The list of things I hate is short. Not even my soon-to-be ex-husband is on that list. Nope. I save only the worst of the worst, the crème de la crème, the absolute I cannot even for this list . . .1. Black coffee2. Rude people3. Nathaniel BradleyWhich is why when my father informs me that he’s making Nathaniel Bradley his new business partner, and in turn, my boss, I flip out. 1. He’s an … flip out.
1. He’s an annoying know-it-all.
2. He calls me a spoiled princess every chance he gets.
3. He disapproves of everything I do.
I go into this knowing I’ll hate every second in his presence. Except the longer he’s around, the more I find myself staring at his lips and remembering the one time they were on mine. I randomly find myself looking at his hands and wondering how they’d feel on my skin.
I try to snap out of it, but I guess I’m not as smart as I thought I was. No matter how many times I remind myself of the times I’ve practically thrown myself at him and he’s pushed me away, I keep falling little by little.
I’d always heard that it was a bad idea to mix business with pleasure and if that’s the case, this thing with Nathaniel has demise written all over it.
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The Consequence of Falling follows Presley and Nathaniel. They’ve known each other most of their lives. They always bicker, but deep down there’s a love they have for each other. That they don’t realize, till it’s the perfect time.
I liked The Consequence of Falling, and I wanted to love it. I didn’t feel an emotional pull from either of them. I have been a fan of Contreras for awhile, I’ve read so many great stories written by her. I know this is a story that many will love.
Overall, I have to give this Three Boundless Stars. It was a good story and it had a lot of heart.
from the moment they meet in the consequences of falling, nathaniel bradley and presley rose are at odds with one another. and over the next ten years, they cross paths and that chemistry ignites in blazingly painful and awkward ways. but as angry and hurt and confused as they are about each other, it’s pretty clear that there is all this want bottled up too.
this story unfolds mainly through presley’s perspective, though we do get moments of nathaniel’s perspective too. which i actually think worked, because there were times where we did need to get a better sense of what was on nathaniel’s mind.
these two have quite a tangled and fraught road, and it’s so worth the read. i loved the back and forth between them. that moment where they really start talking to each other and listening to what the other person has to say. not that they are very good at doing it consistently. but they get better over time.
this is the perfect kind of enemies-to-lovers, where the love was always there, just hidden under a lot of misconceptions of what the other person was thinking. it’s so worth the read.
**the consequences of falling will publish on january 13, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of social butterfly pr.
I know that Claire Contreras has been around for a while, but I just discovered her books recently and I’m so happy I finally read one of them!
The Consequence of Falling is an enemies-to-lovers that follows the story of Presley and Nathaniel from the moment they are both teenagers; 15 and 18 years old to be exact.
They got on each other’s nerves, but my god you could feel their love-hate-love spark. Awesome banter, angst, steamy scenes and lots of family love mixed in between.
Really enjoyed it!!
Presley Rose and Nathaniel Bradley have known each other since she was fifteen and he was eighteen. From the first moment they met, she has been snooty and he has been snarky. This didn’t change through all the years they’ve known each other. Presley’s father, who owns a brewery company, started mentoring Nathaniel since he was eighteen, giving him odd jobs, helping pay for his college and keeping a close friendship all this time. Presley married her college sweetheart who wanted into politics and ended up elected as New York’s mayor. Through all this time, whenever Presley and Nathaniel meet, there has been snark. She acts bitchy and he acts like a jerk. There’s an underlying attraction there, but she rejects him in favor of the easy guy. Five years later she’s divorcing the politician and starting to work for her father. On her first day on the job she learns her father sold half of his company to Nathaniel, who is one of those wunderkind guys who made it big with an invention.
This all sounds like a fun book to read, but the fact is that the characters are not nice to each other. There’s no funny banter or brilliant zingers in their conversations, but rather dialogue that points to Presley having a chip on her shoulder and Nathaniel acting arrogant and cocky. Presley has a complex about being disregarded as a woman by all the men in her life, which she expresses frequently to her father and Nathaniel, and Nathaniel makes frequent references to Presley about not doing enough at her job. I got a little tired at all the digs, until finally, they connect and the dialogue gets somewhat sweeter.
I get the impression that Presley has always been reacting to her circumstances and doesn’t have a clear idea of who she wants to be and what she wants to do. Nathaniel seemed to have a hidden agenda, and I suspected he wanted to win her over, but jeez, he got an F on courting a woman when he called her on not doing a job.
The first part of the book was a little annoying but the second part was much better. There was sweetness and sadness and more consideration between characters. And I finally saw Presley getting a backbone and acting mature without the whining about being left out of men business.
