Fall With Me by J. Lynn
Wait for You, #4
Romance Contemporary
E book
March 31, 2015
Avon
Reviewed by Tori
Favorite Quote: “I didn’t know if I wanted to punch him in the nuts or kiss him.”
Blurb: Eleven months ago, bartender and weird-shirt-wearing extraordinaire Roxy and Officer Reece Anders had a one night stand. Well, kind of. She’s been in love with him since she was fifteen, and he wishes that night they shared never happened. She’s sworn him off forever, but the past and future collide, forcing her to rely on the one man who broke her heart not once, but twice.
Her best friend since birth has been in a long-term care facility since he became a victim of a hate crime years ago, and the person who put him in there is out of prison and wanting to make amends with him and Roxy. She’s not sure she has room for forgiveness in her and when she begins to receive frightening messages and is on the receiving end of escalating violence, she thinks she knows who is to blame. The man who already destroyed one life already.
But Reece isn’t convinced. The threats are too personal, and even if Roxy doesn’t believe him, he’s not willing to let anyone hurt her. Including himself. He’s already messed up more than once when it comes to Roxy and he’s not going to let history repeat itself.
Fall With Me is the 4th book in J. Lynn’s Wait for You series. A strong romance based NA series with hints of angst, drama, and suspense. I’ve enjoyed this series overall with only minor issues here and there. Heavily character driven, Lynn uses previously seen characters to add depth and a sense of permanence to the story. Letting readers know that this is a ‘family’ that continues on long after the last word is read. Crisp writing, indulgent humor, and a smooth flowing storyline made this an easy if not predictable story to read.
We first meet Roxy and Reese in Stay With Me. Roxy bartends at Mona’s and goes to college part time. Reece is on the local police force and swat team. Foreshadowing from Stay With Me alerts us to Roxy and Reese have some unresolved issues and in here Lynn brings it out into the open, forcing them to deal with them. When I learned what the issues were, I was a little let down. It all revolves around miscommunication and hurt feelings. One simple sentence would have cleared it all up. Add in a subplot that has Roxy is also experiencing some strange incidents in her apartment and her strange reaction to them had me raising my eyebrows quite a few times. I’m not a fan of “dummying” down the heroine in order to create drama filled conflict. Multiple times the author forces Roxy to go against common sense and human nature in order for the conflict to keep flowing.
The romance was a strong aspect of the story (as with all J. Lynn’s books) and blending well with the suspense; both storylines playing off one another like pros. However, I wasn’t as connected with it or the couple as in the past. I liked Roxy. She is an intelligent, strong willed woman whose loyalty and huge heart is both a gift and trial for her. She knows what she wants and goes for it.
Reese. You can’t help but like Reese though in terms of heroes, he’s rather formulaic. A sweet dominant alpha whose protective streak is a mile long and wide. I did like that he didn’t play games or go the jealousy route with Roxy.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t taken with them together. They were an average romance couple. Nothing outstanding sets them apart. I think part of the problem was we never saw them before the misunderstanding. We aren’t able to see the moment they realise there is something between them. We missed the flirting, heated glances, and the slow burn of an increasing attraction. Their chemistry is muted by unseen prior events, leaving me to wonder what exactly made them want to be a couple besides their physical attraction to one another. I never felt a ‘spark’ between them because I never truly saw them fall in love.
A series of subplots are used to bring Roxy and Reese together while allowing Roxy to learn forgiveness and left go of the crushing guilt she feels over an accident that left her best friend brain damaged. Lynn does well in identifying and exploring the reasons behind some of Roxy’s life changing decisions that harken back to that one night but again, Lynn manipulates the plotlines, creating false drama.
The dramatic ending is ridiculously predictable. The foreshadowing is strong throughout the book and I pretty much guessed the villain and the plot device that would be used ¼ into the book. It’s not a bad book and Lynn’s talented voice, engaging character dynamics, and dry wit makes up for some of the problems I experienced but not enough to make this a memorable read for me.
Rating: C
Recent Reviews:
Stuck In Books
Book Page
Ramblings From This Chick
Goodreads I Author Website I Series List
I just finished this last night, and I feel exactly the same way. Those “big misunderstandings” that could be cleared up with one sentence are so frustrating. And Roxy really frustrated me in this. Definitely part of it was when she acted against common sense. And I knew she was going to push Reece away too, and just ugh.
And that suspense angle, like you said, right away it was obvious what was going to happen. But still, it was a fast read, and I still love J. Lynn. This just isn’t a favorite.
Yes, not a fav but still engaged enough to have me really wanting Nick’s book. And Katie’s. I think Katie’s will be so much fun. Is it bad I ship her with Isaiah? lol
I actually liked Roxy best of all the J Lynn heroines in this series, the just say something already aspect was a little annoying. But I loved the book altogether http://bit.ly/1ELQEcW