Another great book by Elise. Looking forward to another one. I thought the "year of falling" concept gives this book a seasonal sales pitch without being locked down to one holiday.

Elise Bryant is clearly an author that gets better with each book. I loved her first two books, but Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling is her best yet. This follows two tweens as the encounter each other over the course of the year, always on holidays. Stories like this can sometimes fall flat due to lack of character development, but Reggie and Delilah are both so wonderful. Delilah is the lead singer of pop punk band, and struggles with that means as a black girl. Reggie is a Dungeons and Dragons player and blogger who is insecure about his black geekdom. Both of these things make them deeply layered and likable. Plus, their romance is so sweet from the start. They develop a really uplifting and supportive friendship before they really become a couple and its impossible not to root for them, both as a couple and as individuals. I love that they both have these great side stories about being black in spaces that are traditionally not super diverse, and I love how they each grow in their own way. Also, Delilah gets migraines and I think that representation was done was super well. Ultimately, I think everything about this one works and I can't wait to keep reading whatever Elise Bryant writes!

A book about being your true self! This book was nothing but feels and I loved every bit of it! This was my first book by Elise Bryant and it won't be the last! Reggie and Delilah was beyond cute! The feels were amazing and I loved that as I was reading, I got to find out new holidays!

I liked this book and framework where the two meet over a year on various holidays/events. Both leads were well drawn as well.

As usual, elise bryant has made me love her again. I genuinely enjoy her story telling and the stories that she does choose to tell.
I wish i had stories/novels like this to read when I was growing up but I am glad little Black girls have them now

This book has a BEAUTIFUL cover, and it must be acknowledged. Actually, all of Elise Bryant's cover have been gorgeous and I love that for her and her books.

This book, like all her others, gave me exactly what I signed up for: a cute YA romance that felt real, I truly enjoy reading Bryant's work and I hope it ends up in the hands of many teens.

I really enjoyed this book. The back and forth POV was done well and it didn't sound like the same person, meaning that the author was very good and differentiating between Reggie and Delilah. I do like how Delilah also slowly realized who crappy her bandmates were treating her on her own even though it took a bit longer than I would have liked and how both of them realized that they made mistakes in the development of their friendship and eventual romance. Another winner from someone who is fast becoming one of my favorite YA authors.

So this book? I loved it. The concept of Reggie and Delilah meeting and reconnecting at holidays? Absolutely inspired.

Elise Bryant has been very up front about the slooooowwwww burn of this book and she was not kidding! Knowing that helped to manage my exceptions going in and I found that I loved the way the relationship between Reggie and Delilah unfolded as a result.

Of course, with every story about teenagers, you reach that point where you just want to scream at one of them to quit while they’re behind because they’re only going to dig that hole deeper!!!! And yet, they don’t listen. They can’t. All teens are doomed to this.

So much of this I loved and Bryant continually delivers on her YA. I look forward to the beginning of the year for her books now.

4 stars

This book was just pure magic. I loved every second of it.

After meeting on New Year's Eve by accident, Reggie and Delilah have a full year of getting to know each other and falling in love. At first, they meet coincidentally on subsequent holidays, which was such a fun element of the storytelling, but as they get to know each other better, they begin to find holidays so that they can spend the day together. Their romance is such a beautiful slow-burn and was so rewarding to experience.

There was another element to this book that I also really loved. Reggie and Delilah were fully formed characters outside of their romance, and their character growth throughout the novel helped them grow together as a couple. Delilah comes out of her shell as a musician, and because Reggie believes so strongly in her, gains confidence in herself. The same is true for Reggie. I also really enjoyed all of the pop culture references. I think this is a novel that teens will really be able to connect with. This novel was just a beautiful love letter to teenagers and what it feels like to fall in love for the first time.

My favorite Elise Bryant yet!

I really enjoyed the conversations around D&D and punk rock and how Black and other POC creators and fans are often left out of the communities.

As a romance, of course there was some misscommunication and it’s a little formulaic , but still an absolute delight!

This was such a cute and fun romance, and the vibe of the story reminded me of Dash and lily's book of Dares!
I thought the pacing was great as each chapter is set in a new month. This made the romance between Reggie and Delilah feel much more authentic. Although it's fun to read a fluffy romance, a gradual build throughout the story is so satisfying. I also really enjoyed the glimpses of Reggie's D and D campaign and the tension between Delilah and her bandmates. I loved the extra layer of nuance it brought to the characters, and I felt that it grounded the story.

If you like Young Adult romances with a hint of nerdiness, set in So Cal, and with character growth pick up Reggie and Delilah's year of falling.

