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lsnack's review against another edition
5.0
I liked the storyline of this book. The 2 main characters are very sweet. The epilogue really brought the story to the best happy ending
theamandashelby's review against another edition
5.0
Bryant’s books are all great, and this one is no different. I have enjoyed everything written by her. I was a bit worried in the beginning how the two mains were going to fall in love and it not be uncomfortable, but Bryant wrote it in such a way by the end I was a believer. I thought both mains were great, and I enjoyed the bonus romance between secondary characters. If you are looking for a great romance, with an excellent story pick this one up.
reni13's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
rogue_lurker's review against another edition
4.0
Recommended
Kris Bryant is on my list of authors whose books I'll automatically pick up - she's an adept writer whose romances just draw you in. Falling did not disappoint. If you're looking for a well written romance this is the book for you.
I had a few moments of indecision on whether I wanted to read the book now - especially with the recent events with the Max 737. The first few pages of the book were particularly harrowing but it didn't feel exploitative of the inherent horror and tragedy of a crash. In fact, Bryant doesn't go the easy route and ratchet up the angst by focusing a story around Shaylie's recovery, survivor's guilt, etc. Instead, Bryant focuses on the changes Shaylie makes and her moving forward with her life and friendships - including the burgeoning relationship with Piper.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and the characters, including Shaylie's bestie, Marisa, and the big lug of a cowboy, Jason. A slightly cheesy ending - but who doesn't like a little cheese in their happy endings (that is not a spoiler ... romances are expected to have happy endings or they'd be considered boring literature)
As this is a first person narration, there were aspects of Piper that weren't fully fleshed out or addressed - I'd like to have gotten a better feel for her and how she was dealing with everything, but that's one of the drawbacks of first person narration.
Kris Bryant is on my list of authors whose books I'll automatically pick up - she's an adept writer whose romances just draw you in. Falling did not disappoint. If you're looking for a well written romance this is the book for you.
I had a few moments of indecision on whether I wanted to read the book now - especially with the recent events with the Max 737. The first few pages of the book were particularly harrowing but it didn't feel exploitative of the inherent horror and tragedy of a crash. In fact, Bryant doesn't go the easy route and ratchet up the angst by focusing a story around Shaylie's recovery, survivor's guilt, etc. Instead, Bryant focuses on the changes Shaylie makes and her moving forward with her life and friendships - including the burgeoning relationship with Piper.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and the characters, including Shaylie's bestie, Marisa, and the big lug of a cowboy, Jason. A slightly cheesy ending - but who doesn't like a little cheese in their happy endings (that is not a spoiler ... romances are expected to have happy endings or they'd be considered boring literature)
As this is a first person narration, there were aspects of Piper that weren't fully fleshed out or addressed - I'd like to have gotten a better feel for her and how she was dealing with everything, but that's one of the drawbacks of first person narration.
thepudding's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
shereadstales's review against another edition
3.0
When Shaylie Beck's flight from New York to Denver crashes, she's one of eleven survivors. If she'd been in her seat instead of the bathroom, she would have perished with the other passengers. Piper Cole's fiance and best friend were sitting next to Shaylie on the plane, but didn't make it. The two meet while in a support group for survivors and the loved ones of those who perished and strike up a friendship. Shaylie is having trouble fighting her feelings for Piper, and a secret from the crash may ruin any chance they have for friendship or love.
This was a nice, romantic read. There is enough romantic tension to keep the plot moving, and I enjoyed the supporting characters' and their romance as much as the main plot. It's got a bit of an easy pace after the initial action of the crash, but I think that balances the book out pretty well. If you're looking for things to add to your reading list for Pride Month, definitely check this one out.
This was a nice, romantic read. There is enough romantic tension to keep the plot moving, and I enjoyed the supporting characters' and their romance as much as the main plot. It's got a bit of an easy pace after the initial action of the crash, but I think that balances the book out pretty well. If you're looking for things to add to your reading list for Pride Month, definitely check this one out.
barbrokatrin's review against another edition
3.0
Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It took me a while to finish this. I just didn’t feel pulled in. We all know how this is going, we’ve seen this story before. By all means, it’s a great book if you’re looking for a lesfic romance book. But I feel like we always see these kinds of storyline in a lesfic.. i found it a bit boring and predictable to be honest. I would love more angst in this story, and I felt like it skipped in time every once in a while. But, if you’re looking for a feel good lesfic to read this is perfect for you
It took me a while to finish this. I just didn’t feel pulled in. We all know how this is going, we’ve seen this story before. By all means, it’s a great book if you’re looking for a lesfic romance book. But I feel like we always see these kinds of storyline in a lesfic.. i found it a bit boring and predictable to be honest. I would love more angst in this story, and I felt like it skipped in time every once in a while. But, if you’re looking for a feel good lesfic to read this is perfect for you
lezreviewbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Shaylie Beck is a real state broker on a flight home that goes terribly wrong. When the plane crashes, she is one of the eleven passengers lucky to be alive. In the support group for survivors, she meets Piper Cole, a yoga teacher who lost both her fiancée and her best friend on that flight. As Shaylie and Piper’s connection deepens, Shaylie is faced with the decision of telling Piper what she saw before the crash and risking losing her forever…
‘Falling’ is a slow-burn romance that starts with the extremely stressful situation of a plane crash. The author herself says that she is afraid of flying and came up with the idea of writing this novel based on the premise that the best can come out of the worst circumstances. Ms. Bryant is really good at choosing one-word book titles that can catch readers’ attention and this is no exception. ‘Falling’ conveys not only the plane crash but also falling apart and falling in love. This novel deals with all of them.
