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leasummer's review
3.0
I know a lot of people loved this one but it was my least favorite. Maybe if Tori had gotten more attention in other books in the series I would have felt more invested in her, as it was I never really felt drawn to her and she just seemed like a hot mess. Max is definitely an odd duck but maybe too odd. I felt like his character was really stiff and even when he was being emotional it feel flat. For me the best part of the book was the last 10% because there was actual passionate emotion.
brokenrecord's review
4.0
I haven't read any of the other books in this series and don't really intend to since the rest don't look like they'd really be my thing, but this was really enjoyable! The romance was very sweet, and I liked both Tori and Max a lot.
barkylee15's review
4.0
4.5. I loved this couple and their story and my only real complaint is that it was way too short and rushed!
*I received a free ARC from Netgalley
*I received a free ARC from Netgalley
jenvile's review
3.0
I've finished a good 3/4 of this book, with only a couple of chapters left.
I didn't fully finish this novel, and I tried to. The blurb and characters were something I would've loved entirely. A shy hero, a witty, smart heroine who teaches the shy and awkward hero to be datable? Sounds like something I definitely would've been interested in.
But I wasn't.
Only because... I couldn't finish it? The characters became repetitive? Their thoughts were constantly the same? The story line and the plot idea is so intriguing, it's just the execution of it all.
I most likely won't read it again or finish it off, since I want to read books that are... Well to put it harshly - worth my time. And I feel that if I've lost interest in the story and that I don't want to know what happens to the characters, then there's no point in reading anymore and wasting my time when I could be reading some thing else. Nothing personal, just really how I like to read and work around my personal reading time.
I didn't fully finish this novel, and I tried to. The blurb and characters were something I would've loved entirely. A shy hero, a witty, smart heroine who teaches the shy and awkward hero to be datable? Sounds like something I definitely would've been interested in.
But I wasn't.
Only because... I couldn't finish it? The characters became repetitive? Their thoughts were constantly the same? The story line and the plot idea is so intriguing, it's just the execution of it all.
I most likely won't read it again or finish it off, since I want to read books that are... Well to put it harshly - worth my time. And I feel that if I've lost interest in the story and that I don't want to know what happens to the characters, then there's no point in reading anymore and wasting my time when I could be reading some thing else. Nothing personal, just really how I like to read and work around my personal reading time.
steph01924's review
4.0
This one was actually fairly good, for a romance novel. It didn't feel too long, it had the characters go through some believable problems that resolved nicely, and I liked that though the main characters were attracted to each other initially, they became friends first and their relationship grew fairly realistically.
Thinking back to the crappy second or third book where the really annoying girl got knocked up by the sports bar owner (ugh), this one didn't push any buttons of mine. The love scenes weren't overwrought and extremely detailed to the point of embarrassment either, so that's a plus.
I like Stacey's little small town of Whitford, despite the fact that I have no idea how people live there (Mo movie theater? One diner/restaurant? Are they Amish? Sheesh.), especially all these young, single, hot people floating around.
I don't know if the Kowalski series is going to continue much longer, as we're kind of run out of Kowalskis to pair off. Maybe the author will jump ahead 20 years and start matchmaking the kids.
Thinking back to the crappy second or third book where the really annoying girl got knocked up by the sports bar owner (ugh), this one didn't push any buttons of mine. The love scenes weren't overwrought and extremely detailed to the point of embarrassment either, so that's a plus.
I like Stacey's little small town of Whitford, despite the fact that I have no idea how people live there (Mo movie theater? One diner/restaurant? Are they Amish? Sheesh.), especially all these young, single, hot people floating around.
I don't know if the Kowalski series is going to continue much longer, as we're kind of run out of Kowalskis to pair off. Maybe the author will jump ahead 20 years and start matchmaking the kids.
kobfroggie's review
2.0
Very disappointed. After the first few chapters, I skimmed all the way through. I don't know. It felt contrived somehow.
1.5 stars
1.5 stars
kimmypete1's review
4.0
Check out this review and more at On the Wings of Books
• I love small town stories and Whitford, Maine does not disappoint. It's cute and gossipy, just like it I like it. And despite my dislike of winter I have an affinity for the northern small towns. Probably because it gives you a good excuse to get cozy.
• Max is adorably awkward. He is very literal and doesn't spend a whole lot of time outside of his house. This is not to say he is anti-social, he's more of a homebody. His literalness and awkwardness make this book better. Max is not your typical leading man, he doesn't have to fix everything, or jump right in and solve his girlfriend's problems, he just wants to be there and help. He meets Tori as part of his plan to get a date, as he is now 35 and it is "now an appropriate time to get married." He's also really into trains and sports. His reasons for getting into sports reminds me of how I got into football. He got into sports because it was a way for him to communicate with his dad and brothers, I got into football so that I would have something to talk about with my brother.
• Tori is your typical girl who struggles with relationship issues, which stem from her parents. Her parents are recently divorced and even though Tori was an adult when they got divorced they are putting her in the middle of everything and being extremely negative. This worried me a bit at first as I just read a book with a crazy momma, but there were only a few phone calls between Tori and her parents, most of the issue was internal for Tori. She was absolutely afraid that one day that would be her if she ever got married.
• Watching Max and Tori come together was both cute and frustrating. Cute because well, they are cute together. Frustrating because they kept dancing around the issue and because of Max's awkwardness there were some misunderstandings. Though there were also some awesome moments of understanding between them as Tori knew and understood Max's awkwardness.
• Lot's of awesome secondary characters. You have your old lady gossipers. Your friends who force you to take a look inside yourself. The supportive friends. The family that just won't stay out of your business.
• The ending happened a bit to fast for me. There was a lot of buildup for Max and Tori and then they had their big "we are breaking up" moment. And then like 15 pages later all is well. While everything was not perfectly solved (Tori's parents are still an issue, but she has decided on a course of action) their relationship came together again with a short chat after an Epiphany. I wish there would have been more before the epiphany and more on their part to work through it, but oh well.
Overall it's a cute small town romance recommended for contemporary romance fans!
What I Thought...
• I love small town stories and Whitford, Maine does not disappoint. It's cute and gossipy, just like it I like it. And despite my dislike of winter I have an affinity for the northern small towns. Probably because it gives you a good excuse to get cozy.
• Max is adorably awkward. He is very literal and doesn't spend a whole lot of time outside of his house. This is not to say he is anti-social, he's more of a homebody. His literalness and awkwardness make this book better. Max is not your typical leading man, he doesn't have to fix everything, or jump right in and solve his girlfriend's problems, he just wants to be there and help. He meets Tori as part of his plan to get a date, as he is now 35 and it is "now an appropriate time to get married." He's also really into trains and sports. His reasons for getting into sports reminds me of how I got into football. He got into sports because it was a way for him to communicate with his dad and brothers, I got into football so that I would have something to talk about with my brother.
• Tori is your typical girl who struggles with relationship issues, which stem from her parents. Her parents are recently divorced and even though Tori was an adult when they got divorced they are putting her in the middle of everything and being extremely negative. This worried me a bit at first as I just read a book with a crazy momma, but there were only a few phone calls between Tori and her parents, most of the issue was internal for Tori. She was absolutely afraid that one day that would be her if she ever got married.
• Watching Max and Tori come together was both cute and frustrating. Cute because well, they are cute together. Frustrating because they kept dancing around the issue and because of Max's awkwardness there were some misunderstandings. Though there were also some awesome moments of understanding between them as Tori knew and understood Max's awkwardness.
• Lot's of awesome secondary characters. You have your old lady gossipers. Your friends who force you to take a look inside yourself. The supportive friends. The family that just won't stay out of your business.
• The ending happened a bit to fast for me. There was a lot of buildup for Max and Tori and then they had their big "we are breaking up" moment. And then like 15 pages later all is well. While everything was not perfectly solved (Tori's parents are still an issue, but she has decided on a course of action) their relationship came together again with a short chat after an Epiphany. I wish there would have been more before the epiphany and more on their part to work through it, but oh well.
Overall it's a cute small town romance recommended for contemporary romance fans!
quinn_0611's review
3.0
Review originally posted on Quinn's Book Nook
So far, this year has been all about adult romance novels for me. I’m still reading young adult and middle-grade books of various genres, but I’m just so enjoying reading these adult romances. I even picked up quite a few while I was at BEA, including Falling for Max by Shannon Stacey, the ninth book in the Kowalski Family series. I wanted to love Falling for Max, and although I liked it, I felt like something was missing.
Tori works part-time at the Whitford diner, and is also a book cover designer that she does from home. She’s very social, and a very nice person, but she is also determined to not get married after witnessing the destruction of her parents’ marriage a few years ago. Max is extremely introverted, and he can be very awkward in social situations. Max decides he wants to get married, and Tori offers to help Max be more comfortable going on dates. And . . . you can guess what happens next.
Both main characters, Tori and Max, were really interesting and likable characters, but even so, I found this story a little bland. I did find Max to be a more interesting character than Tori. He’s kind of quirky, and he has a odd career, and I could relate to his social awkwardness to a point. Tori was a fleshed out character, but I just didn’t find her as interesting.
As much as I liked Tori and Max, and wanted them to get together, I just found this story a little dry. I think there was a bit more telling, and less showing, especially the first half of the book. It was never difficult to put the book down. It’s not terrible at all, but it wasn’t particularly compelling, either.
However, Max reminded me a lot of Don from The Rosie Project, and although they definitely aren’t the same character, and they each have their own, different, issues, but there were definitely similarities. So, although I wasn’t madly in love with Falling for Max, it was a fun and enjoyable read. Not one that will stick in my memory, but I’m glad I spent the time reading it.
So far, this year has been all about adult romance novels for me. I’m still reading young adult and middle-grade books of various genres, but I’m just so enjoying reading these adult romances. I even picked up quite a few while I was at BEA, including Falling for Max by Shannon Stacey, the ninth book in the Kowalski Family series. I wanted to love Falling for Max, and although I liked it, I felt like something was missing.
Tori works part-time at the Whitford diner, and is also a book cover designer that she does from home. She’s very social, and a very nice person, but she is also determined to not get married after witnessing the destruction of her parents’ marriage a few years ago. Max is extremely introverted, and he can be very awkward in social situations. Max decides he wants to get married, and Tori offers to help Max be more comfortable going on dates. And . . . you can guess what happens next.
Both main characters, Tori and Max, were really interesting and likable characters, but even so, I found this story a little bland. I did find Max to be a more interesting character than Tori. He’s kind of quirky, and he has a odd career, and I could relate to his social awkwardness to a point. Tori was a fleshed out character, but I just didn’t find her as interesting.
As much as I liked Tori and Max, and wanted them to get together, I just found this story a little dry. I think there was a bit more telling, and less showing, especially the first half of the book. It was never difficult to put the book down. It’s not terrible at all, but it wasn’t particularly compelling, either.
However, Max reminded me a lot of Don from The Rosie Project, and although they definitely aren’t the same character, and they each have their own, different, issues, but there were definitely similarities. So, although I wasn’t madly in love with Falling for Max, it was a fun and enjoyable read. Not one that will stick in my memory, but I’m glad I spent the time reading it.
jonetta's review
4.0
Originally posted on The Book Nympho
Quick summary
Town recluse Max Crawford is ready to meet someone, fall in love and get married. When he goes to the town diner for lunch (suggested starting place to meet people), part-time waitress Tori Burns immediately bonds with him and decides to help him with his plan. Neither one of them saw it coming when they fell for each other.
The issues
Max initially thought Tori might be too young for him (she wasn't). Tori has sworn off love and marriage after her parents' ugly divorce and aftermath, thinking she'd probably end up being like her mother (wrong...no one could be that nasty).
What works!
Max is glorious in all his geekdom and honesty. Tori is a natural who immediately recognizes his assets and brings out the best in him. As the setup is for her to prepare and coach him for other women, their relationship developed from acquaintances to friends and ultimately to lovers. It was fun with some great dialogue between them. It was sweet and romantic and when it morphed to friends with benefits, it got even better.
What missed
The ending. It just felt rushed after a really strong lead-in. Everything was pretty finally tuned and I was waiting for this magical crescendo that just never came. A short epilogue might have sealed the deal for me.
One more thing...
Some may find Tori's logic about relationships to be without foundation but I've certainly seen this in adult children of divorce, especially when they're forced to be in the middle of such acrimony between two people they love. It rang authentic.
The bottom line
This is a sweet story with a really good romance involving two interesting people. We get glimpses of some of the Kowalski clan but the focus was really on Max and Tori. I just wish the ending had been more...something. In spite of that, I really enjoyed the book overall.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
Quick summary
Town recluse Max Crawford is ready to meet someone, fall in love and get married. When he goes to the town diner for lunch (suggested starting place to meet people), part-time waitress Tori Burns immediately bonds with him and decides to help him with his plan. Neither one of them saw it coming when they fell for each other.
The issues
Max initially thought Tori might be too young for him (she wasn't). Tori has sworn off love and marriage after her parents' ugly divorce and aftermath, thinking she'd probably end up being like her mother (wrong...no one could be that nasty).
What works!
Max is glorious in all his geekdom and honesty. Tori is a natural who immediately recognizes his assets and brings out the best in him. As the setup is for her to prepare and coach him for other women, their relationship developed from acquaintances to friends and ultimately to lovers. It was fun with some great dialogue between them. It was sweet and romantic and when it morphed to friends with benefits, it got even better.
What missed
The ending. It just felt rushed after a really strong lead-in. Everything was pretty finally tuned and I was waiting for this magical crescendo that just never came. A short epilogue might have sealed the deal for me.
One more thing...
Some may find Tori's logic about relationships to be without foundation but I've certainly seen this in adult children of divorce, especially when they're forced to be in the middle of such acrimony between two people they love. It rang authentic.
The bottom line
This is a sweet story with a really good romance involving two interesting people. We get glimpses of some of the Kowalski clan but the focus was really on Max and Tori. I just wish the ending had been more...something. In spite of that, I really enjoyed the book overall.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)