Review: Falling Hard (Colorado High Country #3)

Falling Hard (Colorado High Country #3)

by Pamela Clare 

Blurb:

A war widow alone…

Ellie Meeks promised her pilot husband that if anything happened to him, she would live her life to the fullest. Three years later, she is still alone, raising the twins he never met. She has no interest in dating or meeting men—until one snowy night when a stranger helps her get her sick kids safely home. That stranger turns out to be a former Army Ranger and a member of the elite Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team. He’s also tall, rugged… and irresistibly sexy.

All it takes is one kiss…

Jesse Moretti came to Colorado to get Iraq out of his head, using the adrenaline of extreme sports and high-risk mountain rescues to keep his mind off the past. But getting involved with Ellie might be the riskiest thing he’s ever done. It’s not just their explosive chemistry. There’s something about Ellie that gets inside him, opening him to feelings he’s tried hard to ignore.

When passion ignites…

Ellie feels alive in Jesse’s arms and happier than she ever thought she’d feel again. But their relationship comes at a price for him, and soon Ellie sees that she must help Jesse fight the demons of his past to protect the love of a lifetime—and save the heart of a hero.

Themes: Contemporary

Rating: 4.5  stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Truly a story of two individuals, both dealing with loss and damaged hearts, Falling Hard is a story that will bring you to tears, break your heart, and then ultimately make you believe in the true healing power of love. For fans of Pamela Clare, these stories have just enough action and drama that we are tempted to categorize this new series as Romantic Suspense, but these stories truly are all about the two people falling in love and finding a way to live happily ever after.  This third story in the series is one that grabs and keeps attention from the very beginning and tugs our heartstrings as Jesse and Ellie come to terms with their relationship and the ramifications for their futures as they try to build a new life together.  I enjoyed very much reading Jesse’s story even though it broke my heart seeing him dealing with his fears and his memories.  Ellie was her own brand of crazy and damaged, but she managed to stay strong not only for herself but for her twins. If you haven’t read along and this is the first novel in the series you’ve read,  don’t feel like you’ll be left behind because Jesse’s story can stand all on its own and you even get filled in a little bit so you can catch glimpses of the romances in the previous stories.  I loved getting to see Jesse getting out of his comfort zone and offering his help and himself to Ellie and her boys, while Ellie was the kind of woman that I find inspiring even as I know she’s not really a role model for me.  Ellie is a great mom, even as her personal life has atrophied and she devotes herself to her children even though her heart is slowly coming back to life as Jesse offers her a glimpse of the life she deserves.  Ellie has a few moments where I wanted to look at her and ask WTF, but she slowly got over her issues and found a way to truly open her heart.  Jesse was a good guy all around, even as he tried his hardest to keep himself from falling for Ellie and her boys, which of course turned out to be a pointless task.  I LOVED this story and I am really looking forward to whatever comes next for the Colorado High Country series and this Search and Rescue team. Pamela has a way with damaged characters and bringing together two people that don’t seem to go together on paper (sorry for the bad pun), but in the end become the perfect marriage of hearts and lives.  If you love a good romance, with some laughs, tears, passion and adventure, then this series is definitely worth adding to your shelves.  Thanks for the memorable experience Pamela; I am impatiently awaiting your next work of art.

*ebook provided by author (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.