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Love in London #1
Coming Down
Alternate cover edition for ASIN B00NOXVRAM
A burning passion that cannot be ignored…
Nine years ago Beth Lawrence was a pretty, fun-loving college student, and the apple of her parents’ eye. That was before she met Niall Joseph, a gorgeous Irish art student who for one hot summer turned her world upside down.
Almost a decade later, Beth is living in London and desperately trying to forget her past. But then Niall walks back into her life, reigniting a desire that threatens to engulf them both.
Faced with a choice between her reliable, steady life and the unexpected joy that Niall offers, Beth finds herself torn. Can they remain just good friends, or is their connection too strong to be ignored?
A burning passion that cannot be ignored…
Nine years ago Beth Lawrence was a pretty, fun-loving college student, and the apple of her parents’ eye. That was before she met Niall Joseph, a gorgeous Irish art student who for one hot summer turned her world upside down.
Almost a decade later, Beth is living in London and desperately trying to forget her past. But then Niall walks back into her life, reigniting a desire that threatens to engulf them both.
Faced with a choice between her reliable, steady life and the unexpected joy that Niall offers, Beth finds herself torn. Can they remain just good friends, or is their connection too strong to be ignored?
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 20, 2014
250 people are currently reading
1146 people want to read
About the author
Carrie Elks
70 books2,229 followersCarrie Elks is an international bestselling author of traditionally-published and self-published novels. Her books are sweet yet sexy contemporary small town romance stories. You can find her in all these places:
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
September 24, 2014
IT'S LIVE!!!ONLY 99C
Buy links:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id92...
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5 EMOTIONAL STARS
What a nice surprise!This is my first book from Carrie Elks and I'm so impressed!This book was so intense and realistic!I'm so wreck now...after reading this and Reclaiming the Sand together...two so emotional books now I'm so depressed.. :( But I don't regret that I read them) It was so beautiful written and captivating.The author managed to blow my mind with these amazing characters and this unique story!!Lately I had become a fan of realistic books!!!Because they talk for everyday problems.
The story begins with Beth who works in the clinic, having a club for the children of addicts, while their parents attend group therapy. As a person who has problem with drugs in the past Beth is sensitive with this theme.Now she is married with an older man who make her feel safe.
But what happen when your real love come back in your life?Is this fate?
Maybe fate want them together...Maybe not...
Beth is tempted ..Because she is married..Should she follow her heart and feel again alive?
Or must she stay in her safety with her husband??
This book will make you wonder what is right...With the beautiful writing and flashbacks from how Beth and Niall met and learning more things about them..You can see that they have changed...but still they have the passion and the love inside of them...
An amazing realistic story that will keep your interest till the end!
ARC kindly provided by author in return for an honest review
Buy links:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id92...
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/comin...
http://tinyurl.com/o7sf8hn
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/A...
5 EMOTIONAL STARS
What a nice surprise!This is my first book from Carrie Elks and I'm so impressed!This book was so intense and realistic!I'm so wreck now...after reading this and Reclaiming the Sand together...two so emotional books now I'm so depressed.. :( But I don't regret that I read them) It was so beautiful written and captivating.The author managed to blow my mind with these amazing characters and this unique story!!Lately I had become a fan of realistic books!!!Because they talk for everyday problems.
The story begins with Beth who works in the clinic, having a club for the children of addicts, while their parents attend group therapy. As a person who has problem with drugs in the past Beth is sensitive with this theme.Now she is married with an older man who make her feel safe.
But what happen when your real love come back in your life?Is this fate?
Maybe fate want them together...Maybe not...
Beth is tempted ..Because she is married..Should she follow her heart and feel again alive?
Or must she stay in her safety with her husband??
This book will make you wonder what is right...With the beautiful writing and flashbacks from how Beth and Niall met and learning more things about them..You can see that they have changed...but still they have the passion and the love inside of them...
An amazing realistic story that will keep your interest till the end!
ARC kindly provided by author in return for an honest review
February 10, 2017
"I lost everything that summer. Including myself."
My Beth and Niall:
4.5 STARS
Beth was lost and broken. Until she met Simon. Older kind man who became her husband and helped her to get her life in order. Her life may lack a passion now, but it's better than chaos, right? But than Beth's former love interest comes back, bringing up painful memories and chaos back to her life...
If you are fed up with contemporary novels which deal with over-the-top drama and would rather read intense and realistic story focusing on everyday's human's troubles, Coming Down is right for you. In this novel you will find everything. There is romance, steam and emotions. But most importantly, Coming Down is a touching journey of 28-years old woman who is trying to find her true self and meaning of her life.
"How terrible to not know where you belong."
Coming Down is not the cheeriest story. But with topics of drugs and addiction, it is to be expected. Author never simplified harsh difficult reality. She laid it all out there and I loved it. I slowly, but strongly, fell in love with this beautifully bittersweet story and complex characters of Beth and Niall!
And a question time at the end. What makes a really great book stand out among other good books? In my opinion, it is all about small details and in depth depicted characters. Coming Down has it all. If my above words haven't persuaded you to pick this book up, I hope following reasons would.
➤ I loved that story wasn't too angsty. Yes, it was sad and bittersweet but Beth wasn't overly broken or damaged. It was all real. Nothing over the top like so many characters in books these days.
➤ I loved flashbacks to the past which gradually revealed what had happened all those years ago when Beth's life changed in a radical way. They had poetic quality into them and I found them utterly fascinating.
➤ Intimacy and sex has a real meaning in this novel. In the world of quick pleasures and books full of doms, stories by Carrie Elks are lovely refreshing change. Plus this author can write hot sexual anticipation like no other!
MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG Reading Is My Breathing
March 9, 2015
Coming Down is a story about love, second chances, marriage, drug abuse, and addiction. It’s well written, has awesome characters and is told with so much heart.
Beth has been married to a wealthy lawyer, Simon for a few years now. It’s not a marriage of passion, but she feels happy and safe in the protection he provides her. When Beth first met Simon she was not in a good place. She was really unsure of herself and was suffering from panic attacks brought on by a tragic event in her college years. Now though, she’s well adjusted, content and works at a substance abuse clinic running an afterschool club for the children of addicts.
Niall is a very successful artist. When he volunteers to teach at the clinic for the kids’ weekly art class, he doesn’t expect to run into someone from his past. Beth and Niall had a very intense, passionate affair in college. Back then they were both young, impulsive, using drugs frequently and in excess. They haven’t seen each other in nine years, since they were both expelled from their University when their mutual friend overdosed.
Beth is very committed to her work at the clinic. She has a hard time keeping things professional and not getting too attached to the kids, one in particular. Simon has never approved of Beth’s job, but tolerates it as long as it doesn’t affect their marriage. When Beth becomes more and more invested in a certain patient and her child and potentially puts herself in danger, problems start to arise between Beth and Simon. Meanwhile, Beth is also dealing with unwanted feelings springing back up for Niall.
It may sound like this is going to be an angsty love triangle dealing with a bunch of cheating, but it’s really not. It’s first and foremost Beth’s story. Even though she’s almost thirty, it’s about her kind of coming into her own. She went from being a wild teen, to a scarred woman looking for comfort, to being the wife of an older distinguished man. When she encounters problems in her marriage and with Niall coming back into her life, it takes Beth out of the nice little bubble she’s built for herself. It forces her to reevaluate everything and find out who she is on her own.
I loved this book! Beth was a fantastic narrator, vulnerable yet she shows more strength as the story progresses. I enjoyed seeing her falter and mess up, but she overcomes and it really showed her growth. She’s so caring and selfless and I admired that about her. I also loved Niall! He’s playful and carefree but has this deeper artsy side too. It was interesting to see their relationship now versus the scenes we get from the past and how much things have changed for both of them. It really brought everything to a whole new level and made me care about them so much more.
I’ve totally become a fan of Carrie Elks writing. I always think its kind of fun reading a book written set in the UK, especially when the author is from there as well. There’s soulfulness about this book and at times it’s pretty sad seeing the effects of substance abuse and addiction. I think how the author balanced the heavy subject matter with the romantic aspects were really well done. Everything flows very nicely, feeling very well thought out, and realistic for the situation. I’ve definitely become invested in these characters and have already started the next book, Broken Chords, which is about Beth’s best friend, Lara.
4 stars.
See this review & others at No BS Book Reviews.
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Beth has been married to a wealthy lawyer, Simon for a few years now. It’s not a marriage of passion, but she feels happy and safe in the protection he provides her. When Beth first met Simon she was not in a good place. She was really unsure of herself and was suffering from panic attacks brought on by a tragic event in her college years. Now though, she’s well adjusted, content and works at a substance abuse clinic running an afterschool club for the children of addicts.
I have a husband who loves me, who takes care of me, who soothes away the nightmares and makes me feel protected. In return, I try to behave the way he wants me to.
Niall is a very successful artist. When he volunteers to teach at the clinic for the kids’ weekly art class, he doesn’t expect to run into someone from his past. Beth and Niall had a very intense, passionate affair in college. Back then they were both young, impulsive, using drugs frequently and in excess. They haven’t seen each other in nine years, since they were both expelled from their University when their mutual friend overdosed.
I know from first-hand experience that drugs kill, but it’s the way they maim, breaking minds and hearts, that’s as hard to take.
Beth is very committed to her work at the clinic. She has a hard time keeping things professional and not getting too attached to the kids, one in particular. Simon has never approved of Beth’s job, but tolerates it as long as it doesn’t affect their marriage. When Beth becomes more and more invested in a certain patient and her child and potentially puts herself in danger, problems start to arise between Beth and Simon. Meanwhile, Beth is also dealing with unwanted feelings springing back up for Niall.
Niall and I imploded like a dying star, burning brightly one moment then fading into blackness the next. That sort of excitement, emotional highs and lows, may be something to live for when you’re a teenager. Now, though, I should long for comfort, for steadiness, for Simon. I need to keep reminding myself of that.
It may sound like this is going to be an angsty love triangle dealing with a bunch of cheating, but it’s really not. It’s first and foremost Beth’s story. Even though she’s almost thirty, it’s about her kind of coming into her own. She went from being a wild teen, to a scarred woman looking for comfort, to being the wife of an older distinguished man. When she encounters problems in her marriage and with Niall coming back into her life, it takes Beth out of the nice little bubble she’s built for herself. It forces her to reevaluate everything and find out who she is on her own.
I want him to know me. The real me. The one I’ve been trying to suppress ever since Digby’s death. The one I thought I’d left behind. It turns out she was here all along, waiting for me to find her for real.
I loved this book! Beth was a fantastic narrator, vulnerable yet she shows more strength as the story progresses. I enjoyed seeing her falter and mess up, but she overcomes and it really showed her growth. She’s so caring and selfless and I admired that about her. I also loved Niall! He’s playful and carefree but has this deeper artsy side too. It was interesting to see their relationship now versus the scenes we get from the past and how much things have changed for both of them. It really brought everything to a whole new level and made me care about them so much more.
“I’ll wait for as long as it takes,” he tells me. “I’ll be here; you only have to say the word.”
I’ve totally become a fan of Carrie Elks writing. I always think its kind of fun reading a book written set in the UK, especially when the author is from there as well. There’s soulfulness about this book and at times it’s pretty sad seeing the effects of substance abuse and addiction. I think how the author balanced the heavy subject matter with the romantic aspects were really well done. Everything flows very nicely, feeling very well thought out, and realistic for the situation. I’ve definitely become invested in these characters and have already started the next book, Broken Chords, which is about Beth’s best friend, Lara.
“You’ll always be Rain Girl to me.”
4 stars.
See this review & others at No BS Book Reviews.
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April 30, 2019
Da autora já tinha lido foste sempre tu que adorei. Este livro é maravilhoso. Li num só dia, pois não conseguia largar a história. Adorei a personagem principal, a sua ocupação e a sua forma de ser. Niall também é uma personagem forte e bonita. O tema, para além da história de amor é muito bom. Recomendo.
September 16, 2014
Absolutely amazing. This book, THIS book! THIS BOOK!!!!!! Loved every word, and this story has stayed with me. I keep thinking about the characters. I wish I knew them, I wish I was friends with them, I wish I could work with them. I want them in my life. And Allegra! My heart! I wish her well. Truly fantastic book. This author blows my mind with each of her stories, I would read anything she writes. A.MA.ZING!
February 21, 2015
I've read this series back to front as I read Broken Chords first, which spurred me into reading Coming Down and whilst Broken Chords was bloody good, this, this is exactly the type of read I love to pick up. It took me out of my comfort zone a little; the heroine is married and both her and the hero have a past, so I was nervous going into it despite already knowing certain things.
“We took too many drugs and did too many crazy things. But somewhere in there was a little kernel of something amazing.”
Carrie Elks has brought her readers a captivating second chance love story of a couple who go full circle; Beth and Niall were together at university, made some bad mistakes, dealt with tragedy but made something of their lives - he as an artist, she married to a wealthy older guy and working at a substance abuse clinic in London. Fate plays its hand when Niall volunteers to teach art to the kids of abusers at the clinic and it unleashes feelings and memories both he and Beth have tried so hard to forget.
