The Year We Fell Down

The Year We Fell Down follows college freshman Corey Callahan as she starts her first year at Harkness College. After a hockey accident leaves her unable to play the sport she loves, she must navigate campus life from a wheelchair while living in a handicapped-accessible dorm room. Her neighbor across the hall is Adam Hartley, a hockey player temporarily on crutches due to a broken leg. The two bond over their shared frustration with injuries and inability to play hockey, developing a friendship through their gaming sessions and late-night conversations. Their growing connection is complicated by Adam's long-distance girlfriend and the stark difference between their situations - his injury is temporary while Corey's is permanent. As they spend more time together, they must confront their feelings and the realities of their circumstances. The novel explores themes of resilience, identity, and how people adapt when life deviates from their original plans. It presents disability with authenticity while focusing on the universal experiences of first love and self-discovery.

Readers connect with the authentic portrayal of physical disability and college life. The slow-burn romance and chemistry between the main characters draws consistent praise in reviews. Likes: - Real challenges and emotions of adapting to disability - Strong character development for both leads - Hockey elements feel authentic and well-researched - Humor balances heavier themes - Realistic college setting details Dislikes: - Some find the pacing slow in the middle - Side characters lack depth - A few readers wanted more conflict resolution - Several note predictable plot elements "The disability representation felt honest without being inspiration porn," noted one Goodreads reviewer. Another praised how "the characters' struggles weren't magically fixed by falling in love." Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (24,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (1,400+ ratings) BookBub: 4.4/5 (900+ ratings) The book maintains high ratings across romance reader communities and disability representation forums.

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🏒 Before becoming a hockey romance, this story started as a much darker tale about two injured athletes in wheelchairs, but author Sarina Bowen rewrote it to be more hopeful. 🎮 The online gaming that brings the main characters together was inspired by the author's own experience with World of Warcraft, which she played while recovering from surgery. 🎓 The book's setting, Harkness College, is loosely based on Yale University, where Sarina Bowen attended as an undergraduate student. ♿ The author conducted extensive research on adaptive sports and interviewed several Paralympic athletes to accurately portray Corey's experiences. 🏆 This book launched Bowen's successful "The Ivy Years" series and marked her transition from writing Young Adult fiction to New Adult romance.