Cait’s Review of “Don’t Let Me Fall” by Kelsie Rae

By: Cait Marie

Blurb

I want a girl I can’t have.
She’s my tutor.
My best friend’s girlfriend.
And my kryptonite.
She also looks really good in my T-shirt.

But she wants the golden boy, and I’m more of the villain type.
Or at least I was….
Until I saw her smile for the first time.

But the good guy she wants wouldn’t lust after his friend’s girlfriend.
And the good guy she’s with sure as hell shouldn’t be sneaking around behind her back.

So where does that leave me?

Review

This book kept popping up all over social media, so I jumped in and devoured it. That being said, I have some mixed feelings about the book, especially now that some time has passed since I finished it.

First and foremost, I want to start by saying I loved the book. I read it in less than a week, which is fast for me right now because of how busy I am. I was in the middle of editing one of my books, and I was also finishing an audiobook. But I couldn’t stop reading this one. It was so easy to get into, it had a great flow, and in general was a fun, light-ish romance.

That being said, there is something off about it, and I can’t really figure it out. I think a big part of is in the character development, especially regarding Ashlynn. It’s one thing to be naïve and just not see things; that I can get. But her personality and such just don’t really match up with that. She doesn’t seem like a clueless, innocent young woman in the rest of her life, so how is she so blind when it comes to Logan? It feels inconsistent.

Also, when she finally finds out he’s cheating on her, he doesn’t actually say that. He says there’s someone else, but he doesn’t give any details, yet somehow, all of a sudden, she just knows he’s been with all of these other women. If she was that naïve to what he was doing, how did she suddenly know and see everything? Again, that whole situation just felt off, and her development wasn’t consistent.

I did really love Colton, but there was even something off about his behavior. He repeatedly said or implied that he was flirting with Logan’s girlfriend, but it was fine because Logan knew he wouldn’t cross that line. He was excusing his sketchy behavior, and no one questioned it. It would be different if he just thought this once or twice, but it was kind of a frequent thing and he said it aloud more than once. I don’t know… I think it was just strange that they were so fine with it. And I think just a few minor tweaks could have made a world of difference.

It’s very clear that he genuinely cares about Ashlynn and that he’s not just doing this to mess with his friend. But it’s almost like the author was trying to make him act like the bad guy at first, which wasn’t necessary (I love that trope, but if you’re going to do it, do it. Don’t half-ass it without a reason.). Instead of purposely flirting with his best friend’s girlfriend, he could’ve found himself unable to stop flirting with her or something, and it would’ve given us the same story but with a little less cringe. Because honestly, it felt like he just couldn’t stop and that he was drawn to her. He also hated that Logan was cheating on her. So, it wouldn’t have been a stretch. Some of the wording would just need adjusted.

I think this plays right into the inconsistent character development. Their behaviors and personalities don’t always match, which led to things feeling off.

Like I said though, I really did enjoy the book. I didn’t want to stop reading, and I immediately bought the rest of the ebooks in the series and jumped into the second one.

This one did have an emotional backstory for both characters, which really hit home at times, but it was never really the focus. The chemistry between Ashlynn and Colton was immediate and strong. The book is steamy, but with only a few detailed scenes that were well written. Overall, the entire book was well written. That was one reason why it was so easy to just let it consume me. I can’t wait for more!