When I first started the reading this book, I didn't realize it was the second book in a series. Don't worry. They are all standalones so it wasn't necessary to read the first book and I followed the storyline just fine (but I will go back and read about the oldest sister). What I did love was that I got to see a little glimpse into my favorite past characters of Monica Murphy's, Drew and Fable. This Callahan series is about their family. They are all grown up and living in a small town in California with their 4 children. This story focused on their second eldest child, Jake.
Jake Callahan is popular, good looking, has dated the head cheerleader and is the quarterback for the school's football team. He is definitely part of the in crowd and hasn't ever veered away from that.
Hannah Walsh is a quiet and smart girl. She loves art and stays on "her side of the cafeteria". She is NOT popular. She has two close friends and really doesn't care about being of the In clique.
What happens when Jake approaches her in the cafeteria and asks if she would wear his jersey for his football game?? What starts as something not so serious could turn into something no one expects.
Falling For Her is High School. It's the friendships, the relationships, the drama.
What I thought was going to be a cute mature YA story also had definite bully elements. Characters that pissed me off and characters that needed to be hit upside the head and taught a thing or two. But we also had characters that wanted to enjoy their senior year and tried to get out of their comfort zone. Those were the characters I loved and loved seeing their growth.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Hannah and Jake grow. They are two characters that don't work on paper, but when they come together, they just understand one another. They form a quiet friendship before taking it any further and before (more) drama ensues. Jake has so much riding on his shoulders and his anger outweighs a lot. He was a hard character for me to get into liking. But when he's with Hannah she brings out the best in him. I liked hearing his inner dialogue when he was around her. It kinda won me over.
Hannah is a girl that doesn't take Jake's crap and she pushes him and doesn't ask for anything from him in return. Just that he's himself and he sees her through his own eyes and is not influenced by those around him. I liked her from the first moment she spoke. And to see her growth as a person and able to stand up to the characters that didn't like her? Perfect. Because in the end, it's not the cliques and the games won, it's about being true to who you are and being the best you can be.
Falling For Her is a mature YA book that is all set in high school. If that's your jam, you'll enjoy this story. You'll be able to imagine the cliques, the classes, the parties, the popularity contests, the bullying, and football game nights. This book IS high school to a T. You may have lived some of this in years past. Jump in and take a ride to your teen years. It's a little sweet, a little mean girl vibe, but most of all, it's about friendship, family and growth.