Love Lies Bleeding

Aug 31, 2012 Lizzie Hayes rated it 4 of 5 stars

‘Love Lies Bleeding’ by Jess McConkey
Published by William Morrow, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-06-199968-0

Samantha Moore, had everything, the perfect job, a loving fiancé, and wealthy parents. Then she is attacked by a group of young men in the car park of her office, and emerges from a coma two months later, a frightened girl in constant pain with no confidence and low self-esteem. To help her recuperation her father and her fiancé the plastic surgeon Dr Jackson Van Horn arrange for her to stay at a cabin...more ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ by Jess McConkey
Published by William Morrow, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-06-199968-0

Samantha Moore, had everything, the perfect job, a loving fiancé, and wealthy parents. Then she is attacked by a group of young men in the car park of her office, and emerges from a coma two months later, a frightened girl in constant pain with no confidence and low self-esteem. To help her recuperation her father and her fiancé the plastic surgeon Dr Jackson Van Horn arrange for her to stay at a cabin in Minnesota. They employ Anne Weaver to stay with her during her period of recuperation. As Anne is a physical therapy assistant she can help build up the wasted muscle in Sam’s leg which is also part of the reason for her low self-esteem.

This book had me edgy from the beginning, even reading it I began to feel suffocated by father Laurence Moore and fiancé Jackson. Both continually ignoring anything Sam said and steamrollering over any suggestion she made as if she was mentally deficient. Also the constant harping on the need to take her medication, that clearly turned her into a zombie.

Whilst Anne Weaver has her own set of problems she sets out to help Sam recover by imposing a relatively strict regime to improve the muscle tone in Sam’s damaged leg. But any progress is constantly undermined by the visits of Laurence Moore and Jackson. And who is the lady in lavender that Sam sees in the dead of night? Is she real or a hallucination?

The story is narrated from multiple points of view, the most chilling being the first person narrative by an unknown person, who is clearly disturbed, but not knowing the person’s identity has the reader questioning everything and everyone.

It is a mind bending work as I stopped on several occasions wondering just how would one react in that situation. Would you suspect that the people you trusted didn’t have your best interests at heart, and why and to what end?

With many interesting characters, this a cleverly crafted work, that had me suspecting everyone.
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Lizzie Hayes

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Nov 27, 2011 Patricia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Love Lies Bleeding has a little bit of everything to offer. A bit of mystery, a little bit of woo woo and a good cast of characters.

Samantha Moore has lived a very successful life. Samantha holds a prominent position in her father’s company and is engaged to Jackson, a man who had presented her with a beautiful diamond and a promise of a wonderful life.

Then tragedy hit. Samantha is attacked when leaving work and is in a coma for sometime. When she awakes from the coma, she is quite a different p...more

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Aug 13, 2011 Kathleen (Kat) Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, supense-thriller-fiction

In a world filled with secrets...no one is safe.

Samantha Moore is the golden girl - with a perfect job, a perfect man, a perfect life - until a random act of violence changes everything. Unconscious for two months, Sam awakens from her coma a different person - bitter, in constant pain, and forced to endure medications that leave her nauseous, paranoid, and struggling to keep a grip on reality.

Furious with her family for sending her away to a small, remote town to recuperate - placed completely...more In a world filled with secrets...no one is safe.

Samantha Moore is the golden girl - with a perfect job, a perfect man, a perfect life - until a random act of violence changes everything. Unconscious for two months, Sam awakens from her coma a different person - bitter, in constant pain, and forced to endure medications that leave her nauseous, paranoid, and struggling to keep a grip on reality.

Furious with her family for sending her away to a small, remote town to recuperate - placed completely under a physical therapist's care and robbed of what little freedom she has left - Sam lashes out at the "nice people" all around her who claim to only have her best interests in mind. But are her violent outbursts the by-product of her condition... or something else entirely? Strange things are happening here - and either Samantha Moore is losing her mind or her friendly new neighbors are far more dangerous than they appear to be.

In the novel, Love Lies Bleeding by Jess McConkey, we see what happens when people want to maintain control over things, whether its their own life, the secrets they are keeping or simply trying to be something they are not. Greed is evident by the role the characters in Sam's life play.

Her fiancee, Jackson Van Horn, a up and coming plastic surgeon who has already won the approval of her wealthy parents, Sam fights to gain control over her life again, now that she has suffered a damaged leg and a severe head injury when she was attacked in the parking garage while leaving work. Since her father and Jackson have been making all the decisions regarding the best possible care for Sam, they believe that renting out a small cabin by the lake is exactly what Sam needs to begin to feel safe and secure again.

But since Jackson can't stay with Sam full time, her father and Jackson hire Anne Weaver to take care of her during the week. Anne has just been laid off from the hospital where she was a physical therapist and she believes she can help Sam recover not only physically but emotionally as well.

Problems begin with the house Sam is staying in. Rumors say the house is haunted by Blanche Jones, a woman who seemed to be the talk of the town that died in that house. Now objects disappear when Sam goes to look for them and she begins to dream and see a woman walking the dock just outside her cabin crying. When Sam explains these things to Jackson, he pushes more pills her way and insists that she continue to daily regime of prescription drugs to help her cope.

However Sam will soon discover in the time that Jackson leaves the cabin and she stops taking the pills, her mind becomes clear and soon secrets that have longed been dead and buried suddenly begin to surface.

I received this book compliments of William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins publishers for my honest review. This book was entertaining to the degree that I could not put it down, while trying to figure out just what was going on. This is a great crime/suspense thriller that will keep you up until you finish the final page. Hands down a sensational 5 out of 5 stars.(less)

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Jul 17, 2011 Alisha rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-s, lt-win, mystery-thriller, books-i-own-that-i-ve-read

What is going on? Seriously, this is the second mystery I've read this month that has suffered from an acute identity crisis! Love Lies Bleeding just does not know what it wants to be. Oh, it's a mystery. Oh, it's a psychological thriller, no wait, it's a haunted house story. Now, I don't mind genre-bending when it's done right, but I didn't think it was in Love Lies Bleeding. The certain aspects of the genres she used just didn't...mesh well together. That made it seem like the author wanted to...more What is going on? Seriously, this is the second mystery I've read this month that has suffered from an acute identity crisis! Love Lies Bleeding just does not know what it wants to be. Oh, it's a mystery. Oh, it's a psychological thriller, no wait, it's a haunted house story. Now, I don't mind genre-bending when it's done right, but I didn't think it was in Love Lies Bleeding. The certain aspects of the genres she used just didn't...mesh well together. That made it seem like the author wanted to take the book in three different directions, but didn't know which direction to take...so she took all of them.

Another thing that bothered me was Samantha's behavior. I get that she's paranoid, bitter, depressed, and a whole lot of other things due to her attack, but I found her written very inconsistenly. She was okay one minute and then bratty the next. I don't mean justifiably bratty (because some brattiness would be justified after what she went through), but more like teenager bratty. Seriously, she said "Whatever" and rolled her eyes like fifteen times in Love Lies Bleeding. At first, I was like "Man, this chick must be pretty young", because with her behavior I had assumed that she was in her early to mid twenties. Then I found out towards the middle of the novel that she's actually THIRTY-FIVE! I was in shock. No thirty-five year old would act like that. It's not even only her constant overuse of the word "Whatever".

Samantha was constantly bitching about wanting more control, she NEEDS more control over her life, but everytime she gets control, she acts immature and stupid, and that really just proves the point that she can't be trusted with control. Another thing that bothered me was how much she wanted control over her situation when it came to her father. That part right there didn't bother me. What bothered me was that she had no qualms whatsoever in relinquishing control to her controlling fiance. And I just remembered something else...in one part of Love Lies Bleeding, she actually tells another character "You're supposed to be MY friend! I thought you were on MY side!" Seriously? Seriously?! Does that sound like the actions of a thirty-five year old to you?

So, Love Lies Bleeding gets two stars for an intriguing premise that allowed me to read the book in one sitting. But the inconsistency of the main character, the genre-bending, and the somewhat predictable whodunit aspect of the novel left me feeling cold. But I will definitely check out Jess Mcconkey's future work as I do think she can write one hell of a page-turner.(less)

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Jul 04, 2012 Beadyjan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: psychological-chillers

I found this an exciting and satisfying read. Lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I love a good psychological suspense, mystery thriller which isn't a detective novel.

Imagine you come round from a coma and as conciousness returns you realise your life has changed not just physically but in the way you view the world.

Successful and privileged Samantha was on her way home from her high flying executive job in the City when she was randomly and viciously attacked by a gang of youths, le...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Jennifer Shepherd rated it 4 of 5 stars

**Spoilers Included**

I enjoyed this book but it left a lot of unanswered questions and I was a bit confused about the ending. The main character, Samantha, suffered a tramatic event where she was attacked by a group of boys and beat over the head with a tire iron. She suffered brain damage which caused her to develop a limp. In the beginning, she was very controlling, demanding and basically just mean. I think this was due to everyone trying to "take care of her" when she thought she was very ca...more **Spoilers Included**

I enjoyed this book but it left a lot of unanswered questions and I was a bit confused about the ending. The main character, Samantha, suffered a tramatic event where she was attacked by a group of boys and beat over the head with a tire iron. She suffered brain damage which caused her to develop a limp. In the beginning, she was very controlling, demanding and basically just mean. I think this was due to everyone trying to "take care of her" when she thought she was very capable of doing things on her own. The one thing I really liked about her character is that she was artistic and liked to paint.

Jackson, her fiance', was very difficult to like. He was self-centered and conceited which doesn't really surprise me considering his profession (plastic surgeon). His attitude throughout the entire story was just hard to understand and it really only made me mad. He treated other people very poorly and he was manipulative.

Anne, Samantha's "nurse," was intriguing. She was very persistent in her methods of trying to help Samantha with her injuries. Of course, Samantha didn't like her very much in the beginning, but she grew on her.

Teddy just got on my nerves! I really dislike teenagers who like to cause trouble, especially those who like to throw rocks at innocent dogs! One of the things I never found out what was exactly happened to him. The entire incident of where he supposedly keyed Jackson's car was kind of lost right after it was mentioned.

Throughout the story, I honestly thought that Samantha was possessed because I believed that Blanche, the previous owner of the cabin Samantha was living in, had already passed away. What I don't understand is what made Blanche reach out to Samantha in her dreams. From what I read, there was nothing that really linked the two characters together aside from the cabin they both lived in. I also never really learned what happened to Jackson. I would have liked to know where he ended up.

The character that I really grew attached to was Greg. He was just flat-out charming. All in all, I really liked the writing style in this book. It was a very good page-turner but the ending was a little disappointing.(less)

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Oct 11, 2011 Vivian rated it 2 of 5 stars

A random mugging turns violent and results in Samantha Moore becoming comatose and suffering brain trauma and other physical problems. She awakes embittered toward life, tormented by pain and dreams of her attack. In an effort to facilitate her recovery, her fiancé and parents reserve a cabin by the lake and a physical therapist as a caretaker. Is this the hoped for new beginning for Samantha or another step in her downward spiral? The answers lie in Love Lies Bleeding by Jess McConkey.

Prior to...more A random mugging turns violent and results in Samantha Moore becoming comatose and suffering brain trauma and other physical problems. She awakes embittered toward life, tormented by pain and dreams of her attack. In an effort to facilitate her recovery, her fiancé and parents reserve a cabin by the lake and a physical therapist as a caretaker. Is this the hoped for new beginning for Samantha or another step in her downward spiral? The answers lie in Love Lies Bleeding by Jess McConkey.

Prior to the mugging and vicious beating, Samantha Moore was a serious business woman and an asset to her father's firm. She was also an asset to her fiancé, Dr. Jackson Van Horn. Now she experiences severe mood swings, is in constant pain from the damage to her leg and head trauma, and worse has to deal with the profound side effects from the medications supposed to be helping her. Jackson and her parents feel that the best thing for her is to get away from it all, so they set up a "retreat" in the country beside a lake. Jackson had spent part of his youth there and has fond memories of summers at the lake. Unbeknownst to Samantha, her family has also arranged a caretaker.

Samantha doesn't have anything against Anne Weaver, the physical therapy assistant, that has been hired but she doesn't want a care taker. She's tired of people telling her what to do and how to feel. She's tired of taking medications that are supposed to help and wind up causing more problems due to their side effects. She's just tired.

As Samantha gradually gives in to her surroundings and befriends Anne, she also begins to experience some bizarre dreams. But these dreams aren't about her. These dreams seem to be rooted in the past, the past of the woman that disappeared from the cabin more than 25 years ago. To make matters worse, she also imagines that she sees this woman on the dock and periodically smells her perfume and cigarettes.

