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A review by talknerdybookblog
Can't Help Falling by Cara Bastone
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.
One thing that bugged me:
So at the start of the book, the Hero is known as a player (he's 42, single and doesn't want to be tied down - to each their own). He's attracted to the Heroine and decides to act on his attraction - he asks her out. Right before this, he vocalized that he doesn't want kids period - again fair. BUT, the Heroine wants to foster kids, given her history as a foster kid and how her foster parent saved her life and the lives of other fosters in her house.
So, the Heroine rejects the Hero, saying something akin to they're not a good idea / they wouldn't be a good fit. My issue is that instead of taking the response for what it was - a no thank you - the Hero gets severely bent out of shape, saying it wasn't a marriage proposal, and basically insinuates that the Heroine doesn't have a good reason to say no.
The Heroine then gets what the Hero (and Heroine, upon reflection later in the book) calls cruel. She calls out the fact that he's aimless and refuses to take responsibility for anyone/thing, doesn't know what he wants in life, and also calls out his attachment to his best friend + kid as unhealthy, etc. Now, what's important here is that, on the surface, all these things can sound like superficial judgements, and that's how they're framed later in the book. But, the reader knows from his POV that all her "accusations" are just simple facts about why they're ill-suited. We know from his POV that he resents his bff's new girlfriend - she's taking up space that he used to occupy, and the Heroine intuits this cuz she's psychic (yup - it's part of the plot).
She wants a partner who WANTS responsibility and knows what they want in life, and she calls out that his resentment of his best friend's girlfriend - while understandable - is NOT healthy for the Hero and for the best friend + kid.
Do to circumstances, the Hero is later required to take in his step-sister and be her guardian. This situation is then interpreted as evidence that he is responsible and that the Heroine's observations were wrong. But, that's not the case. Again, he didn't want the responsibility of kids (which is totally OK but obvi didn't fit the Heroine's idea of a partner). But, he stepped up - and changed his behaviour + life - cuz his sister needed him. This is called growth. SO - the Heroine's observations of him - in that moment were correct cuz they reflected who he was <i>then</i>. She never inferred that he wasn't capable of changing if he wanted to.
Safety Rating: Safe with Exception
• No cheating
• Does have OM drama
- Heroine goes on a blind date and the Hero is SO JEALOUS lmao
• No OW drama
• Does have the Heroine pushing away (she wants to foster kids and knows he doesn't want kids period)
• No separation
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Parental abandonment and neglect of supporting character
• Sexual harassment
Ending:HFN
One thing that bugged me:
So at the start of the book, the Hero is known as a player (he's 42, single and doesn't want to be tied down - to each their own). He's attracted to the Heroine and decides to act on his attraction - he asks her out. Right before this, he vocalized that he doesn't want kids period - again fair. BUT, the Heroine wants to foster kids, given her history as a foster kid and how her foster parent saved her life and the lives of other fosters in her house.
So, the Heroine rejects the Hero, saying something akin to they're not a good idea / they wouldn't be a good fit. My issue is that instead of taking the response for what it was - a no thank you - the Hero gets severely bent out of shape, saying it wasn't a marriage proposal, and basically insinuates that the Heroine doesn't have a good reason to say no.
The Heroine then gets what the Hero (and Heroine, upon reflection later in the book) calls cruel. She calls out the fact that he's aimless and refuses to take responsibility for anyone/thing, doesn't know what he wants in life, and also calls out his attachment to his best friend + kid as unhealthy, etc. Now, what's important here is that, on the surface, all these things can sound like superficial judgements, and that's how they're framed later in the book. But, the reader knows from his POV that all her "accusations" are just simple facts about why they're ill-suited. We know from his POV that he resents his bff's new girlfriend - she's taking up space that he used to occupy, and the Heroine intuits this cuz she's psychic (yup - it's part of the plot).
She wants a partner who WANTS responsibility and knows what they want in life, and she calls out that his resentment of his best friend's girlfriend - while understandable - is NOT healthy for the Hero and for the best friend + kid.
Do to circumstances, the Hero is later required to take in his step-sister and be her guardian. This situation is then interpreted as evidence that he is responsible and that the Heroine's observations were wrong. But, that's not the case. Again, he didn't want the responsibility of kids (which is totally OK but obvi didn't fit the Heroine's idea of a partner). But, he stepped up - and changed his behaviour + life - cuz his sister needed him. This is called growth. SO - the Heroine's observations of him - in that moment were correct cuz they reflected who he was <i>then</i>. She never inferred that he wasn't capable of changing if he wanted to.
Safety Rating: Safe with Exception
• No cheating
• Does have OM drama
- Heroine goes on a blind date and the Hero is SO JEALOUS lmao
• No OW drama
• Does have the Heroine pushing away (she wants to foster kids and knows he doesn't want kids period)
• No separation
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Parental abandonment and neglect of supporting character
• Sexual harassment
Ending: