Falling

Fallen Idols #1

by Cecilia Gray

Alexis isn't afraid of much. She's never met a cliff she didn't want to climb or a waterfall she wouldn't plunge over. Yet when her fiancé leaves and takes her daring edge with him, she swears off love....


Until one wild night out at San Francisco's latest hard-to-find, impossible-to-get-into new club where she discovers more than just a stiff drink awaits her inside, because the owner of this club is the sexiest man she's ever met--and the most dangerous.


A few hundred years ago, Jason made a very bad bargain with a very vengeful goddess. Now it's time for him to pay up, either with his soul... or his heart. And when one long look at Alexis makes him understand just how hellish a life of unrequited love could be, suddenly the alternative doesn't sound so bad.


Only it turns out, the alternative isn't just hellish--it is hell... and Alexis is the only one who can spring him loose. If, that is, she's brave enough to try...


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Don't miss The Fallen Idols series, where the trouble with falling in love is the long drop down...


Book 1: Falling
Book 2: Fading


The Fallen Idols Series are chick lit romances with a paranormal twist of approximately 25,000 words (100 printed mass paperback pages).


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Praise for The Fallen Idols Series


This was a wonderful weekend read--fun, light, with one of the strongest first-person narrators I've read in the romance genre in a long, long time. - The Canary Review


Cecilia has a talent for instilling warmth and weight into her characters. - Romancing The Book Reviews


A breath of fresh air. A truly great escapist read. - Quills and Zebras


Will have you captivated from beginning to end. - Can't Put It Down Reviews

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Chick Lit, Paranormal

95 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 22, 2011

About the author

Cecilia Gray writes stories about first love, second chances, and forever friendships. She--much like her characters--resides in quite a few places.

Reviews

[A.M.]

Falling is a fun and light first-person paranormal romance novella which takes elements of Greek mythology and combines them with present-day San Francisco.

The story follows the tall, athletic and insecure Alexis, who is dragged to an exclusive nightclub by twin sister Laurie in an attempt to recover from heartbreak. But this isn’t just any exclusive hangout, it’s a haven for the paranormal. If that won’t distract Alexis from her broken heart, nothing will.

Alexis is a likeable protagonist. She is fairly level-headed and realistic in her expectations. Her insecurities about her looks are ones that many women can relate to, and it is interesting to see the juxtaposition between her lack of self confidence and her reckless bravery in physical feats.

Male lead Jason is an Ancient Greek warrior who led his soldiers to victory with the help of a Greek goddess. But in exchange for immortality and success in battle, Jason’s had to give up any hope of falling in love. Otherwise he – and his loved one – will both die.

Both Jason and Alexis are strong, sensible, physical people with underlying emotional insecurities, and as a result the initial romantic tension between them is captivating.

But just as I was settling down for a truly great escapist read, I hit the meat of the plot, and that’s when the story began to falter. I was overwhelmed: far too much happens in one evening, squeezed into the small word count of a novella. Alexis and Laurie barely have the time to freak out about the existence of the paranormal before they move on to dealing with it. It felt rushed, and the initial strong characterisation was overshadowed by the implications of Jason’s curse.

As a result, rather than have time to develop the promising relationship between Jason and Alexis, Falling resorts to magical influence to push the two together, which stinks a little of deus ex machina.

I was also confused by Jason’s backstory. I assume he’s based off of the Argonauts, but according to the blurb he was cursed “a few hundred years ago”. Yet the Argonauts lived thousands of years ago… the math doesn’t add up.

Don’t get me wrong. Despite the niggles mentioned above, I think Falling has a lot of potential. Compared to other paranormal romances I’ve read, it’s well-written, original, and has an interesting cast. The dialogue is realistic and witty, and the initial set up worked well as a hook. All it needs is a little more room to breathe so that the characters and plot can be fleshed out in full.

Overall, recommended to fans of light-hearted paranormal romps. While Falling doesn’t have the depth of a full-length novel, it’s an entertaining read nonetheless.

[Romancing the Book]

Reviewed by Shyla
Ebook provided by author for review

This is one short that really packs a punch! The witty wording jumped off the screen right from the first sentence. I laughed out loud as the shunned goddess Myah compared her fellow Greek gods to high school teens. It’s clear from the start Myah is a woman scored, and ready to take on those she feels wronged her. Betrayed by her twin Eros she has a chip on her shoulder the size of the empire state building. As we move on from Myah to the modern day world I know the little minx has something up her sleeve.. The transition from Myah to our Heroine is seamless, and I was left feeling like a winner of a two for one prize.

