I very much enjoyed this enemies to lovers, close proximity romp. Starts strong lags in some places but overall great read!
Dylan and Derrick find each other sharing an apartment- forced to get over their preconceived notions of each other.
Rich with realism - family issues, body image, self confidence, life balance.

It took me a while to get into this book, but that might have had more to do with being busy and in a mood more than the book itself. Overall, I have no complaints. Derek and Dylan were so sweet together, they had great character growth, realistic family dynamics with their parents and siblings, and a really funny Karen neighbor. I'm hopeful that we'll get another book about Felicity and/or Jodi next.

Fall for Him was a good romance. I liked the setup of the story, a meet-disaster vs a meet cute is always entertaining. Derek and Dylan were both great characters, both as individuals and together as a couple. The storyline was decent and held my attention as well. Overall a solid read and I would recommend to romance fans!

4.25 stars

Overall I enjoyed the story despite how ridiculous the situation was. The enemies to lovers aspect did stem from a miscommunication of sorts but it was fairly understandable from Derek's end. My main issue was how many D names there were and it ultimately had me confusing the 2 leads often. Plus sometimes Derek would call the other MC Dylan and other times Gallagher, even in the same sentence. It was hard to follow at times for that reason. I did like them both realizing they had unresolved trauma and accepting they need to do something about those to be better for the other.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

A good, not great MM romance. As a caveat, I did not read the first that feature some of the side characters in this book, but I feel like you can read without any of that back story.

First, the things I did love! The meet cute is fun, Dylan crashes through Derek's ceiling after a sous vide tub overflows. The two must stay together while they fix their respective apartments. I also love that Derek stands up for Dylan in front of his parents and family and is kind when his ADHD is at its worst.

The things I didn't love as much? First, why are the names so close! I feel like it took a little while to get in the groove in understanding who was who. Second, this is an enemies-t0-lovers book, but the enemy backstory is kind of convoluted and I'm not sure I buy why there was so much animosity. Finally, though they are together for a long time, I actually don't think there is enough character or attraction development storyline in the early parts of the books. They transition from enemies to more without really showing enough of the why.

* Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for access to the eARC in exchange for my honest review! *

4 stars!

I thoroughly enjoyed "Fall for Him" by Andie Burke, an authentic MM enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity romance that is more than meets the eye. I was a little skeptical about Dylan and Derek in the beginning, but the story gets increasingly more interesting and compelling as it goes along. This love story is full of tension, spice, and trauma. It's all about processing, accepting, and changing your mind. Some of it is a little wacky, but I didn't mind at all because I loved the characters so much. Dylan and Derek both feel wholly realistic, fully realized people. I loved the attention to detail and care that went into crafting both of these characters. Their story starts with a bang, literally, and ends with a bang in another way. I loved watching them start as enemies and become lovers as their walls came down and they got to know each other better. Sure, there is quite a bit of miscommunication between them, but I think it's handled well here (and I am the miscommunication trope's #1 hater). There is a lot of honest talk about ADHD, healing from loss, familial bullying, and incorrect assumptions. There is also some terrific, hilarious banter here. All in all, I really enjoyed reading about Dylan and Derek! My one complaint is that the pacing feels quite off. It's really slow at several points, but seems to end much too quickly come the book's end. Still, Liam DiCosimo and Kyle Omori provide a fantastic dual narration for this story. They do sound very, very similar to one another, so it might get a little confusing (especially since both of their character names begin with the letter D), so keep that in mind if you choose to listen via audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley, Andie Burke, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

*Thank you to St Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

It's no secret that I love Andie Burke's writing. It's just so full of emotion and representation and it makes my heart HAPPY. Dylan and Derek are at odds from the start, based on their shared history with the now deceased Jake. And then Dylan falls through Derek's ceiling. WHAT A MEET-CUTE. From there it's an enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, slow burn, hot mess of a relationship. Derek is still grieving Jake and Dylan is struggling to cope with his ADHD and his familial relationships. And together they form this sweet protective couple that I'd die to protect.

Also Felicity needs a book. She's so delightfully precocious (I might be projecting a little, mkay?), dynamic, and at one with her sexuality.

