Ms. Cowles’ writing of these characters was a rich, poignant and beautiful experience. A rare treat for me lately. Almost everything I've been reading has been surface level, at best. But that wasn't the case with Falling Embers. Talk about a rollercoaster ride. Emotional chaos here we come. C & H's intense push and pull was not always the easiest to witness, nor was it something I could simply step away from, like I would with other book couples. Calder and Hadley's journey affected me. It moved me in ways I wasn't expecting. What would normally drive me insane, I found quite endearing. On top of that, they dominated my thoughts. I couldn't not finish their book in one sitting. I HAD to know what was going to happen in the next chapter and then the next and so on, until it was the wee hours of the morning and I'd sadly reached the last page.

I attribute all of this and more to Catherine's ability to make me connect with her characters on a more personal level, especially Hadley. Parts of her story are my story, and this is one of many reasons I cheered her on so damn hard. I know first hand how exhausting it is and how much courage it takes to overcome the obstacles of a parent who mentally and emotionally abuses you, day in and day out. There was so much to love about Hadley. Her sweet, kind, loving personality. Her tenacity. Her passion for adventure. Her loyalty. Her strength. Just to name a few. It was no wonder Calder woke the hell up and realized what it was he'd been missing. And it killed me that every time she started to see it, to believe in her worth, her mother would come along and destroy every ounce of it. It absolutely broke my heart, and I wanted to bitch slap Mrs. Easton into next year. She didn't deserve Hadley's love, no matter her reasoning for her atrocious behavior.

Falling Embers was my first foray into Catherine Cowles work and it most definitely won't be my last!! I've had this authors books on my Kindle for awhile now, and I'm kicking myself for not starting her stories sooner. I've fallen absolutely in love with her writing style and the voice she gives her characters. And I can't wait to meet more of them.

I'm so ready for Hidden Waters!! But first, I'm going to backtrack and catch up with Hayes and Everly in Tattered Stars. Just an FYI, Falling Embers can be read as a standalone; you won't feel lost. However, I wish I'd started with book one. I feel like I would have understood the character/family dynamics a bit better.