NGL, it took me a while to get into this one. Not really sure why either, it started off fast and then kind of plateaued.. before picking up again. I loved the moment with the children’s home and Sarah almost broke me.
Jax and his abandonment issues were also heartbreaking. I just wanted to hug them both!!
While this is book 4 in the series, it can be read as a standalone, which is how I read it. It is likely I’ll go back and read the first 3 though!

dare I say Fall With Me may be my new favourite in this series 👀 For everyone looking forward to this book I can say with absolute certainty that you are NAWTTT READY for the excellence that is Jaxon and Lennon.

I fall in love with every character of Becka’s but my god, Jaxon and Lennon? It’s a whole other level! I related to both of them and what they have been through in their lives; Jaxon and Lennon are made for each other, both people who are a little broken and learn to heal together. I saw so much of myself in Lennon, and I loved getting to see another side of Jaxon in this book I love him so dearly!
Jaxon and Lennon’s banter is insaneeee and I had such a fun time reading their story - especially their morning kitchen encounters lol - and of course it wouldn’t be a Becka Mack book if it didn’t make me cry my eyes out as well; this book had me all in my feels and on the verge of sobbing in the cafe!

I’m not a cat person but goddamn I love Mittens! He’s the star of the show and he knows it hehe I love cat daddy Jaxon AND cat mommy Lennon this little trio is absolutely to die for just y’all wait 🤭

And let’s not forget our dear hockey family! the glimpses we get into all our favourite characters’ lives are so fun, sweet and beautiful as always! I love them and all their silliness, as well as their heartfelt moments - It’s bittersweet reading this book, knowing we’re that much closer to the end of Playing For Keeps, but I loved every minute of Jaxon and Lennon’s story 💜

Words are not adequate enough to describe my love for this book x

*Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster Australia for sending me a digital copy to review*

I knew before starting that this was the fourth book in a series that I had not read yet. I kind of did it with the Twisted Love series and it wasn’t a major hindrance so I thought I’d be okay going into this book. I will admit I got very confused with the names of the other characters in the group, trying to figure out which ones were couples and who were siblings. I think it got it in the end. Also with this being the first book I’ve read, I didn’t know the backstories of anyone else.

This is Lennon & Jaxon’s story. They have a one-night stand and expect never to see each other again. However, Lennon’s new job happens to be with the ice hockey team that Jaxon plays for. And as if that weren’t bad enough Lennon’s apartment floods and Jaxon offers her a place to stay at his apartment forcing them to be together both at work and home. And from there, things happen of course.

I loved that these characters had history and significant events that shaped them. Lennon, with being in a long-term relationship with someone who didn’t know her at all, and Jaxon, never feeling as though he was good enough to be part of a community/family. It just made them feel more real. While Jaxon tries not to notice or care for Lennon he just can’t help being the sweetest person. He takes note of Lennon’s likes and quirks, buying her favourite flowers every week, and even making a handbook on how to make different coffees.

While I did not know much about the other characters I did love the dynamic of the group. Lennon quickly became a part of this family and everyone is very open and loving towards each other, especially the men. The guys are fun and silly and aren’t afraid to share their feelings for one another. I will say throughout the book I was wondering about the rest of the ice hockey team - do they exist? They don’t really get brought up and it felt as though it was only the five guys in the team.

Even though I jumped in the middle of the series I still enjoyed it. It’s a sweet romance book, a bit predictable at times, but still fun.

Thank you to the publishers for approving my request to read this.
However, I feel like maybe I'm not the target audience for this book. Admittedly I haven't read the first instalments, and now I'm not sure if I should.
I'm only 34% of the way in and I'm really struggling to connect with both of the main characters. Maybe it's me, and I'm not willing to wait out the immature phase. Judging by all the 5 star reviews though, it must be good.
Maybe I'll come back to it later.

This book was super easy to get into, it flowed really well and was an easy read. It was 100% predictable but what hockey romance isn’t.

