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The Falls
For as long as she can remember, Teagan Bliss has wanted to manage her family's property. She's invested everything in the farm, knowing that when her parents retire she'll be ready to take the reins. But when a family betrayal leaves her reeling, Teagan is forced to rethink her entire future.
Heartbroken, Teagan flees to her aunt's property in the idyllic Falls Valley. Vanessa is warm and welcoming and a favourite of the locals who drop in regularly for cocktail hour. Teagan soon catches the attention of sexy local farrier Lucas Knight, and with a new job, new friends and the prospect of a new relationship, she slowly begins to open up again.
But the village is a hotbed of gossip and division and when Teagan gets caught up in town politics, Lucas and Vanessa become concerned. As the tension in town escalates, Teagan must decide who to trust. But when she realises those close to her have been keeping secrets, the fallout may split Teagan apart forever.
Heartbroken, Teagan flees to her aunt's property in the idyllic Falls Valley. Vanessa is warm and welcoming and a favourite of the locals who drop in regularly for cocktail hour. Teagan soon catches the attention of sexy local farrier Lucas Knight, and with a new job, new friends and the prospect of a new relationship, she slowly begins to open up again.
But the village is a hotbed of gossip and division and when Teagan gets caught up in town politics, Lucas and Vanessa become concerned. As the tension in town escalates, Teagan must decide who to trust. But when she realises those close to her have been keeping secrets, the fallout may split Teagan apart forever.
402 pages, Paperback
First published April 22, 2015
9 people are currently reading
156 people want to read
About the author
Cathryn Hein
34 books177 followersCathryn Hein is a best-selling author of rural romance and romantic adventure novels, a Romance Writers of Australia Romantic Book of the Year finalist with Santa and the Saddler, and a regular Australian Romance Reader Awards finalist.
A South Australian country girl by birth, Cathryn loves nothing more than a rugged rural hero who’s as good with his heart as he is with his hands, which is probably why she writes them! Her romances are warm and emotional, and feature themes that don’t flinch from the tougher side of life but are often happily tempered by the antics of naughty animals. Her aim is to make you smile, sigh, and perhaps sniffle a little, but most of all feel wonderful.
Cathryn lives in Newcastle, Australia with her partner of many years, Jim. When she’s not writing, she plays golf (ineptly), cooks (well), and in football season barracks (rowdily) for her beloved Sydney Swans AFL team.
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A South Australian country girl by birth, Cathryn loves nothing more than a rugged rural hero who’s as good with his heart as he is with his hands, which is probably why she writes them! Her romances are warm and emotional, and feature themes that don’t flinch from the tougher side of life but are often happily tempered by the antics of naughty animals. Her aim is to make you smile, sigh, and perhaps sniffle a little, but most of all feel wonderful.
Cathryn lives in Newcastle, Australia with her partner of many years, Jim. When she’s not writing, she plays golf (ineptly), cooks (well), and in football season barracks (rowdily) for her beloved Sydney Swans AFL team.
Do you love free stories? Join my newsletter team for new release news, teasers, book sales and more, along with access to my collection of smile-inducing romantic short stories.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 20, 2015
4.5★s
The devastation Teagan Bliss was feeling as she drove the long distance between her home in South Australia – or the only home she had ever known, which was no longer her home – and her Aunt Vanessa’s property at Falls Valley, New South Wales, was deep and soul destroying. The future she had always envisioned was gone; lost forever with the betrayal by those she loved making it so much worse.
Vanessa was like a breath of fresh air – welcoming and loving; Teagan felt that maybe she could be happy in this little country town. It would take a while for her to work out what her future would be, but the peace and tranquillity of the valley started working immediately. With the few locals who visited Falls Farm on a regular basis, Teagan felt an immediate affinity to local farrier Lucas Knight. Good looking and popular, Lucas seemed to find Teagan intriguing. But she couldn’t believe he was interested in her – she wasn’t good enough for the likes of Lucas – was she?
Slowly Teagan began to feel better within herself – the new job with horses was wonderful, especially as she had had to sell her own horse, Astra; and the gentle feeling of closeness she was beginning to feel with Lucas – a few new friends – could she really be happy in Falls Valley? Suddenly though, the division throughout the little town between the owner of the Wellness Centre and the locals began involving Teagan – there was bitterness and hate – one side against the other. What was she to do?
