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Saving Emma
Emma is Luke's whole life. When she learns she has cancer, she accepts the traditional treatment. Luke watches miserably as his wife deteriorates slowly. Then he finds doctor who offers a different, unconventional treatment that has been proven to work. But Luke finds it is not so easy to remove his wife from her doctor's care. When he tries to take her out of the hospital, he is stopped by security and then served a restraining order. Now Luke must fight a legal battle for his right to save Emma.
- GenresRomance
196 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 24, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 26, 2014
Luke and Emma’s story starts during the last months of high school. Both are outcasts. Luke is the smart kid lacking in social skills. It was never stated, but if he were real and visited a psychologist I wouldn’t be surprised if he was diagnosed with autism, Aspergers syndrome, or something else on the autism spectrum. Both have complicated and troubled home lives although for much different reasons. They become a couple, Luke gets a job he’s well suited for which evolves into his own business, and they marry. Life is good for the couple until Emma is diagnosed with cancer, setting Luke on a search for an alternative cure and a bad situation turns worse.
This seems like a story that could work. It doesn’t. Part of the reason is technique, with a tendency to telling rather than showing, sometimes both, as in this example:
Maureen rested her elbows on her desk and put her face in her hands. She felt physically and emotionally drained.
Doesn’t the second sentence tell us what the first has hopefully already shown us?
There is also a problem with repetitiveness in two ways. First, repeating things the reader already knows from earlier in the story, for example in the middle of the book having Luke “remember” his and Emma’s honeymoon and the reason they took it six months after their marriage, giving us details we already knew and didn’t need. Second, using the same word over and over in a short time, for example during a short encounter with his English teacher the words “his teacher” or a slight variation is used eleven times in just six paragraphs, even twice in a single sentence, never using the teacher’s name or any alternative form of reference. This kind of repetitiveness is the equivalent of a monotone voice, quick to put the reader to sleep. Here’s another example of this problem:
He grabbed his keys and walked out the door. He got in his car and drove to a motel. He could not bear to sleep alone in that house tonight.
Three sentences, each starting with the pronoun he. Mix it up. Use Luke. Put he in the middle or at the end of a sentence. Even better, do we need to know this much detail? Wouldn’t something like “not able to bear sleeping alone, Luke left and checked into a motel” accomplish the same thing?
Even more than the issues of technique, I often found the story contradicting itself or the actions of the characters unbelievable. A few quick examples. Luke inherited some money from an uncle which was “sitting comfortably in an account” by the end of June, but a few pages after that he’s receiving the check “at the end of July.” Later in the story Luke writes a computer program for his business after taking a “quick, do-it-yourself course” and is able to do it in less time than someone with years of experience would need to accomplish the same thing.
One of the more unbelievable actions happened when Emma was in the hospital and not doing well. After staying with her and letting his business slide Luke had to leave Emma to go into work to deal with tasks that couldn’t be put off any longer. No problem. He has a business with his employees depending on it continuing for their livelihood, not to mention Luke and Emma needing the same. However, being back to the hospital “as soon as I can” stretched into two days. Really? The love of your life is fighting for her life and you go into the office for two days without visiting or even calling her. Then when you finally do show up she’s happy to see you and not upset. I have a hard time believing this. I can’t rule it out due to some of their characteristics and history, partially discussed in the first paragraph, but if so the author needed to do a better job of establishing this. Even then, I’d have a hard time relating to them. As it was, I found my suspension of disbelief constantly challenged by things like this. Even though it’s fiction, it still has to be believable.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
This seems like a story that could work. It doesn’t. Part of the reason is technique, with a tendency to telling rather than showing, sometimes both, as in this example:
Maureen rested her elbows on her desk and put her face in her hands. She felt physically and emotionally drained.
Doesn’t the second sentence tell us what the first has hopefully already shown us?
