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Fading #3
Falling
Sometimes it takes someone else to show us what we are truly capable of becoming.
Suffering from years of violent abuse, Ryan Campbell has learned how to keep people from getting too close. But when you shut yourself off, people get hurt along the way. Never caring much about others, Ryan creates a world in which he doesn’t have to feel.
When Ryan meets Candace Parker, all of his walls slowly begin to crumble. Not sure of the truth of who she is, he feels his mind is playing tricks on him. Unable to force out the thoughts that consume him, Ryan is haunted by visions that torment him every time he looks at her. He finds himself swallowed by guilt and blame, but he’s unwilling to turn his back on the one person that could possibly save him.
You’ve heard Candace’s story in Fading, now hear Ryan’s.
Suffering from years of violent abuse, Ryan Campbell has learned how to keep people from getting too close. But when you shut yourself off, people get hurt along the way. Never caring much about others, Ryan creates a world in which he doesn’t have to feel.
When Ryan meets Candace Parker, all of his walls slowly begin to crumble. Not sure of the truth of who she is, he feels his mind is playing tricks on him. Unable to force out the thoughts that consume him, Ryan is haunted by visions that torment him every time he looks at her. He finds himself swallowed by guilt and blame, but he’s unwilling to turn his back on the one person that could possibly save him.
You’ve heard Candace’s story in Fading, now hear Ryan’s.
457 pages, Paperback
First published December 6, 2013
195 people are currently reading
4961 people want to read
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December 8, 2013
ARC provided by author in exchange of honest review
First and foremost, it is highly advised that readers must read Fading first. Falling is told in Ryan Campbell POV. It mainly focuses on events which have occurred in Fading and deals with the traumatic event that Candace Parker experienced. In Falling, we learn of Ryan's past, secrets, and the burden of his guilt that he shoulders. Ryan's past is not pretty. He has lived his whole life feeling like nothing in the eyes of his drunken and abusive father. When his father died, Ryan goes through the motions of trying to numb out the pain and emptiness with alcohol and random sex with women. He never felt worthy of love and didn't want to become like his father. He kept his heart closed till he meets Candace Parker.
Without having to go re-telling the whole story, Ryan outlook on love changes when he starts to fall for Candace. Although, he knows something traumatic has happened to her, he is drawn to her. There is something in Candace that he can't explain why he feels such a connection to her. Ryan was the epitome of an absolute sweetheart. He was patient, understanding, and supportive of her. He was her shoulder to lean on and her savior. Candace's nightmares and fears may not fully go away, but Ryan was always there to show her the light. He showed her happiness, love and surrounded her with his family that truly cared for her. As for Ryan, Candace was his light out of the darkness. She showed him that his heart was capable of love and that he is nothing like his father.
The ending and Epilogue of Falling was beautiful. It showed two broken individual who were haunted by their past and demons that they can lessen the burden by leaning on each other. In the words of Karl Menniger, " Love cures people-both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it." Love, indeed, was the driving force of Ryan and Candace recovery of overcoming their past, fears, and demons.
E.K. Blair
First and foremost, it is highly advised that readers must read Fading first. Falling is told in Ryan Campbell POV. It mainly focuses on events which have occurred in Fading and deals with the traumatic event that Candace Parker experienced. In Falling, we learn of Ryan's past, secrets, and the burden of his guilt that he shoulders. Ryan's past is not pretty. He has lived his whole life feeling like nothing in the eyes of his drunken and abusive father. When his father died, Ryan goes through the motions of trying to numb out the pain and emptiness with alcohol and random sex with women. He never felt worthy of love and didn't want to become like his father. He kept his heart closed till he meets Candace Parker.
Without having to go re-telling the whole story, Ryan outlook on love changes when he starts to fall for Candace. Although, he knows something traumatic has happened to her, he is drawn to her. There is something in Candace that he can't explain why he feels such a connection to her. Ryan was the epitome of an absolute sweetheart. He was patient, understanding, and supportive of her. He was her shoulder to lean on and her savior. Candace's nightmares and fears may not fully go away, but Ryan was always there to show her the light. He showed her happiness, love and surrounded her with his family that truly cared for her. As for Ryan, Candace was his light out of the darkness. She showed him that his heart was capable of love and that he is nothing like his father.
The ending and Epilogue of Falling was beautiful. It showed two broken individual who were haunted by their past and demons that they can lessen the burden by leaning on each other. In the words of Karl Menniger, " Love cures people-both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it." Love, indeed, was the driving force of Ryan and Candace recovery of overcoming their past, fears, and demons.
E.K. Blair
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November 23, 2013Ryan's story in his POV.
I didn't finish this one. Absolutely no one is at fault but me. I'm impatient, hot-tempered, and snarky, and Ms. Blair's books are known to build up intensity, little by little. Again, this is an excellent book, but based on my personality I couldn't help but feel annoyance. I do want to applaud Ms. Blair for writing about a very delicate subject matter. Twice, in fact, and in a male POV. She absolutely nailed that part. I encourage all fans of the first two books to definitely check this one out! It's just that it's not suited for me.
I didn't finish this one. Absolutely no one is at fault but me. I'm impatient, hot-tempered, and snarky, and Ms. Blair's books are known to build up intensity, little by little. Again, this is an excellent book, but based on my personality I couldn't help but feel annoyance. I do want to applaud Ms. Blair for writing about a very delicate subject matter. Twice, in fact, and in a male POV. She absolutely nailed that part. I encourage all fans of the first two books to definitely check this one out! It's just that it's not suited for me.
March 6, 2018
After reading FADING, reading FALLING from Ryan's POV was a bonus. It was good to see Ryan's side of story as he was fighting too from his demons.
The ending i though would be same as FADING but from Ryan's POV, but E.K.Blair extended the ending in this book and its awesome.
I really really loved this ending.
The ending i though would be same as FADING but from Ryan's POV, but E.K.Blair extended the ending in this book and its awesome.
I really really loved this ending.
August 30, 2017
" Me provocas mariposas.
Que se jodan las mariposas. Lo siento todo cuando estoy contigo. "
Falling es el tercer y ultimo libro de la trilogia Fading creada por la autora E. K. Blair y vuelve a tener como protagonistas a Candace y Ryan.
Inicialmente me propuse esperar un par de semanas para leer este libro, ya que al tener bastante reciente la lectura de Fading pense que esta novela me resultaria repetitiva al ser el primer libro desde el punto de vista del protagonista masculino pero lo cierto es que no podia aguantar mas sin leer los pensamientos de Ryan, por lo que decidi lanzarme y comenzarlo.
Sorprendentemente en ningun momento se me hizo repetitivo o denso, la historia esta tan bien narrada y desarrollada que es como leer un libro diferente, ademas estar en la cabeza de Ryan fue muy interesante, no solo porque nos da una nueva perspectiva de lo que le sucede a Candace sino tambien porque en esta novela llegamos a conocerlo realmente, ya que en mi opinion no llegamos a conocerlo demasiado en Fading.
Algunas personas pensaran que este libro era innecesario pero la verdad es que creo que hace mucho mas completa la trilogia, aunque es cierto que desde esta perpectiva me molestaron determinadas acciones de Candace, las cuales no vi mal en el primer libro.
Lectura totalmente recomendada! sobre todo si quieres una historia que realmente te llegue al corazon.
3.75 Estrellas!
December 4, 2013
THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!!
"I'm sure she can hear my heart pounding, but I need her to hear it. I need her to feel it as it thuds in my chest because I need her to hear me falling for her, 'cause that's what's happening here-I'm falling."
This may be a love story but it is full of heartache and broken pieces. Ryan and Candace have a long rough path to go down before they meet and mend each others souls.
I want to connect, I want everything that I've been afraid of…
Oh Ryan. The dear tortured soul. Ryan has lived a hellish life with a very abusive father and has brought that package into his adult life. He has never really dealt with it and harbors guilt and fear that he will turn into his father one day. So he has kept women out of his "emotion" box and never keeps them around longer than a quickie.
"He's a part of me. He runs through my blood. I hate him. I don't want to be him, but I am."
Ryan owns a busy and popular bar near campus. While it pretty much runs itself, he tend to stay there late doing work and sometimes to find his next "quickie." It is one of those late nights when he encounters one of the worst things a person could. He hears sounds down in the alley but just assumes that it is some drunk people leaving the bar. He ignores it until he hears a woman screaming. He runs down to find a woman being raped. He beats the guy up but he ends up running off. Ryan calls the police but can't identify the girl because she is so badly beat.
"She is so small, and when I look at her tiny hands, her nails are shredded. Shit. She fought. She had to have fought hard. The thought nearly makes me vomit, and when I shift my eyes away from her hands, I notice a little tattoo of a heart."
Ryan has a hard time forgetting about the incident and finds himself not wanting to partake in his regular ways with women. He keeps replaying the scene in his head over and over again and can't get past the guilt that he feels for not going down there sooner. He hates that he didn't follow her to the hospital and make she was ok or find out who she was.
"The whole time I knew there was someone back there, and I ignored it. I sat in my office while that girl fought so hard she had no nails left."
Talk about walls crumbling! Ryan's walls didn't just crumble, they came crashing down when he met Candace!!! Ryan meets Candace Parker at a nearby coffee shop. When he first sees her working there he feels like he as seen her before but can't figure out where. She is not his type of girl that he would regularly pick up so he is stumped.
"I think I know this girl 'cause something about her seems familiar. I stare, trying to pinpoint who she is, but she's so different from any girl I would ever go for, so I'm confused."
Ryan keeps seeing her every now then at the coffee shop and soon learns that she is a mutual friend of his friends Jace and Mark. The more he sees of Candace, the more he can't get her out of his head. He likes to be around her but she is very standoffish and he is confused by her. He's never had to work for a girl's attention and this one isn't even giving him a second of her time!
"Damn, I feel like a deprived puppy, smitten over details of a chick I don't even know."
After helping her out with her parents and taking her to his mom's for Christmas, Ryan starts to have some real feelings for Candace. Ones he has never felt for another woman. He isn't sure how to deal with them, but he knows that he can't live with out her in his life. He also knows that she has been through something terrible in the recent past and that he will have to tread lightly with her or risk scaring her away. But he can't get rid of the feeling that he somehow knows her.
"She has a depth to her. A depth I've never seen with the girls I've been with. She's different than the chicks I normally go for." "In what way?" I turn back to my mom and respond, "In every way."
It isn't until after Ryan has finally broken through Candace's barriers that he figures out who she is. An incident with her behind his bar triggers the thought but it isn't until he sees her tattoo that is exactly like the one from the girl he saved from behind his bar, that he realizes who she is. But Ryan, too afraid that she would run if she knew it was him that saved her, says nothing to her and strives to make himself the one and only that she wants to lean on. Hoping that he will be able to tell her one day and she won't hate him for keeping it from her. But all good intentions fall wrong somewhere. Can Ryan keep Candace in his life or are they destined to fail? Can Candace move past her fears and love Ryan the way she wants to or will her past ruin it all? Will Ryan break her barriers and become the man he wants to be for her.
GOD!!! This book was so heartbreaking and I loved it even more than Fading, This is one of the first books that I actually liked that was told again but from the other point of view. I was very hesitant to read it because I haven't liked any of the others, because I felt it was just retelling the story again. But not with Falling!! Ryan's side of the story was just as heartbreaking and sad and Candace's and I loved reading his thoughts and finding out more about his life before Candace. So many questions were answered for me about what he was thinking after her rape and how he dealt with it. This book gave Ryan more depth and soul and really made you fall in love with him! I hope everyone enjoys Ryan's story as much as I did!!
"I'm sure she can hear my heart pounding, but I need her to hear it. I need her to feel it as it thuds in my chest because I need her to hear me falling for her, 'cause that's what's happening here-I'm falling."
