Design: 5/5

Just like all of the books in the “Love in Isolation” series, the cover is amazing! This series’ covers, hands down, get a 5 out of 5 rating because I love both the simplicity and complexity of them – and this fifth book in the series is no exception. Oakley and Finn make this cover almost catch fire, it is so hot! I enjoy how the designer has also incorporated the color as a sort-of tie-in to the book, too – this book takes place in fall, in Vermont and so the burnt orange couldn’t be more fitting. But aside from that, these covers have two focuses and that is the stance of the models and their body language and glimpses of their expressions – coupled with the book’s title. The models and their clothing and styles as well as the font choices are all more contemporary and very much “in the now” … just everything about the design of the covers of this entire series is just spot-on for what I (assume) is the goal of this book cover. Bravo.

Review: 5/5

I have packed my bags, I have bought all of the art supplies, and I am hitching a ride to Vermont. If Vermont promises the likes of a romance like the one that oozes from the pages of this book – sign me up! I mean, seriously – paint me a vivid picture much, Kennedy Fox (KF)? Sweet baby Jesus. I’m still collecting myself after this whirlwind. First off, let me tally all the ways: opposites attract, grumpy hero and sunshine heroine, older man and younger woman, fake girlfriend, enemies-to-lovers, confined space, forced proximity… shall I continue? Because I can! Should we borrow more fingers from a friend to tick off all the ways in which KF hits all of our favorite tropes? But the question THEN remains: was the story any good?

I will emphatically tell you: yes. Why, yes, yes it was. Book #4, Easton and Tatum’s story, was so sweet and heartbreaking and hard yet heartfelt, with a thriller and chase involved – then KF hits us with this one, which is all attraction (well, so was book 4 but so different), sassy and grumpiness combined in the best possible way with the sexual chemistry and attraction that’s off the hook. For me what “made” this book was Oakley’s sassy, sunshine strength of character and disposition and Finn’s guarded grumpiness. I just absolutely loved these two characters – their back-and-forth interactions are so electric and sizzling. But to add to that, the picture and setting that KF painted for us (see what I did there – “painted”), is just incredible. I want to visit the Bennett farm!!! I mean, especially if the likes of Finn and Levi live there – hello! Sign me up! And not just that, I kind of want to take up painting now… however rudimentary it might be. But since Oakley and I will become besties, she’ll teach me, right?! Oakley is written as such a breath of fresh air that is so full of spunk and I love her backbone and strength of character. She’s strong and confident and speaks her mind. And that is exactly what Finn needs – who has become jaded and so guarded from being burned and heartbroken in his past. He never even knew that what he needed was Oakley! And I just love that. I mean, I love love so this is an awesome example of that.

I don’t even have to go into the dissecting of writing style or my usual list of things that I score books by because this is a Kennedy Fox book after all – those gals slay all of those things! Their stories are always so amazing and my two favorite things about their writing is 1. Their characters, and 2. The worlds that they create that are so vivid that you can almost smell the air that the characters are breathing. That said, knowing that all of those usual requirements of mine are well met, analyzing this story and its characters is easy: I loved this book! The tempo of it, the details, the ins and outs, back-and-forths… I read it twice.. Back to back. That’s how much I liked it. Sure, you might think that some of the twists and turns might (on paper) sound crazy and unlikely, but those KF gals slay those pages and keep you so enthralled in their story that you fly through the book and what you think might seem crazy on paper just totally works on the pages of their books. I read this story in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. I kid you not. I just couldn’t get enough of Finn’s grumpiness – and then when he finally started lowering those walls…. Ugh!!! It was everything. And the ending… oh how that could have gone one of two ways… I’m glad it went the way it went, but phewww. Nail-biter for sure. AND THEN, how do they end this book? Tsk tsk ladies, you leave us with yet another teaser that has me counting down the hours until the next book. You already made me fall head over heels for Levi, so can we have that book / story already? I’ll be in Vermont, waiting… impatiently.

Excerpt:

What happens when you travel across the country for your dream job and end up sharing a bed with an older man who volunteers you to be his fake girlfriend? You hope you don’t fall in love when it’s time to say goodbye.

The Fall of Us is an age gap, fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity romance.