I loved this book. It was so uplifting and encouraging. I really want to focus more on my health now! I really liked Brittany but I LOVED Wes. He was so caring and I felt like we got a lot of insight to him as he navigated his struggles, both professionally and personally, and I especially loved his arc. This was a slow burn but in the best possible way. The payoff was worth it. I loved the banter between the characters and I loved how other things were going on besides just the romance but the romance was front and center. I’m ready to go sign up for a race now 🤣

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for an advanced copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

Britta, a journalist for a lifestyle website is tasked with showing readers her experience with a body-positive fitness app. Britta wants to be more than an assistant at her company and this is the opportunity for Britta to shine.

Britta is paired with Wes - owner and coach of the fitness app that Britta is using. Their back and forth banter soon has them thinking more about one another. When an opportunity arises for Wes and Britta to finally meet in person, they realize that the sparks they have for one another might be worth acting on. But what about their professions? Are they willing to risk it all for one another?

I have to preface this review by saying that over the past year, my journey has been very similar to Britta's. I found myself making lifestyle changes that at first started similar to Britta's. Yes mine were more health related and weight loss was a part of my goal, but it wasn't the end of my goal. I had to figure out how to incorporate this healthy lifestyle into my daily routine. Much like Britta does with running and strength training - it was a process. And unlike Britta, I didn't have an amazing coach urging me on. So gosh, I wish I had this book a year ago when I was feeling not so good and scared and a bit lonely if I'm being honest. This book is not only an amazing romance, but also shows how it can be so uplifting if we have someone in our corner. Fighting for us. Telling us we can do it - just one more mile or a few minutes more.

Britta and Wes were so cute together in The Fastest Way to Fall. I loved their witty dialogue, their chemistry and the back and forth banter they always had with one another. Their story flowed so effortlessly. I will say that some of the side characters/names of the businesses did get lost a little (I had to go back and see who was who and where they were working), but overall I really enjoyed this romance with a side of body positivity!

Denise Williams is an amazing author and I always find myself flying through her books. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you @berkleypub and @netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review ended up being a lot longer than I expected so TL;DR - This book came out a couple weeks ago and you should run - but don’t fall! - to go read it 💓

Besides the fact that Britta and Wes are utterly adorable, I loved that their connection started from just messaging back and forth. We really got to see how their relationship developed, the interpersonal roadblocks and the external ones too that they ran into before their Happily Ever After 🥰

I think the way that Denise Williams wrote about body positivity was really beautiful. She made the wanting to love your body but feel good, confident, and strong very relatable. I have struggled with body dysmorphia and trying to have a positive relationship with food and this book felt like a hug with all of the reminders on self love 🤍

The one thing that I wish was addressed was the way that Kelsey (biz rival and ex gf) would vocally assign worth and attractiveness based on someone’s weight. My blood would boil when no one would call out her language explicitly or shut that shit down 😤

Read if you like:
🏃‍♀️ body positivity and self love
🏃‍♀️ fat representation
🏃‍♀️ athlete + coach relationship
🏃‍♀️ slow burn
🏃‍♀️ ONE BED !!!!!!!

Check the content and trigger warnings for this one. There was a really lovely message about body image and disordered eating from the author at the start 🤍

I don’t think there is one part of this book that I didn’t like. Well, I didn’t like Kelsey but that’s it. This book had me laughing and in my feelings. I highly, highly recommend this book!

This book left me swooning. I can't get over the way that Denise Williams builds the chemistry and romance between her characters. I'm head over heels in love with these characters and their romance.

This romance had it all - amazing (yet flawed) characters you couldn't help but root for, top notch romance trope (only one bed? yes please!), steamy chemistry, and beautiful and thoughtful messages and themes.

This book tackled mental health, addiction, weight, and the toxic fitness world all while delivering on a heart-stopping romance. I was blown away by the balance this book had despite hitting on so many things. It never felt like too much or took away from anything else. It was expertly crafted and I can't wait for more books from this author.

But the shining star is definitely the romance between Wes and Britta. Their chemistry and banter was absolute fire. I loved that we got to see their relationship build so slowly (they don't even see each other until around the 30% mark!). And I loved the tension that brought, as well as a realistic feel to the romance. Absolutely no insta love here! Their feelings and timing felt genuine and I couldn't help but root for their happily ever after.

Overall I just really loved this romance. It didn't quite give me the same soaring feeling as How to Fail at Flirting but I adored it nonetheless. AND we better get Pearl's romance with the other CEO because I'm already obsessed with them 🖤

Denise Williams is hands down a romance author I will forever pick up and read. Her books are fantastic and I fall for her romances time and time again. I can't wait for more in 2022 from her!!

I recently read and loved How to Fail at Flirting so I was so excited to receive this one! Britta is an aspiring writer working as an assistant at a lifestyle website. She finally gets a chance to write for the website after she pitches an idea to share her experience using a body positive fitness app as a fat woman. Wes is the CEO of the company and is feeling unfulfilled and bored despite his success, when he decides to go back to coaching for a while. He of course ends up selecting Britta off the app without realizing she’s the person that’s been assigned to do the write up. I was a bit nervous to start this one due to the subject matter but I didn’t need to be. Williams has fantastic representation for body positivity and positive relationships with food, eating, exercise, and nutrition. Britta and Wes have really good chemistry and develop a friendship while trying to fight deeper feelings for each other due to the nature of their relationship. This was definitely heavier on plot, there is a fantastic villain that’s easy to hate and a lot of workplace and family drama. I get personally frustrated when the conflict of a romance novel comes from the characters lying to one another, but I was very happy with the resolution here. If you enjoyed How to Fail at Flirting, you won’t want to miss this one!

📖 "The Fastest Way To Fall" by @nicwillwrites 🎉

This book will be released NOV 2, 2022!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I got an ARC for this a few months ago and still to this day, this book has stayed with me just as much as "How to Fail at Flirting" has which just shows how brilliant Denise Williams is at weaving a story and creating characters that pull you in that you forget you're reading a book and they're not actually real.

Let me start by saying that this book gave me definite YOU GOT MAIL vibes with the sarcastic, epically witty and real Britta. Let's not forget the kind, compassionate and likable Wes.

They complimented each other so well that their connection just feels organic and the slow burn was well worth the wait.

They start off as strangers that become friends with an attraction so palpable, it practically sizzled and popped between them.

They were so different yet so perfect for each other that you find yourself feeling every emotion with them.

You cheered for them and booed anyone who threatened to come between them.

But don't let that fool you, just like HTFAF, this book has some hard hitting topics that make you shed a tear or two.
Definitely stays with you for a long time.

This book can be read as a standalone but also follows the same world that HTFAF does.

One of my favorite reads this year! Officially an auto buy author for me! 💛
Thank you @netgalley @berkleyromance and @nicwillwrites for the ARC!!!

I fell in love with How to Fail at Flirting last year and was so excited when @berkleyromance and @netgalley gave me an eARC in exchange for a review.

With Fastest Way to Fall, I came for the romance but stayed for the breaking down of toxic weight loss/ “health” industry and beauty standards.

Britta is a fierce heroine, and while I loved the moments between her and Wes, what I loved the most (and the real love story) was watching Britta continue and choose to love herself and appreciate all that her body is capable of and does for her (no matter the size).

Williams has a knack for tackling tough topics and does it beautifully. As a former practicing dietitian, one of my favorite parts of the book is when Wes called out weight loss companies who employ coaches who have zero qualifications or degrees in nutrition or fitness.

My only very minor qualm with this book was the pacing. It was just a bit slow for me, and I wanted just a bit more from the romance.

If you loved How to Fail at Flirting, you will love this too!

After reading How to Fail at Flirting earlier this year, Denise Williams became an auto-buy author. I adored the way she wrote a beautiful love story, while addressing really important yet heavy topics. When I saw she had a new book, I was intrigued to see if this new one would live up to my love of her first book and the high expectations it set. Spoiler alert: it did.

In this book, Britta is trying to get a permanent writing position for a lifestyle website, and her current task is to write about her experience using a new fitness app. She gets paired with Wes as her coach, who happens to be the CEO of the FitMe app. As they work together they are both amazed at how much they enjoy talking to each other and eventually their relationship moves to in person workouts, making things even more complicated.

First of all, quick trigger warning for disordered eating and fat shaming.

As I said earlier, I loved this book. I loved how Britta approached her fitness journey - with so much strength and remaining positive about her body. I love how Britta and Wes both found strength in each other when they each needed it - to me that is a true partnership and was so beautiful. I adored Britta and thought she was such a badass - for real, I would be her friend in real life. She was HILARIOUS. There was truly so much about this book I loved, I could go on for days. Just know you should read this one!

Thank you to Berkley for the advanced copy and to @thephdviareads @berittalksbooks and @dg_reads for the buddy read!

Britta Colby is a self assured, semi, self-confident woman who feels overlooked at her current position writing for a lifestyle website. She knows she has to make her mark soon, but is uncertain how to do so.

Then Britta sees an opportunity to write about her experience with a body positive fitness app. Although she is all about diving in, as a plus size woman of color, Britta also feels it’s important her involvement in the app be a true reflection of how she sees herself and women like her.

Wes Lawson is the CEO of the app Britta signs up for, but he misses the days of being in the trenches. So he signs up to coach again, instantly drawn to Britta’s profile. Before long the two begin developing a banter that spills over into real life. As Britta learns some hard truths about her skewed self worth, and Wes leans into his refound love for coaching, the lines begin to blur. After some truths are revealed, will their relationship become a sprint or a marathon?

The Fastest Way to Fall is an aptly titled romance as it’s a fast paced read about the bumpy course love can take. It’s also a body positive fictional take on the importance of owning someone’s self worth regardless of what others might say.

Thanks to @berkleypub and @netgalley for hooking me up with a copy of @nicwillwrites latest release, The Fastest Way to Fall which is out now! On your mark, get set, GO get it!

The Fastest Way to Fall is about to become your new favorite body positivity romance.

Working as an assistant at a lifestyle website, Britta wants to do less assisting to more actual writing. When the opportunity to write about a popular fitness app arises, Britta dives headfirst into her assignment. She may refer to herself as fun, smart, and fat, but she knows FitMi matches its customers with personal trainers so they can get stronger and more confident, not so they shed the pounds. Britta knew it was going to be a challenge; she was up against her old habits and a society that judges plus-size bodies. But Britta wasn’t expecting to find acceptance or affirmation, and she definitely wasn’t expecting to come face to face with her online fitness coach. Wes is everything Britta needs to be her absolute best self, but both Wes and Britta are keeping secrets that could test their very core. Luckily, Britta has been doing planks….

I love romances with body and/or fat positivity, but I was especially excited to hear that The Fastest Way to Fall featured a plus-size lead in a fitness scenario who wasn’t in it to lose pounds in order to get the guy. Don’t get me wrong: Denise Williams definitely covers that, but she created a character who goes on a fitness journey for herself. Britta was confident in herself right from the start; she knew who she was and she loved herself for it, curves and all. Britta’s fitness journey – never defined as a weight-loss journey – only began as a first step in pursuing something bigger. There was a lot of emphasis on fitness and being comfortable and confident in yourself; for Britta, the goal was never just lower numbers on the scale, and that point was always prominent on the page. Through fitness highs and lows, Britta remained big, beautiful and most importantly of all, she remained herself.

The Fastest Way to Fall touched on all aspects of health: physical fitness, mental awareness, and emotional health. Both characters had their flaws and challenges, and I loved that both Britta, who was clawing her way up the career ladder, and Wes, who was seemingly at the top of his game, had their own aspects of health to work on. On the surface, this book may seem to focus on physical health and wellbeing, but there are so many layers. Williams does a fantastic job at connecting the physical, mental, and emotional.

If you love romances with representation, Denise Williams delivers on multiple counts in The Fastest Way to Fall.

I received a gifted galley of THE FASTEST WAY TO FALL by Denise Williams for an honest review. Thank you to @BerkleyPub and @Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!⁠
⁠
THE FASTEST WAY TO FALL follows Britta, a plus-sized woman who is happy in her own skin. She’s working for a lifestyle magazine, eager to prove herself to gain a promotion to a staff writer. She pitches an idea to write about a new body-positive fitness app and her own experience using it.⁠
⁠
Wes is the FitMe CEO, but he’s really not a fan of all of the corporate work that has taken over his life. Taking the advice of a friend, he decides to take on a couple clients, one being Britta. As their conversations continue, they develop more of a friendship (a flirty friendship?) than a coach/client relationship.⁠
⁠
I really enjoyed this book and was quickly sucked into Britta’s story. I loved the discussions of responsible diet and fitness. The aim of the app and the book wasn’t to promote thin model bodies, but to feel better about yourself and be healthy. Do you need to give up chocolate? No! Moderation is always the key. There is a lot of messaging around what NOT to do as well. Crash diets and irresponsible fitness tips are a real danger to people and this book very soundly points that out.⁠
⁠
I enjoyed the relationship that developed between Britta and Wes. Was it strictly appropriate from a business management perspective? No, but I did love that it became a good friendship, gradually moving off the app and into real life.⁠
⁠
This was a fun read that I flew through in a single day. I would definitely pick up more from Denise Williams in the future.⁠
⁠
THE FASTEST WAY TO FALL is available now!

The Fastest Way to Fall


This was such a fun romcom that I could not put down!


Britta is an editorial assistant working at Best Life, a millennial focused website. She has just pitched an idea to the publication she works for to test out a new exercise app FitMi fitness that is gaining popularity and is body positive. The app uses real coaches who after the user provides information about interests and goals a customized program is designed. Her coworker,Claire is testing another app HotrYou that’s philosophy is owning your hotness throughout the process.

Britta has never been one to work out too much but she is interested in becoming more healthy.
Britta will be taking this endeavor very seriously to obtain her goals. She is matched up with Wes as her coach. They start out corresponding through the app but eventually decide to meet up to ease Britta’s fears about her fitness journey. Eventually things turn romantic and Britta learns that Wes is actually the CEO of the company that makes the app!

This was such a cute romcom and I loved the positive body image that was conveyed through- out the story. Wes and Britta had such good banter!

Denise Williams never lets us down! I can't say enough amazing things about this book. The characters were 100% relatable and this book sends out a great message. The romance had me swooning and I think Wes is my new book boyfriend. The Fastest Way to Fall deserves a million stars. Will be recommending this one to all of my friends.

Seeing a character that I enjoyed in Denise Williams' debut staring in this one was a lot of fun. There was a lot of chemistry between the characters. Sprinkling in Britta's posts added an extra level to it.

The Fastest Way to Fall
Denise Williams


Buy This Book
The Fastest Way to Fall is Denise Williams’ funny and charming second romance novel. While characters from her début How to Fail at Flirting make an appearance here, you don’t have to read that volume to enjoy this one.

Britta Colby has spent four years as an editorial assistant at Best Life, a millennial focused lifestyle website, but her goal is to be a staff writer. The third Friday of the month is pitch day and Britta offers to write about her experience with a hot new body-positive fitness app that includes personal coaching. Her boss initially demurs, not wanting yet another take on fat-shaming women into working out and dieting, but Britta believes the piece could be inspirational to plus-size women like herself who are looking for exercise tips and nutrition information that aren’t tied to weight loss. Her idea eventually makes the cut and Britta joins FitMi, excited to be assigned a coach and begin training.

Wes Lawson founded the FitMi Fitness app with his best friend Cord and girlfriend Kelsey. They worked hard to pull together investors, build a solid reputation, and develop a unique product. Then Kelsey received an offer to be CEO of a rival app, and she quit FitMi and dumped Wes all in one quick, painful conversation. It has taken Wes a while to recover from the betrayal. It has taken him longer to adapt to filling her former position at their firm, a job he definitely doesn’t enjoy. Add in his complicated family situation and that means neither work nor home is bringing him much pleasure. At Cord’s urging, Wes decides to take on a couple of clients and reconnect with what he enjoys about fitness – helping people be their best, healthiest selves. Britta winds up being one of his new clients and Wes finds himself loving her quirky sense of humor and sunny approach to life.

But this is an app and all their communication is occurring through the chat function. Wes deliberately set up procedures that established a professional distance between customers and trainers, protocols he now finds himself bending. It’s not long before he and Britta have moved from chats to texts, exchanging personal information about where they live and how they spend their time. Then he gets a text that says simply “help” and breaks all the rules to rush to Britta’s side.

Britta had dreamt of meeting Wes – but not after a tumble down the stairs. She had been texting him as she fell and was fortunate she had the good sense to type “help” before passing out. Wes races to her side, calls an ambulance, accompanies her to the hospital and stays by her side throughout the checkin process. She’s amazed at how sweet and supportive he is even after she’s home, bringing her dinner and then working out with her so she can literally get back on her feet. Having a one-on-one, in person trainer is definitely helping her recovery, but Britta knows this is dangerous for both of them. The mild flirtation they had going on over the phone has turned into burning hot chemistry, but it would be deeply unprofessional for Wes to date his client. It would be equally unethical for Britta, who is supposed to be reviewing his company, to date him. With so much at stake for both of them, the smart thing to do would be to move the relationship back to its proper sphere – but sometimes the heart overrules the head.

Britta and Wes are both wonderful, loveable people, so it is very easy to see why they fall so hard for each other. Wes is a kind, caring, giving person whose primary focus is on helping others. Britta is funny, sunny and smart. Together they are dynamite and their rapport is sweet and delightful to read about. For around the first thirty percent of the story, they only connect through chatting/texting but it works, because they put their true selves into their communications and they have such witty exchanges. Once they do meet, the transition from text to talk goes smoothly, their friendship deepens, and physical attraction is added to the mix.

The primary conflict comes from their work situations potentially being compromised by a romantic relationship, and also by the secrets they keep surrounding those issues. Britta takes a long time to tell Wes she is reviewing FitMi for her magazine and Wes is equally slow to tell her he isn’t just a trainer at FitMi but an owner as well. Additional conflict comes from the fact that Britta has some work relationships that are problematic and Wes has an evil ex. Wes also has a sister who left home as a teen and is rarely in contact, and a mother with addiction issues. The latter is handled extremely well, showing us how recovery can be a journey with lots of ups and downs. The book is light-hearted and joyous in spite of everything because of the positive energy generated by Wes and Britta’s love story.

Body positivity is another theme liberally sprinkled throughout the tale. As a plus-size heroine Britta occasionally struggles with accepting herself as beautiful and lovable, a battle reinforced by some of the relationships in her life. Moving beyond other’s opinions of her and focusing on who she wants to be is an important aspect of the story.

A few quibbles kept the book from DIK status. A lot of page time is spent on exercising and dieting, to the point that I almost felt like I should only read on the treadmill. The conflict here is similar to the author’s first novel and the resolution is similar as well – I would have liked her to show us what could have happened if the characters had taken a different route to the HEA. There are also moments when the pacing lags a bit.

Those are minor issues in an otherwise very good book. I recommend The Fastest Way to Fall to anyone looking for a sweet, heartfelt contemporary romance between two very likable protagonists.

I read How to Fail at Flirting earlier this year and it quickly became a favorite. So when I tell y’all I have been counting down the seconds until I got this book I am not exaggerating.

The Fastest Way to Fall follows Wes (who we met briefly in HTFAF) and Britta. Britta is a plus sized journalist tasked with writing an article on a new fitness app. Wes is a trainer/CEO of this new app and just so happens to take Britta on as a client. I’ll let you take a guess on what happens next 🙃

Overall I did enjoy this book. I think there are so many positive messages that it is really hard to not grow as a person after reading this. There was so much body positivity and so many reminders that it’s okay to accept all parts of yourself. Reading about Britta working hard and meeting her goals was so motivating and such a good reminder that you can do literally anything you want to. Even things you never thought you could.

I wasn’t 100% in love with the romance. It’s a very slow burn and while I love Wes and Britta… it felt like something was missing to me. But that’s okay. Maybe it’s just because I love Jake and Naya so much 🙂

How to Fail at Flirting is still my favorite of the series but I would recommend both! Denise Williams has secured a spot as an auto buy author for me after these books and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

| 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖

The Fastest Way To Fall
Denise Williams
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (3.5 rounded up)

|| 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒:
Britta is a body positive woman working for a Better Life and she dreams of being promoted to a featured writer! She has a small break when she gets work on a piece documenting a health journey with a company called FitMe as she wants to show people you can be plus size, love your body, but still focus on your health without only wanting to lose weight. Wes is a health coach, and he also is the CEO of FitMe. He decides to maybe coach a few clients and he comes across a very interesting profile and can’t resist. Email exchanges, fitness tips, and more lead to a very interesting relationship.

|| 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄:
•You’ve Got Mail romcom
•Flirty and fun banter in emails and texts
•All the body positive messages
•Inspirational characters dealing with their traumas and letting other people in to support them
•Workplace forbidden romance tropes
•Love Is Blind on Netflix


|| 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒:
So this book is in the same world as How To Fail at Flirting by the same author. Those characters are very briefly mentioned, but really this is a true standalone despite being in the same world. I haven’t read the other book, but I will definitely go back and check it out. I loved Britta’s body positivity and I loved that even though she loved herself she still had her moments. That made her so real to me. You can be happy and confident but still let things get your down sometimes, but it’s important to always pick yourself back up. I loved the chemistry with her and Wes even though they didn’t even meet each other, or knew what each other looked like for a good chunk of the book. Think Love is Blind here. I loved how they formed a friendship and supported each other. I loved that they both went through hard things throughout the book, but even though sometimes they kept their thoughts secret they still mostly communicated like adults which I love in a romance. This does have some open door elements, but I’ve definitely read steamier so I don’t think it was too bad! I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to @berkleypub and @letstalkbookspromo for my ARC of The Fastest Way to Fall!

Pub date: Nov 2 (out now!)
In one sentence: It's Britta's big break: the chance to write about her journey with a body-positive fitness app, but what happens when a coach becomes a friend, and maybe even something more?

Oh I just loved this book! Britta is the MC you want to be best friends with, and I loved that she got romance AND a chance to learn more about herself and grow as a person. I tend to gravitate towards romances that also include self-reflection/personal growth, and this one is a perfect example!

I related to Britta's fitness journey - I'm happy with the body I am in, but that doesn't mean I don't want to take on fitness challenges or gain strength and muscle. It can be hard to focus on those kinds of goals when fitness is so entwined with weight and physical appearance. I think Williams did a great job keeping the book very body-positive and showing exercise as something we do because we love our bodies, not because we hate them and wish they were different.

This is really Britta's story, but Wes is a swoon-worthy partner in it. I loved his balanced approach to training and his desire to help the community. These two face challenges given how they met - but the resolution of the story made a lot of sense and gave me all the warm fuzzies.

Read this book! It's fun, a little steamy, and will make you feel good!

First of all, Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the ARC of The Fastest Way to Fall in exchange for an honest review.

Publishing Date: November 2, 2021

I absolutely loved Denise Williams first book, How to Fail at Flirting, and this one was another one to love. A cute rom-com that touched on some serious topics such as body positivity and alcohol abuse.

I love how much flirty banter Denise puts into her book, and the connection that builds is intense. The Fastest Way to Fall was a friend to lovers with a VERY slow burn, with tons of tension built up along the way.

If you are in a reading rut and in the mood for a feel-good rom-com then this is definitely a book you should pick up, it’s a quick and satisfying read and will leave you feeling proud and happy.