Mind of Her Own

by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

Who knew making dinner could change your life? Louisa Copeland certainly didn’t. But when the George Foreman grill fell out of the pantry onto her head, resulting in a bump and a mighty case of amnesia, Louisa’s life takes a turn for the unexpected. Who was this Collin fellow, claiming she was his wife? And whose kids are those? Her name couldn’t be Louisa. Why, she was the renowned romance writer Jazz Sweet, not a Midwestern mom of three. Struggling to put the pieces together of the life she’s told she had, Louisa/Jazz may realize that some memories are better left alone.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Christian

349 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 14, 2012

About the author

Diana Lesire Brandmeyer is a CBA and ECPA best-selling author of Christian historical and contemporary romance. Her Montana Territory frontier stories and modern-day faith journeys feature women who face their fears and discover God's perfect plan. With nineteen published novels across three series, Diana's books blend adventure, faith, and unforgettable love stories.

Reviews

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished a great book called Mind of Her Own by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer. Louisa Copeland is a wife to Collin and mother to three kids (brave woman). Madison is twelve years old and a typical teenage girl, Joey is five, and Tim is four. Louisa is getting ready to make dinner and goes to get the indoor grill out of the pantry. Their dog, Cleo comes running through the house and runs into Louisa just as she starts pulling on the grill (you just know this is not going to be good).

The next thing Louisa knows is she is waking up in a hospital with a stranger. The man states he is her husband, Collin, but she does not know him. And he keeps calling her Louisa! Her name is Jazz Sweet and she is an inspirational romance writer who lives in Florida (somewhere). She cannot remember the name of her agent or where she lived in Florida. The doctor tells Collin to take her home and she will maybe get back her memories. Jazz does not want to go home with Collin who is a stranger to her especially when she hears there are kids in the house. But it seems she has little choice in the matter. The doctor believes that there is something that happened in Louisa’s childhood that is the trigger (what could have happened to Louisa that she wants to forget).

The Copeland family is in for some difficult weeks. The children are not sure of this new mom. She is very different. Jazz is more vibrant (hates Louisa’s boring clothes) and carefree, but she is not used to taking care of children. Jazz is used to spending her days writing and tends to forget what is going on around her when she is working (which can lead to missing children and dogs). Jazz does not do laundry, cook, or like cleaning (she hires a cleaning service). Collin had been spending a lot of time at work trying to make partner. Now he is having to spend more time at home and he finds out that he likes it (as well as his new wife). He also discovers his wife’s journals that give him insight into Louisa (as well as himself). With faith, love, and patience this family will come back together again better than before. All thanks to an indoor grill!

Mind of Her Own was an insightful and engaging novel. I read this novel straight through (I did not want to put it down). There is a very delicate subject in the novel that the author handles beautifully. I give Mind of Her Own 5 out of 5 stars. This is a Christian or inspirational novel, but it is in no way preachy or in your face (very subtle).

I received a complimentary copy of Mind of Her Own from the author in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.

http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogs...

[Lillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A contemporary romance, Mind of Her Own is quite different from the typical romance novel. Louisa has retrograde amnesia, but she wakes up with lots of memories. The problem is that her memories aren't real. She is convinced she's the famous romance writer Jazz Sweet, and she doesn't know anything about being a wife and mother of three.

There is suspense: Is Jazz really Louisa? If so, will she ever give up her dream memories and remember her real life? Collin, her husband, is a great romantic hero. He discovers Louisa's journals and realizes that he never really knew his wife. The amnesia gives him a chance to really know the woman he loves, and eventually it gives Louisa the opportunity to resolve a childhood trauma that she had never revealed to anyone.

Even when Louisa is convinced that she is the glamorous and exciting Jazz, she retains her Christian faith and even leads Collin and the children back to church. One little niggling question that I wondered: If Jazz had no memories of her previous life, how did she wake up Sunday morning and know the service times of a church she didn't attend?

There were a few problems such as extra spaces in words and odd breaks that I am convinced were errors from the conversion. I received a PDF file for review and converted it to Kindle, which often results in problems of that type.

