Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Despite feeling like she is one of those YA authors I must have read, Heartbeat was actually my first read by Elizabeth Scott. Her books have caught varying amounts of my attention, but when I had an egalley of this I figured it was as good a starting place as any. 

Heartbeat is Emma's story, and Emma is a teenage girl whose mother is dead. Except, she's got machines in her helping her breathe, and she's still pregnant with Emma's baby half brother. Because after her mom died, Emma's stepfather decided to keep her alive so that his baby would have a chance at surviving. Emma, who used to be a perfect student, doesn't care about anything except the fact that her mother is brain dead and the fact that her stepfather is forcing her body to stick around anyway-- and she can't imagine that anyone can understand what that is like. And Emma blames her stepfather for everything.

Okay, so Emma herself isn't super likable. Her hatred for her stepdad seems extreme, but that's because we get to be the reader, watching from a distance. So even though I wished she would grow up a bit, I could sorta understand where she was coming from. She is a teenage girl who lost her mother, and she wants somebody to blame for a tragedy that seems meaningless. But then she also goes blowing off her friend, Olivia, who does nothing but try to be there for her, in favour of this boy, Caleb, that is very good-looking but also causes a lot of trouble. And that I respected a lot less. 

Caleb himself is the kind of bad boy that needs saving and only the main character's love can do it because deep down he's a good person, stereotypical type of character that I didn't find that original or interesting. But, in combination with Emma, I like him. They are sweet together, and it's nice seeing people find redemption in each other, even if it's basically what you expect. So it was cute, and I did find their romance believable and not. 

Heartbeat is a pretty quick, easy read and the plot is interesting so it keeps your attention. It doesn't have me rushing out to pick up everything else Elizabeth Scott has ever written, but there are a couple of her books I have been interested in and heard really good things about, so I'm not deterred from grabbing those in the future. I think whether or not you like this book might boil down to if you can stand Emma or not, and while she wasn't my favourite main character, there were enough redeeming characteristics and realism to her actions that I didn't mind.

Overall, Heartbeat kept me interested enough to keep reading, and to read other books by Scott in the future, but it wasn't special enough to be something I'm rushing out to recommend unless this plot in particular interests you.

Release Date: January 28th 2014  Pages: 304  Format: Egalley
Source: Netgalley  Publisher: Harlequin Teen  Buy It: Book Depository