I have enjoyed everything about the Colorado High Country series by Pamela Clare; from the setting to the characters. Falling Hard (A Colorado High Country Novel) is another prime example of why I get such pleasure from reading the series.

I admired the main character, Ellie as she goes it alone to raised twins after her military husband’s death. At the same time. I was delighted to see the romance bloom between her and Jesse Moretti, former military now part of the rescue team. There is plenty of rescue action to go along with this romance, with the added plus of the adorable little Daisy and Daniel. Jesse is admirable too as he struggles to overcome his PTSD issues. These are mature individuals who are striving to make a positive difference in life. Just the kind of characters I like to like about with my reading time.

Then the story quickly flows with realistic events and interactions between the characters. I particularly enjoyed seeing how Jesse was learning to relate to the twins. However, not all is cute in this story. The emotional turmoil that the characters work through make this an intense read that comes to a “thumbs Up” form me conclusion. Falling Hard gets my recommendation whole heartily.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley.

Falling Hard is a sweet, sexy and emotionally charged read that I quite enjoyed. I think the author did a great job of balancing the relationship between Ellie and Jesse and Ellie, Jesse and the twins. Although there are still issues that need to be worked on like where Jesse is mentally I found the end o be very satisfying.

If you enjoy Contemporary romance featuring children and an enjoyable storyline I recommend this book.

I don't often read a pure romance novel, but am glad I made the exception for this book. A wonderful story of loss and new love.

OMG my feels! Pamela Clare did it again. I loved Falling Hard. Every single minute of it. Colorado High Country the series has been a total hit for me. I have loved every single book in this series. And while Eric and Victoria are my favorite couple of the series, Jesse and Ellie come in a very close second. This book had everything you could want in a romance. Sexy abs...Check. Sexy fantasy role playing.... Check. Adorable 3 year old twins..... Double Check!

Ellie had a rough past. Her husband died in Iraq when she was 4 months pregnant with their twins. Ellie did her best to raise her babies as a single mom but she hadn't really moved on from losing her beloved husband until she met Jesse. What I really liked was that Ellie loved both her dead husband and Jesse. Sometimes when I read widow books the widow either didn't really love their dead spouse or they loved them so much that the dead spouse is like a ghost that haunts the new relationship making me feel like the new person was second place. In Falling Hard I never felt like Jesse was second but I still felt like Ellie had a real love with her dead husband. A respectable love and then she moved on with an equally strong love for Jesse. It was a nice balance.

Jesse was so sexy and yummy and God I loved him! Former Army Ranger, Rocky mountain search and rescue team member, toddler whisperer, and just all around sexy beast Jesse had it all. I loved the way he was with the twins. I loved how protective he was. He was so heroic always trying to save everyone. Jesse had a rough life and some scars but they just added to his depth and gave him that sexy damage bad boy edge. There was nothing about Jesse I would change!

Jesse and Ellie had an instant strong connection, lots of lust, but their love had a nice build to it. I loved that even though in the start of their relationship he felt a little jealous of Dan(Ellie's dead husband) he never let it show. He didn't act petty or try to replace Dan. Ellie never made me feel like Jesse was second place in her life or the twins. Although I did wish she would have taken off her wedding ring a little sooner. This book brought out a lot of emotions. I could feel Ellie's pain from the lost of her first love. The struggle she had to raise the twins when their dad never even got to meet them. I could feel the guilt Jesse felt when he couldn't save someone. His fear that his baggage would hurt Ellie and the twins. His love for her and the twins. Everything felt raw, real and just jumped off the pages making me tear up a few times. I also really enjoyed getting to catch up with the beloved couples from the past books. Seeing Lexi and Taylor are starting a family, know how strong Vic and Eric's love still is. Overall I loved this book. I love this series and I love me some Pamela Clare. I can't wait to see who's book is next. I am hoping for Chaska Belcourt's book!!!

This is such a beautiful book. I have not read anything by Pamela before, but I was totally blown away with this story.
Jessie & Ellie are both trying to overcome and move on from their pasts. They find themselves attracted to one another, but are a bit hesitant at first to believe that they could actually find love.
These are two brilliantly written characters who are both so well written that it felt like they were actually people I know.
I also liked that Pamela touched on PTSD. Something I think as a society we should all be more aware of.
Thank you so very much Pamela for your wonderful story. I cannot recommend this book enough

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

WARNING!! Kleenex needed. Be sure you have a box handy because you are sure gonna need it. This book touches every emotion and then wrings you out. The writing is nothing less that awesome and you can't help but fall in love with Elle, Jesse, Daniel and Daisy. Especially Daisy. She had me reliving my worst nightmares as a child, as a parent and as a grandparent. Thank God for Guardian Angels. But, this isn't Daisy's story alone. It is the story of a tormented man and a wounded woman who find each other and heal the broken parts with love and support from a wonderful community.

Jesse is a former Ranger from Louisiana who has found a home in Silver Springs, CO. He is a member of the rescue Team, a ski patroller and a demolitions expert. He is also carrying a lot of weight from his failed attempt to rescue a little girl in the last book and from his past. Really heavy load.

Elle is a nurse who lost her husband in combat while pregnant with twins Daniel and Daisy. She works hard and raising twin almost three year olds is a job of its' own. No time for a social life, even if she wanted one, until she meets Jesse. Hot off the charts, kind and a hero, he lights a fire in Elle she thought was out forever.

Both Jesse and Elle have places in their souls that need to be healed and they each have a lot to deal with in order to be able to come to a place where they can freely love each other.

5-I don't even like Romance-Stars

Bring the big box of tissues with you to your favorite reading spot! You will definitely need them, especially at the end. Jesse and Ellie were one of my favorite couples. This story has it all. Chemistry, heartbreak, redemption, and happily ever after.

This one hit all the right buttons for me. Honored war veteran with some emotional troubles, single mom, beautiful setting and of course, fantastic writing once again by this author. Great to see the rest of the TEAM again. Can't wait to see if more of our heroic rescuers get an HEA.

Happy to read this one!

I love Pamela Clare's books. I've read the previous two books in this series and it had me coming back for more. What I really enjoyed about this book is the fact Jesse could admit his feelings. Men don't always do that. And especially when a hero suffers from PTSD making Jesses character that much more special.

Pamela Clare is at it once again with her contemporary romance. Falling Hard is book three in the Colorado High Country Series. And in this book we got to meet Ellie, a widow with two two-year old twins and her neighbor Jesse.
When Ellie gets stranded at the grocery store with her two sick kids Jesse comes to her rescue.
Ellie hasn't moved on since her husband was killed three years ago in Iraq. She's been too busy working as a nurse at the local hospital and taking care of her twins. But something about Jesse allows Ellie to feel again.
Jesse finds himself attracted to Ellie, this is something he's never expected. He doesn't want to be a dad. He doesn't want kids, even if they are cute and he likes their mom.
When tragedy stricken Ellie and Jesse end up turning to one another for support. This leaves Ellie and Jesse reevaluating what they want for their lives.

Ellie Meeks is raising almost 3 year old twins by herself after her husband is killed in combat. She is a nurse. Her parents live nearby and help her by babysitting when she works and any way they can.

Jesse Moretti is ex-military now working ski patrol and volunteering with search and rescue. He has lived in the cabin behind Ellie for the last 2 years without ever making contact. A fluke encounter at the supermarket when Ellie and one of the twins are sick starts it all.

The interaction between these two is very immature for two people who have been through such significant life changing events in their lives. Jesse’s actions do not support the fact he says he doesn’t want a relationship or kids. He actively pursues Ellie and spends time playing and interacting with her kids. Ellie’s conversations with her sister had my eyes rolling. I was shaking my head and rolling my eyes frequently throughout this book.

An excessive amount of time is spent on the dead husband, including the epilogue.

SPOILER:
I have a hard time believing a nurse would expose her daughter, who had been revived from hypothermia only a day or two prior, to freezing temperatures to watch her boyfriend race.

This is my first book by this author and I struggled to finish it. I couldn’t connect to the characters.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley.

Falling Hard by Pamela Clare
Colorado High Country #3

This is a gift to the reader – a heartfelt, tender, temptation of a book that scored high with me. It made me feel, think, hope and care. It had wonderful main and supporting characters. Issues both hero and heroine had to face were real and dealt with in a positive manner. I came away feeling happy that Ellie and Jesse found one another and knew they would make it long term. If given a chance I do believe I would enjoy having them as neighbors and friends.

As for the story…Ellie is the widow of an army pilot who has been busy raising twin toddlers. She is a capable RN, responsible and loving mother and still grieving for her husband. Her parents, sister and community have been there to assist should she need their help but one night when her car won’t start and it is snowing…along comes Jesse Moretti. I am not going to give you a blow by blow account of this book. I will say the story is well-crafted, the plot works, the characters are believable, have substance and grow. I loved the fact that Ellie was real whether at work, with family or in the bedroom. She was honest, caring and kind but also could get angry, express her needs and wasn’t afraid to act on them. I could not put this book down. I have never read anything by this author before but do look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Thank you to the author who provided me with an ARC through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

4.5 Stars

Tissues- lots of tissues! I guess I am a glutton for punishment because I LOVE stories where the widow is raising her children and a hero comes in and loves her and her children amazingly.

Ellie Meeks is a widow raising twins who never got to see their father who was killed in action. Heartbreak! Ellie is an amazing woman written with such strength, love and conviction that you just fall in love with her and Daniel and Daisy.

Jesse Morretti is Ellie's neighbor and has successfully avoided her and her children for 2 years. Why? Jesse knows Ellie is a gold star wife and he can't bare the pain she is going through as he has his own demons dragging him down and can't deal with someone else's.

Fate- or sickness- brings these two together in a neighborly, help each other way. But come on, these two have such sparks and chemistry they cannot stay in the friends zone for long. And they are H-O-T together.

With each dealing with their own troubles, Ellie and Jesse both aren't sure how to navigate what they are feeling or what they want from one another.

Pamela Clare writes an amazing story that delves into the loss of a spouse and dealing with raising his children without him. It is so sweet the interaction of Daisy and Daniel with not only their mama, but with each other and then eventually Jesse. Jesse is dealing with PTSD and loss of rescues he feels he should have made. He is heartbreaking as well.

A twist in the story is terrifying but swiftly resolved and emotionally written. I can say that numerous tears were shed reading this. Loved it!

Ellie Meeks is the widow of a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, Dan 'Crash' Meeks. He died while she was four months pregnant with their twins Daniel and Daisy. Three years later Ellie is bringing up the twins alone and working as a nurse at the local hospital. One night, when she and Daniel are sick with strep throat, Ellie's car breaks down in the snow and she is rescued by Jesse Moretti.

Jesse is a former Army Ranger. He works at the local ski resort and volunteers with the Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team. He lives close to Ellie but has been avoiding her ever since he moved in two years previously because he is trying to put Iraq and Afghanistan behind him and getting friendly with the Gold Star wife next door and witnessing her grief first hand would be too much for him to deal with. Jesse is also suffering some PTSD after failing to save a little girl who drowned when her mother's car went into the river.

But having successfully missed each other for two years it seems as though fate is putting Jesse and Ellie together. First Jesse rescues Ellie and the twins. Then Jesse catches strep (I love the macho belief that Jesse never gets sick and then he gets infected by kid germs) and Ellie and her father look after him. Ellie is forced to 'volunteer' to run the first-aid tent at the annual SnowFest event by her boss and when Jesse goes to volunteer the first-aid tent is one of the few remaining options.

