Review: "The Deeper I Fall" by Erika Kelly

The Deeper I Fall by Erika Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ten months ago, British socialite Seraphina "Phinny" Crutchley turned down her billionaire boyfriend's marriage proposal, upending her life as she knew it. After her mother and stepfather cut her off and her high-society friends abandoned her, she was forced to take a job as a waitress in a diner just to make ends meet. She's in for another shock when she learns that her estranged biological father, NHL legend Kurt Grevers, has passed away. Phinny travels to Kurt's hometown of Calamity Falls, Wyoming for the funeral and, she believes, to claim her inheritance. Instead, a caveat in Kurt's will sets up a competition between his daughter and his former hockey protege, Declan Cadell, for control of the Grevers family ranch. At first, Declan intends to forfeit the ranch to Phinny because he believes that it should stay in the family, but when he learns that she intends to sell it and return to London, he changes his mind. Forced to spend a month living and working together prior to the trivia contest that will decide the ranch's fate, Phinny and Declan's contentious relationship slowly turns into a genuine friendship, and perhaps something more. Can Declan convince Phinny that she belongs in Calamity Falls with him, no matter what happens with the contest?

I adored this funny, sweet, and heartwarming story, which was more emotional than I expected it to be. Declan and Phinny were incredibly three-dimensional and sympathetic characters, and I couldn't help rooting for them both individually and as a couple. Phinny's mother and stepfather basically raised her to be the modern equivalent of a Regency debutante; their only expectation for her was that she marry well. I loved seeing her come into her own during her time in Calamity. She realized who she was, what she wanted in life, and how to stand up for herself and her choices without sacrificing her loyalty and compassion. As for Declan, I empathized with his fears of loss and abandonment after losing so much of his family at a young age. It wasn't easy for him to overcome them, but in the end, he realized that his relationship with Phinny was worth taking a risk.

I highly recommend "The Deeper I Fall" for all contemporary romance fans and look forward to the next book in the series.

*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

View all my reviews