I didn’t realize before reading that this book is connected to Andie Burke’s first novel, Fly With Me (Derek is Olive’s best friend). While this book is a standalone, I think I would’ve connected more with the characters if I had read the other book first.

I loved the meet “cute” (or not so cute)…Dylan literally falls through the ceiling into Derek’s apartment and then makes an “it’s raining men” joke. There’s a little enemies-to-lovers (but Dylan doesn’t know why they’re enemies) and a lot of forced proximity (Derek has to share Dylan’s apartment while the damage to his own is being completed).

Unfortunately, I had a a bit of a hard time following the story. I guess Dylan and Derek are in the same name family for me, because I got them confused for the whole book. I think either different names or 1st person POV would’ve been really helpful. Dylan and Derek also went from enemies to calling each other “babe” with the flip of a switch! I wish there had been more of a slow buildup to the relationship to make it more believable.

I did really enjoy that this book covered ADHD, grief, and family relationships in such a deep way. Both characters had great senses of humor and had me laughing out loud. I think this would’ve been a 5 star book for me if I wasn’t distracted by trying to keep track of who I was reading about. I also loved Olive’s character and will definitely go back and read Fly With Me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Andie Burke, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Fall for Him" was the perfect follow-up to "Fly with Me". While this is technically a standalone, seeing Olive as the supportive friend to Dylan was perfect. The depiction of Dylan and Derek's relationship felt realistic. There were emotions, work situation, family situations, etc. that were messing and heartbreaking, really reflecting what people go through as they build their own romantic relationships. Dylan and Derek fill the gaps that are missing in their lives, truly balancing each other out. There are so many great moments of banter I hope to see in future projects by Burke.

What happens when it literally starts raining men... and by that I mean a cute guy floods his apartment and lands right in yours. Dylan Gallagher is a cute nerd who has never really gotten along with his hot neighbor, ER nurse Derek Chang. From the moment Dylan moved in Derek has hated him and Dylan has no idea what he did wrong. What Dylan doesn't know is that Derek knows him before he had moved in, specifically because Dylan had dated the Derek's best friend's brother... the same guy Derek has nursed a long time crush on and slept with multiple times yet by going out with Dylan said guy was hurt and then when he passed away Derek's hatred for Dylan solidified. Yet here when Dylan lands smack dab in the middle of Derek's apartment, flooding it... they have to come up with a solution and that means Dylan will repair Derek's apartment while Derek moves in with Dylan. And so begins a tension filled roommate situation where there feelings for one another only grow stronger... but the longer Derek hides his past from Dylan the more it'll ruin the blooming relationship between them. This one just felt like a disappointment for me, the premise was really cute but the actual characters just weren't for me. I didn't like the pacing of the story and the actual conclusion for the mess between them just felt meh. I really liked how the story had a lot of rep in it and how it handled grief, but the actual romance just didn't feel there for me at all. I do appreciate getting to read a story with unique rep but I would just say this one missed the mark for me.

Release Date: September 3,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Oh my goodness I loved this book!

This one is for the readers that love forced proximity, classic romcom movies, heartwarming moments, ADHD rep, grief plot lines, anxieties, struggles, deep feels, spicy times, and laugh out loud moments as well!

Andie is quickly becoming a staple recommendation for anyone looking for queer reads! I can’t wait to see what she is writing next!

I loved Fall for Him. I had previously read Fly With Me, and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I figured I would like this one as well. Andie Burke's writing is stunning, and the characters are all so intriguing. Highly recommend this one!

Thank you st martins press and net galley for providing me with an e-arc

3.25 stars

Dylan and Derek certainly have an interesting meet cute with Dylan falling through the floor and into his mean neighbour's bed. Very reminiscent of a hentai plot.

Dylan initially comes across like a bit of an air head and Derek is a bit of an ass. They yo-yo between hate and lust as Dylan offers to repair Derek's ceiling. Feelings inevitably develop due to their forced proximity. I really liked the discussion of anxiety, ADHD, and familial expectations.

