This is a complex and mature tale of tragedy and romance. The main character - Nell - struggles to come to terms with the death of her first love Kyle, and struggles to accept the love of his brother Colton, though her feelings for him run even deeper. There are definitely lessons to be learned from this, with regard to coming to terms with feelings of grief and guilt etc.
We follow Nell from an innocent 16 year old girl to a mature woman (in both a sexual and romantic sense), who is in a lot of pain. I always enjoy it when a story switches from two points of view (as this book does in Part 2, between Colton and Nell), as it's always interesting to read the internal dialogue of another character, which also gives us a greater understanding of and empathy with them.
The bedroom scenes are on fire (reminding me of the steamy scenes in My Nights With Kate) and just when I thought they couldn't get better, they did!! They are mature, intense and have an extra layer of depth added due to the circumstances that the characters find themselves in. The book is not saturated with gratuitous love scenes, and the ones that are included are relevant to the storyline serving to establish the developing emotional and physical intimacy between the characters.
It's absolutely no surprise that this book is a Bestseller! It's a very meaty and intense modern take on the traditional age-old tale of romance founded in tragic circumstances. You will be hooked from the start until the end (it's a reasonably lengthy book, not a novella, so you will probably have to take a break at some point!). As with all other reviewers here, I highly recommend it!! - Customer Reviews
Book Description
Publication Date: March 14, 2013
NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling book!
I wasn't always in love with Colton Calloway; I was in love with his younger brother, Kyle, first. Kyle was my first one true love, my first in every way.
Then, one stormy August night, he died, and the person I was died with him.
Colton didn't teach me how to live. He didn't heal the pain. He didn't make it okay. He taught me how to hurt, how to not be okay, and, eventually, how to let go.
***
Nell Hawthorne is in love with her life-long best friend, Kyle Calloway. Their young love is invincible and life is full of promise; then one night Kyle dies suddenly in a tragic accident and Nell is forever changed. She meets Kyle's older brother Colton for the first time at the funeral. They both struggle to move on with life as best they can. Years later, they meet again in New York City, and Colton realizes that Nell has never really gotten over Kyle's death. She seems to be harboring a deeply rooted pain, a heavy weight of guilt and regret. He knows he shouldn't get involved, but he can't help himself. Trust doesn't come easily for either of them, and they both have demons. Together, they learn the purpose of pain and the meaning of healing, and the importance of forgiveness.
***
Excerpt from Falling Into You:
It was just a single sob at first, a quick, hysterical inhalation. Then a second. And then I couldn't stop it. Tears, a flood of them. I felt the sand grow cold and muddy under my face, felt my body shuddering uncontrollably. He didn't tell me it was okay. He didn't try to pull me against him or onto his lap. He kept his hand on my shoulder and sat silent next to me.
I knew I wouldn't be able to stop. I'd let go, and now the river would flow un-dammed.
No. No. I shook my head, clenched my teeth, lifted up and let myself fall down hard, sending a spear of pain spiderwebbing out from my arm. The pain was a drug, and I accepted it greedily. It was a dam, stemming the tide of tears....
Full length (80,000 word) New Adult Contemporary Romance:
**Mature Content Warning** 17+ for language, and adult situations. HEA ending.
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