Since Denise Williams' debut, How to Fail at Flirting, I pretty much knew that I'd read anything she writes and The Fastest Way to Fall only reinforces that decision. The heroine, Britta Colby, should be everyone's role model when it comes to body positivity and just owning who she is. She works for a lifestyle website and is itching for a chance to prove herself as a writer when she's given her next assignment: try a popular new health-focused fitness app that includes personal coaching and take readers on that journey with her.

I loved her approach to the app and how it actually worked (all fitness apps should work like this!). It was never about fixing herself or changing who she is. It was about her health and being surprised to find joy in exercising. And through the personal coaching, she finds herself talking more and more to her trainer, Wes Lawson, and developing a genuine attraction to him. What she doesn't know is that he's the CEO of the FitMe app she's writing about and technically, he's not supposed to be training. But that's the part of the job he's always loved and soon, he's falling for her as well. Even before they met, the chemistry between them was palpable through their messages so you can just imagine the sparks that flew when they inevitably met in person. I really enjoyed seeing both the personal and professional journeys these two individuals were on and their evolution from trainer-trainee, to friends, and something clearly much more than friends. The romance was just so good!

Do I recommend? Yes! It's romantic, honest, and has a genuine, great story.

Happy sigh. I really loved The Fastest Way to Fall. Britta is trying to advance in her career and wants to move from being an assistant to being a writer. When the opportunity comes to take on a piece about fitness - Britta agrees but is clear from the start that she isn’t doing it to lose weight. Britta is fat and I loved the representation and the ways she talked about fitness and health separately from her weight.

Britta’s trainer is Wes and he is swoonworthy from start to finish. I loved the ways Britta and Wes showed up for each other throughout the book. And even though there were some big secrets kept - they still both acted like adults and communicated about issues which I love.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free review copy. I also purchased the audiobook and loved the narration.

Thank you @berkleypub #berkleypartner and @netgalley for the gifted copy) Out Now!! 4⭐!

After seeing so many great reviews for this book, I knew I had to read it, and I'm so glad I did!! Such a fun book!! Romcom and romance fans, I think you'll enjoy this one!

Britta Colby is a plus size woman of color, and writes for her current job at a lifestyle website. She decides she wants to write about her experience with a body positive fitness app, FitMe.

Wes Lawson runs and owns the app Britta is using, FitMe app. He misses being a coach. He wants to give it a go again, and Britta is his first new client. They click immediately. They email each other daily for weeks. I really loved reading their emails.

When they start to workout in person, they feel their connection is even stronger. Wes is not supposed to be meeting his clients, and Britta should not be dating someone she's supposed to be doing a review on for her job. They know they should not be getting close, but yet they cannot deny their strong chemistry!

Yet another solid slow burn story with great body positivity message. I loved the touch on some heavy topics weaved in the story. Another five star read. Also includes banter and humor to wrap it up. A true delight.

This fun, feel good romance is a slow burn, tension filled friends to lovers story which touches on important topics. Britta is an assistant editor for a lifestyle website who documents her journey with a fitness/wellness app for her job. The app assigns her a personal trainer, Wes, who as a virtual coach, encourages, motivates and inspires Britta to improve her health and fitness. Told from a dual POV using many email and text messages, their developing friendship is filled with banter and humor as well as struggles, feelings and vulnerabilities. Relatable characters, a strong resilient heroine, chemistry, humor and body positivity messages make this engaging romcom a top pick.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of my favorite books of the year!
The Fastest Way to Fall is a funny, heartwarming, and inspiring book that looks at fitness beyond the typical "let's get skinny' lens we are so used to seeing.
This book follows Britta, an aspiring writer and current magazine editor assistant, and Wes, co-owner of a popular new fitness app that matches clients with virtual trainers. Britta gets the chance to prove herself at her job by getting the chance to write about her experience with Wes's company, FitMi. Without her realizing it, Britta is paired with Wes as a coach, and the two starts falling for each other through e-mails, messages, and later, in person.
I want to start off with the weight stuff about this book. Britta is fat. That's something she defines herself as early on in the book and isn't ashamed of it. Confession: As a bigger girl myself, I sometimes hate reading books where the main focus is the main character's size. Even though those books are often supposed to be encouraging, they still make me think too much about my own weight and self-worth. I don't want to read pages and pages of forced body positivity because I don't like focusing too much on my body, for better or for worse. This book was perfect for me. The whole book wasn't about Britta losing weight but it also wasn't her learning to somehow love herself. She already did. She acknowledged that her body was her body and she was happy with that. Britta doesn't spend time thinking about her own weight, so why should other people. This was a storyline I could relate to and one that made me happy.
Ok, on to the romance. I am in love with Wes. He is probably one of my new favorite book boyfriends. He's adorable and sweet and watching him fall in love with Britta was the highlight of this book. I loved seeing them go from strangers, to chat friends, to flirting with each other, to actually giving the sparks between them a chance. It felt like a natural progression which I appreciated-often plots like this can seem rushed.
I don't even really have many negative things to say about this book except that I wanted to see Wes and Britta together more before the drama.

