When the Stars Fall is live!
An emotional, angsty, gutwrenching read, but wow, what a love story – messy, complicated and passionate, it’s a beautifully written story of true love, second chances, forgiveness and redemption, and it completely captured my heart.
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Blurb
Growing up, Jude McCallister was the bane of my existence.
My best friend. Fiercest ally. The most annoying boy in the world.
At eighteen, the boy I loved to hate became the man I couldn’t live without.
We were young. Madly in love. Invincible.
Strong enough to weather any storm.
Cocky enough to believe that no amount of time or distance could destroy us.
When Jude finally returned home from overseas, it should have been cause for celebration. But the man I’d fallen in love with was gone, and in his place was someone I no longer recognized.
I can’t do this, the note said. I’m sorry.
Now, after six long years he’s back. Only my heart … it doesn’t beat just for him anymore.
Review
4.5 stars
Oh, my heart! What an emotional, angsty, gutwrenching read! But wow, what a love story – messy, complicated and passionate, it’s a beautifully written story of true love, second chances, forgiveness and redemption that completely captured my heart, and I finished it in the early hours of this morning, unable to put it down.
“What happens when the stars fall, Jude?”
“I’ll put them back in the sky for you,” he said, sounding so confident …. “I’d do anything for you, Lila.”
Lila and Jude met as nine-year-olds and grew up together, and though they were both feisty and fiercely competitive, together with Jude’s cousin, Brody, they were the best of friends. They did everything together, and there was nothing that the two boys wouldn’t do to protect ‘their’ girl. With puberty, came feelings, and Jude and Lila fell for each other in a big way. But things didn’t go the way either of them wanted to, and they had a hard time finding their way to each other. As far as teenage angst goes, it’s a really dramatic beginning for them, and while I loved getting to watch them grow up and see all of those feelings develop, I was angry and frustrated, and so freaking pissed off at teenage Jude. But they got there, and they fell in love, just in time for Jude to fulfil his lifelong dream of joining the Marines and five years serving his country.
“How can you promise me forever at eighteen?”
“It’s the easiest thing I’ve ever done. It’s always been you. I’ve never wanted anyone but you.”
They survived their separation only for Jude to come back a broken man, unable to cope with the trauma that he had experienced. My heart broke again, and the prologue of the book gives us a glimpse of Jude at his lowest point so I knew we were building towards that, and oh, how it hurt watching him hit rock bottom.
Was there a chance she could still love my broken, fucked-up self? The man who had lost part of his soul to a war and his entire heart to a girl?
It’s six years later when Jude returns to his home town, about to face up to everything that he left behind. But things have changed since he’s been away, and neither he nor Lila are the people that they used to be, and they have a hard road ahead of them. So the story is set up for an epic second-chance-romance as Jude digs deep to fight for his girl and the life they always wanted.
Our love story had played out like a fucking tragedy. Redemption never came easy but I was up to the task.
I love a second-chance-romance, and God, this one had my heart aching! The angst was a hard slog to get through and I really hated Jude at one point, but he redeemed himself, only for us to watch him break completely. Jude was the golden boy of his home town before he left for war, he had the girl of his dreams by his side and the whole world at his feet. Watching his downfall absolutely broke my heart. But there’s something so irresistible about a broken hero fighting to win back the love of his life, and Jude brought the swoon as he opened his heart, declared his intentions, and fought hard to get his second chance.
I was done running. I was done trying to pretend that I’d ever find true happiness without Lila. She was it for me. My once in a lifetime love. My reason. My past, present, and my future.
Lila is a great heroine. She’s brave, strong and feisty, and though she puts up with a lot from Jude, her love for him shines through every moment as she stands by her man, and she never comes across as a doormat. She goes through a lot in this book, and her story has some surprising twists and turns, but I love that she owns it and just keeps moving forward, and I was so impressed with the way that she handled Jude’s return, balancing the fine line of protecting herself and following her heart.
Love tested your limits. It was so damn easy to fall in love. So easy to love a person when times were good. The real challenge was sticking it out even when the going got rough.
This isn’t the story that you want for a couple, but it’s the story Jude and Lila got, and Rose wrote it beautifully. I could feel the angst and emotion, my heart was on the journey with them, and what a ride it was! I was captivated the whole way through, and all of that pain is worth it for the gorgeous happy ending, and the epilogue which finishes off their story so beautifully.
I’m so excited that this is the first book in a series. Shane has two younger brothers, and his cousin Brody is amazing, and I’m hoping so hard that we’ll get a book for each of them.
This one hurt in the best of ways, but I loved it!
4.5 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Lost Stars
When the Stars Fall (#1) (Jude & Lila)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Paperback
When the Storm Breaks (#2) (Brody & Shiloh)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Paperback
When We Were Reckless (#3) (Jesse & Quinn)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Paperback
When Wrecked Meets Ruined (#4) (Ridge & Evie)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Paperback
Giveaway
To celebrate the release of When the Stars Fall, Emery Rose is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card! Head to her Facebook page to enter!
https://www.facebook.com/EmeryRoseAuthor/
About the Author
Emery Rose has been known to indulge in good red wine, strong coffee, and a healthy dose of sarcasm. When she’s not working on her latest project, you can find her binge-watching Netflix, trotting the globe in search of sunshine, or immersed in a good book. A former New Yorker, she currently resides in London with her two beautiful daughters and one grumpy but lovable Border Terrier.
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