This may be a love story but it is full of heartache and broken pieces. Ryan and Candace have a long rough path to go down before they meet and mend each others souls.
I want to connect, I want everything that I've been afraid of…
Oh Ryan. The dear tortured soul. Ryan has lived a hellish life with a very abusive father and has brought that package into his adult life. He has never really dealt with it and harbors guilt and fear that he will turn into his father one day. So he has kept women out of his "emotion" box and never keeps them around longer than a quickie.
"He's a part of me. He runs through my blood. I hate him. I don't want to be him, but I am."
Ryan owns a busy and popular bar near campus. While it pretty much runs itself, he tend to stay there late doing work and sometimes to find his next "quickie." It is one of those late nights when he encounters one of the worst things a person could. He hears sounds down in the alley but just assumes that it is some drunk people leaving the bar. He ignores it until he hears a woman screaming. He runs down to find a woman being raped. He beats the guy up but he ends up running off. Ryan calls the police but can't identify the girl because she is so badly beat.
"She is so small, and when I look at her tiny hands, her nails are shredded. Shit. She fought. She had to have fought hard. The thought nearly makes me vomit, and when I shift my eyes away from her hands, I notice a little tattoo of a heart."
Ryan has a hard time forgetting about the incident and finds himself not wanting to partake in his regular ways with women. He keeps replaying the scene in his head over and over again and can't get past the guilt that he feels for not going down there sooner. He hates that he didn't follow her to the hospital and make she was ok or find out who she was.
"The whole time I knew there was someone back there, and I ignored it. I sat in my office while that girl fought so hard she had no nails left."
Talk about walls crumbling! Ryan's walls didn't just crumble, they came crashing down when he met Candace!!! Ryan meets Candace Parker at a nearby coffee shop. When he first sees her working there he feels like he as seen her before but can't figure out where. She is not his type of girl that he would regularly pick up so he is stumped.
"I think I know this girl 'cause something about her seems familiar. I stare, trying to pinpoint who she is, but she's so different from any girl I would ever go for, so I'm confused."
Ryan keeps seeing her every now then at the coffee shop and soon learns that she is a mutual friend of his friends Jace and Mark. The more he sees of Candace, the more he can't get her out of his head. He likes to be around her but she is very standoffish and he is confused by her. He's never had to work for a girl's attention and this one isn't even giving him a second of her time!
"Damn, I feel like a deprived puppy, smitten over details of a chick I don't even know."
After helping her out with her parents and taking her to his mom's for Christmas, Ryan starts to have some real feelings for Candace. Ones he has never felt for another woman. He isn't sure how to deal with them, but he knows that he can't live with out her in his life. He also knows that she has been through something terrible in the recent past and that he will have to tread lightly with her or risk scaring her away. But he can't get rid of the feeling that he somehow knows her.
"She has a depth to her. A depth I've never seen with the girls I've been with. She's different than the chicks I normally go for." "In what way?" I turn back to my mom and respond, "In every way."
It isn't until after Ryan has finally broken through Candace's barriers that he figures out who she is. An incident with her behind his bar triggers the thought but it isn't until he sees her tattoo that is exactly like the one from the girl he saved from behind his bar, that he realizes who she is. But Ryan, too afraid that she would run if she knew it was him that saved her, says nothing to her and strives to make himself the one and only that she wants to lean on. Hoping that he will be able to tell her one day and she won't hate him for keeping it from her. But all good intentions fall wrong somewhere. Can Ryan keep Candace in his life or are they destined to fail? Can Candace move past her fears and love Ryan the way she wants to or will her past ruin it all? Will Ryan break her barriers and become the man he wants to be for her.
GOD!!! This book was so heartbreaking and I loved it even more than Fading, This is one of the first books that I actually liked that was told again but from the other point of view. I was very hesitant to read it because I haven't liked any of the others, because I felt it was just retelling the story again. But not with Falling!! Ryan's side of the story was just as heartbreaking and sad and Candace's and I loved reading his thoughts and finding out more about his life before Candace. So many questions were answered for me about what he was thinking after her rape and how he dealt with it. This book gave Ryan more depth and soul and really made you fall in love with him! I hope everyone enjoys Ryan's story as much as I did!!
February 16, 2017
It is truly daunting to write this review. I feel like it may be one of the toughest & yet most important one I've ever written. It is very intimidating to follow up this story with letters, that create words, that create sentences, that depict my thoughts. It's tough because I'm doing it in response to letters that create words, that create sentences, that depict this author's ability to put pen to a page and knock your world off its axis. This author weaves a literary miracle that has blessed my heart & soul.
The first time I read Fading earlier in the summer I finished with satisfaction. I knew I adored Ryan & Candace, Jase & Mark but it wasn't until a few weeks later after reading a string of forgettable books in the genre that I decided to read it again. I noticed countless small moments of significance that I missed in my first read. I read very fast and sometimes regret that wishing I had more will power to savor the books that are etched on my soul. With Fading it took more than one read to realize it was permanently burned in my heart. When Freeing was released I was beyond excited but also nervous. Nervous for the author having to deal with any backlash from publishing a love story with the main characters being gay. I was nervous that the sequel or follow up couldn't hold a candle to the debut. I devoured their story & was over the moon to have all my fears obliterated.
Next came the uninhibited anguish while waiting for Falling. Ryan Campbell is the absolute essence of perfection to me. Every "book boyfriend" I have is a tortured soul with a damaged past who does NOT want to fall in love but does so against his will. I think when you peel back the intricate fabric of Ryan's heart you see clearly that though he has that same broken spirit from his harrowing past that he NEVER hesitated to love her. He chose to do so from the first moment of their time together. He viewed loving her not just as his privilege, but as his salvation. Even when she refused to acknowledge what his presence in her life meant to her. That is when I understood Ryan couldn't casually be compared to my other "Book Boyfirends". He is my "Book Soul Mate".
This is the ultimate story of The Giving Tree, but it isn't until you read Falling that you realize Ryan isn't the only Tree. Candace gives Ryan every ounce of love, happiness & a life to begin living just as much as he saves her from herself. They aren't the only characters that become The Giving Tree. Grace- Jesus, there are no words for her importance and kindness. She is the perfect counterpoint to Ryan to pull Candace back to the land of the living. Jase- honestly, who wouldn't donate their vital organs happily to have him as a constant in their lives?! Mark- his importance is the happiness & acceptance he brings Jase. Which in turn brings that happiness to both Candace & the readers.
I've anxiously awaited several sequels of late to be heartbroken with the results and not only with the newest release, but also because it tainted its predecessor for me as well. I was a bit terrified to read Falling and be let down, but most afraid of it altering the way I feel about Fading & Freeing. I can not express how grateful & blissfully happy I am that Falling surpassed both its companions for me.
The start of the book is slow- ...Mostly because of your anticipation of him meeting Candace. Yet, I felt strongly that I needed to devour every word and relish it to be in the full moment of the story. At 37% I wanted to punch Ryan for being so blind. At 50% I was doing the full fledged ugly cry. From that point the story boldly picks up pace. There is plenty of retelling of events of Fading & Freeing, but I was gratified immensely by how much new information, back stories we never knew or suspected and "behind the scenes" drama taking place. I previously thought Fading ended at the perfect point. While reading Falling & I surpassed the part where fading ended I was mentally chastising myself. How could I have ever thought that was where the story should end? This history is paramount to the whole story, yet the previous was written so well (WITHOUT A VILE CLIFFHANGER) that the reader was just left with their HEA. Who knew there could be so much more to their HEA than where it left off. Yet without feeling like convoluted filler.
I am forever indebted to the master of this masterpiece for her inspiration and courage to tell these stories. The only thing I would disagree with her on is where she says in her acknowledgements that though Candace, Ryan, Jase & Mark aren't real people she loves them.... Here's where I disagree. They are real & will forever have a part of my heart. 5 stars seems like a bit of an insult because I have rated other books with 5 stars before (not many but a few). This one deserves a whole new ranking system to honor it my opinion.
Just FYI- to any skeptics. I do NOT know this author. I purchased my own copy. There was no exchange for an honest review. It just is a totally honest review. =)
Today's read makes 7 times now.
The first time I read Fading earlier in the summer I finished with satisfaction. I knew I adored Ryan & Candace, Jase & Mark but it wasn't until a few weeks later after reading a string of forgettable books in the genre that I decided to read it again. I noticed countless small moments of significance that I missed in my first read. I read very fast and sometimes regret that wishing I had more will power to savor the books that are etched on my soul. With Fading it took more than one read to realize it was permanently burned in my heart. When Freeing was released I was beyond excited but also nervous. Nervous for the author having to deal with any backlash from publishing a love story with the main characters being gay. I was nervous that the sequel or follow up couldn't hold a candle to the debut. I devoured their story & was over the moon to have all my fears obliterated.
Next came the uninhibited anguish while waiting for Falling. Ryan Campbell is the absolute essence of perfection to me. Every "book boyfriend" I have is a tortured soul with a damaged past who does NOT want to fall in love but does so against his will. I think when you peel back the intricate fabric of Ryan's heart you see clearly that though he has that same broken spirit from his harrowing past that he NEVER hesitated to love her. He chose to do so from the first moment of their time together. He viewed loving her not just as his privilege, but as his salvation. Even when she refused to acknowledge what his presence in her life meant to her. That is when I understood Ryan couldn't casually be compared to my other "Book Boyfirends". He is my "Book Soul Mate".
This is the ultimate story of The Giving Tree, but it isn't until you read Falling that you realize Ryan isn't the only Tree. Candace gives Ryan every ounce of love, happiness & a life to begin living just as much as he saves her from herself. They aren't the only characters that become The Giving Tree. Grace- Jesus, there are no words for her importance and kindness. She is the perfect counterpoint to Ryan to pull Candace back to the land of the living. Jase- honestly, who wouldn't donate their vital organs happily to have him as a constant in their lives?! Mark- his importance is the happiness & acceptance he brings Jase. Which in turn brings that happiness to both Candace & the readers.
I've anxiously awaited several sequels of late to be heartbroken with the results and not only with the newest release, but also because it tainted its predecessor for me as well. I was a bit terrified to read Falling and be let down, but most afraid of it altering the way I feel about Fading & Freeing. I can not express how grateful & blissfully happy I am that Falling surpassed both its companions for me.
The start of the book is slow- ...Mostly because of your anticipation of him meeting Candace. Yet, I felt strongly that I needed to devour every word and relish it to be in the full moment of the story. At 37% I wanted to punch Ryan for being so blind. At 50% I was doing the full fledged ugly cry. From that point the story boldly picks up pace. There is plenty of retelling of events of Fading & Freeing, but I was gratified immensely by how much new information, back stories we never knew or suspected and "behind the scenes" drama taking place. I previously thought Fading ended at the perfect point. While reading Falling & I surpassed the part where fading ended I was mentally chastising myself. How could I have ever thought that was where the story should end? This history is paramount to the whole story, yet the previous was written so well (WITHOUT A VILE CLIFFHANGER) that the reader was just left with their HEA. Who knew there could be so much more to their HEA than where it left off. Yet without feeling like convoluted filler.
I am forever indebted to the master of this masterpiece for her inspiration and courage to tell these stories. The only thing I would disagree with her on is where she says in her acknowledgements that though Candace, Ryan, Jase & Mark aren't real people she loves them.... Here's where I disagree. They are real & will forever have a part of my heart. 5 stars seems like a bit of an insult because I have rated other books with 5 stars before (not many but a few). This one deserves a whole new ranking system to honor it my opinion.
Just FYI- to any skeptics. I do NOT know this author. I purchased my own copy. There was no exchange for an honest review. It just is a totally honest review. =)
Today's read makes 7 times now.
September 24, 2015
It was very good. I liked it even more than in the previous books.
Although I knew that the story of this book. It was still interesting and good.
Although I knew that the story of this book. It was still interesting and good.
“You will never have to doubt your place in this world again because I swear I will spend forever making sure you’re right where you belong.”
December 10, 2013
Falling (Fading #2) by EK Blair
5 stars!!!
“cause that’s what's happening here – I’m falling,. I never wanted to before, but with her, all I want to do is fall. Fall into her. Fall so deep inside of her heart so that I never have to be without her.”
This journey was an unexpected one, it started with the cover of Fading, a cover so dark that it drew me in…I was captivated by the simple lone figure and immediately bought the book, this was a cover that held an even greater meaning once the book had been read. Now I have just read the third book in this series and once again the COVER…EK Blair knows how to pick them, knowing the premise behind them I knew I was in for one emotional ride.
Once again this ride was emotional, powerful, poignant, insightful, passionate, sensitive and thought provoking. This whole series has been one emotional roller coaster. I can’t even say one particular instalment is a favourite as they have all been amazing pieces of work, each one bringing us a different perspective on one young girls life. EK Blair has a knack of drawing you in and once she has those claws in she never lets you go until the very end and Ryan’s story was no different.
I have said before that EK Blair’s writing style is addictive, once you start reading you cannot stop, your emotions are raw, they are toyed with, your heart aches and breaks and then slowly you are pieced back together again. I loved Ryan in Fading, but one thing you never really truly understood or got to know was just how broken Ryan was too. It seems fitting that these two broken souls found each other and ended up healing together. It was as if fate somehow had intervened and made something so brutal and ugly turn into something so beautiful.
“That’s the thing about love…it’s a pretty powerful force that can show a side of you that you never knew existed. Show you that you’re capable of becoming someone you never thought you could be, and you do it for the other person because you love them, because you want to put them before you.”
Reading this story from Ryan’s perspective was heart breaking, truly heart breaking. He was so conflicted and his head was totally at war with his heart. He wanted to be honest but he knew that it could only result in heart break and it was a heart break that he didn’t think he could survive. He had really put himself “out there” with Candace and you never truly appreciated how “all in” he actually was. He loved her with everything he had and his conversations with his mum were so heart felt they often reduced me to tears. The extremely close relationship he had with his mum was beautiful and so endearing; these two really were confidantes, friends as well as mother and son.
“Just a piece of advice,” she adds, “Don’t ever lie to her about who you are. If she ever asks, be honest.”
I really connected with Ryan in this book, I loved him in Fading and now totally adore him. I just wanted to give him big hugs and tell him it was all going to be OK as I had read the end of Fading and he gets the girl! Alas, his childhood was painful, he had such a hard time as did his mother and he had to grow up really quick, but he was selfless, always putting his mother and family first and everyone else too. It was painful reading about his past through memories and you felt like you were living through it with him, they were ugly and had left permanent scars in more ways than one. His inability to have a relationship were all borne from his past and that was why he was so shocked how strong his feelings were for Candace. He couldn’t comprehend how so suddenly this girl had waltzed into his life and completely changed him. He had to put his own problems and insecurities aside as he lived through Candace’s, he wanted to take her pain away and absorb it himself. His father had physically and mentally abused him and his mother. In order to try and “forget” he buried himself with self-destructive behaviour as a means of coping, drink, drugs, meaningless hook-ups with women and anger. He didn’t like the person he had become and felt that he was his fathers’ son and was more like him than he cared to think.
“Because for most of life I’ve been lost…I dealt with a lot of shit growing up and I used women as my way to escape…you’re nothing like those women. Nothing. I’ve never looked at them or wanted them the way I do you.”
We know how the story goes and I will not go into the finer details but it is through this story that you finally see how affected Ryan was by what he witnessed. We also see first-hand the slow build up in their friendship until they eventually become more and you see the family side of Ryan, how dedicated and close all his family are. The hardest part to face was when the truth was revealed, I cried a lot…Ryan was decimated, heartbroken, inconsolable and on a path to self-destruction. He always said that when he gave his heart it was forever and it was. I was devastated all over again.
“You’re not gonna lose me, babe. I love you too much to let you go.”
“Candace has long fallen asleep in my arms when I feel the first of many tears roll down my cheeks and into her hair.”
I am a sucker for a good epilogue and this does not disappoint. All I can say is that this is one AMAZING series and should not be missed, it is a must read. I highlighted so much of this book, so many poignant lines that stab straight through your heart. The same story from three different perspectives, but even though you know the story the other two books carry their own weight. It is so novel to get three sides to one story, how one mindless piece of violence can affect so many people, not just the victim. This whole series is intense, emotional and truly memorable and one that has left a permanent imprint. I cannot recommend this series highly enough. Once again EK Blair, you have blown me away. I cannot wait to see what this author delivers next.
“You are the only reason there’s light in my life. Before you, there was nothing but darkness.”
“You will never have to doubt your place in this world again because I swear I will spend forever making sure you’re right where you belong.”
“I see you in colours that don’t exist.”
www.theromancecover.com
5 stars!!!
“cause that’s what's happening here – I’m falling,. I never wanted to before, but with her, all I want to do is fall. Fall into her. Fall so deep inside of her heart so that I never have to be without her.”
This journey was an unexpected one, it started with the cover of Fading, a cover so dark that it drew me in…I was captivated by the simple lone figure and immediately bought the book, this was a cover that held an even greater meaning once the book had been read. Now I have just read the third book in this series and once again the COVER…EK Blair knows how to pick them, knowing the premise behind them I knew I was in for one emotional ride.
Once again this ride was emotional, powerful, poignant, insightful, passionate, sensitive and thought provoking. This whole series has been one emotional roller coaster. I can’t even say one particular instalment is a favourite as they have all been amazing pieces of work, each one bringing us a different perspective on one young girls life. EK Blair has a knack of drawing you in and once she has those claws in she never lets you go until the very end and Ryan’s story was no different.
I have said before that EK Blair’s writing style is addictive, once you start reading you cannot stop, your emotions are raw, they are toyed with, your heart aches and breaks and then slowly you are pieced back together again. I loved Ryan in Fading, but one thing you never really truly understood or got to know was just how broken Ryan was too. It seems fitting that these two broken souls found each other and ended up healing together. It was as if fate somehow had intervened and made something so brutal and ugly turn into something so beautiful.
“That’s the thing about love…it’s a pretty powerful force that can show a side of you that you never knew existed. Show you that you’re capable of becoming someone you never thought you could be, and you do it for the other person because you love them, because you want to put them before you.”
Reading this story from Ryan’s perspective was heart breaking, truly heart breaking. He was so conflicted and his head was totally at war with his heart. He wanted to be honest but he knew that it could only result in heart break and it was a heart break that he didn’t think he could survive. He had really put himself “out there” with Candace and you never truly appreciated how “all in” he actually was. He loved her with everything he had and his conversations with his mum were so heart felt they often reduced me to tears. The extremely close relationship he had with his mum was beautiful and so endearing; these two really were confidantes, friends as well as mother and son.
“Just a piece of advice,” she adds, “Don’t ever lie to her about who you are. If she ever asks, be honest.”
I really connected with Ryan in this book, I loved him in Fading and now totally adore him. I just wanted to give him big hugs and tell him it was all going to be OK as I had read the end of Fading and he gets the girl! Alas, his childhood was painful, he had such a hard time as did his mother and he had to grow up really quick, but he was selfless, always putting his mother and family first and everyone else too. It was painful reading about his past through memories and you felt like you were living through it with him, they were ugly and had left permanent scars in more ways than one. His inability to have a relationship were all borne from his past and that was why he was so shocked how strong his feelings were for Candace. He couldn’t comprehend how so suddenly this girl had waltzed into his life and completely changed him. He had to put his own problems and insecurities aside as he lived through Candace’s, he wanted to take her pain away and absorb it himself. His father had physically and mentally abused him and his mother. In order to try and “forget” he buried himself with self-destructive behaviour as a means of coping, drink, drugs, meaningless hook-ups with women and anger. He didn’t like the person he had become and felt that he was his fathers’ son and was more like him than he cared to think.
“Because for most of life I’ve been lost…I dealt with a lot of shit growing up and I used women as my way to escape…you’re nothing like those women. Nothing. I’ve never looked at them or wanted them the way I do you.”
We know how the story goes and I will not go into the finer details but it is through this story that you finally see how affected Ryan was by what he witnessed. We also see first-hand the slow build up in their friendship until they eventually become more and you see the family side of Ryan, how dedicated and close all his family are. The hardest part to face was when the truth was revealed, I cried a lot…Ryan was decimated, heartbroken, inconsolable and on a path to self-destruction. He always said that when he gave his heart it was forever and it was. I was devastated all over again.
“You’re not gonna lose me, babe. I love you too much to let you go.”
“Candace has long fallen asleep in my arms when I feel the first of many tears roll down my cheeks and into her hair.”
I am a sucker for a good epilogue and this does not disappoint. All I can say is that this is one AMAZING series and should not be missed, it is a must read. I highlighted so much of this book, so many poignant lines that stab straight through your heart. The same story from three different perspectives, but even though you know the story the other two books carry their own weight. It is so novel to get three sides to one story, how one mindless piece of violence can affect so many people, not just the victim. This whole series is intense, emotional and truly memorable and one that has left a permanent imprint. I cannot recommend this series highly enough. Once again EK Blair, you have blown me away. I cannot wait to see what this author delivers next.
“You are the only reason there’s light in my life. Before you, there was nothing but darkness.”
“You will never have to doubt your place in this world again because I swear I will spend forever making sure you’re right where you belong.”
“I see you in colours that don’t exist.”
www.theromancecover.com
October 18, 2014
This series was really annoying, the author had written about three topics that would draw your attention "rape, abuse, and coming out", I think she has only used those topics to get more readers, there is nothing that stands out in her novels, they are full of unrealistic, boring details, and All three books are telling the same freaking story with the same dialogues!!! From three views...
January 31, 2017
Unnecessarily long and slow at some parts, but over all, enjoyable.
Ryan is amazing and I love him.
My favorite couple remain being Jase and Mark. The're P E R F E C T.
Ryan is amazing and I love him.
My favorite couple remain being Jase and Mark. The're P E R F E C T.
December 14, 2020
So I'm not going to lie, I did not like this book early on. Ryan is an absolute dog and goes through women like toilet paper. He blames his using of women on his fear of not wanting a relationship or turning into his abusive father. The same father who at one point plants a butcher in his sons side. Real nice guy there. Anyways for the first few chapters Ryan lives up is manwhore lifestyle and there is some OW drama. But then one night, everything changes. Everything changes for both MC's as one moment in time connects them both together and alters their lives from that point on. Somehow rescuing a woman from being raped behind his bar is an eye opening experience for Ryan. His whole life makes an abrupt halt and at 30 he realizes his behavior of women and life is just plain wrong and not who he wants to be. Of course as the victim of said rape, Candace's life is also altered and the woman she once was is gone. The two start a slow relationship, something new for them both as friends before working their way up. Candace is beyond hesitant of even going beyond friends but this new and improved Ryan falls for her early on and he has no problems giving her time and space so long as she doesn't give up on him. I really loved their relationship and think the development between them was really beautiful. While I hate the Ryan from before I can't help but love who he turned out to be and how perfect he was for Candace. Things get a little crazy when Ryan realizes Candace is that girl. The same girl he found broken, beaten and raped behind his building. As they got to know one another, he denied any clues his mind shed of her connection to that night and it's heartbreaking how much they both blame themselves for the events of that night. There was a bit of a separation in the end that really had me worried. Candace does not handle Ryan being her savior very well. More than anything she is embarrassed, full of shame and blames herself for that night. While they both had so much to work out individually it was clear these two belonged together and I'm so glad they found their way to a HEA. I may have shed more than a few tears in the end but I really enjoyed the journey of the book and the growth of the characters. While the subject matter is heavy, the real story is the after & how it changed/effected them both. Really sweet read and I'm so glad Ryan realized the error of his ways before getting together with Candace and he really became the perfect guy and the perfect guy for her! <3
December 13, 2013
“I’m sure she can hear my heart pounding, but I need her to hear me. I need her to feel it as it thuds in my chest because I need her to hear me falling for her, ‘cause that’s what’s happening here – I’m falling. I never wanted to before, but with her, all I want to do is fall. Fall into her. Fall so deep inside of her heart so that I never have to be without her.”
Revisiting an ‘old friend’ is always an exercise of apprehensive excitement for me, Fading being one of those perfect books in my eyes that very few stories have managed to match in intensity or overall impact on me as a reader. But while Ryan played a crucial role in that storyline, only ever hearing Candace��s voice made it a very unilateral account of a young woman’s battle to overcome a trauma. As much as I loved Candace as a heroine and felt every painful bit of her brave struggle to reclaim her life and herself in the process, hearing Ryan’s voice has been like a dream come true. This book follows the same timeline as Fading, even takes it a few steps ahead, but it is in no way a re-telling of those events. This is very much Ryan’s story, beginning to end, and while having read Candace’s story is a definite advantage as that knowledge fills the gaps that this book does not linger on, this is a unique account of a man falling in love for the first time in his life.
“All I know how to do is care for myself. I’m selfish just like he was. I’m not a provider the way a man should be; I’m a taker. I stay disconnected – and take.”
Ryan has lived an emotionally detached existence for most of his adult life, never really paying too much attention to the string of nameless faces that he bedded and never saw again. His history of abuse at the hand of his father have made him apprehensive of getting too close to a woman, always fearing that his father’s legacy of violence would run through his veins as well, given the right circumstances. His conquests stay short-lived, superficial and always free from expectations. Until one face is all he can think about – the shattered body of a young woman, beaten, raped and abandoned naked in the alleyway behind his bar. Her helplessness and the violence of what was done to her torment him day and night, those images etched in his mind, unable to escape them, and taking him back to his childhood through flashbacks of watching his mother being viciously beaten by his father.
“I’m him. He’s part of me. He runs through my blood. I hate him. I don’t want to be him, but I am.”
When Ryan first meets Candace, he immediately suspects she might be the same woman whose life he most probably saved that fated night, but the more he gets to know her and develops feelings for her, the more his mind refuses to believe it is her. Everything about her indicates that she has survived a life changing ordeal, but not having known her as the vibrant and cheerful young woman she once was, he explains her behavior to himself as shy and reserved. As you would carefully approach a wounded animal, he patiently waits for her to lower her defenses and let him into her life, following her lead as to how close he gets to her.
“She’s broken. I see it clearly, but whatever it is that’s haunting her, I wanna make it fade. I wanna make it fade and make her fall too – with me.”
As Candace slowly starts trusting Ryan and their mutual feelings for one another take centre stage, we watch them fall in love, one step at a time, cautiously but irreversibly. While in Candace’s book we watched a broken young woman learning to trust a man again and re-discovering and re-accepting her sexuality again, this time around, we stand witness to a man learning to love for the first time, discovering the selflessness and overwhelming helplessness that comes with those feelings, and finding a new purpose in life in the guarded but compassionate eyes of the woman before him.
“You’re everything I never thought I wanted, but when I met you, you were everything I needed.”
We might think we know this story, but the more we read it, the more we realise we never knew Ryan at all. I found myself enjoying being in his head a lot more than in Candace’s, his journey being one of inner change and discovering his own capacity to love, rather than one of recovery. He is a character I loved from the get-go, and while this book was a lot more narrative-driven rather than focused on the inner turmoil of a broken young woman, even his actions spoke volumes about the kind of man he is and how far he is willing to go for the woman he loves.
“I love this girl beyond anything. Love her from a place in my heart I never knew I had.”
A splendid conclusion to a stellar series, one that makes me want to stand up and applaud Ms Blair’s ability to tackle difficult themes with unquestionable skill and sensitivity. I give this book and the series as a whole my Six Stars of Excellence for consistently giving us stories that engage both our minds as well as our hearts, and for bravely paving her own way as an author who follows no one’s lead.
“When I met you, I found me.”
[6 STARS OF EXCELLENCE]
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December 14, 2013
Review posted at: Swept Away By Romance
5 Stars (and I wish I could give more!)
Sometimes a book reaches inside, grabs ahold of your heart, and will not let go. For me, this perfectly describes my experience with Fading, Freeing, and now Falling. Now that we are truly coming to the end of 2013, I will say without hesitation that this series of books gets my vote for favorite of the year. Nothing has touched, inspired, or impacted me more than these books and the characters that I came to care about so very much.
To be honest, I am getting tired books that give the hero’s point of view. It started with Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire, and now it’s as if most New Adult fiction is jumping aboard this train. In my experience, I’m usually disappointed after reading the companion novel because I feel that I’ve wasted my time reading the same story (and it’s usually a poor man’s version of the original). Readers, I am here to tell you that Falling is an exception to this rule.
While I was reading Falling, it was as if I was having a completely new experience, and to be honest…. I was. This is Ryan’s story: his life, his pain, and his process of walking the difficult road towards healing, recovery, and acceptance. Ultimately, this book describes and shows Ryan’s own personal awakening of hope, love and new beginnings. I cannot describe the beautiful experience of getting to read as Ryan’s character morphs from an emotionally scarred and stunted individual into a man in love, and the wonder and excitement that stems for that experience. It is amazing.
Ryan’s childhood experience growing up with an alcoholic father is tangible as E.K. Blair again dares to shed light on a horrific reality that so many experience. I love that this author unapologetically blows the door open and sheds light on such touchy and real experiences. Her skill at being real, yet respectful, in how she handles such delicate subject matters astounds me.
I wish I could say more. Please, if you’d like to do something nice for yourself, take some time to read these books. I will say that although reading Falling was a completely unique experience, I would not say that it is a stand-alone book. You really need to read Fading prior to Falling. Jace’s book, Freeing, is not necessary to read in order to appreciate Falling, but I do recommend that book as well.
I guess this is why I love to read. Every once in awhile a book catches you by surprise as you realize something special is happening: you’re being transported into another place, meeting characters who make you feel, and are engaging you emotionally. Ryan triggered all of these buttons, and I am not the same. His character is worth every penny and every minute you spend with him.
I can’t recommend a book any higher than I recommend this one.
5 Stars (and I wish I could give more!)
Sometimes a book reaches inside, grabs ahold of your heart, and will not let go. For me, this perfectly describes my experience with Fading, Freeing, and now Falling. Now that we are truly coming to the end of 2013, I will say without hesitation that this series of books gets my vote for favorite of the year. Nothing has touched, inspired, or impacted me more than these books and the characters that I came to care about so very much.
To be honest, I am getting tired books that give the hero’s point of view. It started with Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire, and now it’s as if most New Adult fiction is jumping aboard this train. In my experience, I’m usually disappointed after reading the companion novel because I feel that I’ve wasted my time reading the same story (and it’s usually a poor man’s version of the original). Readers, I am here to tell you that Falling is an exception to this rule.
While I was reading Falling, it was as if I was having a completely new experience, and to be honest…. I was. This is Ryan’s story: his life, his pain, and his process of walking the difficult road towards healing, recovery, and acceptance. Ultimately, this book describes and shows Ryan’s own personal awakening of hope, love and new beginnings. I cannot describe the beautiful experience of getting to read as Ryan’s character morphs from an emotionally scarred and stunted individual into a man in love, and the wonder and excitement that stems for that experience. It is amazing.
Ryan’s childhood experience growing up with an alcoholic father is tangible as E.K. Blair again dares to shed light on a horrific reality that so many experience. I love that this author unapologetically blows the door open and sheds light on such touchy and real experiences. Her skill at being real, yet respectful, in how she handles such delicate subject matters astounds me.
I wish I could say more. Please, if you’d like to do something nice for yourself, take some time to read these books. I will say that although reading Falling was a completely unique experience, I would not say that it is a stand-alone book. You really need to read Fading prior to Falling. Jace’s book, Freeing, is not necessary to read in order to appreciate Falling, but I do recommend that book as well.
I guess this is why I love to read. Every once in awhile a book catches you by surprise as you realize something special is happening: you’re being transported into another place, meeting characters who make you feel, and are engaging you emotionally. Ryan triggered all of these buttons, and I am not the same. His character is worth every penny and every minute you spend with him.
I can’t recommend a book any higher than I recommend this one.
December 21, 2013
It can’t be any secret by this point that E.K. Blair’s Fading Series is my favorite of the year! Each story has a remarkable depth and richness of character, emotion, and a perfect sense of place and time. I always feel as if I can step into the story and become a part of it, and Falling was no exception.
Falling is Fading told from Ryan’s point of view, but don’t worry that you’ll be reading the same story over again. Falling truly told Ryan’s story and his perspective. It’s a completely different book from Fading and Freeing, and it’s a book that absolutely needed to be written.
Ryan’s background, his personal history…well, he had his own story to tell. After Fading, I knew that Ryan Campbell was my book soul mate. After reading Falling? I couldn’t possibly love him any more than I do! I had the opportunity to get to know him so thoroughly, the real Ryan. It’s funny, because when I read Fading, I thought of him one way. With Falling, I saw a whole different side of Ryan, and I realized what a multi-dimensional character he actually was. His motives, his feelings, his desires – they all became clear. Falling gave me everything I needed—exactly what I needed—to end this series. It was all I could have hoped for and more!
Seriously, author E.K. Blair has a gift of storytelling which speaks to every part of me – heart, mind and soul. Her talent is unquestionable, and, as I’ve said so many times before, she makes me unbelievably gleeful to be a reader! To anyone who has yet to try this author, you are missing so much. At the first opportunity, please fix that by running to your favorite online bookseller and purchasing the Fading Series – Fading, Freeing and Falling!
Honestly, Falling, like Fading, at times, left me in emotional turmoil of the very best kind. It made me cry. It made me melt. It made my heart sing. Five-star read? Without a doubt. Truthfully, ten stars wouldn’t be enough for this series or this book! E.K. Blair, please write faster!!
★★Infinity Stars★★
Falling is Fading told from Ryan’s point of view, but don’t worry that you’ll be reading the same story over again. Falling truly told Ryan’s story and his perspective. It’s a completely different book from Fading and Freeing, and it’s a book that absolutely needed to be written.
Ryan’s background, his personal history…well, he had his own story to tell. After Fading, I knew that Ryan Campbell was my book soul mate. After reading Falling? I couldn’t possibly love him any more than I do! I had the opportunity to get to know him so thoroughly, the real Ryan. It’s funny, because when I read Fading, I thought of him one way. With Falling, I saw a whole different side of Ryan, and I realized what a multi-dimensional character he actually was. His motives, his feelings, his desires – they all became clear. Falling gave me everything I needed—exactly what I needed—to end this series. It was all I could have hoped for and more!
Seriously, author E.K. Blair has a gift of storytelling which speaks to every part of me – heart, mind and soul. Her talent is unquestionable, and, as I’ve said so many times before, she makes me unbelievably gleeful to be a reader! To anyone who has yet to try this author, you are missing so much. At the first opportunity, please fix that by running to your favorite online bookseller and purchasing the Fading Series – Fading, Freeing and Falling!
Honestly, Falling, like Fading, at times, left me in emotional turmoil of the very best kind. It made me cry. It made me melt. It made my heart sing. Five-star read? Without a doubt. Truthfully, ten stars wouldn’t be enough for this series or this book! E.K. Blair, please write faster!!
★★Infinity Stars★★
July 2, 2014
5 stars!!!!! Love me some Ryan Campbell!!!
