Fallen

by P J Fox

[stacey_is_sassy]

The frustrations were worth it in the end.

Now, I could easily write a review about Fallen and leave it at that, but there was a little more work involved than just sending my ARC to my kindle. I’d seen this story on a friend requests timeline and it caught my eye. I can’t remember if it was the review or the cover, but something definitely made me stop and take a gander. When I saw that it was on Netgalley, I decided to request it and lucky for me I got it. So, keen to get my copy, I hit the send to kindle and waited for it to download.

I started…and within the first few pages I was frustrated. The writing was engaging but the copy I had received had issues with the line formatting. I persevered for a little while but eventually had to get in touch with Netgalley to let them know that I would struggle to read it and review it in its current form. Words were cut in half on separate lines and dialogue conversations between characters were crammed into one paragraph. It was a bloody mess. Netgalley told me that that could sometimes happen and that I should try reading it on my computer.

Ummm…excuse me, I don’t think so. They have the send to kindle option, that should work…full stop. Crazy thing, I nearly got in touch with the author direct. Even now, I kind of wish that I had.

Anyways…I ended up reading it on my phone which SUCKED!! I swear I nearly went blind. It also didn’t help that I left my reading glasses at work and things were a wee bit blurry. So, I definitely felt like I earned my reviewers stripes today…took one for the team…stepped up to the plate…suffered through the pain.

I LOVED THIS STORY!!!

So, it turns out that after World War Three we will see us going back in time. Unfortunately, equal rights for women, making our own decisions, supporting ourselves, and living independently from men have vanished. Fallen was a little like reading a historical romance set in the future. I found it fascinating and a little horrifying. While I find it somewhat intriguing in historical romance (lack of women’s rights) it is not so intriguing thinking about my rights removed in the future.

Now, this isn’t the only interesting part, we’re also told that in this new time, justice will be a wee bit different. Some twit comes up with the idea that one day per year of killing without repercussion will prevent murders happening any other time of the year. Yep, you guessed it, Purge Day is a crazy bloodbath day and no one is safe.

Fallen is a love story that introduces us to Antoinette and Dane just before the next Purge Day is due. Antoinette is not a fan of Purge Day as she lost both her parents due to them. Dane, he sees the sense in them and partakes in them. Antoinette is middle class and Dane is upper class. So, the two are on opposite sides of the fence with Antoinette hating Dane because of his beliefs and the status he holds. Dane saw Antoinette and has wanted her as his own from the first moment he met her. If only Antoinette didn’t think he was a monster.

At first, I was frustrated with Antoinette and her hate of Dane. I couldn’t understand her deep abhorrence of him. As the story goes on, I began to admire her determination to not settle. Dane has his pick of women and uses them frequently, but only on his terms. His heart only belongs to Antoinette and he makes it known that’s how he feels. He regularly faces and accepts her disdain because she’s different and he admires her strong mind and attitude which is unusual in women of this day.

I admit this story will not be for everyone. There is murder and mayhem, a lack of respect towards people of lower class and an underlying feeling of doom and gloom if this IS what we can expect for our future. While an unconventional start to their relationship, I was fully invested in them making it. While Dane’s sexual past was a little icky to me, I could understand that his feeling for Antoinette was from afar, so no relationship was affected.

Seriously, I loved finding this new to me author and glad I stuck with it until the end. I felt sorry for P.J. Fox that my reading experience was tarnished by the frustrations I was feeling towards my comfort while reading. I was tempted to buy a copy and read that, but to me, that defeats the purpose of reviewing an ARC.

So, I took one for the team. Readers, I can definitely vouch for this original and interesting tale and I would not hesitate to read more from this author in the future.




I’m an Aussie chick who loves to read and review romance, drink coffee, be a Style Setter and stalk David Gandy. To see more of my reviews, fashion, food and pervathons -