Falling for Forever by Melissa Chambers

The second Jenna Quigley turns eighteen, she’s headed to L.A. to extend the timer on her fifteen minutes of fame. Too bad her dad made her promise to graduate high school first. Silver lining? Her new school has a serious talent competition with a $25,000 cash prize, which would go a long way in L.A. Jenna’s got plenty of talent—she didn’t almost win America’s Newest Sensation for nothing. But it’ll take everything she’s got to bring down the music nerd with a stick up his butt... no matter how cute he is in those glasses.

Miles Cleveland needs to win that talent contest. When some hot girl stole his audition spot on America’s Newest Sensation, his chance to study music flounced off to New York with her. Now, not only can he win enough money to pay for his education, he can get revenge on that very same girl. He can’t start to question his plan, though... no matter how deep Jenna buries into his heart.

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Entangled Publishing

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Falling for Forever is the second installment of the Before Forever series. It can be read as a standalone, but I do believe there would be a better emotional impact and connection between the reader and Jenna if they read The Summer Before Forever first. Jenna was Chloe's sidekick in the previous book, and Chloe and Landon are on the pages of Falling for Forever.

#8 in a reality show talent competition (think American Idol), Jenna is turning 18 and ready to take LA by storm. Is it a pipe-dream? Is she being a foolish girl? Jenna's dad wants her to finish high school, and has a proposition for her. If she can get into a creative arts school she was wait-listed to attend, will she forget about LA until she graduates... tricky Dad, he isn't letting his Daddy's Girl go so easily.

With Jenna off to the new school, this opens the Before Forever series wide open, with a whole new cast of characters. Slightly reminded me of the Creative HeArts series, where the story takes place in a creative arts school (loved the series).

The reader and Jenna meet Miles (again). Miles and Jenna have a past together, going back to the talent show audition, and it lends a love-hate vibe to the opener, which is always yummy.

Jenna is confident, girly, and is good at what she does. I realize this may have some readers not liking her. I'm unsure why we women and girls embrace the awkward/geek/tomboy, while always painting the girly girls in a bad light. Neither is bad or good, they're just different from each other. Jenna's a girly girl, but that doesn't mean she's a 'mean girl.' She's very moral, ethical, loyal, and caring. She's flawed, made mistakes, and she owns up to them. But, since she's a celebrity, confident, and knows what she wants and is talented enough to get it, she has a hard time making girlfriends. Chloe is Jenna's only friend until she hits the new school.

Miles is Jenna's male counterpart – confident, top of his class, and has to be good at everything he does. Both have family problems, Miles' dad and Jenna's mom, and that connects them deeply.

While this is a young adult romance, featuring music and a talent show, there are some good messages riding the surface. Children dealing with adult issues. The pressure and stress of forging your own path, when your parents wish you to take the one they are traveling. Peer pressure. Standing up for what you believe in and having your friends' backs. A girl or boy having an opposite sex friend and it only being friendship, even when pressured to date. Trying your best at everything you do.

Jenna's only competition is herself, not because she's arrogant, but because she realizes another's abilities doesn't affect hers. That is the message I hope readers hear the loudest.

To be honest, I wasn't sure I'd like Jenna after reading her in Chloe's book, but I was pleasantly surprised, finding her a solid character. Miles had that brooding, swoon-worthy leading man vibe that has girls of all ages falling hard. Together, they created a lovely read, but the side characters added a whole new dimension.

I'm highly anticipating more from this series and the author, and I most certainly recommend it to young adult fans, especially those who enjoy musically inclined characters.

Young adult age-range: 14+ kissing, swearing, drinking, and drug-usage.

Also Available in the Before Forever Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Entangled Publishing

For reviews & more info, check out our The Summer Before Forever post.

Melissa Chambers writes contemporary novels for young, new, and actual adults. A Nashville native, she spends her days working in the music industry and her nights tapping away at her keyboard. While she’s slightly obsessed with alt rock, she leaves the guitar playing to her husband and kid. She never misses a chance to play a tennis match, listen to an audiobook, or eat a bowl of ice cream. (Rocky road, please!) She’s a member of SCBWI and RWA including several local and online chapters thereof. She holds her B.S. in Communications from the University of Tennessee.

Connect with Melissa

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Falling for Forever (Before Forever #2) by Melissa Chambers to read and review.