After She Falls
Ratings1
Average rating3
15
Ratings1
Average rating3
"Schober delivers a knockout debut. After She Falls is refreshingly unique and well-written. While the journey of faith and healing is set against the backdrop of the MMA, Schober's story world and characterization are vivid and evocative."--Rachel Hauck, New York Times bestselling author Strong-willed Adri Rivera always dreamed of becoming a professional mixed martial artist, but then she fell in love with a man who smashed everything to pieces. When their tumultuous relationship finally comes to a head, Adri flees with their young daughter to her small hometown in the mountains of Pennsylvania. There, she must face the people she left behind and put her broken life back together as a single mother. Adri struggles to regain her independence after so many years under the oppressive influence of her ex, but a job opportunity at a local gym gives her hope that she'll be able to stand on her own two feet. The one problem? The man who offers it to her is the handsome but hardened Max Lyons--her former best friend and training partner, whom she left heartbroken years before. As Adri dares to pursue her dream again, training for a big tournament, can she confront her weakness and avoid the past defining her future?
Reviews with the most likes.
18+ for violence and domestic abuse
I was attracted to this book because of its unique premise with being about a woman MMA fighter. It's not really something I've learned much about before and I was interested to pick up the story and learn more about it.
I wasn't expecting it to be written in present tense and that was sometimes very jarring, especially as people generally talk in past tense, and the past tense conversation would be interspersed with present actions and conversation tags. However, she does write it consistently throughout the book, which helps.
It starts off with a bang where the woman is in the midst of a domestic abuse situation which includes animal abuse. It was a very quick read for me and kept my attention.
There were some large things I didn't like–flirting before divorce was completed, dirty dancing, heavy drinking/drunkenness, and one outright profanity. It's definitely a gritty story. I very much appreciated that there were no sex scenes, though, and that the MC did her best to stop things as soon as her conscience intervened.
I didn't quite think the story line with the ex was realistic. Based on the portrayal of him, I expected him to feel a whole lot more present and threatening, since I've known a number of abusers and it seemed off that he would just show up once or twice. Abusers are usually much more obsessed with their victims. Other than that, the story line is easy to follow and each of the side characters are nicely rounded and feel very real.
Overall, a solid debut. Bonus points because the romance isn't the end-all of the story, but the woman learning to find her footing in life and stand up for herself is. It's a survival story.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.
