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Wide Awake #2
Wide Open
Milo is trouble.
He lives it, breathes it. He embraces anything that numbs and takes his mind somewhere else, a world where his mother is herself and not just a shell, and his brother didn't almost kill her, severing any relationship they had. But more importantly, Milo drowns out the guilt for leaving his mother and not being able to forgive his brother. He drowns his pride and moves on to another girl and another party, pretending that life isn't moving on around him and he's stuck in the same place. He's stuck in the past and doesn't know how to let go.
Maya is trouble.
She's done the party scene and has had her fair share of close calls and handcuffs. Not the kinky kind. She's so over it all and fought like hell for that life to let go so she could move on. She now works as a teen counselor. Her life is better, but her life is empty. She has no one but her brother in the whole world left and he's sick with a disease that no medicine can cure.
When they meet, a romance that scares them both emerges, but the love you fight for is the love that can mend bridges, heal scars, and open closed hearts. They'll need each other, they'll want each other, they'll have each other.
But will it all come too late?
He lives it, breathes it. He embraces anything that numbs and takes his mind somewhere else, a world where his mother is herself and not just a shell, and his brother didn't almost kill her, severing any relationship they had. But more importantly, Milo drowns out the guilt for leaving his mother and not being able to forgive his brother. He drowns his pride and moves on to another girl and another party, pretending that life isn't moving on around him and he's stuck in the same place. He's stuck in the past and doesn't know how to let go.
Maya is trouble.
She's done the party scene and has had her fair share of close calls and handcuffs. Not the kinky kind. She's so over it all and fought like hell for that life to let go so she could move on. She now works as a teen counselor. Her life is better, but her life is empty. She has no one but her brother in the whole world left and he's sick with a disease that no medicine can cure.
When they meet, a romance that scares them both emerges, but the love you fight for is the love that can mend bridges, heal scars, and open closed hearts. They'll need each other, they'll want each other, they'll have each other.
But will it all come too late?
259 pages, Unknown Binding
First published December 20, 2013
20 people are currently reading
1887 people want to read
About the author
Shelly Crane
37 books5,821 followersShelly is a NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY bestselling author from a small town and loves everything about the south. She hoards paperbacks, devours sweet tea, searches year-round for candy corn, loves to site-see in the new areas they travel to with her husband's job, and adores reading but doesn’t have much time to these days with all the characters filling her head begging to come out.
Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn't go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.
Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn't go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
March 16, 2014
***I WAS GIVEN AN ARC BY THE AUTHOR TO REVIEW***
Shelly, Shelly, Shelly...I don't know what I'm supposed to do with you. My pillow is currently soaked in tears and it's 2am. Holding back my sobs from waking up my family is...really hard. It's such a bittersweet tale AHHH.
Okay I came into this book knowing Mason and Emma's story, and from that expecting Milo to act in a certain way, but he didn't really. I don't know he's become his own character, totally separate from Mason and yet totally connected at the same time. He's his own character with his own story and except for when Mason appears there's really no connection. Ugh I'm not explaining this well.
This story was so heart warming and inspirational. It's about a personal struggle and how to overcome that. This book has also taught me the difference between YA and NA - NA involves more adult themes, not more sex *blush*. This book talked about a drug addiction and alcoholics and didn't sugar coat anything. It's amazing and gave me a view into the perceptions of some people that I might never seen that way before.
If you're scared of issues...don't read this. It discusses cancer, alcohol abuse, drug smuggling circles, narcotics, death and more. If you're looking for the sweetest guy ever known to man...this is your book. If you're looking for two people who are buried deep in their past that is full of issues but find solace in yourself...this is your book.
I admire Maya so much - she's one of the strongest female characters I know. Not because she can kick butt and isn't afraid of her enemies, but for the exact opposite. She faces her enemy EVERY. DAY. and is scared of it. Yet she keeps going and she faces other peoples enemies as well as her own. And she feels so much. She hasn't shut herself down or anything and everyday she finds the will to get up and keep going even when life is at it's worth and it might be better to just stay up. I just can't even explain how brave and strong and amazing she is. Ugh.
As per normal, I'm not going to tell you the blurb. If you want it, look up. What I will tell you is to have your feels tissue box near you, your punching pillow on your lap and your boyfriend (pillow) next to you. Yeah, I went there. Just, be prepared for a gorgeous, heart-wrenching story that will forever change your life. I can't even...I can't even tell you. Just, read it. READ IT! GAH.
Shelly, Shelly, Shelly...I don't know what I'm supposed to do with you. My pillow is currently soaked in tears and it's 2am. Holding back my sobs from waking up my family is...really hard. It's such a bittersweet tale AHHH.
Okay I came into this book knowing Mason and Emma's story, and from that expecting Milo to act in a certain way, but he didn't really. I don't know he's become his own character, totally separate from Mason and yet totally connected at the same time. He's his own character with his own story and except for when Mason appears there's really no connection. Ugh I'm not explaining this well.
This story was so heart warming and inspirational. It's about a personal struggle and how to overcome that. This book has also taught me the difference between YA and NA - NA involves more adult themes, not more sex *blush*. This book talked about a drug addiction and alcoholics and didn't sugar coat anything. It's amazing and gave me a view into the perceptions of some people that I might never seen that way before.
If you're scared of issues...don't read this. It discusses cancer, alcohol abuse, drug smuggling circles, narcotics, death and more. If you're looking for the sweetest guy ever known to man...this is your book. If you're looking for two people who are buried deep in their past that is full of issues but find solace in yourself...this is your book.
I admire Maya so much - she's one of the strongest female characters I know. Not because she can kick butt and isn't afraid of her enemies, but for the exact opposite. She faces her enemy EVERY. DAY. and is scared of it. Yet she keeps going and she faces other peoples enemies as well as her own. And she feels so much. She hasn't shut herself down or anything and everyday she finds the will to get up and keep going even when life is at it's worth and it might be better to just stay up. I just can't even explain how brave and strong and amazing she is. Ugh.
As per normal, I'm not going to tell you the blurb. If you want it, look up. What I will tell you is to have your feels tissue box near you, your punching pillow on your lap and your boyfriend (pillow) next to you. Yeah, I went there. Just, be prepared for a gorgeous, heart-wrenching story that will forever change your life. I can't even...I can't even tell you. Just, read it. READ IT! GAH.
December 10, 2014
How does one even begin to describe Milo?
From the very first time the word 'sweetheart' fell from his lips as he chatted up Maya, I was hooked.
Seriously - I understand all about Maya's troubles, heartbreak and issues, etc., but if someone as fine as Milo was chasing me and asking me out...I wouldn't question it. Run with it, girl!
From the very first time the word 'sweetheart' fell from his lips as he chatted up Maya, I was hooked.
Seriously - I understand all about Maya's troubles, heartbreak and issues, etc., but if someone as fine as Milo was chasing me and asking me out...I wouldn't question it. Run with it, girl!
October 28, 2017
For those who have read the previous two books, you will remember Mason's brother Milo and how he left and distanced himself away from his family. Wide Open is Milo's tale. After his mother's accident, Milo blamed Mason and went off the deep end and started doing drugs and alcohol and sleeping around. Things were plodding along until Milo realized he was in the deep end and owed the wrong people money and if he couldn't pay it, they would kill him or come after his family. So he packed up and left town. On his journeys, while staying at a shelter, he met Joey and her father - the Preacher. They helped him get sober and stay clean. Now a couple of years later and Joey has gone to her new job, and Milo is left to his own devices with a good job as a mechanic and is attending AA meetings. It is at the AA Meetings where Milo meets Maya. Maya has demons of her own and is studying to be a Social Worker/ Counsellor as in her mind this is her repentance. Maya's life is still complicated though as her brother Will is dying. Can Milo persuade Maya to give him a go and in doing so, the pair will be great for one another and in more ways than one - help each other. As Milo is a good sounding board for Maya and Maya helps Milo reconnect with his family and overcome his past despite the consequences that could arise. Wide Open was a good finish to the Wide Awake series. The only thing that I would have changed in this series would have been to catch a glimpse of Emma Pre-Amnesia as in the whole series we only ever had Post-Amnesia Emma.
January 7, 2014
I’ve read many books that have characters facing their demons, fighting them and ultimately winning…leaving those demons behind. And that’s sort of what I was expecting here. What I got, however, was much more real. Milo and Maya realize that their demons are part of who they are and that they need to learn to live with them in order to survive.
This book didn’t sugar coat addiction and didn’t pretend that it can be conquered overnight. It made a point to say “once an addict, always an addict” and made the reader aware of the everyday struggles involved. These two characters were not looking to get over their pasts but to use what they know and how they feel to move forward with each other. It was refreshing.
Milo, it turns out, is a sweet guy. He values Maya above all else even as he battles with his past and the things he’s done. He doesn’t feel he deserves her but can’t seem to walk away. Maya is very strong. She’s dealt with tragedy in the past and is also dealing with it in her current life yet she moves forward not back…she takes care of others before herself.
