A Fall from Yesterday
A Hearts of Harkness Romance
Publisher Description
Ocean Siliker has come back to Harkness, New Brunswick in defeat, after failing to set New York on fire with her playwriting. The first item on her agenda? Climbing White Crow Cliff, where her best friend Lacey Douglas died six years ago. If she conquers the mountain, perhaps she can rediscover her courage. But the only thing she finds herself is…lost.
Family obligations have left Titus Standish stuck in Harkness. While his younger siblings went off into the world, he stayed, working the farm and running the local search and rescue. He was there when Lacey fell and blames himself for her death. He dreads the day another mission takes him up there again. But when Ocean’s mother calls, concerned that her daughter is wandering the mountain, he leaps into action.
Ocean is thrilled to be found…until she sees her savior. She’s known Titus Standish all her life, and has loved him almost that long. But at four years his junior, she was just a kid with a crush. When Titus finds her, he’s determined to march her back down the mountain to safety. Ocean has other plans; she’ll be damned if she’ll give up this trek. Yet all trails seem to lead to one place…straight into Titus’s arms.
Customer Reviews
Wilson does a fantastic job weaving the many threads of Harkness, leaving the reader paused for more
I really enjoyed this book, especially the journey Titus and Ocean make together, each rescuing the other from the seemingly insurmountable “mountain” blocking the path to their future. They help the other “find” themselves and the missing pieces for a blissful present and promising future.
Titus is the oldest son who gave up his chance to pursue his lifelong goal in order to take over the family farm when his mom got sick, not once but twice, and stayed on while his dad tried to deal with his grief.
A couple of years later, when Arden offered to sell it, Titus takes him up on it, with a buyer in mind. He’s going to pursue his goal to become a RCMP. After all, the add says RCMP are looking for more mature candidates these days. And, he once again got accepted.
This story picks with Titus calling younger sister Ember and adopted brother/cousin Scott home for Thanksgiving to tell them that the land deal is done and they have to be out by the end of the month. Unfortunately, Titus he won’t be there to finish it out. He’s gotta leave for police training before the deadline.
Ocean Siliker has been attracted to Titus since their very first meeting, and has had a crush on him since elementary school. No one in town was surprise when the girl who got excited about literature assignments announced her plans to become a professional be a writer. She’s been living in NYC with roommates trying to make it since school, watching several of those roommates make it.
This story picks up with Ocean finally giving in to her mom’s pleas to returned home. She one of the first things she feels compelled to do is climb the mountain to be near the place her high school friend died. As long as she keeps up with landmarks, she should be find cutting across the “shortcut.”
But as a precaution, she tries to call her mom as she starts up the trail. But service cell service is spotty at best. She can hear Mrs. Siliker but isn’t sure what her mom hears.
Mrs. Siliker, worried for the daughter she can’t hear but sure she’s headed up the mountain, calls rescue and the Standishs mobilize. And wouldn’t ya know, she’s gotten off path trying to get a signal to talk to her mom.
Titus finds her but she refused to back down, even falls a good 25 feet backward, but won’t quit. So, he’s gonna follow her and make sure she’s OK. (Then there’s the fact she looks so good. She sure grew up fine.)
Things progress from there, but both have to put the past to rest and deal with the future which is bearing down at warp speed. Both have issues about the friend’s death they have to let go, and each has had their own share of struggle the last few years. Then, there’s the fact that Titus is planning to leave PDQ.
My one complaint with “A Fall From Yesterday” was that it left so many things hanging. Yes, Titus and Ocean get their HEA, but whatever becomes of MIA Ember and the injured yet cunning Jace, Uncle Arden and Fay Siliker? What’s next for Scott the wanderer and the source of those mysterious phone calls he’s been getting? What about the farm and the development group that bought it?
All of these secondary characters are engaging and have their own demons and trials to conquer.
I’ve no doubt Titus and Ocean will weather whatever storm life tosses their way, together. There were just so many loose ends.
On the other hand, Norah Wilson does a fantastic job weaving the many threads of Harkness, leaving the reader paused for more. What a titillating tease! “A Fall from Yesterday” is a well crafted start to the “Hearts of Harkness” series.
Excellent storytelling!
I highly recommend this author because I loved her book. The writing was excellent and the multi-layered storyline had everything I look for in a great reading experience. It features the adventure of a Search and Rescue mission in the dangerous and beautiful wilds of Canada, a compelling family drama in a small town setting, and a simmering and steamy relationship that a romance fan can always appreciate. In addition to the hero and heroine, my two favorite characters are his father, and her mother, because of their blatant attempts at matchmaking that added a lighthearted dynamic to this compelling story. I was especially drawn to the emotional connection between the members of these two families and I even cried a few tears because I was so emotionally invested in their story. I enjoyed the bonus of learning about the books' Canadian setting and I can't wait to read the other two books in this exciting series. I know you will enjoy it as much as I did.