Mitch and Rosie are friends that decide to be each other's fallback if they aren't in a relationship with other people by Christmas. For Rosie, this is an opportunity for her to meet someone to get over Mitch or actually be with him. A funny, friends to lovers romance that makes you believe in the beauty of connection.

I'm not really sure how I feel about this one. I was somewhat invested past the 50% mark, but I wasn't really connecting with the characters throughout the story. As much as I enjoyed reading about successful women, specially on the science field, I felt like the main love interest was the most pretentious character I have read about in a while. I didn't see his appeal at all, not even when we get to know him a little better. Miscommunication is not my favorite trope and although it wasn't the worst scenario I have seen, it was not the best either. Despite not being my favorite book, I have to say that I enjoyed the writing.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!
The fall back was such a cute light romance! This would make a really cute rom-com 😊

-Friends to lovers

The beginning was a bit slow. I loved how you saw the characters grow. But loved the middle and the twist the writer gave toward the end! Would have loved an epilogue on this book to see where their lives ended up! This is 3 stars for me. I’m not mad I read it and I would recommend it to a friend. I will definitely be following for anymore books Eleanor Goymer writes 😊

The Fallback is about Rosie and Mitch, flatmates turned best friends, who eventually make a pact to be each other's fallback in the event they don't find someone special by a certain date. I really enjoyed the cast of supporting characters as many of them were quirky and funny. Unfortunately, the main characters weren't as loveable. Both Rosie and Mitch seemed immature and selfish, despite being professionals in their 30's. Rosie was especially hard for me to like because she seemed overly emotional and unable to handle any issue that arose without guidance or assistance from her friends or family. And Mitch's character seemed to change from confidant, happy, and charming, to aloof and egotistical, to thoughtful and caring. He seemed to be all over the map and I couldn't ever really tell what kind of guy he was. In romance books, I want to love both main characters and cheer them on throughout the book, but that didn't happen in this case. While I appreciated the London setting and the supporting characters, not to mention the beautiful cover, overall the book fell flat for me as I struggled to connect with characters, writing style, or plot.

Thank you to One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was slightly frustrating to read, as while I love the role reversal when it comes to characters tropes, the characters often make choices or have opinions that are confusing or downright annoying. I think it's fine to have an unlikable protagonist, but we have to at least understand why they make the choices they make, which wasn't always evident in The Fallback. It felt very conflicting. The prose was good though, and the core idea is there.

Very cute rom-com about Rosie and Mitch who become flatmates first as Rosie is beginning a new job and needs a place to stay and Mitch needs a roommate. Each go on dates they meet--often online--but they continue to be friends, until one day Mitch suggests they be each other's "fallbacks" if neither of them are married as he assumes they both want children at some point. She agrees, thinking it's a cute and funny idea. As the reader, we go on several disastrous dates with each of them as they ponder what the other will think, but of course deny their own feelings. It's clever, witty and a good romp through dating in the modern world.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I really wanted to like this book. The premise is everything I enjoy, women in stem, romance, best friends to lovers. It should check all the boxes. However the rambling inner monologue and too much dialogue had this book dragging for me.

I loved the idea of Rosie, however Rosie fell flat to me. How could this confident woman with a PhD butcher two weeks worth of data? How does she not notice what email she forwarded? Then how does she just sit around refusing to fix it? She makes a feeble attempt with the data but she chooses lunch with her mom, and a drink with Ben? Overall I was very disappointed in her character.

For a leading man, Mitch was very much absent.

I feel like a dual POV would have been beneficial to this story. Having Mitch confront his feelings about Rosie through a dating discovery with the other women would have been a more compelling story than Rosie’s rambling doubt stricken inner monologue.

DNF at 32% for me. I do not think this was a terrible book, it just did not hold my interest. I was going to stop at 25% but thought I would give it a little bit further. I think it would help if there was dual point of views, or if there was more action between the main characters and less narration.

This book took me a while to get into but once I did, it was great! The characters were so fresh and real. I loved the romance and thought it was such a good romance read. Definitely add this one to your list.

Having a "backup" person is something I only ever see in books, and so the concept is so fun. I loved the friendship between Mitch and Rosie, which made everything feel very natural and well-paced. I don't normally love flashbacks in general, but this was an exception to the rule and were fun.

They have been best friends since college. She came to town to work in the lab and she needed a place to stay. He needed a roommate fast. The first time they met, they instantly clicked together and have been best friends and secretly in love with each other since then.

He has a very unrealistic view of dating and is always with someone, but it never works out. She gave up on dating altogether.

Then he comes up with a crazy idea. They both have to make an effort to date and if they don't find anyone by the time of the Christmas office party, they will get a family together.

The change shakes up their relationship at its core. The more they look around the more obvious it becomes that what they are looking at is at their noses. But the path from best friends to HEA is anything but straightforward.

I liked the characters, the storyline (it's one of my favorite tropes), and the ending... but I had the hardest time connecting to the writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an arc copy of The Fallback by Eleanor Goymer.

