Lexi is chronically exhausted due to her two jobs and trying to finish her degree. She also spend a lot of time trying to get her mom to leave the house.
Will is an heir to a big company who stops at a cafe, for lunch, and is immediately attracted to his waitress who is having a bad day..
The comedy of errors starts with these two, .deciding to fake an engagement, and the story is a charming summer read that you won't want to put down!

The chemistry between Lexi Danny and Will Grand is undeniable. I love the witty banter between them that played into the slow undeniable burn 🔥 They had such fun playing their “roles” until they realized they both truly felt the same about eachother.
This was a great story for the poor struggling girl/ rich love interest trope. I love how the other really did include each stage of the buildup, it’s like you’re building up with them.
The only negative thing I had to say, which isn’t really negative about the book, but more of a personal interest, was that is stayed “too good” between them for too long before there was any conflict. Usually you get some type of climax around the middle, which makes you grip your chest and not be able to put down the book, but I read this only happened in the last 40 pages of so. For me personally it cause me to get a little bored 3/4 way through. But like I said my personal feeling about book!
I would not take anything away from this authors writing style, she was fabulous, the character background and buildup really was executed beautifully, and I connected with them. If a simple , love story is what your after, than this is a good book for you!

I will post the same about review on our instagram closer to the release date.

4.5 stars! Okay, this book was adorable. I don’t always reach for rom-com books, or closed door romances for that matter. But once I started, I couldn’t put this book down!

Will is Seattle “royalty” and is trying to escape from the stressful life as a CFO and avoid his mom’s scrutiny when he sits down for lunch where Lexi is “waitressing”. Waitressing is in quotes for reasons. Mainly because she’s terrible at it. Lexi is waitressing to try to get by after her life fell apart at the seams a few years ago. All of a sudden, Lexi and Will are swept up into a fake engagement that might not be so fake anymore!

I love both Lexi and Will for different reasons. Lexi is resilient but she just needs someone to lean on every so often and Will wants to be that person. Lexi is stubborn to a fault but she just wants the best for everyone she loves. Will is the sweetest golden retriever of a man that becomes so obsessed with Lexi and her family and I just loved every moment. He was supportive and helpful without being forceful or judgmental. He defended Lexi to his family immediately and had her back the whole time.

As in any good rom-com there were ups and downs, people being stubborn, and lies turned truths that required everyone to face different things about themselves!

All in all, this book was super sweet and very enjoyable. Would totally read again!

3.5 stars

A fauxmance in my favourite city to visit? Yes please

Will was amazing, I want one of them lol.

Lexi's insecurity and inner dialogue got a bit annoying, but I did like the way the story did go, about where she i getting to in her life.

I enjoyed the secondary characters, Will's family are great

It was a bit hit and miss, but I enjoyed it enough.

This was a heartwarming love story.... a great read that I absolutely needed in my life! Lexi and Will had such a fun meet-cute and then began the journey of ups and downs to get to their H.E.A. I also liked following the story of Gwen and how she was rebuilding and finding her new self after her loss.....and how that paralleled with Lexi also finding her footing.

Lexie has got to be the world’s worst waitress. Of course, waitressing was not in her life plan, but she’s determined to get better at it. Will is trying to relax and read a book at a café, but he’s too entertained by the beautiful, clumsy waitress in the room. The meet cute that ensues is nothing short of enchanting and hilarious. By the end of the day, they find themselves in a fake engagement that makes the newspapers. Apparently, Will is one of Seattle’s finest, and richest, bachelors.

This book is about knowing your individual worth regardless of societal measures of success, being willing to love and accept being loved, and understanding that life's experiences are going to change us. We can always change for the better.

I was captivated by the story of Lexi and Will. I loved the fall vibes and the 70’s music references. This is my first Sophie Sullivan read, and I can wait to read more of her soul-stirring writing.

Some Favorite Quotes
She seemed vulnerable with a steel spine, funny but self-deprecating, smart but slightly unsure.... Those dualities pulled him in even as all that hair, that long lithe body, and her expressive face squeezed his lungs.

Though she tried to guard her expressions and responses, her eyes spoke like pages of beautiful literature.

There was a lot of space between alone and never falling in love. Perhaps she could dabble in the middle.

Will pressed a finger to Lexi’s lips, and she resisted the urge to bite it. “We love our moms. We don’t have to explain them.”

“Are you magic, Will Grand? Some sort of sorcerer?”
Will laughed, lowered his head so the tip of his nose brushed along the bridge of hers. “No, but I’m happy to let you think so.”

i can’t help falling in love with this book!!! this book was such a tender and emotional read. it highlighted the feelings of love and loss and grief and growth all in one with so much romantic, platonic, and familial love. it felt like a warm hug and the chemistry between will and lexi was off the charts!

thank you to netgally and the publisher for the arc!!!

this was my first rom com and i am not sure if this genre is for me. there were a lot of things about this book that fell flat for me. for one, the whole "rich guy poor girl" trope where in the end she miraculously finds out he is not perfect despite having money his entire life. secondly, lexi's mom was very triggering for me. daughter taking care of emotionally vulnerable/immature parents is a sore spot for many and instead of making me feel for lexi, it just made her feel like a pushover. the book was not terrible, just not for me.

Things didn’t go as planned for Lexi, she was a track star in college but had to leave her dreams behind after her fathers tragic passing. Now she’s waitressing trying to keep her and her grieving mother afloat while putting herself thru school. Little does she know one of Seattles most eligible bachelors Will is about to walk into her life and change her life. After a huge misunderstanding Lexi and Will are thrown into a fake engagement they cant talk themselves out of. This arrangement might be mutually beneficial but amid the dinner dates, apple picking, Halloween preparations real feelings start developing. The question is are they ready to take a chance on love?

TW: grief, mental health, death of a parent

I was really looking forward to this one after loving Sophie Sullivans earlier 2024 release. She’s an outstanding romance author but unfortunately this one didn’t quite live up to my expectations. It starts off really slow and I found the storyline to be a bit unclear. The main reason for that is the amount of characters, I struggled with all the names and keep track of who’s who. Which makes it difficult to connect to the characters although by the end of it I really connected with Lexi. She’s been thru so much and has been able to adapt and make the best of her situation. I’m so glad she got her HEA.

The romance is good, the tropes are enjoyable except I’m not a big fan of insta love. While they fall fast that doesn’t mean they act on their emotions immediately so its a good mix. The cover is super cute, love the fall vibes it goes so well with the book. Its a really sweet fall read and I hope others will enjoy it even more then I did.

Read this if you like
🚪Closed door romance
💋Fake dating
😍Love at first sight
🍁Fall vibes
🧡HEA

This was such a sweet and cozy romance. It was your typical romance, but it was adorable. It read very much like a Hallmark, which is sometimes just what you need!

This was a delightful story, and was surprisingly tender. The story was about love, fear, grief, friendship, and family. Our two MCs felt real, and I totally understood their relationship, which felt very authentic. Lexi’s fear of love and loss hit close to home, and I saw myself in her. While the story and the tropes aren’t the most unique, the story felt fresh, and had me invested from beginning to end. I really enjoyed this one by Sophie Sullivan and I will definitely read more of her books.

It is such a cute story - Their "Meet Cute" was super funny and adorable.
I loved how it showed the importance of honesty in all relationships - especially in friendships and family.

One thing I wished was different was the third-person narration. I feel like I could connect more with the characters written in a first-person narrative - it helps me create a world in my head and relate with the characters.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to recommend it to all my friends!

Lexi is a down-on-her-luck waitress who needs a change in her mundane routine! Will is an heir to a major company who wants his mother to get off his back and move the company in a direction his family would be proud of.

When Lexi sits down at Will's table because she is hiding from her past, they realize they found what they were missing in each other!

This story was so sweet! I did give it three stars because it was a romance story that followed the typical cycle of a boy and girl meet, they quickly fall in love, a conflict happens, and the conflict resolves.

I enjoyed this story as a sweet meetcute, with a closed-door romance. If you are looking for a story to use as a palate cleanser or one to get you out of a reading slump, this is your story!

Can’t Help Falling in Love is such a sweet Autumnal read. It just felt so cozy, like being wrapped up in a flannel blanket, and falling in love ♡︎ I look forward to everyone else getting to read it soon! Lexi and Will are so sweet & pure and I am down bad for anything set in my homeland, the PNW

This was the most unique fake-dating/engagement trope that I have read thus far. I love that instead of hiding their attraction to each other, they were honest about their feelings and actively wanted to pursue a real relationship within the fake one. It was such a refreshing approach. I was worried I wouldn't enjoy it because I don't normally like instalove, but the author was able to make it feel like a slowburn, which I really loved.

This book also had the cutest scenes that made me giggle and kick my feet. I wasn't expecting such a cute and fluffy romance. It doesn't focus on lust to build the relationship but rather on a real and cute connection between the characters. I'll be honest, the beginning was a little slow in terms of the chemistry, but I loved seeing it slowly build up throughout the book. It made it feel more authentic.

This was a good old fashioned rom-com book. It was a classic fake dating trope and worth the read. Very Hallmark movie-esque.

3.5 stars

This book made me seek out the rest of Sophie Sullivan's catalog. Her writing is engaging and her characters are three-dimensional.

I love Will and Lexi's chemistry and I appreciate a zillionaire who's down-to-earth.

Honestly, there hasn't been a Sophia Sullivan book that I haven't loved, and I am happy to inform yall that is still the case!

Can't Help Falling in Love's vibes were immaculate, the banter was top notch, and I loved both Will and Lexi so much and thought their 'meet cute' was great. Plus I'm a total sucker for fake dating and he falls first, so this was right up my alley!

I loved this story. I did from the moment I started reading it. Will and Lexi captured my attention. Will seemed like the perfect book boyfriend. I enjoy reading a story when the guy falls first and Will sure did. Lexi was shortly behind him but we knew it was it for Will. He was so sweet and kind to Lexi and her mom Gwen. After losing her dad a couple years ago, Lexi's mom had a really rough time getting over the grief. That had an effect on Lexi and made her hesitant to love as well. But Will was able to break down those walls. His family was another story but they did come around. You could feel the love on the pages for Will and Lexi and I just loved it. Make sure to pick this story up. Plus in the story the season is FALL and how can we not love that!

4.5 stars.

This book.. CHEFS KISS! It was the perfect fall meet cute book! Bonus part? It’s based in Seattle. As a PNW native I am the biggest sucker for a Washington based story. Especially when it’s well told.

From the very beginning I was sucked in. Lexi’s series of unfortunate events in a single work shift leading up to her meeting Will stole my heart! This is such a sweet fast paced book, it’s easy to finish in one sitting. I could honestly read more of Will and Lexi.

The supporting characters aren’t annoying and you’ll feel like you’re a part of Lexi’s small friend group. I will have to admit, Lexi’s internal dilemma of feeling like she’s not where she needs to be in life was an added bonus for me. It was relatable as heck.

Almost perfect read. Highly recommend.

Thanks so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.