I very much enjoyed The Falls, which is the latest release by Aussie author Cathryn Hein. A couple of the characters from the excellent Rocking Horse Hill also put in an appearance which was great. The side characters of Claudia, Mouse, Blanche, Betty, Wilma, Saffy and Merlin (all various temperamental animals) had me laughing out loud at their antics, with the author’s sense of humour shining through. I have no hesitation in recommending The Falls highly.
With thanks to Penguin Random House for my ARC to read and review.
The devastation Teagan Bliss was feeling as she drove the long distance between her home in South Australia – or the only home she had ever known, which was no longer her home – and her Aunt Vanessa’s property at Falls Valley, New South Wales, was deep and soul destroying. The future she had always envisioned was gone; lost forever with the betrayal by those she loved making it so much worse.
Vanessa was like a breath of fresh air – welcoming and loving; Teagan felt that maybe she could be happy in this little country town. It would take a while for her to work out what her future would be, but the peace and tranquillity of the valley started working immediately. With the few locals who visited Falls Farm on a regular basis, Teagan felt an immediate affinity to local farrier Lucas Knight. Good looking and popular, Lucas seemed to find Teagan intriguing. But she couldn’t believe he was interested in her – she wasn’t good enough for the likes of Lucas – was she?
Slowly Teagan began to feel better within herself – the new job with horses was wonderful, especially as she had had to sell her own horse, Astra; and the gentle feeling of closeness she was beginning to feel with Lucas – a few new friends – could she really be happy in Falls Valley? Suddenly though, the division throughout the little town between the owner of the Wellness Centre and the locals began involving Teagan – there was bitterness and hate – one side against the other. What was she to do?
I very much enjoyed The Falls, which is the latest release by Aussie author Cathryn Hein. A couple of the characters from the excellent Rocking Horse Hill also put in an appearance which was great. The side characters of Claudia, Mouse, Blanche, Betty, Wilma, Saffy and Merlin (all various temperamental animals) had me laughing out loud at their antics, with the author’s sense of humour shining through. I have no hesitation in recommending The Falls highly.
With thanks to Penguin Random House for my ARC to read and review.
April 28, 2015
The Falls is Cathryn Hein's sixth novel, loosely linked to Rocking Horse Hill.
Teagan Bliss is devastated when her father gambles away the family property, Pinehaven, and with it her future hopes and dreams. Betrayed and heartbroken, she seeks sanctuary at the home of her Aunt Vanessa in the Falls Valley, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. It takes time but slowly the idyllic surrounds of Falls Farm, the loving concern of her aunt, a new job, and the attentions of local farrier, Lucas Knight, encourage Teagan to see beyond what she has lost, but how can she trust in the vision of a new future, when she can't trust in herself?
Teagan is not an easy character, though she engenders sympathy for the losses she has endured, her spiraling depression means she is closed off, prickly, and with her self esteem at rock bottom, always expecting the worst. Hein ably explores Teagan's experience as she tries to fight off the 'blackness' that threatens to overtake her.
The romance between Teagan and Lucas is fairly low key given Teagan's fragile emotional state. Though their attraction is mutual, Teagan is unable to believe Lucas could be interested in her and it takes Lucas a while to convince her otherwise. I liked Lucas, he proves to be kind and responsible, though perhaps a little naive in dealing with Teagan's depression.
The chemistry between Vanessa and Domenic add interest to the plot along with Vanessa's reservations about Domenic's motives, and Domenic's relationship with Lucas. So to does the complicated relationship between local vet, Bunny, and Duncan.
As always, Hein supports her protagonists with a community of colourful people and animals, from local busybody Colin, to Merlin the ram, and Falls Valley is vividly depicted from the rolling rural landscape to the main street of town. While cricket unites the Valley, plans for the expansion of a nearby exclusive 'wellness' center threatens to tear it apart and the tension affects Teagan who gets caught in the middle.
A little more ambitious in scope than her previous novels, The Falls is an engaging contemporary story about family, love, romance, belonging and healing, blending heartfelt romance with impassioned drama in rural Australia.
April 26, 2015
For Tegan Bliss, managing the family property has been her lifelong ambition. Her brother didn’t seem particularly interested and Tegan had worked hard, saved hard, to be able to accomplish her goal. But then she was betrayed by the people that should have protected her, the ones that should have fostered and nurtured her ambition. And Tegan was left devastated, homeless, directionless and feeling alone.
