Book Review: Can't Help Falling by Kara Isaac

When I read that Can’t Help Falling was a book about two book lovers who fell in love, it was one that I absolutely could not resist.  I’m a lover of The Chronicles of Narnia myself, so the idea of a girl who likes to climb into wardrobes was intriguing, but this story is much more than just a love story.

Peter Carlisle and Emilia Mason first met when he opened the door of a wardrobe in an obscure antique shop in England, and she fell out of it.  As it turns out they’re both die-hard fans of C.S. Lewis’ series The Chronicles of Narnia.  While their attraction seems to be a match made in literary heaven, Emelia and Peter are both hiding painful secrets.  When Peter realized that Emilia doesn’t share his faith, he tells her that a relationship between them isn’t possible.  They are still forced to work together to plan a charity ball, and their feelings deepen.  When Peter discovers Emilia’s secret, will he react like she expects and prove that she really is a Susan, or can love win in the end?

This book turned out to be so much more than I expected.  While it’s definitely a romance, love isn’t the most prominent theme here.  Can’t Help Falling is a lesson in forgiveness and redemption.  Emilia and Peter must each learn to forgive themselves, and Peter must decide if he can forgive Emilia.  Another powerful theme of this novel is that redemption doesn’t come from the works that we do, but from finding ourselves in Christ.  Parts and passages of the books from The Chronicles of Narnia are woven throughout the book, and become a large part of Emilia and Peter’s relationship.  I was inspired to read that classic series again myself!

I didn’t realize that this book was the second in a series, and as usually happens with me, I’m now dying to read the first one.  However, it’s centered around The Lord of the Rings, which is a series I haven’t read before.  The main characters from that book make an appearance in Can’t Help Falling and I want to read more of their story. 

This is a great book and I recommend it to lovers of both modern and classical fiction.  The references to C.S. Lewis’ books make it a unique read.  I hope to read more from Kara Isaac in the future.

Happy Reading!

Lyndsie

I received an advanced copy of Can’t Help Falling in exchange for my honest review.  Look for it on or around October 11, 2016.