There is also a problem with repetitiveness in two ways. First, repeating things the reader already knows from earlier in the story, for example in the middle of the book having Luke “remember” his and Emma’s honeymoon and the reason they took it six months after their marriage, giving us details we already knew and didn’t need. Second, using the same word over and over in a short time, for example during a short encounter with his English teacher the words “his teacher” or a slight variation is used eleven times in just six paragraphs, even twice in a single sentence, never using the teacher’s name or any alternative form of reference. This kind of repetitiveness is the equivalent of a monotone voice, quick to put the reader to sleep. Here’s another example of this problem:
He grabbed his keys and walked out the door. He got in his car and drove to a motel. He could not bear to sleep alone in that house tonight.
Three sentences, each starting with the pronoun he. Mix it up. Use Luke. Put he in the middle or at the end of a sentence. Even better, do we need to know this much detail? Wouldn’t something like “not able to bear sleeping alone, Luke left and checked into a motel” accomplish the same thing?
Even more than the issues of technique, I often found the story contradicting itself or the actions of the characters unbelievable. A few quick examples. Luke inherited some money from an uncle which was “sitting comfortably in an account” by the end of June, but a few pages after that he’s receiving the check “at the end of July.” Later in the story Luke writes a computer program for his business after taking a “quick, do-it-yourself course” and is able to do it in less time than someone with years of experience would need to accomplish the same thing.
One of the more unbelievable actions happened when Emma was in the hospital and not doing well. After staying with her and letting his business slide Luke had to leave Emma to go into work to deal with tasks that couldn’t be put off any longer. No problem. He has a business with his employees depending on it continuing for their livelihood, not to mention Luke and Emma needing the same. However, being back to the hospital “as soon as I can” stretched into two days. Really? The love of your life is fighting for her life and you go into the office for two days without visiting or even calling her. Then when you finally do show up she’s happy to see you and not upset. I have a hard time believing this. I can’t rule it out due to some of their characteristics and history, partially discussed in the first paragraph, but if so the author needed to do a better job of establishing this. Even then, I’d have a hard time relating to them. As it was, I found my suspension of disbelief constantly challenged by things like this. Even though it’s fiction, it still has to be believable.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
November 18, 2013
Saving Emma by Maria Miller. Wow. What a story! I should begin by putting in a disclaimer. That is, if you believe the medical profession always knows best and never makes mistakes, that the FDA always has your best interests at heart, that the courts rapidly respond to inequities, that the newspapers and TV news reporters always deliver fair and accurate accounts of any story, then please don’t read Saving Emma, for you will be terribly upset. Seriously, I found this novel both refreshing and inspirational, and I was extremely impressed that someone would actually “tell it like it really is.”
The story line is precisely stated by the author in her “Book Description.” Young couple in love (Luke and Emma) get married after graduating from high school. He works hard to build up a business to support his family, but she get a nasty cancer and accepts traditional treatment, which doesn’t work. Luke discovers a different, unconventional treatment that has been proven to work, but finds it next to impossible to get Emma this treatment.
The battle to save Emma’s life is incredibly realistic on so many different levels. The medical profession often frowns on “alternative medicine,” sometimes quite harshly. The FDA and the major drug companies have a monopoly on dictating just what is “legal” to use. Just try to get your medical insurance to cover “alternative” medical procedures and drugs. (Did you know that it is against the law in our country to cure someone of an illness unless you are a registered doctor? Look that one up.)
My own father developed a form of cancer and sought “standard medical” treatment. At least he survived it, but had a very rough go. A friend of mine also developed the same form, but he sought “alternative treatments” and got his cured with no ill side effects, no radiation pellets in his body and so on. Thus, I found this novel hitting very close to home.
It is action-packed. I started reading and simply could not put it down until the end came! As the author presented the horrible situation that developed at the hospital and with the medical personnel, I found myself amazed that someone had the audacity to represent it so believably and realistically. But as I read on and saw how brilliantly the author handled the “press” and public opinion and reaction to Emma’s situation, I found myself cheering, “Exactly right!” The author has nailed this one down with a spike! I’m pleased that someone else knows the truth about the press and its treatment of truth and isn’t afraid to say so.
Enter the legal profession, as Luke frantically tries all avenues to save Emma’s life. Even this arena of our society is totally believable and realistically presented, no holds barred. I kept saying, “Come on, come on. You gotta save her.” The end of the novel came all too quickly for me.
