A review by blondiesreadingcorner
Falling Like Leaves by Misty Wilson

lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Ellis is a senior in high school who temporarily moves to Bramble Falls with her mother due to tension between her mother and father. Ellis had a plan though - focus on her AP classes, improve her resume, and get into Columbia so she could become a journalist so that she could be just like her dad. So when her life gets uprooted suddenly to this small town, she tries hard not to get distracted and keep to her goals. However, things are flipped upside down even further when she runs into an old friend, Cooper Barnett.

I know Ellis and Cooper are young and in high school, but I found it difficult to really connect with them. Cooper holds a grudge for at least half of the book towards Ellis. And Ellis is not kind to a lot of the characters until the end of the book when she realizes she was in the wrong the entire time. I was happy that the characters finally saw reason by the end but it was a rough journey to get there. 

I do appreciate the Gilmore Girls feel about it. And I actually really liked the secondary characters such as Jake, Fern, Asher, and Sloane. I’m hoping there will more books that get into their relationships as I loved them and how much they supported both Ellis and Cooper.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for this honest review.