Shannon Malone Ridgeway is a happy bride enjoying her honeymoon when a tragic scuba diving accident puts her in a coma. Ten years later she awakens to find everything is different. Her husband, Edmund, has lost his life to cancer after years of maintaining a vigil at her bedside. Technology has seen dramatic advancements, leaving her ill-equipped to return to her career as a graphic designer. These challenges would be enough, but Shannon faces another obstacle in the form of her sister-in-law, Millicent, who is determined to strip Shannon of any benefits from the Ridgeway fortune. Shannon faces another obstacle with her long-term doctor (and Edmund’s friend), Dr. Petros. Will Shannon be able to adapt to the new reality of her life?
Brickner weaves a tale of a modern day Sleeping Beauty with some twists. As I started reading about Shannon waking up, I expected her to be told that Edmund had moved on with his life and was married to someone else. I thought that Edmund’s death provided an interesting surprise twist that made the story a lot more interesting. I’ve read several other books in which the main character has awakened to that reality, but never one where their significant other had died. As sad as it was for Shannon, it made the book a lot more interesting for me. I also appreciated the way Brickner focused on Shannon’s view of technology and the numerous changes that have taken place over the past ten years, for example smart phones and tablets. It was cool to remember a time when everyone was not glued to their little screens.
The plot was a little predictable at times, but easily forgiven in light of the interesting twists and the freshness of the writing. The only tiny criticism I have is that I felt the ending wrapped up a little too quickly. There were a couple questions in my mind of how things would turn out, and I kept feeling the pages getting thinner and thinner and wondering how Brickner was going to wrap it up in the few pages left in the book. It also would have been nice to have seen more angst from Shannon as she realized just how different her life was when she awoke. However, these small criticisms did not detract from the book much.
Overall, this was a great book and a very quick read. I could not put it down and read it in about an hour. If you are looking for a light book to read while sitting at the beach or pool in the summer or curled up in front of the fire in the winter, look no further! In my opinion, this book was even better than Brickner’s first book, If the Shoe Fits
I received a complimentary book from Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
A Book A Day 
Thanks for the interesting review!
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