HeartBeat by Elizabeth Scott

Raw, emotional and heartbreaking.
It is all that and also manages to hit upon a key ethical medical and moral issue.
Sustaining and keeping alive a person, who is brain-dead for the sole purpose of growing and harvesting the child within them.

If a person has made arrangements or signed documents to the effect that they do not wish to be kept alive if they have no brain activity for instance, if they happen to be pregnant those wishes become secondary to those of the person left in charge and able to make medical choices. The patient becomes little more than a highly effective incubator.

Now, one can argue about the life of the child, but the fact remains the mother in that situation is used and abused to get the end product ready.

I can understand those choices being made if a fetus or baby has reached a stage in the pregnancy that they are able to survive outside the womb, then a few days or a few weeks is understandable. However if the woman is in the very early stages of pregnancy and the mother would have to be kept  alive for most of the duration of that pregnancy, well to me that is a highly contentious issue.

That is what made this story more than your average tale about a troubled teen.

I enjoyed the way it was written from Emma’s very self-obsessed teenage point of view. Her voice rang out with the singular focus only teenage girls can aspire to. No other person or their emotions are relevant, just her pain and her anger. How dare the husband grieve for his wife or worry about his unborn child.

Filtered subtly into this highly emotive storyline is the beginning and blossoming of a new relationship for Emma. She has connected with Caleb on a level no other person can comprehend. They have both suffered a loss, which has changed them and their lives forever. Their mutual understanding helps each one of them to move forward in their lives.

I really thought it was an excellent read and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin UK and MIRA Ink.

Take Me On by Katie McGarry

I enjoyed the fact this author did not bow down to the en-vogue propensity in YA to blame the victim or excuse the bad boy. Instead McGarry has created and displayed the issue of teen relationship abuse within the constructs of a secondary romance.

Instead the author has dispelled some of the mythical attitude about victims of abuse only been physically weak. In this case Haley is a prize-winning martial arts champion, and yet she still falls prey to an abusive boyfriend. She struggles with the acknowledgement and comprehension of the abuse. Part of that inner struggle is due to her own physical capabilities and strengths.

Although it seems as if that particular sub-plot only sails by quietly during the storms of the main plot it is, as far as I am concerned, the most important part of the story.

Family dynamics and dysfunctional relationships within families are put on display and that includes the relationship between Haley and West.

The two teens dance around their emotions and the instability of their surroundings in a way only people of that age can. Obsessive, passionate and often irrational. Going from angry to heartbroken and then deliriously happy in a matter of seconds.

It is a spirited tale of connection, support and encouragement.

This paperback edition also includes a bonus ‘Pushing the Limits’ novella by Katie McGarry called ‘Crossing the Line’ featuring Lincoln and Lila.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin UK & MIRAInk UK.