Until We Fall

Falling #5

by Jessica Scott

The darkness never forgets... Caleb Gregory has spent ten years hiding in the dark, refusing to speak about the night his young life was destroyed. In his anger and his rage, he drank and fought until he drove everyone away until he had no one left. The light casts a long shadow... Nalini King has devoted her post army life to her passion: using yoga to heal her fellow soldiers. In doing so, she's worked to forget the night her life burned down around her. An unexpected storm... When a storm forces them into the darkness together, these two wounded souls must face the demons of their past.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Military Fiction, Military Romance

218 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 2018

About the author

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Jessica Scott Jessica Scott is a USA Today bestselling American author of more than 20 novels, including Because of You which launched Loveswepts Digital Imprint in 2011 as well as Homefront, and Before I Fall. She is an Army veteran, a veteran of the Iraq war, the mother of two daughters, a small zoo consisting of too many cats, dogs and the occasional domesticated rodent, and wife to a retired NCO.

Her novels comes from her personal experiences as a soldier, a mother, and an army wife and often explores themes of family, the legacy of war, challenges of military life, and includes contemporary military romances, psychological suspense, and nonfiction works.

Follow Jessica

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessicaScottAuthor
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She's also written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)/New Dawn and has had the honor of serving as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas twice.

She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and she's been featured as one of Esquire Magazine's Americans of the Year for 2012.

Author photo courtesy of Buzz Covington Photography


Learn more at https://www.jessicascottbooks.com

Reviews

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling novel of two broken people, West Point grads and wounded vets. Caleb chooses alcoholism, and all the nightmares it entails, Nalini chooses her heritage and the powerful force of Yoga on her life. A chance meeting during a storm blends their lives and salvation together. Full review on http://www.tbqsbookpalace.com May 11th.......

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had an interesting tone, quiet like, I think because of how it started. Two strangers stuck in the dark during a storm. During that time they talk and realize how much they have in common, been the same places with overlap of time, know the same people, both out of the military and living life. At first glance it seems like Nalini has her crap together, is the one everyone should look up to, but as her and Caleb talk more you realize she is doing better than some, but like so many she is holding on by a thread at times. I really loved how to cope with stress Nalini looked back to her heritage and is making her studio a true yoga studio with history and philosophies behind it, not a trendy flashy place. Even the storm ended up being a blessing in disguise, causing her to expand now.

So far within this series Caleb has been the guy everyone knows, but doesn't want to talk to. By the end of the book I sort of liked him more. I did seem odd to me that he would be able to quit drinking cold turkey like he did, but I liked the changes he was making in his life. I was surprised at how good of a match he ended up being for Nalini. He really listened to her talk about why yoga was important to her and why she wanted her studio to be authentic.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until We Fall is the fifth book in the "falling" series. It's also the one I have been looking forward to the most. Caleb has popped up in the previous books and has always intrigued me. I can't even find the words to tell you how much I loved this story. This author has a real talent for making me FEEL when I read her stories. This book is no exception. It's messy, gut wrenching and exhausting. IT's also sweet, sexy and hopeful. After finishing, I felt like I had been put through the wringer but had hope at the same time.

I don't want to give away too much of Caleb and Nalini's story. I really think you need to experience it for yourself. I found myself rooting for Caleb. Honestly with or without Nalini, I wanted him to succeed. What I loved most was the author didn't sugar coat the struggle that he went through every minute of his day. The book works fine as a stand alone. The entire series is wonderful, but this one was my favorite. I highly recommend reading it.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Caleb… After several books of working up to this character, I never thought I would have walked away from his story wanting more… but I’m also not surprised. Once again, Jessica Scott’s personal experience brings a realism to this series that is hard to miss.

I’ve said before that I love it when an author can take a character that they’ve effectively made unlikable into one that you can’t wait to find their HEA. Caleb definitely fell into this category. I have to admit that even when I’ve been frustrated with Caleb throughout this series (and there have been many opportunities) I still saw a spark of the man he could be from time to time. The thing is Until We Fall couldn’t happen until Caleb found himself and felt he was worth finding.

