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The Vert Series #3
Dropping In
Malcolm Brady thought breaking his leg was the worst thing that could happen…until he saw who was waiting for him at the airport.
Almost six years ago, Malcolm walked away from the love of his life, because she was too young, and he was too scared. But no matter how much distance he put between them, Malcolm could never convince his heart that he had done the right thing. When an accident sidelines him from his professional skate career, it’s Nala waiting for him at the airport. It only takes one look for all of the feelings he’s kept locked away to break free, and suddenly, Malcolm has a new mission: to show Nala Jansen exactly how much he loves her.
Nala fell in love with Malcolm Brady before her young heart really understood what love was. Even when he left her to become a professional skater, she never stopped loving him, never stopped wanting him. And she told him one night—just like that. I love you. Instead of saying the words back, he walked away, and Nala started on a course that would forever change her life.
Now, almost six years after her bold confession and his rejection, they are thrust together, making memories from the past unavoidable, especially when new feelings bloom. Except, Nala won’t share everything from their time apart, and Malcolm won’t accept anything less.
When emotions are high, and truths come to light, the lovers have to decide if their future is strong enough to withstand their past.
Almost six years ago, Malcolm walked away from the love of his life, because she was too young, and he was too scared. But no matter how much distance he put between them, Malcolm could never convince his heart that he had done the right thing. When an accident sidelines him from his professional skate career, it’s Nala waiting for him at the airport. It only takes one look for all of the feelings he’s kept locked away to break free, and suddenly, Malcolm has a new mission: to show Nala Jansen exactly how much he loves her.
Nala fell in love with Malcolm Brady before her young heart really understood what love was. Even when he left her to become a professional skater, she never stopped loving him, never stopped wanting him. And she told him one night—just like that. I love you. Instead of saying the words back, he walked away, and Nala started on a course that would forever change her life.
Now, almost six years after her bold confession and his rejection, they are thrust together, making memories from the past unavoidable, especially when new feelings bloom. Except, Nala won’t share everything from their time apart, and Malcolm won’t accept anything less.
When emotions are high, and truths come to light, the lovers have to decide if their future is strong enough to withstand their past.
- GenresContemporary
359 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2016
About the author
Kristen Kehoe
14 books149 followersI am the youngest of three daughters and I think this is the reason I enjoy writing about love so much.
I come from a family of high school sweethearts, save myself (thank God), and I have watched how finding love, the real kind, can make a person stronger. My parents have inspired me every day because they found each other at eighteen, got married at nineteen, and never looked back. Now, 35 years later they are still going strong and it makes me realize that love really does aide us in all things.
I write young and new adult books because I think it's the time period in our lives that is the most difficult and I enjoy love stories because we all need hope. Reading about love gives me hope, so I hope my writings about love do the same for any reader who happens to glance at the pages.
I have a daughter, a Great Dane, and a beautiful husband. I love books, coffee, and my family...and shoes. Just saying.
I come from a family of high school sweethearts, save myself (thank God), and I have watched how finding love, the real kind, can make a person stronger. My parents have inspired me every day because they found each other at eighteen, got married at nineteen, and never looked back. Now, 35 years later they are still going strong and it makes me realize that love really does aide us in all things.
I write young and new adult books because I think it's the time period in our lives that is the most difficult and I enjoy love stories because we all need hope. Reading about love gives me hope, so I hope my writings about love do the same for any reader who happens to glance at the pages.
I have a daughter, a Great Dane, and a beautiful husband. I love books, coffee, and my family...and shoes. Just saying.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 31, 2016
I've been dying to get my hands on this book, the third in the Vert series. I loved both books #1 and #2 but I just knew that I was going to love Mal's story even more.
It's not essential but I highly recommend that you read this series in order. There's mention of all the characters in each others' books and the first two books are great and well worth reading in their own right but it's the build up, the tension that carried through so perfectly into this book.
Mal is shaped by his past. He's fiercely loyal, protective and although he's successful in his career, he know that he lost his heart a long time ago. Is there anything he can do to right his mistakes or will he makes things even worse? The journey that Mal and Nala take is spellbinding. It's emotional, tragic and uplifting. The lack of self-worth and the scars that run deep tear at your heart.
This book is beautifully written and this series just seems to get better and better. It's hard but I've got to admit that this was my favourite book.
I can't recommend this series highly enough - you won't regret it!
It's not essential but I highly recommend that you read this series in order. There's mention of all the characters in each others' books and the first two books are great and well worth reading in their own right but it's the build up, the tension that carried through so perfectly into this book.
Mal is shaped by his past. He's fiercely loyal, protective and although he's successful in his career, he know that he lost his heart a long time ago. Is there anything he can do to right his mistakes or will he makes things even worse? The journey that Mal and Nala take is spellbinding. It's emotional, tragic and uplifting. The lack of self-worth and the scars that run deep tear at your heart.
This book is beautifully written and this series just seems to get better and better. It's hard but I've got to admit that this was my favourite book.
I can't recommend this series highly enough - you won't regret it!
August 14, 2016
I'm trying to think of the words to describe how much this book made me feel. I loved Brooks' and Hunter's stories, but I always knew that I would LOVE Mal's. Kristen didn't disappoint with this story. Love, heartbreak, uncertainty, and regret.
My heart broke with Nala's story and it broke with Malcolm. Kristen writes real life situations that you can't help but feel deep to your bones.
Love and loss hit us all and we stumble along to find the way to make it through. We watch Nala and Mal stumble and try to survive. Their love for each other never died and that's what made it so hard to not root for them.
Their are tears and laughs, family and friends who are like family. You won't go wrong by picking up this book. If you haven't read the first two, I suggest you do it today. It will be worth it.
My heart broke with Nala's story and it broke with Malcolm. Kristen writes real life situations that you can't help but feel deep to your bones.
Love and loss hit us all and we stumble along to find the way to make it through. We watch Nala and Mal stumble and try to survive. Their love for each other never died and that's what made it so hard to not root for them.
Their are tears and laughs, family and friends who are like family. You won't go wrong by picking up this book. If you haven't read the first two, I suggest you do it today. It will be worth it.
August 29, 2016
6 Stars!
To say I had been waiting on pins and needles for this book would be an understatement.
Expectations EXCEEDED.
Let's take a second to rewind back to when I fell in love with this series. It all started with VERTICAL LINES. In the pages of that very first book I fell in love with Nala and Mal, and this book... their story... reminded me of all the reasons why and gave me dozens more.
This is one of the absolute best second chance love stories I've read.
Because of their unique circle of friends, these two haven't had years of total separation before being thrust together. Instead it explores a relationship that started off as friends with the spark of belonging way earlier. And it continues as that same friendship struggles to keep that undeniable pull between the both of them. Because of the interconnected story lines and characters, it takes zero time to get the angst going. I had highlighted about a dozen passages paragraphs in the very first few pages that got my emotions going on high. I knew then that I was in for an unforgettable ride with them...
Continuing the beautiful theme of friendship and family, Dropping In is full of a reality that has moments of pain that only highlight the strength and beauty of this group's bond. But front and center we get Mal and Nala.
It's quite impossible not to root for these two.
Especially Nala. Gosh I love this girl to pieces. She is uniquely herself, beautiful in every way inside and out; but more than that she is so incredibly strong. Her character growth is remarkable as we get glimpses of her as a vulnerable girl to a young woman who finds strength in understanding forgiveness.
Her personal life story has chapters that are so poignant it's palpable.
I love her. I want her to be one of my best friends.
And then there's Malcolm.
Can I claim him as mine? Pretty please. I'm sure Brooks won't mind (too much).
I love them dark and broody.
But I love them more when they have a soft squishy heart at the center and from page one Mal is baring his heart for me Nala all over the pages and filling me with the uncontrollable urge to want to hug him. We get to pull back the layers and peek into his childhood and get a full and heartbreaking understanding of every scar he has carried into adulthood. And you are left just wanting to kiss him and make it all better.
This is yet another book in this series I could go on and on and on about. Upon finishing it I was left with no words... just a heart that overflowed with feelings. A tinge of sadness that it was over had me ready to go back to the beginning and read it all over again, a little bit slower, soaking in every interaction, every bit of love from the pages.
I said it before but I'm going to say it again. This series is a stand out. Kristin Kehoe crafted some absolutely amazing characters. Three very unique yet equally drool worthy book boyfriends that meet their match in outstanding, strong, independent, and free standing heroines. The friendship between Jordan and Nala (one of my favorite sub-plots in Dropping In) is a perfect example of my two favorites kick butt ladies doing what they do best.
I'm going to wrap this review up because I could stay up here talking about this one for a whole lot longer. So instead, grab the book and read it for yourself so we can dish about it together!
This book is getting my stamp of prime book boyfriend material AND a book bestie nomination... oh and it's also getting 6 Stars!
I'll be over here holding out hope for another book or a spinoff *coughFELIPEorVALENTINAcough*
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
To say I had been waiting on pins and needles for this book would be an understatement.
Expectations EXCEEDED.
