FALL
VIP – BOOK 3
by
Kristen Callihan
Release Day – Oct 23, 2018
The first time I met Jax Blackwood things went a little sideways.
In my defense, I didn’t know he was Jax Blackwood—who expects a legendary rock star to be shopping for groceries? More importantly, a blizzard was coming and he was about to grab the last carton of mint-chocolate chip.
Still, I might have walked away, but then he smugly dared me to try and take the coveted ice cream. So I kissed him. And distracted that mint-chip right out of his hands.
Okay, it was a dirty move, but desperate times and all that. Besides, I never expected he’d be my new neighbor.
An annoying neighbor who takes great pleasure in reminding me that I owe him ice cream but would happily accept more kisses as payment. An irresistible neighbor who keeps me up while playing guitar naked–spectacularly naked–in his living room.
Clearly, avoidance is key. Except nothing about Jax is easy to ignore—not the way he makes me laugh, or that his particular brand of darkness matches mine, or how one look from him melts me faster than butter under a hot sun.
Neither of us believes in love or forever. Yet we’re quickly becoming each other’s addiction. But we could be more. We could be everything.
All we have to do is trust enough to fall.
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MY THOUGHTS
I held myself back and read this one slowly because I wanted to savour every word and emotion, and I am so glad I did because THE FALL by Kristen Callihan is one of the best slow burn romances I have read.
The VIP series gets better and better, and in Stella Grey and John “Jax” Blackwood, Callihan has brought out a depth of character that makes for an absolutely compelling read.
Fundamentally, this book is about two lonely people trying to find their place in the world. Their experiences may be different but the feelings are the identical. Callihan does an excellent job in describing the isolation and desolation of their lives even when surrounded by people. It’s a theme I think will resonate with many of us.
I am so glad Stella and John found each other because they are made for one another. There is plenty of banter and humour in the book. The attraction between them is blistering from the outset but I appreciated that their physical relationship did not overshadow their story. I loved how over time they exposed their vulnerabilities and let each other in, and I loved how the faith they placed in one another gave them strength to re-evaluate their own lives and their relationships with others. Through Stella and John, Callihan tackles such weighty topics of suicide and depression, doing so with an openness and honesty that comes across with authenticity.
Heavy topics aside, there is a lightness, a vitality and sense of fun running through the book that often had me smiling. Scottie, the band’s manager (and hero in VIP#2 ‘Managed’) makes numerous appearances. I did not think he could get any better but he surpasses anything I could have imagined. But don’t worry, all the band members and their partners make appearances throughout the book.
Fans of the author and the series won’t be disappointed. I highly recommend this book.
*****
Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she’d rather be. She is a three-time RITA nominee and winner of two RT Reviewer’s Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading.
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