This book is written in first person as it’s usual for this author, in this case, from the point of view of Shaylie. That gives the reader a prime seat to her process of falling, literally and metaphorically. However, compared to Ms. Bryant’s previous book ‘Listen’, this novel focuses more on the good aspects of Shaylie’s recovery process rather than the post-traumatic consequences of her accident. On the other hand, with this single point of view, it’s hard to understand what is going on with Piper and how she is dealing with her loss. Hence, her actions might feel a bit out of character and unpredictable.
This is mainly a romance and its feel-good aspects. As a Yoga enthusiast, I loved the description of its healing powers. The cast of secondary characters and the m/f romantic subplot also help in bringing up the good in humanity. It might feel too sweet at times but it works well with the main feel-good premise of the book.
Overall, a very good slow-burn romance about falling apart and falling in love. 4 stars.
ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com
‘Falling’ is a slow-burn romance that starts with the extremely stressful situation of a plane crash. The author herself says that she is afraid of flying and came up with the idea of writing this novel based on the premise that the best can come out of the worst circumstances. Ms. Bryant is really good at choosing one-word book titles that can catch readers’ attention and this is no exception. ‘Falling’ conveys not only the plane crash but also falling apart and falling in love. This novel deals with all of them.
This book is written in first person as it’s usual for this author, in this case, from the point of view of Shaylie. That gives the reader a prime seat to her process of falling, literally and metaphorically. However, compared to Ms. Bryant’s previous book ‘Listen’, this novel focuses more on the good aspects of Shaylie’s recovery process rather than the post-traumatic consequences of her accident. On the other hand, with this single point of view, it’s hard to understand what is going on with Piper and how she is dealing with her loss. Hence, her actions might feel a bit out of character and unpredictable.
This is mainly a romance and its feel-good aspects. As a Yoga enthusiast, I loved the description of its healing powers. The cast of secondary characters and the m/f romantic subplot also help in bringing up the good in humanity. It might feel too sweet at times but it works well with the main feel-good premise of the book.
Overall, a very good slow-burn romance about falling apart and falling in love. 4 stars.
ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com
corrie's review against another edition
4.0
Falling by Kris Bryant started with a bang. A very vivid plane crash throws us straight into the action. Enjoy it, because that is all the excitement you’re going to see in this story.
Told from plane crash survivor Shaylie Beck’s point of view we see a small part of her road to recovery (other than her fear of flying Bryant chose not to delve too much into the trauma). Her boss is pissed at her refusal to fly to perspective jobs (Shaylie is in commercial real estate) and we see all throughout the book that there is no love lost between those two. There are not many work related scenes so it’s more peripheral.
Much time is spent on her relationship with bff Marisa and said friend’s burgeoning romance with Shaylie’s personal savior, rancher Jason. So you get two sweet romances for the price of one (although one is straight). We see Shaylie befriend and slowly fall in love with yoga goddess Piper Cole. Piper lost her fiancée and best friend on that same flight. The fiancée and best friend who were sitting next to Shaylie and were making out like there was no tomorrow (well… in their case there wasn’t). This secret weighs heavy on Shaylie’s mind as her relationship with Piper evolves and deepens and you can rest assured it will come back to bite her in the ass.
Like I said, most excitement is in the first chapters, after that we coast along between the yoga studio, work, Jason’s family ranch, home. The inserted drama at the 80% mark was one of ridiculous proportions and I had to deduct points for that. I would have preferred we had coasted on with all the nice, rich people towards the wedded bliss and the babies.
Romance lovers will certainly get their money’s worth.
f/f explicit. Bryant has proven by now she can write hot sex scenes.
Themes: there was PTSD on both sides but it was mostly handled off screen, Piper remained a bit 2 dimensional, Clifford the cat gets a special shout out, lawsuit, yoga, real estate, Piper’s crisis was just silly.
3.6 stars
* A free copy was provided by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books Inc. for an honest review.
