Sweet Fall (Sweet Home Series Book 3)
We all have secrets.
Secrets well buried.
Until we find the one soul who makes the burden of such secrets just that little bit easier to bear.
Lexington "Lexi" Hart is a senior at the University of Alabama. Surrounded by her best friends, her loving family and having fulfilled her life-long dream of making the Crimson Tide cheer squad, everything is going exactly as she always dreamed it would. But beneath her happy exterior, demons lurk, threatening to jeopardize everything Lexi has worked to achieve.
When events in her life become too much to cope with, Lexi finds herself spiraling down into the realm of her biggest fear. Lexi falls hard, victim once again to the only thing that can destroy her and, on the way, finds herself falling straight into the dangerous tattooed arms of a guy from the wrong side of the tracks.
Austin Carillo, starting Wide Receiver for the Alabama Crimson Tide, must get picked in this year's NFL draft. He needs it. His brothers need it. Most importantly, his mother desperately needs it. Brought up in a world where the poor are forgotten, the sick are left to fend for themselves and no hero miraculously appears to pull you out of hell, Austin had no other choice but to make a living on the wrong side of the law—until football offered Austin the break to get his life back on track.
But when a family tragedy drags him back into the clutches of the gang he believed he had left far behind, Austin finds himself falling. Falling back into criminal ways and falling deep into a suffocating darkness. Until a troubled yet kindred spirit stumbles across his path, where Austin quickly finds he is falling for a young woman—a young woman who might just have the power to save him from his worst enemy: himself.
Can two troubled souls find a lasting peace together? Or will they finally succumb to the demons threatening to destroy them?
New Adult/Contemporary Romance novel—contains adult content, sexual situations and mature topics. Suited for ages 17 and up.
*CAN BE READ AS A STAND-ALONE NOVEL*
Reviews (201)
Everyone needs to read this book.
Wow. This book was heartbreaking. I loved Lexi so much in Sweet Home and I was absolutely shocked to learn what was underneath all the goth makeup and fun loving attitude. It just goes to show how you truly never know what a person struggles with and one comment has the power to unleash the darkest of demons. Austin was everything Lexi needed and I do think she needed him. Truly truly needed him. Because it takes a beautiful soul to be able to see another broken beautiful soul and Austin was the very definition of that. I’m in awe of him. Knowing that Tillie dealt with this disorder made it even harder for me to read. This book was raw and rough and painful. Her writing spoke of the hardest truths of the life of someone who lives with this disorder. Tillie writes mainly dark romance but even in her contemporary novels she covers the harshest of subjects, the most raw topics. This was one of the most beautifully tragic books I’ve ever read. I feel like I need to take a yoga class after reading this book, get back to my center and all that stuff. My heart hurts for the people who deal with this every day. The clutches of perfection are so deep and in this world, it’s even harder. I loved this book. My respect for Tillie Cole only heightened after reading his and she owned me before I read this. Now? I’m pretty sure I’d take a bullet for this woman. Read this book. Everyone should.
Omg! What an amazing emotional roller coaster ride!
First and foremost, I want to thank the author, Tillie Cole, for bringing to life such a beautiful piece of work. I’m so glad I read the foreword to get an understanding of what lay ahead in this novel. How completely unselfish, strong and brave to expose your soul and personal experiences like that. It will be a very long time - if ever - before I can be unaffected by the tragic beauty of your words. I love a series like Sweet Home, that creates a community of people who genuinely care about each other and you know whose life journeys will continue to overlap. It is simply precious. Austin and Lexi are characters that you can’t help but embrace. Two people from completely ends of the spectrum who bond over their respective hardships, loss and tragedy. The book neither romanticises nor trivialises the seriousness of anorexia or gang life. Instead, it highlights the gravity of being caught in circumstances that seem hopeless at times and beyond redemption. For those, like me, who have no real understanding of how both these situations affect the heart and soul, this book will provide the blueprint to reaching a sense of empathy that is life changing. I’m truly grateful for the insight Sweet Fall has afforded me.
Such a moving story dedicated to all the underdogs of the world
Lexi- A beautiful goth pixie that is hiding in plain sight! She wears the tears of a clown! Lexi is dealing with a secret that could end her life. She is certain that know one notices not cares enough to see the real Lexi I underneath all the war paint! That is until she meets Austin! Austin- An Italian gang member, white trash football player from the wrong side of the tracks! He is the ticket out of the horrible life for his family. Sometimes the pressure is too much. When his problems come too close to his other life Austin stars to fall! He does not expect a little pixie of a girl to be the one to save him! Together they work and they manage to have a sweet fall before they crash into their problems! Can Lexi and Austin overcome their problems to savor the sweetest reward in love? I loved this book!It was worth all the 🌟🌟🌟🌟's Review by @bookluvr964. Follow me on Twitter!
6 STARS - Each book in this series is better than the last. HOW is that even possible???
“We all have secrets. Secrets well buried. Until we find the one soul who makes the burden of such secrets just that little bit easier to bear.” “It’s funny. I used to look up at the stars and feel so small and unimportant. But I’ve come to realize that the only thing that can ever make you feel alive and important is the one person who takes you for you.” When I began this series a few days ago, I was totally unprepared for what I was getting into. This series has been recommended to me many, many times by both bloggers and readers alike. Everyone raving about what a an amazing series it is, and although I was late to kickoff, I have now found myself at the end of the third book, the second book in the series actually, and emotionally I feel worn, wrung out and my heart still aches a bit. Rome and Molly’s story was very intense and powerful, very emotional and heartfelt. Of and then I decided to read the next book immediately, probably not the smartest move I ever made, but now I wouldn’t change a thing. Sweet Fall is Lexi and Austin’s story and I wasn’t clever enough to read the blurb first, I just dove in head first feeling excited for yet another book in a series that had totally been owning me thus far. I opened the book and read the first pages and that was enough to tell me, that this book was going to be intense in a whole new way. When an author shares pieces of themselves in a story no matter how small, it is always magical, but when they pour their most intimate experiences and struggles into a story it becomes something else. More real, more personal, more affecting. Knowing where Tillie Cole was going to go and what she would have to re-live in order to create this story had my heart aching before I had even began the reading the actual story… “If I had a type, he would be it. But I didn’t date and from what I’d heard, neither did he.” Lexi and Austin were introduced to us in Sweet Home, and we saw even more of them in Sweet Rome, but we didn’t know very much about them other than they were members of the core group, close friends with both Molly and Rome, Cass, Ally and JD. We knew that Austin was a phenomenal football player, a wide receiver aiming to land on NFL Draft just as Rome had, he has a reputation, two brothers, a sick Momma, and that Rome was one of the only people that knew about his childhood and the life he ultimately left behind to attend UA. Molly is a young woman who on the outside appears, happy, perky, peppy and easy going despite her emo clothes and makeup. She is also a member of the UA cheerleading squad, a position that she has wanted to hold since she started going to school here 3 years ago. What we learn in Sweet Fall is that we didn’t know much at all, Lexi and Austin have so much going on in their lives that no one else knows about. Both of them are only showing others what they want them to see. They are both wearing masks. Austin is struggling with guilt and obligation, feeling like he has abandoned his family in many ways and Lexi is struggling to hold onto her recovery, but losing the battle daily. Recovery from what? I’m not going into that, but I will say this, it is something that in one way or another has affected most women at one point in their life. The disease is terrifically brutal. Lexi and Austin’s story is going to hold you in its very firm grasp from the moment you begin until you’ve absorbed every last word. Their relationship is complicated and it seems doomed from the very start, but it’s also a relationship that you find yourself rooting for, even when it seems impossible. Tillie Cole didn’t just write a story with this book, she called on some very powerful emotions and revisited what I’m sure had to be a very hard time in her life in order to give us this book, I cannot imagine what that must have been like for her, but saying that it is incredibly brave, is just a massive understatement. I felt every ounce of the sadness, conflict, and struggle, but I also felt the courage, the determination and in the end the peace that came once the story was finally winding to a close. “I don’t need to look up at the stars to feel inferior, Austin. All I have to do is open my eyes and look at myself in the mirror.” “So you see, Pix, I have scars too. It’s just mine are on the outside where everyone can see.” The story is not for the faint of heart, it goes to some dark places at times, and what plagues these characters along the way is not resolved easily. Sweet Fall is astonishing; it’s a vivid story that will have your emotions running all over the place. I shed more tears over the course of this book, then I’m sure is normal or socially acceptable but the story is just so intense that it was impossible to not become lost in it. I had to constantly remind myself that it wasn’t real time and time again. When I finally finished it, I was left grinning ear to ear, like a total loon, and my heart felt healed. I felt overjoyed for Lexi and Austin. I am so proud of how far they had come from where they had started and how much they had grown and overcome to get to their own very special happily ever after. “Why the war paint, Pix? Because I can't stand the girl underneath.... "Why the tattoos ?" Because I can't bear seeing the scars of my past.” Sweet Fall is overwhelmingly emotional and powerful; it might also be the best book I’ve read by Tillie Cole to date. That’s saying a lot because I have read all of the Hades Hangmen books and I loved those as well. Something about this book though resonated with on a much deeper level. That connection and those overwhelming feelings we have only when we experience a truly great book is why we all read isn’t it? This book reminded me all over again of why I started my blog, why I now read and review, and why it is truly an honor to spend hours wrapped up in the stories that will never leave our hearts or minds. “But I’m lost without you. I can’t breathe without you. Without you here, all I can do is fall…”
Not what I expected..
Let me say a few words before the review. This can be read as a stand-alone. This book has very emotional dark themes and may cause triggers to some. Read the blurb, heed the warnings. This book wasn't at all what I expected. When you read Sweet Home it's pretty much a bright love story, not reading the blurb to this and just jumping in, boy, did I get a shock. We have Lexi, she's suffering demons inside her that so many people suffer from in silence. Anorexia nervosa, it's a dangerous life long disease. Lexi, thinks she's doing well on her road to recovery so she starts taking back her life. Along the way, that voice in her head is just getting louder and louder. We meet Lexi in book one, but didn't really hear or see much from her, now you find out why ... she didn't want to be seen. She couldn't hide behind the make-up and clothes if she was in the spot light. Then we have Carillo, he has a long, dark, and seedy past. He has a mother dying from ALS, a brother second in command (for one of the most dangerous gangs), a gang he (Cadillo) barely escaped from, and is also trying to keep his younger brother out of the gang. He was also in book one as Rome's best friend. We also didn't get to know much about him then either. He was trying to keep out of the light to hide what all he was doing when that dark past started to lure him back in with the excuse of family. While returning from an appointment, Lexi, witnesses something that could ruin the lives of some very dangerous people who don't like to have any witness alive to risk their downfall, can Carillo keep her safe? Is it worth the cost to go against his family/gang? So if you thought you had angst in book one, think again. While Lexi and Carillo try to keep themselves from falling back into the dark abyss of their past, they have to find away to keep each other in the light. The only thing I didn't like about this book that I struggled with was his nickname for Lexi, Pix. I was so close to quoting after it being used 233 times. The story was strong enough to keep me going, but that Pix, was almost my braking point. I would recommend this book/series. At the time of this review four books are out. Onto book four.
Sweet Fall will have you falling for Austin
Reviewed for I'm A Sweet And Sassy Book Whore Sweet Fall, like the previous two books deals with some tough and dark issues. One of these issues the author wrote a personal note before the beginning of the book, it made for an even more emotional read because this was something she herself has battled. I will not say what I am referring to because I want you to read about it for yourself. I know I have had friends who have also battled this, luckily not to this extreme like Lexi, but enough that we were all worried. Austin and Lexi’s relationship is so filled with darkness, pain, heartbreak and loss. Austin is trying his hardest to keep his mother, who is suffering from ALS, proud of him and as pain free as possible in her last days. He has a gangbanger past, one that most look down on him for. All they see is the tattoos, the signs of his violence. What they don’t see is the son who loves his mother, his older brother and his younger brother so much that he risks his own happiness to take care of his mom. He wasn’t expecting a dark little gothic pixie like cheerleader to be the one who adds some light into his world. To the world Lexi is happy, the cheerleader, the gothic girl. When Lexi looks at herself, all she sees are imperfections. She hides what she is doing from everyone, and even though Austin knows about her past he doesn’t know that she is succumbing once more to her demons. Lexi sees Austin for more than what he lets the world to see, she trusts him to not destroy her, she loves him even when most would run away. Sweet Fall had me in tears more than once. My heart broke, my stomach was in knots, and I think that every teenage girl should read this. Whether they are skinny, overweight, or in between. I used to be the skinny girl the one who couldn’t put on weight, now I could lose a few pounds thanks to my two beautiful children, but I am not overweight. I hate that this society has placed such a huge value on looks, that it causes beautiful girl to believe that if they just lose another five pounds that they will be perfect, or that if you are a bigger girl you are not beautiful when in fact beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. Tillie Cole took a chance when sharing a piece of herself in Sweet Fall, and it was a chance that I am happy she took because it not only sheds light on this disease but also reminds us what we can lose when we go too far on one direction.
Absolutely Amazing!!!
This book completely wrecked me but I loved every single second of it!! It's been a while since I have read a book that grabbed me from the very first word and made me feel every single one of them. I knew this was going to be an emotional read and even though I thought I prepared myself....I didn't!! I think what really sticks with me is that it was a personal issue for Tillie that she really went thru. I'm not sure how much of Lexi's issue was really Tillie's but either way it completely broke me. I just wanted to reach thru my kindle and hug them both. Let them both know that they are beautiful no matter what size, shape or color!! Austin was going thru his own personal issues at home but even still the connection between him and Lexi was heartbreaking and beautiful. My heart broke for him and the problems he faced with his family. How much can one person take?? And just when you think life for Austin can't get any more worse....it does. That last 25% percent of the book completely wrecked me!! My heart and emotions were a mess!! When Lexi is ready to give in and give up will Austin be the one to pull her back in and show her she is worth so much more? Will they finally answer each others question? "Why the war paint, Pix?" "Why the tattoos?" That journal entry he wrote for Lexi was absolutely beautiful. As heartbreaking as some events went this is still one of my top favorite reads!! This whole series is amazing!! It's been a few days since I finished Sweet Fall and it is still with me. I can't get Austin and Lexi out of my head. Tillie Cole, you are an amazing writer and I can't wait to read more from you in the future!! I highly recommend this series to everyone!! If you haven't yet read them, you are truly missing out!!
AN EPIC ROMANCE WITH EPIC FEELS!
SWEET FALL is one of the most hauntingly beautiful, emotional, heart wrenching novels I've ever read. The star-crossed romance between ex-gang banger turned Crimson Tide line backer Austin Carillo and Lexie "Pix" Hart, a teeny tiny Goth cheerleader hiding a devastating secret, is just overflowing with feels! Austin and Lexie’s union started off rocky and tumultuous (and okay, a bit scary at times!) but it evolved into a tenderhearted, INSPIRING, touching love story about overcoming crippling fear and finding true beauty from within. These two college kids loved each other fiercely, unconditionally, despite how damaged they were in the inside. No matter what hardship they faced (and believe me there were many!), they were always, without fail, there to catch one another when they fell. To support and accept one another, flaws and all. There is so much bittersweet angst and heartbreak in this book it became nearly unbearable at times, but the author depicts these characters’ emotional journey with such tenderness, insight and grace that you are riveted. Enthralled. In short, this four-hanky tearjerker is just so darn addictive that you literally Cannot. Stop. Reading. I adored Molly and Rome's romance so much in SWEET HOME and thought NOTHING the author wrote could top that, but somehow she did with Austin and Lexie's torturous, yet sweetly tender romance about two lost souls who find a lifeline in one another. To put it quite simply, Tillie Cole took this book to an entirely different level of greatness. Clearly the disorder that Lexie struggled with is near and dear to her heart, and it showed, for Ms. Cole poured so much gutwrenching emotion into each and every riveting, disturbing, guttural moment in Lexie's harrowing journey. The scenes exploring her anorexia were so gritty and raw, so unflinchingly real, that you were equal parts fascinated and horrified. As a reader I found myself feeling such an overpowering sense of protectiveness towards this gentle-hearted, fragile, broken young woman who had so much to offer the world but tried to camouflage her true damaged self beneath her war paint and fake cheery smile. But Austin always saw her as “his Pix”—the most beautiful, special girl in the world—and did everything in his power to help her see herself through his adoring eyes. As for Austin...ah, sweet, brooding, misunderstood Austin. The Italian tattooed bad boy from the trailer park who also hid his true self from the world. For beneath his tough, intimidating facade, he had an achingly lonely heart and yearned for comfort and hope and salvation. And he eventually found that in his true and forever soulmate, Lexie…the last girl on earth that he ever expected to be worthy of. My heart just throbbed for Austin! He struggled so hard to do right by his family, to set a new course for his life, to not fall prey to the sins of the past. But it seemed every step forward he took, it was two huge steps back. That poor boy just did not catch a break! His scenes with his frail, beloved Mamma just gutted me. Watching him standing by helplessly as she slowly succumbed to a terminal illness and slipped further and further away each day was so horribly cruel, but it showed the sheer power of a son's loving devotion toward his Mamma. Their scenes together were so rife with feeling, and utter hopeless desolation, that you just wanted to hug them both and never let go. To somehow take the pain way. Frankly, there were moments that were so agonizing that I didn’t know if I could keep reading. But I did. Of course I did. How could I not? Austin’s relationships with his other brothers, Axel and Levi, were both fascinating and heartbreaking in entirely different ways. One was steeped in volatility and simmering resentment; the other gruffly affectionate, fiercely protective, almost paternal in nature. But there was never a doubt that the bond between the Carillo brothers was ultimately unbreakable. (SWEET FALL sets the stage for Axel and Levi’s own books, which I know will be incredibly powerful as well.) And the bromance between Romeo and Austin was nothing short of breathtaking. We all should be lucky enough to have a big-hearted star quarterback like Romeo in our corner! Ultimately, SWEET FALL is one of those books that changes you after your read it. Makes you hold your loved ones a little closer, cherish each and every precious moment you have together. Appreciate life for in all its big, beautiful, messy glory. A “perfectly imperfect” romance with epic feels…SWEET FALL celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and will make you fall irrevocably in love.
