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Sleeping Beauty
Alternate cover edition for B005K151Y4
Sure, Claire Beau thought about sleeping with her doctor. With his moss green eyes and sexy petulance, neurologist Brendan Charmant is definitely worth fantasizing about. But she didn’t actually do it…did she?
Claire should be able to answer this simple question, but she has no idea. All she knows is that she met him in a sleep lab for an appointment one day, and woke up at home seven weeks later to find that he’s suddenly her warm and loving boyfriend instead of her cold and remote doctor. According to Brendan, her brother and all their friends, Claire is in the middle of a whirlwind love affair with him, a claim bolstered by the weeks of steamy emails and text messages the two of them have exchanged. But to Claire, he's just the arrogant doctor with only a passing interest in finding a diagnosis for her debilitating symptoms.
Claire Beau is afflicted with “Sleeping Beauty Syndrome,” a mysterious disorder that causes her to sleep for days at a time, and black out for entire weeks. Dr. Brendan Charmant might have given her the best night (or two, or three) of her life, but she has no memory of ever seeing him out of his white coat. Still, she can’t help finding herself more than willing to fall for him (again). After all, doesn’t every girl deserve a Prince Charming?
But when Brendan’s arrested, and she discovers that she’s the alleged victim of a heinous crime that she can’t recall, she’s crushed to find that her dream-come-true was all just a cruel illusion. Despite having no memory of the actual crime, there are mountains of damning evidence against him. So why is she risking everything to save both of them from this hellish, waking nightmare?
Sure, Claire Beau thought about sleeping with her doctor. With his moss green eyes and sexy petulance, neurologist Brendan Charmant is definitely worth fantasizing about. But she didn’t actually do it…did she?
Claire should be able to answer this simple question, but she has no idea. All she knows is that she met him in a sleep lab for an appointment one day, and woke up at home seven weeks later to find that he’s suddenly her warm and loving boyfriend instead of her cold and remote doctor. According to Brendan, her brother and all their friends, Claire is in the middle of a whirlwind love affair with him, a claim bolstered by the weeks of steamy emails and text messages the two of them have exchanged. But to Claire, he's just the arrogant doctor with only a passing interest in finding a diagnosis for her debilitating symptoms.
Claire Beau is afflicted with “Sleeping Beauty Syndrome,” a mysterious disorder that causes her to sleep for days at a time, and black out for entire weeks. Dr. Brendan Charmant might have given her the best night (or two, or three) of her life, but she has no memory of ever seeing him out of his white coat. Still, she can’t help finding herself more than willing to fall for him (again). After all, doesn’t every girl deserve a Prince Charming?
But when Brendan’s arrested, and she discovers that she’s the alleged victim of a heinous crime that she can’t recall, she’s crushed to find that her dream-come-true was all just a cruel illusion. Despite having no memory of the actual crime, there are mountains of damning evidence against him. So why is she risking everything to save both of them from this hellish, waking nightmare?
472 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2011
91 people are currently reading
1068 people want to read
About the author
Elle Lothlorien
11 books149 followersA “military brat,” Elle Lothlorien was born in Germany and spent her childhood in such far-flung places as Puerto Rico, Charleston, S.C., Italy, and Washington D.C. Sadly, the only language she ever became semi-fluent in is English. She writes romantic comedies that are loose riffs on the popular fairy tales she read as a child–stories she still loves as an adult. Elle’s first self-published romantic comedy, The Frog Prince, became an Amazon bestseller in 2010–a distinction it kept through the summer of 2012 when it peaked at #1 on Amazon’s Top 100 List for Humor. Her female characters are known for their snarky attitude, intelligence, quick wit, and a near-universal lack of interest in designer shoes and haute couture.
Before writing rom-com full-time, Elle worked as an administrator overseeing clinical research studies at the University of Colorado. Her scattershot work history also includes everything from running fire and rescue calls as an EMT to managing movie theaters to locating underground utilities to stay-at-home mom, although she readily admits that getting paid to sit around in her PJs all day dreaming up hot, amazing men who are good enough for her novel’s heroines is, hands-down, the most rewarding job she’s ever had. Elle lives in the Rocky Mountain Foothills, mostly because she’s deathly afraid of man-eating sharks and understands that, while they’ve successfully infiltrated every ocean on the globe, they’ve never quite managed to adapt to mountain living. She keeps a teenage boy and a miniature dachshund named Bacon Bourgeois of Legend around the house to provide comic relief.
