The list of things I hate is short. Not even my soon-to-be ex-husband is on that list. Nope. I save only the worst of the worst, the crème de la crème, the absolute I cannot even for this list…
1. Black coffee
2. Rude people
3. Nathaniel Bradley
Which is why when my father informs me that he’s making Nathaniel Bradley his new business partner, and in turn, my boss, I flip out.
1. He’s an annoying know-it-all.
2. He calls me a spoiled princess every chance he gets.
3. He disapproves of everything I do.
I go into this knowing I’ll hate every second in his presence. Except the longer he’s around, the more I find myself staring at his lips and remembering the one time they were on mine. I randomly find myself looking at his hands and wondering how they’d feel on my skin.
I try to snap out of it, but I guess I’m not as smart as I thought I was. No matter how many times I remind myself of the times I’ve practically thrown myself at him and he’s pushed me away, I keep falling little by little.
I’d always heard that it was a bad idea to mix business with pleasure and if that’s the case, this thing with Nathaniel has demise written all over it.
| Title: | The Consequence of Falling |
| Author: | Claire Contreras |
| Series: | n/a |
| Pages: | 273 |
| Category / Genre(s): | Contemporary |
| Trope(s): | Enemies to Lovers Office Romance |
| Point of View: | |
| Location: | US |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 12th January, 2019 |
 |  |  |  |
An enjoyably absorbing tale
This is the first Claire Contreras story I’ve read and all in all I enjoyed it and will be looking for more of her books in the future. This is a standalone novel but towards the end some characters started (very briefly) talking about people who I wasn’t aware of – these seem to be the characters from the Heart series which I might go and find out more about. There was also what I’m hoping was a tease for Morgan’s story which sounds delicious and something I hope is coming soon.
We start our story with our heroine, Presley, a bratty fifteen year old meeting our hero, Nathaniel – a mature and experienced man of 18. Their first interaction is antagonistic and contentious and really sets the scene for the rest of their reactions as they fleetingly see each other over the years.
Presley was definitely a brat – spoiled, grumpy and I still absolutely loved her. There was something about her – despite how she acted – that made me want her to get what she wanted and needed.
…”it was a tummy-jumping, spine-tingling sort of kiss.”
Nathaniel was maybe less of an ideal main character for me. In the beginning I really liked him and his tattooed forearms. Yum! The way he and Presley played off each other really hit all the buttons. I do so love an enemies to lovers storyline. I could even forgive him for his ill-timed kiss – especially since it was a tummy-jumping, spine-tingling sort of kiss. It was when Presley and Nathaniel started working together that he started to annoy me. Just his little comments about how useless and spoiled Presley was. It would have been fine had she been doing what he accused her of, but she was trying hard with no experience and all he seemed to do was put her down. It felt uncomfortable and I didn’t like him in those moments.
Luckily he redeemed himself and as Presley and Nathaniel started the evolution of their relationship – I started to really love them as a couple. They were hot and I adored them – especially since their speciality banter didn’t leave them as soon as they became lovers.
Towards the end we have a sad and poignant section (and an ill-timed and rather disrespectful tryst) which, while foreshadowed throughout the book, still put the romance on the back burner. But it did still move Presley and Nathaniel’s relationship forward and really pushed them towards their happily ever after.
This story didn’t blow my mind but it really did get and keep my interest. I wanted to read every single word and the pages kept themselves turning consistently. The writing is absorbing and very fresh – you almost forget you’re reading and not actually involved in the story. Ms. Contreras is a great talent and I’m happy to add her to my list of authors I will look out for in the future. 4 well-deserved stars.
Claire Contreras is a New York Times Best Selling Author. Her books range from romantic suspense to contemporary romance and are currently translated in seven different languages.
She lives in Miami, Fl with her husband, two adorable boys, three bulldogs, and two stray cats that she refuses to admit are hers (even though they live on her porch, she named them, and continues to feed them). When she’s not writing, she’s usually lost in a book.
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
No Comments