I highly recommend Mind of Her Own to readers who enjoy romance and realize that the romance doesn't end at the wedding. Christian readers will appreciate the Christian message, but others will not feel they are force-fed Christianity—faith is an integral part of the characters and the story. If you've ever wished you could trade your life for another, this novel may inspire you to reveal who you really are, as Louisa discovered that she could blend Jazz and Louisa to be the complete person God created her to be.

[Michelle Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a copy of this book this morning, a few hours later I had not put it down. I loved the story line. Jazz Sweet was the person Louisa Copeland longed to be, full of life and hope. Hurts from her past kept her from being the person God created her to be. In the blink of an eye Louisa's life and the life of her family were forever changed. These changes brought new life, new love and new beginnings to the ordinary, dull everyday life the family lead. Jazz brought fun and spontaneous into their world. This book is an awesome read.

[Diana]

This book was so much fun to write. Having Louisa lose her memory and become someone else gave me a chance to think about what I would do.

Can you imagine if this was you?
Would you wear the same kind of clothes?
Drive the car you have now?
Would you decorate the same if you had a do-over?

[Lily]

Sale alert! $2.99 paperback on Christianbook right now!!! I've heard lots of good stuff about this one!

https://www.christianbook.com/a-mind-...

[Anna Marie Leffew · Rating 5 out of 5]

**A Mind of Her Own by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer**

This book is truly remarkable! It tells the compelling story of Louisa, a woman grappling with memory loss and the shadows of her past. As she navigates the intense struggle of becoming Jazz, we delve into her journey of self-discovery. Louisa battles her inner demons while embodying the carefree spirit of someone new, providing a thrilling escape from her troubled history. The dynamic between Louisa and Jazz showcases the complexity of her fight for control over her life.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

[TAMMY CUEVAS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louisa and Collin's marriage has hit a rocky patch and neither seems to know what to do. Feeling overwhelmed by everything in life and knowing Collin will be late as usual, she decides on a quick dinner of grilled chicken. Louisa's last memory is of the George Foreman indoor grill falling and hitting her head.



Waking in the hospital, Jazz Sweet has no memory of this handsome man, and can't imagine why he insists they are married and her name is Louisa. Collins takes Jazz/Louisa home to recover, and together they try to build a new life together and recover Louisa's memory. After the doctor tells Collin that the retrograde amnesia could be caused by a childhood trauma, the question that haunts Collin is: What happened to Louisa in childhood that she can't face?



This is a fast-paced story that I read in one sitting. It has an original plot with comic highlights at the beginning of the story. The characters of Louisa/Jazz and Collin feel real and caused me to care about them. It was fun watching Jazz take risks and enjoy life in ways that Louisa would not, and both Louisa and Collin were both hurt that their marriage was in trouble. It mattered to me that they work things out. However, here are a couple of minor plot issues that bothered me. SMALL SPOILER ALERT: Collin, who obviously knew Louisa and Jazz were one and the same, felt guilty for being attracted to her. Excuse me? She was his wife. The second problem was the abrupt ending. Once Louisa/Jazz had the big "aha" moment and remembered her childhood trauma, one which the average reader will have figured out halfway through the book, the story was wrapped up in a couple of pages. I won't commit a huge spoiler, but it was the type of thing one doesn't recover and move on from in a matter of weeks.

Overall, this is an engaging Christian-themed novel which will appeal to teenagers and adults.

4 stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Tyndale Blogger Network book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Marie Pinkham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, funny , touching, heart warming!
Mind of her Own, a new book by author Diana Lesire Brandmeyer, is definitely not to be missed. I was recently asked to read and review it for Diana.
Agreeing to read and review books is sometimes a little scary. I often think, what if I don’t like it or it’s just not my cup of tea? Then how will I review it? That was definitely not a problem with this book! It hit my favorites list faster than you can say Five Star Review!
From the very first page, I just knew I was going to love Mind of Her Own. Immediately, I recognized a kindred spirit in Louisa, our main character. Her everyday life of household chores, kids, and marital bumps is something that many of us can identify with. As she contemplates the greener grass on the other side of the fence, a household mishap causes her to lose her memory.
Next thing Louisa knows, she is waking up in the hospital believing she is “Jazz”, a single writer living it up “somewhere” in Florida. But a strange man is by her side insisting that he is her husband, “And you live with us in Hazel, Illinois.” She then utters one of my favorite lines, “Us? How many people make an us?”
A husband? Children? No, no, no!
We follow Louisa/Jazz as she and her family try to find their way back to their “normal” life. Along the way she finds out that maybe the grass isn’t always greener, and maybe this strange man and his children, and her real life, aren’t so bad after all.
Diana tackles a sensitive subject at the end of the story, a vital part of helping Louisa find her way back, and I thought she handled it beautifully.
My only disappointment with Louisa/Jazz’s story is simply that I wanted to keep reading, wanted to keep getting to know our character, and her family. But, “all good things must come to an end”, they say.
If you like fun, touching stories that show that sometimes life, in all its ordinariness, is not so ordinary after all, then you will absolutely love Mind of Her Own.
Don’t dally. Go get it today!

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

What would you do if you had an accident only to wake up believing yourself to be someone else, yet being told your not who you think you are. That's basically the premises of this book. Louisa Copeland, wife to Collin and mother of three wakes up in the Emergency room believing she's Jazz Sweet, an Inspirational romance writer from Florida. Secrets in her past hold the key to unlocking her memories and bringing Louisa back to her family for good.

I was very disappointed with this book. First, repressed memories from childhood sexual trauma just don't belong in a book that seems to try to be a lighthearted inspirational novel. The trauma was extremely glossed over and while it is hinted to in a few particular situations, it isn't discovered til the very last chapter of the book and then everything is fine. I just felt that such a dark topic really wasn't used properly in this story and it left a bad taste in my mouth. As much of the book is Collin, the husband, discovering just how unhappy his wife was in their marriage, I honestly think that her unhappiness would have been a better trigger for her temporary amnesia rather than sexual abuse from a relative.

Even as an Inspirational book, there's not much to redeem this book. God is mentioned a few times but even then, it feel as if it was thrown in as a required element for the publisher and doesn't really contribute anything at all to the story. Situations occur that really have no flow and leave the reader a bit confused as to what is going on at times.

This isn't a book I would recommend to others. I just found it to be a disappointment all around. Shame too, as it had a lot of potential and a very interesting idea. Just poor execution by the author.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The opinions expressed are mine and I was not compensated in any other way*

[Lindsey Silvestrini · Rating 4 out of 5]

What woman hasn’t felt at one time or another that she has a split personality? I know I feel that way almost weekly between hormone changes, lack of sleep and life in general! In Mind of Her Own, Louisa literally experiences a split personality due to a memory loss. I found this such an intriguing plot and one I didn’t see coming at all! While it seems scary to completely forget who you are, it’s also a chance at a new beginning!

Louisa loses her memory from a head injury and wakes up thinking she’s Jazz Sweet. She doesn’t recognize her husband or even her children. She goes home from the hospital with them anyway, not knowing at all what to expect. What she discovers is that Louisa wasn’t a very happy woman and Jazz slowly becomes comfortable in her new skin and adapts to her life. The only difference is she lives as her alter-ego Jazz instead of Louisa. Jazz is more fun, spontaneous and full of life than Louisa was.

As you can imagine this causes mixed feelings in her husband and kids. They feel guilty preferring Jazz to Louisa but the bottom line is, she’s more fun! What will happen when Jazz regains her memory as Louisa? Or will she ever regain it?

I loved this book! It was so unique and fresh and complex at the same time. It makes you think about your own life and happiness and what’s important. Imagine not remembering who you are which means you have none of the hangups or baggage of your former life and can truly appreciate and live life as it should be. It seems so freeing and empowering!

Brandmeyer style is easy and attention grabbing making this book completely entertaining. Mind of Her Own almost made me want to get a bonk on the head and a fresh start!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Mind of Her Own" by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer is a great contemporary fiction novel with a twist. It is humorous, sometimes very serious, and often fun. Louisa, married, with three children is quite competent in all she does. Until she gets knocked out and develops amnesia.
When she wakes up she is a new woman. Totally new. She doesn't remember her husband, her children or her life. Her name is Jazz and she most certainly does not have children! As she begins exploring the life of Louisa she discovers that while Louisa was quite good at everything she did, she was not a very happy lady. Jazz refuses to sleep with Louisa's husband, and she is not very good at cooking or cleaning, and she certainly fails at caring for Louisa's kids.
Collin, Louisa's husband, is astonished at this new creature taking over his wife's life. He is drawn to her personality and vivaciousness. He desires to please her and suddenly sees what a lonely man he has become. All his time has been spent working rather than with his family. Perhaps Jazz joining the family is the best thing that has happened to them in a long time. If you want to read a fun story come on this journey with Jazz and Collin!
While this story is lighthearted and easy to read there is an underlying secret that creates heartache and helps the reader to understand how Louisa became the woman she was. The theme of forgiveness runs throughout the book, as does the importance of family and marriage.
I received this book from "The Book Club Network" in exchange for my honest review.