This is a Shelly Crane book so you know you can expect to enjoy it if you love love (as I do). The story is not really about how love conquers all, it’s about how it accepts, embraces and forgives. It’s about moving forward by embracing, not forgetting the past because, ultimately, it will always be part of who you are.
This book didn’t sugar coat addiction and didn’t pretend that it can be conquered overnight. It made a point to say “once an addict, always an addict” and made the reader aware of the everyday struggles involved. These two characters were not looking to get over their pasts but to use what they know and how they feel to move forward with each other. It was refreshing.
Milo, it turns out, is a sweet guy. He values Maya above all else even as he battles with his past and the things he’s done. He doesn’t feel he deserves her but can’t seem to walk away. Maya is very strong. She’s dealt with tragedy in the past and is also dealing with it in her current life yet she moves forward not back…she takes care of others before herself.
This is a Shelly Crane book so you know you can expect to enjoy it if you love love (as I do). The story is not really about how love conquers all, it’s about how it accepts, embraces and forgives. It’s about moving forward by embracing, not forgetting the past because, ultimately, it will always be part of who you are.
February 11, 2014
What a lovely spin off from Wide Awake, which I absolutely loved. I am so inspired by Shelly Crane’s work, I can’t even begin to say how much. Watching her career grow is such a fun experience to witness.
Wide Open is a must read and my favorite of Shelly Crane's books so far. Particularly if you’ve ever known anyone who has gone through the struggles of any type of addiction or even memory loss. As these are the two subjects of this story, even though there is a wonderful love story at the core. Which I don't have any problem admitting I now have a book crush on Milo.
Both Milo and Maya have so many inner demons that they are coping with, but Milo's seemed to hit me more, maybe because I enjoy reading from the male’s POV so much. I am so glad that Shelly decided to give him his own.
I have a couple of friends who are addicts and this story actually helped me see them in a different light, made me so proud of their accomplishments. I know it is such a struggle and one I can’t even begin to comprehend. Thank you so much, Shelly Crane for allowing me to read this story. It is one that will stay with me for a long time.
Wide Open is a must read and my favorite of Shelly Crane's books so far. Particularly if you’ve ever known anyone who has gone through the struggles of any type of addiction or even memory loss. As these are the two subjects of this story, even though there is a wonderful love story at the core. Which I don't have any problem admitting I now have a book crush on Milo.
Both Milo and Maya have so many inner demons that they are coping with, but Milo's seemed to hit me more, maybe because I enjoy reading from the male’s POV so much. I am so glad that Shelly decided to give him his own.
I have a couple of friends who are addicts and this story actually helped me see them in a different light, made me so proud of their accomplishments. I know it is such a struggle and one I can’t even begin to comprehend. Thank you so much, Shelly Crane for allowing me to read this story. It is one that will stay with me for a long time.
November 6, 2019
Loved the fact that each chapter started with a phrase out of a fortune cookie. Instead of useless facts it seemed like you gained a bit of real wisdom.
Perhaps this story line wasn't as intriguing as the first book in this serie, it made me tear up a little so it still was an excellent read.
Perhaps this story line wasn't as intriguing as the first book in this serie, it made me tear up a little so it still was an excellent read.
January 17, 2014
I was constantly grabbing on to the moments that would make me feel something other than emptiness and guilt. And as soon as it left, I was back to wondering how I was going to make it through the day.
***
Milo has his ghosts he has to deal with daily. It is something he has dealt with the last 2 years with the help of his best friend, Joey. He goes to work, he works out, and he keeps his mind and hands busy so he doesn't fall back into his old, bad habits. Maya has her own ghosts as well. She helps out at the local community center with those who are facing their own addictions, all while taking care of her brother. Together they face an uncertain future while battling their pasts and their secrets. Their relationship may be too much for them both. Will they succeed? Will they fall apart? Will they fall in love? Only time will tell.
***
As much as I wanted her, as much as she set me on fire, more than anything else, I wanted her to open up her soul and let me into that part of her she didn't let anyone else see.
***
Crap. I don't know if I have read a story by Crane that was so deep and so emotional. This book was definitely one of those that is hard to put down due to the attachment it had on me from the start. This book will be one that so many will be able to relate to. It was one of those powerful reads that make you think about yourself...the way you are living your life. Am what I doing in this life enough? Will I look back and have regrets? Well, that is how I saw it.
***
He smiled, but didn't crack any jokes. He leaned in, taking me in his arms and pressing his lips to my ear. "Fall, sweetheart. I'll catch you."
***
I hurt so badly for Maya mostly and had a connection with her from the start. Not that I had a past even close to hers...it was just her that I connected to. She was easy to love and easy to care about. And really? How much loss can one person take? Milo also has a heart that just makes you feel for him. And boy was he swoon worthy once he got the help he needed and cleaned up. Most everything that came out of his mouth was enough to make any girl weak in the knees. But it was all real and not just to get the girl. Of course he wanted to get the girl, but he wasn't looking for something short term. He wanted Maya for always.
***
He leaned toward me and stopped with very little room between us. I waited. "How far do you want me to chase you, Maya?"
I breathed, "As far as it takes."
***
Absolutely and most definitely a must read. I think it was my favorite of Crane's ever. Even though Merrick (Collide Series) will always be my favorite Crane Guy, I just loved this story that affected me so much. It truly was a fabulous read that touched me. I recommend it to any and all out there that love an enchanting romance with characters that aren't perfect and have imperfect pasts. 5 Big Ol' Stars from me!
***
Milo has his ghosts he has to deal with daily. It is something he has dealt with the last 2 years with the help of his best friend, Joey. He goes to work, he works out, and he keeps his mind and hands busy so he doesn't fall back into his old, bad habits. Maya has her own ghosts as well. She helps out at the local community center with those who are facing their own addictions, all while taking care of her brother. Together they face an uncertain future while battling their pasts and their secrets. Their relationship may be too much for them both. Will they succeed? Will they fall apart? Will they fall in love? Only time will tell.
***
As much as I wanted her, as much as she set me on fire, more than anything else, I wanted her to open up her soul and let me into that part of her she didn't let anyone else see.
***
Crap. I don't know if I have read a story by Crane that was so deep and so emotional. This book was definitely one of those that is hard to put down due to the attachment it had on me from the start. This book will be one that so many will be able to relate to. It was one of those powerful reads that make you think about yourself...the way you are living your life. Am what I doing in this life enough? Will I look back and have regrets? Well, that is how I saw it.
***
He smiled, but didn't crack any jokes. He leaned in, taking me in his arms and pressing his lips to my ear. "Fall, sweetheart. I'll catch you."
***
I hurt so badly for Maya mostly and had a connection with her from the start. Not that I had a past even close to hers...it was just her that I connected to. She was easy to love and easy to care about. And really? How much loss can one person take? Milo also has a heart that just makes you feel for him. And boy was he swoon worthy once he got the help he needed and cleaned up. Most everything that came out of his mouth was enough to make any girl weak in the knees. But it was all real and not just to get the girl. Of course he wanted to get the girl, but he wasn't looking for something short term. He wanted Maya for always.
***
He leaned toward me and stopped with very little room between us. I waited. "How far do you want me to chase you, Maya?"
I breathed, "As far as it takes."
***
Absolutely and most definitely a must read. I think it was my favorite of Crane's ever. Even though Merrick (Collide Series) will always be my favorite Crane Guy, I just loved this story that affected me so much. It truly was a fabulous read that touched me. I recommend it to any and all out there that love an enchanting romance with characters that aren't perfect and have imperfect pasts. 5 Big Ol' Stars from me!
January 7, 2014
I had no idea that I could love any love story more than Emma and Mason's but boy was I wrong! In Wide Open we meet Milo, Mason's wayward brother, in a more in depth manner. And honey I was sucked in from word one!
I had always liked the brooding wayward teenager that gave Mason such grief about their mom. He was just a kid then and hurting so badly and throwing blame wherever he could for how badly life sucked.
In the beginning I ached for what he was going through in this book, he was dealing with things the only way he could figure and the way so many others do.
I like that this book deals with something that touches so many lives in so many ways. It's a very relatable subject, addiction. It's one that is so very hard to come back from and one so many fall victim to. And it truly does stay with you forever.
I love where we find Milo down the line, clean, picked up and dusted off, but I was constantly worried about what was going to happen with Roz. I was really scared for Milo then.
I like that we get to see him and where he is internally before we meet Maya.
Maya is awesome and she's so tired, bad break after bad break for this beautiful broken strong girl.
And when they meet, it was like a switch went off in Milo and in Maya as well. I was so taken in by the entire chase. It was so good. You could feel every emotion just like you could reach out and touch it or better yet it could reach in and touch you in the deepest part of your soul.
The depth that Milo feels would break any warm blooded female even if she was only protecting him as well from all her emotional baggage.
Every emotion in this book is raw and open, Wide Open as a matter of fact. It's that kind of inside out, unconditional, hurt so good kinda love and I was in love with it so much I read it through in one sitting. It's sexy but it isn't dirty or tawdry and I love that
Love the appearances made by Mason and Emma and everything that comes to pass with all of that.
This will FOREVER be one of my favorite books of all time!
I really recommend reading Wide Awake, Wide Spaces and Wide Open!
You will definitely not regret it.
You will swoon over those Wright Boys,!
Mason is amazing but Milo...
Good. Night. =)
I had always liked the brooding wayward teenager that gave Mason such grief about their mom. He was just a kid then and hurting so badly and throwing blame wherever he could for how badly life sucked.
In the beginning I ached for what he was going through in this book, he was dealing with things the only way he could figure and the way so many others do.
I like that this book deals with something that touches so many lives in so many ways. It's a very relatable subject, addiction. It's one that is so very hard to come back from and one so many fall victim to. And it truly does stay with you forever.
I love where we find Milo down the line, clean, picked up and dusted off, but I was constantly worried about what was going to happen with Roz. I was really scared for Milo then.
I like that we get to see him and where he is internally before we meet Maya.
Maya is awesome and she's so tired, bad break after bad break for this beautiful broken strong girl.
And when they meet, it was like a switch went off in Milo and in Maya as well. I was so taken in by the entire chase. It was so good. You could feel every emotion just like you could reach out and touch it or better yet it could reach in and touch you in the deepest part of your soul.
The depth that Milo feels would break any warm blooded female even if she was only protecting him as well from all her emotional baggage.
Every emotion in this book is raw and open, Wide Open as a matter of fact. It's that kind of inside out, unconditional, hurt so good kinda love and I was in love with it so much I read it through in one sitting. It's sexy but it isn't dirty or tawdry and I love that
Love the appearances made by Mason and Emma and everything that comes to pass with all of that.
This will FOREVER be one of my favorite books of all time!
I really recommend reading Wide Awake, Wide Spaces and Wide Open!
You will definitely not regret it.
You will swoon over those Wright Boys,!
Mason is amazing but Milo...
Good. Night. =)
January 7, 2014
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Wide Open is book two in a series that wasn’t going to be a series. When Wide Awake came out last year it was intended to be a stand alone story. But sometimes characters just won’t shut up and I can only imagine Milo pestering poor Shelly, much like Patrick Swayze in Ghost until she gave in and let his story be told.
Now you can read Wide Open #2 if you haven’t read either Wide Awake #1 or Wide Spaces #1.5. It does a wonderful job of standing up on it’s own story without any help from the others and you’ll have no problems following along. I personally don’t recommend it and suggest you read them in order, not only because they’re also awesome stories but there’s at least one hidden connection between them that’s better in order.
Look no further than Milo If you’re looking for a new book boyfriend. Another one of the ridiculously sweet Wright brothers. This is his story of redemption, revenge, reunion, and romance. Broken, lost, and trying to put himself and his life back together, Milo has some pretty serious enemies to worry about, but the worst one of all is himself. When the almost equally broken Maya enters the picture they soon find out that they each might just have the pieces the other was missing.
Done in an alternating point of view style, this is another Shelly Crane romance that will have you reaching for the tissue regardless if you cry with the happy or the sad parts because this story has plenty both.
“Because when you fall, all you really want is for somebody to catch you.”
Go grab this 5 star emotional roller-coaster today, if Maya can give Milo a chance, why don’t you?
Wide Open is book two in a series that wasn’t going to be a series. When Wide Awake came out last year it was intended to be a stand alone story. But sometimes characters just won’t shut up and I can only imagine Milo pestering poor Shelly, much like Patrick Swayze in Ghost until she gave in and let his story be told.
Now you can read Wide Open #2 if you haven’t read either Wide Awake #1 or Wide Spaces #1.5. It does a wonderful job of standing up on it’s own story without any help from the others and you’ll have no problems following along. I personally don’t recommend it and suggest you read them in order, not only because they’re also awesome stories but there’s at least one hidden connection between them that’s better in order.
Look no further than Milo If you’re looking for a new book boyfriend. Another one of the ridiculously sweet Wright brothers. This is his story of redemption, revenge, reunion, and romance. Broken, lost, and trying to put himself and his life back together, Milo has some pretty serious enemies to worry about, but the worst one of all is himself. When the almost equally broken Maya enters the picture they soon find out that they each might just have the pieces the other was missing.
Done in an alternating point of view style, this is another Shelly Crane romance that will have you reaching for the tissue regardless if you cry with the happy or the sad parts because this story has plenty both.
“Because when you fall, all you really want is for somebody to catch you.”
Go grab this 5 star emotional roller-coaster today, if Maya can give Milo a chance, why don’t you?
April 21, 2015
I loved Wide Awake, the first story in this series. I loved Mason and Emma, and I was eager to read more. This however is Milo's story, Mason's wayward younger brother.
Milo is angry. He's angry at the world, but more accurately, he's angry at Mason. He blames Mason for their mothers accident, and he blames Mason for spoiling his fun when he comes to drag him away from drug fuelled parties. When Milo finds himself in way over his head, he runs. He leaves town and starts a new life, where no one knows him.
He faces an uphill battle to beat his demons, but he is strong. And when he meets Maya, he has a new reason to stay clean.
Maya has a lot in common with Milo, she has been rock bottom too, and has dragged herself out of the gutter. She has had a lot of grief to deal with and now the one person she has left in her life is sick too. She is afraid to let anyone in for fear of being left alone again.
I have to say that as much as I loved Wide Awake, this story was even better if that's possible. I think that this was so much more emotional, well it was for me at least. I think I cried for most of the latter half of the book! Milo has such a low opinion of himself, but to see him wanting to put right the wrongs in his life and reconcile with his family was very emotional for me. I was so pleased that we got to see more of Mason and Emma, and it was the scenes with them too that brought tears to my eyes.
I loved Maya, I think her and Milo complemented each other, they needed each other and I loved how their relationship developed. I love Shelly Crane's books, her writing, her characters, the storylines, everything about them. This story is her best yet.
Milo is angry. He's angry at the world, but more accurately, he's angry at Mason. He blames Mason for their mothers accident, and he blames Mason for spoiling his fun when he comes to drag him away from drug fuelled parties. When Milo finds himself in way over his head, he runs. He leaves town and starts a new life, where no one knows him.
He faces an uphill battle to beat his demons, but he is strong. And when he meets Maya, he has a new reason to stay clean.
Maya has a lot in common with Milo, she has been rock bottom too, and has dragged herself out of the gutter. She has had a lot of grief to deal with and now the one person she has left in her life is sick too. She is afraid to let anyone in for fear of being left alone again.
I have to say that as much as I loved Wide Awake, this story was even better if that's possible. I think that this was so much more emotional, well it was for me at least. I think I cried for most of the latter half of the book! Milo has such a low opinion of himself, but to see him wanting to put right the wrongs in his life and reconcile with his family was very emotional for me. I was so pleased that we got to see more of Mason and Emma, and it was the scenes with them too that brought tears to my eyes.
I loved Maya, I think her and Milo complemented each other, they needed each other and I loved how their relationship developed. I love Shelly Crane's books, her writing, her characters, the storylines, everything about them. This story is her best yet.
January 7, 2014
What an AMAZING book...I fell in love with WIDE AWAKE and after being introduced to Milo briefly in it, I was really wondering on how much I would enjoy a story about him...
Well, I shouldn't have even questioned the awesome Shelly Crane. Her fabulous writing brought me in to Milo's story and captivated me with a tale of strength and emotion that seared my heart.
The turmoil that Milo deals with every day is a struggle many individuals face and seeing plus hearing his story was really gut-wrenching yet inspiring.
But, this story isn't all about Milo....We are so fortunate to meet the strong, beautiful Maya and hear her battle with all that has happened/happening in her life.
These two characters are brilliantly written. Allowing you to connect on so many levels with them and their tale you instantly gravitate to them and root for the HEA...
From start to finish I loved every moment. I was captured on this emotional roller coaster crazy of a ride and as I read the very last page I closed this book with a huge smile on my face...
I highly recommend that you read this book and discover the awesomeness that I found in it...
Well, I shouldn't have even questioned the awesome Shelly Crane. Her fabulous writing brought me in to Milo's story and captivated me with a tale of strength and emotion that seared my heart.
The turmoil that Milo deals with every day is a struggle many individuals face and seeing plus hearing his story was really gut-wrenching yet inspiring.
But, this story isn't all about Milo....We are so fortunate to meet the strong, beautiful Maya and hear her battle with all that has happened/happening in her life.
These two characters are brilliantly written. Allowing you to connect on so many levels with them and their tale you instantly gravitate to them and root for the HEA...
From start to finish I loved every moment. I was captured on this emotional roller coaster crazy of a ride and as I read the very last page I closed this book with a huge smile on my face...
I highly recommend that you read this book and discover the awesomeness that I found in it...
January 15, 2014
I was given an ARC of this book, but no review was requested.
I totally loved Milo's story. It will be forever etched into my heart. I laughed, cried and fell in love with every single character. This book was very personal for me. It was very real and personally difficult to read at times because of the spiritual place in which I currently abide in this wonderful space called life. Never take it for granted, life is a gift denied to many. I loved the raw emotions and dark sides of these characters and the surreal way addiction was dealt with. my favorite character was Will who is near and dear to my heart. You will fall in love with Milo and Maya and be cheering for their progress. This is my new favorite book by this author because of the way it has touched my soul. I absolutely adore this book.
