Review – And They Had a Great Fall by Shelby Saville
Synopsis
For fans of Robinne Lee’s The Idea of You, a debut contemporary romance about a celebrity and a single mother who push and pull against each other as they teeter between a carrying on a secret affair and living an authentic life.
If Jake Laurent is the “human equivalent of Friday,” Kat Green is “Monday.” Nevertheless, the two shared a secret (if casual) affair during the pandemic, and now, almost exactly one year later, they’ve reunited in Copenhagen, the “city of fairy tales.” Only neither one of them is living a fairy tale.
Jake is a young actor who’s cracking under the public pressure that comes with rising celebrity. Kat is a single mother at the top of her career who believes she’s holding it all together but is barely living. Each one is a simple escape for the other—until the security Kat has worked so hard to build for her tiny family comes under threat, and Jake has to decide if he can keep Kat a secret even if it’s at the expense of his own fame.
And They Had a Great Fall is the story of two people who are going through the motions in life—until they finally look inside themselves to figure out what it takes to find a happily ever after.
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Review
Flawed characters have much to learn about themselves and each other, but there is so much room for love.
Kat and Jake were characters I enjoyed reading about. They each have baggage, but something draws them to each other, especially in times of need. Kat is a widow trying to make her way in life without her husband and the father of her daughter. She is fortunate to have a village surrounding her, assisting her whenever the situation arises. Jake is an up-and-coming actor who tends to get in his own way. This is evident when he calls Kat in panic mode. However, this call sets off a renewed relationship and the chance to discover their capabilities.
This was a semi-spicy romance. There is one spicy scene; the rest were more subdued, which I appreciated. I enjoyed learning more about Kat and Jake and what makes them tick. Their interpersonal skills were sometimes rough around the edges, but being around each other allowed them to discover more about themselves and what they wanted from life.
As you can imagine, you aren’t allowed privacy with someone famous. This was a huge sticking point for Kat, and she kept their friendship and blossoming romance under wraps until it wasn’t. I was surprised at the actions of Jake’s publicist. She would have been fired a long time ago!
Primarily set in Copenhagen, this love story defies age what others think. It is also about two people finding themselves through each other. An enjoyable read from a debut author.
We give it 4 paws up.
About the Author
Shelby Saville resides in a suburb west of Chicago, but she grew up in a town of 2,000 people and is still a small-town girl at heart. Her first writing job was for the Lacon Home Journal, where she covered local news. But the city was calling, and when she got her dream job in the advertising industry, she moved to Chicago. She’s spent the last twenty-five years at Publicis Media, where she’s focused on media investment—how advertising space is bought and sold. When not at her computer, Shelby can be found in the cafes of Chicago and Elmhurst, IL, or hanging at home with her husband, Scott, teenage daughter, three dogs, and one mean cat.
