erinarkin20's review
5.0
I have to assume that by now you know that Melissa West is one of my go to authors as I love her YA, NA, and adult romance books and I know that if I pick up a book by her, I will get what I want in a good book; great characters, an engaging story, and in some cases…some lovely romance. No Falling Allowed is the companion story to West’s previous NA, No Kissing Allowed and just like that book, this one hooked me immediately and I couldn’t put it down. No Falling Allowed gives us Grace and Noah’s stories and I loved these characters so much.
Grace grew up in a well-known, influential family and she has fought hard to get where she is on her own without relying on her father’s name. Hunter on the other hand, has not had an easy time of things and while visiting family in New York, and on one of the most important nights of Grace’s career, these two meet and the story goes forward from there. There is an immediate attraction between Grace and Hunter and they end up going back to her apartment but when Grace wakes up in the morning, Hunter is gone.
As I mentioned, Grace has her family to fall back on if she wanted to but when she loses her job she makes the decision to go against her father’s wishes to join his company and with that decision, she is cut off from all the financial support he has given her. When Grace is introduced to a new opportunity with a Wedding Planning company, she finds herself in Cricket Creek, SC.
I’m not going to give a lot of Hunter’s story away but be prepared my friends…he might just be your next book boyfriend. I loved everything about him…he challenges Grace, loves his brother and is pretty darn swoony. Unfortunately Hunter carries a lot on his shoulders and he doesn’t like to rely on others. Because of this, he isn’t really living his life but he continues to think about Grace, even though she lives in New York and he live in…you guessed it, Cricket Creek, SC.
I loved how West built the story around these characters and despite their setbacks, they are both very strong and motivated. Another thing I love about all of West’s stories is the friendships she writes. Grace’s girlfriends are there for her just like she is there for them and Noah has so much support from the people around him even though he doesn’t always want to take them up on their offers of help.
Of course, the other thing West does well is develop the swoony parts too. I loved these two together and they are probably one of my favorite couples from West. They have the romance, the sexy times, and of course the development of the relationship / friendship between these two was fantastic.
That’s about all I want to tell you about this one because trust me, you will want to read what happens yourself. This one is listed as a book two but you don’t have to read No Kissing Allowed to dive right into this book. Now, with that said, you definitely should read it because it is fantastic (Cameron and Aidan are some other great characters…)!
I know I have said this before, and you probably will hear me say it again. If you love romance and great stories, you need to pick up not only this book, but Melissa West’s other books. They always keep me turning the pages because I can’t wait to find out what happens and they also leave me wanting to know more about how the characters end up.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!
Grace grew up in a well-known, influential family and she has fought hard to get where she is on her own without relying on her father’s name. Hunter on the other hand, has not had an easy time of things and while visiting family in New York, and on one of the most important nights of Grace’s career, these two meet and the story goes forward from there. There is an immediate attraction between Grace and Hunter and they end up going back to her apartment but when Grace wakes up in the morning, Hunter is gone.
As I mentioned, Grace has her family to fall back on if she wanted to but when she loses her job she makes the decision to go against her father’s wishes to join his company and with that decision, she is cut off from all the financial support he has given her. When Grace is introduced to a new opportunity with a Wedding Planning company, she finds herself in Cricket Creek, SC.
I’m not going to give a lot of Hunter’s story away but be prepared my friends…he might just be your next book boyfriend. I loved everything about him…he challenges Grace, loves his brother and is pretty darn swoony. Unfortunately Hunter carries a lot on his shoulders and he doesn’t like to rely on others. Because of this, he isn’t really living his life but he continues to think about Grace, even though she lives in New York and he live in…you guessed it, Cricket Creek, SC.
I loved how West built the story around these characters and despite their setbacks, they are both very strong and motivated. Another thing I love about all of West’s stories is the friendships she writes. Grace’s girlfriends are there for her just like she is there for them and Noah has so much support from the people around him even though he doesn’t always want to take them up on their offers of help.
Of course, the other thing West does well is develop the swoony parts too. I loved these two together and they are probably one of my favorite couples from West. They have the romance, the sexy times, and of course the development of the relationship / friendship between these two was fantastic.