To heal, she heads to her aunt’s property in Falls Valley New South Wales, far away from her childhood home. Tegan’s aunt Vanessa is much younger than Tegan’s mother and Tegan has always known there’s been some tension. For her, this is a perfect place to recuperate and regroup. Vanessa is a fabulous host and her place is always humming with visitors who pop by for Vanessa’s popular cocktail hour. There are plenty of animals for Tegan to bond with – and some she’d rather not. She finds herself a job working with horses and then there’s Lucas Knight, the local farrier. Possibilities are endless.
But the sanctuary Tegan seeks can’t last forever and she’s stunned when she’s followed to Vanessa’s by someone she’d rather not see, who brings up the memory of pain and betrayal. She throws herself into local politics, something that Vanessa knows can’t end well. Tegan is already in a fragile state of mind and when she realises just how many people around her are still keeping secrets, it’s going to tear her apart.
The Falls is Cathryn Hein’s fifth novel and is very loosely linked to the previous, Rocking Horse Hill. Tegan is one of Emily from RHH’s best friends and her story begins in that novel as her ambition and later devastation is showcased alongside Emily’s story. In the opening of this story, Tegan has arrived at the property of her aunt Vanessa in New South Wales, needing some time to get away and recover from the betrayal she experienced and the loss of her home. Tegan is angry – very angry and she’s also suffering from a sort of blackness that threatens to take hold of her. At times her voice is quite dark and it’s clear that Tegan is a person who is experiencing a lot of pain without a way to vent it.
Unfortunately there’s no getting around the fact that I have a couple of issues with this book, things that didn’t particularly work for me. For a start, it does feel a bit overlong and there’s a lot of filler scenes where random people just roll up to Vanessa’s to drink specific drinks on specific days and at times, it doesn’t feel like these scenes do anything to advance the plot (or in some cases, Lucas and Tegan’s very fledgling romance). The character of Vanessa didn’t do much for me individually but when put together with businessman Dominic, who owned a nearby rehabilitation centre and wellness facility that was controversial for the locals, she became interesting. Actually for a while there, Vanessa and Dominic’s dance around each other was far more interesting than anything else happening in the book and they do have quite an appealing chemistry.
It’s rare for me not to love a Hein hero but I didn’t really fall in love with Lucas. Their first meeting was awkward, especially when he told Tegan that although he found her physically attractive and his type, she was too skinny. I don’t believe that should be any more acceptable than telling someone that she’s his type but too fat. Tegan does have reasons for being underweight but I don’t feel as though anyone does her any favours by addressing these in a productive way. Instead people just tell her she’s too skinny (including the guy she’s attracted to) which tends to just make her self esteem even worse and she’s always thinking of ways to hide her skinny body or wondering if Lucas is repulsed by it. When they do begin to put together a tentative relationship, Lucas seems to take on far too much responsibility for Tegan’s general mental health and stability, which doesn’t take much to figure out can’t end well. He doesn’t help the situation by keeping things from her – things that to be honest, wouldn’t be too earth shattering in a normal situation but with Tegan’s prejudice and issues, end up being just another sign to her that people betray her and don’t trust her.
Interestingly enough, my favourite scene with Tegan is when she stands up for herself and lets fly at one of the people that hurt her. It might be the wrong one in a way – someone more enabling than guilty but I felt such satisfaction that Tegan was getting a chance to actually tell people how she felt, how utterly devastated and betrayed she was, how angry and how disappointed because it seems as though this is a bit glossed over. It’s also a scene that causes other characters to turn on her for going too far so maybe I’m just the bloodthirsty sort who enjoys a good chance for vengeance. I actually don’t think there was anything wrong with how angry Tegan was apart from the fact that she wasn’t moving on from it even when things started to turn around. Venting that anger should’ve been a natural part of it, instead she’s made feel ashamed about it which seems to only make things worse when she believes that people who have supported her are now upset with her. Tegan’s anger was justified, at least to me. She should’ve gotten to aim it at one more person too, before she embarked on her journey of therapy and healing!
