Will and Lexi are interesting, complex characters. The path to their HEA is full of twist and turns and is entertaining to read. I enjoyed these them as a couple and individuals. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment.
This is a perfect book for fall. I could not put the book down once I began reading it.
A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I dove right into this book. It wasn't hard as Will and Lexi grabbed from the beginning with their meet cute.

Lexi and Will were both complex characters. Lexi has dealt with a lot of loss and grief. Will has a lot of weight on his shoulders. I liked that they were a great support for each other.

This book was fantastic and I cannot wait for Sophie's next book!

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martins Press, and Sophie Sullivan for the e-ARC of this book. This review is my own opinion.

I’ve been wondering how to rate this. I think it’s an overall 3.5 for me but 4 is too high of a ranking so settling on 3.

The story is about Lexi who’s an ex runner currently struggling through life. Things aren’t great for her as her mother is depressed after her father passed away making Lexi the adult in the house. She attempts to work on several jobs and one day meets Will in her job as a waitress. A couple of her high school friends come to the restaurant and Will agrees to fake date her to save her face in front of her friends. Little does Lexi know that he’s the most eligible bachelor from a wealthy business family. The story proceeds on how their fake dating ends up being not really fake anymore.

This book started well. I was really into the story initially. But along the way I got bored. Finishing the latter half of the book was a chore. I did not really care for the FMC and MMC and the mother of the FMC got really annoying. The story is slow and lacks that spark that keeps me hooked till the end. I do however feel that this could possibly be an enjoyable read to some others. I will pick up works from the author in the future as this is my first book from them.

Thank you to the publishers for a finished copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

This was a cute fake engagement/Cinderella-y romance.

I really liked the progression of the romance. How Will was pursuing Lexi. How he encouraged her and supported her. How he pushed her to believe in herself and understand that no one has everything completely together.

I also liked the family stories - both Will’s and Lexi’s. The way Lexi is supporting her mother and they figure out how to move forward after loss. Then with Will the way they manage the family business and have conversations about who to love.

This book was cute and sweet. There were some funny moments too. Would recommend if you want an easy, enjoyable read.

When Will saves Lexi from an awkward social situation, their meet cute turns into a fake engagement that quickly spirals from there.
They were supposed to pretend for just one night but now that everyone thinks they're in love, they might as well date and give into their attraction for each other.
We loved this spin to the fake dating trope! Instead of pretending there were no feelings (or potential for feelings), they just went for it. Why pretend when we all know they will eventually end up together. That doesn't mean that it was smooth sailing for Lexi and Will and that's what kept us reading!
Both Lexi and Will put family first and never stopped to take some time to look out for themselves until they met each other. We loved the genuine relationship they formed and how their families brought some drama to the whole scheme.
It's the perfect read to get you in the fall mood with its spicy Hallmark vibes that will make you smile and blush at the same time!

Read if you like:
• Fake engagement
• Opposites attract
• Friends to lovers
• He falls first
• Cozy fall romance

A nice feel good meet cute love story. This tale honestly didn’t have the extra drama in it that can make so many of these stories feel overly dramatic. It was a nice change not to have the two main characters changing their minds every other chapter.
If you’re looking for a straight forward and fast meet cute this is for you.
I received a ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

This was such a fun autumn romance! I loved these characters, and I enjoyed getting to spend time in their world.

Can't Help Falling In Love
by Sophie Sullivan
5/5 stars

This book is so special. The chemistry between Lexi and Will is amazing right from the start. The author nails that anxious server vibe, which made me feel a bit frazzled too!

Their fake dating turns into a fake engagement in such a fun way. Watching them grow together—especially Lexi with her mom—is super heartwarming. Lexi learns to love herself, and the character growth is great.

This is a cute closed door fake engagement romance with all the cozy vibes of fall. Snuggle into your favorite sweater and a pumpkin spice latte while you enjoy Lexi's epically bad waitressing, her meet cute with Will, the misunderstanding that leads to faking it, and all the feels of a slow burn friends to lovers relationship. Great character development with relatable fun characters. This is a great book to get you in the fall mood.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a surprisingly emotional fake relationship romance that also deals with themes of grief, family, and the weight of expectations.

Lexi's life took a turn for the dramatic a few years ago and she feels like she's barely holding it together as she scrambles to take care of a grieving mom, an aging house, an almost there degree, all while juggling two jobs. She is full of grit and determination, but her self esteem is at an all time low, and at the ripe old age of 25 she feels like life has passed her by.

If that sounds a little ridiculous to you, you're not alone, but push through and you remember how overwhelming it all felt to be mid twenties when it looked like everyone else has their life together. Once you slip back into that mindset, this book comes together like a comfortable old friend.

We have a handsome hero, his pushy parents, his meddling siblings, and supportive friends on both sides. We have lies and half truths and the (somewhat) slowly dawning realisation that this fake relationship doesn't feel that fake. We have a heroine who rescues herself and the man who gives her the push to do so. (we also have a bit of insta love, some loose plot ends, one glaring continuity error, and a boatload of sage wisdom just when Lexi needs it most)

If you enjoy fake relationships with just a little more emotional heft, I think you'll like this book. I know I did!

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

A fab read, the story of Lexi and Will. A fake dating romance, told from both points of view. Each with their own reasons, but what about when real feelings get involved?

What a dreamy fun romance. I loved the meet cute and how awkward the characters were at times. I did feel like they were much younger in my head than they actually were supposed to be in the book but that’s okay. I liked Lexi finding herself and learning so much about the way you can still stumble through your 20s without being a failure. I liked the friendships Lexi made along the way and I really liked her relationship with Will. I also loved Lexi’s mom’s glow up. I did feel like Will’s issues with his parents got resolved a little too quickly in my opinion. This is also closed door so know that going in! I also feel like there were a few cliches thrown in but overall, it was still a great fun fall romance.

This book is the perfect fall cozy read. I absolutely loved reading this and all the feelings were there! I plan on rereading this again this fall to experience it all over again! Great book!

This is the first book by the author that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the initial awkward meet cute, to the fake dating, to the friends to lovers. Will and Lexie are perfect for one another and an example of opposites attracting. I was rooting for them to make it since the moment they met.

There was quite a lot standing in the way of these two and their happy ending. The death of a parent and trying to cope with everything after. Working with family and the criticism that comes along with that. Judgmental, meddling family members who don't know when to stop. I felt for everything these two beautiful people had to go through and the obstacles in the way of them being happy together.

On top of absolutely loving everything about these two, the side characters were great too. Maisie, Lexie's best friend, was everything a BFF should be: supportive, funny, and someone who isn't afraid of telling you the truth no matter how much it hurts. I really hope the author writes her a book next!! Might I suggest with Ethan, Will's best friend.

Overall, I really enjoyed this cute, easy to read book with characters you can't help but to fall in love with!

Can't Help Falling in Love was a joy to read! The storyline was engaging, and the characters were endearing.

I adored the meet cute moment between Lexi and Will, and the fake relationship that soon became something very real was developed at a perfect pace. This is a closed door romance, so there are no spicy scenes, but the author did a great job at creating their chemistry. As a reader, I could sense their attraction, and I easily invested in the outcome of their journey.

All in all, this was a delightfully charming romcom. It has the perfect vibes for a fun Fall read.

______
**Complimentary copy for review provided by St. Martin's Press. All opinions expressed here are honest and entirely my own.

**TW/CW: grief, depression, loss of a parent (past)

Genre-
Romcom
Romance (Closed Door)

Tropes-
Fake Dating
CFO Hero
Supportive Hero

This was my first Sophie Sullivan and I was pleasantly surprised even with the minimal spice. I am giving it a 4/5 star rating because it was a well done book, even if it wasn't completely my cup of tea.

This quote spoke to my soul:
“Therapy is for everyone. Broken, glued back together, sagging in the middle, whatever.”

Pick this one up if you enjoy:
◾ Adorable meet cute
◾ Friends to lovers
◾ Not your typical marriage of convenience
◾ Opposites



Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy.

OBSESSED. I could not put this down! I procrastinated chores, waited until the last minute to leave my apartment when I needed to and stayed up too late last night because I couldn’t stop reading about Will and Lexi!

I adore Will. He was such a great person and the way he told Lexi what a great person she is and that she needs to accept compliments, was so wonderful.

Lexi feels like she is failing at life because she hasn’t hit the milestones she expected to hit and that she thinks everyone else is hitting; getting engaged, married, having kids, having a career, having a house, etc. Old friends of hers from high school come into the restaurant where she works as a waitress and things get awkward because Lexi doesn’t want them to know that she hasn’t “made it” in life. Enter Will.

Read for:
Meet cute
Dual POV
Fake engagement
He falls first
closed door
A game of truth or treat (IYKYK)
Fall vibes
supportive MMC

Parts of this book felt like there was too much detail but other parts felt like there wasn't enough? Overall it was a fun and quick read with lovable characters, but something about it didn't fully gel with my tastes.

Title: Can't Help Falling in Love
Author: Sophie Sullivan
Length: 304
Format: ebook arc
Pub Date: Sep 17 2024
Genre: Romance
Rating Out of 5: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Spice Level: closed door
Summary:
Lexi Danby, a former college track star juggling school, work, and caring for her mother, is looking for some carefree fall fun. After a chance encounter with charming Will Grand, their first date leads to an unexpected fake engagement. Will, heir to a major company, needs to appear settled for a business deal, and Lexi agrees to keep up the pretense. As they navigate his glamorous world and cozy autumn adventures, Lexi starts to wonder if the scariest part of fall might be taking a chance on real love.

Thoughts:
Sophie has done it again with another super cute romance for us! I always love a good fake dating trope, and this one didn't disappoint. Will and Lexie are so adorable, and I fell in love with them just as easily as they fell in love with each other. Fair warning: there is an aggravating third-act break up, BUT I do think it was essential to the B storyline of her mom's growth. Super easy read- highly recommend!

Special thanks to the @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

Can't Help Falling in Love is a sweet romance following two characters who get themselves in a fake engagement scenario. I enjoyed some of the comedic lines, but I struggled with pacing/plot. I think this was too cupcake sweet for me, and I'm wondering if I need some sort of therapy for saying that. Overall an enjoyable read and perfect for fans of low conflict, sweet romances.

I received an ARC from St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.