This is a really fantastic story about domestic violence and the way it is cyclical and damages everyone around it.

Shelley wakes in the hospital from a coma. Her memory is gone. All she knows for sure is that her husband, David, has tried to kill her, and that’s why she has been in a coma. And while, yes, that is all true; there is an awful lot more to her story. You see, it was a car accident that led to her coma ... this time around.

I love how we see Shelley's childhood, with her violent stepfather abusing both her and her mother, and we see how easily she followed up with marrying a violent man, herself. This happens so often, and it makes me really sad to think of it. But this book does a fantastic job of highlighting that.

But, as I said, there is so much more to Shelley’s story. The ending had me feeling so happy. She deserved that ending. I won’t give anything else away, but I will say … I loved it.

I loved some of the supporting characters, too. Matthew — the hospital volunteer. Love love love. Dee, Shelley’s best friend, is fantastic too. And Granny Rose … oh. I loved this woman.

I would actually give this book 4 1/2 stars because I absolutely loved it.

Anyone who loves a good story.

The way domestic abuse is shown as something that is real and can happen to anyone. The story is cleverly written, showing Shelley waking up with no memories, and, slowly, the missing years coming back to her. I also loved how David, Shelley's abuser, isn't discussed very much. The book is all about Shelley and how she overcame him. She is not a victim, but a survivor.

Mick was disgusting and creepy. Nasty. David was a nasty, abusive man, too.

I had to take a lot of deep breaths. I felt like I'd been through the mill while reading this. It brought back some very unpleasant memories.

Angry, fearful, happy. So happy.

Laura Pearson. From Amazon: "Laura Pearson is the author of five novels. The Last List of Mabel Beaumont was a Kindle number one bestseller in the UK and a top ten bestseller in the US. Laura lives in Leicestershire, England, with her husband, their two children, and a cat who likes to lie on her keyboard while she tries to write."

It's very uplifting. A great story with memorable characters.

If you may be triggered by domestic abuse stories, don't read this book.

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Created Apr 08, 2025 at 3:02am • Submit your own review...