Waking Amy

Amy #1

by Julieann Dove

Amy Whitfield is blindsided when she comes home and finds a note on the fridge from her husband, Wesley, stating that after four years of marriage, he’s leaving her. Amy was in the midst of trying to spice things up, to bring life back to their boring marriage. It seems now that she was too late.

As Amy sits with her head between her knees, trying to figure out what to do next, a call comes from Mercer General Hospital. The ER nurse is telling Amy’s answering machine that Wesley has been in a car accident.

When Amy arrives at the hospital, she finds her husband in a coma. The doctors say there is no sign of brain damage, and Wesley will eventually wake up. Relieved, Amy sees this as her second chance: the chance to get it right this time. To channel the girl Wesley won’t leave when he regains consciousness… She just needs some help to pull it off. After all, she was voted girl most likely to die a virgin in high school.

Amy would never figure on getting that help from Mark Reilly…Wesley’s doctor! He’s a non-committer, too-cute-for-his-own-good bachelor, and completely the guy Amy begins falling for. It’s a race against time to see who wakes up first—Amy or her husband.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Adult

244 pages, Paperback

Published February 23, 2016

About the author

Julieann lives in Virginia, yet longs to live everywhere else. It doesn’t come as a surprise that along with her gypsy soul, comes an active imagination. That’s why she loves to write and invent worlds and people, so that she can formulate their happily ever after. Hobbies include cooking new recipes, sewing, and spending time with her cute boyfriend/husband and eight fabulous children. Vacations happen in Nantucket or the Carolina beaches—anywhere there is inspiration for her next book. One day she hopes to travel to Italy, drive one of those little cars around the countryside, and speak the language fluently!

Reviews

[Paula Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up Amy's family were quite close to the Whitfield's in fact - their son Wesley used to date Amy's twin sister Ashley until tragedy struck during their college years and both Wesley's and Amy's parents died in a plane crash during their annual ski trip to the Aspens. On her death bed, Amy's mother asked Wesley to look after her daughters. As the year's went by , Amy and Wesley ended up marrying and her sister Ashley went off to become an actress. The years passed by, and then one day at work Amy overhears the girls gossiping about sex , what they do and how many times. All of a sudden, she is embarrassed and worried as she doesn't do that stuff with her husband - as once your married - should it matter ? On the day, she decides to mix it a little she arrives home to a note from Wesley telling her - he is leaving her and doesn't love her. The phone rings and it is the hospital - her husband has been in an accident. Amy discovers he is in a coma and sees this as her second chance at love and romance, this time around - she can be a better wife and lover to Wesley. During this time, she meets Dr. Mark Reilly whom will help her in her mission but as the pair start spending time together - it makes you wonder whether she should bother trying with Wes and stick with the good ol' Doctor. There's definitely one thing about Amy though is that deep down she thinks she loves her husband and throughout the book - her naivety drives me crazy as it's like look woman your'e husband doesn't respect or love you like he should and there is this amazing man who does - choose him. Throughout the novel, we hope Amy makes the right decision and then her husband awakes - Can Amy make the right decision before it's too late to turn back time ?
Find out in Waking Amy by Julieann Dove - a novel where sometimes all you need is a tragedy or major event to give your life that push you needed to wake up and realise you aren't moving forward, happy and that you need to do something about it -otherwise you will be a miserable sod for the rest of your life.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dove shares a compelling story and aspects of it felt like a contemporary romance. I classified this as Chick-Lit because while there is "romance", and "romantic moments" the tale truly focuses on Amy discovering her own self-worth. I must state for those who read the synopsis that there is no cheating.

I loved Amy and could see a aspects of many young woman in her. Dove seamlessly shared her story, her marriage with Wesley, and her journey. As she peeled back the layers we realize Amy has played it safe, doubts her own worth and really went from one sheltered home to another. Amy’s story in Waking Amy felt genuine and through her friendships with Mark and others, we see her grow confident, and make progress in finding her own happiness.

I loved the humorous moments, the spontaneous moments, and the awkward moments that developed in Waking Amy. Amy was brave and funny but she was also equal parts awkward and serious. I laughed at her as much as I laughed with her.

Despite the struggles Amy endures, the book was not depressing or overly dramatic. The reader and Amy share many ah-ha moments. Secondary characters such as Mark, Amy’s sister, Wesley and Amy’s friend Tom were fleshed out and unique. Can you believe I even felt a tad sorry for Wesley? Mark was an interesting character who drew Amy out and in the process began to heal himself. I enjoyed his story and felt connected to him. Tom freaked me out a little when I first met him, but Dove quickly had me falling for him. I could totally see myself being BFF’s with him.

Copy provided by author. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! I found myself cheering Amy on throughout the whole thing! I can't wait to see how her life unfolds in the next two books!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book with lots of humor and twists! Bring on book 2 : )

[Sherin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julieann Dove's Waking Amy is a gripping tale of a wife (Amy) and how she reinvents herself. It is the first book of the series Amy. A book that gives a really important message - if someone loves you, they will accept you for who you are!

Amy is married to Wes (her best friend and sweetheart) and had a fairly OK marriage, though she was just happy to be with Wes. When she decides their sex life isn't interesting and she needs to do something to spice it up to make Wes happy... she talks to her colleagues to get ideas and decides to go for a makeover. When she's back home to start with her plans, she is shocked to see a note that Wes left stating he is leaving her.

Thus begins the story and even after seeing the note, she is distressed when she gets a call that Wes is admitted in hospital and sees his accident as a time God has given her to workout her marriage woes. In the hospital where Wes is admitted she meets the sexy and handsome Mark who is the neurologist for Wes.

They connect instantly and she asks Mark to help reinvent her after telling him her woes. Though he refuses initially, unable to say no to her and due to circumstances, Mark agrees. What happens after that is the story.

The way Mark and Amy meet is interesting and funny, the way he holds her when she breaks down and how he helps build her confidence is heartwarming. His witty comebacks are interesting to read.

On the other hand, Amy is funny though innocent and vulnerable, she has done everything she could to change herself for the man she loves, only to realize he doesn't look at her that way! What will she do now?

In the meantime, Amy has fallen for Mark (who is clearly smitten by her) and she is friends with Tom who likes her. Will she take a chance with Mark who has the reputation of a player? Tom was a good friend though he knew Amy only for a short time, he clearly understands and cares for her.

I wanted Amy to confront Wes properly for what he did to her though I guess it come in the next book. Though some might think otherwise, I don't feel pity for Wes. He should have taken his vows seriously, or stayed away from dragging her along in a journey he clearly knew he wasn't up for! She also did not deserve the way he treated her or the even worser things he did behind her back!

This is the first part of her journey, so I guess we will read more about how this pans out in the future books. Can't wait to see where Amy's life is headed!

* Was kindly provided an ARC by Killion Group, Inc. through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Waking Amy" was such a wonderfully sweet and surprisingly suspenseful story. When Wesley awoke would we find he was a good man trying to get out of an untenable situation with as little collateral damage (to Amy) as possible or was he a douche? Was Mark the sweet, helpful, understanding doctor he portrayed or was he the player his reputation suggested?
Ms. Dove's bits of humor,
"Have you seen the images of old, aged spinsters with twenty cats at the dinner table? I don't want to be dishing out Fancy Feast for the rest of my life."
and insight,
"You can't taste and enjoy a kiss if you're a rocket, lit and ready. You roll into it, like the surf on the edge of the beach. Receding and then reaching again for more time on the sand. You take pleasure in it. It's not a process. Nothing with steps. It's a feeling."
were wonderful to read and propelled me through this delightful story. I really enjoyed following Amy's journey.

[Rose Grabowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy's quiet but boring life is turned upside down when her husband asks for a divorce in a note on the refrigerator and then ends up in the hospital comatose after a car accident. She decides that this is her chance to change and reinvent herself so she could make her husband happy. We follow her efforts to be somewhat she is not, and her journey back to herself. I had issues with some unlikely aspects of the plot, but the characters were so well drawn it was easy to ignore that part. This was more of a women's fiction with a romance element, and I enjoyed watching Amy grow.

[Holly Mavigliano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read

Great read! Amy is comfortable with her husband, maybe too comfortable. One night he is late getting home, then she gets a call...he's in a coma. THEN she finds the note: he's leaving her. What ensues is funny and heartbreaking and hopeful.

[Phyllis Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

5 stars for Waking Amy (Book 1). A well written witty tale of finding out that your husband left you and then wrecked his car and ended up in a coma. Trying to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it is a hilarious tale.

[Kristyn - Reading to Unwind · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some reason when the story began with Amy talking to her coworkers about her marriage all I could think was he is going to leave her. Although how it all happened I would have never pieced it all together. It seemed like the relationship had fizzled out and that they were staying together for more of comfort then anything else. Once we get the backstory throughout the book I can see exactly how they ended up in that situation.

Amy's parents passed away at a young age with Wesley's parents. Amy sort of bonded onto Wesley to take care of her and it was one of her mother's dying wishes for Wesley to take care of Amy. Wesley did leave a note for Amy saying he was leaving her on the night that he got into a bad car accident. Amy sat by his bedside and decided that she was going to become the ideal wife to make Wesley want her back. Amy makes a pact with Wesley's doctor Mark to help her become an irresistible wife.

I love Amy as a character she seems like a typical 30 year old women who is married and a little scatter brained at moments. Amy doesn't know what to do to spice up her marriage, but she is looking for that one thing to make it better. Amy lacks experience in the relationship department and we really get to see that when Mark starts to help her out. Although maybe Amy just needed someone to break her out of her shell.

I absolutely loved the story. Amy was growing so much and learning so much about herself during the entire book. I love the twists and turns that all of her relationships took. Amy never once felt alone in the book, which is something incredible since her family was only her sister left. I felt that Amy ended up having a strong support system that she didn't even know she had until she needed it. I also loved how Amy knew what type of relationship she was looking for by the end of the book.

Also, I loved Mark's mom! She is just amazing in the book, she only has a small role, but it is very inspirational!!

I think this is a perfect beach read for the summer! It is easy to read and follow along in the story. It is very inspiring and a cute spin on a love story. It is a very fast read and can be done quickly in one sitting as well!!

I was received a copy of this book from Caffeinated Book Reviewer for the purpose of providing an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Susan Haught · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first page, I was drawn in by Ms. Dove's writing style--the pacing, characterization, and wit carried me from page one to the end. I loved the premise of the story--one which I think many can relate to. Sometimes it's so easy to become complacent with your life, your spouse, and let go of your dreams.

I don't do spoilers, so I'm going to leave it here--I highly recommend reading Waking Amy. It's a fun, heartfelt story you'll be able to devour in a couple of sittings. The book has to be well-written for me to engage in further readings by an author, and I will be reading more of Ms. Dove's work.

I'm happy I found this little gem.

[Deanna (A Novel Glimpse) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not very often that I read a romance where the 30-something heroine is quite as sheltered or innocent as Amy was in Waking Amy. It certainly made for an interesting storyline.

Waking Amy is the story of a woman on the verge of an emotional, sexual and fundamental shift. Amy's hit rock bottom in her marriage, her husband having left her prior to ending up in a coma. She's willing to do anything it takes to get Wesley back. In order to make herself more desirable, she asks Wesley's womanizing doctor, Mark, to help her. As Mark guides on her path of self-discovery, she slowly starts to wonder if maybe she's trying to impress the wrong man.

Amy was way more naive than any 30-year-old I know. She didn't show skin, wasn't really interested in sex and was very conservative. The struggles she went through, how she examined her upbringing and the way she tried to recreate herself was inspirational. But I didn't really connect with her or like her. Her naiveté kind of annoyed me at times. It gave a snotty tone to some of her point of view.

Mark I loved. His storyline was my favorite. I loved when Amy stepped in and helped him several times. He had some great witty dialog and was fun to read about.

I didn't care for the addition of Tom's character and the love square it created. Amy already had enough going on with Wesley and Mark. He just seemed like extra thrown in to show she decided to take care of herself first.

Waking Amy almost felt more like Women's Fiction/Chit Lit than a Contemporary Romance. While there was romance to the story, it was mostly about Amy discovering who she truly wanted to be. I liked the story a lot, I just wish I had been fonder of Amy. I am interested to see where life takes her next, but I am a little surprised this is going to be a series. The ending wrapped up the book really well. I would recommend Waking Amy if you enjoy novels about characters discovering their potential.

**I received this book from the author via Goodreads in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy is walking through life accepting her marriage for what it seems until she finds a note from her husband on the refrigerator door – he’s leaving her. She can’t envision not being married to him or to living alone and is confident she can make Wesley fall in love her again. While she is still reeling from the reality of Wesley’s note, she receives a call from the hospital. Wesley was in a terrible accident and is in a coma.
Though the book deals with the reality of Amy’s situation and Wesley’s accident that occurred as he was driving away from her, there is a lot of laugh out loud humor, and it all begins when she meets Wesley’s doctor Mark.
Amy enlists Mark’s help to teach her how to be attractive and sexy so that Wesley will wake up from his coma and realize the mistake he made in leaving her. When Mark agrees, the fun begins.
In this character-driven story, the author paints Amy as someone who is searching for her own identity. She has always been there doing Wesley’s bidding and accepting their marriage as it was – virtually platonic. Wesley’s departure and his accident, force Amy to take stock of herself.
From the first, I despised Wesley, but because he’s in a coma your knowledge of him is second hand until much later in the book. However, you will learn enough upfront to dislike him instantly.
Mark is definitely swoon-worthy but has his own problems to overcome. As the handsome doctor who sleeps with someone different every night, can he convince Amy he’s the one for her?
Dove did a wonderful job of fleshing out the characters. Amy was complex. She was sheltered and unsure of herself, but with the help of other characters, she became strong and self-assured. The storyline was believable and filled with fresh humor. A fast-paced story, I read it in one sitting. Waking Amy is one of those books you can’t put down. It is contemporary romance, chick-lit, and comedy rolled into one. If you enjoy any of these genre’s you will enjoy reading Waking Amy.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Nash Norden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Waking Amy is definitely a fun, quick romance read. If you love reading stories about a woman in her journey to find herself with lots of romance and humorous moment, you definitely have to read this book.

I was smitten with the cover at first. Then I read the synopsis and instantly know that I have to read this. Somehow, the synopsis reminded me to a movie, 'When You Were Sleeping'.

Waking Amy was about second chances. Amy's husband, Wesley, was leaving her, and soon after she received a call from the hospital, telling her that her husband has been in a car accident. The doctor told her that Wesley was in coma, but he will wake up soon. Amy saw this as her second chance. She was determined to change herself to be the woman that her husband will love. It was hard not to sympathize with Amy and what she had to go through. And then, Mark Reilly appeared. He's one of Wesley's doctors. He's good looking, and seemed to have his way with the ladies. Amy decided that Mark would be the perfect person to help her change. Except that, Amy began to fall for Mark.

I love the story. The author's writing style was really easy to get into. I enjoyed reading about Amy. I love reading how she grew up to be more independent and saw what was really going on with her relationship with her husband. There were a few twists here that made the story much more interesting. The romance between Amy and Mark was great. But, that I find that the relationship was a bit sudden. The beginning was too quick, and the ending was a bit rushed. I wish to see more of their relationship before the story ended, because I love their chemistry together.

I received a copy of the book from the author/CLP Blog Tour in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissa ownsbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice cover very pretty
loved the book
i am a amy fan all the way
great job great writeing stlye
lots of emoitns in the book

[Keanna (JustKey) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.7 Stars

The Why:
A life changing event that gives a woman another chance to find herself with someone who loves her for her.

Characters:
Amy: Her husband gets in an accident and is in a coma. She's been doing everything she can lately to make herself attractive to her husband. So while he's in a coma, Amy decides that reinventing herself for him will make her attractive. So she enlists the help of her husband's doctor, Mark Reilly. As she continues to become the women she thinks her husband needs, she begins to fall for Mark who doesn't want her to change herself, because he likes (more like loves) the women she is.

She realized what the text break up her husband left. Yes, you read that right. A break up text. I mean, that a coward move if you ask me. How tacky is that? The secrets that came out while her husband was in a coma just made me want to shake my head and want to shake her to just let him go. She realizes the things that she was missing in her relationship with as Mark shows her. The situation was complicated, but I'm glad that Mark allowed her to be herself and love her.

Final Thoughts:
This was full of mishaps, very awkward( and revealing) first meetings, lies, love, second chances, redemption that told a beautiful story that echoes the lesson of never change yourself for someone who doesn't appreciate it. If they love you, they won't want to change you.

[Danielle Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waking Amy is a sensational journey of one woman who finds what she really wants in life. All it takes is for husband to leave a "I'm leaving you" note and to find him in a coma...then Amy begins to see her life as if looking at it from under a miscroscope. Amy is the the most realistic woman in all of the fiction novels I have read. Her worries, non-stop babbling, and new attraction is everything that real women face. I loved how Julieann Dove beautifully captures this and the waking moment of realization that hits Amy hard in the head, heart, and stomach.

Waking Amy is definitely a must read for all women. Readers can easily relate to the insecurities, dilemmas, and the rollercoaster rides of what marriage brings. This book, is sweet, funny, and absoultely delightful. A sexy doctor...a woman who is so close to being a nun, and a husband in a coma make for one very interesting read indeed. Julieann Dove will take her readers' breath away with this romantic story. The plot was well-written and the characters were perfectly developed. I fell in love with the characters and was so happy at the ending. Overall, I loved reading this and highly recommend it to readers everywhere. This is one women's fiction novel, readers can't miss.

[Margaret Tidwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

FTC: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation for this review. All opinions expressed in this review are mine.

Waking Amy by Julieann Dove was a book I was excited to read because I saw it all over the place and I had to know what all the hype was about. That being said it was a good book, but I couldn’t figure out what all the hype was about. It isn’t the best book I have read lately, but it was one that I will give four stars too. For some reason, I just couldn’t get into the story and at times the book seemed to go super slow. I liked Amy because I could see a lot of myself in her, so I know how she was feeling. I wasn’t a super big fan of Mark because he seemed to be the type of guy that just likes to play women and I don’t like that. All in all, it was an okay book just not the right fit for me. If you like chick lit then I would check this one out because I know most people who like chick lit would love this book.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

**http://melenasreviews.wordpress.com**

As a first time reader of Julieann Dove I have to say this book was packed with comedy. I loved that Amy is just like any wife trying to get the spark back in her marriage yet through every attempt fails hillariously. Mark was so good for her making her see she is beautiful and sexy to him. Mark is exactly what Amy needs for so many years she has been missing that right feeling of well being loved. Sadly the life she has with Wesley just seemed well like they were college roommates never having that real spark like she has with Mark. These two were perfect for each other for she is a woman who doesn`t see her beauty and Mark is a man who is having a hard time committing. Julieann Dove did a beautiful job in showing Mark it is okay to love again with the right woman. All in all it was really good and can`t wait to see what else is in store for Amy and Mark.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an copy of Waking Amy from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review.
This book was one of those light hearted romance books that you find yourself chuckling out loud as you read. I really enjoyed this book. I liked Amy as a character even if she did go a bit over the top to try to get her husband back who was in a coma because he was in an accident when he was leaving her. If a guy walks out on you after six years of a marriage, your sex life is nonexistent and he is always on business trips you would think one would know something May not be right in your relationship but not Amy, instead she tries to get help from her comatose husband's hunky neurosurgeon to fix herself so her husband will not leave her when he wakes up. This plan has so many problems on so many levels but I will let you find them out when you read this book yourselves.
I am giving Waking Amy four out of five stars.

[Samantha March · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a review copy
Ooh, this book was such a treat! At the beginning it was nearly breathtaking to read about Amy finding the note then her getting the phone call about the accident. So intense! Then watching Amy go through her transition of being so in her shell to finally realizing who she was inside was so enjoyable to read. When reading I try to just be in the story, be in the moment, and not let anything else get to me, but a few things tripped me up here, even though I was happily reading away. There were a few logistical items that stuck out to me that didn’t quite add up or maybe make the most sense, but if I forgot about those and just focused on the story line, I was quite happy with this novel. And I was really pulled in by the cover! A nice women’s fiction read for your list!
4 stars

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story, it’s so much more than just a romance. It was refreshing to read about Amy taking charge to do something about her circumstances instead of being miserably lost when her life as she always knew it was turned upside down. This story touches on heavy topics of fidelity and the importance of healthy relationships while still delivering a sweet romance with just the right amount of humor so that it was never too sappy or heavy. I loved that Amy pushed herself to enjoy others company and be sexy, without the dates ending in sex and that her platonic relationship ended up being one of the most valuable of them all. This is a must read for those in love, falling out of love or jilted. I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, so I could give an honest review.

[Elle Markov · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story really didn’t work for me. It says it’s the first issue in the Amy Series and I sure hope the main character Amy gets redeemed.

The woman is so ridiculously blind and pathetic that I could for the life of me not stand her.

One of my biggest issues with this book is that there is absolutely no resolution between Amy and her douchebag of a husband, Wesley. I honestly would have been happy is Wesley never woke-up from that coma.

The only likable character in this entire book was Mark Reilly the doctor.

[The Suburban Eclectic · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love the concept of reinvention and this sounded like it was a romance along the lines of The Vow. But in this case the heroine is more interested in playing doctor than trying to win her husband back. I'm certainly not the ethics police, but the idea of a doc agreeing to be a romance teacher/wingman of a patient's spouse seems a little over the top. Campy fun? Sadly, no, but I wish it had some as the ridiculous plot coupled with the less than believable dialogue was certainly comical however unintentional. I wish I liked this one more.

ARC provided via NG

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest I almost set this book aside.... it took me a while to get into the groove of it. But I am so glad I stuck with it. This is a book about so many things, second chances, taking leaps of faith, finding true love, but I think the most important one is to always be true to yourself. Don't let others dictate who you are & what your life will be.

Great read & I am looking forward to what happens next for Amy. This was the first book in a three part series.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Penni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an easy read but it was very predictable. Often I felt like I was reading something I would have read on a fan fiction site (since before now I had no knowledge of non-fan fiction writing online). I often felt like the author was unsure what to write or how to say or word something, however, I do feel she did a good job. The story flowed well together, but I just wasn’t all the interested in it. It you’re looking for a simple, quick chick-lit, then Waking Amy is probably for you.

[J.J. Stout · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent work of Women’s Fiction with romantic elements, Waking Amy is a heartwarming story of one woman’s road to self-discovery. Full of laughter and heartache, Dove’s witty tale will have readers cheering Amy on to the end. A true inspiration and a humorous look at life after love, this is one book that you won’t want to miss!

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an independent review.
A humorous romantic comedy. The perfect read for a day at home ill in bed. Loved the characters, gorgeous Mark and debonair Tom. The waking of Amy and the realisation of what would make her truly happy, made me smile.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down. The author cleverly keeps your attention. I think there may another follow up book that I can't wait to read. This is a book that will definitely please it's readers. It's well worth your investment.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

Julieann's writing really held my interest I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next, so I gave it five stars.
I am so glad Amy met Tom so that he could help guide her to her true