Customer Reviews

Falling for You

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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 blueblood 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....

FALLING FOR YOU is a delightful contemporary romantic comedy that demonstrates Julie Ortolon's talent to perfection. Chance and Rory are fabulous together, blending humor, chemistry, and romance with an entertaining plot that never misses a beat. I look forward to reading Rory's sister's story in Ms. Ortolon's next offering, LEAD ME ON. Highly recommended!

I heard so much about the "St. Claire" trilogy, I bought them all and read them in a row - - and boy am I glad I did!

Julie Ortolon knows how to write a terrific, heart-warming story. We have a less-than-perfect "nerd" who falls for a less-than-perfect-full-steam-ahead beauty and the combination is....well.....PERFECT!

Ms. Ortolon has done an amazing job in weaving a story so real, I'm ready to stay at the St. Claire's Inn on Pearl Island. (Can someone get me a reservation??) The story-line of sunken treasure is fascinating and the by-play between the characters is not only funny, it's very real and will leave you laughing and sighing. I love that this authors gives her characters insecurites that we see them struggle through...it makes them so believable and endears them to us! By mid-book you'll be cheering for the heroine, I guarantee!

Do yourself a favor and get the whole trilogy. They are terrific! Rock on....Julie O!

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.

Aurora "Rory" St. Claire's family had always wanted to own the old mansion on Pearl Island. Marguarite's spirit, one of their ancestors, was said to be haunting it. When the bank put it up for sale, Rory came up with the idea of turning it into a bed-and-breakfast. Her brother and sister agreed to the idea. It just so happened that Oliver "Chance" Chancellor, who worked at the bank, was an old school mate. He was the obvious choice to go to for a business loan.

Chance's life had been mapped out long ago by his parents. He was destined to take his place within the family's bank and he had an almost fiancé named Paige. However, when bubbly and hyper Rory reentered his life, all his plans changed!

**** Full of humor with only a touch of the supernatural feeling! This is the first of a trilogy about the St. Claire siblings and the B&B they create. Very entertaining and well worth your time! ****

...

Oliver "Chance" Chancellor is a good son of the country club set with his life and career mapped out. It is simply understood that he'll marry Paige, the daughter of his parents' best friends and will someday be the president of the bank his family founded. His nickname is almost a joke, since he's rarely taken a "chance" in his life!

But when free spirited, alluring, enthusiastic whirlwind Aurora St Claire re-enters his life, he's thrown for a loop. She comes upon him putting up a foreclosure sign on Pearl Island and immediately expresses an interest in buying it. She wants to turn the house into a B&B, but the skeptical Chance asks about her business plan, finances and other realities and sees her enthusiasm dim - but just a bit! Dazzled, he finds himself offering to help her pull together a business plan to submit for a bank loan. Chance had been in lust with Rory back in high school and is still fascinated and attracted, though she's totally wrong for him. While they work together on the plans, an attraction builds culminating in a frenzied sexual encounter that he immediately regrets, but she cherishes. He fully intends to go back to his carefully planned, comfortable life, and this reality soon smacks her in the face.

As Aurora and her siblings move forward with their plans for the inn, Chance watches from a distance, feeling a bit wistful, envious, left out and admiring of their willingness to take such risks to make their dream come true. In time, he is desperate to be a part of it all and offers to buy into the venture as a partner. Can he and Rory work in such close proximity without acting on the attraction that still exists between them? And why can't Chance feel this heady attraction with Paige?

Ultimately, Chance must face his feelings for both Rory and Paige and make some life changing choices. Meanwhile Rory begins to contemplate the consequences of her impulsive actions and fears that she has up-ended not only her life, but Chance's, Paige's and her siblings'.

An enjoyable story, endearing characters and a recommended read. I loved sister Allison's story "Lead Me On" and I look forward to brother Adrian's story "Don't Tempt Me" due in early "04.

Oliver "Chance" Chancellor's life has been planned from the day he was practically born, his friends, his education, his profession and lastly, the girl he was going to marry. For Chance life meant dealing with every day situations logically and never emotionally and of course, socializing with the "right" people.

That is until Aurora St. Claire arrives on the scene and decides she and her siblings want to purchase Peale Island, which an ancestor lived and died in many years ago - one who is said to still be haunting the place, the siblings decide start a bed and breakfast even though the odds of making it work are stacked against them. Chance marvels at Aurora's enthusiasm and zeal for living and suddenly sees his life a little differently. Chance ventures into inn keeping business and discovers that he wants to live his life the way he wants, and spend it with the woman he's fallen in love with and not live the version mapped out by his father. All I say is what a fun novel and it's one you don't want to miss. I loved it and can't wait until the next installment!!!

If your really looking for a great book I think Falling For You is the best and one of the few choices.This book took me head-first into Rory and Chance's exciting love tale. And the setting was so pleasent I could just picture all the details this great author explained. Just everything about the book made me unable to go one night without reading a little more.This book was one of the few that I hadn't ,in any point, lost interest.And as I got nearer and nearer to the end I found myself not wanting the story to stop.This is now one of my favorite books!I hope Ms. Ortolon makes many more as good as this that I am hoping to read.

Falling for You was one of the only books I've read that I couldn't put down. The story is just as cute as it's cover. The story has some very colorful characters. Ortolon did a great job in bring these characters to life. Chance is ever girl's dream guy, and Rory is a girl that all woman can relate too. Add in Adrian and Allison (her Rory's siblings), and Paige and Captin Bob, and the all star characters bring life to the book. I was actually dreading when I'd end this book because it was such a great adventure I never wanted it to end!!! Big props go out to this book. I definatly feel in love with Falling for You!