Author: K. A. Last
Series: The Tate Chronicles (1)
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: 17 January 2013
Date Read: February 2013
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
“Angels aren’t supposed to fall in love, especially with each other. But for the record, you were worth it.”
Grace Tate is a Protection Angel and Vampire Hunter, and she has always followed the rules. But some rules are made to be broken…
Until now the fight against evil has been simple, and falling in love was never part of the plan. So what happens when it’s beyond Grace’s control, and when she least expects it she falls for the wrong person?
All hell breaks loose, that’s what.
At Hopetown Valley High, not everything is as it seems, and the one person Grace thought was her enemy becomes her most important ally.
Blood will be shed, lives will be lost and friendships will be tested. It all comes down to one decision, and when Grace tries to save all those dear to her, she realises not everyone can be—or wants to be—saved.
This review will contain spoilers.
I don't enjoy writing bad reviews. While in some ways they are easier to write, in others they are much harder. I find it kinda depressing. No one wants to encounter something they don't like. And while it may seem like I am enjoying myself, being snarky or mean in my review, I am truly not. It is the only way I, as a reviewer but most importantly a reader, can let out all the pain and disappointment I harboured during this reading experience.
The writing is mediocre, at best. The story is told through Josh and Grace's changing point of views. I almost always forgot whose perspective I was reading. There wasn't much difference in their voices and the only way I could determine who was narrating was the pronouns used. What's more, every time the pov changed, she'd start it off a couple of hours, or a few moments before the previous pov ended. I had to time travel back in time to reacquaint myself with not only a different perspective, but also a different time. I don't know why Last decided to do this. It was annoying, it ruined the pace and removed the reader from the moment. The thought that this apparently had all happened within the time frame of one week just makes it all the more ridiculous.
So vampires and angels, huh? Unusual pairing but certainly not unheard of. Ok, so what's the story, then, book?
Book: Well, there are good angels sent down to Earth to fight and kill vampires. The Fallen angels are also down on Earth but they're Team Vampire.
Is that it? No interesting backstory?
Book: No.
Oh. Ok. So what about that whole Blaze species thing? Vampires who's got nearly pure souls, who are good. What's the deal with them?
Book: I'll tell you later. It's a mystery.
How later? Is it later now?
Book: No. I can't tell you now. Its mystery is basically the only thing moving the story forward.
Mystery and twists and whatnot, I suppose then. But, be honest, it'll be a good reveal right?
Book: Lol what. No. I never said that.
The Blaze are a species of vampires, ones who's got pure, white souls when they should have none. The subject of their origin kept being pushed under the rug and I'm all for a bit of mystery but I swear it wasn't until ten pages left when they finally revealed what exactly is the deal with the Blaze. The blood flowing in their veins gives them supercreature strengths and they can stand out in the sun without self-combusting. This makes their blood very sought after by normal vampires. Charlotte turns up at Hopetown Valley High and Grace and Archer immediately trust everything she says. In all of Grace's six generation experiences she's never even heard of Blaze, no one has told her anything about this vampire species but she's totally on board with helping Charlotte, without a doubt, without questioning what motives Charlotte might have. She basically Fell and broke all angel rules for Charlotte like one day after meeting her.
With the prologue, we find out that an angel fell in love with Grace and that's against the rules, so he chose to fall. He's rather be Fallen than not be with Grace, which makes no sense because either way he can't be with her and at least when he's not Fallen, he still gets to spend time with her. But, no. He's stuck on Earth to spend all eternity, so very anguished that he'll never see Grace ever again. I'm sure you have some ideas about the future of the Fallen angel and I will tell you right now, you are correct.
But whatever. So years past and Grace gets a mission to be sent down to Earth to rid the world of vampires. She gets born into the Tate family line as one half of a twin, born and reborn into the family for generations, fighting hard alongside her sibling. Why is the Tate family so special that they get this responsibility?
Grace is an annoying, lovesick heroine who's too innocent and naive for her own good. She's one hell of a cryer. She cried all the time. I'm worried about her decision making skills, as well. She's brash and doesn't even figure in consequences or logic when she's making decisions. She's supposed to have the wisdom of an angel, plus the knowledge of having experienced six generations as a human here on Earth. But her voice is so immature and undeveloped. If I hadn't known she's been here for six generations, I would think she's 14/15 years old. Her wants and desires change faster than the weather here in New Zealand. Sometimes, we have four seasons in one day in NZ, rapidly changing from one to the other. She can't live without one guy one moment, then the next, she's all but banished him away and latched herself onto another guy.
I expected Fall For Me to be heavily dominated by romance and I can live with that. I was ok with it. What I was not ok with, is the stupid insta-love, the eye-rolling cheesy romance and the pathetic excuse for a love triangle this book have. Triple whammy. Grace and Josh have been secretly pining for each other since the seventh grade but neither did anything about their feelings because both thought they weren't good enough for the other. Years past, they belong in different cliques and Josh has a girlfriend.
But at the start of the school year, he breaks up with his girlfriend and yay! Isn't that convenient?Josh and Grace's love can finally develop! Whoop-de-doo.
But, Katrina, technically, if they had a crush on each other since seventh grade then that's not insta-love, is it now?
Oh, don't give me that crap. As far as I'm concerned, Grace goes to school, crosses paths with Josh, then BAM, suddenly they've kissed, are going out and proclaimed their love for each other not two hours after Josh very publicly broke up with his girlfriend of three years, or something. Do not tell me its not insta-love. And remember the Fallen angel from the beginning? Well, if you had guessed that he would be in Grace's human life, being miserable to her when he's still in love with her and Grace just kinda clueless to it all, but also, secretly in love with him deep, deep down, then...
That gif sums it up pretty well, I think.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Title: Fall For Me
"Our conversations never really consisted of more than two words. ‘Hi Josh’ was pretty much the extent of it."
"You’re so beautiful, you glow,” I said, closing the gap between us.
