those choices. It show us to never underestimate the power,strength or devotion of children.And never under estimate the power of never ending love. This is a fast paced,action packed,set on the edge of your seat drama from the first page to the last.I would highly recommend this story especially if you enjoy an intense,adrenalin plumping medical suspense thriller with twists and turns and some paranormal mixed into the story.This is a MUST READ and a keeper.This book was received for the purpose of review from the author and details can be found at Smashwords,Legacy Books and My Book Addiction and More.
October 25, 2011
Grace Moran is a widow and an agoraphobic. Her only desire is to leave the hospital and return home. This isn't possible because she has a brain tumor, appears to have suffered a seizure and blacked out and requires medical treatment. Grace isn't sure what is going on at the hospital, but she knows she may not make it out alive. Drs. Eve Warden and Jonas Helman appear to only want to help, and feel that their new drug protocol is exactly what Grace needs for her surgery to be a success. There's more going on behind the scenes and Grace has no desire to stay and find out what in Lucidity by C. J. Lyons.
Grace wants to return home because her deceased husband is still alive for her there and she feels that she'll lose him if she has the surgery. Her memories are all she has left or are they? As Grace tries to hide, she sees Jimmy at the hospital and he is much more than a figment of her imagination. As Grace continues to hide from Drs. Warden and Helman, she comes across two pediatric patients that are also in dire straits. Kat is suffering from a virus that is literally eating her brain. Surgery is a must, but Kat wants to wait until after her birthday. She also fears that the surgery may leave her paralyzed or worse. Alex has spent all of his life in the hospital and wants nothing more to be allowed to die. He knows that his condition is worsening and he's tired of the continued treatments that prolong his suffering. Grace, Alex and Kat aren't exactly an impressive trio but they protect each other. Now that Jimmy has "come back to life," he tries to protect them as well.
Jimmy was older than Grace, but they loved one another deeply and fiercely. Sadly Jimmy was murdered on the day they returned from their honeymoon. Grace also suffered serious injuries during the attack and left her career as an ER physician to stay at home. The murderer, Lukas Redding, is the son of a powerful congress woman and was found not guilty by reason of mental defect. Unbeknownst to Grace, Lukas is at the hospital undergoing treatment for his delusional fantasies involving her and her husband. In Lukas's mind Grace was his wife and Jimmy was a drunk driver responsible for the car accident that killed Grace. In a fit of rage Lukas retaliated and killed Jimmy. Is Lukas crazy or evil? Can Jimmy keep Grace from entering the new wing that houses Lukas? Can Grace protect Kat and Alex while protecting herself?
Lucidity is much more than a romance or ghost story. Ms. Lyons has crafted a tale involving mythology, history, the paranormal (ghosts), in a medical setting. Most of the action seems to take place over the span of a few days, but it is packed with action and suspense. Kat and Alex may only be children, but they have a crucial part in the story line. They are both highly creative and inventive while remaining sympathetic characters. Because they are children, the hospital staff has a tendency to underestimate them. Jimmy is definitely Grace's love interest, even after his death. He lives on in her memories and perhaps these strong memories that allow him to return. Lucidity may not be a traditional ghost story or romance, but it works. If you're seeking something a little different that combines romance, the paranormal, along with a little medical suspense, then this is the book for you.
Grace wants to return home because her deceased husband is still alive for her there and she feels that she'll lose him if she has the surgery. Her memories are all she has left or are they? As Grace tries to hide, she sees Jimmy at the hospital and he is much more than a figment of her imagination. As Grace continues to hide from Drs. Warden and Helman, she comes across two pediatric patients that are also in dire straits. Kat is suffering from a virus that is literally eating her brain. Surgery is a must, but Kat wants to wait until after her birthday. She also fears that the surgery may leave her paralyzed or worse. Alex has spent all of his life in the hospital and wants nothing more to be allowed to die. He knows that his condition is worsening and he's tired of the continued treatments that prolong his suffering. Grace, Alex and Kat aren't exactly an impressive trio but they protect each other. Now that Jimmy has "come back to life," he tries to protect them as well.
Jimmy was older than Grace, but they loved one another deeply and fiercely. Sadly Jimmy was murdered on the day they returned from their honeymoon. Grace also suffered serious injuries during the attack and left her career as an ER physician to stay at home. The murderer, Lukas Redding, is the son of a powerful congress woman and was found not guilty by reason of mental defect. Unbeknownst to Grace, Lukas is at the hospital undergoing treatment for his delusional fantasies involving her and her husband. In Lukas's mind Grace was his wife and Jimmy was a drunk driver responsible for the car accident that killed Grace. In a fit of rage Lukas retaliated and killed Jimmy. Is Lukas crazy or evil? Can Jimmy keep Grace from entering the new wing that houses Lukas? Can Grace protect Kat and Alex while protecting herself?
Lucidity is much more than a romance or ghost story. Ms. Lyons has crafted a tale involving mythology, history, the paranormal (ghosts), in a medical setting. Most of the action seems to take place over the span of a few days, but it is packed with action and suspense. Kat and Alex may only be children, but they have a crucial part in the story line. They are both highly creative and inventive while remaining sympathetic characters. Because they are children, the hospital staff has a tendency to underestimate them. Jimmy is definitely Grace's love interest, even after his death. He lives on in her memories and perhaps these strong memories that allow him to return. Lucidity may not be a traditional ghost story or romance, but it works. If you're seeking something a little different that combines romance, the paranormal, along with a little medical suspense, then this is the book for you.
April 1, 2012
CJ Lyons is a terrific medical suspense writer, which is one of my favorite genres (and I incorporate elements of medical suspense into my novels as well).
With Lucidity, Lyons has injected the paranormal element into medical suspense. Usually paranormal is not my thing. But CJ Lyons has never let me down, so off I went on my Kindle.
If this had NOT been CJ Lyons, I might not have re-opened this novel when I took a break at about 29 percent (weird that we now refer to book locations this way, as opposed to “page 62”).
There were seven (or maybe eight) character points-of-view. That might work for some readers, but to me, it’s too many. At 29 percent, I didn’t know how these characters were going to impact each other, I didn’t know which ones to care about (although the evil ones were obvious). To the author’s credit, she pulled them all together, but that’s over a third of the way through the book and probably would have lost me had it been any other writer.
The characters were a bit too stereotypical. The only one I found myself wondering about was Doctor Emberek. Would he step up to become a man of principle, one worthy of the reader’s respect?
As I mentioned, paranormal is not my thing. Dead people coming back to life, a historical backstory of a lost civilization… just a little too much of a reach for me. Romance readers (who like paranormal) will like the premise of this book, though: true love conquers all. The climax was certainly the best part of the book (and the only place where I couldn’t put the book down) - CJ did not disappoint in that regard.
I would rate it 3.5 stars…I have to wonder if CJ had set my expectations too high with her other books?!
With Lucidity, Lyons has injected the paranormal element into medical suspense. Usually paranormal is not my thing. But CJ Lyons has never let me down, so off I went on my Kindle.
If this had NOT been CJ Lyons, I might not have re-opened this novel when I took a break at about 29 percent (weird that we now refer to book locations this way, as opposed to “page 62”).
There were seven (or maybe eight) character points-of-view. That might work for some readers, but to me, it’s too many. At 29 percent, I didn’t know how these characters were going to impact each other, I didn’t know which ones to care about (although the evil ones were obvious). To the author’s credit, she pulled them all together, but that’s over a third of the way through the book and probably would have lost me had it been any other writer.
The characters were a bit too stereotypical. The only one I found myself wondering about was Doctor Emberek. Would he step up to become a man of principle, one worthy of the reader’s respect?
As I mentioned, paranormal is not my thing. Dead people coming back to life, a historical backstory of a lost civilization… just a little too much of a reach for me. Romance readers (who like paranormal) will like the premise of this book, though: true love conquers all. The climax was certainly the best part of the book (and the only place where I couldn’t put the book down) - CJ did not disappoint in that regard.
I would rate it 3.5 stars…I have to wonder if CJ had set my expectations too high with her other books?!
August 18, 2013
Welcome to the Freak Show, the Extended Care Unit, with its sweet scent of carnations and lilies. The too sweet smell of death and the beast that lives within. At first, I was a bit confused as to where everything was leading and how the characters were going to come together. Once it all starts to lock in place you can't stop. The plot is truly inventive and riveting. Dr. Eve Warden, the "Wicked Witch", tries to project the ECU as Never Neverland, where dreams come true due to her miracle drug Lucidine, but all is not what it seems. Only a few young souls from the Peds unit know the truth and see past the facade. Grace, whose life has been turned upside down since her husband's murder and being diagnosed with a brain tumor, is about to be transferred to the ECU when Kat and Alex from Peds hide her away to protect her. Jimmy, Grace's husband now ghost, is my favorite character. To have him so close but yet so far was heartbreaking. Their fate lies in the hands of Vincent, the only Dr who seems to really want to help the young patients and is obsessed with finding Grace. Events nobody can fathom were set in motion hundreds of years ago leaving everyone with choices to make, changing the path of destiny with each one. Now everything is dependent on Grace, the ghost of her husband and the time-traveling Jesuit/Druid Priest to save a future they can't know about, free will is a fickle thing...the end was really good although not what I was expecting at all.
