This New Release from LM Halloran is Like Nothing You've Ever Read!
Title: The Fall Before Flight
Author: L.M. Halloran
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 11, 2018
Blurb
I didn’t try to kill myself. It was an accident.
No, more than that — a natural disaster.
Fate’s fickle lightning strike.
No one believes me.
I can't blame them, really.
There’s something wrong with me.
I'm incapable of emotions that come naturally
to others. Fear, compassion, love...
I might be a sociopath.
Everyone thinks I’m beyond help.
Everyone but Dr. Leo Chastain.
One of us is going to break the other...
Care to place a bet?
MY REVIEW
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Halloran must be a wizard, waving her magic fingers over her keyboard with a whispered “Abracadabra,” because her words enthralled me in their glamour from the very first page. She is a true artist with a rare gift, painting stunning pictures with her words, meticulously setting a scene, subtly creating a mood, and eliciting more thought and feeling than just about any other author in romance today. Hundreds of books later, I still remember the first two sentences, and all they evoked, from the very first book of Halloran's I read. That is the sorcery and power of her words. And, in my opinion, this book is easily the very best of her work to date.
When a book keeps you up reading until the wee hours of the morning, is the last thing on your mind when your head hits the pillow, and has thoughts of itself ricocheting through your brain when you wake up the next morning, that book has already worked its way deep into your psyche and indelibly marked your soul. You need to know this about “The Fall Before Flight" because the substance and force of its words, its story and its characters will cause a shift within you and has the potential to create fundamental changes you never imagined were possible.
A book about a narcissist or sociopath? The baser part of my brain scoffed at the notion of this personality type cast as the heroine in a romance novel, but my heart had confidence in the magic of Halloran's writing, and if any author could redeem such a character, it’s Halloran. And redeem she did, in a mysterious, marvelous, spectacular way. I was prejudiced against Mia before even opening the book, but very early on Halloran began to effortlessly show me the error of my ways and I quickly embraced Mia's character, as well as Leo's. I can’t imagine the amount of research and all the technicalities that go into writing a book with a strong psychiatric theme, yet Halloran weaves them throughout the story in an engaging, fluid, compelling way. In her hands they become a dab of color here or a slash of shadowing there that brings the story vividly to life. Her skills as a storyteller are unparalleled as she embeds hints and nuances, reveals unexpected twists and drops metaphorical bombs, further captivating the reader and sucking her deeper into the pages.
The story has a bit of a 28 Days feel to it, but only the setting is similar, because the passion, emotion and internal struggles far surpass those from any Hollywood production. This is so much more raw, real and desperate. More tender, inspiring and uplifting. Add to that a cast of secondary characters who are so authentic and fully developed that they're more life-like than my next-door neighbors, as well as a ridiculously adorable kid, and it propels this book to the next level. Each character was easily fully formed in my mind, making me thirsty for more details and the eventual outcome. I had a first-class seat on this train, anticipating its derailment with omniscient certainty and obsessed with experiencing the struggle of getting back on track, and the final, beautifully satisfying stop when it pulled into the station.
Oh my dayum, this book wrecked me and obliterated my heart. Mia and Leo's story is complex, convoluted and complicated but mesmerizing, beguiling and compelling. It’s agonizingly heartbreaking and astonishingly healing. Exquisitely tender and achingly beautiful, with the perfect amount of heat and humor to make it complete and leave its singular impression that will echo for months to come. This is the one. This book easily sits, understated, humble and haunting, in the number one spot on my list of best books this year. I can’t give you a better recommendation than that. This one will burrow deep, shattering your heart and fracturing your soul, and then with exquisite, gentle care, knit you back together leaving you better than before for having read it. You absolutely don’t want to miss this unexpectedly unique, inspiring, incredible read!
Gah! My ineptness with words can’t even begin to do it justice. There aren't enough stars in the rating system to tell you how phenomenal it is. Just read the book. I promise you won’t regret it. Get it today. Read it today. Let it put you under its spell. Until next time, dear reader
Much love between the covers,
BookAddict
*See my other reviews here.
Author Bio
When not writing or reading, the author enjoys walking
barefoot, subjecting her husband to questionable recipes, and chasing her
spirited toddler. She's a rabid fan of coffee, moon-gazing, and small dogs that
resemble Ewoks. Home is San Diego, CA, but her heart lives in Portland.
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