4 1/2 stars & series read recommendation
The Reynolds sisters are plagued with bad luck. Their first big loves are either jerks or are tragically taken from them. Couple that with one beeeotch of a mother, and you have a recipe for unlucky in love. In London Falling, we are re-introduced to Aspen Reynolds sister, London (and yes, there is a story behind the names). We immediately learn that London has been widowed at a young age, around 22) and takes the stand that she’ll never be left heartbroken again.
“Life is not fair. The moment one believes in total bliss, it gets shredded by circumstance and unforeseen accidents. “
The story then flash forwards to London, 4 years a widow and a “love” em’ and leave em’ girl. Her approach to romantic relationships is simply to not have them. Now a Manhattan-ite in her mid-twenties, she follows an unconventional practice as an Interior designer. In the attempt to get to know the clients true needs in their home environment, she lives with and sometimes sleeps with (a.k.a has sex, gasp) with her clients. What makes this work for her professionally is that she is highly receptive to feelings and is always empathetic (the word to describe this intuitive nature and deemed by London as her “freak-o-meter”.), allowing her to design the right space for the right client. This empathetic nature rarely works for her on a personal level that is until she meets Collier Stone (a.k.a. double-o-seven).
But Collier isn’t her client and Collier & London’s initial meeting leaves her at odds with their connection. At the time of their meeting, London is living with her best friend and f*&$ buddy Tripp and her newest client. This is bad on so many levels as it allows her to spend most of her time using this as an excuse to how everything is fine and working perfectly, and allows her to avoid and fight her feelings for Collier, who has now deemed London “Beauty”.
Collier. Collier. Collier. Easy to describe. He’s gorgeous, sexy, rich, smart, and genuine - and all British Alpha male. He is living and working in his firms New York City office and has done his fair share of sleeping around. But, he is taken with London immediately and wastes no time in trying to woo her. He recognizes what they have. And he’s patient, almost too patient with London. I started to get antsy that she couldn’t take things further faster. The dialogue between Collier and his sister will make you smile and I thought that Ms. Carlan did a commendable job with use of British colloquialisms. It was easy to imagine Collier’s sexy voice and his sexy accent (and body).
So, what makes London able to resist Collier? Why would anyone want to resist Collier? Guilt. Guilt over how she feels with (not for) Collier and her eternal grief over her deceased husband James. Guilt leaves her fighting her connection to Collier. It’s beautifully and heartbreakingly described by London:
“I’d not felt connected to a man on that level since James, it was confounding. It’s the second when a man looks into your eyes and not only see’s your soul, but identifies with it, a rare connection of two persons who were fated to meet, to know one another intimately.”
Even recognizing this early on, London, wanting to treat Collier as she treats every other acquaintance, leads herself down a path where she makes some poor choices. These poor choices lead London to recognize that she is doing herself no favors and these become the catalyst for London finally “getting it”. But, will London “get there” in time? As intuitive as she is about others, she is equally oblivious to herself. What else holds her back? She’s enabled. Tripp, London’s f*&$ buddy, enables her to reject romantic relationships and genuine involvement. I spent most of the story angry with Tripp. He loves London, but his interests were always self-serving. And true to his nature, he “subconsciously” comes between London and Collier, setting us up for our moment of angst and the pivot point in the storyline. There are some moments of predictability where the premise “reaches” a bit but nothings so off-putting that I could find unforgiveable fault. Some mild eye-rolling, but I think once the story went a certain way, the outcome couldn’t be different.
Perhaps I shouldn’t compare, but I read the Angel falling and London Falling back to back. I think the comparison actually shows what a strong writer Audrey Carlan is and how in touch she is with her characters and the treatment of them. Where Angel Falling has some wittier, funnier dialogue (care of Olivers’ quips and Hanks’ caveman speak), London Falling has some amazing erotic sex scenes. If the author was trying to impart the empathetic feeling that London has with Collier, and I believe she was, she.nailed.it! These interactions were superbly written. The story, like Angel Falling is told in the alternating POV between London and Collier, leaving us with strong impressions of each of them and that we “got them”. Well I got Collier, or more honestly, I wanted Collier. I wanted London to want Collier more, which seemed impossible. But she holds back too much. I could get where she was coming from, even if I wanted her to get past it but I think her experiences in those 4 years were part of the process she had to go through. I kept hoping she would simply realize that maybe some grief counseling would suit her so she could just do as James wanted….fall in love again. You’ll have to read London Falling to find out how it happens, how she gets past it. There was a part of me that liked London Falling just a smidgen more.
Book 2 of the Falling series will leave you warmed up and charmed by the partners at Stone, Walker and Associates. I’ll give London falling 4 ½ stars and a high recommendation. I’m looking forward to Book 3, aptly titled Justice Falling, picking up with Colliers half-brother Nate Walker. I have chills thinking about it.
Author provided copy in exchange for an honest review.