There is definitely a spark between Jesse and Ellie but is she ready to move on and can he overcome his self doubt and PTSD?

I'm enjoying this series more and more as it progresses. Ellie and Jesse are both caring, protective characters and the way Pamela Clare portrays the difficult subject of dealing with the death of a spouse and moving on is sympathetic but realistic. Ellie isn't some Mary Sue perfect mother, she swears, she cooks boxed mac n cheese for dinner on occasion and whilst three year old twins are always cute, Daniel and Daisy aren't annoyingly precocious. And wow, a military hero with PTSD who actually goes to counselling! Admittedly reluctantly, but Jesse does go.

This is easy to read as a stand-alone although the characters from the other books do make appearances.

Recommended for readers who like military/special-ops romances, small town romances, second chance romances, cute kids and winter sports.

ook 3! Yes, I just had to read more of my Colorado High Country. I loved books 1 & 2- and book 3 didn't disappoint.
This starts out with Ellie & Jesse and their "meet cute". Well not exactly- Ellie and her son have strep throat. Ellie is stranded while trying to get home + it's snowing + juggling her almost 3 y/o twins and her groceries. Jesse comes to the rescue. This is one of the many times that Jesse rescues someone in need. Jesse ends up getting strep throat too, so then it's Ellie's turn to help Jesse.
For the last 3 years, Jesse's belonged to the "Team" -search and rescue in the town of Scarlet Springs, CO. Ellie is an RN, and widowed since she was 6 months pregnant with her twins, Daisy and Daniel (the cutest ever). Ellie had grown up in Scarlet Springs, as had her late husband, Dan, an Army Captain in the Rangers.
Jesse has been renting the cabin that is just up the hill from Ellie's house. Jesse knew about Ellie's husband being killed in Iraq.
Ellie and Jesse have an immediate attraction. This is 3rd person POV so I was like a fly on the wall. Jesse notices her green eyes and blond hair. She noticed his fit body.
Ellie has been working part time so that she can care for her kids while they're so young.
Ellie has a great sister, Claire, who's the funny & feistier of the two- I really liked how Claire encourages Ellie to move on with her life. Ellie's mom watches the twins while Ellie's working part-time at the local hospital.
Ellie and Jesse seem to know many of the same people in town. Jesse has been in Scarlet Springs for 3 years and had quickly adapted to the rocky mountain lifestyle.
Jesse had been traumatized during his time in the Army Rangers. He had acted heroically, but has traumatic memories of his experiences. Jesse and Ellie become friends. Jesse intends to just be friends. He knows that Ellie's a widow. Jesse isn't looking for a relationship or a family.
I love how gradual their relationship grows. Everyone in town makes comments about Ellie dating Jesse.!
Jesse is great with the twins. It's very natural how he starts to enjoy being around Daniel and Daisy. The focus stays on Ellie and Jesse's relationship while they find ways of spending more and more time together.
There were a few conflicts and hazards of the job. Ellie had been steady the entire book. She overreacts (IMO) late in the book. Her sister Claire is the voice of reason. I loved how Claire reassured her and how Ellie tried to make it right.
I loved the Colorado small town setting. Almost of the supporting characters are back.
The love making scenes were steamy. There's a funny scene when Ellie's buying condoms at the store & she runs into her dad (he's a Doctor!)
I enjoyed this one so much. The writing style is right up my alley.
I'm ready for the next one!

loved it. my favorite of the three

5 - "When you’re ready... I’ll be here." Stars!

We return to the Colorado High Country Series, with the third book; Falling Hard. This is happy-go-lucky Jesse Moretti’s story, and I fell... Hard.

IMAGE.

Oh my wow! I am absolutely in love with this series; every book the author has released has been an absolute treat. But I have to say this one is my favorite so far, there was just so much to love about the story that Pamela gave Jesse.

It was his duty to have her back, not get her onto her back...

Ellie Meeks returned Scarlet Springs a widow with twins on the way, it’s taken her a couple of years to reach a happy equilibrium where she even feels she can entertain the idea of looking for adult company again, around caring for her kids. Jesse is more than a little interested and after helping her out when she has car trouble, their tentative friendship blooms.

"I don’t want to be the thing you regret in the morning..."

The one thing that stood out about this story for me is the fact that Jesse is so much more than the character we have been given in the previous two books, the author literally grabbed my heart from the first revelation about him and kept squeezing with each following one that landed, I’m not afraid to admit there were a few tears shed on more than a couple of occasions with the reading of his story.

"When I’m with you, all the bullshit falls away, and the answers to all the questions become simple."

Ellie and her toddler twins Daisy and Daniel were an absolute joy to get to know as well, and bearing in mind as a woman she represented everything Jesse normally steered clear of in relation to his casual bed partners, I loved how the relationship developed between them in-spite of it, and casual got left behind for consumed, because they both were, with each other.

"You certainly know how to bring the heat."

I am loving this series, I cannot get enough of this authors writing, and I cannot wait to see who will have their story told next, there are so many characters that I want to get to know better, and I hope the author has stories in mind for all of them.

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was my absolute pleasure to provide the above honest review.

Falling Hard is a perfect name for this book... as a reader you will also be Falling Hard. The characters were well developed and felt very real. The author's descriptive writing not only brought the characters to life, but also put you in their small town.
I laughed, swooned and cried ugly, happy sad tears and fell in love. This book was AH-MAY-ZING!!!

This book checks all the contemporary romance boxes: hot but damaged alpha Hero, pretty but wounded widow heroine, great sexual tension and hot sex, funny peripheral friend characters, and even some cute kids.

Ellie is a pretty awesome chick. She's still grieving over her awesome late husband, but is generally doing ok via a solid nursing job, supportive parents/sis/friends, and some awesome twin 3-year-olds. Honestly my only complaint: her relationship with her kids is a bit too rose colored for me. (Honestly, not even one single toddler tantrum? She didn't lock herself in the bathroom even once to escape? I've babysat twins. I know how hellish being outnumbered by twin toddlers can be...) Truly though, she comes off as pretty real.

Jesse is still recovering from his military experiences, and residual guilt over the people he couldn't save...definitely suffering from major Hero Complex. His and Ellie's relationship makes sense; originally he feels compelled to rescue her, and as a nurse, she has the same instinct toward him.

My one major annoyance: their Great Misunderstanding is pretty contrived/weak. I wasn't sold that him knowing of her late husband could cause that much angst. The final climax makes up for it though; him having to save Daisy was a pretty interesting plot twist.

Four solid stars.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

You know you are reading the work of an exceptionally talented author, when the story takes hold of you from the start.
This was an absolutely wonderful book. It is the second of Ms Clare’s series, Colorado High Country.
The plot centers around Elle Meeks, a nurse, whose pilot husband died during a mission in Iraq without ever meeting his 2 yr old twins, and Jesse, a former Army Ranger who also fought in Iraq. He needed to get away from the reminders of war and is now living in Colorado and in the elite Rocky Mt S & R Team as well working at the local resort.
Both have suffered great loss. One as a war widow with two young children, and one as a war hero who considers himself anything but one. Jesse’s childhood was not one any child should have , and the loss of people in his life as well as the war, has left him with a great deal of guilt and PTSD.
What is remarkable in this book is the way Ms Clare presents us with these issues. A reminder that our returning troops and those left at home need our support both from each one of us, as well as from our nation.
You will laugh, cry, and experience heartbreak , during this story , but you will also cheer them along as they both find happiness and love.
Definitely not a book to be missed. Can’t wait what else is in store for Colorado High Country.I was gifted this book by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.