Rating:  Summary: Great Book!!! Review: Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys romance novels.
Rating:  Summary: There should be more romances like this one Review: Sara is a writer who had to move into a cheaper apartment because her publisher decided to discontinue her mystery series. She meets the boy next door, who seems to be everything a woman could want. He's younger, considerate, smart, sweet, gentle, and gorgeous to boot. The more time they spend together, the more obvious it is to each of them that the other is what they want.But Ryan hasn't been totally open with Sara, and before they get too serious he has to tell her that he's a high priced prostitute. Ryan ran away from an abusive home when he was young and was rescued from the streets after being raped; his rescuer was a madam, who trained him to be just what women want. He sees sex as business, completely different from making love. Sara obviously sees it another way. She loves him and wants him, but can't stand the thought of receiving him from another woman's bed. That's the main conflict between the two. The wonderful thing about this novel is that when I heard the premise I thought it unbelievable, but in reading the characters Leone created I completely fell into the story and believed it. Sara and Ross were real people, with real feelings between them, too strong to ignore. And their conflicts weren't contrived, but part of who they were. This is probably the best romance I've read this year - not just because it's original, but because it's genuine. There are no secret babies, no uber-villains, no big misunderstandings, just two people who really need each other and all the problems they have to work through before they have a life together and love. How they do that is one of the more romantic stories I've read.
Rating:  Summary: Haunting and Beautiful! Review: Sara's been dumped by her publisher/agent and decides to sell her condo, move into a cheaper apartment and to jumpstart her writing career in a different direction. Her new neighbor Ryan is charming, friendly, pretty fine to look at and he's sending signals Sara's way; or at least she thinks he is. Is he maybe gay or just too young for our heroine. Ryan's got a secret that he doesn't want his new neighbor to find out about. She won't see him the same way when she finds out what he does for a living and he's growing extremely fond of her. He wants to be more than friends with Sara, but it's just not possible. Laura Leone is amazing! Ryan was a character that I really felt for. He was oh so sexy and vulnerable. I loved how Ryan and Sara spent so much of the book just talking to each other. "Fallen From Grace" is erotic and spicy, romantic and tear inducing. The only thing that brought this book down from five stars for me was at times it seemed preachy. It felt a little like a textbook on - how to write a book, let me make you feel guilty that you don't volunteer to help the helpless in your community and get yourself over to the gay pride parade. :-) Other than that, this book was unforgettable.
Rating:  Summary: Two and a half stars for a unique storyline, but Review: the story fell far from hitting it's mark. Let's begin with the startling differences between the hero and heroine. He was gorgeous, sexy, loving, vulnerable, tortured and sweet as anything. She was......what was she again?....I don't remember because she was so boring. She was vanilla. She was almost non-existant on the page. Why he fell so in love with her was a mystery to me. The heroine could have been written in a much more complex way and added so much more to the relationship and the plot. It was almost as if the hero and heroine were written by two different writers rather than the same author. And the ridiculously annoying secondary characters and their lack of contribution to the heart of the whole torutured story of this young man's life was almost pathetic. Why was her sister's lesbian relationship even mentioned? And the young boy he saves at "SAFE HOUSE" and "BERNICE VILLAGE" was like scenes out of an ABC Afterschool Special. And yes, needless to say the ending was clean, simple, and happily ever after like some bad movie of the week. I mean, literally, bad. After this whole dark, tortured life of this man who is raped and battered, they end the book with him planning the guest list for his wedding? Of course everyone from SAFE HOUSE was invited. The End.
Rating:  Summary: Two and a half stars for a unique storyline, but Review: the story fell far from hitting it's mark. Let's begin with the startling differences between the hero and heroine. He was gorgeous, sexy, loving, vulnerable, tortured and sweet as anything. She was......what was she again?....I don't remember because she was so boring. She was vanilla. She was almost non-existant on the page. Why he fell so in love with her was a mystery to me. The heroine could have been written in a much more complex way and added so much more to the relationship and the plot. It was almost as if the hero and heroine were written by two different writers rather than the same author. And the ridiculously annoying secondary characters and their lack of contribution to the heart of the whole torutured story of this young man's life was almost pathetic. Why was her sister's lesbian relationship even mentioned? And the young boy he saves at "SAFE HOUSE" and "BERNICE VILLAGE" was like scenes out of an ABC Afterschool Special. And yes, needless to say the ending was clean, simple, and happily ever after like some bad movie of the week. I mean, literally, bad. After this whole dark, tortured life of this man who is raped and battered, they end the book with him planning the guest list for his wedding? Of course everyone from SAFE HOUSE was invited. The End.
Rating:  Summary: Love On The Rough Side of The Tracks Review: This is a read that will pierce your sense of morality versus romance. At times I thought this should read, `Fallen From Social Grace' because it deals with the side of life that many of us have not personally experienced yet do empathize with those who overcame growing up on the rough side of the tracks.
The main plot is a romance story of an apparent washed-up writer and older woman, Sara, and a handsomely sexy younger male prostitute and truly tortured hero, Ryan. The subplot deals with a distressing look at the dark humiliating actions inflicted by successful people who exploit less than fortunate males (particularly for this story) who are in dire need to survive on the dangerous streets of San Francisco. Ryan was one of these young males: a runaway who would do just about anything to obtain money to eat. However, sadly enough, one night after performing a `highly paid' intimate act on a man, his `trick' brutally rapes him and leaves him for dead in a dark alley. Alas, his only true friend comes to his rescue - a high class female "solicitor" who takes personal interest in grooming him for a career in prostitution; thus, giving him the name of "Kevin".
Years later Ryan meets a new next door neighbor, Sara. During the beginning of their budding relationship, Sara believes Ryan is a professional "model" and is away from home so much due to his photo shoots. Eventually Sara finds out his true occupation, Kevin, and is morally and emotionally challenged to accept or reject him. She is in an emotional whirlwind because now a family secret is about to be revealed, which will cause her to struggle even more with or compromise her deeply rooted social beliefs and unconditional love in acceptance of others.
This is an emotionally stirring and compelling read vs romantic. Although it was a tear jerker for me, it has a happy ending which ties together both of the main characters rather nicely.
Rating:  Summary: An Amazing Read..... Review: Wow. This is not like any story Ive EVER read. In the front of the book, the author mentions that romance readers are more interested in a great story than a safe one. She really nailed it when she said that. What a book! "Fallen From Grace" had great characters in its h/h, Sara and Ryan. This book , however, belonged to Ryan. I loved the story. The way it didnt apologize for itself when it got gritty..didnt try to gloss itself over..it was blunt, to the point, real, and so achingly romantic. The main draw for me though ,was definitely Ryan. What a genuine HERO. The things that he overcame..his gentle and sincere treatment of others...his compassion..all of this wrapped up in such an appealing package. He was a bit damaged from his secrets ,yes, but so Wholly a MAN. I LOVED this book..I read it in a matter of hours it was so unputdownable. This is a book that is a keeper for me for sure.
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