What do you think?
Rate this book
Between Heartbeats
Can life change between heartbeats? Diana awakens on her seventeenth birthday in a joyful mood. But at breakfast she is told, during a heated argument with her mother, that the man she has loved as her father is not her father at all. Diana decides to unravel the mystery of her childhood and the reason for their secrets and travels across the country to visit her step-father. And so, Diana begins a journey where she discovers shocking truths hidden just beneath the surface. To further complicate her summer, she meets Kevin Wright, a college junior. When Kevin vanishes without a trace, Diana learns family is more than shared DNA and discovers who will help her when it appears all hope is gone. In Donelle Knudsen’s Young Adult novel, Between Heartbeats, a young woman’s quest to find her roots enables her to discover love and the power of forgiveness.
- GenresRomance
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 17, 2015
1 person is currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Donelle Knudsen
9 books14 followersA native of the Pacific Northwest, Donelle Knudsen was born in Portland, Oregon, and lives in Eastern Washington. She writes short stories, poetry, and memoirs, and owes her love of books and the craft of writing to her late father. She earned a B.S. in Arts & Letters from Portland State University. Donelle is a six-time finalist and two-time award winner in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association’s and Oregon Writers Colony's literary contests. Her published books are memoir, “Through the Tunnel of Love, A Mother’s and Daughter’s Journey with Anorexia.” Novels in The Heartbeat Series, "Between Heartbeats," "Heartbeat Interrupted," "The Heart of One's Imagination," "Timeless Memories of Magic" & "The Barefoot Time Traveler."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 3, 2018
Enjoyable but a lot going on
I have to say I did enjoy this book a lot. I couldn't put it down. The story itself is interesting and compelling. I liked the characters and their development. I would have liked more build up with Kevin and Diana's relationship, it was very insta-love. But once established their love was cute and sweet. I will say there is alot going on in the book and it sometimes became overwhelming. Overall though I loved reading it and like I said before couldn't put it down. I will definitely be looking into more books by this author.
I have to say I did enjoy this book a lot. I couldn't put it down. The story itself is interesting and compelling. I liked the characters and their development. I would have liked more build up with Kevin and Diana's relationship, it was very insta-love. But once established their love was cute and sweet. I will say there is alot going on in the book and it sometimes became overwhelming. Overall though I loved reading it and like I said before couldn't put it down. I will definitely be looking into more books by this author.
September 10, 2015
This is the story of a sixteen year old girl who goes on a journey not only to discover the truth behind her past, but also to discover herself. And, of course, this involves a whole lot of drama. The story starts off normal enough, Donelle is sixteen and lives with her Mom, and like many girls her age, has a pretty hot/cold relationship. . .more rocky than anything else than. The bomb message that her father isn't her real father comes like a tidal wave, especially when Donelle's mother isn't willing to give out any information about the guy. Needless to say, this sets off Donelle's journey to find the truth.
This was an intriguing story with quite a bit of depth and message. Donelle runs up against wall after wall, and is thrown into more and more troubles as she finds her real father and her boyfriend disappears. She deals with it well - all things considered - and one feels for her as she struggles to not go under. Donelle is obviously a strong character, and teenage girls will love all of the drama surrounding with her and how she fights to survive it all.
The plot is well paced and kept me wondering what was going to happen next. There were moments, which I really wondered how Donelle was going to work her way through and found myself engaged in several of her problems. However, there are several things which are never quite worked out and a few questions are left open (perhaps to be settled in a book 2?) If anything, I found there was a little too much going on in this story and felt as if the plot sometimes lost its main string. Still, anyone who loves to watch a character battle her way to find love, stability and some sort of normality in life will enjoy this. Emotion, friendship, betrayal and hope fill the pages, making it an emotional read, one that especially teenage girls will be able to relate to.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was an intriguing story with quite a bit of depth and message. Donelle runs up against wall after wall, and is thrown into more and more troubles as she finds her real father and her boyfriend disappears. She deals with it well - all things considered - and one feels for her as she struggles to not go under. Donelle is obviously a strong character, and teenage girls will love all of the drama surrounding with her and how she fights to survive it all.
The plot is well paced and kept me wondering what was going to happen next. There were moments, which I really wondered how Donelle was going to work her way through and found myself engaged in several of her problems. However, there are several things which are never quite worked out and a few questions are left open (perhaps to be settled in a book 2?) If anything, I found there was a little too much going on in this story and felt as if the plot sometimes lost its main string. Still, anyone who loves to watch a character battle her way to find love, stability and some sort of normality in life will enjoy this. Emotion, friendship, betrayal and hope fill the pages, making it an emotional read, one that especially teenage girls will be able to relate to.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 18, 2015
Received a copy in exchange for an honest review
“She hadn’t cried. It was as if the simplest most natural reaction would have been automatic, but she didn’t have the strength. Crying took energy and she had none to spare.”
5 stars. What an emotional read!! This book was so heartbreaking but so uplifting all at the same time. I love, love, love this book!
Can life change between heartbeats? Diana awakens on her seventeenth birthday in a joyful mood. But at breakfast she is told, during a heated argument with her mother, that the man she has loved as her father is not her father at all. Diana decides to unravel the mystery of her childhood and the reason for their secrets and travels across the country to visit her step-father. And so, Diana begins a journey where she discovers shocking truths hidden just beneath the surface. To further complicate her summer, she meets Kevin Wright, a college junior. When Kevin vanishes without a trace, Diana learns family is more than shared DNA and discovers who will help her when it appears all hope is gone. In Donelle Knudsen’s Young Adult novel, Between Heartbeats, a young woman’s quest to find her roots enables her to discover love and the power of forgiveness.
On her 17th birthday Diana finds out the man she thought was her father, isn’t. After this news she sets out to find out what happened to her childhood. She starts across country visiting her stepfather. Things get even more complicated when she meets Kevin. After their meeting Kevin vanishes, nowhere to be seen. What else will she find out along the way?? And will it destroy everything she’s ever known?? This book was such a powerful read. I enjoyed this book so much!!
**Received a copy in exchange for an honest review. Read and reviewed by Melissa for Alpha Book Club**
“She hadn’t cried. It was as if the simplest most natural reaction would have been automatic, but she didn’t have the strength. Crying took energy and she had none to spare.”
5 stars. What an emotional read!! This book was so heartbreaking but so uplifting all at the same time. I love, love, love this book!
Can life change between heartbeats? Diana awakens on her seventeenth birthday in a joyful mood. But at breakfast she is told, during a heated argument with her mother, that the man she has loved as her father is not her father at all. Diana decides to unravel the mystery of her childhood and the reason for their secrets and travels across the country to visit her step-father. And so, Diana begins a journey where she discovers shocking truths hidden just beneath the surface. To further complicate her summer, she meets Kevin Wright, a college junior. When Kevin vanishes without a trace, Diana learns family is more than shared DNA and discovers who will help her when it appears all hope is gone. In Donelle Knudsen’s Young Adult novel, Between Heartbeats, a young woman’s quest to find her roots enables her to discover love and the power of forgiveness.
On her 17th birthday Diana finds out the man she thought was her father, isn’t. After this news she sets out to find out what happened to her childhood. She starts across country visiting her stepfather. Things get even more complicated when she meets Kevin. After their meeting Kevin vanishes, nowhere to be seen. What else will she find out along the way?? And will it destroy everything she’s ever known?? This book was such a powerful read. I enjoyed this book so much!!
**Received a copy in exchange for an honest review. Read and reviewed by Melissa for Alpha Book Club**
July 21, 2015
** Provided on behalf of the author for an honest review **
Ask yourself this.
What if your life wasn’t as it seems?
What if your life was a lie?
What if everything you thought was real wasn’t?
How would you feel knowing the one person you always trusted, was the one person who betrayed you in the worst possible way?
Welcome to Diana’s world.
Diana. She’s young, only 16 years old. She’s vibrant, has amazing friends, is good in school. Lives with her Mum.
But her relationship with her mother is somewhat strained. It’s at times great, but at times horrible. The fighting, the arguing. It gets Diana down.
But on Dianas 17th birthday, her mother Roberta drops a bomb shell that Diana never sees coming.
It’s crushed her.
She’s hurt.
She needs to find the truth.
But what secrets will be revealed?
Will Diana ever recover?
What will happen to Diana and her mother?
Will they continue to be mother and daughter, or will their relationship be forever broken, tarnished, ruined?
You’ll just have to read Between Heartbeats to find out.
We have never read a novel from Donelle Knudsen before. We also have not read a YA before either, so for us this is new territory.
What we found reading Between Heartbeats was a beautiful, heartfelt read. Full of emotion, you can’t help but be drawn to Diana and her story.
You can feel her hurt, her pain, her hope, her fears.
You are taken on her journey from beginning to end.
New relationships are formed, friends are made, relationships destroyed.
It’s a roller-coaster of emotion.
A truly beautiful story about a girl finding her place in the world, wherever that may be and whoever that may be with.
Thank you to Donelle Knudsen for giving us the opportunity to read and review Between Heartbeats.
A definite 4 star read.
Ask yourself this.
What if your life wasn’t as it seems?
What if your life was a lie?
What if everything you thought was real wasn’t?
How would you feel knowing the one person you always trusted, was the one person who betrayed you in the worst possible way?
Welcome to Diana’s world.
Diana. She’s young, only 16 years old. She’s vibrant, has amazing friends, is good in school. Lives with her Mum.
But her relationship with her mother is somewhat strained. It’s at times great, but at times horrible. The fighting, the arguing. It gets Diana down.
But on Dianas 17th birthday, her mother Roberta drops a bomb shell that Diana never sees coming.
It’s crushed her.
She’s hurt.
She needs to find the truth.
But what secrets will be revealed?
Will Diana ever recover?
What will happen to Diana and her mother?
Will they continue to be mother and daughter, or will their relationship be forever broken, tarnished, ruined?
You’ll just have to read Between Heartbeats to find out.
We have never read a novel from Donelle Knudsen before. We also have not read a YA before either, so for us this is new territory.
What we found reading Between Heartbeats was a beautiful, heartfelt read. Full of emotion, you can’t help but be drawn to Diana and her story.
You can feel her hurt, her pain, her hope, her fears.
You are taken on her journey from beginning to end.
New relationships are formed, friends are made, relationships destroyed.
It’s a roller-coaster of emotion.
A truly beautiful story about a girl finding her place in the world, wherever that may be and whoever that may be with.
Thank you to Donelle Knudsen for giving us the opportunity to read and review Between Heartbeats.
A definite 4 star read.
July 15, 2015
This is a book that is well written and really highlights things that we hear happening on the news, such as a baby's kidnapping from a hospital by an unknown person or persons. It shows the reality of a broken home for some, and the consequences of decisions that are made by the parents that affect the child(ren). Diana is a lovely young lady who has the weight of the world upon her shoulders for most of the book, but she perseveres and comes out feeling lighter at the end. Watch her incredible journey from the kidnapping of her boyfriend, to walking out on her mother, to finding love and happiness. There are some laughs, some groans, some anger, and some tears that can happen while reading this book, depending on the scene that you are reading in the book. I hope that there will be a second book to this, showing how the reunion has affected everything if at all. What is Diana's life like now? A good coming of age story!
RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M.Brennan.
RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M.Brennan.
September 4, 2015
Diana's life changes on her 17th birthday when her Mom tells her the truth about her Dad. Diana starts looking into who her real Dad is, but then it's put on hold when her boyfriend Kevin goes missing. Diana is determined to get Kevin back, and find her roots. Diana will have her life turned upside down when the truth of everything comes out.
September 7, 2015
A nice end of the summer read. I had such a hard time adjusting my feeling with this book. I was so stunned at how the secret was reveal. To me that was the hardest part of the plot. Without saying much into spoiling this book for anyone else, the only thing I can really recommend is that you grab yourself a copy.
*Received for an honest review*
*Received for an honest review*
May 21, 2017
It was awful,the plot, the sentences, sooo annoying!
April 27, 2018
A life can change between heartbeats. This YA novel was a fast-paced and great read. I had a hard time putting it down. The characters draw you in, and it keeps you on your toes with lots of twist and turns. Diana is informed during an argument with her callous mother that the man she believed is her father, is not. Diana sets out on a journey to find out who she is and discovers the power of strength, forgiveness, and love.
October 19, 2015
I was given an ARC book for an honest review free of persuasion from the author or anyone else affiliated with this book.
CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS
I was very confused going into this book. It started off ok, but then there was one big over all plot, and about 7 or more subplots that were involved and it made my head spin with what was going on. I almost had to get out a pen and paper to keep everything straight. Some plots were wrapped up like a nice neat bow, while others where left loose and no idea if there was going to be another book. There is no ending like another book is in the works. The book ended with what could have been the end of a regular novel and many things left to make you think what will happen with the other characters. My head is still spinning.
Between Heartbeats is about this young girl, Dianna, who has a difficult mother that tells her things about her family on her 17th birthday that changes her life forever. These details that her mother tells her changes her perspective on life, love and how she is going to live out her senior year in high school. Dianna, then goes to see her dad, who is a lawyer, and falls for this boy, Kevin, half way across the country. She has to go back to her mothers house and finish out high school before she can even begin to think about being with this boy. When her senior year is about over Kevin goes missing. They think he is someone else (who the story gets involved with but isn't resolved) and he is beaten and left for dead and ends up in Canada of all places for a month before someone finds him.
Many other things happen in this book that is a big factor to the over all plot, however I can not even get into it because I do not know if the author tends to wrap up the story in another book or just leave the loose ends. If I knew there was another book and Donnelle Knudson planned on finishing the story with the other characters I maybe could rate this a better star, however there needs to be more depth with the father character in this story, especially if you plan on using him later on.
If you like a book that leaves you wondering what just happened and what is going to happen to the other characters in the book please pick this up. I particularly did not like it.
CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS
I was very confused going into this book. It started off ok, but then there was one big over all plot, and about 7 or more subplots that were involved and it made my head spin with what was going on. I almost had to get out a pen and paper to keep everything straight. Some plots were wrapped up like a nice neat bow, while others where left loose and no idea if there was going to be another book. There is no ending like another book is in the works. The book ended with what could have been the end of a regular novel and many things left to make you think what will happen with the other characters. My head is still spinning.
Between Heartbeats is about this young girl, Dianna, who has a difficult mother that tells her things about her family on her 17th birthday that changes her life forever. These details that her mother tells her changes her perspective on life, love and how she is going to live out her senior year in high school. Dianna, then goes to see her dad, who is a lawyer, and falls for this boy, Kevin, half way across the country. She has to go back to her mothers house and finish out high school before she can even begin to think about being with this boy. When her senior year is about over Kevin goes missing. They think he is someone else (who the story gets involved with but isn't resolved) and he is beaten and left for dead and ends up in Canada of all places for a month before someone finds him.
Many other things happen in this book that is a big factor to the over all plot, however I can not even get into it because I do not know if the author tends to wrap up the story in another book or just leave the loose ends. If I knew there was another book and Donnelle Knudson planned on finishing the story with the other characters I maybe could rate this a better star, however there needs to be more depth with the father character in this story, especially if you plan on using him later on.
If you like a book that leaves you wondering what just happened and what is going to happen to the other characters in the book please pick this up. I particularly did not like it.
August 31, 2015
This book was a great read. It is fast paced and intriguing. It starts on Diana’s 17th birthday. She learns from her mother that her father isn’t her biological father. Her mother is upset because she is going to visit him for a month during summer break. While visiting her father she meets Kevin and they begin to get to know each other and then start to date. This book is about Diana’s mother Roberta and how Diana begins to think maybe she was kidnapped as a baby and that her mother isn’t her mother. Also Kevin goes missing and Diana gets her father, a lawyer, to help in the search to find him. This book moves very fast but I didn’t feel like I missed anything. I can’t imagine what is would feel like to learn that you were kidnapped as a baby and the person you have thought is your mother your whole life is in fact your kidnapper. Kevin and Diana’s relationship is great to read about. He is super romantic and does all sorts of nice things for her without needing a reason. They have a long distance relationship but that doesn’t seem to matter for them. They talk and text all the time. Diana is going through so much most of the book with Kevin missing and trying to get answers from her mother. Diana’s mother Roberta doesn’t seem to be all there. Everything has to be about her even when it has very little to do with her. She is only worried about how things will affect her. Even when a friend allows her to move in when she loses her house she is mad because she can’t smoke in the house, watch tv whenever she wants, etc. It’s almost like she thinks her friend should change just to suit her. When she appears to be close to getting in trouble she does childish things to make her the victim and the center of attention. The only thing that kinda bugged me was the ending, I felt like I didn’t really get closure with what happened to Kevin. They had a lead but then it was left unfinished. All the characters in this book are great. The story pulled me and I couldn’t put the book down. This is the first book I have read by Donelle but I look forward to reading more books by her in the future.
I was given this book in return for an honest review.
I was given this book in return for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2016
*** 3 Cranky Stars ***
On her seventeenth birthday, Diana wakes in a happy mood, only to have her life ripped out from underneath her. Her mother informs her that the man she loves as her father is not her father at all.
After an argument, Diana decides to unravel the mystery and secrets of her childhood.
Seeking answers, she travels across country to her stepfather, discovering shocking truths hidden beneath the surface.
To further complicate life, Diana meets Kevin Wright, a college junior. When he vanishes without a trace, Diana learns there is more to family than shared DNA.
In Donelle Knudsen’s YA novel, “Between Heartbeats”, a young woman’s quest to find her roots enables her to discover love and the power of forgiveness.
There is a lot to like about this book. The premise is interesting and drew me in, but the execution could have been better. In terms of organization and structure, the book is chaotic. The many sub-plots that run through it were confusing and I found myself re-reading and fact checking to ensure I had not missed a point.
By the end, I was tired and a little disappointed. This book had the potential to be very good, but it needs to be streamlined, keep what is important to the main plot and discard what isn’t.
August 31, 2015
*received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
I want to start by saying that I liked reading about Diana's story,her feelings and emotions throughout the book.
The girl has had some seriously Bad Mojo thrown her way! Her relationship with her mother is very turbulent,it's like a lighter near gasoline,at some point there will be a fire! Diana's mother told her that she should find her real father on the Internet,and she did not have Diana's Birth Certificate. Floored by this bit of news,she goes to visit her "Dad" Glenn. He pushes Roberta to produce the Birth Certificate,and they start searching for Diana's biological father. Well,during the investigation,they come across a startling discovery! You can't help but feel sorry for Diana,after all,she essentially had been living with strangers! The person she always called "mom" was jealous of Diana's life and future. That Jealousy ruined their relationship,now that is sad!
This was a Very Busy book,and hops around a bit! It had several other storylines rolled into it! One involved Diana's boyfriend,Kevin,who disappeared. Another on her father's romantic interests,and possibly his partner's shady son. In the end,there were several loose strings,questions that I would have liked answered. Such as,did Diana mesh/blend in with her family? Did Roberta find peace and happiness? Did Kevin seek and receive Justice? Those are just a few things left unanswered.
Wendy Syposs Litz- Mommy Needs To Read Or She'll Scream,and Fractured Fairy Tales Book Blog
I want to start by saying that I liked reading about Diana's story,her feelings and emotions throughout the book.
The girl has had some seriously Bad Mojo thrown her way! Her relationship with her mother is very turbulent,it's like a lighter near gasoline,at some point there will be a fire! Diana's mother told her that she should find her real father on the Internet,and she did not have Diana's Birth Certificate. Floored by this bit of news,she goes to visit her "Dad" Glenn. He pushes Roberta to produce the Birth Certificate,and they start searching for Diana's biological father. Well,during the investigation,they come across a startling discovery! You can't help but feel sorry for Diana,after all,she essentially had been living with strangers! The person she always called "mom" was jealous of Diana's life and future. That Jealousy ruined their relationship,now that is sad!
This was a Very Busy book,and hops around a bit! It had several other storylines rolled into it! One involved Diana's boyfriend,Kevin,who disappeared. Another on her father's romantic interests,and possibly his partner's shady son. In the end,there were several loose strings,questions that I would have liked answered. Such as,did Diana mesh/blend in with her family? Did Roberta find peace and happiness? Did Kevin seek and receive Justice? Those are just a few things left unanswered.
Wendy Syposs Litz- Mommy Needs To Read Or She'll Scream,and Fractured Fairy Tales Book Blog
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2015
This was an intriguing story with quite a bit of depth and message. Donelle runs up against wall after wall, and is thrown into more and more troubles as she finds her real father and her boyfriend disappears. She deals with it well - all things considered - and one feels for her as she struggles to not go under. Donelle is obviously a strong character, and teenage girls will love all of the drama surrounding with her and how she fights to survive it all.
The plot is well paced and kept me wondering what was going to happen next. There were moments, which I really wondered how Donelle was going to work her way through and found myself engaged in several of her problems. However, there are several things which are never quite worked out and a few questions are left open (perhaps to be settled in a book 2?) If anything, I found there was a little too much going on in this story and felt as if the plot sometimes lost its main string. Still, anyone who loves to watch a character battle her way to find love, stability and some sort of normality in life will enjoy this. Emotion, friendship, betrayal and hope fill the pages, making it an emotional read, one that especially teenage girls will be able to relate to.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 30, 2015
*ARC REVIEW FROM ABIBLIOPHOBIA ANONYMOUS BOOK REVIEWS BLOG*
I'm truly been sitting on this review for a few day's now. This is a hard one for me to write. I hate to say bad thing's about any book, but this is an honest review... so you'll get my honest opinion. Too much was going on, you can get lost.
I'm not sure what the plot was, since there was so much going on. In one story we get kidnapping, suicide attempt, more kidnapping, lies, amnesia, and so much more. Just too much!!
I'm not sure if it's meant for teens or adults. Still on the fence about that.
I'm never one to quit a book, and I like to give it a chance and I did with this one. It's not for me, but it could be your cup of tea.
I'm truly been sitting on this review for a few day's now. This is a hard one for me to write. I hate to say bad thing's about any book, but this is an honest review... so you'll get my honest opinion. Too much was going on, you can get lost.
I'm not sure what the plot was, since there was so much going on. In one story we get kidnapping, suicide attempt, more kidnapping, lies, amnesia, and so much more. Just too much!!
I'm not sure if it's meant for teens or adults. Still on the fence about that.
I'm never one to quit a book, and I like to give it a chance and I did with this one. It's not for me, but it could be your cup of tea.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews