Until It FadesAuthor: K.A. Tucker
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: June 27, 2017
Format: eARC
Pages: 369
Source: Publisher
Twenty-four-year-old truck stop waitress and single mother Catherine Wright has simple goals: to give her five-year-old daughter a happy life and to never again be the talk of the town in Balsam, Pennsylvania: population two thousand outside of tourist season.
And then one foggy night, on a lonely road back from another failed attempt at a relationship, Catherine saves a man’s life. It isn’t until after the police have arrived that Catherine realizes exactly who it is she has saved: Brett Madden, hockey icon and media darling.
Catherine has already had her fifteen minutes of fame and the last thing she wants is to have her past dragged back into the spotlight, only this time on a national stage. So she hides her identity. It works.
For a time.
But when she finds the man she saved standing on her doorstep, desperate to thank her, all that changes. What begins as an immediate friendship quickly turns into something neither of them expected. Something that Catherine isn’t sure she can handle; something that Catherine is afraid to trust.
Because how long can an extraordinary man like Brett be interested in an ordinary woman like Catherine…before the spark fades?
I’ve read and loved several of Tucker’s books, so I decided to read Until It Fades without paying much attention to what it was about. Turns out it wasn’t quite what I expected, but still a good read. The previous books I read by Tucker were more romantic-suspense, so I kept waiting for that suspense element to pop up, but it never did. This is a straight contemporary romance that doesn’t involve excessive angst or drama.
I totally feel for Catherine and her situation. After an effed up incident that occurred when she was a teenager, she prefers to live a low-key life with her daughter and avoid any type of spotlight. Yeah, so much for that plan. When she rescues Brett, one of the most famous hockey players known to man, the media wants a piece of her. Turns out Brett wants a piece of her too.
The pace is a bit on the slower side, but doesn’t feel like it drags. It’s just that it really gets into the character and plot development. There’s a lot more going on than a romance between two people; it delves into what Cath went through, the relationship with her friends and family, and how everything has impacted her life. I really like that it’s basically Catherine’s story and her growth as a person.
I like Catherine and Brett, but don’t feel strongly about the romance either way. It’s interesting, because it seems like it takes awhile for the romantic aspect to build up, but at the same time it happens quick. There’s plenty of time from when they technically meet to the end of the book, but I would have liked to experienced more interaction between Cath and Brett, even if it had been through text, because I didn’t fully feel their chemistry together. There’s definitely something between them, but it just didn’t do much for me. I’m not saying it’s a bad story, because I really did enjoy it. I just wanted to experience them getting to know each other better.
Overall, though, Until It Fade is a good book that kept me interested from beginning to end.
Oh I agree with you about the romance. I would have liked to see more interaction between them in the first half. I didn’t feel the chemistry. It was a little bit frustrating but overall I enjoyed it. The writing was great too so it helped. Awesome review, Christy, as always. ?❤️
I really loved this book, Christy. It was nice to see Tucker try something a little different, and I thought her character development was really well done. There were so many things to discuss regarding this story, too.
Great review 🙂
I liked this one way more than her suspense book she released last year. I liked how character-driven it was too. She went back to her roots with this one. Sorry the romance didn’t entirely work for you, but I’m glad you still enjoyed the book. 🙂
I really liked this one. I thought it was a cute romance that was just that. Sorry you weren’t super into the two of them but glad you liked it. Great review!
This was different. I cannot remember if it was an interview or in the book, Tucker talked about wanting to do different to mix things up. I enjoyed it too, but love her suspense more.
Sometimes if I am expecting one type of book and get another, it can impact my reading experience. I don’t know if that was the case for you or not here. Chemistry in romance is important and it’s too bad there wasn’t more here. Still, it sounds like you enjoyed this one overall. This isn’t an author I’ve read before, but may have to give a try.
I was wondering what you would think about this one. I know you like her suspense stories a bit more than her straight up romances. But you, being the connoisseur of fine authors that you are can give props on fine writing even when it’s not quite what you expected. I was waiting for the suspense just like you!!! I think the cover threw me off, too. Perfect review, chica!!
Glad you enjoyed it even if it was somewhat different from her usual. I loved her older books. I’ll be getting to this one at some point. 🙂
Even though it wasn’t what you were expecting I’m glad it kept your attention and that you liked it. 😉
Awe, I have always liked her intense romances, but I think I would still enjoy this one. I’m glad you did too.
That does sound pretty good. I haven’t read this author yet.
I am glad you enjoyed it. This was my first time reading her work and I enjoyed the experience. I was not aware she wrote suspense prior to discovering this book.
Great review.
some complicated points but it looks interesting. One day I’ll have to try a book by this author!
Relieved to hear that this is still an interesting read. Great review! 🙂
I like that the author truly delves into Catherine’s story — it sounds like the blurb should have revolved around her more, and the romance given a back seat.
Man, I really need to read this author! She gets rave reviews for her books, and I feel like I’m missing out.
Great review. 🙂
I am hoping to read this one soon. I didn’t actually realize that there wasn’t a suspense element to the story. I will go in expecting something a bit different then. Great review!
Great review. I completely agree with you. This one was a lot more contemporary and slower paced than her previous books. There wasn’t really a lot of conflict or anything major that happens but it was still an enjoyable read.
You know till this day I have not read a single Tucker book. But I’m glad that even though she tried a different genre to her writing, she still did it well. Great review.
This one surprised me as well…still thoroughly enjoyable though.