Four years ago Adrianna was on top of the world. A bright girl who was going to be a pediatrician, she was ready to start med school with her best friend, Rachel. Closer than sisters, Adrianna and Rachel had opportunities others only dreamed about…until….
One night, one horrific accident and a one way trip to misery. Thank God for painkillers…only problem is all they do is postpone the inevitable.
Jack was easygoing and happy with his life. He had his job. He had his new car. Content, that’s what he was…until…
He meets her and he realizes there is more to life than the ordinary. He wants Adrianna. He wants to find out what she is hiding, make her see that she is worth loving, and bring the strength inside of her to the surface. But what will it cost him? What toll with their relationship take on the both of them?
There is no drug that will cure what ails them…only time, patience, trust, and love.
L Maretta, a full time educator, has a passion for many things but most of them have taken a back seat to writing. After writing for her own enjoyment since she was a teen, she finally decided to try sharing her work with the world, and her debut novel, Whatever It Takes, was published in June 2013. Her second novel, Falling From Disgrace, followed in August. She has a great love of books, and enjoys reading everything from horror to erotica.
She lives in Florida, where she thinks the heat is ridiculous, but survives it by lounging by the pool with her laptop and Kindle all summer.
L. Maretta’s books are not only engaging romance novels, but they are also stories that people can relate to. These are not fantasy stories with billionaire playboys and sex goddesses. The content is real, centering on the true trials and tribulations of every day life, making the reader feel much more connected to the characters.
I went into this book expecting a angsty romance with a got sexy hot guy and a broken girl , some drama maybe and of course some sexy scenes. What I got was a story that blew me away and surprised me over and over. I work in a pharmacy and I see addicts on a frequent basis. Addicts whose drug of choice is prescription pain killers. This is a very common thing today. It's very sad that a lot of these people were legitimately written prescriptions for real pain but gradually became addicted to the medication long after the physical issues were resolved. I never even thought I'd find a book that dealt with this issue in such a real, raw and honest way. I was blown away at the accuracy and the details that went into this story.
Adrianna was a girl on her way to a bright and successful future. One night took this all away.
Jack comes in and sees a sexy interesting woman and wants more than a one night stand. He gets a lot more. He becomes her light in the darkness and she shows him that sometimes loving someone doesn't have a to have a reason. You just have to let your heart feel what it feels. I found this story was bittersweet and very emotional. I loved how the relationship progressed in a natural way and honest and true feelings were addressed. We don't always have the answers and sometimes we just need to let somebody in. I'm so ready to see what happens to this amazing couple in the next book.
**So please to have had the opportunity to review this awesome love story **
How much is too much when it comes to needing those we love? Adrianna and Jack explore their level of love, their depth of need, and their overall sustainability in this romantic story about saving the one you love.
Adrianna had her entire future planned out until one tragic night ended all her hopes and dreams along with her best friend’s life. She suffers in a world of painkillers and numbness, hiding from her depression and from her reality. She pushes everyone who loves her away until she’s an empty shell stumbling by with only a laundry list of one-night stands to keep her company.
A night out at a new bar introduces Adrianna to Jack, a gorgeous bar owner who isn’t interested in anyone who is caught up in appearances and social networking. The mysterious girl at his bar hooks him with her vague answers and clear intentions. Her alluring combination of secrecy and transparency make Jack push for more than the one-night stand she offers and he refuses to take no for an answer.
Soon Adrianna finds herself letting in someone who could make her feel again, hurt again. She finds herself falling in love with Jack and the more time they spend together, the harder it is to hide her secrets.
One of my favorite things about FALLING FROM DISGRACE was that I could understand Adrianna’s guilt. So many times the protagonist will explain why they feel responsible and it’s obvious to everyone involved that they shouldn’t feel any guilt for what happened. But in Adrianna’s case, I could understand feeling that way and I think I would feel the same in her situation. It made it that much easier to identify with her self-loathing and self-destruction. At the same time I could also understand why she deserved to be happy, to live a life full of accomplishments and love. I loved that Jack was strong enough to want to help her out of her addiction and smart enough to take a head-on, full-speed-ahead approach. He didn’t mince words and he didn’t pussyfoot around; he meant business.
