Fall From India Place
Author: Samantha Young
Reviewer: Luisa (Guest Post)
Rating: B-
What I’m Talking About:
Fans of Samantha Young’s On Dublin Street series rejoice, Fall From India Place released on June 3rd as the fourth book (sixth if you include the two novellas) in the series, with at least one more book scheduled for 2015.
Even though I have been reading this series since the first book (On Dublin Street) came out the summer of 2012, I try to avoid details about the upcoming novels so I do not have any preconceived ideas and expectations. Fall From India Place was a big surprise for me as the main character was very young in the previous novels.
Hannah Nichols is the youngest sister of Braden Carmichael (On Dublin Street) but she’s not as young as when we first met her. Fall From India Place takes place sometime after the last book in the series and about five years from the first time we met her, when she was a teenager and in love with a boy named Marco.
Hannah is an adult now, living on her own apartment. While she remains very close to her family, we quickly learn that she doesn’t have a lot of friends, and not a lot has changed for Hannah in regards of her personal life. Even though she’s very reserved, she’s not shy. She’s chosen to stay away from close relationships outside of her family circle since Marco D’ Alessandro exited her life.
Marco’s departure left Hannah vulnerable and with a broken heart, even after many years, she hasn’t been able to move on. My favorite quote in this novel comes from Hannah trying to explain loss:
“When you haven’t experience loss directly, it’s like…well, you drive the same road home you drive each night. You know it as well as anyone can. Then one night you decide for the hell of it to drive a different road home. You think nothing of it. It’s merely a change of scenery. But if you’re someone who has lost someone or come close to losing yourself… and if you take that different road, there this second after you’ve made that decision, just a second, in which you wonder, worry, if taking that road means changing your life irreparably–you don’t know the curves in the road well, you don’t know the blind spots. In that second you imagine a crash, a collision. Just a second, until you tell yourself to stop being so morbid. Yet no matter how silly it makes you feel, every time you make a decision to take that different road, you can’t help that instant of questioning if your choice will end in loss.”
As I started to read this book, I was disappointed to see a long recap of the series in the first three chapters of this novel. I understand that each novel needs to be able to stand on its own, but trying to recap the previous three books into the first few chapters is just sloppy. Samantha Young did this with the second novel but managed to do a better job in the following installment—adding important information throughout the book, instead of cramming it all at the beginning.
This book is short and quite predictable. Hannah’s story had a lot of potential but the main story loses focus as the previous characters take precedence in several scenes. It is also hard to write much about it without giving the plot away. This story reads like a novella with bonus scenes. I really wanted to love the story—and I enjoyed it—but I was a little disappointed by the lack of depth.
Samantha Young remains to be one of my favorite authors and her character development is always on point. Her writing style continues to grow and I am still looking forward to her upcoming books.
My Rating: B- Liked It, but I had a few small issues
About the Book:
When Hannah Nichols last saw Marco D’Alessandro, five long years ago, he broke her heart. The bad boy with a hidden sweet side was the only guy Hannah ever loved—and the only man she’s ever been with. After one intense night of giving into temptation, Marco took off, leaving Scotland and Hannah behind. Shattered by the consequences of their night together, Hannah has never truly moved on.
Leaving Hannah was the biggest mistake of Marco’s life, something he has deeply regretted for years. So when fate reunites them, he refuses to let her go without a fight. Determined to make her his, Marco pursues Hannah, reminding her of all the reasons they’re meant to be together.…
But just when Marco thinks they’re committed to a future together, Hannah makes a discovery that unearths the secret pain she’s been hiding from him, a secret that could tear them apart before they have a real chance to start over again….
Release Date: June 3, 2014
Publisher: NAL
Series: On Dublin Street #4
ISBN: #978-0451469403
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format(s): paperback (384 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: Publisher
Purchase Info:
Fall From India Place (On Dublin Street #4)
Reviews in the Series:
On Dublin Street by Samantha Young (On Dublin Street #1)
Down London Road by Samantha Young (On Dublin Street #2)
Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young (On Dublin Street #3)