Kristie J’s review of Fall (VIP, Book 3) by Kristen Callihan
Contemporary Romance published by Plain Jane Books 23 Oct 18

I’ve adored the first two books in this series, so I had pre-ordered this one soon as I saw that I could. And as soon as it appeared on my iPad, I started to read it.  I knew it would be a special read when the author said it dealt with depression, something I struggle with on an ongoing basis. And I was right.  It is special, very special.

Before this book opens, John Blackwood – or Jax as he is more commonly known – had attempted suicide.  And the repercussions have been a large part of the story line of the first two books, Idol and Managed.  His attempted suicide might have seemed odd to many people.  John is one of the founders and guitarist/singer for a wildly popular band known as Kill John and he seemed to have it all.  He’s rich, famous, good looking, and on the outside looking in, he’s been living the dream.  But on the inside he was suffering and in emotional pain.  That’s what depression does to a person.

As I slightly mentioned above, I relate to this book because I suffer from depression too, and even when I’m in the deepest part, no one would guess because I cover it very well.  A few years ago I was planning on throwing a Bilbo Baggins type birthday party for myself and seemed to be happy and outgoing on the outside, but on the inside it was one of the worst episodes and I was hating on myself so bad it was frightening.  Thank goodness, it never got the point of attempting suicide and I went for help before it got that bad, but I completely understand the pain that can lead to it.  So right from the start of this book, it was already a five-star read.

So now that we know the background, the story opens with our heroine Stella Grey and Jax Blackwood battling it out over the last tub of chocolate chip mint ice cream in a small grocery market.  Jax wins, but then Stella cheats by distracting him with a kiss on the cheek.  He’s flummoxed and she grabs the ice cream out of his hands and skedaddles.  This adorable incident just seals the book.

They run into each other again when Stella accepts a job as a pet sitter for a few months.  One of the big perks is she gets to stay in the pet owner’s apartment and it is a most incredible place.  She’s down on her luck and this couldn’t have come at a better time.

She still thinks of this guy she stole the ice cream from and has felt so guilty she hasn’t been able to eat it.  So she’s shocked when she runs into him going in the same building and is convinced he’s stalking her.  And he’s thinking she’s some kind of groupie who is stalking him.  Every interaction they have with each other is cute and sweet and charming and funny and all that makes for a great romance, and I love this book with my whole being.  I dare anyone not to love Stella.  She has the hugest heart and is the kind of person we all would aspire to be.  Her childhood is heart-breakingly sad, yet she’s grown up to be this wonderful person.

Jax, or John, who he prefers to be with Stella, is equally wonderful.  He’s wracked with guilt over the pain he’s caused his fellow bandmates – Killian, the hero of Idol, the first book, in particular.  He wants to be John to Stella because John is real and Jax is his persona.  When he and Stella first meet, although he seems familiar to her, Stella doesn’t know who he really is and this is wonderful to him.  John is also all that is wonderful in a hero, and one short scene really got to me.  He is questioning our tendency, when we speak on the phone and a stranger asks, “How are you?,” and his thoughts are almost identical to my own – “I wish you wouldn’t ask me that because on the inside I’m dying, but I can’t answer your question, so I’m not being truthful.”  I’ve said that exact feeling to many of my coworkers and they look at me kind of oddly.  So when I read this scene Ms. Callihan wrote, I thought to myself, “YES! She gets it.  She understands.” And it was so wonderful realizing this author knows this particular question that so many strangers ask can be difficult. I don’t know if I’ve explained that in the right way, but it was a wonderful thing when I read that particular part.

It doesn’t take long before we realize that John and Stella are two halves of a whole, and once they realize this about each other, my love for this book grows even greater.  But they both bring their own baggage into the relationship, and John, in particular, needs to see and accept that he will never be perfect but he can love and be loved and that can be enough for him.

I’m sure I’m rambling somewhat in this review, not being able to explain things as well as I want to, but I connected with this story in so many ways.  I find it pure perfection and I’m sure you don’t have to look at the grade to see what I’m going to give it.  I’ve read a lot of this books this year, but this is my favourite and, in fact, will be going on my all-time top ten books.

Grade: A+

Summary:

The first time I met Jax Blackwood things went a little sideways.

In my defense, I didn’t know he was Jax Blackwood—who expects a legendary rock star to be shopping for groceries? More importantly, a blizzard was coming and he was about to grab the last carton of mint-chocolate chip.

Still, I might have walked away, but then he smugly dared me to try and take the coveted ice cream. So I kissed him. And distracted that mint-chip right out of his hands.

Okay, it was a dirty move, but desperate times and all that. Besides, I never expected he’d be my new neighbor.

An annoying neighbor who takes great pleasure in reminding me that I owe him ice cream but would happily accept more kisses as payment. An irresistible neighbor who keeps me up while playing guitar naked–spectacularly naked–in his living room.

Clearly, avoidance is key. Except nothing about Jax is easy to ignore—not the way he makes me laugh, or that his particular brand of darkness matches mine, or how one look from him melts me faster than butter under a hot sun.

Neither of us believes in love or forever. Yet we’re quickly becoming each other’s addiction. But we could be more. We could be everything.

All we have to do is trust enough to fall.

No excerpt available.

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