L. Maretta created a perfect ending for FALLING FROM DISGRACE; it was honest and just what Jack and Adrianna needed. Readers who enjoy a little bit of sadness mixed in with their romance will enjoy this story of love and forgiveness.
**Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
What was this book? What was the point of it? Nothing happened. Not really. The basic plot of the storyline happened and essentially concluded like in the first 1/4th of the book.
A one night stand-turned-relationship with ZERO buildup. Zero tension. How does the author manage that? I get there’s a bigger storyline here, her drug addiction. But that shit resolves itself waaaaaay early on in the book. They’re even throwing the L bomb around pretty early on.
The entire book I’m waiting for something to happen. Waiting for the catch..... but it never came. This was a love story with no real events. A story about overcoming addiction, except it really wasn’t. There’s a quick withdrawal scene that lasts for a few days but that’s it.
This was dumb. Completely uninspired, cheesy, and uneventful. And I’m shocked considering how much I LOVED her other book, “Whatever It Takes.”
Very emotional read. I really like the writing style of this author and was disappointed to find that the sequel she promised didn’t happen. I hope she can still come up with it but not looking likely now.
A story of friendship, loss and redemption. Adrianna had the perfect life, heading toward her dream of being a Pediatrician and her best friend by her side. In one horrible night, her dream is shattered and it leaves behind a lost, lonely shell unable to cope. Ade hides from her past, living a lie in Chicago under the veil of men and Vicodin. A night out at Loki's with her only friend Heather, leads her into the arms of Jack who breaks all her rules and finds a way past her defenses, but the fear of him discovering her secrets was overwhelming and frightening.
"Even if Jack wasn't disgusted by her life of doing nothing and living alone, he was bound to find out about her habit and she was sure he'd cut and run at that. What guy wanted to deal with a girl who was depressed, isolated and hooked on painkillers?"
Adrianna and Jack grow closer but he knows he is not getting the complete truth from her. When she finally comes clean, it is too late to shut him out, their feelings for each other running too deep. Jack comes to her with a plan and his support if she'll accept it. She decides love is enough to fight for, to get better and fight her addiction. Jack watches her agonizing withdrawal, going through his own personal agony over her pain.
"He felt completely helpless as he rocked her in his lap on the bathroom floor. He wanted to put Adrianna out of her misery and since knocking her out wasn't an option, he sang to her.
'Still my heart and hold my tongue. I feel my time, my time has come. Let me in, unlock the door. I've never felt this way before. For you, I'd wait 'til Kingdom come. Until my day, my day is done. Just say you'll come and set me free. Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me.'
He'd stay on the floor singing and humming to Adrianna all night if he needed to."
I think it was that moment, I clicked with Jack. I really liked his character, even though he could be a bit frustrating and bullheaded. Ade is a strong female lead and overcame a lot in such a short time. The strong connection between the characters was portrayed beautifully and I wish there was a little more focus on their relationship and a little less on their questioning of emotions for each other. In the end, it all comes together and even though your heart is aching, you find a reason to smile again.
"I need you Adrianna. I need you more than I can even put into words and more than you can possibly imagine; and not to feel like a hero but to feel whole."
Adrianna had a great life, she was going to attend medical school to become a pediatrician, her future was hers to grab. When a horrific car accident takes not only her dreams away, but her best friend as well, she spirals down a path that is fueled by her need of pain killers. She blames herself for the accident, and doesn’t see hope for her future until she meets Jack.
Jack is perfectly happy with his life. He has a successful bar, he is laid back and happy. When he meets Adrianna he can’t help but to want to get to know her more. When learns of Adrianna’s dependency to pain killers is it what drives him away or will he stay and help her lift herself up from her fall from disgrace?
Adrianna knew that she had an issue with the pain pills, but felt that she wouldn’t be able to handle not only the pain from her injuries but from the depression as well. She closed herself off, lied to people and basically didn’t let anyone close. When she meets Jack she tries to push him away like she has done everyone else, but he won’t let her. She needed Jack in her life, he didn’t judge her, he was there for her and he encouraged her to get better. Once she was able to move past all of her emotional and physical pain and problems, I connected with her more.
Jack is the type of guy who all women who are in trouble need in their lives. He doesn’t have a hero complex, he is just a nice guy who cares and will help those he loves as much as he can. Jack knew something was going on with Adrianna, and didn’t give up on her even when she would lie or push him away. Jack really earned my respect because most men I know would have ran in the opposite direction as fast as they could.
Falling From Disgrace overall was a good read, at times it did drag on and could have moved along faster. It took me a while to connect with Adrianna’s character when I connected with Jack almost from the start. This story is one of redemption, healing, recovery and being able to move on from the past. While I did have some issues with the writing, I will still recommend this book to be read by others.
I really enjoyed Falling From Disgrace there was never a dull moment. Adrianna is a very strong character she finds herself a bit broken in the beginning putting blame on herself for the death of her best friend. She leaves her hometown because everything is a reminder of her loss and the blame. Adrianna attempts to start over but only finds herself taking painkillers to numb the pain both physically and emotionally. The closest thing to a friend she has is her neighbor Heather. One day Heather convinces her to have a girl's night out and she agrees, this moment is when she meets Jack, he is handsome, kind and far to good for her or at least that's what Adrianna thinks. She feels like once he gets to know her the real her he will run away but the more time they spent together the closer he gets and the more he wants to help. The relationship seems stuck at one point because of the lies she holds she is scared of losing him, will she be able to explain everything to him, her past, her dependency on pain killers, and her grief?
This is the second book by L. Maretta that I have had the pleasure to read and it is just as wonderful, if not better than the first book I read. She writes characters that you fall in love with, flaws and all. None of the people in her book are perfect and that's what makes them so relatable. Her writing style also really draws you into the book along with a plot line that is a refreshing change from the typical romance plot of wealthy dominant man saves submissive poor girl. For me, the cherry on top to reading Falling from Disgrace are the seriously hot sex scenes. These scenes give me tingles and often have me setting the book aside to relieve some tension - they are THAT good! I know I will be returning to read this book several times because it is the perfect combination of good writing, relatable characters, interesting plot, and hot sex. Do yourself a favor and read this book today!
I wanted to read this book for such a long time because I absolutely loved L.MARETTA's first one "Whatever It Takes" (If you didn't read it yet i highly recomment it!). I took my time to read this story because of my busy schedule but also because I didn't want it to finish! She blown me away once again, first by her writing talent but also by the reality of her story. Thanks to that you can easily relate to the character but most of all feel the different emotions she is going through since the first page until the end of the story.
As her first book, at the end of this one there's a life lesson: You may lost someone and think that you'll never grief but with time and the right people around you, you are going to be able to move on with your life, that doesn't mean that you will forget them just learn to live with it.
I have not read this author previously and am SO glad this book was recommended! The writing style pulls you in right away by giving you glimpses into the thoughts and feeling of each character at different times throughout the story. This makes it a more unique and meaningful reading experience. The characters are full of passion and are made meaningful by the smart, charming writing. Cannot wait for book #2 in this series!
This is a moving story about life after tragedy. Adrianna has a long road ahead of her in order to recover from the accident that killed her best friend. Jack enters her life and helps her to fight her addiction and grief while at the same time dealing with his own grief and confusion. I liked the twist toward the end. It gives the book an uncertain ending and jolt of excitement.
I. have been waiting to read this book for a long time. I was not disappointed. Ade and Jack's story was of love..needing. compassion..self preservation and healing. I related so much to this story..as I went through 4 yrs of dependency before my back surgery. This is such a touching story and I so LOVED IT.Bravo L Maretta
Omg! this book is now in my top 5 hands down. The passion and whole heartedness that Jack and Adrianna has is unbelievable. Goodness gracious I need more....lots more. I couldn't stop and didn't stop until I was finished. Amazing. ...........simply amazing
5 stars for such a beautiful Story! The story was told in such a way that I felt every bit of pain that Adrianna felt. Jack wasn't made out to be the perfect hero, which happens so often in books. I'm so glad this author tweeted me the name of this book! I feel like I found a gem!
This book kept me hooked from beginning to end. The story was beautiful, yet heartbreaking. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to take an emotional rollercoaster ride. Also, the author is awesome!!
This was absolutely amazing. It had the perfect balance of passion, betrayal, humor, and redemption. The road to forgiveness is not always graceless on a rocky road. This is a must read book.