Crystal Blogs Books: Review of WORTH THE FALL (The McKinney Brothers #1) by Claudia Connor

"Abby, take a breath. I like you. I like the kids. I like ice cream." - Matt McKinney

Worth The Fall
Series: The McKinney Brothers # 1
Author: Claudia Connor
Publisher: Loveswept
Release Date: September 9th, 2014
Source: publisher for review

Purchase Links: Amazon - B&N - iTunes
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Prepare to be swept away by a talented debut author with a passionate, powerful story to tell.

They meet on a beach. . . . Abby Davis isn’t wearing a skimpy bikini or sipping umbrella drinks, not when she’s busy chasing around four little ones. And Matt McKinney isn’t looking for fun—he’s a Navy SEAL, a grown man with a long list of missions . . . and fallen brothers.

They only have a week. . . . Abby has brought her children to this beach to start over, to give them the enjoyable memories they deserve. Matt’s been sidelined by a combat injury, and haunted by the best friend he lost and the promise he made: to remain a SEAL—focused and dedicated. This leaves no time for what he’s always wanted: a family.

But a week is all it takes. . . . Matt opens her heart while Abby soothes his soul. And though they plan to say good-bye when the week is over, something magical happens on that beach, something neither can forget. Something utterly, completely worth falling for.

Worth the Fall is a beautifully emotional story that'll take your breath away. I was hooked from the first chapter and I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters. Matt and Abby are beautifully flawed. Matt has always wanted a family, but in a way, he believes he doesn't deserve one. He's made a promise to his fellow SEAL's, one that he can't break, especially after the death of someone close to him. He meets Abby and is immediately drawn to her. Not only does he want to be with her, but he wants to be there for her children. He has fallen in love with them just as quickly as he has fallen in love with her. Abby, on the other hand, is afraid to love. As she falls for Matt and watches her kids start to think of him as a father, she's afraid that it won't be enough for Matt. Abby is terrified that he'll leave just like everyone else in her life has. Abby and Matt desperately need each other, but each of them have their own fears that could keep them apart.

This book took me on one crazy emotional roller-coaster. The build-up, the crazy loops, and the happy ending... I loved it all. I loved how slowly Matt and Abby take their relationship at the beginning. Matt took the time to get to know each of her kids and it doesn't take long for him to start imaging them as his own children. I love that it didn't take long for them to connect and start acting like a family. With the first half of the book focused on the "getting to know you" stage, that meant the second half of the book was packed with the scary bits of any relationship, such as trying to figure out what happens when they get home. If anything, I felt that there was a little too much happening towards the end of the book. Matt and Abby have been through so much, I kind of just wanted them to settle down and start their future together. I should have known that it wasn't going to be that easy, but once everything was said and done, I was very happy with the ending. Sigh... Yay!

Kudos on a magical debut novel, Claudia. I can't wait to see what you have up your sleeves for the rest of the McKinney brothers.

Claudia Connor attended Auburn University, where she received her undergraduate and masters degrees in early childhood education, and completed her studies in Sawbridgeworth, England. Always a lover of happy endings, she enjoys movies, reading, and spending her days putting on paper the stories in her head. She lives near Memphis, Tennessee, with her husband and three daughters.