Why the Parachutes Series by Takerra Allen Series Will Probably Be the Best Series I Read All Year
Let me just go ahead and say it: Parachutes by Takerra Allen will probably be the best series I read all year.
Yes, I know the year isn’t over yet. I said what I said.
Parachutes is a three-part series following Tahli and Dalvin “Vin” Hayes. When we meet them, they’re adults in their forties, and we are immediately dropped right into the middle of their turmoil. Their relationship is complicated. Things are messy. And before we get too comfortable with who Tahli and Vin are now, Takerra Allen takes us on a walk down memory lane to show us who they were then.
We get their history. Their friendship. Their love story. The bond that made them them. And, eventually, all the choices and circumstances that led them to where they are today.
Now, let me tell you something before you add this one to your TBR.
This series includes cheating.
I know. I know.
If cheating is one of those tropes you absolutely cannot get past, Parachutes may not be the series for you. And that's okay. But if you're willing to recognize that this story is so much bigger than its trope, please keep reading.
Because Parachutes is more than a romance.
It's an epic story about love, friendship, life, choices, consequences, and all the messy parts in between.
And I promise you, this series will take you OUT.
In the best possible way.
Here are three reasons why.
1. Tahli and Vin's Love Story
No matter which side of the fence you eventually land on, Team Tahli, Team Vin, Team Both of Them Need to Get It Together, there is no denying the connection between these two.
Their love story is magnetic.
You don't just read about their connection. You feel it through the pages. You understand why these two people are drawn to each other, why their history matters so much, and why untangling their lives from one another isn't nearly as simple as somebody on the outside might think it should be.
And there were plenty of moments when I found myself thinking, Whew. I want a love like that.
There were also moments when I wanted to reach into the book and shake somebody.
Both things can be true.
That's part of what makes their relationship so compelling. Their love isn't presented as perfect simply because it's powerful. You get the beautiful parts right alongside the complicated ones.
And baby, there are some complicated ones.
2. The Friend Group Is Absolutely Unhinged
Listen. Paige. Abby. Lexie. Munch. Jay.
And, of course, Tahli and Vin.
The whole lot of them are NUTS.
And I loved every minute of it.
This series deals with some genuinely heavy topics, so the levity the friend group brings to the story cannot be overlooked. These characters provide exactly the kind of laughter and foolishness you need when everything else happening on the page has you stressed out.
Paige, Abby, and Lexie especially had me literally laughing out loud.
Not the little internet “LOL” where nobody actually laughed.
I mean sitting there with my book, cracking up while my husband looked over at me like I had completely lost my mind.
Maybe I had. I'm not sure.
But Munch and Jay bring their own energy to the mix, too, and together this entire friend group feels like the kind of people who have known each other long enough to know everybody's business, call each other out when necessary, and still show up when life gets ugly.
Their friendships give this story warmth.
They make it feel lived in.
And honestly? I could read an entire book about this group just hanging out and getting into everybody's business.
Takerra, I'm just saying.
3. Takerra Allen Lets It Stay Messy
This might actually be the thing I admire most about the entire series.
There are several points throughout Parachutes where you can see an off-ramp.
You can see the moment where Takerra Allen could make a particular choice, give us an explanation, tie something up in a pretty little bow, and make everything easier for the reader to accept.
And she doesn't.
She leaves the edges sharp.
I cannot tell you how much I respect that choice.
Because it forces us to sit with the messiness. To sit with the uneasiness. To accept that this isn't a perfect love, these aren't perfect people, and this definitely isn't a perfect love story.
There were things I wanted to happen differently.
There were choices I wanted these characters to make differently.
There were moments when I desperately wanted Takerra to give me the easy answer.
She said no.
And as hard as some of that was for me to read, I have to admit it: she was right.
Smoothing everything out would have made Parachutes easier.
Keeping the edges sharp made it unforgettable.
And I think that's ultimately why this series hit me the way it did.
You're Going to Need Somebody to Talk To
Parachutes would make an incredible book club pick. It would be perfect for a buddy read.
And yes, you can absolutely read all three books by yourself.
But I'm warning you now:
You're going to want somebody to talk to.
You're going to want to discuss these people like you know them personally. You're going to have opinions about Tahli. You're going to have opinions about Vin. You're going to have opinions about their friends, their choices, their relationship, and probably a few things that are none of your business.
That's what a good series does.
It makes you care enough to argue about fictional people's lives after you've closed the book.
And Parachutes did that for me.
The love story pulled me in. The friendships made me laugh. The messiness made me uncomfortable. And Takerra Allen's refusal to make these characters or their love fit neatly into a box is ultimately what made me love the series as much as I did.
So yes.
I'm calling it now.
Parachutes will probably be the best series I read all year.
And I don't care what any of y'all say...
I'm Team Vin.