Nalini didn’t fight her demons with a bottle, but by going back to her heritage with yoga. I loved her strength and compassion. As unlikely as it seemed, given the Caleb that readers had gotten to know, Nalini turned out to be a perfect match for him. Both of them had pasts that neither were proud of, but they were finding ways to work past them. In a way, it was a good thing that they didn’t meet until Caleb was working on recovery. Mostly because sober Caleb and drunk Caleb were totally different people.

I loved these characters and hope that we get glimpses of them in the future. Caleb still has a long way to go and a lot of fences to mend. He has some great friends, so I hope he gets the chance.

I received Until We Fall in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Lee Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

No other romance writer I can think of writes military romance with the realism of Jessica Scott. Perhaps because she is a veteran herself and married to one, she examines the passions and problems of serving and post-service with an eye to detail and a knowledge hard won by witnessing the havoc war can wreak.

Caleb and Nalini don't have the typical meet cute moment, instead taking shelter in the darkened basement of her yoga studio during a tornado. Caleb is dragging himself on the long road to recovery from too many years of hiding his problems in alcohol. He's avoiding finishing his degree while working with his hands...idle fingers might clasp a beer bottle at the local watering hole if he is not vigilant. Nalini has found some solace in her Indian heritage and the practice and teachings of yoga, hoping to bring similar peace to her fellow soldiers with its measured, ritual movements.

Yet both have felt an emptiness that is suddenly filled by this chance meeting in a stormy blackout. Nalini thinks it happened for a reason, but Caleb lost any faith in higher design with the loss of his mother. Can two hurting people who have lived through both loss of brothers in arms and their own ideals of self find a new sense of peace and belonging in each other?

More women's contemporary fiction than romance, Until We Fall continues Scott's examination of the lives of the women and men who give much in the service of their country. As always with Jess' work, the reader is touched by the passion and poignancy of the depth of the characters and their journey to a sense of home after coming back from the hell of war.

I received an advance review copy from Bookfunnel which in no way influenced my opinion.

[ButtonsMom2003 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until We Fall just might be my favorite in the Falling series. While Until We Fall is part of a series the story stands alone just fine. You won't feel like you're missing anything if you haven't read the others but you really should read them as they are great books.

Caleb appeared in the other Falling stories and he was always a jerk; angry, drunk and picking fights – seemingly a good for nothing bad boy. I am so glad that Jessica Scott was able to give him such a wonderful story where we get to see what lies behind all of that drunken behavior.

Nalini also appeared in some of the Falling books. She's a veteran and a graduate of West Point – like Caleb is. They meet when Caleb takes shelter from a bad storm in her yoga studio. Neither of them realizes, at first, that they met at West Point so many years ago.

The things we learn about Caleb don't excuse the jerk he's been but they do help explain his behavior. The main thing is – now he's accepting responsibility for his past actions. He's been sober for a few months and has a job the keeps him busy which helps to keep him from drinking.

The relationship between Nalini and Caleb evolves slowly; they don't jump into bed right away (but when they do – wow!). I loved the bit of slow burn this story had going. Nalini and Caleb are both scarred from their experiences at war and I loved seeing how the two of them helped heal each other.

Jessica Scott's writing always makes me FEEL things and I love how real and believable her stories are. I'm sad to see this series end but at the same time I'm looking forward to what she has coming up next for me to read.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***

[Charlotte Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caleb and Nalini are not your typical couple. They don’t meet, feel the sparks, and fall in love. Well, they do all that but there is so much more to their relationship before they fall in love. They have demons to control and history to share before they can find their happily ever after.

Jessica Scott writes a story that is less about the romance and more about the trust, honest, and opening up between two people. I enjoyed seeing Caleb and Nalini work through what they both went through in the military. I loved seeing them open up to each other, trusting each other, while looking forward to what their futures could look like. Their story shows that even those who are hurting by what they have gone through and what they are living with can find happiness and love.

I am a HUGE fan of Jessica’s and am always excited when she releases a new book. Until We Fall is another book of hers that I am happy to recommend to anyone looking for a contemporary women’s book with a twist of romance.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tale as old as time, it’s 2:00am, you open the kindle app to read a couple of pages and the next thing you know, it’s 4:30. That is exactly what Jessica Scott’s Until We Fall did to me. To say that this book is compelling would be a complete understatement. It full on engages the reader in ways that we never see coming.

