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I Was a Bitch: A Romance Mystery Book
Discover the story of Lacey Jones, former queen bitch, as she tries to put together the pieces of the puzzle that has become her life.
After a horrific accident, Lacey Jones wakes up from a two month long coma only to realize that she’s lost all memory of the last two years. In this time, she has turned from a wallflower into the gorgeous and popular Queen Bee of her high school. Adding to the confusion, she is confronted with two guys who claim to love her; her football star boyfriend and the mysterious and attractive Finn.
Now Lacey has to figure out who she can trust as she starts to put her life back together and slowly discovers what really happened on the night of the accident.
Will she be able to resist her developing feelings for Finn and stay loyal to her boyfriend?
“Absolutely sensational, there are literally no words to sum it up. Any word that means great, or best/better would be an understatement to how good this story really is." - Jordan Young
After a horrific accident, Lacey Jones wakes up from a two month long coma only to realize that she’s lost all memory of the last two years. In this time, she has turned from a wallflower into the gorgeous and popular Queen Bee of her high school. Adding to the confusion, she is confronted with two guys who claim to love her; her football star boyfriend and the mysterious and attractive Finn.
Now Lacey has to figure out who she can trust as she starts to put her life back together and slowly discovers what really happened on the night of the accident.
Will she be able to resist her developing feelings for Finn and stay loyal to her boyfriend?
“Absolutely sensational, there are literally no words to sum it up. Any word that means great, or best/better would be an understatement to how good this story really is." - Jordan Young
509 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 10, 2016
40 people are currently reading
1644 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
May 8, 2018
Show Stopper!
A young adult novel that caught me by the collar.
I've always been an admirer of thick books. Being lost in them for hours and hours on a Sunday. This functioned perfectly well for me.
Story gets you to the action scene where Lacey, the protagonist is lying on the hospital bed and being informed that she has come out of coma after two months. More to that, she has lost her memory of 2 years. When inquired what her age is, she is only able to remember the things she did 2 years back. Quite thrilling, isn't it?
There's more. Unknown people keep coming in her room and informing her that we are related to you. As Lacey gets confused, you also have no options but to bear with her memory loss effects. Because since you knew the situation with Lacey, you are stuck with her story. This is the trick, the author does to you.
Lacey is confused with two angel-looking boys. Derek and Finn. We get to know that Derek is Lacey's boyfriend. Her family is supportive to her. They think of Derek like their family member. And there's Finn, with whom Lacey feels a connection but Lacey's parents don't know who this guy is. She can't decide whom to choose.
What's her real personality?
The plot of this book is commendable. I liked the titles of each chapter. How a teenager's life is like, the author has described it very well. It was fun and humorous most of the times. Seeing the protagonist in the dilemma was a treat but at the same time, you sympathize with her condition.
Emily Ruben has written a fantastically engaging novel. She had be caught up with the issues between Lacey, Derek and Finn. With a lot of mystery and drama, I have surely enjoyed her work to the fullest. I can't wait to read more books by the author.
Verdict : Recommended for Young Adult readers!
October 13, 2016
I was pulled in by the very beginning of the book. From the first chapter, we as readers begin a journey of unraveling a series of events that lead to the main character waking up from a coma. With mysterious people entering her room and her unfortunate memory loss, we can feel the confusion and fear that Lacey feels.
The story moved quickly along with bits and pieces of memory floating in just enough to make her conflicted. She had a boyfriend, yet she wasn't quite comfortable with his attention and his "babe" and most importantly with his potential kisses. Yes, he was handsome, model good looks, we are told that quite often. There is one special person that comes in and Finn is the one she wants to snuggle with and kiss. Yet he as far as she knows might be her gay best friend. He is also amazing to look at with his model good looks and hot body, and we are told that very often. Other than a little bit of redundancy in the good looks department, I loved the book. It had me interested in solving the mystery of what happened to her.
Emily Ruben also had me engaged with the side characters. They were really well fleshed out and had personality and individuality of their own.
I cringed as she found out just how cold she had been before the accident, yet little glimpses of good came through her breakthrough memories on occasion. She was piecing her life together and sharing it with us.
I was so happy to be able to review this book. It was a very good read and I liked how Ms. Ruben kept us in the dark along with Lacy. It as perfectly executed.
The story moved quickly along with bits and pieces of memory floating in just enough to make her conflicted. She had a boyfriend, yet she wasn't quite comfortable with his attention and his "babe" and most importantly with his potential kisses. Yes, he was handsome, model good looks, we are told that quite often. There is one special person that comes in and Finn is the one she wants to snuggle with and kiss. Yet he as far as she knows might be her gay best friend. He is also amazing to look at with his model good looks and hot body, and we are told that very often. Other than a little bit of redundancy in the good looks department, I loved the book. It had me interested in solving the mystery of what happened to her.
Emily Ruben also had me engaged with the side characters. They were really well fleshed out and had personality and individuality of their own.
I cringed as she found out just how cold she had been before the accident, yet little glimpses of good came through her breakthrough memories on occasion. She was piecing her life together and sharing it with us.
I was so happy to be able to review this book. It was a very good read and I liked how Ms. Ruben kept us in the dark along with Lacy. It as perfectly executed.
February 7, 2017
I received this book from the author and I am very glad that I was selected to review! I love the idea of any amnesia story because there is this excitement around being able to start over and meet people again for the very first time. Also, you may be a changed person which is what "kind of" happened with this book.
I enjoyed the POV of Lacey and really liked how the book had started off in the hospital. I also enjoyed piecing everything back together. It was like a unique puzzle just waiting to be finished! And every time you thought that you had all the pieces, another piece was hidden and was thrown out at you and you had to start all over again.
Finn was some seriously hot stuff! I really enjoyed him and loved the times that he and Lacey shared. He really seemed to have his act together and I liked that Lacey could really be herself around him.
I have to say that there were a few times that I was internally screaming and wandering what the heck she was doing??? She had two guys and it seemed like her mind had already been made up but she tended to always string the other one along!
The pacing seemed a bit slow but that totally could just have been me since I just wanted to get to the happy ending of the book:) Thanks to Ms. Ruben for the copy! I adored every minute of it!
I enjoyed the POV of Lacey and really liked how the book had started off in the hospital. I also enjoyed piecing everything back together. It was like a unique puzzle just waiting to be finished! And every time you thought that you had all the pieces, another piece was hidden and was thrown out at you and you had to start all over again.
Finn was some seriously hot stuff! I really enjoyed him and loved the times that he and Lacey shared. He really seemed to have his act together and I liked that Lacey could really be herself around him.
I have to say that there were a few times that I was internally screaming and wandering what the heck she was doing??? She had two guys and it seemed like her mind had already been made up but she tended to always string the other one along!
The pacing seemed a bit slow but that totally could just have been me since I just wanted to get to the happy ending of the book:) Thanks to Ms. Ruben for the copy! I adored every minute of it!
November 15, 2017
I Was A Bitch by Emily Ruben is an awesome story that I so happy I got to read. This wonderful book that had me hooked from the very beginning. I am in such book coma right now as this book is just that outstanding.
What I liked about this book. The first thing that I have to say that I like about this book is that it was written in the only first-person point of view. I was skeptical and wasn’t sure that it would be a good book but it does the story justice since it has us go inside the mind of the main character Lacey and see how hard all of this is for her.
The main character is Lacey Jones a girl that has been in a coma for the last two months and the story starts with her first waking up. After that, it’s all about her trying to get her memories back so that she can understand who she is now. Lacey is the type of girl that is awkward, weird, and a wallflower. She doesn’t mind being any of those things since she is okay with singing at the top of her lungs in pajamas and having her own dance party in her house without knowing that anyone is watching her. She likes to be goofy and eat all the junk food that she wants and is just confused by who this new her is. I also like that she is trying to be true to her relationship with her boyfriend even though she really likes another person.
What I also like about this book is the way that she is getting her memories back. The way that is a flashback here and there about whatever it is and by whatever triggered it. They all don’t come back all at once like some television shows or movies try and portray that happening for memory loss characters.
Another character that I really liked was Finn Evans. He is a big influence on Lacey especially with trying to figure out who she is without really wanting help from anyone. Finn helped her by being there for her and being a great friend, which is what she needed while she was learning how to do some things over. She also trusted Finn more than her other friends. Lacey doesn’t remember her new friends. She is able to be her normal self around Finn. She doesn’t have to pretend to be a bitch. Finn is a good friend for Lacey especially at the beginning and as you go through the book you can see that he likes her more than just a friend and it’s just really adorable.
I love the way that Lacey is comfortable around Finn and that she is pretty funny around him. These two are adorable together even though she was going through a hard time trying to figure out what they were and what that entails for her and her boyfriend Derek.
Another thing that I liked about this book is how Ms. Ruben is easily able to make the reader feel like they are a part of this journey with Lacey. I really liked her obsession with Disney, Youtubers, and the music. It’s really easy to imagine doing those things while remembering what it was like in high school, or for some of the readers that are in high school to think back to just that morning/afternoon. This book is just a really well-written book.
Another thing that I liked about the book was Lacey’s brother and how he picked on her sometimes. Their relationship was cute and he played the big brother part well.
What I disliked about this book. I know this is nitpicky of me to say but sometimes the editing wasn’t really well done. I do know that it wasn’t so bad that it took me out of the book. I have read some books with editing that is so terrible it will take me out of the book but this time it didn’t.
