I like JL Merrow's writing, and whilst I did like this one too, I found it different to the others I've read. I did struggle to stay with the story at first, not sure why really. There is lots of Icelandic history (meaning much googling for me!) which I quite like and having local Viking history, I could relate.The way the story was written means that like Paul, the reader is always reaching for that elusive memory, the who is this, the what happened here, have I been here/done this before. The characters we meet : Mags, Alex, Viggo, even Gretchen in England and the dead Sven all have a secretive, mysterious air about them. All is eventually resolved, but I did find it a bit of a flat climax. The writing is crisp and detailed, and I do enjoy her style of writing.I enjoyed it overall, and think my difficulties at the start were perhaps due to snatching short reads, so I would recommend reading in 1 or 2 sittings. It is perhaps a gentle simmer of a read, rather than an explosive fast boil and I think one of those books that I will like more on each rereading. I adore stories where the author weaves the reality of the setting with the strength of a character itself, and Merrow has done that in Fall Hard - a story set in Iceland, and full to the brim with Icelandic lore and texture. The concept of the tale is one done often enough in mystery - amnesia - but here it's given a heavy dose of romantic suspense through a gay filter, and with that lovely dose of Icelandic lore coating everything and every step of the slow reveal.Paul is a man who studies the Icelandic sagas, and he has lost the entire year he spent in Iceland. At some point he - and his lover, Sven - went over some falls and his return to consciousness included nothing of meeting, dating, and - one assumes - loving the man who is now dead. It has been a year, and he has recovered in body (mostly) and is heading back to Iceland from his native England to return to his job there at the university. But when new faces start to make Paul doubt what he has been told about his year away, and odd facts start to line up without adding up, it's obvious that some of the people in Paul's life are keeping secrets from him - including a man who is very much the Viking Paul may have always been looking for.I read this over the course of a week or so, and I really quite enjoyed it. The supporting characters were well drawn, and I could feel the chill and damp of the setting seep through the prose. Also, the sex scorches, which I already knew to expect from J.L. Merrow. This is a darker tale than most of the Merrow I've read before. That's not a bad thing, and it's done well, but know going in that this won't be leaving you chuckling, though it will grab you completely.
What do You think about Fall Hard (2013)?
Meh. Enjoyed the history woven into the story, but the MC left me dry.
—Scottsayjr1
I love the cover, can't wait to read.
—maco9999999
