Summary
Mikaela Campbell, beloved wife and mother of two, lies in a coma. Doctors have told her husband, Liam, not to expect a recovery, but he maintains hope. Day after day, he sits by her bedside, holding her hand and sharing the stories of their life together. Then he discovers a secret of his wife's past: her long-hidden first marriage to movie star Julian True, who was the love of her life. Mikaela responds to Julian's name -- it is only a blink, but it convinces Liam that Julian may be the only person who can bring Mikaela back. But at what cost?
Published Reviews
Booklist Review:
"Romance author Hannah's second hardcover novel is a heart-wrenching love story set in the Pacific Northwest. Last Bend is a close-knit small town tucked away among towering evergreens in Washington's Cascade Mountains. Lifelong resident Liam Campbell is a doctor, a compassionate, reliable man, married and fervently in love with his kind and beautiful wife, Mikaela. They have a comfortable life with their children--9-year-old Bret and 16-year-old Jacey, Mikaela's daughter from a previous marriage, but everything suddenly changes one morning when Mikaela is thrown from a horse in a freak accident. Her violent fall results in a severe head injury, and she is plunged into a deep coma. Liam and the family refuse to surrender her to the heartbreaking medical prognosis and hope valiantly that their love and devotion can bring her back to consciousness. Then one night, Liam discovers some long-hidden photos that reveal the improbable identity of Mikaela's first husband, which she has kept secret from him. It's Julian True, international celebrity heartthrob and millionaire movie-star, and Liam senses that Julian is also the true love of Mikaela's life. He must now decide if he loves his wife enough to risk losing her by finding out if Julian's presence can awaken her from her coma. Hannah ably uses her insights into small-town and family life as well as celebrity worship to explore the nature of love and commitment in a story sure to please fans of dramatic, romantic love stories. --Catherine Sias"
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Publisher's Weekly Review:
"Set amid the splendor of Washington State's North Cascade mountain range, Hannah's latest (after On Mystic Lake) borrows elements from soap opera, the silver screen and fairy tales to make a simple statement about the complications of love. Dr. Liam Campbell is devastated when his beloved wife, Mikaela, mother of two, suffers a horse-jumping injury that leaves her in a coma. His confusion escalates when he learns the identity of Mikaela's first husband: world-famous movie star Julian True. The biggest shock: True's is the only name she responds to. Liam senses that his Sleeping Beauty needs love to wake her up, but whose? Given the depth of his feelings for her, will he be brave enough to summon True for help, and so risk losing Mikaela forever in order to save her life? Scenes reminiscent of Kramer vs. Kramer occur where Liam tries to be mom to their nine-year-old son; the suds world takes over when Mikaela finally wakes, but with retrograde amnesia, thinking she's still married to True and with no memory of Liam; and It's a Wonderful Life brings the curtain down. In keeping with the popular convention of giving voice to spirituality, the novel employs religious overtones, which will please some readers while leaving others feeling molested by an angel. Mikaela and Liam are sweet characters, even relentlessly good ones, so many will find them likable even as they float smoothly toward an easy conclusion. 125,000 first printing. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved"
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
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