You know when you read a book that you thought might be a little fun and then blows you away?
That's this book. I did not expect to fall in love with this book, let alone the series. I was in the mood to read about a man in uniform (following my Elle Kennedy love) and found this series by chance.
Initially I gave this a four star rating, but I found myself going back to reread multiple times. Yep, I think it's safe to bump it up to five stars.
Worth the Fall centers around Matt, a navy seal on leave following a tragedy that tortured him mentally. Eager to move on, he spends a week at the beach. While on a run in an effort to get away from his 'date,' a girl brought along by his cousin, he gets smacked in the back by a football. When he turns around, his entire life changes.
Abby is a woman desperate to be loved. After the death of her husband, a man who loved his job more than his family, she wanted to get her kids back to normal and find some semblance of peace. Growing up in foster care made her eager for a big family, so with a pregnant belly and four kids, she packed up her stuff and took them to the beach for the week. She wasn't planning on her son Jack throwing his toy at the most attractive man she'd ever seen.
After Abby apologized on her son's behalf, Matt decided to hang around a bit. Before they knew it, Matt started going with them to everything - dinner, waterslides, the beach - and the week past far too fast for either of them. Used to being let down, she figured their goodbye would end following the weekend. However, Matt felt something for her he hadn't in a long time and didn't want to let her go.
I almost never like books that make kids a focal point of the story, but I fell in love with all of these characters. Obviously Matt and Abby had personalities, but each child was different. There was Jack, the adorable, rambunctious boy that wanted a father figure in his life. Gracie, with all her energy, was just happy to have someone give her attention. Her mother was portrayed as being there, but divided with other siblings made it difficult and Matt gave that to her in spades. Charlie, the youngest of the lot, was happy to have a daddy. Too young to remember his own, Matt provided him with the father he needed.
And Annie. Seriously, this character tugged at my heart and had me crying for her. She refused to let Matt in, thinking he would let her down in some way. Matt did everything to prove to her that he would be there for her and throughout he book, we see her come out of that shell.
As for Abby and Matt, I think I fell in love with them as a couple. I enjoyed seeing them happy. Angst is my favorite and, trust me, this had it throughout, but we also got to see this couple actually enjoy each other. This wasn't just a romance book about sex. This was about a couple dealt some bad hands, both afraid, and how they come to make things work.
As for the end...
I ugly cried.
No shame.
This isn't a book about a strong woman saving the world or fighting crime. She's not strong because she stands up to people. She is strong because she bears the weight of the world on her shoulders and isn't crushed beneath it. When she hurts, she makes sure to fight against her pain to take care of her kids. She wants love, but she refuses to beg.
The writing is fun and done in such a way that it kept my interest throughout the entire thing. I didn't feel like something dragged. I did suspend disbelief on some things, but I loved this book.
Claudia Connor is my new author obsession!
Final rating: 5 stars
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