I love this book! Denise Williams had me hooked with her debut and I might even like this one more. Britta had a great sense of humor and is the kind of curvy heroine we so often want, but don't get. The mixed media messaging with the app was a fun touch. Quite honestly there isn't much more I can say except I loved this book and can't wait to get it into the hands of readers.

I loved this book! It’s not your typical romance novel because it sprinkled in some heavier topics. I really enjoyed the overall storyline and main characters Britta/Wes. I specifically enjoyed Britta’s sense of humor and Wes’ compassion towards others. I would not change a single thing about it so this is a five star read for me!

This is an adorable romance where the curvy girl gets the guy and realizes she is beautiful without having to lose all of her curves! This was a refreshing tale about a woman ready to get fit while writing about her journey. Her ultimate goal was NOT getting skinny and I found that a nice change of pace from the norm.
The characters were easy to like and I enjoyed seeing where they would end up and how they would get there.
I would have preferred a little more spice a little bit sooner but that’s just personal preference.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC.

In this phenomenal sophomore novel by Williams, this body-positive romance follows a journalist who gives a fitness app a test trial for her article, and gets matched with the app's co-creator as a coach. Over a series of in-app messaging, texts, and emails, they slowly begin to fall for each other. But could their relationship survive IRL?

Loved this body positive perspective. Fitness has long been a part of my life and while I enjoy it, there are plenty of times I’ve felt Britta’s struggle. Denise is an auto-buy from so many of my friends, I was excited to dive into this as my first novel.

I wished there’d been a little bit more at the end of Wes’ perspective, but that’s because I loved their connection so much! Well done, Denise!!

It does address addiction, dieting, weight and eating disorders, so if these are triggering perspectives, please be gentle with yourself.

Absolute perfection. Completely and fully in love with every page. I have not stopped raving about this book. IG link from pub week linked.

I love love loved THE FASTEST WAY TO FALL, a companion to HOW TO FAIL AT FLIRTING (another favorite). This book brings slow burn to a whole other level, with the main characters not even meeting in person until well into the book. But I loved seeing them connect over messages and texts, and the organic way their relationship developed from coach to friends to something more. Denise Williams has such a gift for tackling serious topics alongside heat and humor, and the combination is just *chef’s kiss* perfection every time.

Plus-sized women don’t need a hero. We’re all heroes just by existing in a society where people believe fat and ugly are synonyms. No, plus-sized women need validation when the rest of society sees a plus-sized hero. Enter Britta.

Denise Wiliams’ sophomore novel, The Fastest Way to Fall (Berkley), is about being strong enough to be yourself and live your dreams no matter what others say. It’s also about supporting others to help them find their strengths. Oh yeah, and a gorgeous girl and a hot guy get together, too.

Britta Colby is an editorial assistant at an online wellness magazine, but she dreams of becoming a writer. She finally gets a chance when she’s tasked with writing a column reviewing a new fitness app, FitMi, which focuses on being your best fit self. Britta is a curvy girl who isn’t focused on weight, just to “look good and feel good naked,” a perfect candidate to review FitMi and its virtual coaching services. Wes Lawson, CEO of FitMi is having a career/life-fulfillment crisis. He’s made the money that was never there while he was growing up, but is he happy with his life? To find fulfillment he decides to go back to coaching, and Britta is his first client.

BUDDING ROMANCE THREATENS TWO CAREERS

As Britta and Wes forge a virtual coach/trainee relationship, they find they want something more. Wes suggests in-person training, and Britta says yes, even though both know this is clearly outside of the parameters of the program. On top of that, Wes is hiding that he’s the CEO (he goes by his nickname, which is not on his company’s profile), and Britta is hiding that she’s reviewing the app for a magazine. With their attraction growing, if all of this were to come out, it could be detrimental for both their careers.

But I couldn’t help rooting for them to fall in love. They are so cute together! Williams does an amazing job with that witty, slightly sarcastic but laugh out loud funny dialogue I love reading in a romantic comedy. It is a slow-burn romance, but readers won’t even notice the “slow” part because they’ll be turning pages so fast while inhaling all the wonderful antics of these two.

