Review: Falling Into You by Jasinda Wilder
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| AMAZON | KINDLE |
Falling Into You by Jasinda Wilder
Contemporary / New Adult
Jasinda Wilder (March 14, 2013)
Heroine: Nell Hawthorne – Carefree Before Broken
Hero: Kyle Calloway – Football Player, Dies Too Young
Hero: Colton Calloway – Survivor, Musician
Review:
From the blurb, we immediately know that Nell loses her high school sweetheart to a tragic accident. When the story begins, Nell and Kyle are best friends. But that quickly changes when Nell tells Kyle she has a date. By seeing Kyle’s reaction to this news, she realizes there is more to their friendship. These two have known each other all their lives and, as they’ve grown older, matured, this friendship blossoms into a beautiful relationship. Unfortunately, a terrible accident rips Kyle out of Nell’s life and turns her world upside down.
At the funeral, Nell is grieving, intensely sad, and drowning in her guilt over losing Kyle. When she can’t take being around anyone anymore, she runs outside to be alone, and that's when Colt walks into the picture. He follows her outside, tries to comfort her, and then something strange happens between them. There is an immediate electric connection between them. Nell, realizing just how inappropriate her attraction is towards Colton, walks away from him.
Fast forward two years. Nell is still living with the guilt and pain from losing Kyle. She’s weighed down by her guilt and has locked it away with no idea how to let it all go. Her guilt over Kyle’s death is eating her alive. She drinks. She’s cutting herself. She’s numb. She’s an emotional hot mess. This once good girl has changed dramatically from a carefree and positive girl into a very troubled woman.
Colton has lived a hard life on the streets since he was a teenager. Since he ran away from home and his family, he has lived a harsh life where he has seen more tragedy than any person should see on the streets. You will learn in the story why he ran away from home and where he ended up. It’s a heartbreaking story, to say the least. I don’t want to go too far into his past since its Colton’s story to tell. Let’s just put it this way, Colton knows Nell’s heartache and pain. He understands her. And if there was any one person who can help her let go of the pain she carries around, it’s definitely him.
We understand each other, Nelly. We’ve both lost someone we love. We both have scars and regrets and anger. We can do this together.
First, let me just say. I loved Kyle. I fell in love with the sweet, teenage boy. And I cried so much when he died. So, even though I knew he was going to die, it still hurt just as much anyway. In an unconventional way, his death brought two very different people together. And, in each other, they found a way to heal.
It was understandable for Colton and Nell to feel strongly towards one another. They’ve lost someone they both loved. Colton is really good for Nell. He helped her heal through music. He helped her heal through talking it out. He helped her let it all go. Nell also helps Colton by trusting him and believing in his music. These two very broken souls found solace and love in each other.
However, one of the main problems I had with this story is all the time these two characters spend hashing out their issues. I struggled while reading these parts. I felt for them, I really did, but I think this part of the story was too drawn out. Not only that, the punches just kept coming all the way to the end. I had a serious eye squinting moment at the end with Nell and Colton. I think less dramatics would’ve saved this book for me.
Secondly, this relationship developed way too fast for me. For starters, the instant connection at Kyle’s funeral felt wrong. I wish the author would’ve left that part out. It felt like a short cut to get to the next part of the story. But, when they see each other again after two years, I did feel excited for them. The first scene with them together after two years was sweet and romantic and completely unexpected. I think I could’ve forgiven the insta-love if it started with this scene. Also, I wish there was more relationship development between these two as the story progresses. The entire love story felt like it moved way too fast and then the story abruptly ends.
The music mentioned in this story flowed nicely with each scene. The scenes with them playing music were my favorite parts of the whole book – imagining Colton playing music was definitely sexy, indeed. I love the author’s taste in music: Mumford and Sons, City & Colour, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Adele, The Avett Brothers, The Civil Wars, The Beatles, and so many other great bands were mentioned. Besides living and breathing books, I live and breathe music.
Overall, I really loved this story up until Kyle’s death. And the second part of the story started out promising, but then the story lost me with all the over-the-top drama and angst. I wanted to be more emotionally impacted by these two characters hardships. I wanted to be wowed by the romance. But instead, the believability and writing made it difficult for me to love and feel the story.
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