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Review

4.5 second chance stars

This book hooked me from the very beginning, and kept me up until the wee hours of the morning, unable to put it down. It’s mystery / drama / romance, with a very original plot, and I loved it!

A girl wakes up in a hospital bed, brutally battered and close to death, suffering from numerous injuries. She has survived against all odds but she also has no memory of who she is, her past, or the events that led to her horrific attack.

Labelled Jane Doe, she slowly recuperates and is semi-adopted by her doctor, Meredith, and her family – her husband, town sheriff, Gabe and Amber, her daughter who is a nurse. When, months later, Jane is well enough to leave the hospital, she is no closer to discovering her identity, but she is given a chance to make a new life for herself when Meredith organises for her to live with her neighbour – the old and crotchety but deeply fabulous, Ginny.

Facing a life without answers, Jane is tormented by the memories that seem so close, but still so far out of reach. Who could have done such a horrible thing to her? What could she have possibly done to deserve it? Realising that perhaps her past is something that she may not want to remember, she decides it’s time to move on, and she rechristens herself ‘Water’ (yes, ‘Water’ *sigh* – it does have a deeper meaning, but still, it made my eyes roll every time I read it) and sets out to create a new life.

I’m abandoning the girl that I was, everything about her, including hope that I’ll find her again.

But things only become more complicated when Meredith’s son, Jesse, returns home and she finds herself drawn to him. With his intense stares and protectiveness over her, she feels a sense of familiarity that both startles and comforts her.

“Why do things feel so natural with you?”
He shifts to run the backs of his fingers over my cheek, his eyes dropping to my mouth. “Do they?”
“Yeah. You must remind me of someone. I feel like I know you.”
He smiles. A sad smile. “Maybe you just want to know me.”
“Maybe.”

I love the way this book is written. The story of the present is told through the eyes of Water as she creates her new life, and is alternated with chapters from Jesse’s POV, telling the story of the past. It’s pretty obvious where the story is going, and what big event it’s all leading up to, but I still found myself anticipating the big reveal, and when it came, it was fantastic. The consistency throughout the story, and the little moments that tie Water’s present to her past were really clever.

I am lost and yet somehow found.
I am afraid and yet somehow comforted.
I am drifting and yet somehow…home.

I don’t want to go into any detail about the story, or how it all fits together because you need to see it all unfold as you read. It’s quite a ride, with lots of reveals along the way – some obvious, some that are surprises, but the way it all unfolds is really well done.

I really liked Water. The way she was able to overcome her trauma, and her resilience and openness in starting her new life was amazing. Her relationship with Ginny was fantastic, as was the way she was enfolded by Jesse’s family. And through it all Jesse is a steadfast presence. His obvious feelings for Water, and the way the he handled his situation and followed his heart was gorgeous. Their romance in the face of everything that they are dealing with is beautiful, and I lapped up every little moment of it.

I need him here.
Here, right now.
Here, in my life.
Just as he always seems to be.
Here. For me.

I love KA Tucker’s Ten Tiny Breaths series, and she has done a great job with this book. The story is original and intriguing and the writing is beautifully descriptive with lots of emotion. I loved the romance, and the uplifting story of a traumatised girl finding her way with a somewhat lost boy.

The first of a new series, I am really looking forward to more from these characters.

4.5 stars.

An Advanced Reader Copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

Note – reread in July 2015.

I listened to this as an audiobook, and the narration is fantastic! I loved revisiting these characters and the hauntingly beautiful story. Upgrade from 4 to 4.5 stars.

 

Burying Water series