On Dublin Street #4
Samantha Young
Contemporary New Adult
352 pages
NAL
Available June 3rd
Source: ARC from publisher for review
THE STORY (from Goodreads)
When Hannah Nichols last saw Marco D’Alessandro, five long years ago, he broke her heart. The bad boy with a hidden sweet side was the only guy Hannah ever loved—and the only man she’s ever been with. After one intense night of giving into temptation, Marco took off, leaving Scotland and Hannah behind. Shattered by the consequences of their night together, Hannah has never truly moved on.
Leaving Hannah was the biggest mistake of Marco’s life, something he has deeply regretted for years. So when fate reunites them, he refuses to let her go without a fight. Determined to make her his, Marco pursues Hannah, reminding her of all the reasons they’re meant to be together.…
But just when Marco thinks they’re committed to a future together, Hannah makes a discovery that unearths the secret pain she’s been hiding from him, a secret that could tear them apart before they have a real chance to start over again….
MY THOUGHTS
Fall from India Place skips us ahead in time five years until we’re reunited with Ellie and Braden’s little sister at age twenty-two. Though she’s young, when we meet Hannah she’s got a heart that’s been haphazardly stitched back together after being shattered years ago, but with the reappearance of a lost love those stitches begin to pop one by one. What’s so addicting about this series is Ms. Young’s ability to write emotionally gripping and intense stories; stories that have our bodies aching as we feel the phantom echoes of the characters’ pain. The way that pain spills onto the pages is where Ms. Young truly shines, each heartfelt or hurtful moment nuanced and rich with meaning and passion rather than drowning in drama just for the sake of drama.
Much like Until Fountain Bridge (Ellie and Adam’s novella), we get to know Hannah both in present day and through flashbacks of her relationship with Marco as it progressed from infatuation to love, and as a result we’re able to fully understand just how profoundly his defection after their one night together affected her. She’s not melancholic or despondent by any means though, instead she’s building a life she’s happy with, but there’s a loneliness in her that’s palpable, and we can’t help but want to wrap our arms around her and hold tight. When Marco comes back into the picture the pain we feel on her behalf is breathtaking, and though her initial attempts to avoid him are perhaps a touch juvenile, she’s the first to admit to her immaturity (even if it’s completely understandable) and make the monumental decision to let Marco back into her life.
It’s fairly easy for us as readers to figure out what Marco’s waiting to share with Hannah “until the right time” and what effect his news is going to have on her, but knowing in advance doesn’t keep the hurt from settling deep in our bones. Hannah’s reaction to Marco’s revelation and the fallout afterward should frustrate us (and to some degree), but because Hannah fully recognizes and acknowledges that he doesn’t deserve the distance she puts between them, it’s nearly impossible to hold anything against her. Her anger, fear and pain quickly become puppeteers pulling her strings and driving her every action, and unfortunately for her, Logic simply doesn’t wield a big enough blade to cut her free.
Overall, Fall from India Place is yet another beautiful addition to this series, Hannah and Marco’s story of love lost, found and then almost lost once more is hard to read in the most gorgeous way, making the two of them a couple hard to forget.
Rating: 4/5
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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review.
I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.
