Nick Jorgensen is a quirky genius. He’s made a fortune in the competitive high tech field with his quick mind and attention to detail. He believes in hard work and trusting his gut. And he believes in karma. It’s the only thing that makes sense. People are difficult, but numbers never lie. In the disastrous wake of a broken engagement to an investor’s daughter, Nick is more certain than ever he … he isn’t relationship material.
Wes Conrad owns a thriving winery in Napa Valley. The relaxed atmosphere is a welcome departure from his former career as a high-rolling businessman. Wes’s laid-back nature is laced with a fierceness that appeals to Nick. In spite of his best intention to steer clear of complications, Nick can’t fight his growing attraction to the sexy older man who seems to understand him. Even the broken parts he doesn’t get himself. However, when Wes’s past collides with Nick’s present, both men will have to have to decide if they’re ready to lean into the ultimate fall.
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First off, I love Nick. Second, I love Nick and Wes. Lastly, the chemistry is off the charts, and the sex? Damn. Nick was introduced first, in book one of the series, as a side character. This was his book, and our chance to dive into his brilliant mind. He is not as good with people as he is with codes. Numbers are his thing, people are just hard for him to figure out. He tries though. Wes makes an assumption about him just being an asshole, but after spending time with Nick, he discovers there’s so much more to him than he thought. He takes it on himself to help quiet Nick’s mind and guide him to realize he’s not the broken man he thinks he is. This book is beautiful. That’s the word that pops in my head when I think about it. It’s not heavy, by no means, but it has some weight to it, and will leave you smiling. I highly recommend it.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Angela –
Okay, I’m writing this review in reverse because I usually address the story first and then talk about the narration. However, in the case of Nick’s story – and I just chuckled because I realized that Nick is the name of both the main character and the narrator, but I digress – addressing the narration is the easy part. Nick J. Russo did an outstanding job of bringing Nick, Wes, and the rest of the characters to life. I absolutely loved the character voice he created for Nick Jorgensen, the genius of which becomes glaringly apparent once Nick’s “secret” is revealed later on in the story – which is part of the reason the storyline portion of the review is a little harder for me to write. But, here it goes…
We met Nick in book one, Leaning into Love, as Eric’s business partner and former friends with benefits/lover. The Nick we meet in Leaning into the Fall is an entirely different Nick, but not really. Because Nick’s story is told from his perspective, we’re privy to more information about Nick than was shared in book one. Some of which left me wondering if Eric knew Nick as well as he thought he did, but I doubt it because Nick is ashamed of his “secret” and I imagine it was easier and more comfortable for him to let Eric and the rest of their circle of friends think of him as the quirky, absent-minded professor or as a self-involved asshole. And this is the point where I have to say that in book one, I agreed with the self-involved asshole characterization, but as I got to know the real Nick, I began to suspect what his secret was… before it became obvious that there was a secret. In fact, when Wes said those two words to Nick, I actually shouted aloud, “I KNEW IT!” because I’ve worked with people in Nick’s situation and the more I learned, the more I suspected. Of course, this made me want to champion for Nick even more than I already was. The misunderstood genius. The absent-minded professor. The man with a mission and a one-track mind. I loved him as all of those, but his “secret” made him and his plight even more meaningful for me. And as much as I loved Wes for not letting Nick’s quirks and behaviors send him running the other way, it also made my disappointment in him for throwing in the towel when he did, that much worse. In the end, it worked out as it should, but I felt my heart breaking right alongside Nick’s when Wes walked away and then stayed away. But the ending that Hayes has penned for Nick and Wes made it worth it, well worth it.
I’ve already listened to Leaning into the Fall twice, so it’s earned its 5-star rating because I also know I’ll be queueing it up again in the near future. But I had to listen to it a second time for this review because I felt compelled to go back and listen to Leaning into Love again to see where my opinion of Nick had gone so wrong. But it hadn’t because it was based on the Nick that Eric knew, not the Nick we meet in Leaning into the Fall. My advice for series listeners: Don’t re-listen to book one first. Go in without the refresh and meet the real Nick. Then go back to Leaning into Love if you want to do a series listen. I think you’ll appreciate Nick more that way.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free audiobook copy of Leaning into the Fall (Leaning Into Stories #2) by Lane Hayes, narrated by Nick J. Russo to listen to and review for this tour.
4.5*
Let’s just get this out there, shall we? Nick did not endear himself to me in Eric and Zane’s stories, to say the least- he didn’t come across as a very likeable character. But it only took 2 chapters into Leaning Into the Fall and I was already in love!
Nick is so sweet and awkward and socially inept, I really love characters like his. I like when a character is real and relatable and isn’t always perfect. And I loved that Wes “got” Nick-he appreciated him for who he is, quirks and all. Like Nick’s friends, he accepted him and didn’t want, or try, to change him. Their relationship was hot and sexy, but also romantic and sweet.
I really adored Nick and Wes’s story. I loved learning about their pasts and what led them to become the men they are today. I enjoyed seeing Nick’s friends again, and getting to know Geordie a bit- can you say tears?!?
As much as I loved Eric and Zane in the first 2 books, this one topped them for me! Leaning Into the Fall is such a terrific love story.
I met Nick in the first book in this series. I kinda did/did not like him. However, with his own book now, he fell in love with him. I was able to see who he really was and not the jerk i thought him to be. I really loved his and Wes’ story. Good writing and great story.
Great book but you need to read the first two books to really appreciate this book. Love this author.