Cover Image: Fear of Falling

Fear of Falling

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Member Reviews

One of Georgia Beers better books. It's fun reading about a superstar character and what goes on behind the scene. Dana and Sophie hit it off right away. While I like some angst, I liked how this one worked out. The contrast and balance between life in the spotlight/fast lane and then the family/normal life.

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4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book. This book is about singer Sophie James, who loses her longtime manager, Ray. Sophie has been with Ray since she was a teenager and started in the music industry. She is depressed and acting out by drinking and partying. Her recording company sends her a new manager, Dana Landon. Dana Landon catches Sophie's attention and Dana is captivated by Sophie, even if Sophie seems to be straight and have only dated men. They both do not want to get involved since they work together and they have to continue to work together. Dana cannot help but spend more and more time with Sophie and get to know the girl behind the music.

I really enjoyed this novel. I have read all of Georgia Beers' books and really liked this one. It had a lot of tension and it was a very easy read. The chemistry between Sophie and Dana develops over time and is well written. You can see their relationship developing throughout the book. My only complaint is that there is a section where Dana invites Sophie to Thanksgiving dinner and that seems very random in the context of the novel. It seemed a little bit out of character for Dana. It got them closer together in the novel, but it did not seem to build enough towards that. I would highly recommend this book, especially if you enjoy Georgia Beers.

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In ‘Fear of Falling’ Georgia Beers doesn’t take the obvious, easy way . She surprises me as she decides to take her story in altogether more satisfying and joyful routes. She doesn’t write formula, but goes way above that and she makes me love her characters. Sophie James is a world-famous singer getting over the heartache of her father-figure manager dying suddenly. When she is paired with a new manager, Dana Landon, how will she continue her career with someone she doesn’t know? I loved Sophie. She was at a turning point in her life, and she could have chosen to go in two different directions. The way everyone expected – or to finally be true to herself. Dana was strong and sure in her professional life, but her love life was a disaster. Her ex had left her behind without a thought and moved to the other side of the country. Dana has been left still confused. Will she let Laura back in? Or will she take the other path? I enjoyed seeing how the women got to know each other and brought out something unexpected. Sophie’s interactions with ordinary people were my favourite parts of her development. ‘Fear of Falling’ was romantic, feel-good and beautifully told. A lovely story that I can highly recommend.

I was given this ARC for review.

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5 Stars for this pleasant romance. I really enjoyed it. Both main characters were likable and you want to root for them. It’s a perfect beach read to kick off the summer. Fear of Falling just may supplant Starting From Scratch as my favorite Georgia Beers’ book.

Sophie James is a 29 year old mega superstar who has been in the spotlight since she was a teenager. Sophie’s music is adult mainstream pop, appealing to an older demographic. Her longtime manager, Ray has died and for the first time Sophie has to put on her big girl panties. Throughout her career she and her manager had fostered a good girl reputation, always avoiding any controversies and tabloid fodder. But now on her own she has landed on the tabloids with footage of her drunk and having a “profanity laden meltdown”.

Dana Landon is a talent manager who works for Sophie’s record label, Miracle Records, She is sent to get Sophie back on track, out of the tabloids and recording her newest album of her usual ballads. But what maybe more difficult is reining in their mutual attraction to each other.

Sophie adored Ray and she grew to depend on him, always agreeing to his advice and guidance. How can she complain? She is a superstar; her voice is considered one of the best, if not the best, which sold a lot of records. But now she wants her new album to include songs she has written and for it to be a bit edgier, which could attract a younger audience but also alienate her older fans. Beers did a remarkable job, portraying Sophie’s loneliness, her growth and for the first time making her own decisions.

I do have a couple of quibbles. We learn about Sophie’s relationship with her mother, but I felt nothing was resolved other than Sophie’s implied resignation that “It is what it is”. So I guess that counts. I did have to Google the difference between a Talent Agent (D’Angelo) and a Talent Manager (Ray and Dana). So FYI – an agent is licensed by the state and can pitch, negotiate and sign employment contracts. A manager is not licensed and they cannot negotiate deals. A manager offers career guidance, sometimes day to day.

So if you like books with celebrities and a hot romance between strong and beautiful women, get this book.

*** <i>An advanced reading copy was sent to me by the publisher Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley for my honest review. </i>

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Reading a romance novel by Georgia Beers is like tucking into comfort food after a stressful day at work. You know your cravings will be satisfied and you’ll end your meal with a contented smile on your face.

Sophie is ready for a shake up in both her professional and personal life. It’s up to her new manager Dana to keep her in line, cranking out the ballads her fans and recording label have come to expect. It doesn’t take long before their professional relationship begins to veer into the personal. Can the realities of celebrity, controlling execs and manipulative ex-girlfriends stand in the way of their HEA?

This is a quick read which leaves little time for Sophie and Dana to connect, sort out their attraction and come to terms with their relationship. It’s easy to love Sophie,a star since her teens, surprisingly composed and mature considering the lack of parental support she has received in her life. Dana, ten years her senior seems immature by comparison. She has a solid support system of friends and relatives yet allows her ex, Laura to lead her around by her nose. My frustration with Dana and the modern twist on the usual make out and break up romance novel expectations made their HEA that much sweeter.

Lovely escapist read which will leave a smile on your face. Nice to have a coming out romance released during Pride month.

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

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Sophie James is in flux. Her manager and close friend, Ray, has died. As she struggles to come to terms with his death, she is assigned a new manager by her recording company. At first, she is irked by the need for her to be managed so soon after Ray’s death but when her new manager, Dana is appointed, she is immediately entranced by her. Dana, on the other hand, thought she was going to be managing another diva. But when she actually realised Sophie’s beauty is nothing on her personality, the chemistry between the two builds. But you can’t mix business with pleasure, can you?

I absolutely adored this book. It had everything I expect from a Georgia Beers book and so much more. The pace was perfect, angst was not too overwhelming, and the love story was such a joy to read. One of my favourite tropes is age-gap romances and this one hits the nail on the head. The age gap is only ten years give or take, but it’s enough to hold my interest and provide the characters with a sexy edge.

There was a lovely sweetness to their chemistry that turned uber hot when they got to the bedroom. And once again, Georgia Beers floored me with her first kiss. I’ve said it before, and I’m going to repeat it – Georgia Beers writes amazing first kisses! I could feel myself blushing afterwards.

I also want to mention the fantastic secondary characters in this book, especially Anya. Anya was like Dana’s Jiminy Cricket. She was always checking in and making sure Dana was making the right decisions and aware of her feelings. I freaking need an Anya in my life, pronto. She is probably one of my favourite secondary characters to date in a Georgia Beers novel.

A great book that will be jumping onto my favourites list.

5 Stars

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I don't hide that I am a huge Georgia Beers fan, having read nearly every book she had released. She continues to produce quality stories that seem to get better with each new book. Fear of Falling is another fantastic story with characters you care about and want to see together with an HEA at the end.

There is not a lot of sex in this story, but that is in no way a bad thing. It is a slow growing burn as Sophie James and Dana Landon get to know each other as talent and manager and begin to develop feelings for each other. Sophie has led a wholesome career and has hidden her desire to be with another woman. Her journey is a wonderful coming out story. Dana is 10 years older than Sophie and went through a heart breaking relationship just a year before. She knows as her manager that professionally she shouldn't give into her growing feelings for her new client, but she can't resist. Her story is one of overcoming a bad relationship and giving into a relationship that scares her.

I cannot recommend this book enough. It is a sweet romantic tale that leaves you feeling warm and satisfied.

I was provided a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased and fair review.

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I thank you, Georgia Beers, for distracting me from the shakiness of life to give me some good ol' fashioned lesfic romance. Normally, I'd inhale a Beers book in no time. However, life gets at you and you find yourself just staring at words.

So, just recently, when I'm back to reading about love again, this was a lovely palate cleanser. Beers fans, look for the usual femme lovers, stylishness, humorous moments, spiciness, and good feels that she's so great at delivering.

I didn't develop a full-blown crush on either of the main characters (Sophie James, an A-list pop singer and her new manager, Dana), sadly. I love, love, love celebrity stories, but as they go, one's always waiting for the other shoe to drop if they involve coming out to the world. Laura, the ex, was layered but oh man, I was happy when she was out of the picture. Oh, and as I've mentioned: I'd appreciate expressing diversity of characters in a more...natural way than Fear of Falling attempted with the Korean American character. Just a tip.

Solid book. About a 3.4, I'd say. Enjoyed, but didn't put me on cloud nine like previous books. However, I'm an avid Beers follower, so I'll be jumping on her next title like clockwork!

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Georgia Beers has quickly become a must read author for me. All her stories have some humor, spice, and fantastic characters. Fear of Falling doesn't disappoint as you grow to love the characters as much as they learn to love each other.

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Dana Landon loved her job managing actors and musicians, whether they were stars or someone just starting their career in the sometimes daunting landscape of being in show business. She comes from a close loving family but this past year she’s had to deal with the end of a 6 yr relationship. Because of her managing skills she was sometimes assigned to rein in someone who's career seems to be imploding.
Sophie James life wasn’t anything like Dana’s. Her father, if one could call him that, was never a part of Sophie’s life. Her mother did the best she could but many times that didn’t amount to much. But there was one thing Sophie could do and that was sing and at the age of 16 her career started all under the guidance of her manager Ray, who was in many ways the father she never had. She sings mostly love songs for her slightly older audience.
But when Ray dies Sophie doesn’t know quite what to do with herself and she starts to spiral out of control. That’s when Dana is chosen to replace Ray as Sophie's manager. Both of their lives will never be the same.
Ms Beers has again given us a wonderfully entertaining read. AS a fan of Ms Beers work I have noticed that with each book she just seems to get better and better. Not that there's anything wrong with her earlier books (I have all of them and have enjoyed all of them) but with each book, I’ve noticed her skills as a writer growing. With ‘Fear of Falling’ we have another well paced, very entertaining read, that once I started, I found myself unable to put the book down. Very, very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley

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When Dana enters Sophie's life as her new manager and publicist, neither of them is ready for the effect they will have on each other's lives.

Georgia Beers has written another gorgeous romance. The two leads are charming and likable. Both of them have baggage and growth that they need to work through. The novel provides a glimpse of the nerves we feel as we ask ourselves "do they feel the same way about me?" Enough tension and drama for us to wonder if this can work out - and enough heat to keep the pages turning.

I will definitely recommend this to others - Georgia Beers continues to go from strength to strength.

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Georgia Beers is always a great writer. No part of my review on this book will speak on that, because it almost goes without saying. She's one of the top writers in this genre for a reason.

This book felt a little "less finished" than some of her other work. Or less researched. With a book about a music manager and her artist, I was expecting a bit more details on that part of Dana's life. I was confused at what kind of manager she was. Did she work for the label? Is that why she cared about what kind of music Sophie was making? But if that's the case, why did she also represent actors? It didn't feel accurate; just something that was thrown in so that the MC's had something to do with each other.

I liked the character Sophie, and how normal she was. She wasn't as out of control as I was expecting her to be, or how most authors make musicians. I did wish that we got a little more into her mom and how she takes advantage of her. It's made to be a thing, and then poof! Disappears as part of her story arc.

Dana seemed a little wishy washy with her feelings, so I ended up annoyed with her more than I want to be with a MC. The whole love triangle bit wasn't to my liking, but other readers may feel differently. That's much more of a personal choice in how much you care if they are going to end up with some random person...

I wouldn't read this again, but I wasn't bummed I spent the time reading it. That about sums up my feelings.

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Georgia Beers is becoming one of my favorite FF authors of all times. This one blew me away. The chemistry her characters have is sweet and natural. It went so well and I was rooting for them since the beginning.

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Fear of Falling by Georgia Beers was my first foray into this prolific author’s work, but it won’t be my last!

Fear of Falling is about Sophie, a 29-year-old world renowned ballad singer, who recently and unexpectedly lost her manager and father figure. Stricken with grief, she’s spotted by paparazzi on a few occasions in clubs, wasted. Of course, her record label afraid of the repercussions these incidents could have on her album sales assigns her a new manager and publicist, Dana.

At first, Dana is not looking forward to working with Sophie. She’s expecting Sophie to be one of these ‘ridiculous divas’ and even though she’s good at what she does, Dana just wants a break from these entitled celebrities. However, she’s pleasantly surprised when they first met and realises that Sophie is down to earth and…strikingly beautiful. Too bad, Sophie is straight and she’s her client. And that Dana’s ex just got back in town.

I absolutely fell in love with Sophie. She’s such a well-written character. We can really feel how she’s outgrown the persona her label wants her to be, and even though she’s devastated by the death of her manager, she takes the opportunity to try and spread her wings, try new things, grow as an artist and as a person, and stand up for herself when people tell her it’s not who they need her to be. That really resonated with me.

***SPOILER*** [When Sophie snaps and tells Davis Silverstein what she needs and that she would take her money somewhere else if he isn't happy, I was SO proud, I squealed! :p (hide spoiler)]

Some of the reviews I read qualified this novel as an insta-love romance, but I don’t agree. It’s definitely not a slow-burn, but it’s not that fast either. There’s this instant attraction, but it’s not acted upon until the MCs have processed some of their feelings, and that makes it more believable.

The story pulls you right in and the writing flows well; a couple of chapters in and I felt like I had been with these characters for a lot longer. The entire cast of characters feel like real, genuine people and that’s really hard to achieve. The storyline is believable which isn’t always the case with the celebrity trope and there isn’t an excessive amount of drama. It’s more of a coming of age story, and it’s a beautiful one.

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

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I wanted to love this book. The author is one of my all-time favorites, and the plot itself sounded fun and interesting. I just had a hard time getting into the story and never got snagged in so far as not being able to put this down. The book wasn't bad, I just wanted more. More drama, more angst, more connection with the characters. There was a small error in the book - there was a line about the spotlight shining on Sophie but instead of "shone" it said "shown". There was also no explanation for why Sophie was sometimes called "Sophia" - not sure if that was an error or if there's some sort of backstory there?

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When it comes to romance, you always expect drama. It is something that inevitable comes with the territory, however, Georgia Beers has been changing the game recently, focusing on believable couples that don’t necessarily deal with an unbelievable hardship, they just deal with regular drama that occurs in every relationship. I have to say that I loved this particular aspect of the book, the drama did not last long and the main characters acted responsibly.

This is definitely a win fir Georgia, a light read with amazing chemistry and romance.

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I have read a few books by Georgia Beers, some I really loved and of course some I didn't. This one falls in the category of really loved. I dont know what it is but I am a sucker for coming out celebrity romances that have pretty much all likable characters. Now I am not saying that Laura is per session likable but the fact that she didn't do one thing put her in a slightly different light for me and honestly, this becomes like a series and a story is written about her with these characters I would totally jump on it...but I digress.
So, this is about Sophie James (singer extraordinaire) and Dana Landon (manger miracle worker). I will say that I did feel Dana's role as manager was not largely exploited and I feel that may have helped show how big a deal she really was in the industry. Although, now that I think about it whenver Dana was spotlighted it was about her personal life and whenever Sophie was it was more about her career. Perhaps that was what we are suppose to see? Huh...why do I feel like I am back in high school English analyzing books.
Regardless, this is by far one of my favorite book by Beers. I loved the characters, wished the secondary characters were in there more because they were great, enjoyed watching Sophie grow as more than an artist, read my way to good ending of possibilities. Read it.

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I always enjoy Georgia Beers' novels and this one did not disappoint! Sophie is a well known singer whose career was directed by her long term manager Ray. However, when Ray suddenly dies, her record company pairs her with Dana, who will now direct her career. Sophie decides she will direct her career in the way she wants and it is in direct conflict with what Dana and her record company want. Sophie and Dana fell the sparks flying between them despite both of them trying desperately to keep the relationship between them at bay.
Wonderful romance read and a must for any fan of Ms. Beers!
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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This was a really sweet read. As a Beers fan I actually saved this book to read last of the June BSB books because I was looking forward to it the most. I do have to admit that Beers last handful of book have been hit or miss for me, but after the positive early reviews I had a lot of hope for this one and I’m glad to say it hit my expectations. I found myself enjoying this book from almost page one, and to me this is the Beers that I enjoy.

I’m a big fan of books with musicians or actors; I just really like celebrity romances. This was a celebrity romance with a 10 year age-gap thrown in. Sophie (29) is a famous singer with already a long career. When her manager/father figure dies, Sophie finds herself unsettled and making public mistakes. Dana (39) is hired by the record label to become Sophie’s new manager and publicist. Can Dana do her job when sparks start to fly?

This is my idea of a perfect beach read. It’s just a really sweet, feel good romance. This book does have conflict to keep the story moving, but not the kind of miscommunication-angst that can make you pull your hair out. It just really is the perfect summer vacation read and I can’t imagine anyone not coming away from this with a big smile on their face.

This is not really a deep read. While Sophie is sad about losing her father figure, I didn’t even notice if they mentioned how he died. There is also talk and a few phone appearances of Sophie’s neglectful mother, but that too doesn’t go deep and disappointingly has no resolution. It almost felt like a mini side storyline that Beers started but just decided not to finish. Part of me does wish Beers would have dug into her characters more, made them deeper. But there is a place for light hearted fluffy books too, and sometimes they hit the spot just like this one did.

If you are looking for a sweet, feel good romance, than this book is for you. Beers’ wrote a couple of delightful characters that are very easy to like, in a book that is very readable. This is the second book in a row by Beers that I have enjoyed so I hope that means lots of great new books to come.

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Georgia Beers is an exceptional writer that pulls you in right away. The dialogue between the characters was amazing, the story line was enchanting, the romance was so heartwarming, and the chemistry was hot! I don't think I've ever read Georgia Beers write celebrity book, but I loved it.. Sophie James is a 29-year-old who has been famous for her voice since she was in her teens but being photographed totally drunk in public a couple of times is causing some negative publicity. Her long-time manager died suddenly and she feels lost without his presence. To assist her, the record label she’s contracted to assigns her a manager and PR person. Dana Landon is not only blown away by Sophie’s looks but also by her very gentle and pleasant demeanor.

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