OH MY GOODNESS. This was such a wonderful, fun and enthralling romance novel. Following Reggie and Delilah over a year of dating was satisfying and charming. I felt like the highs and lows of their relationship were natural and believable. The through-line of being true to yourself and comfortable in your own skin was handled well and amplified by discussions of Delilah's biracial heritage.

This felt a lot like my favorite cheesy Netflix rom-com, The Holidate, and I have already recommend it to readers who like YA romance.

I enjoy stories that take place over a set time, so I was very excited that this one not only took place over the course of one year, but also emphasized how they met up on different holidays throughout the year. That made for a fun, fast-paced and intriguing read.

This was cute, but the MCs were so, so frustrating when they were together and made so many dumb decisions lol. They very clearly enjoyed each others' company but could not for the life of them communicate their feelings AT ALL. I had to remind myself many times that they are teens, so it's par for the course. They are still....developing.

But I had such a soft spot for these characters. Both struggled with their identities. Reggie made himself appear confident and secure in himself to Delilah because he didn't think she'd like him for his true self: nerdy, insecure. He managed to put her on a pedestal and could not see that she, too, was flawed. To Delilah, this meant he not only hid the real him from her, but he also didn't see the real her. Delilah was a "yes woman" who just went with the flow. Her blasé attitude led her to go along with what others thought of her instead of speaking up for herself. She had to learn to be her own person.

I loved that these were Black teens trying to enjoy and navigate their hobbies in predominantly white spaces. Reggie runs Dungeons & Dragons campaigns with his friends, and Delilah is the initially reluctant but talented lead singer in a punk band. It isn't just about them proving their worth in these white spaces, but they also are needing to prove their worth in Black communities where they don't feel "Black enough." I really enjoyed that relatable aspect that I am in many ways still grappling with at 30.

R&D experience great character growth. Made it easier to dismiss their more frustrating moments lol. And when they got their acts together, their relationship was very sweet! This was not my fave in these companion books, but I still have a great time with this story.

This was a very cute YA that I had a fun time reading. It had the vibe that I have come to expect from Elise Bryant through her other books. I enjoyed this read and cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Reggie and Delilah. What a year they have in this book. The ups and downs, the absolute roller coaster of emotions that this book portrays. I loved the journey and these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling is the third book in the Happily Ever Afters YA romance companion series by Elise Bryant. As with the first two books, this story features romantic love at the forefront and friendship and familial relationships as a close second. This book is told in dual POV of the love interests. Delilah is an ambitious rock singer whose current band members hold her back from being creative and do not appreciate her. Reggie is a secret Dungeons & Dragons critic who voices racial themes in the game via an online alias. Both Delilah and Reggie deal with racism, family issues, and confidence. As they continue to run into each other and then eventually meet up on purpose, they find themselves inspired by the other person and wanting to be “better” because of them.
I enjoyed the romance in this story, as well as the behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to be a Black girl in the punk rock scene – nearly unheard of. I loved getting to read about both characters finding their way and using their voices to speak up for themselves and the ones they love. If you’re looking for a sweet romance that tackles some real-world issues and features music and gaming, this one’s for you!

Review on Youtube to come. It can be expected within the first week of April. It will be titled MARCH WRAP UP!

DNF @ 26%

I was really looking forward to this one since I love the idea of the characters meeting on different holidays, but I'm underwhelmed. The pacing is slower than I was expecting, and I'm finding myself getting bored with the plot. At 400 pages, this is a pretty lengthy contemporary, and I'm not sure I'm interested enough to continue reading. However, I'm sure that many will love this one, especially fans of the author's other work!

Elise Bryant’s books just make me smile. Once again, she gives us a rom -com with sass, sweetness, and snark that is absolutely unputdownable. Reggie and Delilah both have insecurities rooted in their image and being free and this bonds them as they both navigate their coming-of-age stories, all while falling for each other.

Reggie and Delilah only meet when there is serendipity in the air but can they build a relationship off coincidence? Bryant knows how to write romance that has strong themes mixed with humor. While the plot is seeped in racial, gender, and family issue; it is in a way that everyone can understand and digest. The romance is not approached with rose colored glass but is depicted in a realistic way. Relying on the characters organically dealing with social and personal pressures. The pace is perfect and engaing, allowing the reader to really get to know the characters.

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- this was such a cute read! with the well paced love story of Reggie and Delilah, all while focusing on their struggles to be themselves authentically. i fell in love with these two, and was rooting for them the whole way. the author wrote their perspectives in such a charming light, and i found myself smiling at many different points as the two characters interacted with each other.

- a sweet, gentle and authentic contemporary romance to enjoy!