If you'd like to know when my next book is on the way, you can sign up HERE . I'll send you an email when a new book is released.
Before writing rom-com full-time, Elle worked as an administrator overseeing clinical research studies at the University of Colorado. Her scattershot work history also includes everything from running fire and rescue calls as an EMT to managing movie theaters to locating underground utilities to stay-at-home mom, although she readily admits that getting paid to sit around in her PJs all day dreaming up hot, amazing men who are good enough for her novel’s heroines is, hands-down, the most rewarding job she’s ever had. Elle lives in the Rocky Mountain Foothills, mostly because she’s deathly afraid of man-eating sharks and understands that, while they’ve successfully infiltrated every ocean on the globe, they’ve never quite managed to adapt to mountain living. She keeps a teenage boy and a miniature dachshund named Bacon Bourgeois of Legend around the house to provide comic relief.
If you'd like to know when my next book is on the way, you can sign up HERE . I'll send you an email when a new book is released.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
February 19, 2016
I truly enjoyed Ms. Lothlorien's first book, The Frog Prince, so writing this review pains me. However, it is less painful than actually reading Sleeping Beauty.
Where to start? Let's start with the premise: Claire, a pint-sized budding actress on the brink of her big break, has a rare disease called Sleeping Beauty Syndrome. She falls asleep for long periods of time and, while she remains semi functional in a catatonic state, she doesn't remember anything from her weeks "asleep". Enter Dr. Charmant. Smart, attractive, and around Claire constantly. It could have been cute, but I found the situation of not being able to remember weeks of your life more sad than quirky.
Even after not being hooked by the premise, I kept reading. There are some very funny lines, but the dialogue lapsed into pages of medical speak and then would switch 180 and be pages of stereotypical surfer talk - neither of which I understand or am enthralled by. Also, I was not convinced by the romance between Sleeping Beauty and Dr. Charming. It wavered between weird and parochial.
I over-looked the dialogue and kept reading. Why? Rosy memories of her first book. Then, the story attempted to make a turn into serious mystery. Without ruining too much, there are some sexual assault charges, a missing person, and Claire's desperate attempt to handle them both among her own personal trials.
It was all just too much. I don't like my chick lit peppered with a side of sexual assault. I don't like my mysteries to be transparent and lack depth. I'm not sure how this book was supposed to be marketed, but either way it failed. I didn't care about the characters, their motivation was unrealistic, the dialogue was contrived, and Claire was a person I would never have even a conversation with in real life.
My apologies to Ms. Lothlorien for the rough review. But, honesty is the best policy and this book was not good. I couldn't even finish it.
Where to start? Let's start with the premise: Claire, a pint-sized budding actress on the brink of her big break, has a rare disease called Sleeping Beauty Syndrome. She falls asleep for long periods of time and, while she remains semi functional in a catatonic state, she doesn't remember anything from her weeks "asleep". Enter Dr. Charmant. Smart, attractive, and around Claire constantly. It could have been cute, but I found the situation of not being able to remember weeks of your life more sad than quirky.
Even after not being hooked by the premise, I kept reading. There are some very funny lines, but the dialogue lapsed into pages of medical speak and then would switch 180 and be pages of stereotypical surfer talk - neither of which I understand or am enthralled by. Also, I was not convinced by the romance between Sleeping Beauty and Dr. Charming. It wavered between weird and parochial.
I over-looked the dialogue and kept reading. Why? Rosy memories of her first book. Then, the story attempted to make a turn into serious mystery. Without ruining too much, there are some sexual assault charges, a missing person, and Claire's desperate attempt to handle them both among her own personal trials.
It was all just too much. I don't like my chick lit peppered with a side of sexual assault. I don't like my mysteries to be transparent and lack depth. I'm not sure how this book was supposed to be marketed, but either way it failed. I didn't care about the characters, their motivation was unrealistic, the dialogue was contrived, and Claire was a person I would never have even a conversation with in real life.
My apologies to Ms. Lothlorien for the rough review. But, honesty is the best policy and this book was not good. I couldn't even finish it.
February 17, 2012
This really wasn't what I expected. Claire has been diagnosed with a rare sleeping disorder, known as Sleeping Beauty Syndrome. When she's having an episode, she doesn't remember much. So when she wakes up from an episode, she's rather surprised at how dramatically her life has changed. She's quickly caught in a Hollywood whirlwind, as her bit part has suddenly turned into a leading role. Her brother's boyfriend, and her nearly constant companion, has been acting strangely... Not to mention her doctor's not her doctor anymore but rather her boyfriend.
It is part medical drama, part courtroom drama, part Hollywood drama, a shallow glance at the world of hardcore surfers.... And very little romance and almost no comedy for a book billed as a "romantic comedy" all the parts fail to come together into a cohesive whole. There wasn't a theme to tie it all together. What is said about Claire's syndrome reads like wikipedia, and the "climax" of a courtroom drama dragged on an on in a series of questions and answers that was tedious to slog through.
It was difficult to get to know any of the characters. They somehow managed to be inconsistent AND repetitive. Claire was supposedly 29, but no one, not a single person, thought to tell her anything important. She was a half-developed character herself, and the rest of the cast treated her like a child... Not to mention the total improbability of certain events, that went well beyond suspension of disbelief. As in sneaking into an active naval bombing range. Living in a military family, that was just one step too far for me.
It is part medical drama, part courtroom drama, part Hollywood drama, a shallow glance at the world of hardcore surfers.... And very little romance and almost no comedy for a book billed as a "romantic comedy" all the parts fail to come together into a cohesive whole. There wasn't a theme to tie it all together. What is said about Claire's syndrome reads like wikipedia, and the "climax" of a courtroom drama dragged on an on in a series of questions and answers that was tedious to slog through.
It was difficult to get to know any of the characters. They somehow managed to be inconsistent AND repetitive. Claire was supposedly 29, but no one, not a single person, thought to tell her anything important. She was a half-developed character herself, and the rest of the cast treated her like a child... Not to mention the total improbability of certain events, that went well beyond suspension of disbelief. As in sneaking into an active naval bombing range. Living in a military family, that was just one step too far for me.
December 6, 2012
I expected a good story- but it turned out to be as confusing as the episodes that the lead, Claire, has.
I was looking forward to her coming off strong-and making sense of her life despite her sleeping disorder-but what I got in turn was just one confusion after the other involving Brendan.
I would however say that the idea is good, the story is worth a read, but somewhere in between it loses its lustre.
I was looking forward to her coming off strong-and making sense of her life despite her sleeping disorder-but what I got in turn was just one confusion after the other involving Brendan.
I would however say that the idea is good, the story is worth a read, but somewhere in between it loses its lustre.
authors-behaving-badly
August 10, 2014I'm actually tempted to give this one star without reading it for the slight chance that the author will read it and address me.
Due to this: Utter Bullshit
You can read a real author's opinion on this travesty here: Utter Enlightenment
Due to this: Utter Bullshit
You can read a real author's opinion on this travesty here: Utter Enlightenment
July 6, 2012
I've got to start off by saying this isn't typically the kind of book I generally read. However, it grabbed me on my Kindle and seemed like it had a good sense of humor to it, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
Since this ISN'T the kind of book I usually go for, it isn't a big shock that I'm not that wild about it. It has some laughs to it, but the male characters seem to blend into one another to the point I would get confused as to who was who. The guy in the story who doesn't seem to be like all the others is Doctor "Charming" (Yes, we all got the joke. We didn't really need it explained to us half way through the book) who doesn't really seem to be that charming but rather more sour and scowl-y most of the time.
Towards the end, everything seems to get very choppy. Yes, I know the story is about a person with a sleeping disorder, but it feels mostly like the author is trying to be clever. Meh. Not so much.
On a more positive note, I did find myself eager to keep reading it. The story did suck me in, and the characters were likable enough. I just won't be reading it a second time.
Since this ISN'T the kind of book I usually go for, it isn't a big shock that I'm not that wild about it. It has some laughs to it, but the male characters seem to blend into one another to the point I would get confused as to who was who. The guy in the story who doesn't seem to be like all the others is Doctor "Charming" (Yes, we all got the joke. We didn't really need it explained to us half way through the book) who doesn't really seem to be that charming but rather more sour and scowl-y most of the time.
Towards the end, everything seems to get very choppy. Yes, I know the story is about a person with a sleeping disorder, but it feels mostly like the author is trying to be clever. Meh. Not so much.
On a more positive note, I did find myself eager to keep reading it. The story did suck me in, and the characters were likable enough. I just won't be reading it a second time.
February 25, 2012
So in two subsequent days, I have read and finished both books by Elle Lothlorien, and while the first book, the Frong Prince was enjoyable, this book was far better.
Lothlorien takes a bit of liberty with the idea of KLS syndrome and cataplexy, but uses it in such a way as to make the story plausible and believeable. Her characters, from the sleeping beauty Claire to her doctor boyfriend Brandon Charmant, and the cleverly well written Davin show quite a bit of humor,reliability and well...life.
I really enjoyed this book. I hope the author continues to write more books based off of some well known fairy tales with a modern twist. Her sense of humor is quite like my own.
(Unfortunatly, this lovely review was completed on my phone since my compter died. So I applogize for for the multitude of spelling errors, and the brevity of the review. I wish I could put more in, but the lack of a working computer and typing on this phone makes for a very frustating experience)
Lothlorien takes a bit of liberty with the idea of KLS syndrome and cataplexy, but uses it in such a way as to make the story plausible and believeable. Her characters, from the sleeping beauty Claire to her doctor boyfriend Brandon Charmant, and the cleverly well written Davin show quite a bit of humor,reliability and well...life.
I really enjoyed this book. I hope the author continues to write more books based off of some well known fairy tales with a modern twist. Her sense of humor is quite like my own.
(Unfortunatly, this lovely review was completed on my phone since my compter died. So I applogize for for the multitude of spelling errors, and the brevity of the review. I wish I could put more in, but the lack of a working computer and typing on this phone makes for a very frustating experience)
February 27, 2012
Honestly, I thought the beginning was fine. I almost stopped reading half way because I was so creeped out. It was really weird. I really wanted to stop reading, but since I was already half way, I just finished it anyways. I did not like the plot because it was so WEIRD. and different. It was not a romantic comedy, and I didn't think it was funny what so ever. Unless the author thought that those "certain topics" are funny? It's not. I'm sorry, but I'm really disturbed by the fact that this is listed as a romantic comedy. Some of the plot line really disturbed and annoyed me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2013
So I really love how this author takes fairy tales and puts a modern twist to it. I did fall in love with this book immediately. The characters were lovable and I enjoyed being in the main characters head. The story line was unique and engaging.
If you are looking for a quick easy read romance, this one might be a great one to read.
As a warning to some of my sensitive friends:
1) There is some extreme swearing words, but not a ton.
2) There is love scenes. But they are either quickly written or they fades out without giving any graphic details. It's pretty clean.
If you are looking for a quick easy read romance, this one might be a great one to read.
As a warning to some of my sensitive friends:
1) There is some extreme swearing words, but not a ton.
2) There is love scenes. But they are either quickly written or they fades out without giving any graphic details. It's pretty clean.
April 27, 2012
Like The Frog Prince, this is a nice contemporary romance, no actual royalty in this one. The main character suffers from Sleeping Beauty Syndrome. She has blackout periods that last a few days to a few weeks, and she has no memory of any activities in that period. I liked this one even better than the Frog Prince, I will definitely read more books by Elle Lothlorien.
Read
July 14, 2012Hehe, finished yet another book. Couldn't take my eyes off it. Just kept wanting to know what happens next. Loved the ending but was hoping for more. Enjoyable in every way. It also taught me about a few medical disorders I hadn't heard of. :) If only there was another book to it... I want to know if she grows out of it and I want to learn about her daughter.
April 15, 2012
This book is like 50 First Dates, Young and the Restless and Law and Order all rolled into one with a healthy sprinkling of surfer lingo. I really enjoyed it. It was a fun read.
April 7, 2023
interesting to read
This has a really weird story line but I really enjoyed it. It will surprise you.
The characters are definitely original and give great body to the story. I’m definitely going to look for more by this author.
This has a really weird story line but I really enjoyed it. It will surprise you.
The characters are definitely original and give great body to the story. I’m definitely going to look for more by this author.
March 5, 2017
Great Read
I loved this book it kept me not wanting to put it down. I loved the characters and it was like the book had a life of its own. You should read this book.
I loved this book it kept me not wanting to put it down. I loved the characters and it was like the book had a life of its own. You should read this book.
September 6, 2017
Enjoyed last third of book best! Excellent job tying up all the loose ends! Also enjoyed all the surfer lingo and slang :)
August 24, 2018
Book
So start, but good
I Dr o n,t like writing reviews. So I would would like to skip this section
So start, but good
I Dr o n,t like writing reviews. So I would would like to skip this section
July 9, 2019
Wow wow wow
I had a difficult time putting this down. Excellent summer reading by the pool or a long causal night in with a glass of wine.
I had a difficult time putting this down. Excellent summer reading by the pool or a long causal night in with a glass of wine.
February 20, 2020
Yes, I know it starts slow and the mc is, um, not too likeable, but if you keep reading you'll well rewarded. Kleenex alert!
August 5, 2012
Before getting into my review I would like to point out that Sleeping Beauty is the first/original version of Lothlorien’s Sleeping Beauty Wakes Up. According to reviews and the author herself, this book was changed in Sleeping Beauty Wakes Up from chapter 11 on after several negative reviews and feedback. As this, the original book, has not been unpublished or the price reduced (at the time of review) I can only assume that means the author still believes this book is as good as her second version, therefore I will be reviewing it as is without taking into consideration any changes made in her other book. So keep this in mind when deciding which version to purchase.
Claire suffers from KLS, otherwise known as Sleeping Beauty Syndrome. She falls asleep in random places and can sometimes stay asleep for days. Dr. Charmant is assigned to her case and after their loathing and first sight the two start to fall in love. But when sleeping beauty can’t remember what happens during her black out episodes how does she know prince charming is the gentleman he claims to be? It all leads to a story of allegations, a court case, a love triangle, and a sleeping beauty who’ll need a lot more than a kiss to get her out of this mess.
Lothlorien’s writing style is enjoyable and she shows some great promise as a writer through her descriptions of Claire’s surfer world California and the research done about KLS. Unfortunately all the characters, with the exception of Davin, come across as flat. I wasn’t able to sympathize with Claire as a heroine and while she spends most of the book complaining people hide information from her she never really takes control of her own life. While we’re told Dr. Charmant is handsome and charming he never does anything remarkable that causes the reader to fall for him, making the end of the book a let down because there’s no real side to root for.
The first half of the book is much stronger than the second, and based on that half of the book I would have probably given this book a higher rating, unfortunately everything starts to fall apart once the trial hits. The surfer-lingo goes from unique and charming to plain obnoxious and the court case itself is filled with a lot of unnecessary dialogue and no tension. Lothlorien does a lot of telling but not showing in this half of the book. We’re told who to like and who to hate, but there’s never any real interaction that helps the reader form their own opinions. Then the ending is stretched out much longer than necessary, and the final chapter feels like it’s been ripped right out of “50 First Dates.” Throughout the book the emphasis has been on Claire’s KLS and its symptoms, with memory loss being just a small part of that, then the memory loss is pushed to the forefront as though it’s Claire’s main issue as though Lothlorien couldn’t decide where she wanted the story to go and when she figured it out didn’t want to make it a strong theme in the beginning.
The premise of this story is fantastic and the first half of the book was well written (not perfect, but enjoyable). However, the story really falls apart from there. Changes may have been made in Sleeping Beauty Wakes Up, but this book did not deliver. If the revised version of this book is as decent as the other reviews claim, this draft should have been pulled from sale. Read at your own risk.
Claire suffers from KLS, otherwise known as Sleeping Beauty Syndrome. She falls asleep in random places and can sometimes stay asleep for days. Dr. Charmant is assigned to her case and after their loathing and first sight the two start to fall in love. But when sleeping beauty can’t remember what happens during her black out episodes how does she know prince charming is the gentleman he claims to be? It all leads to a story of allegations, a court case, a love triangle, and a sleeping beauty who’ll need a lot more than a kiss to get her out of this mess.
Lothlorien’s writing style is enjoyable and she shows some great promise as a writer through her descriptions of Claire’s surfer world California and the research done about KLS. Unfortunately all the characters, with the exception of Davin, come across as flat. I wasn’t able to sympathize with Claire as a heroine and while she spends most of the book complaining people hide information from her she never really takes control of her own life. While we’re told Dr. Charmant is handsome and charming he never does anything remarkable that causes the reader to fall for him, making the end of the book a let down because there’s no real side to root for.
The first half of the book is much stronger than the second, and based on that half of the book I would have probably given this book a higher rating, unfortunately everything starts to fall apart once the trial hits. The surfer-lingo goes from unique and charming to plain obnoxious and the court case itself is filled with a lot of unnecessary dialogue and no tension. Lothlorien does a lot of telling but not showing in this half of the book. We’re told who to like and who to hate, but there’s never any real interaction that helps the reader form their own opinions. Then the ending is stretched out much longer than necessary, and the final chapter feels like it’s been ripped right out of “50 First Dates.” Throughout the book the emphasis has been on Claire’s KLS and its symptoms, with memory loss being just a small part of that, then the memory loss is pushed to the forefront as though it’s Claire’s main issue as though Lothlorien couldn’t decide where she wanted the story to go and when she figured it out didn’t want to make it a strong theme in the beginning.
The premise of this story is fantastic and the first half of the book was well written (not perfect, but enjoyable). However, the story really falls apart from there. Changes may have been made in Sleeping Beauty Wakes Up, but this book did not deliver. If the revised version of this book is as decent as the other reviews claim, this draft should have been pulled from sale. Read at your own risk.
December 11, 2013
I didn't know when I started this e-book (that I got for free from Amazon - full disclosure), that the author had "revised" the story and published a different novel, called sleeping beauty wakes up. But I can see why she did. Or at least why I hope she did. The writing style has some merit, but the characters are rather flat. Claire, the main character is a wimp masquerading as a strong, independent woman. She's nothing more than a plaything for the men in the novel, her doctor, her brother, his boyfriend, and the lawyer. I was completely unconvinced by Dr. Charmant in his love for her. Lothlorien doesn't give the reader any compelling reason to root for him except for the fact that Claire wants you to. And, Claire appears to have one motivation for helping Brendan and then an entirely different one. It wasn't even suggested that she wanted to actually marry him while the lawyers were working out the ruse, then in the next chapter they are getting married. It doesn't make any sense. The logical flow of the plot would have her ending up with Davin, the only well-rounded character in the whole novel. Not to mention that they never answered the question of whose baby it was. And even if it didn't matter to the characters, which I don't believe, I would have appreciated not having the answer totally obscured by the lazing writing. I would have liked to have this review be a thoughtful narrative about why I disliked this book so intensely, but Lothlorien's bad habits seem to have spilled over into my writing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2012
I thought this was going to be a light-hearted romantic comedy. It's a romance, but not light and not funny.
Claire Beau has a disorder where she passes out for weeks at a time and can be in a zombie-like mode (walk, eat, shower, etc) but isn't really there and has no memory of it. She goes in for sleep testing and attempts to sexually attacks her doctor while in one of her zombie phases. He resigns from her case and weeks later they meet and start dating. Only she's still in her zombie modes and doesn't remember and wakes up 7 weeks later.
This would have been enough: she doesn't remember him, they start over, eventually they fall in love, then end. But the author threw in a rather bizarre love twist and a long trial for rape (see above sexual attack, but blaming the doctor/boyfriend). In my opinion, it was too much. Too long. I didn't need all the extra angst. However, I still enjoyed the book, it just wasn't what I thought it would be.
One interesting thing is that people complained about the ending not being happy (it's bittersweet) so the author re-wrote it and published Sleeping Beauty Wakes Up with an alternate ending. Looking forward to reading that and seeing whether it makes the book better.
Claire Beau has a disorder where she passes out for weeks at a time and can be in a zombie-like mode (walk, eat, shower, etc) but isn't really there and has no memory of it. She goes in for sleep testing and attempts to sexually attacks her doctor while in one of her zombie phases. He resigns from her case and weeks later they meet and start dating. Only she's still in her zombie modes and doesn't remember and wakes up 7 weeks later.
This would have been enough: she doesn't remember him, they start over, eventually they fall in love, then end. But the author threw in a rather bizarre love twist and a long trial for rape (see above sexual attack, but blaming the doctor/boyfriend). In my opinion, it was too much. Too long. I didn't need all the extra angst. However, I still enjoyed the book, it just wasn't what I thought it would be.
One interesting thing is that people complained about the ending not being happy (it's bittersweet) so the author re-wrote it and published Sleeping Beauty Wakes Up with an alternate ending. Looking forward to reading that and seeing whether it makes the book better.
June 5, 2013
I downloaded this book as a "freebie" on Amazon. I was initially attracted to it for the fairy tale title, and because I love twists on known fairy tales.
Aside from the fact that it's called "Sleeping Beauty," she randomly sleeps, and the "main love interest" is "Charmant," this book has no right to call itself "Sleeping Beauty" or even a "twist on a fairy tale." I would have liked it more if I wasn't thinking about the fairy tale concept.
The character development was decent. I wanted to know more about Claire, Wib, West... but I seriously HATED Charmant and HATED the ending. There was no reason for it to end the way it did, or for Claire to end up with the person she did.
There were excessively wordy passage that didn't really seem to add to the plot much, and I wish I'd gotten a little bit more about all of the characters and their backgrounds-- there were a lot of characters to keep track of, and I wasn't always sure who was who.
Overall, not a waste of time to read, but from the beginning of the book to the end, my enjoyment decreased exponentially. LIke I said, I disliked the ending tremendously, so that's probably weighing a lot on my mind and probably affecting my review.
Aside from the fact that it's called "Sleeping Beauty," she randomly sleeps, and the "main love interest" is "Charmant," this book has no right to call itself "Sleeping Beauty" or even a "twist on a fairy tale." I would have liked it more if I wasn't thinking about the fairy tale concept.
The character development was decent. I wanted to know more about Claire, Wib, West... but I seriously HATED Charmant and HATED the ending. There was no reason for it to end the way it did, or for Claire to end up with the person she did.
There were excessively wordy passage that didn't really seem to add to the plot much, and I wish I'd gotten a little bit more about all of the characters and their backgrounds-- there were a lot of characters to keep track of, and I wasn't always sure who was who.
Overall, not a waste of time to read, but from the beginning of the book to the end, my enjoyment decreased exponentially. LIke I said, I disliked the ending tremendously, so that's probably weighing a lot on my mind and probably affecting my review.
March 29, 2013
So I was a little torn on this book. I came in expecting fluffy romance and I can't mystery medical romance. This book wasn't bad but for me it was just a little too dragged out. I will admit I didn't like the dual love interests. I did read the alternate ending where Overall it was just okay. I think I might've liked it better if there wasn't the alternate ending only because it ended up making me rethink everything in the original novel. For both books I give it 3 stars.
April 4, 2013
This book had me hooked from the very first page. I had trouble putting it down. I stayed up late at night to read it; I read it while getting ready for work in the morning; I was late getting back from my lunch break once, because I couldn't stop reading it! Addictive! I know there's an alternate ending version of the book ("Sleeping Beauty Wakes Up"), but I actually like the way this one ends, so I won't be reading the other version. It's pretty neat that the author responded to readers' responses to the original ending by writing a new one, though. My only criticism was with all the surfer lingo. I think it got to be a bit much and got in the way of the story sometimes and slowed down the pacing. Other than that, loved it!
February 21, 2023
This was a very enjoyable, fluffy book. The characters were awesome. I loved the surfer culture that was strung throughout. It balanced nicely with the super intelligent doctor element.
