GIVEAWAY & REVIEW of Where We Fall: A Novel by Rochelle B. Weinstein

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

On the surface, Abby Holden has it all. She is the mother of a beautiful daughter and the wife of Ryan, a beloved high school football coach. Yet, depression has a vice grip on Abby and every day tugs a little harder on the loose threads of her marriage, threatening to unravel her charmed life. Meanwhile, Ryan is a charismatic, loyal husband who can coach the local high school football team to victory, but is powerless to lift his wife’s depression, which has settled into their marriage like a deep fog. Although this isn’t the life he’s dreamed of, Ryan is determined to heal the rifts in his family. Lauren Sheppard was once Ryan’s girlfriend and Abby’s closest friend. Now a globe-trotting photographer who documents the power and beauty of waterfalls around the world, she returns back home to the mountains of North Carolina, where she must face the scene of a devastating heartbreak that forever changed the course of her life.

As college coeds, Abby, Ryan, and Lauren had an unbreakable bond. Now, for the first time in seventeen years, the once-inseparable friends find themselves confronting their past loves, hurts, and the rapid rush of a current that still pulls them together. With hypnotic, swift storytelling, Weinstein weaves in and out of Abby, Ryan, and Lauren’s lives and imparts lessons of love, loyalty, friendship, and living with mental illness.

Ripe with emotional insight, WHERE WE FALL explores the depths of the human mind and a heart that sees what the eyes cannot. As Abby, Ryan, and Lauren struggle to repair their relationships and resolve their inner demons, they unflinchingly hold the mirror to the reader, reminding us not only of our own flaws, but also how beautiful and human those imperfections can be.

my thoughts:

Wow! Talk about a great read! I absolutely loved Where We Fall by Rochelle B. Weinstein.  Its a compelling story about young love, betrayal, miscommunication, and most importantly - mental illness.  The honest and open way in which this novel explores depression is refreshing.  Not only do we get to learn about this mental illness via Abby (longtime sufferer of depression), but we see how it affects her friends and family.  We get the perspectives from everyone involved, which makes for quite an eye-opening read.  Especially as Abby has finally chosen to deal with her depression by signing into a rehab center - a decision that affects everyone.  I loved getting to know Abby, Ryan (her husband), Juliana (her daughter), and Lauren (her BFF from college).  Their lives are complicated, messy, and far from perfect.  They are all just trying to make the best of what they have.  Ryan tries hard to be understanding of his wife's condition, he always makes time for his daughter, and he is constantly coaching his football team on and off the field.  Juliana hates that her mom was not "normal" like her friend's moms, but she pushes those feelings aside and instead focuses on her relationship with her boyfriend (who happens to be the star player on her dad's team).  Lauren travels the world taking photographs of waterfalls and writing novels.  She left her hometown long ago, but now she's back to finally tend to some unfinished business.  All four characters will endure some BIG drama and some will have difficult choices to make - talk about heart-wrenching! 

Where We Fall is an engrossing, thought-provoking, and unputdownable read.  I found myself staying up all night to finish it. I just had to find out what Abby, Ryan, and Lauren would do.  Their story line was entwined in so many ways - friendship, love, betrayal, secrecy, the past, the present, and the future.  It was intriguing to see the ways in which their friendship's unraveling affected their lives and how they chose to handle it all as young adults.  And now they are older and not much wiser, but can definitely see clearer now.  I teared up for all three of them in the end.  Such a great story!

I would happily recommend Where We Fall to fans of women's fiction - you will LOVE this novel!!
Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: Where We Fall

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!