When Rosie's best friend Mitch decides they should be each other's "if we're still single by ____" she couldn't very well say no since she's been in love with him for forever, right?

This is such a fun premise, but unfortunately that's the extent of things I enjoyed about this book. It had such fun promise, but ultimately fell very flat. The reader doesn't really get to see why she fell for him in the first place, they're fighting for most of the book (because, shocked they're dating other people prior to "the fallback" deadline, and they're both unable to admit their jealous), there's a high number of side stories that take away from getting to see the two MCs interact much, and there is literally no romance (like not even angst or pining, which given the plot, it should have been present) until 85%. In addition, there was a friend break up and a 3rd act conflict and to top it off, a verrrrry abrupt resolution and ending. While I was looking forward to this story, there wasn't really anything to root for as far as the main characters went and I think that's what ultimately left me disappointed in this one. Others may enjoy it, again promising premise, but it just wasn't for me.


Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for my review!

I’m sad to say that this book missed the mark for me. The blurb, the title and the setup is what really got me interested - but the writing and both MC’s personalities is what made put me off.

I appreciated Rosie’s background (woman in STEM) and that there was a role reversal - SHE was the one that was unsure about a relationship, I didn’t feel a connection to her and felt like she wasn’t someone who could stand on her own.
Mitch just made me angry - I felt like he made Rosie feel less than she was, and expected her to mold to his view and his wants on some occasions. Maybe a POV from him might have helped.

Plot line- Good friends Mitch and Rosie make a pact - if they haven’t found their soulmates by Christmas, they’ll get together and plan a future. Nothing can do wrong with something planned right?

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked the idea of this book more than the actual book itself unfortunately. the two main characters were not particularly pleasant and the fact that the story was set across ten years made it fairly unbelievable. I finished it to see what happened at the end but did end up skimming the final few chapters as I got a bit bored with the backwards and forwards aspect of it.

The Fallback is a cute romance read and perfect for the fans of the friends-to-lovers books and if you're interested about the idea of being someone's "fallback".

I was really curious by the concept of a "fallback" person and it was interesting to read it but I think it needed two stronger characters and maybe there should have been more communication between the two characters!

For me it was a 3 star read overall because it was relatable and at times romantic with great themes but I needed more it was good but it could have been a great read!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollin UK and One more chapter for providing me with an eARC of The Fallback in return for my honest opinion.

This was such a frustrating read for me. Two main characters who don't tell how they feel for many years. I didn't like how Mich and Rosie interacted. Their relationship didn't feel healthy, since all seemed to be focussed on Mitch. I didn't enjoy this book and only finished it because I was reviewing it for NetGalley.

I would like to that the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. I struggled with this book. It just wasn't for me, maybe I'm the wrong age group for this book.

This had everything that would normally make me absolutely adore a book, but it unfortunately was a miss for me.

Feeling like it’s time to get settled down, Mitch asks his bestfriend Rosie to be each other’s fallback if they both fail to find “the one” by Christmas.

From the very beginning, it felt to me like it was dragging. I also didn’t really care for either of the main characters, which made it way harder to get through this. I feel like we got way too much of Rosie, and absolutely nothing about Mitch, when I feel like a double POV could’ve been interesting here.

I do think it had its good moments and others might actually really enjoy this, but unfortunately it just fell flat for me.


Many thanks to One More Chapter & Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

While on paper this seems like a book I would like, mutual pinning, friends to lovers, and falling for the fallback, unfortunately I was not a big fan of this book. The mutual pinning was very frustrating in this, as it was over the course of 10 years. I also found the characters both to be very flat, I did not connect with either of them. I will end by giving a Kudos to the author for her first novel being published, which is incredible.

‘The Fallback’ by Eleanor Goymer is an interesting romance novel in which academic Rosie, who works in a clinical trials lab at a London university and is in her mid-thirties, agrees with her best friend Mitch that they will be each other’s “fallback” if neither of them meet “The One”. Complications and emotions ensue as Rosie reflects on her ambitions, resurrects her dating app profiles and tries not to let her preoccupation with figuring out her feelings impact her work.

I really enjoyed the fact that Rosie worked in STEM and the realism of the different paths Mitch and Rosie took after their PhDs (industry - journalism - for him and academia for her). Rosie’s colleague Nadia and her family, including her sister-in-law Jasmine, were excellent characters full of compassion, flaws and enthusiasm who provided a wonderful support network for Rosie. I also think the exploration of the disappointments of modern dating and the introspection about the right time to settle down and have children made the novel meaningful and thought-provoking.

I questioned some of Rosie’s decisions and wanted to scream at her near the end of the book when she behaved so passively in a situation that should have sparked quick action! I also wish that we’d heard Mitch’s point of view as without his side of the story, I didn’t warm to him at all and thought he was pretty inconsiderate at times… making it difficult to root for the central couple!

This felt like a three star read for me overall - relatable and at times wonderfully romantic with great themes of the importance of a support network, but without the loveable lead characters that would have elevated the novel and given me butterflies.

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Harper Collins, One More Chapter via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I love a romance but this just wasn’t it. I found it full of too much drama & the characters were incredibly toxic. They were immature & I just couldn’t connect with them. Mitch’s character and personality was all over the show! One minute he was caring & happy, the next he was really egotistical.

When it comes to this one, my heart and head are competing.

It follows friends Rosie and Mitch and their back-up plan: if the two are still unable to find their soulmate in four months, they'll settle down together and have a baby. An absolutely fun premise, but from the get-go I was hesitant of Mitch. And it didn't really improve.

While I did feel their connection, especially with the mix of flashbacks showcasing their friendship, I didn't think this was an especially healthy romantic relationship. Everything seemed to revolve around Mitch and his desires, with Rosie sort of just adjusting her mindset to match. On top of that, their communication was terrible.

Having said that, it was definitely entertaining. I loved the incorporation of Rosie's career—she's a woman in STEM! And the writing was truly wonderful, super fast paced and engaging. Even though this wasn't a total win, I would not hesitate to read from this author again.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to review this!
I would give this a solid 2.5-3 stars. I do love a friends to lovers trope, a 'fallback' pact is just so fun, and UK based writing is my absolute favorite. There's something spectacular about British banter. I'm also a PhD myself, so seeing Rosie's career develop in research was interesting.
I didn't think the chemistry between Mitch and Rosie was really all that strong, so for me this was just ok. I found myself skimming a lot to get to the 'good' part and then just not feeling as connected to their Happily Ever After as I should be. Good, but not great.

The premise of this book was really interesting to me. Rosie, unsure of settling down and having kids, getting persuaded into a friendship-pact that if neither find the "one" they would have a baby together. Obviously, this doesn't work out as planned, and the miscommunication trope was big in this one. I loved how Rosie's character develops and seeing her friendships and support system dynamics. Mitch, to me, seemed like he did genuinely have feelings for Rosie but in hiding so, made her feel second place to others. And I didn't love that. Overall, really liked the book and characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing me with this e-arc.

2.5 stars
I wanted to love this book, but it fell short for me. It progressed too slowly, the characters didn’t have a ton of development, and I just couldn’t get into it.

I really wanted to love The Fallback, it seemed like it would definitely but something I enjoyed, but unfortunately just didn't work for me and I didn't connect well with the characters

This book was very cute and enjoyable but nothing special.

The main characters, Rosie & Mitch, were both adorable. Especially Mitch. Their miscommunication for so many years, while understandable, seemed so silly in the end. They're both adults, in professional jobs, yet they can't be honest with each other??

It all comes together in the end, of course, but I think so much more could've been done with the story and characters.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

In Eleanor Goymer's delightful romantic comedy, "The Fallback," the lines between friendship and love blur for Rosie and Mitch as they navigate a unique pact to find their soulmates. This charming novel is a perfect read for fans of Mhairi McFarlane and Sophie Kinsella, offering a whirlwind of emotions and plenty of laughs

This was a friends to lovers story. Although the book is well written and I liked the author’s style I and not sure I connected with the two leads enough to get invested in their love story. More interactions between them through the story would have probably sold me on it. 3 🌟

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were very complex and the setting was gorgeous. I loved the little details, to me they really make the story. I would definitely recommend!

dnf 39% in and then skimmed the ending.

Nothing happened. The 114 pages I read could easily have been cut down to 60. It might just be me being too impatient for this book, idk. 39% in and Rosie still have not gone on a date with someone. Everything just dragged, it was way too slow paced for me. I usually don’t have a problem with owd or omd but if one of the mc’s sleep with someone else? Immediately no. And I’m not sure about this since I didn’t keep reading but it seemed like the mmc had sex with someone else 40% in. If it get’s worse? No idea.

I did not like Mitch at all. He didn’t pay any attention to the fmc, what she wanted or what she said. How she reacted to things he said went completely unnoticed by him. He assumed she wanted a child even though she’d never said she does. He didn’t know things about her he should have known as her best friend of many years. His personality was that of an overeager puppy trying every trick in the book to get the piece of candy.

Rosie was a moron. Like the most insanely stupid and selfish person ever. You’re telling me a grown woman considers having a baby with her best friend just so they’ll always have some sort of relationship? My girl is not even sure she wants kids. EVER. Willingly having a baby you don’t even know whether you want or not is so absurd I don’t even know what to say.

I was not a fan of this. It was well written though.