For me this was a military romance book I didn't hate. While it was simple in its language as well as no shocking events it was enjoyable. I read it on the beach and it kept my attention. There was no billionaires, high paced jobs and chaos it was simple small town but still important jobs. I quite loved it. (After you get passed thr typos and short choppy chapters it turns out quite nice

I thank I got to page 100 and I couldn't get into the story. It was very slow and couldn't keep my interest. I did not finish this book.

I recognised the author and hit request as I lovedthe After series of books.

I loved the characters and was invested from the get go. I loved reading about Karina & Kael. The build up from their friendship to romance was gradual and fit the story extremely well

Was I a big fan of the After series? No? But I went into this hoping I'd feel for this what everyone felt for After... unfortunately I didn't.

It wasn't a badly written book, I just was underwhelmed by the two main characters and their relationship. There wasn't a character to root for, Karina and Kael felt like a warped version of Anna's previous characters with so many similarities to other her other books.

On the plus side, the chapters are really short which makes it a quick read!

Also to make people aware there is a sexual harassment scene in this book.

I absolutely adored Anna's After series so was a bit on the fence about her writing something so different but after a while you forget who's written the story because you're so immersed in this incredible universe. Would definitely recommend.

THE FALLING, the first novel in a new trilogy (Brightest Stars) from the #1 internationally best-selling author of the AFTER series.
Read it! You won't be disappointed.

Anyone who knows me knows I loved After... the books were just addictive and Anna knows how to write a good plot twist and this book was no exception.

I also loved that it wasn't anything like After and it felt like I could be reading a completely different authors book (but in a good way!). The book was seriously addictive and the ending! Just one plot twist after another plot twist after another... I was shook to say the least!

I don’t understand.

First chapter sets you up for a wild ride and then it’s almost like the book forgets it’s entire purpose and goes on a few day ‘day in the life’ diary. There is no story progression, no character progression, lots of unexplained angst and no relevance to chapter one. I’m an avid lover of After and quite frankly I just don’t understand where this one is trying to go.

Would I read book 2? Yes because I have way too many unanswered questions but I am genuinely baffled at the purpose of this novel and that makes me sad

Headlines:
Military families and friends
Sloooow burn, no heat
Eccentric characterisation

This has been a very puzzling read for me. I never fancied the previous books by this author but the blurb on this, adult-focus and military families appealed to me. What I found is that this was a rather quirky book, very descriptive with a tendency to going off tangent and characters that were kinda eccentric but also strangely appealing.

This is a story told over not that many weeks, the start of a connection and a not-quite relationship between Kael and Karina who meet by chance near to the military base. Karina's tie to the military was complex and resentful, Kael was coming up to discharge from his service. Kael is the most mysterious character and we never really got the measure of him, his past, his injuries and trauma; there's so much more there to unpick.

Karina was a little chaotic in terms of personality, she lacked self esteem and confidence and was damaged by elements of her upbringing. The way these two drew to one another was compelling while being a little unbelievable. I believed the emotion but I didn't feel any chemistry...and I really wanted to.

I'm intrigued enough by these characters to carry on but I'm not a fan of the way Karina's mind went off deeply into thoughts that lost the thread of the story (and how that was written). Let's see what book two brings.

Thank you to Piatkus for the review copy.

Uh no.
I thought I would give this author a chance because an author can only improve their writing with time right?
Nope!
The same style of writing, the same let's-over-explain-everything-in-the-greatest-of-detail and no lessons learnt from the last series.

As a One Direction fan, i've been reading Anna's work since the first book in the After series was being updated on wattpad back in 2013, and to this day she still doesn't disappoint. Kale and Karina have a slowburn relationship like no other with not even a kiss until around page 270, the plot twist ending really is reminiscent of her earlier works and bonus points for the mentions of Harry Styles and Shawn Mendes. Todd's writing is refreshing and brings with it the comfort of her past but this novel really shows the progress she has made and I can't wait for the rest of the brightest stars series. Any fans of the After series are in for an absolute treat with The Falling.

Karina is twenty, a massage therapist having grown up near military bases her whole life. She’s the responsible twin, her brother, by everyone’s standards, is a fucking mess. One day, Kael, a handsome soldier who she shares an undeniable connection with enters her massage parlour, and the two, against all odds, share a bond…

~

This oddly feels like a book where the only compliment you can offer is that it was an “easy read”. It was, I got through it in a matter of days.

But I do think that was because the book lacked substance all together. I have followed Anna since the Wattpad days and to be honest, her writing has barely developed - the main characters feel like carbon copies of ones she has previously written, the plot is minimal and i just was not invested in the relationship. As previously said, this book felt like it offers nothing new to the romance genre; it is not one I frequently dip into yet I could tell exactly which direction it was going in.

Kael, the love interest, was written with more depth than the main character ever was. The portrayal of PTSD was raw and real, but I did dislike the fact it seemed to be used as a convenient plot device? Idk, it felt like it was something she bought in to get him out of situations but didn’t commit to fully.

I would struggle to tell you a decisive personality trait of Karina’s other than that she’s a judgemental bitch (this often felt accidental / functioning sentence fillers, such as the time where she points out that a character must have had braces because of how straight her teeth were).

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

I went into this with a few expectations of other authors I enjoy reading saying it was excellent but I found myself underwhelmed my this.

I wanted to love this as I really liked After when I read it on Wattpad as a teenager but I just couldn’t get into this one, I ploughed through it but it just wasn’t for me unfortunately.

A Four-star read you will fall for. I will be honest and admit I didn’t realise this was part of a trilogy until the end, I suspected as much, and I am so glad it is, I just hope the other two are more concise. This could have easily been a five-star must read, but if I’m being honest, it missed the mark by waffling on far too much. I would normally rather read them all together, as that’s something I would normally do if I’m reading a trilogy, I will go back and re-read them all in order every time there is a new story, as I just love getting stuck in all over again, this time I won’t be, as I don’t have the time or energy. I nearly gave up on this so many times, and maybe if you are a reader who reads a chapter or two a time and that’s it, this will be perfect for you, but I read for hours at a time and this felt like running through honey at times, but on the flip when It finally got to the point I was gripped, it just took some getting there. Karina, reminded me lots of myself, I am fiercely independent and moved out on my own at a young age, but she made me want to pull teeth at times, Kael was frustrating at times and others just made me want to wrap him up and reward him for everything he does. I am hopeful that as a trilogy this will give us a great story, as on its own it needs help.

I never read the original story names The Brightest Stars when it originally came out and I regret it, I know this is the amended rewritten version but if the original was anything like it is now then I should have lapped it up!

The story starts with a future encounter or would it have technically been the present, with our main character Karina. She's an army officers daughter, anticipating meeting a guy named Kael that she seems reluctant to see again. Anna Todd hooked me in immediately with this prologue, the tension in the scene was electric and I was happy to gobble up whatever she would give me next.

We are then taken back 2 years, with Karina working as a masseuse near an army base, living with her pregnant friend Elodie and her experiences with Kael prior to this. You will feel like you are Karina when you read about her relationships, family, friends and Kael and hopefully like me you will feel her doubt, fear of trust, her anger and frustration at time and it will be a rollercoaster of emotions and I loved every minute of it.

Anna Todd once again doesn't fail me, I have always loved her writing style. Fast paced and easy to read whilst also keeping you wanted more every step of the way. She creates atmosphere which is electric for me and I can't wait for the next instalment. I can't comment on the military aspects of the story and the accuracy of it but I know Anna Todd has first hand experience at a similar age to our main character so I feel like she tried her best to make it an authentic experience. Highly recommend!

Anna Todd has done it again! As soon as I found this I knew I needed to read it ASAP. It is beautiful, heartbreaking and endearing, this book makes me desperate to continue learning their story. I highly recommend it!