Happy Friday everyone! Today I am participating in a blog tour for The Moment We Fell by Kelli Warner! This wonderful contemporary story focuses on Paige, a dancer, and her experiences moving in with a father she never knew and a friendship with a boy her father disapproves of. This story is full of deep, emotional characters and a lovely Oregon setting, perfect for fans of Love & Gelato. Here you will find my review and a information about a giveaway hosted by the author, Kelli Warner!
The Moment We Fell by Kelli Warner
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 25, 2019
Publisher: Wave Runner Publishing
Nothing good happens when people keep secrets.
Paige Bryant’s dreams of becoming a professional ballet dancer died along with her mother. Drowning in grief and plagued by guilt, Paige is blindsided by a provision in her mother’s will that sends her to live with the father she never knew. Forced to start over in a new town and at a new school where she’s now the principal’s daughter, Paige is convinced that her life can’t possibly get more complicated—until fate throws her into the path of the only boy her guardian tells her is off-limits.
Despite two years on the straight and narrow, Cade Matthews can’t escape his time as a juvenile delinquent. With his dad behind bars, Cade’s feelings of anger and betrayal are as relentless as the rumors he’s trying to outrun. The only person not listening to the gossip is the new girl with her own set of troubles, including a father who will never give Cade a fair shake.
As Paige tries to adjust to her new life and an uncertain future, a set of unopened journals reveals a dark family secret. When tensions rise to a boiling point, can Paige and Cade make peace with the past before it destroys them?
Huge thank you to YA Bound Book Tours, the author, and Wave Runner Publishing for providing a review copy!
When I first read the summary of this book, immediately I thought of Love & Gelato. I was a little worried that they might be too similar, but I was pleasantly surprised! The premise was definitely the same, but the characters, setting, and writing style were all very different. Kelli Warner brought her own touch to the characters and storyline, and she really made the book worthwhile!
Characters
If you have been following me for a while, you likely know that I am a character based reader. If a story has strong characters, I’m likely going to enjoy it. The Moment We Fell was no exception! Paige was a kind, loving, and deeply emotional character that I could easily relate to. She has just lost her mom and must move to Oregon to live with a father she never knew, as her mom’s will instructed. Of course, Paige is devastated, and the descriptions of her feelings and emotions are a great fit for her character. I also really enjoyed the fact that she was a dancer, but I would have liked to know more about that part of her life.
Cade, our second narrator and the so called “bad boy,” is really just a softy at heart. He has had a rough past, but begins to open up and show his real self to Paige. He is very sweet and really develops throughout the story. I always like to watch a character grow and change over time, and Cade definitely did just that. His emotions were also portrayed very well, and I enjoyed the developing relationship between him and Paige. I also liked reading from his point of view, and wished there were more chapters narrated by him!
Paige’s dad, Jay, was kind of in the background for being such an important character. He had a few important scenes with Paige, but I would have liked to see more day to day interactions between Jay and Paige. I also would have loved to learn more about Paige’s Aunt Faye. Paige lived with Faye for a short while before moving to Oregon, but we didn’t hear much about her afterwards. It seemed that Faye was an incredibly important person in Paige’s life, but we didn’t hear much from her. Also, I really loved Jay’s daughter, Lily! She was just so adorable and was so happy to have Paige around!
Plot & Writing
The writing style allowed for a connection to the characters through their deep emotions. Everything was very descriptive and made you feel as if you were right there next to the characters. I could easily feel what they were feeling and see what they were seeing. My only complaint about the writing is the dialogue. It didn’t seem very realistic at times, especially during arguments. There were often very long, eloquent speeches about feelings and events, and in real life those same speeches would not have been quite so put together.
I really enjoyed the plot! There was always something happening, not necessarily in an action-packed sort of way, but just enough to keep the story moving forward. I felt that each scene had a purpose, both propelling the story forward and building the characters.
Overall Thoughts
I really enjoyed The Moment We Fell! The characters were kind, loving, and realistically emotional. I enjoyed watching them come together and take care of one another. The writing allowed for wonderful descriptions and made me feel like a part of the story! I would definitely recommend this book to fans of young adult contemporary and romance stories!
About the Author
Kelli Warner writes humorous and relatable young adult and contemporary romance novels, the kind of stories that get your insides so wound up in an ooey gooey mess that you forget about the un-fun stuff in life. She’s passionate for a good cup of coffee (even a bad one on a desperate day), enjoying time with friends and family, and spending lazy Saturday mornings watching the Food Network. Kelli and her husband live in Oregon with their two teenaged children and an outstanding border collie named Lucy.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Giveaway!
Kelli Warner is hosting a giveaway to celebrate the release of The Moment We Fell! Enter the Giveaway here! Be sure to enter before July 1, 2019 for a chance to win the following prizes:
- A signed paperback copy of The Moment We Fell
- $50 Amazon gift card
- Custom wood plank artwork
- Everything Happens for a Reason coffee mug
- Wellness candle
Thank you to YA Bound Book Tours for hosting this blog tour! Click the link to see other stops on this tour!
Chat with me! Have you read The Moment We Fell? Are you a character focused reader?
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