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Olivia's sad, solitary life in Seattle comes dangerously close to ending one fateful night, if not for a neighbor saving her in the nick of time. Curious about her mysterious rescuer, she seeks him out in hope of getting some answers, but instead finds something she never thought she'd have again.
Anonymous
Posted June 12, 2012
Excellent book very touching recommend to people who are looking for a heart throbbing romantic book two thumbs up.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 17, 2012
The story of Olivia and Jude is very well written and will warm the hearts of everyone! I got to meet the author and what a talent she is, don't overlook this book which is sure to get high recognition.
If you love a heartfelt romance and a little twist this book is for you!
Anonymous
Posted May 15, 2012
I lov this book!i wasnt sure if i was going to like it at first but it is the best book ive ever read!i wish there was a sequel its pavked full of action,romance,and fun i toattally recammend it!!!!!!!!!!(p.s.this is sooooooo not for little kids)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.l_manning
Posted April 30, 2012
Olivia is in a dark place. Having been abandoned by everyone she loved, Olivia has reached the end. She can no longer deal with her life. What she thinks will be the end however is a new beginning. Saved by her handsome neighbor Jude, Olivia faces a different life. One that is full of Jude. Olivia finds that she does has something to live for. However, Jude has some secrets, the kind that could change everything for both him and Olivia. They both have to learn to adjust to their new situations, and they learn that love often involves sacrifice.
I found the beginning of this book very difficult to read because Olivia is in such a dark place. This is an example of some really great writing though. The author does an amazing job of capturing Olivia's depression. It is very dark and almost suffocating. It is also wonderful to see Olivia slowly begin to work her way out of this dark place. With the help of a good doctor, Olivia is able to work through things and find ways to deal with her life. She is very lucky in that she gains a really awesome support system. I also liked that even at her darkest point, Olivia was still a likable character. No matter what is going on with her, you are able to sympathize and like her. I was definitely happy as things were looking up for her.
Olivia and Jude also have a interesting story. Jude has a secret, one which I won't divulge, so this will be a bit vague. I can say though that their romance is a nice one. They both learn about unconditional love and sacrifice for another person. While this book was difficult to read in parts merely because of what was going on with Olivia, overall I enjoyed the book. I found myself caught up in the story and I read it rather quickly. People looking for a sweet love story full of hope will enjoy this book.
Galley provided for review.
BookWhales
Posted April 20, 2012
Olivia Tate is broken. After the tragic death of her mother, her whole life quickly falls apart, leaving her nothing but an empty shell. She has no one left, but herself, and this is when she started shutting herself from everyone, even her best friend. Olivia lived a rather lonely life, doing mundane tasks robotically. And when everything takes its toll, she decided to take the pills in her medicine cabinet to end it all. Well, that’s what Olivia was hoping it would be, but not until she woke up in the hospital days later where she learned that she was saved by that person whom she had no idea would completely change her life. Forever.
Emerald City is a novel about pain, hope, sacrifice, and most especially, love. In the first part of the book, we read about how Olivia changed from being hopeless, into one who becomes optimistic and strong. We watch her as she struggles with her depression and goes through the healing process. I can say that her progress was written well. Her growth was done step-by-step and wasn’t abrupt, and you can really feel her emotions as if they were your own.
I also liked how her relationship with Jude turned into something more. It wasn’t like the typical “love at first sight”. Jude was the one who helped her go through her everyday struggles, and he was the one who’s always there whenever she needed him. It was really sweet and touching. The only problem I had with Jude was he was “too perfect” for me. He’s gorgeous, nice, sweet, caring, plus more of those qualities that you’ll want for the perfect boyfriend. Olivia is a likeable character. I admire her for being a strong character. Despite everything she has been through and after being in the dark for so long, she still managed to stand up, move on, and find the path towards the light.
What I wasn’t prepared in this novel was the revelation of Jude’s secret. I didn’t even get any hints about Jude’s secret so I was surprised when it was revealed, and I’m not too happy about it. Or maybe I was the only one who didn’t noticed anything? How Olivia easily found out about his secrets and also easily accepts it made me stop reading and scowl at my kindle. I don’t know. It just doesn’t feel right for me. The events after the revelation already seemed rushed and random characters suddenly popped out. *sigh* Okay, maybe it’s also just me.
Anyway, even with some of my negative comments, I still enjoyed reading the Emerald City. It’s a fast read wherein you can relate to the main character’s struggles.
Anonymous
Posted April 20, 2012
This book was an ok read. The problem is that, that's all it was. Just ok. There was nothing unexpected or even really what I would call climatic. I thought it was pretty bland and predictable. I see that this is the author's first published book, so I will cut her some slack, she has a nice writing style, I didn't feel like I was reading the work of a fifteen year old like I do with some authors of this genre of books. I just think she needs to push herself a little harder next time. Maybe take more time to really flesh out her characters, and make them less two dimensional. The one glimmer of interesting it did have, was a character named Ray. The other problem I had with the book was the title. The story may have taken place in Seattle but if you are going to actually name the book after a city you should make the city itself more of a character. I feel like this could have taken place anywhere at all. There was nothing about the story that made me think Seattle in any way. I guess if you are looking for a nice, safe, book for your young teen to read this could be a good choice.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Patojo22
Posted April 18, 2012
I just finished this book a few days ago and I really enjoyed it. I have not read many book that would be considered romance, but I really enjoyed this book and I hope that Alicia Leppert will continue and write more in the future. This story is one of Hope and Love, that we need to continue to hold on even when everything looks bleak, as life is beautiful and worth holding on for.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Emerald City has nothing to do with Dorothy or ruby slippers. It’s a heart-wrenching love story about forbidden love. A love that a man will sacrifice heaven and fight hell just to hold the woman he loves. Alicia K. Leppert went beyond the typical Paranormal Romance. She wrote an emotional, heart-melting love story with Olivia and Jude's forbidden love—a love that will not be denied. Leppert writes incredible, heart-stopping romance. My heart is still in awe of the tender, intimate way Jude loves Olivia. Alicia K. Leppert thank you for Olivia and Jude's beautiful story and thank you for a breathtaking, forbidden love story.
Olivia Tate is tired. She’s tired of living a life of emptiness, a life that has taken everybody she loves. Olivia is tired of the sleepless nights full of night terrors. She wants just one night of peaceful, painless sleep, and she intends to find one in a bottle of Valium. But when Olivia wakes, it’s not where she thought it would be, and her rescuer is the last person she’d ever think would be saving her life.
Jude has an assignment to do. An assignment he will not finish, at least not the way those who sent Jude on this mission of mercy would like. Jude's name means he's a lost cause, but when he saves Olivia, she’ll become his life's cause—and he’ll sacrifice everything to have a heart that beats only for Olivia.
Olivia and Jude’s love is a forbidden one. Jude came to save Olivia's life and will now have to lose his own. Emerald City is a beautiful novel about two people who will not be denied love. I love forbidden romance stories, and Emerald City is definitely a love story I recommend as a must read.
RomancingTheTomeReviews
Posted April 9, 2012
SUMMARY CONTAINS SPOILERS
Twenty year old Olivia Tate lost her father at the age of five when he walked out on her and her mother, and chose instead to live with his "other" family complete with "other" kids. (Bastard.) Her mother never recovered from the loss, and years later once Olivia moved out on her own, her mom did the unthinkable and committed suicide. Alone, and struggling to cope with the situation, she pushes away her best friend and finally hits rock bottom. Nightmares consume her and she wants them to end. An overdose of Valium nearly ends her life. Her savior is Jude West, a stranger hiding secrets of his own. The story takes us with Olivia as she struggles for recover from the tragedies she has endured and learns to live again.
What worked for me:
* The beginning of the story give a real sense of the desperate, hollow place Olivia has been since the tragic loss of her mother. I originally thought the pacing of the first few chapters was slow, but in retrospect the pacing turned out to be a perfect corollary to Olivia's emergence from the life she'd been living.
* As Olivia's life became bearable, as she began to observe the world with new eyes, the author began to enrich the description, and the writing blossomed along with Olivia. I'm not sure the author did this intentionally, but it worked brilliantly.
* Depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts are dark subjects and I think the author did a nice job of showing the reader what it's like to suffer, heal, and recover from their detrimental effects.
* Olivia and Jude are well fleshed out. I will remember Olivia's character for a long time to come largely because she was so broken at the beginning of the story. I cheered for her immediately, wanting her to persevere, wanting her to survive and move toward a life well lived.
What didn't work for me:
* Honestly, the story itself worked. The cover however, is another matter. If anything, it conveys where the story takes place and the dark feel of the cover corresponds with where Olivia began her story. I don't think it represents the whole of the story, nor the paranormal elements that made the story such a delight. (And perhaps, that was the intent.)
Other Thoughts:
* Personally, I would categorize this story as YA Paranormal. Upper YA to be sure, considering the dark elements of depression, anxiety, and attempted suicide.
* Paranormal romance fans will find this story lacking in "romance", and the paranormal element really doesn't get introduced until quite late in the story. There is a distinct lack of action scenes through much of the story, which is atypical of paranormal romance. True PNR fans may not enjoy this as much as YA fans.
EMERALD CITY is a story of survival, hope, sacrifice, and how just the little things can turn someone’s life around completely. The story is great, however you do get dropped in right at the bad part and while the first part of the book takes you through Olivia’s healing process, it is a very dark subject that some readers might not take to. I enjoyed the parts of this book that dealt with Olivia’s depression and anxiety, as well as her steps toward healing after the suicide attempt. The mind of a person suffering from depression doesn’t work the way everyone else’s mind works, and I feel that the author did a very good job of relating this ideology through Olivia’s internal dialogue. Anyone who has suffered through depression will relate to Olivia, but even for those who haven’t, will get a realistic view into that world that will strike you deeply. The ending of EMERALD CITY, however, left me feeling as if I was slapped in the face. I found Jude’s final choices to be hopelessly shortsighted and depressing. It doesn’t do the book justice, in my opinion. The characters were very sweet, and it was easy to become attached to them. I am not usually a fan of romance, but this one was palatable. Olivia is an empty shell of a girl who has already been through so much in her short life. Olivia has to work very hard for every positive step she takes, and it’s impossible to remain unmoved when she succeeds. This book was an eye-opener in terms of suicide and learning to deal with extreme situations, and losing hope. I am happy with Olivia’s growth throughout the course of the novel.I was able to relate to Olivia on such a personal level, that I truly felt that I was her at times. Jude is the archetypal perfect guy–model handsome, polite, not pushy when it comes to sex, and even sensitive enough to talk about emotions. He was too perfect to me, but then again I’m not a romantic person. But, I did wish that readers were given more insight into Jude’s life and character development. All-in-all, EMERALD CITY is a beautiful little debut novel for Leppert. I did not want to put it down. Due to the darker subject matters, I would only recommend it for the older young adult audience. I think anyone who enjoys romance and contemporary books with a hint of the supernatural would be happy to get their hands on this book. A Copy of this book was provided by the Publisher through NetGalley for an honest review.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 31, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
Olivia's sad, solitary life in Seattle comes dangerously close to ending one fateful night, if not for a neighbor saving her in the nick of time. Curious about her mysterious rescuer, she seeks him out in hope of getting some answers, but instead finds something she never thought she'd have again.