The Consequence Of Falling is simply one of the best enemies to lovers reads of 2019! Yes, I have read my fair share of these types of books.
But Claire Contreras just has the flair of hooking you into her storylines and drawing you into the point you never want to leave them. Swooning to the point. Well, your reading it all over about because you just couldn’t get enough Nathaniel or because of flaming hot connection that just rickshaws into your soul! Kinda like BOOM!!!!!
Sometimes chemistry works opposite to what you expect. For Presley, the first time she met Nathaniel she was sure nothing good would come from being around him. He bothered her. He challenged her. And he was not game to cuddling her. True, she was only fifteen and a rich brat, but in her defense, she a lot of things going wrong in her life.
This is Presley’s journey to maturity and finally finding out who she wants to be when she grows up. As Nathaniel stood by as she tumbled her way through life, he patiently waited for her to finally realize her potential.
This is romantic, emotional, and mature book looking at the life of two characters. Only one thing is true: we are human and make mistakes. The one thing we can do is learn from them and grow as we seek our dreams and hopefully succeed.
I am voluntarily reviewing this book. Thanks to the author for sharing a copy with me.
Contreras gets her kicks by stating the obvious, but she does so in a refreshing way. The Consequence of Falling says everything a woman wants to say, but felt wasn’t civil enough to put into words. Presley and Nathaniel have a love-hate relationship that is really them testing the waters of their hearts. It’s a battle of wills that could be a meeting of hearts, if they just give peace a chance. Funny, flirty and flawlessly entertaining with an edge of sassy thrown in. How could anyone not love that?
The consequence of procrastination is it takes you years to realize the author you’ve been one clicking since August 2015 is one you now want to binge read. If it wasn’t clear I have been collecting Claire Contreras books but had yet to read one…until now. If you are foolish like me and waited, stop stalling. You need this book. If you are a fan then I guess you already know what’s in store for you!
The Consequence of Falling is real. It’s stubborn, entitled brattiness. It’s aimlessness and lost goals. It’s passing through life without living it. Until…It’s not any more.
Real characters. Real flaws. Real feels. And yes real tears. Claire Contreras made me a part of the story and I fell. I swear she must have known me in another life because the stubborn pain in the ass (also know as Princess) took her bitchy, stubborn lessons from me. (Though I have never been entitled, clearly Presley took those lessons to the next level. )
The Consequence of Falling is real. It’s sexy. It’s tension filled angst. It’s loneliness in a crowd. It’s longing and despair. It’s love, regret, and straight up stubbornness but it’s also sweet, hot, and every thing you ever wanted.
Fall and fall hard because it’s worth the consequences.
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
4.5 stars
Claire has written a lovely story about family, forgiveness, loss and pain.
Presley and Nathaniel met when she was 15 and he was 18. After finding out her parents were getting a divorce it wasn’t the best time to meet Presley when Nathaniel is sent to collect her from school. This kicks off a decade long love/hate relationship where they spend most of their lives as sparring partners.
Presley has always been considered as lucky. She was brought up priviledged and looked after but this all comes crashing down when she is trying to move on from her cheating ex-husband. She is trying to find out who she is and re-build her relationship with her father.
Nathaniel is a self-made man, he was hired by Presley’s dad when he was a kid and has always been like a son to him. Part of this sparks the ill feeling with Presley as she has always felt left out Now he is playing a major role in her life as just when she thinks she is getting on an even keel with her dad she finds out he has sold part of the business to Nathaniel and he is now her boss!
Whilst I did want to shake Presley a few times for her immaturity I also wanted her to have more of a back-bone when it came to her dad. It was obvious she just wanted his approval and that seemed to always go to Nathaniel. Again I also wanted to knock Winston and Nathaniels heads together for the way they treated Presley, it was like she had no say or an inability to make decisions but then again she should have spoken up. She defiantly grew up as the book went on which was lovely to see, the men in her life just needed to see it too.
Claire wrote so much emotion in this book. There is a part towards the end that I sat there absolutely sobbing, it was so well written and with such beautiful raw emotion. This is one hell of a must read.
I’m a sucker for a good enemies to lovers book, and when I found out one of my favorite authors was writing one mixed with an office romance I couldn’t wait to read it. Claire Contreras has written another book I couldn’t put down and threw some surprises in as well.
Presley and Nathaniel have hated each other since the day they met. He believes she’s a spoiled brat and she sees him as an annoying jerk. The only thing they have in common is loyalty to her father, which is the catalyst for hostility in their relationship. After years of animosity Presley finds out Nathaniel is her new boss, and they need to find a way to work together without killing one another.
The chemistry between these two is off the charts, and their banter is addicting. Neither is what the other believes, and I really enjoyed the way they navigated their relationship. I absolutely loved the storyline itself, as a huge fan of breweries and baseball, and was excited for the return of some favorite characters.
I have been a huge fan of Claire Contreras since the very first book I read, and she definitely didn’t disappoint with this one! I highly recommend checking this one out!
Presley and Nathaniel’s story was so fun to read! There was the desirable enemies to lovers slash office romance slash second chance aspect but also a lot of emotion and heartache! Loyalty was a steady theme in this read, whether it was toward family or friends who became as close as family. I loved the closeness of the characters!
I enjoyed the slow burn of this read, covering a span of time and different points in both the main character’s lives. It showed growth and maturity that helped carry the story where it needed to go.
I was team Nate from the beginning and I’m glad Presley finally figured out that she was too 😉 A truly well written romance! 4/5 stars!
I am normally a fan of this author’s work, and it pains me to say this but I felt this book fizzled out after the first few chapters. The story line is good and had great promise. It can fall into the opposites attract, enemies to lovers trope and slightly also a second chance romance. We have teenage Presley Rose, the spoilt daughter of a brewery magnate who is only after a little attention from her parents. She is a typical teen that can be quite bratty when her emotions get the better of her. She meets Nathaniel Bradley in a unique way and from that moment on, it is tit for tat with the word ribbing. Even when she thinks she likes him, he pushes her away and then she is back to hating him again. Fast forward a few years, with some encounters along the way, and Presley is working in the family business with her father and Nate. The banter is still very active and now they have to find a way to work together.
I think the thing that made this book fail for me was the to and froing all the time. The mixed signals were giving me whip lash and major eye rolls. I get that she had a lot going on in her life, and needed to sit back and evaluate where to go with it all, but it felt like she was all over the place. I had no problem with her emotions and did not feel she was weak at all. I would have been a mess just the same and I connected and liked her more for it. I get that this is a work of fiction, and that normality does not always make for a good story, but added angst and drama is not the answer. And this comes into play with Nate as well, a reaction he has towards Presley seemed out of character and unauthentic. I liked Nate too, he set about improving his life and making something of himself despite his background. He was building a life and now was his chance to pounce per se on Presley. Another aspect I had a dilemma with was at times, even though this is a standalone book, I sensed I was missing out on something. That the gang had an inner circle that I wasn’t privy to their jokes or nicknames.
That being said, it is not a bad book, I just didn’t love it. It will not stop me from trying again from this author.
*I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
**Reviewed by Monique for JoandIsaLoveBooks Blog.
Enemies-to-Lovers romances either makes me want to grit my teeth in frustration or hug my Ereader to my chest; I either love or hate these stories, some authors just can’t do this trope right. I loved The Consequence of Falling, this beautifully written story is almost a Second Chance romance; the main characters had been fighting a losing battle since they met as teenagers, and falling in love was inevitable. The banter between them is sharp and witty, but not all is fun and games. It gets a little emotional, with a loss that’ll break your heart, so be forewarned this is not a light and carefree read.
“One thing I did learn throughout my life was that the weight of unspoken words always felt heavier than the burden of the consequences they carried.”
Presley Rose’s life changed when she was fifteen and her parents separated. She resented both of them and felt she’d never live up to Arthur’s expectations, especially after he took a young boy, Nathaniel, under his wings and became a mentor to him. As the only child, and the rightful heir of the family brewery, Presley had gone to NYU, the same school Nathaniel did, for her degree. She always suspected Nathaniel wanted Arthur for his own, to usurp her place as his progeny. Presley turned down a job at the brewery to marry Adam, her college boyfriend, who had political aspirations. After all, Nathaniel acted like she didn’t even exist, she really hated him, and she was cut out to be the perfect society/politician’s wife. Until it all fell apart.
“You can’t control how things make you feel, but you can control what you do with those emotions. You can choose to let it go or stay angry. I learned the hard way it’s best not to harness negative emotions. Let it go.”
Nathaniel Bradley had been a lost, young boy before Arthur Rose guided him in the right path, grooming him for business, and he looked up to him as a father figure. He’d met Presley when she was fifteen and he knew she’d looked down on him, her father’s “favorite pet”, and Nate thought she was a spoiled little princess, a brat, due to the way she acted. He’d seen her while in school and had even rejected her advances a time or two. But now the self-made millionaire had invested in Arthur’s business and Presley was going to be working for him. Now they’d have to see each other and work together.
