Falling for You (Pearl Island Trilogy) [Kindle Edition]

Julie Ortolon (Author)

Book Description

When Mr. Slow and Steady collides with Ms. Full-Speed-Ahead they're both in for the wildest ride of their lives.


The forecast is smooth sailing for Oliver Chancellor, scion of Galveston's premier financier. Destined to take his place in the hallowed marble corridors of his family's bank, Chance is content with the future that's been mapped out for him, right down to his upcoming engagement to a prim debutante enthusiastically approved by his socialite mother.


But when beautiful Rory St. Claire crosses his path, Chance recklessly plunges into uncharted territory with nothing but his heart to guide him-and a beautiful woman to tempt him.


Propelled by a lifelong goal to buy the island home reportedly haunted by her colorful ancestors, Rory desperately needs Chance's help in securing a business loan, and she won't take no for an answer. In the midst of convincing the hesitant blue blood to take a chance on her dream, Rory unexpectedly lands in Chance's arms, stunned by his red-blooded passion-and her own awakened desire. Now, the mismatched pair can't keep their hands off one another, and something tells Rory she's headed for trouble-trouble in the name of love.


"I had a blast reading Falling for You... As long as Julie Ortolon is writing books like this, romantic comedy is in good hands." --All About Romance


"A thoroughly delightful, fast-paced romance about what happens when opposites attract. And the setting is so vividly drawn, you feel part of the surroundings. A lovely story!" --Old Barn Gazette


"Full of humor... Very entertaining and well worth your time!" --Huntress Book Reviews

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Oliver Chancellor is a blue-blooded banker whose perfectly orchestrated life plan includes a comfortable career and a socially prominent (if not very exciting) future wife. Then sexy Aurora St. Claire enlists him to help her obtain financing for her dream: turning a mysterious Galveston mansion, which is part of her colorful family heritage, into a bed and breakfast. Passion ignites over the loan application, but Chance can't see impetuous, earthy and iconoclastic Rory fitting into his orderly existence. Meanwhile, Rory discovers that she's fallen in love with Chance and become pregnant, neither of which she's ready to admit to this unavailable man. Only when Chance becomes a partner in the inn and begins to see the emptiness of his glittering future can the couple come together in a happy ending that arrives after just the right amount of drama. A legend of a long-ago love and haunting runs throughout the book, adding a nice touch of melancholy to a tale as sunny as its Texas setting. With its well-balanced blend of comic exaggeration and genuine heart, Ortolon's story is a light but thoroughly satisfying romantic confection.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"An author on the rise...endearing, emotional, and romantic!"--Romantic Times

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 1169 KB
• Print Length: 340 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0312978723
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Julie Ortolon; 2 edition (July 2, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003VIWUOC
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,889 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #40 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Women's Fiction > Single Women

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 45 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the time July 8, 2003

By Clare Wood

Format:Mass Market Paperback

In "Falling for You," Julie Ortolon has written a smart, amusing and engrossing novel.
It's the first of what will become a trilogy about three siblings, two women and a man, and their romantic and professional adventures on Pearl Island, an imaginary spot near Galveston in Texas.
Rory St. Claire, beautiful, impetuous and yet uncertain, has a dream. She wants to buy the family home and turn it into an inn. But she has to find solutions to external problems, and conquer internal doubts to try to make that dream come true.
Ortolon's characters are convincing -- fully realized people with strengths and weaknesses who grow into a new understanding of themselves and their world -- and her plot arises and develops naturally.
But it's Ortolon's wit and her ear for dialogue that make this book a stand out.
I am looking forward reading her next effort.

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for me... August 19, 2007

By Ana Muhandis VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I picked up this book because I'd read some good references to Julie Ortolon in a forum and wanted to try her. I'm afraid this book didn't do it for me. The story line was very weak. In this day and age, a 28-year-old man really plans on marrying a woman he hasn't even dated and feels no romantic connection with because their families want them to marry? And then when he slips and has a liaison with the heroine but later treats her like dirt because of this imaginary engagement, she takes him back in the end?

There were engaging parts of this book. I enjoyed Rory's character, and her brother and sister were interesting characters (who I assume will have their own books). But the improbable plot and uneven characterization of the main male character (Chance) spoiled the book for me.

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A sucker for books with plenty of local color... August 22, 2002

By bookjunkiereviews

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I love books that are set in an area new to me and that evoke local color so dramatically that I feel that I am there or that I want to be there [in my case, now I want to go visit Galveston, Texas!].

This is a story with plenty of color, and one which takes a standard plotline - rich stuffy banker meets wild child - and sets it on its ear. Rich characterization helps, and the secondary characters are multidimensional living human beings who have their own life histories. There are some funny scenes, but what counted for me in this book was the wonderful evocation of a city in small-town mode, the twists and turns in the relationship between the banker and the "wild child", and the hints at family secrets between the two of them.

The plotline is simple - Oliver Chancellor "Chance" is a banker whose father has just sold his small family-owned bank to an East Coast group. He is still expected to spend his life with the bank, to behave suitably and to marry suitably. His intended bride Paige is the daughter of old family friends. However, Oliver finds himself attracted to the sister of a schoolmate. Aurora "Rory" St Claire comes from an unconventional and almost disreputable family, with a famous local scandal in their past. She is a tour guide, her brother is a chef, and her sister works for a gallery. Nothing particularly special about Rory, except her stunning looks and her bubbly personality. Rory has self-esteem issues (we soon learn why), but she desperately wants to run her own B&B. When a house belonging to an ancestor is up for sale (after foreclosure by Chance's bank), Rory tries to obtain a loan to buy the property and get the B&B started.... Oliver helps out, as much because he wants to help start a new business and see what else he is capable of, as because he wants to spend time with Rory against his better judgement. However, the loan from Chance's bank falls through. [I am going to end here to prevent spoilers].

The plot is complicated by secrets in Rory's families, the long-term effects of their family scandal (the most famous in Galveston), and by the contradictions within Oliver and Rory themselves. Oliver knows that he desires Rory, but he considers her an unsuitable wife for a small-town banker (which she is). He is prepared to marry a woman he does not love, simply to meet the expectations of their families, friends and the community. Rory often acts without thinking and creates trouble down the road for herself. But her vision of a B&B helps her to stumble along, discovering much of her hidden potential. If you are looking for a modern romance where a heroine makes a go out of a demanding new career (i.e does not downsize), this is a great book.

There are some scenes of lovemaking (including one rather sudden burst of passion, with the aftermath described in funny detail), but these do not take up very much space. The passion, the sexual attraction between the couple is described through other means - the first kiss (when you just have to compare Rory's reaction to Paige's), the fact that Chance keeps thinking about Rory at work and with other people, the reactions of other people to their relationship.

What I loved about this book was the quirky relationships between the protagonists and the secondary characters, the way in which local history and geography was incorporated into a romance, the fact that secondary romances (past and present) existed but did not detract from the relationship between Chance and Rory. I also loved the fact that the author was clearly setting us up for at least one sequel, with major changes to Chance's lifestyle by the end of the book and a hinted-at romance for Rory's older sister.

I did have mixed feelings about Chance and Rory. I was annoyed with him for being so blind about his true love, for not really wondering earlier what he wanted to do with his life. I also criticized Rory for keeping her secret, a secret. But these were minor problems.

If you like books about strong modern (or post-modern) characters with plenty of local color and with some quirky humor, try this book. Read more ›

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Not worth the time... June 20, 2011

By lizzie

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I read this book because I was looking for something light and fun to read and the reviews seemed pretty good so I decided to give it a shot. However, I found the content incredibly frustrating and completely unrealistic. First of all, Chance's 'engagement' is just absurd... obviously the author is trying to create conflict to make Rory and Chance's relationship more interesting, but I feel like it was a sorry attempt at a love triangle since Chance could barely bring himself to even date his fiance. Aside from just the flimsy engagement hurdle they must overcome, Rory and Chance's relationship is just downright annoying. Basically it boils down to them freaking out about the other's feelings for one another when they aren't together (even though they constantly profess their love) and then not being able to physically control themselves when they are together. This cycle gets old. Quick. Especially when there is hardly any reason they can't live happily ever after together since the only obstacles the author has presented us with is the supposed predestined marriage and Chance's inability to 'take a chance' (clever name right?). I love a good love story and I don't even demand that the author make it totally realistic (because let's face it, most of them aren't but isn't that their appeal?); however, this book just made me feel dumber for reading it. It's like one of those steamy romance novels that is 85% raunchy love scenes and 15% fluff, except instead it is 15% sex and 85% fluff. I definitely won't be recommending this book to anyone and it's safe to say I won't be reading the rest of the trilogy.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Didn't Fall For It March 1, 2012

By Regina Moore

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Falling for You started out with promise, but then quickly dragged on and on with somewhat unrelated characters and stories. I'm just not sure I understand what was supposed to have happened here - why these two main characters were even challenged in any way. Overall, this book has some merit, but it was just not my cup of tea.

More About the Author

I'm late bloomer when it comes to reading -- and writing. I didn't discover either joy until I discovered romance novels in my early twenties. Now, I'm totally addicted. My biggest joy is bringing all my interests together in my books, to have the chance to celebrate the things that excite me through my characters.

Since I love to travel, all my books are set in places I've actually been. Sometimes those real places morph into fictional places -- like Pearl Island -- but I try to capture the magic of the setting and people in all my books, to make writing them like a trip to a wonderful world where good always triumphs and love always ends in Happily Ever After -- against all odds. That's what makes life worth living, and books worth reading: when someone grabs the brass ring.

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Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#50 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Contemporary

#57 in Books > Romance > Contemporary

#83 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance

#93 in Books > Romance

#50 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Contemporary

#57 in Books > Romance > Contemporary

#83 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance

#93 in Books > Romance