“We are we, me, him, Niall and Beth...”
Niall's reappearance causes Beth to reassess her life, and it's handled in a way that is natural, realistic and emotional. She may have frustrated me at times, but she blossomed as the book progressed and was completely endearing. Niall...I loved his patience, gentility and maturity and I just loved him. More and more with every page. And with a second string to the storyline bringing some heart wrenching moments, Coming Down was a book I devoured.
“I’ll wait for as long as it takes, I’ll be here; you only have to say the word.”
This is a book/series I recommend; Carrie Elks has a writing style that clearly works for me and I look forward to reading more from her in the future. 4.5 stars.
“We took too many drugs and did too many crazy things. But somewhere in there was a little kernel of something amazing.”
Carrie Elks has brought her readers a captivating second chance love story of a couple who go full circle; Beth and Niall were together at university, made some bad mistakes, dealt with tragedy but made something of their lives - he as an artist, she married to a wealthy older guy and working at a substance abuse clinic in London. Fate plays its hand when Niall volunteers to teach art to the kids of abusers at the clinic and it unleashes feelings and memories both he and Beth have tried so hard to forget.
“We are we, me, him, Niall and Beth...”
Niall's reappearance causes Beth to reassess her life, and it's handled in a way that is natural, realistic and emotional. She may have frustrated me at times, but she blossomed as the book progressed and was completely endearing. Niall...I loved his patience, gentility and maturity and I just loved him. More and more with every page. And with a second string to the storyline bringing some heart wrenching moments, Coming Down was a book I devoured.
“I’ll wait for as long as it takes, I’ll be here; you only have to say the word.”
This is a book/series I recommend; Carrie Elks has a writing style that clearly works for me and I look forward to reading more from her in the future. 4.5 stars.
June 8, 2020
(...)Carrie Elks foi uma boa surpresa. Quando peguei neste livro não tinha as expectativas lá muito no topo porque às vezes corre mal.
Assim, na desportiva, comecei a ler e, aos poucos, fui começando a gostar bastante do que estava a ler. A autora adopta uma escrita leve e simples, de modos a que a leitura não se torne aborrecida e lenta. Cria personagens com personalidades distintas mas fortes nas suas formas de pensar e agir de acordo com o que se lhes depara.
Temos uma Beth que, tendo um passado carregado de drama e de situações de levar qualquer um "ao fundo do poço", decide deixar tudo para trás, inclusive uma paixão avassaladora que acabou por lhe destruir a vida, e constrói uma vida calma, consistente e cheia de objectivos, casada com um homem muito mais velho do que ela, mas que a salvou na altura exacta em que ela precisava de ser salva. Embora tenha sentido um carinho especial pelo homem que lhe deu uma vida nova e a protegeu até aos dias actuais, percebi também que, mais cedo ou mais tarde aquele casamento havia de ser prejudicado pela grande diferença de idades entre os dois e até pelo status social de onde cada um estava habituado a viver.(...)"
Opinião Completa no Sinfonia dos Livros
http://sinfoniadoslivros.blogspot.com...
Assim, na desportiva, comecei a ler e, aos poucos, fui começando a gostar bastante do que estava a ler. A autora adopta uma escrita leve e simples, de modos a que a leitura não se torne aborrecida e lenta. Cria personagens com personalidades distintas mas fortes nas suas formas de pensar e agir de acordo com o que se lhes depara.
Temos uma Beth que, tendo um passado carregado de drama e de situações de levar qualquer um "ao fundo do poço", decide deixar tudo para trás, inclusive uma paixão avassaladora que acabou por lhe destruir a vida, e constrói uma vida calma, consistente e cheia de objectivos, casada com um homem muito mais velho do que ela, mas que a salvou na altura exacta em que ela precisava de ser salva. Embora tenha sentido um carinho especial pelo homem que lhe deu uma vida nova e a protegeu até aos dias actuais, percebi também que, mais cedo ou mais tarde aquele casamento havia de ser prejudicado pela grande diferença de idades entre os dois e até pelo status social de onde cada um estava habituado a viver.(...)"
Opinião Completa no Sinfonia dos Livros
http://sinfoniadoslivros.blogspot.com...
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January 10, 2018💝 FREE on Amazon today (1/10/2018)! 💝
April 20, 2019
Não são 4 estrelas cheias, são pequeninas mas gostei deste livro :)
October 7, 2014
ARC review – 4.5/5 Stars
Time read: Four hours straight through, during a workday (don’t tell anyone)
Emotional factor: There were tears. Lots.
Steam factor: Super hot but mainly because it meant something. No empty sex happening here.
PLOT: Beth Lawrence finally has her life back on track. A job she loves, a wealthy husband and a beautiful home are a far cry from the tragedy that struck when she was nineteen. But now that her past seems firmly behind her, an old flame walks back into her life. Bringing back painful memories of a time she's worked hard to forget, reviving a passion she tried to bury years before.
Niall Joseph is an up-and-coming artist, recently returned from success in America. Volunteering to teach in an inner-city drug clinic, the last person he expects to see is the girl who broke his heart nine years earlier. Working closely together allows their old wounds to heal, forging a deeper connection between them. One that slowly starts to burn.
As she becomes tangled up with a neglected child and her drug-addict mother, Beth finds herself drawn to Niall. But neither of them can anticipate how hard it is to tread the thin line between friendship and desire.
REVIEW: I need to start this review out by saying that I’m a HUGE fan of Carrie’s work. I have not been quiet in my absolute (borderline obsessive) love of her novel FIX YOU.. It was one of my top reads from last fall and I continue to rave about it. When and if that novel becomes available again through Amazon, I encourage you all to read it.
When the opportunity arose to be on her team and receive ARCs of her new work, I jumped at the chance. A new book! Yes. Yes please. Sign me up.
I wasn’t disappointed. But let’s be serious about reviews…they are so PERSONAL, right? It’s all about preference. What draws me to Carrie as a writer is her ability to weave so much emotion (real human emotion, not just angst which is so popular in so many books coming out these days) into plot lines that span (sometimes) decades. One of my favorite aspects of Fix You was that the story covered many, many years. This structural device really works for me. Personally, I am very interested in how characters change over time, how they relate over time, how life can come in and throw a curveball at them and change the course of everything and (as a reader) you get to see it all happen.
Coming Down is similar except Carrie goes back & forth between the present and the past. This can be challenging to pull off but it really worked for me. It was fluid and necessary and kept me interested in not only how the characters related in the moment but what had happened to them all those years before to separate them in the first place.
