I love books about patch-work families. I think the idea of a happily ever after not only for the adults but for the kids as well is so heart-warming.

Falling Hard by Pamela Clare was not my first book by this author, but it's my first book since I've read her (I-Team, #1) series. And to my shame I forgot how much I liked her writing.

On a snowy night Ellie Meeks and her almost three year old twins needed a hero and Jesse Moretti was willing to fill that role. He had know idea that it would envoke feelings in him that he had never felt before.

Jesse wasn't a relationship kind of guy. He was outdoorsy, liked his extreme sports, he was a former marine, and a mountain rescue team member. He never thought about kids, or having a steady relationship. Meeting Ellie and her twins on that fateful evening, changed his perspective. It didn't happen overnight, but gradually he realized he liked to be around them, he needed more.

After her husbands death more than three years ago, Ellie had only her kids on her mind. There was no time nor desire to be with another man - until she met Jesse.

He was tall, muscular, and tattooed.
Good-looking, ripped and just the total package.
And he was the first guy that spoke to her intimately.

As it turned out they were neighbors, and that snowy night broke down walls and consequently opened a path to something Jesse didn't think was possible.

A family, love, and belonging to someone.

Jesse and Ellie took it slow. Both had fulfilling and sometimes heart-breaking jobs. Good days as well as bad days were common for both of them. But they loved their professions and they found time to meet in the evening to "talk" but kept it on the low.

They didn't care who know, they just took it slow.

Jesse was such an amazing character. He was dependable, supportive, genuinely kind but a bit damaged as well. He carried with him a case of survivor guilt that made him wake up in cold sweat. Ellie was perfect for him. She was such a strong women, kind, compassionate, but a bit afraid of letting go and moving on.

The last 20% of the book were heart-wrenching. I felt every up and down, the fears as well as the hopes - it was an emotional rollercoaster ride. Nothing in this book was predictable. It kept me engaged and emotionally connected to all of the characters but especially to Ellie and Jesse.

The fantasy scene was making me smile so HARD. ♥♥♥♥♥♥

I truly forgot how wonderful Pamela Clare's books were. Falling Hard was fast paced and had amazing characters that were complex, interesting and genuine. The author kept the developing relationship natural and consequently never felt rushed or disconnected. All in all Falling Hard was a very satisfying read. I'm looking forward reading more in this series.

The only complaint I have is that I just wish they would stop those cheesy covers. I'm so tired of seeing those bulky tattooed muscles.


I will be posting this review on March 5th 2017, on my blog and all other platforms.

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Loved this book. Made me want to pack my bags for Colorado.
Seriously this book pretty much covered it all. We have Ellie, a military widow, living on her own complete with twins whose father died in Iraq while she was pregnant. She's an RN at the local small town hospital, she returns to her hometown after her husband dies. It's been 3 years. Jesse is a retired Army Ranger, on the ski patrol and search and rescue team. He recently lost a young girl in a drowning rescue that haunts him and had him temporarily sidelined from work for a short period. He's got a great therapist who also counsels the whole team. He lives behind Ellie in a small cabin.
Interesting she really didn't even realize it.

They meet one day in the grocery when both twins are sick, Daisy and Daniel.... the highlight of the story I might add. Jesse helps her home and gets the children settled for her after her car doesn't start. Ellie's sister Claire urges her to move on especially when she gets wind of the handsome neighbor/helper and Ellie just downplays it. Ellie's a bit reluctant to get involved first of all and second with someone who's job entails taking major risks. She's been there.

It's great to watch their friendship unfold. The first kiss, which Jesse then runs like his pants are on fire from. Jesse bothered me with his hot and cold behavior. At the least he did seek therapy after his nightmares returned and he was trying not to ruin his relationship with Ellie. There's a lot going on in this story. It's two people who's life work puts them both front and center with death. Ellie in the ER and Jesse with his jobs.
Jesse hasn't had the best childhood which is what brought him to Colorado after his discharge from the military. Oddly enough the small town boy moves to a small town as a man. No secrets in this town, that's for sure.

