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namitakhanna's review
3.0
Just Fall by Nina Sadowsky is a romantic psychological debut novel of two damaged, deeply flawed souls seeking love and happiness.
Rob and Ellie are deeply in love and are getting married. On the wedding day Rob confesses to Ellie that he is a killer. Ellie who found Rob after a few unsuccessful romances cannot believe it but she is also hiding some dark secrets of her own. He is then kidnapped from the wedding reception and for Ellie to save him she has to take someone’s life. Thus starts the harrowing ordeal in Ellie’s life where she tries to free and save Rob from his past.
It is an interesting story-line and the chapters alternate between “Now” and “Then”. The “Now” was pretty streamlines but the “Then” part was not in chronological order which took a little bit getting used to. The ending though good was a little rushed and left me with some questions. Overall I would give this book 3 1/2 stars, a good book for light reading with some twists and turns.
Many thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
Rob and Ellie are deeply in love and are getting married. On the wedding day Rob confesses to Ellie that he is a killer. Ellie who found Rob after a few unsuccessful romances cannot believe it but she is also hiding some dark secrets of her own. He is then kidnapped from the wedding reception and for Ellie to save him she has to take someone’s life. Thus starts the harrowing ordeal in Ellie’s life where she tries to free and save Rob from his past.
It is an interesting story-line and the chapters alternate between “Now” and “Then”. The “Now” was pretty streamlines but the “Then” part was not in chronological order which took a little bit getting used to. The ending though good was a little rushed and left me with some questions. Overall I would give this book 3 1/2 stars, a good book for light reading with some twists and turns.
Many thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
mstapel's review
2.0
I was intrigued by the description of this book, but disappointed by its delivery. It was a different kind of beast. This book contained a great concept, but the delivery was choppy and slightly distracting with the chronological transitions being more of a hindrance to the overall telling because of the length of time that expressed versus the climax of the story. I would recommend this book to others in the hope that they appreciated the structure better than I because it was a cleverly constructed plot with an interesting ending.
judithdcollins's review
4.0
A special thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 Stars
Screenwriter, Nina Sadowsky delivers a chilling dark tale of suspense---good versus evil, JUST FALL two damaged people desperately seeking redemption.
The novel opens with a letter from Rob to darling Ellie with instructions, his love, and an “I’m sorry”.
An island. A wedding day. From Manhattan to the Caribbean, they had known each other that long. Secrets. A couple. Bride and Groom. Rob’s admission was sudden, bizarre, terrifying. Insane words. Why?
Flashing back and forth (now and then) readers learn the backstory of Ellie and her husband Rob and the detective.
On the night of her wedding to Rob, Ellie’s perfect fantasy world suddenly collapses. Her charming, sophisticated husband is not the man she believed him to be. Could he really be a killer?
Now, does she have to become a killer in order to save Rob? Love can be deadly. Consequences. People are dying. Accidents. Murders on the island. Boys missing.
From lies, love and betrayal, Sadowsky delivers a fast-paced twisted seductive debut --the lengths one will go to protect.
From psychological suspense, intrigue, and mystery -----with an array of secondary characters, along for the ride to the finale “Next.”
JDCMustReadBooks
Screenwriter, Nina Sadowsky delivers a chilling dark tale of suspense---good versus evil, JUST FALL two damaged people desperately seeking redemption.
The novel opens with a letter from Rob to darling Ellie with instructions, his love, and an “I’m sorry”.
An island. A wedding day. From Manhattan to the Caribbean, they had known each other that long. Secrets. A couple. Bride and Groom. Rob’s admission was sudden, bizarre, terrifying. Insane words. Why?
Flashing back and forth (now and then) readers learn the backstory of Ellie and her husband Rob and the detective.
On the night of her wedding to Rob, Ellie’s perfect fantasy world suddenly collapses. Her charming, sophisticated husband is not the man she believed him to be. Could he really be a killer?
Now, does she have to become a killer in order to save Rob? Love can be deadly. Consequences. People are dying. Accidents. Murders on the island. Boys missing.
From lies, love and betrayal, Sadowsky delivers a fast-paced twisted seductive debut --the lengths one will go to protect.
From psychological suspense, intrigue, and mystery -----with an array of secondary characters, along for the ride to the finale “Next.”
JDCMustReadBooks
bmg20's review
2.0
What do you do when you find out the man you've built a life with ends up being nothing but a stranger? Would you kill to keep that fantasy alive? The night of her wedding, Ellie discovers Rob's secret and it puts everything she thought she knew about him into question. Just Fall is a convoluted tale that switches between past and present, and non-linearly as well. In its attempts to keep you in the dark from the truth facts of the mystery, it only succeeds in being confusing and frustrating rather than intriguing and enticing. The past and present chapters and the anticipated shocker of an ending truly only works when the reader is given breadcrumbs along the way. When that doesn't occur, and in this case it did not, the supposed shocker ends up leaping out of nowhere and stupefying the reader.
melissadelongcox's review
4.0
* Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! *
This line, y'all: How can you find out that the person you love is a killer…and continue to love him anyway? This line is what made me decide I NEEDED to read this book, and I was so right. The story is one that jumps right in, there's no build to the action and I loved that. I was intrigued from the first moment and read this in just a couple sittings because I needed to know what happened.
