Falling Hard

Falling for the Freemans #2

by Kate Hewitt

He didn’t want complications. She was looking for a miracle. Quinn Freeman has spent his life avoiding the dangers of commitment, but his reluctant return to his home town that’s in tragedy for his family stirs up memories and emotions he’d intended to leave buried. His arrival lights hope in many hearts including one long dormant. Meghan O’Reilly, the town’s only plumber and solo caretaker of her dependent sister, is weighted down with responsibility. She only sees in Quinn a careless charmer who isn’t used to hard work—but she still can’t keep from imagining his kiss... and longing for his touch. Surely some things, like a fling between them, can be simple... Or is it possible for a fling to become forever?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Contemporary

199 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 10, 2016

About the author

Kate is the USA Today-bsetselling author of many books of both historical and contemporary fiction. Under the name Katharine Swartz, she is the author of the Tales from Goswell books, a series of time-slip novels set in the village of Goswell.

She likes to read women's fiction, mystery and thrillers, as well as historical novels. She particularly enjoys reading about well-drawn characters and avoids high-concept plots.

Having lived in both New York City and a tiny village on the windswept northwest coast of England, she now resides in a market town in Wales with her husband, five children, and two Golden Retrievers.

Reviews

[Elaine - Splashes Into Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating 4.5/5

This is a very emotional story with a tragic past which still has to be reconciled for many of those involved. Quinn Freeman was a young child when his father was tragically killed in a boating accident. Quinn and his family then left the town which had been their home, Creighton Falls, abandoning the hotel they owned there. Quinn can’t remember what happened but feels guilty about his father’s death. When his Mum asks him to go to check out their now derelict hotel, he does so reluctantly. He intends helping make only essentiall repairs to the property to enable it to be sold. He stays in a nearby town and has an unexpected encounter with a young lady there which results in the young lady’s sister verbally attacking him. Back at the hotel, he contacts a variety of local tradespeople to ask for quotes and one of them is the plumber, Meghan O’Reilly. It turns out Meghan is the protective sister he’d already encountered. She carries a lot of responsibilities of her own but their attraction is mutual even if totally unwanted but both of them!

This is a delightful small town story, one where everyone knows everything about everyone else. Both Quinn and Meghan have their own issues and it is the exploration of these that makes this story such an emotional rollercoaster read. Their relationship develops from animosity to friendship and more as Quinn strives to work on repairing the hotel and develops ties within the community. Both Quinn and Meghan have lots to sort out for themselves before they can achieve their HEA together. This is the second book in this series but I think it works well as a standalone - though I have also read and reviewed the earlier novel, Falling For Christmas, which I also thoroughly enjoyed!

Many thanks to the publishers who gifted me a copy of this book through NetGalley without any obligations. This is my honest review after choosing to read it!

[victoria_tonks · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars RTC

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falling Hard by Kate Hewitt is a story filled with emotion. A family tragedy when he was very young meant his family left Creighton Falls and the hotel they had there, and Quinn hasn't been back. He has no memories of the actual event, but he carries a burden of guilt on his shoulders anyway. Now he's back, but he won't be staying. Meghan also carries a load of responsibility on her shoulders...taking care of her sister and supporting them both. She has no inclination to become involved with someone like Quinn. He's leaving, in her opinion it's his family's fault the town has declined so much, and she sees only the public image Quinn presents... The attraction between the two of them is unmistakable, but they are both too emotionally distant and fearful to dare taking a chance. So a no strings fling seems like it is just the right answer, but is it?

For the most part I liked Meghan. She is responsible, caring, and a strong willed heroine. I could understand her resistance to becoming involved with Quinn for numerous reasons. What I didn't like and what made me feel less connected to her was the responsibility she thrust on Quinn and his family for closing their hotel all those years ago, which in her mind significantly impacted the town's economy. This happened years ago, and it felt ridiculous that there was so much resentment simmering not only in Meghan but in many of the towns people. So no, this part of her I did not like and it affected how I felt for her character as a whole. I liked Quinn and what he was trying to do. I liked watching his character grow and become so much stronger over the time of Falling Hard.

