Falling Away
Penelope Doulgas
Series: The Fall Away Series, #3
Published on January 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance 
About Falling Away:
Jaxon is the guy she’s supposed to avoid.
K.C. is the girl he won’t let get away….
K. C. Carter has always followed the rules—until this year, when a mistake leaves her the talk of her college campus and her carefully arranged life comes crashing to a halt. Now she’s stuck in her small hometown for the summer to complete her court-ordered community service, and to make matters worse, trouble is living right next door.
Jaxon Trent is the worst kind of temptation and exactly what K.C. was supposed to stay away from in high school. But he never forgot her. She was the one girl who wouldn’t give him the time of day and the only one to ever say no. Fate has brought K.C. back into his life—except what he thought was a great twist of luck turns out to be too close for comfort. As the bond between them grows, he discovers that convincing K.C. to get out from her mother’s shadow is hard, but revealing the darkest parts of his soul is nearly impossible.…
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REVIEW:
Due to my busy schedule between real life and blogging, I rarely find the time to review books that I enjoy and read for sheer pleasure. I stumbled upon Bully, Fall Away book #1, when it literally released years ago, before I joined NAA blog. I remember clicking on it and within the first few chapters, I fell in love with not only Jared and Tate, but Penelope Douglas’ writing style. When I read her, her words captivate my mind and create a world filled with amazing and realistic characters, with real problems! When I read Bully, Until You and Rival, I felt like I was in college again, experiencing heartache and love for the first time. Only through Penelope’s words, it was better. I’ve read everything she’s written to date. I simply love her, and she’s my “go-to” NA author. I enjoyed Falling Away SO much, that I needed to write a review for the blog. If you enjoy New Adult stories… then you need to read this series!
To be totally honest, I was doubtful that I would like Falling Away. New Adult is my favorite genre to read these days, probably because I would relive my early twenties in a heartbeat, and in a way, I get to fantasize I am back in college through this series. So why was I hesitant to read, when I knew Penelope wouldn’t disappoint… well, I hate when the heroine in a story is older than the guy. It bugs me. (Maybe it’s because I’m a handful of months older than my husband and perhaps it is for this reason solely that older women and younger men turn me off? Not sure.) Anyway Jax Trent redefines the term, younger man. And he’s delicious in Every. Single. Way.
Jax is introduced in Bully as Jared’s younger half-brother. When I meet him, he is lean and has long hair. He’s the typical teenage, boy. As the series progresses, Jax slowly changes into a young man, and ultimately, THE man in this series (at least for me in this moment—But so was Jared in Bully and Madoc in Rival). Jax has grown up. He’s tall, sexy, in charge, and incredibly smart… he’s the ultimate package and I soon forgot the little brother I met in book one. This is really a story about Jax and how he’s transformed throughout the series. But one reason he transforms into a leading man is his feelings for K.C.
In the previous books K.C. is just, unlikeable. She’s a horrible friend. She’s attending college halfway across the country in Rival. So why the hell is she back and why is she lurking around Jax. Well, I admit, she redeems herself in this book, thank GOD. Her personal struggles, as well as her growth in this story are heartbreakingly beautiful. I loved being in her mind. I loved feeling what she’s feeling…damn it I wish I could be her, especially at the carnival.
I really enjoyed this installment, and I really liked Jax and K. C. together. (Huh, never thought I’d think that…) I love an alpha-man, and Jax proves to be one in this story. I love angst, there’s a lot of that in this story, too. But what I really loved is that there were plenty of hot scenes early on in this book. Where Bully made me want to scream in frustration (in the best way), Falling Away gave the me, the reader, fantastically hot glimpses of what COULD and maybe WOULD come about later in the story. (***SMOKIN’ HOT glimpses…)
The only thing that disappointed me in this story was the continuous flip flopping back and forth between Jax and K.C.’s relationship. I also felt the ending was a bit rushed…or I may be feeling that way simply because I wanted to continue reading about these characters. I know I said it before, but I love this world. If these characters were real, I’d stalk them. I would move to Shelborne Falls and make them be my friend. (And hope there was a new man in town just for me!) Also, warning, the little teaser at the end for the next book, Aflame. Do yourself a favor…don’t read it. It’s torture. It makes my heart ache in the worst way. My stomach is in knots about what this book is about and what it will do to me. I may or may not have a countdown on my phone until it’s released. 12 and ½ weeks to go. But check out Penelope Douglas’s FB page tomorrow for more Aflame news and cover reveal!
Five stars for Falling Away. This is one of my all-time favorite New Adult series. Penelope Douglas is my go-to author. An immediate one-click!
About Penelope Doulgas
Penelope Douglas is a writer living in Las Vegas. Born in Dubuque, Iowa, she is the oldest of five children. Penelope attended the University of Northern Iowa, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, because her father told her to “just get the damn degree!” She then earned a Masters of Science in Education at Loyola University in New Orleans, because she HATED public administration. One night, she told the bouncer at the bar where she worked that his son was hot, and three years later she was married. To the son, not the bouncer. They have spawn, but just one. A daughter named Aydan. Penelope loves sweets, The 100, and she shops at Target almost daily.
Bully (Fall Away #1) is her first book, published June 2013. The companion novel, Until You, was released in December 2013 and Rival in August of 2014. Please look for Falling Away on Jan. 6, 2015 and Aflame April 21, 2015.
Jennifer Lane
Excellent review! Another reader just recommended Penelope Douglas to me but I’ve yet to read anything by her yet. Should I start with Bully?