Emma Barry

Free Fall by Emma Barry is one of the sweetest, feel good books of the year!

Thank you to Tamsen Parker who suggested I pick up books by Emma Barry! I can't thank her enough, because Emma's writing is beautiful and matches perfectly with my reading style.

Free Fall is about Dean and Vivian, an astronaut and the daughter of of a wealthy businessman, who happen to find themselves in a sticky situation. They are expecting a baby and they have to get married to "set things right". This story follows their relationship and the troubles of Dean's career.

This book really made me feel good - it's ooey gooey cute and isn't negative. It's the type of book you'd want to read when you are in a bad mood because it will pick you up. Yes, there's drama in this book (it's a romance novel, there's bound to be some kind of drama), but it doesn't make you feel bad. I love a book that lets me sink into it's words and feel great, and Emma does that perfectly.

I'm also so incredibly excited to see a book about a woman with a full figure that isn't solely about her weight. Vivy embraces her full figure, and isn't described as "fat". I can fully relate to Vivian - I've always been athletic, and as a child I was told by other kids I was "fat" because I wasn't super skinny like everybody else was in my classes. Being told to stay silent, be smaller, etc., just like Vivy was my life until I got older. It's nice to see the storyline develop with the introduction to her body type, but not revolve around her weight. Too often do we see differences (whether it's gender, sexuality, weight, etc) be used as the problem or plot line of the story, but this book embraced her as a person.

I'd like to see more of Dean and Vivian - I think they're characters are well developed and could definitely hold their own in a series! I'm not sure where we could take them, but they were very cute! These characters do develop and face issues in this story.

Now the big question - do I have any cons (since I've listed many pros). If anything, I would have liked the book to be longer! Maybe a little more drama or action between the couple themselves. That's my only suggestion to improve, because this was a really good book! It's a worth while read! The book was "long enough", but I could see this book including a few extra chapters and work just as well!

Overall, this book was truly beautiful! It's a nice read to embrace on a soft, summer day! I highly recommend this book and declare it a romance must-read! It's also not even close to an R rating (there are some sexy scenes, but nothing a PG-13 warning label won't cover). So if you love romance and a happy ending, then this book will be for you!

Five out of five stars!

I received an ARC copy from the author Emma Barry in exchange for an honest review.… (meer)

While I could swear that I've definitely read this author before, I don't see record of it, and after strong through unlimited crap, I'm delighted to be reading two books that make it worth it.

First, I'm gonna get this out of the way. COVID is featured prominently in the book, nearly a character its own, very much a villain and very much *in the past* As someone who is not there in any kind of way with this mentality (other than COVID as villain and not, like, its interventions) I did find this jarring from time to time. For me, that went between OMG COVID so real in this book to "but the "now part" is basically fantasy" Really too bad that this struggling vet didn't get the PPP loan he deserved while the corporations in the larger communities probably did.

*Steps off soapbox*
The hero was depressed, broody, emotionally constipated and ridiculously swoony. We all know this guy. He's a good guy. He's kind. He's not rich. He wants you to not be a dumb shit about your animals and he's judgy about it. Which is really hot.

The heroine was dusting herself off, grounded, passionate and a very good kind of open minded. They were well balanced, and the push and pull felt mature and really worked for these 30-somethings.

I am very happy I found Barry and looking forward to reading more from her.

I read this in literally one sitting, bc it's gray as shit and cute couples arguing about chickens brightened my day.… (meer)

I loved this novella which is part of the Fly Me to the Moon series. It is 1948 and Joe is a midshipman who has fallen in love at first sight with the admiral's daughter Frances. Frances has reasons for not wanting to date a Navy man and Joe is determined to find a way to be with her. It is a truly sweet story and since it is so short I don't want to reveal too much. I thought it was told in a way that is true to the time period. I don't think there will be many readers who will not fall in love with Joe. I'm not normally a fan of novellas because I like more development of the characters, but this one was perfect.… (meer)

The heroine has romantic feelings for the hero for a long time and wants to move on with her life at the beginning of this book. The hero is immortalized in an ex's hit song and had hit a point with it when he is introduced in the story. The hero and the heroine had been friends for a long time, and this dynamic will change when life-changing events forced each of them to make decisions that may bring them together...or apart.

This is my first Emma Barry book that I've read. It's a friends-to-lovers story with a strong cast of characters that enriched the book. There were definitive moments that I enjoyed reading, but the story wasn't as grifting as it could be in my eyes. I really liked the heroine and her character, but the hero was frustrating at times that I didn't feel connected to him as much as with the heroine. Therefore, I wasn't committed to their HEA as I could have been since this book has my favorite romance trope of all time. That said, it's still a nice book and I would still want to read more Emma Barry books in the future.

** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. **… (meer)