Review: Waking Up Joy by Tina Ann Forkner

Waking Up Joy

by Tina Ann Forkner

Pages: 336

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Behind every lost dream lies a second chance…

When adored town spinster Joy Talley ends up in a coma after a peculiar accident, she is surprised and incensed to hear what is being said in her hospital room, including plans for her funeral. When she finally wakes, her well-meaning, but bossy, brothers and sisters dismiss her claims, thinking her accident has knocked her off her rocker, but Joy has never felt better, and is determined to set the past right.

Now Joy must face her darkest secret and risk reopening wounds caused by an old flame who rejected her more than twenty years ago. But taking risks brings change, as well as a new, younger man into Joy’s life, making her feel like a teenager again. Suddenly Joy’s once humdrum life is anything but boring and routine and the future beckons, exhilarating and bright. 


Kritters Thoughts:  Joy is well into her adulthood and never settled down with a partner and after a mishap at her home, she ends up in a coma, but can still hear her family and all the things they are saying about her.  Joy is only in her coma for a bit of the book and once she wakes up the rest of the drama revolves around the doctor that saved her and a high school crush that went downhill for some reason.

My biggest problem with the book was the very long wait that the reader has to get to the secret that is hinted at throughout the entire book.  I wish the secret had been revealed a little earlier to allow for the characters to have more time to react and resolve the repercussions.  I also think that if we had received a few flashback chapters we would have felt even more connected to the sibling's parents, I felt detached because I felt like I didn't get to meet them myself.

The love triangle was entertaining.  I loved that I couldn't decide myself and completely flip flopped along with the main character.  Even as she had made her decision I was still debating myself!  

If you have a little more patience about secrets being kept from a reader, then try this one.  If you love a sweet love triangle that reminds you of the Dawson's Creek days - then this one would be right up your alley!


Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more


Ebook 2014 Challenge: 66 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from BookSparks PR.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.