I didn't get a satisfying conclusion with Derek's family. The built up conflict with his sister felt glossed over with an implied reconciliation in the epilogue.

Overall cute but not memorable.

I enjoyed reading Derek & Dylan’s *falling* for one another 🥰

📚 I’m really unsure why these aren’t listed as a series, this one very much comes after Fly with Me, and there’s part of the storyline that’s connected.

⭐️ rating: 4/5
🌶️ rating: 3/5

💭 overall thoughts:
I really struggled in writing this review, and I went back and forth on it a lot.

I think a big part of why I enjoyed this book was that I read and loved Fly with Me (Andie’s debut) so much. We got a lot of Derek in that book, and we see a lot of Olive (Derek’s best friend) in this one.

I did really like Derek & Dylan’s banter, and how their connection developed. I loved the ADHD rep, and how grief was portrayed - how Derek was figuring it out and what to do with confusing feelings for someone who was no longer around.

I also loved the side characters, and would love to see Joni get her own book!

However, I struggled with two things that pulled me out of the story quite a few times. I think if either were changed, it would have improved the book a lot.

The MCs are named Dylan and Derek, and it’s in 3rd person POV.
There were sentences where both names were said TWICE.
I often had no clue whose POV we were in, and would mix up details about the two. While the narrators were great at capturing the characters, they sounded kind of similar as well.

read if you love:
😠 enemies to lovers
🛠 apartment renovation
🏠 neighbours
🛏 only one bed(room)
🙃 opposites attract
🔗 forced proximity
💞 dual 3rd person pov

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio & Netgalley for advanced copies. All opinions are my own.

The writing was okay, but I couldn’t get into the book. Both characters seemed like extremes, which I didn’t find believable or relatable.

4.75/5☆
2.5/5🌶

This is my first MM solo romance in a while, and I absolutely devoured the entire book in one night. The banter was so perfect, and the healing from trauma? 🤌 Beautifully written and wonderfully executed, this story needs to jump to the top of your TBR.

This was an enjoyable, end of summer read! It had so many fun tropes: forced proximity, only one bed, and mutual dislike to like. I really enjoyed both the main characters and how they grew and changed throughout the book. Both Dylan and Derek were dealing with some personal struggles at the beginning of the book, and this led them to struggle in their romantic relationships. Dylan lived the majority of his life with undiagnosed ADHD, and although he is now on medication that works for him and has implemented healthy coping mechanisms, he still struggles with feelings of inadequacy and shame. Derek is still experiencing grief for some major losses he has experienced in his life. This makes it difficult for him to commit for fear of losing more people that he loves.

These two men start off really disliking one another, but a giant hole in between their two apartments, some shoddy renovations, and a militant HOA member with a vendetta against big dogs, leads the two men to begin spending a lot more time together. This book made me laugh and smile and it made me ache for the characters and the difficulties they were facing. I really enjoyed my experience reading this story, and I look forward to what Burke writes next!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

There were some bits of this book that I absolutely adored but overall there was something that just didn't quite do it for me.

I loved Dylan and Derek. I loved their banter and their chemistry was next level. I wish we had gotten to spend more time with them trying to coexist with each other during all the apartment repairs.

I also really loved Olive, Felicity and Joni. They were such a great support system for both Dylan and Derek. I think the five of them make a pretty perfect friend group.

I think I maybe would have enjoyed this more if I had read the first novel. I didn't realize this was a second book until partway through. I felt like I needed more backstory of Jake and his accident.

I also had a hard time distinguishing between Derek and Dylan's POVs sometimes. Having a same-sex couple with such similar names make parts of this really hard to follow and I found myself having to reread passages a few times.

3.25 stars, rounded down
——————

It starts with a “Raining Men” joke and keeps going from there. This was a quick, fun romance read.