January 9, 2014
This is one of my favorite series and this book is no exception.Shelly Crane writes such beautiful books.It was amazing to see how Milo and Maya connected and fought to conquer their addiction.These Wright Boys are swoon worthy :D Milo is everything a true and wonderful boyfriend should be.
January 7, 2014
Wide Open (Wide Awake #2) by Shelly Crane
4 stars!!
“The love you fight for is the love that can mend bridges, heal scars, and open closed hearts.”
Wide Open is the second book in the Wide Awake series. We were introduced to Milo in Wide Awake as he was Mason’s brother and Wide Open is his very interesting and troubled story. Milo blames Mason for everything he has lost, especially his mom’s health. His mom was involved in a traffic accident and whilst she survived her memories didn’t. Milo really struggled to come to terms with everything and turned to drink, drugs and lots of sex to try and bury his problems. He really was the troubled kid, he didn’t go to school, dropped out eventually, got involved with the wrong crowd and ended up taking what he was supposed to be dealing, thus making the wrong kind of enemies. Mason had hauled his ass out of so much trouble already and getting no thanks from Milo in return. Milo “hated” Mason and tried to rebel against everything Mason was trying to do for him even though Mason and Emma both only had his best interests at heart. Eventually his past mistakes catch up with him and Milo realises that he cannot stay anywhere near home for fear of recriminations against him and his family. He therefore packs up his life and heads off, will he manage to turn himself around?
On the road Milo goes through withdrawal and by the time he reaches a safe place he is not in a good way, a pastor and his daughter take him in and Milo starts to begin the long road to recovery and to changing the person that he has become.
During this voyage of change, two years after starting his new life, Milo meets Maya, she too has had her fair share of problems, herself being a recovering addict. When they meet she has been clean for 4 years and is a counsellor helping others like herself on phone lines and at the group meetings. She has lot going on in her life and while she feels that she has no time for men at the moment it soon becomes apparent that there is more to the attraction that she has for Milo and the feeling is mutual. Milo has never had a girlfriend, in fact has only ever kissed one girl who was his first love in school so this is all new to him as well. Together, will they both have the strength and courage to take a leap of faith and let themselves experience something neither of them have experienced before. Full of self loathing and doubt can they fight their way through and see that they are deserving and actually are made for each other?
“I thought I was a lost cause, an empty shell, a vacant body, waiting for the next person to be taken from me. When he showed up, he made me want to be pried open like a fortune cookie.”
This book tackles some heavy subjects, addiction in various guises, cancer, death, grief and mental illness. Although the romance side is Shelly’s usual sweet and tame, beautiful love story, the back story and surrounding characters are dark and gritty and are honestly written, no sugar coating involved. There are no sex scenes, just a lot of making out, which was smoking and you could feel their chemistry, as a couple they were truly made for each other.
“I’ll always be here, baby, with arms wide open.”
We do see Mason and Emma in this book, eventually Milo realises that his “hate” towards Mason is unfounded and he needs to make amends for his own peace of mind and recovery and it is great when they are finally reunited. Will Milo’s past come back to haunt him though?
“ Because when you fall, all you really want is for somebody to catch you.”
I love Shelly’s work and you can really see the growth of her writing book by book. I can’t wait to see where this series is going next. A great read as usual.
www.theromancecover.com
4 stars!!
“The love you fight for is the love that can mend bridges, heal scars, and open closed hearts.”
Wide Open is the second book in the Wide Awake series. We were introduced to Milo in Wide Awake as he was Mason’s brother and Wide Open is his very interesting and troubled story. Milo blames Mason for everything he has lost, especially his mom’s health. His mom was involved in a traffic accident and whilst she survived her memories didn’t. Milo really struggled to come to terms with everything and turned to drink, drugs and lots of sex to try and bury his problems. He really was the troubled kid, he didn’t go to school, dropped out eventually, got involved with the wrong crowd and ended up taking what he was supposed to be dealing, thus making the wrong kind of enemies. Mason had hauled his ass out of so much trouble already and getting no thanks from Milo in return. Milo “hated” Mason and tried to rebel against everything Mason was trying to do for him even though Mason and Emma both only had his best interests at heart. Eventually his past mistakes catch up with him and Milo realises that he cannot stay anywhere near home for fear of recriminations against him and his family. He therefore packs up his life and heads off, will he manage to turn himself around?
On the road Milo goes through withdrawal and by the time he reaches a safe place he is not in a good way, a pastor and his daughter take him in and Milo starts to begin the long road to recovery and to changing the person that he has become.
During this voyage of change, two years after starting his new life, Milo meets Maya, she too has had her fair share of problems, herself being a recovering addict. When they meet she has been clean for 4 years and is a counsellor helping others like herself on phone lines and at the group meetings. She has lot going on in her life and while she feels that she has no time for men at the moment it soon becomes apparent that there is more to the attraction that she has for Milo and the feeling is mutual. Milo has never had a girlfriend, in fact has only ever kissed one girl who was his first love in school so this is all new to him as well. Together, will they both have the strength and courage to take a leap of faith and let themselves experience something neither of them have experienced before. Full of self loathing and doubt can they fight their way through and see that they are deserving and actually are made for each other?
“I thought I was a lost cause, an empty shell, a vacant body, waiting for the next person to be taken from me. When he showed up, he made me want to be pried open like a fortune cookie.”
This book tackles some heavy subjects, addiction in various guises, cancer, death, grief and mental illness. Although the romance side is Shelly’s usual sweet and tame, beautiful love story, the back story and surrounding characters are dark and gritty and are honestly written, no sugar coating involved. There are no sex scenes, just a lot of making out, which was smoking and you could feel their chemistry, as a couple they were truly made for each other.
“I’ll always be here, baby, with arms wide open.”
We do see Mason and Emma in this book, eventually Milo realises that his “hate” towards Mason is unfounded and he needs to make amends for his own peace of mind and recovery and it is great when they are finally reunited. Will Milo’s past come back to haunt him though?
“ Because when you fall, all you really want is for somebody to catch you.”
I love Shelly’s work and you can really see the growth of her writing book by book. I can’t wait to see where this series is going next. A great read as usual.
www.theromancecover.com
July 23, 2016
Wide Open, being the second book in the Wide Awake series, was something I couldn't wait to get my hands on! I loved Wide Awake with Mason & Emma. Their story was beautiful and heartbreaking... We meet Milo in Wide Awake. He's the troubled brother who blames his mom's health issues on Mason. He takes it out on Mason. He turns to drugs and sex. He's the problem child as far as we can tell in Wide Awake and has to be saved by Mason several times. Then he runs off.... We read how Mason's worried about him constantly but can't find him or get in touch with him. We expect the worst honestly.... Then he shows up at the wedding but doesn't speak to anyone. We realize he's still alive but we don't know in which type of shape or additional trouble he may be in... But we're so focused on Mason and Emma so we really don't think about it much.
I was so surprised by the tone of this novel. I just expected the novel to be us going through the worst with Milo. But it's totally different! He's already gone through the worst part with the help of Joey. Wide Open takes on his journey of understanding that he's not such a bad guy and he does deserve something good, like the love Mason & Emma share, in his life. I loved it. I loved knowing that he had gone through the worst days of getting clean already BUT he's constantly aware of his addition. Once addicted, always addicted. Just thinking back on Wide Awake and then thinking about Milo in Wide Open - wow. Amazing personal growth. I wanted to hug him every time he felt like he didn't deserve something good to happen in his life, that he wasn't good enough for people (Maya in particular). Milo has to learn he's not this horrible person that doesn't deserve to be loved by family or someone like Maya.
Maya is an amazing character! I loved her. She's so brave. She's gone through horrible heartbreak throughout her life and now she's trying to stay strong and take care of her brother. She's so brave because she struggles with her own addiction but still faces other people's addictions with them. She's so strong and helps to be that strong shoulder for others fighting their own addictions to lean on for help/support. She's amazing. Loved her!
The plot was great! I was never bored and never wanted to put it down. Part of it was because I loved the characters so much. Part of it because it flowed so well and was never boring. Milo & Maya were great together and I loved flipping the pages to see what would happen next. There was a certain plot point that left me struggling to breathe because I was grief stricken... You know it's coming but it takes you by surprise when it actually does happen. I won't ruin this one for ya. You have to read it! I also love how Mason & Emma end up playing such a large role in the novel! I loved seeing them again and watching their lives change, yet again, forever.
Umm...so Yea, if you haven't noticed, I loved this novel. It was even more than I had originally expected it to be - that sounds negative but that's not what I mean. I mean that I thought the novel would go in one direction but it went in a totally different one! It was a great surprise and a heartwarming tale to boot!
Overall, 5 stars!
I was so surprised by the tone of this novel. I just expected the novel to be us going through the worst with Milo. But it's totally different! He's already gone through the worst part with the help of Joey. Wide Open takes on his journey of understanding that he's not such a bad guy and he does deserve something good, like the love Mason & Emma share, in his life. I loved it. I loved knowing that he had gone through the worst days of getting clean already BUT he's constantly aware of his addition. Once addicted, always addicted. Just thinking back on Wide Awake and then thinking about Milo in Wide Open - wow. Amazing personal growth. I wanted to hug him every time he felt like he didn't deserve something good to happen in his life, that he wasn't good enough for people (Maya in particular). Milo has to learn he's not this horrible person that doesn't deserve to be loved by family or someone like Maya.
Maya is an amazing character! I loved her. She's so brave. She's gone through horrible heartbreak throughout her life and now she's trying to stay strong and take care of her brother. She's so brave because she struggles with her own addiction but still faces other people's addictions with them. She's so strong and helps to be that strong shoulder for others fighting their own addictions to lean on for help/support. She's amazing. Loved her!
The plot was great! I was never bored and never wanted to put it down. Part of it was because I loved the characters so much. Part of it because it flowed so well and was never boring. Milo & Maya were great together and I loved flipping the pages to see what would happen next. There was a certain plot point that left me struggling to breathe because I was grief stricken... You know it's coming but it takes you by surprise when it actually does happen. I won't ruin this one for ya. You have to read it! I also love how Mason & Emma end up playing such a large role in the novel! I loved seeing them again and watching their lives change, yet again, forever.
Umm...so Yea, if you haven't noticed, I loved this novel. It was even more than I had originally expected it to be - that sounds negative but that's not what I mean. I mean that I thought the novel would go in one direction but it went in a totally different one! It was a great surprise and a heartwarming tale to boot!
Overall, 5 stars!
January 7, 2014
BLog Tour Review.Originally posted on my blog : http://magic-world-of-books.blogspot....
I wasn't sure if i wanted to read about Mason's brother,Milo.That was because of the little things i read about him in Wide Awake,but..my opinion is different right now after i read his story.Beautiful and perfect.
I loved the story,not because it was about two broken people,but because it was about two people who fell in love and found a reason to make their life better.A reason to live ,even if they still remembered their past and all the bad things they did.
Let's talk about Milo-not much ,just a little.He was an addict who tought that he didn't belong with his family or that he was a disaster,but the truth was that after he managed to stop using drugs he turned out to be a better human-someone who deserved to be loved and cherised by someone else.He managed to make me hate him and love him at the same time(i hated him because he wasn't thinking that he was someone who deserved to be treated right and i loved him because he was soooo charming.Swooon!Yikes.),but what really made me appreciate and regret that i ever thought about not reading his story was the fact that he proved that he was prefectly capable of loving someone so much.And ,yeah,swoon!He changed and that's what really matters after all.
And Maya.She was a sweet ,broken girl who lost too much in her life.Like Milo she managed to quit drugs,but that wasn't the end.I hated the fact that she was hurting so much.She was too sweet,kind and amazing,but well,that how the story is.
I loved how she acted when her relationship with Milo started.A little unsure and always trying to do what was right,but that's how life was for her and that's how she knew she had to live her life.Yes,it wasn't perfect,but i guess it wasn't easy after what she has been hrough.She never stoped hoping that maybe someday something good will happen to her ,even after all the bad things that happened in her life.
I was happy to read again about Emma and Mason-but i almost jumped up and down after Milo and Mason started talking again.It was perfect,it was exactly what i expected to happen.So,yeah,thank you!
So many ups and downs.So many bad moments.So many good moments.I don't even know about which one i should write or what i should keep to myself.
Yes,not everything was pretty and happy.So many horrible moments in which i almost stoped reading,but i guess i couldn't stop.Nope,i had to read everything.And i did it.And i am happy.
If i think about everything i can say that i wish some things never happened in this book,but then i remember that things wouldn't be the same and i think that it was better this way.The book was about how much you can lose in life and how hard you can fall without knowing,and ,of course ,about how a person can change your life completely.That if you let him/her in.
In the end what really matters is the fact that Maya and Milo were perfect together.Happy ending?Heck Yes!
And: You Have To Read This Book Asap!
I wasn't sure if i wanted to read about Mason's brother,Milo.That was because of the little things i read about him in Wide Awake,but..my opinion is different right now after i read his story.Beautiful and perfect.
I loved the story,not because it was about two broken people,but because it was about two people who fell in love and found a reason to make their life better.A reason to live ,even if they still remembered their past and all the bad things they did.
Let's talk about Milo-not much ,just a little.He was an addict who tought that he didn't belong with his family or that he was a disaster,but the truth was that after he managed to stop using drugs he turned out to be a better human-someone who deserved to be loved and cherised by someone else.He managed to make me hate him and love him at the same time(i hated him because he wasn't thinking that he was someone who deserved to be treated right and i loved him because he was soooo charming.Swooon!Yikes.),but what really made me appreciate and regret that i ever thought about not reading his story was the fact that he proved that he was prefectly capable of loving someone so much.And ,yeah,swoon!He changed and that's what really matters after all.
And Maya.She was a sweet ,broken girl who lost too much in her life.Like Milo she managed to quit drugs,but that wasn't the end.I hated the fact that she was hurting so much.She was too sweet,kind and amazing,but well,that how the story is.
I loved how she acted when her relationship with Milo started.A little unsure and always trying to do what was right,but that's how life was for her and that's how she knew she had to live her life.Yes,it wasn't perfect,but i guess it wasn't easy after what she has been hrough.She never stoped hoping that maybe someday something good will happen to her ,even after all the bad things that happened in her life.
I was happy to read again about Emma and Mason-but i almost jumped up and down after Milo and Mason started talking again.It was perfect,it was exactly what i expected to happen.So,yeah,thank you!
So many ups and downs.So many bad moments.So many good moments.I don't even know about which one i should write or what i should keep to myself.
Yes,not everything was pretty and happy.So many horrible moments in which i almost stoped reading,but i guess i couldn't stop.Nope,i had to read everything.And i did it.And i am happy.
If i think about everything i can say that i wish some things never happened in this book,but then i remember that things wouldn't be the same and i think that it was better this way.The book was about how much you can lose in life and how hard you can fall without knowing,and ,of course ,about how a person can change your life completely.That if you let him/her in.
In the end what really matters is the fact that Maya and Milo were perfect together.Happy ending?Heck Yes!
And: You Have To Read This Book Asap!
November 30, 2014
This book is about Mason's brother Milo and a girl named Maya. Milo is a drug addict who's been clean for two years. Maya is also an addict who's been clean for four years, and works as a counselor for kids who have problems with drugs. The book is about them falling a love and learning trust each other, running into a whole lot of heartbreak along the way.
When we first meet Milo in Wide Awake he was rude, and we only saw him for a second in Wide Spaces to see Mason's and Emma's wedding. He was also rude to Mason and Emma in the first chapter too. But skip two years into the future and Milo is a completely differently person who I never expected to love so much. He meets some people who helped him get clean. Milo is actually a really sweet person, and you can't help but love him.
Maya is also very awesome. Maya's back story is very sad. Her mother died and that got her into doing drugs in the first place, and then her father helped stop and then he died, and to top it off: her brother is dying of cancer. Yeah, it's hard not to cry when reading Maya's POV. I'm also proud of Maya for not giving in and taking the drink even though she wanted to. She didn't want to throw four years of being sober down the drain, and she didn't want Milo and her brother to be disappointed in her.
I love Milo and Maya as a couple! It's sweet yet heartbreaking at the same time. I love that Milo always calls Maya sweetheart, and I love their thing with fortune cookies. If you read Wide Awake and Wide Spaces you'd know that Mason and Emma's thing is the books full of useless facts, Milo and Maya have fortune cookies and it's so cute. My favorite fortunes in the book are "I cannot help you, for I am just a cookie." and "The best feeling in life: to love and be loved.", and Maya's fortune was beautiful and is one of my favorite quotes of the book.
I don't think I've ever cried at a Shelly Crane book. Ever. I was crying mostly at Maya's parts then I did at Milo's parts. I cried at the part when they're going to see the new baby and Maya said that she always be there for him with her arms wide open to welcome him home, and Mason and Milo's reunion, and Will dying, and the ending.
I don't do drugs and I never will, but I knew some stuff about drugs and addicts before reading this book, but reading a story told by people who went through it really snapped things into perspective. Like when I read The Fault in Our Stars, I knew about cancer but I didn't really know about cancer until I've read about someone who is going through it. That's how i feel with Wide Open because I know about drug abuse and such but I didn't know until I read this book, because all Milo and Maya want is to be forgiven for the things they did in the past and they feel like they can't be forgiven. And Mason tells Milo that all he ever wanted was for him to come back home (excuse me while I cry).
All in all, this is a fantastic read. I highly recommend it, but I suggest you have tissues ready.
When we first meet Milo in Wide Awake he was rude, and we only saw him for a second in Wide Spaces to see Mason's and Emma's wedding. He was also rude to Mason and Emma in the first chapter too. But skip two years into the future and Milo is a completely differently person who I never expected to love so much. He meets some people who helped him get clean. Milo is actually a really sweet person, and you can't help but love him.