First, it is highly advised that readers read Fading first only to understand the story. I actually enjoyed Falling more than Fading but that is just me. Falling is told in Ryan's POV. It focuses on events which occurred in Fading. In Falling, we learn about Ryan's past, secrets, and the burden of his guilt that he, himself, suffers with. Ryan goes through the motions of trying to numb out the pain and emptiness with random sex with women. He never felt worthy of love and didn't want to become like his father. He kept his heart closed till he meets Candace Parker. I don't want to re-hash the whole story but Ryan's outlook on love changes when he starts to fall for Candace. He is drawn to her and there is something in Candace that he can't explain why he feels such a connection to her. Ryan was such a sweetheart in both books but in this one...I was floored! I loved him! He was patient, understanding, and supportive of her. He was her shoulder to lean on and her savior. Candace's nightmares and fears may not fully go away, but Ryan was always there to show her the light. He showed her happiness, love and surrounded her with his family that truly cared for her. As for Ryan, Candace was his light out of the darkness as well. She showed him that his heart was capable of love and that he is nothing like his father. They both are what they needed for each other...they truly are soul mates.
The ending and Epilogue of Falling was the BEST!!! I loved this book told from Ryan's POV....I would actually say that I liked this book a little better than Fading.
First, it is highly advised that readers read Fading first only to understand the story. I actually enjoyed Falling more than Fading but that is just me. Falling is told in Ryan's POV. It focuses on events which occurred in Fading. In Falling, we learn about Ryan's past, secrets, and the burden of his guilt that he, himself, suffers with. Ryan goes through the motions of trying to numb out the pain and emptiness with random sex with women. He never felt worthy of love and didn't want to become like his father. He kept his heart closed till he meets Candace Parker. I don't want to re-hash the whole story but Ryan's outlook on love changes when he starts to fall for Candace. He is drawn to her and there is something in Candace that he can't explain why he feels such a connection to her. Ryan was such a sweetheart in both books but in this one...I was floored! I loved him! He was patient, understanding, and supportive of her. He was her shoulder to lean on and her savior. Candace's nightmares and fears may not fully go away, but Ryan was always there to show her the light. He showed her happiness, love and surrounded her with his family that truly cared for her. As for Ryan, Candace was his light out of the darkness as well. She showed him that his heart was capable of love and that he is nothing like his father. They both are what they needed for each other...they truly are soul mates.
The ending and Epilogue of Falling was the BEST!!! I loved this book told from Ryan's POV....I would actually say that I liked this book a little better than Fading.
June 19, 2014
This one was included in the SILK anthology and as I read it, I kept thinking "Why does this story sound so familiar" and I realized it's simply a regurgitation of Fading except from Ryan's point of view. The book is LABORIOUSLY long - as the author literally regurgitates every.single.scene from Candace's book and puts them into this one. And, I'm pretty sure that the two don't line up. I'm not going back to reread Fading, but the time line of their relationship and how things occur is slightly off in this one.
I'm giving this a two instead of a one like the first one mainly because once the author FINALLY got past the play-by-play ALL TELLING instances of Candace's story, the last few chapters of Ryan only were actually kind of decent. But it took almost 350 pages to get to that.
I'm giving this a two instead of a one like the first one mainly because once the author FINALLY got past the play-by-play ALL TELLING instances of Candace's story, the last few chapters of Ryan only were actually kind of decent. But it took almost 350 pages to get to that.
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December 12, 2013
6++++ Stars
Perfect conclusion to this series. I have so many emotions right now!
I can not tell you how many times I have sat down to write this review. This book is just so amazing there are no words to describe it to you. It is everything. You'd think that after reading the same story for the third time it would start to feel old and completely overdone. Absolutely not the case. If I wouldn't have known that it was the third POV of this story I would have never known even having read the other books. It was a completely new story. It was totally Ryan's story and how it interwove with Candace and Jase's not their story from Ryan's POV.
I have so many feelings about this book. I literally could not put it down. When I received my ARC I closed the book I was reading and started it, as I had been anticipating it since I had finished Freeing. Then I could not put it down. This book, the entire series, will stay with me forever. It is one of those series that I foresee myself re-reading until I know the entire thing by heart and then I will reread it just to see if there is anything that I forgot.
Ryan's own story is completely tragic. The pain that you can feel radiating off of him is so strong. There is no way that most people could have dealt with the things that he did and came out on the other side as well as he did. He is just SO strong. It is this strength that makes him exactly perfect for Candace. He doesn't know that he possesses this strength though. He has relegated himself to never having a relationship because of things in his past.
While we know that Ryan was the one who found Candace after her attack, and the subsequent fallout when he figures it out, I was glad to know how much the knowledge and the consequences destroyed him. It was so sad to watch, as painful as it was for Candace the desolation that he feels was so much harder for me.
I am happy that we ended this series with Ryan's POV. I think that getting to know the characters, more personally, in the order we did made each book more powerful. We got to see the path of destruction that one tragedy can reek in so many lives and how the people living those lives have to help one another pick up the pieces to become whole again.
If a gun were to my head and I had to pick a favorite book from this series, I would say that this is it. Each book was better than the last and built more layers on the complexity of the story we already knew. This is, hands down, my favorite series of the year. Which would make Falling my favorite book of the year. If you haven't picked this series up yet, do yourself a favor and do. (Pick up up a case of tissues as well.)
Perfect conclusion to this series. I have so many emotions right now!
I can not tell you how many times I have sat down to write this review. This book is just so amazing there are no words to describe it to you. It is everything. You'd think that after reading the same story for the third time it would start to feel old and completely overdone. Absolutely not the case. If I wouldn't have known that it was the third POV of this story I would have never known even having read the other books. It was a completely new story. It was totally Ryan's story and how it interwove with Candace and Jase's not their story from Ryan's POV.
'I'm sure she can hear my heart pounding, but I need her to hear it. I need her to feel it as it thuds in my chest because I need her to hear me falling for her, 'cause that's what's happening here - I'm falling. I never wanted to before, but with her, all I want to do is fall. Fall into her. Fall so deep inside of her heart so that I never have to be without her.'
I have so many feelings about this book. I literally could not put it down. When I received my ARC I closed the book I was reading and started it, as I had been anticipating it since I had finished Freeing. Then I could not put it down. This book, the entire series, will stay with me forever. It is one of those series that I foresee myself re-reading until I know the entire thing by heart and then I will reread it just to see if there is anything that I forgot.
'...at least they're my arms that are attempting to comfort her, because even though she doesn't know it, I don't think that anyone could give her what I want to give her. I'd give her the fuckin' world if I could.'
Ryan's own story is completely tragic. The pain that you can feel radiating off of him is so strong. There is no way that most people could have dealt with the things that he did and came out on the other side as well as he did. He is just SO strong. It is this strength that makes him exactly perfect for Candace. He doesn't know that he possesses this strength though. He has relegated himself to never having a relationship because of things in his past.
'These photos are my past, a past where I never considered meeting a girl like Candace. A past full of masks, trying to hide from the person I was scared to be. A person that I am now realizing I might be able to be - because of her. Because she is the one I want to take are of - protect. No girl has ever made me feel that was, but she does, and wanting to love her is so much more powerful than my fear of loving her.'
While we know that Ryan was the one who found Candace after her attack, and the subsequent fallout when he figures it out, I was glad to know how much the knowledge and the consequences destroyed him. It was so sad to watch, as painful as it was for Candace the desolation that he feels was so much harder for me.
"This changes nothing for me. Okay? Nothing. No one will ever love you like I do." I kiss her. I fell it's all I can do right now to show her that I'm here and I'm not leaving her. When I do finally drag my lips away, I give her more of me when I say, "You are the only reason that there's light in my life. Before you there was nothing but darkness."
I am happy that we ended this series with Ryan's POV. I think that getting to know the characters, more personally, in the order we did made each book more powerful. We got to see the path of destruction that one tragedy can reek in so many lives and how the people living those lives have to help one another pick up the pieces to become whole again.
"I love you will never be enough for what I feel for you."
If a gun were to my head and I had to pick a favorite book from this series, I would say that this is it. Each book was better than the last and built more layers on the complexity of the story we already knew. This is, hands down, my favorite series of the year. Which would make Falling my favorite book of the year. If you haven't picked this series up yet, do yourself a favor and do. (Pick up up a case of tissues as well.)
'I never knew that a person could be capable of falling as hard as I have for Candace. I spent so many years fearing the fall, but she made it effortless, taking all my fears away. With her, I know I'll never get enough. I'm always gonna want more, and as I make love to {her}, I know I'm gonna spend the rest of my life falling.'
October 6, 2014
**ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review**
**5 Emotional charged stars**
If you liked Fading then let me tell you, you are going to like Falling. Yes I know the story and premise of the book is the same, but this book is so much more. We got to see things we didn't see or even know about in Fading. I thought I loved Ryan after reading Fading but let me tell you...I fell even more in love with him after reading his POV in Falling. I thought Fading was an amazing book, but let me tell you by reading Falling it just made this story that more amazing. I am so glad to read Ryan's side of the story, to me it really completes it. This book is just as emotional as Fading was. Not only do we relive Candace's pain and troubles we learn so much more about Ryan's past in this book. My heart broke for him on more then 1 occasion. I don't think I can truly express my love for this book/series in this review. I really don't think I can do it justice. E.K. Blair's writing was seamless and flawless. She has a way of sucking the readers in and not letting go. She makes you feel every emotion her characters are feeling. This book will pull so many feelings out of you, I laughed, cried, swooned, and got pissed but that is what makes this book a 5 star read!!! Even though this book retells the story of Fading, it will keep you wanting to turn the page to see what is new. I was intrigued all the way from the very first page to the very end. I loved the last 10 chapters and the epilogue. It really finished off Ryan and Candace's story. It even wraps up Jase and Mark's story. I was glad to see how they turned out as well.
The characters were still just as amazing in this book as in Fading. I loved that we got to see more interaction with Ryan's mom and cousins. The bond he has with his family was ever strong. I knew that I was going to love Ryan's POV after reading book 1 and I was right...I love him even more now. We truly find out how broken Ryan was. What his father did to him and his mom was horrible. We also got to see how Ryan felt and how he reacts to what happened to Candace. We also got to know some secrets about his mom in this book. The things we learn about both Ryan and his mom were shocking….I would've never guessed any of them. I loved watching Ryan, Jase and Marks friendship grow in this book. We actually see that they are better friends then we saw in Fading. We even see into the lives of Mel, Max and Traci.
I truly could go on and on about this book / series but I'll just leave you with this....READ THIS SERIES!!! You won't be disappointed.
For more reviews go to www.bookbitchesblog.com
**5 Emotional charged stars**
If you liked Fading then let me tell you, you are going to like Falling. Yes I know the story and premise of the book is the same, but this book is so much more. We got to see things we didn't see or even know about in Fading. I thought I loved Ryan after reading Fading but let me tell you...I fell even more in love with him after reading his POV in Falling. I thought Fading was an amazing book, but let me tell you by reading Falling it just made this story that more amazing. I am so glad to read Ryan's side of the story, to me it really completes it. This book is just as emotional as Fading was. Not only do we relive Candace's pain and troubles we learn so much more about Ryan's past in this book. My heart broke for him on more then 1 occasion. I don't think I can truly express my love for this book/series in this review. I really don't think I can do it justice. E.K. Blair's writing was seamless and flawless. She has a way of sucking the readers in and not letting go. She makes you feel every emotion her characters are feeling. This book will pull so many feelings out of you, I laughed, cried, swooned, and got pissed but that is what makes this book a 5 star read!!! Even though this book retells the story of Fading, it will keep you wanting to turn the page to see what is new. I was intrigued all the way from the very first page to the very end. I loved the last 10 chapters and the epilogue. It really finished off Ryan and Candace's story. It even wraps up Jase and Mark's story. I was glad to see how they turned out as well.
