Book Review: Last Chance to Fall

By Sara Steven

I’ve often found that reading subsequent books in a series, while good, can’t hold a candle to that very first one. I’m like this with sequels and prequels, too. It’s not that I don’t find them enjoyable, but I hold a special place in my heart for the initial read that hooked me.

That’s not the case with the Kinney Brothers book series. The experience, the characters, all of it, it just keeps getting better and better, and what better example than Sean Kinney? He’s my favorite brother, and that’s hard to say, considering the other two- Patrick in One Night to Fall (reviewed here), and Ryan in To Fall for Winter (reviewed here). All three are incredible characters, but there’s something special about Sean. It could be his vulnerability, the fact that he felt real. The fact that he is full of mannerisms that wouldn’t ordinarily be considered girl candy. But he more than is.

Even Lindsey Molloy can see it. After dealing with a bad break-up, she meets Sean under strange and unusual circumstances, the kind that she’d ordinarily shy away from. They’re both similar in personalities, wanting to stay protected within their security blankets of routine and regularity. But Lindsey has been rattled, in her past and in the present, the kind of rattled that provokes her into asking Sean, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”

And they try to figure that out, as best they can, within a small window of time that feels even smaller depending on the moment. It was nice to see both Sean and Lindsey work hard at breaking out of their shells, the added bonus of Sean’s brothers getting thrown into the mix of it all, and the additional characters that made the other books in this series come to life and add more of a landscape and solidity to who Sean is and what he’s really about.

There are plenty of moments in my life where I feel a lot like Sean, that it’s easier to stay within the comforts of my routine, not to extend myself outside of that fragile box. But his experiences and the relationship he forms with Lindsey filled me with the need to live to the fullest, even if that means tripping and falling and failing. That’s what it’s all about, in the end. The moments where you try and fail and learn something from it, and often times, it turns out just fine in the end, anyway.

While Last Chance to Fall can easily be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading all three books in the Kinney Brothers series. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience that will leave you wondering on which brother is YOUR personal favorite, but I can tell you, it won’t be an easy choice. As for this girl? I will forever remain on Team Sean.

Thanks to Kelsey Kingsley for the book in exchange for an honest review.