*Thank you Macmillan for the audiobook copy!*

Fall for Him was such a cute story about two unlikely men coming together when one falls through the ceiling of the other's apartment. Derrick and Dylan both have their own problems, and adding a broken ceiling and floor just add to the chaos. I really liked how the story laid out the surface problem, the broken floor/ceiling in each of their apartments, and tied in the deeper, existential problems that were on different ends of a spectrum. I won't get into what those were as I feel that might be a bit spoilery.

The side characters held their own weight, and it felt like they were important people to the story. I loved the banter between Derrick and Dylan and each with their friends and family. I also like the dual POV and how we learned new things about each of the characters from the other's perspective. The plot felt planned out and purposeful and took place in a believable time frame.

Would definitely recommend this one if you enjoy rom-coms that are LGBTQ+ and absolutely adorable.

After Dylan falls through his hot neighbour Derek's ceiling due to a flood, the two must become roommates as the apartment is fixed.

I read Fly With Me early this year, and absolutely LOVED it. I had no idea that this was an interconnected novel, so I loved the nods to that story. I think that Andie Burke's writing is so easy to read, and strangely addictive. You can't help but fall in love with every one of her characters, and ultimately root for the romance. I thought the banter was so fun, and I loved how these characters started interacting with one another. It was nice seeing them grow into friends and then eventually something more. The depiction of grief, anxiety and ADHD was so well done. I also thought the topic of medication was well done too.

There's also a dog, that is a big loveable goof, so of course I loved it.

Andie Burke does it again! I loved the continuation of this story from Fly with Me and felt that the same charm that made me love the first book carried through this one. I love both Derek and Dylan and loved being able to see Derek being able to unpack his own grief. I will always pick up a book by Andie Burke and know that I am going to love it.

Andie Burke is a such great LGBTQIA+ writer! Whenever I am looking for something within that genre, I always look for her! This was a great MM romance with dislike to lovers! Had some great comedic moments, but also some heavier topics.

I wanted to like this a lot more than I actually did. I really enjoyed this author’s first book, but this was a miss for me. Unfortunately there were too many characters to keep track of and the main characters names were just too similar. I had a hard time following who was who.

I did enjoy the narrators and I appreciate that there were two different narrators for the main characters.

Sadly I can’t say I recommend this one above others.

Dylan's bad relationship with his neighbor Derek isn't improved when he literally falls through the floor between their units. Their lives get more and more entwined as Dylan helps repair both the damage he caused and the underling plumbing issues in Derek's apartment.

I really enjoyed this romance that built from dislike to love. I really enjoyed the growth of each character on their own and together.

I really loved the distinctives voices the narrators gave each character.

Thank you to @netgalley and @Stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillian.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

Fall for Him by Andie Burke is a delightful and heartwarming romance that continues to showcase Burke’s talent for creating engaging characters and compelling love stories. As her second book, it certainly didn’t disappoint, delivering a perfect blend of humor, emotion, and chemistry.

What I Loved:
Character Development: Burke excels at crafting relatable and multi-dimensional characters. The protagonists, Dylan Gallagher and Derek Chang, are well-developed, with their personal growth and evolving relationship feeling authentic and deeply moving.
Engaging Plot: The storyline is both fun and thought-provoking, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers engaged. The mix of romance, personal challenges, and the dynamics between the characters make for an enjoyable read.
Narration: The audiobook, narrated by Kyle Omori and Liam DiCosimo, adds an extra layer of depth to the story. The narrators’ ability to convey the characters’ emotions and personalities enhances the listening experience, making it easy to get lost in the story.
Overall, Fall for Him is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant romance that will appeal to fans of contemporary love stories. Andie Burke delivers a story full of love, laughter, and heartfelt moments, making it a perfect read (or listen) for anyone who enjoys a deeply emotional romance.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #stmartinspress #macmillianaudio #ltbreaderteam #fallforhim #andieburke #smpinfluencers

Okay so there's a couple things that I think are going to bring you more enjoyment before you start this book. The first is to read fly With me which is a companion novel to this book. I did not realize that and I would have done a reread prior to starting this one had I realized that. It would have refreshed my memory on who all these characters were and all of their relationships. I genuinely think that I would have enjoyed this book a lot more had it done that. So don't be like me and do yourself a favor and go read fly with me again if it's a reread for you before you give this one a chance.