Kate weaves in some very interesting family dynamics in Falling Hard for both Quinn and Meghan's family's, which at times made things a bit more mysterious and other times more emotional. I liked this addition to the plot even if I couldn't completely understand the rationale behind Quinn's family's behavior! It made them flawed and believable. With a cast of strong secondary characters, Falling Hard was all about family and moving on.

Falling Hard is well paced and held my interest through out with a good mix of tension, conflict, heart, and heat between the main characters. I'd recommend Falling Hard to romance readers.

3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4

I received a free copy for an honest review.

[Bette Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read!! The Freeman's are an interesting family and they have endured a tragic loss in the past. That's what drove them from Creighton Falls but now Quinn Freeman is in town, looking to update the old B&B and get it ready the sale. As the only plumber in town, Meghan O'Reilly gets called to work on the old place. Quinn and Meghan are immediately attracted to each other but both have a load of worries on their shoulders so nothing serious can start there. A fling maybe??? And how can Quinn get the town to understand that he has to sell the B&B rather than reopen it like they all want? This is a book you want to read. I highly recommend it.

[January · Rating 3 out of 5]

Falling Hard by Kate Hewitt [Katharine Swartz]
Falling for the Freemans #2
7h 13m narrated by Summer Roberts, 199 pages

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Featuring: Author's Note, Family Business, Homecoming Trope, Brothers, Upstate New York on the Canadian Border, The Thousand Islands; Saint Lawrence River; New York City; Canada, Highway 81, Hotel, Neurodiversity, Rich Vs Poor Trope, Female Plumber, July, Characters From Previous Book, Past Tragedy Trope, Strangers-to-Lovers, No Strings Trope, PDD - Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Family Drama, Insecurities, Manhattan, New York City, New York; Lost Memories, Abandonment Issues, Grief, Survivor's Guilt, Small-Town Gossip, MC with Custody of Adult Sibling

Rating as a movie: R for adult content

Songs for the soundtrack: "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston, "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion

Books and Authors mentioned: Rain Man by Barry Morrow

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🍂🍁☀️🏖🇺🇸🇨🇦

My thoughts: 📱29% 2:05:12 Chapter 6 - This has a lot of the same elements as the first book, but the story is better.
📱48% 3:27:46 Chapter 10 - Yep, I see how this is just a remix of Book 1 and more exhausting.

This story had a promising start but went downhill quickly, I didn't like the couple or scenes. I was about to write it off and finish due to incompletion anxiety when the tide turned with Chapter 14, as the characters opened up the story improved. So, it went from meh to okay. Polly was the most interesting part of the story but they were vague about her for the first half which made it hard to visualize her story.

Recommend to others: Maybe but not likely. While this story was okay, this author probably isn't for me.

Falling for the Freemans
1 Falling for Christmas (2015)
2 Falling Hard (2016)

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed revisiting Creighton Falls in this story. Meghan was a wonderful character. She has drive, tenacity, and a huge heart. Quinn was a wonderfully flawed character, his feelings run deep and both his strength and vulnerability just made him such a lovable hero. Mostly because the hero couldn't have gotten where he was, without help from the heroine.
I love small town stories because of the quirky neighbors and the drama that is unique to a small town where everyone knows your business, whether you want them too or not. But the entire town is fiercely loyal to both the town and each other. Watching the changes in Quinn as he spent time in Creighton Falls was fun and heartwarming. Plus the story had plenty of hot moments as well.

[Guy's Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pain And Heartache

What a sweet story surrounding family tragedy. Megan and Quinn have great chemistry and are characters you can’t help but love. The narrator does a great job as well.