For me The Falls was not without its issues but it’s still a very readable and enjoyable story focusing on putting yourself and your family back together again after both have been torn apart. Tegan does experience a lot of personal growth in the book and her relationship with Lucas can only grow and strengthen as well once everything is out in the open and they can focus on themselves rather than the myriad of issues and secrets around them. I really enjoyed the setting in this book, the property where Tegan comes to try and heal and there’s a lot of colour in the local community and as always, a few animals of character to lighten things up! There is a third book to come, featuring Emily and Tegan’s friend Jasmine and I am dying to read that and see precisely what Jasmine’s story is from the snippets we’ve been fed by her friends.
To heal, she heads to her aunt’s property in Falls Valley New South Wales, far away from her childhood home. Tegan’s aunt Vanessa is much younger than Tegan’s mother and Tegan has always known there’s been some tension. For her, this is a perfect place to recuperate and regroup. Vanessa is a fabulous host and her place is always humming with visitors who pop by for Vanessa’s popular cocktail hour. There are plenty of animals for Tegan to bond with – and some she’d rather not. She finds herself a job working with horses and then there’s Lucas Knight, the local farrier. Possibilities are endless.
But the sanctuary Tegan seeks can’t last forever and she’s stunned when she’s followed to Vanessa’s by someone she’d rather not see, who brings up the memory of pain and betrayal. She throws herself into local politics, something that Vanessa knows can’t end well. Tegan is already in a fragile state of mind and when she realises just how many people around her are still keeping secrets, it’s going to tear her apart.
The Falls is Cathryn Hein’s fifth novel and is very loosely linked to the previous, Rocking Horse Hill. Tegan is one of Emily from RHH’s best friends and her story begins in that novel as her ambition and later devastation is showcased alongside Emily’s story. In the opening of this story, Tegan has arrived at the property of her aunt Vanessa in New South Wales, needing some time to get away and recover from the betrayal she experienced and the loss of her home. Tegan is angry – very angry and she’s also suffering from a sort of blackness that threatens to take hold of her. At times her voice is quite dark and it’s clear that Tegan is a person who is experiencing a lot of pain without a way to vent it.
Unfortunately there’s no getting around the fact that I have a couple of issues with this book, things that didn’t particularly work for me. For a start, it does feel a bit overlong and there’s a lot of filler scenes where random people just roll up to Vanessa’s to drink specific drinks on specific days and at times, it doesn’t feel like these scenes do anything to advance the plot (or in some cases, Lucas and Tegan’s very fledgling romance). The character of Vanessa didn’t do much for me individually but when put together with businessman Dominic, who owned a nearby rehabilitation centre and wellness facility that was controversial for the locals, she became interesting. Actually for a while there, Vanessa and Dominic’s dance around each other was far more interesting than anything else happening in the book and they do have quite an appealing chemistry.
It’s rare for me not to love a Hein hero but I didn’t really fall in love with Lucas. Their first meeting was awkward, especially when he told Tegan that although he found her physically attractive and his type, she was too skinny. I don’t believe that should be any more acceptable than telling someone that she’s his type but too fat. Tegan does have reasons for being underweight but I don’t feel as though anyone does her any favours by addressing these in a productive way. Instead people just tell her she’s too skinny (including the guy she’s attracted to) which tends to just make her self esteem even worse and she’s always thinking of ways to hide her skinny body or wondering if Lucas is repulsed by it. When they do begin to put together a tentative relationship, Lucas seems to take on far too much responsibility for Tegan’s general mental health and stability, which doesn’t take much to figure out can’t end well. He doesn’t help the situation by keeping things from her – things that to be honest, wouldn’t be too earth shattering in a normal situation but with Tegan’s prejudice and issues, end up being just another sign to her that people betray her and don’t trust her.
Interestingly enough, my favourite scene with Tegan is when she stands up for herself and lets fly at one of the people that hurt her. It might be the wrong one in a way – someone more enabling than guilty but I felt such satisfaction that Tegan was getting a chance to actually tell people how she felt, how utterly devastated and betrayed she was, how angry and how disappointed because it seems as though this is a bit glossed over. It’s also a scene that causes other characters to turn on her for going too far so maybe I’m just the bloodthirsty sort who enjoys a good chance for vengeance. I actually don’t think there was anything wrong with how angry Tegan was apart from the fact that she wasn’t moving on from it even when things started to turn around. Venting that anger should’ve been a natural part of it, instead she’s made feel ashamed about it which seems to only make things worse when she believes that people who have supported her are now upset with her. Tegan’s anger was justified, at least to me. She should’ve gotten to aim it at one more person too, before she embarked on her journey of therapy and healing!
For me The Falls was not without its issues but it’s still a very readable and enjoyable story focusing on putting yourself and your family back together again after both have been torn apart. Tegan does experience a lot of personal growth in the book and her relationship with Lucas can only grow and strengthen as well once everything is out in the open and they can focus on themselves rather than the myriad of issues and secrets around them. I really enjoyed the setting in this book, the property where Tegan comes to try and heal and there’s a lot of colour in the local community and as always, a few animals of character to lighten things up! There is a third book to come, featuring Emily and Tegan’s friend Jasmine and I am dying to read that and see precisely what Jasmine’s story is from the snippets we’ve been fed by her friends.
April 15, 2015
A knockout of a read that had me completely captivated from the first page. A non stop mix of heartbreaking drama, hilarity and emotions from many of the characters that pulled me into the story and at many instances, made for a blast of a read. The numerous one liners and comical dialogue and outbursts from the characters had this reader laughing out loud throughout this story! The Falls by Cathryn Hein is one of the best books I've read this year. From the characters, the setting, the antics - the whole book was just an awesome read.
*Thank you to Penguin Random House for the review copy
*Thank you to Penguin Random House for the review copy
December 13, 2017
You will enjoy 'The Falls' by Cathryn Hein if you like Australian family sagas and a country romance. The plot involves a young woman Teagan who is left broke and angry because of her father's actions and escapes to her aunt's farm north of Sydney. Judging by other reviews, I am alone in this, but I have rated it 'ok' because I was annoyed with the constant repetition. Throughout the 400 pages of the book we are repeatedly told that Teagan is a fragile, beautiful redhead, Luke is a sensitive, kind guy with Greek god looks, aunt Vanessa is a voluptuous woman who all the men of the district lust after, and the village gossipers carry on with rude and spiteful remarks. Teagan's behaviour, attributed to depression, seems more like a whiney teenager; her constant negativity wore me down. But it is good that depression is discussed, and perhaps this is more realistic that I realise; I just think it could have been handled better. But I did enjoy the evocative descriptions of the bush.
October 28, 2023
Will losing the home she loves mean finding the place she belongs? All her life Teagan Bliss believed she'd one day run the family farm, until a terrible betrayal shatters her dream. Heartbroken, Teagan flees to her Aunt Vanessa's property in the idyllic Falls Valley where she soon catches the attention of sexy local farrier Lucas Knight. With a new job, new friends and the prospect of a new relationship, Teagan's hope in the future slowly returns. But beneath the tranquil village surface lies an underbelly of gossip and division, and when Teagan gets caught up in town politics, Lucas and Vanessa worry she's entered a dangerous game. As tension escalates, Teagan must decide who to trust, but nothing is ever clear-cut in The Falls. Is Lucas too good to be true? And what is her aunt hiding? When she discovers the truth, the fallout may split Teagan apart forever. With its menagerie of cute animals and colourful locals, family drama and romance, The Falls is an uplifting story of healing and hope.
December 31, 2025
Teagan Bliss has arrived in the Falls Valley to heal after her father has lost the family farm with some online scheme. The very farm she was hoping to run herself when the time came.
She has arrived for some time-out at her Aunt Vanessa's farm, where she meets the very handsome farrier Lucas Knight. Lucas shows interest in her straight away, but Teagan wonders why he would choose her as she is not good enough for the likes of him. As she slowly unwinds and comes to terms with her past hurts, she begins to make friends, find a job, and maybe a partner.
Then she is thrown into turmoil, when she finds out that those whom are her family and friends have been keeping secrets. The town is in division about a wellness centre there, and she needs to learn who to trust and who not to.
A very interesting story about love, trust, and family with some strong characters working their way through the jungle of life. Well worth the read.
She has arrived for some time-out at her Aunt Vanessa's farm, where she meets the very handsome farrier Lucas Knight. Lucas shows interest in her straight away, but Teagan wonders why he would choose her as she is not good enough for the likes of him. As she slowly unwinds and comes to terms with her past hurts, she begins to make friends, find a job, and maybe a partner.
