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Falling Hard
Dr. Jordan Williams devotes her life to two things: saving patients in the operating room and pleasuring her latest conquest in the bedroom. Her idea of commitment is spending a few hours together in bed.
Single mom Emma Larson is Jordan’s polar opposite. Family and fidelity mean everything to her. After an ugly divorce from her wife, a plastic surgeon, she and her five-year-old daughter move in next door to Jordan. While she finds Jordan undeniably attractive, falling in love with another womanizing surgeon is the last things she needs.
When a bad fall leaves Jordan in need of assistance, Emma decides to help her while she recovers.
Could those six weeks turn out to be the beginning of a happily ever after, or will they both end up with a broken heart?
122,000 words
Themes: doctors · family romance · interracial · lesbian · medical romance · opposites attract · player · single mom
Single mom Emma Larson is Jordan’s polar opposite. Family and fidelity mean everything to her. After an ugly divorce from her wife, a plastic surgeon, she and her five-year-old daughter move in next door to Jordan. While she finds Jordan undeniably attractive, falling in love with another womanizing surgeon is the last things she needs.
When a bad fall leaves Jordan in need of assistance, Emma decides to help her while she recovers.
Could those six weeks turn out to be the beginning of a happily ever after, or will they both end up with a broken heart?
122,000 words
Themes: doctors · family romance · interracial · lesbian · medical romance · opposites attract · player · single mom
367 pages, ebook
First published April 5, 2017
128 people are currently reading
1110 people want to read
About the author
Jae
126 books3,802 followersJae is the author of twenty-six award-winning romances between women. She lives in the sunniest city of Germany, near the French and Swiss borders. The writing bug bit her at the age of eleven.
She used to work as a psychologist but gave up her day job in 2013 to become a full-time writer and a part-time editor. As far as she’s concerned, it’s the best job in the world.
When she’s not writing, she is an avid reader of sapphic books, indulges her ice cream and office supply addictions, and watches way too many crime shows.
She used to work as a psychologist but gave up her day job in 2013 to become a full-time writer and a part-time editor. As far as she’s concerned, it’s the best job in the world.
When she’s not writing, she is an avid reader of sapphic books, indulges her ice cream and office supply addictions, and watches way too many crime shows.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
May 9, 2017
3 1/2 Stars. First I want to say I love Jae. She is one of the best lesfic romance writes out there and I love her books. Unfortunately, compared to her other stories, this book was more in the "just a little better than okay" category. Maybe I'm being a little hard on Jae, but that is only because her other books are so fantastic. This book didn't have a character in it, that you can't get out of your head, like Jill in the Hollywood series. This book didn't have the drama of dealing with such an awful subject (that was brilliantly written about) like The Portland Police series. This book didn't have the magical chemistry that Heart Trouble had. It was a perfectly sweet romantic story, but that is really all.
The story is about a respectable player Jordan, who never wants to settle down. She loves women, but never wants a relationship. She meets her new neighbor and mom of a 5 year-old, Emma. Emma, is recently divorced and made a promise, to never date an overly confident player type again. While she is attracted to Jordan, she is not willing to have casual sex with anybody at this point in her life. Emma realizes it's better to keep some distance from Jordan. Fate seems to have other plans, and Jordan and Emma find themselves becoming fast friends. When real feeling start getting in the way, will they stay friends, or is a relationship possible after all?
One of the real issues I had with this book, is the main storyline has been done, so many times before. Too many books are about the player who will never been in a relationship, finding the one women who could change her mind. I don't mind this as a storyline, but there has to be something else in the book that drives everything. And that just didn't happen. There is no real drama or angst. Even the chemistry didn't seem to be there like in other Jae books. It is a perfect sweet romance, but that was about it. And considering this book is a little on the longer side, there was not enough else going on to keep my focus. What kept me reading was thinking this is a Jae book, and things would pick up. But it just didn't happen.
While this may be my least favorite Jae book, it is still a sweet romance. If you are looking for a slow building romance, with no real angst, and a cute kid, pick this up. There will be plenty of people that enjoy this read. I just hope Jae's next book, will have more of the magic in it, that I'm used to.
An ARC was given to me by YLVA, for a honest review.
The story is about a respectable player Jordan, who never wants to settle down. She loves women, but never wants a relationship. She meets her new neighbor and mom of a 5 year-old, Emma. Emma, is recently divorced and made a promise, to never date an overly confident player type again. While she is attracted to Jordan, she is not willing to have casual sex with anybody at this point in her life. Emma realizes it's better to keep some distance from Jordan. Fate seems to have other plans, and Jordan and Emma find themselves becoming fast friends. When real feeling start getting in the way, will they stay friends, or is a relationship possible after all?
One of the real issues I had with this book, is the main storyline has been done, so many times before. Too many books are about the player who will never been in a relationship, finding the one women who could change her mind. I don't mind this as a storyline, but there has to be something else in the book that drives everything. And that just didn't happen. There is no real drama or angst. Even the chemistry didn't seem to be there like in other Jae books. It is a perfect sweet romance, but that was about it. And considering this book is a little on the longer side, there was not enough else going on to keep my focus. What kept me reading was thinking this is a Jae book, and things would pick up. But it just didn't happen.
While this may be my least favorite Jae book, it is still a sweet romance. If you are looking for a slow building romance, with no real angst, and a cute kid, pick this up. There will be plenty of people that enjoy this read. I just hope Jae's next book, will have more of the magic in it, that I'm used to.
An ARC was given to me by YLVA, for a honest review.
April 5, 2017
First off let me say I am a huge fan of Jae’s work. As I have said before she is an author you can count on to deliver you a quality read time and time again. With that being said, Falling Hard, her latest novel is probably my least favorite of her books thus far. Don’t freak out, this is a good book, don’t get me wrong, it really is, but overall I felt uninspired reading it. Here are my thoughts as to why…
Dr. Jordan Williams is a general surgeon how lives her life with a no strings attached look on love. You got it! Her bedroom has a revolving door of ladies. She doesn’t hide it and is honorable in the fact that she lets her lovers know exactly what to expect, a good night or two and then adios on to the next one.
Emma Larson is a recently divorced, single mother who has recently had her heart shattered by a cheating wife. Emma picked up what was left of her after catching her wife with another woman, in her own bed nonetheless, and moved from Portland to her childhood hometown of South Pasadena, CA. Emma isn’t looking for a good time between the sheets, she isn’t going to give her heart away for the second time and unless it is true love. One thing that throws everything off is she is ridiculously attracted to her new next door neighbor, Jordan.
You can basically guess how the plot is going to go. Player meets hot single mom, mom rebukes all advances, the player can’t get mom out of her head and stops sleeping around, mom falls for the player, the player falls for mom and viola and a new family is made. There is nothing wrong with that, it’s a good story. You have well thought out characters with a solid beginning, middle, and end. What it is though, is lackluster. There is nothing that sets this book apart from a dozen others that have the exact same plot. There is no tension, no angst, no thoughtful dialogue, nothing that makes the story or its characters jump off the page. It gave me no feels, and after Jae’s last novel, Heart Stop, which gave me all kinds of delicious emotions, I wanted more. This is a light sweet romance, one I am glad I read, but not one that will leave much of a lasting impression. My rating is 3.5 stars.
Dr. Jordan Williams is a general surgeon how lives her life with a no strings attached look on love. You got it! Her bedroom has a revolving door of ladies. She doesn’t hide it and is honorable in the fact that she lets her lovers know exactly what to expect, a good night or two and then adios on to the next one.
Emma Larson is a recently divorced, single mother who has recently had her heart shattered by a cheating wife. Emma picked up what was left of her after catching her wife with another woman, in her own bed nonetheless, and moved from Portland to her childhood hometown of South Pasadena, CA. Emma isn’t looking for a good time between the sheets, she isn’t going to give her heart away for the second time and unless it is true love. One thing that throws everything off is she is ridiculously attracted to her new next door neighbor, Jordan.
You can basically guess how the plot is going to go. Player meets hot single mom, mom rebukes all advances, the player can’t get mom out of her head and stops sleeping around, mom falls for the player, the player falls for mom and viola and a new family is made. There is nothing wrong with that, it’s a good story. You have well thought out characters with a solid beginning, middle, and end. What it is though, is lackluster. There is nothing that sets this book apart from a dozen others that have the exact same plot. There is no tension, no angst, no thoughtful dialogue, nothing that makes the story or its characters jump off the page. It gave me no feels, and after Jae’s last novel, Heart Stop, which gave me all kinds of delicious emotions, I wanted more. This is a light sweet romance, one I am glad I read, but not one that will leave much of a lasting impression. My rating is 3.5 stars.
April 6, 2017
*I received this book from the publisher, in return for a fair review.*
As I tend to do with Jae books, I’ll spend a moment or two talking about links – how this book links up with others.
First up – the easiest link is with Heart Trouble since Jordan of this book is the same Jordan in that book – a best friend to one of the main characters in that book, Hope. Both Hope and Laleh, the stars of Heart Trouble, appear in this book here. In the normal course of events this book would likely be called ‘book 2’ in whatever you would call this series – except . . .. This is one of the few times I’d recommend reading books out of order – or, at the very least, just noting that you do not need to read any other book before you read this one. Because of two reasons. Heart Trouble is in a somewhat different genre than this book here, Falling Hard – because of a fantasy element that is a large theme in that book. And because it is linked to yet another series – the Hollywood series, of which there are three books and 1 short story – Laleh from both this book and Heart Trouble makes a very brief appearance in one of the books in the Hollywood series. By no means do you need to read that series, and then Heart Trouble, before reading this book.
Second up – well, I’ve already touched on it – this book is, in its way, linked to the Hollywood series by way of Laleh. A very minor side character in that series. To a large extent, if not for the Hollywood people popping up in Heart Trouble, I’d just put it down to an interesting item of little importance. But they do make a large impact on Heart Trouble. At least Jill does. Jill, who appears in all but the first book – and is the ex-girlfriend of Amanda – one of the main characters from that book, is best friends of Laleh – and several other Hollywood series people also wander through the pages. So, in a sense, Heart Trouble could theoretically be considered book 4 in the Hollywood series (but for the fantasy element and lack of a main character actress), and ‘Falling Hard’ could be seen as book 5 (except for that lack of main character actress, or – for that matter, any connection to the Hollywood series but for Laleh’s brief appearance in this book).
Third up – not touched on is the part where one of the main characters in this book, Emma (and Molly, of course, being Emma’s daughter) just moved to California from Portland. And one of Jae’s other series is a Portland series – one that has both 2 official books, one short story, and one unofficial book (main characters from the series make an appearance in Under a Falling Star). I kept examining each name as it appeared – each one that might be connected to that Portland series, but since I’ve only read the first book in the series (and Under a Falling Star) I can’t say that I recognized any name, nor can I say that that means that no connection exists since the connection might be to one of the works I’ve not read.
So – that was a lot of words to say – ‘this book is related to other books by this same author, but there is no inherent need to read any other book before reading this book here.’
So, what is this specific book about?
Dr. Jordan Williams, 34 (if I recall that correctly), is a surgeon and lives in a duplex. Recently her next door neighbor, the one who lived in the other half of the duplex, moved out. One day Jordan drove home only to find that her driveway was blocked by a moving van – someone had finally moved in. That someone would turn out to be Emma Larson, mother of Molly Larson (actually, since there is a comment that Molly ‘went back to her maiden name’, I’m not certain that Molly’s last name is in fact Larson) 5 year old. But Jordan didn’t know that immediately. All she knew was a super hot woman in shorts and with really long gorgeous legs was moving stuff from the moving van to the house. Jordan, and another neighbor named Barbara, introduce themselves to Emma – and Jordan’s personality shines through immediately (and the reason why I’m mentioning all of this). How? Jordan’s first words to Emma are flirtatious and indicating romantic interest. For, you see, in addition to being a young doctor, Jordan is also a massive player – the kind who, with few exceptions, does not get into relationships and rarely entangles herself with any other human – romantically. The exceptions would probably boil down to just one person, romantically, and that’d be Simone, a long distance friend with benefits. The non-romantic relationships would include family (sisters and the like, one appears in the book via phone call), work (Hope, from ‘Heart Trouble’), and neighbors (70+ year old Barbara).
Emma Larson, as the book description indicates, is ‘Jordan’s polar opposite’. That’s right, the 43 year old is an albino to the doctor’s ebony skin. Heh, no. Emma is 32, if I recall correctly, and while there is a brief mention about being pale, she is not an albino (when Jordan and Emma first meet, Jordan ‘assumes’ that Emma can’t be a native because of the fact that she isn’t tanned from the California sun). By the way, I forgot to mention that – Jordan does in fact have dark skin, though I do not recall if a specific word was used when describing her (like, say, her caramel skin, or coffee skin, or mocha or . . . ; Simone is also dark skinned; the assumption is that both are black/African American; though that really is an assumption – I do not know if Simone is American). Hmm. Jordan stuff in Emma paragraph. Mmphs. Physically, all that I recall about Emma is that she has blonde hair, gorgeous legs, and is, in some way, Caucasian. I might be making an assumption there about ‘pale’ and blonde hair equaling Caucasian. Emma works as a VA – a virtual assistant, has a 5 going on 6 year old daughter named Molly, and had been married to a surgeon named Chloe. Oh, and while Emma and Molly just moved down to California from Portland, Emma’s actually a native of South Pasadena (which, it would appear, is a neighbor to Pasadena, since a date occurs in a restaurant in the next town over – Pasadena). Ooh! South Pasadena ‘is a city in Los Angeles County’ – and I’d been calling the extended Hollywood series ‘Los Angeles series’, so this still works. Huh, a five star hotel costs only $272? Cheap place. Hmm, Pasadena is a city of 139,731 people, I shouldn’t call it a town. And South Pasadena, looking at a map, is directly south of Pasadena and has a pop of only 26,000 or something around there. Wow, my Emma paragraph really got away from me.
Emma’s best friends are still in Portland and are friends of both her and her ex-wife, so she’s mostly been ignoring them. She does, on occasion, speak with a ‘Lori’ though. She’s also become friendly with two neighbors – Barbara and Jordan.
Recall how I mentioned that part about Jordan immediately flirting with Emma when they meet for the first time? Well, her ‘gaydar’ was pinging Emma as being a lesbian. But then little while later, the next day or later, Jordan’s progress home is again interrupted by having her drive-way blocked. This time by a five year old girl drawing on it. They meet, and stuff. I’m mentioning it more because we have an aspect that I’ve seen pop up in lesbian fiction that I didn’t expect to see pop up here – Jordan immediately moves Emma into the straight column. Because . . . daughter. It was a very brief kind of thing, Emma immediately calls Jordan on it – noting that lesbians can in fact have children. But still . . . to immediately go from ‘*internal thoughts/ping ping ping* that woman is lesbian lesbian lesbian lesbian . . . wait wait . . . child child straight that woman is straight straight *ping ping ping*’ is very confusing to me. But, meh.
So - the book. Jordan and Emma become insta-friends. Hang out together all the time. Sorry, I should have worded that as ‘Jordan, Emma, and Molly’ become insta-friends. Somewhere along the way, Jordan is looking around for Molly in the backyard, and is confused. Doesn’t see her. Then realizes that Molly is way up in the backyard tree. An important point, of course, but I don’t want to reveal everything – just the part where, during the saving of girl and stuffed animal, Jordan fell and broke her arm. And then had to spend even more time hanging around the duplex – wearing a cast. Emma immediately begins helping Jordan do things that Jordan now has trouble doing (like removing clothing). But the two remain friends, and only friends.
There’s kind of an insta-lust going on in this situation, though, for the two keep finding themselves near each other, lingering, hugging, near-kissing. But – Emma doesn’t want anything to do, romantically, with a player (nor, for that matter, a surgeon), while Jordan . . . well, she doesn’t do relationships.
So . . . time passes. People visit (like friend with benefits Simone; and ex-Chloe). Birthday’s come and go. Babysitting by Jordan occurs. Story unfolds. I’m being purposely vague.
For the most part the characters, at least Emma, Jordan, and Molly, are well developed. For a while there I thought Barbara’s character would get some meat, but alas, no. And Hope and Laleh have character, in my mind, more because I already knew them from Hearts Trouble. Most of the side characters are just people passing through – names on the page.
Unfortunately, exaggerating this, this is something like the 3000th time I’ve read a ‘player meets up with a ‘relationships only’ type, walls are beaten upon, conquered, people change’ that I’ve read. Several of which involved single mothers. None, including this book, of these stories have the single mother be the player, maybe for obvious reasons, though occasionally the single mother character would be against . . well, everything – relationships, flings, etc. For her kid. Celibate. And that’s the wall that has to be broken down. There are elements that drift in and out of this book that indicate that Emma was supposed to be that type of single mother, though they are thin elements. Overwhelmed more by ‘eww, player, not for me’, and less by ‘eww, relationships/sex – not for me’.
This is one of those books that, if it had been a television episode, would be called a ‘bottle episode’. Mostly tied to the duplex, with occasional excursions elsewhere – including to the hospital that appeared in Hearts Trouble. I might be thinking of a different term. That or it’s a feeling I probably should not be having for the book – since there were those excursions elsewhere, and there were these other characters. It’s just that so much of the story seems to take place at the duplex or at the hospital that it just feels ‘constrained’ (which is vaguely weird, I know, since one of the things Jordan likes to do to blow off steam, to think, to relax, is to just drive around).
I’ve been attempting to not actually reach this point in my review. The part where I mention that, while I kind of liked the characters, in theory, I was also . . . kind of bored. It’s one of those unfortunate things – I expect a certain ‘spark’ in a Jae book and . . . there wasn’t anything super special about this one. This is unfortunate since there were avenues for some of that to occur. Like, one of the neat things about the previous book in this series (if you want to pretend there’s a series here), Heart Trouble, is the part wherein one of the main characters is/was Persian and part of her culture got intermixed in that book's plotline. The fact that Jordan is black does come up, though rarely. And in a way that would have occurred for anyone who isn’t lily white (like one scene has Jordan take Molly to get ice cream, one of the workers there assume Jordan is Molly’s nanny based entirely on Jordan’s skin color; Jordan could have been Latina and the same reaction could have occurred, or she could even have been white with that reaction – if she had been Eastern European, Russian, etc). There was a point made that, once they got to know each other, they – Jordan and Emma – realized that they had a lot of things in common (things liked, books, etc.). So there was no ‘cultural differences’ to inject into the book. Or something like that.
Right, so. Decent book. I would not necessarily recommend or not recommend.
Rating: 3.44*
* I deduct 0.06 stars for all that kissing. Kissing is icky. Hehe. Okay, I probably would have rated this book the same regardless.
re: 'setting-los-angeles' shelving - South Pasadena is in Los Angeles county.
April 5 2017
As I tend to do with Jae books, I’ll spend a moment or two talking about links – how this book links up with others.
First up – the easiest link is with Heart Trouble since Jordan of this book is the same Jordan in that book – a best friend to one of the main characters in that book, Hope. Both Hope and Laleh, the stars of Heart Trouble, appear in this book here. In the normal course of events this book would likely be called ‘book 2’ in whatever you would call this series – except . . .. This is one of the few times I’d recommend reading books out of order – or, at the very least, just noting that you do not need to read any other book before you read this one. Because of two reasons. Heart Trouble is in a somewhat different genre than this book here, Falling Hard – because of a fantasy element that is a large theme in that book. And because it is linked to yet another series – the Hollywood series, of which there are three books and 1 short story – Laleh from both this book and Heart Trouble makes a very brief appearance in one of the books in the Hollywood series. By no means do you need to read that series, and then Heart Trouble, before reading this book.
Second up – well, I’ve already touched on it – this book is, in its way, linked to the Hollywood series by way of Laleh. A very minor side character in that series. To a large extent, if not for the Hollywood people popping up in Heart Trouble, I’d just put it down to an interesting item of little importance. But they do make a large impact on Heart Trouble. At least Jill does. Jill, who appears in all but the first book – and is the ex-girlfriend of Amanda – one of the main characters from that book, is best friends of Laleh – and several other Hollywood series people also wander through the pages. So, in a sense, Heart Trouble could theoretically be considered book 4 in the Hollywood series (but for the fantasy element and lack of a main character actress), and ‘Falling Hard’ could be seen as book 5 (except for that lack of main character actress, or – for that matter, any connection to the Hollywood series but for Laleh’s brief appearance in this book).
Third up – not touched on is the part where one of the main characters in this book, Emma (and Molly, of course, being Emma’s daughter) just moved to California from Portland. And one of Jae’s other series is a Portland series – one that has both 2 official books, one short story, and one unofficial book (main characters from the series make an appearance in Under a Falling Star). I kept examining each name as it appeared – each one that might be connected to that Portland series, but since I’ve only read the first book in the series (and Under a Falling Star) I can’t say that I recognized any name, nor can I say that that means that no connection exists since the connection might be to one of the works I’ve not read.
So – that was a lot of words to say – ‘this book is related to other books by this same author, but there is no inherent need to read any other book before reading this book here.’
So, what is this specific book about?
Dr. Jordan Williams, 34 (if I recall that correctly), is a surgeon and lives in a duplex. Recently her next door neighbor, the one who lived in the other half of the duplex, moved out. One day Jordan drove home only to find that her driveway was blocked by a moving van – someone had finally moved in. That someone would turn out to be Emma Larson, mother of Molly Larson (actually, since there is a comment that Molly ‘went back to her maiden name’, I’m not certain that Molly’s last name is in fact Larson) 5 year old. But Jordan didn’t know that immediately. All she knew was a super hot woman in shorts and with really long gorgeous legs was moving stuff from the moving van to the house. Jordan, and another neighbor named Barbara, introduce themselves to Emma – and Jordan’s personality shines through immediately (and the reason why I’m mentioning all of this). How? Jordan’s first words to Emma are flirtatious and indicating romantic interest. For, you see, in addition to being a young doctor, Jordan is also a massive player – the kind who, with few exceptions, does not get into relationships and rarely entangles herself with any other human – romantically. The exceptions would probably boil down to just one person, romantically, and that’d be Simone, a long distance friend with benefits. The non-romantic relationships would include family (sisters and the like, one appears in the book via phone call), work (Hope, from ‘Heart Trouble’), and neighbors (70+ year old Barbara).
Emma Larson, as the book description indicates, is ‘Jordan’s polar opposite’. That’s right, the 43 year old is an albino to the doctor’s ebony skin. Heh, no. Emma is 32, if I recall correctly, and while there is a brief mention about being pale, she is not an albino (when Jordan and Emma first meet, Jordan ‘assumes’ that Emma can’t be a native because of the fact that she isn’t tanned from the California sun). By the way, I forgot to mention that – Jordan does in fact have dark skin, though I do not recall if a specific word was used when describing her (like, say, her caramel skin, or coffee skin, or mocha or . . . ; Simone is also dark skinned; the assumption is that both are black/African American; though that really is an assumption – I do not know if Simone is American). Hmm. Jordan stuff in Emma paragraph. Mmphs. Physically, all that I recall about Emma is that she has blonde hair, gorgeous legs, and is, in some way, Caucasian. I might be making an assumption there about ‘pale’ and blonde hair equaling Caucasian. Emma works as a VA – a virtual assistant, has a 5 going on 6 year old daughter named Molly, and had been married to a surgeon named Chloe. Oh, and while Emma and Molly just moved down to California from Portland, Emma’s actually a native of South Pasadena (which, it would appear, is a neighbor to Pasadena, since a date occurs in a restaurant in the next town over – Pasadena). Ooh! South Pasadena ‘is a city in Los Angeles County’ – and I’d been calling the extended Hollywood series ‘Los Angeles series’, so this still works. Huh, a five star hotel costs only $272? Cheap place. Hmm, Pasadena is a city of 139,731 people, I shouldn’t call it a town. And South Pasadena, looking at a map, is directly south of Pasadena and has a pop of only 26,000 or something around there. Wow, my Emma paragraph really got away from me.
Emma’s best friends are still in Portland and are friends of both her and her ex-wife, so she’s mostly been ignoring them. She does, on occasion, speak with a ‘Lori’ though. She’s also become friendly with two neighbors – Barbara and Jordan.
Recall how I mentioned that part about Jordan immediately flirting with Emma when they meet for the first time? Well, her ‘gaydar’ was pinging Emma as being a lesbian. But then little while later, the next day or later, Jordan’s progress home is again interrupted by having her drive-way blocked. This time by a five year old girl drawing on it. They meet, and stuff. I’m mentioning it more because we have an aspect that I’ve seen pop up in lesbian fiction that I didn’t expect to see pop up here – Jordan immediately moves Emma into the straight column. Because . . . daughter. It was a very brief kind of thing, Emma immediately calls Jordan on it – noting that lesbians can in fact have children. But still . . . to immediately go from ‘*internal thoughts/ping ping ping* that woman is lesbian lesbian lesbian lesbian . . . wait wait . . . child child straight that woman is straight straight *ping ping ping*’ is very confusing to me. But, meh.
So - the book. Jordan and Emma become insta-friends. Hang out together all the time. Sorry, I should have worded that as ‘Jordan, Emma, and Molly’ become insta-friends. Somewhere along the way, Jordan is looking around for Molly in the backyard, and is confused. Doesn’t see her. Then realizes that Molly is way up in the backyard tree. An important point, of course, but I don’t want to reveal everything – just the part where, during the saving of girl and stuffed animal, Jordan fell and broke her arm. And then had to spend even more time hanging around the duplex – wearing a cast. Emma immediately begins helping Jordan do things that Jordan now has trouble doing (like removing clothing). But the two remain friends, and only friends.
There’s kind of an insta-lust going on in this situation, though, for the two keep finding themselves near each other, lingering, hugging, near-kissing. But – Emma doesn’t want anything to do, romantically, with a player (nor, for that matter, a surgeon), while Jordan . . . well, she doesn’t do relationships.
So . . . time passes. People visit (like friend with benefits Simone; and ex-Chloe). Birthday’s come and go. Babysitting by Jordan occurs. Story unfolds. I’m being purposely vague.
For the most part the characters, at least Emma, Jordan, and Molly, are well developed. For a while there I thought Barbara’s character would get some meat, but alas, no. And Hope and Laleh have character, in my mind, more because I already knew them from Hearts Trouble. Most of the side characters are just people passing through – names on the page.
Unfortunately, exaggerating this, this is something like the 3000th time I’ve read a ‘player meets up with a ‘relationships only’ type, walls are beaten upon, conquered, people change’ that I’ve read. Several of which involved single mothers. None, including this book, of these stories have the single mother be the player, maybe for obvious reasons, though occasionally the single mother character would be against . . well, everything – relationships, flings, etc. For her kid. Celibate. And that’s the wall that has to be broken down. There are elements that drift in and out of this book that indicate that Emma was supposed to be that type of single mother, though they are thin elements. Overwhelmed more by ‘eww, player, not for me’, and less by ‘eww, relationships/sex – not for me’.
This is one of those books that, if it had been a television episode, would be called a ‘bottle episode’. Mostly tied to the duplex, with occasional excursions elsewhere – including to the hospital that appeared in Hearts Trouble. I might be thinking of a different term. That or it’s a feeling I probably should not be having for the book – since there were those excursions elsewhere, and there were these other characters. It’s just that so much of the story seems to take place at the duplex or at the hospital that it just feels ‘constrained’ (which is vaguely weird, I know, since one of the things Jordan likes to do to blow off steam, to think, to relax, is to just drive around).
