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Exactly Where They'd Fall
Jodie and Amelia were almost sisters once, before college degrees, careers, and grown-up love entered their lives. Before Jodie’s brother broke up with Amelia.
After so many disappointments, Amelia is finally happy. Or something like it. She’s given her love and trust to her best friend, Drew, who is sweet, sensitive, loyal, and everything she’s always wanted. She’s calculated the perfect path to inner peace and healing by surrounding herself with people who would never break her heart.
Jodie hates that all her friends are pairing up to begin their futures. She hates dating, hates romance in general. She hates that she can’t forget one night, a year ago, which Drew doesn't seem to remember the same way. Everyone is moving on without her, but that’s fine, because she never needed anyone in her life anyway.
"Never" has a way of proving itself wrong.
With vivid characters, generous doses of humor, and palpable emotion, Exactly Where They’d Fall is a story about three friends forced to explore the complicated and fragile bonds of friendship and love. Fans of heartfelt, witty literary fiction, and smart women’s fiction will enjoy this charming and honest debut.
After so many disappointments, Amelia is finally happy. Or something like it. She’s given her love and trust to her best friend, Drew, who is sweet, sensitive, loyal, and everything she’s always wanted. She’s calculated the perfect path to inner peace and healing by surrounding herself with people who would never break her heart.
Jodie hates that all her friends are pairing up to begin their futures. She hates dating, hates romance in general. She hates that she can’t forget one night, a year ago, which Drew doesn't seem to remember the same way. Everyone is moving on without her, but that’s fine, because she never needed anyone in her life anyway.
"Never" has a way of proving itself wrong.
With vivid characters, generous doses of humor, and palpable emotion, Exactly Where They’d Fall is a story about three friends forced to explore the complicated and fragile bonds of friendship and love. Fans of heartfelt, witty literary fiction, and smart women’s fiction will enjoy this charming and honest debut.
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First published July 1, 2012
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About the author
Laura Rae Amos
3 books39 followersLaura Rae Amos is a Michigan native now living near Washington DC with her charming husband and tornado of a little boy. After studying creative writing at the University of Toledo, she moved to the suburbs of Detroit to have a baby instead of an MFA. She is a blogger, web-fiction writer, poet, occasional musician, photographer, dabbling artisan, and all around creative distraction. When not writing, she loves to read, take photos, climb mountains (okay, little ones!), go on road trips, play guitar, draw, and build elaborate neighborhoods for her Sims.
Laura writes kooky and emotional relationship dramas, character-rich stories that are sweet, sassy, sometimes sad, and a little bit crass. She has nineteen books in her head and needs to learn to write faster. Or else focus.
Visit her at LauraRaeAmos.com, or chat on Twitter @LauraRaeAmos.
Laura writes kooky and emotional relationship dramas, character-rich stories that are sweet, sassy, sometimes sad, and a little bit crass. She has nineteen books in her head and needs to learn to write faster. Or else focus.
Visit her at LauraRaeAmos.com, or chat on Twitter @LauraRaeAmos.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 21, 2013
The best I can describe this book is that it is like a realistic chick-lit: It doesn’t have the foofoo dust or the general Merry-Go-‘Round-feel a lot of chick-lit books have, but it explores some of the themes you generally find in the genre: complicated relationships, intertwined love and friendships, unrequited love, the girl who refuses to bind herself, etc.
It was a good light read for a friday evening, but there were nonetheless a few things that just didn’t work for me. First of all, that there was little flow of the words. It sometimes felt like trying to ski when there isn’t enough snow: too much friction, and not enough gliding from one sentence to the next. It did improve tremendously in the last thirds of the book, but perhaps I just got used to it.
The second thing is that some things just didn’t seem to add up. I didn’t go fact checking this book like an editor would do, but some things just stood out to me while reading. They immediately made me scratch my head and browse back to see whether I had read something wrong, but I hadn’t.
At the start of the chapter called ‘December’ it is mentioned that Ruth is eight weeks pregnant. By Christmas time (so, roughly 11 weeks pregnant), she is described as following:
Poor Ruth! She hasn’t even finished her first trimester and she sounds 8 months pregnant. Must be triplets – at least.