Fall for Him was mostly quirky and funny but had quite a few cringeworthy moments that kept me from fully enjoying this one as much as I did Fly with Me also by the same author.

Dylan Gallagher and Derek Chang fall into each other’s lives (literally) and end up trying to figure out their feelings, fix up their apartments and navigate complicated family situations together even though they have a weirdly intertwined past. Their banter and humor was really enjoyable but there was too little of it and major lack of communication about the things that matter. These two were interesting together but I feel like they went from barely talking to being intimate to having big feelings about each other with very little actual conversation, at least on the page.

I personally really dislike when the two MCs’ first names start with the same letter, so Dylan and Derek were hard for me to keep straight as I read - I kept forgetting who was who at the beginning, which was incredibly frustrating. The story dragged on for me a bit and I found myself putting this down and coming back to it a few different times. I think if things were simplified, it would have been more interesting - there’s a LOT going on with subplots, tons of different family members, back stories and medical diagnoses.

While I would never say contemporary romance is my favourite genre, every once in a while one comes along that absolutely knocks my socks off. Fall for Him is a funny, emotionally charged, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity goldmine that moves from a series of unfortunate events, complete with misgivings and misunderstandings, towards an adorably apropos and well earned happily ever after between two characters who will have wanting to smoosh their heads together all the while muttering “now kiss…”
Honestly, while the plot of Fall for Him was fun, the characters are what absolutely made it. Derek and Dylan are probably some of my favourite protagonists I have seen this year (so far). The way each one had their own personal trauma, hang ups, and assumptions about the other felt so real for two people who only really knew each other through brief but bad encounters and being “a friend of a friend.” I also greatly appreciated the commentary on mental health; both by way of Derek’s desire to take on too much when it came to his family, and Dylan’s relationship PTSD and embarrassment and anxiety over his intense ADHD. In addition to the two main characters, all of the side characters were also a delight! Everyone from Dylan’s slew of siblings, to Derek’s two best friends Olive and Joni—they were all hilarious.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t recommend it enough. If you’re in the mood for a mostly romantic comedy, with a bit of something heavier sprinkled in, then I’d pick this up asap.

Super emotional and angsty but also SO Adorable!

I cannot tell you how much I just wanted to hug Dylan. Both Dylan and Derek but especially Dylan. There was something from the first glimpse we get of him that made me instantly love him and want everything and more for him. Rejection is something we all go through but can be hard with other neurodivergence.

Derek is...haha typical MAN this one, but still enjoyed the banter between them too even the awkward moments because they get you to want them to be together through everything..

Classic Queer romance goodness. Excellent representation without being typecast or cliche, and I loved the evolution of these characters and their path to peace with themselves and each other.

I’m also a super fan of the microtrope where a partner rushes to the defense of their relationship/person against family members. Because 9/10 the jokes aren’t funny. Iykyk.

Also loved the individual issues Derek & Dylan (cue the “D” jokes with mlm romance 🤣) had to face in order to grow. They were incredibly realistic and entirely relatable. A true human interest story. 10/10 recommend

Queer enemies to lovers
TBH two D names were hard to follow at first
Love the characters struggles and development!

Thank you St. Martin's Press for providing me with the eARC!

Rating: 4/5 🌟

I thought this was a cozy funny story! I really enjoyed this story. It was an easy read that kept me reading.

I really enjoyed the banter and the chemistry between Dylan and Derek. I do wish there would have been a little more spice!

This was a great follow-up to Fly With Me with great writing and banter, important representation, and a delicious romance!

The only reason I’d say this book doesn’t open in a meet disaster is because, even though not friends, the two had already met. Dylan literally falls into Derek’s bed after a hole breaks open between their floors due to water damage.
During the repair/reno process the two get to actually know each other better - their core issue stemming from a partial story that had led to some assumptions and animosity towards Dylan from Derek - and attraction and feelings follow.

The two MCs having such similar names did make things somewhat confusing for me, especially at the start. Starting with the same letter shouldn’t be a big deal, but here we are. I felt like I repeatedly had to stop and remind myself which character was which.
I didn’t realize this was a sequel, and haven’t read the first book, so maybe that background would have helped me settle in better.

On the whole, the story was fine and I was interested enough to want to see where things went, but it’s not an instant new fav. I never fully moved past the character confusion. Also, I felt like something was missing emotion-wise. There’s a lot of talk about losses and struggles, but most of time I didn’t feel it? At least not until the very end. I *did* feel a lot of rage towards the majority of Dylan’s family after the bbq fiasco however.

I will say - Dylan’s late adhd diagnosis and subsequent issues felt real, and calling attention to the safety risks for people like Derek working in the hospital ER was eye opening.

Thanks to NetGalley and SMP for the arc

If you’re a fan of forced proximity and classic romcoms, this is a must. Burke’s writing is so heartwarming and authentic and Dylan and Derek’s characters with their anxieties, struggles, loss, familial expectations, and desires were so relatable and my heart ached for these two from start to finish. I was rooting for them as individuals as they processed past pain and hurt and as they grew together and fought for their happily ever after.

While there were many lighthearted moments that had me giggling, I was incredibly touched by the depth of emotional intimacy and trust that flourished between Dylan and Derek. Bearing witness to their hearts healing, while advocating for themselves and protecting their peace, was so brave and empowering.

The ADHD rep is so authentically written and I personally felt so seen by Dylan’s character and how he interacted with the world. I appreciated how Derek came alongside Dylan, offered support, and fiercely protected and defended Dylan’s heart.

Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a heartwarming story with relatable characters who love classic romcoms and grand gestures, a cast of characters that include meddling family members and a lovable dog, and an abundance of forced proximity!

I didn't love this, but it was a solid read, and it was my first from andie burke. I personally think this works well as a standalone. you can read her other book, but you do not have to. the characters had a lot of depth and are very flawed. there were times I thought each of them were in the wrong, and there were also times when I thought other characters were in the wrong. it was satisfyingly spicy, especially for a traditionally published book. some of the writing did have millennial cringe, though. the book as a whole was not poorly written. the exploration of grief was interesting. it did sometimes feel like too much was going on, which happens in real life, but in a book with a limited number of pages, it did not feel like every single thread was completed.

dnf 15%. I can't tell Dylan and Derek apart and I'm tired of rereading passages because I thought we were in the other's POV. Their names are too similar and they have the same "voice." I dnf'd Andie's last book too. I guess their writing just doesn't work for me.

Fall for Him was as cute as it sounds. After reading Andie Burke's debut, I was very excited to be offered a chance to review this one as well, and I was not disappointed. This book revisits characters from Burke's first novel and delves further into the loss from that story; this time, we get to see the grief process from the view of Olive's best friend, Derek.

This book explores the idea of dealing with traumas while starting a new relationship and how fragile that can be. Derek's story also shows how each person's story of trauma is different, and those experiences can be felt in every level of a relationship, whether it be friends, family, lover, or even acquaintance.

The story of enemies to lovers from this book touches on first impressions and the hurt that can come from assumptions and stereotyping. As someone who has had incorrect assumptions made about them based on the symptoms of a mental health disorder, it was lovely to see this addressed in such a vulnerable way. Seeing an outside symptom does not mean you automatically know what caused that reaction; Dylan's story stands as a perfect example of this.

All in all, I am thankful to have been given the opportunity to review this book and will continue to recommend Andie Burke to friends and followers.

I'm so bummed to not have liked Fall for Him after really enjoying Andie Burke's previous novel. A few things didn't work for me. First, the pacing of the romance felt off to me. The transition from enemies to lovers wasn't as satisfying as it could have been because it happened so quickly. Second, and this is such a personal preference thing, but I don't love when couples call each other "babe" and the whole "kay" becoming an inside joke just wasn't funny to me. Both of these things took me out of the story when they were used...which was a lot. Lastly, Derek yelling at Dylan's family for how they treat him when Dylan made it pretty clear he preferred it not be addressed was frustrating. I get how having a partner stick up for you can be romantic, and Dylan's family totally needed a talking to, but the circumstances made it feel icky to me.

While this book was a miss for me, I enjoy Burke's banter and will definitely check out whatever she writes next. Hoping it features Joni :)