Falling by Jane Green

• Title:  Falling
• Author:  Jane Green
• Pages:  384
• Genre:  Women’s Fiction
• Published:  July 2016 – Berkley
• Source:  Publisher; NetGalley

Description:  When Emma Montague left the strict confines of upper-crust British life for New York, she felt sure it would make her happy. Away from her parents and expectations, she felt liberated, throwing herself into Manhattan life replete with a high-paying job, a gorgeous apartment, and a string of successful boyfriends. But the cutthroat world of finance and relentless pursuit of more began to take its toll. This wasn’t the life she wanted either. 

On the move again, Emma settles in the picturesque waterfront town of Westport, Connecticut, a world apart from both England and Manhattan. It is here that she begins to confront what it is she really wants from her life. With no job, and knowing only one person in town, she channels her passion for creating beautiful spaces into remaking the dilapidated cottage she rents from Dominic, a local handyman who lives next door with his six-year-old son. 

Unlike any man Emma has ever known, Dominic is confident, grounded, and committed to being present for his son whose mother fled shortly after he was born. They become friends, and slowly much more, as Emma finds herself feeling at home in a way she never has before.

But just as they start to imagine a life together as a family, fate intervenes in the most shocking of ways. For the first time, Emma has to stay and fight for what she loves, for the truth she has discovered about herself, or risk losing it all. 

In a novel of changing seasons, shifting lives, and selfless love, a story unfolds—of one woman’s far-reaching journey to discover who she is truly meant to be…  (publisher)

My take:  Emma is really coming into her own as a thirty-something woman beginning a new career in a new town. She left a stressful job in banking in NYC and moved to Connecticut to pursue her love of interior design. It was fun to follow her progress, both emotional and professional. I also enjoyed her neighbor/landlord Dominic and his little boy Jesse. Dominic is so different from any man Emma has ever known but he’s so sincere and confident that she’s attracted to him.

Falling is about finding a life Emma didn’t even know she wanted. It’s about family, friendship, love – it’s about life.

I was completely engaged by the story until a major twist near the end. I wasn’t expecting it. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but it kind of took me out of the story. I’m always one who thinks it’s the author’s story to tell so I can’t really criticize a plot twist … perhaps there’s a sequel planned. It just seems to beg for a follow-up.

I think fans of the author and women’s fiction will like Falling. It’s the first book I’ve read by Jane Green and I will certainly read more of her books.