Under A Falling Star

by Susan Cochran

At 50, Claire Perry leads a charmed life. With a gorgeous pilot husband and three adult children, Claire is shocked when tragedy strikes and she discovers her husband has a second family.

A family her children want to embrace.

With her life in shambles, Claire struggles with the upheaval and escapes to her mountain cabin at Donner Lake and tries to pick up the pieces of her once happy world.

After a distinguished career in the Marine Corps, veteran Dean Perry returns home and settles at his lakefront cabin on the family compound, the perfect place to fight his internal demons after living a lifetime in a war zone. The last person he expects to see is Claire, the woman he left behind. The woman his brother married.

As Claire navigates the truth of her marriage, she must reach deep inside herself and find out if the hardest choice she's ever had to make is the right one.

233 pages, Paperback

Published May 15, 2024

About the author

Susan Cochran is an American author who writes romantic suspense, contemporary romance, women's fiction, and women detective crime fiction with strong women characters in her stories. Most of her romances have a good bit of spice, a healthy dose of humor and characters you're bound to love.
You'll often find her at her Lake Tahoe cabin at work on her next writing project.

Reviews

[Wendy Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel impressed me. A heartfelt, emotional roller-coaster of a story, the protagonist, Claire faces the death of her husband only to find he had for many years harboured a second family. A well-written yarn, the author has created a group of complex characters. The prose is divine. I was hooked at the beginning and remained enthralled until the close. But this is not just a beautiful story. Not far below the surface, there is a thoughtful exploration of concepts such as love, loss, grief and second chances. This is a solid five-star read, which I suspect has not received the attention it deserves. Read this novel. You won’t regret it.

[Jacqueline Johnston Cotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book with so much heart! I was hooked from page one. It was a great read and well written. The story was realistic and inspiring dealing with loss, secrets, second chances, romance, and family. The characters were strong and easy to relate to. Looking for a book that tugs those heartstrings? This is it, it has all the feels!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire was prepared to spend their thirtieth anniversary together after her pilot husband returns home but when she tries calling him he doesn’t answer, he sends a text saying he is still in Phoenix and won’t be home that night. Claire never thought he would miss their anniversary like he had last year.

When a tragedy strikes Claire is not at all ready for what she finds out. Her husband has been living a secret life. He has a child with another woman and now her children want to build a relationship with the other family. The first thing Claire wants to know is, if the boy is her late husband’s child.

Claire decides to take time to head to the family cottage to escape the new reality of her life. How could her husband do this to her and the kids? How did things go so wrong? She thought they had a good life. While staying at the cottage she notices her husband’s brother staying at the other family cottage. It has been so long since he was home and she was the last person he expected to see. Dean, a retired veteran of the Marine Corps is staying at the cottage to work through nightmares of living in a war zone throughout his career.

This was a quick and easy read. I enjoyed the characters in the story and quickly liked that Claire’s children wanted to get to know their brother and his mom. After all, it wasn’t the little guys fault for what was happening. It was nice that the whole family took him under their wings.

She soon realizes the secret of what kept her husband and his brother apart for so many years and must come to terms with her feelings and the decisions she will have to make in regards to so many things in her life now

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick, easy book and who enjoys a story of love and second chances

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Plot seems stilted and characters one dimensional

SPOILERS
Right away you find out her husband is having an affair, in fact has another family. He misses their anniversary and is with his mistress and son. From there the book becomes incredibly unrealistic and judgmental. Her daughter lectures her about meeting and making friends with the mistress after she forges a friendship with her and her half brother. You know where the plot is going, the “right” thing to do is embrace the mistress and child, even becoming friends. Oh HECK no! Everyone pressures her without respect for her feelings. The plot crawls forward with no real depth or emotion. Potential not met. Save your time for a better story.

[Moona · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Under A Falling Star" by Susan Cochran is a compelling exploration of love, betrayal, and resilience. At fifty, Claire Perry believes she has a perfect life with her pilot husband and their three grown children. However, her world is shattered when she learns of her husband’s secret second family, a revelation that her children are surprisingly eager to accept.

Devastated, Claire retreats to her mountain cabin at Donner Lake to find solace and make sense of her crumbling reality. In a twist of fate, she reconnects with Dean Perry, her husband’s brother and a decorated Marine Corps veteran who is also grappling with his own past traumas. Living in the same lakefront compound, Dean never expected to see Claire again, the woman he once loved and let go.

Cochran skillfully weaves a story of emotional upheaval and self-discovery as Claire navigates the painful truths of her marriage and considers her future. The reunion with Dean adds a layer of complexity and potential for healing, forcing Claire to make the hardest decision of her life.

"Under A Falling Star" is a poignant tale that will resonate with readers who appreciate stories about personal growth and the power of second chances. Cochran’s writing captures the depth of her characters’ struggles and the beauty of finding light after the darkness.

[Gwen Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

How would you handle it if on your anniversary your husband died? You are only 50 years old and not ready to face life alone. Read this great book and you will see how Claire Perry did it? Her and Clay have 3 children Robin 22 is in college and still living at home, Cole 24 is in the military stationed in Hawaii, and Martin 27 is a very busy plumber living in Reno. Still how do you go on when the man you have loved for so many years is now gone? The plans for retirement and growing old together gone? After the funeral when you go see the lawyer you find out that there was a big secret that your husband hid from you for years? How did Claire handle this news? How are the kids going to react?

This book is fantastic! I read it from beginning to end in one setting. And luckily, I had Kleenex at hand because I being a crier needed them. I highly recommend this book to you all, and I know you will enjoy it just as much as I did. This is the first book that I have read by Susan Cochran, but I will be looking for more of her books to read.

I got this book from BookSprout and will be happy to leave my review.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you do if you thought you had a pretty good life with your husband and family then he dies and your whole world is turned upside down by a secret family you knew nothing about? Well this happened to Claire and her grief, disbelief and heartbreak had me crying with her. She runs away to her cabin where she bumps into her brother in law who has his own demons to fight and who also had a thing for Claire even though she was married to his brother. It’s a story of loss and secrets but also of family, self discovery and second chances.

[Jody Weems · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story

Claire finds out about her husband's second family after he dies, and must deal with her children welcoming their five year old half brother into their lives. It was difficult to keep the characters straight, as their personalities were not fully developed until near the end of the book. The writing style was a bit too simple for my taste, the author could have ramped it up more and it would have been a better tale.

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This heart felt story drew me in and had me connecting with the characters as they come to terms with death, secrets and second chances for happiness. It is a well written story with inspiring characters that I enjoyed connecting with.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Claire and Dean’s story.
This is a well written easy to read, emotional roller coaster, with family, friendships, revelations, tragedy, heartbreak, disbelief, self-discovery, second chances, and love, which leads to an entertaining and compelling page turner.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed getting to know Claire and Dean and their families. It was wonderful to see them rekindling their friendship and moving it forward through the unexpected curve balls they were thrown.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story about lose, secrets, second chances, but above all family. Whether related by blood or chance.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[ramona mcconville · Rating 5 out of 5]

under a falling star

Emotional book , full of love for family ,despite grief, deceit , betrayal and loss,such a great read, loved it