I also appreciated the fact that Britta’s a curvy woman who was not focused on losing weight, and neither was the FitMi app. Plus-size women can want to exercise to be fit and healthy without having weight loss as a major goal. In fact, they talked very little about weight loss in this book. This is what society needs — to see that plus-size people can exercise, like it, and still be plus-sized. There are many different reasons to want to exercise, and people shouldn’t be told what their objectives should be, nor should they be ridiculed while exercising because of their size. Here, Britta made her wishes and goals, and Wes supported and guided her, so that she could reach them. And while I silently applauded the author’s choice to make Britta a curvy woman of color who went through this journey, there was so much more in this novel to applaud. Namely, the social issues that are brought up as we learn more about who Britta and Wes are.

COME FOR THE FUN, STAY FOR THE MESSAGE

While many pick up romantic comedies for the escapist fun that we sorely need in these troublesome times, a trend that isn’t going away (I hope) in these novels is authors broaching serious social issues or domestic concerns woven between the meet-cutes and sexy romps. Just like Mark Twain or Johnathan Swift, romantic comedy authors are subtly addressing the issues of our time. And yes, I compared romantic comedies to classic literature. Pick your snobby jaw up off the floor. In The Fastest Way to Fall, Williams uses Britta’s journey to wellness to address eating disorders and body positivity and Wes’ family struggles to address alcohol abuse. It’s amazing how one little novel can do so much, and it’s why everyone needs to pick this one up.

The Fastest Way to Fall is a romantic comedy with realistic characters, relatable struggles, and a real cute couple that readers will cheer for.

It took me a while to finish this one, and not because the book was bad--it was decidedly not--but because I felt very attached to the topics discussed and the romance forming between our two leads.

This novel follows Britta, who is vying for a single open writing position at the website Best Life and is in direct competition with her work nemesis. Britta is tasked with creating an account on the insanely popular FitMe app and reporting on every step of her health and fitness journey. She is assigned a coach who will help her incorporate exercise, wellness, and nutrition into her busy schedule, all in a way that matches her lifestyle and personal likes and dislikes. Unbeknownst to her, Britta is paired up with the CEO of the app itself, Wes Lawson, and as they exchange messages and begin meeting up in person for sessions, they slowly start to develop feelings for one another.

Britta’s story tackles a lot of topics that hit close to home for me. The ideas of body positivity and what exactly it means to be "healthy" and "hot" (and who is allowed to be called and view themselves as those things). There were so many times Britta's thoughts and anxieties mirrored my own. It was almost scary. What I liked most about this story is that Britta's view of herself and her body was constantly shifting, which I think is something a lot of us can relate to. There were some days where she was entirely comfortable and confident, and other moments where she felt painfully insecure and small. There were even instances where she felt neutral about her body and just appreciated it for working to keep her alive.

Britta and Wes’s love story was also so damn adorable. Personal trainer romances are always a hit, after all. I loved how they grew to depend on one another and were constantly supporting and encouraging the other person to push and challenge themselves. They were also just hot together. Like, super hot.

Wow this was amazing. These were one of the two best main characters I’ve ever read. Wes learning that you can’t save everyone nor is it your job to. Britta learning to love herself and her body on her own and not based on other people’s beliefs. The moments of vulnerability they both offer each other they way you can only do with someone you truly love. I think anyone who has ever struggled with body confidence, which is most people, should read this one. Plus, we love friends to lovers in this household.

This was my first Denise Williams book and certainly will not be my last! I went into this book not knowing a lot, but it was wonderful in every single way.

I absolutely adored these characters, and the fact that it was dual POV just made it that much better. Both Wes and Britta are charming and incredibly relatable. I loved seeing their personal lives change but also see the way that they brought out change in each other. It was so sweet, and constantly left a smile on my face!

I thoroughly enjoyed the body positivity in this book. It's so important to hear these messages, and I think a lot of people can relate to Britta's experience and understand how she feels. It's great to see how she changes throughout the book because of her fitness experience and I loved that it focused on her getting stronger, not changing herself.

The overall plot is great and I think it had a really enjoyable pace to it. The side characters helped to drive the story but didn't overthrow the main characters. And the text messages/e-mails/DMs were just absolutely adorable.

It was such a wonderful read and I'm so excited to read more from Denise in the future!

This book does the near impossible thing of exploring being fat, healthy, fit and confident in such a powerful way. Williams continues to inspire me with her nuanced and raw characters. She has officially solidified her status as an autobuy author for me.

Loved this book! Great message. I enjoyed that the main characters were flawed and chased goals. I liked that although there was lack of communication it wasn’t horrible.

This was such a comforting romance! I loved the banter between Britta and Wes, and the suspense of “will they or won’t they” get together. I also thought the commentary of health over physical appearance was so topical and important to include because I know that’s what modern fitness and health discussions tend to be about. This feminist and romantic read would be perfect for any woman living in the world today!

A beautiful love story that was inspirational and had all the feels that one needs. The characters, the plot, and the emotional feelings all made me love this story.

#TeamBritta !! Actually #TeamBrittaAndWes <3 Britta was such a relatable and likeable character - I was rooting her on in her health and fitness goals which were very body positive and realistic. And Wes... *swoon* OMG I had a crush on my trainer once and while the sparks were definitely one sided, it made for GREAT motivation to get into the gym!! This book let me live my trainer fantasies out through Britta and Wes and what great fun it was. It also had a lot of deeper issues like family dynamics as well as workplace obstacles and ethics. Love the fat girl representation - Denise Williams has become a total auto-read author for me!

This is the story of Wes & Britta - and what happens when u fall for your personal trainer!!!! 👀

Here’s what I LOVED ~

🏃‍♂️Theres nothing better than a good illustrated cover that makes u think it’s going to be light & fluffy & turns out to be SO MUCH MORE

🏃‍♂️My favorite part of this story by far is the role mental & physical health play in Wes & Britta’s love story. This is one of the most body positive (yet also realistic!) portrayal of how weight plays into the way women feel about themselves particularly when it comes to dating.

🏃‍♂️I love how the two of them fall for each other through words first, long before anything physical arises.

🏃‍♂️The banter ofc is the best.

Britta Colby, a journalist fighting her way on the trendy website Best Life. After getting all of her ideas turned down by the owner, her nemesis join in on her latest idea, suggesting that both of them can embark on a better-lifestyle type of journey, presenting readers with two point of views on two different fitness apps that genuinely focus on different things. FitMi fitness focuses on helping people live a healthier life, bringing one on one couching with people that have degrees in the area and are considered to be true experts on the field. HottrYou is your average app that promises to help you find the hotter version of yourself and provides information you can definitely google for free.

After her boss gives them the go, Britta signs up for FitMi and is completely honest about herself with her readers and her coach. She is starting this journey because she wants to be healthier but also because she wants to feel good naked. Her coach, Wes, happens to be former full-time coach and now full-time CEO of the company. Only handling the business side of everything, he is looking for a distraction from all the responsibilities that he now has. He is very intrigued by how honest and funny Britta seems to be. He assign himself to be her coach and, since everything is confidential and the company has strict rules about coaches sharing personal information, he doesn’t think it will be a big deal. Little does he know that Britta will be the exception to all the rules he strictly live by.


I absolutely adored this story. So much happens with our MCs. Britta is on a beautiful journey trying to find herself, leaving behind the insecurities society inject on bigger girls. There is so much to learn from this book. It even inspired me to start running again. I have always been bigger than my friends. Even if I love myself, there have been times when insecurities bring me down. I have been in Britta’s position. I have been rejected by many people and it sucks. I have been publicly embarrassed and, that almost broke me. There’s a saying in Puerto Rico that basically translates to “You are not a hundred dollar bill for everyone to like you”. I took that very seriously and now, I can honestly say that it doesn’t affect me anymore. I’m working hard to be healthier and loving myself every step of the way.


There are so many good quotes in here but one that stuck with me was “You’re better than easy fixes, Britta. You don’t need fixing at all. You’re making changes, but not because you were broken to begin with. Please promise me you won’t let this guy, or any guy, make you question yourself again. Anyone who makes you fell you’re not good enough isn’t worth the breath it takes to tell them to go to hell.” We can apply this to any type of person that comes into our lives. We cannot let people have a say in how we see ourselves. And that’s the bottom line. (Because Stone Cold said so!! [yes, I’m a wrestling fan])


Anyway, I can recommend this book to all my romance lovers because the heat, the love, the cuteness, the comedy in it is worth it. You will love it as much as I did. Now I need this in physical form just so I can admire it on my shelf.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the amazing opportunity to read this beautiful story. Now Mrs. Williams, thank you for such a wonderful and educative gift. I had happy tears on my eyes when she finished that race.

Britta and Wes were relatable and I Iiked the chemistry between them. I didn't want to put this book down!

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This is a great book about finding love where you least expect it and rolling with it. It was a quick read and I really enjoy Denise Williams' writing style.