I was really intrigued by this book, not least from that lovely colourful cover that just shouts out summer evenings drinking cold ciders whilst watching the sky change colour. Two friends, Rosie and Mitch, who make a pact to find a significant other by Christmas… or be one another’s ‘fallback’ and begin plans to have baby together. However, Rosie has been secretly in love with Mitch for a decade…

Generally I’m not a huge fan of the friends-to-lovers trope, though I have read some good ones recently and wanted to give it a try. This book proved to me exactly why that trope isn’t a favourite. Rosie just looks, quite honestly, a bit pathetic, pining after Mitch, hating his multiple girlfriends that look nothing like her, and giving up on dating entirely. Mitch, meanwhile, isn’t even that likeable. I think he’s regularly insensitive to Rosie’s feelings, and because there weren’t even that many scenes between the two of them, I couldn’t get to know him enough to get to like him.

The pacing is way off in this book too. I started out so interested in Rosie’s job as a scientist, and her family and friends. But then we just saw too much of that part of her life, and too many discussions about Mitch with other people… and not nearly enough time with Mitch himself. I saw zero connection above friend level until about 75% of the way through, and like… that’s a long time to wait when you’re reading a romance novel. Because of this I felt no sparks between them, and couldn’t see the romantic element.

So whilst the concept is a good one, I didn’t much enjoy the execution. Less friends and family time and more Mitch-Time would have elevated it.

If you like a super slow paced romance, you might enjoy this more than I did!

I loved the idea of this and was so excited to sit down and start reading, but I had a hard time getting into it. I loved the flash backs but the rest was a bit of a miss for me.

"The Fallback" by Eleanor Goymer is a delightful debut novel that expertly blends romance and societal expectations. Rosie and Mitch, best friends who agree to be fallbacks for each other in case they don't find partners by Christmas, lead a charming story with a gender-reversed twist on traditional roles. Goymer skillfully navigates their evolving relationship, drawing readers into their world against the backdrop of London. There were some frustrating moments when you just wanted to lock the characters in a room, but overall the book is a heartwarming and engaging read overall.

Thanks to One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to review.

I loved this! Really great to see a super intelligent protagonist who still can’t quite get that one part of her life sorted out, and the complicated feelings about what other people in your life are doing. Thanks for the review copy!

Two best friends made an ill fated pact.  That if either one of them was  not in a happy committed relationship by Christmas they will get together instead. And have a baby! I found the premise somewhat interesting.  Friendship pacts can make a nice romance if done right.  This one was a bit tiring though. My biggest hmm moment was that Rosie was in her mid thirties and was upset at others for not questioning her on her private life. Her family and friends assumed she didn't want marriage or kids. I didn't understand why she was so upset at them. Mitch's pact made her rethink her future with him. What I liked was Rosie's support system that included her best friend that shared my awesome name. And she was a really good friend. Additionally, Rosie had to make hard and heartbreaking decisions, and being surrounded by her support system was wonderful.  I didn't like Mitch. I felt that he made her think that she was his backup plan. And that was not nice. Rosie made several mistakes along the way as well. Both of them were okay together but needed to communicate. The ending was a bit lackluster and I needed more. Overall, the story was a bit underwhelming and pretty predictable. I'm not sure if I would remember this in 6 months time. I received this ARC from the publisher and Netgalley for my honest review.

A rom-com that follows the story of Rosie and Mitch, two best friends who find themselves in an unexpected situation. Rosie has secretly been in love with Mitch for years, but she's never had the courage to tell him. When Mitch offers her a deal that could potentially help her get over him, Rosie sees it as an opportunity she can't pass up. The premise of the book is engaging and relatable, as many readers have likely experienced unrequited love or the fear of ruining a friendship by confessing their feelings. The writing is light-hearted and witty, making it an enjoyable read.

The book explores the concept of a "fallback" person, where two best friends Rosie and Mitch agree to be each other's fallback if they don't find "the one" by Christmas. A plot line that I found very intriguing which was initially drew me into wanting to read this book in the first place. It is a slow burn, albeit a fun read nonetheless, with a unique plotline and likable side characters!

The author does a great job of examining life in your 30s, with Rosie being ambivalent about having children and Mitch being the romantic who wants to settle down, offering a reversal of traditional gender roles, with Rosie being unsure about settling down and having children while Mitch wanting the exact opposite, a dynamic that was I found interesting to see come into fruition and the way it was executed I really appreciated. Besides that, I also loved how the author so perfectly explored societal expectations and the hardships that comes with it about dating in your 30s.

However, I also found the relationship between Rosie and Mitch could be lacking sometimes, some problems that they had could really easily be resolved with better communication. I can see why the flashbacks that were included in the book could seem repetitive to some readers but personally I was okay with it.
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Overall, it was a good read and I’d definitely recommend it to readers who’d want a fun, easy and a quick read!

Thank you to Netgally and HarperCollin Uk for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I adored this!! What a cute and heartwarming story! Loved it so much I stayed up late reading it. I was captivated by the characters,writing and the plot. It was exactly what I needed right now. I enjoyed this immensely and loved how relatable it felt at times . I would wholeheartedly recommend this book. Can't wait to read more by this author. I especially recommend this to readers that love friends to lovers trope.It was perfect! 5 stars!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review"

Rosie and Mitch have been best friends for years. Now that they're 30 Mitch is ready to settle down and have a family but can't find the right woman. He decides him and Rosie should be each others fallback plan if they're not in serious to be married relationships by Christmas.

-flatmates
-friends to lovers
-3rd person POV

Thank you NetGalley, One more chapter/Harper Collins UK for the ARC!