| Title | : | Until the Stars Fall from the Sky (Hidden Beauty, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 357 |
| Publication | : | First published June 3, 2014 |
As a lifeguard and law student, Jeff Whitaker grasps life head-on after putting his dreams on hold due to a family crisis. But his legendary focus changes when a woman rescues a little boy while Jeff is lifeguarding.
This most interesting, captivating, complex woman tempts him beyond belief. And she comes with two of the most adorable “strings” he’s ever met. When faced with that combo, he’s tempted to throw caution to the wind.
Kiera Ashley, a former para-Olympian swimmer, turned social worker never expected to encounter the man of her dreams in the middle of a lake. Their first meeting was awkward. When they start dating, he claims it’s love at first sight. As much as Kiera would love to believe in fairytales, they just don’t happen to her.
But meeting Jeff isn’t like diving into the deep. That she can handle. But when he struggles with the effects of his childhood trauma, she wades in. Can she overcome her own insecurities and commit to going all-in?
When a crisis hits home, the two of them struggle to stand together until the stars fall from the sky.
If you love fiery heroines and unlikely heroes, you’ll love Until the Stars Fall from the Sky. This clean and wholesome romance with a healthy dash of family will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Until the Stars Fall from the Sky is the first novel in the Hidden Beauty Series. It can be read as a standalone.
Until the Stars Fall from the Sky (Hidden Beauty, #1) Reviews
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When I saw this on the Amazon top 100 free books yesterday I recognised the title. It took me a while to work out where from and then I remembered it was on a Goodreads list of books where 'hero/heroine has a disability'. I have read a few romances with that theme, so I was interested to read this one.
Kiera is a paraplegic (from mid torso down to her toes). It was sad how she became a paraplegic but she hasn't let it get her down. She meets Jeff and they are instantly attracted to each other.
Now this was not really my cup of tea but that doesn't mean others won't love it. For me, it was all just a bit too 'nice'. It's a 'clean' romance. There are no real sex scenes, no swearing, no angst. Jeff is a lovely romantic nice person and Kiera is really nice. Note my theme of 'nice'!
I think this is the authors debut novel and she didn't do a bad job but she needs to work on her 'male' voice as at times Jeff sounded too 'female'. If you like 'clean' romances then this is the book for you. -
There's just something about a guy who sacrifices pretty much everything for his one true love. Jeff had a specific plan for his life. He had goals and was working to fulfill them. But then he met Kiera. I would've loved him alone for the way he instantly fell for her. Guys who instantly tumble for their one-true love are just so hot. So, that was sigh-worthy right there. But then he went and rearranged his entire life for her, letting go of big job opportunities to avoid conflict of interest, taking on two children at the drop of a hat...and he was just so cool about all of it. He's what the ideal book boyfriend is all about.
And then there's Kiera. This is the kind of woman I want to be. She doesn't let any obstacle keep her from being "her." She overcomes so much and does it with style and finesse, making every hurdle in her path look simple and no big deal. Her capacity for love is over flowering. Just ask the two little girls she saves. And her curse words are priceless!
Here's a story about a couple who experiences their ups and downs but still manages to triumph through it and come out with a satisfying happily ever after. I could read this type of romance until the stars fell from the sky! -
I was drawn to this book by the beautiful cover. Once I started reading, I could not put it down. I loved Kiera and Jeff and their story of falling in love, and creating a life together. Their "differences" made them uniquely beautiful and they were handled with delicate realism that was very captivating to me. I liked how their was no artifice or game playing, just pure honesty and candor between them. I found myself tearful in a few places, and then joyful in many others.
I hope this is the first of many books I will read by Mary Crawford and I wouldn't mind reading more about Jeff and Kiera, if a second book is in the works. -
It had a great start, but then at 50% it lost me. I got bored. It was too sweet. No real drama.
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I've not read a lot of romance novels, but of all the ones I have read never have I laughed so much. Nor have any others brought me to tears. This novel is more than just a romance story. There is depth to this story dealing with several issues in our society. Problems that people with disabilities encounter and abuse are realistically portrayed as an integral part of the plot. The romance is well done and the subplot is superbly written. I did see a number editorial errors that were mostly a problem with formatting. Paragraph breaks in mid sentence did have me confused for a moment and I'd have to go back and read again to put the sentence back together as it was intended. That did not spoil the story though. I give this book a 4 out of 5.