January 1, 2014
Lucidity or as it is now known Torn Apart is a novel that contains something for everyone from the Medical side of things which is one of the main basis for the story and the setting as we are introduced to Grace Monroe, a former doctor who now has a brain tumor and also is being manipulated into being part of a drug trial called Luicidine. An historical novel as she tells the story of how Grace meet Jimmy and the search for Maeve's grave as this is the tale that she tells the children in the hospital that she meets. A Mystery as we discover that Grace's husband Jimmy was murdered by a guy named "The Beast" aka Lukas Redding who happens to be a patient at the hospital where Grace has been admitted and a Supernatural Fantasy as Jimmy comes back in Ghost format and Grace as well as Alex- a young boy whom Grace knew from her life as a Doctor and now as a patient is also admitted to the same hospital now as a patient and can see Jimmy's ghost. It may sound confusing and reading it , took me several go's as I was getting a tad confused myself but once you get a few chapters in and really stuck in the novel it tends to make a little bit of sense as it all begins to gel together. If you are looking for a book to read and have eclectic reading tastes then check out Lucidity or as it is now known as Torn Apart by C.J Lyons.
February 27, 2013
What a roller coaster of a book! I had not read a medical thriller in a long time.
I fell in love with the characters and their struggles. I love the grayness that free will and choices leave in a story.
This book took you through all the emotions. Love, hate, hope, Despair, friendship, betrayal.
Grace and Jimmy are pons in an angelic game. Grace wants to surrender to her brain tumor and just die peacefully in her bed to join her husband who was murdered 4 years earlier. But external forces keeps Grace in the ECU. Kat and Alex need her. Kat needs convinced to have her brain surgery. The one that will save her life and Alex needs someone to fit for his right to a DNR.
All while Eve is using ludiciy to further her career. Work is best to help? Vincent, he's dealing with a malpractice suit that will more than likely ruin him. But Vincent falls in love with Grace but succumbs to Eve's plans. All while Grace is buying time to get back to her Jimmy.
It had a weird paranormal element that that tied Grace and Jimmy's characters together. It worked as the author used it as a story telling to the children.
This was my first book by this author and I will be reading more if her stuff.
I fell in love with the characters and their struggles. I love the grayness that free will and choices leave in a story.
This book took you through all the emotions. Love, hate, hope, Despair, friendship, betrayal.
Grace and Jimmy are pons in an angelic game. Grace wants to surrender to her brain tumor and just die peacefully in her bed to join her husband who was murdered 4 years earlier. But external forces keeps Grace in the ECU. Kat and Alex need her. Kat needs convinced to have her brain surgery. The one that will save her life and Alex needs someone to fit for his right to a DNR.
All while Eve is using ludiciy to further her career. Work is best to help? Vincent, he's dealing with a malpractice suit that will more than likely ruin him. But Vincent falls in love with Grace but succumbs to Eve's plans. All while Grace is buying time to get back to her Jimmy.
It had a weird paranormal element that that tied Grace and Jimmy's characters together. It worked as the author used it as a story telling to the children.
This was my first book by this author and I will be reading more if her stuff.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2012
I think this book wanted to say a lot of things and ended up saying something in general in effect. It lacked a bit of focus and sometimes the jump from ancient times to a modern flashback confused me a bit. But one thing nice about this one is that it certainly captures your attention I think mainly because of the characters that Doc. Lyons created in this book you empathize with them and you want to know what happens to them in the end. You care to know what happens about the love story, and you would definitely care to know what happens to the patients of the hospital because you like them.
March 3, 2011
This was one of the best books I've read this year. It was inputdownable. This is a medical suspense filled with love, evil, time travel, myth and medical controversy, bravery and cowardice. There was medical and historical information that wasn't over my head. The pace was fast but not hurried. The characters had personality, good, bad or otherwise. The story was filled with twists and turns, that kept me on my toes. Needless to say I loved this book. I recommend it to anyone, don't let the medical aspect keep you away, instead read it for the suspense, love and laughter.
May 6, 2013
I have really liked CJ Lyon's other books, but this one was all over the place. First, it was a genre which is not my favorite (fantasy). It was about a woman named Grace, her dead husband, Jimmy, two ill children, an evil doctor, and a fight between good and evil. It was hard to determine if Leo is the devil who is trying to manipulate the future. Free will also appears to have a role.
January 22, 2014
It took me way to long to finish this amazing book. I enjoyed nearly every bit and piece of this book. All the characters are great and the author really did their research in developing the story. There is one personal thing I would change in the story but I cannot tell because it would be a spoiler. Over all I love this read.
November 18, 2011
I'm a big of C.J. Lyons, really enjoyed her Angel of Mercy series and her standalone, Snake Skin. However, Lucidity just didn't seem to work for me. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this kind of story.
February 22, 2013
Another excellent read by C.J. Lyons! This was a very fast paced suspense novel. I love to read medical thrillers and this one even had some paranormal to it making an even more exciting and interesting book!
February 20, 2013
I felt for Grace so strongly. Her ache of loneliness and longing for her dead husband was so strong. I loved the hospital kids too. The paranormal elements are strong and creepy. A great read. I couldn't put it down.
April 12, 2013
This book was just strange. It was a strange combination of a love story, medical thriller, and supernatural mystery. The characters and setting were over the top and not realistic. It didn't keep my attention at all and I gave up on it half way through.
July 13, 2013
This is my first C.J.Lyons read. Not a fan of flashbacks; I think they often detract from the story line, but this was a good book in spite of the flashbacks. A good amount of action, suspense, romance.
March 9, 2015
Confusing is THE only word for this book. Can't believe I stuck it out to the end. I love each of the characters but they didn't go well together. They never clicked. I would probably read about each of them but separately.
January 19, 2012
A change of writing style for Ms. Lyons but was very good!! The story keeps you involved with the medical drama along with the evilness and time travel. Would recommend to others.
March 22, 2012
This book was strange ... but I'll admit from the first page I couldn't put it down. It did keep me guessing and it combined some of the genres I loved best. I REALLY enjoyed it!
February 24, 2013
Excellent book. A lot of twists and turns and a surprise ending.
April 28, 2013
A very engrossing book - different than Lyons other books but I enjoyed it very much. Worth the read!
April 3, 2013
Love story, medical drama AND ghost story all in one!
January 3, 2014
Stopped reading at 19%.
I was looking forward to a medical thriller with paranormal undertones, but page after page I just could not stay interested.
I was looking forward to a medical thriller with paranormal undertones, but page after page I just could not stay interested.
February 1, 2014
This book is now called Torn Apart and is really great, so I recommend this to anyone wondering what to read next.
October 20, 2016
Good book
Another interesting read kept me hooked all the way thru the book wish the ending had been a little different
Another interesting read kept me hooked all the way thru the book wish the ending had been a little different
March 11, 2013
I had a hard time following the events. I'm going to re-read it after Lover at Last.
April 29, 2017
Odd combination of medical thriller and supernatural. The plot centers on a woman whose husband was murdered four years ago, and has now been diagnosed with a potentially fatal brain tumor. She is in a hospital which has a new research wing, dedicated to a new drug treatment which paralyzes the body and renders the mind susceptible to manipulation. Two doctors compete for leadership--one a surgeon who puts his personal aggrandizement above the well-being of his patients, and one whose dream of remaking the world in conjunction with a very rich politician has warped her ethics beyond recognition. Add to the mix two children with life threatening diseases who are sabotaging their own treatments.
All of this would make for a great medical thriller. However, Lyons adds one more layer--a shadowy God-like figure who appears to be able to manipulate history, dating back centuries, including bringing back to life our dead husband, albeit only for a brief time. However, the supernatural seems to appear only to those with brain tumors or other diseases...so the question is left open: are they "real" or a product of the disease?
Finally, there is a recurring ancient warrior queen who plays a on and off role, despite having died some 3,000 years ago.
In the end, I thought Lyons simply was trying too hard to pack all of this into one novel. The narrative is compelling (I compulsively turned pages to see what was going to happen next), but required too much suspension of belief to be satisfying in the end.
All of this would make for a great medical thriller. However, Lyons adds one more layer--a shadowy God-like figure who appears to be able to manipulate history, dating back centuries, including bringing back to life our dead husband, albeit only for a brief time. However, the supernatural seems to appear only to those with brain tumors or other diseases...so the question is left open: are they "real" or a product of the disease?
Finally, there is a recurring ancient warrior queen who plays a on and off role, despite having died some 3,000 years ago.
In the end, I thought Lyons simply was trying too hard to pack all of this into one novel. The narrative is compelling (I compulsively turned pages to see what was going to happen next), but required too much suspension of belief to be satisfying in the end.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews