Loving Anna

by Autumn Breeze

Amelia Kurt was different. And she knew it. That didn't stop her from loving her best friend, Annabelle Johnson. They spent an entire summer making love, and growing into what was promising to be the only relationship either ever knew.

Then, one day, the unexpected happens. Anna disappears. No reason, no forwarding address, no number. She was simply gone.

Eleven years later, Anna returns. Her truth is heartbreaking but it's only the beginning of their journey to recovery.

Genres: Lesbian

198 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 30, 2011

Reviews

[Megzz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loving Anna is very sweet..in its intention. It's a story of everlasting love between two best friends, who find each other again after 11 years of separation. It does have a lot of feelings, that's why I gave it 3 stars. The writing is far from perfect, there's a lot of typos and it doesn't always flow, but it does convey the characters' emotions really well and it touched me enough to make me want to finish it.

But I did almost give up reading in the beginning, because despite being a sweet story, it still sometimes reads like amateur work with many many flaws. Here's how:

- There is an imbalance in the pace of the story. As a result, some parts are really boring and some others leave you completely unsatisfied.
The flashback part was long yet didn't convey much. Many chapters were irrelevant to the story, or just plain boring. This part shows how Amy and Anna became lovers. And I felt like it happened kind of suddenly, mostly because some important descriptive parts were rushed.
And back to the present, the pace is even more off. The part until Anna reveals she is sick goes on forever, the month that follows is basically absent from the story (which I think is a shame, since that's when the women really reconnected, and all we know was they talked on the phone everyday for hours), then the day Amy flies to Baltimore to join Anna (first time they see each other after the revelation) they decide to get married, then the 18 following months are absent and the story finishes with the wedding.
This really bothered me because I could not for the life of me pinpoint the point of the story. The most important parts, in my opinion, were left out: the recovering process, the reconnection, how they grow to love each other again, how they evolve as a family, etc.

- The story is overdramatic. I don't know why some writers feel the need to make their characters go through so much. They may think it makes the story more entertaining, but when it's too much, all it does is make it unrealistic. I actually laughed at times at how ridiculous it was.
First, Anna's background is just horrible: her parents died in a car crash and her brother killed himself afterwards. The girls are best friends and become lovers their senior year of high school. Anna leaves without a word and Amy is miserable. Turns out, Anna had leukemia. When she finds Amy 11 years later, she is sick again, but this time it's not cancer, it's anorexia. When Amy joins Anna in Baltimore, that same day, Anna's daughter Issy falls from a chair and breaks her arm (seriously, how high was this chair and how fragile is that child? Couldn't she just have bumped her head?). They rush to the hospital as if the kid is dying. On their drive back, boom, car accident. Amy loses a leg.

So, do you get it now? It's just so much, it doesn't make sense. Plus, it really is not necessary. To me, every part of a novel, every scene, every paragraph should have a purpose. They're part of a bigger picture, of a STORY. But as much as I try to understand, I do not see the point in Amy losing her leg. I do not see the point in Issy breaking an arm, I don't even see much of a point in Anna having anorexia, or in her whole family dying. The broken arm and the lost leg do not add anything to the story. Actually, after the car accident, we skip 18 months of their lives and are brought straight to the wedding.

- Last but not least: this story does not feel real. Some things happened that I don't see happening in real life. And that makes the story completely absurd at times, and that much less powerful.
Some examples:
- Amy and Anna are 17, best friends, and have a habit of showering together. Naked. Doesn't that shock anyone? Even a little bit? I felt like I was watching a bad porno movie
- Amy and Anna's first kiss happens in the most insane of ways. They wake up spooning. John, the guy Amy's family wants her to be with, is in the bedroom talking to them. Out of the blue, Amy completely forgets he's here, feels Anna's body against her, and a second later they're kissing, one on top of the other, like the world is about to end. When they open their eyes again, who's in the room? John, Amy's parents and Amy's sister. And nothing really happens... Amy and Anna laugh at having been caught, Amy's dad just says something ridiculous like "they re teenagers, they can experiment". Everybody but the girls leave the room and a sentence suggests that they start where they left off. Yep, and imagine my frustration when after reading those arousing shower scenes, I didn't even get to read about them sleeping together.
- Everyone wants John and Amy to be together. I understand that maybe there are some kind of arranged marriages in small towns, but what the fuck? This is made such a big deal in the story. Amy's mother has a nervous breakdown because her daughter doesn't marry the boy next door. The gay thing doesn't even seem to be much of an issue...

This was a quick read. With enjoyable moments but very frustrating ones as well. This is Autumn Breeze's first novel, so that explains the amateurish aspect of the story. But it does have potential, so despite my negative rant I might check out her other stories.

[Inked Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

ThreeandHalfStars
Amy Kurt attends a teacher conference and gets the surprise of a lifetime there. The girl who broke her heart 11 years ago (Annabelle Johnson,aka Anna) has appeared and wants to make amends. However, Amy is not that fast to forgive and forget. She hails and cab and rushes to her hotel. Anna chases after her and follows her to her room. Amy notices that Anna looks sickly. What follows is a flashback to what happens 11 years ago. I liked that the flashback helped fill in the holes of the story.

Unfortunately, this story is riddled with typos. I was left wondering if this book was edited.

I was wondering why the boy that Amy’s mom wanted her to marry, that Amy had no interest in, appears after the flashback with his husband. There was no inkling in the flashback that he might be gay.

There are many ups and downs for Amy and Anna, but they get through them. I was glad to see that their love prevailed.

It was a good story, but it needed a better editor.

I was given this in return for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.

Angela

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible book different from any other ones I've read!

There aren't a whole ton of lesbian books out there, so when you find them, you're insanely grateful. Not only could I not put the book down, but it actually made me feel so many different emotions!! I felt what the characters were feeling so deeply that I was astounded that there was someone that could make me feel this way.

LOVING ANNA gives me so much hope for finding love. I'm so glad I was able to read this book silently when it was on Wattpad!!! Definitely give it a read!

[Beth Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVING ANNA is a beautiful story about life-long friends. The characters are well thought out and relatable, and the story draws you in from page one. The book explores friendship, first love, heartbreak, and asks the question: Is it ever really too late to go home? I recommend this to anyone looking to discover a new book/author.

[David Lim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this while still on wattpad. Fell in love with its storyline. Truly reflects the phrase that love conquers all through the extend which the characters are willing to go for their loved ones. A gem that keeps you on your toes till its last page hoping that the protagonists will finally have their happily ever after.

[A Muse · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books that I have read this year. It was emotional charged and just an amazing read. This is a must follow author. I enjoyed the writing style and the way I felt as if I was in the book. It was as if I was living the ups and downs with Anna and Amy. Loved this book.

[Jessica Joyner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The author's writing style really brought the characters to life in my mind. My only regret is that I didn't leave lots of comments on this on Wattpad.com. This is definitely one of the good ones :)

[Honeylove Naval]

BEST BOOK EVER

[Gayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, Loving Anna

That love that is shared between soulmates can only truly be understood by someone who has felt that deeply; regardless of gender or sexual orientation. I devoured this book in one day. I laughed, cried, and shared the best parts out loud to my own bff. I will be looking for more stories from this author.

[Blythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this

I absolutely adore this book, it's well written and love the story line. I have recommended to friends as well.

[Crystal McKinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story but sad

I loved how the story came together, there were a few parts that made me sad. Almost to tears sad. Overall, a book I won't forget soon.

[Biankks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first one in wattpad and I became enchanted by the story. I missed more of Amy's sister storyline in this second edition. However it was beautiful to see that they finally got married!!! They deserved it!!!