Emotional? Saving Emma is that! But expect to have many different emotions stirred in you. I certainly did. Action? Absolutely. How can you not root for Luke to save Emma? (Me, well, I might have tried more “illegal” methods to save her.) Shocking? Yes, particularly if you believe what you hear on the news casts. Fast-paced? While there is one slow paced section, over all, it is quite fast-paced, particularly once Luke learns the truth about what’s happening to his wife. Disturbing? You bet it is disturbing and yet all too common in our society. The author certainly gives you something to think about, to ponder, and I believe that she wants you to take a look at our society and see if some of this might not be factual, although the story is fantasy.
I’m not an English teacher but I’d day that her writing style is rather simple and plain, easy to read.
I give Saving Emma a five-star rating. Thankfully, the author has the sequel to Saving Emma coming soon. I’m more than ready to read that one.
The story line is precisely stated by the author in her “Book Description.” Young couple in love (Luke and Emma) get married after graduating from high school. He works hard to build up a business to support his family, but she get a nasty cancer and accepts traditional treatment, which doesn’t work. Luke discovers a different, unconventional treatment that has been proven to work, but finds it next to impossible to get Emma this treatment.
The battle to save Emma’s life is incredibly realistic on so many different levels. The medical profession often frowns on “alternative medicine,” sometimes quite harshly. The FDA and the major drug companies have a monopoly on dictating just what is “legal” to use. Just try to get your medical insurance to cover “alternative” medical procedures and drugs. (Did you know that it is against the law in our country to cure someone of an illness unless you are a registered doctor? Look that one up.)
My own father developed a form of cancer and sought “standard medical” treatment. At least he survived it, but had a very rough go. A friend of mine also developed the same form, but he sought “alternative treatments” and got his cured with no ill side effects, no radiation pellets in his body and so on. Thus, I found this novel hitting very close to home.
It is action-packed. I started reading and simply could not put it down until the end came! As the author presented the horrible situation that developed at the hospital and with the medical personnel, I found myself amazed that someone had the audacity to represent it so believably and realistically. But as I read on and saw how brilliantly the author handled the “press” and public opinion and reaction to Emma’s situation, I found myself cheering, “Exactly right!” The author has nailed this one down with a spike! I’m pleased that someone else knows the truth about the press and its treatment of truth and isn’t afraid to say so.
Enter the legal profession, as Luke frantically tries all avenues to save Emma’s life. Even this arena of our society is totally believable and realistically presented, no holds barred. I kept saying, “Come on, come on. You gotta save her.” The end of the novel came all too quickly for me.
Emotional? Saving Emma is that! But expect to have many different emotions stirred in you. I certainly did. Action? Absolutely. How can you not root for Luke to save Emma? (Me, well, I might have tried more “illegal” methods to save her.) Shocking? Yes, particularly if you believe what you hear on the news casts. Fast-paced? While there is one slow paced section, over all, it is quite fast-paced, particularly once Luke learns the truth about what’s happening to his wife. Disturbing? You bet it is disturbing and yet all too common in our society. The author certainly gives you something to think about, to ponder, and I believe that she wants you to take a look at our society and see if some of this might not be factual, although the story is fantasy.
I’m not an English teacher but I’d day that her writing style is rather simple and plain, easy to read.
I give Saving Emma a five-star rating. Thankfully, the author has the sequel to Saving Emma coming soon. I’m more than ready to read that one.
February 20, 2015
Saving Emma begins with school bully Craig setting Luke, an often picked-on student up with a date to the prom with Emma, another student who is often tormented at school. Thanks to Craig's meddling however, Luke and Emma find they enjoy one another's company. When Luke learns of Emma's abusive living situation with her father, he determines to save her from it.
The next few years are idyllic as Luke comes into an inheritance and starts his own company imploding buildings. He and Emma have married and things couldn't be better. Then he signs a contract with Hollywood to implode buildings for their movies, which involves a lot of travel. It's then that things start to unravel.
Emma is diagnosed with thyroid cancer. While most of his local business is being taken care of by his local crews he is still obligated to travel wherever and whenever Hollywood wants him in order to fulfill his contract. Unfortunately much of that time is spent hanging around waiting for actors, weather, time of day etc. before he can implode the building and return home.
Meanwhile under doctor's care at home Emma deteriorates. Luke returns from one trip and she is in the hospital, barely conscious. He has found an alternative treatment that he thinks will cure her but the doctors will not let him take her out of the hospital. Now he begins the fight to save her life.
The author writes a realistic sounding battle waged between the medical system and an individual with all the media hype thrown in. The reader can feel the emotional pain that Luke experiences as both sides invoke legal strategies to help win their cases.
I think the author could tighten up her writing some, to make some parts of the text less wordy and repetitive. There are several times in the book where the author starts several sentences in a row with the word "he". These sentences should be reworked so that perhaps one or more of them could be combined if they are short or the name of the individual could be used instead of the pronoun. This adds interest to the story. In other places the author writes two or three short sentences one after the other that could be nicely combined to make a more interesting, concise single sentence. Instead of "He turned to Emma. He reached across and put his hand on her forehead." It might be better to write "He reached across toward Emma and put his hand on her forehead."
I have to admit, I was disappointed with the ending of this book. I don't mind books that let you know that there is more to come, but each book should have a satisfying end to itself. I don't like it when books end with "To Be Continued". It could have just been seeing these words that set my teeth on edge. As I think about it, the ending as it stood without those three words were a good indicator that something else was going to happen. I think perhaps labelling Saving Emma as Book one of the ________ Series and leaving "To Be Continued" off of the end of the last page would have done the trick for me. As a first novel however, I think that overall the author has done a fairly commendable job.
Saving Emma was a delightful romance with the added contemporary medical issues of who decides on the type of medical care (traditional or non-traditional) the patient should receive. Should it be the doctors or the patient and the patient’s guardians/caregivers?
I gave Saving Emma 3 stars out of 5. I would definitely consider reading more of her work.
Thank you to the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.
This review was published on my blog Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogs...
The next few years are idyllic as Luke comes into an inheritance and starts his own company imploding buildings. He and Emma have married and things couldn't be better. Then he signs a contract with Hollywood to implode buildings for their movies, which involves a lot of travel. It's then that things start to unravel.
Emma is diagnosed with thyroid cancer. While most of his local business is being taken care of by his local crews he is still obligated to travel wherever and whenever Hollywood wants him in order to fulfill his contract. Unfortunately much of that time is spent hanging around waiting for actors, weather, time of day etc. before he can implode the building and return home.
Meanwhile under doctor's care at home Emma deteriorates. Luke returns from one trip and she is in the hospital, barely conscious. He has found an alternative treatment that he thinks will cure her but the doctors will not let him take her out of the hospital. Now he begins the fight to save her life.
The author writes a realistic sounding battle waged between the medical system and an individual with all the media hype thrown in. The reader can feel the emotional pain that Luke experiences as both sides invoke legal strategies to help win their cases.
I think the author could tighten up her writing some, to make some parts of the text less wordy and repetitive. There are several times in the book where the author starts several sentences in a row with the word "he". These sentences should be reworked so that perhaps one or more of them could be combined if they are short or the name of the individual could be used instead of the pronoun. This adds interest to the story. In other places the author writes two or three short sentences one after the other that could be nicely combined to make a more interesting, concise single sentence. Instead of "He turned to Emma. He reached across and put his hand on her forehead." It might be better to write "He reached across toward Emma and put his hand on her forehead."
I have to admit, I was disappointed with the ending of this book. I don't mind books that let you know that there is more to come, but each book should have a satisfying end to itself. I don't like it when books end with "To Be Continued". It could have just been seeing these words that set my teeth on edge. As I think about it, the ending as it stood without those three words were a good indicator that something else was going to happen. I think perhaps labelling Saving Emma as Book one of the ________ Series and leaving "To Be Continued" off of the end of the last page would have done the trick for me. As a first novel however, I think that overall the author has done a fairly commendable job.
Saving Emma was a delightful romance with the added contemporary medical issues of who decides on the type of medical care (traditional or non-traditional) the patient should receive. Should it be the doctors or the patient and the patient’s guardians/caregivers?
I gave Saving Emma 3 stars out of 5. I would definitely consider reading more of her work.
Thank you to the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.
This review was published on my blog Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogs...
February 12, 2014
GREAT STORY ...SHAME ABOUT THE ENDING
Great story…shame about the ending!
Every now and again I find myself with a list of books to read and review. Somehow Saving Emma by Maria Miller found itself at the end of the current queue. But when I started reading it I found myself repeatedly thinking, ‘Why did I leave this book to the end? This is brilliant.’ And nothing that followed made me change my mind. I really enjoyed reading this book. The author’s writing style is engaging, her characters are real people, and the story grabs the heart. All this is very strange to me because this type of book is far from my normal tastes. But I believe Maria Miller could write a book about peeling carrots and make it fascinating.
The story concerns a young high-school girl who lives with a drunken and abusing father. Luke is powerless to help her but after he graduates he sets up his own business. He proposes and marries Emma and thus she is saved. Or is she…?
The story progresses at a nice pace (although I was a bit disappointed when a couple of minor subplots were introduced and mysteriously abandoned. What happened to Luke’s mother? How did Craig get on after Luke agreed to hire him?) But the main plot continues to engross the reader and we get caught up in Luke’s pursuit of business success.
But then comes calamity. Emma contracts a rare and malignant form of thyroid cancer. I know that the onslaught of disease in real life can be slow, tedious and distressing but, unfortunately, as Miller details Emma’s gradual and painful degeneration, her descriptions are so realistic that something of the tedium of Emma’s life manifests itself in the pace of the story.
That is not to say, however, that the reader is not forced to keep turning the pages to see, to hope, to pray that something will happen. And it does! Again the reader is off and running, following this new tack with real anticipation, empathising with Luke in his pain, cursing the doctors, the medical authorities and the law.
I raced to the book’s climax, seeing all the difficulties that Luke faced and filled with curiosity about how the issues would be resolved. And then I hit a brick wall, a wall built out of three words: TO BE CONTINUED.
I cannot imagine that Maria Miller could have known how frustrating this could be for her readers, this one anyway, or she never would have left us hanging like that. I have twice recently had occasion to make this same criticism in reviews. Cliff hangers are great at the end of chapters but I cannot see the point of a cliff hanger at the end of a book. Sequels I fully understand but each book in a series should be complete and satisfying in and of itself.
I have to be honest and say that this ending spoiled the book for me and left me peeved. That, of course, is only my own personal opinion. Others may say that this type of ending only whets their appetite for the next book. But, even as I write, I still feel disconsolate. And that’s a pity because I think Saving Emma is a great story.
But, hey! If you are not worried about cliff-hanger endings, then please read this book. You will enjoy it.
Great story…shame about the ending!
Every now and again I find myself with a list of books to read and review. Somehow Saving Emma by Maria Miller found itself at the end of the current queue. But when I started reading it I found myself repeatedly thinking, ‘Why did I leave this book to the end? This is brilliant.’ And nothing that followed made me change my mind. I really enjoyed reading this book. The author’s writing style is engaging, her characters are real people, and the story grabs the heart. All this is very strange to me because this type of book is far from my normal tastes. But I believe Maria Miller could write a book about peeling carrots and make it fascinating.
The story concerns a young high-school girl who lives with a drunken and abusing father. Luke is powerless to help her but after he graduates he sets up his own business. He proposes and marries Emma and thus she is saved. Or is she…?
The story progresses at a nice pace (although I was a bit disappointed when a couple of minor subplots were introduced and mysteriously abandoned. What happened to Luke’s mother? How did Craig get on after Luke agreed to hire him?) But the main plot continues to engross the reader and we get caught up in Luke’s pursuit of business success.
