How Not to Fall (The Belhaven Series Book 1)

There is very little character development or storyline here. One day heroine says she wants hero and he says no, and then like 4 days later he says yes, but they have to do it all by the book. Charles's character is so prim and proper, but then he's a sexual savant. Annie is completely inexperienced but she's suddenly a sex kitten...it just didn't make sense.The entire book was sex scene after sex scene. Don't get me wrong, I love a steamy scene, but I need some meat on my story bones. Without it, it felt superficial and surface and I couldn't find the desire to waste my time and energy caring about the characters.

4-4.5 stars. I loved how this book started out. Annie propositions her TA, Charles, and he's completely taken aback. It's actually adorable, both of them, because they are both so academic and intelligent and very matter of fact. They are friends, but not close friends. So while Charles cannot accept due to the nature of their professional relationship, they settle on the type of friends who actually hang out. And then it's like the hotness meter goes off the charts after that between them when Annie is no longer Charles' student. The sexual exploration and discovery was well written. I liked the dialogue and the injection of intellectual references and how openly honest these two were with one another. I thought they complemented one another perfectly, but Charles is not available emotionally, only physically. I liked Annie a lot, she wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted or to show how she felt. As for Charles, it was a bit odd that he was restrained in giving his heart, but underneath his brilliant persona is a tortured soul. So I am definitely going to see how this ends between them because I would like to see Charles transform further.

After reading this and the sequel, I am surprised that there are not more reviews in general on these wonderful books. I was drawn to reading these after reading a review that categorized this as "nerdy romantic erotica". Apparently that is my new favorite genre! I love the smart, strong characters, the real angst and passion that come through in the very eloquent writing, and the intense love that permeates all of the main characters' interactions (all steeped in the incredible admiration and respect that they have for one another). At times, it was frustrating how long it takes these characters to admit their true feelings, but I appreciated that they did the hard work together of getting over past emotional wounds so their relationship could flourish (as opposed to many other wounded character tropes where one day the character wakes up and suddenly everything magically snaps into place). I am now impatiently awaiting more of this great storytelling and seriously contemplating re-reading both this and How Not to Let Go to relive all the feels all over again!

A big thank you to Nenia for recommending this one to me. This book has a maturity level that is completely absent in most New Adult books. A lot of the tropes that are typical of the genre are here, but the presentation is different. Annie is the studious, awkward young woman who has a crush on her professor. He's actually some kind of assistant teacher, but it would be unethical for him to become romantically involved with her. Annie is convinced that it's a mutual attraction though, and she asks him to have sex with her. This could have been written in the typical way of her shyly stammering her way through it. Instead it was quirky and funny. She was still embarrassed, but it didn't end in monumental humiliation when he turned her down. Why? Because this author writes them as adults. They are young, but they aren't immature.They are also intelligent, and it's not just the author telling you that. It shows in the way they speak and the conversations they have. I can always tell when a smart person has written the characters that are supposed to be smart, because they don't grasp for smart things to say to show off their intelligence. It flows naturally within the dialogue and the story. I also found it strangely erotic when Charles was demanding answers to academic questions during sex.I liked Charles a lot. Sometimes I forgot his age, because he was a man at all times and never came across as boyish in his behavior. He was respectful and honest. This was another example of the author presenting the trope of the damaged hero in a different way. He wasn't angry and selfish because of his tragic past. There were no big melodramatic moments. I understood so well his inability to form emotional attachments, and I'm curious if that will change in the next book.I loved Annie's musing near the end of the book about the advice to live every day like it's your last. But if you know it's your last you might be too sad to enjoy it. There wasn't a lot of angst in the story though, because Annie was resilient. Charles saw that in her, and he admired her intelligence and her potential to succeed. How often do you see that in a New Adult romance?

I really loved this amazing story. This actually became a Danger book for me. What’s a Danger book? It’s a book where I become completely immersed in the story & characters to the point I feel like I’m living their story with them. That’s a dangerous place for me to be. Very little else gets done in life. But the time spent in that story is oh so wonderful & satisfying! This was a really intelligent, emotional & very sexy story with such beautifully written characters. I fell in love with both Charles & Annie and loved living their relationship with them on every page. Exceptional!

I was floored by how much I enjoyed this. I normally don't read contemporary romance, nor do I tend to enjoy first-person narrative. And very, very rarely do I bother to write a review. However, this book was a delight, and there aren't enough reviews praising it, so I felt compelled to write a review. Fair warning: the book is a bit triggering for past violence (no one does anything violent, but violence from the past is discussed), and there is more graphic sex in this book than any other erotic romance book I've read in recent years. But I never felt the eroticism was unwarranted; frankly, it's pretty justified given the premise of the story. I love that the two characters can't just have sex all day; both have their own lives and careers, friends to visit, and interests to pursue. It just feels like a completely realistic story from that point of view. If you're an academic, you'll probably relate to aspects in this book regarding the world of academia and the search for an academic career. If you're a scientist, a student of science, or practitioner in psychology, you might get a real kick out of the dialogue between these two scientists. I love that when Annie lists what makes her attractive to someone, her first item is "my brain". I wanted to reach through my Kindle to high-five her! The only thing I'd say as a criticism is that Charles (who is English) sounds so much more American than and British. It was a little distracting, but it's a minor thing, and the only reason I put 4 stars instead of 5; I would've put down 4.5 if I could assign half stars. I would suggest the author run the next book via a beta reader who is either English, or from the British Isles, to get Charles to sound more plausibly English, especially given his background (no spoilers, but every time I've met someone of that particular background, especially that particularly school, they have a distinct way of speaking that is impossible to hide no matter how much they try; for anyone living in the UK hearing someone from that background speak, it is immediately apparent what their background is). I cannot wait for the next book.

...and I've read hundreds. This is an exceptionally well written (one can tell that the author is a scientist, but also a humanist) story, with a compelling plot, deep, realistic, beautiful characters. The lessons in this book, about life, love and healing will make your head explode. I will be reading this and the second installment (How not to Let Go) over and over. I only wish these books had been around 20 years ago when I was younger. So many eye-openers.

A very sexy fun read. It was described to me as 50 Shades of Grey for people who care about consent and that's a good description.

An endearing couple who have exceptional scientific brains & who turn out to click on every level. They finally discover their human emotions are a huge other story.

Loved this book - so easy to read and hard to put down