Told from plane crash survivor Shaylie Beck’s point of view we see a small part of her road to recovery (other than her fear of flying Bryant chose not to delve too much into the trauma). Her boss is pissed at her refusal to fly to perspective jobs (Shaylie is in commercial real estate) and we see all throughout the book that there is no love lost between those two. There are not many work related scenes so it’s more peripheral.
Much time is spent on her relationship with bff Marisa and said friend’s burgeoning romance with Shaylie’s personal savior, rancher Jason. So you get two sweet romances for the price of one (although one is straight). We see Shaylie befriend and slowly fall in love with yoga goddess Piper Cole. Piper lost her fiancée and best friend on that same flight. The fiancée and best friend who were sitting next to Shaylie and were making out like there was no tomorrow (well… in their case there wasn’t). This secret weighs heavy on Shaylie’s mind as her relationship with Piper evolves and deepens and you can rest assured it will come back to bite her in the ass.
Like I said, most excitement is in the first chapters, after that we coast along between the yoga studio, work, Jason’s family ranch, home. The inserted drama at the 80% mark was one of ridiculous proportions and I had to deduct points for that. I would have preferred we had coasted on with all the nice, rich people towards the wedded bliss and the babies.
Romance lovers will certainly get their money’s worth.
f/f explicit. Bryant has proven by now she can write hot sex scenes.
Themes: there was PTSD on both sides but it was mostly handled off screen, Piper remained a bit 2 dimensional, Clifford the cat gets a special shout out, lawsuit, yoga, real estate, Piper’s crisis was just silly.
3.6 stars
* A free copy was provided by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books Inc. for an honest review.
apostrophen's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to this one on audio, and I enjoyed it quite a bit on a few key fronts.
One: the set-up. Turning the disaster of a plane crash into the spark between the two women was a big idea to attempt, and Bryant pulled it off. The added complications: one woman has survived a plane crash that killed both the fiancée and best friend of the other woman spin out well, nudging the two into a relationship more about connection and friendship and trying to make sense out of chaos than immediate spark or romantic notions.
Two: the discussions of scars. I have very complicated feelings about my own scars, and I really, really appreciated how Bryant's survivor heroine had multiple, conflicting takes on her own scarred body. Badge of honour? Something to cover? No more bikinis? It felt organic and real, as did her decision to get in shape post-recovery. Faced with bodily trauma, this all felt real, even if I did flinch a few times at how her mental dialog began to equate any eating with future exercise to balance it off, it was so in-character and real that the less-than-healthy approach of somehow having to "earn" or "work off" a cookie worked for her psyche and situation, if that makes sense. I'll often find food=guilty pleasure/future punishment of exercise grinds me down, but in her case, I remember feeling very much like "I have to do better now that I've been proven very, very mortal" myself, so it made sense. The other character being a super-fit Yoga instructor added to that comparison spiral, too.
Three: the best friend and another passenger having a story of their own. I love when the characters around the main characters in a romance aren't just wallpaper, and Bryant nailed this with the heroine's best friend (a police investigator) and one of the other passengers, a rancher who literally pulled the main character from the wreckage. Their relationship helped set so many tones and the pacing of the story, and added that layer of realism of how no matter what goes on in your own life, the people around you are still living, too.
All in all, I think Bryant bit off a big idea here and delivered.
One: the set-up. Turning the disaster of a plane crash into the spark between the two women was a big idea to attempt, and Bryant pulled it off. The added complications: one woman has survived a plane crash that killed both the fiancée and best friend of the other woman spin out well, nudging the two into a relationship more about connection and friendship and trying to make sense out of chaos than immediate spark or romantic notions.
Two: the discussions of scars. I have very complicated feelings about my own scars, and I really, really appreciated how Bryant's survivor heroine had multiple, conflicting takes on her own scarred body. Badge of honour? Something to cover? No more bikinis? It felt organic and real, as did her decision to get in shape post-recovery. Faced with bodily trauma, this all felt real, even if I did flinch a few times at how her mental dialog began to equate any eating with future exercise to balance it off, it was so in-character and real that the less-than-healthy approach of somehow having to "earn" or "work off" a cookie worked for her psyche and situation, if that makes sense. I'll often find food=guilty pleasure/future punishment of exercise grinds me down, but in her case, I remember feeling very much like "I have to do better now that I've been proven very, very mortal" myself, so it made sense. The other character being a super-fit Yoga instructor added to that comparison spiral, too.
Three: the best friend and another passenger having a story of their own. I love when the characters around the main characters in a romance aren't just wallpaper, and Bryant nailed this with the heroine's best friend (a police investigator) and one of the other passengers, a rancher who literally pulled the main character from the wreckage. Their relationship helped set so many tones and the pacing of the story, and added that layer of realism of how no matter what goes on in your own life, the people around you are still living, too.
All in all, I think Bryant bit off a big idea here and delivered.