Maya is also very awesome. Maya's back story is very sad. Her mother died and that got her into doing drugs in the first place, and then her father helped stop and then he died, and to top it off: her brother is dying of cancer. Yeah, it's hard not to cry when reading Maya's POV. I'm also proud of Maya for not giving in and taking the drink even though she wanted to. She didn't want to throw four years of being sober down the drain, and she didn't want Milo and her brother to be disappointed in her.
I love Milo and Maya as a couple! It's sweet yet heartbreaking at the same time. I love that Milo always calls Maya sweetheart, and I love their thing with fortune cookies. If you read Wide Awake and Wide Spaces you'd know that Mason and Emma's thing is the books full of useless facts, Milo and Maya have fortune cookies and it's so cute. My favorite fortunes in the book are "I cannot help you, for I am just a cookie." and "The best feeling in life: to love and be loved.", and Maya's fortune was beautiful and is one of my favorite quotes of the book.
I don't think I've ever cried at a Shelly Crane book. Ever. I was crying mostly at Maya's parts then I did at Milo's parts. I cried at the part when they're going to see the new baby and Maya said that she always be there for him with her arms wide open to welcome him home, and Mason and Milo's reunion, and Will dying, and the ending.
I don't do drugs and I never will, but I knew some stuff about drugs and addicts before reading this book, but reading a story told by people who went through it really snapped things into perspective. Like when I read The Fault in Our Stars, I knew about cancer but I didn't really know about cancer until I've read about someone who is going through it. That's how i feel with Wide Open because I know about drug abuse and such but I didn't know until I read this book, because all Milo and Maya want is to be forgiven for the things they did in the past and they feel like they can't be forgiven. And Mason tells Milo that all he ever wanted was for him to come back home (excuse me while I cry).
All in all, this is a fantastic read. I highly recommend it, but I suggest you have tissues ready.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2014
I became a huge fan of Shelly Crane after devouring her Significance Series. It will probably forever be one of my favorite series and Shelly's love of romance and happily-ever-after is definitely something I can appreciate and I
can't get enough of her writing. One thing I love Mrs. Crane for is her sugary-sweet romance and the fact that she can get me all dreamy-eyed and sighing before I know what's hit me. Well she definitely mixed things up a bit with Wide Open. And that's ok, because it was fantastic all the same. This book is a lot more...gritty. A lot more "real," and a lot more mature-- in both subject matter and content. It deals with a lot of series issues-- drug abuse, addiction, illness, and death. These characters and their struggles will claw at your heart the entire time and might bring on an ugly tear or two. I won't say whether I bawled like a baby or not during certain parts... ;)
We first meet Milo in Wide Open (which I LOVED, by the way... so if you haven't read that one, get on it and fast!), as Mason's brother. Mason's & Milo's family life is a bit chaotic and full of drama, and Milo has quite a few problems of his own. These problems carried over into Wide Open, and we get to delve much deeper into Milo's mind and see him as he tries to turn his life around. I'm always nervous when starting a series book that focuses on a different character than the first, only because I become so invested in that first character, that I'm convinced I won't be able to connect with the new guy (or girl) nearly as much. More often than not, this isn't the case, but I always go in a little...leery at first. And while I still adore Mason, Milo definitely won me over and I'm so glad to have been able to read his story.
Now on to Maya. This girl stole my heart and I love her to pieces. This poor girl has been through so much and my heart went out to her. I mean, she cannot catch a break. But what a strong and brave character she was. She just proves that being strong doesn't mean you have your stuff together all the time, but that you just keep pushing along and try your best. I think Milo and Maya were perfect for each other and it was easy to root for them throughout this book.
This was a great book about struggle, perseverance, family, and second chances. It was a lovely story and very nice to see this author try something a bit different. The characters in Wide Open will definitely win you over and, although it's definitely a tear jerker and difficult to read at times, it's worth every minute.
can't get enough of her writing. One thing I love Mrs. Crane for is her sugary-sweet romance and the fact that she can get me all dreamy-eyed and sighing before I know what's hit me. Well she definitely mixed things up a bit with Wide Open. And that's ok, because it was fantastic all the same. This book is a lot more...gritty. A lot more "real," and a lot more mature-- in both subject matter and content. It deals with a lot of series issues-- drug abuse, addiction, illness, and death. These characters and their struggles will claw at your heart the entire time and might bring on an ugly tear or two. I won't say whether I bawled like a baby or not during certain parts... ;)
We first meet Milo in Wide Open (which I LOVED, by the way... so if you haven't read that one, get on it and fast!), as Mason's brother. Mason's & Milo's family life is a bit chaotic and full of drama, and Milo has quite a few problems of his own. These problems carried over into Wide Open, and we get to delve much deeper into Milo's mind and see him as he tries to turn his life around. I'm always nervous when starting a series book that focuses on a different character than the first, only because I become so invested in that first character, that I'm convinced I won't be able to connect with the new guy (or girl) nearly as much. More often than not, this isn't the case, but I always go in a little...leery at first. And while I still adore Mason, Milo definitely won me over and I'm so glad to have been able to read his story.
Now on to Maya. This girl stole my heart and I love her to pieces. This poor girl has been through so much and my heart went out to her. I mean, she cannot catch a break. But what a strong and brave character she was. She just proves that being strong doesn't mean you have your stuff together all the time, but that you just keep pushing along and try your best. I think Milo and Maya were perfect for each other and it was easy to root for them throughout this book.
This was a great book about struggle, perseverance, family, and second chances. It was a lovely story and very nice to see this author try something a bit different. The characters in Wide Open will definitely win you over and, although it's definitely a tear jerker and difficult to read at times, it's worth every minute.
January 9, 2014
Good sequel.
Frankly speaking, I was skeptic about this book because aside from having the lamest name (a chocolate energy drink, really Miss Crane? I love you, but you can do better than that! Haha!), I thought that Milo is a selfish jerk and it was hard to imagine him having his happily ever after with him being like that. In my defense, he really was a jerk.
Anyway, I gave it a shot and I did enjoy his book. I just read Wide Spaces and I believe that the timeline is pretty well written. It picks up while and after that book. Mason's insecurity regarding Milo is still fresh to me, so you can just imagine my hatred towards Milo for being so self absorbed. I guess I should really forgive his character for that because he was young and stupid. I was so glad when it came to the part wherein he's saying that he got help from a pastor and a shelter. I believe that he really wanted to change. Then came the heroine.
What can I say about Maya? Aside from being far from being perfect, she's also very, very AND I MEAN VERY UNLUCKY. It bears repeating because seriously, life hadn't been kind to the girl. She experienced blow after blow of unluckiness. You might think that these are just plain, simple unluckiness, but no. All of her family members seem to die out in front of her. Her mom, her dad, dead... And now her brother is also dying. A girl can only take so much. Honestly, I don't believe that there's a girl as strong as her in real life. She lost so much, and yet she's still willing to give hope and help to others. I guess her only problem here is that she's afraid to open up because of her reservations regarding loved ones leaving her. I admire her character. Actually, she's kinda like Emma. The Emma before coma was also kind of a bitch ass princess right? This time, Maya is a reformed addict. Both girls have strong pasts that they overcame.
Anyway, bad things happen here after another, it's actually full of angst, push and pulls... As in they push away each other many times, but they never manage to stay away. Lol.
Even though this book may make you feel exhausted because of the angst and push-pulls, you'd also enjoy their relationships. The characters have such vivid roles that you can't see them as anything but what the author wants them to be. The plot is also good... Well, nothing beats WIDE AWAKE for me, but this one comes out as a good number 2.
Once again, I'm glad I gave it a shot. Good read. :)
Frankly speaking, I was skeptic about this book because aside from having the lamest name (a chocolate energy drink, really Miss Crane? I love you, but you can do better than that! Haha!), I thought that Milo is a selfish jerk and it was hard to imagine him having his happily ever after with him being like that. In my defense, he really was a jerk.
Anyway, I gave it a shot and I did enjoy his book. I just read Wide Spaces and I believe that the timeline is pretty well written. It picks up while and after that book. Mason's insecurity regarding Milo is still fresh to me, so you can just imagine my hatred towards Milo for being so self absorbed. I guess I should really forgive his character for that because he was young and stupid. I was so glad when it came to the part wherein he's saying that he got help from a pastor and a shelter. I believe that he really wanted to change. Then came the heroine.
What can I say about Maya? Aside from being far from being perfect, she's also very, very AND I MEAN VERY UNLUCKY. It bears repeating because seriously, life hadn't been kind to the girl. She experienced blow after blow of unluckiness. You might think that these are just plain, simple unluckiness, but no. All of her family members seem to die out in front of her. Her mom, her dad, dead... And now her brother is also dying. A girl can only take so much. Honestly, I don't believe that there's a girl as strong as her in real life. She lost so much, and yet she's still willing to give hope and help to others. I guess her only problem here is that she's afraid to open up because of her reservations regarding loved ones leaving her. I admire her character. Actually, she's kinda like Emma. The Emma before coma was also kind of a bitch ass princess right? This time, Maya is a reformed addict. Both girls have strong pasts that they overcame.