The other thing that is out of my control but definitely would have helped is had the characters had different fuckimgy names. So both characters have names that start with the letter d and my brain did not like that at all with audiobook. I kept getting them confused and I could not keep them straight. Not only did they have names that started with the same letter but they were the same number of letters too. We have a Dylan and we have a Derek and I still could probably not tell you which ones which. I know that there is one fixer upper renovator and one is an ER nurse. One is best friends with the characters from fly with me.

That being said and even though I really struggled to remember which character was which, I still really enjoyed this one. It is a little bit over the top in the beginning with the levels of thirst and terrible jokes but if that's your kind of humor you're going to like it. I have seen a few reviews saying that they had to DNF before like 30% and I don't think that that gives you a fair view of what the book is like in my opinion. I think that at its core this book is about two very strong-willed men who are learning that they deserve someone to stand up for them and how to do that for both themselves and for others. I really loved the ADHD representation and the chaos and also all of the comfort. I think I'll probably do some rereads here at some point of both books because I would like to tell the characters apart 😂

There is one point in this book that made me want to scream and it involves their obnoxious neighbor and the cops. I don't think that the scene was necessary in any way shape or form and it actually gave copaganda vibes. Nowhere in real life would a person of color ever be able to get off talking to the cops the way that the characters talk to the cops in this book. It feels like a very unnecessary scene to have in the book. Essentially they have this Karen neighbor who calls the cops because she thinks they're doing drugs or something in their apartment because one of the main character's sister is a "tattooed red-haired whore" as she calls her and the way that the two main characters and the sister talk to the police with literally no regard for the fact that their safety could be on the line is really really uncomfortable. It was a very "white" interaction and again, did not add anything to the book besides an undercurrent of copaganda.

I enjoyed the audiobook version of Andie Burke's Fall for Him. This opposites attract, forced proximity romance is clever and fun. Burke builds a tale filled with quirky characters, witty banter, and a plot that twists and turns till the very end.

The narrators are Kyle Omori and Liam DiCosimodo, and they do a fine job. I couldn't hear much of a difference betweent their voices to be honest, but it's still nice to have them alternating.

5 Stars

I ADORED THIS BOOK SO MUCH AND OMG THE ADHD REPRESENTATION WAS IMMACULATE.

Andie is someone I love, and her books are ones that always hit close to home for me but this one is truly special! It's a fun forced-proximity MM romance that is beautiful and fun and just all sorts of delightful. I honestly feel like anything I could put together as a "review" would just be me fangirling, so trust me when I say you WANT to read this!! I know you will love it as much as I did!

And if you are into audio books, this one had two different narrators that each did an exceptional job at bringing the story and steam to life!

I'm rating this in the middle because I did not finish it, and I don't think it's fair to rate a book I didn't fully read. The writing style on this one just didn't work for me. I really liked the IDEA of this book, but the writing was flat and somewhat confusing. 3rd person POV is never my favorite, but this is one book where it just straight up didn't work. The narrators are personal favorites, but they couldn't even make up for my complete disinterest in this one.

This book really slogged along after the first half of the book. The resolution was stretched out quite a bit too far, and I truly believe that it could have been half as long as it was, and I probably would have liked it twice as much.

Rating 2.5/ 2.75
You know when you can tell a book was written by a male author by how they write their female characters, that is how I felt about this one but vice versa. The men in this book did not feel very natural to me and the fact that I could tell a female wrote this was not great. Don't get me wrong this was not a bad book by any means it just felt like a hallmark movie to me. Everything was too neat---which honestly would have worked if this was just supposed to be a cookie cutter rom-com. I did like our main characters banter with each other and while the author tried to throw in some trauma in there to make the story for angsty it fell flat and felt forced and underdeveloped in this story.

I received an ARC of this audiobook via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to read this book because I enjoyed Andie Burke's book, Fly With Me. Fall For Him focuses on Derek, who is an ER nurse and best friend of Olive, who was a main character in the first book in the series. This can be read as a standalone, but Fly With Me is great so I recommend reading it for the backstory.

Dylan literally falls through into Derek's room below him. He offers to make the necessary repairs, even though Derek really doesn't like him. Dylan gives up his bed for Derek and his dog. As they share a living space together, they realize that their ideas about the other were complete misconceptions. Dylan really isn't a selfish jerk, and Derek really isn't a shallow jock who always has a new guy every time Dylan sees him.

Dylan and Derek are both going through something, and they find acceptance and love with each other. They just get each other, and it's beautiful to see that shine through in this story.

Watching them navigate being roommates and finding their way to each other was such a joy to read. I loved the ADHD rep in Derek, and I found the descriptions to be very insightful into how Derek was feeling.

The story is third person, dual POV, and there are some spicy scenes in the story. The audiobook narrators did an amazing job of reading this story. This is my first time reading a story narrated by Kyle Omori and Liam DiCosimo. I hope to listen to more audiobooks performed by these two fantastic narrators.

Heat Factor: I couldn’t be bothered to figure it out
Character Chemistry: What chemistry?
Plot: Dylan crashed through Derek’s ceiling, and they secretly have to repair it and live together in the doing because of Romance Reasons
Overall: It is both boring and irritating

It is entirely possible that I picked up this book at the wrong time. I had just finished listening to nearly all of another author’s audiobooks, and that author had fantastic dialogue that was brought to life by a talented narrator. Now, I have never listened to Kyle Omori before, but I have listened to Liam DiCosimo several times, and I think he is also skilled at his job. For this reason, I think the text was the problem for me, not the audiobook narration.

Here’s what eventually set me on the path to a DNF:
1. Even though there were two narrators (For a 3rd person book! Why?!) I legitimately could not tell the difference between them. Liam DiCosimo and Kyle Omori do have slightly different tones, but I vow and declare not different enough to make the dual narration necessary. On top of that, the characters didn’t sound different in the prose. I might chalk that up to 3rd person narration, but with both characters having D names (one is Dylan and the other is Derek) and both of them sounding literally the same—both actually aurally and also in voice—I honestly could not tell who was having what issues when. And it wasn’t interesting enough for me to pay closer attention, frankly.

2. They have 99 problems, and I don’t care about any of them. That sounds very callous, and I’m a little sorry about that, but both men have their own kind of family trouble. Derek’s sister hasn’t spoken to him for months after he made some decisions for her, and now he’s dealing with the fallout of really just one bad decision after another. Dylan is the black sheep of his family because he has ADHD and his family is chock full of toxic masculinity. Everything is hard. Nothing is good. I guess they’ll be good for each other, but I am not in the mood to listen to a woe-is-me romance.

3. More on Dylan’s ADHD: Okay, this is tricky because Dylan was diagnosed as an adult and he has a ton of emotional baggage about how his ADHD impacted his family’s treatment of him. Honestly, I thought his characterization was spot on for all of that. I did get irritated when he was hurt that Derek was judging him about being a slob or forgetting things when 1) he kindly invited Derek to live in his apartment while they repaired the hole in the floor/ceiling between their apartments and 2) he never was like, “Oh, yeah, I actually have ADHD so how about you be nice or go somewhere else if you don’t like it?” I know Dylan’s self image and people pleasing tendencies really do track with his characterization, but it was brought up so frequently in the text that I was over it after just a couple chapters.

4. THE DOG! Okay, the dog was Jack’s (one of those 99 problems that also seemed about 1000% more convoluted than it needed to be, and I still have no idea what the real issue with him was). After Jack died his sister, Derek’s best friend, adopted it, but now she’s going on a months-long road trip, so Derek is taking care of it even though the condo HOA is breed specific and doesn’t allow enormous Great Dane mixes. So, once again, Derek sucks at making good decisions, but it’s all for comedic effect because now we get to read all about the HOA Karen.

5. Look, HOA Karen’s behavior is straight up harassment. She legit calls 911 after hearing a loud noise in Dylan’s apartment. Once. She convinces Derek to give her a key to his place for emergencies, and then uses it to enter his apartment to snoop. It’s not funny, and even though Derek and Dylan are not behaving particularly ethically themselves, they still don’t deserve to be harassed by a control-freak busybody in their own homes. But do they document anything or tell her that protracted harassment will have consequences? No. They apologize and avoid and worry about ways to stay out of trouble with the HOA board. (To be fair, Derek asks for his key back, but that’s about the only proactive thing he does.)

Eventually, I pulled up the NetGalley app to continue the audiobook, and I saw that I was only ⅓ through the book. Between the story being a combination of mildly irritating and mildly uninteresting, and considering that listening to the dialogue was like wading through sludge, I simply could not countenance the idea of seven-plus hours of *waves hands* all that. So I’m out, pals.

I guess, bonus points, it’s set in Maryland, so I did like the hominess of that.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

Thanks, Macmillan Audio, for the gifted audiobook. (Available now) #macaudio24

Dylan literally falls through his apartment floor, landing in Derek’s bed. He offers to do the repair himself, and the enemies-to-lovers trope kicks off on a spicy but mostly meh story that didn’t hold my attention. It didn’t help that the two main characters had very similar first names, and I kept getting them confused.

A for adorable! Andie Burke completely did it again with this charming, vibey romance. The Derek and Dylan chemistry was exactly what I look for in a romance and I totally related to the setting (I mean, apartment life!) Overall I can see this really working for those who love a rom-com that handles a little bit of mental health issues, a lot of petty drama, and so many cute moments.

\\\\\ 3.5 \\\\\

Things I adored about this book: It started right away, I loved the characters so damn much, it had all the forced proximity you can dream of, plus funny situations mixed with awesome banter, palpable tension and it even had A CUTE DOG!

Things I had trouble with: I never knew which character was talking.

Read if you like:
MM romance
Rom-coms
Forced Proximity
Enemies to lovers
ADHD rep
Banter
Dealing with grief

Okay, so this one started off quite well and I honestly truly enjoyed all of my reading. The only reason my rating isn't higher is that I had the hardest time understanding which POV I was reading... literally all the time. It would take me a few sec to guess who was talking, who was doing what. It was really annoying. I don't know if it's because of how it was written or the fact that the two characters had names starting with Ds (doesn't take me a lot to be lost to be honest) or because the narration was confusing a bit? No idea but damn was I lost, and it was frustrating and pulling me out of the story all the time sadly.

Other than that, I really enjoyed the reading experience, it was really funny and I loved how things evolved between our two characters. They were really understanding once they got to know each other better and it was sweet. They could read each other pretty well and all, truly had a great chemistry. In between all the funny moments our characters were still dealing with deep things, and it was also emotional at times, which I liked a lot. It shows a more vulnerable side to them and it was easy to feel a connection.

I could have done without the 3rd act breakup, but I will never enjoy that type of drama haha.

*audiobook thoughts: I really enjoyed both narrators but I feel like it would have been easier with only one... I rarely say that because the more the merrier, but with this one the dual narration got me so confused. I feel like with one of the narrators Derek's voice had the deeper tone and it was the other way around with the other, so I was even more confused every time we switched between the two POVs. But then I really was struggling in general with these POV so it might just be me. (Hi, it's me, I'm the problem it's me.)

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan audio and NetGalley for the eARC/ALC. All opinions are my own.

*3.5

It’s a cute hate to love romance with forced proximity. It’s funny but it’s also profound. There is a lot of talk about death. The narrators are both great (I love the voice of Dylan in particular).

Thank you Netgally and the publisher for the arc.

This book is a fun, dual POV, grumpy/sunshine, M/M romance that thrives on the forced proximity trope, with a unique and hilarious meet-disaster moment where geeky Dylan literally falls through the ceiling and lands on ER nurse Derek. The setup immediately hooks you, as the two are forced to become roommates while Dylan repairs the damage—leading to some very heated moments.

The story kicks off with great energy. The "Raining Men" scenario in the first chapter put an instant smile on my face. The cameos from the women of *Fly With Me* were a delightful touch for fans of Burke's earlier work. Still, it’s an enjoyable, well-paced read, and the audiobook version does it justice.

The mental health representation is a highlight, particularly the depictions of ADHD, anxiety, and grief, which add depth and authenticity to the characters’ experiences.

However, the writing style left me somewhat disconnected at times. While Andie Burke excels at creating lovable characters and meaningful romance, the third-person POV often became confusing. I found myself struggling to keep track of who was narrating, with Derek and Dylan’s names blurring together in certain scenes (there were too many D names). Secondary characters, like Hudson, appeared abruptly without proper introductions, adding to the confusion. It made for a reading experience that sometimes felt jarring.

As well, it felt like the pacing slowed down significantly in the second half. I found myself zoning out more (as I listened to the audiobook) toward the end because things were off for me.

That said, Burke's talent for weaving complex themes into her romance novels is undeniable. This book tackles a variety of heavy topics—queer identity, family values, grief, and mental health. While the story occasionally feels weighed down by so many layers of conflict, from the humorous (a roof caving in) to the profound (grief over a lost parent), it reflects the complexities of real life, where problems often come all at once.

Despite some narrative challenges, this novel balances heartfelt moments of love and levity with more serious themes, making it both touching and thought-provoking. It’s a rom-com with depth, and while it might not surpass *Fly With Me* for everyone, it's still a thoroughly enjoyable and emotionally rich read. If you’re looking for a romance that offers both laughs and meaningful exploration of mental health, this book is worth picking up!