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Every girl has that one guy…that one guy who steals her heart and never gives it back.

We were all friends…until we weren’t.

We depended on each other…until we couldn’t.

We were in love…until we were ripped apart.

We moved on…even when we didn’t want to let go.

This is our love story.

**This standalone novel contains material that some may find disturbing. Intended for mature readers only.

Trigger warning: This book does contain a relatively descriptive rape scene. 

My review will be very vague regarding the actual events of the book and I am sorry for that, but I don’t want to accidentally post any spoilers. 

“I knew it would never be that crazy-love they wrote about in those angst-filled books I loved, but I’ve been through that kind of love and when it’s gone, you’re just never the same. You know the love I’m talking about, right? The one with kisses that spark fires, touches that ignite your soul, and the whispers, God the whispers, that make you believe you can fly.”

Here’s to Falling is as real as real can get within the pages of a “fiction” novel. If you are looking for something easy to pass the time, then turn away now, this book is anything but an easy read. It is quite intense, you will feel and you will feel hard. For me, the devastation radiating from the pages was downright powerful, flowing bone deep. I cried buckets of tears for these crippled souls. It has been a while since a book has wrecked me to the point I could barely see through the tears to read the words. To say it was amazing is a huge understatement. To say it will leave you shattered is putting it mildly. To say Christine bared her soul and vulnerability through the eyes of these characters is an absolute certainty.

“Mark my words, one day you’ll feel like your world is crashing, spinning out of control, whatever the Hell that is to you, whatever storm that comes, whatever tragedy floods your life. And, believe me, you’ll have them; we all get touched by some tragedy in our lives. You better hope you’ve got the strength to swim, before it pulls you under and you drown or become nothing more than the storm, forever moving across the waters, stirring up trouble wherever you touch down.”

This book was a breath of fresh air in a world where most stories feel as though they have been done before. With that said, keep in mind, Here’s to Falling definitely packed some hellish gut punches. It revolves around three friends who start out with semi innocent childhoods and that innocence is lost as it slowly evolves into something so much more. Don't worry, there is no love triangle here. However, each twist, each tragedy Christine hit us with blind-sided me, leaving me absolutely raw and open. I think I would have much preferred something as simple as a love triangle. I adored the fact that Christine did not pretty anything up. She painted a vivid, gritty visual of tragedy that nightmares are made of—her tragedy and nightmares. There is was so much depth and richness written within the world Christine created for Charlie, Jase, and Joey that I never once found myself having to grasp for that something something. It was already there; every emotion, every action, every consequence and reward, every sentiment was laid out between the pages, captivating me. 

“The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly.”

I loved, loved, loved everything about Jase, Charlie, and Joey; from their amazing buildup of connection and chemistry, right down to the premise behind their journeys, as well as the way their deep attachment and friendship impressed upon each of their lives. This trio was pure magic in the making, a force to be reckoned with. Each moment spent with them was as poignant and intricate as the next. With each turn of the page, Charlie’s courage and endurance was riveting, her survival pure inspiration, endearing me to her even more. I want to be able to break them down for you, tell you their individual strengths and weaknesses, but I can’t. For me, there were so many layers built around these complex characters as a whole that each time a layer was unraveled I felt it affected them as a whole. Their strengths and weakness played off each other and the obstacles they had to overcome. When one fell, they all fell. When one succeeded, they all succeeded. Their worlds began and stopped with one another. In the end, underneath all the anguish and heartache, I found an all-consuming and epic story of friendship, cataclysm, and love.

Here’s to Falling broke my heart into pieces. Knowing that this story was based off true events humbled me. I cannot say that I was ever fully put back together, but I can tell you that it moved me in ways I can’t even begin to explain. And in all honesty, I don’t think there is any possible way to feel truly put back together again. 

I bet the biggest question here is whether or not there is an HEA. The only thing I’m willing to say is that you won’t reach the end of the book without closure.

As with all of her books, Christine executed Here’s to Falling with bravery and perfection.

Thank you, Christine Zolendz, for the complimentary copy of Here's to Falling.