But then comes calamity. Emma contracts a rare and malignant form of thyroid cancer. I know that the onslaught of disease in real life can be slow, tedious and distressing but, unfortunately, as Miller details Emma’s gradual and painful degeneration, her descriptions are so realistic that something of the tedium of Emma’s life manifests itself in the pace of the story.
That is not to say, however, that the reader is not forced to keep turning the pages to see, to hope, to pray that something will happen. And it does! Again the reader is off and running, following this new tack with real anticipation, empathising with Luke in his pain, cursing the doctors, the medical authorities and the law.
I raced to the book’s climax, seeing all the difficulties that Luke faced and filled with curiosity about how the issues would be resolved. And then I hit a brick wall, a wall built out of three words: TO BE CONTINUED.
I cannot imagine that Maria Miller could have known how frustrating this could be for her readers, this one anyway, or she never would have left us hanging like that. I have twice recently had occasion to make this same criticism in reviews. Cliff hangers are great at the end of chapters but I cannot see the point of a cliff hanger at the end of a book. Sequels I fully understand but each book in a series should be complete and satisfying in and of itself.
I have to be honest and say that this ending spoiled the book for me and left me peeved. That, of course, is only my own personal opinion. Others may say that this type of ending only whets their appetite for the next book. But, even as I write, I still feel disconsolate. And that’s a pity because I think Saving Emma is a great story.
But, hey! If you are not worried about cliff-hanger endings, then please read this book. You will enjoy it.
February 5, 2014
Maria very kindly sent me this book in exchange for a review.
Maria had told me in a thread that she writes chick-lit/commercial fiction/romance.
I really like the way Maria has constructed this book as when you start reading it and she introduces her primary characters Luke and Emma, who fall for each other at High School, you are led to believe that this might be just another boy meets girl story but there is so much more depth to this story than that and when down the line Emma becomes terminally ill with an aggressive form of thyroid cancer and Luke wants to take her out of the hospital and have her treated with non-conventional medicine, Maria tackles some pretty gritty and serious issues about ethics and medical care and the legal rights of relatives in terms of treatment of their next of kin.
I do like Maria's writing style. It is very fluid and she writes great dialogue which is something I love writing myself and enjoy reading. I felt the pace of the book was great and as it progresses you want to keep reading to find out what is going to happen. I found myself really feeling for Emma who is suffering and for Luke's pain at seeing his wife suffer and his utter helplessness at not being able to do anything for her. Luke's anger and frustrations come out so well.
I did find it a bit of tear jerker at the end. Very true to life though.
I am definitely looking forward to reading Maria's next book!
Maria had told me in a thread that she writes chick-lit/commercial fiction/romance.
I really like the way Maria has constructed this book as when you start reading it and she introduces her primary characters Luke and Emma, who fall for each other at High School, you are led to believe that this might be just another boy meets girl story but there is so much more depth to this story than that and when down the line Emma becomes terminally ill with an aggressive form of thyroid cancer and Luke wants to take her out of the hospital and have her treated with non-conventional medicine, Maria tackles some pretty gritty and serious issues about ethics and medical care and the legal rights of relatives in terms of treatment of their next of kin.
I do like Maria's writing style. It is very fluid and she writes great dialogue which is something I love writing myself and enjoy reading. I felt the pace of the book was great and as it progresses you want to keep reading to find out what is going to happen. I found myself really feeling for Emma who is suffering and for Luke's pain at seeing his wife suffer and his utter helplessness at not being able to do anything for her. Luke's anger and frustrations come out so well.
I did find it a bit of tear jerker at the end. Very true to life though.
I am definitely looking forward to reading Maria's next book!
September 8, 2014
I was given this book to read and review by the author.
Its a story of growing up, its a story of a young couple.
He finally makes a name for himself in business which sometimes takes him away from home, and Emma who is now his wife.
Emma comes across to me as a sweet person, but when she gets sick and gets terminal cancer, I would have expected her to moan sometimes about being left all alone sick in her bed. That bit I did find odd. It was ashumed that her brother popped in to check it n her maybe? Its the only explanation I could come up with.
The other issue I had was her husband carrying on working even though his wife was so sick, it seemed acceptable that he rang her to check on her yet Emma was his life.
There were some repedatives at the end which overlapped and the ending chapters seemed a bit over the top.
The story has great potential, but for me personally, it was lacking body, explanation and substance in parts.
Its a story of growing up, its a story of a young couple.
He finally makes a name for himself in business which sometimes takes him away from home, and Emma who is now his wife.
Emma comes across to me as a sweet person, but when she gets sick and gets terminal cancer, I would have expected her to moan sometimes about being left all alone sick in her bed. That bit I did find odd. It was ashumed that her brother popped in to check it n her maybe? Its the only explanation I could come up with.
The other issue I had was her husband carrying on working even though his wife was so sick, it seemed acceptable that he rang her to check on her yet Emma was his life.
There were some repedatives at the end which overlapped and the ending chapters seemed a bit over the top.
The story has great potential, but for me personally, it was lacking body, explanation and substance in parts.
February 17, 2014
This was a touching read by a very talented author.
The story starts with Luke being bullied at school because he’s a bright student. He meets Emma and invites her to be his prom date. They fall in love and when Luke drops Emma home one night her father’s outrageous reaction to her arriving home late forces Luke to take drastic action to get Emma away from her family home.
Fortuitously, Luke is left a large sum of money in his uncle’s will which enables him and Emma to get married and for Luke to start up in business. It’s not long before Luke’s talent is recognised by Hollywood and he’s forced to spend weeks at a time away from home, even when Emma is diagnosed with Thyroid cancer.
What unfolds is a story of love, compassion, frustration on Luke’s part to see his wife suffering needlessly at the hands of doctors.
Great writing and a pleasure to read.
The story starts with Luke being bullied at school because he’s a bright student. He meets Emma and invites her to be his prom date. They fall in love and when Luke drops Emma home one night her father’s outrageous reaction to her arriving home late forces Luke to take drastic action to get Emma away from her family home.
Fortuitously, Luke is left a large sum of money in his uncle’s will which enables him and Emma to get married and for Luke to start up in business. It’s not long before Luke’s talent is recognised by Hollywood and he’s forced to spend weeks at a time away from home, even when Emma is diagnosed with Thyroid cancer.
What unfolds is a story of love, compassion, frustration on Luke’s part to see his wife suffering needlessly at the hands of doctors.
Great writing and a pleasure to read.
June 23, 2014
Saving Emma is a well written heart wrenching story that begins with a boy name Luke, who doesn't quite fit in. Through a prank from captain of the football team Craig, Luke winds up taking another 'social outsider', Emma, to their senior prom. As their relationship as well as life progresses, Luke and Emma find that life has highs and lows. It seems as though no matter what their plans are, life has other ideas and the title 'Saving Emma' means so much more as the story moves along. This bitter sweet emotional tale has a 'to be continued' ending that left me questioning how the story could possibly progress into another book. That question coupled with the fact that this book touches on very real scenarios in life, has earned Ms. Miller a fan in me.
January 23, 2014
Saving Emma tells the story of Luke Ellis trying to save the life of his dying wife, Emma. As the story builds, Maria Miller demonstrates her knowledge of the legal system and medical care battles. The most poignant drama of the story stems from Luke’s confrontations with the doctors and his ensuing struggle to gain access to his wife for the sake of providing her with unconventional treatment from a “miracle doctor.” Miller creates a believable dynamic of love between Luke and Emma, giving credence and sympathy to Luke’s pursuit of justice. The story contains a strong emotional pull, and Luke’s character has a solid arc.
July 9, 2014
Sad story! If i could some it up in two words that would be it. This is a story about a man and wife and the lengths one will go to trying to save the other. I found the story to be well written, with good pacing. It was believable and made you think to yourself about your own health, the health of your loved ones and how you would handle similar situations. I found myself sympathizing with Luke at almost every turn and appreciated the ending. In the end it's heart wrenching, sad and a bit disturbing - everything you want out of a story like this!
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April 15, 2014Excellent, but so sad. Read it in less than a day's
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