Title: Crashing Back Down
Author: Kristen Hope Mazzola
Genre: Adult Contemporary
Author: Kristen Hope Mazzola
Genre: Adult Contemporary
Publication Date: 4th November 2013
Add to: Goodreads
Purchase Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords
Add to: Goodreads
Purchase Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords
Synopsis
Mags McManus has just become a war widow in her mid-twenties. Her late husband, Randy, left for the Army right after their wedding. Instead of celebrating his homecoming and living in marital bliss with her soulmate, Mags finds herself living in constant agony. Dealing with the guilt of still living without Randy, are Randy's best friends and parents.
Rising from the ashes of this tragedy, Mags starts to learn how to love and trust again, finally being able to find happiness. But sometimes things really are too good to be true and again Mags learns how cruel the world can be as she crashes back down.
This is the author's debut novel!
**18+ for sexual situations, cursing, and adult content.***
My Review
This is a story about Grief, Pain, Second Chances, Lies and Love.
The story begins with Mags and her best friend Cali getting ready for their first adventure into the new world of college Greek life. At the first night of the fraternity rush Mags and Cali meet Randy, Walker and Mitch they all become fast friends but Mags and Randy become closer than just friends.
And then you are fast forwarded 5 years into the present, Mags and Randy had gotten married and had a very loving relationship filled with fun, laughter, and many happy memories. But Randy joined the military as a paratrooper and a his chute didn't open on a mission and he died.
Mags struggles to come to terms with losing Randy and everyday is a struggle just to get out of bed.
"I longed to run away and hide from life for the rest of the day. It was a terrible coping mechanism I had developed, but it was effective." - Mags
Walker met Randy freshman year at college and have been best friends ever since. He has always been close to Randy and Mags and has been beside them through all of their fun times. Walker was with Randy on the mission Randy never came home from.
"Walker was my most frequent visitor, pretty much like clockwork. Every Sunday at noon, I expected to see his bright green eyes light up when I opened my door. He was going through his own process of grief and loss. I think he needed the company as much as I did."- Mags
After Walker and Mags start spending a lot of time together Mags start noticing that when Walker is around she gets butterflies and starts noticing how good looking he is. But soon after those feelings, guilt engulfs her and she feels horrible for thinking these things about her dead husbands best friend.
Mags starts seeing a therapist to help her grieve and move on and soon starts to come out of her shell and starts acting like the girl she use to be, she has girl weekends, hangs our with Walker and Mitch just like old times and starts dressing up and looking after her appearance again. Her and Walker start to get closer and closer and the lines start to get blurred, but with every step forward another memory of Randy drags her back and her guilt assaults her again.
"Walker shook his head and then smiled amiably. "It just makes me sad that every time I make you smile, it's followed by a look of pain, sadness or disgust." - Walker
Walker struggles with his feeling through this book, he loves Mags and wants more than friendship but also feels guilt and knows he can't push Mags too fast.
The ending is a cliffhanger! It broke my heart. I did not see it coming at all. So I am anxiously awaiting the next book.
Now I will explain why I only gave it 3.75 stars. This story was a 5 star read for me up until 46% but then the story just lost me, it got confusing and the characters emotions were going from one extreme to the next within a few seconds. I found it hard to connect with Walker he didn't talk much in this story and while what he did say, spoke volumes, I never knew where he stood in situations. At the beginning Mags was easy to connect with she was grieving and I felt her struggle so much my heart broke for her but as the story progressed her character would go from grieving to happy to hysterical to calm to drunk to freaking out to grieving and happy again and I just couldn't keep up with her. Also there was some word confusion and situations that didn't make sense to me.
I will still be reading the next book, I am still eager to see how things turn out for Mags.
The story begins with Mags and her best friend Cali getting ready for their first adventure into the new world of college Greek life. At the first night of the fraternity rush Mags and Cali meet Randy, Walker and Mitch they all become fast friends but Mags and Randy become closer than just friends.
And then you are fast forwarded 5 years into the present, Mags and Randy had gotten married and had a very loving relationship filled with fun, laughter, and many happy memories. But Randy joined the military as a paratrooper and a his chute didn't open on a mission and he died.
Mags struggles to come to terms with losing Randy and everyday is a struggle just to get out of bed.
"I longed to run away and hide from life for the rest of the day. It was a terrible coping mechanism I had developed, but it was effective." - Mags
Walker met Randy freshman year at college and have been best friends ever since. He has always been close to Randy and Mags and has been beside them through all of their fun times. Walker was with Randy on the mission Randy never came home from.
"Walker was my most frequent visitor, pretty much like clockwork. Every Sunday at noon, I expected to see his bright green eyes light up when I opened my door. He was going through his own process of grief and loss. I think he needed the company as much as I did."- Mags
After Walker and Mags start spending a lot of time together Mags start noticing that when Walker is around she gets butterflies and starts noticing how good looking he is. But soon after those feelings, guilt engulfs her and she feels horrible for thinking these things about her dead husbands best friend.
Mags starts seeing a therapist to help her grieve and move on and soon starts to come out of her shell and starts acting like the girl she use to be, she has girl weekends, hangs our with Walker and Mitch just like old times and starts dressing up and looking after her appearance again. Her and Walker start to get closer and closer and the lines start to get blurred, but with every step forward another memory of Randy drags her back and her guilt assaults her again.
"Walker shook his head and then smiled amiably. "It just makes me sad that every time I make you smile, it's followed by a look of pain, sadness or disgust." - Walker
Walker struggles with his feeling through this book, he loves Mags and wants more than friendship but also feels guilt and knows he can't push Mags too fast.
The ending is a cliffhanger! It broke my heart. I did not see it coming at all. So I am anxiously awaiting the next book.
Now I will explain why I only gave it 3.75 stars. This story was a 5 star read for me up until 46% but then the story just lost me, it got confusing and the characters emotions were going from one extreme to the next within a few seconds. I found it hard to connect with Walker he didn't talk much in this story and while what he did say, spoke volumes, I never knew where he stood in situations. At the beginning Mags was easy to connect with she was grieving and I felt her struggle so much my heart broke for her but as the story progressed her character would go from grieving to happy to hysterical to calm to drunk to freaking out to grieving and happy again and I just couldn't keep up with her. Also there was some word confusion and situations that didn't make sense to me.
I will still be reading the next book, I am still eager to see how things turn out for Mags.
★★☆ 3.75 Stars ☆★★
Reviewed by Jess Mann
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About the Author
Kristen Hope Mazzola is an up and coming independent author from sunny South Florida. Crashing Back Down is her debut into the literary world. Kristen is currently working on the rest of her Crashing Series, which will include a sequel, Falling Back Together, and a prequel, Walking Away. She even has a few more tricks up her sleeve, with more characters to introduce and more twists to unravel, so keep your eye on this talented young author!
When Kristen is not driving a pen into paper, she enjoys reading all different genres and fishing. “There is just something so magical about water and the calm it brings to my life,” says Kristen. Even though writing is not her only career she is pursuing, Kristen hopes to one day be a full time writer. Having a day job and a busy life, makes finding time for writing difficult, but anything worthwhile in life is difficult. Loving life, writing, and fishing basically make up her world.
Follow the author at these links
When Kristen is not driving a pen into paper, she enjoys reading all different genres and fishing. “There is just something so magical about water and the calm it brings to my life,” says Kristen. Even though writing is not her only career she is pursuing, Kristen hopes to one day be a full time writer. Having a day job and a busy life, makes finding time for writing difficult, but anything worthwhile in life is difficult. Loving life, writing, and fishing basically make up her world.
Follow the author at these links
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