Before I Fall

Jessica Scott

Mar 2015 · Falling Book 1 · Thirty One Fox Books

About this ebook

I thought I could do this. I thought I could leave the war behind. 

I was wrong. I can’t do this. I can’t go to class and pretend like everything is normal. That I’m normal. I’m not. I’ve lost everything that matters to me. But I made a promise. 

And if I’m going to keep that promise, I have to focus. I have to pretend that I belong on this southern campus that drips with old money. 

And I have to pass stats. That’s where Beth comes in. 

I’m terrified she’ll see through me. That the careful lies

and easy smile won’t be enough to convince her that everything is fine. 

That she’ll see how broken I really am.  

But there’s something about her that draws me closer. A

sadness in her eyes that am powerless to resist. 

I should walk away. Protect her from the broken, darkness in

me. 

Before we both fall into something neither of us can control 

Stay focused. Get a job. Save her father’s life.  

Beth Lamont knows far too much about the harsh realities of life her gilded classmates have only read about in class. She’ll do whatever it takes to take care of her father, even if that means tutoring a guy like Noah - a guy who represents everything she hates about the war, soldiers and what the Army has done to her family.  

Noah Warren doesn’t know how to be a student. All he knows is war. But he’s going to college now to fulfill a promise and he doesn’t break his promises. Except he doesn’t count on his tutor being drop dead gorgeous and distracting as hell. One look at Beth threatens to unravel the careful lies Noah has constructed around him. 

A simple arrangement turns into something neither of them can deny. And a war that neither of them can forget could destroy them both. 

Ratings and reviews

It was an amazing read. My heart was broken and put back together several times. The relationships in this novel are real and true hearted. I love Noah if only he was a real Man and not a fictional character. I would definitely swoon at his feet, but im pretty sure he would catch me. Xoxoxxo I miss Noah and Beth's story already.

Absolutely amazing! An incredibly thought provoking story, heartwarming characters, and a romance that pulls at your heart. Before reading this I have always thought of men and women returning from war as older. This story made me realize the number of young men and women returning and having to face to world after having seen and done things that are truly unforgettable. It also made me really think about how we treat our veterans after they return, and how they should be treated for the rest of their lives. While technically I guess this would be considered a new adult book, I think everyone would really enjoy the message. I highly recommend this one.

Outstanding! The book gives us a look into the American lives that are left behind after the fighting is over. Those who choose to stay home from wars feel entitled to tell themselves that soldiers chose to subject their minds and bodies to the unspeakable horrors of war. We are faced with a disconnect. A mind and body is only equipped to handle extreme events to a certain extent before it finally breaks. We recognize when that happens on the battlefield and take the soldier out of the field. When the damage is severe enough and permanent enough, they need to be forced out of the service and forced to receive care through the VA System. These people are used to being seriously independent, and asking them to lean on other people, drugs, or anything else frequently takes a major life event Our soldiers (or their caregivers) should Never be put in the position to have to beg for medical care or for mental health care. This is care that has been freely given to Citizens of most other civilized countries for the last 50 years. It's clear that instead of treating our returning Veterans with respect and difference some of us believe that we could continue with our same Rights and Privileges without them.

About the author

Sign up for Jessica's Newsletter to keep up with the latest information about new releases: http://www.jessicascott.net/mailing-list.html

Jessica Scott is the USA Today bestselling author of novels set in the heart of America's Army. She is an active duty army officer, a veteran of the Iraq war, is the mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, and wife to a retired NCO. She and her family are currently wherever the army has sent her. 

She has written for the New York Times At War blog, War on the Rocks, PBS Point of View Women and War and has been featured in Esquire Magazine as an American of the Year in 2012. 

She has published 11 novels and novellas about soldiers returning from war and has hit the USA Today Bestseller list twice. She has compiled two nonfiction projects about her time in Iraq and the return home. 

She has recently completed a master's Degree in sociology from Duke, a Masters Degree in Telecom Management from University of Maryland University College, BA in Cultural Studies from State University of New York. She is currently pursuing a phd in sociology. 

She's been featured as one of Esquire Magazine's Americans of the Year for 2012. Learn More at http://www.jessicascott.net