Description: Shannon Malone thought she'd found her happy ending when she married Edmund Ridgeway, but a diving accident on their honeymoon left her in a coma. Waking up to the news that she's thirty years old would have been daunting enough . . . but she also learns that Edmund has lost his interim battle with cancer and the world has marched on without her. Her gorgeous doctor, Daniel Petros, seems to know everything about her and becomes Shannon's tour guide into a whole new world of madness where reality television has taken over the planet and everyone's life appears to revolve around a tiny screen on their cell phones!
As Shannon struggles to navigate through the changes-both in the world and in her-she also must discern real memories from imagined ones. Did she really ever wear capris pants and entertain in her living room, or was that Laura Petrie from her favorite classic TV show? And where is her beloved dog, Freeway? Oh, wait! That was Jonathan and Jennifer Hart's dog, not hers.
Shannon's three elderly aunts flit through her life in true Sleeping Beauty style with her well-being always a priority. And Edmund's sister Millicent descends like the Evil Queen she is, trying to extract Shannon from any claim on the Ridgeway family fortune. When a tornado moves through town and Shannon is knocked unconscious, will Daniel's kiss awaken her once and for all?
My Thoughts: I have only ever read one other Sleeping Beauty retelling and must say that I like this one better. Coming up with a reason for someone to be asleep for a long time is difficult, and I believe that Sandra came up with a good reason. It is also terribly sad, with everything Shannon must then wake up to.
I found the way Sandra handled someone waking up after ten years in a coma to be realistic in the changes one would face, while also bringing a touch of humor. Imagining what someone's reaction to different technological devises would be if they had never seen them had me laughing and realizing just how much I rely on my smartphone.
Overall, Rise and Shine is a very sweet romance that had a bittersweet beginning. I hope to see more fairy tale retellings from Sandra Bricker soon.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I just finished this recently and really loved it! Just the right balance of funny and deep. I found Aunt Mary with her clapping and "Yippee" moments hilarious :)
ReplyDeleteAunt Mary was definitely a character.
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