Review of the “Too Far” series by Abbi Glines

I’m still quite behind on getting reviews posted for books I’ve read that aren’t part of tours. This is a new adult romance series that I read a few months ago and really enjoyed. I can’t quite put my finger on how Abbi Glines makes her books work despite their many clichés, but I must say it was difficult to put them down. They are chalk full of emotion and pulled at my heart in ways I never expected.

Below are reviews for each of the novels in the series (it follows the same hero/heroine throughout). If you haven’t tried these books yet, you might not want to read past the first one, but I will say now they are worth picking up!

Blurb from Amazon:

To want what you’re not supposed to have…

She is only nineteen.

She is his new stepfather’s daughter.

She is still naïve and innocent due to spending the last three years taking care of her sick mother.

But for twenty-four year old Rush Finlay, she is the only thing that has ever been off limits. His famous father’s guilt money, his mother’s desperation to win his love, and his charm are the three reasons he has never been told no.

Blaire Wynn left her small farmhouse in Alabama, after her mother passed away, to move in with her father and his new wife in their sprawling beach house along the Florida gulf coast. She isn’t prepared for the lifestyle change and she knows she’ll never fit into this world. Then there is her sexy stepbrother who her father leaves her with for the summer while he runs off to Paris with his wife. Rush is as spoiled as he is gorgeous. He is also getting under her skin. She knows he is anything but good for her and that he’ll never be faithful to anyone. He is jaded and has secrets Blaire knows she may never uncover but even knowing all of that…

Blaire just may have fallen too far.

My Review:

I seemed to be on some strange kick that I just need to find a New Adult romance I can enjoy. This one has been on the top of the charts on Amazon for awhile so I thought I’d give it a chance. Was it what I expected? Yes and no.

The heroine’s life is definitely tragic and that makes you feel for her, but it almost seemed too unreal. Her personality just didn’t add up. I don’t care what your experiences are in life, you know if you’re truly beautiful and no one is as good as she acts. I almost gave up on the book early on just because it was enough to make me roll my eyes, but something made me stick with Blaire to see what would happen. She had her pride and earned her way, never wanting to take hand outs. That much I could appreciate and respect about her.

This isn’t really a fast paced book but it’s a story that slowly sucks you in as you get further and further into it. They mystery behind Rush’s sister was probably what kept me going the most. In the end, though, I was so hooked on the romance (despite all my misgivings) that I even got misty eyed at the way things ended. I could feel Blaire’s pain even if I didn’t agree with the way she dealt with it. So despite everything, I’ll be grabbing the next book in the trilogy. The author managed to hook me, though I never would have guessed it at the beginning. I just have to know how things go with Rush and Blaire.

If you enjoy reading about young love and how it can get totally screwed up but still have you rooting for it to work, then you might check this one out. I’m not sure how to explain it any better than that. This book isn’t for everyone, but I can see why so many people liked it. Real life is complicated and so is romance.

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Blurb From Amazon:

The story that started with the New York Times Bestseller FALLEN TOO FAR continues…

Rush withheld a secret that had destroyed her world.

Her entire life had all been a lie.

Blaire couldn’t stop loving him but she knew she could never forgive him.

Now, she was back home and learning to live again. Moving on with life… until something happened to send her world spinning once again.

What do you do when the one person you can never trust again is the one that you need to trust so desperately?

You lie, hide, avoid, and pray that your sins never find you out.

My Review:

This book had me even more hooked than the last. It’s emotional, but I have to say Rush really won me over. The way he worked so hard to make Blaire happy and to make things up to her for his past (and current) mistakes had my heart melting. Are there rich, hot looking guys in real life who’d really act like him? I seriously doubt it, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy the story. Part of the point of reading is to take a trip into a fantasy world and this author managed to convince me that even with unrealistic elements it was worth the journey. I’ll definitely be picking up the final book in the trilogy. Rush and Blaire finally got to a better place at the end of this one, but there’s still their family to contend with.

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Summary from Amazon:

Rush promised her forever…
but promises can be broken.

Torn between his love for his family and his love for Blaire, Rush has to find a way to save one without losing the other. In the end one has to be more important. Letting go isn’t easy.

Blaire believed in her fairytale…
but no one can live in a fantasy.

Her love for Rush and desire to have a family keep her believing that they can find a way for this to work. Until she has to make the right decision for her and the baby. Even if it breaks her heart.

Can they find the forever that they both want or has it all just gone… too far?

My Review:

This is definitely a book where you’d have to have read the previous two novels to appreciate it. I really enjoyed it, but felt there were still a few loose ends that didn’t get tied up (particularly with Rush’s family). Mostly, though, I was satisfied. There were some definite emotional times and this is partly because I lost my mother to cancer when I was young so I could totally relate to Blaire and the feelings she had when remembering hers. A couple of big events that took place also had me getting misty eyed.

As for Rush, he continued to be the sweet guy who made some more mistakes, but I understood why he felt pulled in different directions. Some people might judge him, but I’ve got a sibling that has serious emotional issues and can relate to how that affected him. He really was doing his best to be there for his sister and Blaire. I doubt anyone could have handled his situation perfectly, but he did try to make up for it when he screwed up.

Overall, this was a sweet series and one I’m really glad I read. Could it have used some editing for spelling/grammar mistakes? Yes, but those things didn’t take away from my enjoyment. The story kept me riveted to the end. If you’re looking for something fast-paced, this isn’t it, but if you enjoy romances with a lot of drama and emotional pull then you might want to pick this trilogy up.

Overall, I give the series four whips!