Book Review - Falling for Autumn

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! I realize tomorrow is Friday, so I'm gonna keep it short and sweet in order to retain your attention. I know mine goes the way of the wind near the end of the week. *grin* Today, I bring you a book review from one of my favorite authors. This one won't be included in the Indie Fever reviews for 2014 because Heather Topham Wood isn't new to me. You don't wanna miss this review (or this book, for that matter). Grab a cup of Joe and let's get going!

First, a little about the book I'm reviewing today:

Title: Falling for Autumn
Author: Heather Topham Wood
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Length (print): 221 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $2.99  Paperback $8.99

Synopsis:
Autumn Dorey had no problem leaving her hometown of Newpine and the friends there who’d betrayed her. Everyone thought they knew what happened the spring night Autumn’s world fell apart. Vicious rumors about the incident circulated, and she had to be homeschooled the last year of high school to escape her tormentors. All she wants now is to get away from it all and start over at Cook University. She leaves everything but the memory behind—something she swore she’d never forget—and sets off to rebuild what was broken.

Blake Preston is precisely the type of guy Autumn wants to avoid. He’s gorgeous, arrogant and the college’s beloved football star. As much as she believes he’s someone she should steer clear of, avoiding him proves to be impossible. He shows up everywhere around campus, offering her a no-strings attached friendship.

Autumn can’t deny Blake stirs up emotions she thought fled years ago. But things he’s been hiding begin to emerge and collide with her past, leaving her heart ravaged in their wake.

New Adult Romance-Ages 17+ Due to Strong Language and Sexual Situations

**Will not appear in review elsewhere. Allow me to say I adore the cute cover for this book. Colors are pleasing and the girl looks exactly as I pictured Autumn as I read. I would like to see a stronger font for the title, as this one gets lost when scaled down to thumbnail size. But pleasing to the eye and fits with the author's branding from other books.**

I was chomping at the bit when I heard Heather was releasing another book. Boy, was I in for a surprise. I'm not a romance fan, and was astonished to find she'd written something along these lines. Once I learned the genre, those niggling little doubts began to form in the back of my head: Would I like it? Should I read it? So, I bit the bullet and snagged a copy on Amazon. I'm so glad I did. Enough of my rambling, let's move on to the good stuff.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I hate bullying. Let me begin by saying that. This book re-created some of the true-to-life teens I had to deal with in high school and it really struck a chord with me. I felt for Autumn, and could see myself in her shoes. Though I made different choices about who my friends ended up being in the long run, I understood why she made the decisions she did. I read through this book in two days. Usually I'm pretty good about being able to see where the story is going, but I missed the mark big time on this one. Blake was your typical ladies man who was misunderstood, but that's what the genre calls for. I liked him. He reminded me a lot of my husband. Pacing was fast and the plot was a great one. I loved the scenes where the author showed Autumn's past and didn't shy away from getting inside her head or giving the gritty details about the incident. I do have a favorite quote (this is also very odd for me) which I'm sharing with you now: "There was no phoenix that could rise out of the ashes left behind by his betrayal." *swoon over the language*

From an Editor's Perspective:
I found a couple of little things; but nothing that threw me out of the story and the errors weren't super troublesome. Probably not things the normal reader would even pick up on.

Rating:
+1 Star for giving me a main character I could relate to in so many ways
+1 Star for pacing
+1 Star for holding my interest so tightly, I read the book in just two days
+1 Star for the rich language that made me favorite a sentence
+1 Star for lack of errors
Overall, 5 out of 5 stars. Wow. Highly recommended for anyone who's looking for a wonderful, captivating read.

I hope you all check this book out. It's very high in the Amazon rankings (#9 for college romance) for good reason.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo