Fear of Falling

Kim keeps her fears written down on small origami stars in a jar, over 250 of them, but the most potent is her fear of falling in love. Her roommates, Dominic and Angel, are equally scarred by their own pasts, and the three of them have formed a family of the heart that is the source of the only love Kami dares to give or receive. But when she walks into Dive, a bar owned by gorgeous, sexy Blaine Jacobs, she finds herself drawn to a man as never before. The attraction between the pair is undeniable, and Blaine seems to want nothing more than to be there for her and make all her fears go away. But can he get past her shields and her terrors to the real Kami, before her defenses drive him away?

Author Jennings has a gift for evocative emotional descriptions, and this is certainly a powerful book. Kami’s torment is visible, palpable, and heartbreaking, and it is a cold reader who will not feel sympathy for her. Blaine is entirely likeable (and extremely hot), and his persistence in trying to get Kami to accept his love, as often as she pushes him away, is heartwarming. The erotic tension between the two is intense, and the sex scenes scorch the page. Angel and Dominic add comic relief and  provide a new dimension and a different perspective on Kami’s issues, as well as being delightful characters in their own right (their love stories would make interesting sequels to this book, if Ms. Jennings were so inclined).

At times, this book may get a bit too emotionally intense for some readers, particularly those with abuse in their own pasts – it’s not an easy read in places. It also verges at times on the melodramatic, but that is not an uncommon characteristic of the genre.

An intense, painful but life-affirming story, with enough erotic energy and romantic tenderness to warm even the coldest day. If you’re a fan of the romance genre, and like your love stories full of drama and heartache (mended at the end, naturally), this is a good one.

Reviewed by Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader