Emily Liebert

3.5 Stars

**** REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS, PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK! ****

Wait. What? Oh ok, not what I expected. WAIT! WHAT! NOOOOO!

I devoured this book, then needed to go back and reread the ending. Was it what I expected or wanted? No, but Kudos to the author for making me still think about it. I found Bree, as a journalist, a little naive regarding her choices...in one instance she was bold and annoying then in another unaware and annoying. As a parent, I wanted to kick Bree in the seat show more of her pants! So many unanswered questions. Ware, as a writer, had her own issues, but being in the spotlight and having horrific things happen to her, was sympathetic ... until almost the ending. Can you say extensive therapy?

Overall, a good read...loved the storyline, and the reality of it. A good beach that will keep you reading, but may make you throw the book in the ocean. Read with a friend....so much to talk about.

Thanks to Ms. Leibert, Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone. show less

3.5 stars.

When We Fall by Emily Liebert is a lovely novel about relationships, friendship and healing. It is an interesting story that does not shy away from sensitive topics such as negative body image, toxic friendships and how easy it is to let misunderstandings erode the foundation of relationships.

The cast of characters in When We Fall is diverse and some of them are difficult to like or relate to. Lead protagonist Allison Parker is an absolute delight. She is down to earth, likable and show more her struggle to move on after losing her husband in a accident is quite poignant. Unfortunately her new friend Charlotte Crane is not as likable as Allison. She is superficial, insecure and judgmental and although she has good qualities, they are often overshadowed by her negative traits. Her sister Elizabeth is much more likable and she really hits it off with Allison, much to Charlotte's dismay. Charlotte's friend Missy and Sabrina are also shallow and their "friendship" is a toxic mess that does more harm than good.

Allison's part of the storyline is wonderful. She easily settles into her new life, her son Logan is well-adjusted and this new beginning is what she needed to move past her loss. She reconnects with an old high school classmate and she is pleasantly surprised by the direction their relationship takes. Her friendship with Charlotte adds a new dimension to her life but it is also a little complicated by her resumed acquaintance with Charlotte's husband, Charlie. Charlie is an old summer camp friend of both Allison and her deceased husband, and Charlotte is both uneasy and jealous of their easy camaraderie with one another.

Charlotte is not an easy person to get along with despite her quick friendship with Allison. Her home life is tense and her marriage is deeply troubled. Her poor self-image causes friction in her relationship with her daughter and leads to unnecessary jealous towards Allison. Her friendships with Missy and Sabrina are emotionally draining and demoralizing. Charlotte continually sabotages her relationship with her sister Elizabeth with her judgmental, trivializing attitude. All of this plays a huge role in a huge misunderstanding that threatens to destroy all of her relationships.

When We Fall by Emily Liebert is a well-written novel that is starkly honest and incredibly realistic. The storyline with Allison is superb and it is very gratifying watching her settle into and enjoy her new life. While the other characters are eventually transformed, it is difficult to overlook the petty jealousies and sometimes distasteful inner monologues that occur throughout the novel. The conclusion is heartwarming and it is nice to see that some of the various relationships not only survived but have emerged stronger and much healthier. show less

When they were teens, Kerrie and Jordan had been friends. That is, until Jordan ruined her life. Kerrie was living with her Nana after her parents died. But, that night, her Nana died and Kerrie blames Jordan for her death.
Now, 18 years later, Jordan is Jordana and owns a wedding planner business in NY, living with her wealthy husband. When Kerrie sees her on TV, a plan comes to mind, Kerrie will get her revenge. So, Kerrie becomes Olivia and gets hired by Jordana, and plans to ruin her show more life.
Not the expected psychological thriller, but rather a beach read of pretty revenge. show less

When the book begins, you might think you’re reading an adaptation of "The Devil Wears Prada", the 2006 film with Meryl Streep as a powerful fashion magazine editor. In this book, Katherine Hill is a cosmetics executive, and she is only 34, but her persona is the same. She is excessively driven; self-preoccupied; all about appearances; mean; and a bully to her employees. There are also references thrown in to a loosely parodied version of the Kardashians, and you start thinking this will show more just be a boring derivative chick-lit book.

Fortunately, the story soon diverges from its heavily referential beginning. The chapters alternate between Katherine, or Kitty, and Laney, her best friend from age 11. They were so close that Laney’s family treated Kitty like one of their own. In fact, Kitty ended up romantically involved with Laney’s cute older brother Grant. But something bad obviously happened, because the three of them haven’t seen each other or communicated for twelve years.

When a mutual friend (and Kitty’s mentor) Luella Hancock dies, both Kitty and Laney are called to the reading of the will, and in another common trope, they are forced to work together to obtain their inheritance.

Discussion: This book did manage to engage me, and I even shed a few tears at the end, but some of its themes - as mentioned above - were quite hackneyed, and some of it just didn’t cohere. Kitty, for example, is a total witch. Her deteriorating attitude toward Grant and treatment of him twelve years earlier were as you would expect from her behavior in the present day. In fact, it was a total mystery to me why Grant liked Kitty in the first place. Or why anyone did. Or why they liked her later. The basis for their reconciliation didn’t seem sufficient to me; Kitty was still Katherine, for whom being skinny, having the right clothes and makeup (and the money to afford them), and being a mover and a shaker are all still at the top of her priority list.

But my negative reaction to Katherine is of course a product of my own biases. Other readers will find her resilient and admirable. show less