Now, brass tacks. I loved the way Pamela plotted this story, from both MC's sides. To include the rescue teams and his work at the ski resort. Both backstories were complete. We see Ellie raising these two little sweet babies who are now 3 on her own, while working and keeping things together. I loved her. Just absolutely loved her. I wanted to box Jesse's ears a few times for the lame crap he pulled, but still he was well done. The inner dialogue was great and I loved how he loved and cared for those twins. Every single member of the team stood out as individuals and Pamela drew you right into the story as if you knew them. I can drone on how great it is... read it!!

This a stellar read and series. One you won't want to miss. Great story Pamela!

**arc from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for a fair review**

I have enjoyed everything about the Colorado High Country series by Pamela Clare; from the setting to the characters. Falling Hard (A Colorado High Country Novel) is another prime example of why I get such pleasure from reading the series.

I admired the main character, Ellie as she goes it alone to raised twins after her military husband’s death. At the same time. I was delighted to see the romance bloom between her and Jesse Moretti, former military now part of the rescue team. There is plenty of rescue action to go along with this romance, with the added plus of the adorable little Daisy and Daniel. Jesse is admirable too as he struggles to overcome his PTSD issues. These are mature individuals who are striving to make a positive difference in life. Just the kind of characters I like to like about with my reading time.

Then the story quickly flows with realistic events and interactions between the characters. I particularly enjoyed seeing how Jesse was learning to relate to the twins. However, not all is cute in this story. The emotional turmoil that the characters work through make this an intense read that comes to a “thumbs Up” form me conclusion. Falling Hard gets my recommendation whole heartily.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley.

Falling Hard is a sweet, sexy and emotionally charged read that I quite enjoyed. I think the author did a great job of balancing the relationship between Ellie and Jesse and Ellie, Jesse and the twins. Although there are still issues that need to be worked on like where Jesse is mentally I found the end o be very satisfying.

If you enjoy Contemporary romance featuring children and an enjoyable storyline I recommend this book.

I don't often read a pure romance novel, but am glad I made the exception for this book. A wonderful story of loss and new love.

OMG my feels! Pamela Clare did it again. I loved Falling Hard. Every single minute of it. Colorado High Country the series has been a total hit for me. I have loved every single book in this series. And while Eric and Victoria are my favorite couple of the series, Jesse and Ellie come in a very close second. This book had everything you could want in a romance. Sexy abs...Check. Sexy fantasy role playing.... Check. Adorable 3 year old twins..... Double Check!

Ellie had a rough past. Her husband died in Iraq when she was 4 months pregnant with their twins. Ellie did her best to raise her babies as a single mom but she hadn't really moved on from losing her beloved husband until she met Jesse. What I really liked was that Ellie loved both her dead husband and Jesse. Sometimes when I read widow books the widow either didn't really love their dead spouse or they loved them so much that the dead spouse is like a ghost that haunts the new relationship making me feel like the new person was second place. In Falling Hard I never felt like Jesse was second but I still felt like Ellie had a real love with her dead husband. A respectable love and then she moved on with an equally strong love for Jesse. It was a nice balance.

Jesse was so sexy and yummy and God I loved him! Former Army Ranger, Rocky mountain search and rescue team member, toddler whisperer, and just all around sexy beast Jesse had it all. I loved the way he was with the twins. I loved how protective he was. He was so heroic always trying to save everyone. Jesse had a rough life and some scars but they just added to his depth and gave him that sexy damage bad boy edge. There was nothing about Jesse I would change!

Jesse and Ellie had an instant strong connection, lots of lust, but their love had a nice build to it. I loved that even though in the start of their relationship he felt a little jealous of Dan(Ellie's dead husband) he never let it show. He didn't act petty or try to replace Dan. Ellie never made me feel like Jesse was second place in her life or the twins. Although I did wish she would have taken off her wedding ring a little sooner. This book brought out a lot of emotions. I could feel Ellie's pain from the lost of her first love. The struggle she had to raise the twins when their dad never even got to meet them. I could feel the guilt Jesse felt when he couldn't save someone. His fear that his baggage would hurt Ellie and the twins. His love for her and the twins. Everything felt raw, real and just jumped off the pages making me tear up a few times. I also really enjoyed getting to catch up with the beloved couples from the past books. Seeing Lexi and Taylor are starting a family, know how strong Vic and Eric's love still is. Overall I loved this book. I love this series and I love me some Pamela Clare. I can't wait to see who's book is next. I am hoping for Chaska Belcourt's book!!!

This is such a beautiful book. I have not read anything by Pamela before, but I was totally blown away with this story.
Jessie & Ellie are both trying to overcome and move on from their pasts. They find themselves attracted to one another, but are a bit hesitant at first to believe that they could actually find love.
These are two brilliantly written characters who are both so well written that it felt like they were actually people I know.
I also liked that Pamela touched on PTSD. Something I think as a society we should all be more aware of.
Thank you so very much Pamela for your wonderful story. I cannot recommend this book enough

As a first time reader of this author I have to say that I was so pleasantly surprised with "Falling Hard". This book absolutely drew me in from the very first few pages and held on tight for the entire ride. I instantly fell in love with Jessie, Ellie and her kids. The chemistry and build between Jessie and Ellie was so well written you could feel every motion that they were going through. The feelings poured out of this book and I went through the full range of emotions from love, loss, lust, forgiveness and acceptance. The love scenes were written with the perfect amount of heat and heart. Jessie's dedication to his career and being the best for Ellie and her kids was so touching and fantastic to watch. After devouring this book in one day all I can say is that I will for sure be looking for more from this author!

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

WARNING!! Kleenex needed. Be sure you have a box handy because you are sure gonna need it. This book touches every emotion and then wrings you out. The writing is nothing less that awesome and you can't help but fall in love with Elle, Jesse, Daniel and Daisy. Especially Daisy. She had me reliving my worst nightmares as a child, as a parent and as a grandparent. Thank God for Guardian Angels. But, this isn't Daisy's story alone. It is the story of a tormented man and a wounded woman who find each other and heal the broken parts with love and support from a wonderful community.

Jesse is a former Ranger from Louisiana who has found a home in Silver Springs, CO. He is a member of the rescue Team, a ski patroller and a demolitions expert. He is also carrying a lot of weight from his failed attempt to rescue a little girl in the last book and from his past. Really heavy load.

Elle is a nurse who lost her husband in combat while pregnant with twins Daniel and Daisy. She works hard and raising twin almost three year olds is a job of its' own. No time for a social life, even if she wanted one, until she meets Jesse. Hot off the charts, kind and a hero, he lights a fire in Elle she thought was out forever.

Both Jesse and Elle have places in their souls that need to be healed and they each have a lot to deal with in order to be able to come to a place where they can freely love each other.

5-I don't even like Romance-Stars

Bring the big box of tissues with you to your favorite reading spot! You will definitely need them, especially at the end. Jesse and Ellie were one of my favorite couples. This story has it all. Chemistry, heartbreak, redemption, and happily ever after.

This one hit all the right buttons for me. Honored war veteran with some emotional troubles, single mom, beautiful setting and of course, fantastic writing once again by this author. Great to see the rest of the TEAM again. Can't wait to see if more of our heroic rescuers get an HEA.

Happy to read this one!

I love Pamela Clare's books. I've read the previous two books in this series and it had me coming back for more. What I really enjoyed about this book is the fact Jesse could admit his feelings. Men don't always do that. And especially when a hero suffers from PTSD making Jesses character that much more special.

Pamela Clare is at it once again with her contemporary romance. Falling Hard is book three in the Colorado High Country Series. And in this book we got to meet Ellie, a widow with two two-year old twins and her neighbor Jesse.
When Ellie gets stranded at the grocery store with her two sick kids Jesse comes to her rescue.
Ellie hasn't moved on since her husband was killed three years ago in Iraq. She's been too busy working as a nurse at the local hospital and taking care of her twins. But something about Jesse allows Ellie to feel again.
Jesse finds himself attracted to Ellie, this is something he's never expected. He doesn't want to be a dad. He doesn't want kids, even if they are cute and he likes their mom.
When tragedy stricken Ellie and Jesse end up turning to one another for support. This leaves Ellie and Jesse reevaluating what they want for their lives.

Ellie Meeks is raising almost 3 year old twins by herself after her husband is killed in combat. She is a nurse. Her parents live nearby and help her by babysitting when she works and any way they can.

Jesse Moretti is ex-military now working ski patrol and volunteering with search and rescue. He has lived in the cabin behind Ellie for the last 2 years without ever making contact. A fluke encounter at the supermarket when Ellie and one of the twins are sick starts it all.

The interaction between these two is very immature for two people who have been through such significant life changing events in their lives. Jesse’s actions do not support the fact he says he doesn’t want a relationship or kids. He actively pursues Ellie and spends time playing and interacting with her kids. Ellie’s conversations with her sister had my eyes rolling. I was shaking my head and rolling my eyes frequently throughout this book.

An excessive amount of time is spent on the dead husband, including the epilogue.

SPOILER:
I have a hard time believing a nurse would expose her daughter, who had been revived from hypothermia only a day or two prior, to freezing temperatures to watch her boyfriend race.

This is my first book by this author and I struggled to finish it. I couldn’t connect to the characters.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley.

Falling Hard by Pamela Clare
Colorado High Country #3

This is a gift to the reader – a heartfelt, tender, temptation of a book that scored high with me. It made me feel, think, hope and care. It had wonderful main and supporting characters. Issues both hero and heroine had to face were real and dealt with in a positive manner. I came away feeling happy that Ellie and Jesse found one another and knew they would make it long term. If given a chance I do believe I would enjoy having them as neighbors and friends.

As for the story…Ellie is the widow of an army pilot who has been busy raising twin toddlers. She is a capable RN, responsible and loving mother and still grieving for her husband. Her parents, sister and community have been there to assist should she need their help but one night when her car won’t start and it is snowing…along comes Jesse Moretti. I am not going to give you a blow by blow account of this book. I will say the story is well-crafted, the plot works, the characters are believable, have substance and grow. I loved the fact that Ellie was real whether at work, with family or in the bedroom. She was honest, caring and kind but also could get angry, express her needs and wasn’t afraid to act on them. I could not put this book down. I have never read anything by this author before but do look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Thank you to the author who provided me with an ARC through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

4.5 Stars

Tissues- lots of tissues! I guess I am a glutton for punishment because I LOVE stories where the widow is raising her children and a hero comes in and loves her and her children amazingly.

Ellie Meeks is a widow raising twins who never got to see their father who was killed in action. Heartbreak! Ellie is an amazing woman written with such strength, love and conviction that you just fall in love with her and Daniel and Daisy.

Jesse Morretti is Ellie's neighbor and has successfully avoided her and her children for 2 years. Why? Jesse knows Ellie is a gold star wife and he can't bare the pain she is going through as he has his own demons dragging him down and can't deal with someone else's.

Fate- or sickness- brings these two together in a neighborly, help each other way. But come on, these two have such sparks and chemistry they cannot stay in the friends zone for long. And they are H-O-T together.

With each dealing with their own troubles, Ellie and Jesse both aren't sure how to navigate what they are feeling or what they want from one another.

Pamela Clare writes an amazing story that delves into the loss of a spouse and dealing with raising his children without him. It is so sweet the interaction of Daisy and Daniel with not only their mama, but with each other and then eventually Jesse. Jesse is dealing with PTSD and loss of rescues he feels he should have made. He is heartbreaking as well.

A twist in the story is terrifying but swiftly resolved and emotionally written. I can say that numerous tears were shed reading this. Loved it!

Falling Hard is the very emotional third romance in the Colorado High Country series written by author Pamela Clare. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Ellie Meeks is the widow of a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, Dan 'Crash' Meeks. He died while she was four months pregnant with their twins Daniel and Daisy. Three years later Ellie is bringing up the twins alone and working as a nurse at the local hospital. One night, when she and Daniel are sick with strep throat, Ellie's car breaks down in the snow and she is rescued by Jesse Moretti.

