Fall: VIP Series, Book 3

A famous rock star, Jax meets Stella, a pet sitter and a professional friend, by chance in a supermarket where they fight over the last carton of mint-chocolate chip. Jax suffers from depression and anxiety. Stella too has her own insecurities and is lonely. Fall is the story of how these two lost souls find each other and work for their love.Although, at its core, Fall is a romance, Kristen has a way of making it so much more. This story is utterly raw with emotion. It talks about how Jax is still haunted by his past decision that was driven by his mental state at that point. It talks about how it has affected him and the people who love him. It deals with the guilt and shame that one feels to be struggling with their mental health. Jax’s story comes across as realistic and authentic.Stella is not the perfect heroine either and I love her more for it. She is witty, clumsy and just as complicated as Jax. I can see how the author must have had a hard time trying to get them together while also keeping the essence of their characters. And it is done beautifully well.While there are some very serious themes in this book, it is also plenty funny in places. The camaraderie between the band members was endearing to read about. It also introduced me to some great music.I read this book in June of 2020 when most of our lives changed quite dramatically due to the pandemic. This book made me own up to some of the dark thoughts I’d been having and taught me that it's normal to occasionally feel low and unproductive. It made me feel seen.This story was a process of discovery, an insightful experience and a peek into the glamour and passion of performers. It left me a little speechless and also a better person. Thank you Kristen for such a beautiful experience.I recommend this book for readers who like a gritty yet endearing story that is heartfelt, sweet and scorchingly sexy.

Ok ok ok so I thought noone could top Scotties book for me then along strolls Jax/John and kicks him off the top spot in one easy move.. I was hooked with the sad angst that was John and Stella!I knew John's story would be a more difficult one to read from what we knew of him from the previous 2 books but to actually read it really makes it hit home and pull at your heart strings... then you get Stella who pulls at them in a completely different way but just as much and you end up in a pile of mush while reading!Mental health is a such a difficult story to write but this is done spot on with respect and well researched knowledge which you can't help but feel emotional with while reading.I loved these guys together.. the insane amount things they liked together.. they will 2 lost souls become 1 amazing couple.. and above all else the craziness between them both.Didn't want to put it down once I started and I loved getting snippets of the others throughout too.Straight into book 4 for me!

Stella and John (aka Jax) together had me smiling. It's been one of those weeks so being able to curl up with a book/characters that allowed me to escape, smile and be amused was fab, that's what tipped this from 3.5 stars to 4.It would have been good if the author gave more background on the hero's depression and history.The only thing I disliked and which had me wrinkling my nose in disgust was the fact John/Jax was a manwhore and the bed hopping was mentioned a lot. I like the fact he had been celibate for a little while, even if the reason for this was a STD scare. It would be nice if a romance book had a rocker/musician who didn't need to be washed in a bath with a pinch of Dettol. My mood and the interactions between the MCs meant this didn't have steam coming out of my ears.I enjoyed seeing Gabriel with his little one in this - sigh, so cute.Potential Triggers: Reference to attempted suicide and mental health - depression.

