FALLING HARD is book three in Pamela Clare's Colorado High Country series. Even though this is the third book in a series, FALLING HARD works well as a standalone novel. Unbeknownst to Ellie Meeks, her next-door neighbor is an ex-military hottie who has book looking after her from afar. Ellie and Jesse have a military connection. Ellie's late husband was a war hero killed in battle and Jesse is a former soldier going to therapy and trying to deal with his lingering PTSD. What ends up developing between them is something beautiful and endearing.

What starts out as an inconvenient and unexpected attraction between two neighbors, turns into a supportive and sexy romance. One thing I love about FALLING HARD is that, although Jesse has a great deal of internal conflict about whether or not to be in a committed relationship with Ellie, he never jerks her around or takes his issues out on her. Pamela Clare does a great job of making the two main characters three-dimensional, and showcasing who they are outside of their burgeoning relationship. I like how there are enough similarities in their jobs - hers as a nurse, and his being part of a rescue team -- that they can empathize with the stress and joys that life brings. I also really like the way Pamela Clare makes Ellie realistic and flawed, rather than painting her as a selfless paragon. Over the course of FALLING HARD, Ellie and Jesse are both made to confront their biggest fears and insecurities, but conquer them with help from friends, family, and each other. There is enough humor and lighter moments in FALLING HARD to balance out the deeper themes.

FALLING HARD has a hot army hunk, great storytelling, and a sweet savory romance. Friends and family make for a much richer narrative, and I look forward to reading more about some of these characters in other books. Ellie's young children are integral characters in this story, but Pamela Clare never gives in to the urge to have them be saccharine set pieces. I love Jesse's interactions with the twins, and the way they draw him into the family life that he secretly and surprisingly enjoys. I look forward to reading Pamela Clare's next book.

Book Summary

A Gold Star wife alone…

Ellie Meeks promised her pilot husband that if he was killed in combat, she would live her life to the fullest. Three years later, she is still alone, raising the twins he never met. She has no interest in dating or meeting men—until one snowy night when a stranger helps her get her sick kids safely home. That stranger turns out to be a former Army Ranger and a member of the elite Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team. He’s also tall, rugged… and irresistibly sexy.

All it takes is one kiss…

Jesse Moretti came to Colorado to get Iraq out of his head, using the adrenaline of extreme sports and high- risk mountain rescues to keep his mind off the past. But getting involved with Ellie might be the riskiest thing he’s ever done. It’s not just their explosive chemistry. There’s something about Ellie that gets inside him, opening him to feelings he’s tried hard to ignore.

When passion ignites…

Ellie feels alive in Jesse’s arms and happier than she ever thought she’d feel again. But their relationship comes at a price for him, and soon Ellie sees that she must help Jesse fight the demons of his past to protect the love of a lifetime—and save the heart of a hero.

Read an Excerpt