I know I've just read one of my favorite books of the year and I will definitely be re-reading it!

I haven't read the first book in the series YET so I hadn't met grown-up Willow Bradford until I picked up this book. I have read the novella and do recommend starting from there, though the novels don't necessarily need to be read in order.

Let me tell you something, I had a not very fetching preconceived idea of what Willow would be like, and I'm glad to say her journey turned out to be completely different from expected. Willow is quiet, dependable, strong, and trustworthy. She's responsible to a fault and has her share of vulnerabilities - from feeling unlovable, unworthy, and as if she has to all perform well in order to keep people around her. I can't say Willow hides behind a mask because she has two younger sisters who know her well and have no hesitation to meddle in her life.

So when ex-boyfriend, ex-football player Corbin Stewart walks back into her life, the rope tightening around Willow's lungs is pretty clear and Nora and Britt know they are on Ben&Jerry's duty, as well as some good rounds of heart to heart talks. 

Corbin is definitely a rascal, with his teasing mood and easy smile, he could write a list of all the hearts he's left in puddles. But there is only one heart he is worried about at the moment; well, make it three - his dad, who has terminal cancer, his "niece" Charlotte, who engages him in detective duty, and Willow, his former girlfriend who he'll have to bear to get along with for Charlotte's sake. As awkward and bitter as their interaction might be in the beginning, Corbin starts to see this as an opportunity to talk with Willow honestly about what happened to them four years ago and to seek her forgiveness (though he doesn't exactly agree she's only 15% punishable for their breakup). However, things become truly vexing when Corbin actually starts to enjoy being around Willow, tormenting her and coming up with mischievous ways to break all her rules.

At first, I had trouble coming up with a word to describe Corbin. Controlling? I cringed at that idea. Maybe a fixer? It seemed close but not quite not. Then I knew, and it was so obvious I don't know how I hadn't thought of it before: Corbin is a fighter: he cares deeply and takes care of his dear ones the way he knows how, by helping them run towards the goal of what's best for them and bringing down any giant on the way. Willow is determined to keep her walls up though she's been having trouble to assimilate the present Corbin with the one who broke her heart in the past. Could he truly have changed? Can she still hold on to a selfish idea of him when he gives so much of himself to take care of his dad? When he's patient and kind to a 12-year-old girl who probably has them on a wild-goose chase?

Time will tell... and the truth might be that it's time to face the giants head on too, to be honest, cry, but to always chose the possibility of miracles, and to find the precious gift brought by grace: freedom.

Sometimes in contemporary stories, I feel like some threads are a bit lose as if something that strains our energy has to be added to the story to keep the tension going. So, I'm always wary when I see this storyline being considered. Many times I still enjoy the story overall though these issues are not dwelt upon deeply; nevertheless, sometimes I just wish they hadn't been a random mention.
Let me tell you that Becky Wade writes with purpose with every layer added, going deep into the heart of the characters, bringing fullness to the story. A box of tissues might be recommended.
There's tangible openness throughout the pages of this book, immersing you into each tear of the character portrayed, past or present, each triumph, each bit of hopelessness felt, and the moment of finding everlasting and steadfast peace. There's tension, laughter, compassion written throughout this story about how we shouldn't take each day for granted, how we should never think twice before offering forgiveness and about letting our expectations fall and breathe. Beautifully well done.

I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series.
Now I'm off to read my other books in my TBR pile so I can dive into Nora's story :)

Falling for You by Becky Wade is the second book in her Bradford Sisters Romance series. In the first book, I learned about Nora and her life. In the second book, we are introduced to Willow, the oldest sister, and the sister with the most to lose.  I was introduced to her in the first book and couldn't wait to see her story. Wade does not disappoint. With the inception of Willow's story, Wade drew me into the plot pretty quickly. I liked Willow and seeing her hurts. They stuck out to me as I watched her struggle with her identity, past forgiveness, and love. Willow transforms by the end of the novel, which is what I enjoy seeing from my characters. As for Corbin, he transformed before the pages of this story started. He already transformed to the man Willow needed. This story flows like a contemporary romance with a predictable ending, but I do enjoy how Wade dives deep into her character's hurts and make them relatable. I had a really hard time putting down the book. I finished it in one day. As an added bonus, Wade threw in a mystery with a hunt for a missing person. As an avid suspense reader, this captured my attention too. Fans of Wade's other works or contemporary romance novels might enjoy this book. I sure did. Can't wait to read the third sister, Brit's story.

I received a complimentary copy of Falling for You by Becky Wade from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Willow Bradford famously beautiful model is home running her family’s small-town bed-and-breakfast.  Corbin Stewart former NFL quarterback, has always regretted the way their relationship ended and is determined to get a second chance. Willow wants nothing to do with Corbin who broke her heart all those years ago.

When an old missing person case has them both working together they must learn how to confront their past and forgive each other.

True to the style and feel of the first book this one is less heavy then the first one felt. The book is a little slow in the beginning, the romance side of things, and the missing persons case take a little bit of time to build up traction. The mystery of the missing person is written so that you gradually start to piece things together along with the characters, it was interesting and carried the plot for several chapters in the middle of the book. Again , like the first book, this book does deal with some deep and more complex emotions with wonderful intelligence, the author handles those details carefully and you are able to see the characters heal and grow. I have liked every book I have read by Becky Wade so I wasn’t surprised that I enjoyed this one too. Overall this was a great read and I cant wait for the third book of the series!

Becky sure must have the best cover designer ever, because each of the covers in her Bradford Sisters series have been 100% on pointe! These stories have been hard-hitting from the beginning. I really struggled with the novella that introduced us to this series, and to be honest, I wasn't sure I was going to like what came next. The darkness that comes from dealing with the topic of rape & murder and the direct relationship that it has on the 3 major players of this series was not somewhere I really wanted to go, in my escapism act of reading each night. However, it was a necessary part of the plot in order to establish the unique status of these 3 sisters, their undeniably strong bond AND the unconventional way this family came together. 

If you've read these books in order, then you will know that we were given a sneak peek, ever so slight into this mystery that is the relationship between Corbin and the oldest sister, Willow. You are left questioning the magnitude of the event that brought her to this point, that the brief encounter we were given and the reaction that both of them had. Sometimes I think there's a tendency when reading series based on family members, to make assumptions that they will all be alike. Posses the same traits. By giving each of these sisters different mothers, but sharing the same father, we don't assume so much that they will mirror each other, however I very easily thought - given her career choice, that she may turn out alot like her mother. Nothing can be further from the truth. In fact it almost seems that her desire to distance herself from her mother's personality and mark out clearly how very different she is - plays a large part in the guilt and conflict that she goes through personally as she makes certain choices, and then the remorse later on. I admire so much the way the method of personal forgiveness is portrayed by the author. We have 2 very public - celebrity even - characters, who have done nothing but strive to protect and guard their privacy. Yet because of the public status, events snowballed and caused so much more damage than was necessary. Leading to misunderstandings, miscommunications and then a carrying around of this animosity that keeps those barriers held up nice and high and then inability to remove the hurdles to forgiveness. 

Yet again, interwoven through this story of reconciliation between 2 people who have already had the relationship and are being brought back together - we have such a clever plot that follows through from yet more, sensitive subjects. Crime, disappearance, extortion, scandal, affairs. Its so intricate and clever, there was not one moment when I could anticipate the resolution in the end. It gives so much more depth to this family, the community and story. It embellishes this series and works to remind the reader of the difficulties the Bradford family have endured. 

Of course, there's the extra chapters thread throughout with youngest sister Britt, and the coming conclusion that will be, if it follows a similar pattern, a resolution to beat all conflict resolutions, the unrequited love of best friend Zander. The poor guy has headed off on his round the world trip to escape what has to be the endless torture of watching the woman he has loved for so very long, continue to have relationship after relationship and remain blind to what is right in front of her face. I do love these kind of plots and I can't wait to see where Becky takes us. 

Get this on your TBR pile for the summer. This series just keeps getting better and better. 

Thanks to Netgalley & Bethany House for the eARC. This is my honest review.

Not a big fan, which is unfortunate after I thoroughly enjoyed the first of the series. This one felt repetitive and mildly depressing. Too much darkness without enough character development. I was also missing the complex and enjoyable cast that was so developed and present in the first. Wish I loved it more, but liked it enough that I'd probably still try the next.

Becky Wade is always a go-to author and I've enjoyed every one of her books. I appreciate very much that in this new story she dealt head-on with past sinful behavior in a blunt but compassionate way that I think will speak well to the younger generation. As always her romance sparkles and I especially enjoyed Corbin as a hero who is working his way through early understanding of Jesus.

My heart just sighed with happiness. There is so much to love about Falling For You - a beautifully sweet love story of second chances, a return to wonderful sibling relationships, a decades-old mystery to solve, love, humour, faith, and family all wrapped up in a parcel of deliciousness. 

Willow has returned to her family home - taking time off from her modelling career and stepping in to help run her parents’ BnB. Willow doesn’t expect to run into her ex-boyfriend and biggest regret, Corbin Stewart. Willow’s plan is to avoid and ignore Corbin and the hurt she still carries over the way their relationship ended, but when Corbin’s niece Charlotte requests Willow’s help to solve a family mystery, Willow finds it hard to say no, even if it means working (and spending time) with Corbin. 

Ahhhh. The sweet romance of second chances. Relationship do-overs are so much fun, and I particularly liked Corbin and Willow’s journey from hurt and shame to reconciliation. At first, I wasn’t sure if I liked Corbin all that much. He seemed a little too showman-like, sure of himself and loudly confident. But he grew on me and, as Willow similarly discovered, it is hard to resist Corbin’s charm. As the story unfolds, it was also easier to see Corbin’s charisma as a protective facade, and the times he lets his vulnerability show were precious.

Willow is a relatable character (aside from the fact that she is a gorgeous model), and she struggles with the desire to be perfect, feeling like she must earn love, and with shame and guilt from her mistakes. She also has a strong desire to protect herself from future pain, and does that by keeping Corbin at arm’s length. The hurt she felt from the past, and her determination to keep her distance from Corbin or see the good in him was palpable. These intense feelings made their change in relationship so enjoyable to read.

I particularly like that alongside the romance, Falling For You had a good helping of mystery. The detective work Corbin and Willow undertake gave them a natural reason for sharing so much of each other’s company, even when they might not have wanted to. Charlotte-12 years old, confident, witty and unafraid to speak her mind- was a wonderful addition to the grouping, offsetting Corbin and Willow’s awkwardness perfectly. The mystery itself was intriguing, well-paced and a great addition to the storyline.

There was so much that I enjoyed about Falling For You: the sisterly relationships Willow shared with Britt and Nora; the honest and forthright way that sexual relationship were discussed; the journey of faith that Willow, Corbin and Corbin’s father all continue or begin; the undeniable connection that Willow and Corbin share; the way the characters grew on me, how they made me fall in love with them, not because of any perfection they might have had, but because of their honesty, vulnerability and humanness. And did I mention how much I liked the romance? 

Falling for You is totally delightful and such a sweet story of reconciliation, second chances and forgiveness. It is the second full-length novel in the Bradford Sisters Romance series, and while each book can be read as a stand-alone, the lives of the sisters and their stories overlap a little. As such, it was fun to start Britt’s story. Her story, which will feature in book three, promises to be as wonderful as Falling For You. 

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog <a href="‪https://madisonslibrary.wordpress.com‬/">Madison's Library.</a>

I absolutely love this book.
I will be looking for other books by this author at my local bookshop. This is my first book by this author as anyone can probably tell from my last sentence.
Wow!
This should be the first romance I am reading where I actually love the hero better the heroine. Don't get me wrong I love Willow. I liked learning about her past, her defenses and her weakness. I identified with her inability to forgive herself. Aren't we our own worst judges? But it was Corbin who blew me over with his sense of humor and determination. I loved how open he was about how he felt.
Willow and Corbin dated in the past but their relationship is over. When Charlotte, Corbin's niece, enlist both their help in the search for her missing grandaunt Josephine, it becomes clear that sparks and hurts still sizzles between them. Is there hope for them?
The mystery about Josephine's disappearance was a page turner. My tiny weeny complaint was with the final story concerning the disappearance. But I am zipping my lips about my complaint so that I don't spoil the experience for other people
But I totally recommend this.
This is 4.5 stars for me. 
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review

This is not a genre of book I typically read, but I have the author booked to be part of an event I am putting together for my library. She's sweet as can be, so I was excited to check out her book when I saw it was available for review. While, I don't share some of the views/beliefs of the characters in the book, I really enjoyed it. It is very well-written and has such an engaging story. The characters are really likable and you can't help but root for them. There is a mystery they are unraveling as the story progresses, along with a slow-burn romance that develops over the course of the book. Both are well-plotted. I look forward to checking out other books of Wade's and having her as part of my upcoming event. I will definitely recommend her to readers here at my library looking for Christian romance. as it is a request I often hear.

FALLING FOR YOU is a heartfelt and enjoyable inspirational romance even if you aren't already familiar with the series. This novel was my entry point and now I'm eager to catch up what I've missed. Willow and Corbin are likable characters with realistic struggles and flaws. Corbin's "niece" Charlotte is darling and, even if the initial setup strains credulity a bit, it's charming enough to keep the reader's interest. I wasn't sure the attention/stalker subplot was necessary for the novel's development except that it showed Corbin in a protective type role. Although the plot gets bogged down at times by exposition (especially when detailing the character's background and even secondary characters' appearances) the theology is strong and I especially enjoyed the message of grace as it relates to Willow's perfectionist tendencies. The mystery subplot with Josephine is intriguing and kept my interest as the love story developed alongside. Overall FALLING FOR YOU is a lovely story with a touching message of God's grace.