Next to Never (Fall Away #4.5)

I love when an author goes back to a world I love, and Fall Away street is like a second home. These characters and their stories are among my favorite, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to get a glimpse at everything Ms. Douglas has in store for them.

There are so many characters in this series, but the main focus is on Quinn. As with any teenager she is struggling to find herself and put her own happiness ahead of those she loves. At the perfect moment, she receives a gift that shows her the importance of valuing herself, putting her needs and desires above others when necessary, and not waiting around for others to make her happy. I love that she grows and learns to take chances, and I cannot wait to see where her story goes.

We also get more insight into the Hunter, Kade, and Dylan triangle, and I don’t know that my heart will survive their future story. How can there be a winner? I don’t think there can. I’m sure Penelope will pull it off, because it’s her, but it is going to be gut wrenching. I just know it.

The characters we get to learn about the most is Katherine and Jason, and it is such a joy to read about their backstory. Seeing the pain, the turmoil, and the eventual reconciliation is absolutely perfect and really adds to the already established series, dovetailing nicely with many of the issues the kids are facing themselves.

As with any Penelope Douglas story, she weaves all of these different stories together perfectly. The message of Kat and Jase’s story and the lesson that Quinn, and even Hunter has to learn is that you have to love yourself. You cannot depend on others to make you happy. More than having another life affirming message, the story brings back all the characters readers love. Jared and Tate, Maddoc and Fallon, Jax and Juliet, and all their kids really did feel like coming home, and this novella only left me more excited for more books from this world!

Penelope Douglas continues to be a one-click author for me. Her stories are beautifully written, filled with interesting and complex characters, and convey themes that resonate and make readers think about how they live their lives, and there really is nothing better than a book that makes you reevaluate and consider how you choose to live.

Quinn Caruthers has lived a very sheltered life and followed the rules like any good girl would do. She’s got parents and brothers who hover over her protectively and now that she’s almost done with high school, she’s beginning to think she might want to truly spread her wings and fly. She sees how all of her family members have carved out a niche or place for themselves and Quinn wants to make her own mark that is not through a nudge from someone else.

And when she gets a mysterious book in the mail and begins to read, Quinn realizes that sometimes the best things in life came from a long and hard earned battle with scars to bear. That book that Quinn is reading? I smiled really big internally when I realized whose story it was. After being such a fan of the Fall Away series for over 3 years now, this felt like the last piece of the puzzle in terms of completing the character picture of the cast before moving forward. It definitely helped me to see 2 characters in a different light, as well as young Madoc and Jared through a more parental lens. Before, I viewed the parents through Madoc’s and Jared’s perspectives and can now appreciate their flaws and struggles that paved the way to be the better versions of themselves today. They can’t change the past, but they strive to do their very best from the present onwards.

Quinn and her nieces and nephews are all growing up into adults and there’s a fabulous glimpse of what kind of people they are turning into with potential future storylines. That conversation that a furious Madoc has with all of the kids together as he says his piece? Priceless. Love that scene, the tension and emotion really ramps up wonderfully. As for Quinn, I’m eager to see her go after her own goals and dreams, which will hopefully include Lucas. Can’t wait for their story! This was the perfect bridge piece between the previous characters and the upcoming ones.

Heres the thing, I really liked Next to Never. However Im not sure I understood it. I mean, it was a pretty straight forward and clear storyline, but the way it was formatted, having a book inside of a book, Im not really sure I got behind that. It was unique and in a way clever for sure, but it also felt unnecessary and … strange? For a lack of a better word.

While the synopsis to the story was technically correct it still felt a bit misleading. I thought this book was going to be all about Quinn and a forbidden romance with much older Lucas and while the book is through Quinns POV the book is not really about her at all. And Lucas is barely in it, so it makes me question a bit as to why it was written the way it was. Instead of having a book inside the book, why wasnt the inside book just the book (if that makes any sense)? It was mostly what the story was about anyway and Kat honestly felt more like the main character than Quinn ever did. The inside book itself was very interesting, dramatic and passionate so it really would have been enough to have that as the story. I loved Kat and Jases rocky but beautiful relationship so I was a happy camper just with the inside book.

At the same time though, it was really great seeing the old characters and their kids again, seeing their different relationships and interactions, the race and the mischief, as well as the past main characters as lovable protective parents. I am in that sense happy it was written the way it was. I just feel like it didnt really fit well with Quinn as the main character and her longing for Lucas, especially since her problem with Lucas never led to anything or was ever concluded in any way. Although, having just learned that there will be a next generation series I cant really complain too much about the lack of conclusion for her an Lucas since I am very hopeful and excited that it will happen in the upcoming series. Thank you, Penelope Douglas, for not quitting on this amazing world and characters!

I didn’t expect to read a story within a story when I picked up Quinn’s book. I expected Quinn and Lucas battling their emotions and establishing the foundation for their age gap romance but I loved the road Next To Never took.

Penelope Douglas shifted my interest because I was no longer solely focused on Quinn, I needed to know what happened to Jase and Kat – even if we already know the outcome. I needed to know their story more than I thought. Showing Kat as the other woman being happy to just gain a little bit of Jase’s time made me furious. I was constantly wanting her to realise she was worth so much more and then she actually did. She did it for herself and her son, not the man she was madly in love with because she deserved better. Nothing is more attractive to a man than a woman who knows her worth, what she can bring to the table and that at the end of the day she doesn’t need a man to make things happen.

I was actually shocked that I was no longer pining for Lucas to show up because I was shocked when he finally did. I am dying for more, I want time to repeat itself but in a better way. Quinn has learned from her mothers mistakes through the book and she’s not willing to wait around for Lucas anymore but he’s still waiting for her. Not only that but I need to see all the men’s reactions in her life to Quinn potentially dating someone nearly 12 years older.

After following the Fall Away books and devouring each one , I couldn’t wait to read about Quinn (Jason and Kat’s daughter).
When I started the book and realized that it’s devoted to delving in the past – basically Kat’s and Jason’s story – I looked forward to learning about their beginnings and how it would affect Quinn’s life or her obvious love for Lucas . Unfortunately , majority of the book is focused on that and to only get glimpses of the actual story . While I don’t mind a bit of blast from the past , or if it’s the main characters , it’s important that know how they came to be where they are in the present . It’s altogether different when a whole book is devoted on your parents relationship !
I felt cheated . You can tell the author is setting up the foundation for Quinn and Lucas’s relationship as well as the obvious love triangle amongst Dylan, Kade and Hunter .
But if I have paid for a book , I don’t want to get a background encompassing the whole book !

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