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Love Prevails #1

Even Angels Fall

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Evie was only looking to have a fun girls’ night out with her best friends when a blue-eyed stranger walked into her life and asked her out. Fairly inexperienced in the world of dating, she tried to navigate the labyrinth of emotions and demands that came with having a boyfriend. Bernie had just gotten out of the job from hell and was trying to find her footing again. Thank goodness Evie offered to help her out until she found a new place to work. Her dating life had been a disaster so far, well, until a certain individual appeared in her life. Turns out Bernie wasn't the only self-assured, outgoing person in this city. Both friends found the perfect person, or so they thought. Evie knew relationships were about give and take, but what was she supposed to do when he wanted to take more than she was willing to give? Bernie knew what her heart wanted, but was she brave enough to embrace it? Also, could she help save her best friend from the too-good-to-be-true blonde she fell for? Who would be there for the fall?

__________________________ Content Warning Even Angels Fall is a New Adult Romance with a happy ending, but there are elements that might be triggering to some readers. Examples of toxic, mildly abusive relationships, mild violence, and drinking are within this novel. For readers who may be sensitive to these elements, please take note.

__________________________

Even Angels Fall is the first book in the Love Prevails series. It follows the journey of two best friends as they navigate love, heartbreak, forgiveness, hope, and new beginnings, all while in the midst of trying situations. Each story in the series builds off the previous and is meant to be read in order. While there are some loose ends, each book does have its own Happily Ever After.

380 pages, Paperback

Published June 24, 2021

14 people are currently reading
61 people want to read

About the author

Elisabeth Garner

24 books63 followers
Hey everyone and welcome to my little corner of the world. I’m glad you’re here!
I’m just a quirky, nerdy lady writing stories that are begging to be put on paper. I live in an adorable, little town in Indiana with my amazing husband, our adorable daughter, and our two cats.
When I’m not holed up in my office, you can find me reading, drinking coffee and tea, hanging out with my family and friends, baking, working on DIY projects around the house, and playing D&D.
I have been obsessed with reading and writing from a very young age. Growing up, it was all about The Baby Sitter Club and then Harry Potter and then The Arrows of the Queen. I started writing my first novel in high school, my second novel in college, and after teaching for a while and starting a family, I decided to tackle the dream of becoming an author. The rest is history.
You’ll find my bookshelves filled with everything from YA to historical fiction to romance to classics to sci-fi and fantasy to mental health. It’s a mixed bag and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I hope to see you around!
You can find out more about me and my work on my website or @booksbyemgarner on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook.

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5 stars
31 (56%)
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11 (20%)
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6 (10%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for Jessica.
Author 13 books60 followers
June 9, 2021
I was graciously chosen to read this ARC and review it by the wonderful author Elisabeth Garner! This review and opinions are all my own. This is not a paid review.

This is a no spoilers review!
I give this book 3.5 stars. But because I cant do half stars its a 4! (I always round up)

First- wow what an emotional ride. I unfortunately know to many woman that have been through what Evie has. It is a really really difficult thing to be a part of in a way. (I’m being cryptic on purpose!)
Second- In the first oh, 100 or so pages it took me quite a while to get into the story. It felt a little all over the place and erratic and pronouns definitely were throwing me off. That being said I do believe that was intentional based on the story itself. By making everything feel so “all over” you do get a taste of what the main character is feeling.
Third and lastly, this is definitely worth the read. I thoroughly appreciated how Garner wove together the three friends and their view on watching Evie deal with what she did. It is one story to be the person in it. It is entirely another story for friends to be there and be entirely and completely helpless. Its frustrating, its heartbreaking, and just down right anger inducing.

If you are down for an emotional (but good (obvi)) read, I would recommend!!
Profile Image for Heart&SoulBooks.
206 reviews7 followers
June 5, 2021
I got an arc copy and loved this book. It’s always a favorite sign when there’s more than on narrator in the story, I love reading multiple perspectives.

Charlie’s my favorite character though I also find Evie super relatable.

This novel does contain descriptions of an emotionally abusive relationship so if that is triggering for you I wouldn’t advise. However I do think it’s an important topic to see and the book handled it incredibly.

I cannot wait for book 2....I hope the second one focuses in on Charlie and Bernie, however I just really can’t wait to read more about this fantastic cast.
Profile Image for Zeena Becks.
Author 9 books9 followers
September 8, 2021
A wild ride.
I had a look at other reviews and the first thing I want to say is that one thing I saw being criticised by another reader, I truly appreciated. Having 3 POVs.
So, someone commented that they would have preferred to have the love stories split, but I think it's genius like this. Evie's story isn't a love story (at least not until the last 20%), but Bernie at least finds proper love. We don't see much of her relationship with Charlie, though, her purpose in the story is to be Evie's friend.
So, we have Evie who falls for a prince charming turning into the evil nightmare. We have Christopher who's Evie's workmate and secretly in love with her, and we have Bernie, Evie's best friend and roommate. For the majority of the book, we follow Evie falling for the wrong guy, being treated poorly by him, then blaming it on herself and not seeing the man she's in love with for who he is. So what we truly do need in this whole journey is Bernie's POV! She's the one who's watching her friends spiralling down in this abusive relationship, trying to make her see some sense and failing greatly.
Honestly, if we didn't have Bernie in there to sort of deliver the meaning of the story, this book wouldn't make as much sense as it does, or not have the same impact. You'd only have a naive girl stuck in a messy relationship and seemingly having no personality. But with the story being constructed the way it is, you have a deep-going inside on the trap of falling for the wrong guy and how easily everyone can be pulled into a toxic relationship.

The reason I give this story 4 stars is for a few technical issues. I've had a bit of trouble at some points because I felt like I was getting lost in the dialogue and couldn't always follow who was talking or what was happening, then there were a few hiccups where POVs suddenly were mixed up (like we have Christopher's POV and suddenly see Evie's thoughts). Giving it 5 points feels unfair to me in comparison to other 5-star reads, but I think this is a story every girl/woman should read because it teaches a valuable lesson on how one should be treated and how not. And for a debut novel, it's great! Well done!
Profile Image for Misty.
16 reviews
June 4, 2021
I downloaded Even Angels Falls this morning and after work, sat down to read it. I wanted to find out what happened and couldn’t put it down.

This is told in several POV’s and all the characters have interesting contributions. It is tough read if you are triggered by abusive relationships. This is the first time I have read this author and I can’t wait for book 2!
Profile Image for Cindy Kukas .
130 reviews4 followers
July 6, 2021
Even Angels Fall is a wonderful book. I felt every emotion the main character experiences. From her initial happiness to her confusion, guilt, pain and heartbreak. It also brought back memories of a situation I dealt with. This caused me to take a few short breaks just to catch my breath. The books antagonist was so well written I actually had an almost overwhelming urge to hit him.
I got completely sucked in. I highly recommend this book.
Be sure to check the trigger warnings.
1 review
August 1, 2021
Absolutely fabulous! I highly recommend this book for adult readers. Elisabeth has a way of pulling in her readers and making her characters very relatable. I sympathized with her main character, laughed and cried with her.
22 reviews
June 7, 2021
Firstly I want to thank Elisabeth Garner for the opportunity to get this ARC in return for an honest review. She has so much potential and so many great ideas.

!!This review has some spoilers!!

I wanted to like this so so so much but alas I did not. The premise--different and intriguing--Evie, a young college instructor falls for a textbook perfect prince charming, Gavin, who ends up emotionally and mentally abusing her leading to a toxic relationship. Very reminiscent of Colleen Hoover in that Garner is writing about something that 1. isn't an easy topic to write about; 2. isn't done often. My issue is I don't believe the author did enough with it. It was a constant merry go round of boy abusing girl and girl crying and not doing anything about it. I understand that it is very realistic in that when people are in abusive situations they can't get out of the toxic cycle but in a book, you'd think there'd be one major event and some repercussion. The author wrote about the antagonist cheating and poof, it was never addressed til the final showdown between the couple. There was a fair amount of boy doing wrong and girl just crying about it. Evie's support system was excellent and had more to say about the situation than the main character but if there are so many chapters written from her perspective, it would be helpful to know what she is thinking and how she is processing what is going on in her own life. Instead readers get her insights in the forms of questions such as "Am I really that oblivious when guys like me?"

An even bigger problem for me is what made Evie so great? There was absolutely nothing about her that I found interesting or irresistible that would make 2 men fall in love with her. It is implied that her appearance definitely made her attractive to the men but the author needed to describe that in greater detail in order for me to see what she was seeing in her head. I know more about what she wore on various dates than the girl herself. The main character had no personality and came off as whiny and overly emotional who resorted to drinking as a coping mechanism. No thank you. I need some stable main characters with some personality.

Also, don't get me started on the word "bestie". It was used 45 times in this book. Name someone in their late 20's to early 30's who uses that term that frequently...don't worry, I'll wait.

All that being said, the book had great potential and who knows, maybe I am the picky outlier in this group of ARC readers if the reviews thus far are any indication. As I said in the start of this review, Garner has the ability to write about nuanced and sensitive topics but in my opinion, she needs to go back and work on her character development.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
5 reviews4 followers
July 1, 2021
Elisabeth Garner captures her audience and shows them what it’s like to experience an emotionally abusive relationship first hand.