I enjoyed this book, it just wasn’t quite what I expected. The plot really dragged on, with a lot of filler events and dialogue. There is such an emphasis on this filler that a lot of the important details get lost and when I hit the epilogue, I was confused by why certain people were included, given the lack of detail in the relationship. This one would have benefitted from a nice, central plot. This background idea of the apartment repairs and the growing relationship it sparked was okay, and the events off shooting from it made sense, but there were just too many and not enough detail paid attention to them. I’m also not a big fan of miscommunication and lying by omission, so I was a little frustrated with Derek for a lot of the book. The book does do a really good job dealing with mental health and grief, though.

While I enjoyed the nuance of Derek and Dylan as people and their individual flaws and triumphs, I found their names too close. It made them hard to distinguish across the book and I absolutely mixed them up more than once, confusing myself. Their romance felt a little sudden. It was a quick burn enemies to lovers for sure. I loved Felicity and again, love the cameo by Olive. Even Derek’s subtle relationship with Joni was a good addition to the book. You definitely see growth among the main characters, but I enjoyed the growth in side characters, too.

Overall, I’m pretty disappointed in this one because I really enjoyed Fly With Me. Not sure if I would recommend.

This book couldn't be more perfect. I love Dylan and Derek so much.

Their banter, their chemistry, the way they literally and figuratively fell on each other, the ADHD rep, the forced proximity ; everything was just so good, so well done.

Dylan was my favorite. I love how he cares deeply and how his mind works. He was surprising all along and I fell in love with him as much as Derek.

Derek, the big brother, who has too many responsibilities while growing up, hates Dylan because he hurts someone he loves.
But, with his apartment wrecked, he has no choice but to share space with Dylan. Dylan who's the most kind man he's ever met.

Thank you SMP romance for the digital ARC for an honest review.

Read this if you love :

✨ M/M Romance;
✨ Opposite Attract;
✨ Enemies to Lovers ;
✨ Kill him with kindness ;
✨ Forced Proximity ;
✨ ADHD Rep ;
✨ Grieving character ;
✨ Amazing banter ;
✨ Cute, giant dog ;
✨ Spicy.

3.5/5

Things I loved about this book:
- The ADHD rep was really great, and the discussions on mental health and consent and well being were really well done. It’s something I really loved in Fly With Me by this author, and I’m glad it carried over.
- Felicity was an amazing side character and I REALLY hope we get a story about her. A radical feminist with a big heart? Love that.
- the mini epilogue was SO DAMN CUTE AND AMAZING I loved it so much.

Things I didn’t love about this book:
- it spent too much time on the not-romance. I usually love when there are other storylines and nuances to the characters and side characters, but this went overboard, making the book too long and slightly boring in some places.
- I hate when a love interest in a romance novel is or recently was in love with someone else and those feelings are still there, even if the character isn’t in the picture anymore. It really gives me the ick in a romance novel, and I hate that Jake was such a big part of the story.
- The unresolved storylines at the end. Things with Derek and one character never got solved?? I’m not sure if we will see them in another book but it was disappointing say the least.
- Mini gripe, but having two main characters with very similar names was soooo confusing for the first half. Seriously, Dylan and Derrick??? I kept mixing them up, but maybe that’s just a me thing.

I had super high hopes for this book and ultimately I didn’t hate it, but I felt it could have been better. I loved the idea of the book and the plot and even the dialogue was great most of the time, but for the above reasons, I can’t see myself rereading or considering it a fav. That really sucks because I ADORED Fly With Me by this author. I will pick up anything Burke writes still, because she is an excellent writer, I just had things about this book that didn’t work for me personally. I still recommend it, it just wasn’t for me 100%.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Griffin for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

Entrepreneur and handyman Dylan accidentally floods his apartment. The ceiling collapses and he lands in the bed of downstairs neighbor Derek, an overworked ER nurse. Despite the animosity between them, they’re forced to work together to fix the damage. As they navigate their shared space and emotional baggage, they must decide if their clashing personalities can lead to love or just another disaster.

This fun and emotional rom com hooked me from the beginning. It’s a pleasure to read. I also enjoyed the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

this was cute but not quite my speed. the mental health rep was great, and the conversations were well done in that department. unfortunately some of the other dialogue irked me, like these characters were supposed to be mid thirties but were acting like kids😭also the pov changes were super confusing since they were third person and not labeled, so that often took me out of it. everything was also just kinda slow, like it dragged on longer than needed. also the Michelle and Carol/cop scenes were so random and didn’t even add interest to the plot, they were just kinda weird. the relationship between Dylan and Derek was nice, but also kinda confusing sometimes? like they were fighting one second, getting freaky the next, calling each other babe, then denying feelings?? Idk maybe it was just my arc copy, but it seems like a few things needed to be rearranged or something. overall I didn’t particularly like or dislike this book, it was just alright. Gus is my fav character🤞
thank you NetGalley for the eARC, this is my honest review!

3.75 overall, while I appreciated the ADHD representation I unfortunately couldn't over Derek's extreme brashness, he actually very much ruined the ship for me as a whole that even when the chemistry and steamier scenes were happening it just felt very out of character. The repeated use of Kay as well, I had an inkling it was a moniker for Dylan but it was just so grating.

Fall for Him is a standalone gay romance novel. When Dylan accidentally comes crashing through the ceiling of his hot downstairs neighbor, all he wants to do is fix the house and move on with his life. But being in close proximity to his neighbor Derek is proving to be more of a challenge than he ever expected

This was a super cute read. I really enjoyed the depth of both Derek and Dillon as characters and I loved their growth in this story. This book had some great witty banter and I enjoyed the story overall. It did touch on a lot of heavy topics like grief and mental health and I did appreciate how these topics were handled. I do feel like there were a few pacing issues and some places where things felt a bit rushed for my personal tastes, but it was an enjoyable story

Overall this was a four star read. I enjoyed the characters and the story, just struggled a little with the pacing. This book dealt with some heavier issues, so please check triggers if you’re sensitive. This book was a bit of a slow burn but did have a few spicy scenes, so overall two flames for spice

If you’re a fan of forced proximity, good banter and mental health rep, then absolutely give this one a shot!

Dylan doesn't know why his downstairs neighbor, Derek, hates him. As far as he knows, he has never done anything to him—until he drops through the floor and straight onto Derek after water damage. Dylan offers to do the repairs and lets Derek stay in his apartment. After all, some of the water damage is his fault. There's a nosy neighbor who is always snooping. Derek owns a large breed dog that this neighbor doesn't like, so he's had to lie and say it belongs to a friend. As they grow closer, Dylan and Derek begin to realize that they are not so much different from each other. Derek helps Dylan feel more confident in himself and advocate for his needs, while Dylan helps Derek realize that he must take care of himself and not always put others before him.

A wonderful story about learning that asking for help when you need does not make you weak. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this story.

Thanks to St Martin’s Griffin, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for access to ALC and ARC versions of Fall for Him in exchange for my honest opinion.
While some books start with a bang, literally or figuratively, Fall for Him starts with a literal fall - Dylan falls through the ceiling of his downstairs neighbor’s apartment into his bed! Talk about a unique meet cute moment! I could not get enough of this book and binged it in less than a day. Any book that consistently references 10 Things I Hate About You is a-ok in my opinion!!
If you’re a fan of forced proximity, banter, and enemies to lovers, the slow burn romance of Fall for Him might be perfect for your next read. The main characters work through some past trauma, too, in meaningful, productive, and realistic ways. And I loved getting glimpses of Olive and Stella from Fly With Me (Olive is Derek’s best friend). I mostly listened (great narration!) but followed along in the ebook from time to time. I’m excited for everyone to be able to access this today!