Anyway, bad things happen here after another, it's actually full of angst, push and pulls... As in they push away each other many times, but they never manage to stay away. Lol.
Even though this book may make you feel exhausted because of the angst and push-pulls, you'd also enjoy their relationships. The characters have such vivid roles that you can't see them as anything but what the author wants them to be. The plot is also good... Well, nothing beats WIDE AWAKE for me, but this one comes out as a good number 2.
Once again, I'm glad I gave it a shot. Good read. :)
January 6, 2014
4.5 stars
If you have read the other books in Shelly Crane's Wide Awake series, you will want to read Wide Open. The story centers around Milo, Mason's very troubled brother. Where Wide Awake only scratched the surface on Milo, this books cracks to wide open (pun intended).
Milo has many problems. They started with his mom's accident. She has memory loss because of a car accident, that he blames on Mason. In reality the car accident was not anyone's fault. Instead of dealing with it, Milo turns to drugs. He has left Mason to deal with his mom all alone. Milo uses dugs to kill the pain of seeing his mom the way she is and to stop himself from feeling guilty he is not helping taking care of her. Milo's life quickly spins out of control. He gets in deep with drugs dealers, whom he owes a lot of money. Since Milo can not pay, he hides from them. When the drug dealers catch up with him, they no longer want payment. They are intent on hurting Milo. Milo knows too much about their operation and they are afraid he is going to turn on them.
Milo sees an out to the whole situation and escapes. He relocated to somewhere where know no one knows him. He gets a new identity and hits from everyone. He sees this as a new lease on life. Milo gets clean, goes back to get his GED and gets a decent job. When Milo's only support in town leaves he decides maybe he needs to try to go to meetings to make sure he stays clean. There he meets a counselor named Maya. The two are immediately attracted to each other, but because of the program, Maya keeps her distance.
Maya is one of the strongest characters in any of the books I have read. She is staying sober after losing her mom and dad. Now she is on the verge of losing her brother as well. Everyone she has ever loved, she has lost. But yet, she manages to keep herself sober and helps others do the same. She is not making lots of money at her job, but she does it to help others. She feels like she is giving back.
This book deals will pull on all of your heart strings. Death, sobriety, family, loss, gaining love and getting back with family that you have wronged. Since this books takes place a few years after Wide Awake, you see what happens down the road for Mason and Emma. I loved where they were in their life. This wraps up the series wonderfully.
If you have read the other books in Shelly Crane's Wide Awake series, you will want to read Wide Open. The story centers around Milo, Mason's very troubled brother. Where Wide Awake only scratched the surface on Milo, this books cracks to wide open (pun intended).
Milo has many problems. They started with his mom's accident. She has memory loss because of a car accident, that he blames on Mason. In reality the car accident was not anyone's fault. Instead of dealing with it, Milo turns to drugs. He has left Mason to deal with his mom all alone. Milo uses dugs to kill the pain of seeing his mom the way she is and to stop himself from feeling guilty he is not helping taking care of her. Milo's life quickly spins out of control. He gets in deep with drugs dealers, whom he owes a lot of money. Since Milo can not pay, he hides from them. When the drug dealers catch up with him, they no longer want payment. They are intent on hurting Milo. Milo knows too much about their operation and they are afraid he is going to turn on them.
Milo sees an out to the whole situation and escapes. He relocated to somewhere where know no one knows him. He gets a new identity and hits from everyone. He sees this as a new lease on life. Milo gets clean, goes back to get his GED and gets a decent job. When Milo's only support in town leaves he decides maybe he needs to try to go to meetings to make sure he stays clean. There he meets a counselor named Maya. The two are immediately attracted to each other, but because of the program, Maya keeps her distance.
Maya is one of the strongest characters in any of the books I have read. She is staying sober after losing her mom and dad. Now she is on the verge of losing her brother as well. Everyone she has ever loved, she has lost. But yet, she manages to keep herself sober and helps others do the same. She is not making lots of money at her job, but she does it to help others. She feels like she is giving back.
This book deals will pull on all of your heart strings. Death, sobriety, family, loss, gaining love and getting back with family that you have wronged. Since this books takes place a few years after Wide Awake, you see what happens down the road for Mason and Emma. I loved where they were in their life. This wraps up the series wonderfully.
January 12, 2014
I first loved Shelly Crane's Significance series, and she didn’t disappoint with Wide Awake! Wide Open is a companion novel to Wide Awake, so you don’t have to have read the first one to understand what’s happening, but I would definitely recommend that you read it so you have more of a background on who Milo is and who Mason and Emma are.
In Wide Awake, Milo wasn’t a particularly prevalent character – he was more implied than present in the novel but he was still important. I was curious how Shelly was going to bring him out and give him his own book. Milo is a recovering drug addict who has grown up a lot by the time we meet him in Wide Open. He meets Maya, a girl who has her own dark past and present demons, but together they work to create a better future. Milo and Maya are two of those characters that you want to live happily ever after above all else, because after what they’ve both endured, they deserve it more than most.
A few of my favorite things about this book:
1. The fortune cookies at the beginning of each chapter. They look like pictures, and I could imagine Shelly carefully picking them out and placing them where they fit perfectly!
2. Maya and Milo’s perspectives. It’s not an easy thing to pull of two narrators. A lot of the books I’ve read recently have the male and the female leads sounding EXACTLY the same so it’s hard to distinguish between them unless they are clearly marked. With Maya and Milo, they each have their own voice, and you feel like they are real people, not just characters.
3. Characterization of Emma and Mason. Like I said, you don’t have to read their book to read this one, but I personally loved it because we got to see more of where they go PLUS how Milo’s future turns out. It’s twice as nice!
Overall, this was honestly one of my favorite books by Shelly Crane. The heartache, the tears, and the love in this book are all so tangible that you feel like you’re along for the ride, and I hope there is more to come with this series!
See full review and giveaway here: http://lilyparadis.com/2014/01/08/blo...
Note: An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.
In Wide Awake, Milo wasn’t a particularly prevalent character – he was more implied than present in the novel but he was still important. I was curious how Shelly was going to bring him out and give him his own book. Milo is a recovering drug addict who has grown up a lot by the time we meet him in Wide Open. He meets Maya, a girl who has her own dark past and present demons, but together they work to create a better future. Milo and Maya are two of those characters that you want to live happily ever after above all else, because after what they’ve both endured, they deserve it more than most.
A few of my favorite things about this book:
1. The fortune cookies at the beginning of each chapter. They look like pictures, and I could imagine Shelly carefully picking them out and placing them where they fit perfectly!
2. Maya and Milo’s perspectives. It’s not an easy thing to pull of two narrators. A lot of the books I’ve read recently have the male and the female leads sounding EXACTLY the same so it’s hard to distinguish between them unless they are clearly marked. With Maya and Milo, they each have their own voice, and you feel like they are real people, not just characters.
3. Characterization of Emma and Mason. Like I said, you don’t have to read their book to read this one, but I personally loved it because we got to see more of where they go PLUS how Milo’s future turns out. It’s twice as nice!
Overall, this was honestly one of my favorite books by Shelly Crane. The heartache, the tears, and the love in this book are all so tangible that you feel like you’re along for the ride, and I hope there is more to come with this series!
See full review and giveaway here: http://lilyparadis.com/2014/01/08/blo...
Note: An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.
February 11, 2016
*** I reviewed this book on behalf of I Heart Books in return for my honest opinion <3 ( I LOVED IT ) ***
Agh, I don’t know how one author can get it so spot on every single time. But Shelly does! I've said before and I will say it again. EVERYTHING she writes is pure gold dust and Wide Open is no exception to this rule. I pounced the second I got this ARC and stayed up so unbelievably late finishing it.
I won’t spoil the story too much for you because it would be a crime for you not to discover this yourself. But in a nutshell we watch both of our beloved characters struggle with their demons everyday and in the process, by some kind of miracle find each other.
We previously met Mason and Emma In book one of this amazing series and I don’t know about anyone else, but I was dying for this release! In the second book we get to meet Milo, Masons Brother. He was pretty evasive in Wide Awake, so I really looked forward to getting to know a bit more about his character. Let me just say I didn’t think I could fall in love with him as much as I did with Mason but boy was I wrong. He is the sweetest male lead ever and I fell head over heels in love with him myself.
The desire of Milo’s affections is Maya. She basically puts all other female leads to shame with her utter strength. She is amazing and together they are perfect. I loved the character progression in this book more than anything. I could feel their bond and couldn’t stop reading. That’s all down to the sheer awesomeness that is this book.
This is another Shelly Crane classic. Prepare to bawl your eyes and be swooning at the same time. To be honest I don’t even know why you are reading this now, you should be on Amazon, pre-ordering this bad boy and stocking up on chocolates and tissues. You’re going to need them!
5 Golden, glittery sparkling stars (I’d give more if I could)
Agh, I don’t know how one author can get it so spot on every single time. But Shelly does! I've said before and I will say it again. EVERYTHING she writes is pure gold dust and Wide Open is no exception to this rule. I pounced the second I got this ARC and stayed up so unbelievably late finishing it.