Fall ,(VIP Book 3), Kristen CallihanReview from Jeannie Zelos book reviewsGenre: Romance I love a good rock star romance, but though there are thousands in that genre good ones are few and far between. Trawling though some time back I came across the first in this series and fell in love with this band. Bought that, and book two – which is still my favourite- and now bought book three. In between review copies, KU and the loads of free books offered its pretty rare I actually spend money on a book, but this series are ones to read and re-read and well worth twice the price.So this time its Jax, or John as he introduces himself to Stella. Poor John keeps things deep inside, plays the happy, light and fun guy, hiding his sadness, but just before the start of this series he tried to kill himself and it brought the band to their knees.They're slowly recovering but John is a work in progress, still carefully finding his way forward and feeling so guilty for what he sees as letting his friends down.The depression factors in this story are really well handled, I understood John and his feelings so well, and of course seeing the impact potential suicide has, it changes everyone in the vicinity. Its hard to imagine being that much in despair but when you feel so down that everything seems pointless its looks like a way out, if you're just tired of the struggle getting through each day becomes. Thankfully John was found in time and has been getting some excellent help. What made it feel very real though was despite that he's still struggling, some books make counselling a miracle cure and its not, it gives people tools but the change has to come from them and it takes a lot of time and support.You'd think a book with the MC going through this would be grim, but its not, its full of humour, sharp one liners, ongoing jokes and the Chlamydia incident gave rise to some wonderful humour. Gabriel threatening Sex Ed for them all, the Gritty Kitty phrase, John's horror at having Brenna know about it. It was humour within a serious issue and one so sadly ignored often. I've read thousands of books, and this is only the second time I've heard dental dams mentioned....its a very important topic.Its a story full of vitality, shows what a support good friends are, and of course I loved seeing the gang again, ( Whip and Brenna, that mystery really tweaks at me, it gets hinted at more and more and I so hope we find out soon). It was great seeing the softer side of Gabriel, baby Felix, Killian's pets, all the little everyday fun parts that lifted this book. Of course there's a good deal of steam here, the sexual tension between them can be felt right from the Mint Ice-cream Incident. ( You may take my Oreos but you'll never get my mint choc chip) They're not down and dirty straight off though, but a gradual simmering build up, so that when they do finally get there its incredible, shocks them both just how good they are together. I like that, books which have MCs in bed within the first few pages sometimes work, but more often have me skipping pages and chunks of text, bored with the repetitive sex scenes. Here that didn't happen, everything was so perfectly paced.Johns past and current issues are so serious, but though they guide the direction of the book they don't make it dull, sad reading, but just give a balance to it, make the characters feel more real. I can imagine these people, their actions, mistakes, words, feel so genuine.That kind of thing makes a book work for me. Intelligent characters, not grunting, monosyllabic alpha males, ladies that are inspiring, work hard to overcome difficult circumstances, not just flutter eyelids at said Alpha males and expect to be taken care of.Stella, she really was a star, a fabulous character. She was the perfect foil to John, they were each what the other needed, someone each could depend on, not someone watching John's every move expecting him to regress, but a friends, someone who saw beyond his issues, and she didn't need him to support her financially, she'd do that herself, but to just Be there when she needed someone, though it took a while before he could believe in himself enough to be that man.It really is a fabulous series, and for me on a par with the fabulous Kylie Scott and the Stage Dive guys and ladies.Stars: Its a five, as are all three books for me. A welcome rock star read that has intelligent characters.book purchased personally

I loved the first two books in this series and when I found out the reason we waited, what felt like an age for Jax’s story, I completely understood. He was so worth the wait & Kristen has done justice to his & Stella’s story by waiting until she knew she could deliver.And what a story she delivered!!!I’m so glad that the mental health issues weren’t sugar coated or glossed over in any way, we see both John & Stella struggle with one form or another in terms of their mental health. It gave me comfort knowing that other people go through the same issues as me. Now I know they’re fictional characters but there is so much emotion and raw feeling in these characters that you know Kristen has drawn from experience.This book will give you butterflies, let you fall in love, make you want to comfort those who are hurting and restore your faith in humanity. Thoroughly deserving of 5 stars - brilliant read ❤️💙

This book gave me a lump in my throat for most of my reading experience. As someone who has suffered from depression (not to the extent that Jax does in this book) I can relate completely to a lot of how he feels in this story. Two years before this book Jax attempts suicide. He has recovered a great deal, is seeing a therapist and managed a tour. He still feels isolated from his best friend and his writing is still missing in action but he’s on his way to learning how to manage his depression, which he understands is not going to just go away. He is a successful musician who came from a wealthy British family and they turned their backs on him when he decided to be a rock musician. He has made his band mates, manager and PR his family, but he still feels lonely.Stella is a really lovely character. She is interesting and interested in others, she engages with those around her and tries to help those in need before they ask, because she knows what it is like to be in need. Her mother died when she was a pre-teen and her grifter father took her in and minimally raised her. He then left her when she was 18 and was never seen again. She is lonely and isolated and has no friends she can completely rely on.The two meet on the night of a big snow storm, when they are both shopping for groceries and end up fighting over the last tub of mint chocolate ice cream. To distract Jax, Stella kisses him and steals the ice cream before running away. Jax is fascinated by her very ordinariness. Stella sees him as someone completely out of his league. They think they will never meet again until a couple of days later when Stella moves in next door to Jax as she is house/pet sitting for his band mate.This book really captures the nature of early days of a relationship, when you are captivated with each other, with finding out everything about the other person and feeling like they are the most wonderful person in the world. It captures the slow build up of sexual tension as you get to know each other’s desires before acting on them. It’s delicious. All the time there is an undercurrent of sadness, of insecurity and a need to belong. We are shown how depressed people can be happy right up until they are not. When they hit a rut it can so overwhelming they don’t know how to cope and they thrash around hurting those around them. It’s so real to read this kind of story that it doesn’t matter that it’s about a rock star. It feels down to earth and believable at the same time as being a little fun and ridiculous.It’s a wonderful book, but you might want to keep the tissues near by, just in case.