This is the first book written by Ms. Kenner I have read - I heard that the Stark trilogy is really great - so I decided to try this one and it was just ok, this story had not impressed me as I wanted it to.
The general idea for the story and how it was told are rather good - if made this trip nice and allowed me to enjoy this story in some parts for sure.
The story followed WELL - I loved that all info was given in the just-right places, allowed to get the most fro those bits (it's something rare in current books). It was something that added quality to my time as a reader of the "Saint's story". Wording - it was some time that I read a book with so many unique words - the quality was REALLY good and something that allowed my mind to work in some matters during my read.
And this is all with good things (sometimes the most important), now time for this that made my read somehow not that magnificent experience as I wanted it to be.
Characters... to my cup of tea to the core. Ellie comes back to the town after ten years of living in another place, she wants to investigate the death of her uncle - till this point, I liked the premise of Ellie's character. And here it ends as well - she's hanging on her past love encounter like crazy, and it was ONE time ten years ago (sorry but the lady in this century would not hang o this feeling that hard after so long - she would feel but NOT that much - I found it so strange). Not sure what was the aim of putting poor Ellie in this type of state - I would love for her and Devlin to start with a basic feeling and going from this little state further.
Devlin Saint - not sure what I think about him - I found that I liked him, to just be angry with him, eh... but to the point! This guy has a secret! And this needs to stay secret! What it is? Why does it need to stay secret?
Relationship - it was supposed to be a thrilling journey, but it came off on my radar - I had not felt almost ANY connection between Ellie and Devlin. In the beginning, I was really interested, but the later we got the harder it was for my interest to sty with this story, which is a shame.
For that, you will have to read My Fallen Saint!

J. Kenner knows spice. The chemistry is hot, and there are layers of secrets kept between many characters. Reading J Kenner’s work is worth your time!

I received this copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Great book. This author never disappoints. Heartwarming characters. I love the storyline. Broken and charming romance.

J Kenner is always a great read. I am anxiously awaiting the next book on this series!!!! Must read

A big thank you to NetGalley and Martini and Olive for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I really enjoyed this book!! Romance, chemistry galore, suspense and a bit of mystery plus amazing characters. Man the chemistry between Ellie and Alex is fantastic. Fast read as I didn't want to stop. 4 stars

This was an OK read for me. I loved the author's Stark series and although Devlin Saint had some qualities that I usually find appealing to read, I just didn't connect with his and Ellie's relationship. I was satisfied enough with the ending of book 1 to not continue the series right now.

Another Great book by J. Kenner! I love how she makes you part of the book by getting me emotionally involved with her characters. Reason why she is one of my favorite authors!

I have read stuff by this author before that I really enjoyed, but unfortunately this one didn't work for me. I just wasn't pulled in and had a hard time engaging with the characters and the plot.

Actual Rating 3.5 Stars

This was my first J Kenner novel and I was not disappointed.

Most of the story is comprised of the mystery of Devlin Saint, a tortured, complicated, alpha male character who has some pretty big secrets. Our main character Ellie is a journalist who has a tragic past and is trying to uncover the secrets surrounding her uncles death. So much angst and tension between these characters. I loved it.

Although it didn't end in a cliffhanger, My Fallen Saint is obviously not the end for Devlin and Ellie. I'm looking forward to reading more of their story.

One of my favorite authors. The plot was very well written. I cannot wait for another book to read. I couldn't put it down.

This story had a cleverly written plot and I enjoyed the characters. There is romance, tension, secrets,...I love this is the first in a series and I look forward to reading more.
Many thanks to Martini and Olive and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I like Kenner's writing so picking this book up was a no-brainer. I'm glad I did. It was a good mix of love, sex and suspense.

I liked Ellie a lot. Damaged by a series of tragedies and an epic love lost, she's built some really tall walls to protect herself. She's chosen professions that suit her perfectly, first cop now investigative reporter. She's almost compulsive about getting the story and who can blame her with so many unanswered questions dogging her from her past. Who killed her mom, dad and uncle? What happened to Alex?

