Fallen in Love: An Enchanting Introduction

     Fallen in Love is a collection of four short stories from author Lauren Kate that follows several of the characters in her Fallen series through a Valentine’s Day in Medieval England. I admit, I was actually a bit nervous about starting this book. You see, her Fallen series involves fallen angels – that would be straight up my paranormal alley, right? Wrong! The last novel I read involving angels coming down from heaven had been a huge disappointment. The ending of Halo by Alexandra Adornetto implied that God was wrong, that He made a mistake in forbidding love between an angel and a human – and I do not believe that God makes mistakes. To this day that novel is one of the few books I’ve ever gotten rid of.
   But when two reviews on Goodreads specifically compare the Fallen series to The Heart of Everything, I felt I needed to give it a try. I was still hesitant about diving right in, however, so I opted to do things out of order (I know, I know – shame on me) and start with Fallen in Love as a way to get my feet wet and see if I could stomach the rest of the series. And I have been pleasantly surprised.
    I should note, there was a “forbidden relationship” within this set of stories. But this particular relationship was between an angel and a demon (so, duh, of course it’s forbidden) and it also happens to be between two females (which, according to what I believe, is also forbidden). I don’t know if the author intended this, but when you think about it, it’s a clever way of giving popular culture what it wants without actually buying into it.
      For me, the most intriguing parts of this short collection were actually the characters of Lucinda and Daniel. What is so special about these two that all who know them are determined to help them make their love work? In fact, the first three stories in this anthology are a lead-up to the fourth, with each of the main characters preparing to do their part to make this Valentine’s Day special for the lucky couple. But what these stories don’t really explain is why. Now I’m curious enough about these two to want to read the rest of the series – if only to discover why everyone around them is so determined to give on their behalf. Is their love story truly so special as to invite such sacrifice? There’s only one way to find out!
     I obviously can’t speak for the full series just yet (though it is definitely on my “to read” list!), but I’m hopeful for the kind of love that inspires loyalty: from friends, from onlookers, and from each other. I hope that someday, I too create relationships that readers are rooting for from the sidelines. It may never be the desperate, undying devotion that is so popular in romance novels, but I do aim to write about love worth sacrificing for ;-).
      What do you think?  Share your thoughts in the comments section!
      Until the next time, keep reading!
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