Faster We Burn by Chelsea M. Cameron.

Katie Hallman is done with douchebags. Done with guys who treat her like crap and leave her broken. But then Stryker Grant is there anyway. With his numerous piercings and bleached hair, he’s the polar opposite of all of her past relationships, which makes him the perfect candidate.
At first, Katie just sees him as a physical escape from her previous rocky relationship, and Stryker doesn’t seem to mind just being a distraction from Katie’s problems. But soon he’s getting under her skin, peeling back layers she’d rather keep covered. She tries to make it clear that she doesn’t want a relationship, but keeps breaking her own rules.
Then a tragedy sends Katie into the only arms who are there to catch her, and she’ll realize that she needs him more than she ever thought possible. But is she ready to let herself trust another guy with her already-battered heart? Or will she push him away to protect herself from getting hurt again?
Why?
I loved Katie in Deeper We Fall and I was intrigued by her relationship with Stryker and her background.

What I loved:
Katie- I loved loved her! As I suspected she was a much more complex character than she seemed. I enjoyed seeing all the different parts of her personality reveal themselves to the other characters. I  liked how straight forward and direct she could be and how hard she worked for what she wanted. Her character growth throughout the book was well written and very interesting to read, she came across as a very strong character. I especially liked how she dealt with most things to do with Stryker in perspective, no petty misunderstanding etc. very refreshing! 
Stryker- Stryker also came into to his own and emerged as a flawed good guy. I loved how he treated Katie, playing by her rules but still keeping her guessing. He was so supportive of her and I liked how encouraging he was with regards to her future and her self confidence. The sibling dynamic between Trish and Stryker was very well written and reflective of their background- I'm hoping for a future book from Trish's point of view to explore this more. I liked how he approached Katie's family and met their disapproval and questions head on, sticking with Katie when needed. All in all a great character! 
Side cast- Again love them! It was great to see group from different point of view although I missed Will! I think the group dynamic had evolved and their friendships had deepened which made  Aud, for example, more intriguing. I loved the introduction of Strker's band friends, they were a refreshingly fun and welcoming group. I enjoyed the musical banter and impromptu sing-alongs! Allan was my favourite, he seemed like a gentle soul. Katie's family were mostly lovely. Her mother was highly critical and all around a bit controlling. Her dad, however, was the opposite more accepting, he seemed to say all the right things to Katie regarding her self image etc. Kayla was a fun addition, I really enjoyed her background storyline with Adam!
Ending- Great ending! Clear character and relationship development for both Katie and Stryker and Lottie and Zan which was good to read. It gave closure while remaining  open for more books in the series.
Timing- The rapid time progression was brilliant as it meant the relationship developed at a relatively normal pace as opposed to rapidly escalating from just met to full blown relationship!
Rating!

I absolutely loved Katie and Stryker's story! I reread it all the time

Thank you to Chelsea for providing me with a review copy.
I definitely think the next Fall and Rise book will be Trish and Mickey- already looking forward to it!
Expect reviews of Chelsea's latest books this coming Friday and Monday.

Much Love!
Lettie
Xx

Deeper We Fall by Chelsea M. Cameron

Two years after her best friend was involved in a car accident that caused a traumatic brain injury, Lottie Anders is ready to start her freshman year of college. Ready to move on. Ready to start forgetting the night that ripped her life apart.
Her plans come to a screeching halt when not one, but both brothers responsible for the accident end up back in her life again.
Zack is cruel, selfish and constantly rubbing what happened to her friend in Lottie's face.
Zan is different. He listens to her awkward ramblings. He loves "To Kill a Mockingbird" as much as she does, and his dark eyes are irresistible. His words are few and far between, but when he does speak, she can't help but listen.
The trouble is, Zan was the driver in the accident, and now Lottie's discovered he lied to her about what happened that night. Now she must decide if trusting him again will lead to real forgiveness, or deeper heartache.
Why?
I loved the sound of the blurb and I think I caught it on offer!
First Impressions!
I liked that the book started back in High School on the night of the accident and then flashes forward to College moving in day. It really set up the characters' personalities and background.
What I loved:
Complex- The plot was very layered and complex. I loved how Zan and Lottie were connected both in the past and in the present. I liked that all the facts were slowly revealed with lots of twists and suprises. 
Lottie- I loved how firecly loyal she was to Lexie despite how different everything was, I think it showed how much of good person she was. The college situation can't have been easy especially with Zan and Zack so nearby but I liked how she just threw herself into it. Her relationship with Zan was again very complex and slow burning which I enjoyed.
Zan- I really felt for Zan as he had a lot hanging over him from being part of such an awful event. Especially after realising how long he'd liked Lottie from a far only to have the accident taint any relationship between them. I liked hid constant internal conflicts over Lottie and how he reacted to their budding relationship. Zan was such a good brother to Zack, who was obviously a completely ungrateful loser. I also loved how he made friends with Stryker and their friendship.
Side cast- So much love for the side cast! I adored Will and his 'Twindar' with Lottie. He was such an insightful and supportive brother and I loved his cute awkward approach with Audrey. Simon was a great addition to the group, he just slotted straight in with Will and Lottie and was such a witty positive character. I liked how Stryker sort of adopted Zan and listened to his story with no judgement, I was glad to hear he'd be in the next book! Katie was another character who grew throughout the book from what seemed like a cliché girly girl to a much more layered character, I loved her positivity and energy. Trish and Aud were two great additions each with their own intriguing background that I look forward to reading more about!
What I didn't love as much:
Zan's Family- I would of enjoyed seeing more of Zan's family and their personalities and perspectives of the whole situation as they felt a bit distant!
Lexie- One of the most tragic characters I think I've ever read! All of her potential and zest for life was snuffed out just because she liked the wrong guy.
Zack-  Zack seemed to have no redeeming qualities! He wasn't even nice or loyal to his family let alone anyone else!

Rating!

 

I really enjoyed this book with it's complex plot and great characters.

 

Have you read any of the Fall and Rise series?

Much Love!

Lettie

Xxx