The characters were still just as amazing in this book as in Fading. I loved that we got to see more interaction with Ryan's mom and cousins. The bond he has with his family was ever strong. I knew that I was going to love Ryan's POV after reading book 1 and I was right...I love him even more now. We truly find out how broken Ryan was. What his father did to him and his mom was horrible. We also got to see how Ryan felt and how he reacts to what happened to Candace. We also got to know some secrets about his mom in this book. The things we learn about both Ryan and his mom were shocking….I would've never guessed any of them. I loved watching Ryan, Jase and Marks friendship grow in this book. We actually see that they are better friends then we saw in Fading. We even see into the lives of Mel, Max and Traci.
I truly could go on and on about this book / series but I'll just leave you with this....READ THIS SERIES!!! You won't be disappointed.
For more reviews go to www.bookbitchesblog.com
December 14, 2013
I have read a few sequel books where the author gives the reader the same story from a different character’s POV, and I usually enjoy experiencing familiar scenes from the other character’s perspective. To merely say that Falling was different, however, is an understatement, really. Yes, it is Candice and Ryan’s story (Fading) from Ryan’s POV, but then again, it isn’t. Although some of the parts of the story are familiar if you’ve already read Fading, Falling is NOT the same story. It really and truly stands on its own merits as a novel. It offered me everything I want as a reader, and even if I didn’t already know Candice’s side, it wouldn’t have mattered, because it was thoroughly and completely a story all its own.
In Falling, E.K. Blair gives us Ryan Campbell – the real Ryan Campbell – in a way that had me realizing I only knew him superficially before. Ryan is a deep and complex character; he’s probably one of the most realistic and authentic characters I’ve ever known. He is no fantasy book boyfriend-type personality. On the contrary, Ryan is real in every aspect of the character E.K. Blair has developed. Yes, I suppose you could call him broken, but the brokenness of Ryan is NOT who he is. The real Ryan is an amazing man who has experienced and endured things in his life that many of us couldn’t begin to imagine even in our worst nightmares. When we first meet him, we learn (but he also recognizes) that he has fallen into patterns of destructive behaviors to deal with his pain. However, Ryan has also been blessed with a large family who loves him, and he finds not only the strength to survive, but also the will to look for how to cope in healthier ways.
E.K. Blair has written Falling so skillfully and masterfully that it was a completely new and different story. It was not a mere retelling of the story from another point of view; it was truly Ryan’s story – not just the story of falling in love with Candice, but his story of growing up, surviving, facing his own fears, and becoming the man he needed and wanted to be for the one woman who means everything to him. Ryan says it best: “We may not have a fairytale meeting, and we may not always have sunshine and roses, but what we do have is a raw love that is honest and true.”
Thank you, E.K. I haven’t wept this inconsolably over a story for a long time.
5+ emotional stars!
In Falling, E.K. Blair gives us Ryan Campbell – the real Ryan Campbell – in a way that had me realizing I only knew him superficially before. Ryan is a deep and complex character; he’s probably one of the most realistic and authentic characters I’ve ever known. He is no fantasy book boyfriend-type personality. On the contrary, Ryan is real in every aspect of the character E.K. Blair has developed. Yes, I suppose you could call him broken, but the brokenness of Ryan is NOT who he is. The real Ryan is an amazing man who has experienced and endured things in his life that many of us couldn’t begin to imagine even in our worst nightmares. When we first meet him, we learn (but he also recognizes) that he has fallen into patterns of destructive behaviors to deal with his pain. However, Ryan has also been blessed with a large family who loves him, and he finds not only the strength to survive, but also the will to look for how to cope in healthier ways.
E.K. Blair has written Falling so skillfully and masterfully that it was a completely new and different story. It was not a mere retelling of the story from another point of view; it was truly Ryan’s story – not just the story of falling in love with Candice, but his story of growing up, surviving, facing his own fears, and becoming the man he needed and wanted to be for the one woman who means everything to him. Ryan says it best: “We may not have a fairytale meeting, and we may not always have sunshine and roses, but what we do have is a raw love that is honest and true.”
Thank you, E.K. I haven’t wept this inconsolably over a story for a long time.
5+ emotional stars!
December 11, 2013
HOLY SWEET BABY RYAN CAMPBELL.........................
To say that I loved Ryan's story is not true I mean I REALLY REALLY LOVED his story. E.K. has a way about her that keeps you reading well into the wee hours of the night. I mean I was totally blown away with Fading which was Candace's story but in that story we got to meet Jase who is Candace's best friend and Ryan who Candace likes but something tragic happened to Candace and she finds it hard to date but there is something about Ryan that keeps Candace checking him out and wanting to get to know him.
This is Ryan's story and holy mother lover it is a story. I knew he was broken from reading Fading and Freeing but just how broken we don't know until you read his story and my m,y my does Ryan have a story to tell. I will not spoil it with teasers or spoilers because this series is so off the hook I can't spoil it. I mean I was reading and I was yelling and screaming at my kindle like a loony person. I cried in a few places and the ending just the ending lord E.K. you brought me to my knees with that one. To say that I just could not wrap my mind around this book is such an understatement because I just couldn't think about anything other than Ryan and where he came from to where he ended up lord have mercy I LOVE that boy so much!
To say that I loved Ryan's story is not true I mean I REALLY REALLY LOVED his story. E.K. has a way about her that keeps you reading well into the wee hours of the night. I mean I was totally blown away with Fading which was Candace's story but in that story we got to meet Jase who is Candace's best friend and Ryan who Candace likes but something tragic happened to Candace and she finds it hard to date but there is something about Ryan that keeps Candace checking him out and wanting to get to know him.
This is Ryan's story and holy mother lover it is a story. I knew he was broken from reading Fading and Freeing but just how broken we don't know until you read his story and my m,y my does Ryan have a story to tell. I will not spoil it with teasers or spoilers because this series is so off the hook I can't spoil it. I mean I was reading and I was yelling and screaming at my kindle like a loony person. I cried in a few places and the ending just the ending lord E.K. you brought me to my knees with that one. To say that I just could not wrap my mind around this book is such an understatement because I just couldn't think about anything other than Ryan and where he came from to where he ended up lord have mercy I LOVE that boy so much!
December 14, 2013
ARC kindly provided in exchange for a fair and honest review. Spoiler free. 4.50 - 5 stars.
Falling (Fading #2) by E.K. Blair is told from Ryan’s POV. Essentially it’s the same story retold through Ryan's POV. This book does not feel rehashed since there is new material added and it’s from a diff POV. In Falling, we get to understand why Ryan is the way he is. This story feels fresh since Ryan’s POV added so much depth to this heartbreaking love story. I loved and getting in Ryan’s head and understanding why he closed himself off emotionally – it was key for me. Ryan created an emotional band aid with sex and booze to numb his feelings associated with his father and his painful home life. I recommend reading Fading(Book #1) before reading book two. Once again E.K. Blair pulled on my heartstrings with Ryan and Candace and their emotional journey. Her writing and character development are simply amazing. 4.50 - 5 stars. I would recommend reading this series if you are in the mood for some solid emotional Kindle Crack!
This review appears on www.kindlecrack.net, www.facebook.com/Kindlecrack, Goodreads, Amazon and Twitter.
Falling (Fading #2) by E.K. Blair is told from Ryan’s POV. Essentially it’s the same story retold through Ryan's POV. This book does not feel rehashed since there is new material added and it’s from a diff POV. In Falling, we get to understand why Ryan is the way he is. This story feels fresh since Ryan’s POV added so much depth to this heartbreaking love story. I loved and getting in Ryan’s head and understanding why he closed himself off emotionally – it was key for me. Ryan created an emotional band aid with sex and booze to numb his feelings associated with his father and his painful home life. I recommend reading Fading(Book #1) before reading book two. Once again E.K. Blair pulled on my heartstrings with Ryan and Candace and their emotional journey. Her writing and character development are simply amazing. 4.50 - 5 stars. I would recommend reading this series if you are in the mood for some solid emotional Kindle Crack!
This review appears on www.kindlecrack.net, www.facebook.com/Kindlecrack, Goodreads, Amazon and Twitter.
March 11, 2015
Ugh... If an author isn't going to write an adequate love scene, then he/she shouldn't write one at all. Did this author just copy the first boring love scene & then paste it half a dozen times throughout the course of the novel? (These scenes are so repetitive & so damn boring that I found myself skimming them). Moreover, I wanted to see how the heroine progressed in the year(s) since being brutally raped. Has she been able to move past her sexual fears & hangups? Being able to do so is a VERY important part of the healing process. However, we don't know how far the heroine has progressed since the author refused to "show" us or "tell" us. And don't even get me started on the Epilogue. It left me with more questions than answers.
Proper review to come... eventually.
*2/5 stars*
Proper review to come... eventually.
*2/5 stars*
August 17, 2022
MASTERPIECE. MASTERPIECE. MASTERPIECE.
I love these two so much.
I love these two so much.
August 6, 2015
’ve read the first book, Fading which is written in Candace point of view, a while back. I never got the chance to read the book in Ryan’s point of view. And I must say I loved it so much. Ryan is such a selfless caring guy and he was so patient and loving towards Candace. He really melts my heart.
What is this story about.
This story is the same as in the first book but in my opinion you don’t have to read that one to read and understand this one. Although the story is the same, there is so much more to it in my opinion. This story is in Ryan’s point of view. Ryan is a 28 man, and he’s just perfect. It wasn’t described, in this book what he looks like and I don’t remember but I pictures a man with a very hot body, tall, dark messy hair with blue/green/grey eyes.
Ryan has a tough childhood. His father was an abusive drunk and because of that Ryan is scared to get involved with girls, like a relationship, because he’s scared he’ll turn out like his father. Ryan owns a bar near campus which is quite successful One night he hears some noise near the dumpster behind his bar but he thinks nothing of it until he hears a girl scream. He runs out to see what is going on and finds this girl being beaten and raped. He doesn’t know who this girl is and neither the police or the hospital contacts him about anything related to the attack so he doesn’t know how this girl is doing and who she it. That night really messed with his head.
At his bar he needs a new band to play, and that’s how he became friends with mark and Jace. Jace is plays in the band that he booked for his bar. One morning he sees this girl working in a coffee shop and she reminds him of the girl that was attacked near his bar but he convinced himself that she couldn’t be. It turns out that this girl is very close friends with Jace. Ryan is really intrigued with this girl and wants to get to know her better. He didn’t know how hard that would be. Candace is very hard to read, doesn’t trust people easily and doesn’t really open up to anyone except Jace. Ryan doesn’t let that get in his way and he finds himself falling in love with her. Candace has her secrets and Ryan want to get her to open up to him, trust him, need him. But he doesn’t know he knew her secret all along. And that secret, the secret they both kept, is what might stand between them.
There are allot of amazing side characters in this book. There are Jace and Mark of course. Then there was Max, he’s the head of security for Ryans bar. Then there’s Mel and Zane. Mel also works for Ryan behind the bar.
Then there are Ryans mother donna and his cousin Traci. Besides tracy Ryan has more cousins and they all have children but I don’t remember all their names. There are allot more side characters but I really don’t remember them all.
What did I love about this book.
I just loved Ryan. He is such an amazing caring guy. He went through so much himself and he still manages to put that aside and give everything he has for Candace. I see allot from Candace in myself, so I could relate to her in some way. I understood the things she did, and why she acted some times and I wanted to hate her for putting Ryan threw the things she did but I understood her. I didn’t like seeing Ryan so hurt but I understood where she’s coming from.
I really loved the story, it showed me you can trust people. You just have to find the right people to trust. I showed me that people are willing to fight and wait for you, but you have to give them a chance. You have to let them in. Even though you’re scared shitless you have to try and push through it and try. You don’t have to let the pain you felt in the past, keep you from living in the present.
Quotes
Pain is a reminder you’re still alive
"You are the only reason there’s light in my life. Before you, there was nothing but darkness."
