Before I Fall

This book stays with you long after you read it. It's a wonderfully written coming of age, military romance. I liked both Noah and Beth. Noah is our bend not broken military hero that has fallen for Beth. Beth has been on her own since 16. She has been taking care of her disabled father , working several jobs and going to school. They both have very real struggles that young people shouldn't have to deal with. I was routing for them to succeed in life and their relationship. While reading this book I wanted to reach in and give each one a hug.

My review went live on All About Romance on 3/30/2015. The complete text can be found at: http://likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookReview.pl?BookReviewId=10475

I've come to enjoy Jessica Scott's books in the last year so I jumped at the chance of reading this title.

Beth is trying to make things work. Her studies, his father's health--she tries to keep her life running smoothly. Study hard to get a good job. Get herself and her father out of debt. And that is how she finds herself taking a new tutoring job and how she comes to meet Noah.

Beth is weary of soldiers. Her father was one and based on his story and his current situation she can't help but question anything to do with the military. But what she was not counting on was on how drawn she felt to the guy.

Noah just wants to get through college so when he struggles with his Statistics class he goes looking for a tutor. Soon he finds himself wanting to get to know more about her. He's drawn to her mind just as much as he is to her beauty.

Both Noah and Beth have secrets and issues that hold them back from starting a relationship, but soon they find out that fighting what's developing between them is futile.

As I stated before, I love Jessica Scott's writing. I especially enjoyed how she always manages to make her characters come to life. They are complex, broken in one way or another and most of all they feel real. This is the case with Beth and Noah too.

From the very beginning I connected with Beth. I understood her situation although I've never been in her position. And that's the beauty of Jessica's writing. She takes a concept and brings it to the page in a way that the reader can understand without having to experience it and without being overwhelmed by it.

Beth was a strong, smart woman who only wanted to make something of herself. She worked hard for what she had and always stood her ground. But underneath with that strength of character was a vulnerable young woman who never had the chance to live her life for herself. I admired the hell out of her and cheered her on as if I knew her personally.

And Noah? Well, what's not to love. Not only was he a handsome, sexy guy he was also a wounded soul with a caring heart. I felt for him and his struggles easily because the author made sure I could understand his pain. Seeing him grow and come into himself as the story progressed was a treat to read and I loved it all!

Needless to say that Beth and Noah had great chemistry but I will mention it anyway--yeah it was hot! The attraction was immediate and the tension soon followed. Looks, touches.study sessions...I devoured it all!

All in all, an emotionally powerful story with great characters and great writing. Thank you Jessica Scott for another awesome story!

*I received a copy of this title in exchange of my honest opinion.

4.5 stars There’s something so raw and so gritty about a person’s journey after war. The soul baring the characters go through just speaks to me, and I love reading about their healing process… the way it makes me feel so hopeful. Beth and Noah’s journey in Before I Fall was one of those special stories.

You know when you just love a book and can’t explain why with words? I kind of feel like that. While I just mentioned that I loved the healing process, this story was more than that for me. I found myself connected with this story, the words, the characters, the way Beth and Noah fell in love, the way it was told…everything. It’s one of those times that either you click or you don’t, and this book totally clicked with me.

The romance did happen quickly, and while I normally love a slow burn it was perfect this time. Maybe it had something to do with the amazing kisses and hot chemistry. I adored how open Beth and Noah were with their attraction, even if they held back a little bit when they got to know each other. Just like they felt with each other, I, the reader felt it too. Ms. Scott has a way with words and I was convinced from the beginning that this was an epic love.

The secondary characters still stayed pretty secondary, which was good as I wasn’t a huge fan of Abby (I didn’t hate her but I certainly didn’t love her)… but I did like Josh…a lot. I’d like to hear more about his story, but Abby might have to grow on me. I also loved Professor Blake, and she might have even made me tear up a bit in the end.

Speaking of the ending, it made me feel good, mainly because it felt so real. There was no magic cure, but there was hope. The part before the epilogue was a little rushed for me. I wanted to know more about Noah’s path to recovery. It felt like we just started to see Noah’s demons. He kept them at bay from the reader for so long, and while he finally accepted he wasn’t “ok” it was like he left and we had blank space. I (the greedy reader) wanted to know and feel his experience of getting better. I know he wasn’t cured by the end, but he had made strides and I just wanted a little bit more. Yes, I felt like I deserved more heart wrenching chapters, I’m a glutton for that kind of thing!

Rec this? YES! If you love military stories that tug on your heart strings and give you a delicious romance this is a must for your TBR.

Happy reading!

I’ve been a fan of Jessica Scott’s for over a year now because I love the realism that she manages to inject into all her books. As I warn people when I recommend her stuff, don’t expect a military romance that is full of bunnies and rainbows – you will be disappointed – they are gut-wrenching and realistic, and you will often find yourself going through an emotional roller-coaster (and that is what I love about her stuff). But at the same time, I’m firmly in the skeptical camp about the New Adult (NA) sub-genre of books – mostly because for me, they are a time period that I want to forget (I mean, what woman REALLY wants to be reminded of herself in those years between high school and college). So I will admit that when I saw Jessica was branching off into NA and trying something, I wasn’t sure if I would pick up Before I Fall or not – but when it was offered as a review copy via NetGalley – it just seemed like fate.

In Before I Fall, you meet Beth and Noah – Beth a struggling college student, acting as a primary care-taker of her father (an injured military veteran) and Noah, a former Army soldier, now pursuing a college degree. From the get-go, I was pull into the trials and tribulations of Beth and her struggles. I will admit that compared to her other books, Before I Fall, was much more in your face (as the reader) for highlighting issues with the VA medical system. I mean, you hear from veterans and in the media how much it is broken, but Jessica was able to elevate the level of horror I felt to mind-boggling. As a former Navy member, I just don’t get it and I guess I should thank my lucky stars every day, that I haven’t been forced to use their services yet.

Its always hard for me to peg what exactly I love about Jessica’s writing – its not only the realism that she brings to her books, but also the emotions. So many books nowadays just leave me feeling empty because I don’t experience the emotional connection – but I do with her books (and often will read it in a single sitting, or very soon after). Before I Fall did have a high level of angst, mostly inter-personal with Beth and her father; and Noah and his PTSD, and less on the Beth/Noah front – that I appreciated – although there were a few places, where I just wanted to reach out and shake her because I expected her to know better based on her experiences. But that being said, Jessica Scott delivered another solid read and I’m intrigued enough to want to pick up the second one in this series (as well as read her other new series). Before I Fall got 4 stars for me, but as a warning – make sure you have a box of tissues nearby while reading – you may need them.