Falling in Reverse

Daniell (Under the Owl Tree) launches her Stockbridge series with a poignant, if frustrating, tale of redemption in a small town where ties run deep. Sadie, accidentally pregnant by her first love, Dane, kept the child a secret. She placed her infant son for adoption and left Stockbridge to dance at Juilliard, with no regrets. Eleven years later, when she learns that the boy is now in foster care, she returns to make things right with him—and with Dane. Dane was shattered when Sadie left, but he has managed to carve a life for himself and his adopted daughter—a life that Sadie’s revelation turns upside down. As Sadie and Dane work to create a family together, they begin to rekindle the love that has never died between them. The bonds between Dane and the children are touching and honest, and provide an empathetic element to the story. However, some iffy gender stereotypes and the impulsive, emotionally volatile nature of Sadie’s relationship with Dane leaves the plot feeling forced and formulaic. Contemporary romance fans will find that these themes of reunion, revelation, and found family have been handled better elsewhere. (Oct.)