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This was a great love story. I was hooked very early and couldn't wait to finish the book. But when I was finished, I wished there was more. The characters are a great mix of quirky, serious and fun loving. The good guys win in the end and everyone is safe and happy. I hope Mary Crawford writes future books. She's a great new author and I can't wait to read her next book.
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Keira and Jeff are the perfect couple. The love they share is undeniable. Their story is so beautifully written yet heartbreaking due to the struggles they
encounter. This story is filled with love, hope, strength and family. This story does show love conquers all. Amazing work Mary Crawford. -
3 ½ stars
Perhaps one of my favorite things is when a story is told from alternating POV’s. I love getting the 360 degree view storyline. Until the Stars Fall from the Sky opens with Jeff Whitaker heading into his summer job as a lifeguard on a beach in Oregon. Jeff is the kind of unusual character in the romance genre, a strong male who's not necessarily an Alpha, but a strong and yet shy young man. At thirty years old, Jeff has worked hard to overcome many obstacles and has landed himself a place in law school and a first year internship to go with it. The alternate POV in this book is that of Kiera Ashley. Kiera faces her own obstacles but has succeeded in working on her Master's degree and interviewing victims in crisis center. The main storyline follows Jeff and Kiera as they fall in love with each other and with 2 children that Kiera encounters in her role at the crisis center
Until the Stars Fall from the Sky is a love story, but it is mostly about compassion and facing down ones fears. Although the story tackles issues of crossing racial barriers, it didn’t feel weighed down in this, in fact this is really a concern for the main characters, but more an acknowledgement that this could be an issue. The other big issue this tackles are their respective afflictions, Jeff’s shyness and Kiera’s spinal cord injury which left her a paraplegic. Jeff’s shyness leaves him vulnerable to emotional closeness and Kiera’s paralysis leaves her wondering if she can offer Jeff a normal life. Both use these disabilities as excuses to close themselves off from each other, but I think the author did a great job using this to create some emotional angst without belaboring the issue. Both are mature characters, recognize their insecurities and to work to move past it.
There are a variety of secondary characters that add to the storyline, most importantly Mindy, a child Kiera’s interviews at work. The storyline involving Mindy and her sister Becca is both heartbreaking and lovely. It hurts to the core to know the situation that brings them into Kiera and Jeff’s lives is based on reality, but the sense of hope and the way these two children add love to the storyline is heartening. Wouldn't be right not to mention the the use of Kiera’s girlfriend posse of Heather and Tara as being great examples of characters that add to strength to Kiera’s well-being. Her life is most impacted by her father. Also, Jeff’s family adds a bit of drama but his sister and mother are both wonderful characters.
The story is well written but there were a few things a bit overdone for my taste and for me affected the readability, but the plot and characters were testaments to the intent. From the beginning of Jeff and Kiera’s meeting, Jeff reminiscences on words his grandfather left him with, words that give Jeff the strength to battle his doubts:
For all I know, this could be one of those once-in-a-lifetime
occurrences. The kind of thing where you fall in love with
someone at a glance and love her until the stars fall from the sky.
The romantic in me swoons at the thought and loved to see the fairytale come true for these characters. 3 ½ stars and recommendation in the romance genre. -
What a sweet and loving story. Many times these days we forget what love it really about. We forget about working hard to get there and that it's not always the amazingly fun, exotic, sensual moments that are written about - that there are real people behind characters. Read this book- you will feel the characters come to life and feel their love for each other.
Can't wait to read the next offering from this amazing fresh new author who seems to see what love really is and what a relationship takes and can endure. -
I thoroughly enjoyed each personality. The sense of family and friends support in such a remarkable story.
The only reason I couldn't give 5 stars is the time in which Jeff and Kiera met, fell in love, married, and adopted children. I really would have loved having that spread out over chapters in which the timing was several months and not a few weeks.
I laughed and I cried. I loved the emotions I felt by envisioning the obstacles each character overcame.
A story very well written. I look forward to more!! -
I am a huge sucker for Romance stories, but this one, while I enjoyed it in the beginning and a bit in the middle, by the end of the book, I found myself simply scanning through it just to get it over with. It was way too cheesy for my tastes. The nicknames the two characters had for each other, while seemingly cute at first, became annoying because the author overused them in a way that I couldn't stand to see them coming up in a sentence. The overall story was a good idea, but the further along it got, the more ridiculous it became.