Let's take a second to rewind back to when I fell in love with this series. It all started with VERTICAL LINES. In the pages of that very first book I fell in love with Nala and Mal, and this book... their story... reminded me of all the reasons why and gave me dozens more.
This is one of the absolute best second chance love stories I've read.
Because of their unique circle of friends, these two haven't had years of total separation before being thrust together. Instead it explores a relationship that started off as friends with the spark of belonging way earlier. And it continues as that same friendship struggles to keep that undeniable pull between the both of them. Because of the interconnected story lines and characters, it takes zero time to get the angst going. I had highlighted about a dozen passages paragraphs in the very first few pages that got my emotions going on high. I knew then that I was in for an unforgettable ride with them...
Continuing the beautiful theme of friendship and family, Dropping In is full of a reality that has moments of pain that only highlight the strength and beauty of this group's bond. But front and center we get Mal and Nala.
It's quite impossible not to root for these two.
Especially Nala. Gosh I love this girl to pieces. She is uniquely herself, beautiful in every way inside and out; but more than that she is so incredibly strong. Her character growth is remarkable as we get glimpses of her as a vulnerable girl to a young woman who finds strength in understanding forgiveness.
Her personal life story has chapters that are so poignant it's palpable.
I love her. I want her to be one of my best friends.
And then there's Malcolm.
Can I claim him as mine? Pretty please. I'm sure Brooks won't mind (too much).
I love them dark and broody.
But I love them more when they have a soft squishy heart at the center and from page one Mal is baring his heart for me Nala all over the pages and filling me with the uncontrollable urge to want to hug him. We get to pull back the layers and peek into his childhood and get a full and heartbreaking understanding of every scar he has carried into adulthood. And you are left just wanting to kiss him and make it all better.
This is yet another book in this series I could go on and on and on about. Upon finishing it I was left with no words... just a heart that overflowed with feelings. A tinge of sadness that it was over had me ready to go back to the beginning and read it all over again, a little bit slower, soaking in every interaction, every bit of love from the pages.
I said it before but I'm going to say it again. This series is a stand out. Kristin Kehoe crafted some absolutely amazing characters. Three very unique yet equally drool worthy book boyfriends that meet their match in outstanding, strong, independent, and free standing heroines. The friendship between Jordan and Nala (one of my favorite sub-plots in Dropping In) is a perfect example of my two favorites kick butt ladies doing what they do best.
I'm going to wrap this review up because I could stay up here talking about this one for a whole lot longer. So instead, grab the book and read it for yourself so we can dish about it together!
This book is getting my stamp of prime book boyfriend material AND a book bestie nomination... oh and it's also getting 6 Stars!
I'll be over here holding out hope for another book or a spinoff *coughFELIPEorVALENTINAcough*
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 7, 2016
**ARC provided by Tour host in exchange for an honest review**
Dropping In was heartbreakingly beautiful. Malcolm and Nala’s story pulled my heart strings from the beginning. They me teary after just a few chapters, for all the things they both went through. They were two beautiful people that belonged together, being apart kept them both at a standstill. They were each other’s other half, without the other, they were lost. Their childhood friendship was sweet and cute, but age kept them apart. While being apart Nala’s life spiraled out of the control, while Malcolm became successful at what he was good at. When they found each other again, it gave them their second chance. Their journey back into each others arms was hard and sad, but all the pain and suffering were worth it in the end. Beautiful ending, I can’t wait to read more.
Dropping In was heartbreakingly beautiful. Malcolm and Nala’s story pulled my heart strings from the beginning. They me teary after just a few chapters, for all the things they both went through. They were two beautiful people that belonged together, being apart kept them both at a standstill. They were each other’s other half, without the other, they were lost. Their childhood friendship was sweet and cute, but age kept them apart. While being apart Nala’s life spiraled out of the control, while Malcolm became successful at what he was good at. When they found each other again, it gave them their second chance. Their journey back into each others arms was hard and sad, but all the pain and suffering were worth it in the end. Beautiful ending, I can’t wait to read more.
September 23, 2016
Beautiful, empowering story
I have really loved this series. I so enjoy series with interconnecting characters. And when those characters are deep, real, and relatable...it's even better. Kristen Kehoe's characters are all these things. On top of all that, she tackles some difficult subjects in a most effective way. This story in particular deals with deals with two types of abuse and the repercussions of that abuse. I think she dealt with these beautifully. It was painful to experience with the characters, but it left me feeling empowered. The way the characters deal, the beliefs they come to have were really powerful, and will stick with me for a long time. Lots of highlighted passages in this book for me. Such a beautiful, empowering love story!
I have really loved this series. I so enjoy series with interconnecting characters. And when those characters are deep, real, and relatable...it's even better. Kristen Kehoe's characters are all these things. On top of all that, she tackles some difficult subjects in a most effective way. This story in particular deals with deals with two types of abuse and the repercussions of that abuse. I think she dealt with these beautifully. It was painful to experience with the characters, but it left me feeling empowered. The way the characters deal, the beliefs they come to have were really powerful, and will stick with me for a long time. Lots of highlighted passages in this book for me. Such a beautiful, empowering love story!
August 31, 2016
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September 2, 2016
5 high flying Stars
"Scars aren't things to be ashamed of, they show us what we've overcome."
Strap in, this might be a tad longer than average but I've spent all day trying to describe the emotions this book twisted from my soul and I'm still all out to sea. (Pun intended) Firstly, it's important to note that (somehow) I didn't realize this was the 3rd book in the series. While you can read this as a standalone, to truly be impacted by the incredible family these friends have built, read books 1 & 2 first. This is an error I'm remedying right now!!
I love books where the characters feel like real people, where their struggles don't seem fabricated for fiction. In this book, the characters are genuine and their obstacles are large, not mere pebbles in a shoe quickly remedied for the required happily ever after but rather daily boulders they battle to move on their road to happiness.
"I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become." Malcolm and Nala know this well both coming from places of hardship. Mal contends with abuse, neglect and abandonment that act as the ever present voice in his head telling him he'll never be good enough for the girl he's been in love with since she was 12. Nala deals with her own struggles from her youth and these two become unlikely confidantes and the angst filled love roller coaster takes off. (You learn much of their story in the earlier books.)
When Mal breaks her heart and suddenly leaves, Nala is thrust into situations she's unprepared for that holds lifelong ramifications. I LOVE how the author deals with these life-altering situations. She beautifully and effortlessly introduces various forms of therapy, complete with group settings, travel, giving back to the community and mastery of the things outside our sphere of control. Oh, and the crash of the waves. My personal opinion is that very little in life is not made infinitely better by salt water, whether administered in the form of cathartic tears with amazing friends, a salted margarita or the ocean.
This is an extraordinary tale of second chance romance and the restoration that takes place when we stop blaming our circumstances and decide to take control of our lives, to transform our old selves into the person we desire to become. Mal and Nala are stand out characters and it's unlikely I'll ever forget the way they made me feel.
I'll be honest when I started the book, I didn't even know what a "vert" was (lol) but it didn't matter, this masterful novel ripped my heart out, scattered it's parts on the waves and only brought the very best pieces! Get this book TODAY!
AnnMarie - Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
"Scars aren't things to be ashamed of, they show us what we've overcome."
Strap in, this might be a tad longer than average but I've spent all day trying to describe the emotions this book twisted from my soul and I'm still all out to sea. (Pun intended) Firstly, it's important to note that (somehow) I didn't realize this was the 3rd book in the series. While you can read this as a standalone, to truly be impacted by the incredible family these friends have built, read books 1 & 2 first. This is an error I'm remedying right now!!
I love books where the characters feel like real people, where their struggles don't seem fabricated for fiction. In this book, the characters are genuine and their obstacles are large, not mere pebbles in a shoe quickly remedied for the required happily ever after but rather daily boulders they battle to move on their road to happiness.
"I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become." Malcolm and Nala know this well both coming from places of hardship. Mal contends with abuse, neglect and abandonment that act as the ever present voice in his head telling him he'll never be good enough for the girl he's been in love with since she was 12. Nala deals with her own struggles from her youth and these two become unlikely confidantes and the angst filled love roller coaster takes off. (You learn much of their story in the earlier books.)
When Mal breaks her heart and suddenly leaves, Nala is thrust into situations she's unprepared for that holds lifelong ramifications. I LOVE how the author deals with these life-altering situations. She beautifully and effortlessly introduces various forms of therapy, complete with group settings, travel, giving back to the community and mastery of the things outside our sphere of control. Oh, and the crash of the waves. My personal opinion is that very little in life is not made infinitely better by salt water, whether administered in the form of cathartic tears with amazing friends, a salted margarita or the ocean.
This is an extraordinary tale of second chance romance and the restoration that takes place when we stop blaming our circumstances and decide to take control of our lives, to transform our old selves into the person we desire to become. Mal and Nala are stand out characters and it's unlikely I'll ever forget the way they made me feel.
I'll be honest when I started the book, I didn't even know what a "vert" was (lol) but it didn't matter, this masterful novel ripped my heart out, scattered it's parts on the waves and only brought the very best pieces! Get this book TODAY!
AnnMarie - Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews