I really wanted to love this book - queer awakening and found family are some of my favourite tropes. I also had particularly high hopes given that ME features in this book, a condition that I myself have experienced. There were a few elements here that did hit well, and did meet my expectations, but overall it felt a little lacklustre.

I loved that the romance was brief and not particularly central to the story, it served it's purpose in terms of the queer awakening, but didn't limit our MC as she found growth outside of it. However, the growth overall through the story was not fully fleshed out, and a lot of situations occurred that simply didn't get resolved. Relationships didn't grow, they just...were. There was a subplot about the MC getting support for her anxiety, but we didn't really go into any of the growth there either.

I loved the diversity of characters, and the way this felt representative of the sport. I also loved being able to learn about roller derby and not feeling completely lost by terminology the whole time.

On the whole, I can see people enjoying this book, and I can feel the authors love for the sport in the book, but I just wanted way more growth and development than we really got.

This is a love story, but not the kind I was expecting! While there is some romance, Learning to Fall is a story about loving yourself and, of course, roller derby.

By and large, this was a sweet coming of age story that also tackled some difficult topics such as anxiety, chronic illness, and alcoholism. I personally struggled a bit with the writing style. There were some scenes where every little detail of what the main character, Casey, was thinking and doing were written out, and it was unnecessary. I don’t need to know the step by step process of making tea, spliced between a text conversation... I did really enjoy that level of detail during the roller derby games, though! I was also very fond of a lot of the side characters. I especially related to the tough love of Venom.

Though I didn’t completely love this book, I think it would be a hit with anyone who loves roller derby, as well as young folks who are maybe battling some anxiety around what’s next in their lives and who they’re “supposed” to be.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

This is a fantastic story about self-discovery and found family, all through the world of roller derby. Casey is incredibly relatable, and the anxiety representation was so well done. Mel was a standout—exactly the kind of supportive, big-sister-like friend everyone wishes they had.

Perfect for queer fans of Whip It, but keep in mind that despite the title and cover, this isn’t a romance-focused book. The romantic subplot is there, but it’s not the main focus. Also, while I understand Imogen’s struggles, ghosting people who care about you is never okay.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc!!

I truly enjoyed this! I loved seeing Casey blossom and overcome her anxiety and panic. I can say I truly dislike Billy though…. The only thing I can say is I wanted more Imogen. I really feel there was more that could have been explored with her character.

Overall, I absolutely loved this!!

This was very fast paced and easy to love. The character development, I loved very much. I can’t wait to recommend this book once it’s released.

This was such a great read! Once I'd started, I couldn't put it away. This book has great representation in multiple different areas. Firstly, I loved the manner in which finding your sexuality and finally having all the puzzle pieces come together was showcased, such a relatable experience. I also thought the anxiety rep felt spot on, especially the way in which you can latch onto your safe-person and perceive that as everything going okay. I had no prior knowledge about roller derby, but this book definitely got me interested, even though it was a bit too technical at times to fully understand. It became clear through the Author's Note that this story is highly personal, and that is something I could really feel in the way it was written.
Would definitely recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc

This is cute and fun read! Very reminiscent of 'Whip it' in a way. I enjoyed the characters and roller derby action

Learning to Fall by Peach Morris is a heartfelt and introspective exploration of self-discovery, healing, and personal growth. The novel follows the journey of a young protagonist who faces emotional turbulence and external challenges that force them to reexamine their life, relationships, and identity.

Morris’s writing style is both accessible and lyrical, drawing readers into a world where vulnerability is embraced, and the complexities of human emotions are portrayed with great sensitivity. The pacing of the novel allows readers to experience the protagonist’s evolution at a natural rhythm—slow, but rewarding as the character finds their footing amid uncertainty.

One of the key themes of Learning to Fall is the idea of resilience. The protagonist’s struggles with personal loss, mental health, or identity crisis are not glossed over but rather delicately handled, creating a raw and authentic portrayal of what it means to face adversity head-on. The book’s strength lies in its ability to balance these heavy themes with moments of lightness and hope, offering a sense of catharsis as the character learns to navigate the ups and downs of life.

The supporting characters are thoughtfully crafted, each contributing to the protagonist's journey in meaningful ways. Whether it’s a mentor figure, a close friend, or a romantic interest, these relationships bring depth to the story, illustrating the importance of connection, support, and understanding.

However, while the narrative is engaging, some readers may find the novel's pacing a bit slow in places. The introspective moments, while insightful, could feel repetitive at times for those who prefer a faster-moving plot. Still, for fans of character-driven stories, this slower pace allows for a deep dive into the protagonist’s psyche.

Overall, Learning to Fall is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel about personal growth and healing. It invites readers to reflect on their own journeys of self-discovery and the transformative power of resilience. Peach Morris has crafted a compelling story that will resonate with anyone who has ever had to pick themselves up after life has knocked them down.

really fun romance with some awesome themes and good characters. Imogen was a WONDERFUL love interest and our protag was great too! 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

3.5 stars rated up. YA/New Adult, UK-based, roller derby F/F coming-of-age type thing. It’s intense, lovely, and (guessing from the Author’s Note) comes from a very personal place, which strengthened what could otherwise have been a merely frothy piece of niche sports entertainment.

There’s quite a lot going on for Casey, the MC, who at barely nineteen is the main caregiver for her mum and is struggling with anxiety over various issues ranging from the prospect of having to move out and go to university, her sexual identity, her caregiving responsibilities, social interactions and, well, literally anything under the sun that could trigger a person with undiagnosed anxiety, which… you know, quite a lot of things.

The roller derby is front and central, and the book absolutely shines with love and passion for it. There is quite a lot of it, in quite a lot of detail, so do take that into account if you’re not into sporty books. I rather enjoyed it – I thought there was enough detail to get a good idea of how it works, and how utterly bonkers it is, lol. My favourite thing about it was how much the narrative centres roller derby as a safe space for queer folks and as a source of found family, fierce friendships and support. There are some wonderful side characters and lots of good rep (trans, non-binary, POC, disability) and the sense of community among the roller derby players was one of the strongest suits of the story.

Casey’s anxiety was well handled, but it does get rather intense towards the end of the book, so things got very heavy at times. There’s also other heavy topics like shitty family dynamics, alcoholism as a coping mechanism, and chronic illness/disability (Casey’s mum has chronic fatigue syndrome). The love story is lovely and real and a central part of Casey finding out who she is, but don’t go in expecting standard romance conventions.

Thanks to Netgalley and 8th Note Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wonderful story of finding oneself and found family through roller derby. Casey was so relatable, and I really appreciated the anxiety representation. And Mel was amazing, the kind of friend and surrogate big sister figure I wish I could find in my own life.

I highly recommend this for queer fans of Whip It. Just be warned that this isn’t a romance novel, despite the title and cover. So manage your expectations for the romantic subplot accordingly. I have mixed feelings about Imogen because struggling and needing space are okay, but ghosting the people you care about isn’t.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

When Casey catches her boyfriend in bed with someone else, her summer plans go up in smoke—but she almost immediately finds something much better. Before she knows it, she's training for a sport she didn't know existed, and taking spontaneous day trips, and expanding her social circle beyond what she could have imagined. But those things can't stop her anxiety at the thought of leaving her mother behind for uni in a year, and they can't tell her what to do about the feelings she's caught for a teammate.

I don't want to play roller derby (I like my osteopenic bones intact), but gosh it's fun to watch, and fun to read about. I knew from the first couple of scenes that this was going to be a good one: so many books that open with the POV character catching their partner in bed with someone else immediately spiral off into drama and bad decisions, and I loved seeing Casey be so...rational about it, I guess. Not *happy*, but rational. Seriously underrated, that.

Other things that are nice to see: how matter-of-fact Casey is about taking care of her mother. Chronic illness that's presented in a way that just *is*—not a good thing, and sometimes a source of worry, but not a source of drama. A romance that goes in unexpected directions. I don't want to say too much about the plot or the various sources of tension, because they're better unfolding as you go, but this is an excellent addition to the slowly growing library of roller derby books out there, and an excellent debut.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

I love love loved this book. The roller derby friendships and vibes felt very real and the sense of community was palpable. It also gets huge points in my book for how the romance unfolded and ended. I want more of this in YA always.

Before I get into my review of “Learning to Fall” I’d like to thank NetGalley and 8th note press for the eARC.

I had a really fun time while reading this book and I loved the characters and storyline. As a deeply anxious person who also loves to roller skate, this book was a quick cozy read.

This is a great YA book with the way it talks about very deep and real topics (check TWs before reading!)

But overall, if you love the movie “Whip It”, this book is hands down for you!

So much roller skating… too much roller skating…

Casey is taking a gap year before going off to college and is taking care of her mother. She finds her boyfriend cheating on her and doesn’t really care that much. She ends up seeing the girl he was cheating with at the gym and talks to her. She learns about roller derby and decides to try it out. It ends up being something she really enjoys and soon she joins a team and makes a lot of new friends, as well as gets a new crush…

This book had an interesting concept, I’ll give it that. I really liked the idea of a roller derby book because I’ve never read or seen one of those and I thought it would be interesting to learn about roller derby…

There was A LOT of roller skating. Too much, if you ask me. And it was all “tell” instead of “show” which made me skim over so much because none of the roller derby talk was sticking in my brain and I got bored.

Another thing is, I feel like this book was missing an introduction… I liked the first chapter and the set up with her meeting Imogen, but besides that it was missing something. We didn’t really get a good introduction to Casey or her life. It went straight to roller derby. There was barely anything else in this book besides roller derby, except the brief hangouts with her teammates.

I appreciate how the author incorporated anxiety, panic attacks, disabilities, and mental health/abuse issues and topics.

The writing style is very YA, but they’re supposed to be college aged. And yes, this is a YA book, but the dialogue felt very unrealistic most of the time for the character’s ages.

I don’t have a lot of comments about Casey as a character besides what I’ve already mentioned above. I wasn’t a big fan of her, but she was an okay main character.