What a shock to find Devlin Saint holds the answers to many of her questions. Sadly, he's not at all inclined to give them to her though. Their attraction and renewed relationship not only make him want to, but ultimately need to, keep some relevant information to himself. How can they ever get past all the pain and secrets.

Their attraction is off the charts and soon the love is there too. When the worst secret possible is revealed it's a blow they may not be able to overcome.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and the publisher.

J. Kenner never fails to deliver a super sexy, entertaining read. My Fallen Saint is no exception. The start of the book took me a bit to get into, but once I did, I was hooked. I loved Devlin Saint. Kenner's heroes are always tortured yet redeemable and completely swoon-worthy. Ellie is likable and relatable. They were a great match. My Fallen Saint is a must read! I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.

This has been my favorite J. Kenner book. It has had All the elements I love to read. There’s young love followed by heartbreak, grief, a second chance at romance, a mystery combined with suspense (my Most Favorite), devastation due to finding out the truth of some part of the mystery, and, finally, reconciliation.
We get to follow Ellie and Devlin from the time they first meet up to present day. We see, at various points of the story, what they have each gone through since their “break up”. The twists and turns at times had me gasping for breath or sighing. I was so caught up, mentally and emotionally, in the story that at times I would get so frustrated with Real Life interruptions I was literally growling out loud!

My Fallen Saint is a great introduction to Ellie and Devlin's journey. The story line is intriguing and captivating as it is filled with mystery, passion, secrets, and suspense. It took me a little bit to get into the story but once I did I could't put it down. I can't wait to read what happens next for Ellie and Devlin.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

**I received this book from Martini & Olive via Netgalley for an honest review**

Devlin, the sexy billionaire philanthropist, has secrets upon secrets. Ellie is an investigative reporter doing a story on Saint and his foundation while also looking into an unsolved murder.

If you’ve read the Stark series, then you know Kenner knows how to write a very sexy and compelling story. This one does not disappoint in the least. I liked Ellie. She has a past that is full of heartbreak and death which in turn made her tough and not the type to back down. She also has a soft side that made her extremely vulnerable. Saint is sex personified. He is passionate about his foundation, but he also has a dark side to him. He has secrets that he will do whatever he can to protect.

The way this story was woven was a mix of frustration, sexiness and one that leaves you looking forward to what’s to come.

Fallen Saint is the first book in the Fallen Saint Series by J. Kenner. Ellie Holmes is an investigative journalist and former cop. The story starts with Ellie headed back to her hometown of Laguna Cortez, California after 10 years of being away. She has to go to Laguna Cortez because she is assigned to write a story on mysterious philanthropist Devlin Saint and his charity. The book is told in first person POV through Ellie’s eyes. In Ellie’s monologue we learn that she was in love with a young man named Alex who used to work for her uncle. Ellie was in love with Alex and she hasn’t seen or heard from him in 10 years.
Ellie’s parents both died when she was younger leaving her to the custody of her uncle. When her uncle also died, she had no one left and no other reason to stay. We follow Ellie as she navigates trying to find out who murdered her uncle, more about Devlin Saint’s charity and her own internal battles.
The story started off strong. I was sure it would be a thrilling romantic suspense as the writing is excellent. What the book lacked, was any romance. I had several issues with the book from the main characters to the plot. For one, I didn’t like the heroine. That is not easy for me to say as I don’t like to judge a heroine for being too needy or desperate. I even like a desperate heroine at times and specifically search for that type of book. Ellie was another level of desperation and a lack of self-respect that made me cringe page after page.
Early on the hero tells Ellie he doesn’t want her. He then proceeds to make that known throughout various points of the book that he does not want her. At one point it felt like the entire book consisted of Ellie’s attempt to beg a man to be with her. She literally begged him to sleep with her, love her, be around her. I didn’t feel any chemistry between the two main characters either. At times I wanted to not finish reading it as I couldn’t bear to see Ellie keep making a fool out of herself. The explanation of why Ellie is the way she is, is that she has had a troubled past and has abandonment issues. She craves a thrill and always chases a rush. I still would have liked to see more of a reason why our heroine kept attempting to be with the hero other than the fact that she just felt a connection to him. I did not feel the connection between the two. I kept looking for something that never came.
The climax of the plot was lackluster to me. I anticipated it within 50% of the book. I can see where the next book is going as far as the organization and his friend’s involvement. I felt we needed to suspend belief for the portion of this book where a secret is reveled. To me, this wouldn’t be plausible in the real world. I also felt the explanation of why the hero did certain things didn’t make sense. A lot of the drama circulating between Ellie and her hero felt unnecessary.
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book for any reason. It was a tad suspenseful because I was anticipating what would happen next. Still, if this wasn’t an ARC, I would have discontinued reading it.

ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.

Full of intrigued and chemistry, this new series by J Kenner will leave you wanting more.

Ellie has been hurt more than once in the past. She now lives life on the edge to feel anything but numb. Dangerous hookups and driving fast to escape her past is only the tip of the iceberg.

She has now returned home to write a story on Devlin Saint, the owner of DSF, one of the world’s foremost philanthropic organizations, while investigating the cold murder of her uncle.

There is something familiar about Devlin however. When he exposes this truth to her, it sets her on a path that is more dangerous and alluring then ever. Can Ellie trust Devlin? What other secrets is he hiding? And, will those secrets be too dangerous for Ellie’s heart?

This is page turning read that I enjoyed tremendously. The intrigue will pull you in and keep you turning the pages.

The chemistry between Ellie and Devlin is instantaneous and undeniable.

I liked Ellie’s character. She was relatable, strong and rolled with the punches. She knows who she is and what she wants and she goes for it.

I liked Devlin’s character as well but wanted so much more of him and from him. He was aloof and mysterious which pulls me right in. However, for me, he was a little too aloof. We had no insights whatsoever into his motives or how he truly felt about anything even Ellie. Still, after reading this, I’m a little on edge about his character. It’s both an amazing feeling and a galling feeling. I hope we are able to get into his head in future books.

The pace was fast but at times, it felt a little too fast. There is so much information to be had in this first instalment that I felt that some information was dumped and then the story moved on too quickly afterward.

There is also an issue with a scene close to the end of the book between Ellie and Devlin where she is looking at him and describing his smile while she is blindfolded. It took me out of the scene a little bit.

Regardless this book has me excited for the next instalment!

I received an ARC via NetGalley of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ahh, a new J. Kenner series - it's been awhile since I've read some of her work! I liked the Damien Stark series. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It is a quick, easy read, and similar in narrative style and structure compared to the Damien Stark series without the Hero's POV. It is also a second chance romance which is one of my favourite tropes which differentiates it from the Damien Stark series. However, many elements are similar - filthy rich brooding hero + heroine with trauma - and it makes for a great story. I liked the side characters and I wish they could have been developed more (e.g. Brandy is a great friend but fell a little bit flat as a character on her own despite a very compelling backstory that was barely covered). I also liked the connection between the two protagonist especially the flashbacks. The mystery/source of hero's brooding is pretty easy to guess at halfway through the book but it still is a fun read.

I wish we had more from the Hero's POV but I understand why we couldn't due to above mentioned secrets. I also wish that more character development was given to the heroine as I feel like she was quite flat outside of her career & issues from 10 years ago.

I am looking forward to the upcoming books in the series which I think will address these issues!

My Fallen Saint is a story of suspense and romance, with many twists and lots of secrets. It's almost impossible to talk about the plot without giving away some spoilers, so I won't even try. From the description, and from reading other reviews, I had expected to love this book but for some reason I just wasn't grabbed by it and struggled to become engrossed in it.
The two main characters were interesting, especially Devlin, our mystery man. The intimate scenes were very hot, but I just sometimes got emotional whiplash from the ever-changing state of their relationship.. One minute they wanted to be together and the next they didn't
I was also a little dismayed to discover that this was the first in a series, and that the story of this couple continues in the next book as I really thought their story was wrapped up and didn't need anything more from them
I feel like maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for this kind of story, as normally this would have been the kind of book I'd have enjoyed. I would possibly try something else by this author at a later time, as it was generally well written and the kind of genre I like,