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When the Stars Fall Down
Rita Award winning title
"Desert Isle Keeper" - All About Romance Reviews
Jessica Hansen's success and icy calm hide painful secrets and a past that shapes her life. That is, until she meets Springer MacDowell, her best friend's son. One decision sets off a series of cataclysmic events that rip apart her safe life.
Retreating to an old summer house in Vermont, Jessica slowly learns to accept friendship, the past, and the new family she's made. She's building a hopeful future, until Springer comes back into her life, ready to shatter her new-found peace.
Will these two survivors ever learn how to belong? Can they heal enough to make a family theirs?
Anne Stuart recently celebrated her forty years as a published author. She has won every major award in the romance field and appeared on the bestseller list of the NY Times, Publisher's Weekly, and USA Today, as well as being featured in Vogue, People Magazine, and Entertainment Tonight. Anne lives by a lake in the hills of Northern Vermont with her fabulous husband.
"Desert Isle Keeper" - All About Romance Reviews
Jessica Hansen's success and icy calm hide painful secrets and a past that shapes her life. That is, until she meets Springer MacDowell, her best friend's son. One decision sets off a series of cataclysmic events that rip apart her safe life.
Retreating to an old summer house in Vermont, Jessica slowly learns to accept friendship, the past, and the new family she's made. She's building a hopeful future, until Springer comes back into her life, ready to shatter her new-found peace.
Will these two survivors ever learn how to belong? Can they heal enough to make a family theirs?
Anne Stuart recently celebrated her forty years as a published author. She has won every major award in the romance field and appeared on the bestseller list of the NY Times, Publisher's Weekly, and USA Today, as well as being featured in Vogue, People Magazine, and Entertainment Tonight. Anne lives by a lake in the hills of Northern Vermont with her fabulous husband.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 1985
13 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Anne Stuart
199Ìýbooks2,057ÌýfollowersAnne Stuart is a grandmaster of the genre, winner of Romance Writers of America's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, survivor of more than thirty-five years in the romance business, and still just keeps getting better.
Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.
She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.
When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.
Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.
Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.
She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.
When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.
Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 7, 2017
Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.
It's really hard to believe that this book was a Rita Award winning title. There were several times I would have chucked this book against the wall, if it had been an actual book and not a Kindle download, but you all know what I mean. I like Anne Stuart for her anti-hero Heroes, her wonderful descriptive writing and her unique plots. Sorry to say that the only element present in this book is the anti-hero Hero. But, you do get an anti-heroine heroine and some of the best sex scenes ever written. To bad I couldn't care less about these two as people.
Our heroine, Jessica Hansen, has had a very successful career and she has built it with the reputation of being an Ice Princess. A rep that is well earned. In trying to close a particularly important merger, Jessica needs to use everything in her personal arsenal, with the tactic approval of her fiancé and his father. Then she meets Springer MacDonald, her best friend's son, and takes a good look at what her life has become and doesn't like what she sees. Add to that the ghosts from Jessica's past that rear their ugly heads and it takes everything Jessica has to play off her minor breakdown as no big deal.
After that encounter with Springer, Jessica is no longer satisfied with the way her life is. She takes her bonus money, packs her car and heads to Vermont. There she finds peace and friendship and the birth of her son is beyond anything that Jessica could imagine. One small sticking point, she never bothered to tell Springer she was pregnant. When he finds out . . . well, let's just say it isn't pretty.
Is it possible for two people to put their demon pasts aside and come to love each other? Of course it is or 99% of romance books would never be written.
It's really hard to believe that this book was a Rita Award winning title. There were several times I would have chucked this book against the wall, if it had been an actual book and not a Kindle download, but you all know what I mean. I like Anne Stuart for her anti-hero Heroes, her wonderful descriptive writing and her unique plots. Sorry to say that the only element present in this book is the anti-hero Hero. But, you do get an anti-heroine heroine and some of the best sex scenes ever written. To bad I couldn't care less about these two as people.
Our heroine, Jessica Hansen, has had a very successful career and she has built it with the reputation of being an Ice Princess. A rep that is well earned. In trying to close a particularly important merger, Jessica needs to use everything in her personal arsenal, with the tactic approval of her fiancé and his father. Then she meets Springer MacDonald, her best friend's son, and takes a good look at what her life has become and doesn't like what she sees. Add to that the ghosts from Jessica's past that rear their ugly heads and it takes everything Jessica has to play off her minor breakdown as no big deal.
After that encounter with Springer, Jessica is no longer satisfied with the way her life is. She takes her bonus money, packs her car and heads to Vermont. There she finds peace and friendship and the birth of her son is beyond anything that Jessica could imagine. One small sticking point, she never bothered to tell Springer she was pregnant. When he finds out . . . well, let's just say it isn't pretty.
Is it possible for two people to put their demon pasts aside and come to love each other? Of course it is or 99% of romance books would never be written.
May 20, 2010
Banish Misfortune is one of Anne Stuart's earlier works. It was written in 1985 as a Harlequin American Romance, and I was under the assumption that it would read like a "series" romance. I couldn't have been more wrong. This book has all the "meat" of a single title, and then some. It won the Gold Medallion award (now called the RITA award) for best single title, and it captivated me from the first page.
This book, while it is definitely a romance, is really about one woman's struggle with her past. Banish Misfortune begins with Jessica Hansen climbing her way up the corporate ladder. She is anorexic, contemplating using her body to "seal a deal", and is engaged to a man who doesn't love her. She has scars on her wrists, tangible proof of her inner torment. In short, she is a mess. Her only place of respite is with an older divorced couple. Hamilton and Elyssa McDowell.
This family has it's own share of heartache. Ham and Elyssa were married young. They had a son, Springer McDowell, and life seemed good. When Springer was in highschool, he learned that his father was gay. Elyssa and Ham divorced but remained friends while Springer never forgave his father for his betrayal.
Jessica goes to Ham and Elyssa house on the eve of her "date with destiny". The evening she is dreading where her fiancee is asking her to sleep with a business partner to solidify a deal and her quest for VP. She encounters Springer and her whole exsistence is rocked. He looks past all her fronts and sees beyond what no one else can. Their chemistry is off the charts.
I DO NOT WANT TO INCLUDE SPOLIERS SO I'LL BE BRIEF....
The first half of this book include lots of time with this couple together, and then there is a big break. Springer and Jessica are separated for long periods of time which I usually cannot stand. In this case it was perfect. Jessica needs time to get better...physically, emotionally, and mentally. Springer starts this process, but only Jessica can finish it. The second half of the story brings in some memorable secondary characters and a sweet secondary romance. It also shows us the bond of friendship as Jessica and her neighbor Marianne form a tight bond.
The magic of this story is in Jessica's transformation. The woman we are introduced to on the first page barely resembles the woman we leave on the last page. We get to see this transformation...slowly and painfully, but one that leads her to wholeness. This one is a Stuart masterpiece and should not be missed. After reading this, all others pale in comparison...and I'm writing this almost 25 years after it was released...AMAZING!
This book, while it is definitely a romance, is really about one woman's struggle with her past. Banish Misfortune begins with Jessica Hansen climbing her way up the corporate ladder. She is anorexic, contemplating using her body to "seal a deal", and is engaged to a man who doesn't love her. She has scars on her wrists, tangible proof of her inner torment. In short, she is a mess. Her only place of respite is with an older divorced couple. Hamilton and Elyssa McDowell.
This family has it's own share of heartache. Ham and Elyssa were married young. They had a son, Springer McDowell, and life seemed good. When Springer was in highschool, he learned that his father was gay. Elyssa and Ham divorced but remained friends while Springer never forgave his father for his betrayal.
Jessica goes to Ham and Elyssa house on the eve of her "date with destiny". The evening she is dreading where her fiancee is asking her to sleep with a business partner to solidify a deal and her quest for VP. She encounters Springer and her whole exsistence is rocked. He looks past all her fronts and sees beyond what no one else can. Their chemistry is off the charts.
I DO NOT WANT TO INCLUDE SPOLIERS SO I'LL BE BRIEF....
The first half of this book include lots of time with this couple together, and then there is a big break. Springer and Jessica are separated for long periods of time which I usually cannot stand. In this case it was perfect. Jessica needs time to get better...physically, emotionally, and mentally. Springer starts this process, but only Jessica can finish it. The second half of the story brings in some memorable secondary characters and a sweet secondary romance. It also shows us the bond of friendship as Jessica and her neighbor Marianne form a tight bond.
The magic of this story is in Jessica's transformation. The woman we are introduced to on the first page barely resembles the woman we leave on the last page. We get to see this transformation...slowly and painfully, but one that leads her to wholeness. This one is a Stuart masterpiece and should not be missed. After reading this, all others pale in comparison...and I'm writing this almost 25 years after it was released...AMAZING!
July 24, 2019
"Banish Misfortune" is the story of Jessica and Springer.
Have I mentioned I love Ms Anne Stuart. I don't think many authors can do what she does- make me love very flawed characters.
Let's recap. In this book, we have three storylines running together.
Plot 1: Jessica and Springer.
Jessica Hansen: Scarred and broken h with an icy exterior. She is anorexic with slash marks on her wrists, and is considering sleeping with a lecherous and powerful man to advance her career. Her fiance is a wuss, whose father and him want her to pimp herself for their company. Her only solace lies with a divorced couple- Hamilton and Elyssa McDowell.
Springer McDowell: Alpha playboy with a traumatizing past and loads of issues. Ever since his parents Hamilton and Elyssa separated, he has been roaming wild. He has not acknowledged his dad's sexuality, is tolerable of his mother and her controlling boyfriend David. We later find out more about his past
Plot 2: Marianne and Andrew
Marianne Trainor: Single mother to two kids ever since her husband abandoned them in the minifarm in Vermont and left her for OW. She is a nurse, who is slowly learning more about herself. Her biggest nemesis is Andrew, who has been the bane of her existence for years.
Andrew Cameron: Marianne's neighbor, local farmer and always helpful to everyone around him. Clearly adores Marianne and her family and goes to extreme lengths to protect both Marianne and Andrew.
Plot 3: Updates about fictional characters of "The Slaughterer", the novel Hamilton and Jessica write, Matt Decker and his War Bride
The three plots intermingle, as the couples meet and their destinies collide. Painful old scars are revealed, new lives are created and self discoveries are made. There are heartbreaks, deaths and revelation of old tragedies, with final catharsis.
I cannot stress how good this book is. Yes, the lovemaking is hot but I could not help but admire the character growth every single person showed.
Safe/ SWME
4.25/5
Have I mentioned I love Ms Anne Stuart. I don't think many authors can do what she does- make me love very flawed characters.
Let's recap. In this book, we have three storylines running together.
Plot 1: Jessica and Springer.
Jessica Hansen: Scarred and broken h with an icy exterior. She is anorexic with slash marks on her wrists, and is considering sleeping with a lecherous and powerful man to advance her career. Her fiance is a wuss, whose father and him want her to pimp herself for their company. Her only solace lies with a divorced couple- Hamilton and Elyssa McDowell.
Springer McDowell: Alpha playboy with a traumatizing past and loads of issues. Ever since his parents Hamilton and Elyssa separated, he has been roaming wild. He has not acknowledged his dad's sexuality, is tolerable of his mother and her controlling boyfriend David. We later find out more about his past
Plot 2: Marianne and Andrew
Marianne Trainor: Single mother to two kids ever since her husband abandoned them in the minifarm in Vermont and left her for OW. She is a nurse, who is slowly learning more about herself. Her biggest nemesis is Andrew, who has been the bane of her existence for years.
Andrew Cameron: Marianne's neighbor, local farmer and always helpful to everyone around him. Clearly adores Marianne and her family and goes to extreme lengths to protect both Marianne and Andrew.
Plot 3: Updates about fictional characters of "The Slaughterer", the novel Hamilton and Jessica write, Matt Decker and his War Bride
The three plots intermingle, as the couples meet and their destinies collide. Painful old scars are revealed, new lives are created and self discoveries are made. There are heartbreaks, deaths and revelation of old tragedies, with final catharsis.
I cannot stress how good this book is. Yes, the lovemaking is hot but I could not help but admire the character growth every single person showed.
Safe/ SWME
4.25/5
September 20, 2017
3.5 Stars. I requested this thinking it was a new Anne Stuart book. It is not, it's a re-release of one if her earliest books from 1985, with a new title. The story is meaty, and has held up very well. This was before Stuart started writing her bad, bad boy heroes. The writing style is also very different from her later books, almost women's lit.
I enjoyed Jessica and Springer's story; but the secondary plotline between Marianne and Andrew almost stole the book away from the leads.
I enjoyed Jessica and Springer's story; but the secondary plotline between Marianne and Andrew almost stole the book away from the leads.
October 21, 2012
Rating 2.5 stars
I had a hard time with this book, especially the heroine's actions, motivations and delusions. She had ample reason to be the way she was, after handling alcoholic parents and being raped but she was too cold and manipulative for my tastes. She had no problem letting everyone believe that she had slept her way to the top and even kind of letting herself bartered in a business deal.
The hero has his issues as well, he found out in a shocking manner that his father was gay and has never reconciled with him. The h/H hardly spend time together in the book and don't really get to know each other except for sleeping together twice.
She learns she is pregnant and that changes her entire outlook in life, she quits her job and moves. I found it really unforgivable that she never tells the hero's dying father that the child she is carrying is his grandchild, though he did guess.
Never felt the romance and the the characters were never really fleshed out.
I had a hard time with this book, especially the heroine's actions, motivations and delusions. She had ample reason to be the way she was, after handling alcoholic parents and being raped but she was too cold and manipulative for my tastes. She had no problem letting everyone believe that she had slept her way to the top and even kind of letting herself bartered in a business deal.
The hero has his issues as well, he found out in a shocking manner that his father was gay and has never reconciled with him. The h/H hardly spend time together in the book and don't really get to know each other except for sleeping together twice.
She learns she is pregnant and that changes her entire outlook in life, she quits her job and moves. I found it really unforgivable that she never tells the hero's dying father that the child she is carrying is his grandchild, though he did guess.
Never felt the romance and the the characters were never really fleshed out.
August 2, 2018
Banish Misfortune by Anne Stuart (republished as When the Stars Fall Down) is nothing short of a masterpiece, written when I must have been running around with a bottle in one hand and a toy in the other. Yet, it is the kind of tale that makes me wade through the thousands and thousands of books in the romance genre to meet that one special book. That special book that has the uncanny ability to wash away the effect of a thousand lackluster reads, and Banish Misfortune was a book that ticked all the boxes in the category.
Banish Misfortune is a complex story. There are layers to it that you would have to peel back and assess if you were to write a comprehensive review that would do the book justice, which I don’t think I would be able to do. The are two parts to the story, the latter of which carries a secondary romance, just as equally enticing even as short as it was.
Jessica Hansen is a woman determined to climb the corporate ladder of Kinsey Enterprises. Engaged to the prodigal son of the owner of the company, it seems as if there is no line that Jessica wouldn’t cross in her attempt to achieve that prize she has been working for all along. Jessica’s past is a complex and a complicated one at that, one that had shaped her into becoming the Ice Queen, an image which she had started to put on for show because that was easier than bleeding from the scars that had never quite completely healed over from childhood.
Jessica’s path crosses that of John Springer MacDowell owing to her relationship with his parents. Springer is a man that carries on his shoulder a ton of baggage of his own. His strained relationship with his father for one had defined a lot of aspects of his adult life, from quitting his what could have been a professional career at basketball and joining the military, to his inability to commit, even during his brief marriage that had fallen apart owing to his amatory nature.
When Springer comes across Jessica at his father’s home, he wrongfully assumes her to be one of his paramours. The sparks that fly between the two could zing anyone caught in the crossfire, but there is more to their story than just having a chance meeting, falling in love, and carrying on with their happily ever after.
Jessica’s background is revealed slowly, as Anne Stuart painfully exposes the gaping wounds that had scabbed over her unhealed scars, the ugliness of it all somehow beautiful because Jessica had fought every inch of her way through a childhood that could have taken down anyone else. Neglect, abuse, and a whole lot more played its role in molding Jessica, and being away at university for the lack of anything better to focus her attentions on had been the one place where she found and perfected her coping mechanism.
However, Springer has a way of getting through to her defenses, crumbling down the icy walls around her heart, and the numbness that encases her from the outside, which usually makes it impossible for people to reach to her. Springer with his protective and yet at times formidable nature, teaches Jessica that the pleasure of lovemaking could be just that. In the end, the consequences of that act, together with the curveball that life throws Springer’s way is how they go their separate ways, only to return to each other, because there is no way that two people who are so meant to be together could stay apart for that long.
