Last Heartbeat

By: T R Lykins

Narrated by: Andrea Emmes

Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Alexia has fought hard to overcome a tragic illness in her past. Barely getting on with her life, she finally leaves home to enter the real world. This first big step makes her appreciate all that she has struggled with. This next step in her life also leads her to a possible heartbreak. How can Alexia keep up with all of her struggles and keep going on?

Phillip has lost someone close to him when he was younger. This person was the most important person in his life. He has struggled to get past this loss, and once he does, he finds out something about his favorite person that makes him feel the hurt all over again. Why can't Phillip move on for good? Can he really forgive someone in the past if they no longer live?

A chance meeting has Alexia and Phillip spending hours talking. This sparks an attraction for each other. Every day, running into each other makes the attraction grow stronger until they finally give in to it. When another accident strikes, both of their pasts come barreling back to haunt them. Can they move forward knowing the secrets they now know about one another? How much more can two broken people endure? Will they find their way back into one another's arms, or have they finally come to a breaking point in life?

©2014 T R Lykins (P)2015 T R Lykins

Clean Young Adult Romance

T R Lykins has written a clean romance suitable for teens and young adults. I was given a copy of this book as a gift. Alexia is a delightful young girl who enters her freshman year of college as a 20 year-old. A nearly terminal illness prevented her from starting earlier. Phillip is a college senior who is immediately attracted to the incoming student. The book is written in a "He says" and "She says" format. I truly enjoyed hearing the two viewpoints, but there were times when it felt a bit repetitious. This uplifting book will break your heart at time but the one thing it does do is inspire others to think more seriously about organ transplant and illness. The producer did a decent job with the male voices and an excellent job with the rest. I would definitely recommend this read to someone looking for a clean romantic story. A great offering for a first novel!

Nice Sweet Young Adult/Teen Romance Story

Any additional comments?

A very sweet & an enjoyable young adult book, teenage book. This is not my usual genre (*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my thoughts, opinions in this review) , but I found it released sweet and the story kept my interest.

Well-developed storyline and appropriate for 14 years old and up, in my opinion.

Andrea does an excellent job, as always. She tells the story, represents each character with his or her own voice and is the stellar performer

Parents SHOULD listen to this before allowing kids as there were a few borderline situations.

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Sweet and Heart Wrenching

I liked the way this story began. It was definitely one of the best beginnings of a story I have heard. I couldn't help but be pulled in. This was a sweet story of delayed life coming back into full focus. The relationship between Alexis and Phillip is one I rooted for from the beginning. I applauded his honesty and cringed at her insecurity, but most of all I wanted to cheer them on until the end. I really enjoyed this story and Andrea Emmes brought an angle of narration I wouldn't have thought of. As a whole it was refreshing.

Last Heartbeat

I don't mind a bit of romance,but shmaltz really gets to me.I tried,I really did.The characters are so juvenile in the inner bantering of their minds it gets old fast.I felt like I was watching an 80's after school film. Alexia has a bad heart and is saved by a donor heart.Five years later she heads to college and meets Phillip,who coincidently had a brother die from a wreck they were in and he has the donor spleen.Someone else was given 'Gabes' heart.They meet on a plane heading to college.they have a lot of I should,I shouldn't I could I couldn't moments.Much misinterpretation of events and finally they get together.
The narrator was good,she did all the voices even making Kristen sound like Brittany on Daria...how I pictured her.
I was given this book for an honest review.

Interesting story told from both points of view.

Great narration. Story us told ftom both perspectives. A story about true love and transplants. You hear from Alexia and the next chapter is from Phillips point of view. Many coincidences lead to the ending. Some of the parts were expected and a few surprises along the way.

what a heart fulfilling book

What made the experience of listening to Last Heartbeat the most enjoyable?

the story line was wonderful. Although the they had to go through life changing experiences they truly know whats important in life. It was refreshing to read a story that wasn't filled with sex but rather a true love story

What does Andrea Emmes bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I really likes how she gave both his and her thoughts and both their retrospectives on what was happening.

GREAT YA Romance with HEART

This was a really good story about a girl and a boy who meet each other by chance and like each other at first sight. They've both had their own personal struggles and neither are sure about getting involved for concern of what the other might think. They're in college and Alexia's roommate Kristen talks her into going to beach parties where her and Phillip keep running into each other. They also have a class together and a mean girl Megan is always showing up trying to come in between them.

I love the alternating chapters between Alexia and Phillip. Each one's inner dialogue as well as their outer dialogue is like a running journal of their worries and struggles. Neither of them tell each other what's holding them back but they're destined to be together. He calls her his 'blue-eyed princess' which is really cute.

While listening to this I couldn't help but think my niece would like it. It's an overall neat story with light and sweet romance along with a powerful meaning and a heart-warming conclusion. I'd recommend listening to this one.

Andrea Emmes does an excellent job narrating this book. She does the alternating voices of both Alexia and Phillip AND the supporting characters. She again proves herself as a talented voice actor. Another great listen from both Andrea and the author T.R. Lykins.

Audiobook received in exchange for an unbiased review.

Sweet and Fluffy

I received this audio book for free in exchange for an honest review

Okay let me 1st start by saying that if I was a 14 year old girl I would be gushing, fangirling and 5 ☆'ing this bad boy all over the place!!

Only problem is that I'm not, I'm 40.....ish and this books was just a little too sickly sweet for me, the main characters were too perfect (even though they were both transplant patients) and everything just fit into place a little bit too perfectly for me.

Again I am not saying that it was a bad book, the story is actually lovely, but I need a little bit more meat in my books, this was a little fluffy kitten whereas I would prefer the kitten to also have razor sharp claws!!

Narration was good although when she was doing the male voice for Phillip I could help thinking that she sounds just like Milhouse from The Simpsons, and it made me grin every time!

I liked the idea of seeing the story in both POV however sometimes it did seem to drag as it is the same story again and again.

Over all, I think this is a definite story for people who like light fluffy romances, not my cup of tea personally but not a bad book at all :○)

Last heartbeat

Any additional comments?

A very sweet romance audiobook that I really enjoyed listening. The narrator added to the total enjoyment listening to this audiobook.

Sometimes you just need to hang on a little longer

Loved the whole story. The characters emotions I could feel. The narrator brought all these characters to life and the many voices that this narrator used was fantastic! Love being able to hear the emotions and feelings of what the Alexia and Phillip went through.