Published: Aug. 09, 2012
Words: 96,857 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781476018614

Short description

Sherry is young, bright and beautiful--and addicted to love. Despite losing the love of her life and being left in complete despair, Sherry still keeps falling in love. And falling. And falling. Into a bottomless abyss. Where Sherry realizes that she will have to learn to love someone she has loathed for most of life. Herself. Based on the true story of a young woman's battle with sexual addiction

Extended description

Sherry Johnson is young, beautiful, bright and athletic. She has everything going for her, except for one thing. She is addicted to love. Her life is a vicious circle of nightly trysts and morning regrets. Her addiction got her kicked out of college, cost her the love of her life and has left her in complete despair. But still Sherry keeps falling in love. And falling. And falling. And falling. Finally, as Sherry struggles to pull herself up from a bottomless abyss, she realizes that she will have to learn to love the one person she has loathed for most of her life. Herself. Based on the true story of a young woman's battle with sexual addiction.

Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages. For more information, see the Support FAQ.

Tags

love, addiction, inspirational, sex, self esteem, recovery, biography, self help, sex addiction, true story, addict, codependency, biographical fiction, fiction for women, self love, addiction recovery, fiction contemporary women, fiction about women, love addicts, fiction adult fiction literary

Available ebook reading formats

Single purchase gains access to all formats. How to download ebooks to e-reading devices and apps.

Format	Full Book	Sample First 14%
Online Reading (HTML, good for sampling in web browser)	Buy	View sample
Kindle (.mobi for Kindle devices and Kindle apps)	Buy	Download sample
Epub (Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others)	Buy	Download sample
PDF (good for reading on PC, or for home printing)	Buy	No sample available
RTF (readable on most word processors)	Buy	No sample available
LRF (Use only for older model Sony Readers that don't support .epub)	Buy	Download sample
Palm Doc (PDB) (for Palm reading devices)	Buy	Download sample
Plain Text (download) (flexible, but lacks much formatting)	Buy	No sample available
Plain Text (view) (viewable as web page)	Buy	No sample available

Reviews

Log-in to write a Review   Log-in to add a Video Review

Review by: Julie Rimpula on March 18, 2013 :
** I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. **

When the author emailed me and offered me to review this ebook, I was hesitant at first. Looking at the cover, I thought it was an adult erotic novel. But the blurb caught my interest and I decided to check it out on Goodreads. I saw that it gathered a lot of good reviews and was intrigued. I accepted his review request and I'm glad I did.

Falling in Love is a true story of a woman with sexual addiction and hating herself for it. Sherry cannot control her urges to "act out" with a guy, especially when she's drunk. She's repulsed by what she does but she can't help it. Aside from sexual addiction, she also struggles with her own identity having never met both her parents. She's craving for love but does not know if she can handle it. She's pessimistic and doesn't believe in herself. She's broken and hurt and angry and suicidal.

But there were also a number of things I liked about Sherry. For one, she can be very competitive when she wants to. She constantly doubts herself but when something great is at stake, she comes at it in full force.

"In school, I was always the best player so why would I pass to a lesser player. Instead, I always dribbled down the field looking for a clean shot and then took it. Girls called me a ball hog and they were right. But I had to be the top scorer. I had to score the winning goal."

I also admire her determination to change. Even when she was physically suffering, she held on to her promise to Elaine (and to herself) and she kept it. She always anticipates the worst but does not let go of hope. She tries to stand up again and redeem herself. She's strong even though she doesn't acknowledge that strength.

I also loved that she was able to find friends who accepted her. Dede is fabulous. I liked her character. She's the sister Sherry never had. In some ways, she's also Sherry's savior. Adam is a great employer. Very considerate and kind. He understands her and goes out of his way to help her. Elaine and Gregory also play a big role is Sherry's recovery. And of course, Paula and Darcy and the rest of the Wildcats are also Sherry's family. Paula's concern and belief in Sherry was almost unbelievable. She's shown Sherry trust and confidence that she can do something great.

"Sherry Johnson, you are a champion and don't ever let anyone tell you any differently, especially you. - Paula Harper"

Another character worth mentioning, of course, is Paul. I think it's sad that if not because of Sherry, he wouldn't have known that he also has a problem. I still hate it when he did not even let Sherry explain, but I also understand his anger. But it's good that he faced his problem and sought help. At least he would come to understand Sherry's situation, even a bit.

It was a good thing that Sherry decided to share her story. It was part of her healing process, getting it all out. I think her story will also help other people going through their own problems. It tells us that no matter how many times you hit the bottom, the important thing is that you always try to stand up again. If you want really want something, and you work hard for it, nothing can be impossible. Difficult, yes. Painful, yes. But not impossible.

All in all, I liked it. It was enjoyable. I did not expect to really enjoy this book, but I did. It was deep and simple at the same time. The words were direct and easy to understand (even for me, who's not a native English speaker). I was constantly looking forward to what happens next. The flow of the story is okay. There may be parts that were almost dragging but my curiosity kept me reading. The only thing that constantly irked me was the typos. Gah, there were a lot of them! But anyway, I managed to look past that minor annoyance and read it to the last word. I will always be thankful to the author, Stephen Bradlee, for introducing this wonderful story to me.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Julie Rimpula on March 18, 2013 :
** I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. **

When the author emailed me and offered me to review this ebook, I was hesitant at first. Looking at the cover, I thought it was an adult erotic novel. But the blurb caught my interest and I decided to check it out on Goodreads. I saw that it gathered a lot of good reviews and was intrigued. I accepted his review request and I'm glad I did.

Falling in Love is a true story of a woman with sexual addiction and hating herself for it. Sherry cannot control her urges to "act out" with a guy, especially when she's drunk. She's repulsed by what she does but she can't help it. Aside from sexual addiction, she also struggles with her own identity having never met both her parents. She's craving for love but does not know if she can handle it. She's pessimistic and doesn't believe in herself. She's broken and hurt and angry and suicidal.

But there were also a number of things I liked about Sherry. For one, she can be very competitive when she wants to. She constantly doubts herself but when something great is at stake, she comes at it in full force.

"In school, I was always the best player so why would I pass to a lesser player. Instead, I always dribbled down the field looking for a clean shot and then took it. Girls called me a ball hog and they were right. But I had to be the top scorer. I had to score the winning goal."

I also admire her determination to change. Even when she was physically suffering, she held on to her promise to Elaine (and to herself) and she kept it. She always anticipates the worst but does not let go of hope. She tries to stand up again and redeem herself. She's strong even though she doesn't acknowledge that strength.

I also loved that she was able to find friends who accepted her. Dede is fabulous. I liked her character. She's the sister Sherry never had. In some ways, she's also Sherry's savior. Adam is a great employer. Very considerate and kind. He understands her and goes out of his way to help her. Elaine and Gregory also play a big role is Sherry's recovery. And of course, Paula and Darcy and the rest of the Wildcats are also Sherry's family. Paula's concern and belief in Sherry was almost unbelievable. She's shown Sherry trust and confidence that she can do something great.

"Sherry Johnson, you are a champion and don't ever let anyone tell you any differently, especially you. - Paula Harper"

Another character worth mentioning, of course, is Paul. I think it's sad that if not because of Sherry, he wouldn't have known that he also has a problem. I still hate it when he did not even let Sherry explain, but I also understand his anger. But it's good that he faced his problem and sought help. At least he would come to understand Sherry's situation, even a bit.

It was a good thing that Sherry decided to share her story. It was part of her healing process, getting it all out. I think her story will also help other people going through their own problems. It tells us that no matter how many times you hit the bottom, the important thing is that you always try to stand up again. If you want really want something, and you work hard for it, nothing can be impossible. Difficult, yes. Painful, yes. But not impossible.

All in all, I liked it. It was enjoyable. I did not expect to really enjoy this book, but I did. It was deep and simple at the same time. The words were direct and easy to understand (even for me, who's not a native English speaker). I was constantly looking forward to what happens next. The flow of the story is okay. There may be parts that were almost dragging but my curiosity kept me reading. The only thing that constantly irked me was the typos. Gah, there were a lot of them! But anyway, I managed to look past that minor annoyance and read it to the last word. I will always be thankful to the author, Stephen Bradlee, for introducing this wonderful story to me.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Jessica Lynn on Jan. 19, 2013 :
Falling in Love is based on a true story. Sherry Johnson would appear to have everything going for her, except one thing - Sherry is addicted to sex. While physically surviving an abusive childhood involving abandonment, sexual abuse, and neglect, Sherry is left with emotional scars so deep that they causes her to "act out" and seek the love she never received from her family in the wrong places. Sherry's life has become one endless cycle of drunken nights and even hazier mornings when she wakes up in yet another stranger's bed.

