The Year We Fell Down

Oh goodness. Where to begin. I immediately fell in love with this story. The second you get a feel for Corey's personality, you love her! And then there's Dana, her room mate, who you automatically love as well. Literally just every character you come across you have feelings for! Love or hate, there isn't a "bad" character in the bunch!

I will say that I connected to this story probably on a level that hit a little close to home. Literally days before my sophomore semester of college I was in a bad car accident and unlike Corey, I took the semester off. But it was awesome reading about how Corey made it and I really think that was one reason I fell so hard in love with this book, another reason would be that it's just fan-freaking-tastic.

I really enjoyed reading this book it was well written and everything just gelled together and flowed nicely. I love Corey she isn't your typical h she was strong and handled her injury like a champ! I also loved Hartley he was such a cool character and I loved how his parts didn't read like he was chick. His portions of the book came off as if we were really in the mind of a guy. I'm not a fan of love triangles however this one was done properly so it didn't bother me at all. I don't know if it's because Stacia wasn't really in the book that much to care about her and Hartley's relationship, or if it's because Stacia was a BISH and I hated her lol. Whatever the reason this is one love triangle that you will want to read about. Also Corey and Hartley's friendship is like....fricking awesome! The time spent together is so much fun to read about. So in my opinion I say get this book it was well worth the money and the time it took to read it.

I liked the plot and characters. I thought Corey was witty, funny and had a great attitude. I thought Hartley was a fun partner for her to banter with. What it was missing was detail. Aside from some eye color, I am clueless to what these characters looked like, how tall they were and the details needed for a visual. Also, the book needs to be edited. There were so many typos and sentence issues it took away from a decent story.

1. Needs character details and description
2. Greatly in need of edits
3. Plot and actual character personality's were good

I really liked the characters and how to story progressed. I usually do not like books with cheating involved but the characters are very likeble. I have a soft spot for people who are full of persevarance when life throws you the mother of all curveballs. My rating it’s 3.8/5. It did not blow my mind nor it’s a book that I will never forget, but I have to admit it was an entertaining read.

This book, and the story of Corey and Hartley, was a breath of fresh air. I have read many, many college-aged romances, but never one quite like this one.
The fact that Corey did not embody your "typical" college-freshman student and the characteristics that go along with that was such a fascinating aspect of the story.
And that Hartley had a girlfriend (and GASP) remained faithful, was also something unique and lovely.
And the incredible build-up of the friendship between Callahan and Hartley, that eventually led to more, kept me reading, and reading, and reading.
Loved the book and plan to get the next few in the series.

I absolutely loved this book! It was funny, sweet, angsty, and gave us some unique characters who had some tough hurdles to cross but that made for such a great story. There was a lot that went happened through out this book but it was so well written that everything just flowed together perfectly. I just loved that! I will be picking up the next few books in this series!

Wow. This book was just wonderful. It was fun, emotional and deep I guess is a good word. Different but in a good way. Of course we all love romance and this definitely was that but when I say different it's simply because of the characters. They are normal in every aspect except one condition that sets Corey apart but I think that made the book so great. Adam was wonderful too although sometimes I wanted to shake him and say hello wake up man but in the back of my mind I knew he would get it and thank goodness he did.
I just loved it. My heart is swelling with joy!

Sarina Bowen writes great characters, wonderful plots and achey romance.

New adult with real stakes instead of crazy sauces is well done here. The hero and the heroine become friends first, fall in love, and then it takes a while before they are an item.

The hero isn't perfect in terms of his own level of self reflection and heroine is dealing with the major life change of her injury.

It is a really wonderful romance in a awesome setting.

I was suffering from a book hangover and I figured I would give this book a try.

Hangover cured. I was instantly hooked, turning the pages. I loved reading about Corey - her struggles with her disability, how strong she was, how brave, how vulnerable.

Hartley... I needed to strangle him for a bit of the book. Hit him upside the head and say, "WHAT ARE YOU, BLIND?????!!!!!" But, he came to his senses, eventually.

Such a touching, emotional read. But also inspiring. I was on crutches for 13 weeks after a foot surgery - it certainly puts things in perspective.

I'm moving on to the next book in the series now!!!

This was a sweet book about the resilience of the human spirit and coming into your own. Both Corey and Hartley went through tough injuries and needed each other to get through them even though at the time they didn’t know it. I enjoyed their story and how they helped each heal first as friends then as something more. I felt like this was a realistic story and felt like things progressed as they should.

If you are looking for a book that makes your feel and realize how lucky sometimes we are then this is one I recommend. While reading this book it made me think about how at times we take so many things for granted and we should be thankful instead of looking for the next thing. This book left me with a nice feel good smile at the end 

I really loved this story. I enjoyed the strong characters, the very realistic hardships they each are facing & the way they are overcoming each of them. Plus love that the author ended this story. Hate cliff hangers and love an author that relies on their skill to capture the interest of their readers to entice them to read about the other characters. Very well done

I accidentally read this series out of order which was only a minor inconvenience. I'm binge reading tonight and it's close to midnight but these stories are so real and emotional that I can't stop. The author has a particular talent of taking events that are very fresh and current and weaving them into her story about these college-age hockey players and their friends. Add a little family drama, a little romance, some smoking intimacy and you have the recipe for another winner by Sarina Bowen.

I enjoyed every page of this book! Bowen's writing style is easy, warm, and well-paced. Characters were easy to root for and well-developed, and yet not at all predictable. Just at the time I thought the book would be over, I realized that there were a few more plot points to tie up...and sure enough, she delivered in the last few chapters. I got tears at just the right time. Now, off to read the other two books in this series--I can't wait to visit the lives of some of the other people we were introduced to in this book!

I discovered this author when it was recommended and offered free as 1st in series. It was an absolute gem to find. I love emotional reads where the main characters have some issue to overcome. Hartley broke his leg and was having to sit out this years hockey season while Corey, a former hockey player, was having to face life in a wheelchair and crutches. The meet and develop a strong friendship which turns romantic. There was a lot of interaction between all characters which keeps it interesting. I would love to read more on how their lives have progressed and look forward to reading more from this author. An absolute 5 star book.

Hands down, the greatest Hockey Romance I've ever read! It was everything I could have hoped for and then a Bulldozer and a truckload more :)

There were teary eyes and brilliant smiles for this story! I am diving in to book 2 now.

Cover Rating: 5 Stars
Overall Story: 5, heck, ALL THE STARS!

I love stories that surprise me. Corey's condition and the fact that it didnt stop her from finding love was inspiring. I loved the dynamic between her and Adam they just worked so well together. There were times when things were a little frustrating but it worked out beautifully in the end.

Corey is going away to college. Now that happens for a lot of us in our lifetime, but the truly unique thing is that she is going far from home, and she is paralyzed from the waist down and is in a wheel chair. When she becomes friends with a guy across the hall, also in the handicap accessible dorm their friendship helps get through the awkward looks and stares she gets because of her chair. When the friendship goes down a path where there is no return, do they continue on that path or just give it all up? Such a good book, I really enjoyed it 4.5 stars

This book was very heartwarming. Hartley is a hockey player, who is forced to sit out one season because of his broken leg. Corey is left half paralyzed after a hockey accident. She leaves her overprotective parents to find a life on her own, landing at dorm at college. Hartley is her neighbor and she is attracted to him instantly. But she knows she doesn't have a chance, he has a girlfriend, a rather beautiful girlfriend.

They form a friendship and as the story continues, Corey finds herself falling hard for Hartley. Would he fall for her back?

Loved this pair, Corey's journey was painful and significant. And Hartley grew on me. I know his character was a big issue for some readers but he won me over in the end. He really understood Corey and looked past her disability. For that, I am willing to forgive him for being a Bruins fan.

A unique slant on the college romance. Corey starts her first year at college, but her time is going to be different. She's been in a wheelchair for almost a year following a hockey accident. She is placed in ground floor, wide access accommodation, opposite Hartley the hockey player with the vapid girlfriend. Corey's journey as someone learning to accept her changed circumstances is bumpy and Hartley is someone she can confide in. I appreciated that Corey's disability didn't magically disappear and that the storyline was 'real'

Corey Callaham is going to college in a wheel chair. When she gets to college she meets her roomate who is great also the boy across the hall has a cast on his leg. Hartley is his name. Togther these two become fast friends. But feeling start to change and Corey dosnt know how to handle or if she should tell Hartley. I love the friendship and humor in this story and how all the people dealt with Corey in her wheel chair. I just love a good college romance and this was one of them

I liked this story of struggle and acceptance. It wasn't your typical boy meets girl, boy becomes infatuated with girl, boy and girl live happily every after. No. In this story the girl's life is altered dramatically due to a simple hockey injury. In the process of trying to live as normal a life as possible she meets the boy who is also recovering from an injury. The boy is living the typical college boy life until he's not. Based on this book alone, I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

Great inspirational story. Love learning about how Corey feels and things she struggled with. Glad she got the guy, but i'm not impressed with him. He did want his father's money eventho he originally said he's not looking for it, and he did like the rich/beautiful girl... we heard his thoughts, he likes her expensive taste. So no, i didnt fall in love w him, even after he redeemed himself...but who cares, he promised to take care of Corey. I like that Corey is independent even with ppl willing to do things for her.

I really enjoyed this book. It was unique and well written. I really loved the heroine Corey. She was very strong and had a great personality. I loved the relationship development between the characters and really liked the supporting characters as well. I also like that this book really doesn't have a bad guy. I really debated on what to rate this because I really don't like love triangles but I knew this book had one before going in. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I'm so glad the author made this a series!

As a standalone I might have awarded five stars because it's well-written by someone who grabs our attention with characters to whom we can relate.

Unfortunately, I read "The Understatement of the Year" first and that one blew me away. In a very few pages Bowen grabbed me and wouldn't let me go until I had read every word. If Understatement didn't deserve six stars but could only get five, this one would have had five instead of four.

LOVED IT!!!! You will not regret reading this book! I fell completely in love with Corey and Hartley! The development of the friendship that led up to them falling in love was priceless. I loved that both characters had real struggles in their life that they faced head on and didn't let those circumstances bring them down. I loved that the sex scenes were not overdone and that there was not too many of them.

The slow buildup of the relationship was perfect and exactly what I look for in a good book - no insta-love and a HEA!! Can't wait for more books from this author!

This story was pretty good. The first half before Weirdest Night Ever was kind of slow and not all that interesting but the second half was much better, filled with emotion and growth. I don't usually read New Adult but the story sounded interesting enough and even though it was super new adult-y, it mostly held my attention. Will I read Bridger's story....not sure.

Well-written short novel, a love story between a recently paraplegic woman and her super jock neighbor. Much better done than a lot of stories about disabled heroines, with a minimum of focus on disability, except as it creates issues for the romance. The wheelchair and legbraces are mentioned peripherally, as they affect others' perceptions of Our Heroine, and, to a certain extent, to her self-perception. Not bad, though I thought the ending a little too HEA.

This was beautifully written, and the friendship built up at a realistic pace. Don't get me wrong, there were moments I wanted to reach through my kindle and cuff the back of Adam's head, but once you know his story, you get it. Oh, and Corey! She's such an amazing young woman, and quite the badass! I'd highly recommend this to anyone, and as a matter of fact, I'm going to pimp the hell out of it to all my bibliophile friends ?

Wow!
I loved this right from the beginning! The sample had me hooked and I had to buy it!
The story is super sweet, with a lovely friendship romance that could lead to more if Adam didn't have a stupid girlfriend! Who's not really that much of a girlfriend!

Didn't really like how this one ended but I can except it. I just would have liked a little it more at the end.
The romance is cute and believable. Its not rushed and it unfolds smoothly.

I can't remember what made me purchase this book. It was on my Kindle shelf for a while before I decided to read it. The premise of Corey's accident was a little intimidating at first, but her strength soon shone through. Hartley's attitude through the first ⅔ of the book left a lot to be desired, but he redeemed himself. I'm so happy these two found each other.

A decent light read that takes on an uncomfortable topic of being paralyzed after a sports injury. The author managed to keep it up beat but still real and didn't descend into depressing prose that is easy to fall into when writing about this type of topic.