The rest of the characters were okay as well. Imogen kind of got on my nerves, but she definitely brought up some important issues that were discussed in this book. I did really like Mel. She was a good friend to Casey and she was funny. The one character I did not like at all was Billy, Casey’s sister. Luckily she’s not in it much and I don’t think we were supposed to like her most of the time, anyway.

I think this book had a lot of potential and I wish I didn’t have to rate it so lowly, especially with this being the author’s debut. The book had a lot of great concepts, but they were not executed very well and I personally got bored and skimmed over a lot of stuff. There is a lot of great diversity and important issues talked about in this book, though!

And, I read the author’s note at the end of the book and this story is very personal to the author!! I’m sure it will be relatable to other readers, but unfortunately it wasn’t to me.

2.75 ⭐️’s rounded up to 3.

Thank you NetGalley and 8th Note Press for the ARC ebook of Learning to Fall in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited for this book, but unfortunately could not click with the story. I too watched Whip It many tines and thought it would be badass to be a roller derby girl… went to games, studied the rules & never went for it. So needless to say I was ready for this sapphic derby book! Overall it was a quick fluffy read about a 19yr old girl finding new passions while questioning her sexuality. She struggles with anxiety and balancing the uncertainty of going to University soon and leaving home while she also cares for her mom (chronic illness). I found the narrative of her not believing in herself and her friends cheering her on repetitive, but I finally got some satisfaction on where I think she was headed by the very end.

The roller derby action…. I can’t help but feel a large percentage of this story was straight from a “roller derby for dummies” book and I wish the author would have spent a little more time fleshing out the relationships/interactions with the characters. There were many amazing side characters that had great potential to further help the story line. I appreciated the emphasis on the beauty of the community, that it’s a home for those who’ve felt like they don’t belong. A safe haven for LGBTQ+ to thrive in sports. The diverse representation was there and I know this book will find its audience, it just wasn’t for me.

I loved this romantic self-exploration themed around roller derby. I learned a lot and felt connected to all of the characters.

I genuinely can’t begin to explain how much I loved this book!
Not only was it a sweet and wholesome story about finding yourself and your people but it explored mental health, living with disabilities and addiction in a true and thoughtful way - like these were a part of the characters lives but never ALL of the characters lives.
Casey was a great protagonist and despite this being only a short book her character development was well paced and believable. Loved the references to ‘Whip It’ and the parallels of the ending (and I 100% agree it should have been a queer love story)
Right, got to go now and find the nearest roller derby team to watch.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
# Pages: 196 (ebook)
Publication Date: 05.13.25

“I’ve never felt before. Skating and being around all these badass people make it feel like my blood is fizzing, like I’m standing on the precipice of something exciting and scary and dangerous.”

🛼 YA Contemporary Romance
🛼 Sapphic Romance
🛼 LGBTQ+ Rep
🛼 Roller Derby
🛼 Found Family
🛼 Self Discovery
🛼 Anxiety Rep

Book Blurb:
- A YA debut about found family and queer awakening, set in the lively world of roller derby, perfect for fans of Whip It and Heartstopper.
- “Meet Casey. She doesn't know it yet, but her life is about to change. A chance encounter ends up with Imogen inviting her to see some live roller derby where she finds herself surrounded by fearless women and non-binary players who aren't afraid to speak their minds-- and body slam each other.
Some crushes just hit different.”

“Learning To Fall” by Peach Morris was a cute and quick read. They really helped to show that it’s okay to love who you love and try new things. Even if those new things are scary at first. The character development and world building was good. I feel like the characters are likable and easy to relate to.

The romance isn’t the primary focus, which in this case, works out great. It allows you to really get yourself into Casey’s shoes and experience all aspects of her life. Including her mental health and the anxiety she felt a lot. She faced a lot of heavy topics and it was done well.

Overall, I think Peach Morris did a great job. I do recommend this book and I think it’s perfect for queer teens looking for a safe place to explore. I look forward to more work from Morris in the future.

Thank you netgalley and 8th note press for this ARC read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An ode to found family, growing up and trying new things, this YA novel will appeal to queer folks who need a safe space to be themselves without shame.

With that said, I had a hard time believing the age of the main and side characters. Had it been a lower YA book, it would have made sense. But what was the point of making the MC nineteen years old and her closest friend twenty-three? The players are supposed to be adults but it didn’t feel like it at all. Besides, the writing style didn’t help because it was very poor, and made it feel even younger.

Once I grew accustomed to the writing style, I must say that the roller derby part of the story was very compelling. I love when authors create a montage of the MC growing stronger and more confident in their skills throughout the pages, and that’s exactly what we have here.

I also liked the anxiety representation, even though it becomes quite prominent at the end of the book (it is understandable but still a bit heavy after spending the majority of the book mentioning it in passing).

The sapphic romance is cute and messy, and I liked the resolution, because for a while I was scared that their issues wouldn’t be addressed.

Overall, it’s a fun and fast-paced read that tackled really well the queer-safe-space aspect of roller derby.