Cover Image: Aurora

Aurora

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Member Reviews

So, you want to read an established relationship book and a friends to lovers book at the same time? Try this one.

It's the story of Jax and Elena. Elena gets injured and wakes up in the hospital having lost the last eight years of memories. Unfortunately the Elena from eight years before was a significantly different person. Mostly because of stuff that had happened to her as a kid. And so, suddenly Jax goes from wife to roommate, and poor six year old Jamie goes from Elena and Jax's son to just Jax's.

There was also a subplot that was about part of Elena's past trying to use the amnesia to their advantage, but, while it was a well written part, storywise I mostly pretended it didn't exist. Heh. But, other than that, it was a really fun read, and, I'm bit sure that I've ever read aomething quite like this book either. Really really fun read.

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Please I recommend people to pick this up. The story of Elena and Jax is just refreshing in the way it shows LGBT relationship in a real sense and gave something that was not blown out and exaggerated like I have seen in other stories. I wanted to see the best happen for Jax and Elena and hated them at times. I cried and cried and couldn't put the book down until I got to the end

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This is a great book based in the UK with a dramatic amnesia storyline. The two points of view is an interesting way to read the book. There was some angsty behavior by family and unnecessary pain inflected as a result, but a book is boring without drama, right? I would never have guessed this was a debut novel. Well done! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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It's been forever since I've read a wlw-story that kept as engaged and interested as this one. I have a fable for amnesia plots and this book actually tells two perspectives? I love it!
The characters were wonderful - they were real, approachable; I don't think I've ever read a story such intense and real as this one.
And can we talk about the title and how it got embedded into the book?! I almost cried because it was so beautiful. I loved both Elena's and Jax's POV - my heart broke for Jax because I am pretty sure that's an absolute nightmare for every married person. I was a bit dissappointed that we never got to find out how or what exactly had caused Elena's accident in the first place, but the entire plot made up for it. I loved every single one of these characters - except for Elena's mother and Tom, but that's probably understandable...
I wished I had more parts of Jax's perspective; I felt there was a bit less in that part.
And the ending?! That ending killed me. A very, very amazing way of picking up the title, lots of love to the author for this one!

I received a free copy via Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Read this is one sitting, it was so refreshing to have a lesbian story set in the UK! Apparently, its a trope to have stories where one character loses their memory but this is the first one I've read, (although I have seen the Vow). In this story, Elena wakes up in hospital having been hit by a bus with no memory of the last 8 years, which includes her wife Jax and son Jamie. I thought I knew where this book was going to take me but we went off in a direction I wasn't expecting, that was more painful to read but also much more realistic. I was gripped form the beginning and the author does a great job of moving the story long. The characters are believable including Jax's best friend Greg who is a trans man and one of the more authentic portrayals I've read in fiction. Elena's relationship with her sister Cat is also realistic, fights and all. Really enjoyed this book and especially the UK setting, it gets an extra star for that alone, its about time...

With thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This is the second book I read about one of the protagonists losing her memory. Elena is involved in an accident and when she wakes up she has no recollection of the years of her life. No memory of her wife Jax and their son.

On Elena's doctor's advice, Jax and their son pretend that Elena is Jax roommate. Taking things slowly until Elena remembers. Elena's mother who never approved her of loving Jax takes advantage of the situation. Not to mention Elena's ex.

The story has some angst and while you know Elena has memory loss it feels like you want to shake her for hurting Jax. The plot is interesting enough to keep reading until the very end.

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Aurora was quite the enjoyable read. I read a book or two similar to the last couple of years and I think the storyline works. Of course the author has to have some talent with how they spin the story and McGeown for sure has the talent.

As I read this romance, I found myself rooting for Jax and Elena. They have such a lovely family and who wouldn't want them to make it through this issue. The blurb makes it seems like a mysterious person will enter the picture and take Elena away, but you are thrown hints throughout the read. Sure the overall romance angsty, but it works - it's needed for the story to work. I just really connected with Jax and felt so sad for her. One thing I wish was different was what they decide not to tell Elena. I wanted them to tell her the total truth about everything. Of course that would have changed the dynamic of the book, but I still wanted her to know everything sooner than they told her. Anyway, an enjoyable read and a great ending.

4.5 stars

This arc was provided by netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.

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When I read the blurb for this book I figured it was the perfect book to settle into a comfy chair and spend a few hours feeding my guilty pleasure of angsty romance novels. When Elena wakes in a hospital room, she's shocked to find out that she's been hit by a bus and the injuries she's sustained has caused amnesia - she's lost eight years. Of course, everyone believes that allowing Elena to recover her memories on her own and not tell her that over the last eight years she's kicked her jerk boyfriend to the curb, had a baby, fallen in love with a woman and has been living as a happily married woman and mother. Having her return home to live with her "roomate" Jax and Jax's son. It was bit like being a passenger on a speeding train and seeing that the bridge around the bend is gone.

Preposterous? Yeah. Angsty? Oh yeah. But the blend of characters, story and writing work really well and this was a great read.

The book switches 1st person POV between Elena and Jax - so you get the double whammy of angst as they both deal with the situation. Jax is so desperate to not push Elena too fast or too far she often takes a more passive role, even when Elena starts reaching out to her (ex) boyfriend - who she last remembers being in a relationship. On the other hand, Elena's struggling to deal with the blanks in her memory - and once she learns about her current life, it's still so foreign and terrifying for her to have to come out again (she's got a lot of baggage)..

I was really impressed that this was Ms McGeown's first novel - she's managed to find the difficult balance of angsty situations and real and interesting characters that are compelling. She provides enough backstory and past events to make the characters' actions and reactions believable and to ground the angst from getting out of control

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What an amazing book! It is not very often that you can feel every emotion and heart wrenching pain characters feel. This book gives you that. The up and down and waiting. It's a killer of a book. One I will remember for very long time!

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This debut book by Emma L. McGeown caught my eye for both its cover and summary. I hadn't read a story that involved amnesia before, especially in a w/w setting, so I was intrigued to see how the author would portray that in a relationship. The roller coaster of emotions as I learned about the lives of Elena and Jax were unexpected and welcomed. Even their son was a lovely character, and I found his involvement in the ordeal well-written. He and his two mothers definitely warmed my heart, and I would love to be friends with all of them. I constantly found myself at my wit's end as each character kept missing each other in certain situations. It has been some time since I have read a book that made me laugh, cry, despair, and feel such joy reading it. I half wanted a kind of 50 First Dates type deal with this story and expected it, but the ending surprised me and helped me realize that true love will spark at the times we as people need it most. It made me believe that the power of love, even if forgotten, still lies deep within one's heart and soul and only needs a bit of time and patience to grow again. An excellent book that I will gladly recommend to others! I look forward to seeing more by this author.

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Thanks to the publishers for the ARC in exchange for a review! So, this was a gripping synopsis and something I am interested in regarding the LGBT experience. Similar to research into care home facilities for LGBT families, the novel gives us a new insight into a painful experience of renavigation and rehabilitation, not just from the perspective of patient and of family, but significantly from an LGBT family structure, as well as the medical viewpoint, all highlighting really key and diverse aspects to one tragic event. I enjoyed this and hope to see more from the author soon!

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Imagine- waking up and forgetting you are married with a family. This was a beautiful but heart wrenching story. Elena Ricci walks off the side walk and got hit by a bus. She wakes up and has memory loss. She's unable to remember 8 years of her life that includes her wife and son.. However, she remembers her boyfriend Tom.
Jax her wife reluctantly agrees to go along with the doctor and pretend as if she's just Elena's roommate. The story was well written and I must say the MC Jax is very strong. This one will break your heart but also make you smile. I would recommend this book' 4.5 stars.
I received an ARC copy for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books Inc. and Emma L McGeown: Aurora

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Keelin Jax grew up in a family that was very accepting of her, her choice to become a doctor and their acceptance of her lesbianian. While on a trip to New York she and other travelers were stranded where they were due to a volcano eruption in IceLand. And that was how she came to know Elena Ricci, a young straight woman who happens to be stranded also. So after agreeing to play tourist, visiting all the landmarks that make up the city. Even though Elena was straight and had a boyfriend back home she felt herself falling for the Dr Jax. But after one wonderful night together she tells Jax that she is not able to keep seeing her when they return to London because again she’s straight.
What Jax didn’t know at the time was her experience of living at a questionable Boarding School for three yrs where she was subjected to the nuns who practice conversation therapy. Needless to say it didn’t and doesn’t work. All it does is endanger the young lives it's supposed to ‘help’. So back to London they both go, Jax to training in her chosen career and Elena goes back to an abusive boyfriend her parents just love.
When Elena finds herself pregnant with a boyfriend who doesn’t want their baby. It was after this that the two women meet again and fall in love. All goes great with them having a strong marriage that like most marriages has a few little ups and downs. Everything changes when Elena is brought into the emergency after being hit by a bus. It’s touch and go for a while but when Elena finally wakes her memories don’t include the past eight years. She has no memories of Jax or even her small son.
This is a book that I had a hard time putting down. Ms McGeown’s tells us a lovely story that draws you in. Wonderfully written, with very likeable characters.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

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Five stars. For the first few pages, I was worried that I would find this too similar to M. Ullrich's What the Heart Remembers Most, which came out this year. It doesn't help that the non-injured character goes by Jax more than she does by Keelin. I was glad to find more than enough differences between the two stories: other than the premise of memory loss, they have little in common.
I like how this was done in first person. I really enjoy when authors use that perspective from my teenage dystopian fiction days, but sometimes you can tell that a story would have been better off in third person. This was not the case here, and surprisingly, it wasn't even a disaster with two characters' POVs.
I was fond of the characters. They have a solid relationship, their backstory is done nicely, and I liked that their chemistry was not in-your-face. That can be a little much when other emotions are running high. I sympathized with each of their circumstances, because really, I can't imagine how tough it is. It didn't feel like any of the conflict was unnecessarily angsty, which is one factor that heavily affects my ratings.
My one criticism, and this is such an insignificant thing, was the title. This could have been done so that it didn't literally only come up at the end, e.g. I don't know, a short flashback of a trip to the Northern Lights, featuring a meaningful conversation that they both remember dearly? It would have been a much better title if it hadn't come from nowhere in the last chapter, since the meaning works quite well with the story.
Five star books don't need to be perfect on my scale. This was beautifully written and ticked all my boxes, so it was a no-brainer.

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My wife got hit by a bus and is now suffering from amnesia. As the story unfolds, the reader learns about the closeness of the family. Dr. Keelin Jax, busy caring wife and parent. Elena Ricci, busy caring wife and parent. Jamie is their adorable little boy. We also learn about secondary characters, some supportive and encouraging, e.g., Caterina (Elena's sister), Greg Hall and his partner (Jax's friends) as well as Jax's mother and some not so much, e.g., Elena's parents and ex-boyfriend Tom. It was difficult not to like Jax, Elena, and Jamie. I felt for Jax as she watched her marriage from afar as her wife dealt with her amnesia. I also felt for Jamie.

I liked the perspectives from Jax and Elena as the chapters switched back and forth. I also liked the "love" triangle as the various characters attempted to workout the situation.

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Story about someone trying to find their life after an accident that makes her forget her last 8 years, Enjoyable with some slight teary bits. Not too heavy a read and only some slight angst. Would recommend it.

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A solid 4 stars from me. I’ve always been a sucker for amnesia story lines where the person has to re-fall in love with a partner they don’t remember. Aurora has that, but also throws in the religious, anti-gay parents who use their daughter’s memory loss for their own agenda, and a five-year old son who has to pretend his mum is just his other mum’s roommate so she doesn't freak out.

There’s a lot of pretending in this story. Elena is 32 years old, and after being hit by a London bus, has suffered amnesia and thinks it’s still 2010 and so her current partner and family don't fill in the gaps for her, hoping her memory will return without any help.

You can imagine how this all goes down when Elena discovers the truth! If you’re expecting sex scenes, you’re out of luck (more like heavy petting) but I didn’t feel the story was lacking because of it – I was still rooting for a HEA. I definitely recommend this read as I devoured it in a day - but be prepared to feel a little frustrated in parts due to Elena’s history.

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When Elena wakes up in the hospital after a head injury she's positive is 2010 and she is still seeing her ex-boyfriend Tom. Meanwhile it is 2018 and her wife, Jax, is devastated. As Elena heals, Jax brings her home, acting as if they are nothing more than platonic roommates, and that Elena's son is actually her own. As Elena struggles to heal and fit back into her life and career with eight years of missing memories, she begins talking to Tom once again. Although she doesn't remember her history with Jax, her body can't seem to help being drawn to her. But will Elena get her memories back before Jax looses her forever?

I usually struggle with first person POV but this was really well written and really worked for me. I have a special place in my heart for books about amnesia and falling in love all over again and this did not disappoint. The chemistry between Elena and Jax was really well done, it was so tangible even as they kept their distance. I loved all the family moments and the host of secondary characters which really made for a heart warming story. Elena's personal conflict made for a unique, and heartbreaking twist to a trope that has been done many times before. This book captured my attention and my heart from the very beginning. This was an excellent debut novel with BSB and I can safely say that this author has a new fan - looking forward to what comes next from this author.


I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Elena wakes up and misses the last 8 years of her life. Unfortunately, she doesn't remember that she met and married her wife Jax and gave birth to her son Jamie during this time and asks for her boyfriend Tom. Jax and Jamie try to make the transition into her normal life as smooth as possible for her, but it is not that easy.

I have devoured the book „Aurora“ by „Emma L McGeown“. I have been suffering, laughing and hoping the whole time with Elena, Jax, Jamie and their families and friends. Even a few tears were shed. A heartwarming book about love, family and self-love.

I received a copy from netgalley in exchange for a an honest review.

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“Thank you, Dr Hall. And I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name, Dr…” I asked as she turned to look at me.
“Jax. Dr Jax.”

This story is about Elena Ricci’s journey of recovering her memories and in the midst of it all remembering who she was. When Elena regained consciousness in the hospital after an accident, she found herself without any recollection of her past eight years of life. She remembered Tom, her ex but somehow found herself strangely drawn to her room mate Jax.

Afraid to push Elena too quickly in her recovery from amnesia, Elena’s sister, Cat convinced Jax to play the room mate until memories started resurfacing for Elena.

With a past she struggled to bury deep before she lost her memories, Elena had to confront her fears of who she was and if it is who she wants to be again.

I liked the premise and it was easy to feel for the main characters who had to battle frustrations, uncertainty, fear and the truth.
It would have been better if readers get to know more of the characters, their shared history while rooting for them to get back together.

I just reviewed Aurora by Emma L McGeown. #NetGalley

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