Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Publisher: Harlequin Teen    
Publication date: January 28th 2014
My rating: 4 stars

Life. Death. And...Love?
Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.
But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.
Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.
Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?

I've said this and I'll say it again. Elizabeth Scott is an excellent author. Family issues are always more important than getting a new boyfriend in her stories and I admire that. When I read she teamed up with Harlequin Teen I was so happy because it seems that S&S didn't promote her books at all. I remember when Miracle came out and I didn't even know it was released for months. Not until I was looking for some recommendations and stumbled upon it. 

Emma's mother died but machines are still keeping her alive because she is pregnant. Emma is angry at her stepfather for picking the baby instead of her mom. They had a great relationship and it all changed the day her mother died. Not they hardly talk and when they do, they fight. Emma's best friend is her only solace. She keeps her occupied, away from all the negative thoughts she has about her mother. Emma is still thinking about Anthony, her ex which wasn't even an ex but things change fast when she sees the local druggy, Caleb in hospital. 

At times I was really angry at Emma because of the way she acted towards her stepdad when he was clearly still in mourning. She was either snapping or ignoring him. Sure, he pooled away from her and was more concerned about this unborn son but still... He was so nice and he did love Emma like she was his daughter. In spite of her lashing out I couldn't shake the thought what I would do in a similar situation. Would I try to calm down or blame everyone else for the things they weren't even responsible for? Who knows. 

Emma and Caleb's relationship blossomed with time and they actually had a lot in common. They both lost someone important. Caleb turned out to be a pretty decent guy. It's not every day we get to read about a guy blushing in front of girl. Most are confidant and popular which got old pretty fast. 

Elizabeth developed great minor characters like Emma's talkative best friend who hates gadgets, even the smart ex, Anthony. 

If you enjoy reading heartbreaking stories with 'the light in the end of the tunnel' then you can't miss Heartbeat. It will make you cry at least 3 times and it will make you smile. Another Elizabeth Scott hit! 

Book review: Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

Title: Something, Maybe
Author:  Elizabeth Scott
File type:  ebook
Release date: March 24^th, 2009
Genre: YA, contemporary romance

Everyone thinks their parents are embarrassing, but Hannah knows she's got them all beat. Her dad made a fortune showcasing photos of pretty girls and his party lifestyle all over the Internet, and her mom was once one of her dad's girlfriends and is now the star of her own website. After getting the wrong kind of attention for way too long, Hannah has mastered the art of staying under the radar...and that's just how she likes it.
Of course, that doesn't help her get noticed by her crush. Hannah's sure that gorgeous, sensitive Josh is her soul mate. But trying to get him to notice her; wondering why she suddenly can't stop thinking about another guy, Finn; and dealing with her parents make Hannah feel like she's going crazy. Yet she's determined to make things work out the way she wants—only what she wants may not be what she needs...
Once again, Elizabeth Scott has created a world so painfully funny and a cast of characters so heartbreakingly real that you'll love being a part of it from unexpected start to triumphant finish.

Reason why I liked this book would be that it reminded me of diaries because everything Hannah said seemed like it came from a diary. It’s just that I kept a journal for a couple of years, while I was in highschool and it looked something like that. Pages and pages of boy talk and bitching about my parents.

Hannah’s father is basically like Hugh Hefner. He is a wealthy old fart who likes to have ‘special girls’ and only worries about himself. Hannah is a smart girl and she realises he will never care for her the way she wanted, but he is still her dad, so it’s not easy to forget he ever existed with his reality show on air all the time.

Aside from her daddy issues, she has some problems with her mom since her stepdad died a couple of years ago. Hannah’s mom is still not over him and she is trying to pay the bills with her live webcam business which involves her talking about her glory days with strangers while wearing sexy costumes.

Hannah also has some boy trouble. She likes Josh who is as f-a-k-e-r, just like Finn said. Now Finn is a great guy. He sees Hanna for what she really is and sticks up for her at work or when people are bullying her at school. Who wouldn’t want to have a guy like that by their side? He also irritates her but deep down she can feel there is something more going on with them and she is afraid of admitting it to herself because she doesn’t want a love like her mom and stepdad had since you never know when will it end.

All in all, Something, Maybe was a very enjoyable book. If you are looking for a sweet story to read during a rainy day, you found it.