“The thing about falling was that it didn’t happen the way everyone imagined it. Sometimes it happened slowly, over time, and other times you find yourself sitting there waiting for the other person to catch up.”
When these two stop fighting and start realizing they have feeling for each other, I wanted to yell “It was about time, you idiots!” the buildup was just agonizing, but oh so good when they finally acted on it.
“You couldn’t possibly have been in love with me forever.”
“I was. I was just waiting for you to catch up.”
Presley and Nathaniel first meet when she is 15 and he is 18, on the day she finds out her parents are divorcing. Nathaniel has been hired by her father as a driver. Their relationship is 100% antagonistic; they cannot have a conversation without bickering and insulting each other. As Presley grows up, Nathaniel remains close to her father, while Presley has a distant relationship with both her parents. The first third or so of the book takes place over the years from their first meeting to the present.
When Presley’s marriage fails, she decides to finally accept her father’s offer to join the family business, and is livid that on her first day she learns he has sold a majority of the business to Nathaniel, who is now a successful businessman in his own right. Now Presley has to work with him every day as they open a new bar together, while at the same time keeping the secret of her father’s poor health from everyone.
What I liked: Everything. This was such a good book. Presley and Nathaniel’s constant arguing, seeing her grow up and mature over the years, and her relationships as an adult with both her parents.
What I didn’t like: It ended! Although a conversation with Presley’s friend Morgan in the last chapter of the book makes me think there could be a sequel coming. I hope so!
Overall: So good! This book has it all: laughter, tears, love, and two people who love to antagonize each other.
This enemies-to-lovers sexy romantic read is completely swoon-worthy, and my Sunday binge-read since I finished it in one sitting.
I love Nathaniel. He’s Cinderella man – from rags to riches. Handsome, responsible, irresistible, and Presley just hates him too much. Or is it more of resistance coming from her? I like him because he can be sweet, and yet he calls Presley out for things that sometimes she can’t see. He keeps her on her toes, and on her heels. What Presley doesn’t know is that he had wanted her for so long…
“I wasn’t kidding when I said you were my present.” He lowered his mouth to mine, kissing me lightly. “Everything I’ve ever dreamed up wrapped into one package.”
As for Presley, she grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth, but it didn’t mean that she was happy. Her parent’s divorce caused her so much pain. Now here comes Nathaniel who is becoming her father’s favorite, and she just couldn’t stand him especially when he starts calling her princess. Nevertheless, years later, and with her divorce looming ahead – their paths once again crossed, and this time, he was sort of her boss.
But the more time they spent together, it seems that their bantering turned out to be just a mere foreplay, and the inevitable is about to happen.
I love how the story unfolds, how two imperfect, with baggage from their past finally come together. After all the years that they knew each other. I was glad that Nathaniel took his time, his patience is just so admirable. He waited, and waited until finally he made his move. And as for Presley, I’m happy she took the risk. Although, their happy ending wasn’t really a smooth ride. There were loads of bumps but they made it.
“It’s okay, princess. I’m not good enough for you. I never was and I never will be.” He leaned into me, his lips on my jaw, dragging to my earlobe. “But I want you anyway. And I’ll take you anyway I can get you. I’m tired of denying this to myself. I couldn’t handle it before, but I can now.”
There is something about familiar plots and familiar story lines – nevertheless, Claire Contreras made sure her readers will find and experience something different in it. The Consequence of Falling gave me all the feels – it made me laugh, it made me squirm, all squishy inside and it made me cry. My heart is just about to burst.
It’s a story of love, family, forgiveness and letting go. Truly, a must-read!
So I’m huge fan of enemies to lovers book! I was definitely drawn in the from the blurb alone. This book drew me and wouldn’t let me go. I loved everything about this book! I mean, I really got sucked into this book and felt the emotion in it. So we have Presley, who is a princess. She had her whole world turned upside down. This was when she first met Nathaniel. She hated him from the beginning. He judged her harshly but was that covered up the attraction. Over the years, Presley put her dreams on hold for others. She finally figured out she didn’t want that anymore. She got tight with her dad. This is the part of the story that I loved. You could feel their connection and the love they shared. This is also why I spend the end of this book teary up and had to take many breaks to finish. Nathaniel and Presley come from different worlds but that doesn’t stop the feelings from forming. Nathaniel struggled early on in life but Presley’s dad saw good in him and pushed him to accomplish his dreams. He was the true rags to riches story. Him and Presley are perfect together. They may fight and hate each other but deep down there’s mad love and respect for each other. I loved seeing how strong and vulnerable the characters. You can tell how much they feel for each other and their families. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year and Nathaniel is definitely on my list for amazing book boyfriends. This book will stick with me for awhile. I would highly encourage you to all read this book! The author is one of my favs and she just has this way of drawing you in, feeling all the emotions that they characters feel and writing a beautiful book with characters you will fall in love with.
I loved the development of the relationship between Presley and Nathaniel. They were so relatable. They fought and bickered and definitely were not perfect. The subplot broke me. Really enjoyed this book and am so happy Claire wrote it.
“You couldn’t possibly have been in love with me forever.”
“I was. I was just waiting for you to catch up.”
They say there’s a fine line between love and hate. When it comes to Presley Rose and Nathaniel Bradley, this couldn’t ring any truer. These two bickered like there’s no tomorrow, disagreed on almost every single thing you can think of, and fought over the most ridiculous situations. But at the end of the day, that ball of pent up energy brewing between them turned into something else entirely. They could have screaming matches all they want, but it doesn’t change any of the feelings that started to grow and develop between them nor the connection that truly went beyond just what was going on in the bedroom.
“I don’t think any kind of hook up with you could ever be meaningless, Nathaniel Bradley.”
The Consequence of Falling is a captivating enemies to lovers romance with an emotional twist that will make you see how much timing really is everything. How much wealth doesn’t mean anything when it comes to love. That material things are nothing compared to any memory or moment you share with someone. That you can even have the sweetest guy in the world, yet end up getting betrayed in the most painful way possible. How your prince could’ve always been in front of you all along, waiting on the sidelines and biding his time until life permits you both the happy ever after you deserve.
“I’m telling you the truth dammit. I’ve wanted you since I was eighteen years old and had absolutely no business wanting a girl like you.”
While this book wasn’t as strong or emotional as I wanted and expected from a Claire Contreras novel, I still enjoyed the heart, heat and the slightest touch of humor that Nathaniel and his Princess had to offer.
Enemies to lovers with a side of office romance? Yes please.
The two main characters, Nathaniel and Presley (aka Princess) meet when they are teenagers and it doesn’t seem to go well. Presley is basically a overdramatic, stubborn, spoiled only child that tends to get her way. Her life has been relatively easy, but within the first pages it seems as if her life is going to get a lot harder.
Enter Nathaniel that hasn’t had anything easy. He lands a job doing basically anything and everything for Presley’s father. He first meets Presley when he has to pick her up from school and drama ensues. Yup, she’s the spoiled rich kid that amuses him from the get go. From there we enter into chapters that progress between years of them bumping into one another. Their lives continuously intersect, but their attraction for one another seems to never line up, creating a bit of amusing banter between them throughout the years. And their timing always sucks. Royally. And their friendship, if you want to call it that, is not on the best of terms.
So what happens when Presley’s life that she’s built for herself is turned upside down and her father announces that Nathaniel will now be joining them as a business partner?
These two have had a love/hate relationship for YEARS, but you could always tell something was simmering below the surface. Was it unrequited or was there going to be more to it?
“Either kiss me or don’t…I’m not going to beg for you to do it. I’m not that girl anymore.”
Claire has a way of writing romance and characters that you want to pull for. Even if you aren’t 100% on board with them. Honestly, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Presley. Sometimes I loved her. She had a backbone, stood up for what she believed in and she loved her father fiercely. At other times she seemed too spoiled and bratty. And Nathaniel? He pissed me off. He had “impeccable timing” and then was rude to Presley, but it seemed a front at the same time. I could tell that he just wanted to prove himself to this woman that he had cared for. Make something of himself before he went and got the girl. His drive and vision was very sexy.
This enemies to lover romance was steamy and fun with some great banter. You also get a side of angst and loss and a story full of family values and beer that I could get behind. And the little Easter eggs of past characters that I’ve adored? Total bonus!
A must read enemies to lovers romance! Presley and Nathaniel’s relationship dynamics were certainly entertaining. The fireworks between these two is explosive, and when that hate turns to something else entirely, the heat was hot enough to melt my Kindle!
Presley is a great mix of vulnerable but strong, all while dealing with her divorce, her cheating ex, trying to impress her Dad, and make her mark in a male dominated industry. Nathaniel is sexy, smart, charming, sometimes arrogant, and really loves to bicker with Presley!
I laughed at some of their ridiculous arguments, got mad at some, cried when the story took an unexpected turn, and then swooned at the absolute sweetness that was the ending.