I won’t spoil the story too much for you because it would be a crime for you not to discover this yourself. But in a nutshell we watch both of our beloved characters struggle with their demons everyday and in the process, by some kind of miracle find each other.
We previously met Mason and Emma In book one of this amazing series and I don’t know about anyone else, but I was dying for this release! In the second book we get to meet Milo, Masons Brother. He was pretty evasive in Wide Awake, so I really looked forward to getting to know a bit more about his character. Let me just say I didn’t think I could fall in love with him as much as I did with Mason but boy was I wrong. He is the sweetest male lead ever and I fell head over heels in love with him myself.
The desire of Milo’s affections is Maya. She basically puts all other female leads to shame with her utter strength. She is amazing and together they are perfect. I loved the character progression in this book more than anything. I could feel their bond and couldn’t stop reading. That’s all down to the sheer awesomeness that is this book.
This is another Shelly Crane classic. Prepare to bawl your eyes and be swooning at the same time. To be honest I don’t even know why you are reading this now, you should be on Amazon, pre-ordering this bad boy and stocking up on chocolates and tissues. You’re going to need them!
5 Golden, glittery sparkling stars (I’d give more if I could)
January 7, 2014
Okay so let me start by saying that I miss reading books by Shelly Crane! She knows how to write like no one business and she never ever ceases to amaze me by her writing. I love to get lost in her worlds that no matter what I am doing when her books come out I stop what I am doing to read it. In Wide Open I have to say that I laughed, cried, and then smiled as I read the ending.
In Wide open we get to meet Milo and Maya. What an introduction we got of these two. I mean want to talk about broken and battered and living life day to day and never really feeling alive. Can you imagine your brother trying to kill your mother and living with the guilt everyday. You are lost and your not sure what to do so you in the pain and the guilt and hope that tomorrow will bring something different. Can you imagine living the party life and never caring about anything but your next party? You shut everything out and live off of the adrenaline that comes with partying and the numbness it brings.
Well this is Milo and Maya's story and when they meet and start to get close the old demons come out and they will have to navigate through the crap and the brokenness of their lives. For Milo Maya is a breath of fresh air he has needed since everything in his life went to shits and for Maya Milo is the guy that can be her rock her strength because underneath everything Milo is her rock!
Shelly thank you for giving us another great story that guts me and puts me back together. Addiction is one thing that is hard to kick but with love and support anyone can do it. I love Milo but you know my heart belongs to Kyle Jacobson! Love ya girl and I can't wait for your next book.
In Wide open we get to meet Milo and Maya. What an introduction we got of these two. I mean want to talk about broken and battered and living life day to day and never really feeling alive. Can you imagine your brother trying to kill your mother and living with the guilt everyday. You are lost and your not sure what to do so you in the pain and the guilt and hope that tomorrow will bring something different. Can you imagine living the party life and never caring about anything but your next party? You shut everything out and live off of the adrenaline that comes with partying and the numbness it brings.
Well this is Milo and Maya's story and when they meet and start to get close the old demons come out and they will have to navigate through the crap and the brokenness of their lives. For Milo Maya is a breath of fresh air he has needed since everything in his life went to shits and for Maya Milo is the guy that can be her rock her strength because underneath everything Milo is her rock!
Shelly thank you for giving us another great story that guts me and puts me back together. Addiction is one thing that is hard to kick but with love and support anyone can do it. I love Milo but you know my heart belongs to Kyle Jacobson! Love ya girl and I can't wait for your next book.
January 7, 2014
I’ve read many books that have characters facing their demons, fighting them and ultimately winning…leaving those demons behind. And that’s sort of what I was expecting here. What I got, however, was much more real. Milo and Maya realize that their demons are part of who they are and that they need to learn to live with them in order to survive.
This book didn’t sugar coat addiction and didn’t pretend that it can be conquered overnight. It made a point to say “once an addict, always an addict” and made the reader aware of the everyday struggles involved. These two characters were not looking to get over their pasts but to use what they know and how they feel to move forward with each other. It was refreshing.
Milo, it turns out, is a sweet guy. He values Maya above all else even as he battles with his past and the things he’s done. He doesn’t feel he deserves her but can’t seem to walk away. Maya is very strong. She’s dealt with tragedy in the past and is also dealing with it in her current life yet she moves forward not back…she takes care of others before herself.
This is a Shelly Crane book so you know you can expect to enjoy it if you love love (as I do). The story is not really about how love conquers all, it’s about how it accepts, embraces and forgives. It’s about moving forward by embracing, not forgetting the past because, ultimately, it will always be part of who you are.
This book didn’t sugar coat addiction and didn’t pretend that it can be conquered overnight. It made a point to say “once an addict, always an addict” and made the reader aware of the everyday struggles involved. These two characters were not looking to get over their pasts but to use what they know and how they feel to move forward with each other. It was refreshing.
Milo, it turns out, is a sweet guy. He values Maya above all else even as he battles with his past and the things he’s done. He doesn’t feel he deserves her but can’t seem to walk away. Maya is very strong. She’s dealt with tragedy in the past and is also dealing with it in her current life yet she moves forward not back…she takes care of others before herself.
This is a Shelly Crane book so you know you can expect to enjoy it if you love love (as I do). The story is not really about how love conquers all, it’s about how it accepts, embraces and forgives. It’s about moving forward by embracing, not forgetting the past because, ultimately, it will always be part of who you are.
January 13, 2014
1 star
I did a fast read with this one. The plot is quite okay, and the reason why I read it was because it's a new release. It was okay at first, but I got a little bored so I picked another novel, and then another and then go back to this one, so I was reading 3 novels, and one of them is AWAKEN (Spiral Series), which up till now, is still unfinished. I love that series to bits but, there's just something about it that makes me not want to finish it yet. So back to the novel, It was well written, but like I said, the plot is quite okay so...I don't know, I just want to read a novel that leaves me on edge or makes me super giddy with excitement, and it's not this one. I kind of wanted to start this year reading a not so dramatic novels, although I already did read a few, but I just want to read something really fun so,, yeah, I knew this novel ain't like that but I just wanted to try it and all.
I did a fast read with this one. The plot is quite okay, and the reason why I read it was because it's a new release. It was okay at first, but I got a little bored so I picked another novel, and then another and then go back to this one, so I was reading 3 novels, and one of them is AWAKEN (Spiral Series), which up till now, is still unfinished. I love that series to bits but, there's just something about it that makes me not want to finish it yet. So back to the novel, It was well written, but like I said, the plot is quite okay so...I don't know, I just want to read a novel that leaves me on edge or makes me super giddy with excitement, and it's not this one. I kind of wanted to start this year reading a not so dramatic novels, although I already did read a few, but I just want to read something really fun so,, yeah, I knew this novel ain't like that but I just wanted to try it and all.
May 1, 2014
It was a sweet story. I was so happy of seeing Emma and Mason again! They're so cute! And Will was amazing.
One thing I noticed from this book is that they TALKED a lot. Things that should have been thought, were spoken, and I felt them unnecessary and overwhelming. Milo, especially did that. He was TOO good to be true.
And I didn¡t like Maya. She was a little too much of a damsel in distress, always expecting Milo to rescue her. We're in a time when we're surrounded by strong, intense heroines, and Maya felt flat.
And really looking forward to reading more of Shelly Crane's books! I'm dying for Undeniably Chosen!
One thing I noticed from this book is that they TALKED a lot. Things that should have been thought, were spoken, and I felt them unnecessary and overwhelming. Milo, especially did that. He was TOO good to be true.
And I didn¡t like Maya. She was a little too much of a damsel in distress, always expecting Milo to rescue her. We're in a time when we're surrounded by strong, intense heroines, and Maya felt flat.
And really looking forward to reading more of Shelly Crane's books! I'm dying for Undeniably Chosen!
January 14, 2014
Wow. Wow. Wow. Did I say wow?!? Shelly hit it out of the park with this book. I have never felt so close to characters in a book before. I cried with them and for them. I cheered them on and celebrated their victories. This book touches on a subject I am all to familiar with. Drug addiction is a real and scary disease. Shelly was dead on in her description of what it's like to be an addict and the struggles that follow them daily. This book was as much therapy as it was a great read. I give it 10 stars!
January 8, 2014
So freaking good, ahh just tore at my heart! I loved seeing Milo & Maya's relationship evolve & all the struggles they have to go through. I was skeptical about Milo, but since he is related to Mason i figured he couldn't be all bad. Loved getting to see Emma & Mason. Milo & Maya are such a great couple!
January 8, 2014
WOW!!!!! I have thoroughly enjoyed this series. Even though I really should've been sleeping as I have my 3 fellers to get up and ready for school, I absolutely could Not put this book down! I loved the characters. They all came to life right before my eyes. This story pulled at my heart strings and had me crying one minute and giggling the next.
March 14, 2016
This was a good book! It's a tear jerker, so you'll need the box of tissues to read this one. I enjoyed reading Milo and Maya's stories. The way they met, and grew and healed together is heartwarming. I liked how Shelly wrote the book with the pov's of both Milo and Maya. I liked the little fortune cookie comments sprinkled throughout he book.
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