If you're looking for a book that will leave you with a smile on your face while you swoon at how cute the characters are, pick up this book.

This is Denise William’s second stand-alone book. How To Fail at Flirting was her debut novel.

After reading The Fastest Way to Fall, I instantly added How to Fail at Flirting to my Christmas wish list because I absolutely loved The Fastest Way to Fall. (I might have even added this book to my wishlist as well.) I was instantly hooked two chapters into the book.

The Fastest Way to Fall is about Britta and Wes. I loved Britta. She was the kind of main character I love. She was funny, smart, bold, determined, entertaining and so much more. I loved Wes too. He was sweet, caring, kind, and so much more. Wes would be the kind of guy I would instantly be drawn to. He is definitely boyfriend material.

Britta works for a lifestyle website as an assistant but she wants something more permanent. Every time she suggests something it feels like her boss always says no. Although this time when Britta proposes writing about one of the newest fitness apps she feels like this could be it, sadly as soon as she mentions it, it’s shut down until her rival Claire speaks up and suggests a twist on that. It will involve both Britta and Claire having to work together to write about two different fitness apps. They both will sign up and write about their experiences with it. In the end, the best one will be promoted. Will it be Britta or Claire?

Britta tackles FitMi Fitness because she likes what this app is about. It’s not all about weight loss but feeling happy and healthy. At first, she cares more about her story but quickly that changes. Little does she know but her coach is Wes the CEO of the company. Wes loved the answers to her replies in her questionnaire and decided to pick her as his client. He knows that someone will be writing about their experiences with the app but has no clue it’s Britta. It doesn’t take long before the two are sort of flirty with each other. You can see Wes trying to keep it professional because this goes against the rules of the app but he can’t help it.

As the two continue to talk via the app, they both realize that they enjoy their time together. They decide to take this off the app and work out together in real life. Will this be a good idea or a mistake waiting to happen?

As you read you begin to wonder will they or won’t they. I know as I was reading I kept thinking that and you can’t help but want it when two characters are invested in each other even though they have no idea who the other is and what they look like.

If you are curious to know you have to read the book to find out.

This is a really solid romcom/contemporary romance. Y'all if you're not reading contemporary romance, please do not sleep on this genre. I love how this book covers topics like body positivity, the fitness industry, addiction and more all set amongst a love story. My only complaint is there were some ethical quandaries that were part of the plot that while there were consequences, I don't know that the characters really appreciated how bad of a situation that was. But you know, it's fiction so just don't expect that scenario to play out in real life.

I loved the premise of The Fastest Way to Fall so much. It is the story of Britta, a journalist struggling with her weight, who signs up for a new body image fitness app for a story. Britta gets assigned Wes as her personal coach and sparks fly. This book was absolutely adorable and heartfelt with such You’ve Got Mail vibes. The witty repartee between Britta and Wes over text was hilarious. Their romance was swoon-worthy. And they were such lovable characters- Britta was strong, independent, fierce, hilarious and such an inspiration as she tackled her fears and got in shape. Wes was unbelievably kind, supportive and caring. I love that they connected on an emotional level and not a physical level. I loved watching Britta’s progress. I loved the two of them. My heart is full.

Holy heck – this is my new all-time favorite romance ever. I’m giving this one all the stars times infinity. Yeah, you read that right. Times INFINITY. There was not a single aspect of this story that I didn’t love.

Britta is a writer who is locked in competition with another aspiring writer who both agree to approach different fitness apps and write about their experiences. Britta ends up with FitMi, a company founded by Wes. Wes decides to take on a client of his own to help clear his head and remind him of his love of the company, which is how he winds up with Britta. The two of them work together to meet her goals and sparks fly. Soon, their relationship moves outside of the app and the two become nearly inseparable.

The reason I love this one so much is because of Britta. I see so much of myself in her character, and I think a lot of people who struggle with feeling confident in their own skin will too. While FitMi isn’t in the business of helping people lose weight, it’s goal (as well as Britta’s) is to get fit. There is so much discussion about body positivity and what it means to be healthy and fit without ever feeling preachy or overbearing. Britta succumbs to unhealthy habits (as so many do) and there is a brief exploration of that as well that I found really important to the story and Britta’s journey, as well as incredibly relatable.

Britta is so full of fun, passion, and humor. I adored following along on her adventures and watching the relationship grow between her and Wes (who is, hello, a dream boat). I sense a re-read coming on and quickly!

I fell hard and fast for this fantastic body positivity story. Wes and Britta are hard not to love. Britta is genuine and steadfast and Wes is encouraging and lovely. Both compliment one another and their relationship felt authentic.

I highly recommend the audio as Wes’s voice will have you weak at the knees. Teddy Hamilton is definitely my new favorite male narrator.

I’m a fan and will certainly be reading more from Denise Williams.

This romance novel has been all over Instagram since its release, so what more can be said - THIS!

Williams has written a romance about learning to LOVE YOU! The story is about being strong, body positivity and the belief in yourself to overcome the haters and your inner monologue. The message she has written throughout this novel is beautiful.

I throughly enjoyed the flirty mature messages between Britta (Bubs) and Wes (Tubesocks) as they grew from friends to lovers. Aren't those the most adorable nicknames they gave each other. This book was a joy to read with ALL its funny and moving moments between the two characters, their friends and family. Bubs and Tubesocks have lasting chemistry.

Bottomline DO YOU and we are ALL beautiful in our own special way!

Thank you @berkleyromance for the complimentary copy. And, what a fun buddy read with @berittalksbooks, @thephdivabooks and @dg_reads on Instagram.

Give me all of the books by Denise Williams! I really enjoyed How to Fail at Flirting and was super psyched to learn about The Fastest Way to Fall. Thankfully, Denise Williams more than delivered. After this book she is definitely an auto-buy author for me.
Britta profiles a new body positive app along side a colleague profiling another app for the lifestyle publication she works for. This might be her chance to move from editorial assistant to full time writer. Wes is the CEO of the app she's profiling, FitMi, but missing coaching and interacting with clients. When he takes on a few clients, he meets Britta. They're quickly connecting on more than the app. Both take risks to be together and it ends up blowing up their faces.
I just adored Britta. She was so warm and funny. I loved the chat and banter that she had with Wes. Wes was so supportive. I loved the body positivity of FitMi and how they made it part of their daily work as well. The story made me want to run with Britta. There's nothing better than finishing a race, especially when you didn't think you could do it.
Thank you Denise Williams for such an amazing book!

It is always nice to start a book with no expectations and be surprised by how you enjoy it. Probably one of my favorite parts of this book are how Britta and Wes connected though messages, email, and text before they ever met in person. Their conversations are genuine and full of fun banter. Also, they are complete characters. Both are so well developed and the dual POV allows us to get both of their feelings and thoughts through the story. The story is a friends to lovers slow burn romance.

There are several Content Warnings for this one. The author addresses them in an author's note at the start, (Beautifully Written) and helpful resources at the end of the book. Body Positivity is the main focus of the story and not dieting or weight loss. The story does include mentions of fat shaming, disordered eating, disordered dieting, parents with addiction, discussions of weight and weight loss.

I really enjoyed The Fastest Way to Fall. Kind of lime the romances, it found its way into my heart.

TW: drug abuse, body image, eating disorders, unhealthy teachings, manipulation and breach of professional coach and client policy.

I am a sucker for banter, and this book had INCREDIBLE BANTER!
I will admit that I thought the first few chapters were fast, and meh, after chapter 4 or 5, it switched around, and I was all in, folks. Without showing too much of the characters right off the bat, I was given just enough to allure me into needing to know Wes's backstory!

Speaking of characters: Britta is the best character! She is funny, brilliant, hot, and she knows it, and she won't take anyone saying fat is a bad thing. She was just an intelligent character, and I loved how she didn't hate her body; she made a point to correct others that she was looking to research the app in the book for healthy reasons related to her story - she corrected them about that bs automatic weigh loss though others had.

Onto the story:
A body positivity story is constantly refreshing to me. I have had the privilege never to have been affected by weight loss storylines, but even I know they were dull and not okay. We want stories to mean something or make us feel something that should make us hate ourselves, so having this good positive story that was tighter with a love story made me so happy! A great story that flows and build at just the right pace ALSO IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED, much like this one!
The emotional journey and the chemistry were such great bonuses, and folks, his fantasies of wanting her and wanting to please her were GOOD!!!

I loved this book! The Fastest Way to Fall was one of my favorite books of the year, and Wes is one of my favorite love interests ever! The character development in this book was great, and it creates a genuine inspiration to be your best you and not settle, in romantic relationships, at work, and in your relationship with yourself. I highly recommend The Fastest Way to Fall for a romance that’s witty, steamy, sweet, and will leave your heart feeling full. Fingers are crossed for a sequel!

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

I feel as though I should mention upfront that this review will be a bit more personal than my usual. It will be more personal because this book and my connection to it both feel more personal than what I normally read. Every once in a while a book or character will come around that you just really see yourself in, and that is the case for me with The Fastest Way to Fall.

I’ve experienced so many of the things that Britta goes through in this book. I’ve had men that I had feelings for make comments about weight loss, I’ve had them ask me to be friends with benefits because they liked my body, but didn’t want an actual relationship with me because of it. Her relationship with food, exercise and confidence really struck a chord with me because I’ve experienced and regularly still experience much of the same.

The overall messages contained in this book were messages that I’ve needed to hear for years, and I think that more people in my position need to hear them too. As a size 14 woman I’ve long believed that I can’t be fat and hot, and that I only ever needed to work out to lose weight, not because I enjoy it or want to be fit. The same goes for eating healthy. I eat vegetables because I enjoy them, but often the assumption is that I’m eating them to lose weight.

Not only was this book full of body positivity that I and a lot of other women desperately need, it contained one of the sweetest romances I’ve read in a long while. Wes was so genuine in his support of Britta and I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed watching their friendship grow and then blossom into something more. I cried on multiple occasions, which was not ideal given that I was listening to the audiobook while working. Do you know hard it is to look at a spreadsheet through tears? I doo

For my fellow spice readers – don’t you worry, this book brought the heat. The spice was light but incredibly well written and did not fade to black.

Speaking of the audiobook, the narration was so well done and the voice actors really brought both characters to life. Teddy Hamilton ALWAYS kills it on audio and while this was the first book I’ve listened to from N’Jameh Camara, it certainly won’t be the last.

I really enjoyed Denise Williams' first book , How To Fail at Flirting, and was excited to read this one. While there are some overlap of characters, this can be read as a standalone. Though it is really nice seeing characters from the previous story.

Britta is a journalist trying out a fitness app (FitMi) that has live coaching. Wes is the CEO of the app and feeling a little burned out- so he returns to what he loves, coaching. He and Britta immediately connect through their exchanges in the app and enjoy getting to know each other virtually. But then they meet in person and the chemistry they have on the app transfers into real life which is actually a complication given their professional relationship. How will they navigate it?

I enjoyed this book for a number of reasons:
-I grew up outside of Chicago and love reading books that are based there.
-I love books that have an epistolary aspect.
-The themes of body image, working out, and feeling good in your body resonated with me.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED THIS! Britta works for a lifestyle website, and her first writing assignment is to review a fitness app. Britta is a bigger girl and has her own issues with body image and exercise. Wes is the CEO of the fitness app Britta is reviewing, and he is pretty restless with work at the beginning of the book. Wes takes on Britta as a client to get back o what he loves doing, and they click immediately. Britta and Wes start by messaging back and forth, and they eventually meet in person. The lines blurb on their professional relationship, and their feelings may cost them their careers.

Personally, I really felt for Britta and could connect to what she was saying about body image and health. I loved Wes and Britta’s banter, and I loved that Wes could be this hot guy and in love with Britta without it being this huge deal. This was just so good.

Thanks to @NetGalley and Berkley for my ARC!

Denise Williams was featured on the Fresh Fiction blog on 11/2 with a 20 Questions feature: https://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=11558

She was also a guest on the Boozy Book Broads YouTube chat show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu1OIsVFbkQ&t=3056s