Jessica Scott has woven a beautiful story about chances and what can be made of them. For Nalini and Caleb they can be fraught with fear and doubt, but with assists from people who care deeply, they are not necessarily erased but shown in a new light.

My only wish about Until We Fall? That it was longer. While it doesn’t take away from my love of the characters or their story, I really just wanted more of them. Nalini and Caleb had an amazing chemistry that was soul-deep and selfishly, I want a little more time with them.

Get your hands on this book as soon as you can and prepare to fall in love!

[Momz Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read all the books in this series and enjoy reading work by this author. I liked Caleb’s character in all the previous books based on what it added to those stories. I also liked the fact that in his own story he was struggling with his recovery as an alcoholic. This part of the story was very real and depicts what a daily struggle it is for an alcoholic once they choose not to drink. I liked Nalini in this story too, but there was just something that didn’t click for me here. A big part of the book was spent deep diving into Indian Culture and Yoga. Although I was interested in both, it was so detailed I got bogged down in it. Caleb and Nalini started out strong at the beginning of the book, then there was a focus on Yoga, Alcoholism, Past Secrets, Indian Culture, and finally at the end they ended up together. This one just didn’t work for me. I stuck with it because I needed to see Caleb have a happy ending.

[Jimnlori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Until We Fall is the fifth book in the Falling series by Jessica Scott and is definitely worth reading.
Until We Fall is Caleb and Nalini's love story!
Caleb and Nalini are both broken from their past and most importantly their past military experience. Coming back to real life after finding themselves serving in a war that didn't always make sense, losing friends and trying to heal emotionally and physically from their wounds is a struggle. Caleb has tried to hide at the bottom of an alcohol bottle and Nalini found that facing it by using yoga has helped the best.
These two people who are so different except for their military experience have turned to each other in their need and desire to once again be healthy, happy and whole. In doing so they find their happily ever after.

I was given an ARC from the author/publisher. All conclusions are mine and mine alone.

[Anima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scott has written a beautiful love story between two veterans, each coping with life differently. Caleb has been an alcoholic for many years, even before joining the service. Nalini, a yoga instructor, has chosen a more mental and physical path to clear her mind. Thankfully Caleb is working on a sober existence and a renewed look at the world without the bottle. There are some pretty heavy issues here: alcoholism, abuse, and harassment (not toward each other). They connect while hiding from a serious storm and it's amazing how well they connect as strangers. It's empowering, heart mending, and beautiful how this couple makes it work. I was given a copy by the author and voluntarily wrote my review.

[Khrista Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mountains to climb

Until We Fall is an emotional read! This is not, for the most part light reading, its an emotional journey of healing and forgiveness of self. The Falling Novels are all amazing journeys in overcoming traumas due to veterans serving in War and other personal traumas.
Caleb has been drowning in a bottle for a good ten years, he has pushed everyone away in an effort to punish himself. Caleb is a few months sober and trying to find his place in life while trying to deal with all that has happened in his life.
Nalini owns a yoga studio and is trying to move on with life after serving in the Army. She has suffered a lot due to the war and is trying to heal the best way she knows how.

[Tina Hobbs Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Where are you going, Caleb?" These words haunt Caleb. Good and bad memories.

Throughout the Falling series, Caleb has been a continuous a##hole character. You knew there was something there, something that has caused his excessive drinking. A possible trauma that has led him to the bottom of a bottle and a personality that is quite repulsive. In Until We Fall, we learn about Caleb's past.

Nalini's experience in the military has led her on a different path of healing. Her yoga studio means the world to her. She is hoping to bring others the satisfaction and peace that yoga has brought her. Especially military veterans.

This story of Caleb and Nalini is a great conclusion (?) to a wonderful series. I thought Caleb could never be lovable, yet here I am, loving Caleb!

[Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with all Jessica Scott stories, Until We Fall absolutely slayed me. I could tell you about the story, I could tell you about what happens, but there is no way I can convey the depth of feelings that this story delivers. It is about two returning veterans, Caleb Gregory and Nalini King. They run into each other, at the start of a storm, and they each discover places in their hearts and souls that need, well, the other. Feelings are true and I loved both Caleb and Nalini. I worked in Durham, NC many years ago and it was fun to recognize different places and landmarks. Another hit, IMHO. It will strike deep and grab you until the end.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been my favorite book out of this series. There is so much emotion in this book. Both Nalini and Caleb have a lot of stuff to work through. I like that at the very beginning of the book they both tell each other a lot of stuff that most people take a long time to talk about. They don't talk about everything right away but it's a good starting point and a good building of their relationship. It was good to see Caleb trying to get his stuff together and with the help of Nalini he is even better for it.


*Thank you Jessica Scott for allowing me to read this for my honest opinion*

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until We Fall is Book 5 in Jessica Scott's Falling series. Even though we meet both characters in earlier books, these books stand perfectly fine on their own. Although, after meeting Caleb in some of the earlier books, I really wasn't sure how Ms. Scott was going to pull his story off but boy did she ever deliver.

I've enjoyed everything that Ms. Scott has written but this one has got to the best yet. It didn't have much of a plot other than the two main characters being stuck in a basement in storm but it packed a very powerful emotional punch!

Kudos Ms. Scott!!

[Lary Alvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect!!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Soo perfect!! This book was so beatiful, was a pleasure read about Caleb and Nalini.
Both had to much pain in their soul, but Nailini helped Caleb to heal, to find the peace he need it , he was lost for so many years, and Nalini too.
Together found the love and the porpoise to living theirs live together.
I love it the whole thing about Yoga.
I recomend this book soo much

[E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I love when an author redeems a character who is loathed and turns our perceptions on end. I am particularly impressed by the cultural elements that enriched this particular story and the new details I have learned about a subject that I was heretofore ignorant of. Excellent addition to the series. Full review to follow.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really lovely read about to damaged people finding each other. Caleb and Nalini didn't need the other person to fix them, but it made their paths more bearable with each other there. So, I did a thing and read a series out of order. This wasn't an issue. Previous characters are mentioned, but you can get along when you jump in where you want to.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I expected

This is a really great story. It is hard hitting and real in what people have to deal with in past trauma and war experience. I appreciated how Nalini hung on and let Caleb know he was not alone and that he could forgive himself for past mistakes. Not light, but very satisfying.

[Tina Welsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe this is the end. Nothing like going out with a bang. Caleb we have followed through the last four books. He is deeply troubled from his military days. Nillia, yoga studio owner finds herself trapped during a storm with Caleb. An amazing story about how they find their way through life.

[Pauline Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a very hard subject to talk about what vets coming back from serving go through. Most people don't want to hear how they deal with PTSD or alcoholism or any addiction after and it seems like a tough subject to write about. I felt the story dealt with it in a way that puts light on how hard it is to deal with it, but shows you are not alone either.

[shereadsabook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really wish you could do a half a star. 3.5 in my book. Really good dialogue, but then cluttered up in the middle with a bunch of useless information about her new studio and plans, etc. Probably could have been a really good novella if all of the extraneous information was cut out, but there wasn't a huge plot arch, so it made for a pretty mainstream read overall.

[Dewey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderful beginning as the 2 main characters spend a storm in a candle-lit basement, getting to know one another with warm, quiet, dialogue. Rather similar to Break My Fall. Scott writes compelling, intricate, realistic military characters, as they struggle to return to civilian life. I hope the VA Admin reads all these stories. One of my top 3 writers in this genre.

[Judy C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the characters but was a bit shocked that the book just ended. I was hoping for a little more of an ending than her store just being finished. I hope there will be more on these two in future books.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

About surviving. Female Yoga instructor. Male in Maker Space

[Katie Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous - once again

So I'm a fan, sue me. Jessica Scott's characters never fail to suck me into their stories. Can't wait to read more from her.

[John Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the characters, especially the chemistry between Caleb and Nalini, just wish the story was a bit longer.

[Amee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice to get the story of Caleb, and Nalini's back story as well.
Well written, read it in one go (I may be slightly addicted to these books).

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful series by a former vet.