Anne is experiencing her own set of issues. Her teenage son is insistent that he wants to become a musician. Anne's dreams of becoming a model were dashed when she left home and traveled to New York. She doesn't want her son's dreams to become broken or for him to suffer the same disappointments she had in her youth. Can Anne recognize that she can't control her son's life forever before she pushes him too far away?

To say that everyone has issues in Love Lies Bleeding is putting it mildly. Jackson is suffering from abandonment issues corresponding to his mother's death and behavior prior to her death. Samantha's father is a control freak and presumes that he has the right to tell Samantha, a thirty-five-year-old woman, what to do, how to do it and when it should be done. Anne also has control issues when it comes to her expectations for her son. Samantha has medical and physical problems but those can be gradually overcome, her most pressing issues relate to her fiancé and family. Can she discover what she wants and how to achieve it before it’s too late? Can Samantha and Anne discover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance from the past?

I rather enjoyed Love Lies Bleeding until the end. Samantha and Anne were fully developed characters, with personality to spare and likeable even when they were unpleasant. The story line was believable enough and the action and tension build until the end where everything just petered out. There's resolution to the story but it felt weak and flat after all of the prior tension. Love Lies Bleeding is a decent read, although it does seem to get bogged down with minutiae from time to time.
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Oct 12, 2011 Amy Lignor rated it 3 of 5 stars

Samantha Moore was attacked. A gang had crept up on her, beat her with a tire iron that caused nerve damage to her leg as well, and gave her a serious concussion that put her in a coma for two months. An absolutely hideous crime, of course, that has now caused Samantha to exist on nightmares alone, while the rest of the world hovers around her simply waiting for her to ‘heal.’ There are many problems with Samantha’s healing process. Not only is her mind wrapped around the fact that no one has be...more Samantha Moore was attacked. A gang had crept up on her, beat her with a tire iron that caused nerve damage to her leg as well, and gave her a serious concussion that put her in a coma for two months. An absolutely hideous crime, of course, that has now caused Samantha to exist on nightmares alone, while the rest of the world hovers around her simply waiting for her to ‘heal.’ There are many problems with Samantha’s healing process. Not only is her mind wrapped around the fact that no one has been caught for the crime that was committed against her, but she still feels as if ‘they’ are still waiting out there to take her out once and for all.

Samantha also has to put up with the fact that her life WAS perfect before this tragedy struck. She was stunningly beautiful with no flaws whatsoever, she had a wonderful job at her father’s advertising company - which has now been given over to her assistant, Dan (and it doesn’t look like she’ll get it back anytime soon) - and she was headed down the aisle with Jackson, her handsome and successful fiancé. Of course, Jackson is still with her…but the spirit has most definitely gone out of the relationship.

Samantha is beyond upset that all anyone wants to do is keep her in a remote town in Minnesota in a cabin until she comes back to herself. They want her to go to psychiatrists and take all the pills that these doctor’s seem to think she needs. Samantha doesn’t want to be a doped-up woman - and she does NOT want her life run by doctors who have no idea the nightmares she’s having every time she closes her eyes. Her mood sings are becoming incredibly harsh and raw, and now they tell her that she’s receiving a “nursemaid,” who will stay with her during the week when Jackson travels back to Minneapolis to go back to work.

Anne Weaver and her son, Caleb, are good people. Anne has been laid off by the hospital because of financial issues and has been asked to do private duty for a woman who needs her assistance during the week. Anne needs this money in order to support herself and her son, while also dealing with the fact that Caleb is hanging out with the ‘bad boys’ of Minneapolis while he tries to start up his band and become a star.

When Anne and Samantha begin their relationship, it certainly is strained; but as the two women spend more and more time together, they begin to find out that they are not as “far apart” as they once thought.

Add in some seriously mysterious neighbors who have moved next door to Samantha, and a suspenseful story opens up for the reader. Although the plot is interesting and certainly gives some high points of thrills and chills, the book is a bit slow leading up to the actual ‘thrill-ride’ part of the novel. Samantha is a good character, but the beginning goes on a bit too long.
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Jan 11, 2012 Quina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Taking place in a small, isolated town, Love Lies Bleeding seems to welcome Samantha Moore, a once perfect daughter who was attacked one day after work. It follows her life as she struggles to put her life back to normal, as well as Anne Weaver, the woman hired by Sam’s father and fiancée. Having issues of her own with finances and her son, she agrees to help care for Sam. As their lives intertwine, both of them begin to learn more about themselves and others around them. Knit together with a my...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Traci rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-thing-wins

I really wasn't sure what to expect but I began reading this novel earlier this evening and I finished it today because I really found it to be that great.

Sam is the victim of a terrible crime, one that leaves her in the hospital in a coma for months and it left her with terrible anxiety and nightmares that are a constant reminder of what happened to her. Her family takes her to a secluded lake front cabin so she can work on her recovery and, Sam thinks, to keep her away from the public eye, as...more

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Sep 01, 2011 Virginia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Since I have been a fan of Shirley's Witch series I had to see what she was doing as Jess McConkey. If you like suspenseful women's fiction, you will like Love Lies Bleeding. It's set in Minnesota in a small town on a lake. The story is told by two female characters. The protagonist who had been attacked and because of a head injury has a physical disability, she walks with a limp. The physical therapist is a down to earth woman who refuses to put up with the protag's attitude. After a rocky sta...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-thing

Samantha Moore has it all until a violent act puts her in a coma for two months. She goes to a lake community to recover placed under a physical therapists care (unwillingly). With both a father and a fiance controlling her life, she is robbed of the freedom of her life. Strange things begin to happen and Sam struggles to solve the mystery of what is happening to her.

From start to finish, this book is a compelling read. It has some paranormal elements, without being over the top. It also has a...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Mara rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

A simply-told tale can be a good thing. A simplistically told story, on the other hand, is usually not a good thing, and that, unfortunately, is what we have here. The language is simplistic. The characterization is simplistic. The dialogue is simplistic. The plot is simplistic! It felt more like reading a comic book without the drawings than reading a novel.

Add to that was the question of what kind of book this book was supposed to be. Was it supposed to be an attack-recovery story (in which ca...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book from the first page! Love Lies Bleeding tells the story of a woman, Samantha, who is attacked and suffers brain injuries as a result. She is sent to a isolated cabin by her "loving" father and fiance to recover and cared for by a local physical therapist. Samantha begins to have dreams and visions of the previous owner - a woman who is not thought of kindly by the rest of the small community due to her sorrid past with the local men.

This book lost me towards the end though. I...more

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Aug 27, 2011 Michelle added it

Love Lies Bleeding is one of those novels that is thoroughly enjoyable while reading but does not hold up well under close scrutiny. Its sum is definitely much better than its parts, not that this is a bad thing. Sometimes, books are made to be enjoyed as a whole and not broken down for a search for hidden meaning or symbolism. Love Lies Bleeding is definitely successful as this type of book, as it does not demand much from the reader but instead presents itself as a taut Gothic suspense novel w...more Love Lies Bleeding is one of those novels that is thoroughly enjoyable while reading but does not hold up well under close scrutiny. Its sum is definitely much better than its parts, not that this is a bad thing. Sometimes, books are made to be enjoyed as a whole and not broken down for a search for hidden meaning or symbolism. Love Lies Bleeding is definitely successful as this type of book, as it does not demand much from the reader but instead presents itself as a taut Gothic suspense novel with a strong female lead.

The most intriguing aspect of Love Lies Bleeding is the three different narrators, each with a different point of view. Two of the narrators were third person, but the third was an unknown first-person narrator. This deliberate choice on the part of McConkey not only allows the reader to learn more of the details about each of the characters but it successfully builds tension, as the reader struggles to determine who the mysterious third narrator is. While I am sure this plot device is not new, it was the first time in a long time that I noticed it and appreciated it for its effectiveness.

Unfortunately, as with any book that is better on the surface than with searches for deeper meaning, Love Lies Bleeding is somewhat predictable. While the mysterious third narrator is unknown, a careful reader will know who it is before the novel is half over. Also, events unfold in such a manner that they are not truly surprising. In addition, there are quite a few unanswered questions remaining at the close of the novel. While they do not detract from the main plot, the reader is left with a niggling sense of incompleteness as a result.

Love Lies Bleeding is a relatively short novel, which explains some of the rush in character development and lack of answers. Yet, in spite of Sam's unrealistically quick transition from spoiled victim to independent and strong female and the unresolved questions, it is a difficult novel to stop reading. The Gothic elements compel the reader to keep reading, while the three narrators provide a more intimate glimpse into key characters. Love Lies Bleeding is a perfect, spooky mystery for a gloomy day.

Thank you Megan Traynor from William Morrow for my review copy!(less)

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Dec 23, 2011 Alicia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: insipid-pov-changes, female-lead-i-love, male-lead-who-needs-a-junk-punch

This was an okay book. Generally, I liked the story, but I have to agree with another reviewer in that it didn't quite know what it wanted to be. There's a ghost story, a mystery, and a psychological drama. While McConkey did a somewhat okay job of juggling the three and bringing them together, it was too much. The biggest issue was the mystery element, especially the first person "mystery" chapters throughout the book. Aside from the fact that I absolutely detest POV changes (third person to fi...more This was an okay book. Generally, I liked the story, but I have to agree with another reviewer in that it didn't quite know what it wanted to be. There's a ghost story, a mystery, and a psychological drama. While McConkey did a somewhat okay job of juggling the three and bringing them together, it was too much. The biggest issue was the mystery element, especially the first person "mystery" chapters throughout the book. Aside from the fact that I absolutely detest POV changes (third person to first person here), the whole thing was out of place. It felt like it was something that was added in later to give the book a mystery that was absolutely unneeded and a sense of intensity that still fell flat.

This intensity was missing from the entire story, really. It didn't come in the ghost story, in the tension between Sam and her family/fiancé, her growing chemistry with another character, the tension between Anne and her son Caleb, etc. I kept reading and I wanted to know what happened – mostly because I liked the characters – but I didn't feel a sense of urgency to do so. I was hoping that would come in the climax, but it didn't. The ending passed by too quickly. There were several loose ends that were either tied up in a few sentences or left dangling. I feel like the book's tag line, To what lengths would you go to keep a past buried?, is pretty misleading.

Like I said, I did like the characters, especially Samantha and Anne. They were well fleshed out, and somewhat compelling in their own right, which is what kept me reading. Sam and Anne, whether you agreed or not, had clear basis or motivation for their actions. I liked that they were strong and intelligent. It would have been so easy to keep Sam pathetic and to never have her break through her trauma and find her backbone but she did and I loved that she kept it, too. Definitely the strongest female characters I've read in awhile. I absolutely adored Roxy and Sam with her. I also wish we got more scenes with Greg. He was a great guy.

Overall, the best I can say is it was okay. If you pick it up you won't be reading for a strong story, but for strong characters.(less)

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Aug 03, 2011 Deb rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reading-for-review, fiction, mystery-thriller, vampire-paranormal-fiction

Samantha has it all--a career, a loving fiance and a happy life, until she is brutally attacked in a parking garage. In a coma for two months, she awakens a bitter shell of her former self. Her overbearing father and her fiance arrange for Sam to be cared for at a remote lake house and strange things start happening.

I have some mixed feelings about this book--on one hand, it kept my interest and kept me turning the pages to find out what happened next. On the other hand, I felt like it was a bi...more

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Oct 22, 2011 Alexia561 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, review-copy

This is one of those books that caught my eye because of a promising synopsis, but didn't turn out the way I expected. I didn't really care for Sam, the main character. I was sympathetic towards her at first, but her behavior eventually turned me off. Didn't care for her family or fiance either, but some of the secondary characters were okay. And I really liked Roxy!

Sam has nightmares because of her attack. Horrible nightmares. In pain, she lashes out at her fiance and anyone who tries to get to...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Trying to recuperate from a major head injury she received after a mugging, Samantha finds herself installed in a house out in the country far away for her job as an advertising executive at her father s firm in the city. Her parents’ life doesn’t give them time to be embarrassed by her accident—they can’t call it an attack—Sam feels shuffled out of the way and unable to decide what is good for her, held at the mercy of her surgeon fiancé Jackson and parents.
Determined to take her life back she...more

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Feb 25, 2012 April Plummer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literary-fiction, crime-thrillers-to-read

This book had me guessing, going back and forth between two thoughts about who the "bad" guy was. I don't want to give anything away, but this book surprised me. Not just because I wasn't sure who to point my finger at right away but also because I didn't think I'd enjoy it quite as much as I did. In fact, after a chapter or two, I wasn't sure I wanted to finish the book. But I'm glad I read another chapter because then I couldn't stop!

Intriguing story, interesting characters.

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Aug 03, 2011 Shelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: firstreads

I enjoyed this book from cover to cover. It was a quick read. I read it in less than a day. The storyline is involved, but the different aspects intertwine for a reason. Despite what other reviewers have thought, I believed the mystery/thriller and "haunting" aspects all made the story interesting and were explained by the events (i.e. coma, brain injury). It's a great read for the beach or a plane ride.

I thoroughly enjoyed Love Lies Bleeding and will look for more books from this author.

Thank...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I picked this one up on the "New Arrivals" shelf at the library. I was pleasantly surprised at how into this book I got. I like the characters, the plot and the setting. It is a mystery but you get so invested in the story of the main character and her recovery from a traumatic attack that you don't get bothered by the "who done it" until she does. It was a quick read and really hard to put down.

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Sep 18, 2011 Charitymcpike rated it 2 of 5 stars

Reading, purchased today to see if it might be a good book for a long flight to Hawaii. Already disgusted. I typically can't stop reading even if it's a chore..... longing for the book to improve. The writing is a little pathetic. My last couple of writing professors would have covered the first chapter in read ink. Gotta see if I can return it and grab something worth my time!

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Aug 31, 2011 Gina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, mystery

This book features a vulnerable, young woman who has been badly injured. She is recuperating from being in a coma at a remote lakeside cabin in Minnesota. Her life is being controlled by her domineering father and her doctor fiance. When she begins to have disturbing dreams she wonders if they are caused by the medications being prescribed to her or is she being haunted by a ghost.

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Jul 21, 2011 Alexandra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, er-from-lt

Won this from Early Reviewers on Librarything. I was excited about reading this, even though I found it a good read, I kind of expected more. Sam recovering from an attack in a cabin, is struggling with depression, anxiety, the stress of her family and being alone and forced to do things she doesn't want to and not the way she wants to. Can she really trust anyone anymore?
I liked the characters at first but as the book went on, I didn't like them as much. It was a good story for an authors debu...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Sharon rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

This was a confused little story. I wanted to like it, I really did but the ending sucked. I felt like I missed something. It's a story of a girl recovering from a tragic accident while being controlled by her father and fiance while being haunted by a woman she never met. Weird. I didn't connect with the characters and I'm left with so many loose ends and questions that were never answered. I'm still scratching my head hoping the next book I choose will be better.

I won this book from Librarythi...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Cindy Boepple rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the book. I just would have liked to seen a little more detail or rather elaboration on
Paranormal aspect with her connection to Blanche. I enjoyed the characters and thought they were very easy to bond with. Story line moved along well and enjoyed Sam in her battle to recover and what she had to go through. Will definitely read this authors next book.

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Aug 04, 2011 Christine rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads-first-read-giveaway

I am so happy to have received this book as a Goodreads giveaway selection, and I thank the author for making several copies available to Goodreads readers.

The story is constructed well, with fairly good character development, but I found it to be fairly similar to a romance novel as far as readability. I can't say that I anticipated phenomenal writing, so this book was pretty much what I expected.

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Jun 20, 2012 Nicole rated it 2 of 5 stars

The synopsis really had me gripped, but the book itself didn't even come close to matching it. I felt like the writing was very stilted and awkward and the mystery was just...dumb. I only give it two stars because it had me hooked at first but never lived up to it's promise.

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Mar 27, 2012 Nicole Adamowicz rated it 1 of 5 stars

Ugh. It is rare that I don't finish a book, but after a while I realized that this one just wasn't worth my time. The characters were so underdeveloped and unsympathetic that it was impossible to take any real interest in the story.

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title link	preview: Love Lies Bleeding
avg rating	preview: Love Lies Bleeding Goodreads rating: 3.09 (152 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10293018-love-lies-bleeding?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349054476l/10293018.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10293018-love-lies-bleeding?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Love Lies Bleeding by Jess McConkey[/url]

Love Lies Bleeding

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