4.5 stars!! A heavy and emotional NA romance...better have the tissues ready!
Whatever expectations I had, I didn’t count on this book being so gutwrenchingly emotional. This book made me lose my marbles and break down and ugly cry…definitely one of the more heavy and dark NA romances I’ve read this year. The characters were yanking at my heartstrings right from the beginning, and little by little, the emotion built up until it exploded in the last 20% of the book and basically nuked my heart. Thanks Tillie Cole ;) But I’m getting ahead of myself again. Back to the beginning… On the outside, Lexi Hart is a perfect college student who seems to have it all: loving family, supportive friends, and a spot on the cheer squad. But underneath, every day is a struggle for her and she’s barely keeping up. Unknown to most, Lexi is anorexic. Her body image worries and thoughts hurt her deeper than any blade could and ashamed of herself, she concocts a mask to hide behind when she’s with friends. Only alone, can she be her true self. Only alone, can she be free to give into her anorexic temptations. Austin Carillo has a boatload of problems, all invisible to most. Coming from a poor and unstable home life with a sick mother and two brothers to look after, Austin sees football as his only way out of his shithole life. But it isn’t enough and with gang problems giving him trouble, Austin is cornered between pursuing his football dream and living like a lowlife like he’s perceived to be, all in the name of providing for his family. Austin and Lexi’s romance seemed improbable at the beginning because they were so different. Aside from their circle of friends knowing each other, there is literally no overlap that should’ve happened between them so the fact that their romance did happen was totally unexpected and made it all the more intriguing. Perhaps it was because they were both broken and felt like they were shouldering the world that they had this deep, intense connection, but whatever the reason they’re able to let down their guard and be open with each other. Reading about these characters individually and what they had to go through with all the problems in their lives gave my heart a big squeeze, but that was nothing compared to the scenes where they were a couple. “Why the war paint, Pix?” “Why the tattoos?” I’m not even going to sugarcoat it – I felt overwhelmed. Reading about Lexi’s anorexia hurt, like in my chest kinda hurt, and it was all portrayed in such a raw and gritty manner I couldn’t help but be moved. Reading about Austin’s poor home life, his very real and heartbreaking struggle to keep his family together while trying so hard to make his football dream come true…all of that combined was a lot to process and emotionally digest down. And as mentioned before, all of this culminated and completely exploded in the last 20% of the book, leaving me a sobbing mess. But at the same time, I didn’t fully love the romance part. I mean, it was very clear to me that these two characters belonged and complemented each other perfectly, but because there was just SO much going on – Lexi’s illness, Austin’s home life – plus tons of external conflict ranging from gang business to side character drama, I felt like the actual romance wasn’t given enough attention, hence I had to deduct half a star. Regardless, this is a book that is guaranteed to make you FEEL and ultimately, that’s what I was looking for when I decided to read this book so overall, this one’s a winner for me! Sweet Fall is a NA romance standalone and the 3rd book in the Sweet Home series. It can be read without reading the first two books and the events in this book run parallel to those in the first one, Sweet Home.
HEARTBREAKING
4.5 Stars F****n' A this book was sad. Truthfully Lexi and Austin had no business pursuing a relationship. Lexi and Austin were so damaged. This is one of those stories that the couple really needed therapy. But for the sake of romance you have to believe these two people could really heal each other and get better. I cried through most of this book. Between Lexi’s problems and Austin’s interaction with his mother it was painful. Honestly that is why I am rating it a little higher because it gave me the serious feels. I can’t speak too much about Lexi’s anorexia because I have never dealt with it. But according to the author she has, so I believe the way she wrote Lexi was from the heart, and it was so painful to read. Lexi just broke my heart and I was scared for her throughout the story. The only reason I didn’t 5 star this was because of some of the choices Austin made. I really had a hard time with him and his pride. I get not asking for help but when it comes to family and life and death, and legal help is offered to you and you refuse, well that is harder for me to stomach. I was frustrated with his choices regarding Lexi because of the damage he could inflict on her. His mother saw her issue and warned him that he couldn’t give his love and take it back. She knew it would damage Lexi even more than she already was. Again you have to believe in love conquering all. On the other side of Austin he was such a good person deep down he just kept making bad choices. The scenes of him caring for his mother just gutted me. I seriously disliked Axel but I am glad he made the choice he did in the end. Sweet Fall was a really good read I am glad I continued on with the series as I really didn’t like Rome and Molly’s story.
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