Honestly I loved the 2 main characters I thought they were really well written and perfect for each other. I love the star gazing scenes, the cat photo shots and OMG the coffee manual was so cute.

What I loved was when things got hard and Jaxon put his walls up Lennon stuck to her guns and didn’t just run away when it got hard. I thought it was a realistic notion of how relationships should be.

The Spice in this book was amazing and I loved how Lennon was a smutty Audiobook queen! Overall this was a good book!

This is the first book I’ve read of Becka Mack, so I have no idea if it’s just her writing or that fact that I read the last 50% while feeling very sick… but I cried so much in that last half of the book. And let me tell you, my already under pressure sinuses did not appreciate it.

I loved both Lennon and Jaxon. They were fun and flirty but I really just wanted to pick up Jaxon and rock him in my arms while singing him a soothing lullaby.

I know I read this out of order, but I have definitely already bought the other three books in the series.

Thanks to #NetGallery and publisher for a copy of this book.

Genre: Romance MF
Format: Digital
POV: Dual
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, “I don’t date”, found family, hockey, a cat that is essentially the MC.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Age suggestion: 18+

Omg this book! The banter the Sass the love it was just chefs kiss!

Fall with me is the 4th book in the Playing for keeps series! In this book we following along with Jaxon the cat daddy of the hockey team 😍 and Lennon.

All I have to say is if you haven't read this series is that I highly recommend!! If you love hockey romance and a found family this will be right up your alley!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶🌶🌶

Obsessed with everything Becka writes and this book is no exception!

Jaxon and Lennon were utter perfection. I loved them both individually and together so much. Jaxon was the most precious man. He just wanted to be loved but was so scared to accept that everyone did love him. Also the way he treated Lennon was everything.

This book had me laughing the entire time. I love the friendship group so much and I’m going to be so sad when it’s all over.

Don’t even get me started on the spice. 10/10 🥵🫠

Can’t recommend this book or series enough! Thank you so much to NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc!

"Fall With Me" is a steamy ice hockey romance that skates right into the high heat zone, featuring a one-night-stand-turned-enemies-to-lovers tale (thats quite a mouthful) hockey romance with Jaxon and Lennon our focus. These two have a great balance of chemistry, witty banter, and teasing throughout the story, especially as the the book progresses.

The chemistry and smut scene writing was INSANELY good. I only wish they hadn't been so rude when taking about Brenda (or was it Breanna? No, Brielle!) who didn't really do anything wrong and Jax was actually incredibly rude to her and wasted her time.

Although I must admit I was not a huge fan of how the WAGs (aka Coochie Gang) didn't seem to have much of a personality outside of being.. well, WAGs. And talking about their sexual conquests all the time. That said, there was still a great element of found family, acceptance and forging new friendships in places where you're not sure you belong.

My favourite character and the star of the show was obviously Mitts aka Jaxon's fluffy polydactyl cat who manages to bring some comedic relief to many of the scenes based at Jaxon's penthouse.

Overall, "Fall With Me" is a fun read, perfect for anyone looking for an easy to read, spicy hockey romance!

My god, I love this series and Jaxon did not disappoint. I was so excited to see how Becka Mack turns a playboy into a committed, super awesome hero. I absolutely love the banter between Lennon and Jaxon, the connection is hard, fast and most importantly, REAL. They help each other face the demons of their past to pave a path to their happily ever after.

What can I say about this book?

I loved it.

This was my first Becka Mack book ( I know, I know.. i need to read the rest of the series) I couldn't pass up the chance to read this!
Jaxon, what a golden retriever of a man. Who doesn't love a guy whose love language is acts of service?
The way he fawns over Lennon is so swoon-worthy.
Their connection and attraction to one another are off the charts.
This book made me laugh, swoon, cry, and fall in love with these characters.

This will not be the last I read of Becka Mack.

Thank you for this arc. All thoughts are my own.

A slow burn and slow book to get into. Super sweet romance. I enjoyed Mittens and his role in the book. I enjoyed learning about Lennon's background and all the friendships. I was pleasantly surprised liking Jaxon and Sarah's icecream relationship. When she told him her news, it made me really emotional and brought tears to my eyes.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Content warning: discussion of the past death of a child from an allergic reaction

Dear Becka Mack,

I loved Consider Me when it came out and have read and enjoyed the other books in the Playing For Keeps series to one degree or another, so I was happy to pick up Fall With Me.

Jaxon Riley is a player (in all senses of the word) traded to the Vancouver Vipers and “adopted” by teammates Carter, Emmett, Garrett and Adam. He’s been traded by various teams over the years and, based on his experience, he expects he will be traded again one day. He does not try to make a home in Vancouver. What would be the point? When he tried to get in touch with previous teammates they ghosted him. There are other reasons in his past too, but the upshot is that Jaxon believes he is not worth hanging around for, not worthy of love.

Lennon Hayes is a biracial woman originally from Canada but who has most recently lived in Georgia, After finally breaking up with her horrible fiance shortly before their wedding, she decides to go on the honeymoon alone in Cabo San Lucas. In the bungalow next door is Jaxon and Brielle. Jaxon decided to take off because there was a bye week and he didn’t want to be the fifth (or ninth) wheel with the gang and he picked up a girl at the gym and took her with him. Jaxon was hoping for a lot of sex and not much else on the break. Brielle sees a happy ever after apparently. Jaxon cannot be bothered to remember her name. (In fact, Jaxon is a bit of an asshole when it comes to women. He never remembers their names. Until Lennon that is. That’s a sign.) Consequently, Lennon has the joy of listening to a lot of loud sex and a lot of loud arguing, mostly from Brielle – until Brielle has enough and leaves. The next day Jaxon and Lennon have a very hot and very drunk hook up. Then Lennon leaves as her honeymoon is over.

Lennon has taken a job in another country to start fresh after the break up of her long term relationship. Guess what? She’s the new photographer/social media manager for the Vancouver Vipers. Oops.

Lennon’s romantic history with Ryne (yes, that’s his name and he’s as ridiculous as his name is) was such that she bent herself into a pretzel to make him happy and put herself last for everything. Why she was with him at all is beyond me. The Lennon of the book is not one who would put up with that nonsense for a hot second. Because of the emotional abuse Ryne subjected her to, Lennon does not have many friends (she’s close with her brother and her cousin though) and feels a bit on the unlovable side too – so she has that in common with Jaxon.

However, after Lennon is immediately adopted by the “Coochie Gang” (some of the other group names were much worse) consisting of Olivia, Cara, Jennie and Rosie, and also by their guys, Lennon quickly comes into her own.

Jaxon has been wholly adopted by the gang. They make no secret of their feelings about him (“I love you buddy” is common – do guys really talk like that? Well, I guess these guys do) but Jaxon does not believe them really. Much of the conflict in the book is regarding Jaxon realising he is enough and he is worthy of love. That is the heavier side of the story – there were parts here which were a little overwrought. Some conversations didn’t feel like things people would actually say and felt a bit like wish fulfillment – “what would this character/the reader want to have said to him?” – rather than “what would this character actually say?”

“Have you ever stopped to ask if we think you’re worth it?” Garrett looks me over, his gaze swimming with my pain. “Because for the last year and half we’ve been looking at a teammate and friend we call family, someone we can’t imagine our lives without, and you’ve had one foot out the door the entire time, waiting for things to end.”
“We’re all scared of things,” Carter murmurs. “It’s what you do with that fear that matters. You can spend your life pushing away the people who want to love you because you’re afraid one day you’ll lose them. Or you can cling to it. The love, the happiness, that full feeling that makes you realize how truly empty you were before them. Life is hard enough as it is. There’s no reason for any of us to do it alone.”
Adam meets my gaze, the emotion he holds there so palpable I feel the way it crawls over me, a hand at my back. “At the end of the day, the only person you need to be enough for is you. But for what it’s worth, you’ve always been enough for us too.”

Then again, Carter does wear his heart on his sleeve so there’s that.

Jaxon was amusing in the previous book, Unravel Me; he went to an animal shelter with Garrett, both wearing a fake moustache in a ludicrous attempt at a disguise while scoping out Adam’s love interest who volunteered there. Jaxon ended up falling in love with a chonky orange polydactyl cat – Mittens – and adopting him. Mittens features strongly in Fall With Me. He is spoiled rotten by Jaxon, who sings a made-up song to him to the tune of “Soft Kitty” (which I know from The Big Bang Theory). Mittens regularly attacks Jaxon’s balls because Jaxon insists on sleeping naked (and Mittens generally sleeps around Jaxon’s head) and Mitts likes to batt dangly things. This is a source of constant hilarity to his friends. Mostly I was amused and charmed by Jaxon and Mittens’ love story. At times it was a little too over the top for me – but that is also largely my reaction to the book as a whole.

Lennon has a peanut and tree nut allergy and because of Jaxon’s history, he is extremely sensitive to her needs. His best childhood friend died as a result of anaphylaxis and he holds himself responsible. Lennon will be safe on his watch, no matter what.

Lennon and Jaxon circle around each other for a while but when Lennon’s apartment is rendered unlivable by a water leak, he offers her his spare room and, after that, it’s not long before they give into their chemistry and are boning nonstop. (I think I said in my review of Consider Me that there is a kind of Kristen Ashley-esque vibe to Becka Mack’s writing. It’s not identical of course, but there are similarities with the feel – particularly with the Rock Chick stories. One love interest moving in with the other at the beginning and basically never leaving is one of those similarities.)

Jaxon ping pongs from being an arrogant cocky asshole to being super sweet and thoughtful.

He rambles on while he cooks, talking more than I’ve ever heard him speak, but I can’t focus on a thing other than the fact that this man who everything in my entire body tells me to hate
remembered what I’m allergic to even though I’ve never actually told him. That he recognized the signs of anaphylactic shock and rushed to my side. That he stayed there for four hours while I slept in the hospital. That he brought me home, gave me a bed, threw out all his nut products, and fucking sanitized his kitchen. That in a single day he’s done more for me, cared more for me, than my fiancé ever did.

and

He turned the heating up two degrees to 72 without me asking, because I was walking around wrapped in a blanket. I made an offhand remark about the single shelf in the shower not being big enough for all my products, and even though he said maybe that’s a sign to use fewer products, when I came home from lunch with the girls, there were brand-new floor-to-ceiling shelves in one corner of the shower. A step stool magically appeared in the pantry a day after he walked into the kitchen to see me scaling the counters so I could reach the mugs on the top shelf, and even though he explicitly said Mittens wasn’t allowed to sleep with me, when my emotions got the best of me one night, the door creaked open, Mittens was tossed inside, and then the door was promptly shut again.

While Jaxon was definitely a complete jerk to every woman he’s ever been involved with before Lennon, his devotion to her and to her the girls in his found family more than made up for it to me.

Fall With Me is also the hottest book of the series so far. Jaxon and Lennon have a lot of sex and the scenes are plentiful throughout the book. This would not be a book to listen to in the car on the school run is what I’m saying.

Carter continues to be his completely over the top self – his daughter celebrates her first birthday during this book and the party is ridonkulous.

May I just say that I do not believe these guys actually are professional athletes? They eat far too much sugar for it to be possible. And Carter is barely ever serious – it’s hard to see him as the captain of a successful hockey team, motivating his teammates. I can’t help but love him but realism is definitely not what’s being served here.

As much as this friend group scares me with their out-there antics, I can see the attraction of being so completely accepted by a friend circle that never lets you down and is always ready to ride or die for you. (Again, there are similarities to the Rock Chick books – although the guys in those stories are lot more circumspect in their regular behaviour. Imagine Indy and Ally rolled together in one and you kind of have Carter – except there’s no kidnapping or tasers in the Playing For Keeps series).