Like I mentioned earlier, there is a secondary romance that complemented the heartache, pain, and immense joy the main protagonists brought to the story. The story of Marianna, a single mother who had been singed badly by the actions of her ex-husband, who finds love with the reclusive Andrew Cameron, a Scottish man, younger than Marianna, and yet able to meet her on equal footing in every single way.
Just stating that I loved Banish Misfortune would be an understatement. But I am pressed for words to describe how I felt as I was reading the story. There was so much emotion wound around it that it was impossible not to give into the tears that were begging for release at each and every emotionally intense and at poignant moment of the story.
Jessica fighting her way back to a semblance of normalcy was one she did on her own which made me love her all the more. She could have chosen to take the “easy� way out, but then I don’t think she would have survived had she taken such a decision. Springer also didn’t have it easy, given that all the “forces� were working against him when he wanted to pursue what had blossomed to life between himself and Jessica, as imperfect as all of it had been.
The secondary romance? Totally amazing! I loved Andrew, the way he saw Marianne and finally managed to penetrate her defenses. Pun intended.
Recommended for anyone and everyone who loves multi-layered stories, romances with a ton of emotion packed into it. Anne Stuart certainly doesn’t disappoint.
Final Verdict: It is a testament to Anne Stuart’s mastery that Banish Misfortune stands the test of time even 33 years since initial publication of this novel. There is simply none like her.
Rating = 5/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit, www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
Banish Misfortune is a complex story. There are layers to it that you would have to peel back and assess if you were to write a comprehensive review that would do the book justice, which I don’t think I would be able to do. The are two parts to the story, the latter of which carries a secondary romance, just as equally enticing even as short as it was.
Jessica Hansen is a woman determined to climb the corporate ladder of Kinsey Enterprises. Engaged to the prodigal son of the owner of the company, it seems as if there is no line that Jessica wouldn’t cross in her attempt to achieve that prize she has been working for all along. Jessica’s past is a complex and a complicated one at that, one that had shaped her into becoming the Ice Queen, an image which she had started to put on for show because that was easier than bleeding from the scars that had never quite completely healed over from childhood.
Jessica’s path crosses that of John Springer MacDowell owing to her relationship with his parents. Springer is a man that carries on his shoulder a ton of baggage of his own. His strained relationship with his father for one had defined a lot of aspects of his adult life, from quitting his what could have been a professional career at basketball and joining the military, to his inability to commit, even during his brief marriage that had fallen apart owing to his amatory nature.
When Springer comes across Jessica at his father’s home, he wrongfully assumes her to be one of his paramours. The sparks that fly between the two could zing anyone caught in the crossfire, but there is more to their story than just having a chance meeting, falling in love, and carrying on with their happily ever after.
Jessica’s background is revealed slowly, as Anne Stuart painfully exposes the gaping wounds that had scabbed over her unhealed scars, the ugliness of it all somehow beautiful because Jessica had fought every inch of her way through a childhood that could have taken down anyone else. Neglect, abuse, and a whole lot more played its role in molding Jessica, and being away at university for the lack of anything better to focus her attentions on had been the one place where she found and perfected her coping mechanism.
However, Springer has a way of getting through to her defenses, crumbling down the icy walls around her heart, and the numbness that encases her from the outside, which usually makes it impossible for people to reach to her. Springer with his protective and yet at times formidable nature, teaches Jessica that the pleasure of lovemaking could be just that. In the end, the consequences of that act, together with the curveball that life throws Springer’s way is how they go their separate ways, only to return to each other, because there is no way that two people who are so meant to be together could stay apart for that long.
Like I mentioned earlier, there is a secondary romance that complemented the heartache, pain, and immense joy the main protagonists brought to the story. The story of Marianna, a single mother who had been singed badly by the actions of her ex-husband, who finds love with the reclusive Andrew Cameron, a Scottish man, younger than Marianna, and yet able to meet her on equal footing in every single way.
Just stating that I loved Banish Misfortune would be an understatement. But I am pressed for words to describe how I felt as I was reading the story. There was so much emotion wound around it that it was impossible not to give into the tears that were begging for release at each and every emotionally intense and at poignant moment of the story.
