Further to Fall is a novel written from the first person perspective of Carter, the innocent school teacher and Austin, the MMA champion. After a rocky first meeting through their mutual celebrity friend, Liam, both Carter and Austin seem to find each other attractive but will they act on this?

Carter and Austin live very different lives but quickly become firm friends. When Carter decides she wants more Austin runs scared only to discover life is empty without Carter. Will he be able to get his former friend to trust him and let him back into his life?

Catherine Cowles debut novel is one about romance, friendship, seduction, secrets, innocence and passion. It is a novel I received an ARC for and I whizzed through in 2 days. Cowles has created 2 completely opposite lead characters to show us opposites really do attractive. However, rather than your average romance novel which is all flowers and roses there is an undercurrent of suspense, elements of a thriller genre and many trials to be faced between the protagonists before the novel is up.

The book addresses the every day issues of relationships and friendships and in many ways is very relatable. However, most people don’t have a celebrity musician for a best friend and celebrity sportsman for their boyfriend, as well as being on the end of a stalking situation.

I thought the story was veering towards Austin replicating Christian from the Fifty Shades of Grey as a domineering, rich male persona (not sexually but in his overpowering physical protection) but Cowles nicely addresses how being too close, intertwined and overprotective can ruin a relationship. Whilst Carter may be as innocent as Anastasia in Fifty Shades she is a stronger character who can fend for herself and will happily stand up to Austin and others. In doing this Cowles has, for me, created a heroine. Someone who has endured and fought and kept on fighting after being exposed to horrors her innocent self could not even comprehend.

I give this book 4 stars and would definitely recommend it