Cecilia has a talent for instilling warmth and weight into her characters. That combined with her distinctive settings created a realism that kept me immersed in her story. Her heroine Alexis was refreshingly unique. The 6’3 competitive athlete, who’s famous for her death defying feats, is nursing a broken heart, and an endangered career. When her fiancée left her for a model he took her mojo with him. Unable to climb since she’s been jilted Alexis is bereft like a boat adrift in the sea. Her twin Laurie decides the best remedy to end her rut is a night out. So off to the newest club they go. When Laurie’s night out comes equipped with a list of five tasks Alexis must accomplish a red flag with the words MAYHEM displayed waves in my head.
I’m not disappointed. The list leads Alexis to a fire escape in the back alley where she meets our tall, dark and handsome hero, Jason.Who happens to own the elite club Alexis was refused entry into. Their banter is adorable and the attraction sizzles off the page. Their near kiss is ended by Jason’s abrupt mood change, and I just knew there was more to this man and his club than meets the eye.

It turns out the club caters to witches and Laurie is a powerful one. Ignorant to her abilities Laurie makes an offhand comment about Jason falling for Alexis which comes true. Both sisters find themselves thrust into a world peppered with danger, passion, and self discovery. Ms. Gray , You hit this one out of the park. I can’t wait to read the next story in this series.

[Emily Elizabeth]

She can do it all, ladies and gents! Again, I'll state how much I love Cecilia Gray's writing. She's flexible with her writing style and genres. Falling is a paranormal romance, and the fifth work that I've read of Cecilia's. She has also written historical romance and a classic retelling as a young adult contemporary. And I've loved them all!

This book was definitely not what I was expecting. Not. At. All. And not in a bad way. I really enjoyed reading this story. It was a captivating storyline with great characters and a beautiful writing style. Cecilia warned me ahead of time, saying that not many people enjoyed all of her stories because each series is different from the next, but personally, I've more than enjoyed them all!

Immediately, I loved the setting and characters of this story. Especially Jason… Mmm, Jason. Laurie was another favorite. She's such a strong character and loves her sister so much. Her loyalty is to Alexis first and foremost. The relationship between Alexis and Laurie is so sweet. I wanted to punch Mhaya in the face repeatedly. I'm six-hundred percent sure that I could take that woman in a fist fight. (Okay, okay, I'd totally lose, but the point is that I hate her.)

I don't know a lot about history or mythology. I enjoy reading stories with both of those concepts, but the accuracy is lost on me. I've read a few reviews that say the timeline needs to be checked, so I don't know what to believe with that, but I sure as heck liked it. My only issue was the insta-love. Ugh, insta-love. It works well in a novella because novella's are short, but for some reason, it didn't work for me in this story. I loved the two main characters and their attraction to each other, but I didn't like that love occurred so quickly. Besides that, I want more. I wish it had been pulled into a full novel because I was so intrigued by everything that happened in the story!

Cecilia's descriptions are phenomenal. I couldn't put my kindle down because I. Just. Had. To. Keep. Reading.

I'm definitely going to continue with this series as well. I can't wait to see what happens next and how much of the other characters will be included in novella two.

[Cherise]

When Alexis loses her fiancé she also loses her ability to climb, not good news for a woman who is known as ‘The World’s Bravest Woman’. Her twin, Laurie, is everything Alexis is not, they are complete opposites. Laurie is small, curvy and beautiful and has a way of getting people to bend at her will. Alexis isn’t ugly, but she’s tall and athletic and not at all used to getting what she wants.

Laurie exercises her powers of persuasion and talks Alexis into heading to a new club to drink off some break up blues. What they find is a club with a very discriminating idea on who can get past the doorman. In order to bypass the pesky rules, Alexis finds herself scaling a fire escape and coming face to face with the club’s owner, Jason. The attraction is instant and starts a series of events that alters life as Alexis knows it.

Once inside the club the mythical and immortal become real and they find out magic exists. Alexis is soon caught up in a centuries old curse and tossed into a world that tests her courage again and again. Mhaya is a Goddess obsessed with reclaiming her role and name, Marcus and Jason are immortals caught in her game.

This short story essentially takes place in one evening and it is one busy night. This novella does an excellent job of whetting the reader’s appetite to the world the author has created, making the reader want to read and know more. Both the storyline and the characters instantly captivate their audience.

My one complaint is that the story was a little too short for me; I would have liked Jason and Alexis to have a few more pages of time together to cement their already established relationship. I hope they will be featured in the future stories. I really loved all the characters in this story.

For such a short story it is definitely not lacking in content or substance. The author did a great job of making the story feel very real, I can’t wait to read what happens next. I think this is going to be an exciting paranormal series.

Cherise Everhard, August 2011

[Jennifer]

Falling was a short, fun read. Each chapter starts off in the tone of Myha, the greedy, power hungry twin sister of Greek mythologies Euro then transfers to Alexis in present day. Dubbed the World's Bravest Woman, having graced the cover of Sport's Illustrated-twice and never in a bikini, Alexis has never been one to back down from anyone, having taken risks her whole life. After having her engagement broken off with Doc, Alexis is unwillingly drug out to the hottest new club in town by her twin Laurie. But when they get to the club, Laurie is the only one who is granted admittance. While Alexis is trying to climb a fire escape to get into the club from the back of the building she meets Jason and his brother Marcus, the club owners. All the while she is being asked to leave, she just can't seem to break away from Jason. Little do the twin girls know that the club is for witches, with neither one of them knowing Laurie is a witch. But to make matters worse, Jason and Marcus make a deal with Myha in the 1800's that grants them immortality but not love. The clock is ticking for the twins to come to terms with this new reality, but at what price will they have to pay?
I enjoyed the characters, especially Laurie and her sassy confidence. There was a lot of book packed into this less than 100 page read. Falling is well written and will have you captivated from beginning to end with a mix of romance, suspense, paranormal, and soul searching. If you are looking for a smooth, quick, light read to keep you hooked then Falling is the novella for you! I look forward to book two, Fading!

[Alexandria]

I have to say that this kind of plot I tend to stay away from. The Harlequin paranormal romance drivel they tend to shoot out 24/7, where the guy has some paranormal problem that only the human girl can fix, etc' etc'. There are very, very few of these types of books that I'll read and they have to catch and drag me in from the start.

I'll admit this was one of them.

The beginning had the nice quick pace that I like to find, no wasting time, or hello my name is..., but it never slowed down. Ever. There in which lies the problem unfortunately. The too fast pace of meet and greet between the main love interest was like speeding down a street that dead ends at a brick wall only to find out the breaks have been cut. The pace could have been better even for a novella. Quick bursts from one thing to the next isn't my type of story.

Nevertheless, the humor was nice and the underlying problems Alexis is faced with is great to see as well. The character development of Alexis was surprising for a short story, but the others fell a little flat for me. Over all it was a nice little read.

[Anne]

I liked this book. It's not my usual type but I still enjoyed the plot. It is fun, light and entretaining. Just what the novella promised. I loved the chemistry between Alexis and Jason. Their first encounter is really fun to read. It's setting the tone for the story and their relationship.

I'm more of a regency fan so I prefered mor the Jane Austen Acadamy and the Gentlemen next door series. But, like I said I wasn't disapppointed with Falling. Worth reading!

[Gigi]

I was feeling under the weather and wanted something fun and not too long to read. This lighthearted romance novella fit the bill perfectly. A mix of Greek mythology with a modern day strong-willed rock-climbing heroine, full of snappy dialogue that fit the characters perfectly. I'm looking forward to the next installment!

[Phoenix Carvelli]

Nook book

This is a fun read! I had thoughts of Danny DeVito and Arnold S. when the sisters were described...of course, the ladies are much better looking! The men sound very ooh-la-la! I enjoyed the interaction between the main characters, especially, the verbal banter. All in all, a fun adventure!

[Literary Chanteuse]

The story is chick lit with a paranormal twist which the author pulls off convincingly and even though it is a short read it is not lacking. Plenty of chick lit humor, adventure and love. The ending did leave me hanging a little but over all I enjoyed it and look forward to the concluding sequel.

[Jess]

Short and not a lot of development. Characters have a lot of potential. Would do well in a regular novel.

[Fiona (Titch)]

I loved the characters that are like gods. How 1 person fell in love with an immortal (that she never knew), finding out her sister is a witch. Loved the Paranormal Romance style of it as well.

[Sarah]

Too short. There was a lot of potential for a great love scene, but it never came.