Book Review: Falling Together by Marissa de los Santos

I'm always excited when I get an email from Trish or Lisa at TLC Tours, but occasionally they include offers to review books that just about knock me out of my chair with excitement.  Then I sit on pins and needles until I get the email saying I made it on the tour.  This was one of those books.  I am a HUGE fan of de los Santos.  I really liked Love Walked In and then totally fell in love with Belong To Me.  So I was thrilled to have a chance to read this new one that follows three college friends who have lost contact, but reconnect in a trip that takes them across the world. 

Writing
Completely satisfied.  I think de los Santos is a great writer, one of the best in women's literature for creating complex characters.  Her characters are never one dimensional and this book is no exception.  What I really appreciate about the writing is that I didn't find a single character who just existed to move the plot along.  Each character, even secondary characters, had a personality that really mattered to the story.  They are by turns sympathetic and frustrating, which is exactly what I like to see in a character. 

Entertainment Value
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one.  The pacing is good, the story is interesting enough, but it was really the characters that made the book for me.  I've been reading a lot of page-turning thrillers, so the pace of this one threw me off a bit at first, but once I was into the story I realized it was fitting for the book.  I like the fall setting of course and I think it's a perfect season read with a pleasant ending that, while not trite, leaves the reader happy.

Overall
I recommend it to lovers of women's fiction, fans of the author, and anyone looking for a happy seasonal read.

Thank you to TLC for including me in the tour.  Click here for a list of other tour stops!