Wednesday, January 2, 2013

{Book Review} Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines

Title: Fallen Too Far
Series: Fallen Too Far #1
Author: Abbi Glines
Self-published
December 14, 2012


Synopsis:

To want what you’re not supposed to have…

She is only nineteen.

She is his new stepfather’s daughter.

She is still naïve and innocent due to spending the last three years taking care of her sick mother.

But for twenty-four year old Rush Finlay, she is the only thing that has ever been off limits. His famous father’s guilt money, his mother’s desperation to win his love, and his charm are the three reasons he has never been told no.

Blaire Wynn left her small farmhouse in Alabama, after her mother passed away, to move in with her father and his new wife in their sprawling beach house along the Florida gulf coast. She isn’t prepared for the lifestyle change and she knows she’ll never fit into this world. Then there is her sexy stepbrother who her father leaves her with for the summer while he runs off to Paris with his wife. Rush is as spoiled as he is gorgeous. He is also getting under her skin. She knows he is anything but good for her and that he’ll never be faithful to anyone. He is jaded and has secrets Blaire knows she may never uncover but even knowing all of that…

Blaire just may have fallen too far.


Sorry girls, I know I'm going to take some heat for this one, but a person can't help what they feel.

First, I want to state that I LOVE Abbi Glines, I've loved every book she's ever written and I love Fallen Too Far. The storyline is intriguing, Rush is another of Abbi's hot playboys, and though I feel like Blaire fell a little short, she's a good character. 

Blaire's forced to leave all she's ever known after her mother died. She sold her house and moved to Florida with her dead-beat dad; except, when she arrived, he'd taken off to Paris with his new wife. Her son greets Blaire, well...one of her sons, that is. Outside of Grant, Blaire's arrival is unwanted, to put it kindly. Rush is outright rude and Nan is a flat-out bitch, excuse the language but this girl has not one redeemable quality. I'm really not sure Rush is redeemable, I believe he could be but his character lacks depth. Needless to say, Blaire falls helplessly in love with Rush, Rush tries to push her away because he's hiding some major secrets, then he can't help himself anymore and gives in. Then, in a most unfortunate way, all the secrets are revealed, leaving Blaire confused and pissed...with good reason.

That's a very short overview of the storyline, and no matter how it sounds, I sincerely loved the plot and the characters, I just didn't buy the whole thing this time. Things feel a little rushed. I'm a  fan of insta-love, yes I said it...hate away. I love the concept of love at first sight, I love the fairy tale aspect to it, especially in YA because teens tend to be impetuous, but this isn't YA...it's New Adult. Oh how I do digress, back to Fallen Too Far. Blaire catches Rush in some questionable positions, pun totally intended, then is willing to forego everything and invite him into her room under the stairs. I'm not going to lie...the fact he asked her to sleep under the stairs completely offended me. The fact she agreed, and felt grateful, could not be explained.

I liked Blaire because she refused to be pushed down. After everything she'd been through, she could have easily accepted Rush's offer and "mooched" off him and his trust fund for quite some time. However, she immediately starts applying for jobs, finds one, and starts saving her money. She's not afraid to defend herself, physically at least, and works hard with a firm set of morals. She's determined not to become a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who plays with the elite. She's flawed and a bit naive, like any heroine should be. 

Rush, is well, the spoiled child of a world famous rock star, except that's not all there is to him. It takes a while for Abbi to explain what he does with himself when not partying the summer away, but she eventually gets there. He's messed up, done some stupid stuff, but hasn't everyone. The biggest secret he's keeping involves his sister, Nan, and he only did what he did because he loves her. Now he's regretting his actions and will pay the price for them.

Like I said earlier, Nan is a rich bitch who's always gotten her way. Nothing she does in the book makes me feel the least bit sorry for her...even when the secret's revealed.

Woods may be my favorite character in the book. He's rich, his dad own's the country club and he'll inherit it eventually. We don't see it, but I suspect he works hard...even though he spends most of his days on the golf course. He's flirtatious, but he knows when to pull back. He realizes Blaire's interests lay elsewhere and he stops pursuing her, though he's still a good friend to her. 

I'm not sure how I feel about Bethy. I'll let you know after the next book.

Contrary to the popular opinion...I thought the ending was perfect. Yes, I'm biting at the nail to get Never Too Far, but Blaire did what she needed to do for her and I'm okay with that.

DISLIKES:

~Um, I wasn't sold on the story. Some things seemed a little unbelievable. Why did Blaire like Rush so much? I didn't really understand. Blaire's complete innocence, yet abrupt change once her and Rush hooked up. I could never imagine myself pursuing someone in this manner.

~Okay...this one will probably get me kicked off the internet, but definitely out of Texas. I felt like the second amendment was being shoved down my throat. I get the first reference to Blaire's gun and I get why she felt like she needed to defend herself, she was frightened, but when she pulls it out the second time, there was no reason other than anger. It made her seem even more off-balance than she already did.

~EDITING!!! OMG! I nearly put the book down a few times. Please, oh please, edit your books and then edit your editor. Know the difference between to/too and was/were. Use commas where they're needed. Double check spelling of characters' names. The only thing that kept me from setting it down was my love for Abbi. Her books are typically well edited and flow much better. I'm thinking maybe she was in a hurry to put Fallen Too Far out, but I'd rather wait a little longer and have a better book.

~If you're going to write about sex, write about it. Please do not refer to a girl's vagina as her ache. Seriously, who says that. I'm not asking for crass, nasty words, but ache? Really? Also, before a condomless ride, multiple issues should have been addressed. Blaire had seen Rush with multiple partners in a couple of weeks time...multiple as in several, not a couple. She was a virgin who wasn't on birth control. I sort of see a storyline for Never Too Far emerging and I hope I'm wrong, because I hate to see Blaire go down that road with Rush and their crazy ass family.



11 comments:

  1. Well this certainly sounds like an interesting read. I'm going to be picking this one up for the New Adult reading challenge but I think I'm going to go into it with lower expectations.

    She seriously referred to it as her "ache"? Really? I hate when authors do that it just sounds odd and I totally agree with you on the lack of condoms thing with guys who have multiple partners and a virgin who isn't on birth control...I see that in a lot of the books out there and it irritates the heck out of me... anyways before I start ranting Great review :D I'll keep the things you mentioned in mind when I read it.
    -Kimberly @ Turning the Pages

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    1. Hey Kimberly!

      Thanks for stopping by! I'm glad my review didn't discourage you from reading Fallen Too Far. I liked it, but definitely had some problems with it. I just felt like I had to be honest and not sugar-coat things. I look forward to hearing, or reading, your opinion.

      ~Kristin

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  2. I'm a fan of Abbi Glines too, so when I saw the book, I was really intrigued by it. I'm a bit disappointed with the negative points you made especially the editing part. It's hard to concentrate in reading the book when you're distracted on how it was written. Hopefully they do something about that.
    Thanks for your honest review!

    Karina @ CouchPotatoReader

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    1. Karina,

      I love her too. I'm not used to picking up one of her books and being disappointed. I definitely wonder if there was a rush to get this one out. I hope you read it and love it. Hope to see your opinions on it.

      ~Kristin

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  3. Hi Kristin! First of all, I just have to say.. Well done with the review! I haven't read any of Abbi's books yet but they seem really interesting. Anyway, your review was really informative and I had a great time reading it. You know, while reading about Nan and Rush here, I kind of remembered the movie "Cruel Intentions". I know it's a totally different story but when I read that Nan was his sister and that they have a secret, I just couldn't help it and I'm now really intrigued about the secret. :D

    - Ara of My Book and My Coffee

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    1. Ara,

      Nan and Rush's story turns out to be very interesting, though I'll admit to being concerned at first. ;) I haven't seen "Cruel Intentions" but I've heard a lot about it. I'm going to have to watch it soon. I'm reading a book called From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas and they quote it in one of the chapters. I read your comment right after I had read that chapter. :D

      Thanks for stopping by!
      ~Kristin

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    2. Coolness! Yes, watch it when you can. Won't give any spoilers :D

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  4. Hey Kristin, You are such a tactful reviewer, you could make a 1 star novel sound so intriguing, readers would knock down doors to buy it. Before buying the book, I did read the sample on Amazon, and I have to agree with you on most points. I decided not to buy this time, not because of what you said, but simply because there were TOO MANY uh-oh's in just the short amount of the book I read. Also, I don't think I'd make my protag so stupid. Condoms are what? 50 cents each? And you can get them in almost any convenient store. Even if he says he gets checked every 6 months, having multiple partners like Abbi has written for him here, that's too long.

    I know it's fiction, but let's be realistic. THAT'S JUST REDICULOUS! It's just like playing Russian Roulette with five bullets instead of one. Especially now. Kids and adults use sex as merely a way to pass the time. So many diseases are out there, you should be checked before having sex with a new partner everytime. Condom or no condom. They are not 100% FOOLproof. Seriously, ask any teen out there who had protected sex and still got HIV, or Syphilis, or any number of other STD's.

    I know I got off track here, and yes, I love Abbi!! But this book has major flaws, not just grammatical either, but much more serious ones.

    Sorry

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  5. I love your review! I still haven't read any of Abbi's books, but I've had my eyes on this one and The Vincent Boys, but now after reading your review, maybe I should start with the Vincents.

    Anatea @ Anatea's Bookshelf

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    1. Anatea,

      Definitely read The Vincent Boys first. A much better showcase of Abbi's talent. I loved Beau and Sawyer!

      This isn't too bad, seriously, but it definitely has some issues. I hope you read it though. I'm interested in seeing different peoples opinions on this one.

      Thanks for stopping by.
      ~Kristin

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  6. I honestly love this book. Blair and Rush are my favorite characters to date. This book is a MUST read.

    Marlene Detierro (Where to buy cowboy boots)

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