Member Review
Review by
Colleen C, Librarian
4.25 Stars. Stacy Lynn Miller has a great ability to write messy, complicated people that are easy to like. With this first book in the "Falling Castles" series, she does it again with Alexandra Castle and Tyler Falling. Which... Falling and Castle - Falling Castles, I just got that. Anyways, both our leads are have a chance encounter when they literally bump into each other in Napa, California that changes their lives. I usually don't like a romance in this style, but the way it unfolds is really good.
You have the hyper confident Alexandra Castle, a hotel heiress that is set up to take control of the Castle empire, but she has to hide her sexuality. Tyler Falling is a successful designer who is kind of just going through the motions in her own marriage because she is still compartmentalizing her sexual assault. It's made worse when her rapist was released from jail and is attempting to make contact with one of Tyler's daughters, who he believes was conceived as a result of the rape.
It's really interesting, I empathize with both characters, even though Alex is very rich and is set to receive even more money, and Tyler herself is well off. Alex has to juggle her brother's consistent jealous behavior and her father's overbearing personality, but I believe that Tyler is the one that really shines here. Her arc in the book is chilling, heartbreaking, and hopeful at the same time. She's a rape survivor that has disassociated so much that she pulled away from her husband without realizing it. Her husband, thankfully is kind, a little sad, and somewhat angry. When he does get angry, he is so on Tyler's behalf and it is directed at her rapist and now stalker. He is a genuinely good character and I love that - He isn't needlessly cruel, he's just sad and his reactions are of a man who loves his partner, is supportive, but knows that he can't always be enough.
There's a lot of good stuff in here, and I really enjoyed how the romance played out. It was almost Cinderella like, with both characters kind of having that brief but impactful encounter and them thinking about the other for weeks. They also work together, as Alex contacted Tyler's company to work on a website for them, but they don't know it. It plays out wonderfully. Just chef's kiss.
The only minor complaint is it that it takes a very long time for them to even meet, which I guess is fair, as this is a series that will be about Tyler and Alex, but I was just itching to see how they would meet. For me, that meant that the front section did drag a little, but once the pieces were in place, the pacing smoothed itself out and the payoff was really well done.
I'd say this is pretty much a must read, especially for those who like longer set ups and just highly impactful payoffs for each lead. Both Alex and Tyler hold their own and have satisfying arcs for this book. I cannot wait to see what they'll do next.
*I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
You have the hyper confident Alexandra Castle, a hotel heiress that is set up to take control of the Castle empire, but she has to hide her sexuality. Tyler Falling is a successful designer who is kind of just going through the motions in her own marriage because she is still compartmentalizing her sexual assault. It's made worse when her rapist was released from jail and is attempting to make contact with one of Tyler's daughters, who he believes was conceived as a result of the rape.
It's really interesting, I empathize with both characters, even though Alex is very rich and is set to receive even more money, and Tyler herself is well off. Alex has to juggle her brother's consistent jealous behavior and her father's overbearing personality, but I believe that Tyler is the one that really shines here. Her arc in the book is chilling, heartbreaking, and hopeful at the same time. She's a rape survivor that has disassociated so much that she pulled away from her husband without realizing it. Her husband, thankfully is kind, a little sad, and somewhat angry. When he does get angry, he is so on Tyler's behalf and it is directed at her rapist and now stalker. He is a genuinely good character and I love that - He isn't needlessly cruel, he's just sad and his reactions are of a man who loves his partner, is supportive, but knows that he can't always be enough.
There's a lot of good stuff in here, and I really enjoyed how the romance played out. It was almost Cinderella like, with both characters kind of having that brief but impactful encounter and them thinking about the other for weeks. They also work together, as Alex contacted Tyler's company to work on a website for them, but they don't know it. It plays out wonderfully. Just chef's kiss.
The only minor complaint is it that it takes a very long time for them to even meet, which I guess is fair, as this is a series that will be about Tyler and Alex, but I was just itching to see how they would meet. For me, that meant that the front section did drag a little, but once the pieces were in place, the pacing smoothed itself out and the payoff was really well done.
I'd say this is pretty much a must read, especially for those who like longer set ups and just highly impactful payoffs for each lead. Both Alex and Tyler hold their own and have satisfying arcs for this book. I cannot wait to see what they'll do next.
*I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
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