Still Falling By Crystal Walton #BookReview and #BookDeal

She’s trying to uproot the past. He’s trying to safeguard the future. But neither’s ready for the assignment about to jeopardize both.

Landing a prominent chair in the Philharmonic Orchestra is part of Bree Ramirez’s determined plans to avoid her old life. Falling smack into her ex-fiancé’s path again? Nowhere close. But with a gang hit targeting her and her brother as loose ends, the pressure to get them out of Queens ushers her straight into the very arms she’s spent the last four years pretending aren’t still home.

On the brink of finally making detective and tackling his parents’ cold case, NYPD Officer Josh D’Angelo is prepared for just about anything. Except playing it cool with the only girl he’s ever loved. Then again, if being assigned Bree’s security detail opens the doors to winning her back, he’ll risk whatever the job requires. Including his heart.

But when Josh’s investigation brings him to a choice he promised Bree he’d never have to make, this unsolicited reunion may cost them their only shot at a second chance.

My Thoughts:
I recently read Write Me Home and Begin Again in Crystal Walton’s Home In You series. They are both incredible books. You can check out my thoughts about Begin Again here. When Still Falling, a prequel for the series, came along, I jumped to read it. Still Falling is a novella and it is Ms. Walton’s first attempt at one, and let me just say, it is incredibly well done. I enjoy reading the occasional novella, but so often it’s a struggle for authors to provide believable, realistic change in character growth as well as in the relationships being built within the length of a novella. That is not an issue with Still Falling. I was really impressed with how well done and how believable the the changes taking place in the characters were.

I loved both Josh and Bree. Bree’s attitude frustrated me a bit while at the same time being something I could relate to and understand as more is revealed throughout the novella. I know that feeling of wanting to run from things and the struggle against letting fear control my decisions and letting it keep me from living life freely and to the fullest. Josh and Bree both have some things about themselves that they need to face and some things to let go of in order to live the life they both want. You can feel their deepest emotions as they walk the journey they’re on and the agony of some of the decisions they are faced with making.

I absolutely loved the tension and chemistry between Josh and Bree and I adored Josh’s desire to see the best happen for Bree, to love her, to protect her, to make her laugh, to take care of her, to live a messy, but beautiful life with her. And I loved that he fought for it, that he didn’t give up on her. The sense of coming home is so clear in this novella as Bree faces what she’s been running from and realizes that running isn’t the answer and only prevents her from really living the life she wants.

The peeks into the neighborhood that Cassidy from Write Me Home and Ti from Begin Again live in help add even a little more insight into their characters. Still Falling makes for fantastic prequel to the Home in You series and and is a very well done novella that is worth the read!

Book Deal: Still Falling is on sale for $0.99 on Kindle until May 24th so now is a great time to snatch it up and check it out!