Decided not to put a review at the usual platforms as I don't want to be a Debbie Downer.

I wanted to like this MM romance, but the two leads with very similar names and similar voices confused me. I kept having to check who was speaking. Even now I can't remember which one was supposed to be Asian--there was so little sense of even second or third generation mix of cultures, which made the character feel like checking boxes.

Secondly there was more hostility and judgment than I like; enemies-to-lovers is a very subjective trope, I know, but I prefer a lot more banter and less bickering. .

The plot was so cluttered with "stuff" that wasn't really well explained much less resolved, especially with Derek and his issues with deceased Jake. Maybe it's just me,

This book really started out too weak and slow for me. I had a hard time connecting to the characters and even just telling the characters apart. I also didn’t feel the enemies to lovers plot as much as I wanted to. The hating felt forced and awkward and then their relationship got off to a kind of rocky start in my opinion. I liked the characters and their complexities once I got into the storyline a bit more. I liked the side characters. I honestly didn’t love the final act breakup and felt like it wasn’t authentic to all the progress they had made already. I also feel like the resolution with the Parakeet Karen was too fast. Overall, it was good and I’m glad I read it. Just felt like it wasn’t quite what I expected.

Andie Burke’s sophomore release had a lot to live up to after her debut really knocked it out of the park - Fly With Me was one of my very top reads of 2023! Fall For Him, which includes appearances by Olive (from Fly With Me - she’s a nursing co-worker and best friend of Derek), wasn’t quite as stellar but definitely one to read.

This one started with a bang - literally, as Dylan falls through Derek’s ceiling due to a bit of a flood in his apartment above, and long-term water damage. The pair has a long-standing issue with each other, though neither understands the reason why the other doesn’t like him. It’s eventually revealed (I see a ton of reviews that dnf’d, so please keep going - this storyline really redeems itself beyond the point everyone seems to be giving up, and it’s definitely a good one).

While the boys have to work together to repair the ceiling damage to avoid huge insurance claims or contractor bills, they also have to work together to hide Derek’s dog Gus that isn’t allowed by the apartment complex board, and share the only livable space - working mostly opposite shifts makes it fairly doable, but they’re still in forced proximity and still fighting a mutual attraction, which is there even with both of them having their issues about the other (again, revealed later in the book, so don’t give up on it).

It has a tiny bit of spice, but not really… I was definitely hoping for something more.

The names were WAY too similar and when in third person it was getting difficult.

I did find this one was quite slow in comparison to her first book, but certainly worth it by the end - a beautiful relationship and I’m glad I read it and stayed with it (seeing some of the reviews popping up I was getting worried). I do recommend it, and I absolutely recommend sticking through the difficult parts in the middle when you might want to call it quits, like the other reviewers!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin), and this is my honest feedback.

Tha banter! The enemies to lovers to reluctant allies to kind of roommates! The cute dog! THE COVER! I dont know if it was intentional or not, but this will definitely appease Sterek Teen Wolf fans, and not just because their names are Derek and Dylan. They have that same addictive tension, the wit and the flirting. I couldn't get enough!

This was such a great novel that gave so many diferent groups representation. This book had everything from acceptance and moving on from losing loved ones, mental health, neurodivergence, etc. On top of being a great romcom and the banter was pure chefs kiss.

***Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

Fall for Him was a genuinely funny and heartfelt MM romance. The premise was hilarious. One of the main characters literally falls through the floor into his downstairs neighbor's bed, and a solid enemies-to-lovers story ensued.

Unfortunately, I often found myself bored while reading Fall for Him, especially in the middle 50% of the book. The pacing was a bit off, with some of the story feeling too slow and other parts too abrupt. Furthermore, most of the conflict felt internal to the characters despite the great premise of the construction problem and forced roommate situation. The frequent miscommunication also became tiresome pretty quickly.

Once the characters got together, though, I started enjoying Fall for Him a lot more. They had a really fun dynamic with great banter and electric chemistry. The steamy scenes were great, and they felt integral to the story rather than gratuitous. I loved getting to see the guys interact as a couple with their families, as well. Those were some of my favorite parts of the novel. Their relationship just worked so well once things got going. I wanted to protect them at all costs, especially from themselves. lol.

I did appreciate the ADHD and grief representation even though it took up a bit more of the narrative in Fall for Him than I would've liked. The portrayal of these issues was realistic, though, and I liked the strong focus on how each of them could make relationships difficult. Importantly, the main characters were complex and didn't feel pigeon-holed into stereotypes of their issues. I genuinely liked them both and enjoyed getting to know them.

The supporting characters were great, too. Gus stole the show when he was in a scene. He was such a good dog. The nosy HOA person was hilarious. I wanted to strangle her each time she inserted herself into other people's business. I also loved how great of a friend Joni was to Derek. She really helped him work through some big feelings and never wavered in her support of him. As I mentioned earlier, the families were all great characters, as well. This really was such a great cast overall.

All in all, Fall for Him was a solid contemporary MM romance with an entertaining premise, interesting characters, and great mental health representation. The central relationship had a fun enemies-to-lovers dynamic with plenty of witty banter and steamy moments. The pacing and reliance on miscommunication for a good deal of the tension kept this from being a slam dunk for me, though. Therefore, I rate Fall for Him 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Great uncute-meet scenario: MC1 falls through the rotten floor of his kitchen, straight into the bed of MC2, and uh-oh, they already have a hostile relationship.

Unfortunately, the writing's flat and the various characters' heartfelt conversations draw largely from the psychobabble pool:

"I’m honored you’re trusting me with this. Life is complicated."

“It’s not dumb if it’s something that’s important to you, or something that impacted you.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through all that. I don’t know what that must have been like, but I do get the insecurity part."

There's nothing wrong with this kind of thing, exactly -- its heart is in the right place -- but the triteness gets excruciating PDQ. Then the book throws in an annoying, nosy older woman character (Lord, I am *so sick* of the ageism/misogyny combo platter) and, as the cherry on top, this bit of body positivity:

"I have mostly come to terms with my body, and I have fully embraced the intuitive eating life. I mean, I’m in great shape and work out three times a week. Should being a size fourteen mean I can’t like my body?"

No, no, of course not.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a great sequel (but stand alone!) to Andie’s debut last fall. I loved Derek and Dylan’s story with lots of complex emotions, history and actuality. Andie also demonstrates great mental health rep with an understanding and patient partner which is SO incredibly great and lovely to see in the romance genre. Derek and Dylan are (literally) thrown together when Dylan falls through the ceiling and lands in Derek’s bed. For a myriad of reasons they are stuck with one bed in a forced proximity scenario amid the chaos of their everyday lives PLUS a drawn out home reno. As they rebuild the physical spaces around them, will they also start to fix what’s going on inside?

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.