Author: E.K. Blair
Books:
Fading – Candace’s story
Freeing – Jase’s story
Falling – Ryan’s story
BUY THEM IN A BUNDLE HERE for .99!!!! (trust me, you want the extras in this bundle).
tl;dr recommendation: My heart shook & shattered & burst. It’s AMAZING.
Fading’s Summary:
Can a guilty conscience keep wounds from healing?
Fine arts major, Candace Parker, grew up with a mother who thinks image is everything, and her daughter’s perfection will never be good enough. About to graduate college and pursue her dreams of becoming a professional ballerina, Candace decides it’s time to let go and have a little fun. But fun is short-lived when a brutal attack leaves her completely shattered.
The memories that consume and torment Candace are starting to destroy her when she meets Ryan Campbell, a successful bar owner. He feels instantly connected and tries to show her that hope is worth fighting for. But is Ryan harboring his own demons? As walls slowly begin to chip away, the secrets that are held within start to become painful burdens.
At what point do secrets become lies?
Longer Review:
I bought EK’s books because a month-ish ago I saw an epic facebook post shared by K. Bromberg in which E.K. basically tells authors who are complaining about bad reviews for their books and complaining about the industry and just complaining to go fuck themselves (I’m paraphrasing, obvi). Instead she threw her support behind readers & bloggers – even those who gave her a bad reviews. I read it and said FUCK YES E.K., I’m buying all of your books. And so I did. I don’t regret it.
E.K. Blair is an indie author who I prefer to now just refer to as: genius. This series is an incredibly thought provoking & deep work of literature that needs to be shared with the world. I’ve read a couple *cough* of erotica / romance novels and sometimes I find myself ranking or rating a book based upon it’s place in the genre. But no. Not this one. This is fantastic piece of fiction. Period.
I am in awe of this series. Not only is the storyline brilliant but the writing is fantastic. The story is emotionally jarring and imperfect in all the ways it should be. Yes, it’s a somewhat dark story but it’s also beautiful. It’s about pulling yourself out of the pit of despair; its about allowing others to help you when you can’t help yourself; its about learning to accept love. What better message is there than that?
Candace is strong enough to break. As we watch her try to pick up the fractured pieces of herself, I found myself wanting to comfort her just as much as Jase & Mark & Ryan. Speaking of Jase…his loyalty is unwavering & absolute. We should all have a friend so fucking awesome. and Ryan. OH MY GOD RYAN. I really can’t talk about this without giving spoilers, but know that when Ryan falls in love, he does it with his whole self. Also, Note: I love his mother immensely. Fuck, I wish my mother was as awesome as Donna.
After finishing Fading (and after picking up the pieces of my heart that had been scattered around the room) I was at a loss for words. Days later, I am still so unbelievably affected by this book. Fading shook me at the depth of my core. There will be Before I read Fading and After. My heart shook and shattered and burst. I cried. I fucking cried. Only Colleen Hoover makes me cry. Well done, E.K.
In Freeing, we learn about Jase’s story….and of course it’s fantastic. HOW COULD IT BE ANYTHING ELSE? Like many other readers, this was my first foray into a male/male love story. In case you were wondering, it made zero difference. What some may call as a risk for E.K., I say is perfection. My body shuddered & then warmed as Jase finally began to accept himself and fell in love with Mark. You get some pieces filled in that you were missing in Fading by viewing it from Jase’s perspective & you really find out just how much Candace is loved. By the way, Jase & Mark are the best. I’d like cookouts and snugglefests with them immediately. kthx.
and then there was Falling. Oh.My.God. Ryan’s story. RyanRyanRyanRyan. I knew he was a bit of a manslut, but I have to admit I was a little surprised at the extent. But it’s ok, because again we see Candace’s story in a new light. The shadows become a little lighter and the pixels a little clearer. You cannot read Fading without reading Falling. YOU CANNOT. I thought my heart was full at the end of Fading but I was so fucking wrong. The end of Falling (& the extra Finding Forever that’s part of the bundle) filled my soul. These pieces are so unbelievably necessary to this story and I loved every bit of this series.
In case you missed it, I fucking love these books. E.K. Blair goes right on my list of favorite authors – a place well earned. There are not enough stars to give.
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