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Falling Stars
Fern Michaels’ Christmas novels are pure holiday magic—uplifting stories of love, family, and friendship in irresistible settings. In this special seasonal tale, a ski instructor finds her skills – and her heart – put to the test courtesy of a visiting movie star. Perfect for fans of Mary Kay Andrews, Debbie Macomber, and RaeAnne Thayne.
Emily Ammerman has always felt at home amid the ski runs and slopes of Snowdrift Summit, the Colorado resort her family has operated for decades. Snow is her element, and she doesn’t hesitate when a new client asks her to train him to ski The Plunge, one of Colorado’s most treacherous runs.
But Zach Ryder is no regular client. On screen, he’s famous for starring as a daring CIA officer who always saves the day. In real life, he’s just as handsome and charming as his alter ego, though not everyone is impressed. Some are concerned about what kind of impact these slick showbiz types will have on their town.
As for Emily—she’s got a secret, and it’s one she can’t reveal to anyone, especially not to she’s his biggest fan. But she’s also a professional. She’ll train him till he’s ready to tackle any slope, but she won’t fall in love with him, the way so many others have.
Still, not everything in life can be planned, and sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t help but fall . . .
Emily Ammerman has always felt at home amid the ski runs and slopes of Snowdrift Summit, the Colorado resort her family has operated for decades. Snow is her element, and she doesn’t hesitate when a new client asks her to train him to ski The Plunge, one of Colorado’s most treacherous runs.
But Zach Ryder is no regular client. On screen, he’s famous for starring as a daring CIA officer who always saves the day. In real life, he’s just as handsome and charming as his alter ego, though not everyone is impressed. Some are concerned about what kind of impact these slick showbiz types will have on their town.
As for Emily—she’s got a secret, and it’s one she can’t reveal to anyone, especially not to she’s his biggest fan. But she’s also a professional. She’ll train him till he’s ready to tackle any slope, but she won’t fall in love with him, the way so many others have.
Still, not everything in life can be planned, and sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t help but fall . . .
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published October 24, 2023
1762 people are currently reading
18849 people want to read
About the author
Fern Michaels
424 books6,513 followersFern Michaels isn’t a person. I’m not sure she’s an entity either since an entity is something with separate existence. Fern Michaels® is what I DO. Me, Mary Ruth Kuczkir. Growing up in Hastings, Pennsylvania, I was called Ruth. I became Mary when I entered the business world where first names were the order of the day. To this day, family and friends call me Dink, a name my father gave me when I was born because according to him I was ‘a dinky little thing’ weighing in at four and a half pounds. However, I answer to Fern since people are more comfortable with a name they can pronounce.
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 469 reviews
October 14, 2022
Fern Michaels has hit it out of the park with this novel. Falling Stars was such a fun, heart warming, and festive book. The only minor problem I had with this book at the very beginning were mentions of covid and vaccines, it doesn't bother me if it's mentioned once or twice, but I read books to get out of the real world, not to live the today's world in books, if that makes any sense. I won't be docking any stars off for that reason because I felt like the author hit it out of the ball park with this book. I have loved this authors previous works and is my go to author for Christmas books. A good Christmas book has snow, hot chocolate, ski slopes, and Christmas trees. Falling Stars gave me all the Christmas feels and I loved every minute of it. Please do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book because, I mean like Christmas is right around the corner. Grab yourself a copy of this book/e-book, a cozy blanket, a bag of chips, and dive into this beautiful story.
THANK YOU NETGALLEY AND KENSINGTON BOOKS FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!
"Not everything in life can be planned, and sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can't help but fall...."
Twenty-nine year old, Emily Ammerman has always felt at home at Snowdrift Summit, the ski resort that has been in her family for decades. Emily's grandparents owned the resort, then passed it on to Emily's parents, now there's talk going around that Emily's parents want to retire and pass on the ski resort to Emily. Emily doesn't want to be in charge just yet because she's so young and has a whole life ahead of her. Emily has loved the snow, and skiing the slopes ever since she was a little girl. Emily has tried to live up to her parents expectations for a while now, but Emily believes she needs to put her foot down and be in charge of her own life. Emily has a best friend, Kylie, who is like a bonus family member, Kylie is like the sister that Emily never had. Kylie and Emily are both ski instructors at the ski resort.
Snow is Emily's element, but, she doesn't hesitate when a new client asks her to train him to ski The Plunge, Colorado's most treacherous ski slopes. Thirty-nine year old, Zach Ryker is famous for starring as a CIA officer who always saves the days in movies. As soon as Emily meets Zach, she automatically fan girls over him. Zach is handsome in the movies, but he's even more gorgeous in person. Zach wants Emily to train him to ski The Plunge for one of the scenes in an upcoming movie. Zach could have chosen anyone to train him, but he chose Emily because she's one of the best ski instructors in Colorado. After reading this book, I want to visit this small town of Colorado and meet all these lovely characters. Although, I don't know how to ski or even want to try because I don't want to break any bones, but after reading this beautiful book, I want to ski The Plunge.
Emily has a secret, it's one she can't reveal to anyone, especially not to Zach, because Emily is his biggest fan. Emily has all the cd's to every single one of Zach's movies. Kylie tells Emily that she's in love with Zach and wants to spend the rest of her life with him, but what Kylie doesn't know is that Emily feels the exact same way. Every day up until training for The Plunge, Zach and Emily start spending so much time together. Emily is also a professional, she'll train Zach until he's ready to tackle any ski slope, but she will NOT fall in love with him. Emily has never told anyone this secret, not even Kylie her best friend. Ugh, this book was so perfect for the Christmas and winter holiday. I didn't want this story to end, but I wanted to see what was going to happen between Zach and Emily. I also wanted to see how Emily and Kylie's friendship would work out after Kylie gets sight of Emily spending so much time with Zach.
THANK YOU NETGALLEY AND KENSINGTON BOOKS FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!
"Not everything in life can be planned, and sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can't help but fall...."
Twenty-nine year old, Emily Ammerman has always felt at home at Snowdrift Summit, the ski resort that has been in her family for decades. Emily's grandparents owned the resort, then passed it on to Emily's parents, now there's talk going around that Emily's parents want to retire and pass on the ski resort to Emily. Emily doesn't want to be in charge just yet because she's so young and has a whole life ahead of her. Emily has loved the snow, and skiing the slopes ever since she was a little girl. Emily has tried to live up to her parents expectations for a while now, but Emily believes she needs to put her foot down and be in charge of her own life. Emily has a best friend, Kylie, who is like a bonus family member, Kylie is like the sister that Emily never had. Kylie and Emily are both ski instructors at the ski resort.
Snow is Emily's element, but, she doesn't hesitate when a new client asks her to train him to ski The Plunge, Colorado's most treacherous ski slopes. Thirty-nine year old, Zach Ryker is famous for starring as a CIA officer who always saves the days in movies. As soon as Emily meets Zach, she automatically fan girls over him. Zach is handsome in the movies, but he's even more gorgeous in person. Zach wants Emily to train him to ski The Plunge for one of the scenes in an upcoming movie. Zach could have chosen anyone to train him, but he chose Emily because she's one of the best ski instructors in Colorado. After reading this book, I want to visit this small town of Colorado and meet all these lovely characters. Although, I don't know how to ski or even want to try because I don't want to break any bones, but after reading this beautiful book, I want to ski The Plunge.
Emily has a secret, it's one she can't reveal to anyone, especially not to Zach, because Emily is his biggest fan. Emily has all the cd's to every single one of Zach's movies. Kylie tells Emily that she's in love with Zach and wants to spend the rest of her life with him, but what Kylie doesn't know is that Emily feels the exact same way. Every day up until training for The Plunge, Zach and Emily start spending so much time together. Emily is also a professional, she'll train Zach until he's ready to tackle any ski slope, but she will NOT fall in love with him. Emily has never told anyone this secret, not even Kylie her best friend. Ugh, this book was so perfect for the Christmas and winter holiday. I didn't want this story to end, but I wanted to see what was going to happen between Zach and Emily. I also wanted to see how Emily and Kylie's friendship would work out after Kylie gets sight of Emily spending so much time with Zach.
December 28, 2022
Christmas on the slopes.⛷️❄️🚠🎄
Emily Ammerman, daughter of Snowdrift Summit resort live and work in Loveland, Colorado all her life. Her dream to explore and work somewhere else came crashing down when her parents announced their retirement and gave her the resort. When Hollywood people came to town, her mother was against the idea of them filming at their place. She absolutely hates movie people. Emily was asked to train the handsome lead actor how to ski down the most difficult slope, The Plunge.
This is my second book by Fern Michaels but my first Christmas story from her. There's a good wintery and festive feel and I can picture this lovely ski resort in full holiday decor. Just super cozy!
I like the first half of the book, but wish there was more ski story. It seems it was there then it was gone and evolved into romance and family backstory. There were a few conflicts that were absurd and made no sense.
I didn't feel there was a real connection between the two MCs. They just instantly fell in love. I can understand why Emily fell for the guy (she was a movie fan) but I'm sorry to say I forgot why he was into her?🙊 It was a really quick listen so I didn't mind it much. I borrowed this from the library because of the gorgeous cover.
Emily Ammerman, daughter of Snowdrift Summit resort live and work in Loveland, Colorado all her life. Her dream to explore and work somewhere else came crashing down when her parents announced their retirement and gave her the resort. When Hollywood people came to town, her mother was against the idea of them filming at their place. She absolutely hates movie people. Emily was asked to train the handsome lead actor how to ski down the most difficult slope, The Plunge.
This is my second book by Fern Michaels but my first Christmas story from her. There's a good wintery and festive feel and I can picture this lovely ski resort in full holiday decor. Just super cozy!
I like the first half of the book, but wish there was more ski story. It seems it was there then it was gone and evolved into romance and family backstory. There were a few conflicts that were absurd and made no sense.
I didn't feel there was a real connection between the two MCs. They just instantly fell in love. I can understand why Emily fell for the guy (she was a movie fan) but I'm sorry to say I forgot why he was into her?🙊 It was a really quick listen so I didn't mind it much. I borrowed this from the library because of the gorgeous cover.
December 4, 2022
I was very unimpressed with this book. It was trite, boring, and the writing was very juvenile. The characters lacked real development, and the plot didn't feel cohesive. It was also unfortunate that the main character was incredibly difficult to connect with. She came off as a spoiled brat who was very immature for her age. The cast of characters around her were not much better. Everyone was absurdly rich except for her best friend, the only non-white character in the book. (There were not only unoriginal racist undertones but homophobic ones, too.) Emily's parents were manipulative and overbearing, and it felt like it was passed off as just being loving and cute. The main love interest could have had an interesting backstory, but it got passed over fairly quickly to make room for blah dialogue.
The writing style was just... unwelcoming. The author used too many descriptions of mundane things, like the characters' clothing or hair, which reminded me of how girls write fiction in high school. Yet despite copious useless information, like everyone's waist-length hair and the emerald green clothing, the author did little to reconcile plot holes or explain why things happened as they did. In the end, it felt like it was just a bunch of stuff happening, but not really a plot that tied it together.
I am all for silly Christmas romance stories, Hallmark books in novel form, but this easily passes as the worst book I’ve read in this genre.
The writing style was just... unwelcoming. The author used too many descriptions of mundane things, like the characters' clothing or hair, which reminded me of how girls write fiction in high school. Yet despite copious useless information, like everyone's waist-length hair and the emerald green clothing, the author did little to reconcile plot holes or explain why things happened as they did. In the end, it felt like it was just a bunch of stuff happening, but not really a plot that tied it together.
I am all for silly Christmas romance stories, Hallmark books in novel form, but this easily passes as the worst book I’ve read in this genre.
December 18, 2022
DNF. Terrible, terrible book. I LOVE romance books, and holiday romance books are usually my favorites. Not this one. I can fly through books like there's no tomorrow, but I'm 34 pages in wondering when the main love interest I read about on the back cover is going to be remotely introduced!! It took me almost an hour to read 40 pages and there were so many unnecessary details that slowed me down. I don't care to read about what her hair or clothes looked like all the time, what the inside of her condo looked like, the design of her cats water bowl and how great that is, NO ONE CARES!!! I would've written something like this is middle or high school for a writing assignment that was detail-oriented, but not for a published book. There were so many conversations that were also irrelevant to the plot of the book that were included which made no sense to keep in the book.
The characters in this book are spoiled and completely unrealistic. The 29 year-old daughter is a spoiled brat who was babied her entire life, her best friend all the same and her parents are the most manipulative people i've ever read about! The only thing her parents cared about (in the short period that i read the book) was their stupid retirement party and became angry when their spoiled brat daughter got overwhelmed with news she didn't want?? Not okay.
0/10 do not recommend, put the book back on the shelf and walk away. You're not missing anything except a terrible book.
The characters in this book are spoiled and completely unrealistic. The 29 year-old daughter is a spoiled brat who was babied her entire life, her best friend all the same and her parents are the most manipulative people i've ever read about! The only thing her parents cared about (in the short period that i read the book) was their stupid retirement party and became angry when their spoiled brat daughter got overwhelmed with news she didn't want?? Not okay.
0/10 do not recommend, put the book back on the shelf and walk away. You're not missing anything except a terrible book.
June 9, 2022
Emily Ammerman is 29 and one of the best ski instructors in Colorado. She loves her family ski resort where she grew up and works. When Hollywood shows up to film scenes for a new movie Emily is hired to train Zach Ryker (39) for the skiing scenes. Zach is her favorite actor and stars in a popular CIA movie series. She fan-girls when she first meets him telling him a lie or two but soon they are smitten with new attraction. Turns out Zach is a down to earth nice guy from Wyoming.
This is sweet and easy romance with no big drama. The characters are likable and both have a great sense of family. It is promoted as a holiday romance and it takes place during winter covering Thanksgiving through Christmas. The biggest downside for me Emily and her BFF Kylie are written like immature 19 years olds and don’t behave like adult women. Emily has an MBA but doesn’t know if you can buy ingredients for baking at a grocery store. Kylie pouts because she called dibs on Zach when they’d never met him. Even though the author gives everyone some back ground nothing is developed in depth. I’ve no idea why Emily has to discover her father’s estranged family. It is filler and isn’t necessary to the story or the romance.
Fern Michaels is 89 and I’m assuming she is still the person writing her novels. (I couldn’t find anything online to suggest otherwise.) This is a clean, feel good, holiday romance. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is sweet and easy romance with no big drama. The characters are likable and both have a great sense of family. It is promoted as a holiday romance and it takes place during winter covering Thanksgiving through Christmas. The biggest downside for me Emily and her BFF Kylie are written like immature 19 years olds and don’t behave like adult women. Emily has an MBA but doesn’t know if you can buy ingredients for baking at a grocery store. Kylie pouts because she called dibs on Zach when they’d never met him. Even though the author gives everyone some back ground nothing is developed in depth. I’ve no idea why Emily has to discover her father’s estranged family. It is filler and isn’t necessary to the story or the romance.
Fern Michaels is 89 and I’m assuming she is still the person writing her novels. (I couldn’t find anything online to suggest otherwise.) This is a clean, feel good, holiday romance. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 17, 2023
G-rated romance with dozens of implausible scenarios, stilted dialogue, underdeveloped characters and mundane details that litter every page. Warning: mild spoilers included,
The story is that of Emily, a silver-spoon baby who has grown into a 29 year old spoiled adult, content to spend her days admiring her Land Rover or skiing down the slopes and instructing students as they learn to tackle the sport. While at her parents’ elaborate and well-attended retirement party, an announcement is made—Emily is being gifted total control of the family business, a successful ski resort from which Emily has drawn a salary and about which she knows ABSOLUTELY nothing beyond the superficial. But….but….Emily isn’t ready! She wants to see what’s out there (in spite of the fact that she hasn’t bothered in her 29 years). Emily, feeling as if SHE should be “making her own life decisions”, resents her parents assuming she would want the lodge in the first place and, in a dramatic exit, runs from the party, sobbing, leaving dozens of stunned guests and a pair of very embarrassed parents in her wake.
That bit of the story alone was plagued with dialogue and behaviors that were positively, unintentionally, laughable. The ski lodge in question has been in the family for two generations. When mom and dad decided to retire, wouldn’t Emily ASSUME that she was, as an only child, next in line? Whom did she think was going to run the place and keep that silver-spoon firmly between her teeth? To believe she had zero clue and no conversations with the raise before the night of the party is laughable. No empathy here, just a desire to bitch-slap the ungrateful diva into reality.
That, readers, is only one of many scenes that infuriatingly betray character development or common sense or both. In what is actually the major storyline, Emily is approached by a Jack Reacher-type movie star who is filming at a competing resort and asks her to help ready him for a particularly difficult ski stunt that will be featured in his upcoming movie. Zach Ryder is lascivious and suggestive in his initial interaction with Emily as he, within a few minutes of their meeting, asks Emily to join him on a trip to his family ranch in Wyoming. An hour later, he bends his head at the table to offer thanks to God in prayer before a dinner he has prepared for them, pure as the newly fallen snow. He insinuates sexual innuendo into their horribly written conversations, then becomes a changeling when he insists he is just a down-home kinda hayseed rancher who respects her. Emily, on the other hand, has been smitten with the actor for years, but pretends not to know him (solid foundation to build on, right?). The two engage in a strange and uncomfortable dance through the pages, with Zach smirking and Emily belching—a poorly choreographed “meet cute” that isn’t “cute” and somehow, in a matter of hours morphs into “love”. In the meantime, Emily’s best friend Kylie, who has never met Zach and knows him only as a character on screen, professes her undying love for him and lets Emily know he is off limits. The tango in which Emily and Kylie engage is not only silly (considering their ages), it’s also flat out, OMG, never-gonna-happen dysfunctional. Their behaviors are those of sixteen year old teenagers rather than adult women, and the resulting storyline and dialogue are abhorrently out of touch with how two female adults would interact.
In addition to these scenes that reflect a complete ignorance of human nature, author Michaels insists on the inclusion of details that add absolutely nothing to the story. This is but one of myriad examples of Michaels’ ability to veer off on tangents that become increasingly frustrating to wade through:
“In the condo’s kitchen Emily opened a can of Fancy Feline Salmon Delight, gagging from the strong odor. Emily also kept an automatic feeder filled with dry food in the kitchen, just in case. Clarice’s water dish was always full; Emily had purchased a newfangled fountain that constantly circulated the water as long as it was filled. Emily thought of it as Clarice’s own personal water park. She scooped the smelly food into Clarice’s bowl before she made a pot of coffee and took three Advil.”
I’d continue to throw examples of how this out-of-touch novel sinks lower with every turn of the page, but the bottom line is that I just want to forget I ever invested the time in reading it. A late addition to my OMG BAD folder.
The story is that of Emily, a silver-spoon baby who has grown into a 29 year old spoiled adult, content to spend her days admiring her Land Rover or skiing down the slopes and instructing students as they learn to tackle the sport. While at her parents’ elaborate and well-attended retirement party, an announcement is made—Emily is being gifted total control of the family business, a successful ski resort from which Emily has drawn a salary and about which she knows ABSOLUTELY nothing beyond the superficial. But….but….Emily isn’t ready! She wants to see what’s out there (in spite of the fact that she hasn’t bothered in her 29 years). Emily, feeling as if SHE should be “making her own life decisions”, resents her parents assuming she would want the lodge in the first place and, in a dramatic exit, runs from the party, sobbing, leaving dozens of stunned guests and a pair of very embarrassed parents in her wake.
That bit of the story alone was plagued with dialogue and behaviors that were positively, unintentionally, laughable. The ski lodge in question has been in the family for two generations. When mom and dad decided to retire, wouldn’t Emily ASSUME that she was, as an only child, next in line? Whom did she think was going to run the place and keep that silver-spoon firmly between her teeth? To believe she had zero clue and no conversations with the raise before the night of the party is laughable. No empathy here, just a desire to bitch-slap the ungrateful diva into reality.
That, readers, is only one of many scenes that infuriatingly betray character development or common sense or both. In what is actually the major storyline, Emily is approached by a Jack Reacher-type movie star who is filming at a competing resort and asks her to help ready him for a particularly difficult ski stunt that will be featured in his upcoming movie. Zach Ryder is lascivious and suggestive in his initial interaction with Emily as he, within a few minutes of their meeting, asks Emily to join him on a trip to his family ranch in Wyoming. An hour later, he bends his head at the table to offer thanks to God in prayer before a dinner he has prepared for them, pure as the newly fallen snow. He insinuates sexual innuendo into their horribly written conversations, then becomes a changeling when he insists he is just a down-home kinda hayseed rancher who respects her. Emily, on the other hand, has been smitten with the actor for years, but pretends not to know him (solid foundation to build on, right?). The two engage in a strange and uncomfortable dance through the pages, with Zach smirking and Emily belching—a poorly choreographed “meet cute” that isn’t “cute” and somehow, in a matter of hours morphs into “love”. In the meantime, Emily’s best friend Kylie, who has never met Zach and knows him only as a character on screen, professes her undying love for him and lets Emily know he is off limits. The tango in which Emily and Kylie engage is not only silly (considering their ages), it’s also flat out, OMG, never-gonna-happen dysfunctional. Their behaviors are those of sixteen year old teenagers rather than adult women, and the resulting storyline and dialogue are abhorrently out of touch with how two female adults would interact.
In addition to these scenes that reflect a complete ignorance of human nature, author Michaels insists on the inclusion of details that add absolutely nothing to the story. This is but one of myriad examples of Michaels’ ability to veer off on tangents that become increasingly frustrating to wade through:
“In the condo’s kitchen Emily opened a can of Fancy Feline Salmon Delight, gagging from the strong odor. Emily also kept an automatic feeder filled with dry food in the kitchen, just in case. Clarice’s water dish was always full; Emily had purchased a newfangled fountain that constantly circulated the water as long as it was filled. Emily thought of it as Clarice’s own personal water park. She scooped the smelly food into Clarice’s bowl before she made a pot of coffee and took three Advil.”
I’d continue to throw examples of how this out-of-touch novel sinks lower with every turn of the page, but the bottom line is that I just want to forget I ever invested the time in reading it. A late addition to my OMG BAD folder.
October 31, 2022
What a disappointment for my first Christmas read of the season. Emily, the 29 year old who acted 14 was just plain annoying and her best friend equally so. Her mother and father with their back stories and secrets just as immature. I am just glad it was a quick read.
January 13, 2023
This song goes to these two posers - Emily and Kylie (29 years old going on 19),
”Goody goody, two shoes,
Don’t drink, don’t smoke,
What do you do?
You don’t drink, don’t smoke,
What do you do?
Subtle innuendos follow,
There must be something inside”
- Goody Two Shoes by Adam Ant
At the beginning of the first 50 pages I was sort of liking this. The plot seemed interesting with Emily training a big movie celebrity how to ski a dangerous course at her family’s s sky place (has the slopes, lounge, b&b, and everything).
But then page 100 came and went and no romance. Barely any Christmas too despite that Christmassy cover. I was expecting a short Christmas romance with some skiing… nope.
This had an insta-love with SO MUCH drama it was pathetic, boring and worth it to be 100% SKIPPED. And none of the characters were likable too. While I was reading this I kept singing in my head that song by Adam Ant. I’d continue my rant but I’ll just add my notes…
• Was to much drama that I skipped through all of them.
• Supposed to be a book about skiing but after 200 pages, NOBODY is skiing
• body shaming
• ”Tom Boy” shaming
• Emily keeps apologizing for being “childish” or a “spoiled brat” whenever she speaks up about her opinions or tries to take control of her life choices.
• Homophobia and racism undertones
• Shaming people who like movies (main character has to hide her “DVDs” in her closet! Who does this?! And DVDs? Try either Blu-Rays… or if they’re guilty pleasures… try a streaming movie system)
Seriously what is with these people at the Colorado resort? They don’t watch movies or such “nonsense” so what do they do when they’re not skiing? And there’s supposed to be hundreds of people at this resort and yet it feels more like a small town place because everyone is so nosy 🧐
• This is supposed to be 2022 but everyone acts like it’s still the 1990s (main character almost crying when she traded her older car for an upgrade with all the new technology. I doubt she even has a cellphone from 2020s. • Also it’s the female characters first time using an InstaPot. And it’s strange that Emily’s grandma is more interested in social media & InstaPots, romance book clubs, etc)
• Emily and Kylie are supposed to be best friends and yet Emily can’t even tell her bff what movies she seen
”Goody goody, two shoes,
Don’t drink, don’t smoke,
What do you do?
You don’t drink, don’t smoke,
What do you do?
Subtle innuendos follow,
There must be something inside”
- Goody Two Shoes by Adam Ant
At the beginning of the first 50 pages I was sort of liking this. The plot seemed interesting with Emily training a big movie celebrity how to ski a dangerous course at her family’s s sky place (has the slopes, lounge, b&b, and everything).
But then page 100 came and went and no romance. Barely any Christmas too despite that Christmassy cover. I was expecting a short Christmas romance with some skiing… nope.
This had an insta-love with SO MUCH drama it was pathetic, boring and worth it to be 100% SKIPPED. And none of the characters were likable too. While I was reading this I kept singing in my head that song by Adam Ant. I’d continue my rant but I’ll just add my notes…
• Was to much drama that I skipped through all of them.
• Supposed to be a book about skiing but after 200 pages, NOBODY is skiing
• body shaming
• ”Tom Boy” shaming
• Emily keeps apologizing for being “childish” or a “spoiled brat” whenever she speaks up about her opinions or tries to take control of her life choices.
• Homophobia and racism undertones
• Shaming people who like movies (main character has to hide her “DVDs” in her closet! Who does this?! And DVDs? Try either Blu-Rays… or if they’re guilty pleasures… try a streaming movie system)
Seriously what is with these people at the Colorado resort? They don’t watch movies or such “nonsense” so what do they do when they’re not skiing? And there’s supposed to be hundreds of people at this resort and yet it feels more like a small town place because everyone is so nosy 🧐
• This is supposed to be 2022 but everyone acts like it’s still the 1990s (main character almost crying when she traded her older car for an upgrade with all the new technology. I doubt she even has a cellphone from 2020s. • Also it’s the female characters first time using an InstaPot. And it’s strange that Emily’s grandma is more interested in social media & InstaPots, romance book clubs, etc)
• Emily and Kylie are supposed to be best friends and yet Emily can’t even tell her bff what movies she seen
May 13, 2022
Let me start of by saying, I'm a fan of the author's previous novels but couldn't connect with this story. While filled with quirky characters, I felt like the plot stayed surface level instead of delving deeper into the characters' lives.. Positioned as Christmas story, there were elements but not enough cheer to be classified as a holiday romance.
While the characters dealt with fame, backstabbing friendships and are struggling to push beyond parents' expectations, everything felt tied up too quickly to be true.. If you're seeking a light-hearted romance, its a good book to curl up with on the couch, That being said, for those readers that want to connect with the story and its characters, I feel the story didn't quite crack the surface.
While the characters dealt with fame, backstabbing friendships and are struggling to push beyond parents' expectations, everything felt tied up too quickly to be true.. If you're seeking a light-hearted romance, its a good book to curl up with on the couch, That being said, for those readers that want to connect with the story and its characters, I feel the story didn't quite crack the surface.
December 3, 2022
I received this from a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
Emily has grown up skiing the slopes of Snowdrift Summit, the Colorado resort run by her family for generations. Feeling most at home on the slopes she's neglected her love life, much to the disappointment of her mother. When she's asked to train movie star Zach Ryder for an upcoming film, she's a bit star struck by the hunky superstar. What she didn't expect was the sparks that ignited between them and the love that blossomed as they spent time together.
