The Blue Line Duet by Meghan Quinn – Book Review

The Upside of Falling and The Downside of Love by Meghan Quinn

Contemporary Romance Duet

Meghan Quinn is consistently in my favorite author list for a reason. While her romantic comedies will always be what I think of her for, she slays me with her emotional romances as well, and with Top Gun being one of my favorite all-time movies, I couldn’t wait for this duet. The Blue Line Duet by Meghan Quinn is a straight dramatic contemporary romance with a twist I never saw coming.

Colby had a rough childhood. He dreamed his whole life of becoming a fighter pilot, but when his dad died, and his mom remarried a ridiculously strict, abusive dick, Colby couldn’t wait to escape and join the Air Force. Luckily he had a wonderful grandfather (who he was only allowed to see occasionally) that helped him keep his dream alive. (I loved him!). Now, the Air Force is ALL he cares about. He is rigid and focused, and nothing will keep him from his goals while at the academy.

“I want him. I want Colby Brooks as my one.”

When his best friend Stryder drags him out one night, Colby’s life changes forever. He meets Rory. She is spunky and happy and fun and I adored her. Despite Colby’s closed-off, taciturn behavior, Rory is determined to break down his walls.

“I hope you give me a chance, give this a chance, because I think it could be something great.”

But Colby is all about the Air Force.

“Despite how goddamn beautiful you are, inside and out, I can’t let myself get distracted from my goal, and you’re a distraction.”

“I like you, Rory, and that terrifies me.”

Rory kind of pushed her way into his life and forced him to fall in love with her. I’m not saying that in a bad way, it’s just with the bubbly personality she has, she brought such life to Colby, and there is no doubt that this couple was meant to be. But when he graduates, he can be sent anywhere to flight school. They don’t fly his dream plane, an F-22, there in Colorado Springs. And Rory can’t leave.

“She’s the kind of girl that buries herself deep inside your bones, makes you ache for her touch, for the sound of her voice. She’s different, and I knew it the minute I looked her in the eyes.”

I loved Rory’s story. She has an adult brother with autism who is non-verbal. She is a huge part of his life and is often the only person who can bring him out of a meltdown, therefore, she will always remain close to him. So if Colby gets accepted to flight school, he has to choose between his life-long dream and the love of his life.

“I know it deep in my bones that I was meant to meet you, and you were meant to be mine.”

The Upside of Falling is the first in a duet, and holy hell, it has a doozy of a cliffhanger that may make you want to say “No way, I am not reading the next one if it goes in that direction!”

But DO IT. I can’t believe it, but Meghan totally won me over and changed my mind! Are there things I wish the characters did differently? YES! Of course! But life isn’t perfect, people aren’t perfect, relationships aren’t perfect. Shit happens. Life happens. We need to grab happiness with both hands.

I usually do my Likes and Dislikes here, but I am too afraid it may contain spoilers, so I will refrain. Though I would be remiss if I didn’t mention, there is a little public education about how to react when you see someone having a meltdown in public, and I thought it was a great reminder for everyone.

Meghan Quinn took a risk with the Blue Line duet. Not only does it veer from the romantic comedies she is known for, it took a risk in its story as well, and though I didn’t think I would like the direction it went in, I DID! She totally won me over and I think the story went exactly the way it should, even more so if she does the spin-off it seems she is doing. I urge you to not read even the blurb for the second book or any further related books until you have read these stories, because there will be spoilers, and it’s so much better not knowing!