Review: Life As I know It by Melanie Rose

Title: Life As I Know It

Author: Melanie Rose

Rating:

Who Should Read It? This book is FABULOUS for lovers of chick-lit, young and old alike.

What I Have to Say: The story behind "Life As I Know It" is actually kind of cool. Apparently, it was originally self-published, but it got so much hype that Harper Collins eventually took notice, and now it's being published by a major publishing firm. Pretty neat, right?

After reading it, I can see what all the fuss was about. It starts off when a woman, Jessica, is struck by lightning. As a result, she finds herself leading two completely different lives in two separate bodies. While this premise isn't necessareily new or unique, Rose brings it to life in a fresh and fun kind of way that feels exciting and new.

Jessica takes her new double life in stride, and while she definitely struggles with it, I was duly impressed by her take-charge, "do the best that I can given the circumstances" attitude. She deals with things so well that it's hard to truly believe, which in the end made this book fun and easy-to-read while at the same time being slightly sad and slightly depressing. I was entranced/captivated as Rose seamlessly moved from one life to the other, and I found myself greedily turning page after page, wondering how events from one life would affect the other, extraordinarily curious about the outcome of things.

While this book was heartwarming and fun, I think I loved it so much for the sense of hopefulness it instilled in me and for the sense of comfort I felt from its predictability. Even though there was really no other way things could have turned out, I was still curious about the outcome and quite pleased when things turned out as they did.

The ONLY problem that I had with this book was that it sometimes took itself too seriously, trying to delve deeper than a book like this is capable of delving. And then it jumped over some of the more difficult topics that I wanted to hear more about, saying "don't even try thinking about it."

This chick-lit novel is a great, simple read for adults and teens alike. I think most readers, like me, will find it impossible to put down.

Summary (stright to you from GoodReads): What if you had the chance to live someone else’s life? Full of heart and soul, here is a captivating novel about the choices we make for family and love—and how sometimes a total stranger is the person we really need to be.

Jessica Taylor is walking her dog in the rain when she meets the man of her dreams—only to be struck by lightning moments later. When she wakes up in the hospital, the doctors insist she’s someone else: Lauren Richardson, wife and mother of four.

Lauren’s husband wants nothing more than for life to get back to normal—complete with a well-organized house and very properly behaved children. But Lauren’s kids haven’t been allowed to have much fun, and one of them has special needs. Can Jessica embrace this family of strangers and become the wife and mother they need? As she struggles to find her way in this new life—and the way back to her old life—she reconnects with Lauren’s estranged sister and discovers a secret that could rip the family apart.

Now, torn between Lauren’s responsibilities to her family and Jessica’s chance at love, one woman is about to find out whether the road not taken leads to happiness—or to heartbreak. [close]

Cover Story: I quite like the cover, although I admit that I have NO CLUE what it has to do with the book. To me, it has a completely different feel than that of the book. Still, it's quite fun, quite lovely, and if I were to judge a book soley on the cover, I would read this book.

Disclosure: This review was based on an ARC that I won from GoodReads Giveaways.