There’s a certain headspace I needed to get myself into for Fall With Me. I had to accept the over-the-top-ness and just go with it. Having decided to do that, I found a lot to like in the story. It kept me engaged (even if I did roll my eyes from time to time), it made me laugh out loud from time to time –

I march over to them, disgusted by the sight. “Are you kidding me right now?” I gesture at Mittens when Lennon startles, rolling over to look at me. “He needs a hat, Lennon. It’s a summer photoshoot, the sun is shining, and he’s in a bikini! He’s fair-furred! Make it make sense!”

– and I did believe in Jaxon and Lennon’s love story. They really are perfect for one another.

Fall With Me is a feels book and it delivers.

Grade: B

Regards,
Kaetrin

Such a fantastic story following a story of Jaxon and Lennon. A page turner I could not put down. It made me laugh and cry and will be recommending this series to everyone. Thank you for the opportunity ☺️

Fall with Me is the book every reader needs if you love:

A guy who "doesn't date" + Cat Dad + "Who isn't in love" with the MFC even though he will do anything for her + one-night stand + hate to friends to lovers + workplace and hockey romance with lots of smut.

It is a great read with many mentions of other books in the series and found family. I truly loved this book and the feelings it invoked in me. I love Jaxon and Lennon so much that it physically hurts.

This was such a wholesome and emotional story as we got to witness Jaxon’s journey of slowly realising his self worth. Getting his heartbreaking back story and learning more about him just added so much depth to this book.

The friendship group in this series always manages to crack me up with their silly antics but above all, I love that once you’re welcomed into the their inner circle, that you’re not going anywhere and Jaxon and Lennon were perfect examples of that.

It just seemed like Lennon was meant to find Jaxon. She was so understanding and patient with him while he also helped her find her voice and remember her passions and dreams again. There was so much chemistry, banter and spice overflowing from these two and they were just so perfect for each other.

I also can’t not mention the real MVP of this book, Mittens who made Jaxon the gooiest and most dedicated cat Daddy and it was so adorable!

I love this series so much, everything about this is so cute and the dynamic between Jaxon and Lennon is divine.

Jaxons pain felt so real, which is a testament to Beccas writing, and Lennon is a powerhouse badass that gives as good as she gets.

This is perfect for every hockey romance lover, but also so there for every romance girlie.

okay, I have to admit it.. this story was so damn cute!!

Jaxon and Lennon were made for each other, I loved their instant chemistry! They had such funny, witty, extremely sassy back and forth banter. Watching them both flourish as individuals and as a couple was truly so beautiful.

Becka Mack has a knack for writing such fun, strong, found family dynamics! I couldn’t get enough of this crew, they are definitely a goofy bunch! each character always stands out on their own but they also all complement each other so well!

Some of my favourite moments in fall with me, just to hype you all up;

- the tulips (so damn cute!!)
- silk sheets
- jaxon doing lennon’s hair (you heard me right!!)
- birthday things
- the stars ✨
- living situation

just to top it off, I’m not really a cat person but mittens really shined in this one and had me thinking otherwise!!🤭

*3.5 stars*

massive thank you Simon & Schuster Australia and NetGalley for this ARC 🫶🏻

Without a doubt 5 stars! I loved the entire Playing for Keeps series so I really had no doubts I wouldn’t love Fall with Me.
Jax was the underrated f*ckboy that wasn’t open to receiving the love he deserved.
I love the friendships that grow within this book, the banter and jokes had me laughing out loud late at night. The ‘found family’ troupe made me wish I was apart of it. It’s your goals in life to have friends become family.
I loved this whole story and was hooked the moment I opened the first page.
Thank you to Becka Mack, the literal queen of hockey romance, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in advance.

I loved the first 3 in this series and this book did not disappoint. I couldn’t not put this book down.