I’ve been attempting to not actually reach this point in my review. The part where I mention that, while I kind of liked the characters, in theory, I was also . . . kind of bored. It’s one of those unfortunate things – I expect a certain ‘spark’ in a Jae book and . . . there wasn’t anything super special about this one. This is unfortunate since there were avenues for some of that to occur. Like, one of the neat things about the previous book in this series (if you want to pretend there’s a series here), Heart Trouble, is the part wherein one of the main characters is/was Persian and part of her culture got intermixed in that book's plotline. The fact that Jordan is black does come up, though rarely. And in a way that would have occurred for anyone who isn’t lily white (like one scene has Jordan take Molly to get ice cream, one of the workers there assume Jordan is Molly’s nanny based entirely on Jordan’s skin color; Jordan could have been Latina and the same reaction could have occurred, or she could even have been white with that reaction – if she had been Eastern European, Russian, etc). There was a point made that, once they got to know each other, they – Jordan and Emma – realized that they had a lot of things in common (things liked, books, etc.). So there was no ‘cultural differences’ to inject into the book. Or something like that.
Right, so. Decent book. I would not necessarily recommend or not recommend.
Rating: 3.44*
* I deduct 0.06 stars for all that kissing. Kissing is icky. Hehe. Okay, I probably would have rated this book the same regardless.
re: 'setting-los-angeles' shelving - South Pasadena is in Los Angeles county.
April 5 2017
April 21, 2017
I liked it
I really enjoyed this book. It was really nothing new in terms of story formula: beautiful girl next door looking Emma (32) and daughter Molly (5) move in next door to sexy, hot-shot surgeon player Jordan (34). There is somewhat of an instant attraction but Emma wants forever and Jordan wants no strings. Of course with a 5 yr old in toe, things change and Jordan finds herself wanting more than she usually does. Throw in a selfish ex-wife, a georgeous friend with benifits, and Hope and Laleh from Heart Trouble and you've got supporting characters.
I enjoyed this read. The main characters were great and Molly was adorable. It's simple read with little angst and happy moments. When i finished, i honestly thought i hope the next book is about Simone. Her character just stuck out to me...fingers crossed, maybe? Anyway, Jae fans should enjoy this read. You may not love it as much as Heart Trouble cause that was clever fun but it was still a good read
I really enjoyed this book. It was really nothing new in terms of story formula: beautiful girl next door looking Emma (32) and daughter Molly (5) move in next door to sexy, hot-shot surgeon player Jordan (34). There is somewhat of an instant attraction but Emma wants forever and Jordan wants no strings. Of course with a 5 yr old in toe, things change and Jordan finds herself wanting more than she usually does. Throw in a selfish ex-wife, a georgeous friend with benifits, and Hope and Laleh from Heart Trouble and you've got supporting characters.
I enjoyed this read. The main characters were great and Molly was adorable. It's simple read with little angst and happy moments. When i finished, i honestly thought i hope the next book is about Simone. Her character just stuck out to me...fingers crossed, maybe? Anyway, Jae fans should enjoy this read. You may not love it as much as Heart Trouble cause that was clever fun but it was still a good read
April 13, 2017
I'm not sure how to review this book. Honestly, i have loved all of Jae's books before this one. And maybe because of that i had high expectations which were not met.
Dr. Jordan is the classy "i don't commit to anyone" character. She likes women and women loves her. She lives a free life and love her independence. And she doesn't want to have anything to do with nothing to resembles a family. Enter Emma, a sexy woman newly divorced and with a little cute 6 year old daughter. And bum! You probably can guess what comes next.
This book has everything that i normally like in this type of books. And besides it's about a doctor. And i'm a sucker for doctors books. But somehow this book lost me in the first 100 pages. And i haven't enjoyed.
Therefore my 3 stars review.
*An ARC was given to me from YLVA for a honest review.
Dr. Jordan is the classy "i don't commit to anyone" character. She likes women and women loves her. She lives a free life and love her independence. And she doesn't want to have anything to do with nothing to resembles a family. Enter Emma, a sexy woman newly divorced and with a little cute 6 year old daughter. And bum! You probably can guess what comes next.
This book has everything that i normally like in this type of books. And besides it's about a doctor. And i'm a sucker for doctors books. But somehow this book lost me in the first 100 pages. And i haven't enjoyed.
Therefore my 3 stars review.
*An ARC was given to me from YLVA for a honest review.
September 7, 2018
A predictable fluffy love story of how a player fell in love with single Mum (with a kid).
Ratings - 3.75 ⭐️
Ratings - 3.75 ⭐️
April 23, 2020
I read this book again and enjoyed it just as much as three years ago. Good writing, funny, lovable characters and a great kid. 5 stars again.
August 19, 2023
This was an easy read, with little unnecessary angst. If you're looking for a nice romance, this is for you!
I liked both Jordan and Emma, although I think their relationship moved a little too quickly to be completely believable. In regards to Jordan, she had always had one or two night stands instead of relationships. She was a 'player' and liked it that way, which is fine. She changed her tune with Emma and Emma's daughter Molly a little too quickly for me, as the book takes place over only a couple of months.
In regards to Emma, her ex-wife cheated on her, so she was reluctant to jump into a new relationship, especially with Molly to consider and with Jordan being a player.
Other than the timeline, this was an enjoyable read. I recommend it!
I liked both Jordan and Emma, although I think their relationship moved a little too quickly to be completely believable. In regards to Jordan, she had always had one or two night stands instead of relationships. She was a 'player' and liked it that way, which is fine. She changed her tune with Emma and Emma's daughter Molly a little too quickly for me, as the book takes place over only a couple of months.
In regards to Emma, her ex-wife cheated on her, so she was reluctant to jump into a new relationship, especially with Molly to consider and with Jordan being a player.
Other than the timeline, this was an enjoyable read. I recommend it!
April 13, 2017
Detailed score: 3.75
Definitely not one of Jae's best works.
It is fine. If asked, I'd be hard pressed to name something wrong with it but... there's nothing to particularly make it memorable either.
Usually one of the strengths with Jae's books is that the characters, and their associated motivations feel real. This time around though, I didn't really feel/believe the (supposed) drivers behind Jordan's transition from player to partner.
This is still a solid read but somewhat unremarkable from one of few lesfic authors whose work I will buy sight unseen.
Definitely not one of Jae's best works.
It is fine. If asked, I'd be hard pressed to name something wrong with it but... there's nothing to particularly make it memorable either.
Usually one of the strengths with Jae's books is that the characters, and their associated motivations feel real. This time around though, I didn't really feel/believe the (supposed) drivers behind Jordan's transition from player to partner.
This is still a solid read but somewhat unremarkable from one of few lesfic authors whose work I will buy sight unseen.
April 1, 2017
I really liked Jae's new book, which I expected because I haven't ever been disappointed by one of her novels. This story was very sweet and the characters were great. I always have a soft spot for adorable kids too, and Molly fit that perfectly. I would definitely recommend this!
ARC received from Ylva in exchange for an honest review
ARC received from Ylva in exchange for an honest review
March 23, 2019
This one was a bit disappointing. Was looking for well done romance after a more intense read so went with Jae. Book is well written as expected by this author. Love that main character, Jordan, was an African American surgeon, but her constant sex talk was just a let down. So much so, that found her interactions with more level headed Emma (mother of 5yr old Molly) annoying. The book gets better as Jordan starts behaving. One can clearly see she is actually thoughtful and selfless and a realistic fit for Emma and Molly.
September 5, 2017
ARC received from Ylva in return for an honest review.
Jae is one of my favourite authors, and her stories are always well-written, this book is no exception. It's not one of her best though.
I wanted to read this because it features Jordan, who was a supporting character in Heart Stop. She's a player who has new neighbours in the form of Emma, and her five year old daughter Molly. Emma's newly divorced from a cheating ex who is also a surgeon like Jordan.
I've read this book in multiple forms over the years, the reformed player who suddenly finds a down to earth woman (with kid) and reforms her ways because she didn't know what she was missing all along. There's not really anything new here, and even though the characters spend a lot of time together, they don't really know much of substance about each other. And In all honesty the reader doesn't know much about them either, we learn a few details about Jordan's past and family and less about Emma's, outside of the cheating ex thing.
There's also an incredibly annoying section where Jordan is almost/kinda sorta dating another woman called Emma. I had to wonder why Jae did this. The other woman's name was irrelevant, they still could have had the same storyline if she'd been called anything else, all it did was create confusion. Weird.
The other quibble I had was that Jordan is a POC character, but unlike Laleh in Heart Stop, her ethnicity isn't a focus. I believe it's mentioned when they first meet, but at the forty percent mark there's an incident that happens when Jordan is babysitting Molly and gets a weird look from a server and she wonders whether it's because she's black and I'd honestly forgotten that she was. It's then mentioned briefly again later, but there's so few POC characters in lesfic that I felt Jae could have done more with Jordan's ethnicity than she did.
Overall, it's a nice enough romance, though I could have done without all the ex drama at the end. Jordan, Emma and Molly make a cute family though, and Jae's stories are always worth a read. 3.5 stars.
Jae is one of my favourite authors, and her stories are always well-written, this book is no exception. It's not one of her best though.
I wanted to read this because it features Jordan, who was a supporting character in Heart Stop. She's a player who has new neighbours in the form of Emma, and her five year old daughter Molly. Emma's newly divorced from a cheating ex who is also a surgeon like Jordan.
I've read this book in multiple forms over the years, the reformed player who suddenly finds a down to earth woman (with kid) and reforms her ways because she didn't know what she was missing all along. There's not really anything new here, and even though the characters spend a lot of time together, they don't really know much of substance about each other. And In all honesty the reader doesn't know much about them either, we learn a few details about Jordan's past and family and less about Emma's, outside of the cheating ex thing.
There's also an incredibly annoying section where Jordan is almost/kinda sorta dating another woman called Emma. I had to wonder why Jae did this. The other woman's name was irrelevant, they still could have had the same storyline if she'd been called anything else, all it did was create confusion. Weird.
The other quibble I had was that Jordan is a POC character, but unlike Laleh in Heart Stop, her ethnicity isn't a focus. I believe it's mentioned when they first meet, but at the forty percent mark there's an incident that happens when Jordan is babysitting Molly and gets a weird look from a server and she wonders whether it's because she's black and I'd honestly forgotten that she was. It's then mentioned briefly again later, but there's so few POC characters in lesfic that I felt Jae could have done more with Jordan's ethnicity than she did.
Overall, it's a nice enough romance, though I could have done without all the ex drama at the end. Jordan, Emma and Molly make a cute family though, and Jae's stories are always worth a read. 3.5 stars.
September 3, 2018
Falling Hard was the second book by Jae that I have read, the first was Damage Control which was pretty awesome.. Do check it out ladies and gents. Btw, most of Jae's books cost USD9.99 so invest well.
Now back to this story..
Liked
a. The trope
- recently divorced h with a child moved in next to a playgirl's
b. The golden gal neighbor
- Barbara was a real sweetheart, even though she was like 7O+ I seriously didn't mind if she took over Jordan's spot as the other h.
c. The kid
- Molly was a cute 5 year old, her palate was commendable, she was never fussy nor shy from trying new food.
d. Peanut Butter
- Peanut butter had an active role in this story, thank you, Ms.Jae.
e. Sometimes Emma
- Emma was a real mama bear. I liked her guarding her heart by not succumbing to Jordan's flirtings from the moment they first met. However, when she began to acknowledge her feelings towards Jordan, she was a bit harsh. She saw Jordan brought a date home and instantly called the other woman a bitch.. Not cool Emma.
Disliked
a-z. Jordan
Now back to this story..
Liked
a. The trope
- recently divorced h with a child moved in next to a playgirl's
b. The golden gal neighbor
- Barbara was a real sweetheart, even though she was like 7O+ I seriously didn't mind if she took over Jordan's spot as the other h.
c. The kid
- Molly was a cute 5 year old, her palate was commendable, she was never fussy nor shy from trying new food.
d. Peanut Butter
- Peanut butter had an active role in this story, thank you, Ms.Jae.
e. Sometimes Emma
- Emma was a real mama bear. I liked her guarding her heart by not succumbing to Jordan's flirtings from the moment they first met. However, when she began to acknowledge her feelings towards Jordan, she was a bit harsh. She saw Jordan brought a date home and instantly called the other woman a bitch.. Not cool Emma.
Disliked
a-z. Jordan
April 29, 2017
Well, if I used the "Jae" scale comparing this one with her others it would be a 3.0 star book. I don't know if it is fair to rate it lower than if it was by another author? I was going to give it 4 stars, but I just couldn't ignore the feeling of disappointment.
It's a nice, sweet, romance. It just doesn't distinguish itself from other similar books. Bonus that it takes place in So. Pasadena,CA. I lived in Pasadena (borders So. Pas). for many years.
It's a nice, sweet, romance. It just doesn't distinguish itself from other similar books. Bonus that it takes place in So. Pasadena,CA. I lived in Pasadena (borders So. Pas). for many years.
August 28, 2025
Linked to "Heart trouble." Re read following the brilliant Major Surgery by Lola Keeley - also published by Ylva Publishing - and this was the only book recommended by them that I didn't remember. Jae really is class. Read and believe. Even listen and believe!
August 15, 2019
“Falling Hard” is a very enjoyable slow-burn romance with absolutely terrific narration by Abigail Rakocy.
Both MCs are extremely likable, which surprised me. Jordan is a cocky, arrogant surgeon who loves bedding women but has zero interest in dating or being in any type of relationship other than sex. Yes…a player. But from the opening scene, waking up after a night of sex, she is presented as a decent person. She doesn’t leave after sex, refusing to spend the night together; she’s nice at breakfast and enthusiasticaly participates in morning-after sex. She’s kind to the woman who asks about “more”. Jordan might very well be the most likable “player” I’ve yet encountered in lesfic. Throughout the book, she is revealed as kind and compassionate as well as the typical work-driven and “can’t do a relationship” trope standard bearer.
32yo MC Emma is entrepreneurial, and a divorced (from a woman) mother of 5yo Molly…who steals every scene! Emma is sometimes presented as a member of the “once burned, never again willing to trust anyone” trope, and she has insecurities resulting from finding her ex in bed with another woman. But she is strong; taking control of her life, her career and her daughter.
There’s lots of humor in the book. Jordan, upon meeting Emma, hits on her and is immediately shot down, which stuns her. During her first night in the new house (a duplex with an adjoining bedroom wall), Emma is treated to hours of “thump thump thump” and “oh my god, yes…right there” from Jordans BFF with benefits.
As the MCs spend time together because of an accident Jordan suffers helping Molly, they learn about each other. Emma is glad to learn her new friend is not a cheat, and Jordan is stunned to find she is attracted to a woman for more than a night of sex. Emma doesn’t want a player, and Jordan doesn’t want a white picket fence.
Much of the book includes fun scenes with Molly, and each of the MCs fighting their attraction to each other. Side characters are very entertaining (a couple others are players; one who has settled down and the other who is as likable as Jordan).
Overall, this is a difficult book for me to rate. I recognize why several goodreads friends gave “Falling Hard” 3*…there’s no huge difficulties to overcome for an HEA. Yet, I really enjoyed this low angst feel good slow burn romance. I rate “Falling Hard” 4.5* and I enjoyed it enough I’m tempted to round up to 5*, but this doesn’t feel quite like a 5* book, so I’m recommending it with 4* but I really really wish I could rate it higher than other books I’ve rated 4*.
Both MCs are extremely likable, which surprised me. Jordan is a cocky, arrogant surgeon who loves bedding women but has zero interest in dating or being in any type of relationship other than sex. Yes…a player. But from the opening scene, waking up after a night of sex, she is presented as a decent person. She doesn’t leave after sex, refusing to spend the night together; she’s nice at breakfast and enthusiasticaly participates in morning-after sex. She’s kind to the woman who asks about “more”. Jordan might very well be the most likable “player” I’ve yet encountered in lesfic. Throughout the book, she is revealed as kind and compassionate as well as the typical work-driven and “can’t do a relationship” trope standard bearer.
32yo MC Emma is entrepreneurial, and a divorced (from a woman) mother of 5yo Molly…who steals every scene! Emma is sometimes presented as a member of the “once burned, never again willing to trust anyone” trope, and she has insecurities resulting from finding her ex in bed with another woman. But she is strong; taking control of her life, her career and her daughter.
There’s lots of humor in the book. Jordan, upon meeting Emma, hits on her and is immediately shot down, which stuns her. During her first night in the new house (a duplex with an adjoining bedroom wall), Emma is treated to hours of “thump thump thump” and “oh my god, yes…right there” from Jordans BFF with benefits.
As the MCs spend time together because of an accident Jordan suffers helping Molly, they learn about each other. Emma is glad to learn her new friend is not a cheat, and Jordan is stunned to find she is attracted to a woman for more than a night of sex. Emma doesn’t want a player, and Jordan doesn’t want a white picket fence.
Much of the book includes fun scenes with Molly, and each of the MCs fighting their attraction to each other. Side characters are very entertaining (a couple others are players; one who has settled down and the other who is as likable as Jordan).
Overall, this is a difficult book for me to rate. I recognize why several goodreads friends gave “Falling Hard” 3*…there’s no huge difficulties to overcome for an HEA. Yet, I really enjoyed this low angst feel good slow burn romance. I rate “Falling Hard” 4.5* and I enjoyed it enough I’m tempted to round up to 5*, but this doesn’t feel quite like a 5* book, so I’m recommending it with 4* but I really really wish I could rate it higher than other books I’ve rated 4*.
April 15, 2017
This one was a bit of a let down.
After reading Heart Trouble and absolutely loving every page of it I had high hopes for this book. In that novel we were first introduced to surgeon Dr. Jordan Williams who I immediately had a soft spot for. Needless to say I could hardly wait to read her story.
First off let me say that I liked the main characters well enough and there was nothing wrong with the pacing of the story. However to me there was just a lack of chemistry. Even during the so called heated make out scenes the whole thing just fell flat. Another thing I found myself missing was some angst. I expected at least 1 or maybe 2 bumps in the road but it seemed to be all smooth sailing which I guess is good if that's the kind of book you were looking for but for me it just didn't make the cut.
This left the book for me with a 3,5* rating.
After reading Heart Trouble and absolutely loving every page of it I had high hopes for this book. In that novel we were first introduced to surgeon Dr. Jordan Williams who I immediately had a soft spot for. Needless to say I could hardly wait to read her story.
First off let me say that I liked the main characters well enough and there was nothing wrong with the pacing of the story. However to me there was just a lack of chemistry. Even during the so called heated make out scenes the whole thing just fell flat. Another thing I found myself missing was some angst. I expected at least 1 or maybe 2 bumps in the road but it seemed to be all smooth sailing which I guess is good if that's the kind of book you were looking for but for me it just didn't make the cut.
This left the book for me with a 3,5* rating.
April 8, 2017
This is one of the author's that you can depend on for a light weight romance. The first chapter had me laughing with the cheesey lines and arrogant attitude. It also made me cringe as well.
The story centres on Jordan, a no strings attached definitely no relationship person and Emma, a single mum. I loved the scenes with Molly, the child, who made this a fun read. I was not really bothered about the romance and felt it lacked something.
Overall it was well written.
Arc given by Ylva for an honest review.
The story centres on Jordan, a no strings attached definitely no relationship person and Emma, a single mum. I loved the scenes with Molly, the child, who made this a fun read. I was not really bothered about the romance and felt it lacked something.
Overall it was well written.
Arc given by Ylva for an honest review.
November 22, 2017
I love Jae and I've always enjoyed her books.. this one in specific was a bit too predictable unfortunately. There was nothing special about the leading characters, and the connection wasn't very strong or believable.. 2.5 rounded up to 3 because come on Jae's writing skills are just great !
May 29, 2023
Nice enjoyable romance. Jae doesn't disappoint
April 1, 2020
Decent enough read. A tad bit long, but I enjoyed all of f the main characters. 3.5 stars
August 13, 2017
Happy Tears
Falling Hard is one of the most tender and sweetest books I’ve had the pleasure of reading for quite some time. The thing I like best about the book I that the interactions between the characters is so often sweet, warm and peaceful all the while giving me constant warm fuzzies in my chest. There is a gentle and genuine feeling to the book as if everything could actually happen. Its easy to believe a potential girlfriend would go to the store for juice for her love interest’s ill child. Or that the love interest would be cautious about asking too much from the other when the child is involved. It’s a fine balance and Jae finds it and straddles it so well. I found myself tearing up more than a time or two with the beautiful writing and situations. It is just such a wonderful story!
Jae writes from the heart for the heart and this book is proof positive
Falling Hard is one of the most tender and sweetest books I’ve had the pleasure of reading for quite some time. The thing I like best about the book I that the interactions between the characters is so often sweet, warm and peaceful all the while giving me constant warm fuzzies in my chest. There is a gentle and genuine feeling to the book as if everything could actually happen. Its easy to believe a potential girlfriend would go to the store for juice for her love interest’s ill child. Or that the love interest would be cautious about asking too much from the other when the child is involved. It’s a fine balance and Jae finds it and straddles it so well. I found myself tearing up more than a time or two with the beautiful writing and situations. It is just such a wonderful story!
Jae writes from the heart for the heart and this book is proof positive
August 22, 2017
Gentle and sweet
Like anything written by Jae it is superbly written with a lovely evolution and development of the main characters. Overall it is a light and easy read which is just what I was looking for to relax and destress after a hectic week.
Like anything written by Jae it is superbly written with a lovely evolution and development of the main characters. Overall it is a light and easy read which is just what I was looking for to relax and destress after a hectic week.
April 12, 2017
I love Jae's books. I love doctor, hospital and ER stories. I'm a sucker for stories with kids. So I was in heaven here.
December 14, 2020
I'll be honest. It took me a bit for the Jordan character to grow on me. Initially she was chock full of sexual innuendo with everything she said in her initial interactions with Emma - a mother of a five year-old who had come out of a bad relationship just a year earlier. Yes - I got that she was cocky because she was a gorgeous, successful surgeon and there was never a woman who would dream of turning her down, but GEEZ. It grated on my nerves. I loved that none of that worked on Emma. In fact, it made her wary of her. Especially when Emma's ex - also a surgeon - had cheated on her. But as they got to know one another as new neighbors in a duplex, and Jordan started shedding those layers and bravado and began showing more of herself, she became someone that you could root for.
One of my favorite things about Jae's characters is that they communicate well and have integrity. That was certainly the case with these two. I also appreciated that there was no extra drama thrown in where there could have been. This was a good read. Not my favorite of Jae's but then again, she did write Perfect Rhythm, Not the Marrying Kind, Backwards to Oregon, Hidden Truths and Just for Show, so those are hard to top!
One of my favorite things about Jae's characters is that they communicate well and have integrity. That was certainly the case with these two. I also appreciated that there was no extra drama thrown in where there could have been. This was a good read. Not my favorite of Jae's but then again, she did write Perfect Rhythm, Not the Marrying Kind, Backwards to Oregon, Hidden Truths and Just for Show, so those are hard to top!
January 25, 2025
3.5 ★ Hold on a minute, who’s the woman on the front if Jordan is black and Emma is Blonde? Oh nvm they changed the cover on here, but on KU it’s a random woman in a hammock! I was so bloody confused.
“Because of Jordan’s dark skin” was mentioned at least 3 times throughout the duration of the book… which idk why how I feel about that, we know she’s black, so I’m not sure why that kept getting brought up? Anyways cute story.
“Because of Jordan’s dark skin” was mentioned at least 3 times throughout the duration of the book… which idk why how I feel about that, we know she’s black, so I’m not sure why that kept getting brought up? Anyways cute story.
April 16, 2017
Jordan is a player, honest, straightforward and caring about it, but a one-night-stand or friends with benefits type of woman, nothing else. She puts her energy into her job as a surgeon and her fun time is strictly that. Her mother’s decision to give up a career for a family has left a deep felt conviction that for Jordan her decision will always to put her career and life first.
When an attractive woman moves into the duplex next door Jordan instantly turns on the charm, only to be flat-out shut down in seconds. Emma is recently divorced and hurting badly from finding her plastic surgeon wife wasn't as committed to the marriage vows as she believed. She is determined to stay single, look after her daughter and build her business, keeping her heart securely locked away - especially from attractive but dangerous women like Jordan.
As always Jae’s books are well done, with clever construction, strong storylines and excellent delivery. In ‘Falling Hard’, we also have a strong element of personal development. Emma needs to let go of her ugly past, never an easy option, and be prepared to open up to take a chance with her heart, for her and her daughter. Jordan has a bigger hill to climb, changing the conviction of a lifetime that she will never fall in love, never want to settle down.
Jae’s characters are strong women, complex and interesting. In this we have the addition of a charming 5 year old who almost steals the show. Jordan and Molly’s blossoming friendship creates a subplot of amusing adult learning opportunities. Molly’s instinctive take down of a nasty racist belittling Jordan is a classic way to make a point in the most understated way, just as Jae has pointedly underplayed the inter-racial relationship aspect of the story.
I love Jane’s writing style, and always enjoy her books - this was no exception. However, despite all the good - solid plot, classic storyline, interesting characters and the normal “will she wont she” tension - it wont be top of my favourite books by this author. It was good but not as good as others and left me a little flat, perhaps the whole was just too classic and underplayed. I guess when you are as good as Jae we readers come to expect the best every time and judge more harshly - hard price to pay for being such an excellent storyteller.
When an attractive woman moves into the duplex next door Jordan instantly turns on the charm, only to be flat-out shut down in seconds. Emma is recently divorced and hurting badly from finding her plastic surgeon wife wasn't as committed to the marriage vows as she believed. She is determined to stay single, look after her daughter and build her business, keeping her heart securely locked away - especially from attractive but dangerous women like Jordan.
As always Jae’s books are well done, with clever construction, strong storylines and excellent delivery. In ‘Falling Hard’, we also have a strong element of personal development. Emma needs to let go of her ugly past, never an easy option, and be prepared to open up to take a chance with her heart, for her and her daughter. Jordan has a bigger hill to climb, changing the conviction of a lifetime that she will never fall in love, never want to settle down.
Jae’s characters are strong women, complex and interesting. In this we have the addition of a charming 5 year old who almost steals the show. Jordan and Molly’s blossoming friendship creates a subplot of amusing adult learning opportunities. Molly’s instinctive take down of a nasty racist belittling Jordan is a classic way to make a point in the most understated way, just as Jae has pointedly underplayed the inter-racial relationship aspect of the story.
I love Jane’s writing style, and always enjoy her books - this was no exception. However, despite all the good - solid plot, classic storyline, interesting characters and the normal “will she wont she” tension - it wont be top of my favourite books by this author. It was good but not as good as others and left me a little flat, perhaps the whole was just too classic and underplayed. I guess when you are as good as Jae we readers come to expect the best every time and judge more harshly - hard price to pay for being such an excellent storyteller.
April 7, 2017
This is the 24th book I've read from Jae. She's guaranteed to dish a helping of the good feels. Didn't disappoint in this one. Emma the semi-newly divorced mom meets up with the player Jordan. Yea it's sorta been done before, but not by Jae :) Not really going to get into it but for a few things.
1) Huge shout out to Fletcher Delancey and the Alsea series. That cameo was well well done.
2) Peanut butter with hamburgers? Is this a thing? I know Sandra's from Germany and all, but please tell me she made this up. Ugh.
3) Molly is the cutest kid *ever*. Like seriously adorable.
Ok that's it. Loved it. Hopefully others do too. That is all.
1) Huge shout out to Fletcher Delancey and the Alsea series. That cameo was well well done.
2) Peanut butter with hamburgers? Is this a thing? I know Sandra's from Germany and all, but please tell me she made this up. Ugh.
3) Molly is the cutest kid *ever*. Like seriously adorable.
Ok that's it. Loved it. Hopefully others do too. That is all.
October 5, 2018
This book was really great, the characters were amazing, I loved the interactions between Molly and Jordan so much. The only reason why I can not give this book 5 stars is because it was really predictable. Yes, you already know what to expect when reading the description, but I guess I love it when authors have a typical storyline, but they actually add a twist or make it a bit unpredictable. However this was a really great novel, honestly
May 9, 2018
Oh Lord! I heart this book so hard! Seriously I can’t wait to read it again. Jae’s books just have all the feels. I’m even going to try peanut butter on a hamburger now! Lolz! Honestly it’s books like this one that make me want to re-evaluate my star ratings I need more than 5 for this!
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