"You’re not gonna get drunk, slap my ass, and tell me how sexy I am, are you?"
What is this story about.
This story is the same as in the first book but in my opinion you don’t have to read that one to read and understand this one. Although the story is the same, there is so much more to it in my opinion. This story is in Ryan’s point of view. Ryan is a 28 man, and he’s just perfect. It wasn’t described, in this book what he looks like and I don’t remember but I pictures a man with a very hot body, tall, dark messy hair with blue/green/grey eyes.
Ryan has a tough childhood. His father was an abusive drunk and because of that Ryan is scared to get involved with girls, like a relationship, because he’s scared he’ll turn out like his father. Ryan owns a bar near campus which is quite successful One night he hears some noise near the dumpster behind his bar but he thinks nothing of it until he hears a girl scream. He runs out to see what is going on and finds this girl being beaten and raped. He doesn’t know who this girl is and neither the police or the hospital contacts him about anything related to the attack so he doesn’t know how this girl is doing and who she it. That night really messed with his head.
At his bar he needs a new band to play, and that’s how he became friends with mark and Jace. Jace is plays in the band that he booked for his bar. One morning he sees this girl working in a coffee shop and she reminds him of the girl that was attacked near his bar but he convinced himself that she couldn’t be. It turns out that this girl is very close friends with Jace. Ryan is really intrigued with this girl and wants to get to know her better. He didn’t know how hard that would be. Candace is very hard to read, doesn’t trust people easily and doesn’t really open up to anyone except Jace. Ryan doesn’t let that get in his way and he finds himself falling in love with her. Candace has her secrets and Ryan want to get her to open up to him, trust him, need him. But he doesn’t know he knew her secret all along. And that secret, the secret they both kept, is what might stand between them.
There are allot of amazing side characters in this book. There are Jace and Mark of course. Then there was Max, he’s the head of security for Ryans bar. Then there’s Mel and Zane. Mel also works for Ryan behind the bar.
Then there are Ryans mother donna and his cousin Traci. Besides tracy Ryan has more cousins and they all have children but I don’t remember all their names. There are allot more side characters but I really don’t remember them all.
What did I love about this book.
I just loved Ryan. He is such an amazing caring guy. He went through so much himself and he still manages to put that aside and give everything he has for Candace. I see allot from Candace in myself, so I could relate to her in some way. I understood the things she did, and why she acted some times and I wanted to hate her for putting Ryan threw the things she did but I understood her. I didn’t like seeing Ryan so hurt but I understood where she’s coming from.
I really loved the story, it showed me you can trust people. You just have to find the right people to trust. I showed me that people are willing to fight and wait for you, but you have to give them a chance. You have to let them in. Even though you’re scared shitless you have to try and push through it and try. You don’t have to let the pain you felt in the past, keep you from living in the present.
Quotes
Pain is a reminder you’re still alive
"You are the only reason there’s light in my life. Before you, there was nothing but darkness."
"You’re not gonna get drunk, slap my ass, and tell me how sexy I am, are you?"
December 9, 2013
*ARC provided for honest review*
I have had the privilege of beta reading for E.K. Blair for this series and it has truly been an honor to work with her. Due to personal commitments I was unable to work as much with her on this book and was so excited to receive the ARC. Let me tell you Falling (Book #2) is an absolute gem of a book. I do want to say that if you haven’t read Book #1 Fading, you really do need to read it first. Falling is told from Ryan’s POV but it’s important to first know the story through Candace’s POV which is what Fading is all about.
I have to say, I was blown away by Falling. Sometimes when I read an alternate POV book I get restless because I already know where the story is going, even though I’m reading it through someone else’s perspective. In this case, Falling is so much more. I realized as I was reading, how little we really knew about Ryan in Fading, and how much more there is to learn about him. He is a character of great depth and one full of emotion; the author really captures this in her writing. At times, I forgot I already knew the overall plot. I was so engrossed in the story. Ryan is such an amazing guy; his love for Candace is so powerful and so intense he wants nothing more than to make her happy and keep her safe and loved. I enjoyed getting to know him on such a deeper level. There is so much more to his character than what we experience in Fading. His close and upfront relationship with his mom is so refreshing; he confides in her when things get to be too much for him, he checks in with her regularly just to say hi, he is really a wonderful son. He is also close with his cousins, particularly Tori and again, it’s so nice to see a male character with this softer, family-oriented side to him. Especially given all the pain and suffering he went through in his past. We learn details about that time in his life that just make you want to cry, so keep those tissues handy. His family life growing up was horrific. Ryan’s friendships are also explored in greater detail, and I really loved his interactions with the guys at the bar, as well as Jase and Mark. I loved seeing his character grow and mature throughout the story as his feelings for Candace become stronger and his interest in meaningless casual sex fades away. In addition, we get a better glimpse into Jase and Mark’s relationship as Ryan gets to know them better and they fall into a comfortable close friendship. While it may have originated with Candace, they find a bond among them that can stand on its own.
What I really love about Falling is how well written it is. It’s a long book, longer than Fading, but yet it doesn’t feel that way as you read it because you are glued to the pages (or your screen). You want to know what happens, you want Ryan and Candace to get through all their rough patches and come out even stronger on the other side. She has so many issues and his patience with her is just amazing. Not many guys would wait for her as long as he does and take the relationship so slowly but he does it with such love and devotion to her. E.K. Blair has given us such incredible characters to fall in love with, and in Ryan’s story, she takes us beyond where Fading left off. We are brought further into Ryan and Candace’s future and it’s just perfect. I was so excited to see where it led and to know that they do get their HEA. While they got the HEA at the end of Fading, knowing where they are so far down the road is a wonderful way to end this story.
This book is so beautifully written, the descriptions are perfect, and I love how the author pays such attention to detail; clearly she has done her research. I also must say that this book is hot! The sex scenes are more frequent and as they are told from Ryan’s perspective, they are way more detailed, and really got my heart racing. Way to go E.K. Blair!
I loved Book 1 (Fading) and I loved Book 1.5 (Freeing), which is Jase’s story, but I must say I think this is my favorite book of the series. It is the best written and just a great story of love, hope, and trust. I highly recommend this series and hope you fall in love with Ryan and Candace as much as I have.
I have had the privilege of beta reading for E.K. Blair for this series and it has truly been an honor to work with her. Due to personal commitments I was unable to work as much with her on this book and was so excited to receive the ARC. Let me tell you Falling (Book #2) is an absolute gem of a book. I do want to say that if you haven’t read Book #1 Fading, you really do need to read it first. Falling is told from Ryan’s POV but it’s important to first know the story through Candace’s POV which is what Fading is all about.
I have to say, I was blown away by Falling. Sometimes when I read an alternate POV book I get restless because I already know where the story is going, even though I’m reading it through someone else’s perspective. In this case, Falling is so much more. I realized as I was reading, how little we really knew about Ryan in Fading, and how much more there is to learn about him. He is a character of great depth and one full of emotion; the author really captures this in her writing. At times, I forgot I already knew the overall plot. I was so engrossed in the story. Ryan is such an amazing guy; his love for Candace is so powerful and so intense he wants nothing more than to make her happy and keep her safe and loved. I enjoyed getting to know him on such a deeper level. There is so much more to his character than what we experience in Fading. His close and upfront relationship with his mom is so refreshing; he confides in her when things get to be too much for him, he checks in with her regularly just to say hi, he is really a wonderful son. He is also close with his cousins, particularly Tori and again, it’s so nice to see a male character with this softer, family-oriented side to him. Especially given all the pain and suffering he went through in his past. We learn details about that time in his life that just make you want to cry, so keep those tissues handy. His family life growing up was horrific. Ryan’s friendships are also explored in greater detail, and I really loved his interactions with the guys at the bar, as well as Jase and Mark. I loved seeing his character grow and mature throughout the story as his feelings for Candace become stronger and his interest in meaningless casual sex fades away. In addition, we get a better glimpse into Jase and Mark’s relationship as Ryan gets to know them better and they fall into a comfortable close friendship. While it may have originated with Candace, they find a bond among them that can stand on its own.
What I really love about Falling is how well written it is. It’s a long book, longer than Fading, but yet it doesn’t feel that way as you read it because you are glued to the pages (or your screen). You want to know what happens, you want Ryan and Candace to get through all their rough patches and come out even stronger on the other side. She has so many issues and his patience with her is just amazing. Not many guys would wait for her as long as he does and take the relationship so slowly but he does it with such love and devotion to her. E.K. Blair has given us such incredible characters to fall in love with, and in Ryan’s story, she takes us beyond where Fading left off. We are brought further into Ryan and Candace’s future and it’s just perfect. I was so excited to see where it led and to know that they do get their HEA. While they got the HEA at the end of Fading, knowing where they are so far down the road is a wonderful way to end this story.
This book is so beautifully written, the descriptions are perfect, and I love how the author pays such attention to detail; clearly she has done her research. I also must say that this book is hot! The sex scenes are more frequent and as they are told from Ryan’s perspective, they are way more detailed, and really got my heart racing. Way to go E.K. Blair!
I loved Book 1 (Fading) and I loved Book 1.5 (Freeing), which is Jase’s story, but I must say I think this is my favorite book of the series. It is the best written and just a great story of love, hope, and trust. I highly recommend this series and hope you fall in love with Ryan and Candace as much as I have.
December 11, 2013
Star rating: 5 stars!
Heat Rating: Simmering to Sizzle
I have been sitting, trying to write this review for a couple of days now. Why? Two reasons: 1. I am afraid if I write this review then the series will really be over and will have to let go of Ryan, Jase, Candace and Mark 2. I don't know how to write a review on a book (series, really) that touched me so profoundly that I can't talk about it without getting choked up. Not a bad problem to have really, unless you have a review blog :)
Falling is book two in the Fading series and to really get into the heads of all the characters I recommend that you read Fading first (then Freeing, Jase's story) before getting into Ryan's side of things. Yes, you could start with Falling and have a great read, but if you start at the beginning of this series you will have a much deeper connection to this story and see why this series makes my top 5 best books I have ever read list.
E.K. Blair has a gift. She can write a story and then give the reader two different versions of the same story (Fading and Falling) that are both unique, fascinating and heart-wrenchingly beautiful. I was afraid to read Falling (at first) because I was afraid that it would be too similar to Fading (which I adored), but I shouldn't have worried. Falling is very much its own story. Getting to see this story from Ryan's perspective was almost like reading an entirely different story. Ryan's side of the story seemed to be more emotional and heart-achingly beautiful than when I read Candace's side of things in Fading. I think tapping in to the thoughts and feelings of Ryan versus being with Candace through the trauma made a huge difference in its emotional impact on me (plus who wouldn't want to hear about how their man loves them as unconditionally as that?). I got caught up in the story all over again and then was a sobbing mess from being inside of Ryan's head and heart. Goosebumps. This series was so well written, so genuine that I had goosebumps the entire time I was reading it.
Falling was not easy to read, my heart knew what was coming and getting things from Ryan's side, just shattered me all over again before patching my heart back together. Before you wave off this story as just a re-telling let me tell you it is not a re-telling. We get to see different things in Falling than we did in Fading, we get to learn about Ryan and the last 20% is all new content where the story keeps going past the ending in Fading. I cried (sobbed really) throughout the last few pages, it was so amazing that I have actually gone back to re-read it part of this story again and again (and I am not a re-reader). I am still having a hard time "closing" this series in my heart. I loved Candace, Ryan, Jase and Mark and books (characters, really) that come after this series are going to have a LOT to live up to, the bar has been set pretty high.
I don't know what else to say about Falling and this series but this: You MUST read this series. You will be deeply connected to the characters, you will lose yourself in the touching stories and you will be left with this wonderful gift E.K Blair has given the world; the story of Ryan and Candace and how things sometimes have to fade before they can fall.
E.K Blair, thank you for sharing your stories with us, they touched my heart and will stay with me for a long time to come. I can't wait to see what you come up with next!
I ABSOLUTELY think everyone who loves to read about love, NEEDS to read this series. Give yourself the gift of the best series I have read in 2013 and buy up the Fading series.
Heat Rating: Simmering to Sizzle
I have been sitting, trying to write this review for a couple of days now. Why? Two reasons: 1. I am afraid if I write this review then the series will really be over and will have to let go of Ryan, Jase, Candace and Mark 2. I don't know how to write a review on a book (series, really) that touched me so profoundly that I can't talk about it without getting choked up. Not a bad problem to have really, unless you have a review blog :)
Falling is book two in the Fading series and to really get into the heads of all the characters I recommend that you read Fading first (then Freeing, Jase's story) before getting into Ryan's side of things. Yes, you could start with Falling and have a great read, but if you start at the beginning of this series you will have a much deeper connection to this story and see why this series makes my top 5 best books I have ever read list.
E.K. Blair has a gift. She can write a story and then give the reader two different versions of the same story (Fading and Falling) that are both unique, fascinating and heart-wrenchingly beautiful. I was afraid to read Falling (at first) because I was afraid that it would be too similar to Fading (which I adored), but I shouldn't have worried. Falling is very much its own story. Getting to see this story from Ryan's perspective was almost like reading an entirely different story. Ryan's side of the story seemed to be more emotional and heart-achingly beautiful than when I read Candace's side of things in Fading. I think tapping in to the thoughts and feelings of Ryan versus being with Candace through the trauma made a huge difference in its emotional impact on me (plus who wouldn't want to hear about how their man loves them as unconditionally as that?). I got caught up in the story all over again and then was a sobbing mess from being inside of Ryan's head and heart. Goosebumps. This series was so well written, so genuine that I had goosebumps the entire time I was reading it.
Falling was not easy to read, my heart knew what was coming and getting things from Ryan's side, just shattered me all over again before patching my heart back together. Before you wave off this story as just a re-telling let me tell you it is not a re-telling. We get to see different things in Falling than we did in Fading, we get to learn about Ryan and the last 20% is all new content where the story keeps going past the ending in Fading. I cried (sobbed really) throughout the last few pages, it was so amazing that I have actually gone back to re-read it part of this story again and again (and I am not a re-reader). I am still having a hard time "closing" this series in my heart. I loved Candace, Ryan, Jase and Mark and books (characters, really) that come after this series are going to have a LOT to live up to, the bar has been set pretty high.
I don't know what else to say about Falling and this series but this: You MUST read this series. You will be deeply connected to the characters, you will lose yourself in the touching stories and you will be left with this wonderful gift E.K Blair has given the world; the story of Ryan and Candace and how things sometimes have to fade before they can fall.
E.K Blair, thank you for sharing your stories with us, they touched my heart and will stay with me for a long time to come. I can't wait to see what you come up with next!
I ABSOLUTELY think everyone who loves to read about love, NEEDS to read this series. Give yourself the gift of the best series I have read in 2013 and buy up the Fading series.
December 15, 2013
Finding love where once only was a horrible tragedy is the light of this story. Losing who you are as a person, to finding yourself through the eyes of someone that loves ALL of you unconditionally. Both characters having lived through different tragedies, still found their true selves through each other..
E.K Blair you can write..you can evoke so many emotions with a simple sentence..I am not usually one to cry whilst reading and in all honesty I teared up twice..I know right? That good..
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Ryan was a broken soul, meandering from one vagina to the next. Not even taking the time to remember some of their names. He used women to numb his ever-racing mind. His mind that was stuck on re-play of the childhood he had to endure. Every step was a brief reminder of the man he refused to become. Growing up in an abusive household definitely molded the man he had become. Until one night, one broken girl, a tattoo and a memory that he could not shake.
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Candace had goals..she was a ballerina that wanted desperately to for her parents to accept her. She was willing to try and become anything for their approval. Because of just that she unexpectedly found herself in a situation no young girl should ever have to experience. Her life as she knew ended that fateful night..
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Little did she know that night also changed the path for Ryan..and their stories were intertwined forever..
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This story was powerful, for me it was even better than the first book. Maybe because Ryan was the pull for me in book one? Candace was not my favorite female lead, I hate to judge a woman’s reaction to this kind of horrible event but being a strong survivor I feel she was weaker than I would like to see. This story focused on Ryan’s side so you didn’t see her weaknesses as much as in the first book. That being said I did like Candace, definitely not hating on her..Ryan though..mmmm
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For more reviews come check us out at www.sizzlingpages.com or get nasty with us at https://www.facebook.com/sizzlingpages
E.K Blair you can write..you can evoke so many emotions with a simple sentence..I am not usually one to cry whilst reading and in all honesty I teared up twice..I know right? That good..
[image error]
Ryan was a broken soul, meandering from one vagina to the next. Not even taking the time to remember some of their names. He used women to numb his ever-racing mind. His mind that was stuck on re-play of the childhood he had to endure. Every step was a brief reminder of the man he refused to become. Growing up in an abusive household definitely molded the man he had become. Until one night, one broken girl, a tattoo and a memory that he could not shake.
[image error]
Candace had goals..she was a ballerina that wanted desperately to for her parents to accept her. She was willing to try and become anything for their approval. Because of just that she unexpectedly found herself in a situation no young girl should ever have to experience. Her life as she knew ended that fateful night..
[image error]
Little did she know that night also changed the path for Ryan..and their stories were intertwined forever..
[image error]
This story was powerful, for me it was even better than the first book. Maybe because Ryan was the pull for me in book one? Candace was not my favorite female lead, I hate to judge a woman’s reaction to this kind of horrible event but being a strong survivor I feel she was weaker than I would like to see. This story focused on Ryan’s side so you didn’t see her weaknesses as much as in the first book. That being said I did like Candace, definitely not hating on her..Ryan though..mmmm
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For more reviews come check us out at www.sizzlingpages.com or get nasty with us at https://www.facebook.com/sizzlingpages
December 9, 2013
First of all let me just say that this book cover is one of the most beautiful i have seen in a while.
I truly loved Fading and felt every shred of Candace’s pain and suffering, but Falling is Ryan’s side of there story and for some reason this book hit me deeper than the first.
I dont know whether it was because i knew the background to the story but to get it in Ryan’s words just tore me apart at times.
We get the same story as in Fading but we get so much more of Ryan’s back ground also, the pain and suffering he had as a child, the secrets he has kept for all his life about his father.
We understand why Ryan has been closed off, turned his emotions away so he doesnt feel most of the time, the ugliness of Ryan going through the motions of trying to numb out the pain and emptiness with alcohol and random sex with women. The drugs he took to cope with what was going on at home.
How Ryan’s past has shaped him into the man he is now.
Ryan’s mum is such a wonderful character, we see just how close Ryan is with his mum.
When Ryan meets Candace his whole life changes, he becomes her savior, her shoulder to cry on someone she can lean on. But in return Candace shows Ryan he is nothing like his father, he does deserve to be loved, She showed him that his heart was capable of love, that she was his light in a whole lot of darkness.
Candace is Ryan’s other half, and he hers.
The scene where Ryan see’s Candace’s tattoo again, god that ripped me up inside.
The way E K Blair has written this story is so very beautiful, yes there is the element of it is the same story but it had a whole new out look, it wasnt just a rehash of the last book, it felt like a new story was being told with every page.
E K Blair should be applauded for writing about a very delicate subject matter twice in fact, and in a male POV She absolutely nailed it.
This book is on of those epic, life changing, heart breaking, beautiful love stories that moves you deep down to your core.
I must say Ryan’s version is my favorite.
The epilogue was beautiful and really finished the book off to a very high standard.
A 5 star read is doing this book a huge injustice, there just are not enough stars to express how good this book and Fading really are.
I truly loved Fading and felt every shred of Candace’s pain and suffering, but Falling is Ryan’s side of there story and for some reason this book hit me deeper than the first.
I dont know whether it was because i knew the background to the story but to get it in Ryan’s words just tore me apart at times.
We get the same story as in Fading but we get so much more of Ryan’s back ground also, the pain and suffering he had as a child, the secrets he has kept for all his life about his father.
We understand why Ryan has been closed off, turned his emotions away so he doesnt feel most of the time, the ugliness of Ryan going through the motions of trying to numb out the pain and emptiness with alcohol and random sex with women. The drugs he took to cope with what was going on at home.
How Ryan’s past has shaped him into the man he is now.
Ryan’s mum is such a wonderful character, we see just how close Ryan is with his mum.
When Ryan meets Candace his whole life changes, he becomes her savior, her shoulder to cry on someone she can lean on. But in return Candace shows Ryan he is nothing like his father, he does deserve to be loved, She showed him that his heart was capable of love, that she was his light in a whole lot of darkness.
Candace is Ryan’s other half, and he hers.
The scene where Ryan see’s Candace’s tattoo again, god that ripped me up inside.
The way E K Blair has written this story is so very beautiful, yes there is the element of it is the same story but it had a whole new out look, it wasnt just a rehash of the last book, it felt like a new story was being told with every page.
E K Blair should be applauded for writing about a very delicate subject matter twice in fact, and in a male POV She absolutely nailed it.
This book is on of those epic, life changing, heart breaking, beautiful love stories that moves you deep down to your core.
I must say Ryan’s version is my favorite.
The epilogue was beautiful and really finished the book off to a very high standard.
A 5 star read is doing this book a huge injustice, there just are not enough stars to express how good this book and Fading really are.
January 23, 2015
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS....this is the book I have been looking for since I started this series...I liked but was disappointed in the characters in the first two books. But Ryan...OHHHHHHHHH Ryan. How do I love this character :-) I loved how he loved Candace. He was so patient with her, and helped her out so much. I loved how honest he was with her (well excluding the fact of how he knew her but that was understandable), if she asked him a question about another girl or how his life was before her...he told her straight up. I loved how he told her he was uncomfortable with her sleeping in the same bed with Jase, because I TOTALLY AGREE....I mean they kept saying but he is like my brother and she is like my sister, my family....well im sorry...but I have a brother and I would NEVER curl up with him and snuggle like that in bed...ew...just ew. Anyway I digress, I loved that he did things for her that she never knew about, like putting his ducks in a row if she ended up getting her shot in NY so he could go with her and seeing her dance when they were apart. But the thing I loved most about his character was that when the shit hit the fan and they were apart, he didn't go looking for the first available pussy he could find...even with Gavin throwing them at him. I loved that he said to Tori when she said
"We've all lost someone we loved only to find that it wasn't as deep of a love as we had thought when we finally find the one."
Ryan: "Is Max the one?"
Tori: "yeah"
Ryan: " And there's never been a question or hesitation about it?"
Tori: "No"
Ryan: " And what about the others you thought you loved? Any hesitation there?"
Tori: Nods her head yes
Ryan: "That's the difference here. Never was there a question or hesitation. And she wasn't just someone I loved."
THAT RIGHT THERE FOLKS....make Ryan one of the best (still have a huge Rush crush) hero I have read about. Ovaries literally exploded when I read that scene. I am so glad I stuck it out and read this last book :-)
"We've all lost someone we loved only to find that it wasn't as deep of a love as we had thought when we finally find the one."
Ryan: "Is Max the one?"
Tori: "yeah"
Ryan: " And there's never been a question or hesitation about it?"
Tori: "No"
Ryan: " And what about the others you thought you loved? Any hesitation there?"
Tori: Nods her head yes
Ryan: "That's the difference here. Never was there a question or hesitation. And she wasn't just someone I loved."
THAT RIGHT THERE FOLKS....make Ryan one of the best (still have a huge Rush crush) hero I have read about. Ovaries literally exploded when I read that scene. I am so glad I stuck it out and read this last book :-)
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