“I wanted her to say she’d miss me. I wanted an affirmation that we’d made this life less terrible for each other.”
This review may contain minor spoilers.
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The Fall That Saved Us by Tamara Jerée was an instant buy. A forbidden sapphic love between a nephilim and succubus? Count me in! This book was a quick dose of escape with a nice mix of cozy and risk, but content warnings still apply—there are some dark themes that are explored.
Cassiel is a nephilim, but she’s left her duty and family behind. She tends to her trauma by spending her days working at her bookstore, New Haven Books, where she tries to carve out a normal life, but her past isn’t ready for her to move on.
A succubus named Avitue appears on a mission to claim Cassiel’s soul, and forces the nephilim to choose between the knowledge of her past life and her growing attraction to the succubus. While navigating the threatening powers of an eternal war between angels and demons, the two can’t help but fall for each other, but their forbidden love could have grave consequences for both of them.
Cassiel and Avitue are an amazing couple, and I enjoyed watching their progression together as the stakes became heavier. With Cassiel’s family—specifically Gabriel—looming over the nephilim, and the demons keeping a tight leash on Avitue and her assigned mission, the themes of forbidden love definitely maintain a sense of tension throughout, but the pacing makes their love story feel sudden and a bit too abrupt.
I’d be willing to argue that Avitue brings out Cassiel’s need to feel something other than shame, which is nicely explored throughout the story, and that Cassiel’s isolation helps fuel her quick devotion to the demon. And we can’t forget that Avitue is literally a succubus… seduction is her bread and butter, and that heavily plays in the dynamic of the love story, but I would have enjoyed some time between “must obtain this girl’s soul” to “I would die for her.”
I also would have loved to explore more of Avitue’s inner battle as she falls for Cassiel, especially since she believes that she can’t feel true love for anyone due to her demonic ties. There are lots of opportunities to create some delicious turmoil, and I hope some of these themes are touched on more in the next book.
However, despite some pacing issues, The Fall That Saved Us is a fun, heartwarming love story that I know I’ll find myself drifting back into when I’m looking for something fun, spicy, but also cozy. A forbidden sapphic romance, found family, and how love conquers all? I’m all in.