Jessica fighting her way back to a semblance of normalcy was one she did on her own which made me love her all the more. She could have chosen to take the “easy� way out, but then I don’t think she would have survived had she taken such a decision. Springer also didn’t have it easy, given that all the “forces� were working against him when he wanted to pursue what had blossomed to life between himself and Jessica, as imperfect as all of it had been.
The secondary romance? Totally amazing! I loved Andrew, the way he saw Marianne and finally managed to penetrate her defenses. Pun intended.
Recommended for anyone and everyone who loves multi-layered stories, romances with a ton of emotion packed into it. Anne Stuart certainly doesn’t disappoint.
Final Verdict: It is a testament to Anne Stuart’s mastery that Banish Misfortune stands the test of time even 33 years since initial publication of this novel. There is simply none like her.
Rating = 5/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit, www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
August 14, 2019
Absolutely the best book of hers I have ever read. A great story, "meaty" as my friend N said, full of depth and nuances.
I didn't like the hero (well almost none of the men in her life) and thought that she could do way better than a spoilt, egoistic and self centered man. But I loved the story where at the end he wasn't such a important part.
If I want to be honest I'm not sure the way she overcomes her past couldn't be written off better/differently (it smacks a bit of super peen powers). That said I would recommend this book, it was written in 1985 but you couldn't tell.
I didn't like the hero (well almost none of the men in her life) and thought that she could do way better than a spoilt, egoistic and self centered man. But I loved the story where at the end he wasn't such a important part.
If I want to be honest I'm not sure the way she overcomes her past couldn't be written off better/differently (it smacks a bit of super peen powers). That said I would recommend this book, it was written in 1985 but you couldn't tell.
October 15, 2017
Originally written in nineteen-eighty-five, this is the story of one woman’s battle to overcome the trauma of a sexual attack in her teens from a trusted family friend.
Jessica Hansen, has built a reputation of being an ice princess. When her fiancé and his father barter her personal ‘assets� in an important merger, Jessica attempts to go through with her part, but has an emotional breakdown.
Springer MacDonald, her best friend’s son, steps in to save the damsel in distress, though he’s cynical of her motives. He can’t deny his fierce attraction though and soon the two have an explosive encounter.
Afterward, Jessica leaves her career and fiancé, packs her car and heads to Vermont and the birth of her son without telling Springer she was pregnant. When he finds out he’s angry, hurt, and feels betrayed.
Will these two overcome the past and find true love in their future?
I give When the Stars Fall Down 4 lovely kisses- an enjoyable read.
First posted on It's All About the Romance
Jessica Hansen, has built a reputation of being an ice princess. When her fiancé and his father barter her personal ‘assets� in an important merger, Jessica attempts to go through with her part, but has an emotional breakdown.
Springer MacDonald, her best friend’s son, steps in to save the damsel in distress, though he’s cynical of her motives. He can’t deny his fierce attraction though and soon the two have an explosive encounter.
Afterward, Jessica leaves her career and fiancé, packs her car and heads to Vermont and the birth of her son without telling Springer she was pregnant. When he finds out he’s angry, hurt, and feels betrayed.
Will these two overcome the past and find true love in their future?
I give When the Stars Fall Down 4 lovely kisses- an enjoyable read.
First posted on It's All About the Romance
October 18, 2017
Ok ok romantic novel. Not very exceedingly nice book, but you also can’t hate it. Kind of average not very good not very bad kind.
April 19, 2012
1985. That's when Banish Misfortune was written. I'm telling you that because it seems like a book that could have been written yesterday. Except could it be written today? Stop reading if you don't like spoilers but since it's almost 30 years old ...
The cast of characters:
Jessica Hansen: a Stuart heroine that we're used to, living on nerves, close to being anorexic, intelligent, hard-working and overlooked. Overlooked by most people but not by the hero. She was raped in her teens by a slobbering ghastly friend of her father, she's the daughter of alcoholics (now dead), she's tried to commit suicide. She has demons.
Springer McDowell: A man who is estranged from his divorced parents -- and has been for years. Why? This is too big a spoiler but it's major. Really quite a devastating secret for a teenage boy.
When we meet Jessica her almost-fiance is trying to pimp her out to seal a business deal. Lovely eh? Springer McDowell, come east from his home in Cali to try to repair his relationship with his father, sleeps with Jessica after he rescues her from the lecherous businessman -- and the inevitable happens.
