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Love Lies Bleeding
In the vein of Jennifer McMahon’s Promise Not to Tell and The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold comes Love Lies Bleeding, a haunting story about the lengths to which people will go to keep their pasts buried. Jess McConkey (aka award-winning author Shirley Damsgaard) enthralls with her ingenious blending of family drama and gripping mystery. Suspenseful and absolutely chilling, Love Lies Bleeding grabs hold of the reader from page one, as a young woman whose golden life is shattered by unexpected violence is sent to a small, secluded lake town in Northern Minnesota to recover—and soon suspects the town’s eccentric residents are hiding more than one truly frightening secret.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 26, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
December 24, 2011
This was an okay book. Generally, I liked the story, but I have to agree with another reviewer in that it didn't quite know what it wanted to be. There's a ghost story, a mystery, and a psychological drama. While McConkey did a somewhat okay job of juggling the three and bringing them together, it was too much. The biggest issue was the mystery element, especially the first person "mystery" chapters throughout the book. Aside from the fact that I absolutely detest POV changes (third person to first person here), the whole thing was out of place. It felt like it was something that was added in later to give the book a mystery that was absolutely unneeded and a sense of intensity that still fell flat.
This intensity was missing from the entire story, really. It didn't come in the ghost story, in the tension between Sam and her family/fiancé, her growing chemistry with another character, the tension between Anne and her son Caleb, etc. I kept reading and I wanted to know what happened – mostly because I liked the characters – but I didn't feel a sense of urgency to do so. I was hoping that would come in the climax, but it didn't. The ending passed by too quickly. There were several loose ends that were either tied up in a few sentences or left dangling. I feel like the book's tag line, To what lengths would you go to keep a past buried?, is pretty misleading.
Like I said, I did like the characters, especially Samantha and Anne. They were well fleshed out, and somewhat compelling in their own right, which is what kept me reading. Sam and Anne, whether you agreed or not, had clear basis or motivation for their actions. I liked that they were strong and intelligent. It would have been so easy to keep Sam pathetic and to never have her break through her trauma and find her backbone but she did and I loved that she kept it, too. Definitely the strongest female characters I've read in awhile. I absolutely adored Roxy and Sam with her. I also wish we got more scenes with Greg. He was a great guy.
Overall, the best I can say is it was okay. If you pick it up you won't be reading for a strong story, but for strong characters.
This intensity was missing from the entire story, really. It didn't come in the ghost story, in the tension between Sam and her family/fiancé, her growing chemistry with another character, the tension between Anne and her son Caleb, etc. I kept reading and I wanted to know what happened – mostly because I liked the characters – but I didn't feel a sense of urgency to do so. I was hoping that would come in the climax, but it didn't. The ending passed by too quickly. There were several loose ends that were either tied up in a few sentences or left dangling. I feel like the book's tag line, To what lengths would you go to keep a past buried?, is pretty misleading.
Like I said, I did like the characters, especially Samantha and Anne. They were well fleshed out, and somewhat compelling in their own right, which is what kept me reading. Sam and Anne, whether you agreed or not, had clear basis or motivation for their actions. I liked that they were strong and intelligent. It would have been so easy to keep Sam pathetic and to never have her break through her trauma and find her backbone but she did and I loved that she kept it, too. Definitely the strongest female characters I've read in awhile. I absolutely adored Roxy and Sam with her. I also wish we got more scenes with Greg. He was a great guy.
Overall, the best I can say is it was okay. If you pick it up you won't be reading for a strong story, but for strong characters.
July 18, 2011
What is going on? Seriously, this is the second mystery I've read this month that has suffered from an acute identity crisis! Love Lies Bleeding just does not know what it wants to be. Oh, it's a mystery. Oh, it's a psychological thriller, no wait, it's a haunted house story. Now, I don't mind genre-bending when it's done right, but I didn't think it was in Love Lies Bleeding. The certain aspects of the genres she used just didn't...mesh well together. That made it seem like the author wanted to take the book in three different directions, but didn't know which direction to take...so she took all of them.
Another thing that bothered me was Samantha's behavior. I get that she's paranoid, bitter, depressed, and a whole lot of other things due to her attack, but I found her written very inconsistenly. She was okay one minute and then bratty the next. I don't mean justifiably bratty (because some brattiness would be justified after what she went through), but more like teenager bratty. Seriously, she said "Whatever" and rolled her eyes like fifteen times in Love Lies Bleeding. At first, I was like "Man, this chick must be pretty young", because with her behavior I had assumed that she was in her early to mid twenties. Then I found out towards the middle of the novel that she's actually THIRTY-FIVE! I was in shock. No thirty-five year old would act like that. It's not even only her constant overuse of the word "Whatever".
Samantha was constantly bitching about wanting more control, she NEEDS more control over her life, but everytime she gets control, she acts immature and stupid, and that really just proves the point that she can't be trusted with control. Another thing that bothered me was how much she wanted control over her situation when it came to her father. That part right there didn't bother me. What bothered me was that she had no qualms whatsoever in relinquishing control to her controlling fiance. And I just remembered something else...in one part of Love Lies Bleeding, she actually tells another character "You're supposed to be MY friend! I thought you were on MY side!" Seriously? Seriously?! Does that sound like the actions of a thirty-five year old to you?
So, Love Lies Bleeding gets two stars for an intriguing premise that allowed me to read the book in one sitting. But the inconsistency of the main character, the genre-bending, and the somewhat predictable whodunit aspect of the novel left me feeling cold. But I will definitely check out Jess Mcconkey's future work as I do think she can write one hell of a page-turner.
Another thing that bothered me was Samantha's behavior. I get that she's paranoid, bitter, depressed, and a whole lot of other things due to her attack, but I found her written very inconsistenly. She was okay one minute and then bratty the next. I don't mean justifiably bratty (because some brattiness would be justified after what she went through), but more like teenager bratty. Seriously, she said "Whatever" and rolled her eyes like fifteen times in Love Lies Bleeding. At first, I was like "Man, this chick must be pretty young", because with her behavior I had assumed that she was in her early to mid twenties. Then I found out towards the middle of the novel that she's actually THIRTY-FIVE! I was in shock. No thirty-five year old would act like that. It's not even only her constant overuse of the word "Whatever".
Samantha was constantly bitching about wanting more control, she NEEDS more control over her life, but everytime she gets control, she acts immature and stupid, and that really just proves the point that she can't be trusted with control. Another thing that bothered me was how much she wanted control over her situation when it came to her father. That part right there didn't bother me. What bothered me was that she had no qualms whatsoever in relinquishing control to her controlling fiance. And I just remembered something else...in one part of Love Lies Bleeding, she actually tells another character "You're supposed to be MY friend! I thought you were on MY side!" Seriously? Seriously?! Does that sound like the actions of a thirty-five year old to you?
So, Love Lies Bleeding gets two stars for an intriguing premise that allowed me to read the book in one sitting. But the inconsistency of the main character, the genre-bending, and the somewhat predictable whodunit aspect of the novel left me feeling cold. But I will definitely check out Jess Mcconkey's future work as I do think she can write one hell of a page-turner.
October 11, 2011
A random mugging turns violent and results in Samantha Moore becoming comatose and suffering brain trauma and other physical problems. She awakes embittered toward life, tormented by pain and dreams of her attack. In an effort to facilitate her recovery, her fiancé and parents reserve a cabin by the lake and a physical therapist as a caretaker. Is this the hoped for new beginning for Samantha or another step in her downward spiral? The answers lie in Love Lies Bleeding by Jess McConkey.
Prior to the mugging and vicious beating, Samantha Moore was a serious business woman and an asset to her father's firm. She was also an asset to her fiancé, Dr. Jackson Van Horn. Now she experiences severe mood swings, is in constant pain from the damage to her leg and head trauma, and worse has to deal with the profound side effects from the medications supposed to be helping her. Jackson and her parents feel that the best thing for her is to get away from it all, so they set up a "retreat" in the country beside a lake. Jackson had spent part of his youth there and has fond memories of summers at the lake. Unbeknownst to Samantha, her family has also arranged a caretaker.
Samantha doesn't have anything against Anne Weaver, the physical therapy assistant, that has been hired but she doesn't want a care taker. She's tired of people telling her what to do and how to feel. She's tired of taking medications that are supposed to help and wind up causing more problems due to their side effects. She's just tired.
As Samantha gradually gives in to her surroundings and befriends Anne, she also begins to experience some bizarre dreams. But these dreams aren't about her. These dreams seem to be rooted in the past, the past of the woman that disappeared from the cabin more than 25 years ago. To make matters worse, she also imagines that she sees this woman on the dock and periodically smells her perfume and cigarettes.
Anne is experiencing her own set of issues. Her teenage son is insistent that he wants to become a musician. Anne's dreams of becoming a model were dashed when she left home and traveled to New York. She doesn't want her son's dreams to become broken or for him to suffer the same disappointments she had in her youth. Can Anne recognize that she can't control her son's life forever before she pushes him too far away?
To say that everyone has issues in Love Lies Bleeding is putting it mildly. Jackson is suffering from abandonment issues corresponding to his mother's death and behavior prior to her death. Samantha's father is a control freak and presumes that he has the right to tell Samantha, a thirty-five-year-old woman, what to do, how to do it and when it should be done. Anne also has control issues when it comes to her expectations for her son. Samantha has medical and physical problems but those can be gradually overcome, her most pressing issues relate to her fiancé and family. Can she discover what she wants and how to achieve it before it’s too late? Can Samantha and Anne discover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance from the past?
I rather enjoyed Love Lies Bleeding until the end. Samantha and Anne were fully developed characters, with personality to spare and likeable even when they were unpleasant. The story line was believable enough and the action and tension build until the end where everything just petered out. There's resolution to the story but it felt weak and flat after all of the prior tension. Love Lies Bleeding is a decent read, although it does seem to get bogged down with minutiae from time to time.
Prior to the mugging and vicious beating, Samantha Moore was a serious business woman and an asset to her father's firm. She was also an asset to her fiancé, Dr. Jackson Van Horn. Now she experiences severe mood swings, is in constant pain from the damage to her leg and head trauma, and worse has to deal with the profound side effects from the medications supposed to be helping her. Jackson and her parents feel that the best thing for her is to get away from it all, so they set up a "retreat" in the country beside a lake. Jackson had spent part of his youth there and has fond memories of summers at the lake. Unbeknownst to Samantha, her family has also arranged a caretaker.
Samantha doesn't have anything against Anne Weaver, the physical therapy assistant, that has been hired but she doesn't want a care taker. She's tired of people telling her what to do and how to feel. She's tired of taking medications that are supposed to help and wind up causing more problems due to their side effects. She's just tired.
As Samantha gradually gives in to her surroundings and befriends Anne, she also begins to experience some bizarre dreams. But these dreams aren't about her. These dreams seem to be rooted in the past, the past of the woman that disappeared from the cabin more than 25 years ago. To make matters worse, she also imagines that she sees this woman on the dock and periodically smells her perfume and cigarettes.
Anne is experiencing her own set of issues. Her teenage son is insistent that he wants to become a musician. Anne's dreams of becoming a model were dashed when she left home and traveled to New York. She doesn't want her son's dreams to become broken or for him to suffer the same disappointments she had in her youth. Can Anne recognize that she can't control her son's life forever before she pushes him too far away?
To say that everyone has issues in Love Lies Bleeding is putting it mildly. Jackson is suffering from abandonment issues corresponding to his mother's death and behavior prior to her death. Samantha's father is a control freak and presumes that he has the right to tell Samantha, a thirty-five-year-old woman, what to do, how to do it and when it should be done. Anne also has control issues when it comes to her expectations for her son. Samantha has medical and physical problems but those can be gradually overcome, her most pressing issues relate to her fiancé and family. Can she discover what she wants and how to achieve it before it’s too late? Can Samantha and Anne discover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance from the past?
I rather enjoyed Love Lies Bleeding until the end. Samantha and Anne were fully developed characters, with personality to spare and likeable even when they were unpleasant. The story line was believable enough and the action and tension build until the end where everything just petered out. There's resolution to the story but it felt weak and flat after all of the prior tension. Love Lies Bleeding is a decent read, although it does seem to get bogged down with minutiae from time to time.
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August 28, 2011Love Lies Bleeding is one of those novels that is thoroughly enjoyable while reading but does not hold up well under close scrutiny. Its sum is definitely much better than its parts, not that this is a bad thing. Sometimes, books are made to be enjoyed as a whole and not broken down for a search for hidden meaning or symbolism. Love Lies Bleeding is definitely successful as this type of book, as it does not demand much from the reader but instead presents itself as a taut Gothic suspense novel with a strong female lead.
The most intriguing aspect of Love Lies Bleeding is the three different narrators, each with a different point of view. Two of the narrators were third person, but the third was an unknown first-person narrator. This deliberate choice on the part of McConkey not only allows the reader to learn more of the details about each of the characters but it successfully builds tension, as the reader struggles to determine who the mysterious third narrator is. While I am sure this plot device is not new, it was the first time in a long time that I noticed it and appreciated it for its effectiveness.
Unfortunately, as with any book that is better on the surface than with searches for deeper meaning, Love Lies Bleeding is somewhat predictable. While the mysterious third narrator is unknown, a careful reader will know who it is before the novel is half over. Also, events unfold in such a manner that they are not truly surprising. In addition, there are quite a few unanswered questions remaining at the close of the novel. While they do not detract from the main plot, the reader is left with a niggling sense of incompleteness as a result.
Love Lies Bleeding is a relatively short novel, which explains some of the rush in character development and lack of answers. Yet, in spite of Sam's unrealistically quick transition from spoiled victim to independent and strong female and the unresolved questions, it is a difficult novel to stop reading. The Gothic elements compel the reader to keep reading, while the three narrators provide a more intimate glimpse into key characters. Love Lies Bleeding is a perfect, spooky mystery for a gloomy day.
Thank you Megan Traynor from William Morrow for my review copy!
The most intriguing aspect of Love Lies Bleeding is the three different narrators, each with a different point of view. Two of the narrators were third person, but the third was an unknown first-person narrator. This deliberate choice on the part of McConkey not only allows the reader to learn more of the details about each of the characters but it successfully builds tension, as the reader struggles to determine who the mysterious third narrator is. While I am sure this plot device is not new, it was the first time in a long time that I noticed it and appreciated it for its effectiveness.
Unfortunately, as with any book that is better on the surface than with searches for deeper meaning, Love Lies Bleeding is somewhat predictable. While the mysterious third narrator is unknown, a careful reader will know who it is before the novel is half over. Also, events unfold in such a manner that they are not truly surprising. In addition, there are quite a few unanswered questions remaining at the close of the novel. While they do not detract from the main plot, the reader is left with a niggling sense of incompleteness as a result.
Love Lies Bleeding is a relatively short novel, which explains some of the rush in character development and lack of answers. Yet, in spite of Sam's unrealistically quick transition from spoiled victim to independent and strong female and the unresolved questions, it is a difficult novel to stop reading. The Gothic elements compel the reader to keep reading, while the three narrators provide a more intimate glimpse into key characters. Love Lies Bleeding is a perfect, spooky mystery for a gloomy day.
Thank you Megan Traynor from William Morrow for my review copy!
October 23, 2011
This is one of those books that caught my eye because of a promising synopsis, but didn't turn out the way I expected. I didn't really care for Sam, the main character. I was sympathetic towards her at first, but her behavior eventually turned me off. Didn't care for her family or fiance either, but some of the secondary characters were okay. And I really liked Roxy!
Sam has nightmares because of her attack. Horrible nightmares. In pain, she lashes out at her fiance and anyone who tries to get too close. Jackson, her fiance, seems like a nice guy at first. And he only wants whats best for her, right? Or does he? And what about Sam's parents? Did they send her away to recover in the peace and quiet of the country, or because she was no longer their perfect little girl? Honestly, Sam annoyed me so much at this point that I didn't really care.
While I've never been the victim of a violent attack, Sam's reaction felt off to me somehow. I could understand her medication affecting her behavior, but she didn't come across as a very nice person to begin with, so it was hard for me to care about her story. And by the time strange things started happening, it was a little too late for me.
This was an okay story with a strange twist, but my main objection was that I didn't really care for any of the characters. Maybe it's just me, but it's hard for me to enjoy a story when I don't really like the characters. Gave this one a 3/5 as there was nothing wrong with the writing and overall, it was okay.
Sam has nightmares because of her attack. Horrible nightmares. In pain, she lashes out at her fiance and anyone who tries to get too close. Jackson, her fiance, seems like a nice guy at first. And he only wants whats best for her, right? Or does he? And what about Sam's parents? Did they send her away to recover in the peace and quiet of the country, or because she was no longer their perfect little girl? Honestly, Sam annoyed me so much at this point that I didn't really care.
While I've never been the victim of a violent attack, Sam's reaction felt off to me somehow. I could understand her medication affecting her behavior, but she didn't come across as a very nice person to begin with, so it was hard for me to care about her story. And by the time strange things started happening, it was a little too late for me.
This was an okay story with a strange twist, but my main objection was that I didn't really care for any of the characters. Maybe it's just me, but it's hard for me to enjoy a story when I don't really like the characters. Gave this one a 3/5 as there was nothing wrong with the writing and overall, it was okay.
August 30, 2011
A simply-told tale can be a good thing. A simplistically told story, on the other hand, is usually not a good thing, and that, unfortunately, is what we have here. The language is simplistic. The characterization is simplistic. The dialogue is simplistic. The plot is simplistic! It felt more like reading a comic book without the drawings than reading a novel.
Add to that was the question of what kind of book this book was supposed to be. Was it supposed to be an attack-recovery story (in which case it was too pat to be convincing) or a thriller (in which case it was not at all thrilling)? Making it even harder to figure out was that there was no believable connection between the two parts of the story. I wish I could say that McConkey would have done better to decide what kind of book this was supposed to be and stuck with that, but since neither part was very good, I don't think it would have helped.
Add to that was the question of what kind of book this book was supposed to be. Was it supposed to be an attack-recovery story (in which case it was too pat to be convincing) or a thriller (in which case it was not at all thrilling)? Making it even harder to figure out was that there was no believable connection between the two parts of the story. I wish I could say that McConkey would have done better to decide what kind of book this was supposed to be and stuck with that, but since neither part was very good, I don't think it would have helped.
January 16, 2026
1.75
This book was... for lack of better words; kooky.Almost all of the characters were insufferable and there were (unnecessarily) too many of them. There were really two separate stories here and neither of them were very fulfilling. Blanche "haunting" Sam just felt silly, and that part of the story really had nothing to do with Sam's story. It was set up to make you feel as the mystery that is unfolding has to do with Sam and her life and attack when really it only pertained to her because she was the one "haunted" by it. I was honestly quite annoyed to find out that ater all was said and done, neither Jackson or Sam's dad weren't guilty of anything more nefarious than just being scum and had no actual connection to the story either. Why even have the part about Sam's attack, her crappy relationship and her terrible parents and why word the synopsis on the back of the book like it was going to be about Sam when really... it wasn't?...
Just overall disappointing and I'm glad to be done with it.
This book was... for lack of better words; kooky.Almost all of the characters were insufferable and there were (unnecessarily) too many of them. There were really two separate stories here and neither of them were very fulfilling. Blanche "haunting" Sam just felt silly, and that part of the story really had nothing to do with Sam's story. It was set up to make you feel as the mystery that is unfolding has to do with Sam and her life and attack when really it only pertained to her because she was the one "haunted" by it. I was honestly quite annoyed to find out that ater all was said and done, neither Jackson or Sam's dad weren't guilty of anything more nefarious than just being scum and had no actual connection to the story either. Why even have the part about Sam's attack, her crappy relationship and her terrible parents and why word the synopsis on the back of the book like it was going to be about Sam when really... it wasn't?...
Just overall disappointing and I'm glad to be done with it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2024
A simply-told tale can be a good thing. A simplistically told story, on the other hand, is usually not a good thing, and that, unfortunately, is what we have here. The language is simplistic. The characterization is simplistic. The dialogue is simplistic. The plot is simplistic! It felt more like reading a comic book without the drawings than reading a novel.
Add to that was the question of what kind of book this book was supposed to be. Was it supposed to be an attack-recovery story (in which case it was too pat to be convincing) or a thriller (in which case it was not at all thrilling)? Making it even harder to figure out was that there was no believable connection between the two parts of the story. I wish I could say that McConkey would have done better to decide what kind of book this was supposed to be and stuck with that, but since neither part was very good, I don't think it would have helped.
Add to that was the question of what kind of book this book was supposed to be. Was it supposed to be an attack-recovery story (in which case it was too pat to be convincing) or a thriller (in which case it was not at all thrilling)? Making it even harder to figure out was that there was no believable connection between the two parts of the story. I wish I could say that McConkey would have done better to decide what kind of book this was supposed to be and stuck with that, but since neither part was very good, I don't think it would have helped.
March 24, 2023
For some reason, this book is tagged as Gothic Romance, Ghost Fiction, and Vampire Romances. It isn't any of those things. I see it more as a general fiction with hints of mystery but a focus on women's friendships helping women become stronger and better people. It is a fast paced book in some aspects, but when the minor mysteries are solved, that comes too quickly. I was left with unanswered questions about the main character, Sam's, life and the attack that is the reason she came to this small community. The social trauma in that small community just felt like slut shaming, too, which didn't set well with me at all and it didn't feel like a truly big secret, at least not what we are told about it. I think Sam's recovery and getting out of abusive family and dating relationships was enough without the mystery elements or the odd first person chapters every now and again.
July 19, 2021
Samantha is living the perfect life: perfect job, perfect man and then it all changes with one random act of violence. When she awakens from a coma 2 months later she is not the same person.
In order to recuperate she is sent away to a small town and placed under a local physical therapists care. She does not react well to this as the last little freedom she has is taken from her.
What is causing these violent outbursts? Is it in fact a side effect of her condition or not related at all. Perhaps Samantha is in fact losing her mind or are the new friendly neighbors not at all what they seem? You will have to read on to find out.
In order to recuperate she is sent away to a small town and placed under a local physical therapists care. She does not react well to this as the last little freedom she has is taken from her.
What is causing these violent outbursts? Is it in fact a side effect of her condition or not related at all. Perhaps Samantha is in fact losing her mind or are the new friendly neighbors not at all what they seem? You will have to read on to find out.
September 28, 2019
Maybe 2.5. It felt like this book didn’t know what kind of book it wanted to be. Started out good, but trying to introduce a paranormal twist 3/4 of the way through felt like it went to a different story and abandoned the actual plot. That’s where my interest waned.
September 22, 2025
3.5 stars because there was literally no explanation for the spooky connection between Sam and Blanche and the characters were not particularly nuanced, but the story flowed quickly and was very readable
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2018
Improbable and silly.
August 10, 2019
Disappointing, characters too one-dimensional. Definitely not Gone girl.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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December 11, 2019Yikes. Made it two pages and decided this is not for me. Chick lit.
December 25, 2019
I liked the book.
There is many challenges in life and in the book the main character has a few of them.
Never stop fighting.
There is many challenges in life and in the book the main character has a few of them.
Never stop fighting.
December 16, 2023
Ooo!! So fun! Just spooky enough to be creepy, but not so scary that it kept me up at night. Fun mystery.
January 9, 2024
Pacing was off. It was very slow in the beginning and moved way too fast in the end. Connections and plot felt disconnected.
April 28, 2024
Everyone has to start somewhere, and I hope this is a first novel. Very melodramatic and amateur.
June 19, 2024
It was decent overall, there was a lot going on between the paranormal aspect, the PTSD, and the general life events of the characters that made the story hard to follow at times.
February 24, 2025
2 stars--meh. Simple writing, shallow characters, and a Scooby-Doo level of mystery. 2 stars instead of 1 because it kept my interest enough to finish.
November 5, 2025
Interesting but kind of blah ending
August 14, 2011
In a world filled with secrets...no one is safe.
Samantha Moore is the golden girl - with a perfect job, a perfect man, a perfect life - until a random act of violence changes everything. Unconscious for two months, Sam awakens from her coma a different person - bitter, in constant pain, and forced to endure medications that leave her nauseous, paranoid, and struggling to keep a grip on reality.
Furious with her family for sending her away to a small, remote town to recuperate - placed completely under a physical therapist's care and robbed of what little freedom she has left - Sam lashes out at the "nice people" all around her who claim to only have her best interests in mind. But are her violent outbursts the by-product of her condition... or something else entirely? Strange things are happening here - and either Samantha Moore is losing her mind or her friendly new neighbors are far more dangerous than they appear to be.
In the novel, Love Lies Bleeding by Jess McConkey, we see what happens when people want to maintain control over things, whether its their own life, the secrets they are keeping or simply trying to be something they are not. Greed is evident by the role the characters in Sam's life play.
Her fiancee, Jackson Van Horn, a up and coming plastic surgeon who has already won the approval of her wealthy parents, Sam fights to gain control over her life again, now that she has suffered a damaged leg and a severe head injury when she was attacked in the parking garage while leaving work. Since her father and Jackson have been making all the decisions regarding the best possible care for Sam, they believe that renting out a small cabin by the lake is exactly what Sam needs to begin to feel safe and secure again.
But since Jackson can't stay with Sam full time, her father and Jackson hire Anne Weaver to take care of her during the week. Anne has just been laid off from the hospital where she was a physical therapist and she believes she can help Sam recover not only physically but emotionally as well.
Problems begin with the house Sam is staying in. Rumors say the house is haunted by Blanche Jones, a woman who seemed to be the talk of the town that died in that house. Now objects disappear when Sam goes to look for them and she begins to dream and see a woman walking the dock just outside her cabin crying. When Sam explains these things to Jackson, he pushes more pills her way and insists that she continue to daily regime of prescription drugs to help her cope.
However Sam will soon discover in the time that Jackson leaves the cabin and she stops taking the pills, her mind becomes clear and soon secrets that have longed been dead and buried suddenly begin to surface.
I received this book compliments of William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins publishers for my honest review. This book was entertaining to the degree that I could not put it down, while trying to figure out just what was going on. This is a great crime/suspense thriller that will keep you up until you finish the final page. Hands down a sensational 5 out of 5 stars.
Samantha Moore is the golden girl - with a perfect job, a perfect man, a perfect life - until a random act of violence changes everything. Unconscious for two months, Sam awakens from her coma a different person - bitter, in constant pain, and forced to endure medications that leave her nauseous, paranoid, and struggling to keep a grip on reality.
Furious with her family for sending her away to a small, remote town to recuperate - placed completely under a physical therapist's care and robbed of what little freedom she has left - Sam lashes out at the "nice people" all around her who claim to only have her best interests in mind. But are her violent outbursts the by-product of her condition... or something else entirely? Strange things are happening here - and either Samantha Moore is losing her mind or her friendly new neighbors are far more dangerous than they appear to be.
In the novel, Love Lies Bleeding by Jess McConkey, we see what happens when people want to maintain control over things, whether its their own life, the secrets they are keeping or simply trying to be something they are not. Greed is evident by the role the characters in Sam's life play.
Her fiancee, Jackson Van Horn, a up and coming plastic surgeon who has already won the approval of her wealthy parents, Sam fights to gain control over her life again, now that she has suffered a damaged leg and a severe head injury when she was attacked in the parking garage while leaving work. Since her father and Jackson have been making all the decisions regarding the best possible care for Sam, they believe that renting out a small cabin by the lake is exactly what Sam needs to begin to feel safe and secure again.
But since Jackson can't stay with Sam full time, her father and Jackson hire Anne Weaver to take care of her during the week. Anne has just been laid off from the hospital where she was a physical therapist and she believes she can help Sam recover not only physically but emotionally as well.
Problems begin with the house Sam is staying in. Rumors say the house is haunted by Blanche Jones, a woman who seemed to be the talk of the town that died in that house. Now objects disappear when Sam goes to look for them and she begins to dream and see a woman walking the dock just outside her cabin crying. When Sam explains these things to Jackson, he pushes more pills her way and insists that she continue to daily regime of prescription drugs to help her cope.
However Sam will soon discover in the time that Jackson leaves the cabin and she stops taking the pills, her mind becomes clear and soon secrets that have longed been dead and buried suddenly begin to surface.
I received this book compliments of William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins publishers for my honest review. This book was entertaining to the degree that I could not put it down, while trying to figure out just what was going on. This is a great crime/suspense thriller that will keep you up until you finish the final page. Hands down a sensational 5 out of 5 stars.
October 12, 2011
Samantha Moore was attacked. A gang had crept up on her, beat her with a tire iron that caused nerve damage to her leg as well, and gave her a serious concussion that put her in a coma for two months. An absolutely hideous crime, of course, that has now caused Samantha to exist on nightmares alone, while the rest of the world hovers around her simply waiting for her to ‘heal.’ There are many problems with Samantha’s healing process. Not only is her mind wrapped around the fact that no one has been caught for the crime that was committed against her, but she still feels as if ‘they’ are still waiting out there to take her out once and for all.
Samantha also has to put up with the fact that her life WAS perfect before this tragedy struck. She was stunningly beautiful with no flaws whatsoever, she had a wonderful job at her father’s advertising company - which has now been given over to her assistant, Dan (and it doesn’t look like she’ll get it back anytime soon) - and she was headed down the aisle with Jackson, her handsome and successful fiancé. Of course, Jackson is still with her…but the spirit has most definitely gone out of the relationship.
Samantha is beyond upset that all anyone wants to do is keep her in a remote town in Minnesota in a cabin until she comes back to herself. They want her to go to psychiatrists and take all the pills that these doctor’s seem to think she needs. Samantha doesn’t want to be a doped-up woman - and she does NOT want her life run by doctors who have no idea the nightmares she’s having every time she closes her eyes. Her mood sings are becoming incredibly harsh and raw, and now they tell her that she’s receiving a “nursemaid,” who will stay with her during the week when Jackson travels back to Minneapolis to go back to work.
Anne Weaver and her son, Caleb, are good people. Anne has been laid off by the hospital because of financial issues and has been asked to do private duty for a woman who needs her assistance during the week. Anne needs this money in order to support herself and her son, while also dealing with the fact that Caleb is hanging out with the ‘bad boys’ of Minneapolis while he tries to start up his band and become a star.
When Anne and Samantha begin their relationship, it certainly is strained; but as the two women spend more and more time together, they begin to find out that they are not as “far apart” as they once thought.
Add in some seriously mysterious neighbors who have moved next door to Samantha, and a suspenseful story opens up for the reader. Although the plot is interesting and certainly gives some high points of thrills and chills, the book is a bit slow leading up to the actual ‘thrill-ride’ part of the novel. Samantha is a good character, but the beginning goes on a bit too long.
Samantha also has to put up with the fact that her life WAS perfect before this tragedy struck. She was stunningly beautiful with no flaws whatsoever, she had a wonderful job at her father’s advertising company - which has now been given over to her assistant, Dan (and it doesn’t look like she’ll get it back anytime soon) - and she was headed down the aisle with Jackson, her handsome and successful fiancé. Of course, Jackson is still with her…but the spirit has most definitely gone out of the relationship.
Samantha is beyond upset that all anyone wants to do is keep her in a remote town in Minnesota in a cabin until she comes back to herself. They want her to go to psychiatrists and take all the pills that these doctor’s seem to think she needs. Samantha doesn’t want to be a doped-up woman - and she does NOT want her life run by doctors who have no idea the nightmares she’s having every time she closes her eyes. Her mood sings are becoming incredibly harsh and raw, and now they tell her that she’s receiving a “nursemaid,” who will stay with her during the week when Jackson travels back to Minneapolis to go back to work.
Anne Weaver and her son, Caleb, are good people. Anne has been laid off by the hospital because of financial issues and has been asked to do private duty for a woman who needs her assistance during the week. Anne needs this money in order to support herself and her son, while also dealing with the fact that Caleb is hanging out with the ‘bad boys’ of Minneapolis while he tries to start up his band and become a star.
When Anne and Samantha begin their relationship, it certainly is strained; but as the two women spend more and more time together, they begin to find out that they are not as “far apart” as they once thought.
Add in some seriously mysterious neighbors who have moved next door to Samantha, and a suspenseful story opens up for the reader. Although the plot is interesting and certainly gives some high points of thrills and chills, the book is a bit slow leading up to the actual ‘thrill-ride’ part of the novel. Samantha is a good character, but the beginning goes on a bit too long.
August 7, 2011
**Spoilers Included**
I enjoyed this book but it left a lot of unanswered questions and I was a bit confused about the ending. The main character, Samantha, suffered a tramatic event where she was attacked by a group of boys and beat over the head with a tire iron. She suffered brain damage which caused her to develop a limp. In the beginning, she was very controlling, demanding and basically just mean. I think this was due to everyone trying to "take care of her" when she thought she was very capable of doing things on her own. The one thing I really liked about her character is that she was artistic and liked to paint.
Jackson, her fiance', was very difficult to like. He was self-centered and conceited which doesn't really surprise me considering his profession (plastic surgeon). His attitude throughout the entire story was just hard to understand and it really only made me mad. He treated other people very poorly and he was manipulative.
Anne, Samantha's "nurse," was intriguing. She was very persistent in her methods of trying to help Samantha with her injuries. Of course, Samantha didn't like her very much in the beginning, but she grew on her.
Teddy just got on my nerves! I really dislike teenagers who like to cause trouble, especially those who like to throw rocks at innocent dogs! One of the things I never found out what was exactly happened to him. The entire incident of where he supposedly keyed Jackson's car was kind of lost right after it was mentioned.
Throughout the story, I honestly thought that Samantha was possessed because I believed that Blanche, the previous owner of the cabin Samantha was living in, had already passed away. What I don't understand is what made Blanche reach out to Samantha in her dreams. From what I read, there was nothing that really linked the two characters together aside from the cabin they both lived in. I also never really learned what happened to Jackson. I would have liked to know where he ended up.
The character that I really grew attached to was Greg. He was just flat-out charming. All in all, I really liked the writing style in this book. It was a very good page-turner but the ending was a little disappointing.
I enjoyed this book but it left a lot of unanswered questions and I was a bit confused about the ending. The main character, Samantha, suffered a tramatic event where she was attacked by a group of boys and beat over the head with a tire iron. She suffered brain damage which caused her to develop a limp. In the beginning, she was very controlling, demanding and basically just mean. I think this was due to everyone trying to "take care of her" when she thought she was very capable of doing things on her own. The one thing I really liked about her character is that she was artistic and liked to paint.
Jackson, her fiance', was very difficult to like. He was self-centered and conceited which doesn't really surprise me considering his profession (plastic surgeon). His attitude throughout the entire story was just hard to understand and it really only made me mad. He treated other people very poorly and he was manipulative.
Anne, Samantha's "nurse," was intriguing. She was very persistent in her methods of trying to help Samantha with her injuries. Of course, Samantha didn't like her very much in the beginning, but she grew on her.
Teddy just got on my nerves! I really dislike teenagers who like to cause trouble, especially those who like to throw rocks at innocent dogs! One of the things I never found out what was exactly happened to him. The entire incident of where he supposedly keyed Jackson's car was kind of lost right after it was mentioned.
Throughout the story, I honestly thought that Samantha was possessed because I believed that Blanche, the previous owner of the cabin Samantha was living in, had already passed away. What I don't understand is what made Blanche reach out to Samantha in her dreams. From what I read, there was nothing that really linked the two characters together aside from the cabin they both lived in. I also never really learned what happened to Jackson. I would have liked to know where he ended up.
The character that I really grew attached to was Greg. He was just flat-out charming. All in all, I really liked the writing style in this book. It was a very good page-turner but the ending was a little disappointing.
August 31, 2012
‘Love Lies Bleeding’ by Jess McConkey
Published by William Morrow, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-06-199968-0
Samantha Moore, had everything, the perfect job, a loving fiancé, and wealthy parents. Then she is attacked by a group of young men in the car park of her office, and emerges from a coma two months later, a frightened girl in constant pain with no confidence and low self-esteem. To help her recuperation her father and her fiancé the plastic surgeon Dr Jackson Van Horn arrange for her to stay at a cabin in Minnesota. They employ Anne Weaver to stay with her during her period of recuperation. As Anne is a physical therapy assistant she can help build up the wasted muscle in Sam’s leg which is also part of the reason for her low self-esteem.
This book had me edgy from the beginning, even reading it I began to feel suffocated by father Laurence Moore and fiancé Jackson. Both continually ignoring anything Sam said and steamrollering over any suggestion she made as if she was mentally deficient. Also the constant harping on the need to take her medication, that clearly turned her into a zombie.
Whilst Anne Weaver has her own set of problems she sets out to help Sam recover by imposing a relatively strict regime to improve the muscle tone in Sam’s damaged leg. But any progress is constantly undermined by the visits of Laurence Moore and Jackson. And who is the lady in lavender that Sam sees in the dead of night? Is she real or a hallucination?
The story is narrated from multiple points of view, the most chilling being the first person narrative by an unknown person, who is clearly disturbed, but not knowing the person’s identity has the reader questioning everything and everyone.
It is a mind bending work as I stopped on several occasions wondering just how would one react in that situation. Would you suspect that the people you trusted didn’t have your best interests at heart, and why and to what end?
With many interesting characters, this a cleverly crafted work, that had me suspecting everyone.
------
Lizzie Hayes
Published by William Morrow, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-06-199968-0
Samantha Moore, had everything, the perfect job, a loving fiancé, and wealthy parents. Then she is attacked by a group of young men in the car park of her office, and emerges from a coma two months later, a frightened girl in constant pain with no confidence and low self-esteem. To help her recuperation her father and her fiancé the plastic surgeon Dr Jackson Van Horn arrange for her to stay at a cabin in Minnesota. They employ Anne Weaver to stay with her during her period of recuperation. As Anne is a physical therapy assistant she can help build up the wasted muscle in Sam’s leg which is also part of the reason for her low self-esteem.
This book had me edgy from the beginning, even reading it I began to feel suffocated by father Laurence Moore and fiancé Jackson. Both continually ignoring anything Sam said and steamrollering over any suggestion she made as if she was mentally deficient. Also the constant harping on the need to take her medication, that clearly turned her into a zombie.
Whilst Anne Weaver has her own set of problems she sets out to help Sam recover by imposing a relatively strict regime to improve the muscle tone in Sam’s damaged leg. But any progress is constantly undermined by the visits of Laurence Moore and Jackson. And who is the lady in lavender that Sam sees in the dead of night? Is she real or a hallucination?
The story is narrated from multiple points of view, the most chilling being the first person narrative by an unknown person, who is clearly disturbed, but not knowing the person’s identity has the reader questioning everything and everyone.
It is a mind bending work as I stopped on several occasions wondering just how would one react in that situation. Would you suspect that the people you trusted didn’t have your best interests at heart, and why and to what end?
With many interesting characters, this a cleverly crafted work, that had me suspecting everyone.
------
Lizzie Hayes
November 8, 2011
Trying to recuperate from a major head injury she received after a mugging, Samantha finds herself installed in a house out in the country far away for her job as an advertising executive at her father s firm in the city. Her parents’ life doesn’t give them time to be embarrassed by her accident—they can’t call it an attack—Sam feels shuffled out of the way and unable to decide what is good for her, held at the mercy of her surgeon fiancé Jackson and parents.
Determined to take her life back she fights tooth and nail at every decision they make on her behalf until she realizes that she has an ally in the physical therapist her father hired, Anne, a local, single mom. Stuck out in a small country town far from Minneapolis, Sam finds that not only does she have to fight the family’s desires, but the small town crowd.
Someone wants her out of the cottage, or so it seems, but is it pranks by local youths or is she haunted by the ghostly visions she sees at night, that of the missing Blanche who used to live in the same home? Are the headaches she gets causing her to have nightmares and is she being slowly driven crazy by those closest to her and for what reason?
McConkey weaves a family drama, allowing her readers to learn the truths at the same time as Sam. Along with her new found friends, Sam peels back the layers from the buried past as the truth unravels, threatening her engagement and past life as she knew it. The story reminded me of a similarly titled debut novel, “When Dreams Bleed” by Robin Cain, an apt comparison in the vein of self-solving mystery romance, female protagonist genre. Part thriller, part ghost story “Love Lies Bleeding” unearths just what lengths some people will go to keep the past buried.
Determined to take her life back she fights tooth and nail at every decision they make on her behalf until she realizes that she has an ally in the physical therapist her father hired, Anne, a local, single mom. Stuck out in a small country town far from Minneapolis, Sam finds that not only does she have to fight the family’s desires, but the small town crowd.
Someone wants her out of the cottage, or so it seems, but is it pranks by local youths or is she haunted by the ghostly visions she sees at night, that of the missing Blanche who used to live in the same home? Are the headaches she gets causing her to have nightmares and is she being slowly driven crazy by those closest to her and for what reason?
McConkey weaves a family drama, allowing her readers to learn the truths at the same time as Sam. Along with her new found friends, Sam peels back the layers from the buried past as the truth unravels, threatening her engagement and past life as she knew it. The story reminded me of a similarly titled debut novel, “When Dreams Bleed” by Robin Cain, an apt comparison in the vein of self-solving mystery romance, female protagonist genre. Part thriller, part ghost story “Love Lies Bleeding” unearths just what lengths some people will go to keep the past buried.
September 2, 2011
Since I have been a fan of Shirley's Witch series I had to see what she was doing as Jess McConkey. If you like suspenseful women's fiction, you will like Love Lies Bleeding. It's set in Minnesota in a small town on a lake. The story is told by two female characters. The protagonist who had been attacked and because of a head injury has a physical disability, she walks with a limp. The physical therapist is a down to earth woman who refuses to put up with the protag's attitude. After a rocky start, they become friends and work out the mystery of who is possibly stalking and certainly scaring the protagonist. The author weaves the physical therapists sub-plot through the main story line and pulls the ending together. The only reason I didn't give this a 5 star recommendation is because I felt as if the threat to the protagonist was a little weak. I understood that she was questioning her sanity and that someone may have been trying to scare her or confuse her but I didn't get the feeling that they were necessarily out to kill her. I didn't find out why until the very end and I think it would have been more satisfying if there had been more than one reason for someone to want her dead as well as more possible antagonists. I personally liked the physical therapist's character better than the protagonist. She was more likable from the beginning. Because both characters were strong, it felt like it actually had two protagonists instead of one. I enjoyed the scenes in the physical therapists pov the best. This was an interesting departure for the author and I look forward to seeing more from Jess McConkey.
July 4, 2012
I found this an exciting and satisfying read. Lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I love a good psychological suspense, mystery thriller which isn't a detective novel.
Imagine you come round from a coma and as conciousness returns you realise your life has changed not just physically but in the way you view the world.
Successful and privileged Samantha was on her way home from her high flying executive job in the City when she was randomly and viciously attacked by a gang of youths, leaving her for dead with her skull caved in.
Now she is trying to rebuild her shattered life and recover from her head injury, heavily medicated, fearful of everything, one leg damaged and weak she is full of self loathing for the way she begged and pleaded with her attackers.
Her surgeon fiance Jackson and her controlling father appoint a nurse to care for her and rent a rural lakeside cabin for her to begin her recuperation in.
But she is a reluctant patient and Anne her nurse finds her difficult and unpredictable. When rumours of strange goings on in the cabins past have strange parallels with Sams dreams and behaviour, its up to her to work out who to trust and who really has her best interests at heart.
It has everything you want in a good chiller, lots of characters who might have ulterior motives, a hint of romance, a loyal canine companion and a flawed heroine.
Not perfect, a lot of coincidences and a few loose ends left untied but overall an enjoyable and entertaining read.
Imagine you come round from a coma and as conciousness returns you realise your life has changed not just physically but in the way you view the world.
Successful and privileged Samantha was on her way home from her high flying executive job in the City when she was randomly and viciously attacked by a gang of youths, leaving her for dead with her skull caved in.
Now she is trying to rebuild her shattered life and recover from her head injury, heavily medicated, fearful of everything, one leg damaged and weak she is full of self loathing for the way she begged and pleaded with her attackers.
Her surgeon fiance Jackson and her controlling father appoint a nurse to care for her and rent a rural lakeside cabin for her to begin her recuperation in.
But she is a reluctant patient and Anne her nurse finds her difficult and unpredictable. When rumours of strange goings on in the cabins past have strange parallels with Sams dreams and behaviour, its up to her to work out who to trust and who really has her best interests at heart.
It has everything you want in a good chiller, lots of characters who might have ulterior motives, a hint of romance, a loyal canine companion and a flawed heroine.
Not perfect, a lot of coincidences and a few loose ends left untied but overall an enjoyable and entertaining read.
July 11, 2011
I really wasn't sure what to expect but I began reading this novel earlier this evening and I finished it today because I really found it to be that great.
Sam is the victim of a terrible crime, one that leaves her in the hospital in a coma for months and it left her with terrible anxiety and nightmares that are a constant reminder of what happened to her. Her family takes her to a secluded lake front cabin so she can work on her recovery and, Sam thinks, to keep her away from the public eye, as her family are quite well off and she doesn't think she wants them to know everything that is happening with her. Of course, her family knows best and this is a constant struggle for Sam as she must work to get better and finally put her foot down to do what is right for her. However, the entire community seems to have secrets and no one is safe. Sam once again finds herself in trouble and she must make a decision fight or suffer at the hands of another enemy.
Her family truly angered me. I really just wanted to give her dad a great big slap because I really hate how he treated his daughter. She's 35 and yet daddy dearest wanted to treat her like she was five. I guess that's a good sign, the book really got me really involved with Sam and her life even if I did dislike her family.
Great read!
Sam is the victim of a terrible crime, one that leaves her in the hospital in a coma for months and it left her with terrible anxiety and nightmares that are a constant reminder of what happened to her. Her family takes her to a secluded lake front cabin so she can work on her recovery and, Sam thinks, to keep her away from the public eye, as her family are quite well off and she doesn't think she wants them to know everything that is happening with her. Of course, her family knows best and this is a constant struggle for Sam as she must work to get better and finally put her foot down to do what is right for her. However, the entire community seems to have secrets and no one is safe. Sam once again finds herself in trouble and she must make a decision fight or suffer at the hands of another enemy.
Her family truly angered me. I really just wanted to give her dad a great big slap because I really hate how he treated his daughter. She's 35 and yet daddy dearest wanted to treat her like she was five. I guess that's a good sign, the book really got me really involved with Sam and her life even if I did dislike her family.
Great read!
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