Beth & Niall met in college. They were young. They were wild. Drugs, sex, chaos. The type who can’t keep their hands off eachother and who easily pull down the other into the youth wasteland because they are probably a little obsessed with the other. You know the feeling? At that age, the person you love is everything. But then there is a tragedy. A tragedy that they are too young to process and manage on their own. A tragedy that tears them apart.
When we meet Beth years later, she’s content in a marriage with an older man who has dedicated his life to taking care of her. She’s cleaned up her act but her life is decidedly quite “safe”. She shelved wild passion when she lost Niall all those years ago. As a reader, I understood Beth in that way. I get being afraid of losing control and spiraling. I get straddling the line between your heart and your head out of fear of the unknown. I also get that choosing your heart can backfire big time. Beth lives in the aftermath of the “backfire” and she has structured her present day life to avoid backfire wholeheartedly. When Niall is reintroduced to her life (not a SPOILER as it happens early on in the book), things inevitably start to unravel for her. Her stranglehold on the control in her life starts to slip. She starts to question everything. This is what happens when you deny pieces of yourself for so long. Eventually life has a way of forcing you to confront the very things you try to bury. What I struggled with when it came to Beth was understanding how she could be so easy on her husband Simon. Simon isn’t a bad guy. In fact, I think he’s truly a kind man (misguided perhaps but kind). However, there is a stretch when he behaves like a spoiled, manipulative child. This was hard for me to swallow. And harder for me to watch Beth go through her life silently allowing him to behave that way. I was longing for her lash out and break free but ultimately, her gratitude to him for providing her with safety and comfort won out. (I will not go into whether it won out in the end as that would spoil it for you!).
As for Niall…what can I say? I’m a sucker for an Irishman. Particularly Irish artsy guys with an edge. He was what I look for in a romantic hero: flawed, charming, conflicted but solid, loyal, patient, kind. Carrie writes really good men. In my opinion, this is decidedly lacking in many erotic/romance novels which are filled with an overabundance of alpha male angst, fueled by sex and less by emotion, with little room to move emotionally. Carrie’s male leads try really really hard to do the right thing. Niall can be selfish and he’s not perfect but he really tries. And I admired that about him from the start. I also admired that he wasn’t afraid to look at his role in the events of the past and cope with the consequences of his actions. He lines up easily with other “good men who don’t realize they are good men” that I fell for hard in books like Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan, Truly by Ruthie Knox and of course Richard in Fix You (double sigh).
The one surprise in this story for me though was how hard I fell for little Allegra. All love story swooning aside, the real meat of this story is about an 8 year old girl dealing with a mother who is addicted to drugs. Carrie tackles a tough subject here. Beth works for an inner city drug clinic. She has dedicated her life to helping people trying to get clean and provides a stable program for the children of addicts while they work on sobriety. I am not usually drawn to stories that involve children. (no real reason really, it’s just personal preference not being much a “kid” person myself). However, I can honestly say that in the end, any tears that I was shedding were for Allegra and everything she had been through in her life and everything that she’d have to cope with in the future. I was proud of Beth and Simon and Niall but mainly, I was proud of Allegra and really routing for her to have everything she deserved to have from the get-go.
All in all, this story burned slower than my love for Fix You (which was almost instantaneous for me). It took me a little longer to fall deeply into the emotionality of the story. I was captured right away by the players but the emotionality crept up on me. I found myself in so deep in the end that I couldn’t think of Niall or Beth or Allegra without tearing up for days after (this is Carrie’s gift).
Total book hangover.
Give this one a chance.
You won’t regret it.
Time read: Four hours straight through, during a workday (don’t tell anyone)
Emotional factor: There were tears. Lots.
Steam factor: Super hot but mainly because it meant something. No empty sex happening here.
PLOT: Beth Lawrence finally has her life back on track. A job she loves, a wealthy husband and a beautiful home are a far cry from the tragedy that struck when she was nineteen. But now that her past seems firmly behind her, an old flame walks back into her life. Bringing back painful memories of a time she's worked hard to forget, reviving a passion she tried to bury years before.
Niall Joseph is an up-and-coming artist, recently returned from success in America. Volunteering to teach in an inner-city drug clinic, the last person he expects to see is the girl who broke his heart nine years earlier. Working closely together allows their old wounds to heal, forging a deeper connection between them. One that slowly starts to burn.
As she becomes tangled up with a neglected child and her drug-addict mother, Beth finds herself drawn to Niall. But neither of them can anticipate how hard it is to tread the thin line between friendship and desire.
REVIEW: I need to start this review out by saying that I’m a HUGE fan of Carrie’s work. I have not been quiet in my absolute (borderline obsessive) love of her novel FIX YOU.. It was one of my top reads from last fall and I continue to rave about it. When and if that novel becomes available again through Amazon, I encourage you all to read it.
When the opportunity arose to be on her team and receive ARCs of her new work, I jumped at the chance. A new book! Yes. Yes please. Sign me up.
I wasn’t disappointed. But let’s be serious about reviews…they are so PERSONAL, right? It’s all about preference. What draws me to Carrie as a writer is her ability to weave so much emotion (real human emotion, not just angst which is so popular in so many books coming out these days) into plot lines that span (sometimes) decades. One of my favorite aspects of Fix You was that the story covered many, many years. This structural device really works for me. Personally, I am very interested in how characters change over time, how they relate over time, how life can come in and throw a curveball at them and change the course of everything and (as a reader) you get to see it all happen.
Coming Down is similar except Carrie goes back & forth between the present and the past. This can be challenging to pull off but it really worked for me. It was fluid and necessary and kept me interested in not only how the characters related in the moment but what had happened to them all those years before to separate them in the first place.
Beth & Niall met in college. They were young. They were wild. Drugs, sex, chaos. The type who can’t keep their hands off eachother and who easily pull down the other into the youth wasteland because they are probably a little obsessed with the other. You know the feeling? At that age, the person you love is everything. But then there is a tragedy. A tragedy that they are too young to process and manage on their own. A tragedy that tears them apart.