The main character also has some qualities about her that I didn’t like but that also made her a well-rounded person. The things that I didn’t like about Lacey Jones is that she thought it was a good idea to be a bitch to everyone. Whether she cared about them or not, which isn’t good and something that no one should do. She changed who she was in the presence of people that she wanted to impress when she was sixteen. I also didn’t like that she had to hide who she really is and not think that she was good enough on her own to get a scholarship to her dream college.
The next character that I didn’t like happened to be her boyfriend Derek Menson. He is pretty much who you would think a rich jock would be. He didn’t have to worry about anything bad happening to him at all. He also wasn’t really all that nice to Lacey. He was basically an ass to her if she didn’t do everything that he wanted to do especially when he was drunk. He was also very clingy. He was also obsessed with knowing if she was mad at him and if she remembered what happened at the party on the night of her accident. Which she didn’t for most of the book and he was glad that he didn’t have to explain himself to her.
Another thing that I disliked was a bit of the cussing but I know that it’s just normal for teenagers to do. It wasn’t that bad.
What I was iffy about this book. The things that I was iffy about in this book was the way that her parents didn’t talk to her about what happened to their relationship. Since I know that if my parents split when I was around her age in the book I would have had lots of questions. However, not all teenagers really care about their parents.
I Was A Bitch by Emily Ruben is a book that I would gladly read over and over since it’s that good. I am also giving it five stars. I couldn’t put it down. I can honestly say that I would recommend this book to everyone, it’s a book that everyone will enjoy.
Anyways until the next time enjoy this review brought to you by
Baroness’ Book Trove.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If you would like to read more reviews like this one please go to baronessbooktrove.com
What I liked about this book. The first thing that I have to say that I like about this book is that it was written in the only first-person point of view. I was skeptical and wasn’t sure that it would be a good book but it does the story justice since it has us go inside the mind of the main character Lacey and see how hard all of this is for her.
The main character is Lacey Jones a girl that has been in a coma for the last two months and the story starts with her first waking up. After that, it’s all about her trying to get her memories back so that she can understand who she is now. Lacey is the type of girl that is awkward, weird, and a wallflower. She doesn’t mind being any of those things since she is okay with singing at the top of her lungs in pajamas and having her own dance party in her house without knowing that anyone is watching her. She likes to be goofy and eat all the junk food that she wants and is just confused by who this new her is. I also like that she is trying to be true to her relationship with her boyfriend even though she really likes another person.
What I also like about this book is the way that she is getting her memories back. The way that is a flashback here and there about whatever it is and by whatever triggered it. They all don’t come back all at once like some television shows or movies try and portray that happening for memory loss characters.
Another character that I really liked was Finn Evans. He is a big influence on Lacey especially with trying to figure out who she is without really wanting help from anyone. Finn helped her by being there for her and being a great friend, which is what she needed while she was learning how to do some things over. She also trusted Finn more than her other friends. Lacey doesn’t remember her new friends. She is able to be her normal self around Finn. She doesn’t have to pretend to be a bitch. Finn is a good friend for Lacey especially at the beginning and as you go through the book you can see that he likes her more than just a friend and it’s just really adorable.
I love the way that Lacey is comfortable around Finn and that she is pretty funny around him. These two are adorable together even though she was going through a hard time trying to figure out what they were and what that entails for her and her boyfriend Derek.
Another thing that I liked about this book is how Ms. Ruben is easily able to make the reader feel like they are a part of this journey with Lacey. I really liked her obsession with Disney, Youtubers, and the music. It’s really easy to imagine doing those things while remembering what it was like in high school, or for some of the readers that are in high school to think back to just that morning/afternoon. This book is just a really well-written book.
Another thing that I liked about the book was Lacey’s brother and how he picked on her sometimes. Their relationship was cute and he played the big brother part well.
What I disliked about this book. I know this is nitpicky of me to say but sometimes the editing wasn’t really well done. I do know that it wasn’t so bad that it took me out of the book. I have read some books with editing that is so terrible it will take me out of the book but this time it didn’t.
The main character also has some qualities about her that I didn’t like but that also made her a well-rounded person. The things that I didn’t like about Lacey Jones is that she thought it was a good idea to be a bitch to everyone. Whether she cared about them or not, which isn’t good and something that no one should do. She changed who she was in the presence of people that she wanted to impress when she was sixteen. I also didn’t like that she had to hide who she really is and not think that she was good enough on her own to get a scholarship to her dream college.
The next character that I didn’t like happened to be her boyfriend Derek Menson. He is pretty much who you would think a rich jock would be. He didn’t have to worry about anything bad happening to him at all. He also wasn’t really all that nice to Lacey. He was basically an ass to her if she didn’t do everything that he wanted to do especially when he was drunk. He was also very clingy. He was also obsessed with knowing if she was mad at him and if she remembered what happened at the party on the night of her accident. Which she didn’t for most of the book and he was glad that he didn’t have to explain himself to her.
Another thing that I disliked was a bit of the cussing but I know that it’s just normal for teenagers to do. It wasn’t that bad.
What I was iffy about this book. The things that I was iffy about in this book was the way that her parents didn’t talk to her about what happened to their relationship. Since I know that if my parents split when I was around her age in the book I would have had lots of questions. However, not all teenagers really care about their parents.
I Was A Bitch by Emily Ruben is a book that I would gladly read over and over since it’s that good. I am also giving it five stars. I couldn’t put it down. I can honestly say that I would recommend this book to everyone, it’s a book that everyone will enjoy.
Anyways until the next time enjoy this review brought to you by
Baroness’ Book Trove.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If you would like to read more reviews like this one please go to baronessbooktrove.com
May 9, 2018
What a long, infuriating ride this was.
First off, let me just say that I really tried to not hate this book. I mean, I put in a ton of effort. But this was just so seriously not enjoyable for me, at all. I think that this book could've been far better and had a lot of potential!!! But alas, it did not live up to it.
Lacey was an extremely difficult main character to like (or even tolerate, frankly). I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt in the beginning, but after waking up from a two month long coma and loosing 2 years of memory, all she cared about was materialistic shit. For instance: how beautiful she now was, how beautiful her new bffs were, how beautiful Derek was, how beautiful Finn was... and so on and so on. She just came off as extremely shallow to me, even though we're supposed to believe that after her coma she is this whole new person with her priorities straight who just doesn't care about the dumb stuff!! There was seriously never a time where the reader doesn't have to read about how hot or sexy or any other synonym Finn was. I mean, it was literally every. single. page. Lacey is extremely hypocritical throughout this whole story, and I won't ruin it for anyone who still thinks this is worth picking up and reading, but let's just say Lacey really is a bitch. Finn was a nice character but also extremely cocky and not that great of a person when it comes to morals if you really think about it. All of the other character's were just as awful as Lacey and there was NO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT ANYWHERE!!! Sure, the author tried to trick us into believing Lacey developed, but I mean come on girl, . UGH.
Can we also talk about how unrealistic this entire story was? Sure, people go into comas, and sure, people do experience selective amnesia. But in what world does a mother allow her daughter who just got out of a coma because she made the decision to drive drunk and was consequently in a car accident to go off gallivanting around town and never coming home at night??? Personally, I know that had I been in a car accident while I was still in highschool and still living under my mother's roof, I would surely not have been allowed to attend another party when I got out of a coma. Sorry not effin' sorry.
This book lasted way too freaking long and I got to the point where I was skimming at the end. Who needs over 500 pages of a totally predictable, totally nauseating, and totally unsatisfying story? Not me, that's who.
I am never this brutal with reviews. Seriously, I think that all authors are extremely brave for putting their art out there for the world to witness and read. And I try to always respect their work, even when I don't enjoy it. But this needed to go through a more rigorous editing process. It really could've been better, and I'm disappointed that it wasn't. I would give it 0 stars if at all possible. :(
First off, let me just say that I really tried to not hate this book. I mean, I put in a ton of effort. But this was just so seriously not enjoyable for me, at all. I think that this book could've been far better and had a lot of potential!!! But alas, it did not live up to it.
Lacey was an extremely difficult main character to like (or even tolerate, frankly). I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt in the beginning, but after waking up from a two month long coma and loosing 2 years of memory, all she cared about was materialistic shit. For instance: how beautiful she now was, how beautiful her new bffs were, how beautiful Derek was, how beautiful Finn was... and so on and so on. She just came off as extremely shallow to me, even though we're supposed to believe that after her coma she is this whole new person with her priorities straight who just doesn't care about the dumb stuff!! There was seriously never a time where the reader doesn't have to read about how hot or sexy or any other synonym Finn was. I mean, it was literally every. single. page. Lacey is extremely hypocritical throughout this whole story, and I won't ruin it for anyone who still thinks this is worth picking up and reading, but let's just say Lacey really is a bitch. Finn was a nice character but also extremely cocky and not that great of a person when it comes to morals if you really think about it. All of the other character's were just as awful as Lacey and there was NO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT ANYWHERE!!! Sure, the author tried to trick us into believing Lacey developed, but I mean come on girl, . UGH.
Can we also talk about how unrealistic this entire story was? Sure, people go into comas, and sure, people do experience selective amnesia. But in what world does a mother allow her daughter who just got out of a coma because she made the decision to drive drunk and was consequently in a car accident to go off gallivanting around town and never coming home at night??? Personally, I know that had I been in a car accident while I was still in highschool and still living under my mother's roof, I would surely not have been allowed to attend another party when I got out of a coma. Sorry not effin' sorry.
This book lasted way too freaking long and I got to the point where I was skimming at the end. Who needs over 500 pages of a totally predictable, totally nauseating, and totally unsatisfying story? Not me, that's who.
I am never this brutal with reviews. Seriously, I think that all authors are extremely brave for putting their art out there for the world to witness and read. And I try to always respect their work, even when I don't enjoy it. But this needed to go through a more rigorous editing process. It really could've been better, and I'm disappointed that it wasn't. I would give it 0 stars if at all possible. :(
October 12, 2016
Lacey was waking from two months coma after a terrifying accident, and she thought that she was sixteen. Her parents looked older that she remembered them. Trying to comfort her they told her the truth that she was eighteen, and they mentioned Derek, her boyfriend, but nothing helped, she didn’t remember anything of it even her boyfriend. Day by day she was discovering that she was a Queen Bitch in her high school and couldn’t remember who Derek was and why she was her girlfriend, considering that he was the most attractive and gorgeous young man.
How she become the most popular girl in the school, how that was possible she got thousands of likes and followers on FB when she was an ordinary girl, unpopular almost invisible girl in an entire city or that was in the past, two years ago.
I had struggled which book to pick up to be my next currently-reading and saw this book in my inbox marked like an arc. After I had read incredibly romantic and the unforgettable book I was a Bitch seemed to me like an ordinary and straightforward YA book, but I was wrong it was much more it was “read at first sight.” This book is intelligent and well plotted filled with many surprises which made me reading till the end. Surprisingly this book is a debut to Emily Ruben. I found her tone dramatic and narrative which was keeping me awake till the early morning hours. The book wrote in the first person, and the story told in Lacey point of view.
Lacey was a strong, very smart girl and fighter. When she discovered that she had partial amnesia kept that in secret from the others, except her parents and her brother and while Lacey is trying to find out who she was, I enjoyed in suspense. Lacey was the character that gave me a reason to read till the end and cared about her.
I recommend this book to everyone who liked After series by Anna Todd and Did I Mention series by Estelle Maskame.
The publisher provided this book, thank you, David.
How she become the most popular girl in the school, how that was possible she got thousands of likes and followers on FB when she was an ordinary girl, unpopular almost invisible girl in an entire city or that was in the past, two years ago.
I had struggled which book to pick up to be my next currently-reading and saw this book in my inbox marked like an arc. After I had read incredibly romantic and the unforgettable book I was a Bitch seemed to me like an ordinary and straightforward YA book, but I was wrong it was much more it was “read at first sight.” This book is intelligent and well plotted filled with many surprises which made me reading till the end. Surprisingly this book is a debut to Emily Ruben. I found her tone dramatic and narrative which was keeping me awake till the early morning hours. The book wrote in the first person, and the story told in Lacey point of view.
Lacey was a strong, very smart girl and fighter. When she discovered that she had partial amnesia kept that in secret from the others, except her parents and her brother and while Lacey is trying to find out who she was, I enjoyed in suspense. Lacey was the character that gave me a reason to read till the end and cared about her.
I recommend this book to everyone who liked After series by Anna Todd and Did I Mention series by Estelle Maskame.
The publisher provided this book, thank you, David.
October 12, 2016
This was such a fun read. As a high school teacher and former high school student, I am very aware of the social structure that exists in every high school. This book takes a creative approach at looking at this dynamic in a hilarious and sweet way.
Lacey wakes up from a 2 month long coma and cannot remember the last two years of her life. She has besties she doesn't remember and two boys who are telling her they love her. In addition, she learns that the two best friends she remembers aren't around anymore.
Lacey learns that she was a bitch and became one of those people she didn't like very much. How does she navigate this confusing time? With the help of Finn, one of the guys who claims to love her. Everyone says Derek is her boyfriend, but Finn is with her and supports her during this recovery. As Lacey navigates her new life it is full of drama, passion and some sweet moments. This was such a great book and I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend it.
I volunteered to read this ARC.
Lacey wakes up from a 2 month long coma and cannot remember the last two years of her life. She has besties she doesn't remember and two boys who are telling her they love her. In addition, she learns that the two best friends she remembers aren't around anymore.
Lacey learns that she was a bitch and became one of those people she didn't like very much. How does she navigate this confusing time? With the help of Finn, one of the guys who claims to love her. Everyone says Derek is her boyfriend, but Finn is with her and supports her during this recovery. As Lacey navigates her new life it is full of drama, passion and some sweet moments. This was such a great book and I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend it.
I volunteered to read this ARC.
October 13, 2016
★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
There's a moment in teen comedies where the ugly duckling (who's become the beautiful swan, backstabbed/betrayed/turned on/disappointed their life-long friends and become a real jerk) is forced to realize that what they've become and what they've done -- from The DUFF to Can't Buy Me Love and all points between (and probably points earlier), this is a standard and pivotal plot point. Can this be done in a tired and clichéd way? Yup, and regularly is. Can this be done in a creative and worthwhile way? Yup. But it's hard to pull off.
And then Emily Ruben comes along and does this in a creative and worthwhile way -- and makes it look like a walk in the park. Don't get me wrong -- making something look that easy takes a lot of work, I know this. But Ruben makes it look effortless. And one of the many creative things she does with this is who she has tell her protagonist that she's become a bitch -- herself.
Lacey comes out of a coma that's lasted months and doesn't remember the last couple of years. She starts using context clues, Facebook, utter strangers appearing in her hospital room, text messages, etc. to start piecing those two years together. What she learns about herself does not please her. She's in shape -- beyond that, she's in great shape and dresses to flaunt it. Her "friends" are equally hot, as shallow as you'd expect and just nasty to others. Her boyfriend might as well be wearing a Kobra Kai uniform. She's hidden some aspects of her personality -- her sense of humor, kindness, clumsiness, intelligence, bookishness -- and replaced them with, well, not much.
But there's this Finn guy -- who no one seems to know, but he sure seems to know her. Possibly more attractive than her boyfriend, definitely nicer than anyone she's not related to. Just who is he, and what is he to her?
Lacey continues to investigate these questions (and more) while she recovers, goes through physical therapy, and returns to high school. And once she gets some answers -- and some of her memories -- about who she had become in the last two years, she has to make some decisions about who she's going to be from now on.
We don't get a full explanation of why Lacey took the steps she did to become who she became -- but we get enough (and I think Lacey feels the same way). I like the fact that we are left with a few "i" not dotted and a handful of "t"s not crossed. Ruben had to resist a good deal of temptation to keep things vague at points -- kudos to her.
I have a growing impatience for books who maintain dramatic tension through characters not having the guts to be honest with each other, to ask a question, to make a confession (not to a crime, but to something that'll be uncomfortable) -- but that's just me. My notes are full of me complaining about Lacey ducking opportunities to have these conversations. By having her character take this road, Ruben doesn't do anything that 97%+ of writers in all media wouldn't do -- sure, it'd be nice if she swam against the stream, but I can't fault her too much for this.
Outside of those books where the parents/a parent/guardian/older family member turn out to be the villain, I can think of few worse parents than Lacey's. I get that after a few months, they can't afford to spend all day at the hospital -- they have to work to pay the bills. But there are plenty of hours in the day for them to get over there after work -- they regularly spend days without visiting her. And big brother comes back from traveling the world to be with her during her recovery -- and he's barely a presence. Sure, this gives time for her to deal the memory thing and the romantic problems, but it's just done in a way that infuriates parents -- there's no way that any parent worth their salt isn't around more. (it doesn't get much better once she gets out of the hospital, either).
I loved Lacey's voice, her interior monologue -- who she really was. Her use of the phrase "Neville Longbottomed" to describe her physical changes is one of the best things I've read lately. I had a lot of fun reading this book and expect I won't be alone.
As a forty-something father of four -- I'm so not the target audience for this, possibly the furthest from it. But I gotta say, this was an enjoyable and entertaining read.
Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book by Inkitt in exchange for my honest opinions.
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
There's a moment in teen comedies where the ugly duckling (who's become the beautiful swan, backstabbed/betrayed/turned on/disappointed their life-long friends and become a real jerk) is forced to realize that what they've become and what they've done -- from The DUFF to Can't Buy Me Love and all points between (and probably points earlier), this is a standard and pivotal plot point. Can this be done in a tired and clichéd way? Yup, and regularly is. Can this be done in a creative and worthwhile way? Yup. But it's hard to pull off.
And then Emily Ruben comes along and does this in a creative and worthwhile way -- and makes it look like a walk in the park. Don't get me wrong -- making something look that easy takes a lot of work, I know this. But Ruben makes it look effortless. And one of the many creative things she does with this is who she has tell her protagonist that she's become a bitch -- herself.
Lacey comes out of a coma that's lasted months and doesn't remember the last couple of years. She starts using context clues, Facebook, utter strangers appearing in her hospital room, text messages, etc. to start piecing those two years together. What she learns about herself does not please her. She's in shape -- beyond that, she's in great shape and dresses to flaunt it. Her "friends" are equally hot, as shallow as you'd expect and just nasty to others. Her boyfriend might as well be wearing a Kobra Kai uniform. She's hidden some aspects of her personality -- her sense of humor, kindness, clumsiness, intelligence, bookishness -- and replaced them with, well, not much.
But there's this Finn guy -- who no one seems to know, but he sure seems to know her. Possibly more attractive than her boyfriend, definitely nicer than anyone she's not related to. Just who is he, and what is he to her?
Lacey continues to investigate these questions (and more) while she recovers, goes through physical therapy, and returns to high school. And once she gets some answers -- and some of her memories -- about who she had become in the last two years, she has to make some decisions about who she's going to be from now on.
We don't get a full explanation of why Lacey took the steps she did to become who she became -- but we get enough (and I think Lacey feels the same way). I like the fact that we are left with a few "i" not dotted and a handful of "t"s not crossed. Ruben had to resist a good deal of temptation to keep things vague at points -- kudos to her.
I have a growing impatience for books who maintain dramatic tension through characters not having the guts to be honest with each other, to ask a question, to make a confession (not to a crime, but to something that'll be uncomfortable) -- but that's just me. My notes are full of me complaining about Lacey ducking opportunities to have these conversations. By having her character take this road, Ruben doesn't do anything that 97%+ of writers in all media wouldn't do -- sure, it'd be nice if she swam against the stream, but I can't fault her too much for this.
Outside of those books where the parents/a parent/guardian/older family member turn out to be the villain, I can think of few worse parents than Lacey's. I get that after a few months, they can't afford to spend all day at the hospital -- they have to work to pay the bills. But there are plenty of hours in the day for them to get over there after work -- they regularly spend days without visiting her. And big brother comes back from traveling the world to be with her during her recovery -- and he's barely a presence. Sure, this gives time for her to deal the memory thing and the romantic problems, but it's just done in a way that infuriates parents -- there's no way that any parent worth their salt isn't around more. (it doesn't get much better once she gets out of the hospital, either).
I loved Lacey's voice, her interior monologue -- who she really was. Her use of the phrase "Neville Longbottomed" to describe her physical changes is one of the best things I've read lately. I had a lot of fun reading this book and expect I won't be alone.
As a forty-something father of four -- I'm so not the target audience for this, possibly the furthest from it. But I gotta say, this was an enjoyable and entertaining read.
Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book by Inkitt in exchange for my honest opinions.
November 15, 2016
( I received this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review)
This was such a fun read. There were moments when I burst out laughing and there were moments when my heart broke. Lacy wakes up from a two month coma and can't remember anything from the previous two years. She learns that she was in a car accident and everything prior to that is a blur. She struggles to figure out things before the accident and hopes that some of the memories come back to her as well as coming to terms of the person that she had become.
I could not put this book down. I read it in two days and it could have been one. I was hooked from the beginning of the story all the way to the end. This is a good high school drama that has the typical atmosphere of the high school setting. If you liked mean girls you will love this book. Lacy was The Queen Bee of the school. She had the hot perfect boyfriend, two best friends that were her little minions, and every girl wanted to be her. The thing is the Lacy before the Queen Bee status was anything but that. She was quiet and mostly to herself and had best friends since childhood.
She was such a strong character. She wanted to figure things out on her own with out much help and be her own person. She could not believe the person that she was or did the things that she did do. She changed a lot through out the story.
OMG Finn?!? Can I have him? He was perfect and so patient with Lacy. He had his own struggles to deal with but he put her before him. He is boyfriend goals....just saying. Their chemistry together was so beautifully written. I was hoping Lacy would come to her sense eventually.
The writing in this book was so good. I was hooked from the beginning. It wasn't rushed and the build up to the focus of the story was so good. I really loved the Epilogue. I thought it rounded up things pretty nicely. I look forward to reading more works by this author. I think "fickle fackle" will be added to my vocabulary. I loved it.
Rating 4.5 Stars
This was such a fun read. There were moments when I burst out laughing and there were moments when my heart broke. Lacy wakes up from a two month coma and can't remember anything from the previous two years. She learns that she was in a car accident and everything prior to that is a blur. She struggles to figure out things before the accident and hopes that some of the memories come back to her as well as coming to terms of the person that she had become.
I could not put this book down. I read it in two days and it could have been one. I was hooked from the beginning of the story all the way to the end. This is a good high school drama that has the typical atmosphere of the high school setting. If you liked mean girls you will love this book. Lacy was The Queen Bee of the school. She had the hot perfect boyfriend, two best friends that were her little minions, and every girl wanted to be her. The thing is the Lacy before the Queen Bee status was anything but that. She was quiet and mostly to herself and had best friends since childhood.
She was such a strong character. She wanted to figure things out on her own with out much help and be her own person. She could not believe the person that she was or did the things that she did do. She changed a lot through out the story.
OMG Finn?!? Can I have him? He was perfect and so patient with Lacy. He had his own struggles to deal with but he put her before him. He is boyfriend goals....just saying. Their chemistry together was so beautifully written. I was hoping Lacy would come to her sense eventually.
The writing in this book was so good. I was hooked from the beginning. It wasn't rushed and the build up to the focus of the story was so good. I really loved the Epilogue. I thought it rounded up things pretty nicely. I look forward to reading more works by this author. I think "fickle fackle" will be added to my vocabulary. I loved it.
Rating 4.5 Stars
November 6, 2016
"I had no idea why but I felt like I couldn't lie to him. Like he would know, somehow. Besides it was absolutely normal to feel confused after being in a two-month coma. I didn't want to tell him, or anyone, about my two missing years until I figured out what had happened during them and what that trigger event could be.
Lacey Jones was in a coma. When she awakes she finds she wasn't the nicest girl at the local high school. She had two boys on the hook. She doesn't remember any of it. There are a lot of things she doesn't remember. Not even her age. She's missing at least two years. Makes it kind of hard for her to readjust to people she doesn't really recognize, not even her parents.
Somehow she needs to put her life back on track. Can she find the missing pieces? What is the truth of how she ended up in an accident, that put her in a coma to begin with? As she realizes what kind of person she was before the accident, she's actually shocked.
This mystery romance was definitely geared toward the young adult audience. References to things like "Taylor Swift," "Pretty Little Liars" were abundant. The fact she was trying to remember what triggered the memory loss from age sixteen to eighteen, kept me reading to find out the how and why she became the "Queen Bee."
Who will she choose between boyfriends? Who will she choose for herself? Will she see the error of her ways? Will she be the girl that was a bitch, or decide to not be her anymore? A couple surprises that were great for the story line that I didn't see coming. A fun read, some mystery, and a little bit of romance, overall made for an entertaining story!
Thank you Emily Ruben
Lacey Jones was in a coma. When she awakes she finds she wasn't the nicest girl at the local high school. She had two boys on the hook. She doesn't remember any of it. There are a lot of things she doesn't remember. Not even her age. She's missing at least two years. Makes it kind of hard for her to readjust to people she doesn't really recognize, not even her parents.
Somehow she needs to put her life back on track. Can she find the missing pieces? What is the truth of how she ended up in an accident, that put her in a coma to begin with? As she realizes what kind of person she was before the accident, she's actually shocked.
This mystery romance was definitely geared toward the young adult audience. References to things like "Taylor Swift," "Pretty Little Liars" were abundant. The fact she was trying to remember what triggered the memory loss from age sixteen to eighteen, kept me reading to find out the how and why she became the "Queen Bee."
Who will she choose between boyfriends? Who will she choose for herself? Will she see the error of her ways? Will she be the girl that was a bitch, or decide to not be her anymore? A couple surprises that were great for the story line that I didn't see coming. A fun read, some mystery, and a little bit of romance, overall made for an entertaining story!
Thank you Emily Ruben
October 24, 2016
I received a copy of this book directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so much fun! I’ll admit, there were a few pretty blatant typos—the grammar especially seemed to be a problem in the dialogue, but although it stood out, it didn’t keep me from enjoying the story as a whole.
As for the characters—I liked them. Some, like Derick, or Lacey’s two popular best friends, were a bit one-dimensional, but Lacey and Finn were full of depth. As a couple, they were at times sweet, funny, and even steamy. So steamy, in fact, that I’d caution that although this is a YA book, I probably wouldn’t hand it to my 13-year-old. It’s bordering on NA.
The only true problem I had with the story was the ending. There was a cheesy, very Mean Girls moment of social confrontation and apology, and I get it… it was an ideal teen drama moment—but…. it was very cheesy.
Overall, I really liked the story. I think it could have used a little polishing, but I’m glad to have read it, and I’d probably read it again. If you enjoy teen romance stories full of mean girls, amnesia, and popularity drama, you’ll probably like it too.
This book was so much fun! I’ll admit, there were a few pretty blatant typos—the grammar especially seemed to be a problem in the dialogue, but although it stood out, it didn’t keep me from enjoying the story as a whole.
As for the characters—I liked them. Some, like Derick, or Lacey’s two popular best friends, were a bit one-dimensional, but Lacey and Finn were full of depth. As a couple, they were at times sweet, funny, and even steamy. So steamy, in fact, that I’d caution that although this is a YA book, I probably wouldn’t hand it to my 13-year-old. It’s bordering on NA.
The only true problem I had with the story was the ending. There was a cheesy, very Mean Girls moment of social confrontation and apology, and I get it… it was an ideal teen drama moment—but…. it was very cheesy.
Overall, I really liked the story. I think it could have used a little polishing, but I’m glad to have read it, and I’d probably read it again. If you enjoy teen romance stories full of mean girls, amnesia, and popularity drama, you’ll probably like it too.
October 8, 2016
This book was really great. I enjoyed Lacey's story and all the details of what happened to her. I loved the twist on amnesia. It was a different approach and I appreciated that.
There were a few things I didn't like but I'll include them in my full review - which is coming soon.
There were a few things I didn't like but I'll include them in my full review - which is coming soon.
June 17, 2019
Holy smokes
This book is hands down amazing. I must the foul language is bad throughout it but it is used in conversations and that is how people do talk.
Lacey woke up from a coma thinking she is 16 only she is 18 and gorgeous with a sexy boyfriend. Will her memories come back? Who is this Finn guy who I always around and knows her so well but no one else knows him. This books goes through many twists and turns but you will not want to put the book down. I highly recommend this book to be read.
This book is hands down amazing. I must the foul language is bad throughout it but it is used in conversations and that is how people do talk.
Lacey woke up from a coma thinking she is 16 only she is 18 and gorgeous with a sexy boyfriend. Will her memories come back? Who is this Finn guy who I always around and knows her so well but no one else knows him. This books goes through many twists and turns but you will not want to put the book down. I highly recommend this book to be read.
December 3, 2017
This book was a really good read. I had to stop and come back to read it and refused to stop until I was done and glad I did. I was really happy about how Lacey that changed her ways and realized that you do not have to be a bitch for people to like you. I was glad that her and Finn was able to come together and be each other backbone of what loves really should be. Awesome read. This book does not disappoint.
May 26, 2018
Funny, romantic and refreshing! A fun read and amazing adventure.
November 25, 2016
This book was given to me for an honest review.
5 stars
Have you ever wandered what if I really had selective memory, or lets say selective amnesia? What would happen if you would forget two years of your life and you didn't remember who you were exactly? I keep trying to imagine if I woke up and found out I wasn't who I actually was. That I hurt people that I never thought I would? I'm trying to put into words how this book was and I was just in awe of how Lacey did what she did. She not only had to overcome forgetting what she was, but also had to reinvent herself in this book. An accident that she could have died in, but instead made her think that she was sixteen. Trying to put her life back together after being in a coma for 2 months and then learning to walk again and lets not get started not knowing if she will ever get her last two years back. The doctors say selective amnesia, it could come back in pieces, all at once, or not at all. How Lacey dealt with not knowing was perfect. Lacey's life couldn't get more complicated could it? But yes it could she has two men that come to see her in the hospital. Who are they to her and why does she feel like one of them is the key to her remembering? This story is not only one of the most interesting that I have read, but it keeps you reading till the end. Redemption is not the easiest thing to earn, but if you do it right it won't matter because its more for yourself than anything. The story shows you how when you picked one way to go, there is always an alternative and that was something that made this book so interesting. The story line grips you from the beginning, tells you a story of what could be, and shows that life throws you a lot, but you can always find your out.
Lacey is one of the strongest woman I have read about. She has to go through so much to find out what happen that night, two months ago. She has visitors in the hospital that she doesn't remember at all. Her best friends, Derek, and Finn. As the days goes on she finds that the only time she feels like she connects to someone is Finn. At one point she feels that he is the key to unlocking what happened that night. I loved Lacey. She woke up, didn't know anything except she lost 2 years and that everything around her was different. That would be difficult to handle, but she decided to figure out her life. Her determination and whole demeanor in this book was brilliant in this book. She took a situation and ran with it. Her ability to decipher that people were hiding things and instead of confronting she waited. I would have never been able to do this. Derek is a frustrating character. I can't say much, but I have to say that he knows things that he keeps hidden. He is the jock of the book. Star football player and he knows more that he is telling Lacey. Finn is such a good guy. He is another person that knows more that he lets on, but he doesn't have ulterior motives. He wants to help, but he wants Lacey to remember everything. There are so many key elements in this book, that if I tell you too much I will give away the story.
Lacey is not completely innocent, not close, but what this book does is gives you a glimpse of a life that she couldn't remember, a life that she dreams she has, and the then the life that she makes after the accident. Everything about this book stands out to me. The mystery of what happened that night, who Lacey is, who she was, and what will happen in the end. All I have to say is that I absolutely love every chapter of this book. The beginning of this book draws you in, the ending gives you completeness, and the middle has all the excitement that you need. I can't tell you how glad I was to read this book and to finally learn the whole story of that night.
5 stars
Have you ever wandered what if I really had selective memory, or lets say selective amnesia? What would happen if you would forget two years of your life and you didn't remember who you were exactly? I keep trying to imagine if I woke up and found out I wasn't who I actually was. That I hurt people that I never thought I would? I'm trying to put into words how this book was and I was just in awe of how Lacey did what she did. She not only had to overcome forgetting what she was, but also had to reinvent herself in this book. An accident that she could have died in, but instead made her think that she was sixteen. Trying to put her life back together after being in a coma for 2 months and then learning to walk again and lets not get started not knowing if she will ever get her last two years back. The doctors say selective amnesia, it could come back in pieces, all at once, or not at all. How Lacey dealt with not knowing was perfect. Lacey's life couldn't get more complicated could it? But yes it could she has two men that come to see her in the hospital. Who are they to her and why does she feel like one of them is the key to her remembering? This story is not only one of the most interesting that I have read, but it keeps you reading till the end. Redemption is not the easiest thing to earn, but if you do it right it won't matter because its more for yourself than anything. The story shows you how when you picked one way to go, there is always an alternative and that was something that made this book so interesting. The story line grips you from the beginning, tells you a story of what could be, and shows that life throws you a lot, but you can always find your out.
Lacey is one of the strongest woman I have read about. She has to go through so much to find out what happen that night, two months ago. She has visitors in the hospital that she doesn't remember at all. Her best friends, Derek, and Finn. As the days goes on she finds that the only time she feels like she connects to someone is Finn. At one point she feels that he is the key to unlocking what happened that night. I loved Lacey. She woke up, didn't know anything except she lost 2 years and that everything around her was different. That would be difficult to handle, but she decided to figure out her life. Her determination and whole demeanor in this book was brilliant in this book. She took a situation and ran with it. Her ability to decipher that people were hiding things and instead of confronting she waited. I would have never been able to do this. Derek is a frustrating character. I can't say much, but I have to say that he knows things that he keeps hidden. He is the jock of the book. Star football player and he knows more that he is telling Lacey. Finn is such a good guy. He is another person that knows more that he lets on, but he doesn't have ulterior motives. He wants to help, but he wants Lacey to remember everything. There are so many key elements in this book, that if I tell you too much I will give away the story.
Lacey is not completely innocent, not close, but what this book does is gives you a glimpse of a life that she couldn't remember, a life that she dreams she has, and the then the life that she makes after the accident. Everything about this book stands out to me. The mystery of what happened that night, who Lacey is, who she was, and what will happen in the end. All I have to say is that I absolutely love every chapter of this book. The beginning of this book draws you in, the ending gives you completeness, and the middle has all the excitement that you need. I can't tell you how glad I was to read this book and to finally learn the whole story of that night.
October 23, 2017
I LOVED this book. Couldn't put it down.
December 5, 2016
Thank you Inkitt for sending me a copy of I was a Bitch to review!
I was intrigued by this book from the very first page. The synopsis sounded so mysterious and thrilling and I couldn’t wait to read it. I was so excited when the publisher contacted me and told me he could ship me a physical copy to Australia!
“It was kind of scary come to think about it. My Queen Bitch act had worked very well though, so I had come to a conclusion. I was a bitch.”
The story follows Lacey who wakes up from a coma with two years worth of memory loss. After interacting with her so called friends and boyfriend, she comes to a conclusion, she was a bitch, but not just any bitch, the Queen bitch. But with two years of memory loss, Lacey doesn’t understand how she could have turned into such a terrible person. *Enter Finn* Finn makes her feel happy and safe and he is the one person she can be herself around. When flashbacks start coming back to her, she knows she can trust Finn to help her figure out what happened that night of the accident. But the real question is, after everything she finds out, can she go back to her old life or can she turn it around and be who she really is.
Stories about amnesia really intrigue me and this one was definitely towards the top of the list. The plot was throughly thought out, really interesting and was filled with heaps of surprises that just made you want to keep reading. Lacey was such a strong willed character. She didn’t want anyone to act differently around her so she kept her amnesia a secret from everyone (except from her family) while she figured out who she really was. Her internal commentary was hilarious and I just couldn’t get enough. Throughout the whole book we get to see her struggle with coming to terms at who she was and who she wants to be. I absolutely loved Finn. He was such a sweet, caring, understanding (not to mention undeniably good looking) guy. You could see how much he loved Lacey and how much he wanted to help her, so much that he didn’t stop her from making her own decisions (like continuing her relationship with Derek so she could figure out what happened on the night of the accident even though he knew he was a heartless pig). That point though kind of annoyed me. Lacey continued to be with Derek even after she realised she didn’t even like him and kept stringing Finn along as well. They had obviously been seeing each other in secret before the accident and even when she realises that she might love Finn she still does it and that was really not fair to him. I was so happy once she finally made a decision and booted Derek from her life! I loved Finn and Lacey’s moments together and I loved seeing her slowly remembering who he was to her. It was so cute!
I really liked how the story progressed and how we got to see more into Lacey’s past. The only thing I didn’t like was we didn’t really get to see exactly how Lacey turned from a shy, nice and sensitive girl into a Queen bitch. But maybe that was a good thing because it created more intrigue to the story. I felt like maybe it also went on a bit too long. I think that there were some unimportant parts that could have been cut out to make the story more to the point.
Overall I loved reading this book and discovering the mystery of what really happened along with Lacey. I love love loved the ending to the story! I thought it was an absolutely perfect ending to such a brilliant book!
Visit The Fictional Realm for more reviews!
I was intrigued by this book from the very first page. The synopsis sounded so mysterious and thrilling and I couldn’t wait to read it. I was so excited when the publisher contacted me and told me he could ship me a physical copy to Australia!
“It was kind of scary come to think about it. My Queen Bitch act had worked very well though, so I had come to a conclusion. I was a bitch.”
The story follows Lacey who wakes up from a coma with two years worth of memory loss. After interacting with her so called friends and boyfriend, she comes to a conclusion, she was a bitch, but not just any bitch, the Queen bitch. But with two years of memory loss, Lacey doesn’t understand how she could have turned into such a terrible person. *Enter Finn* Finn makes her feel happy and safe and he is the one person she can be herself around. When flashbacks start coming back to her, she knows she can trust Finn to help her figure out what happened that night of the accident. But the real question is, after everything she finds out, can she go back to her old life or can she turn it around and be who she really is.
Stories about amnesia really intrigue me and this one was definitely towards the top of the list. The plot was throughly thought out, really interesting and was filled with heaps of surprises that just made you want to keep reading. Lacey was such a strong willed character. She didn’t want anyone to act differently around her so she kept her amnesia a secret from everyone (except from her family) while she figured out who she really was. Her internal commentary was hilarious and I just couldn’t get enough. Throughout the whole book we get to see her struggle with coming to terms at who she was and who she wants to be. I absolutely loved Finn. He was such a sweet, caring, understanding (not to mention undeniably good looking) guy. You could see how much he loved Lacey and how much he wanted to help her, so much that he didn’t stop her from making her own decisions (like continuing her relationship with Derek so she could figure out what happened on the night of the accident even though he knew he was a heartless pig). That point though kind of annoyed me. Lacey continued to be with Derek even after she realised she didn’t even like him and kept stringing Finn along as well. They had obviously been seeing each other in secret before the accident and even when she realises that she might love Finn she still does it and that was really not fair to him. I was so happy once she finally made a decision and booted Derek from her life! I loved Finn and Lacey’s moments together and I loved seeing her slowly remembering who he was to her. It was so cute!
I really liked how the story progressed and how we got to see more into Lacey’s past. The only thing I didn’t like was we didn’t really get to see exactly how Lacey turned from a shy, nice and sensitive girl into a Queen bitch. But maybe that was a good thing because it created more intrigue to the story. I felt like maybe it also went on a bit too long. I think that there were some unimportant parts that could have been cut out to make the story more to the point.
Overall I loved reading this book and discovering the mystery of what really happened along with Lacey. I love love loved the ending to the story! I thought it was an absolutely perfect ending to such a brilliant book!
Visit The Fictional Realm for more reviews!
October 25, 2016
Lacey Amanda Jones wakes up from a two-month-long coma to find she has lost the last two years of her memories. She can’t remember the accident that caused her memory loss. She doesn’t remember the handsome football player who is supposed to be her boyfriend. She doesn’t remember the two girls who claim to be her best friends. She doesn’t remember the even more handsome guy who she seems to like even better than the supposed boyfriend. And she doesn’t even remember herself.
Apparently, during the two years she couldn’t remember, she somehow changed from a normal human being to an amazingly beautiful first-class bitch. And now she doesn’t much like the person she became.
Her doctor suggests that her family can help her recover her memories, but her parents are no help at all. In fact, during the time she remains in the hospital they barely visit her at all, although they have apparently practically lived there while she was in the coma. And Lacey doesn’t do much to help herself recover her memories. She feels she can’t trust her friends to know that she doesn’t remember everything, so she does her best to hide the fact from them. The boyfriend, in particular, seems anxious that she should not remember anything, particularly about the accident that caused her coma.
The only people who are the least help are Lacey’s brother James and Finn, the sexy guy who is not her boyfriend. She does trust James enough to ask about the past two years, and he tells her their parents have been separated for about that long. Finn lets her borrow his computer to spy on the person she has become and also does some investigating on his own. Her parents’ separation seems to have somehow fueled her transformation into a popular bitch, but Lacey has a much harder time trying to figure out why she is more attracted to Finn than to her supposed boyfriend. And once she begins to remember bits of her past, she also has trouble trying to understand why he is her boyfriend in the first place.
The story is engaging and keeps your attention all the way through. However, there are some elements that are a little far-fetched. Like how Lacey manages to not only graduate from high school but even gets the scholarship that she thought she needed to sleep her way to merely by dint of hard work. She somehow makes up for not only two months in a coma and about another month of not doing much except hanging out with Finn but also at least several months before that of mostly drinking and hard partying even before the accident.
There are some major stylistic nuisances, however. Lacey can’t manage to lay eyes on either Finn or Derek (the boyfriend) without remarking again how hot and good-looking they are. And her repeated references to monkeys in her stomach that act up every time she sees Finn (as in every time she so much as glances over at him again) are cute at first, but after thirty chapters they start to get a little old. The same with the full-body blushes at his every utterance. If some of these references were trimmed down, the book could probably be 25% shorter.
Apparently, during the two years she couldn’t remember, she somehow changed from a normal human being to an amazingly beautiful first-class bitch. And now she doesn’t much like the person she became.
Her doctor suggests that her family can help her recover her memories, but her parents are no help at all. In fact, during the time she remains in the hospital they barely visit her at all, although they have apparently practically lived there while she was in the coma. And Lacey doesn’t do much to help herself recover her memories. She feels she can’t trust her friends to know that she doesn’t remember everything, so she does her best to hide the fact from them. The boyfriend, in particular, seems anxious that she should not remember anything, particularly about the accident that caused her coma.
The only people who are the least help are Lacey’s brother James and Finn, the sexy guy who is not her boyfriend. She does trust James enough to ask about the past two years, and he tells her their parents have been separated for about that long. Finn lets her borrow his computer to spy on the person she has become and also does some investigating on his own. Her parents’ separation seems to have somehow fueled her transformation into a popular bitch, but Lacey has a much harder time trying to figure out why she is more attracted to Finn than to her supposed boyfriend. And once she begins to remember bits of her past, she also has trouble trying to understand why he is her boyfriend in the first place.
The story is engaging and keeps your attention all the way through. However, there are some elements that are a little far-fetched. Like how Lacey manages to not only graduate from high school but even gets the scholarship that she thought she needed to sleep her way to merely by dint of hard work. She somehow makes up for not only two months in a coma and about another month of not doing much except hanging out with Finn but also at least several months before that of mostly drinking and hard partying even before the accident.
There are some major stylistic nuisances, however. Lacey can’t manage to lay eyes on either Finn or Derek (the boyfriend) without remarking again how hot and good-looking they are. And her repeated references to monkeys in her stomach that act up every time she sees Finn (as in every time she so much as glances over at him again) are cute at first, but after thirty chapters they start to get a little old. The same with the full-body blushes at his every utterance. If some of these references were trimmed down, the book could probably be 25% shorter.
December 12, 2016
Mon avis en Français
My English review
When I saw the synopsis of the story, I was immediately intrigued. It must be said that it is always intriguing to follow the Queen of High School, especially when she wakes up after a serious accident and that she does not remember anything of the last two years …
I did not know about Emily Ruben but it was very funny to learn that she was French and published in English. But let’s go back to the story because as I said we discover Lacey after a coma of two months. It is not easy for an 18-year-old girl to believe she is still 16 and not to understand what may have happened all this time when everyone expects her to be her older self. So we are launched into her story trying to discover her past with her and to understand how she got there. It is, however, complicated to understand how she has changed so much, this girl who was left behind has become the queen, the one who is invited to all the parties, who is courted by everyone, who is now mean with those whom she considers inferior. And then we meet Derek, her boyfriend, and we understand that he tries to hide something. We also have Finn, this boy whom she seems close to but she fails to understand the relationship she has with him. Yes, many questions and we will gradually discover her past as well as what really happened. This is even more difficult for her in fact because she does not want to reveal to anyone that she has forgotten her life.
I was really hooked on the story from the first chapter and I was curious to discover Lacey and to understand her better. We connect easily to her character especially when we see that she does not understand how she could change so much. It is rather frustrating for her, as for us, not to have all the answers at once, but they will arrive in time. The flashbacks will help us but will also leave doubt. Her relationship with Finn is very touching, especially when we see how this boy wants to help her and to be there for her. As for Derek, it’s very hard to really understand what he wants, but we also understand Lacey who stays at distance while trying to remember the person she is … And yet does she really desire it?
This desire not to say a thing about this loss of memory will place our heroine in crazy situations sometimes and even if we imagine several things regarding the reason for her accident, I confess that I did not see this revelation coming. Yes, I was carried away by the short chapters that the author presents to us and I was really eager to discover the whole truth and to see how Lacey would act accordingly.
My English review
When I saw the synopsis of the story, I was immediately intrigued. It must be said that it is always intriguing to follow the Queen of High School, especially when she wakes up after a serious accident and that she does not remember anything of the last two years …
I did not know about Emily Ruben but it was very funny to learn that she was French and published in English. But let’s go back to the story because as I said we discover Lacey after a coma of two months. It is not easy for an 18-year-old girl to believe she is still 16 and not to understand what may have happened all this time when everyone expects her to be her older self. So we are launched into her story trying to discover her past with her and to understand how she got there. It is, however, complicated to understand how she has changed so much, this girl who was left behind has become the queen, the one who is invited to all the parties, who is courted by everyone, who is now mean with those whom she considers inferior. And then we meet Derek, her boyfriend, and we understand that he tries to hide something. We also have Finn, this boy whom she seems close to but she fails to understand the relationship she has with him. Yes, many questions and we will gradually discover her past as well as what really happened. This is even more difficult for her in fact because she does not want to reveal to anyone that she has forgotten her life.
I was really hooked on the story from the first chapter and I was curious to discover Lacey and to understand her better. We connect easily to her character especially when we see that she does not understand how she could change so much. It is rather frustrating for her, as for us, not to have all the answers at once, but they will arrive in time. The flashbacks will help us but will also leave doubt. Her relationship with Finn is very touching, especially when we see how this boy wants to help her and to be there for her. As for Derek, it’s very hard to really understand what he wants, but we also understand Lacey who stays at distance while trying to remember the person she is … And yet does she really desire it?
This desire not to say a thing about this loss of memory will place our heroine in crazy situations sometimes and even if we imagine several things regarding the reason for her accident, I confess that I did not see this revelation coming. Yes, I was carried away by the short chapters that the author presents to us and I was really eager to discover the whole truth and to see how Lacey would act accordingly.
October 17, 2016
I received a ARC of this book for review.
I was hooked from the very beginning of this book. It started off really good with Lacey waking up from her coma and finding out she can't remember the last two years of her life. She meets her two best friends, her super hot boyfriend Derek, and there's Finn who is mystery but is always there for he when she needs him and the only person she feels she could be herself with.
It was interesting to see Lacey try to unravel he mystery of her life. She gets flashback here and there, but most times it leaves her more confused than relieved. I think Emily Ruben did a great job portraying Lacey's point of view and feeling what she felt. I know I would be frustrated.
Finn is probably my favorite person in this whole book because he is so sweet and those moments hes with Lacey are just so great. I can't really speak on the other characters but I think they added to the mystery of Lacey's life and were great supporting characters. Lacey's family was also something I loved. The relationship with her brother really touched me. When she first saw him after she woke up was one of my favorite moments in the whole book.
I think Emily Ruben did such a great job writing this book. It is so complex and it was so fun and nail biting unraveling the thread that is Lacey's life. So sorry I can't give you more, but I think going in with no details adds to the story.
I will say that I didn't much like Lacey. I'm sorry. I don't like that she obsesses over how hot Derek and Finn are. I don't need to constantly know that. She also seemed to constantly talk about how hot her body was. This gave me the feeling that she was too superficial. This made things hard because I felt that instead of her deciding what to do with her life moving on from waking up from her coma, she strung Derek and Finn along just in case she was making a wrong decision when she got her memory back, making sure she got one of them in the end.
If the title is intriguing enough, you won't be disappointed with this book. Its really good and not like anything I've read before.
I was hooked from the very beginning of this book. It started off really good with Lacey waking up from her coma and finding out she can't remember the last two years of her life. She meets her two best friends, her super hot boyfriend Derek, and there's Finn who is mystery but is always there for he when she needs him and the only person she feels she could be herself with.
It was interesting to see Lacey try to unravel he mystery of her life. She gets flashback here and there, but most times it leaves her more confused than relieved. I think Emily Ruben did a great job portraying Lacey's point of view and feeling what she felt. I know I would be frustrated.
Finn is probably my favorite person in this whole book because he is so sweet and those moments hes with Lacey are just so great. I can't really speak on the other characters but I think they added to the mystery of Lacey's life and were great supporting characters. Lacey's family was also something I loved. The relationship with her brother really touched me. When she first saw him after she woke up was one of my favorite moments in the whole book.
I think Emily Ruben did such a great job writing this book. It is so complex and it was so fun and nail biting unraveling the thread that is Lacey's life. So sorry I can't give you more, but I think going in with no details adds to the story.
I will say that I didn't much like Lacey. I'm sorry. I don't like that she obsesses over how hot Derek and Finn are. I don't need to constantly know that. She also seemed to constantly talk about how hot her body was. This gave me the feeling that she was too superficial. This made things hard because I felt that instead of her deciding what to do with her life moving on from waking up from her coma, she strung Derek and Finn along just in case she was making a wrong decision when she got her memory back, making sure she got one of them in the end.
If the title is intriguing enough, you won't be disappointed with this book. Its really good and not like anything I've read before.
October 22, 2016
Lacey Jones is Queen Bitch, and has been for two years. Unfortunately due to a horrific car crash, she suffered a two month coma and two years of memory loss.
Derek is her model hot, total jock, top of the food chain boyfriend with a list of issues- hidden of course. He's desperate to find out if she remembers the party on the night of her car crash and insists on asking whenever possible.
Finn is also her boyfriend, equally hot, less of a jock, without the list of issues- all around lovable, devoted partner.
Lacey remembers neither. She wakes up as a sixteen year old virgin wondering how she got such a gorgeous body and two guys pining for her attention.
She's in over her head.
Can she manage to fall in love with Finn once again and discover why she's with Derek to begin with? Or will she let the love of her life slip through her fingers once more.
She has her work cut out for her- especially since graduation is around the corner and she doesn't remember the last two years of education.
With her life turned up side down, her love life on the line, college a slim possibility and complete backstabbing friends to tend with, can she pull off the impossible?
Negatives:
- Many grammatical and spelling errors throughout the entire manuscript.
- Repetitive use of 'Monkeys doing (insert handstands, high fives etc) in stomach' throughout entire story.
- Many repeated (copy and pasted) paragraphs of memories sending a negative vibe of deja vu.
Truly intended for teens 14-17- being an adult I felt burdened by the high-school petty drama, the constant need for internal dialogue and expression which I'm sure a teenager could relate to.
While as an adult my rating would be a 2/3 out of 5- I can appreciate the work for who it is geared towards- teens and won't fault the book for not being my cup of tea.
Recommended for teens only.
Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Derek is her model hot, total jock, top of the food chain boyfriend with a list of issues- hidden of course. He's desperate to find out if she remembers the party on the night of her car crash and insists on asking whenever possible.
Finn is also her boyfriend, equally hot, less of a jock, without the list of issues- all around lovable, devoted partner.
Lacey remembers neither. She wakes up as a sixteen year old virgin wondering how she got such a gorgeous body and two guys pining for her attention.
She's in over her head.
Can she manage to fall in love with Finn once again and discover why she's with Derek to begin with? Or will she let the love of her life slip through her fingers once more.
She has her work cut out for her- especially since graduation is around the corner and she doesn't remember the last two years of education.
With her life turned up side down, her love life on the line, college a slim possibility and complete backstabbing friends to tend with, can she pull off the impossible?
Negatives:
- Many grammatical and spelling errors throughout the entire manuscript.
- Repetitive use of 'Monkeys doing (insert handstands, high fives etc) in stomach' throughout entire story.
- Many repeated (copy and pasted) paragraphs of memories sending a negative vibe of deja vu.
Truly intended for teens 14-17- being an adult I felt burdened by the high-school petty drama, the constant need for internal dialogue and expression which I'm sure a teenager could relate to.
While as an adult my rating would be a 2/3 out of 5- I can appreciate the work for who it is geared towards- teens and won't fault the book for not being my cup of tea.
Recommended for teens only.
Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 29, 2016
Lacey was a bitch. But two months in coma, two years if missing memory changes a lot of things except that she still acts like a bitch. To keep up appearances, to make sure no one suspects there's something wrong with her, I don't care about the reasons. I just didn't like her character. And if her hidden inner cute self was supposed to make me relate to her, it didn't. It just infuriated me more that she was such a two-faced bitch. No matter the reason.
Now to the other characters, Melissa and Claire, the same two minions of queen bitch like in every high school chick lit book or movie. One who admires the girl and wants to be her second for the rest of her high school life, and other who is secretly jealous and wants to take her place. (I'll let you figure out who is who).
And any such book is incomplete without a love triangle right? Two incredibly hot model-like boys (as the author describes again and again) both in love with the same girl. Except that one of them is a jerk and Lacey's boyfriend and other incredibly sweet one might just be her gay best friend. Perks of losing her memory. She doesn't have to chose yet. She lets the pieces fall where they may.
Now for the writing style, the fangirl in me loved the movies and song references. But Kisses and Lace drooling after the hot boys every 2 pages, well it got irritating after a while. Okay I got it he has a cute butt! Stop thinking and saying that AGAIN AND AGAIN.
I didn't wish for a happy ending on this one. I really didn't. But that's what happened.
So 1 star for Finn (Because I loved him), 2nd star for how cute Zoey and Lacey were together! And the last star because even though the story was a little cliche and way too long, I didn't even think to stop reading. So that's some magic you got there Miss Ruben.
I got a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Now to the other characters, Melissa and Claire, the same two minions of queen bitch like in every high school chick lit book or movie. One who admires the girl and wants to be her second for the rest of her high school life, and other who is secretly jealous and wants to take her place. (I'll let you figure out who is who).
And any such book is incomplete without a love triangle right? Two incredibly hot model-like boys (as the author describes again and again) both in love with the same girl. Except that one of them is a jerk and Lacey's boyfriend and other incredibly sweet one might just be her gay best friend. Perks of losing her memory. She doesn't have to chose yet. She lets the pieces fall where they may.
Now for the writing style, the fangirl in me loved the movies and song references. But Kisses and Lace drooling after the hot boys every 2 pages, well it got irritating after a while. Okay I got it he has a cute butt! Stop thinking and saying that AGAIN AND AGAIN.
I didn't wish for a happy ending on this one. I really didn't. But that's what happened.
So 1 star for Finn (Because I loved him), 2nd star for how cute Zoey and Lacey were together! And the last star because even though the story was a little cliche and way too long, I didn't even think to stop reading. So that's some magic you got there Miss Ruben.
I got a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
April 15, 2017
From the very beginning this book had me hooked, a high school girl who wakes up in hospital after a car accident after being in a coma for two months. She has no memory of the last two years of her life and doesn't know if her memories return. There are so many questions and subjects that no one is talking about and Lacey is too afraid to ask anyone about. The story is easy to follow and the characters are great with the humour mixed in around every day topics you can't help but fall into it.
This is a mystery until the very end, I really enjoyed it.......
This is a mystery until the very end, I really enjoyed it.......
October 13, 2016
I'm so in love I can't believe it, obviously the blurb does a great job at describing the general plot. I feel like this book was a revelation, when you agree to read ARCs from new authors you never really know what you're going to get and all you can do is hope the book lives up to the blurb that pulled you in.
This book was everything I wanted and more which is weird as it covers quite a few unsavoury topics and yet I didn't care at all. There a few plot points I'm going to discuss on goodreads as I can hide the spoiler but I know it's something that others look out for. Lacey could have easily been an irredeemable character; her friends are clearly afraid of her as is the entire school and her boyfriend comes across as a shallow person therefore making her a shallow person too. Lacey has lost two years and as a result is in a mental state prior to the new person she has become and trying to work out how she came to be there.
I think the story telling and reveal of crucial information was done at an amazing pace, at no point did the book feel like it lagged, but it managed to always keep me on the right side of anxious to find out what I, alongside Lacey, was missing.
The ending of this story was super satisfying as well, in essence we get to see Lacey experience two years of growth, but with the addition of hindsight and I was just really a fan of the book overall and I thought it was an awesome debut, I'm very excited for Emily Ruben's next book!
Rating: 5 stars
October 13, 2016
From the very beginning, this book had me hypnotized. It's about a high school girl who wakes up in a hospital after being in a car accident and ends up in a coma for two months. She has forgotten the last two years of her life and is not able to put her life back together until her memories return.
There are so many questions and mysteries that no one is talking about and Lacey is too afraid to ask anyone about.
There are a million things to like about this story. There are phrases about dancing monkeys in her stomach, you know, instead of butterflies. The conversations she has with her boyfriends are too cute, not in a mushy way. Her own thoughts are way beyond funny as she tries to figure her friends out, and what happened to her own life and body since she doesn't recognize herself physically or mentally. She thinks that she is 16 when she is actually 18.
There is the typical high school drama, the popular girls, the jocks, the rich kids, bullying, dates, etc. How could you not relate?
The story is easy to follow and the characters are introduced slowly enough that you don't get confused. The romance is fun without getting too involved but sexually charged enough to keep it interesting and imaginative.
You won't know all of the answers to this mystery until the very end. I really loved it and can't wait to see what this author writes next. It really is amusing, endearing, and mystifying. Don't miss the fun, read it today!
There are so many questions and mysteries that no one is talking about and Lacey is too afraid to ask anyone about.
There are a million things to like about this story. There are phrases about dancing monkeys in her stomach, you know, instead of butterflies. The conversations she has with her boyfriends are too cute, not in a mushy way. Her own thoughts are way beyond funny as she tries to figure her friends out, and what happened to her own life and body since she doesn't recognize herself physically or mentally. She thinks that she is 16 when she is actually 18.
There is the typical high school drama, the popular girls, the jocks, the rich kids, bullying, dates, etc. How could you not relate?
The story is easy to follow and the characters are introduced slowly enough that you don't get confused. The romance is fun without getting too involved but sexually charged enough to keep it interesting and imaginative.
You won't know all of the answers to this mystery until the very end. I really loved it and can't wait to see what this author writes next. It really is amusing, endearing, and mystifying. Don't miss the fun, read it today!
October 13, 2016
From the very beginning, this book had me hypnotized. It's about a high school girl who wakes up in a hospital after being in a car accident and ends up in a coma for two months. She has forgotten the last two years of her life and is not able to put her life back together until her memories return.
There are so many questions and mysteries that no one is talking about and Lacey is too afraid to ask anyone about.
There are a million things to like about this story. There are phrases about dancing monkeys in her stomach, you know, instead of butterflies. The conversations she has with her boyfriends are too cute, not in a mushy way. Her own thoughts are way beyond funny as she tries to figure her friends out, and what happened to her own life and body since she doesn't recognize herself physically or mentally. She thinks that she is 16 when she is actually 18.
There is the typical high school drama, the popular girls, the jocks, the rich kids, bullying, dates, etc. How could you not relate?
The story is easy to follow and the characters are introduced slowly enough that you don't get confused. The romance is fun without getting too involved but sexually charged enough to keep it interesting and imaginative.
You won't know all of the answers to this mystery until the very end. I really loved it and can't wait to see what this author writes next. It really is amusing, endearing, and mystifying. Don't miss the fun, read it today!
There are so many questions and mysteries that no one is talking about and Lacey is too afraid to ask anyone about.
There are a million things to like about this story. There are phrases about dancing monkeys in her stomach, you know, instead of butterflies. The conversations she has with her boyfriends are too cute, not in a mushy way. Her own thoughts are way beyond funny as she tries to figure her friends out, and what happened to her own life and body since she doesn't recognize herself physically or mentally. She thinks that she is 16 when she is actually 18.
There is the typical high school drama, the popular girls, the jocks, the rich kids, bullying, dates, etc. How could you not relate?
The story is easy to follow and the characters are introduced slowly enough that you don't get confused. The romance is fun without getting too involved but sexually charged enough to keep it interesting and imaginative.
You won't know all of the answers to this mystery until the very end. I really loved it and can't wait to see what this author writes next. It really is amusing, endearing, and mystifying. Don't miss the fun, read it today!
October 10, 2019
Before starting the actual review I would like to thank the publisher for contacting me about reviewing this book. When I first read the synopsis of this book I was unsure that I would like it as I am not really a fan of romance novels. After only a few pages I was oddly hooked on the storyline. I am actually glad that I enjoyed this book and am able to give the author a positive review. This was an interesting and enjoyable read. I agreed to review this book as I wanted to branch out and experience new genres. This is the first romance novel that I have read and took a chance with. This book has definitely made me more open to the romance genre. What I liked about this book is that it is not set in a fake and perfect world; There is a realistic element to this world and all the events that take place. This book managed to grip my attention and pull me into the book. I found it hard to put this book down and stop reading. From the start I found my self rooting for the relationship of Lacey and Finn. This book has made me more open to reading more romance novels. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance novels. But on the flip side, I would suggest that those who do not normally read romance books give this book a chance as I am sure that it will bring a whole new experience to the readers. I am happy to have this book as a part of my ever-growing collection and it will remain on my shelves permanently.
November 20, 2016
This book is so not Hot, unlike Finn
This book should have been a DNF but I am stubborn, and it doesn't take long for me to read so I finished it. The characters were immature and cliche-ish. The flashbacks were awkward and too much. Maybe there are HS girls that act like this, but it seems so completely unbelievable. And when is joking cockiness sexy? Nothing appealed to me in this book. The thousands of times she kept saying Finn was so sexy, Hot whatever were too much (every page). This book needed an editor, and I am sure all the references to Finn's hotness would have cut 100 pages or so. Oh and the stupid nicknames "Lace-bear." Fortunately, it was free, but I feel like I actually lost brain cells from reading this trash. I felt like I was reading about a relationship that has gone past the stage of annoyingly sweet that you want to vomit and kill yourself when you find yourself in their presence again. But since she managed to peak my interest to find out what happened the night of the party and it was a surprise, that got her the two stars. Otherwise, avoid like the plague if you value your sanity.
This book should have been a DNF but I am stubborn, and it doesn't take long for me to read so I finished it. The characters were immature and cliche-ish. The flashbacks were awkward and too much. Maybe there are HS girls that act like this, but it seems so completely unbelievable. And when is joking cockiness sexy? Nothing appealed to me in this book. The thousands of times she kept saying Finn was so sexy, Hot whatever were too much (every page). This book needed an editor, and I am sure all the references to Finn's hotness would have cut 100 pages or so. Oh and the stupid nicknames "Lace-bear." Fortunately, it was free, but I feel like I actually lost brain cells from reading this trash. I felt like I was reading about a relationship that has gone past the stage of annoyingly sweet that you want to vomit and kill yourself when you find yourself in their presence again. But since she managed to peak my interest to find out what happened the night of the party and it was a surprise, that got her the two stars. Otherwise, avoid like the plague if you value your sanity.
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