Quick Synopsis

A struggling waitress and the heir to a major Seattle company stumble into a high-profile fake engagement while simultaneously trying to keep up with their own love lives in this flirty fall rom-com!

Publisher’s Synopsis

Lexi Danby is looking for some no-strings, fall fun. Once a college track star, she was forced to drop out when her father passed away. Now she’s trying to make ends meet while putting herself through school and caring for her grieving mother. When her comically bad waitressing lands her directly in the path of a handsome, charming stranger named Will, Lexi may just have found the distraction she’s been looking for. Their first date looks promising until a misunderstanding at a party thrusts Lexi and Will into a fake engagement they can’t talk themselves out of. And Will turns out to be a member of Seattle royalty

Will Grand is heir to a major company, and Seattle’s most eligible bachelor. But he’s been placed in charge of an important merger with a company that values family above all else, and needs to show them that he’s settled down. While a fake engagement is advantageous from a business standpoint, it’s not so great for a budding relationship with a woman who’s wary of commitment. With a woman who Will is beginning to care about much more than he could have anticipated

As Lexi gets a taste of Will’s glamorous world and the pair keeps up the pretense of their fake engagement for the press, they decide to see where a more casual relationship takes them out of the spotlight. And amid apple picking in comfy flannels, outdoor breweries in the crisp air, and fun Halloween preparations, Lexi starts to realize the scariest part of the season might just be taking a chance on love.

Book Review

Can’t Help Falling in Love is the perfect romance novel to get you in the feelings of fall. Down on her luck, Lexi is a comically bad waitress whose clumsiness lands her in the path of the handsome Will Grand. He is just the distraction she is looking for until a misunderstanding on their first date turns into a fake engagement. This novel encapsulates a delightful, heartfelt romance that begins with a perfect meet cute that leads to a fake engagement. This cozy story will warm your heart and make you yearn for autumn in Seattle.

Can’t Help Falling in Love‘s plot felt original even though it encompasses common tropes. Told through dual points-of-view, it is a refreshing and sweet story that portrays romance along with overcoming loss, without being weighed down too much by grief. I loved that the protagonists had fun together, laughed a lot, and were easy to cheer for. I also enjoyed the relationships depicted between friends and siblings. Will, the male protagonist, is an absolute dreamboat.

I adore Sophie Sullivan’s writing. She does one of the best jobs I have read discussing feelings. Sullivan’s books are full of succinct descriptions of both actions and emotions. As a result, the romance in Can’t Help Falling in Love naturally builds between her protagonists. It makes for a much more believable and emotionally-engaging read. I just wish Sullivan wrote open door sex scenes rather than fading to black, but that is a personal preference that I will not hold against an author or a book.

The reason I could not rate Can’t Help Falling in Love five stars is the third act breakup. It is no secret that I am not a big fan of the third act breakup and find it often poorly executed. In this novel, the third act breakup did not quite work because the actions felt nearly out of character for the protagonists. Both protagonists experienced so much growth over the book’s course, and their actions that led to the break up just seemed odd.

Overall, Can’t Help Falling in Love is the perfect swoony fall romance. If you feel like fall is passing too quick, I definitely recommend elongating it by basking in this story.

Rating

Overall Rating

Writing

Plot

Character Development