Another one, while at a bar with friends, Jodie notices all of a sudden a diamond ring on Amelia’s finger that catches the light over and over. “Jodie wouldn’t believe nobody else was wondering about it. Unless everyone else already knew.” So as a reader, I assume this is where Jodie discovers the engagement. Piper slightly later tells Jodie that she only just found out as well.
Later, in a different POV chapter (but earlier in timeline), we’re at a dress fitting and Piper is whirling fabric around Amelia, when this happens:
There are some things really nice too though, as I said I liked the realistic sphere of the story and it brightened my Friday evening. The nicest characters in the bunch are the two mothers, one of them speaks the wise words that eventually lead to the title:
And the other just made me smile:
Disclaimer: A review copy was provided to me by the publisher, but does not sway my rating either way. This review reflects my own experience and opinion with this book.
It was a good light read for a friday evening, but there were nonetheless a few things that just didn’t work for me. First of all, that there was little flow of the words. It sometimes felt like trying to ski when there isn’t enough snow: too much friction, and not enough gliding from one sentence to the next. It did improve tremendously in the last thirds of the book, but perhaps I just got used to it.
The second thing is that some things just didn’t seem to add up. I didn’t go fact checking this book like an editor would do, but some things just stood out to me while reading. They immediately made me scratch my head and browse back to see whether I had read something wrong, but I hadn’t.
At the start of the chapter called ‘December’ it is mentioned that Ruth is eight weeks pregnant. By Christmas time (so, roughly 11 weeks pregnant), she is described as following:
Ruth eased herself onto the couch sighing heavily and arranging her shirt around her plump belly. “Eric is just out picking up dinner. You know, I’m not much use in the kitchen these days.”
Poor Ruth! She hasn’t even finished her first trimester and she sounds 8 months pregnant. Must be triplets – at least.
Another one, while at a bar with friends, Jodie notices all of a sudden a diamond ring on Amelia’s finger that catches the light over and over. “Jodie wouldn’t believe nobody else was wondering about it. Unless everyone else already knew.” So as a reader, I assume this is where Jodie discovers the engagement. Piper slightly later tells Jodie that she only just found out as well.
Later, in a different POV chapter (but earlier in timeline), we’re at a dress fitting and Piper is whirling fabric around Amelia, when this happens:
'Piper stopped then, dropping the fabric… “You’re getting engaged too,” she squealed and turned to her sisters. “She’s getting married too,” she told them, declaring this now as if she’d only just heard the news.'First of all, Piper did just find out, so there isn’t really need of this ‘as if she’d only just heard the news’ turn in the sentence. But more importantly, Jodie is in the same room, together with all those sisters. She has a dialogue with them just before and after this scene. So I would assume she would hear the squealing and shouting as well? So Jodie finds out twice?
There are some things really nice too though, as I said I liked the realistic sphere of the story and it brightened my Friday evening. The nicest characters in the bunch are the two mothers, one of them speaks the wise words that eventually lead to the title:
“Her mother said, “Amelia, sometimes I don’t think you make decisions so much as fall into them.”
And the other just made me smile:
Drew asked his mother, “Do you think my life has lacked tragedy?”
His mother considered him with a look of such complete bafflement it bordered on horror. “Drew honestly, what a ridiculous thing to be disappointed in.”
Disclaimer: A review copy was provided to me by the publisher, but does not sway my rating either way. This review reflects my own experience and opinion with this book.
January 5, 2013
Laura Rae Amos's debut novel follows several friends as they try to resolve relationships within and without the group. The main characters, Jodie, Amelia and Drew, are well-drawn and sympathetic (these are people whose intentions are always good), but fall short of being consistently intriguing. Powerful scenes (many told in flashback) are interspersed among leisurely stretches of self-introspection and casual conversations about impending weddings (many weddings). At the heart of the novel is a variation on the eternal triangle: X loves Y, but Y loves N, who loves Y, but with reservations. The novel succeeds in examining the dilemma from every possible angle. Many readers will relate to the sublime psychological tortures Jodie inflicts upon herself trying to figure it all out. There are many interesting setups. Jodie is a doctor (an obstetrician, I believe), and I liked very much her observations on the job, in fact I wish there were more of them. Jodie’s relationship with another doctor, Berges, provides several tender and humorous moments. The novel is well-written, the prose consistent. The plot is low-key and its best elements kick in a little late, but it is meticulously worked out.
February 20, 2013
Wow, wow, wow. What a tremendous debut novel. This was one of those books that stayed with me whenever I was not reading it, and spookily, continues to stay with me after I read the final page. Spooky in a good way -- a way that makes me admire author Laura Rae Amos's craft in a way that is more astounded gobsmackery than mere admiration.
The plot of the novel is as thin and incidental as any literary novel's plot is permitted to be: three people, Jodie, Amelia, and Drew, run into personal conflict when their lives, already deeply entangled due to their shared history, intersect in new and challenging ways. Plot-wise, it's not much. But it doesn't need to be. The great strength of this book -- and it is a very great strength indeed -- is the incredible, subtle, deliberate craft Amos employs in depicting these characters and a cast of supporting characters who feel so real, so human and complete, that I actually found myself thinking about their predicament constantly whenever I had to put this book down. They are so well-crafted that they settled into my brain, occupying the same place my good friends occupy -- the people I have known forever, the people who are always real to me and always in my thoughts, even if I haven't seen them or spoken to them in a long time. You don't read this book; you feel it, and I felt it in a way I haven't felt many books before, with a deep and palpable bond to these people who don't actually exist. To be honest, the experience tripped me out some.
And yet it even feels somewhat wrong to call this book a literary novel, for although it relies entirely on the thoughts and emotions of its characters to carry the reader along, most readers associate "literary" writing with at least some amount of flourish and shazzam. But not once does Amos go over the top in her craft. The writing here is so gentle and assured, so confident, that the only word I can really think of to describe it is classy. It's classy prose, with perfect posture, a firm handshake, and wearing a well-tailored Chanel dress. It needs to prove nothing to you; it knows where it's going, where it's been, and how amazing it looks walking down the street. If Amos is not supremely assured of her own clarity and strength as a writer, she sure as hell knows how to fake it.
As I read the book, I was reminded of two other authors' works. In EWTF's exploration of the baffling complexities of friendship-love and its often hazy intersection with romance-love, it reminded me of several of Maeve Binchy's novels, which I love. In its frank exposure of the inner lives of its cast of characters, showing the reader all of what lurks inside their heads and hearts, it reminded me of Tigers in Red Weather, one of the best books I read in 2012. Yet where Tigers explores the inner lives of people barely clinging to the upper class, EWTF's characters are all middle-class, ordinary, and average. Their struggles, their desires, their sorrows and joys are not one whit less compelling than Liza Klaussman's characters even though they lack the tarnished shine of wealth.
As far as books that explore the strange and tender complexities of every possible variety of love-relationship (romance, family, friend, one-night-stand...you name it), this is the best I've yet read, bar none. And although we are still less than two months into 2013, I have a feeling Exactly Where They'd Fall might turn out to be the most impressive book I read all year.
This is the kind of book -- and the kind of author -- the traditional publishing industry has long since lost sight of. This is the kind of book and the kind of author the traditional publishing industry only wishes it could debut. Fortunately for readers everywhere, authors as skilled and nuanced as Amos have not withered up and died as publishers have turned away from subtler, more artistic works like EWTF in favor of Twilight fanfiction and books by Snooki. They're doing it on their own now, thank all the gods of pixel and pen. I cannot wait for more from Laura Rae Amos. And neither can you; trust me. Based on the strength of her debut novel, she just might be the first indie author to win a major literary award. Get it now while the getting's good, and tell your friends a few years down the line that you read her debut novel before anybody knew who she was, you hipster, you.
The plot of the novel is as thin and incidental as any literary novel's plot is permitted to be: three people, Jodie, Amelia, and Drew, run into personal conflict when their lives, already deeply entangled due to their shared history, intersect in new and challenging ways. Plot-wise, it's not much. But it doesn't need to be. The great strength of this book -- and it is a very great strength indeed -- is the incredible, subtle, deliberate craft Amos employs in depicting these characters and a cast of supporting characters who feel so real, so human and complete, that I actually found myself thinking about their predicament constantly whenever I had to put this book down. They are so well-crafted that they settled into my brain, occupying the same place my good friends occupy -- the people I have known forever, the people who are always real to me and always in my thoughts, even if I haven't seen them or spoken to them in a long time. You don't read this book; you feel it, and I felt it in a way I haven't felt many books before, with a deep and palpable bond to these people who don't actually exist. To be honest, the experience tripped me out some.
And yet it even feels somewhat wrong to call this book a literary novel, for although it relies entirely on the thoughts and emotions of its characters to carry the reader along, most readers associate "literary" writing with at least some amount of flourish and shazzam. But not once does Amos go over the top in her craft. The writing here is so gentle and assured, so confident, that the only word I can really think of to describe it is classy. It's classy prose, with perfect posture, a firm handshake, and wearing a well-tailored Chanel dress. It needs to prove nothing to you; it knows where it's going, where it's been, and how amazing it looks walking down the street. If Amos is not supremely assured of her own clarity and strength as a writer, she sure as hell knows how to fake it.
As I read the book, I was reminded of two other authors' works. In EWTF's exploration of the baffling complexities of friendship-love and its often hazy intersection with romance-love, it reminded me of several of Maeve Binchy's novels, which I love. In its frank exposure of the inner lives of its cast of characters, showing the reader all of what lurks inside their heads and hearts, it reminded me of Tigers in Red Weather, one of the best books I read in 2012. Yet where Tigers explores the inner lives of people barely clinging to the upper class, EWTF's characters are all middle-class, ordinary, and average. Their struggles, their desires, their sorrows and joys are not one whit less compelling than Liza Klaussman's characters even though they lack the tarnished shine of wealth.
As far as books that explore the strange and tender complexities of every possible variety of love-relationship (romance, family, friend, one-night-stand...you name it), this is the best I've yet read, bar none. And although we are still less than two months into 2013, I have a feeling Exactly Where They'd Fall might turn out to be the most impressive book I read all year.
This is the kind of book -- and the kind of author -- the traditional publishing industry has long since lost sight of. This is the kind of book and the kind of author the traditional publishing industry only wishes it could debut. Fortunately for readers everywhere, authors as skilled and nuanced as Amos have not withered up and died as publishers have turned away from subtler, more artistic works like EWTF in favor of Twilight fanfiction and books by Snooki. They're doing it on their own now, thank all the gods of pixel and pen. I cannot wait for more from Laura Rae Amos. And neither can you; trust me. Based on the strength of her debut novel, she just might be the first indie author to win a major literary award. Get it now while the getting's good, and tell your friends a few years down the line that you read her debut novel before anybody knew who she was, you hipster, you.
August 17, 2012
I really loved this and I think it might be one that I'll reread a few more times in the future. I can already think of a few passages I might want to commit to memory, just so I can think about them every now and then.
I found myself truly caring about what happened to every single one of the characters, even the more minor sideline characters. Even with their flaws, they were all always likeable and relatable.
I found myself truly caring about what happened to every single one of the characters, even the more minor sideline characters. Even with their flaws, they were all always likeable and relatable.
October 24, 2012
2.5 stars
I thought there was going to be a love triangle with lots of angst and lots of OMG moments but I was wrong. It lacked in all departments. There was some misunderstandings but even the small amount of angst was dull.
Jodie, Amelia and Drew are all friends. Amelia and Drew take it to the next level and become more. The journey there for them wasn’t easy. Amelia had just gotten out of a relationship with Jodie’s brother and didn’t want to go back into the dating scene. She hasn’t had the best of luck with relationships so she is scared and wary of them. So to start something up with her friend was not in the cards. A weak moment while the friends were out camping sealed their fate sort of speak. Even after they slept together Amelia didn’t know where things were going to go. Would they be just friends with benefits?
Drew wasn’t having it. He’s fought for Amelia’s love from day one. He settled for friendship because that’s what she wanted. And he was okay with it. But after that night he wanted more. Not marriage but more from her. More commitment and the willingness to want to be with him. One night before things were official between them they had a fight and the scene that took place after was looked upon the two involved differently, or was it? A poem written a year before showed his true feelings and he cant deny that Jodie was right. After numerous rejections letters for his poems the one about Jodie has been accepted to be published and the fact that it would jeopardize even more of his fragile relationship with Amelia, he needs to decide what comes first, his relationship or his very first poem to be published? Will they find a way to come back to being the happy and comfortable couple they were or will everything fall apart?
Now on to Jodie, she is probably one character I’m glad I’ll never read about again. She made me feel depressed! I’m a glass is half full type of girl but the way Jodie went on and on about hating everything brought me down. I need a pick me up about reading her POV. I get why she tried to ruin Drew and Amelia, she just that evil and that much of a horrid bitch but I didn’t understand why she was. She never had a relationship to base her jadeness on. Yes her parent were flightily but to have them affect your life that much was just a bit too much. I could see if a man did something horrible to her but there wasn’t one. She didn’t let anyone in. Oh and her being an OB was off too. As much as she HATED everything I couldn’t see her delivering babies. I may need to take an antidepressant now cuz of her.
Everyone almost seemed over the top for me and the ending felt very abrupt.
I thought there was going to be a love triangle with lots of angst and lots of OMG moments but I was wrong. It lacked in all departments. There was some misunderstandings but even the small amount of angst was dull.
Jodie, Amelia and Drew are all friends. Amelia and Drew take it to the next level and become more. The journey there for them wasn’t easy. Amelia had just gotten out of a relationship with Jodie’s brother and didn’t want to go back into the dating scene. She hasn’t had the best of luck with relationships so she is scared and wary of them. So to start something up with her friend was not in the cards. A weak moment while the friends were out camping sealed their fate sort of speak. Even after they slept together Amelia didn’t know where things were going to go. Would they be just friends with benefits?
Drew wasn’t having it. He’s fought for Amelia’s love from day one. He settled for friendship because that’s what she wanted. And he was okay with it. But after that night he wanted more. Not marriage but more from her. More commitment and the willingness to want to be with him. One night before things were official between them they had a fight and the scene that took place after was looked upon the two involved differently, or was it? A poem written a year before showed his true feelings and he cant deny that Jodie was right. After numerous rejections letters for his poems the one about Jodie has been accepted to be published and the fact that it would jeopardize even more of his fragile relationship with Amelia, he needs to decide what comes first, his relationship or his very first poem to be published? Will they find a way to come back to being the happy and comfortable couple they were or will everything fall apart?
Now on to Jodie, she is probably one character I’m glad I’ll never read about again. She made me feel depressed! I’m a glass is half full type of girl but the way Jodie went on and on about hating everything brought me down. I need a pick me up about reading her POV. I get why she tried to ruin Drew and Amelia, she just that evil and that much of a horrid bitch but I didn’t understand why she was. She never had a relationship to base her jadeness on. Yes her parent were flightily but to have them affect your life that much was just a bit too much. I could see if a man did something horrible to her but there wasn’t one. She didn’t let anyone in. Oh and her being an OB was off too. As much as she HATED everything I couldn’t see her delivering babies. I may need to take an antidepressant now cuz of her.
Everyone almost seemed over the top for me and the ending felt very abrupt.
June 11, 2013
A really impressive and beautiful read. Well-developed interesting characters, good story, satisfying (if oddly heartbreaking ending). I read a lot of reviews that criticized the book basically for not being chicklit (when it is clearly sorted into litfic/mainstream... *shakes head*). Suffice to say, no: these characters are not always likeable, they are not perfect, and sometimes you want to scream at them -- but they are so well developed that this is exactly the strength of the book.
I took one star off because I feel like for lit fic, it is lacking editorial polish in terms of style and language. I just felt like it shifted in and out of that style the author aimed for and it would have been perfection if it stayed at that high level -- however, we are talking about a very high level issue here. The "lesser" parts are still absolutely professional and publishable... just not lit fic.
On a personal note that has nothing to do with stars or quality [this part contains SPOILERS although I don't think you can really spoil this book]: I would have loved a little more Jodie and Berges and a little less of Amelia. She does remind me of a childhood friend who also had such high standards for especially her female friends, she just set everybody up to fail her and I may have slipped into some old hurts ;).
And Drew... oh Drew. Drew you broke my heart. I don't think he should have ended up with Jodie at all, but the way he played it, he absolutely obliterated himself for the sake of "love". His resolution broke my heart, just because he's supposed to be a poet and he chose family and a possessive, moralizing girlfriend over an authentic life. But at the same time, I feel like this is the strength of this book because in most stories / movies etc. it is the smart, creative women who get obliterated for the sake of a relationship.
I took one star off because I feel like for lit fic, it is lacking editorial polish in terms of style and language. I just felt like it shifted in and out of that style the author aimed for and it would have been perfection if it stayed at that high level -- however, we are talking about a very high level issue here. The "lesser" parts are still absolutely professional and publishable... just not lit fic.
On a personal note that has nothing to do with stars or quality [this part contains SPOILERS although I don't think you can really spoil this book]: I would have loved a little more Jodie and Berges and a little less of Amelia. She does remind me of a childhood friend who also had such high standards for especially her female friends, she just set everybody up to fail her and I may have slipped into some old hurts ;).
And Drew... oh Drew. Drew you broke my heart. I don't think he should have ended up with Jodie at all, but the way he played it, he absolutely obliterated himself for the sake of "love". His resolution broke my heart, just because he's supposed to be a poet and he chose family and a possessive, moralizing girlfriend over an authentic life. But at the same time, I feel like this is the strength of this book because in most stories / movies etc. it is the smart, creative women who get obliterated for the sake of a relationship.
December 3, 2012
Exactly Where They’d Fall is a successful and realistic look at the relationships of (mainly) three friends and how they are different and yet the same in their insecurities and needs. This is a plot that is driven by memorable characters. There is romance (but it isn’t the basis of the story), angst, and humor that shines throughout the book. Make no mistake, these characters are true to life, as are their choices and situations.
It was impossible for me to "pick sides" with any of the characters since they were equally sympathetic and frustrating (in a good way). I found myself rooting for each of them at one point or another. I enjoyed how we are shown flashbacks that explain much of why the characters do what they do and how they think. I thought they were well used for character development.
More than anything I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and couldn’t stop until I finished. I was disappointed it ended when it did. I’m looking forward to reading more about these characters as well as the secondary characters mentioned in the book.
Highly recommend this book.
It was impossible for me to "pick sides" with any of the characters since they were equally sympathetic and frustrating (in a good way). I found myself rooting for each of them at one point or another. I enjoyed how we are shown flashbacks that explain much of why the characters do what they do and how they think. I thought they were well used for character development.
More than anything I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and couldn’t stop until I finished. I was disappointed it ended when it did. I’m looking forward to reading more about these characters as well as the secondary characters mentioned in the book.
Highly recommend this book.
December 7, 2013
This is a book that I feel had amazing potential. The story was great and I liked the way it was told. Each person had segments about him/her. The part where this fell short was that the author failed to make me love the characters.
I was given much detail about each of the individuals in the story. I knew them well. However I often felt as if the author was telling me certain facts to cause me to react or to manipulate me to feel a certain way about the characters (Jodie for example). I just didn't connect with any of the characters to feel sorry for them or to empathize with their actions.
This is one of those stories that if I saw it somewhere cheap, I may pick it up to share with one of my reading friends, but I probably would just keep walking by.
I was given much detail about each of the individuals in the story. I knew them well. However I often felt as if the author was telling me certain facts to cause me to react or to manipulate me to feel a certain way about the characters (Jodie for example). I just didn't connect with any of the characters to feel sorry for them or to empathize with their actions.
This is one of those stories that if I saw it somewhere cheap, I may pick it up to share with one of my reading friends, but I probably would just keep walking by.
April 2, 2014
This book is a contemplative exploration of how people behave at crucial junctures of life, and what dictates those junctures. Whether someone chooses the indulge in impulses or suppress those impulses can make all the difference for which direction your entire life takes. Whether you see the book as happy or sad, or hopeful or resigned, will all depend on how you see life and marriage. This book is about people trying to find happiness, trying to make their own happiness, and Amos never quite lets you know for sure whether you can believe in that happiness. This book sinks you deply inr=to thinking about what we do,why we do it, and what it all means. A treat both sweet and a little bit sad.
December 12, 2012
"Exactly Where They'd Fall" is a story of friendships and misguided intentions. It's also a story just about commitment in general. It follows a group of loosely tied friends, Amelia, Jodie, and Drew, as they make their ways in and out of love and trying to deal with each other. The story takes place in the present day when the characters are out of college but still not settled down.
The writing in this book is good and is definitely what kept me reading. but I had a lot of trouble with the characters, Jodie in particular but I will get into that later. The writing really pulled me into the story. You get a front row seat to the action throughout the book. Amos does a great job of showing us the world of the characters.
I wanted to understand more about all of their motivations but some of them just seemed to be sort of left blank or unknown. Jodie is definitely a very negative person. Nothing seems to make her happy. She doesn't seem to really care for anyone even though she has others surrounding her. She's downright annoyed with the lot of them. In fact, if the people around her seem the littlest bit happy, she does not seem to hesitate to try to bring them back down to the sort of bad attitude that she herself seems to be feeling. If she were a cartoon, she would have a cloud drawn over her head for the duration of her book. It would be absolutely fine to have this kind of character if I could know why she is the way that she is. All I needed was a motivation.I really wanted to know why she was so angry. Did something happen to her to make her so upset? Was there some former trauma that made her the way that she is? Why does she do something so ugly to Amelia, who had already been hurt by Jodie's brother when he broke up with her and promptly took up with the woman who would become his wife? Amelia seems like a nice person. Is Jodie just unhappy because she sees that Amelia is finally happy and it's too much for Jodie to bear? I don't know. All of that is left unsaid.
I also think that if the reader was able to understand more about the motivation behind the various characters that it would have lent more gravitas to the drama in the book. As it stands, the drama seems to come from nothing. Mountains out of moleholes, if you will.
Bottom line: Good writing will keep you reading this one.
The writing in this book is good and is definitely what kept me reading. but I had a lot of trouble with the characters, Jodie in particular but I will get into that later. The writing really pulled me into the story. You get a front row seat to the action throughout the book. Amos does a great job of showing us the world of the characters.
I wanted to understand more about all of their motivations but some of them just seemed to be sort of left blank or unknown. Jodie is definitely a very negative person. Nothing seems to make her happy. She doesn't seem to really care for anyone even though she has others surrounding her. She's downright annoyed with the lot of them. In fact, if the people around her seem the littlest bit happy, she does not seem to hesitate to try to bring them back down to the sort of bad attitude that she herself seems to be feeling. If she were a cartoon, she would have a cloud drawn over her head for the duration of her book. It would be absolutely fine to have this kind of character if I could know why she is the way that she is. All I needed was a motivation.I really wanted to know why she was so angry. Did something happen to her to make her so upset? Was there some former trauma that made her the way that she is? Why does she do something so ugly to Amelia, who had already been hurt by Jodie's brother when he broke up with her and promptly took up with the woman who would become his wife? Amelia seems like a nice person. Is Jodie just unhappy because she sees that Amelia is finally happy and it's too much for Jodie to bear? I don't know. All of that is left unsaid.
I also think that if the reader was able to understand more about the motivation behind the various characters that it would have lent more gravitas to the drama in the book. As it stands, the drama seems to come from nothing. Mountains out of moleholes, if you will.
Bottom line: Good writing will keep you reading this one.
January 12, 2013
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com...
Exactly Where They'd Fall is a snapshot of the lives of a group of twenty-something and thirty-something friends. It is picture of a short period of time in which relationships shift and change. Jodie, Amelie, Piper, and Drew are the main characters.
These individual became friends at different times and for different reasons. Now, however, relationships are changing. Piper is getting married. Amelie and Drew have paired up. And Jodie is left all alone.
