Photo credits: George Apostol, Annalise Batista, StockSnap
Edited by Vaishali
Title: He's Going Down
Author: Kelly Siskind Genre/Themes: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction. Publisher: Montlake Romance. ISBN: 978-1-988937-01-4 Year of Publication: 2017. Version: Ebook/kindle app Review...
‘We could share our hopes and dreams all we wanted, but the ugly truth was the iron that branded lovers.’ “What’s stopping you, Ray? Because this quote…” I gestured to the one above her head: Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star. ~ W. Clement Stone. “How do you know I’m not that star? I’m burning pretty hot for you. What’s to say I’m not the thing you’ve been missing?” ‘But Rachel and me—we were legendary.’ I can’t speak for the value of a decadent wine, but I can speak for the value of a good book and a story that serves us with a kindred indulgence as any fine wine might. A story of ripe wine and riper possibilities. Sip, swig or guzzle, you’re guaranteed to taste the flavours of this solid, superbly written contemporary romance! I don’t know why I took to long to read this, but I loved it.
Rachel Kates is perhaps the lady of ultimate startovers. Restive and ropey with the job-hopping mess that is her professional life, she burns through each one like a job in itself, while every potential career choice lies in waste in her wake. As the clock winds down on her 27th birthday, she makes a well-meaning wish, a resolution to finally pursue her passion - whatever that may be because this little lady certainly is adrift in the pool of professional life - and drag her life yet again into another direction, one finally and hopefully worth it, she says with fingers crossed.
Her life built on the fundamental need to tick boxes and fill the awaiting mold of acceptance, her behaviour built to please…just not herself. Rachel is a character lost in a lot of ways, explicitly visible through her fretful, fidgety search in life, her pernickety desire for structure and her indefinite pursuits that have her chasing her own feet in circles, trying to find the hand that makes her tick and the minute that everything will fall into place.
Rough and tumble Jimmy Giannopoulos presents an opportunity to challenge all of that, challenge her inhibitions, a lit match to her modesty and a means to tap into the wild parts of reckless Rachel. Rachel doesn’t remember the fine details of her apparently enthusiastic night with bad boy Jimmy. A wild escapade that leaves no residue in her mind but the marks and scuffs of a night well-used, without the complete and satisfying memory of a night lost to passion, dread soon sweeps up any good her boldness might have influenced when her outrageousness has her looking for yet again another job.
The one time she lets loose on her inner devil her intoxicated mind robs her of the will to remember. Least of her worries though. This is when the title of the book comes in to play when both Jimmy and Rachel are set to compete for the same role in a Sommelier contest, but the actual competitiveness is tongue-in-cheek, nothing too serious but more a way to spend time to taunt and tease. This couple are a fresh breath of warm air. Their romance is sweet, witty, warm, saucy, feel-good and downright riveting. Both attractive characters, both smart and engaging, and this story crafts the perfect stage for them to dally!
Jimmy and Rachel are very similar in some ways, the big difference being that Jimmy has already shed an imposter’s skin in favour of a Harley between his legs and tattoos to decorate his skin - he knows who he is now, comfortable in his identity, not one to conform. Rachel though is still fettered to the almighty road of familial expectation, not yet appreciating the value of her own individuality, this time being an exploratory time for her, with Jimmy more than happy to let his Harley lead the way. There were admittedly a few lulls along the way, but I was still always caught up by the romance.
For many, it takes a little longer to find a purpose, and this is Rachel in a nutshell. Any accomplishment is in the trying itself so I don’t agree with her label of ‘failure’. She’s so much more than that. She’s strong and driven, it was only her disbelief and silenced personality that held her back. Her identity is called out for her to question and assess, Jimmy being the perfect companion to help her unwind and find, shall we say. But this story isn’t all about Rachel…
Since his fall from family and trade Jimmy has played the part of indifference, his roots written off without realising just how much he’s actually puppeteered by his past. What we have here are two people making marks on each others’ lives while the gashes of the past persist into the pockets of the present day, both lodged in their respectable cycles.
It’s always the luck of the draw with romance reads. I really never know how they’ll turn out. This, however, was a great pick from the draw. Another author to add to my list of fine wine romantic fiction. I’m definitely excited to have a deeper look into Kelly Siskind’s work. I love my male heroes to encompass the nuances of naughty and nice and that’s what I got with Jimmy. He was a great lead! Paired with Rachel and they are a match made to master life as well as any questionable wine while their darker parts fade and heal with confrontation and acceptance.
There were some instances of telling and not showing which I’m not a fan of and I did think there were some overlooked choices, that the story could have fleshed itself out a bit more to really push it into an indispensable rom com sensation, but still absolutely well-worth it.
He’s Going Down comes with familial ties, broken ones and otherwise, the ups and downs of adult life, memorably tied with history, fear and misplaced identity. The emancipating call of self-acceptance and chasing dreams, paths chosen, yet to find and left behind is what girdles this romance. A story that reads convincingly and feels well researched. Every time a glass of wine was tasted and savoured with unctuous notes I wanted my own glass of liquid delight to relish. A bartender who rides his Harley to outrun history, blistered by a trail of broken relationships and a questioning good girl, ready to blossom from a place of passion. It's all like the ripest of grape pickings.
A flavoursome romance that hits the notes with superb writing, a distaste for rule-following, and a pursuit for happiness in life while passion floodlights the real fire. ‘A nose for wine and a drive to win’ is a quote in this book, one I'm going to pinch from the author because I think it excellently illustrates this story.
I gave this book 4 stars -
Content Warning: A few descriptive sex scenes and minimal swearing.
I love interacting with fellow readers, reviewers and hearing about reader opinion, so get in touch and comment below!
--------------------------------------- M Y R A T I N G S Y S T E M: ★ - 1 star: I did not like the book ★★ - 2 stars: The book was okay ★★★ - 3 stars: It was a good, solid read ★★★★ - 4 stars: A great book ★★★★★ - 5: A phenomenal read ---------------------------------------
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R E L A T E D P O S T S: ● Author Interview with Kelly Siskind ● BOOK REVIEW: New Orleans Rush by Kelly Siskind ____________________________________________________
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