“Amazing to think that something beautiful could lie beneath the ugliness, and all you had to do was peel it away.” 

 

Moriarty has long been a favorite author of mine.  She has the ability to observe life with astuteness and utilize that to create a premise with characters that resound.  

 

Applies Never Fall is a family drama full of love, complexity, and secrets.  The Delaneys, talented, hardworking, successful and full of love, are the kind of family every other family strives to be.  But no family is perfect, and that is evident of the Delaneys when matriarch, Joy, vanishes.  (To me, the mystery was a complete side note to the family saga.)

 

Moriarty adeptly writes characters that are unique and deeply layered.  I found myself wanting to either hug, shake, and/or have coffee with each member of the Delaney family.  Flawed and multifaceted, these characters were relatable and kept me honed in to each distinct personality.  Moriarty takes the characterization a step further when depicting how each family member fit into the unit as a whole.  The complexities of a family, especially a large family, are well executed and became the strength of this story.    

 

Moriarty builds the foundation of the story with great depth, quite possibly a firmer foundation than was necessary.  I enjoyed getting to know each family member intricately, but as I reached 300 pages with 180 yet to go, I also wished the story had a bit more brevity.  With that said, it’s worth sticking through that extra bit for the satisfying ending.