Jesse is a former Army Ranger. He works at the local ski resort and volunteers with the Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team. He lives close to Ellie but has been avoiding her ever since he moved in two years previously because he is trying to put Iraq and Afghanistan behind him and getting friendly with the Gold Star wife next door and witnessing her grief first hand would be too much for him to deal with. Jesse is also suffering some PTSD after failing to save a little girl who drowned when her mother's car went into the river.

But having successfully missed each other for two years it seems as though fate is putting Jesse and Ellie together. First Jesse rescues Ellie and the twins. Then Jesse catches strep (I love the macho belief that Jesse never gets sick and then he gets infected by kid germs) and Ellie and her father look after him. Ellie is forced to 'volunteer' to run the first-aid tent at the annual SnowFest event by her boss and when Jesse goes to volunteer the first-aid tent is one of the few remaining options.

There is definitely a spark between Jesse and Ellie but is she ready to move on and can he overcome his self doubt and PTSD?

I'm enjoying this series more and more as it progresses. Ellie and Jesse are both caring, protective characters and the way Pamela Clare portrays the difficult subject of dealing with the death of a spouse and moving on is sympathetic but realistic. Ellie isn't some Mary Sue perfect mother, she swears, she cooks boxed mac n cheese for dinner on occasion and whilst three year old twins are always cute, Daniel and Daisy aren't annoyingly precocious. And wow, a military hero with PTSD who actually goes to counselling! Admittedly reluctantly, but Jesse does go.

This is easy to read as a stand-alone although the characters from the other books do make appearances.

Recommended for readers who like military/special-ops romances, small town romances, second chance romances, cute kids and winter sports.

ook 3! Yes, I just had to read more of my Colorado High Country. I loved books 1 & 2- and book 3 didn't disappoint.
This starts out with Ellie & Jesse and their "meet cute". Well not exactly- Ellie and her son have strep throat. Ellie is stranded while trying to get home + it's snowing + juggling her almost 3 y/o twins and her groceries. Jesse comes to the rescue. This is one of the many times that Jesse rescues someone in need. Jesse ends up getting strep throat too, so then it's Ellie's turn to help Jesse.
For the last 3 years, Jesse's belonged to the "Team" -search and rescue in the town of Scarlet Springs, CO. Ellie is an RN, and widowed since she was 6 months pregnant with her twins, Daisy and Daniel (the cutest ever). Ellie had grown up in Scarlet Springs, as had her late husband, Dan, an Army Captain in the Rangers.
Jesse has been renting the cabin that is just up the hill from Ellie's house. Jesse knew about Ellie's husband being killed in Iraq.
Ellie and Jesse have an immediate attraction. This is 3rd person POV so I was like a fly on the wall. Jesse notices her green eyes and blond hair. She noticed his fit body.
Ellie has been working part time so that she can care for her kids while they're so young.
Ellie has a great sister, Claire, who's the funny & feistier of the two- I really liked how Claire encourages Ellie to move on with her life. Ellie's mom watches the twins while Ellie's working part-time at the local hospital.
Ellie and Jesse seem to know many of the same people in town. Jesse has been in Scarlet Springs for 3 years and had quickly adapted to the rocky mountain lifestyle.
Jesse had been traumatized during his time in the Army Rangers. He had acted heroically, but has traumatic memories of his experiences. Jesse and Ellie become friends. Jesse intends to just be friends. He knows that Ellie's a widow. Jesse isn't looking for a relationship or a family.
I love how gradual their relationship grows. Everyone in town makes comments about Ellie dating Jesse.!
Jesse is great with the twins. It's very natural how he starts to enjoy being around Daniel and Daisy. The focus stays on Ellie and Jesse's relationship while they find ways of spending more and more time together.
There were a few conflicts and hazards of the job. Ellie had been steady the entire book. She overreacts (IMO) late in the book. Her sister Claire is the voice of reason. I loved how Claire reassured her and how Ellie tried to make it right.
I loved the Colorado small town setting. Almost of the supporting characters are back.
The love making scenes were steamy. There's a funny scene when Ellie's buying condoms at the store & she runs into her dad (he's a Doctor!)
I enjoyed this one so much. The writing style is right up my alley.
I'm ready for the next one!

loved it. my favorite of the three