{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

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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.