3.5 stars

Tripped up love is a sweet story that focuses on love after loss. Heather is a middle-aged widow with three kids. Anyone with kids can imagine how incredibly hard that would be. Eighteen months after the unexpected death of her husband, Heather literally falls into Peter’s life, and he changes hers completely.

What I enjoyed about the book is that it was real, with just a touch of fantasy (Peter is a wealthy author, so of course there were the obligatory first class plane rides, the shopping trips, etc) All in all, though… it was real. Anyone that has lost a spouse will tell you that it’s a struggle to start a new relationship. It can feel like cheating, they worry about what people will say, is it too soon? All of those issues came up and were dealt with by Heather. Then there were the kids and the extended families. This book really showed the struggles and challenges of blending families. Especially the family of the dead husband, it went through all the issues that come up when dealing with that.

All in all, I thought this was a very well-written, sweet book. It’s not angsty, it’s not drama-filled, it’s not scorching…it’s sweet and easy. It’s a good read when you want a nice HEA and not a lot of heart pounding. It definitely makes you remember that life can go on, even when you are convinced it’s over.
( )

Tripped Up Love is the wonderful story of a woman's journey of moving forward and getting a second chance at love after the death of her husband.

Heather Meadows is a forty year old widow with three children, who is still grieving from the unexpected death of her husband Hank, who passed away eighteen months ago from a heart attack at the age of thirty-eight. Hank and Heather had been together for thirty-two years, he was her life, her world, her everything ... now her happily ever after was over and she feels lost and unable to move forward in her life. As a stay-at-home mom with a Masters degree, Heather's dream was to be a writer, and as she searches for a way to find normalcy in her life, she plans to finish writing her 'memoir' about Hank, their life and his death, and to get it published. While out running, Heather falls into a pothole and is rescued by Peter Adamson, a NY Times bestselling author, who was driving by when she stumbled into the path of his car. What starts out as a shining knight in armor rescuing a damsel in distress, leads to a journey of new beginnings and an unexpected second chance at love.

Author Julie Farley weaves a wonderful tale of love, loss, family, and second chances. You can't help but feel compassion for Heather as she struggles with the grief over her husband's unexpected death, and the awkward transition of becoming a single mother of three children, with a myriad of humorous trials and tribulations to deal with while trying to find balance and a sense of normalcy for her family.

I really enjoyed the unexpected meeting between Heather and Peter. Her clumsiness brought an unexpected and perfect man into her world, and as their relationship slowly develops, Peter would be the one to show Heather that her life can have a new beginning with a second chance at love.

This is a lighthearted and humorous romance that doesn't play heavy on the sorrow of the husband's death, rather it realistically shows a woman's struggle and journey to move forward with her life as a single woman and mother after the death of her husband, and how a sweet new romance added a touch of hope into the mix.

Tripped Up Love is a heartfelt and touching romance story that will give you a warm fuzzy feeling and put a smile on your face.

Tripped Up Love is the first book in The New Ever After Series.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/11/tripped-up-love-by-julie-farle... ( )

I give this book 3.5 stars.

I liked it, but the only problem I had was that Peter was almost too perfect. ( )