That’s about all I want to tell you about this one because trust me, you will want to read what happens yourself. This one is listed as a book two but you don’t have to read No Kissing Allowed to dive right into this book. Now, with that said, you definitely should read it because it is fantastic (Cameron and Aidan are some other great characters…)!
I know I have said this before, and you probably will hear me say it again. If you love romance and great stories, you need to pick up not only this book, but Melissa West’s other books. They always keep me turning the pages because I can’t wait to find out what happens and they also leave me wanting to know more about how the characters end up.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!
jlove731's review
4.0
No Falling Allowed is fairytale story that effortlessly collides two completely differently lives and I adored it. The story follows Noah and Grace, who happen to meet by chance in NYC and from there the story just takes off.
I absolutely loved both of our main characters. Grace, who comes from money and is crazy confident has to learn how to grow into her own person. Then on the other side there's Noah who knows exactly who he is and has the biggest heart you'll ever see on a man. Watching these two lives intertwine just made not falling for them (pun intended) impossible.
Overall, No Falling Allowed is a fast-paced, enchanting story that you can't help but loving while you read. I have loved Melissa West's books in the past and this one is no exception.
For reviews: Find this review at Shortie Says
I absolutely loved both of our main characters. Grace, who comes from money and is crazy confident has to learn how to grow into her own person. Then on the other side there's Noah who knows exactly who he is and has the biggest heart you'll ever see on a man. Watching these two lives intertwine just made not falling for them (pun intended) impossible.
Overall, No Falling Allowed is a fast-paced, enchanting story that you can't help but loving while you read. I have loved Melissa West's books in the past and this one is no exception.
For reviews: Find this review at Shortie Says
the_cover_contessa's review
4.0
I want to thank Entangled for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give an honest review. Receiving this book for free has in no way altered my opinion or review.
I really am such a fan of Melissa West. I truly have not read anything from her that I haven't liked. So, of course, this book was no exception. I love how she paints her characters. I love how each and every one of them has such a great personality, how they grow and change and become better for their experiences. It's such a satisfying experience to read one of her stories!
Grace, a totally relatable character. Ok, so I'm not wealthy like she is but I can totally understand her need and want to be independent of her family. To make a name for herself without having to link to her father, a billionaire who only seems to want to control her and her choices in life. It's nice to see that her family's money does not bind her. She's willing to branch out on her own, no matter how "poor" it makes her, and seek the career path that will make her happy. This is a great role model for women everywhere. It's a testament to women that you really can do what you want to do and be independent! Grace is spunky and has much more self-confidence than I think she even realizes!
Noah, well, his loyalty to his family is what got me. Right from the start I could feel his bond to his brother and the fact that there was nothing that could come in the way of that. That he would do absolutely anything in his power to make sure Jonah lived a good life and was taken care of. I did feel badly that Noah carried such a burden on his shoulders. That he felt like he couldn't let others help him out. But it was certainly a testament to the amazing man he is.
Certainly these two are mismatched: the bartender and the rich socialite. But their relationship really does work. Of course it starts off with a bang, the chemistry between the two palpable from the first page they meet. But, as with so many love stories, neither of them really feel they deserve the other. They flit about, ignoring the elephant in the middle of the room that is their budding relationship, and make like neither wants to have anything to do with the other. Of course this never works for anyone, does it?
As with all her other books, West has great pacing. I wasn't bored and waiting for things to happen. Well, maybe I was waiting for the main characters to come to their senses but I expected that. I loved how she introduced the supporting characters, as well. The book had emotional depth that I wasn't actually expecting. I thought it would be so much more flighty with the story line. But it really wasn't, which was such a great surprise!
If you're looking for a love story that has strongly motivated main characters who know exactly what they want, then you'll enjoy this second installment in West's No Kissing Allowed series. And no need to read the first book in the series, this can definitely stand on its own.
I really am such a fan of Melissa West. I truly have not read anything from her that I haven't liked. So, of course, this book was no exception. I love how she paints her characters. I love how each and every one of them has such a great personality, how they grow and change and become better for their experiences. It's such a satisfying experience to read one of her stories!
Grace, a totally relatable character. Ok, so I'm not wealthy like she is but I can totally understand her need and want to be independent of her family. To make a name for herself without having to link to her father, a billionaire who only seems to want to control her and her choices in life. It's nice to see that her family's money does not bind her. She's willing to branch out on her own, no matter how "poor" it makes her, and seek the career path that will make her happy. This is a great role model for women everywhere. It's a testament to women that you really can do what you want to do and be independent! Grace is spunky and has much more self-confidence than I think she even realizes!
Noah, well, his loyalty to his family is what got me. Right from the start I could feel his bond to his brother and the fact that there was nothing that could come in the way of that. That he would do absolutely anything in his power to make sure Jonah lived a good life and was taken care of. I did feel badly that Noah carried such a burden on his shoulders. That he felt like he couldn't let others help him out. But it was certainly a testament to the amazing man he is.
Certainly these two are mismatched: the bartender and the rich socialite. But their relationship really does work. Of course it starts off with a bang, the chemistry between the two palpable from the first page they meet. But, as with so many love stories, neither of them really feel they deserve the other. They flit about, ignoring the elephant in the middle of the room that is their budding relationship, and make like neither wants to have anything to do with the other. Of course this never works for anyone, does it?
As with all her other books, West has great pacing. I wasn't bored and waiting for things to happen. Well, maybe I was waiting for the main characters to come to their senses but I expected that. I loved how she introduced the supporting characters, as well. The book had emotional depth that I wasn't actually expecting. I thought it would be so much more flighty with the story line. But it really wasn't, which was such a great surprise!
If you're looking for a love story that has strongly motivated main characters who know exactly what they want, then you'll enjoy this second installment in West's No Kissing Allowed series. And no need to read the first book in the series, this can definitely stand on its own.
lpcoolgirl's review
5.0
Loved reading this book, I loved these two and their romance and it was a really enjoyable read!
siobhan27's review against another edition
5.0
No Falling Allowed was everything you want in a romance. Hot southern bad boy, strong and independent heroine and a southern setting!
When I finished No Kissing allowed I knew I wanted this series to continue. These girls were just too addictive and I loved their relationship, not just with each other but with the guys they meet.
In this book we meet Grace who is privileged beyond anyone's natural comprehension. Her father is a millionaire and expects her to follow in his footsteps, the only problem is she wants nothing to do with it. Grace is in love with planning weddings, and when her fathers finds this out he cuts her off. Something she is not used to. No money. What I loved the most about Grace was the fact that she took what her father did and grew from it. Yes she wallowed a bit but not for long, she is a great main character, she was feisty, stood up for herself and knew whats he wanted and went after it. You really can't ask for more than that.
Then there is Noah. Swoon. I loved him more than I think I should have. He is everything you want in a romantic hero. He is cocky, smart, funny and an amazingly compassionate. I have no bad things to say about this book. Noah has quickly become one of my favorite book boyfriends EVER. And I seriously cannot wait for the third book, because the way this one ended makes me think that Lauren will finally get her happy ending. I hope I'm right!
When I finished No Kissing allowed I knew I wanted this series to continue. These girls were just too addictive and I loved their relationship, not just with each other but with the guys they meet.
In this book we meet Grace who is privileged beyond anyone's natural comprehension. Her father is a millionaire and expects her to follow in his footsteps, the only problem is she wants nothing to do with it. Grace is in love with planning weddings, and when her fathers finds this out he cuts her off. Something she is not used to. No money. What I loved the most about Grace was the fact that she took what her father did and grew from it. Yes she wallowed a bit but not for long, she is a great main character, she was feisty, stood up for herself and knew whats he wanted and went after it. You really can't ask for more than that.
Then there is Noah. Swoon. I loved him more than I think I should have. He is everything you want in a romantic hero. He is cocky, smart, funny and an amazingly compassionate. I have no bad things to say about this book. Noah has quickly become one of my favorite book boyfriends EVER. And I seriously cannot wait for the third book, because the way this one ended makes me think that Lauren will finally get her happy ending. I hope I'm right!
zany07's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: I received this novel in exchange for an honest review and this in no way affects my opinion of the book.
Actual rating: 4.5 Stars
After having read Undone by Kelley Armstrong, (which was one of my first NA Romance novels), I have been on a HUGE romance kick. When I saw that No Falling Allowed had been added to Netgalley, I read the synopsis and was immediately interested.
As soon as I started NFA I could not put it down. It took me a little over a day to start and finish this novel and I loved every minute of it. In a few of the romance novels I have read recently, the author tends to have one of the characters do something really douche-y (pardon my language) to create some drama. This usually makes me hate the character and think that they shouldn't end up together. In NFA however, Melissa West doesn't do this. Of course there is still drama in the book, but I found it to be realistic drama that I understood and could believe might actually happen.
The characters in this novel were wonderful. I loved Grace and how strong she was. I loved how she could have whatever she wanted, and all the money she could want and all she had to do was go work at her dads company. But she didn't because she wanted to pick her own path in life. She refused to spend her life doing something she did not enjoy, even if it cost her everything and this, to me, made her a very strong independent woman. Now Noah, perfect. book. boyfriend. I loved him from the very beginning and couldn't get enough of him. He was caring, sweet, and definitely sexy.
The story was interesting and kept me wanting more throughout the book. I had no idea where the plot would lead us and I was so very excited to find out. This was my first Melissa West novel, and even though it is book #2, each book in the No Kissing Allowed series is a standalone, full-length story that can be enjoyed out of order. I will most definitely be picking up No Kissing Allowed and if it is anywhere as good as NFA, I will absolutely love it!
I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a cute but also steamy romance novel. Melissa West will not let you down with No Falling Allowed.
Actual rating: 4.5 Stars
After having read Undone by Kelley Armstrong, (which was one of my first NA Romance novels), I have been on a HUGE romance kick. When I saw that No Falling Allowed had been added to Netgalley, I read the synopsis and was immediately interested.
As soon as I started NFA I could not put it down. It took me a little over a day to start and finish this novel and I loved every minute of it. In a few of the romance novels I have read recently, the author tends to have one of the characters do something really douche-y (pardon my language) to create some drama. This usually makes me hate the character and think that they shouldn't end up together. In NFA however, Melissa West doesn't do this. Of course there is still drama in the book, but I found it to be realistic drama that I understood and could believe might actually happen.
The characters in this novel were wonderful. I loved Grace and how strong she was. I loved how she could have whatever she wanted, and all the money she could want and all she had to do was go work at her dads company. But she didn't because she wanted to pick her own path in life. She refused to spend her life doing something she did not enjoy, even if it cost her everything and this, to me, made her a very strong independent woman. Now Noah, perfect. book. boyfriend. I loved him from the very beginning and couldn't get enough of him. He was caring, sweet, and definitely sexy.
The story was interesting and kept me wanting more throughout the book. I had no idea where the plot would lead us and I was so very excited to find out. This was my first Melissa West novel, and even though it is book #2, each book in the No Kissing Allowed series is a standalone, full-length story that can be enjoyed out of order. I will most definitely be picking up No Kissing Allowed and if it is anywhere as good as NFA, I will absolutely love it!
I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a cute but also steamy romance novel. Melissa West will not let you down with No Falling Allowed.
mamabookwyrm's review against another edition
3.0
No Falling Allowed was a pretty enjoyable read. It was cute and kind of playful. I found it be low on the angst scale with no heavy drama. Grace is a socialite who is trying to break free from her tycoon father’s shadow and build a career of her own. Noah is a small-town restaurant owner shouldering heavy guilt and raising his little brother.
I loved the small town feel – the meddling, nosy neighbors and everyone knowing everyone’s business. And I found Jonah adorable. I, however, really had a hard time connecting with both of the main characters. Although at times I found Grace relatable, I often found her a bit on the spoiled side even though she was working and wanted her own career. Noah, I was able to connect with more but I wanted to know more about why he was carrying so much guilt. I felt the story about his parents’ death was brushed over and under rather quickly.
Overall, though, it was a fun and easy read. A great book when you need to relax after a long day if you need something sweet.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews, visit
I loved the small town feel – the meddling, nosy neighbors and everyone knowing everyone’s business. And I found Jonah adorable. I, however, really had a hard time connecting with both of the main characters. Although at times I found Grace relatable, I often found her a bit on the spoiled side even though she was working and wanted her own career. Noah, I was able to connect with more but I wanted to know more about why he was carrying so much guilt. I felt the story about his parents’ death was brushed over and under rather quickly.
Overall, though, it was a fun and easy read. A great book when you need to relax after a long day if you need something sweet.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews, visit
bananatricky's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Three and a half stars.
Grace Soaring is the daughter of a mobile phone billionaire and she works as an events planner for the Met in New York. She has a one night stand with a hot barman after she has to tell him to leave the Met for drinking on the job (in his defence he had finished his job).
When Grace gets made redundant (why do American novels always refer to redundancy as being fired? People are fired for being bad at their job or doing something wrong, people are made redundant through no fault of their own because their employer is in financial difficulties. Two different things) she gets a job with a wedding planner and her first assignment is a wedding in Cricket Creek, South Carolina - the town where Noah Hunter, her one night stand lives.
Noah runs a bar/ restaurant and is little brother's legal guardian. He doesn't have room in his life for anything else. Especially not a beautiful New Yorker.
I enjoyed this novel, Grace and Noah were both likeable characters and Jonah was a cute moppet. I did however feel that the pacing of the novel felt 'off'. The set up of the plot took nearly half of the novel and by about 75% through I was resigned to the novel having a cliffhanger because I was sure it couldn't reach a climax and conclusion with the remaining pages. The big misunderstanding blew up out of nowhere and was resolved just as quickly. But that was my only issue.
I will definitely look out for more books by Melissa West.
Bumped for release.
Three and a half stars.
Grace Soaring is the daughter of a mobile phone billionaire and she works as an events planner for the Met in New York. She has a one night stand with a hot barman after she has to tell him to leave the Met for drinking on the job (in his defence he had finished his job).
When Grace gets made redundant (why do American novels always refer to redundancy as being fired? People are fired for being bad at their job or doing something wrong, people are made redundant through no fault of their own because their employer is in financial difficulties. Two different things) she gets a job with a wedding planner and her first assignment is a wedding in Cricket Creek, South Carolina - the town where Noah Hunter, her one night stand lives.
Noah runs a bar/ restaurant and is little brother's legal guardian. He doesn't have room in his life for anything else. Especially not a beautiful New Yorker.
I enjoyed this novel, Grace and Noah were both likeable characters and Jonah was a cute moppet. I did however feel that the pacing of the novel felt 'off'. The set up of the plot took nearly half of the novel and by about 75% through I was resigned to the novel having a cliffhanger because I was sure it couldn't reach a climax and conclusion with the remaining pages. The big misunderstanding blew up out of nowhere and was resolved just as quickly. But that was my only issue.
I will definitely look out for more books by Melissa West.
Bumped for release.
thesassybookworm's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Stars
I enjoyed this one a lot. It was very readable and fairly low angst, with likable characters and a little heat.
Grace is a New York socialite trying to step out of her family's shadow and forge her own career. I liked Grace for the most part. There were a couple parts where I felt she came off a bit snobby (the first scene in the B&B in particular) but overall she was a great heroine. Noah was a small town guy shouldering the responsibilities of raising his brother and running the family bar after they died. I liked Noah, but there were parts where he his whole "woe is me" attitude kind of annoyed me. He seem to jump to conclusions and get angry whenever anyone suggested he was aloud a life. I loved his relationship with his brother though. The secondary characters were great, and I loved the small town feel of Cricket Creek.
I did have a couple of issues that brought my rating down a bit. One, Noah's backstory with his parents death etc isn't really that well fleshed out. Even when he tells Grace about it, it is glossed over. I needed a bit more details to help me understand his guilt and almost fanatical need to be there for his brother. I also found the romance between Grace and Noah to be missing something. I didn't feel they spent enough time together to be declaring "I Love You" Lastly, I am an epilogue girl, and this needed a better epilogue.
Overall though, this will hit the spot for many readers who love their romances on the sweet side. With no cheating or OW/OM drama.
lenoreo's review against another edition
4.0
https://celebrityreaders.wordpress.com/2016/07/20/no-falling-allowed-by-melissa-west/
4 stars -- I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
This could even be a 4.5 stars...so maybe like 4.25 stars? But I'm not sure if part of that is just profound relief. I read the first book and was just disappointed...not that it was bad, it was just really unremarkable. So I did in fact take a break and read a different book in between, and I'm not sure if that helped, or if this book really was just much more suited to my tastes, or if it was just better in general! Whatever the reason, I really enjoyed this book, and that is such a relief. This is what I was expecting, so yay!!
