Ready To Fall by Daisy Prescott

 When you fall, you fall hard...

Tall, dark, and handsome is an understatement when it comes to John Day. With rugged good looks, his ever present plaid shirt, and a dog named Babe, John is a modern alpha male lumberjack in more ways than one.

Lurking beneath the gruff exterior and beard could be the heart of a romantic. Or is John a wolf in flannel clothing?

After his favorite neighbor rents out her cabin for the winter, John finds himself playing fireman and tour guide to Diane Watson, a beautiful brunette with her own messy past and recent battle scars.

Will he be ready to fall in love? Or will he go back to his old, flirty ways?

Hold onto your heart... and get ready to fall with John Day as he tells his story in this contemporary adult romance/romantic comedy told in male POV.

This is a spin-off from Geoducks Are for Lovers. It isn't necessary to read that novel first

This book had me at “modern alpha male lumberjack”.  I stopped reading the description right there and went for it.  

John is the aforementioned modern alpha male lumberjack (aren’t all Lumberjacks men?  I thought female lumberjacks would be called “lumberjills”…but I digress).  He’s got a beard, rugged good looks and not a mind to become too close or too involved with the ladies.  Enter Diane Weston.  She rents his neighbor’s cabin out and meets John.  The rest, as they say, is history.

This book was just…fun.  It’s funny, witty and not one of those heavily tortured romances.  Both characters have some objections to becoming involved that hinge on past experiences, but at its heart this book remains simple and it does simple with flair. 

I’m really picky about my alpha males, so I always enter an alpha book with a bit of hesitation, but also with hope that it’ll make me happy.  John made me happy.  He’s a big teddy bear in flannel and he does what so many alphas forget to do, which is cherish the object of his affection while he bosses her around.  John is smart and totally loveable, and has just enough alpha to make him sexy and irresistible.  He is a lumberjack after all.  I’d like to climb his tree.

This book is from John’s POV and I thought that was another plus.  I loved his inner monologue and viewpoint, and it was fun to get caught up in his head for a few hours.  The flow and the fun of this book just make it one that is hard to put down until you finish it.  I thought it was great, and I will be reading some more of this author’s work as soon as I can. 4.5 stars. 

"Take off your shirt and give her a show while you do it. She might be anti-love, but no woman is anti-eyecandy."

I had repeatedly heard about this book yet continually put off reading it. I mean how can a lumberjack in flannel and all that face hair be sexy, right? WRONG! I absolutely adored this book and really wish I hadn't put off reading it for so long. We meet John Day, a lumberjack of all things (well he is a logger but half a dozen one, six the other right?) who is in his thirties and has led a single life. He lives in a remote area and keeps to just the islanders and his best friend for the most part. He is content in his life and certainly not exactly ready to settle down. Diane Watson comes to town fresh off of a divorce and rents the cabin next door to his. Coming from a life of privilege, she is ready for some time away to find herself.

"For the time being I want uncomplicated, straightforward interactions. Nothing romantic. Nothing serious. No promises of fairy tales or happily-ever-afters."

"Friends sounded good. Diane fit the mold of one of the summer wives who arrived every Memorial Day, but there was something else about her. Something deeper and maybe wounded tugged at me to be her friend."

Being the nice guy he is, John helps Diane out and they quickly become friends without the expectations of more. I adored watching Diane become a strong, independent woman and their slow blossoming relationship. There was absolutely nothing rushed about it and I enjoyed the anticipation of if/when it would happen. I found myself laughing quite a bit in this book and highlighted way more than I normally do in any book so I could go back and relive moments in the book at a glance. I really enjoyed reading about more mature adults also. Definitely a nice change of pace. Was this book really predictable? YES. Was it cliche? YES. Did that take away ONE SECOND of my enjoyment? Absolutely fricking not. I immediately went and purchased Geoducks are for Lovers also by Daisy Prescott and cannot wait to dive into this one. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance with a sense of humor and is maybe looking for more mature characters in their book.

"Everything that followed after was easy. Falling was impossibly easy, like floating in salt water. I gave into it and fell. But I never once believed I would sink."