How did I not read this before? Life has a way of getting in the way, I guess. Though I may be late to the party but that allowed me to discover this book through Quinn Riley‘s fabulous narration. I know she’s become my friend and I may seem biased, but I couldn’t listen to a whole audiobook if I didn’t enjoy the narration, no matter how I feel about the narrator. And Quinn Riley, aka Jeremy Carlisle Parker (I’ll always mention her two names so you can find all her work), is an excellent narrator, and to me, this is her best narration so far. Granted, I haven’t listened to all, but I I kept forgetting there was only one narrator, and that I knew her. The range of emotions she manages to convey through Savannah and Brynn is extraordinary.
As wonderful as a narration may be, however, it’s not enough to make an audiobook enjoyable if the story isn’t good. Falls From Grace is my first book by Ruby Landers, and as I mentioned above, I can’t explain why it took me so long to find it. I loved it. Everything about it. I’m a character-driven reader (and a mood reader, more and more, because, again, life), and Landers’s made me incredibly happy. The MCs, of course, superstar Savannah Grace and med-school dropout Brynn Marshall, both so sweet and talented and hurt but also so open to possibilities. Around them are other wonderful characters: Tucker, Savannah’s little boy, is one of the most plausible children I’ve read, and Quinn’s voice for him fits perfectly; Noah, Brynn’s best friend, a talented musician in his own right, the reason our MCs meet (I’m not spoiling this but get ready for some drama), and such a sweet guy; Coral, Savannah’s pushy and supportive best friend, another highly respected artist, and a trans woman; Lane, the youngest—besides Tucker—character in this story, whom I love, and can’t wait to know more about them.
The relationship between Brynn and Savannah develops as a very slow burn, and their coming together—no pun intended but I’m not deleting it—is totally worth the wait. They have a lot of chemistry, and while I wasn’t one hundred per cent convinced about the way some of Brynn’s talents (I don’t mean in the bedroom) were revealed, no effort was needed to believe in the attraction between the two, or any of the relationships, romantic or not.
The overall feeling after listening is one of quiet delight, which doesn’t mean Falls From Grace is all fluff and snowflakes. Landers tackles sensitive topics such as childhood and family trauma, imposter syndrome, sobriety and addiction, trust and betrayals. Through it all, I rooted not only for the MCs but also for everyone around them, the found family whose devotion and gentleness contribute to painting Brynn and Savannah as full, complex, worthy-of-love characters.
Sure, this debut novel isn’t perfect and there are flaws here and there. I, however, didn’t mind any of them. The splendid narration probably helped, but as I wrote above, the narration can only shine if the material it’s based on is outstanding as well. A good narrator can elevate a story, but they can’t make it.
I’ll stop raving now, but I’ll probably get back to it when the audiobook for the second book, Graceless, comes out. 4.5⭐️
Experience Falls From Grace:
Bookshop.org (paperback)
Amazon (audiobook – ebook – paperback)
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Jude in the Stars 