Then she is thrown into turmoil, when she finds out that those whom are her family and friends have been keeping secrets. The town is in division about a wellness centre there, and she needs to learn who to trust and who not to.
A very interesting story about love, trust, and family with some strong characters working their way through the jungle of life. Well worth the read.
October 3, 2024
Sorry to say I DNF this one, I couldn’t get into the story, didn’t really take to any of the characters. Found myself getting annoyed every time (and there were a lot) that the main character’s skinny body frame was brought up.
Shame I gave 5 stars to Rocking Horse Hill amd have enjoyed this authors other books.
Nb - just my opinion, might have been me at the time, got to about 40% and decided to shelve, perhaps at another time I’d get into it.
Shame I gave 5 stars to Rocking Horse Hill amd have enjoyed this authors other books.
Nb - just my opinion, might have been me at the time, got to about 40% and decided to shelve, perhaps at another time I’d get into it.
May 8, 2018
Didn’t particularly like the main character Teagan. Found her very painful and not very nice and plain selfish.
Storyline ok but a feeling of fakeness was seeping through all of the characters so I just couldn’t take it seriously.
I really wanted to love this book but it wasn’t to be
It had no pizazz or wow factor, nothing notable actually happens
Big let down
Storyline ok but a feeling of fakeness was seeping through all of the characters so I just couldn’t take it seriously.
I really wanted to love this book but it wasn’t to be
It had no pizazz or wow factor, nothing notable actually happens
Big let down
September 30, 2020
I did enjoy this book. However I found the main character so aggravating, but that’s sort of how she’s meant to be I guess.. I found myself getting so annoyed with how judgemental and cynical she was. It’s great the author touched on the topic of depression, which doesn’t happen much with this genre.
Overall an enjoyable read.
Overall an enjoyable read.
March 6, 2025
Excellent story, with likeable characters. As always lots of great detail to enjoy
May 14, 2015
The latest novel by Cathryn Hein, The Falls is set in a rural town in New South Wales. Teagen Bliss is devastated by her parent’s betrayal and the loss of her dream to manage her family’s farm in South Australia. She flees to her Aunt Vanessa’s home in NSW for respite, only to discover that she feels completely hopeless and depressed. With the support and nurturance of her Aunt, Teagan starts to find some sense of worth in working on the property and picking up a local job working with horses. Her Aunt’s friend and horse farrier Lucas Knight also helps to pass the time. Teagan is instantly attracted to him, but is no emotional state to enter into a relationship- not that she believes he’d ever have a romantic interest in her anyway. They develop a close friendship and Lucas proves to be a reliable friend and a committed lover; both of which Teagan finds completely overwhelming and unable to allow herself to enjoy. Her past experiences have landed her some major trust issues.
There are a lot of characters in The Falls, which helped to create a real community feel and a sense of place in Falls Valley. However, I felt that all the other characters and sub-plots got in the way of really fleshing out the conflict faced by Teagan and Lucas. The novel felt way too long for the rural romance genre and the numerous sub-plots really slowed down the pace of the story. Though I liked Teagan, her determination and hard-working demeanour, I felt the growth in her characterisation came quite late in the book when she acknowledges that she’s not coping. I’d have liked to see this happen earlier so that she could grow from that experience. In a long-winded story, the ending seemed a little rushed in that respect. As for the hero of the story, Lucas, I found him to be way too perfect and completely unrelateable. There’s so much focus on how amazingly good-looking he is and how Teagan cannot believe someone who stepped out of a Mills and Boone novel could ever be interested in her, that it completely overshadowed him as a man with any kind of substance. He certainly proves to be a reliable and supportive friend to Teagan, but I’d have preferred for these qualities to shine through rather than his glistening chest and warrior-like hair!
I’ve really enjoyed Hein’s novels in the past, but The Falls just didn’t do much for me. I struggled with the characterisation, the plot and the romantic elements. I did however love the setting, the small-town politics and the lessons that can be learnt from slowing down and enjoying a country way of life. While it wasn’t quite up to my expectations, if you’re a fan of Hein it is worth the read and I won’t hesitate to pick up any other of hers in the future.
