Obsession Falls (The Haven Brothers #1) by Claire Kingsley

 

"My life hadn’t followed the path I’d expected. But I’d landed exactly where I was meant to be."

• Title: Obsession Falls: A Small-Town Romance
• Author: Claire Kingsley
• Publisher: Always Have LLC
• Publication Date: 8/12/2023
• 432 Pages
• Standalone (Book 1)

• Plot: ★★★★☆
• Spice: ★★☆☆☆
• Tropes: Obsessed Hero, Opposites Attract, Sworn Off Relationships, Innocent Cohabitation, Protector 

Trigger Warning: Stalking, Animal Abuse, Attempted Murder. Mentions of Abandonment Issues, Cheating (not btwn MCs), Child Neglect. 

So your life is falling apart, and the one thing you swore you would never do, you did. Now you are stuck living with your neurotic mother and have no clue what's next.  Welcome to the small town world of Obsession Falls, Audrey and Josiah's love story. A place where Mr. Grumpy finally meets his Sunshine as they work towards their Happily Ever After. 

I enjoyed this book a lot. I am not the traditional contemporary romance reader, but this one surprised me. There was not much smut on-page, but it was heavily implied. Also, there was development between the characters and even the side characters. This book rolls us right into book two, which I am excited to read next. Overall, this was a fun thriller of a book. This book was not too dark or intimidating. However, definitely keeps the reader guessing in all the best ways. 

Claire Kingsley created an interesting book with a good amount of suspense to keep you glued to the pages. The thrill built gradually throughout the book, that even I was a bit anxious to find out what was next. Very good book, especially if you are into the romantic suspense genre.     

 

“ Sometimes it’s up to us to be hard so they can stay soft.”

I have to be honest, this is probably my favorite quote of the book. It is so simple, but it sums up Audrey and Josiah's relationship. I also think it is the type of relationship motto we should strive for. A partner who lets you feel safe and free to be yourself. In my opinion, that is a key message of the book, and I greatly appreciated reading it. 

This book had a good plot, truly unpredictable. Despite my best attempts, I could not guess the villain or their motives until it was basically explained. Which is something I absolutely loved. Considering this book is a contemporary romance, it wasn't too soft or passive. Instead full of suspense and surprises. Also, there was a lightness and comedic aspect that balanced the suspense really well. Overall, this book was filled with so many layers and imagery of opposites that were balanced very well throughout the book. Making things exciting and well-paced. Wonderful job to the author, Claire Kingsley.

“ Are you being blind to this whole thing on purpose or are you really that naïve?”

My main negative evolved throughout the book. While I originally loved Audrey's optimism, towards the end, I began to wonder if it was naivety or delusion. Consistently, she ignored or downplayed facts and red flags because she wanted to believe things would work out. It frustrated me because she did not read or present as gullible or unintelligent throughout the book, only when it involved acknowledging something wrong was happening to her.   

Also, tension between the characters was there, but I wanted more. I am not referring to more smex scenes, though there weren't many in the book, and if there was a scene, it was brief and respectable. Instead, I mean more relationship-building tension. For example, I would have liked to see smaller acts of intimacy to build the tension between the couples. However, from the beginning, Audrey and Josiah knew they liked each other, then boom, they kissed, and now they are attached at the hip. I hope that made sense, but yes, I would have loved a bit more intimacy for a contemporary book. 

“ She was blue sky and sunshine, plucky optimism and happiness. I was a stoic cloud of pessimism and surliness.”

Ultimately, I really enjoyed this book and would one hundred percent recommend it to readers. This was an exciting story that had a bit of heat sprinkled throughout. Obsession Falls is the first book of the Haven Brothers series. This book can be read as a standalone, but it is a part of a shared universe. Also, this universe is shared with other preexisting series. Therefore, you may want to read the Bailey Brothers and the holiday spin-off series. Though this book does a good job of filling in what we missed. 

Obsession Falls was a refreshing palate cleanser from the darker stories I am used to. However, I enjoyed the book, and I'm glad I found this series. This book gave me a new perspective on small-town romances, which was pleasant and funny to read. Overall, I really like this book and Audrey and Josiah's love story. They were meant to meet each other at that stage in life, and we could tell. Enjoyable read, so definitely check it out!