The strength of this book for me was the characters. I found them totally engrossing and really likable. I liked the plot too. The Sleeping Beauty Syndrome is such an interesting plot devise and was really well portrayed.
I have a hard time thinking of this book as a romance novel. I thought it was much better than the genre implies and it was a nice clean read. It's not mystery/thriller, but I'd call it contemporary suspense with some romance.
I can't wait to read the alternate ending. I was a big fan of Davin and liked him as a character better than the doctor.
The strength of this book for me was the characters. I found them totally engrossing and really likable. I liked the plot too. The Sleeping Beauty Syndrome is such an interesting plot devise and was really well portrayed.
I have a hard time thinking of this book as a romance novel. I thought it was much better than the genre implies and it was a nice clean read. It's not mystery/thriller, but I'd call it contemporary suspense with some romance.
I can't wait to read the alternate ending. I was a big fan of Davin and liked him as a character better than the doctor.
February 19, 2012
Whoa! I was not expecting this story! I LOVED EL's first novel so much. This was not a comedy at all. Actually, I found the storyline quite disturbing. I really liked Brendan, and I found the surfer characters quite interesting--but Davin gave me the creeps from the get go! I did want to keep reading until the end because I did want to know what the big "secret" was--although it was pretty obvious. I would probably have given this a 2.5 star rating, but really what good is that .5 going to do? So sad for me--was really hoping for something lighter and more funny like "The Frog Prince."
March 20, 2012
This was not my favorite book and I probably won't read it again, but I am glad I read it because I enjoyed the author's first book. This one seemed to leave me confused in a lot of places in the book. There didn't seem to be explainations for some of the actions that left me confused, but I guess it worked because I continued reading to see if I could find out what happened.
The storyline disturbed me a little with Brendan being accused of rape. That is a pretty serious offense and to use it in this type book just seemed a little wrong to me.
This doesn't discourage me from reading any future books she writes because I enjoyed The Frog Prince so much.
The storyline disturbed me a little with Brendan being accused of rape. That is a pretty serious offense and to use it in this type book just seemed a little wrong to me.
This doesn't discourage me from reading any future books she writes because I enjoyed The Frog Prince so much.
June 29, 2012
I don't know if I really liked the story so much, and as with other reviewers - it wasn't all that comical, there were really some heavy issues presented within the context of this book. But, at the end of the day, I didn't want to put it down and I was curious to see how all these imperfect people with imperfect actions were going to come around to reconcile with one another all that had taken place. Impressively, by the end, everyone has reconciled each others actions and continue to live in peace amongst each other regardless of the scandals which had recently been revealed in court and on video...
March 31, 2012
I'm not exactly sure how to rate/review this book. I enjoyed it for the most part and I did find it humorous. However, there is something obnoxious about it. It leaves you hanging for some important piece of the puzzle and then when it gives it to you, there is another thing you have to wait for. Like I said, very hard to explain. I will most likely never read this again. The characters were likeable/relateable and I couldn't put this book down because I had to know what was going to happen next.
March 9, 2013
This book was NOT what I was expecting. I loved the beginning and was completely blind sided by the events that followed. I laughed, but not as much as I thought I would. This was defiantly not a romantic comedy. At times I got really emotional, especially when some of the heavier issues came up. I felt betrayed by the male characters. The story completely sucked me in. I'm not sure how I felt about the ending but it's hard not to give a good review to a book I stayed up till 3 am to finish. I will say I plan on reading version 2, I'm kind of curious to see how much the story will change.
March 23, 2013
I love this book! It was definitely a 'couldn't put it down' book for me! And I cried...a lot. And I laughed...a lot. The writing was witty and excellent. The character development was excellent...I actually feel like I have a new group of friends, but I'm missing them terribly! I just loved, loved the story line and the emotion and the agony and the joy...all of it!
For the more sensitive reader...some swearing with less than a dozen extreme words...that was my only complaint. Love scenes were either short with no detail or the 'fade to black' kind...very well done!
For the more sensitive reader...some swearing with less than a dozen extreme words...that was my only complaint. Love scenes were either short with no detail or the 'fade to black' kind...very well done!
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