Even Angels Fall follows the story of Evie as she travels through the world of love. As with many young adults, Evie enters a relationship with someone that begins in a very loving way. After a while, she and her friends notice that her boyfriend is exhibiting very controlling and possessive behaviors. It is up to Evie’s friends to help her realize that this is not what love is.

I think it was very easy for me to relate to Evie because I have been in a very controlling/possessive relationship in the past. I think this book broaches that subject without being triggering in any way, at least not for me. It was interesting to watch Evie experience the behaviors of her partner and think “how could anyone allow someone to treat them that way” and then realize that I once allowed someone to treat me that exact way. It is a unique perspective on toxic relationships. I think this book in the right hands, could help someone realize that they are in an abusive relationship.

I recommend this book to EVERYONE! Regardless of how loving your relationships have been. If you’ve never been in a toxic relationship, I’m sure that you know someone who has. This is a great way to learn how to recognize red flags! However, I also recommend this book because of the underlying relationship that is built between Evie and her support system. The story is well-written and the characters are well thought out. I would love to have my very own Bernadette as a best friend.

I loved this book, for the simple fact that it not only showed the reader what it is like to survive an emotionally abusive relationship, but it also shows that there is a possibility for love after you’ve been in such a relationship. Anyone can write a romance novel, but it takes someone truly special to write a romance-after-abuse novel. Elisabeth Garner is that someone!

Trust me and read this book. You will love it!
Profile Image for Darla.
177 reviews2 followers
July 2, 2021
I joined Elisabeth’s ARC team in reading this book. I am not receiving any sort of monetary compensation for this review. I am writing this honest review of my own free will and choice.

Even Angels Fall by Elisabeth M Garner was an enjoyable read. I struggled at first with the relationship between Gavin and Evie; however, once Evie became more self conscious of the relationship, it truly develops. I think the reason I struggled with the relationship is because I have dealt with several of these types of relationships before. The way the book was written was tactically perfect in dealing with these types of relationships. I think she has an excellent balance of give and take for each person featured in the book.

I loved the relationship between Bernie and Charlie. I would have loved to see more for Bernie’s perspective throughout the book in terms of their relationship. I also love the relationship dynamic between them. This book is one of the first books I’ve read with gender fluidity and I think it is done excellently.

The few chapters from Christopher’s POV gave me all the dreams and hopes. I can’t wait to see where the series goes!

I shouldn’t have read the Epilogue, but alas I did and now I need to know what happens. Which of course you don’t find out about until the next book, but I have theories I won’t name here.
3 reviews2 followers
June 15, 2021
This was a heartwarming story about a girl who finds true friends and true love. The book was well written with only minor grammatical errors. The characters are very relatable and that’s what makes this story work so well. I love the camaraderie of the characters and definitely have my favorites. The story has the characters you love and even the guy you love to hate. I was rooting for the underdog and a happy ever after, only to cry over the cliffhanger ending. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and look forward to the continuation of the series.
Profile Image for Idalia Helaena.
1,619 reviews91 followers
July 6, 2021
I don’t want to disclose a lot of plot info on this one, because it does have a lot of triggers. However, that doesn’t change the fact that it was a very well written novel that drew me in from the first page! Sadly, I went through a similar experience to Evie, and the way this book was written was so genuinely well thought out. Evie seemed so realistic, her emotions so heartfelt. I also loved her support system. I really enjoyed it, and that ending! I don’t know how I’m going to wait for the next one. Kudos to Garner for writing this completely enchanting novel!
Profile Image for Tiffany Gillespie.
6 reviews1 follower
June 6, 2021
Ok, I really did enjoy the story. I loved how sweet Chris was and Charlie was definitely my favorite. The only thing is I kind of wish that the story had followed Evie and Chris and have book 2 be about Bernie and Charlie instead of switching between the 3 main characters. This book does go in to describe an emotionally abusive relationship, so be careful if that’s a trigger for you. Can’t wait for Book 2
Profile Image for Allison.
291 reviews
June 11, 2021
ARC Review! Definitely heed those content warnings, which I really appreciated being on a dedicated page at the beginning.

It's been a while since I've read a contemporary romance and oof those emotions. Because we had all the different POVs it was pretty obvious what their relationship was going to become. But I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. Evie's story is genuinely relatable and I'm glad it's a story that's being told.

I liked all the characters and appreciated the representation. Christopher's personality hit a little too close to home though :).

