The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen is the first book in the Ivy Years series, and it was a very quick, fun read about hockey, sports, and college. You may have noticed that I really enjoy stories with a college setting, but then again, I am in college, so why not?

The story follows Corey Callahan, a freshman at Harkness College, who is independent for the first time in her life. Or, to be exact, for the first time since her spinal cord injury while playing hockey. Starting college in a wheelchair can be hard, but her courage and strength are the first things people notice about her – not that chair. She's lucky enough to have an incredible roommate in her deluxe dorm, but her neighbor is the one that catches her attention the most.

Junior student Adam Hartley usually plays hockey, but the massive cast on his leg prevents him from skating for the season. The good thing about it is that he had to be moved from his regular dorm room to an accessible dorm on the first floor, right across Corey's dorm. The next great thing about this semester is that his very high maintenance girlfriend is in Paris. 

The two students quickly bond over hockey, the RealStix videogame, and their handicap. They spend several nights on the couch, just playing videogames and chatting about everything. And on top of that, they share an econ class, which means that studying can be done together instead of alone.

But Hartley has a girlfriend. She may be across the world, but she's still very there, and Corey has to remind herself constantly that he's not hers. He's nice, he's funny, and he loves hockey, but he's also very taken.

So yeah, the book is pretty predictable, but aren't they all?

The story is told in dual POV, so you get to peek inside Corey's head, but also inside Hartley's head. The boys are also definitely not as "douchey" as they were in The Deal by Elle Kennedy, which I recently reviewed and didn't like. I think Sarina Bowen has a great way of exploring a man's brain, and it probably what made the difference between her writing and Elle Kennedy's in Him. 

The writing was also nothing to complained about. The constant switch between present tense and past tense could be a little bit annoying at times, but some authors don't like to stick to past tense entirely, so it's to be expected. I just love how developed the story was despite its shortness. 

I don't have a lot to say about this story other than the fact that I thought it was a really cute page turner. It was such an easy read that I've already started the third book of the series, which can be read as a standalone. A review will come on that later.

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