[Tracy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't do many reviews, but I do feel inclined to review this book. I am a fan of Kate Hewitt and have read a lot of her books. I read the first book in this series, and liked it, so reading this one was a no brainer. Honestly I almost DNF'd this book due to the initial character traits of Quinn. He seemed like an arrogant pig, in the beginning of this book. I really disliked him and everything that came out of his mouth! I was happy to see that did change, as the story went on. So if you are reading this and find his ego a bit much, just hang in there.

[Ariane · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing was fine, and there was depth to the story. However, the main female character annoyed me, and the story didn't capture my attention.

I found reading about dealing with Polly exhausting. The main female character never seemed to get a break, and I felt for her.

Also, I didn't feel as if the characters were in love with each other. The strong feelings that they professed to have for each other seemed to come quite quickly.

[AnnMarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like her Willoughby series better

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good short romance novel

[Rachel Crain · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this was not as clean as her other series Ive read so far :/ had to skip a lot lol but loved the premise of this story. Don't recommend

[Niki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and easy 2nd book in this romance series.

[Olatomi Afilaka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful romance

[Heather Kendall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounded up from 3.5 to 3.75.

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf

Once upon a time, the tiny town of Creighton Falls was flourishing thanks in large part to the luxury hotel that graced the town. The hotel provided jobs for the local townsfolk, helped support the many small business on the main streets by bringing in tourists and travelers to their tiny town and giving them shelter as they wandered through. Life was good – until one winter’s day when one accident changed so many lives. Now Creighton Falls is a ghost town, the businesses barely holding on and others having closed their doors. All in part due to one luxury hotel and the family that ran it experiencing a tragedy so great that no one could stay where they lost a husband and a father again.

Now after all these years, a Freeman is back in Creighton Falls. Quinn, the youngest son and the most involved in that life changing accident is back to clear out the now old, falling down hotel to get it ready for sale. Quinn has no memory of the accident that took his father’s life, even though he was right there beside him. All of his memories before the age of six are simply gone, and coming back here at his mother’s request was the absolute last thing he wanted to do.

Meghan answered the emergency request for a plumber, hardly believing her eyes at the address. Someone was at the old hotel? As she dealt with the problem and met the person who was here to clean up the place and get it ready for sale – her anger, her emotions got the best of her and she let Quinn Freeman know exactly what she though of his family abandoning the town and now giving up on the hotel for good. Meghan and Quinn were the same age, she lived through the years after his family simply left town. She’d watched her home town slowly fade away, watched the lives that were affected by no jobs, no hope. No, in her minds the Freemans had a lot to answer for.

Falling Hard is such an emotional story. Yes, we have a charming romance brewing between the woman who holds more responsibility than anyone her age should and the young man who sees himself as a perpetual screw-up because his family has written him off, in his mind because the accident that killed his, their father was his fault. Watching these two people change their mindsets, learn from past mistakes and grow into two very different people was a delightful experience. I cannot say this story is just a good old fashioned romance, it’s not. There are deep issues here and they are handled with grace and understanding. It is a story that will likely stick with the reader for awhile as we ask ourselves how would we have coped. But it is a moving, realistic romance where life happens and how we deal with the fallout determines what type of person we truly are.

I’d highly recommend this story for anyone who loves a good solid story with depth. One that makes you think, makes you feel. Those types of readers will enjoy Falling Hard the most.

[FrugalBookNerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Hewitt is a new-to-me author. I honestly started this story thinking it would be a light, fun read. Though that isn’t what I got I wasn’t disappointed at all! Don’t get me wrong, Falling Hard was an easy read, but it felt heavy to me.

The town of Creighton Falls, New York where the story takes place was once a thriving town. Unfortunately, it now resembles more of a ghost town than a happening tourist destination. The downfall of the town was when their hotel closed after a tragic accident 22 years ago and the Freeman family moved away. The longer the hotel sat abandoned more of the town continued to close.

When the story opens, you feel the somber mood of the characters and the depressing vision of the town vividly comes through the pages.

The youngest of the three Freeman son’s, Quinn, is sent back to Creighton Falls by his Mom to finally sell their decrepit hotel. Poor Quinn was 6 years old when he was ice fishing with his father and fell through the ice. Quinn survived the accident but his father did not. Because of his mother’s mental state the family fled Creighton Falls and never looked back. They also never spoke of their father/husband in the 22 years since. Quinn cannot remember the first 6 years of his life, or his father. He feels like he’s no good and has been running away from life for the past 8 years. Finally, back in Creighton Falls, Quinn must make peace with his tragic past and decide what kind of life he wants for his future.

Meghan is 28 years old who has abandonment issues galore! During her early childhood Meghan had a happy family. That all changed when the hotel closed and her father lost his fishing tour guide business. Meghan’s mother got fed up with her deadbeat husband and eventually ran off to Arizona with a new man so Meghan ended up taking on sole custody of her mentally ill sister. All of this left Meghan with some resentment built up toward the Freeman family.
There were definitely sparks flying when Quinn and Meghan first met!! I enjoyed following their journey from adversaries to friends and then to lovers. I also loved how the dark/somber mood seemed to lift off the story the more Quinn worked on the hotel and the more he became a part of the community!
I felt like the majority of this book was about accepting your past in order to embrace your future. Both characters have faced hardships that changed the course of their lives. They had a lot to deal with personally before they could get to their HEA together!

I don’t want to make this sound like a depressing read because it was the exact opposite for me. In fact there were also some pretty funny moments. I would give Falling Hard 3.5 - 4 stars

No cheating, No other man/other woman drama
*Received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creighton Falls was once a happening town. People loved living there and tourists would stop by to enjoy everything the town had to offer. After a tragic accident resulting in a death, the Freeman family closed their hotel and left town. The town's residents have struggled to survive since then.

Quinn Freeman has no memories before his family left Creighton Falls when he was six years old. It's been over twenty years and his mother has decided it's finally time to sell the hotel. Quinn has returned to see what it will take to get the hotel ready for the sale. Little did Quinn realize, returning to his childhood hometown would bring back some long forgotten memories along with a new appreciation for the town and its residents.

Meghan O’Reilly, Creighton Falls only plumber, has lived there all her life. She loves her town, but as everyone there knows, the closure of the hotel has taken a toll on the town. People lost their jobs, businesses closed and tourists stopped visiting. She is excited about the opportunity to help out at the hotel and hopes it will help bring the town back to what it once was.

When Meghan and Quinn give into the attraction that is growing between them, they decide it can only be a fling. Quinn will be leaving Creighton Falls as soon as he finishes the hotel renovations. And with Meghan raising her special needs sister, she is afraid to get too close to anyone. Too many people have walked away in her life and she doesn't want to go through that again.

This is an emotionally charged story to pulls you in from the start. I enjoyed the growing romance between Meghan and Quinn and how hard Meghan worked to keep Polly safe and happy. The book was written in a way that pulls you into the story and makes you feel as if you are part of it.

[BookSnuggle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Falling Hard" by Kate Hewitt is book two in the "Falling for the Freemans" series. This is Quinn Freeman and Meghan O'Reilly's story.

Quinn's family left the little town of Creighton Falls when his family suffered a terrible tragedy. In its day the B&B brought tourist to their little town and provided jobs or income to a large number of people and businesses. After his family left town they did not keep the B&B open and the town suffered financially. Once an attraction for Creighton Falls is now an eyesore. Quinn has been asked by his mother to go access what needs to be done in order to sell the B&B.

Meghan's life hasn't exactly turned out the way she thought it would. She is the only town's plumber and is totally responsible for her dependent sister. Meghan has fond memories of when the B&B was up and running. It reminds her of the good days when she was growing up. She hopes that someday the Freeman's will reopen it.

Meghan being the only plumber in town ends up working at the B&B for Quinn in his attempt to get it ready to sell. Meghan sees Quinn as someone that is a charmer not a hard worker, but that doesn't stop the sizzling chemistry that she feels between them.

Quinn and Meghan both are dealing with different personal issues in their life. Will they allow these issues to prevent them from taking a chance at love?

This is a great romance with lots of sizzle. This is also a story where people are working on moving past the hurts and disappointments from their childhood. Will they be able to?

I received a copy of this book from Tule Publishing for an honest review.
FYI, contains mature content.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falling Hard by Kate Hewitt
He didn’t want complications. She was looking for a miracle.

Quinn Freeman has spent his life avoiding the dangers of commitment, but his reluctant return to his home town that’s steeped in tragedy for his family stirs up memories and emotions he’d intended to leave buried. His arrival lights hope in many hearts including one long dormant.

Meghan O’Reilly, the town’s only plumber and solo caretaker of her dependent sister, is weighted down with responsibility. She only sees in Quinn a careless charmer who isn’t used to hard work—but she still can’t keep from imagining his kiss… and longing for his touch.

Surely some things, like a fling between them, can be simple… Or is it possible for a fling to become forever?
this is Quinn and Meghan's story.
Meghan the town’s only plumber.
Quinn reluctant return to his home town that’s steeped in tragedy for his family stirs up memories and emotions he’d intended to leave buried.
Falling Hard by Kate Hewitt is a wonderful well written book.
I highly recommend reading.
Falling Hard by Kate Hewitt is a 4 stars book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Kate Hewitt.
Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Kate's Books with Tule:
A Yorkshire Christmas
Christmas Around the World


Falling for Christmas
Falling for the Freemans


Falling Hard
Falling for the Freemans

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

After hearing about the Freemans in book one, Falling for Christmas I really wanted to meet this family. I must say Freeman Book 02, Falling Hard by Katie Hewitt did not disappoint. This is the youngest of the three brothers, Quinn’s story. A lot of the family’s background of what happened to cause them to leave is cleared up as Quinn finds his way home.

The story is straightforwardly written making it easy to read. Quinn is a charming if lost and restless kind of guy. It is clear he will find himself if he will face his past which is not a simple task for any member of his family.

I found it unfounded but also very human for the town to blame the Freemans for their economic woes. I live in a small town with many of the same problems that Creighton Fall has experienced. There is not always someone to blame. This is my only complaint with Meghan who eagerly jumped on that bandwagon. I was glad to see that she changed to become Quinn’s biggest supporter. Like life no one is perfect but all can growth and mature. Speaking of needing to grow that would definitely be oldest brother, Adam, biggest lesson to be learned. He is not the next story in the series but I hope he gets his one day.

4.5 Stars
Copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.

[Shelagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falling Hard, the second book in Kate Hewitt's Falling for the Freemans series, is sensitive and thoughtful. Set in Creighton Falls on the St Lawrence River this is the story of Quinn, youngest of the Freeman brothers, and Meghan O'Reilly, town plumber and sole carer of her developmentally disabled sister Polly.
Both Quinn and Meghan have baggage to deal with. For Quinn it is the repressed memory of his father's death coupled with his family's lack of respect for him and his ability to achieve anything of note. For Meghan it's the need to care for Polly in the face of her parents' abdicating their responsibilities. Neither is looking for love. Not really.
The plot flows beautifully and as the story unfolds it's hard not to care about the future of the old hotel Quinn is restoring or the people of Creighton Falls who are so anxiously waiting for it to be opened so their town's life blood can be restored.
I really enjoyed this book and am eagerly anticipating the next Freeman family story.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

No need to read book one to enjoy this second installment of Falling for the Freemans. Hewitt made it easy to get to know Quinn Freeman, youngest brother in the family, commitment-phobe, and general screw-up. Well… in the past. And it was smooth sailing figuring out Quinn’s direction once he arrived in his former hometown of Creighton Falls: fix up the old family inn, and bring some vitality back to the town.

I adored Quinn’s plumber, Meghan. What a strong woman, to choose to be the primary caretaker of her sister with special needs, and deny herself her own dreams to be an integral part of her family and her town.

Quinn and Meghan aren’t perfect in Falling Hard, but they sure are cute together. Hewitt brings in ancillary characters just enough to add interest to the plot and tie the series together. This book focuses mostly on Quinn and Meghan — and it works for this small-town romance.

https://randombookmuses.com/2017/03/2...

[Paula Pugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twenty years prior, the Freeman family deserted the luxurious hotel they owned and ran in Creighton Falls and left it to fall into ruin. The matriarch of the family, Margo, out of the blue, requests that her youngest son, Quinn, go back to the hotel and prepare it for sale. Quinn knows that no matter what he decides to do with the hotel, his oldest brother, Adam, will nix it. Adam sees Quinn as a loser and with no business sense.
When Quinn arrives at the hotel, he finds a beautiful hotel in absolute ruin. He knows it will take a ton of money to restore it and Adam refuses him. Quinn meets Megan O’Reilly, the town plumber, who recounts to him how the abandonment of the hotel sent the whole town into ruin. As they work together to restore the hotel, feelings erupt between them but his knowledge that the hotel may never be again keeps him distant. He finds that loving the hotel and loving Megan will make a difference in his life.

[SynergyQuest · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good contemporary romance. The characters are genuine and not over embellished. There are no villains, cruel or conniving exs, and not a single silly person is found within these pages. How refreshing! What you will find is a hero who's lost faith in himself. He only needs a purpose and someone to believe in him before he can begin to believe in himself again. In the heroine you'll find a woman willing to sacrifice the possibility of happily ever after for the sake of her sister. She's also gracious enough to forgive her parents of their failing. When they find each other, they find that missing link between coping and contentment.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGallery, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Posted at HarlequinJunkie.com

Quinn Freeman’s hometown holds a lot of bad memories for him and his family. Memories he’s suppressed for so long because the past is to painful. No one in Creighton Falls ever thought any of his family would return, but when Quinn’s mother thinks about selling the family hotel that’s been vacated for years; she puts Quinn in charge of overseeing any repairs needed. He knows spending time in the town will be difficult, but just maybe Meghan O’Reilly — the pretty town plumber – could convince him that Creighton Falls is where he belongs. Read More

[Laura D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quinn Freeman is the youngest of three sons. He lives an uncomplicated life, travels the world and is the love them and leave them type. Meghan is the town plummer who has way too much responsibility in her life to date. Both of these souls have a painful past they hide behind. When Quinn returns to restore his family's B&B for sale, he meets Meghan. She is the fist person to see him as anything but a screw up. They decide on a no strings attached fling, but sometimes love has other ideas. Great read. I couldn't put it down.

[Mel T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falling Hard was a really good read. Meghan is a plumber who cares for her developmentally disabled younger sister. Quinn a billionaire travel bum, sent to ready his family's old hotel for sale. When Quinn meets the townspeople and Meghan, he realizes he wants to help the town and resurrect the old hotel. There was great chemistry between Meghan and Quinn, some funny and some sweet moments. I loved how Quinn accepted and grew to love Meghan's sister - he was so kind and sweet to her - it really highlighted his character and why Meghan would fall in love with him.

[Rhonda Ziglar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falling Hard by Kate Hewitt...I love small town books everyone knows everyone's business. The characters are very well written and enjoyable seems like we are in the story. Quinn and Meghan have amazing chemistry and I enjoyed watching their stories unfold, can they make a relationship work. This is my first book by Kate Hewitt and I am looking for more books by her. Pick this book up you will enjoy it as much as I did. I received a complimentary copy of this book from publisher in exchange an honest review.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Quinn has returned to Creighton Falls to get the deserted family hotel up for sale, not expecting to find love. Meghan is the town plumber, and care giver of her sister. She has offered her services in the repair of the hotel only. Soon Quinn is remembering memories of a tragedy that happened with his family from years ago. Meghan resists many of Quinn's charms, since he is only here for a short period of time. But soon Quinn wins her heart. Loved how Quinn stood up to his family and how caring he was to Meghan's sister.

I highly recommend this book!!