Desperate for a change, Sherry flees her hometown only to meet Paul and fall head over heals in love with him. Sherry cannot escape her demons and when Paul finds out about her latest indiscretion Sherry flees again, this time to New York City. There she meets Elaine who introduces her to a 12-step program for sexual addiction. As Sherry struggles to face her demons and finally take back control of her life, she meets several women, and a few men, along the way who become the family she never had and support her on her way to sobriety.

I was given this book by the author for an honest review. I really liked this book and think that Sherry is an amazing and inspiring woman. I appreciated that the story was told from her point of view because it made taking this journey with her that much more profound. The story was well written and there were no salacious scenes, which one might expect from a book about sex addiction. Instead the book really focused on Sherry's journey and was handled with the utmost respect.

I was able to relate to Sherry in so many ways, having grown up with a parent who was an alcoholic and verbally and emotionally abusive. While I myself have never lived with an addiction, the scars of growing up with an addict are painfully similar. Sherry acted out, while I avoided anything that might lead me to turn out just like my father. I too know what it is like to feel powerless to control what is going on around you, to feel like you don't deserve the good things in life, and always waiting for the "other shoe to drop." Like Sherry, I strove to attain a level of perfection that was unattainable and hated myself for failing time and time again. It took me a long time to realize that I couldn't live my life for other people and that the only opinion that really matter was my own.

I think that is why Sherry's story is amazingly inspirational. She was able to build herself back up and take back control, despite mistakes and set backs along the way. That's what makes stories like Sherry's so powerful. It's the realization that you are human and that you are going to make mistakes, but that you keep getting back up and make the conscious decision to keep moving forward. Judging by the ending there will most likely be a sequel to this book, and I sincerely hope that there is. I look forward to reading about the next chapter in Sherry's journey.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Shalini Ayre on Sep. 26, 2012 :
How can a beautiful, smart young woman have an addiction? Easy. With a troubled, abusive childhood, absent mother and lack of self-worth, it's practically inevitable.

Addicted to love, Sherry Johnson's life consists of nightly trysts and regretful mornings. Each night she tries to quell her wants but gives into the humiliation of another one night stand sometimes going with multiple partners. When she decides to find her mother in California, Sherry starts the journey via New York, seeking her mother's friend Elaine.

But she gets lost, the car breaks down and ends up in a small town called Oak Grove. To her rescue comes Paul; the attraction to each other immediate and within twenty-four hours, Sherry believes she's fallen in love, so does Paul and they get engaged. But she won't sleep with him just yet. Paul is no stranger to heartache and is fine with the decision. However, the urges start and the cycle of sexual encounters, depression and hating herself restart. But the horror of facing one of her 'conquests' hits home - hard - he's Paul's best friend.

The engagement is off which leads to a horrific car accident and both going to counselling where Sherry is faced with an ugly truth - she's addicted to sex; Paul is addicted to co-dependent relationships. Finally reaching New York, alone, her life spirals out of control. Going from one job to the next, she meets a sassy actress, a sympathetic boss and a women's soccer team who along with people from her therapy group surround her with support. Yet, Sherry still believes she's a failure. Will she be able to claw her way back from the brink, find her mother, get help and finally love herself?

This is an intense and utterly absorbing story. It isn't erotic in any way regardless of the main characters addiction. Rather it is a novel that details how heartbreaking and fraught a life can be when it becomes consumed with want - be it food, legal drugs or sex. Sherry's struggle has been beautifully written - the anguish and hopelessness is felt on nearly every page. Each character in Bradlee's story are well defined all with their own issues and difficulties. The glimpses of black humor occasionally lightens the mood and the dialogue is simple but real and brutal.

What a breathtaking story. It is so captivating that I read it in a day. It's easy to empathize with Sherry but at times I just wanted to shake her as she refused to listen to the inner voice trying to stop her from making another mistake. But that's what addiction does. Momentum builds as secrets become uncovered and Sherry struggles with sobriety. There is little else to say other than read it, you will be taken on an amazing, yet raw and harrowing journey. A highly recommended read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author to review. The opinions expressed are my own and I am not expected to give a positive critique.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Reason for report:
— Select a reason — Book is or contains spam Book infringes copyright Same content is published elsewhere with different author (for ex., by private-label rights) Duplicate Incomplete work (such as sample or serial) Should be marked adults-only Category is inappropriate Poorly formatted Nudity or other inappropriate content on cover Nudity or other inappropriate visual content in book Inappropriate erotica content Cover image is improper Content is inappropriate Other violation of Terms of Service Other reason not shown above.

Additional details: