I have utterly loved every one of Sophie Sullivan’s books. Her characters have a way of leaving a mark on my literary loving soul. Unfortunately, Lexi and Will did not leave such a mark.

Maybe I’m not the target audience for this book. At 36, I’m tired about reading about 25 year olds thinking they’ll never fall in love and find happiness then BAM Insta-love/fake engagement with the hot millionaire whose table they’re waitressing for. While others may find this sweet and adorable, I prefer other tropes. Mostly, though, I enjoyed Lexi finding her passion again for life and for running the better love story. I enjoyed her finding her way again after her father's death, as well as her mother coming out of her grief journey.

I enjoyed this book! I found the characters and their banter fun, and I thought the fake-engagement was a different twist on the fake-dating trope. The story was lighthearted, but still had growth and character development, which I appreciated. I thought some things were glossed over a little in the beginning, but they came together nicely in the end so I understand why the information was spaced out as it was. Even with that, I will definitely be picking up some of her other books.

I had a very difficult time getting into this book with it being written in third person and unfortunately was unable to finish it. I did enjoy the overall story but it would be better suited for a reader that enjoys third person story telling.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and St. Martin's Griffith for this advanced copy! You can pick up Can't Help Falling in Love on September 17, 2024.

Fake dating and an almost marriage of convenience sound right up my alley, so I was sure I'd love this one! But unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the main character, and the writing was not for me, so I put this one down. I know others will love the humor and romance in this one, especially if they're fake dating/billionaire romance fans!

Thank you so much Net Galley and St. Martins for the eARC opportunity, I always love providing feedback after my reading.

This book was okay. This is a friends to lovers novel, and typically I do enjoy books that follow along this storyline. I felt that Will and Lexi’s restaurant meet cute was fun…customer x server there’s always bound to be some good laughs, but the fact that the first 25% of the book is their meet cute that later goes into the night where they attend a party together and are a fake couple made the book kind of drag on. The progression of the story just didn’t seem to flow that well. Lexi being in her mid to late twenties her personality and character traits made her seem much younger. I felt that there was no time to actually get to know the characters before the scandal of their relationship status hits the air. It just seemed that it was all too unrealistic. I really wanted to love this one, but I sometimes struggle with fully becoming immersed in third person writing style.

Can’t Help Falling In Love is a twist on the typical fake dating trope where the couple are in a real relationship but the seriousness of it is what’s fake. While the take on the trope was new, at least to me, I’m not totally sold on it. It almost felt like the climax of the story happened at the start, with Lexie and Will getting together from the jump. This also made the resulting insta-love even more glaringly obvious. None of that is necessarily what made me drop my rating to four stars, though.

The docked star came from Lexie in particular. She’s a hard worker, she’s smart, she’s beautiful, and she doesn’t know it. Her extremely low level of confidence is off-putting as the third act rolls around, and for someone so adamant about her mother seeking therapy for her father’s passing, she should take her own advice and get help, too.

Overall, though, Can’t Help Falling In Love is a refreshing take on the fake dating trope, and if you can see past the insta-love and mildly frustrating female main character, it’s an enjoyable one, too.

A waitress fumbles her way into an accidental romance when her past meets her present and a customer steps in to save the day. Before she knows it, she’s fake engaged to one of Seattle’s most eligible bachelors and liking it.

I laughed a lot while reading this meet-cute rom-com from Sophie Sullivan. I have to admit that carrying soup is not easy and I totally bonded with Lexi about the burns. I have also tripped while walking and carrying food (smh). I didn’t forget what a person ordered, but I did deliver it to the wrong table. (chuckle) I took a waitressing job for tips too, then found out that the company didn’t allow the waitresses to get tips. Yeah. (smh)

Can’t Help Falling In Love gives us both main characters point of view which is great because hearing Will’s thoughts too made the romance even sweeter and hotter. There is lots of heat, but the good stuff happens off page. Family plays an important part in the story for both characters. There is a parental death, but it happened a few years before and the book showcases how it still impacts Lexi’s family today. For Will, the pressures of living up to legacy and expectations are showcased. I love the closeness with his sisters, sugar-coated sweetness.

Lexi has a self-esteem journey throughout Falling which is important. We all at some point fall down and Sullivan depicts Lexi’s reaction from all-star to her present. Where Lexi feels she is and how others perceive her. It’s very relatable.

