Review: Falling by Jane Green

Falling by Jane Green

Series: No

Genres: Contemporary, Women's Fiction, Romance, Adult Fiction

Release Date: July 19, 2016

Format: Kindle

Source: Overdrive

Find it here: GoodReads | Amazon

Synopsis

When Emma Montague left the strict confines of upper-crust British life for New York, she felt sure it would make her happy. Away from her parents and expectations, she felt liberated, throwing herself into Manhattan life replete with a high-paying job, a gorgeous apartment, and a string of successful boyfriends. But the cutthroat world of finance and relentless pursuit of more began to take its toll. This wasn’t the life she wanted either.

On the move again, Emma settles in the picturesque waterfront town of Westport, Connecticut, a world apart from both England and Manhattan. It is here that she begins to confront what it is she really wants from her life. With no job, and knowing only one person in town, she channels her passion for creating beautiful spaces into remaking the dilapidated cottage she rents from Dominic, a local handyman who lives next door with his six-year-old son.

Unlike any man Emma has ever known, Dominic is confident, grounded, and committed to being present for his son whose mother fled shortly after he was born. They become friends, and slowly much more, as Emma finds herself feeling at home in a way she never has before.

But just as they start to imagine a life together as a family, fate intervenes in the most shocking of ways. For the first time, Emma has to stay and fight for what she loves, for the truth she has discovered about herself, or risk losing it all.

In a novel of changing seasons, shifting lives, and selfless love, a story unfolds—of one woman’s far-reaching journey to discover who she is truly meant to be…

My Thoughts

Once upon a time, long long ago (in 2001), I came across a book called Jemima J. At the time a new genre was all the rage - a little thing called Chick Lit. And I was gobbling it up. Specifically Brit Chick Lit. And when I saw Jemima J and read the synopsis I knew I would love it. And love it I did. It remains very dear and meaningful to me. And in the years that followed I read everything Jane Green wrote. But then a darkness fell over the land and things began to change...  

Looking back over my GoodReads reviews of Jane Green's last four or five books there seems to be a common theme: I tend to start each review with "what happened to the Jane Green of old?" Because over the last several years her novels seem to have lost their charm and and their emotional pull. Instead they now all take place in Connecticut (not-so-coincidentally where Jane lives) and feature very similar female protagonists: women who once had high-powered careers but then find themselves living in the suburbs of Connecticut and trying to keep up with the high-maintenance ladies who lunch set. Or they find themselves divorced and starting over (still in Connecticut, of course) and trying to eschew the ladies who lunch for something more substantial. Book after book, it's all begun to feel a bit stale.

When Green's latest, Falling, was announced and touted as "pure old-school Jane Green, a return to her love story roots" I was firmly on board and ready to dismiss the last several disappointments as inconsequential blips. But, not so fast... because Falling was another disappointment. Big time.

Emma was a frustrating main character. Not only is the reader subjected to her every wishy-washy, contradictory thought but she could go from Point A to 
Point Z in 5 seconds flat in any given situation. 

"I don't mean to offend you, Emma. I hardly know you, but it seems to me that you have created a drama in your head that may have nothing to do with reality."

She consistently made snap decisions and judgments. And, despite her apparent desire for a quiet life, she had quite the flair for being emotionally dramatic. As Emma entered into a relationship with Dominic, her landlord next door, there were many references to the differences in their backgrounds.  Again and again the reader is reminded that Emma's oh-so-proper British upbringing was far different from Dominic's small-town blue collar childhood. So much was made of this fact that I began to wonder if this was really a contemporary novel or if they were actually in Victorian England where the classism would make sense. 

"Someone like you does not end up with someone like me. Even I see that."

To be fair, it wasn't all bad. In fact, with the exception of Emma's emotional histrionics and all the class talk, I was mostly enjoying the novel. Yes, it seemed to skim the surface rather than digging deep, and yes, there was an issue with telling instead of showing, but I couldn't help but be drawn into the day to day lives of Emma and Dominic and Dominic's son Jesse. I enjoyed the minutiae: the quiet evenings at home, the breakfasts they made together, the details about Emma's burgeoning design career. I found it interesting and it helped create this bubble around their relationship that made it all the more intense. 

And then came that ending. At the 90% mark I looked at my husband and said, "I am SO mad at this book. I can't believe she [the author] is doing this." But she did it, and then wrapped everything up incredibly quickly, and all my semi-good feelings about the book went poof. I think it's safe to say this will be my last disappointment from Jane Green. Whatever magic was once there is long gone.

2.5/5 Stars 

What author did you once love but finally quit reading? 

Blog Tour: Swear on This Life by Renee Carlino

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Renee Carlino's Swear On This Life! Since reading it last month I have been beyond excited to share my thoughts about it. I flew through this amazing novel and it instantly became one of my favorites of 2016. If you love stories that draw you in completely, that completely capture you as the story unfolds, that are heartfelt and emotional, I think you'll love Swear On This Life. 

From USA TODAY bestselling author Renée Carlino (Before We Were Strangers), a warm and witty novel about a struggling writer who must come to grips with her past, present, and future after she discovers that she’s the inspiration for a pseudonymously published bestselling novel. When a bestselling debut novel from mysterious author J. Colby becomes the literary event of the year, Emiline reads it reluctantly. As an adjunct writing instructor at UC San Diego with her own stalled literary career and a bumpy long-term relationship, Emiline isn’t thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of a young and gifted writer. Yet from the very first page, Emiline is entranced by the story of Emerson and Jackson, two childhood best friends who fall in love and dream of a better life beyond the long dirt road that winds through their impoverished town in rural Ohio. That’s because the novel is patterned on Emiline’s own dark and desperate childhood, which means that “J. Colby” must be Jase: the best friend and first love she hasn’t seen in over a decade. Far from being flattered that he wrote the novel from her perspective, Emiline is furious that he co-opted her painful past and took some dramatic creative liberties with the ending.   The only way she can put her mind at ease is to find and confront “J. Colby,” but is she prepared to learn the truth behind the fiction?

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MY THOUGHTS

Sometimes you pick up a book and just instantly click with it. If asked, you may not even be able to explain why. Is it the characters? The story? The writing? Chances are it’s not just one thing (or even all those things) because some books just have that indescribable something that speaks to you. It doesn’t happen often for me but it sure happened with Swear on This Life.

Swear on This Life is a love story - a love story between a boy and a girl that withstood poverty, abuse, neglect and separation. Emiline and Jase formed a bond that started as friendship and developed into a love and understanding that they were sure would see them past their current circumstances. But Life was far from kind to these two.

"We didn't have any grown-ups in our lives to guide us. 

Jax and I were raising each other."

Emiline’s present and her past unfold in parallel. Carlino’s choice to share Emiline’s past via a fictional novel was brilliant and worked so well – a story within a story. I felt as though I were reading right along with Emiline – she reliving her past, me experiencing it with such heartache for her childhood. In present-day, Emiline is dissatisfied; a frustrated writer in an uncomplicated relationship going nowhere. When she learns of a new book sensation, one that recounts her own childhood albeit with characters named Emerson and Jax, she knows the writer can be no one other than Jase. She is appalled by his cruelty at profiting from her story and is left questioning why he would do such a thing. Determined to confront Jase, just as she is confronting her own past on the page, Emiline begins to finally deal with the demons from her childhood.

"We didn't know it at the time, but we were lovesick."

I loved the connection between Jase and Em. They had such an incredible bond – not just two kids who were thrown together by circumstance, but two people who found love at an early age and who were truly meant to be. While their situation often seemed hopeless, there was still always a sense of hope with their plans for “one day.” It was impossible not to fall in love with them and hope desperately for a happy ending.

"Jason Dean Colbertson, how'd you get so great?"

"You made me this way, Em."

I think it’s safe to say that I was completely enamored of Swear on This Life. I loved Carlino’s writing style, I was captivated by the story, and I was smitten with Emiline and Jase. Swear on This Life instantly became one of my favorites of 2016 and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Do yourself a favor and read this remarkable story.

EXCERPT

During the winter we pretended our way through the classics, read every popular kid’s book and by spring of our sixth grade year, the spring of all the rain, we were ready to be outside and explore again. There was a creek about half a mile back from our houses, past the tree line. Because of all the rain that year, it had become more of a river with the strongest currents right behind where we lived. Every adult warned us to be careful, even my dead-beat dad would say, “You better use that big brain of yours and stay out of the creek. You want to go swimming, you can go to the pool in town.”

Funny he would say that because the community pool was a seven-mile bike ride and it cost three dollars to get in. There was no way I was going unless Leila, Jax’s mom gave us a ride and even then, I would have to borrow the money to get in. Frankly, going to the town pool was a pipe dream. It became a myth to us, a fantasy like Disneyland or Europe. Jax and I would try to imagine what it was like to go there.

“I bet they sell popsicles and popcorn and they probably have clowns too,” I said.

It was a warm day; we had made a picnic in the weeds. I laid out my Toy Story sleeping bag I’d had from when I was a kid. Jax brought a jar of applesauce and I brought Fun Dip that my dad had bought me at the 7-11. We mixed the fun dip into the jar and took turns eating spoonfuls.

“Community pools don’t have clowns, genius.”

“How do you know?” I said.

“Because I just do.”

“I bet there’s a high dive, like fifty feet in the air.”

“Do you know how high fifty feet is? You would die hitting the water. The impact would kill you.”

“You’re such a know-it-all, Jackson. Why can’t you let a girl dream? We’re never going to that pool because no one will ever take us, plus, it costs money, and last time I checked you weren’t making any.”

He lay back on the blanket and propped his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. “I’m not a know-it-all, I just have cable. And as soon as I turn sixteen, I’m getting a job. I’ll pay for us to go to the pool. You’ll see, it’s just a big hole with water in it.”

I never really stared at him until that day. His eyes were closed so I took the time to inspect every inch of him. I was so curious about his body. My own body was changing and I was terrified of it. Jax was getting taller. He was going to be tall like his father, but he looked more like his mother in coloring and features. Jax’s mom was French, so they had this creamy skin that looked sun-kissed year around and his brown hair and brown eyes had streams of gold running throughout it. He was letting his hair grow longer because he’d been watching some show on TV that took place in California. He said everyone in California had long hair.

I was trying to grow my own unruly, brown locks out. I don’t know why, I always had it in a braid. Maybe because I thought I would go to California with Jax one day. We both yearned for more than weeds and corn. All the books gave us those silly ideas and filled our heads with things that might never be.

I lay down beside him and stared directly into the sun. He turned on his side and propped his head on his elbow.

“You’ll go blind doing that,” he said in a low voice.

“Leave me alone.”

“Why are you in such a bad mood? You PMSing?”

“What do you know about it?”

“A lot.”

“I doubt that and even if I were, it’s beyond rude to talk to me about it.” I hadn’t started my period yet but I wasn’t going to tell him that.

Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and bestselling author of contemporary women's novels and new adult fiction. Her books have been featured in national publications, including USA TODAY, Huffington Post, Latina magazine, and Publisher's Weekly. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she's not at the beach with her boys or working on her next project, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate. Learn more at www.reneecarlino.com

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Sound Bites: Audiobook Reviews - Everything Everything, Dreamology, The Way I used to Be

I'm not what you would call a huge fan of audio books but from time to time I do download one from my library's Overdrive app and enjoy a little entertainment during my daily commute. Over the past couple of months I listened to several audio books - more than I've listened to in the last few years. I'm a total purist when it comes to reading and while audio books can be fun, for me it's never as rich an experience as actually reading the physical book. Because of that, my thoughts are pretty brief so I'm combining all three reviews into one post.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, Robbie Daymond

Synopsis: My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically I'm allergic to the world. I don't leave my house, have not left my house in 17 years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He's tall, lean, and wearing all black - black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can't predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It's almost certainly going to be a disaster.

WHAT I LIKED: When this first released last year and was all over the blogosphere I didn't have much interest in reading it. I downloaded it on a whim and I'm so glad I did. I enjoyed it so much more than I expected. Maddy was intelligent and funny and so without self-pity that I couldn't help but love her. Olly was charming and such a perfect foil for Maddy. Carla has to be one of my favorite secondary characters ever. I loved the way the story unfolded and even though I had begun to suspect the big twist, it didn't detract at all from my enjoyment of the story. 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Unfortunately I wasn't a big fan of the narration. The narrator voice for Maddy made her come across as much younger, more little girl than 18 year old young adult. And I'm confused as to why there were two different voices for Olly - one for in person and one for their messaging. The messaging voice was so much better and the voice used for their face to face encounters was a little off-putting.

4/5 STARS

Dreamology by Lucy Keating

Narrated by: Erin Spencer

Synopsis:  For as long as Alice can remember, she has dreamed of Max. Together they have traveled the world and fallen deliriously, hopelessly in love. Max is the boy of her dreams - and only her dreams. Because he doesn't exist.

But when Alice walks into class on her first day at a new school, there he is. Real Max is nothing like Dream Max. He's stubborn and complicated. And he has a whole life Alice isn't a part of. Getting to know each other in reality isn't as perfect as Alice always hoped.

Alarmingly, when their dreams start to bleed into their waking hours, the pair realize that they might have to put an end to a lifetime of dreaming about each other. But when you fall in love in your dreams, can reality ever be enough?

WHAT I LIKED: I really liked the premise of dreaming of someone for years and then coming face to face with them in real life. Max had appeared in Alice's dreams since she was a little girl and their nightly escapades were sweet and funny and whimsical. Also, the secondary characters were excellent.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: As intriguing as the synopsis was, the story didn't really work for me. There wasn't a lot of focus on why it was happening (which, hello, isn't that the point?) and the story too often veered into cutesy/silliness. Overall, it felt very, very young, almost middle grade instead of YA.

2.5/5 STARS

The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith

Narrated by: Rebekkah Ross

Synopsis: Eden was always good at being good. Starting high school didn’t change who she was. But the night her brother’s best friend rapes her, Eden’s world capsizes.

What was once simple, is now complex. What Eden once loved—who she once loved—she now hates. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows she’s supposed to tell someone what happened but she can’t. So she buries it instead. And she buries the way she used to be.

Told in four parts—freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year—this provocative debut reveals the deep cuts of trauma. But it also demonstrates one young woman’s strength as she navigates the disappointment and unbearable pains of adolescence, of first love and first heartbreak, of friendships broken and rebuilt, and while learning to embrace a power of survival she never knew she had hidden within her heart.

WHAT I LIKED: Eden. I loved this girl. She was young and sweet and a little naive. She was also wild and reckless and frustrating. The changes in Eden after being raped by her brother's best friend are heartbreaking. Her every thought and action was defined by that horrific act and it was so difficult to watch her struggle through the next 4 years. The storytelling was top-notch:  honest and emotional and impactful.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Nothing. Any minor quibbles I may have had were eclipsed by how powerfully good everything else was.

4/5 STARS

Are you a fan of audio books? Have you read any of these?

New Release + Giveaway: Welcoming the Bad Boy by Annie Rains

Griffin is going to need all his old tricks to unleash her wild side.

WELCOMING THE BAD BOY

Hero's Welcome #3

Annie Rains

Releasing August 2nd, 2016

Loveswept

From the bestselling author of Welcome to Forever (“Full of heart and emotion!”—Lori Wilde) comes a sweet, sexy novel about breaking all the rules. In Seaside, North Carolina, the boys on the base are heroes—but that doesn’t mean they’re always well-behaved.

As a preacher’s daughter, Valerie Hunt only dates the very respectable, very boring men who meet her father’s strict standards. In private, however, she leads a double life as a romance writer of steamy stories about the least respectable sorts of men. Valerie has always kept her hottest fantasies separate from her real life, but when she nearly runs a hot-blooded biker off the road, the lines begin to blur.

Even though Valerie almost killed him, Griffin Black can’t be angry after he learns the reason for her distracted driving: an unruly puppy belonging to her ailing friend. As a member of the military police K-9 unit, Griffin insists on training the dog himself. But he soon wonders how he’s ever going to stay disciplined around the most alluring, down-to-earth, and totally unattainable woman he’s ever met. Valerie is the ultimate good girl. And Griffin is going to need all his old tricks to unleash her wild side.

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MY THOUGHTS

Having read the previous two entries in the Welcome Heroes series, I was excited to continue with another story set in the fictional military town of Seaside, NC. As the daughter of a preacher, Val has always felt the pressure to live up to her father's high standards. A school secretary by day, Val writes romance novels under a pseudonym by night, knowing it would be looked down upon by her father. Griffin has just moved his estranged mother to a nursing home in Seaside and has no interest in a serious relationship. But when these two come together they both find the unexpected.

Val feels suffocated by her role as preacher's daughter and the type of men her father would find suitable. Meeting Griffin at a time when she's in serious need of inspiration for her novel seems like perfect timing. Meanwhile Griffin, a military police officer with the K-9 unit, has his hands full with work and his mother, who is suffering from Alzheimer's. Brought together again and again by the dog Val is caring for and by her volunteer work at the nursing home where Griffin's mother is living, the two enter into a summer fling. While I never saw any evidence of Griffin being a "bad boy" (do tattoos and a motorcycle automatically make a bad boy?), I enjoyed watching these two characters come together. Griffin in particular was an empathetic character. His interactions with his mother were heartbreaking and emotional. I loved the evolution of Griffin and Val's relationship and watching as they reached their happy ever after.

Welcoming the Bad Boy was another thoroughly enjoyable entry in the Welcome Heroes series. Readers (and dog lovers!) who like their romance on the sweet and light side will love this one.

Welcoming the Bad Boy is the third in a series but can easily be read as a stand-alone. 

EXCERPT

Her body slid behind his, spooning him. She wrapped her arms around his torso, clutching him tight, and he took off down the road. The rain beat against his skin, attempting to cleanse him, but there was no wiping away the dirty thoughts going through his mind. He took the long way back to his place to feel her against him longer, and to try to wrangle his desire so he wouldn’t be tempted to take her straight to bed when they arrived.

He slowed to a stop behind a stop sign and glanced over his shoulder to look at her. Her hand slid down from his waist and into the front of his jeans. Fuck. He’d heard preachers’ daughters were wild, but he’d thought it was a myth. With her hand snug against him he turned left and pressed the gas, heading home. Trooper was waiting. And he needed to get his mouth on this woman, to kiss her stupid and hope her hands continued exploring.

He pulled into his driveway and helped her off as the rain began to fall harder. She didn’t squeal and run toward his covered porch the way some women would. Instead, she stared at him as he lifted the helmet off her head. She didn’t flinch as her shirt began to stick to her in all the right places. He leaned toward her, cupping his hands around her face and leading her mouth to his. She melted against him, sealing her wet body to his. Damn. Her lips were soft, the kiss hungry, devouring him like he was the best thing she’d put in her mouth all day.

“I want you,” he said, pulling back from her mouth, but continuing to hold her. The words were meant to be a warning. “I want you so fucking much.” He half expected her to slap him. They barely knew each other. She had a wild streak and a smart mouth, but overall he thought she was the good-girl type. Not the type to give herself so easily. Even if he could’ve sworn she was ready the other night.

“Take me inside,” she said, going up on her toes and kissing him again, wrapping her hands around the back of his head, pressing her body tighter against him. “We’re getting wet out here.”

The rain. She was talking about the rain. A nice guy would escort her inside and help her get dried off. Which was exactly what he intended to do. But he didn’t plan on stopping there. 

Annie Rains is a contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional towns on the coast of North Carolina. Raised in one of America’s largest military communities, Annie often features heroes who fight for their countries, while also fighting for a place to call home and a good woman to love. When Annie isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her husband and 3 children, or reading a book by one of her favorite authors.

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A Traitor in the Midst: Or, Why I Won't Be Reading the New Harry Potter Book

Today's post is brought to you by the letter S. S is for Sick. Which, in case anyone has noticed my absence, is the reason I haven't been around for the past week. On the plus side, I'm finally vertical which is a step in the right direction. Baby steps, y'know.

All that time spent horizontal gave me plenty of time to ponder. Because (hold on to something now) I felt so poorly I didn't even want to read. 

Yeah, yeah, I know. It happens. But back to my pondering. Once I was able to get semi-vertical (propped up in bed) I noticed that my email inbox and Bloglovin' feed were blowing up with posts about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Posts about its release, posts about going to midnight HP events, posts about expectations, posts about the sheer excitement over a new entry into the world of Harry Potter. And as I took all that in, my own feelings were... meh. 

See what I did there? ;)

Now before anyone gets all up in arms and puts a curse on me, let me explain: I loved Harry Potter. I read all the books, I saw all the movies. I was thoroughly captivated by the epic story. I even remember the thrill of the release of the final book and the excitement of finally having it in my hands. 

But, no matter how much I enjoyed it all, my feelings about the series will never match those who grew up with Harry Potter. When Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone came out I was already 29 years old. (And by the time the Deathly Hallows released ten years later... well, you can do the math.) Reading any book as an adult will guarantee a different experience than if the book was read in childhood. And I think that goes tenfold for a series as beloved as Harry Potter.

There's something magical about experiencing a special book in childhood. Especially a story as amazing as Harry Potter. It becomes part of the fabric of your childhood. Memories of reading the books for the first time in elementary school, or receiving one of the books for Christmas... they're woven into a special time of life that is filled with nostalgia. 

So when I see readers/bloggers of a certain age gushing with excitement over Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I'm happy for them. I know that for them this is an epic event. An addition to a series they have known and loved their entire lives. But for me it's different. My childhood did not include Harry Potter. It was a series that I read and loved as an adult and... that's it. For me, it's over. It was over when I read the Deathly Hallows in 2007. And it was over (again) when I saw the final movie in 2011. It's not something I feel any need to revisit. 

So, as happy as I am for my friends who are beside themselves with the release of the new book, I'll be sitting this one out. Enjoy, my Harry Potter-loving friends!

Will you be reading Harry Potter and the Cursed Child?

Do you have a different sort of love for the books you read as a child?