My only complaint is I totally missed Charlie and Christopher becoming friends. I'm glad they did but it seemed a little out of the blue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Michelle Sims.
Author 1 book11 followers
June 6, 2021
I was so excited to get an ARC of this book!
I loved it!
The different POVs added to the story, and I loved the innocence of the relationships. (Also bonus points for including LGBT+)
The book can be a little triggering, but I loved it and cannot wait for book 2!!
1 review1 follower
June 29, 2021
“Even Angels Fall” by Elisabeth Garner will send you on a riveting rollercoaster of emotions.

The story is told from the perspective of the characters. Ms. Garner does a wonderful job labeling which character is currently narrating.

I don’t want to spoil the book because I want you to be able to experience it yourself without knowing what you are about to read.

I highly recommend reading this book and I personally cannot wait for Book 2!
Profile Image for Amilia.
64 reviews
July 12, 2021
Woah! Couldn't put it down. Fell in love with all the characters. And the epilogue was epic, can't wait for the rest!
Profile Image for Gena Oestreich.
38 reviews1 follower
June 23, 2021
Loved this book! Incredibly relatable characters and situations. Our main character is a girl after my own heart, preferring to bury her nose in a book but despite that meets an angel of a man in what appears to be all aspects. Her best friends are ones every girl dreams of having in her corner in real life and boy do they ever have her back, especially when the man who was supposed to be an angel decidedly short in the angel department, leaving her open to our hero in disguise. The ending will have you begging for book two. An absolute must read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for KelShock3.
80 reviews3 followers
June 15, 2021
OMG GUYS!!!! Please read trigger warnings before venturing this book! That being said this was one of my all time favorite books I have ever read!!! I am not big on Romance/Contemporary books but Elizabeth created such an amazing dynamic here!!! The relationships here are so real and raw every step of the way!! Please read this book!!!
Profile Image for Jessica.
66 reviews10 followers
July 7, 2021
How does one recover emotionally from the rollercoaster that was the last quarter of this wonderful book...
This book is wonderfully written for the author's debut novel. Elizabeth Garner takes you into the lives of Evie and Bernie as they are out at the bar celebrating Bernie quitting her toxic job. Following their lives and new relationships over the course of the next few months. This is where we are introduced to Gavin and Christopher. Charlie is introduced later in the book when we get farther into the story.

I was team Christopher from the start and Charlie quickly became one of my favorite characters.

Tigger warnings apply as we dive into a toxic, verbally abusive relationship. There is drinking and mild violence as well so be warned.
Profile Image for Tara Tappin.
Author 10 books21 followers
November 15, 2021
The most accurate word to describe this book is relatable.

This story is sweet, hopeful, kind, but it has moments that will break your heart and moments that are frightening with their cruelty. Hope battled self-preservation. Insecurity battled strength. Protectiveness battled boundaries. This is a love story with a message that doesn't sound like a lecture - the best kind of message. It also has a character(s) for everyone to relate to - whether you're the nosy but protective best friend, the unconventional bad*ss, the narcissist, the "golden retriever," or the naive hopeful. Relatable. Must Read!
Profile Image for Sara.
691 reviews20 followers
June 22, 2022
Emotional roller-coaster

This book was a complete emotional roller-coaster. I was so mad for Evie, but her friend is the best of people helping her. Everything went so good and then you end it like that?! You trying to give me a heart attack?! Love the book.

I have to read the next book, can't leave me hanging like that.
Profile Image for Jessica wood.
50 reviews
June 9, 2022
Cliff hanger

Very well writen amd has a great plot but man had to leave me on a chiff hanger now to find next in this series and pray its already released would recommend hands down great book
32 reviews3 followers
March 16, 2022
Fantastic

I loved the characters in this book. They made me go through a lot of emotions. I'm not happy with the ending, but am definitely reading the rest of this series.
Profile Image for Gabriella Vides.
Author 8 books20 followers
June 10, 2021
Let me start this off by saying these are entirely my own opinions, and if you have different ones, that is totally okay. We all have different reading experiences.

I received an e-Book version of this novel as an ARC. I was extremely excited considering it was a New Adult romance, and I really like those kinds of stories. However, this book just did not sit with me. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.

But first, before I go on about what I see as the negatives, I’ll talk about the positives. The characters did their job in making me like them or dislike them, depending on who they were. The plot was consistent and was easy to get into. This also read like a fanfiction. This is a positive for me because I love how fanfiction reads so I didn’t have much of problem getting into the writing style.

With the negatives, it took me some time to really digest what I didn’t like about the book. For starts, the external and internal dialogue felt so unnatural to me. It felt forced and a lot of the time, it was hard to understand an individual personality within the dialogue to differentiate the character. I loved the author’s writing style. Just the dialogue was not my cup of tea. Next, the multiple POVs were an issue for me but not because there were three POVs, but how they were written. It all kept jumping back in forth within the same chapter alone, and it was hard for me to focus with it. I would have been able to connect a little better if it was one POV per chapter, but that’s just me. Other people like the multiple POVs in one chapter and that’s totally okay. I did like that it was consistent with it just being three people instead of jumping between all of the characters in the plot. Next, I don’t necessarily think this is much of a bad thing. Maybe more a preference thing, but it felt really slow in the beginning and it was hard to get into within the first 100 pages, for me at least. After that, I read the rest of the novel within two hours.

Finally, this part is a bit difficult for me to speak on because I want to do this right. I am a bisexual woman so Bernie was easy for me to connect to. The thing is, I am a cis woman so I might be overreaching and overstepping, but the LGBTQIA+ characters and relationship bothered me. I am all for representation, but if it’s done properly. The vibe I got from these characters (Bernie and Charlie) were forced for the sake of diversity and it didn’t feel researched that well. Charlie (who is a non binary pansexual person) especially felt extremely forced. Like I said, I might totally be reaching and overstepping. It was just a thing that didn’t sit right with me.

But again, take everything I say with a grain of salt because problems or issues might not be the same for you. I can tell the author put a lot of work in this story, and overall it was good.

I would give this a 3 out 5 stars (it was good, but not something I would pick up and reread).
Profile Image for Sasha.
115 reviews19 followers
June 11, 2021
I enjoyed this one. This is a debut novel and I wasn't disappointed. First things, this book is told by multiple POVs. It is told by Evie, Bernie, and Christopher.

Evie is that sweet, fun loving girl but inexperienced when it comes to having a boyfriend. One girl's night out, has her meeting Gavin. This handsome blue-eyed man comes in her life and she couldn't be happier, right?

Bernie is the witty, strong-willed best friend that any girl would be lucky to have. She just left a crappy job and is in search of a new one. Luckily for her she finds a job that she loves and is good at. Doesn't hurt when she meets, Charlie, the person that changes her life for the better. Now if only she can stop worrying over her best friend's new relationship.

Christopher, oh boy, he is that all around sweetheart of a man. He notices Evie the same fateful night she meets Gavin and thinks that his chance is gone forever. Lucky for him, Evie turns out to be a new co-worker and as time goes on becomes her support and good friend.

Everyone wants Evie happy. Everything seems to be perfect with her new boyfriend but is it? This book takes you on a journey of a woman fighting for a relationship that isn't worth the fight but with the support of her friends is able to stand up for herself. You really experience the emotions that everyone goes through. All the characters are enjoyable except for the main antagonistic but I mean that was his job. I loved the friendship between Evie and Bernie! Enjoyed it even more once Charlie was added. So much banter. Love it. I was cheering towards the end for a certain man, just like some of the other characters. My only real complaint is that I really wished there had been more from Christopher's POV. The book does end on a cliffhanger and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. I need these people happy, damn it!

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for a honest review.

☆Trigger Warnings include a toxic, verbally abusive relationship.
Profile Image for Dani.
216 reviews4 followers
June 30, 2022
Evie isn't an experience woman who is new to the world of dating, but she is ready to jump in feet first. Her best friend Bernie falls on hard times and together they rely on each other to find their perfect partners or do they? Both women had me by the heartstrings. Evie it's stuck in an abusive relationship and she doesn't see it. Bernie isn't sure if what she has found is real or just a dreamscape and is afraid to grasp it. The author made both women very relatable and the trauma and drama very realistic. This is the ugly side of romance and the amazing view of a real friendship. The story had me wanting to read more from the author and continue in the series. The author definitely knows how to write the characters to get the readers invested into their story and what is happening with each twist and turn.
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews129 followers
Want to read
March 21, 2023
🎁 Books 1 & 2 in the Series are FREE on Amazon today (3/21/2023)! 🎁
Profile Image for Abby.
65 reviews1 follower
June 13, 2021
This book was amazing! The ending blew me away, and I cannot wait for the sequel!!! Wonderfully written, I couldn't put it down.
Profile Image for Kayla Dee.
206 reviews2 followers
January 4, 2022
DNF. I just could not get into this book. I read 114 pages then skipped 1/2 the book and felt like I was reading the same thing.
I liked the LGBTQ+ in it, but the story was bla for me.
Profile Image for Selenemoon.
293 reviews2 followers
June 29, 2022
Kept my attention

This book was very slow read. A little PC for me but it is the times. Little drawn out with Gavin but finally got some sense and the boom!! Cliffhanger lol I will probably read the next one
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

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