Time Stands Still: Book Two of the Emi Lost & Found series
Okay for all of you who haven’t read book #1… come with me. *points over there* —-> start at this review (Emi Lost and Found), and avoid comments, etc… ’cause #1 has stuff that happens in it, and so does #2. Stuff that if you know about it beforehand, will alter your reading experience. ‘Kay? So don’t scroll down. I’m gonna try to do this review spoiler-free, but just in case. Don’t. Look. Down. (but know that I loved book #2 BIG time!)
For those of you going into #2…(maybe wait a bit before reading this review, too.) You’ll know when you can come back and read it.
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Okay so… you’re here, and you want to know why I continued reading, right? And wondering if you should too. Here is an important letter from the author for YOU, and me… all of us that got to this point.
Okay – onto the review!!!
Gah!!!! OMG that was so beautifully bittersweet. I loved it!! I cried in the beginning, held back tears throughout… smiled, swooned, and stressed. There is a quiet intensity to this book.
Denisa: Just finished Finding Emi the whole series. I really didn’t think I could get on after the 1st 2 chapters of the second book, heartbreak!
Maryse’s Book Blog: I’ve started #2 and wow. Soooooo real. The author captured it perfectly.
Joanna: Such good writing…
Denisa: Couldn’t agree more about the writing fab!
Maryse’s Book Blog: I can’t wait to be done work so I can get back to it. My goodness it was pulling at my heartstrings SO MUCH!!! Since because of that spoiler, I already “knew” stuff I didn’t know if I’d be as affected, but the author wrote it so well that I was right there with her.
Detailed emotions, played out slowly, sometimes excruciatingly so, but at a pace that it never gets to be too much. And by the end, you realize you’ve been gently caught up in a whirlwind. Experienced a myriad of hurt, happiness, doubt and growth. Peace and pain and peace again. And pain again.
I stare at the bouquets of flowers. In the moonlight, they all just look grey. Grey daisies, grey roses, grey lilies… a few grey potted plants. Everything looks ugly, lifeless.
At times slow, even a bit exasperating in it’s gradual pace, but by the end, it all made sense. Complete and utter sense. While I wanted “Emi” to plod ahead, and make decisions, and jump in already, the main character, as real as she is to me, has to live it… And the reader does, too. Experience everything. Question everything. Hesitate like crazy. Heal. Not heal.
I don’t want closure. Closure means I begin to put him behind me. I can never do that.
I sometimes wanted to rush her. She, too, wanted to rush at times, but… *shakes head* sometimes realizations collide and what your subconscious throws at you at the most inopportune times can really throw a monkey wrench in where you “thought” you already were. And what you thought you were ready for.
I would walk away from it all. Run from the reality of my life.
So what’s this one about? Remember how book #1 ended? Well… this one explores the aftermath. The days, weeks, months… as Emi struggles to live again, and then eventually picks up the pieces of her life (and meets someone new). But will her love for Nate always take precedence? Is she getting close to Jack for the right reasons? Quite an emotional journey in all respects of Emi’s life and sometimes so sad, so real. And often… wonderful. Patient.
An honest story willing to play it all out and have the characters truly live out every detail. And when I finally reached the end of book #2… again. Something I didn’t see coming had me hooked. I was already into it, but by the end of #2 *sob* Oh wow… just… *my heart*
I’m dying for #3 now. I have to know!!! I’m not ready to walk away and luckily I don’t have to, as #3 is ready and waiting.
4.5 stars for that incredibly heart-wrenching beginning, the sweet tentative romance (oh how I love Jack – at one point he gave me full body shivers… goosebumps) and the heart-wrenching ending (but just… in a different way).
Here is the reading order guide: Emi Lost and Found Series
Maryse! I have been waiting for you to continue reading the Emi series and I’m so glad you finally did!! Its my favorite series, ever! I totally agree with your review, just couldn’t put it to words like you could. But oh boy did I feel all those things! My heart hurt so bad and so good and I felt everything in between. 5 stars for me! Those characters and their journey are now a part of me and I can’t stop thinking and re-reading ever since I finished the series last month. I need a Jack of my own! Please read book 3 ASAP. Everybody needs to read this series, it will change your forever, in a good way of course. 🙂
I just started book 2 last night. I’m DEVASTATED. Maybe I missed the clues but I just didn’t see this coming. I haven’t cried this hard is so long…. I don’t know if I can continue reading this book. It just feels too real for me. Oh Nate, why did you have to * ?
I am so glad you enjoyed book #2, I knew you would! Now keep reading! Book #3 is as much as a ride as the other two. I cannot say enough good things about this book series or this author. She really has done her job.
Yay!!! I am so happy you loved book 2 because I think this series will go down as an all-time reader favorite. It’s just…wow. And it gets better and better. I know how you feel about not wanting to wait for book 3…i read it immediately and am so glad I did!!! Will read every book by this author.
LOVED these books!! I was blown away. I cried,laughed and screamed my way thru all 3 books.
I loved this series too!! I haven’t gone back and read the prequel yet, but I loved book 3, you need to read it! Gotta love Jack!
I love this series. I finish reading book one at work one day during lunch and I had to leave early. Tear was an understatement. Book 2 continue as a tear jerker. I finish Contessa and now I wait for part 2 of that.
Told ya! Emotional. Wreck.!!! But soo good!!! If you have a crush on Jacks now, hurry & read Contessa. Beautiful writing throughout & so heartfelt!!! Big fan of this series!
I completely agree with your review. This book was so heartbreaking. You feel what Emi was going thru. Hurry with #3, I don’t think you can fully appericiate all three books until you have read them all 🙂
Yay! I was waiting for your review of this book too and I agree with it and all the comments posted. I think book 2 is my absolute favorite but I also enjoyed book 3. This is definitely a series that stays with you. I haven’t been able to bring myself to read the prequel though, but I plan on reading Contessa soon. It will be hard to top the Emi series!
*sigh*
LOVED it. Did Jack not give you guys serious goosebumps at that one part? When… you know ;). That was a goooooooood scene. Whoooooooo!!!! She teased the heck out of us. Quite the buildup. 😀
But then… GAH!!!
OK. Off to book #3 I go!! LOL!
I just finished book # 3 and I was going to send you a note to comment on it and voila- here it is!!!! These books had me (and still do) on some sort of emotional rollercoaster that I have never been on before! Lori Otto does a phenominal job telling this story through the everyday events and ups and downs between people- marriages, christenings, family gatherings- you could see yourself being friends with the characters! Emi’s struggles with loss, grief, sorrow and joy are so real that my heart is still not quite right! Her second guessing her motives and heart’s desires really hit home. Who in their life hasn’t struggled with that?!?!? Jack…….well let’s just say that Jack is that person everyone should have in their lives in some form or another. LOVE HIM!!!!!!!!!!!! You will LOVE # 3!!!!! You are doing yourself an injustice (is that even a real word?!) if you don’t read these books.
Was “that part” Christmas? That was an awesome part! I love Jack. He is almost too perfect!
Yes… yes it was. 😉
Oh I want to read these!!!! WARNING…My TBR List is out of control… LOL 🙂
Thank you, Maryse, and thanks to everyone else, as well!
I absolutely loved this series, and I’m so glad you are reading all three books! 🙂
So glad you’ve read and reviewed this book! It is a stand out book me. I love this series and am super excited to read your review on Never Look Back. And then you’ll start the companion series, right? 😉
book number one is free! YAY! nothing better than that! and I just said in The sea of tranquility review, I will NEVER argue again if you are saying read this I READ THIS NOW 😉
I’m so very glad you reviewed this book. I read book 1 and LOVED IT, all the way up to the last page. Until I read this review, I was planning to forget I ever read the ending, never read Book 2 and live in a make believe HEA world 🙂