I am sorry for the inconvenience, but I don't have the time to read this book anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

I enjoyed this story about friendships dating back from University days when life was simple, fun and carefree, and moving forwards 20 years to a time of work, mortgages, bills, marriages and children/parents to look after, when life suddenly doesn't seem quite as much fun.

The characters were all well rounded and I enjoyed reading the book from different points of view each chapter and understanding how their lives combined and entwined and how they were still a great supporting friendship for each other and would see each other through everything.

It reminded me a little of the TV series Cold Feet, and I am looking forward to reading more from this Author.

A great story of love, friendship, drama and family. This will have you guessing from the start so be prepared to get comfortable and read this in one sitting. With so many relatable characters there's something to appeal to everyone and it truly does show the power of a lasting friendship.

If I Fall is a complex, character driven novel, that will have you gripped from the minute you start reading it. Sometimes amusing, at times sobering, it explores four characters initially at high school but very quickly fast forwards to the present time to see exactly where they are today. I’ve read Ella Harper’s book – Pieces of You – and so I was happy about the quality of this one before I started reading it. Nevertheless it was even better than I imagined.
Four university friends, four devastating secrets.
I’m really sorry for what I’m about to do…
It’s fifteen years since graduation, and Connie, Jonas, JJ and Layla have managed to remain close despite the odds. They’ve supported each other, but are some things too big for friendship?
Connie is desperate to maintain the veneer of perfect family life.
Jonas is feeling the pressure at work.
Layla’s career is unravelling thanks to her ill mother
JJ’s past is catching up with him.
When they stumble and fall, who will be there to catch them?

You know those stories that have you gripped from the get-go, the ones that you just can't put down until you know what happens? Yeah, that's what this particular novel by Ella Harper is like!

The twists and turns had me completely hooked, and I read this book from start to finish in one day!  With great characters (and one I would dearly love to strangle...read it and you'll know exactly who I mean), and a jam-packed plot, I would recommend this book if you're a fan of authors like Lianne Moriarty and Amanda Prowse.

****stars from me.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

Due to the nature of this I had to stop reading due to personal reasons.

Four friends from university Connie, Jonas, JJ and Layla all promise to be friends for life. Fifteen years on and Connie has given up journalism to look after her family and is married to Jonas a lawyer even though it was JJ that she was in love with at college ....... but are they happy? JJ is a personal trainer, single and living the life.... but is it what he really wants? Layla is a psychotherapist but she had her own problems with a sick mother to look after. They have all met up regularly but it is a superficial friendship with none of them opening up about their problems......... so which one has written the suicide note?

A bit slow to start but once I got into it I couldn't put it down and a book that is well worth persevering with

The book begins with paramedics attending to a casualty in a house. They find a suicide letter addressed to "Dear friends" absolving anyone of feeling guilty about what this person had chosen to do.
We are then introduced to four friends who met up at university, two females and two males. We learn about their university life and how their lives have worked out since then.
Not all of them are happy.
They all have problems and secrets that they don't share with one another. Each are going through a turbulent time in their lives ....and the letter could have been written by any one of them.

Wow! I couldn't put this one down, there was one surprise after another. I love Ella Harper's books, they are never straightforward, she always hits out with that little twist that keeps the pages turning.
A cracking read!

University friends Connie, JJ, Jonas and Layla are each feeling the pressures of life 15 years down the track. Connie, who once dated JJ but is now married to Jonas, has two daughters and has swapped journalism for blogging. Her husband is close to breaking point with his overwhelming workload as a lawyer. Personal trainer JJ is still sleeping around, while Layla, a therapist, is having to face up to the fact that her mum has dementia.
Opening with a suicide attempt, the author keeps readers in the dark about which character finally cracks. Told from the viewpoint of each of the four friends, the story deals with a number of raw real-life issues and explores the bonds of friendship when times get tough.

A very clever 'who done it'

From the unsigned suicide note at the beginning of this tale to the denouement at the very and, this book had me enthralled. The four friends whose lives it follows for 15 years, from their university days to their late thirties, are fairly likeable and all have very relatable everyday problems.The clever plot twists and turns in such a way that each of the four has their turn of seemingly being on the verge of suicide...
I was kindly given a free ARCopy from NetGalley/publisher Canelo in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It begins with a suicide attempt, but no names are given at that stage. 4 friends met at university 15 years ago and are still close. However, life is unravelling for each of them. Layla is struggling to cope with her mother who has dementia, JJ is trying to put horrific experiences from his childhood behind him, Jonas is completely stressed out by his high powered job and is taking out his anger on his wife, Connie. I recommend this as a good read. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

The story starts with a suicide letter saying ‘I’m really sorry for what I’m about to do...’. It is unsigned and there are no clues as to who has written the letter. Then four friends are introduced one by one. They met when they were away from home studying and by the time they graduate and leave university they promise that they will look out for each other and stay friends.
Two of the friends Jonas and Connie build a life together and eventually have two daughters. Jonas is a solicitor and Connie writes a Blog after giving up her job in journalism to become a stay-at-home wife and mother. They are happy in their marriage but Jonas is overworking and sleep deprived. Soon things start to go wrong at work. He just can’t bear his bully of a boss and he cannot manage the workload any longer. His life is going seriously wrong.
The third of the friends is still single and recently her mother has sold up and moved in with her so that Layla can look after her. She is unwell and deteriorating. Layla is a counsellor and works from home but the strain in getting to her. She is beginning to feel as though life has passed her by and is swamped by regrets.
Handsome JJ is the fourth friend. He is a personal fitness trainer living the life of Riley. He lives alone and has many friends. But now, after 15 years his lifestyle feels so shallow and false and he, too feels jaded. He feels that it is perhaps time for him to settle down.
The four friends still meet up regularly and text or phone each other but each of them gloss over their problems, unwilling to admit to their worries or reach out for help. If they had all been honest and up-front with their friends, perhaps this terrible thing would not have happened. But we’ll never know now.
‘If I Fall’ is an absorbing story about what happens when the pressure just gets too much. It’s about relationships, friendships, secrets, love, loss and loyalty. It is beautifully written, full of emotional issues and totally addictive. I really loved the storyline and the structure of the novel. Each character tells their own story and often the different stories merge and impact upon each other. The characters are very interesting in their diversity and totally realistic as they are battered by everyday modern-day life.
I would like to thank NetGalley and publisher Canelo for my copy of this novel, sent to me in return for an honest review. I loved reading this novel and its message will stay with me well into the future. This is an excellent read and I’m awarding it 4.5*.

I received a digital ARC of this book from #NetGalley for an honest review. This was the first time I have come across anything by Ella Harper and I am very impressed. I will definitely be looking to read more of her work if this is anything to go by! The cover of this book makes it seem like it will be a light hearted book - let me tell you now, it's not. This is definitely one of those books where you need to invest some time and sit and read for an hour of so at a time. If you try dipping in and out, reading a chapter a night, you will easily get confused over what is happening to each character and how it all fits together.

Numerous difficult and challenging themes are addressed in this book, including suicide, dementia, sexual abuse and domestic violence. Layla's story of her mum really got to me, as someone who's had personal experience of a family member with dementia. It really resonated with me and was portrayed very well I feel, so I applaud Ella Harper for that.

The book starts with a suicide note so all the way through you are trying to work out who wrote it. The entire way through the book I still hadn't worked it out; it could have been any of the 4 friends as they all face difficulties in their lives and reach their own low points, where they feel desperate and alone. They all had issues and secrets to deal with, and were all struggling. It kept me guessing right until it was revealed. The epilogue wraps the whole story up nicely and updates the reader on events over the six months since the suicide note was found.

#IfIFall is a very intense and emotional book to read, but it is one that will stay with me for a long time to come, and one I will definitely be recommending.

I finished this book a couple of days ago and didn't write the review straight away, and when I came to write it I had to flick back through the book to refresh my memory - that pretty much sums the impact that 'If I Fall' had on me!

The book starts off with several characters, which took me several chapters to get my head round. I'd much rather the characters are introduced more gradually to allow you time to work out what on earth is going on, rather than having to refresh the plot every time you pick up the book to read a new chapter.

On the whole I think this is supposed to be a heart-warming book about friendships and relationships, showing that although we all experience the trials and tribulations of everyday life, at the end of the day there is always someone to catch us as we fall. All very sickeningly sweet, but unfortunately I don't think the idea was executed very well. The plot was dull, and I didn't feel truly invested in any of the characters, with none of them particularly likable. Each of the characters has their own issues and obstacles in finding their happiness, and it was cleverly told in terms of the way the characters' stories all linked together. However, the ending was very rushed and it felt like the author had a word limit, found they were quickly approaching it, and then attempted to tie up all of the loose ends.

The writing was of a high quality, but the plot was not executed as well as I'd hoped.

*Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

The book tells the story of four friends, who were best friends at uni. Now, 15 years later things have changed and life has caught up with them.

Connie struggles to keep her family together, her husband Jonas has a lot of pressure at work and things are not easy. Their marriage is in a bad place. JJ is a personal trainer and seems to have it all, but his past comes back to haunt him. Layla struggles with work and then there is also her mother.

All for of them are under a lot of pressure and they have to find a way to deal with it all.

The book is full of surprises, intensity and emotions. It covers love, family and friendship. Ella Harper includes difficult topics in this book and there is a lot of drama included.

The ending of the book was a bit too rushed for me and the storyline had different dynamics, which stopped the flow.

Sobering, compelling, and incredibly intense!

If I Fall is a complex, character-driven novel that delves into how much friendships can define us and highlights how secrets, lies, and unspoken words can emotionally and psychologically impact them.

The writing is somber and raw. The characters are multifaceted, desperate, and broken. And the plot, using multiple perspectives, is an engaging, edgy tale about life, loss, love, heartbreak, deception, jealousy, abuse, friendship, and family.

If I Fall is truly a poignant novel that reminds us that life is unpredictable and full of ups and downs and true friends are those who are there not only in the good times, but more importantly during the hard ones.

A book that starts with a suicide note is always going to grab your attention, and If I Fall is no different.
 
4 friends, 4 interlocking lives. Connie, Jonas, JJ and Layla were best friends at University. JJ and Connie were an item, but after an abrupt ending to their romantic relationship, they both moved on and Jonas, who had always had a thing for Connie, got his girl. Fast forward 15 years or so and the four are still in touch. Connie & Jonas are married with two daughters. Layla has become a psychotherapist and is dealing with her aged Mum who is exhibiting signs of early-onset dementia, and JJ is a good-time-guy, a healthy living personal trainer who quite often likes to take his work home with him…especially if they leave without a fuss in the morning.
 
Through the different narratives, we learn about these four very different people and the web of deceit that is woven through their lives. It shows how the irrepressible confidence and ambition of youth can slowly dissipate without anyone really noticing. One day you have the world at your feet, the next you're wondering where the time went.  They've all got their problems which are growing by the day, and we are left to wonder which one of them it is that is going to fall, and when they do, if anyone will catch them.
 
In 'If I fall' Ella Harper has concocted a really interesting set of characters with intricate and difficult relationships with each other and the outside world. You build a relationship with each of the characters, although some are easier to like than others. The futility of lying to yourself is exposed - it never lasts forever. Added to the detailed character building, there are a couple of jaw dropping and raw moments which are always good to come across unexpectedly. The narrative flow felt a little stilted at times when switching back and forth between characters but that's often the case with multiple viewpoints and it didn't stop me easily following what was going on.
 
I really enjoyed getting to know Connie, Jonas, JJ and Layla and I think that fans of Lianne Moriarty & Amanda Prowse will really enjoy this book.

I'm not sure why, but when I first picked up this book, I was expecting it to be full of romance and lightness. Well there is romance, for sure, but the happy, light tone isn't there- it is much more complicated than that. That's not to say that there are no happy and light parts in the book, there certainly are, but there are some heavy themes dealt with: violence, abuse, both mental and physical, dementia, changing relationships.

This book belongs to four people who were students together and their lives fifteen years later. They're all great creations. I was equally interested in all their stories. You are told from the beginning that something terrible has happened to one of them. As becomes clear as the story unfolds, it could be any of the four. I didn't guess until it was unveiled.

Loyalty and friendship are put under the microscope. Duty to family members and years invested in relationships are shown to affect them. The surface that they present to the world hides dark secrets which they cannot all admit until they are overwhelmed. Will they be there for each other as they promised when young? Read it and find out!

In short: an arresting story of the bonds of friendship, put under the pressure of real life.
Thanks to the author for a copy of the book.

I really enjoyed this book, it was quite different to the books I have been reading lately (mainly crime fiction) so it was a really nice change to pick up a different genre.

The book follows four characters and each of them has a personal secret – we get to see the impact of the secrets on their personal lives, work life balance, friendships and relationships.

It is really well written and whilst it isn’t one I would necessarily pick up straight away I am really glad that I did as I thoroughly enjoyed reading it – four stars from me for this one!