Happy Friday! I am so excited to share a debut novel with you today, for First Line Friday hosted by Reading is My Superpower. As soon as I saw the cover of After She Falls by Carmen Schober I knew I had to read it, and I’m so glad I did!

“Adri doesn’t turn on the radio or pull up Eva’s playlist on her phone. For once, she drives in silence.”

After She Falls by Carmen Schober

The Basics

Title: After She Falls

Author: Carmen Schober

Publication Date: November 2, 2021

Genre: Contemporary Romance

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

From the Back Cover:

She’s always had that fire in her. She just needs to find it again.

Strong-willed Adri Rivera nearly achieved her goal of being a professional mixed martial artist, but then she fell in love with a man who knocked all the fight out of her. When their abusive, tumultuous relationship finally comes to a head, Adri flees with their young daughter to her small hometown in the mountains of Pennsylvania. There, she must face the people she left behind and put her broken life back together again.

A hardened Max Lyons can’t believe Adri is back in town after abruptly cutting him and everyone else off years ago. Despite the distance that grew between them, he feels compelled to help her regain her independence and offers her a job at his gym. But regaining each other’s trust is another matter, made even more complicated by the lingering spark between them. As Adri dares to pursue her dream again, she trains for a big tournament with Max’s help, but they’ll both have to confront their own doubts in order to rise victorious.

My Review

After She Falls is a fantastic debut novel by Carmen Schober! It is definitely not your typical sweet Christian fiction romance – not that there is anything wrong with that, but I loved the rawness and grittiness of Adri’s story. As an MMA fighter, she is a strong female protagonist in every sense of the word. After fleeing from an abusive husband, she is struggling to get back on her feet in both her professional and personal life. Throughout the book, we see her regain her strength both as a woman standing up for herself and her daughter, and as a fighter with a second chance at her dream of becoming a strawweight champion.

Adri and Max were friends in high school before she broke his heart, and they struggle to find their footing when they first reconnect. As the story progresses, their friendship – and eventually romance – develop in a beautiful, authentic way. Adri’s uncle Roman and coach Boom both provide words of wisdom and give the story richness and depth. The faith elements are authentic and completely natural to the story, tackling real life challenges with grace. Adri is a uniquely compelling heroine – her journey as a fighter is a powerful story of perseverance, discipline, determination, and courage.

I highly recommend After She Falls, and I can’t wait to read whatever Carmen Schober writes next!

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.