Lexi Danby is looking for some no-strings, fall fun. Will Grand is heir to a major company, and Seattle’s most eligible bachelor. What happens when they get put in a fake engagement by mistake and can't get out of it? This is a fake dating, friends to lover's romance. What happens when things stop feeling fake and start feeling real. This is a cute contemporary romance, I absolutely loved it.

MY THOUGHTS: This was my first book by Sophie Sullivan and I’m officially a fan! I loved her writing and her characters. Lexi and Will had the most unlikely yet sweetest relationship. I was rooting for them to work it out despite the obstacles and meddling family members in their way.

Read for:
💍 Fake Engagement but Real Dating
💖 Meet Cute
🔗 Opposites Attract
🌀 He Falls First
🍂 Fall vibes!
🚪 Closed Door Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Spice Level: 🧼 Squeeky Clean

I received an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) of this book.

This may be my first book from Sophie Sullivan, but it won't be my last. Sophie delivers on a fake engagement where one character has it all together and the other, well, she is doing the best she can.

Lexi and Will don't seem to have any problems convincing people they are now engaged! People didn't even know Will, a high profile Seattleite was dating, let alone engagement ready. As the story unfolds Will and Lexi learn a lot about themselves, their families, and what they need to do to be happy.

A quick and easy read that makes you root for that happy ending we all crave in a rom-com!

This really did have such a good portrayal of grief, alongside a fun romance. This is my second book by this author, and I did not love the first one. I liked this one more. I think there were some pacing things that made it feel somewhat repetitive, but it also felt more realistic than many romances! A good fun read.

3.5 stars! I really enjoyed the pairing of lexi and will! This book was heartwarming and a great book to start my fall romance reads.

The mixture of romance was perfectly blended with discussions of grief. Lexi was beginning to frustrate me at the end but overall i liked her character and will as well (he’s so sweet im in love). Sometimes the book can feel a bit slow but overall their chemistry was able to keep me reading! Thank you netgalley and st. martin's press for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie Sullivan has a way of writing cute and wholesome love stories! Fake dating is not one of my favorite tropes but I enjoyed the unfolding on this romance, it had me rooting for them. Sullivan always finds a way to add more “life” ongoing into her stories as well and I was touched by the grief aspect of it as well. Overall just a good story with a well rounded plot.

“And as far as second dates go, getting engaged is unique.”

Ever since her father died three years ago, Lexi has felt like her life has been on hold and she's been trying to catch her breath. A high-school track star who got a full ride to college, she had to drop out a while to help her grieving mother. Working two jobs and selling her dad's business has finally got her caught up on the bills, leaving her just enough to pay tuition on the three classes she needs to graduate at twenty-five years old. Life is starting to settle until she runs into some old high-school friends and doesn't want them to know Alexandria The Great is waitressing. Lexie suddenly finds herself “dating” the cute and flirty customer who turns out to be Will, Seattle's most eligible bachelor and the man who just might be able to get her to risk her heart.

No strings. Just a break from regularly scheduled programming.

This turned out to be a super cute and sweet “fake engagement” but not dating romance. I'm an angst monster but I appreciated how, even though Lexi's mother and herself to a certain extent, were still dealing with grief, it's more towards them finally being able to breathe through the loss. The majority of this was getting to watch Lexi and Will sweetly fall in love and it was so enjoyable. Will grew up rich, with his grandfather's business but he's sick of his mother pushing society women on him, he finds Lexi's realness refreshing and I thought their chemistry was evident in how they played off of each other. The first half of this had me grinning and getting that warm feeling in my heart as Will tries not to push Lexi too hard, she wants to keep things casual as she thinks her life is too busy for her to take time for herself, thinks she's not good enough for Will, and after seeing how her father's death wrecked her mother, is afraid to let herself love. Will, for his part is instantly charmed by Lexi and is trying to keep the outside forces, his family, gossip papers, at bay so that he can get to know Lexi. They were pretty much together from the beginning with Lexi's reluctance having her drag her feet a bit.

Will’s gaze was locked on Lexi. “Lexi.” Despite the chaos swirling in her head and her gut, she took a moment to drink him in. She hadn’t imagined those gorgeous, intense eyes or the wide set of his shoulders. He looked like GQ personified in his dark suit, lightly pin-striped tie. His hair was a little mussed from the wind and she had vivid images of mussing it another way.

I loved the first half of this but the second started to pop in too many tangents, this was at it's best when Lexi and Will were together. Will had some family business drama (the merger with the bad reputation son felt useless after it fizzled out so much) and family relationship drama that helped flush out his character but I still don't know if I felt he was a completely filled out. He was the sweet and perfect prince for Lexi, which usually feels cardboard cutout but he worked for me in this story. Lexi got a bit too stretching out for page count sake mulish in the second half and I could feel the story pace losing me a little. I wish we could have seen these two be more physical in the bedroom, the scenes are fade-to-black-ish, as I think it would have heat things up but this was steady in it's sweet vibe.

Maybe that’s what was missing from his life: something real.

The later second half gives us a quick third act breakup with Lexi deciding that telling the truth is the only way she'll be able to move on and give the romance a real chance and has her and her mother finally talking things out. Will also has a moment with his family (his mom and dad did a little too unbelievable 180 for me) and creates a romantic moment to fight for Lexi. The secondary characters were all great in this, Lexi's mom, friends, and sisters, I wouldn't be surprised if this was turned into a series. A little too filled with tangents second half but a Cinderella-ish story that was sweet and had me loving how the romance simply felt good to read about. Lexi and Will had chemistry, they genuinely liked and enjoyed each other, gave us fun scenes, Fall seasonal vibes, squee feelings, and delivered a happily ever after epilogue.

My favorite of all favorite tropes! A fake engagement! This is my first book by Sophie Sullivan and I'm so glad I requested this one! Though Lexi and Will were engaged before they even went on a first date, these two figure out along the way that maybe there is nothing fake about this situation.

I loved both Lexi and Will so much. Lexi seems like someone I want to be friends with, and Will is someone I could see myself falling for. I loved the dynamics of these two and how they both didn't realize far a fake engagement would actually go. The storyline with Lexi's mother was a very powerful story to tell, which many people can relate to. It made me think of my own relationship with my mother and how those dynamics can be so complicated, but at the end there is always love!

I would 100% add this to your TBR and get to it as quickly as possible!

Thank you NetGalley, Sophie Sullivan and St. Martin's Press for the E-Arc.

I loved this so much more than I expected to! A fake engagement trope but with real dating?? Yes, please! Sullivan crafted characters that were so well developed and so well suited for each other that it had me swooning the whole way through. I couldn't put it down and didn't want it to end.

If you're in the mood for a cozy, heartwarming fall romance, Sophie Sullivan's "Can't Help Falling in Love" delivers all the feels. With a mix of fake engagement shenanigans and opposites-attract chemistry, this rom-com is a fun ride from start to finish.

The story centers on Lexi Danby, a waitress struggling to make ends meet while caring for her grieving mother and finishing school. She meets Will Grand, the heir to a major Seattle company. After a disastrous first date and a misunderstanding at a party, the two are thrown into a fake engagement that quickly spirals out of their control. Will needs to keep up appearances for a big business merger, and Lexi, well, just wants to survive this wild ride. While the fake dating trope isn’t new, Sullivan breathes fresh life into it with a storyline that’s both fun and emotionally engaging.

The Pacific Northwest fall setting—complete with apple picking and cozy breweries—adds a charming backdrop that makes this the perfect seasonal read. Will’s complicated family relationships and Lexi’s bond with her mother give the plot added dimension. Grab a flannel, a pumpkin-spiced latte, and settle in with this one...

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Now listen. I am a SUCKER for the fake dating plot. I love the idea of two characters getting together for some benefit, but they slowly start falling for each other. There's typically so much sexual tension and build-up that the payoff feels worth it. Sadly, I did not feel this way with Can't Help Falling in Love.

The romance between Lexi and Will was cute by the end of the story, but it was my least favorite part of the book. Individually, Lexi and Will were solid and complex characters, but the insta-love was so in your face and evident that it was hard to even care about their relationship. Part of this is due to the lack of tension. They fall for each other so quickly that the rest of the book feels like filler. Even the "dramatic" third act didn't feel like anything was at stake. Mostly, the insta-love was too much for me.

I'm not saying I hated this book; I think it just fell sort of what I was expecting. It is quick read with interesting characters, and I do see a lot of romance readers enjoying this one more than I did!

This was a very cute, fun read. It was a creative mix of tropes, but somehow it all worked to form a delightful story. There's a meet cute, fake dating, rich/poor, a matchmaking mother, and friends-to-lovers. It sounds like a lot, but it's really a good mix. Lexi and Will are adorable, and their relationship is written as two people who genuinely enjoy one another.

Definitely a good read.

Can't Help Falling in Love was a cute and easy romance read, which follows Lexi Danby, a waitress working on finishing school, and Will Grand, an executive and heir to his family's business, who end up in a fake engagement situation. I enjoyed the meet cute, the fall vibes this one has including baking pies, the setting in rainy Seattle as well as the dual POV that allowed us to get to know Lexi and Will. I didn't necessarily love the third act break up in this one, but I did enjoy the various topics that were covered including loss, finding yourself as well as navigating and learning to embrace change. I also enjoyed many of the support characters and family members that added some drama to the story as well.

Overall, I liked this one and rated it 3.5 to 4 stars. If you are looking for an easy romance read that gives off the fall vibes, is written in dual POV, and has the fake engagement and the opposites attract trope, check out Can't Help Falling in Love (out now!). While this one won't go down as a favourite or one that will stick with me for a long time, I'm really looking forward to reading more by this author. Up next will be Get Lost With You, which is releasing in February 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie Sullivan really knows how to write well rounded characters. Her voice is strong without being so wordy that the plot gets lost. The challenges Lexi faced were very relatable for me. Will had me laughing from the moment he appeared on the page. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a charming romance with a side of angst. This was the perfect fall book!

Lexi is a horrible waitress and when some former classmates show up to her work, she sits down at Will's table and pretends they are dating. Will amused by her and is willing to help her out, but then realizes they just might be able to help each other out. He needs to appear more serious when working on a family merger. He isn't too keen on the one who they are courting to partner with due to the partying son making headlines for his partying, and making his own meeting to prove he can make good decisions for the business.

Lexi is helping her mother through her grief, and trying to get her to leave the house, which isn't often. This was a sire spot for me and I didn't like some of the wording there. Three years is not a long time in terms of grief. Moving forward is better than saying move on.

Lexi trying to find her footing after no longer being the big deal track star and not in the place she thought she would be in her life was relatable and real. She was working had to pivot while working two jobs and going to school. The romance was a slow burn but their friendship and flirty was sweet and easy.

Thank you to Sophie Sullivan, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I adore the cover of this book. I loved the characters. The character development was amazing, as was the character growth. I am a big fan of the fake dating/fake engagement trope and this book delivered. I loved watching Will and Lexi fall in love.

The most cutesy, happy, lovely romcom!

Lexi has had better days, but meeting Will Grand has her life looking up. When they get mistaken as being engaged on their first outing together, they just roll with it, not expecting it to matter. But then it’s in the papers the next day. Regardless, they still want to see where their relationship is headed.

I loved our characters, and the way thing were written. My only complaint has to be that there could’ve been just a little more conflict, to offer some believability. But hey, it’s a romcom and you definitely have a happy ever after feeling the whole time.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

This was... pretty much exactly what I wanted it to be, which was really nice. Romance was cute, I liked the characters- definitely worth the read if you have the time and like a cute billionare romance once in a while!

Super cute fall read, perfect for a light-hearted seasonal romance pick!
The main character is obnoxiously clumsy but that is only in the first few chapters, her character becomes more likable and believable after they leave the restaurant. Will is your fun typical MMC in a romance. He has ogles of money and falls for the cute waitress immediately.

If you enjoy fake-dating this book is for you.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of this book! This was a super cute romance! I loved the way our main characters meet. There’s a very good look at grieving after the loss of a loved one. I will say our female main character annoyed me a little bit as she loved a good pity party for herself, but overall the book was enjoyable.