When we meet Beth years later, she’s content in a marriage with an older man who has dedicated his life to taking care of her. She’s cleaned up her act but her life is decidedly quite “safe”. She shelved wild passion when she lost Niall all those years ago. As a reader, I understood Beth in that way. I get being afraid of losing control and spiraling. I get straddling the line between your heart and your head out of fear of the unknown. I also get that choosing your heart can backfire big time. Beth lives in the aftermath of the “backfire” and she has structured her present day life to avoid backfire wholeheartedly. When Niall is reintroduced to her life (not a SPOILER as it happens early on in the book), things inevitably start to unravel for her. Her stranglehold on the control in her life starts to slip. She starts to question everything. This is what happens when you deny pieces of yourself for so long. Eventually life has a way of forcing you to confront the very things you try to bury. What I struggled with when it came to Beth was understanding how she could be so easy on her husband Simon. Simon isn’t a bad guy. In fact, I think he’s truly a kind man (misguided perhaps but kind). However, there is a stretch when he behaves like a spoiled, manipulative child. This was hard for me to swallow. And harder for me to watch Beth go through her life silently allowing him to behave that way. I was longing for her lash out and break free but ultimately, her gratitude to him for providing her with safety and comfort won out. (I will not go into whether it won out in the end as that would spoil it for you!).
As for Niall…what can I say? I’m a sucker for an Irishman. Particularly Irish artsy guys with an edge. He was what I look for in a romantic hero: flawed, charming, conflicted but solid, loyal, patient, kind. Carrie writes really good men. In my opinion, this is decidedly lacking in many erotic/romance novels which are filled with an overabundance of alpha male angst, fueled by sex and less by emotion, with little room to move emotionally. Carrie’s male leads try really really hard to do the right thing. Niall can be selfish and he’s not perfect but he really tries. And I admired that about him from the start. I also admired that he wasn’t afraid to look at his role in the events of the past and cope with the consequences of his actions. He lines up easily with other “good men who don’t realize they are good men” that I fell for hard in books like Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan, Truly by Ruthie Knox and of course Richard in Fix You (double sigh).
The one surprise in this story for me though was how hard I fell for little Allegra. All love story swooning aside, the real meat of this story is about an 8 year old girl dealing with a mother who is addicted to drugs. Carrie tackles a tough subject here. Beth works for an inner city drug clinic. She has dedicated her life to helping people trying to get clean and provides a stable program for the children of addicts while they work on sobriety. I am not usually drawn to stories that involve children. (no real reason really, it’s just personal preference not being much a “kid” person myself). However, I can honestly say that in the end, any tears that I was shedding were for Allegra and everything she had been through in her life and everything that she’d have to cope with in the future. I was proud of Beth and Simon and Niall but mainly, I was proud of Allegra and really routing for her to have everything she deserved to have from the get-go.
All in all, this story burned slower than my love for Fix You (which was almost instantaneous for me). It took me a little longer to fall deeply into the emotionality of the story. I was captured right away by the players but the emotionality crept up on me. I found myself in so deep in the end that I couldn’t think of Niall or Beth or Allegra without tearing up for days after (this is Carrie’s gift).
Total book hangover.
Give this one a chance.
You won’t regret it.
January 24, 2020
DNF at 17%
Buddy read with Antonella
It's not a bad book, it's just not for me. If flashbacks, love triangles, cheating, drug addiction don't put you off, this is the book for you.
Buddy read with Antonella
It's not a bad book, it's just not for me. If flashbacks, love triangles, cheating, drug addiction don't put you off, this is the book for you.
August 29, 2014
I was lucky enough to be given an advanced copy of this book by the author. What a great read!
This book held me captive the entire read. I loved the characters, the writing and the way it was told. Carrie Elks used her pen like a paint brush, bringing the scenes to life so vividly; I felt I was right there with the characters. It’s a story of coming full circle, accepting the past, learning of the many facets of love, and finding yourself.
A must read.
This book held me captive the entire read. I loved the characters, the writing and the way it was told. Carrie Elks used her pen like a paint brush, bringing the scenes to life so vividly; I felt I was right there with the characters. It’s a story of coming full circle, accepting the past, learning of the many facets of love, and finding yourself.
A must read.
May 2, 2019
Já tinha gostado do anterior romance da autora e este é uma vez mais um voltar as segundas oportunidades, Beth e Niall tiveram uma relação no passado complicada e um acontecimento acabou por marcar indelevelmente a relação destes dois, 10 anos depois quando voltam a rever-se acabam por tropeçar nos erros do passado...
A luta de Beth contra aquilo que ainda sente quando Niall regressa como professor de artes ao seu local de trabalho, onde ela dá apoio a filhos de pais/familias toxicodependentes e a luta de Niall pelo que sente por Beth sabendo que ela é actualmente casada e feliz com o novo marido, a fronteira entre o amor e a amizade acaba por estreitar-se e Beth tem de tomar uma decisão que vai afectar a vida dela e a de uma criança indefesa que ela adora com todas as forças - único senão a meu ver foi a relação de Beth com Simon, a indecisão em terminar o casamento ou não quando sabia o que sentia por Niall irritou-me sobremaneira e o Simon era um parvo com ela - pontos positivos a meu ver a Allegra que era uma miúda incrivel e o casal amigo de Beth que era só rir. Uma boa leitura com um final fofinho!
A luta de Beth contra aquilo que ainda sente quando Niall regressa como professor de artes ao seu local de trabalho, onde ela dá apoio a filhos de pais/familias toxicodependentes e a luta de Niall pelo que sente por Beth sabendo que ela é actualmente casada e feliz com o novo marido, a fronteira entre o amor e a amizade acaba por estreitar-se e Beth tem de tomar uma decisão que vai afectar a vida dela e a de uma criança indefesa que ela adora com todas as forças - único senão a meu ver foi a relação de Beth com Simon, a indecisão em terminar o casamento ou não quando sabia o que sentia por Niall irritou-me sobremaneira e o Simon era um parvo com ela - pontos positivos a meu ver a Allegra que era uma miúda incrivel e o casal amigo de Beth que era só rir. Uma boa leitura com um final fofinho!
October 3, 2019
Lê-se bem...
February 22, 2015
I am a total sucker for stories about second chances at love. I'm also a sucker for books set in the UK. It's been this way since the mid-90s when I first began reading chick lit by authors like Victoria Routledge, Jane Green, Abigail Bosanko, Dorothy Koomson... so when I first heard about Coming Down (the first book in the Love in London series) I immediately added it to my TBR list. The cover was already enough to hook me--Big Ben and double-decker buses against a sunset sky? Yup, I love London and this was enough for me. Then I read the blurb and was intrigued--a man from the past, a woman trying to make up for her past mistakes, a neglected child who needs love and security? Okay, now I was totally hooked. Of course I bought it. How could I resist?
Coming Down by Carrie Elks tells the story of Beth and Niall's shared past and what happens when their paths cross after so many years apart. Beth is in a comfortable marriage that lacks passion and Simon, her wealthy and much older husband, feels more like her doting (though sometimes a tad bit controlling) guardian rather than the man of her dreams. While he provides her with financial security, he's also scrubbed away any of Beth's rough edges and honed her into the perfect pretty trophy wife--always beautifully turned out for social events, always knowing the right hostess gifts, etc. But what he hasn't managed to do is stop her from working at the inner-city drug clinic where she helps the children of recovering addicts. When the clinic needs a new volunteer art teacher, Simon's daughter recommends an artist who turns out to be Niall, the man who once turned Beth's life upside-down and who introduced her to a world of drugs that ended up pulling her into a downward spiral.
Both Niall and Beth are different people now. They've conquered their drug problems and they're both trying to make up for a past mistake that led to the death of a friend. Initially, they pretend there is no connection between them, but it's obvious the years apart have not dulled their attraction to one another. And their love of the children at the clinic keeps bringing them together. Well, I won't reveal any more details. I'll just say I thoroughly enjoyed reading their story and can't wait to delve into the next book in the Love in London series, Broken Chords, which comes out later this week. :)
Coming Down by Carrie Elks tells the story of Beth and Niall's shared past and what happens when their paths cross after so many years apart. Beth is in a comfortable marriage that lacks passion and Simon, her wealthy and much older husband, feels more like her doting (though sometimes a tad bit controlling) guardian rather than the man of her dreams. While he provides her with financial security, he's also scrubbed away any of Beth's rough edges and honed her into the perfect pretty trophy wife--always beautifully turned out for social events, always knowing the right hostess gifts, etc. But what he hasn't managed to do is stop her from working at the inner-city drug clinic where she helps the children of recovering addicts. When the clinic needs a new volunteer art teacher, Simon's daughter recommends an artist who turns out to be Niall, the man who once turned Beth's life upside-down and who introduced her to a world of drugs that ended up pulling her into a downward spiral.
Both Niall and Beth are different people now. They've conquered their drug problems and they're both trying to make up for a past mistake that led to the death of a friend. Initially, they pretend there is no connection between them, but it's obvious the years apart have not dulled their attraction to one another. And their love of the children at the clinic keeps bringing them together. Well, I won't reveal any more details. I'll just say I thoroughly enjoyed reading their story and can't wait to delve into the next book in the Love in London series, Broken Chords, which comes out later this week. :)
October 3, 2014
I've recently got to know Carrie Elks via Facebook, and we're both attending the Second City Signing in Birmingham. I really can't wait to meet her. I'd never gotten round to reading one of her books, so I grabbed this one on release day. I was so glad I did because as soon as I started reading, I fell in love. With the story, the characters, the setting, just everything.
Centering around Beth, we have chapters set in the present, where Beth is married to Simon and working at a childcare facility for a drug rehab clinic and is pretty content with life. Then we have chapter set nine years previously, when Beth was at uni and was a bit of a wild child. She's a habitual drug user and parties hard with the arty set, Niall in particular.
Elks drip feeds us Beth's past, which is pretty traumatic and makes the reader really connect with her, and understand her choice of career, one which Simon, her husband, isn't happy with her having. Then she meets Niall again.
I wouldn't say all hell breaks loose, because it doesn't, but seeing him again not only dredges up the past, but makes Beth reassess her life currently. It's painful in it's realism, and I'm sure many will be able to relate.
The entire story, interwoven with Beth's involvement with a little girl, Allegra, and her drug addict mum, is written in such a sensitive way that you can't help but be sucked into the story from the moment you begin until you finish the very last page.
I will certainly be reading more of Elk's works, and will be first in line at her table at the signing next year.
Centering around Beth, we have chapters set in the present, where Beth is married to Simon and working at a childcare facility for a drug rehab clinic and is pretty content with life. Then we have chapter set nine years previously, when Beth was at uni and was a bit of a wild child. She's a habitual drug user and parties hard with the arty set, Niall in particular.
Elks drip feeds us Beth's past, which is pretty traumatic and makes the reader really connect with her, and understand her choice of career, one which Simon, her husband, isn't happy with her having. Then she meets Niall again.
I wouldn't say all hell breaks loose, because it doesn't, but seeing him again not only dredges up the past, but makes Beth reassess her life currently. It's painful in it's realism, and I'm sure many will be able to relate.
The entire story, interwoven with Beth's involvement with a little girl, Allegra, and her drug addict mum, is written in such a sensitive way that you can't help but be sucked into the story from the moment you begin until you finish the very last page.
I will certainly be reading more of Elk's works, and will be first in line at her table at the signing next year.
April 2, 2018
I'm only sorry it's taken me so long to read this as it's been on my kindle for ages! But having recently downloaded the 'Love in London' boxset from Carrie Elks, who is one of my favourite one-click authors, I couldn't put this down.
In this heart-warming, second-chance romance, which is written in first person from the pov of Beth, we are taken from her steady life with husband Simon, back to her college days nine years ago, full of drug-induced passion, parties and regrets.
When Niall arrives back on the scene, past clashes with present and Beth questions just how happy she really is.
She settled for the 'safe' option, but her heart quickly becomes torn between the two men - one who has protected her, but doesn't really 'get' Beth and what she needs to make her truly happy ...and the one who makes her pulse quicken and her heart beat faster.
Intertwined in this story is Beth's need to make a difference, especially in the life of Allegra, a young girl who Beth has met through her work at the substance abuse clinic. Sensitive issues are covered such as drug use, death and abuse, but the author deals with these with compassion.
I warmed to Beth from the start, wondering if I should, but really she had been a victim of circumstance and had tried to make the best of the life she had been offered and wasn't cruel to Simon, only honest - sometimes you don't have a choice where your heart lies.
Another well-written story from Carrie Elks!
In this heart-warming, second-chance romance, which is written in first person from the pov of Beth, we are taken from her steady life with husband Simon, back to her college days nine years ago, full of drug-induced passion, parties and regrets.
When Niall arrives back on the scene, past clashes with present and Beth questions just how happy she really is.
She settled for the 'safe' option, but her heart quickly becomes torn between the two men - one who has protected her, but doesn't really 'get' Beth and what she needs to make her truly happy ...and the one who makes her pulse quicken and her heart beat faster.
Intertwined in this story is Beth's need to make a difference, especially in the life of Allegra, a young girl who Beth has met through her work at the substance abuse clinic. Sensitive issues are covered such as drug use, death and abuse, but the author deals with these with compassion.
I warmed to Beth from the start, wondering if I should, but really she had been a victim of circumstance and had tried to make the best of the life she had been offered and wasn't cruel to Simon, only honest - sometimes you don't have a choice where your heart lies.
