London Falling by Chanel Cleeton Book Review

Hey everyone!

Man I’ve been a way from blogging for a while. These past two weeks have been a bit crazy for me. I’ve been job hunting and interviewing, so I’ve been a bit stressed with “real world” stuff. But finally, I’ve found some time to get back to this beautiful hobby of mine 😉 Hopefully, I’ll fall back into a groove again.

Today I’m sharing some thoughts on the second book of Chanel Cleeton’s International School series. The novel just released on July 7th!! I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to these two characters and was lucky enough to receive an ARC of the novel!

**I was provided a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and not influenced by any outside factors.**

Also, a bit of a pre-warning if you haven’t read the first book: I See London. Although this novel could be read as a stand alone, it’s a lot better if you read it in order and I might let some spoilers from the first book out during this review.

We weren't a relationship, we were a ticking time bomb…
Maggie Carpenter walked away from the hottest encounter of her life when she left the seductive glitz of England for summer break in her South Carolina hometown. Now that she's returned to the International School in London—and sexy, privileged Samir Khouri is once again close enough to touch—she can't help but remember the attraction, the drama…the heartbreak.
She can't help but want him even more.
Samir can't afford to fall for someone so far removed from his world, not when his time in London is running out. It's his senior year—his last chance at freedom before he returns home to Lebanon. There, he'll be expected to follow in his father's footsteps—not follow his heart to Maggie. But when a scorching secret hookup becomes a temptation neither can resist, they'll both have to fight to survive the consequences…and find a future together.
Don't miss this explosive sequel to I See London, and the riveting conclusion to Maggie andSamir's story. This is a New Adult romance recommended for readers 17 and up.

The Review

I really enjoyed I See London, Cleeton’s first book in the series. I loved watching the push and pull of Maggie and Samir’s attraction throughout the novel. I also liked seeing Maggie’s progression as a character being faced with new experiences during her first year of university. Maggie had a lot of growing up to do and in New Adult fashion she was definitely learning.

What’s great about London Falling, is that we get to see both Maggie and Samir grow this time. Cleeton chose to write this novel in alternating perspectives instead of just through Maggie’s eyes. Although I wasn’t too keen on it in the beginning, I definitely grew to like it once we saw more of Samir’s struggles later on in the novel. By the end of the novel, I felt like we saw Samir grow more than Maggie this time which was great to watch. I also loved how both characters seemed to find their freedom in this novel. They definitely grew into themselves by the end.

The romance was definitely hot and heavy this time around. Although Maggie was still struggling with her attraction for Samir (knowing he had a girlfriend and knowing they probably wouldn’t work out), she was way more receptive to him then in the first novel. Already knowing what is was like to be with him, she craved him even more then before. The romance struggle this time around was about making their relationship work. Maggie and Samir had to figure out if they would even enter into a relationship and then, if they did, they had to figure out how to make it work knowing Samir wold be leaving to go back to Lebanon after graduation. Anything they had together would be temporary. Cleeton did a great job mixing the romance scenes with the relationship building scenes. It was more than just a romance book. Cleeton was able to show how both characters were growing through their relationship–true to the New Adult genre.

The secondary characters were not a big within this novel; although, Fleur still had a strong presence. I have a feeling we might be seeing more of her in the future (or at least I’m hoping because that girl seriously needs a happy ending!). Her character definitely has a strong impact on Maggie and she was key point in the resolution to this novel which I really loved seeing.

The only thing I really had a problem with was the timing of the novel. Sometimes the timing seemed a bit jumpy and the transitions a little off. I think this was mainly because the novel was based around a whole school year and Cleeton was trying to fit everything in during that time frame. I didn’t come across it too much, but definitely think it can be cleaned up in future novels.

Overall, I really enjoyed the second half of Maggie and Samir’s story. I fell in love with them and their relationship in the first book and was super excited to see how it turned out. London Falling definitely had me “falling” for it! Although I’d recommend reading I See London first, this novel could definitely be read as a stand alone. I’d recommend a nice sunny day (preferably at a beach 😉 ) to sit back and relax with this book. Even though it takes place during the school year, it’s a definite summer beach read for me!

Have you read I See London or London Falling? What do you think about Maggie and Samir? Thoughts on Fleur? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! I’d love to hear what you thought! 

Also if you want a few teasers of London Falling check out my teaser post here! If you want to see my thoughts on I See London and what the first book is all about check out my post here!

As Always,

Happy Reading!

xo,

NicoleLynn