[Mary Shipman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diana Lesire Brandmeyer has taken an old plot and given it a new personality. Published by Tyndale, Brandmeyer’s new book, “Mind of her Own”, almost makes amnesia sound like it could be fun.

Louisa Copeland is a ‘perfect’ wife for lawyer Collin, despite three young children, their home is spotless, the car pool is run, dinner is ready when/if he arrives home. Something is missing, maybe her life is too perfect and too bland, she certainly feels lost. What is the secret she is hiding?

When an accident sends her to the hospital, unconcious, it is not Louisa who wakes up, but the vivacious Jazz Sweet, best selling romance author. Nothing like Louisa, nothing at all!

Jazz enters the Copeland home as a guest, convinced that at least she can do research for a new book, but as days pass and she looks for herself, she must accept the fact that “Jazz Sweet’ doesn’t really exist and Louisa Copeland is hiding somewhere inside.

Collin finds a stash of Louisa’s journals hidden in a closet and as he begins to read, hoping to help Louisa regain her memory, discovers some hurtful truths about his marriage and family life and who Jazz Sweet really is.

Now both of them are on a quest to bring Louisa back, but keep some of Jazz in the picture.

All this leads up to an ending that brings the memories back, leading to surprising results for Collin, Louisa/Jazz and their entire family.

I give this book 5 stars

[Sharon Srock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcoming the alter ego.

What if you had an alter ego that was everything you felt you could never be? I’m not talking about a split personality, or an evil twin. Still you, but different. Messy where you’re neat, colorful where you’re drab, happy where you’re sad, inept where you’re skilled, skilled where you’re inept, playful where you’re stoic. What if you woke up to find the alter ego had taken over your life?

A Mind of Her Own is a delightful story about finding yourself. Louisa is the perfect wife. The house is neat, her clothes are stylish but drab, she’s skilled in cooking and child care, she faces adversity with patience and endurance, and she’s unhappy with her life.

A bump to the head sends her to the hospital, and when her eyes pop open, Louisa is gone and Jazz has taken her place. Colorful, playful, messy, happy, without-a-housewifely- clue Jazz.

Diana has painted us a wonderful picture of learning to treasure what you have, exploring what you always wanted to be, and leaning on your faith to get it all done. It’s also a story about forgiveness and faithfulness.

I give A Mind of Her Own five stars.

[Johnnie Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Louisa Copeland finds security, though not happiness, in her immaculate but bland home. After a head injury knocks her out, she awakes as the colorful, mischievous, and imaginative romance author Jazz Sweet. But there's more to this story than Louisa/Jazz's retrograde amnesia. What is it that "Jazz" doesn't want Louisa to remember? As Jazz and her husband learn together to navigate her memory loss, they also learn important lessons about their marriage -- and each other.

Though we had family visiting, I found myself sneaking away throughout the day to read a chapter or two. When I got close to the ending, I saved the story for a time when I could disappear into Jazz's world for the conclusion. And I was not disappointed.

Talented author Diana Brandmeyer took a delightfully fun premise (haven't we all wished we were someone else at some point in our lives?) and created an enjoyable story with depth and a twist.

So grab your Kindle, download this entertaining novel, and escape with Jazz into a world of color, style, and falling in love all over again

[Daphne Self · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can't remember your former life, but you can remember your alter ego. You can't remember your husband or your children, but you can remember your dreams. This is what Louisa Copeland's life becomes as she is suddenly transformed into Jazz Sweet.

What I really like about this books is that it shows a dual plot. Not only does Louisa/Jazz try to remember, but she is also trying to forget. There are things in the past that many of us wish to forget and Louisa/Jazz gains that blessing. Blessing? Yeah, because this injury that caused her amnesia is also the healing ointment for her life. Playing it safe and being perfect isn't what will cut it in her new life.

Diana Brandmeyer did a great job at telling this story and the healing that comes between Louisa and Collin. I only wish some points were more detailed emotionally to really gain the fear that lurked around Jazz trying to remember who she was as Louisa and the fear of disappearing if Louisa came back.

It's an enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone.

**I received this book by Tyndale through The Book Club Network.**

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I L-O-V-E-D this book! It was funny, sweet, charming and uniquely different.

NOTE: I requested and received a copy of this title via NetGalley.com for an honest review.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it overall. I liked the Christian over tone. It seemed a little awkward at first but it improved as you get clues about why she actually has amnesia. A suburban mom, tired and frustrated with her life has a n accident in the kitchen and forgets who she is which can be a problem when your husband’s a busy lawyer and you have three kids. Eventually through her learning about her past trauma she learns to meld the old her and the new her into a better wife, mother, and friend. She learns from her childhood abuse just in time to keep her daughter from suffering her same fate. She gains a better marriage to a man she adored but had lost so much of herself. She brings back the pieces of her that were fun, care free, happy, and relaxed. She learns to care less about what others are judging her life to be and starts living.

[Maita Domaoal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very light. I felt like I just watched a TV movie when there's nothing else on or happening. It's a quick read but the main adult characters were not as well written as the children were, and that says something. The kids were better fleshed out. I wish the author had done better with the adults, because they were facing real problems.

I would have preferred the setting to be not so generic, too. Like it's a Hallmark movie.

Anyway, it was refreshing to read something wholesome and not overly dramatic. But it was way too bland for my taste. Would I read this author again? Her premise was interesting so maybe there's still something coming up that will be even better.

[Sage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just below 3 stars for me. It started off so well. I was laughing out loud and really enjoying it but then it didn’t end up going anywhere that I liked. Jazz was so mean to Collin, it irritated me enormously. The sexual abuse was just really odd in this story and served no real purpose. It ended so quickly which was really frustrating, I didn’t feel like we saw a proper conclusion where Jazz/Louisa grew. By the end of it there were too many things that annoyed, frustrated me or just left a bad taste in my mouth to be able to say I enjoyed it. It was a great premise though and I had high hopes in the beginning.

[Sarah Tummey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading this with a friend on a Saturday, around 4 chapters per week. Last week, I expected to be disappointed in the ending because there was a lot that needed to happen and only 3 chapters in which to deal with it but, apart from the fact I would have liked her to flesh out Beth's character a bit more, she actually accomplished it well. This was written in a light-hearted way and very easy to read.

[Tanya Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story full of sass, wit, and a litany of mishaps, Mind of Her Own is a novel to make you thankful for each moment of your life, no matter what that moment may bring. It is a light at the end of the tunnel contemporary read showcasing how sometimes the obstacles that we face are there to guide our way.

[Kelsey Gietl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different type of amnesia romance than I’ve read before. Usually the person knows who they are but have lost pieces of memory, while Mind of Her sown created an entirely new persona for the main character. I enjoyed seeing the story from both Louisa/Jazz and Collin’s points of view and watching the pieces of their marriage be explored and slowly come back together.

[Teresa Woodis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book! A light read for those times (waiting in doctor’s office, etc.) I will definitely be looking for her other book “A Bride’s Dilemma in Friendship, Tennessee”. Especially since I’m from Tennessee.

[Snickerfritz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book

The plot is intriguing and the characters well developed. I read it in one sitting as it is hard to put down.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two in one

This has a very unusual story line. It was very creatively written and thought one. I highly recommend it. Very well done!

[Gwen Hight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind of Her Own

A very good story about a woman that suffered a head injury and had a long road to recovery and discovered what was the deep root of her problem

[judyGrant]

Loved this book from the first psge.

I think any of my friends would love this story and all the twists and turns. Love how Collin changed his role of father,

[Adair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seemed like an implausible plot but it was cleverly done and the book had some funny unexpected bits
Will definitely look for more books by this author

[Terry Confer Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was honestly just fine for me. It wasn’t anything crazy but it was good. It made me think about marriage and family. It made me giggle and made me sweet smile. The writing felt weird but I enjoyed it:)