There are a lot of characters in The Falls, which helped to create a real community feel and a sense of place in Falls Valley. However, I felt that all the other characters and sub-plots got in the way of really fleshing out the conflict faced by Teagan and Lucas. The novel felt way too long for the rural romance genre and the numerous sub-plots really slowed down the pace of the story. Though I liked Teagan, her determination and hard-working demeanour, I felt the growth in her characterisation came quite late in the book when she acknowledges that she’s not coping. I’d have liked to see this happen earlier so that she could grow from that experience. In a long-winded story, the ending seemed a little rushed in that respect. As for the hero of the story, Lucas, I found him to be way too perfect and completely unrelateable. There’s so much focus on how amazingly good-looking he is and how Teagan cannot believe someone who stepped out of a Mills and Boone novel could ever be interested in her, that it completely overshadowed him as a man with any kind of substance. He certainly proves to be a reliable and supportive friend to Teagan, but I’d have preferred for these qualities to shine through rather than his glistening chest and warrior-like hair!
I’ve really enjoyed Hein’s novels in the past, but The Falls just didn’t do much for me. I struggled with the characterisation, the plot and the romantic elements. I did however love the setting, the small-town politics and the lessons that can be learnt from slowing down and enjoying a country way of life. While it wasn’t quite up to my expectations, if you’re a fan of Hein it is worth the read and I won’t hesitate to pick up any other of hers in the future.
March 21, 2016
This the first by Cathryn Hein I have read. The story is about family, trust, love. It revolves around the around the characters Tegan Bliss a young woman who loses her trust of her parents when her father gambles the family farm and money of her own that she worked to earn. Tegan was hoping open she would run the family farm but this dream was lost after what her dad did. Tegan went to live with her Aunty Vanessa at The falls Farm. She gets a job as well. There she meets Lucas Knight and other locals and she becomes involved in the town politics and does know to trust. As there is a Wellness Clinic that is owned by Dom was is interested in her Aunty and the town people don't want the extension to go ahead and try to fight it.
Her Aunty feels that she is depressed and needs help, Her mom arrives which brings Tegans feelings out about how she feels that her mother should have seen what her dad was doing. Her mom goes to wellness clinic and gets ill. Tegan begins to upset her mom and Aunty and then stays with Lucas who she finally falls in love with.
Her Aunty, Lucas, Dom and mom decides that they should not tell a few things about Dom and her Aunty being together, that her dad is back and getting the help needs at the wellness clinic and Luca's dad is Dom the owner of the clinic in fear of her reaction. Tegan accidently finds out and runs away. But it is the people in her life that want to get her the help she need and the place that does it is the wellness clinic the one thing she thought would hurt people. This story is about family being for each other in times of needs regardless the situation.
Her Aunty feels that she is depressed and needs help, Her mom arrives which brings Tegans feelings out about how she feels that her mother should have seen what her dad was doing. Her mom goes to wellness clinic and gets ill. Tegan begins to upset her mom and Aunty and then stays with Lucas who she finally falls in love with.
Her Aunty, Lucas, Dom and mom decides that they should not tell a few things about Dom and her Aunty being together, that her dad is back and getting the help needs at the wellness clinic and Luca's dad is Dom the owner of the clinic in fear of her reaction. Tegan accidently finds out and runs away. But it is the people in her life that want to get her the help she need and the place that does it is the wellness clinic the one thing she thought would hurt people. This story is about family being for each other in times of needs regardless the situation.
June 12, 2025
2.5
A pretty standard small-town romance. It's big downfall was that it came out in 2015 and it HEAVILY reads that way, something about that just constantly made me cringe unfortunately. i enjoyed the exploration of the FMC relationships with her parents and even the main romance itself was decent (until the aunt got with the FMC's boyfriends' dad lol. that bothered me).
A pretty standard small-town romance. It's big downfall was that it came out in 2015 and it HEAVILY reads that way, something about that just constantly made me cringe unfortunately. i enjoyed the exploration of the FMC relationships with her parents and even the main romance itself was decent (until the aunt got with the FMC's boyfriends' dad lol. that bothered me).
September 16, 2015
Some wonderful and quirky characters depicted within the small rural community. An enjoyable read following Teagan's story (who we first met in Rocking Horse Hill) through the loss of the family property, to her battle with depression and falling in love.
June 21, 2015
A sexy farrier, a crazy ram, local cricket team and a couple of redheads all go together in this book. Another great read by Cathryn Hein. Really enjoyable.
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