The story moves through about six months of this transitional phase in their lives. I say this book is a snapshot because throughout the book, you gets hints and glimpses of the backgrounds of the main characters, the aspects of their lives that lead to decisions and emotions now. But just hints, the book never develops the back story. Also, the book ends on a snapshot leaving you wondering what will happen next in these lives.
I enjoyed this book because it has a ring of truth about it. The characters, the situations, and the relationships seem real. It seems an actual segment of someone's life. What I enjoyed less is that the back stories are never explained and the books ends on a note that seems unfinished. Overall, though, an enjoyable read.
*** Reviewed for LibraryThing Member Giveaway Program ***
Exactly Where They'd Fall is a snapshot of the lives of a group of twenty-something and thirty-something friends. It is picture of a short period of time in which relationships shift and change. Jodie, Amelie, Piper, and Drew are the main characters.
These individual became friends at different times and for different reasons. Now, however, relationships are changing. Piper is getting married. Amelie and Drew have paired up. And Jodie is left all alone.
The story moves through about six months of this transitional phase in their lives. I say this book is a snapshot because throughout the book, you gets hints and glimpses of the backgrounds of the main characters, the aspects of their lives that lead to decisions and emotions now. But just hints, the book never develops the back story. Also, the book ends on a snapshot leaving you wondering what will happen next in these lives.
I enjoyed this book because it has a ring of truth about it. The characters, the situations, and the relationships seem real. It seems an actual segment of someone's life. What I enjoyed less is that the back stories are never explained and the books ends on a note that seems unfinished. Overall, though, an enjoyable read.
*** Reviewed for LibraryThing Member Giveaway Program ***
October 6, 2014
This book differed from what I thought it would be, but I enjoyed it. It was basically about two women, Jodie and Amelia, both struggling with insecurity and fear about falling in love, trusting another person, and even trusting themselves. However, both women dealt with these things differently. Amelia ran whenever things got tough after being hurt many times in the past and Jodie avoided getting close in the first place. There was somewhat of a love triangle involving Amelia's boyfriend Drew which I suspected, but it didn't evolve as predicted. I cared for all of the characters. I admit to skimming the book in several instances, mostly involving Drew's story and his Uncle Mitch. I just didn't find it as interesting or as relevant to the story as other parts. I hoped for a bit more closure on the Jodie storyline but it was generally a satisfying ending.
In summary, I found this to be an enjoyable women's fiction novel and I would read the author again.
In summary, I found this to be an enjoyable women's fiction novel and I would read the author again.
January 8, 2016
I wasn't sure what to think of this book, even as much as half way through it, however, the characters ended up growing on me, and when I read the last sentence of the last page, I wanted more. I want to know what happens with Jodie, Amelia, and Piper. I wish there was more of Piper. I want to know about their lives going forward.
Eventually what started out for me as a book I had to get through ended up being like reading a friend's journal. And I mean that in the best possible way.
An ARC of this book was provided to me by NetGalley to review.
Eventually what started out for me as a book I had to get through ended up being like reading a friend's journal. And I mean that in the best possible way.
An ARC of this book was provided to me by NetGalley to review.
February 11, 2013
I was really looking forward to this book, but I think I set myself up for a little disappointment. I was expecting a love triangle with angst and passion, but there wasn't much passion and the triangle was kind of non-existent. Laura Rae Amos developed complex characters. However, the relationships were static.
The book was very well written, but I thought it was going to be something it wasn't. It just wasn't what I expected.
The book was very well written, but I thought it was going to be something it wasn't. It just wasn't what I expected.
October 7, 2013
This book was really interesting. When it started off I thought the book would be about Jodie but it became more about Amelia. But still showed how friends lives can intertwine. Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways for the chance to read this book. I really liked it.
December 27, 2013
Amelia and Jodie are best friends and this book is Amelia's story. I'm hoping there will be another book for Jodie. Of course the worse thing for best friends is a man and this friendship ends badly. Great interaction with the families and within their social circle. A good chick flick type read.
October 21, 2014
Just a bunch of whiny 20 and 30 somethings. I couldn't warm up to them at all, especially Jodie. A waste of my time and money.
November 7, 2015
a book with a love triangle
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