Book Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 stars)
Imagine waking up with no recollection of yourself. This is exactly what happens to Ann. She wakes up in a magic forest, which frankly isn’t the worst place for her to end up, and is sent on her way by an odd woman named Tanya to the house of Nicolas Rasmussen, Prince of the Frost Faeries, Ruler of the Season of Winter, Second Eldest Ruler of the Northern Realm. But you can just call him “Your Highness.” Nicolas would rather be left alone though, and is thrown aback by this sudden curious, loud spoken, and happy young woman arriving on his doorstep.
Like Falling Stars is a lighthearted tale about found-family and self discovery. In a quest to discover who she is, Ann builds friendships between others and herself, finding the softness in a curmudgeon of a faerie, and bringing light to winter once again. Avalon Roselin does a beautiful job creating this fairy tale world, bringing these characters to life with distinct personalities that bounce off pages. Immediately, I was drawn into their personalities, and loved watching their friendship buzz.
As with many stories this length, my biggest complaint is that there wasn’t more. I would have liked to see more of the early stages of Ann and Nicolas’s friendship while she was meandering around his palace as an annoyance rather than a welcome guest. There was also a much heavier focus on Nicolas’s development than Ann’s, and while we do get answers about Ann’s past it comes very late in the game after many other issues have been resolved.
That being said, the ending will make your heart melt. Ann chooses her destiny in the end. She decides where home is, even if it isn’t where she was supposed to end up.
So if you want a lighthearted tale with elements of your favorite fairy tales, like Little Red Riding Hood and Alice in Wonderland, I recommend you check out Like Falling Stars. If you have a bitter heart, perhaps Ann can warm it up for you as well.
What’s it about?
Once Upon a Time, there was an Amnesiac and a Faerie Prince…
All Ann wanted was to go home; all Nicolas wanted was to be left alone. However, when Ann woke up in the woods with no memory of her past, fate brought them together–and friendship soon bound them to each other.
Facing their uncertainties about the future side-by-side, their desires become less clear. There is no guarantee that Ann will like the person she used to be, and Nicolas may never see her again if he lets her go. Even in fairy tales, happy endings are not easy to come by. Ann and Nicolas will have to decide how much their friendship is worth if they want a true Happily Ever After.
E.S. Barrison 