I love this story. I laughed a lot. I love the romance and banter between Lexi and Will. The secondary cast is fun. This is your Fall read for romance.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me this Arc to review with my honest opinion.
This is a sweet, YA book that has closed door romance and just is here for the good vibes so don’t come into this thinking you’ll find any spice because this is not the place.
This was a perfect cozy book that really was so heart warming and sweet. It touches on grief and loss and the obstacles in overcoming and finally getting closure.
Will was a complete gentleman and so sweet and enduring.
I also really liked the FMC Lexi. The little nods and references throughout the book were like finding cute little Easter eggs, the incredibles couple, the reading and writing romance novels, etc.
would recommend to a friend:)
Favourite quotes:
You do what you love and everything else follows. You live life with your heart. It’s got nothing to do with other peoples perceptions.

As a relatively new romance reader, I was one the hunt for stories with an autumnal feel when I stumbled on this title. Red leaves on the cover? Check. Subtle Elvis lyric for title? Of course. A promise of fake dating, which is a trope I’m quite fond of? Sold.

With a meet-cute straight out of a early 2000’s rom com, be prepared to cringe in the first moments our lead not-great-waitress, Lexi, hurdles into the orbit of wealthy, successful, and charming Will. The rest of the novel converts that cringe to sheer charm with characters you can’t help but root for, against the ‘ber month background that makes everything just slightly more cozy. Grief, fear of commitment, and class differences provide necessary conflict to a sweet romance.

There were a few issues that kept this from being the perfect romance for me. While Lexi felt like a rounded character, I wanted more depth and flaws from Will. The world, while painting the broad strokes of autumnal settings and activities, often lacked the detail I wanted, the setting and scene. Pacing was something I struggled with. I’m also learning that class differences aren’t my favorite forms of fictional conflict (which is completely subjective to me as a reader), so bear that in mind if your tastes are similar.

While I’ll still be looking for a perfect fall romance, this one is well worth a few hours, an apple-pie scented candle, and a blanket to read under as the leaves change and weather turns.

Review to be posted Tuesday, September 3rd to @madthoreads on Instagram and The Storygraph

While I have enjoyed other stories by Sophie Sullivan, this one just wasn’t it for me. The pacing and story felt very clunky and off. Going from meeting to engaged felt super rushed and I felt Lexi and Will lacked chemistry.
This story covered some tougher themes including grief, family struggles and relationships. I got so frustrated with Lexi not being able to have a proper conversation with her mom Gwen about their financial state and her needing to seek help to deal with the grief of losing her husband when it happened 3 years prior. Finally Gwen starts to seek help and does a complete 180 in like 50 pages. Very rushed.
Thank you the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lexi is a struggling waitress who entered into a fake engagement with Will through a misunderstanding. Will is eager to keep up the pretense to assure his traditional business partners that he values family.

I love Lexi and Will. Their initial meeting was so cute. I like how the issue was grief of a loved one was handled. Terrific chemistry between the leads. Delightful comedic scenes.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Can't Help Falling in Love follows Lexi, a struggling waitress and Will, the heir to a major Seattle company. Lexi was once a promising track athlete who was building a name for herself and breaking records everywhere. When her father passes away, she decided to drop out of college and help her mother who is struggling with grief. Now trying to finish her degree, get her mother out of the house, and take care of the debts her father left behind, Lexi is working two jobs and barley making it by. On top of that, she sucks at waitressing. When old friends walk into the restaurant that she works in, Lexi decides to fake having her life together, and sits down with one of her customers, Will. Will is heir to a major company and is doing everything in his power to stop is mother from setting him up. When Lexi sits down at his table, he finds her to be charming. In many ways it is an insta-love situation. However, Lexi is terrified of having to potentially face the grief that her mother has been dealing with and has sworn off love. But where there is a miscommunication and word gets out that Lexi and Will are engaged, the two decide to play along. However, the danger of fake relationships are when lines start to blur and things start to feel real.

There are two different ways to look at this book, which is what makes Sullivan such a masterful romance author. On one hand it is your average romance book, with a dash of insta-love, and a fake engagement trope, which is a fan favorite. I do love Will and Lexi together, they bring out the best in each other. I like that while they fall for each other quickly, they are not instantly a couple. Will falls first, Lexi is scared. Its a good romance. But I would encourage readers to take the romance out of this book when reflecting on it. Sullivan is masterful at character development and having the characters go through really difficult situations in a way that feels relatable. Can't Help Falling in Love is a story about grief, about self=growth and acceptance, about standing up for yourself and setting boundaries with those whom you love. A major theme in this book is that life might not always go as planned, but that does not mean this new path is any less beautiful. Romance readers will enjoy this book, but I truly think those who will love it the most are those who like to watch their characters grow from situations that are relatable and those who like books that send a message.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin, Sophie Sullivan, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of Can't Help Falling in Love in exchange for my honest review.

Can't Help Falling in Love by Sophie Sullivan is the perfect read to kick off your autumn! The book's fall setting is more than just a backdrop to the story; it creates the warm, cozy atmosphere for love to bloom in this fake relationship/rich suitor tale.. The story is full of complex relationships and touches on topics of grief, self-esteem, family dynamics, and self-actualization. A sweet rom-com with just a hint of spice and a happy ending to warm you up this fall!

This one had me hooked from the start! As soon as I started reading this one, I couldn’t wait to get more of the story and characters. It was truly such a fun and enjoyable read, I think this is my favorite Sophie Sullivan books so far!

This was a rather sweet Cinderella story with poor, struggling Lexi ending up faking a betrothal with the rich, attractive bachelor, Will Grand. I usually don’t really enjoy fake betrothal stories. It always seems so contrived no matter the efforts of the author to try to make the reasons for the phony romance seem realistic. At least in this novel, the protagonists acknowledge the problem. They tell each other that their fake story is better because they are using the story as an opportunity to get to know each other better and explore if their mutual attraction can grow into something stronger.

I like that the side characters are mostly supportive. Lexi is suffering from a lot of insecurities and is embarrassed to encounter friends who knew her when she was younger and had a bright future ahead of her before her father died and she had to work to save the family finances and help her mother who was in a deep depression. It turns out that her old friends weren’t mean girls and legitimately liked her for who she is.

Everything looks like it is working out for her until her own securities get in the way. She’s the one who needed to get some counseling, not just her mother. It almost seems that this mini-crisis arises mostly so that the author could insert the obligatory crisis that all romance novels seem to need before the HEA can be reached.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I liked this one!

At 25, Lexi is not where she expected to be. Years after losing her father, she feels stuck. She's working the same job as high school, hasn't finished college, is struggling to wait tables as a second job, and her mom is stuck in her grief. When her high school friends walk into the patio where she's waiting tables, she can't handle that they might see where she's landed, so she sits down at the table of one of her guests, Will.

Will is tired of his society mother trying to find him a wife. When Lexi plops down at his table and says they are dating, he can think of worse things. When a miscommunication lands them in the newspaper as engaged, they run with it.

Sullivan takes the fake dating trope and spins it a bit. Yes, Will and Lexi's engagement is fake, but they decide to date for real, falling in love as they get to know each other. Will sees the good in Lexi, even when she can't see it herself, and that's one of my favorite microtropes.

While I think the third act upheaval is a bit rushed, I really flew through the first half of this book and felt that the two characters were written to have strong chemistry. There are a handful of side characters in this one that I'm hopeful we'll see again, as well!

* Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! *

This was a cute one! Definitely a quick read for the fall. There were moments that seemed forced and cliche, but I enjoyed the overall theme that life doesn’t necessarily turn out the way you had once pictured it would, but it’s the way you deal with the journey that says the most about you. Also, people only highlight the good things in their lives - remember that!

I couldn’t put this book down. I love a good meet cute. I really enjoyed getting the perspective of Will & Lexie. Hope there’s another book with these characters.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! I Can’t Help Falling in Love with this meet cute fall romance! The fake engagement between the two main characters was done very well, nice low stakes. MMC is obsessed with taking the FMC out on real dates and getting to know her, not just for the fake engagement.
FMC has a lot of personal issues with how she views herself and her confidence. MMC is snotty rich family, who don’t like his pore fiancée. Both come to realize the other is worth it and to let themselves be happy.
Overall it’s a nice fall read.

I am a sucker for a fun meet cute and this one grabbed my attention from the first chapter. Lexi and Will meets at the restaurant where she works and somehow ends up being in a fake engagement. Will happens to be one of the most eligible bachelor in Seattle while Lexi works multiple jobs and lives with her mom.

Their chemistry is intense and agree to help each other out. I love how they formed a friendship. Will is the cinnamon MC that you love that is accepting, sweet and not only took care of Lexi but her mom as well.

I adored Will's sisters, grandparents and best friend, they added so much to the story.

This story is not only about finding love but rekindling lost friendships and dealing with grief.

Thank you @smpromance for a copy of this.