Title: When the Saint Falls (Westbrook Three #1)
Author: A.D. McCammon
Genre: NA High School Bully Romance
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh Lord in Heaven. This book has me in love with every one of the characters except for the hero — and it’s not like he sucks. Truth is Thatch is just not as impressive as the others. And boo-hoo for him. I guess that might be a backhanded compliment to A.D. McCammon. I love all her Westbrook peeps, but the hero is Laa-aime.
“We’re told as little girls when a boy is mean to you, it means he likes you, but that’s total bullshit. There must be another explanation. Here’s to hoping it’s not one that makes me want to be homeschooled.” – Violet
Violet is a wallflower, in every way you could mean the word. The only person who appears to be able to see her is her bully, and she wishes she could drop off his radar.
And Thatcher Michaelson is an insecure King of a Crap-pile he’d instead not rule. Wealthy, entitled, and feared, if not respected, because he’s certainly earned his reputation, he is more regretful about it than he is proud. Sadly, someone has to take on the dirty jobs; Thatcher and his best friends: Cole and Arwen have been meting out punishments for years. But Violet is mistaken in thinking Thatcher has it out for her, sometimes you gotta be cruel to be kind.
“‘I’m fine, mom. Jesus.’
‘Oh shit … did I interrupt you? You know that’s nothing to be ashamed of. A little self-exploration is healthy.’
‘Oh my god, mother! Boundaries!’”
The thing I loved most about When the Saint Falls is A.D. McCammon empowers the females in this damn book. Violet is no shrinking … well, violet. Her mom Josie is endearing as hell and seeing her struggle to do the correct mom-thing with a girl who, until the present, never needed a mom figure was sweet and often hilarious. It is hard when the shift happens, and you stop raising your parents.
“Arwen heads down the hall toward her next class, groaning with contempt as I follow behind her. ‘For the love of goddess, Thatcher. Saint is perfectly capable of getting on a bus.’”
And then there is Arwen.
Arwen.
Sigh.
A.D. McCammon, you confused my heart, and somewhere in the middle of this book, I was so very undecided as to who deserved Violet it was chaotically bouncing from Cole to Thatcher to Arwen. I almost needed When the Saint Falls to become an RH quadrangle of complicated love connections just so Violet could have it all. I wasn’t sure Thatch would get on board, and I was all for you, making Violet a romance buffet of yummy options.
“Then the strong, badass Arwen does something I never thought I’d see: she cries, well … it’s only a couple tears, but I’m totally counting it.
‘Great … ‘ She uses her free hand to dry her face. ‘Now I’m getting all emotional. I can be such a boy sometimes.’
And just so reviewers can understand what is so fantastic about Arwen: she is charming, confident, and I think the boys admit somewhere in this book that she taught them how to behave like men. She definitely has the biggest pair out of the three of them.
“Awww …’ I pull her into a hug. ‘You do care.
‘Stop it. You’re getting feelings all over me.’
This story is a medium burn, slightly bully-ish romance. The POV alternates between Thatcher and Violet, which allows the reader a better understanding of the characters, and dynamic in the backstory. I do caution that there are triggering events addressed in When the Saint Falls, and you should go into this knowing that A.D. McCammon writes Violet and Thatcher’s story pregnant with subtext and piped in unflinchingly honest results of sexual abuse.
The end of book comments promises two more Westbrook books for Arwen and Cole, which I can’t wait for.
This book is a rockstar.
Title: When the Saint Falls (Westbrook Three #1)
Author: A. D. McCammon
Genre: NA High School Bully Romance
Release Date: January 16, 2020
Summary:
Thatcher Michaelson is a bully.
Arrogant. Cruel. Ruthless.
And the most attractive guy I’ve ever laid eyes on. He’s the rebel of Westbrook high, and I’m merely the annoying goody two-shoes he dubbed the saint.
There must be something wrong with me. After nearly two years of dirty looks and constant humiliation, I’m still crushing on the guy who hated me on sight.
Then he kissed me and instead of the ice-cold gaze I was accustomed to, I saw passion burning behind his dark molten eyes.
Violet St. James doesn’t belong in my world.
Good. Kind. Pure.
She’s everything I’m not.
She doesn’t just look like an angel, she is one. And I’ve fought every impulse to make her mine.
But all my efforts went up in flames the second I tasted her sweet lips. My inability to stay away has changed everything.
She’s determined to break down all my walls, but my little saint doesn’t understand the consequences of her actions.
She tells me she’s not afraid of the fall.
But she should be.
About A.D. McCammon:
Amber McCammon decided to take her passion for writing to the self-publishing world in 2017. She’s since published four contemporary adult romance novels and is currently working on a YA romance series.
When she isn’t writing, you’ll find her reading, spending money she doesn’t have in Target, or hanging with her hubby and two kiddos.
Amber lives in Tennessee, where she was born and raised, which means she often gets caught with the south in her mouth. She loves to travel, though, and dreams of being a nomad one day.
Connect with A.D. McCammon:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | BookBub | Amazon
