Review: “Falling For My Fling”
I had previously read the “Falling For My Fling (prequel)” and it was interesting enough to keep on reading Lori’s and Caleb’s story, so I took the chance to read this from the same ARC program.
The Premise
Six years after Caleb broke off their relationship and broke her heart, Lori returns to Penny Creek. This time around, her focus is on her PhD and the protection of wolves in the area. They are endangered, and being intentionally poisoned at the hands of a prominent local businessman — if only she could find a way to prove it.
Meanwhile, Caleb has grown into his role as a single parent after his son Taylor’s mother, Delaney, left when he was only a few months old. Dedicated to his career as a firefighter, he gives any spare time to his son, and has little time for romance. But Lori’s return has him reconsidering if she can fit into his life — or if she will leave yet again.
Thwarting their second chance at romance are blasts from Caleb’s past, along with a spiral of political drama that may endanger Lori’s life as she fights to save the wolves. Can Caleb and Lori make it through the challenges life throws at them, once and for all?
The Pros
Again, I must commend the richness of description and imagery, which seems to be increasingly rare in contemporary romances. The author is highly skilled in taking you right to the scene — the heat, the wind, the fire, the drama. Penny Creek and its inhabitants are an excellent foundation for a family saga surrounded by beautiful landscape that stirs inspiration, and I could almost smell the air through Lori’s senses and feel what brought her back to the town.
Both characters were fully fleshed out and aptly ensconced in intricate relationships with their communities, families, and friendships. The steamy scenes were also well written, and not overdone. Overall, it was a great experience for the reader, and brought a wealth of emotion. The narrative intensifies as the story builds, and it was an enjoyable journey with considerable depth.
The Cons
Though I enjoyed the story, I must admit that the easy, breezy feel of the couple’s first interactions took on a much heavier tone in this first official book of the series, and the plot point of the wolves seemed to override everything. I expected more to laugh about, but it was very serious compared to the prequel. I hoped for more lightness and cuteness, but as they are now adults with more serious real-world problems (single fatherhood, biologist career) this just wasn’t possible.
Instead, there was a rich, beautiful story about animals and nature… which was great on its own, just not what I was banking on after having read the prequel. Also, not really a “con” but I think the novel should have been renamed because their relationship is now far from a “fling” and the capricious title alludes to something that now seems disparate from the storyline.
Conclusion
The overall story was much deeper than the prequel, and the beautiful descriptions take you right to the heart of the scene. There is a rich depth and wealth of information here — and if your taste in romance runs deep, this will be an excellent pick. The animal rights advocacy theme is wonderfully expounded here, and grounds the romance in a real-world issue with tangible problems. While it wasn’t what I was expecting, this is still a great novel that I would highly recommend to others if they want a fully-fleshed story with mature characters. I like the author’s writing style, and look forward to reading more in the series and also other novels.
