SKIPPING A BEAT was...wow. The blurb sounded intriguing, but I didn't think this book would be the emotional roller coaster ride it was. From the first line, I was engrossed in this tale of betrayal, marriage, loss, and what matters most in life.Julia and Michael were high school sweethearts from meager beginnings. As newlyweds, they were very much in love, but over time they drifted apart. Michael's successful multi-million dollar company became his love, and Julia was pushed aside. She was hurt by Michael's neglect, but living in the lap of luxury made it easier to take. Then one day everything changes. Michael goes into cardiac arrest and his heart stops for four minutes. Once resuscitated, he's a completely differently person. He sees money as the root of all their problems, and he intends to win back Julia's love if at all possible.The story is told from Julia's point of view, and at first I wasn't sympathetic towards her at all. She seemed uncaring and greedy, more concerned about losing her shopping privileges in expensive boutiques than losing her husband Michael. As the story progressed, my feelings changed and I saw her in a different way. The story alternates between bits and pieces of the past and present day. The glimpses into Julia's childhood and earlier relationship with Michael put things in a new prospective. Julia had her flaws, but she was also real and honest.Like I mentioned before, SKIPPING A BEAT was an emotional read for me. The ending left me shaken, but with a feeling of hope too. A bittersweet story with flawed, complex characters makes this a memorable read.Madeleine Maby gave a wonderful performance as narrator of the audiobook. She was a great choice for telling this story, and she captured the characters' emotions beautifully.Source: Review copy from publisher. I didn't love this book, and the only reason I can put my finger on why is that I wasn't able to bring myself to care about the characters enough/ the characters FELT like characters versus people worthy of emotional investment. The story was ok, the pacing was fine, but the foreshadowing was a bit too strong, and the side plots felt contrived. Not terrible, and an easy read if you're looking for chick lit that is more serious in tone than silly, but not nearly as good as Pekkanen's The Opposite of Me.
What do You think about Skipping A Beat (2011)?
Been looking for that can't put down book for a while now. This was it. Loved it!
—lizzie
This book actually made me cry, it was so heartwarming.
—Romes14
