Customer Reviews

The Girl She Used to Be

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book was absolutely incredible! It had my attention from the first few pages and I could not put it down. In fact, I read it in a day! The characters are very well written and I love that you really get a sense of what it would be like to be part of the Witness Protection Program and all the emotions that would be involved. The one aspect that really intrigued me was that although the book was written by a male, it was done so from a female perspective. Very well done! This book has a little bit of everything, from romance (but not over done), to Italian mob crimes, to witness protection program, and the journey of one girl to really "find herself" after running for so long. A powerful first time novel that has been very excited to read more by this author in the future! FYI for movie lovers...the rights to this book to produce a movie were bought in May 2009. I don't know about you all, but this is definitely one movie I will totally want to see!

A great read that I highly recommend and give a huge thumbs up!

Although 253 pages, I read this in one sitting, I couldn't take my eyes off the pages. Twenty-six-year-old Melody Grace McCartney was only six-years-old when she and her family were placed into the Witness Protection Program after they witnessed a horrendous murder committed by someone in the notorious Bovaro family. Melody has had many aliases over the past 20 years and is currently known as, Sandra Clarke.

Sandra is a high school math teacher living a comfortable life but decides one afternoon that she's tired and bored of being Sandra and wants yet another move. She phones her Protection Agent, one Randall Farquar, and tells him she received a phone call from someone with a New York accent who said: "Sing me a song, Melody." Of course this never really happened but Sandra wanted another new life.

When she arrives at the Federal building she is disappointed to learn that Randall is retiring and won't be handling her case any longer and introduces her to Marshal Sean Douglas, her new `protector/locator'. After a long conversation and reading through her file, Marshal Douglas and Melody hit the road for another relocation. While staying overnight in a motel, Melody awakens to a male voice saying: "Melody Grace McCartney!" with a knife pressed to her throat. Who is this man and what does he want? She finally realizes the man is none other than Jonathan Bovaro, the Mafioso sent to find her. Melody is actually thrilled and she just can't resist and decides to go "willingly" with Jonathan because she's tired of running and never being who she was born to be. As dangerous as Jonathan is, he gives Melody a once in a lifetime chance - the chance to embrace her past and present, and then choose her very own future.

The writing was flawless in the novel and the story just flowed like a river. I absolutely fell in love with both Jonathan and Melody and really wanted them to become a couple, to be engaged and then to marry. How crazy is that? The man is a killer, his family killed her parents leaving her alone and with a lifetime of assumed names and occupations, but once you read this story, you'll understand where I'm coming from. Any woman would want the type of `relationship' that Jonathan and Melody end up having.

The concept of this story, that a "protected witness" would willingly go with a "killer" is almost beyond comprehension, but believe me, it works. And who knows, in Melody's situation, with your feet in HER shoes all these years, you just might make the same choice. This was definitely one book well worth reading!

This book is a great way to learn what it's like to be in the witness protection program. I learned how hard it would be to live like that especially for a little girl. It had suspense and a love story. I really enjoyed reading this book.

This book had me after the first chapter! I read it practically in a day. It is very well written, and a beautiful story.

I bought this book based on a recommendation by Amazon and one review...BIG mistake. I found this book silly, immature and childish, the story line unbelievable, the characters one dimensional, unlikable and unintersting. In my opinion, this book was a huge waste of my time.