Here's where it gets interesting -- Jessica disappears to a marvelous isolated house on a Vermont lake (Vermont is almost another character!) and meets a shortish Scot and an Amazonian neighbour. The story unfolds but always in surprising and honest ways -- I loved it, I can understand why it's a DIK and so beloved by Anne Stuart fans. Stuart always writes it straight: no one is perfect in her books, even the h/h, nor is anyone completely painted black. It's worth trying to track down!
The cast of characters:
Jessica Hansen: a Stuart heroine that we're used to, living on nerves, close to being anorexic, intelligent, hard-working and overlooked. Overlooked by most people but not by the hero. She was raped in her teens by a slobbering ghastly friend of her father, she's the daughter of alcoholics (now dead), she's tried to commit suicide. She has demons.
Springer McDowell: A man who is estranged from his divorced parents -- and has been for years. Why? This is too big a spoiler but it's major. Really quite a devastating secret for a teenage boy.
When we meet Jessica her almost-fiance is trying to pimp her out to seal a business deal. Lovely eh? Springer McDowell, come east from his home in Cali to try to repair his relationship with his father, sleeps with Jessica after he rescues her from the lecherous businessman -- and the inevitable happens.
Here's where it gets interesting -- Jessica disappears to a marvelous isolated house on a Vermont lake (Vermont is almost another character!) and meets a shortish Scot and an Amazonian neighbour. The story unfolds but always in surprising and honest ways -- I loved it, I can understand why it's a DIK and so beloved by Anne Stuart fans. Stuart always writes it straight: no one is perfect in her books, even the h/h, nor is anyone completely painted black. It's worth trying to track down!
January 4, 2025
It wasn't bad, but I couldn't really like any of the characters, including the H and h, who had way too many issues. I don't like when people, no matter how traumatic their younger years, take it out on the rest of the world (not to mention cutting off their noses and spiting their faces), and they both did too much of that. There were too many damaged characters having casual, meaningless sex at the start, in one way or another. While it fit the story, it just set a bad tone for me, even though the book had a good story going for it.
(As a matter of fact, there were two secondary characters that were very entertaining; maybe the book should have been about them, instead.)
The weak OM had no problem going along with his morally bankrupt father in deciding to pimp out the h to secure a major business deal with an aging lecher. And the h (an assault victim with prior mental instability) was ready to consider it, no matter how revolting the prospect, and wasn't above playing flirting and teasing games and letting herself be groped, if it would aid her climb up the corporate ladder. The H had major issues with his gay father (who made a play for one of his friends) and used that as an excuse to be promiscuous with women (unlike Dad, I prefer vaginas), becoming an expert at the pump-and-dump game. And while his dad's now having fun in bed with an older lover, his mom's doing the same with a younger one. There's not much to like with any of these people, even the ones the author obviously wants you to like.
And that whole Sci Fi book thing was distracting, as well as annoying (not to mention dumb).
Okay, but far from the author's best.
(As a matter of fact, there were two secondary characters that were very entertaining; maybe the book should have been about them, instead.)
The weak OM had no problem going along with his morally bankrupt father in deciding to pimp out the h to secure a major business deal with an aging lecher. And the h (an assault victim with prior mental instability) was ready to consider it, no matter how revolting the prospect, and wasn't above playing flirting and teasing games and letting herself be groped, if it would aid her climb up the corporate ladder. The H had major issues with his gay father (who made a play for one of his friends) and used that as an excuse to be promiscuous with women (unlike Dad, I prefer vaginas), becoming an expert at the pump-and-dump game. And while his dad's now having fun in bed with an older lover, his mom's doing the same with a younger one. There's not much to like with any of these people, even the ones the author obviously wants you to like.
And that whole Sci Fi book thing was distracting, as well as annoying (not to mention dumb).
Okay, but far from the author's best.
March 27, 2018
To be honest, this book seriously annoyed me at times. Yes, there is romance. Yes, there are some memorable characters. Unfortunately, for me, they were memorable because I didn't like them, and that was what made me struggle to finish this one. It took me an inordinate amount of time to read this book, and even longer to think of what to say in a review about it.