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cute but fast read. and when i say fast, i mean WOW. didn't they just meet and they're talking love at first sight? i'm not sure, maybe i'm a little jaded, but i'm not too big for the instalove. other than that, i liked it. it was sweet. some part i was a little confused, i mean she's an incomplete paraplegic, but yet she was able to wrap her legs around him? um.... idk.
overall a really cute and sweet book, and very quick read. -
Okay, I admit - I do not give spoiler reviews! So, if you need to know more about the storyline, you'll need to read the blurb about the book. If you want to know how I (not that you have any reason to know if my opinion is very valid) like the book - that's what I will tell you.
I LOVED this book!! It was a genuinely sweet and lasting story that warmed my heart and gave me a smile that lasted and lasted! Enjoy this lovely story!! :) -
Wow. I'm at a loss for words. It is not common for me to ball like a baby repeatedly during the course of reading a book. Choked up, teary.. Yes.. But this book WOW. Grabbed right onto my heart and played it like a violin. If your looking for a book that makes you laugh and quite possible do the "ugly cry" then this is for you. Beautiful!
Edited to add- even on my Reread I can’t even breathe right now, my chin wagging, tears streaming down my face. -
Wow, this one was totally unexpected. I've read a lot of books in the romance genre, but this one is completely unlike any I've read before.
The characters were amazing, and the problems they encountered. . well, I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but it was almost heart breaking at some points. An amazing story. I think everyone should read it. -
This is a fantastic debut novel. I loved this story.
To me this was a really great refreshing story. It has a unique storyline which I loved. The characters came across as real which I also loved. Jeff and Keira's story is certainly one worth 1-clicking.
This is a truly beautiful romantic story.
True love can conquer all. -
Beautiful writing and wonderful characters. The best part about this book is not the cookie cutter romance you typically find anymore. I love it Kiera was disabled, but not defined by it. Jeff was broken emotionally, but overcame it to become stronger. Highly recommend!
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**ARC FOR HONEST REVIEW**
Loved the storyline and how balanced this book is. It's not heavy on the romance, it just gives it the right touch and throw in a little humor as well. The story of Kiera and Jeff is captivating and will keep you glued to your reader. Very well written! -
Received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I really feel in love with this story. The characters were very well developed and the story flowed nicely. I really liked this first book in the series. Excited to see what's next. -
I loved this book! The characters are endearing and the plot keeps the reader engaged. It is a story for the hopeless romantic about how true love can conquer all.
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I have to admit, my review may be biased because I wrote this book. But it is my intent to write stories where love matters and differences don't. Please let me know what you think.
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What a great book! I absolutely loved it and can't wait for the next one!
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Great book,good flow,love the characters,could imagine the story in my head as I read it. I was hard to put down..
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A beautiful story. Although Keira has a major disability, she is so positive and full of life, that you can actually forget that she is not a able-bodied person.
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A Forever Love
This is the sweetest interracial romance that I've ever read. Jeffrey's father was black and his mother is white. His father is dead and his mother remarried a man who abused him and his sister for years. Keira is a red haired, paraplegic whose dead mother threw her down the stairs when she was 18 months old, causing her disability. Her mother later died of the brain tumor that caused her mental problems. Her father was a truck driver who often took her with him on his cross country trips.
Jeffrey worked as a lifeguard while finishing his third year of law school. He was working as a lifeguard when he saw Kiera. Keira was at the lake with her BFFs in a pedal boat when she saved a two year old from drowning. Jeffrey helped her to the safety station and realized she was paraplegic when she told him she couldn't get up He realized that she was the woman he spotted earlier and was attracted to him as she had been to him. So began a love at first sight romance.
He told her that he could love her "until the stars fall from the sky ". She felt the same way. They both were affected by their upbringing which caused emotional disabilities. They came to terms with those before their relationship was affected within a week of knowing each other. Her father and BFFs loved Jeffrey. His family loved her. It was all lovey dovey, even using weird expressions rather than profanity which was really irritating.
This was a "clean" romance but speaking of bodily fluids and erections the second night they were together was strange. That and the other ways they spoke of their physical attraction would be considered soft porn by some. The one night that you thought they had sex for the first time just ended and nothing more was spoken of it. I wondered if part of the book was missing.
As part of her job, she had contact with a 6-year old abused girl, Mindy and her infant sister, Becca, also abused. He just happened to be with her the night she was called to help with them. Of course, they each fell in love with the girls who ended up in their custody. Incredible. Both families and friends helped them prepare rooms in her house for the girls and also planned a wedding for the two of them.
Everything happened too quickly in the book which was full of grammatical errors of all types. The dual POVs caused the book to drag at times and was very repetitive. However, if you love over the top romances that are somewhat unbelievable, this is the book for you.