A fabulous sweet Christmas romance, just right for the holiday season.
4.5 stars.
Emily has grown up skiing the slopes of Snowdrift Summit, the Colorado resort run by her family for generations. Feeling most at home on the slopes she's neglected her love life, much to the disappointment of her mother. When she's asked to train movie star Zach Ryder for an upcoming film, she's a bit star struck by the hunky superstar. What she didn't expect was the sparks that ignited between them and the love that blossomed as they spent time together.
A fabulous sweet Christmas romance, just right for the holiday season.
4.5 stars.
November 10, 2022
These characters are unlikable. The parents are manipulative and treat their daughter with no respect. Really announcing an engagement when the daughter has not even been proposed to yet. The daughter is incredibly immature and spoiled
December 13, 2022
It really started out great, even tho it made no sense that a young lady in her 20’s would be embarrassed to have a crush on a movie star. But once the movie star came on scene and was insta love I was pretty over it lol.
November 15, 2022
Cute, short, and festive but really lacking in it's execution. The characters were lacking depth and I struggled with the romance portion because it was so quick and unbelievable. I need more emotion, more interaction... just more. I liked the ski lodge setting and found it to be unique. The grandparents didn't really fit into the story and felt like they were just thrown in there, it just didn't flow very well. Overall, a short read that didn't require a lot from me so this would make a great palate cleanser.
October 18, 2022
I’m sure not everyone will agree with my opinion but I was thinking the whole time I was reading this one that it should be classified as Young Adult. Definitely high school material. Seems like her past novels have more substance, and that this one was just rushed.
August 20, 2022
This was cute, perfect book for Christmas ☃️🎄. Easy read, short chapters, good characters and cute humor. 4⭐
December 30, 2022
Boring, trite, weak story line. How old are these women? 14? Surely not adults! Cripes sakes, they are supposed to be 29-30 years old. Fighting over an actor who's in town for filming a movie. Pouting, silent treatment, glaring and crying over this guy. One chapter focuses on how embarrassing it was that she drank a soda pop and burped in front of him.
Her dad buys an almost half a million dollar tractor, and she's surprised. She didn't realize how rich their family was? Her 16th birthday her and 6 friends fly to New York for shopping and shows. And then she gets a car !!! And she doesn't realize how rich her family was? Ridiculous!
So boring, so slow. It's kind of an insta-love storyline. Behind closed doors.
Would not recommend.
Someone mentioned that Fern Michaels is 89 years old. Which explains so much about this story. The style of writing, the speed of storyline, the language, "My girl", "dude", the innocence of the characters, the age gap, how he always had to pay for dinner, etc...
Her dad buys an almost half a million dollar tractor, and she's surprised. She didn't realize how rich their family was? Her 16th birthday her and 6 friends fly to New York for shopping and shows. And then she gets a car !!! And she doesn't realize how rich her family was? Ridiculous!
So boring, so slow. It's kind of an insta-love storyline. Behind closed doors.
Would not recommend.
Someone mentioned that Fern Michaels is 89 years old. Which explains so much about this story. The style of writing, the speed of storyline, the language, "My girl", "dude", the innocence of the characters, the age gap, how he always had to pay for dinner, etc...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2022
Truly one of the worst books I've ever read. I do not understand what the point of this book was. It felt more like a different world than a fantasy novel. I have never interacted with people who act or say the things that these characters do. The friendship dynamic in here was incredibly juvenile. The romance was beyond insta-love. They were in love somehow within like 5 minutes and hadn't even spoken to each other? Their conversations were so bizarre and unrealistic. I, truly, cannot wrap my head around the thoughts of these characters. I still don't know much about these characters except for the one personality trait they latched onto. The plot was not even there. The problems in the beginning were just forgotten, and then, we were introduced to s whole new plot line halfway that did nothing for the story. I wish I dnfed this but I was seriously so shocked by how bad this was that I was waiting for a moment of clarity (which I never got).
December 13, 2024
This was my first book by Fern Michaels. I really enjoyed it. Perfect book for the holidays.
August 6, 2023
Turns out I’m not a Fern Michaels fan! There was just too much ‘in between the lines’ in her book for me. The man bashing, mom bashing, best friend stuff. Just rubbed me the wrong way. How can you be so worried about your friend one minute then suddenly decide to tell them to stuff off. Emily was too much, she was spoiled and honestly just dumb. She drives a Range Rover but then gets struck with the thought that she’s never realized her parents had money, I mean…c’mon. Not to mention the book was about a ski instructor who starts teaching a movie star…well 40% in is when he finally asks her to teach him, only there is nothing about their lessons in the book. He went down the plunge twice, great. Isn’t the book suppose to be about her teaching him while dealing with her own infatuation of him? There are soooo many more great Christmas romance books out there, sadly this one is not it.
January 28, 2023
I would give this zero stars if it was an option. The lead is absolutely insufferable. She’s spoiled, rude, selfish, and clueless. Throughout the book she is constantly shocked by things that are clear as day: I got an MBA and this is a family business but it never occurred to me I would take over the family business! My best friend confessed she’s in love with this actor, but now that I’m dating him she’s acting crazy… did she fall and bump her head?
The writing is beyond subpar and this should really be classified as a YA book. There is a lot of unnecessary filler (the book could be 150 pages), like many passages about feeding her cat. It’s also quite cheesy. What thirty year old women speak lime these characters do?
Skip this book. It’s truly terrible.
The writing is beyond subpar and this should really be classified as a YA book. There is a lot of unnecessary filler (the book could be 150 pages), like many passages about feeding her cat. It’s also quite cheesy. What thirty year old women speak lime these characters do?
Skip this book. It’s truly terrible.
December 9, 2022
I don't often write reviews but for this one I made an exception. It was awful. The writing was choppy and juvenile and the author seemed to try and cram a ton of unnecessary backstory into the book. This was the first book I have read by the author and it will be the last if this is any indication of her writing.
September 8, 2022
Falling Stars is a feel good holiday romance set in a small Colorado town.
Emily’s family runs a ski resort which has been passed down for generations. Her parents are ready to retire and want to pass it on to Emily. Emily, a ski instructor, is not sure if she’s ready to take on the responsibility just yet but agrees to learn more about the business side of things.
Emily is an elite ski instructor who has been asked to train a Hollywood actor to ski The Plunge for a movie being filmed in town. Zach Ryder is nothing like his on screen characters. Yes he’s handsome and charming but also very family oriented. Emily agrees to train Zach but not fall in love with him. But plans have a way of changing .
This is a sweet and easy romance. Throw in some extended family drama, a great winter location, and what’s not to love.
A special thank you to Fern Michaels and Kensington Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
#FallingStars
Emily’s family runs a ski resort which has been passed down for generations. Her parents are ready to retire and want to pass it on to Emily. Emily, a ski instructor, is not sure if she’s ready to take on the responsibility just yet but agrees to learn more about the business side of things.
Emily is an elite ski instructor who has been asked to train a Hollywood actor to ski The Plunge for a movie being filmed in town. Zach Ryder is nothing like his on screen characters. Yes he’s handsome and charming but also very family oriented. Emily agrees to train Zach but not fall in love with him. But plans have a way of changing .
This is a sweet and easy romance. Throw in some extended family drama, a great winter location, and what’s not to love.
A special thank you to Fern Michaels and Kensington Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
#FallingStars
August 6, 2022
Such a wonderful, feel-good romance just in time for Christmas. No matter the genre, the master storyteller, Fern Michaels, always creates a book you can't put down. This one is no different. Far from the Hollywood lights, Zach enlists Emily's help to perfect his skiing skills but gets so much more. Emily is perfectly fine being single (not that her mother hasn't done her best to correct that character flaw). Zach's easy going, so far from Hollywood, personality just might make her rethink her single status. Throw in some extended family drama and you have the perfect holiday romance just in time for a warm fire and hot chocolate weather. Snuggle up, settle in and enjoy!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
May 16, 2022
Fern Michaels has hit it out of the park with this book. Such a good read. Had me from the first page to the last. I could not lay it down. I love the characters. Emily, Kylie, and Zach are such great characters. Love the budding romance of Emily and Zach. The friendship of Emily and Kylie is heartwarming. Masons secret is a tear jerker. Love, love, love this story. I give it a five star plus.
February 8, 2023
This was giveaway book, and a DNF for me.
At first I thought *maybe* I could get through it, as it reminded me of the romancy books I read in my teens. But I could NOT connect with the characters at all, and avoided my reading time because I didn't want to have to read this book. Just not my cup o' tea.
I wish there was a DNF option on Goodreads. 🤔
At first I thought *maybe* I could get through it, as it reminded me of the romancy books I read in my teens. But I could NOT connect with the characters at all, and avoided my reading time because I didn't want to have to read this book. Just not my cup o' tea.
I wish there was a DNF option on Goodreads. 🤔
January 7, 2023
So freaking boring. The characters were annoying. Descriptions of their optical perfection were nauseating. And it was unrealistic even by Hallmarky Christmas book standards. Couldn’t even finish it.
December 19, 2022
Horribly written, unlikable characters, weird abrupt plot that was all over the place.
December 23, 2022
What a stupid book! The main character has no sense. What a waste of time!
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