Whilst, as always, this author is an amazing writer that has a way with words, I just didn't feel the same about this book as I do many of her previous titles. For me, there was something lacking in this novel. I still can't quite figure out why, but I never felt close to the story and when I finished it, I was more than ready to move on to something else.
These, of course, are just my opinions. I encourage you to read the book and decide what you think.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Whilst, as always, this author is an amazing writer that has a way with words, I just didn't feel the same about this book as I do many of her previous titles. For me, there was something lacking in this novel. I still can't quite figure out why, but I never felt close to the story and when I finished it, I was more than ready to move on to something else.
These, of course, are just my opinions. I encourage you to read the book and decide what you think.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
May 15, 2023
I’m so glad I read this book
I bought it by accident. I was going to buy it later, and the universe spoke, and it was in my library. And I opened the first page, and I did a reading marathon. Sometimes this book scared me, and I kept on reading, and as each page turned, I realize there was this journey at the end of this book. It is brilliant. It is a testimony to vulnerability and courage and one heck of a good writer.
I bought it by accident. I was going to buy it later, and the universe spoke, and it was in my library. And I opened the first page, and I did a reading marathon. Sometimes this book scared me, and I kept on reading, and as each page turned, I realize there was this journey at the end of this book. It is brilliant. It is a testimony to vulnerability and courage and one heck of a good writer.
August 27, 2024
I absolutely love Anne Stuart books but I’m afraid this contained my most hated trope: she had the hero’s child and not only didn’t tell him about it but she lied about the child’s parentage. I find it so annoying. I couldn’t get past that so gave up. I know that as soon as he sees the child he will know it’s his but I just didn’t care
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2018
Not the best work of Anne but pretty damn good..!! This lagged at some points. And lacked a certain depth which is the usual style for her.
October 17, 2023
This is an interesting storyline with many twists. The characters are believable, and no left loose ends.
May 23, 2024
One star deducted for overuse of the word “belatedly� 😂😂😂 Got jarring by the end.
December 13, 2017
It's been awhile since I read an Anne Stuart book but its usually a romantic suspense plot. But When The Stars Fall Down is definitely something quite different. Its purely contemporary romance with a female protagonist that is extremely broken on the inside despite her icy facade hiding it very well. In terms of character development and emotional depth this is definitely Anne Stuart. The author never pulls any punches and this is no exception. What Jessica's character has gone through and continuously is going through hits a lot of truths. Springer's character on the other hand is also typical Ms. Stuart, she does asshole heroes really well and this guy is no exception. These heroes also get their comeuppance eventually. This book has a lot of triggers for women and the way Springer and Jessica get together will probably not agree well with some readers. This book was also originally printed in the 1980's which would explain this particular plot point. Nevertheless When The Stars Fall Down is a compelling read, uncomfortable, emotional, often times almost hopeless but it does really great in eventually lifting up the human spirit.
December 28, 2017
This novel is a classic Stuart romance. The heroine is a rising star in the corporate world. She expects to be soon engaged to the CEO's son and promoted. But her fiance and his father have unworthy expectations of her. When an unpleasant encounter brings back a past trauma, her fiance fails to provide her succor. Instead, he placates her attacker. So it is the rakish son of an old friend, who comforts her. When their short-lived fling fizzles, the heroine finds herself pregnant. She quits the corporate world and moves to Vermont. The hero discovers the existence of his child. There will be fireworks. There is a secondary love story between a short Scotsman and a tall amazon, which is delightful. I have two shelves of Stuart books. I am a fan.
November 25, 2012
Despite wishy-washy, annoying female leads (both of them that is), Banish Misfortune still works for me. If I combined all the elements in the book and rated by merit, it would be a two-star. The book is quite far from perfect, but I guess it's unexplainable chemistry I have with Anne Stuart's writing, most of her books never fail to move me, thrill me in some level. So Banish Misfortune is my cup of tea, it might not be yours. 4 stars with reservation.
February 20, 2012
I had it until it fell apart.
June 5, 2013
One of my top five books of all time.
September 19, 2016
3.5 stars
September 24, 2012
My new favorite 5 stars crazy romance!
February 9, 2013
One of the first novels I ever read and 28 years later I still have it and read it on occasion.
January 1, 2017
Epubbud/Android3
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