Every Waking Moment [Mass Market Paperback]

Brenda Novak (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2005

Sometimes you have to risk it all

Emma Wright has finally escaped the dangerous man who's controlled her every move for the past six years. Taking her five-year-old son, she has fled across the country -- seeking freedom, safety, and a fresh start. But Max's father isn't giving up so easily.

Preston Holman understands the lengths a parent will go for his child. He's given up everything to pursue the man he believes killed his son.

When Preston meets Emma, he wants nothing to do with her or the boy who reminds him so much of his own child. Yet he can't abandon them -- and as he's drawn into the danger that surrounds them, Preston begins to wonder if he's finally found something to live for beyond revenge.

Don’t miss this dramatic new story from the author of Cold Feet!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Novak's personal experience with juvenile diabetes puts a poignant spin on this tale of a mother's daily struggle to care for her diabetic son while on the run from her wealthy, abusive boyfriend, Manuel. Emma Wright is armed with a new identity, a teaching degree and a couple of thousand in cash when she leaves Manuel's California mansion with her five-year-old son, Max. Unfortunately, Manuel is hot on her heels, and he has the help of powerful and shady connections. After Emma's car is stolen while she's picking up supplies at a Nevada Wal-Mart, Emma throws herself on the mercy of Preston Holman, a man she'd met briefly at a motel where she and Max were staying. Preston wants nothing to do with the pair; he's still hurting from his divorce as well as the sudden illness and subsequent death of his own young son. Inevitably, Novak's reluctant hero comes to Emma's rescue—and becomes emotionally entangled in the process. Anyone who has seen the movies Sleeping with the Enemy or Enough will anticipate every plot twist, but Novak (A Home of Her Own, etc.) knows how to relate a suspenseful tale. When Emma isn't reeling from a near brush with Manuel, she's frantically trying to keep her son's blood sugar levels stable, and her almost palpable fear fuels this gripping tale. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Emma Wright carefully put together a plan that allowed her and her young son, Max, to escape Manuel Rodriguez, Max's father and the man Emma once thought loved her, but Manuel has tracked her down in Fallon, Nevada. Stranded without a car and with very little money, Emma turns to Preston Holman, a complete stranger, for help. Preston had dedicated the last two years of his life to finding the man responsible for the death of Dallas, his young son, and the last thing he needs is Emma and her diabetic son, who reminds him of Dallas, distracting him from his plans for revenge. Preston reluctantly agrees to take Emma and Max with him when he leaves town, never expecting that by helping them escape their past, he would also be creating a new future for himself. Strongly defined characters, sizzling sexual tension, and a tautly constructed plot steeped in danger blend brilliantly together in Novak's exceptionally intense, powerfully emotional novel of romantic suspense. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: HQN Books (July 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373770456
• ISBN-13: 978-0373770458
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brenda Novak Bio

It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak's career as a bestselling author--she caught her day-care provider drugging her children with cough syrup to get them to sleep all day. That was when Brenda decided she needed to quit her job as a loan officer and help make a living from home.

"When I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book," Brenda says. But she sold that book, and the rest is history. Her novels have made the New York Times, USA Today and Borders/Waldenbooks bestseller lists and won many awards, including two Rita nominations, the Book Buyer's Best, the Book Seller's Best and the National Reader's Choice Award.

Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are proud parents of five children--three girls and two boys. When she's not spending time with her family or writing, Brenda is usually working on her annual fund-raiser for diabetes research--an online auction held on her Web site (www.brendanovak.com) every May. Brenda has raised over $1 million to date.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great suspense and a villain you'll love to hate, March 6, 2006

By 

Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Every Waking Moment (Mass Market Paperback)

Vanessa is on the run from her abusive lover Manuel with their son Dominick in tow. She has reinvented herself as Emma, and now calls her son Max. It won't be easy to hide - Max has juvenile diabetes, and requires medication and insulin. If Manuel pinpoints their location, he can contact local pharmacies to try to locate them. While on the run she hooks up with a fellow tortured soul - Preston Holman, who has spent the better part of the last two years searching for the doctor he holds responsible for the death of his son.

At first, Preston wants nothing to do with the rag tag duo, mostly because Max reminds him of his son Dallas. But a touch of guilt and his instant lust for Emma has him offering them a ride to Iowa. As Max worms his way into Preston's heart, and he and Emma embark on a passionate affair, Preston is able to open up and feel something more than his grief and his need for vengeance.

Manuel, a drug runner with an emasculating mama that makes Norman Bates look functional, will never let his lover get the best of him. He vows to find her and bring her home for punishment. He and his henchman follow up on clues but the trio on the run keeps one step ahead of them. Will their luck ever run out?

With a villain you cannot help but hate, and endearing child you cannot help but love, and a passionate but damaged couple who find a second chance for love, you won't be able to help but become entangled in this story and hope for that Hollywood ending.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 Stars!, July 11, 2005

By 

Detra Fitch (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Every Waking Moment (Mass Market Paperback)

Manuel Rodriguez kept Vanessa under tight control. Oh, he had to abuse her sometimes, but he figured he was simply using "tough love". Though they never married, Manuel knew he could always use their six-year-old boy to manipulate her into whatever he wanted. He never expected her to have the guts to PLAN an escape from him, much less succeed. But he would find her. She could not have much money. Once he got her back, she'd pay big time. She would never even THINK of running off again.

Vanessa had ID in the name of Emma Wright. Her son was now called Max. With luck, they could reach Iowa to live a nice, quiet life there. Even as Emma prayed that would happen, she knew Manuel was hot on her trail.

Preston Holman was hunting down the man he believed killed his son. He had only to find proof. When he met Emma he wanted nothing to do with her. Her son, Max, reminded him too much of his own son. But he knew they were desperate, running from something or someone, and he could not abandon them. He vowed to keep an emotional distance from the pair, drop them off in Iowa, and forget about them. Yet his heart knew better.

***** Author Brenda Novak has proven, once again, that she is one of the top suspense writers of our days. This one is a breathless romantic suspense novel that will keep her readers' attention from the first page until long after the last has been turned. The characters seem to actually come alive from the pages and I found myself holding my breath at a few points. An outstanding book that I highly recommend! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4-1/2 stars, and then some!, April 6, 2006

By 

Mrs. K (OHIO) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Every Waking Moment (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is one of the best suspense/romance novels I have read in years! I only wonder why Brenda Novak didn't ride the top of the bestseller lists with this superior book.

Emma is trying to escape with her diabetic son, Max, from her abusive "husband" Manuel (who can only be described as OILY- this guy really makes my skin crawl!) Manuel relentlessly chases her cross-country...but Emma finds reluctant help in Preston Holman, who is deeply troubled and on a quest of his own. Emma and Preston certainly don't love-or even really like-one another at first, but they DO need each other, and the story is built realistically in that vein.

The way this book is written, I didn't become frustrated with the book when an exasperating situation arose- just got angrier with creepy Manuel. And I was touched by Preston's slow (and therefore believable) change of attitude.

The end of this book is very charming and I cried a little. This is my second Brenda Novak book, and I liked it enough that I'll recommend it frequently.