One major difference between this and the first book that may have contributed to my enjoyment was that this book was in dual POV (whereas book one was told only from the heroine's POV, and I felt like I didn't get to know the hero). It's not that I don't enjoy singular POV books, but I think this author definitely benefited from giving both of our MCs a voice.
I was surprised by how much I did enjoy Grace! I wasn't expecting that from the little we'd learned of her in book 1. She just seemed shallow and out of touch with reality. And occasionally I would wonder at the bit of dichotomy in her character -- she was a girl who really took advantage of her wealth and didn't always understand the perspective of her friends who lived on budgets, but she was also embarrassed of her wealth. But somehow it still worked for me, I still bought it and could see how she could come to be a bit of a contradiction. I really didn't expect her to have so much depth and hurt. In some ways I felt like the resolution with her parents was a bit too easy given some of the realizations she was coming to, but I was mostly in it for the romance, so I'll brush that aside.
And Noah/Hunter was an intriguing character all on his own. I wish it hadn't taken til so late in the book to find out the details of his past...it might have helped figure out why he was so guilty feeling and why he was so hellbent on making things right. But I'm just glad we did finally get that explanation.
I will admit I didn't always buy into the responsibility Grace was given so easily on the wedding planning...or how late in the game she was. But it really wasn't the focus, so I'm ok letting that go as well.
And since I adored the chemistry between Grace and Noah, I was getting a bit impatient at how long it took for them to find one another again after the one night stand, b/c oh baby did they just have a certain magnetism, you know?
All in all, this one succeeded in so many of the ways that the first book failed me. And I know I'm doing a lot of comparison, and it's not necessary to read the first book to enjoy this one. It's just the way my mind works I guess. I will definitely be watching to see if Lauren gets a better HEA than the one she settled for.
4 stars -- I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
This could even be a 4.5 stars...so maybe like 4.25 stars? But I'm not sure if part of that is just profound relief. I read the first book and was just disappointed...not that it was bad, it was just really unremarkable. So I did in fact take a break and read a different book in between, and I'm not sure if that helped, or if this book really was just much more suited to my tastes, or if it was just better in general! Whatever the reason, I really enjoyed this book, and that is such a relief. This is what I was expecting, so yay!!
One major difference between this and the first book that may have contributed to my enjoyment was that this book was in dual POV (whereas book one was told only from the heroine's POV, and I felt like I didn't get to know the hero). It's not that I don't enjoy singular POV books, but I think this author definitely benefited from giving both of our MCs a voice.
I was surprised by how much I did enjoy Grace! I wasn't expecting that from the little we'd learned of her in book 1. She just seemed shallow and out of touch with reality. And occasionally I would wonder at the bit of dichotomy in her character -- she was a girl who really took advantage of her wealth and didn't always understand the perspective of her friends who lived on budgets, but she was also embarrassed of her wealth. But somehow it still worked for me, I still bought it and could see how she could come to be a bit of a contradiction. I really didn't expect her to have so much depth and hurt. In some ways I felt like the resolution with her parents was a bit too easy given some of the realizations she was coming to, but I was mostly in it for the romance, so I'll brush that aside.
And Noah/Hunter was an intriguing character all on his own. I wish it hadn't taken til so late in the book to find out the details of his past...it might have helped figure out why he was so guilty feeling and why he was so hellbent on making things right. But I'm just glad we did finally get that explanation.
I will admit I didn't always buy into the responsibility Grace was given so easily on the wedding planning...or how late in the game she was. But it really wasn't the focus, so I'm ok letting that go as well.
And since I adored the chemistry between Grace and Noah, I was getting a bit impatient at how long it took for them to find one another again after the one night stand, b/c oh baby did they just have a certain magnetism, you know?
All in all, this one succeeded in so many of the ways that the first book failed me. And I know I'm doing a lot of comparison, and it's not necessary to read the first book to enjoy this one. It's just the way my mind works I guess. I will definitely be watching to see if Lauren gets a better HEA than the one she settled for.