The Year We Fell Down
(The Ivy Years #1)
Author: Sarina Bowen
Publisher: Sarina Bowen
Published: September 11, 2014
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
My Rating:
The sport she loves is out of reach. The boy she loves has someone else.
What now?
She expected to start Harkness College as a varsity ice hockey player. But a serious accident means that Corey Callahan will start school in a wheelchair instead.
Across the hall, in the other handicapped-accessible dorm room, lives the too-delicious-to-be real Adam Hartley, another would-be hockey star with his leg broken in two places. He’s way out of Corey’s league.
Also, he’s taken.
Nevertheless, an unlikely alliance blooms between Corey and Hartley in the “gimp ghetto” of McHerrin Hall. Over tequila, perilously balanced dining hall trays, and video games, the two cope with disappointments that nobody else understands.
They’re just friends, of course, until one night when things fall apart. Or fall together. All Corey knows is that she’s falling. Hard.
But will Hartley set aside his trophy girl to love someone as broken as Corey? If he won’t, she will need to find the courage to make a life for herself at Harkness — one which does not revolve around the sport she can no longer play, or the brown-eyed boy who’s afraid to love her back.
My problem with The Year We Fell Down is, I couldn’t connect with the romantic aspect. The characters are actually likeable and I have no problem with that, but the way the romance was delivered, it was kinda off. I love friends-to-lovers tropes, unfortunately this one didn’t get me. Perhaps it’s just me but I feel no chemistry between the two.
The story centers around Corey Callahan, a college girl who became handicapped after an ice hockey accident. She met the gorgeous ice hockey player Adam Hartley in a dorm room and instantly became friends with him since the guy also had a minor accident and at that time, had an injury. They shared a platonic relationship, even though deep down inside Corey slowly fell for him. But because Hartley already has a girlfriend, this attraction is clearly a complication.
What I loved about this book was Corey’s character development and strength. I loved how she eventually accepted her condition and delved into a different sport when she realized that ice hockey is not for her. Despite her condition, she was able to live normally and I think that’s really awe-inspiring.
There was also no insta-love involved so it was good. However, I wish it didn’t took Hartley a while to realize that he’s wasting his time on his bratty girlfriend.
I would still love to read the rest of the books of this series since a lot of reviews say that they’re much, much better, so let’s see. 🙂
Rating:
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