Review: The Autumn Review for Be My Downfall
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 5, 2013
I really enjoyed Be My Downfall. I will say that it was the darker of the three books in the series, in my opinion. The issues both Toby and Kennedy face are intense, emotional, and a bit heartbreaking.I liked Toby from the first book. I'm happy with the way things worked out for Em, but Toby is a really good guy. I had hopes that he would find someone worthy of him. In this book, he meets the campus nutcase, Kennedy, at a party he's hosting over break. It's clear from the start that this girl has some very serious issues. Not only does she seem to party hard, but there is obviously something else that she's battling with. Toby feels drawn to her. He wants to help her. See, Toby had a brother that struggled with drug addiction. It was devastating to his family and still haunts them. So, I think Toby saw that Kennedy needed help, but he didn't fully understand the depth to Kennedy's issues. But, he wanted to be there to help her, understand her, and show her love. Toby proved, once again, that he's one of the good ones.Oh my, poor Kennedy. I won't discuss the reasons why Kennedy is the way she is in detail, but I will say that she struggles with two very serious issues. My heart broke for Kennedy. She was so lost and lonely. There was something about Toby that made her feel. Like Toby, she was drawn to him. He seemed to give her peace and hope that maybe she could be ok with being happy again.Throughout the book, there are flashback scenes that tell the story of what happened to Kennedy. I liked getting those chapters, but the time sequence was a bit all over the place. I don't have a problem going back in time, etc, but these scenes were a but jumpy to me. The other thing I felt like I wanted more information about or feel was unresolved was this issue with Toby's brother. I was curious to know what happened with that situation.Overall, I really enjoyed it. I've enjoyed all of the couples in this series, but I think Toby and Kennedy touched me just a little bit more. Likely because they made me feel the most.  It was great to see all the characters again too. I was curious to see how they would all tie together considering the way Toby and Em's friendship stood. I had a smile on my face every time yummy Cole came into a scene. He makes me smile. I'm really enjoying the Whitman University Series and look forward to what's to come. Definitely check this one out!Quotes:~She tastes like strawberries and horrible, horrible choices, but when her lips parted to let my tongue brush over hers, I knew I needed to do her and get it over with-get her out of my system.-Loc 577~"I'm a writer, strawberry, and that means I'm a creepy observer. I've been watching you since we met in St. Moritz, and the saddest part is, you want to be happy. We have to figure out how to that okay."-Loc 2106