The only thing I would change about the book is the tense it's written in - while not uncommon, it distracted me and made it tough sometimes to not think "shouldn't it be phrased like...", which obviously pulls you out of the flow of the story! Otherwise, I really enjoyed it. And the then/now style was great - I wanted to know their backstory but I also didn't want to step away from the present day action, so I found that style to really work. Like others have mentioned, they're short sections, but I liked getting to see things from the his and her perspective.
3.5 stars
This line, y'all: How can you find out that the person you love is a killer…and continue to love him anyway? This line is what made me decide I NEEDED to read this book, and I was so right. The story is one that jumps right in, there's no build to the action and I loved that. I was intrigued from the first moment and read this in just a couple sittings because I needed to know what happened.
The only thing I would change about the book is the tense it's written in - while not uncommon, it distracted me and made it tough sometimes to not think "shouldn't it be phrased like...", which obviously pulls you out of the flow of the story! Otherwise, I really enjoyed it. And the then/now style was great - I wanted to know their backstory but I also didn't want to step away from the present day action, so I found that style to really work. Like others have mentioned, they're short sections, but I liked getting to see things from the his and her perspective.
3.5 stars
queenmeega's review
3.0
Lifetime movie in book form
Just fall is a story that asks the reader to imagine how easy it would be to deceive someone you love. Rob and Ellie fall in love, but start by never telling each other the truth. And the rest of the story is about the consequences of that. It was an easy read and we'll paced. But it really was like a Lifetime movie, with unbelievable peril and too convenient plot devices. This is reAlly a 2.5 star book.
Just fall is a story that asks the reader to imagine how easy it would be to deceive someone you love. Rob and Ellie fall in love, but start by never telling each other the truth. And the rest of the story is about the consequences of that. It was an easy read and we'll paced. But it really was like a Lifetime movie, with unbelievable peril and too convenient plot devices. This is reAlly a 2.5 star book.
vanessa_issa's review
3.0
I'm not usually into crime/thriller books, but this one caught my attention. First, because the cover is so innocent and sweet that it makes you wonder what happened to that girl. And second, because as soon as you start reading it, you realize it's nothing like you imagined it. She's not exactly a "good girl".
Ellie's in love with Rob, but she doesn't know about his past. For all she knew, he was just an amazing man who could make her happy. When she discovers more about the person he used to be before meeting her, she realizes he's a total stranger. There was no Rob Beauman. The man she had married was a fiction. He lied to her, because he also loved her. He didn't want to ruin the only good thing in his life. But then, she also has a past. And together they can really make a mess.
The story is a mixture of romance and terrible crimes. The writing style is really good and perfect for this kind of novel. It helps the reader to understand all the characters' thoughts and feelings - even the most disturbing ones. The author uses alternating chapters to explore what happened before and in the present.
I really liked it, but I wish there were less time jumps, especially at the end.
Favorite quote: "Love doesn’t make sense, does it? We fall in love with someone, and then as layers are revealed that don’t line up with our feelings, we’re in it already.”
*Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing an ARC*.
Ellie's in love with Rob, but she doesn't know about his past. For all she knew, he was just an amazing man who could make her happy. When she discovers more about the person he used to be before meeting her, she realizes he's a total stranger. There was no Rob Beauman. The man she had married was a fiction. He lied to her, because he also loved her. He didn't want to ruin the only good thing in his life. But then, she also has a past. And together they can really make a mess.
The story is a mixture of romance and terrible crimes. The writing style is really good and perfect for this kind of novel. It helps the reader to understand all the characters' thoughts and feelings - even the most disturbing ones. The author uses alternating chapters to explore what happened before and in the present.
I really liked it, but I wish there were less time jumps, especially at the end.
Favorite quote: "Love doesn’t make sense, does it? We fall in love with someone, and then as layers are revealed that don’t line up with our feelings, we’re in it already.”
*Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing an ARC*.
readingwithhippos's review
3.0
I had a good time with this thriller, but I think it has higher aspirations than it’s able to reach. It’s marketed as a tale of moral ambiguity, purportedly raising profound questions like “How far would you go for love?”, but in execution it never stops feeling like a beach read. If you’re looking for a tawdry little escape, it would be the perfect choice. Not so much if you’re expecting a deep dive into ethics.
Main character Ellie finds out on her wedding night that the man she has just married is not who she thought he was. Turns out he’s a bad, bad man who’s done bad, bad things, and now the only way they can stay together (and alive) is if she does bad, bad things too. Far-fetched, you say? You bet it is, and if you struggle with suspending your disbelief, well, get out now. If you can accept the premise, though, and the increasingly wild curveballs Sadowsky throws, Just Fall is a dirty, fun ride.
With regards to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the review copy. On sale now!
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
Main character Ellie finds out on her wedding night that the man she has just married is not who she thought he was. Turns out he’s a bad, bad man who’s done bad, bad things, and now the only way they can stay together (and alive) is if she does bad, bad things too. Far-fetched, you say? You bet it is, and if you struggle with suspending your disbelief, well, get out now. If you can accept the premise, though, and the increasingly wild curveballs Sadowsky throws, Just Fall is a dirty, fun ride.
With regards to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the review copy. On sale now!
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com