Another well-written story from Carrie Elks!
September 24, 2014
Wow… wow… wow… Im speechless. I just finished the book and WOW… Carrie has the potential of totally wrecking me, breaking me apart. What a great story and it was beautifully written.
The emotion of the story are real, I could feel them. Beth was broken but tried to get her life together by marrying someone who was good for her. Someone who would keep her safe, Simon. I could feel that it wasn’t her ideal life but she was okay with what she had. Simon gave her what she needed minus the passion.
Everything’s okay until Niall showed up and the memories of the past came back. You can never forget the past, you just learn to live with it and Beth tried really hard not to focus on it. But with Niall around, everything is back in the present.
This is the story to read now, Im telling you. Carrie never lets her readers down. She got the talent and passion and you see it in every words she writes.
The emotion of the story are real, I could feel them. Beth was broken but tried to get her life together by marrying someone who was good for her. Someone who would keep her safe, Simon. I could feel that it wasn’t her ideal life but she was okay with what she had. Simon gave her what she needed minus the passion.
Everything’s okay until Niall showed up and the memories of the past came back. You can never forget the past, you just learn to live with it and Beth tried really hard not to focus on it. But with Niall around, everything is back in the present.
This is the story to read now, Im telling you. Carrie never lets her readers down. She got the talent and passion and you see it in every words she writes.
March 13, 2016
2,5 stars
Coming Down was my first book by Carrie Elks but it wasn't my cup of tea at all. But I can't say that it's gonna be my last either because I found myself really enjoying her writing style. If I hadn't, this would have been a big, fat DNF to me. But the story itself was...nice. A nice second chance romance. I didn't particularly like it and it felt like something I've read before, but it was, nice. I didn't particularly like any of the characters either. The heroine was a weak, spineless, afraid of her own shadow-kind of character. Annoying. And I I guess we were supposed to be rooting for her to get back together with her ex, drug addict. But I didn't feel any sympathy for him at all. The only character I remotely liked was Simon. The older man she was married to. So, the only positive thing I can say about this book is the writing. It was really really good. It felt warm, touching and honest. Fantastic!
Coming Down was my first book by Carrie Elks but it wasn't my cup of tea at all. But I can't say that it's gonna be my last either because I found myself really enjoying her writing style. If I hadn't, this would have been a big, fat DNF to me. But the story itself was...nice. A nice second chance romance. I didn't particularly like it and it felt like something I've read before, but it was, nice. I didn't particularly like any of the characters either. The heroine was a weak, spineless, afraid of her own shadow-kind of character. Annoying. And I I guess we were supposed to be rooting for her to get back together with her ex, drug addict. But I didn't feel any sympathy for him at all. The only character I remotely liked was Simon. The older man she was married to. So, the only positive thing I can say about this book is the writing. It was really really good. It felt warm, touching and honest. Fantastic!
September 29, 2014
Loved it!!! I first found Carrie Elks through fanfiction and I was thrilled when I heard she was working on her own books that she would be self-pubbing! I've been eagerly awaiting Coming Down and it completely lived up to and even surpassed my expectations! Beth and Niall were amazing and I just loved every minute of their story!
Full review to come! :D
Full review to come! :D
October 30, 2014
I absolutely loved this book. Any spare minute I had and I was on my kindle, flipping through the pages. It made me swoon and laugh and get teary. And can we talk about that opening chapter with Niall and the dialogue and the rain? What a life-ruiner.
If you haven't read this yet, I seriously recommend it. You won't want to put it down.
If you haven't read this yet, I seriously recommend it. You won't want to put it down.
May 14, 2015
First time I have read any of this authors works, and I must say I will be reading more.
Really loved the story and the dilemmas that the characters faced. it dealt with real issues in a realistic way.
Will defiantly be reading the sequel to this story 'Broken Chords'.
Really loved the story and the dilemmas that the characters faced. it dealt with real issues in a realistic way.
Will defiantly be reading the sequel to this story 'Broken Chords'.
March 14, 2016
3.5 stars
Wavered between 3 and 4 stars, because the writing was very well done. However, I didn't like the flashbacks, which didn't seem to provide much depth to the characters' love story.
All in all, I p,an on reading other books by this author as I enjoyed her writing style.
Wavered between 3 and 4 stars, because the writing was very well done. However, I didn't like the flashbacks, which didn't seem to provide much depth to the characters' love story.
All in all, I p,an on reading other books by this author as I enjoyed her writing style.
April 24, 2015
4.5 STARS!!!!
Beautiful
Beautiful
Read
August 18, 2015DNF @50%
This was free so I won't beat it up too much. I just wasn't liking it. At all. Not for me.
October 19, 2015
2,5-3,0
Achei cansativo! Esperava mais.
Achei cansativo! Esperava mais.
September 1, 2016
Review to follow shortly
July 12, 2020
» 3,5 Sterne
January 22, 2016
Beth não pode ser considerada uma mulher fácil de lidar.
Hoje em dia sua vida pode ser considerada como estando nos eixos. Ela tem um marido que cuida dela; ele é bem mais velho e se conheceram quando Beth estava numa fase particularmente difícil e seu traquejo social não era dos melhores. Como o cavalheiro "de armadura brilhante" que era, Simon a apoiou, cortejou-a durante meses até que finalmente se casaram.
Não para a alegria da filha dele, Elise, que gerenciava uma galeria de artes e era um pouco mais nova que Beth.
Beth trabalha numa clínica para dependentes químicos, mas na ala do clubinho das crianças; para os filhos desses dependentes terem onde ficar. Ela começou o trabalho como voluntária, mas logo o seu jeito de lidar com as pessoas foi percebido e ela foi efetivada no emprego.
Ela adora o que faz. Ela se preocupa genuinamente com as pessoas que passam por ali, especialmente Allegra, uma menina muito vivaz para sua pouca idade, cuja mãe vive sendo internada por conta de seu vício em heroína, e isso faz com que Allegra entre e saia do programa de adoção temporária.
Nesse clubinho, Beth aproveita para ensinar um pouco de arte às crianças.
Ela quase se formou em Oxford e nesse quase, muita coisa aconteceu em sua vida...
Nove anos antes, Beth era uma aluna aplicada de Artes. Mas houve uma coisa, ou melhor, uma pessoa, que a fez mudar o curso de sua vida: Niall Joseph.
Niall era lindo, inteligente, sexy, talentoso... e traficante.
Na verdade, a maioria dos amigos de Beth era viciada em uma ou outra substância ilícita, e ela acabou entrando na dança para se enturmar. E isso fez com que ela, a menina da chuva ou Íris, estivesse sempre presente nas reuniões e se aproximasse de Niall, sua paixão secreta.
Tudo poderia continuar perfeitamente bem se um dos usuários não acabasse morrendo. Quando todo o inquérito começou, nenhum dos usuários costumeiros entregou quem era o fornecedor, e isso inclui Beth.
Entretanto, como todos os pais foram notificados, o pai de Beth não gostou nada de ver a filha de certa forma envolvida nisso.
Ela se afastou de Oxford. Ela se afastou de Niall. A vida dela caiu num espiral de insegurança.
Os anos passam e Beth só começa a se reencontrar quando arruma esse trabalho na clínica e conhece Simon. Tudo, então, estava bem. Ela tinha seu trabalho; alguns amigos e um marido que ela ama. Mas como a vida adora fazer testes, ela traz de volta Niall e Beth encontra-se entre a garota perdida e a mulher decidida.
Para Simon, o trabalho dela deveria ser apenas uma distração, nada que trouxesse ônus ou atrapalhasse a dinâmica do casamento deles. Quando determinadas coisas começam a acontecer no trabalho dela, Simon coloca-a contra a parede, e finalmente Beth terá de crescer por conta própria.
Enquanto isso, Niall, trabalhando no mesmo clubinho que ela e sendo agora um artista famoso, mexe com as estruturas dela que deveriam estar firmemente estabelecidas - ou pelo menos era isso que ela achava -, e dentre elas, a paixão antiga e o desejo de viver além do esperado socialmente.
O livro é bem dramático. Não do tipo que te faz derramar litros de lágrimas, mas do tipo que te faz pensar.
A protagonista não é carismática. Na verdade, a sensação que você tem é que ela está num limbo e que vai acordando aos poucos.
Não há mocinhos e bandidos. Simon parece do tipo irredutível? Bom, ele sempre deixou claro os pontos dele; ninguém poderia acusá-lo de tê-la enganado no futuro. Niall parece um bon-vivant? Ele também sempre manteve as asas de fora. É Beth quem precisa crescer, aprender a decidir por si.
A narrativa alterna presente e passado.
O ritmo é lento.
Apesar de ser uma série, este volume não tem cliffhanger.
Recomendação: para quem gosta de livros com ritmo mais calmo. Romance, não é hot.
Reação: sabe a sensação de estar boiando numa piscina? Aquela calma? Pois foi assim que me senti. O livro não tem muita ação.
4 estrelas
Hoje em dia sua vida pode ser considerada como estando nos eixos. Ela tem um marido que cuida dela; ele é bem mais velho e se conheceram quando Beth estava numa fase particularmente difícil e seu traquejo social não era dos melhores. Como o cavalheiro "de armadura brilhante" que era, Simon a apoiou, cortejou-a durante meses até que finalmente se casaram.
Não para a alegria da filha dele, Elise, que gerenciava uma galeria de artes e era um pouco mais nova que Beth.
Beth trabalha numa clínica para dependentes químicos, mas na ala do clubinho das crianças; para os filhos desses dependentes terem onde ficar. Ela começou o trabalho como voluntária, mas logo o seu jeito de lidar com as pessoas foi percebido e ela foi efetivada no emprego.
Ela adora o que faz. Ela se preocupa genuinamente com as pessoas que passam por ali, especialmente Allegra, uma menina muito vivaz para sua pouca idade, cuja mãe vive sendo internada por conta de seu vício em heroína, e isso faz com que Allegra entre e saia do programa de adoção temporária.
Nesse clubinho, Beth aproveita para ensinar um pouco de arte às crianças.
Ela quase se formou em Oxford e nesse quase, muita coisa aconteceu em sua vida...
Nove anos antes, Beth era uma aluna aplicada de Artes. Mas houve uma coisa, ou melhor, uma pessoa, que a fez mudar o curso de sua vida: Niall Joseph.
Niall era lindo, inteligente, sexy, talentoso... e traficante.
Na verdade, a maioria dos amigos de Beth era viciada em uma ou outra substância ilícita, e ela acabou entrando na dança para se enturmar. E isso fez com que ela, a menina da chuva ou Íris, estivesse sempre presente nas reuniões e se aproximasse de Niall, sua paixão secreta.
Tudo poderia continuar perfeitamente bem se um dos usuários não acabasse morrendo. Quando todo o inquérito começou, nenhum dos usuários costumeiros entregou quem era o fornecedor, e isso inclui Beth.
Entretanto, como todos os pais foram notificados, o pai de Beth não gostou nada de ver a filha de certa forma envolvida nisso.
Ela se afastou de Oxford. Ela se afastou de Niall. A vida dela caiu num espiral de insegurança.
Os anos passam e Beth só começa a se reencontrar quando arruma esse trabalho na clínica e conhece Simon. Tudo, então, estava bem. Ela tinha seu trabalho; alguns amigos e um marido que ela ama. Mas como a vida adora fazer testes, ela traz de volta Niall e Beth encontra-se entre a garota perdida e a mulher decidida.
Para Simon, o trabalho dela deveria ser apenas uma distração, nada que trouxesse ônus ou atrapalhasse a dinâmica do casamento deles. Quando determinadas coisas começam a acontecer no trabalho dela, Simon coloca-a contra a parede, e finalmente Beth terá de crescer por conta própria.
Enquanto isso, Niall, trabalhando no mesmo clubinho que ela e sendo agora um artista famoso, mexe com as estruturas dela que deveriam estar firmemente estabelecidas - ou pelo menos era isso que ela achava -, e dentre elas, a paixão antiga e o desejo de viver além do esperado socialmente.
O livro é bem dramático. Não do tipo que te faz derramar litros de lágrimas, mas do tipo que te faz pensar.
A protagonista não é carismática. Na verdade, a sensação que você tem é que ela está num limbo e que vai acordando aos poucos.
Não há mocinhos e bandidos. Simon parece do tipo irredutível? Bom, ele sempre deixou claro os pontos dele; ninguém poderia acusá-lo de tê-la enganado no futuro. Niall parece um bon-vivant? Ele também sempre manteve as asas de fora. É Beth quem precisa crescer, aprender a decidir por si.
A narrativa alterna presente e passado.
O ritmo é lento.
Apesar de ser uma série, este volume não tem cliffhanger.
Recomendação: para quem gosta de livros com ritmo mais calmo. Romance, não é hot.
Reação: sabe a sensação de estar boiando numa piscina? Aquela calma? Pois foi assim que me senti. O livro não tem muita ação.
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