Can't Help Falling In Love is a pretty fast paced book. It follows Lexi and Will as they unexpectedly (through a little white lie that grew on its own) become engaged.

I love Will and Lexi's relationship, they're so cute and sweet. He respects her and her choices, he helps her while respecting and actually listens to her.
We meet Will from the first chapter and the story begins immediately.
It was a bit of insta love, but it wasn't too bad. It was more of they were instantly interested in each other and grew to love each other as they got to know each other.
Despite the fake engagement making an early appearance in the book, their relationship actually developed slowly. I love how even though it has the fake engagement trope it doesn't follow the same formula. It's more of it happened and we like each so why not keep it going.
I LOVED that Lexi isn't afraid to defend herself and those around her. She's not a meek damsel in distress. She knows what she wants and doesn't let others push her to the side. She's a great example of how life doesn't always have to follow this straight path everyone has their own path in life.
Her relationship with her mom was as beautiful as it was sad. She was put into the caretaker position, although it disrupted the path she was taking she never let any of that stop her.
What can I say about Will and Lexi they are perfect for each other and their relationship is a dream. Their chemistry is EVERYTHING. I will 100% be picking up more
Sophie Sullivan books.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / St. Martin’s Griffin for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

This unfortunately was a DNF for me I made it to about 30% and just couldn't do it. I didn't connect to either of the characters and was not sure how they fell for each other so quickly after an extremely awkward meeting. The drama felt very contrived and why they pretended to be together seemed a little unrealistic again for basically two strangers. The writing was fine and I'm sure there is an audience for this book but it just wasn't for me. I hate not finishing a book but there was nothing bringing me back to this book and never felt anymore invested when I tried to pick it up. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

I really enjoyed this!

This the kind of story I like to find in a romance genre book. I even wouldn’t have minded if it had been a bit longer. This is also a rare time I wish these books had an illustration or two; I want to see Gwen’s miniatures!

There were, however, some glaring continuity errors I don’t usually come across in an ARC at this stage. Listed as follows:

Chapter 5: “Will pulled open the fridge and grabbed a couple bottles of 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿, passing Kyra one.”
Four paragraphs down: “Will nearly snorted the 𝗽𝗼𝗽 through his nose.”

End of chapter 7: “You are an intriguing man, Will Grand.” Neither knows the other’s last name yet.

Chapter 21: “It was large, big enough for a corner desk nook. He had several 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 books over the desk…” more books? Where were the original books?

Chapter 36: it’s not Elastic Girl, it’s Elastigirl

Chapter 37: “One who got to have over twenty years beside the person who knew her best?” Lexi is 25. Shouldn’t Gwen and her husband be closer to, or over, 30 years together before his death?

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘯/𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

Fake engagements ar Emy favorite and this one hits the mark for me. I’ve loved every book from Sophie Sullivan thus far and this one may be my new favorite.

Short synopsis:
A struggling waitress stumbles into a fake engagement with Seattle’s hottest bachelor. They try to keep up with their own lives, the chance of falling and their fake engagement all at once.


My Review: *slight spoilers below
This is my first Sophia book, and what a cute read!
I was honestly hooked from the beginning with the writing style and the little chemistry that shines through in just the first few chapters. As we follow Lexi, I had immediately connected with her. She is just a girl, trying to make it through life since she was dealt some not so fair things.

I believe this book really shows how so many things in life change you and it’s okay to love all the versions of yourself. You do not stay the same person you were in HS, or when you go through a traumatic event. The author, Sophia, showed this beautifully, and made me connect with our main character even more. Sophia also shows that no one is alone with feeling like they never lived up to their potential from HS.

Let’s talk romance! I am not one to like a ton of insta-love type stories, and I hear some call this one of those. I actually found it very different than the others I have read in the past. The chemistry started with him being a customer, and her being a not so great waitress. This led to misunderstandings that lead into fake-dating/fake-engagement. (My fav!)

The love they show for one another is kind, and gentle. It was honestly a breath of fresh air with how they treated one another, and talked through things. OF COURSE we have that part where there is a riff in the relationship, but it just hit differently.

Pros of the book:
- THEIR CODE WORD.
- How this man didn’t once think that our main character wasn’t enough for him or his family. (Her not coming from money.)
- How the author brought up harder topics —- death of a loved one, change and all types of relationships. (Friendship, Relative, romantic.)
- With the death being brought up, I just adored and appreciated how it talked about you not being the person you were when they were alive. That this is okay, and we are allowed to grieve not only them, but ourselves.
- Will realizing falling so hard so fast, and talking to us (the audience) about how some of it is Lust, and that he needs to slow it down.
- Background queer (lesbian) rep!
- Showing how all people go through harassment/cat calling.
- Mentioning two of my favorite things! (The Kiss Quotient & Nick Jonas!)

Con’s of the book:
- When they were playing the game of guess whose name is on your back —- I didn’t like that they used the “overeating in the states” comment that Michelle Obama made. The way it was said, just seemed unnecessary and could have used a different clue.
- (This is just a personal, dumb opinion —-) I HATE that the store is called Grand Babies. 😂

Thank you Netgalley, and to the publisher for allowing me to read this E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Sophie Sullivan read, and I can happily say I’ve become a fan. Grab a blanket and cozy up, because this is the perfect fall romance read!

“But everything about Alexandria Danby made him feel like he wasn’t driving this vehicle, he was just along for the ride.”

✨ Meet Cute
✨ Fake Dating / Fake Engagement
✨ He Falls First
✨ Opposites Attract
🌶️: closed door romance

Alexandria “Lexi” Darby is a lot of things, but a good waitress is not one of them.

When old high school friends show up at the restaurant Lexi works at, she all but panics when she learns how successful in life and love they’ve been since  last crossing paths. Lexi on the other hand has been struggling. She’s juggling two jobs to barely make ends meet, trying to finish school to earn her degree, and making sure to keep the roof over their heads for her and her grieving mother.

Luckily, Lexi has made an impression on Will Grand - one of the customers seated at her table and he agrees to play along into the scheme of being her fake boyfriend. When a misunderstanding happens at a party Lexi wakes up to news of not only her fake engagement, but to news that her new fake fiancée is the heir to a major company and one of Seattle’s “former” most eligible bachelors.

Lexi needs to continue to preserve this new reputation she has among her friends, and Will needs to keep his mother at bay from playing match maker with all of Seattle’s socialite candidates. Will suggests keeping up the fake engagement pretenses, but to actually explore a real relationship beneath the surface. When feelings start to turn real, can Will convince commitment wary Lexi that their relationship can be just as real as the world thinks it is?

Lexi and Will had my entire heart from start to finish!! Their characters are relatable and their character development was top tier. While this book contains all the fluff, humor and banter, Sullivan also does a great job including themes of societal differences,  mental health and grief.

I was also a huge fan of a few of the side characters in this book and I am holding out hope for a second book with Ethan!

This story charms with its endearing characters and a delightful meet-cute. While the romance unfolds quickly and sweetly, the characters' backstories feel rushed, leaving readers with unanswered questions about their past and motivations. Despite this, the novel remains a light and enjoyable escape, perfect for those seeking a quick summer read.

this was my first sophie sullivan book, and it certainly will not be my last. i absolutely ate this book up! i LOVE fake dating/fake engagement books and this one was done so well. i completely fell head over heels for will and i just adored lexi’s character too; they had such a sweet meet-cute!!! this was such a sweet, swoon-worthy, and and fresh story.

thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc copy! i loved this one so much!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of can’t help falling in love.

I’ve read other books by Sophie Sullivan and really enjoyed them. I just couldn't connect with Lexi and Will in this book.

I usually love when there are many side characters but I feel like it took away from the main couple. It all seemed very unbelievable.

Perfect for a cute and cozy romance this fall!! It includes one of my favorite tropes, fake dating/engagement, and I knew I’d enjoy it! Loved the banter and chemistry between these two!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sophie Sullivan for the chance to read/review an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was my first read from Sophie Sullivan, but it won’t be my last! The story line sucked me in almost immediately, and reading this felt like I was cozied up with a hot cup of tea watching a Hallmark movie.

Can’t Help Falling In Love is a light and easy read that follows the story of Will and Lexi from their meet cute at a restaurant, through the ups and downs of their fake engagement and then real dating. Lexi is relatable to what I was like as a 25 year old and Will is my favorite kind of cinnamon roll.

The story dragged in parts, and there were a couple times where it felt like the story jumped to a new part without leading up to it. I also don’t usually prefer closed door, but overall I recommend this book to anyone looking for a cute and cozy read, fake dating/engagement and fun banter.

Thank you, NetGalley, Sophie Sullivan and St. Martin Press for the opportunity to give an honest review of this ARC.

Like a perfect fall-themed Hallmark movie! Made me want to curl up in my blanket with a warm beverage.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for sending me this arc!

Such a cute story where the characters continue to just be drawn to one another. It was kind of predictable but over all it was a really cute story.

Thank you NetGalley and Sophie Sullivan for the ARC of “Can’t Help Falling in Love”! I loveeee a good fake engagement trope but this one takes the cake!! It felt fresh and invigorating!!

I really enjoyed the love story of Will and Lexi!

Lexi is struggling to survive the weight of her responsibilities when Will sat in her section of the restaurant and terrible waitressing not only didn't get her fired, but it actuality got her a fake fiancé.

Will works hard at his very successful family business, but his mother's meddling in his love life was getting to be too much.

What started as a quick save in an awkward situation snowballed into a full engagement.
I am not sure Will could be a better person. He's kind, patient, smart, attractive, and really sees Lexi even when (or maybe I should say especially when) she doesn't. Lexi works hard, is smart in her own right, but doesn't see her own worth.
I was anxious getting towards the end, knowing that conflict would come, because I was rooting for these two so much and when it did...I had to fight back tears. It wouldn't be a romance without a happy resolution and I have to say, I'm grateful for it.
Beyond the main characters and their love story, we have an impressive cast of supporting characters that add humor, love, and depth to the novel.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read this novel. I will certainly look for more by Sophie Sullivan in the future

I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book, but unfortunately it wasn’t for me. The storytelling style relied on over-narrating every minor thought and detail that wasn’t plot-relevant, and the characters came across very juvenile despite being well into adulthood. If this were a story written for a younger audience, about characters in their teens, it would have been different but I really struggled with the style.

This book was such a cozy, cute romance! Honestly Will seemed a little to good to be true but I loved the rapport between the two leads! I would recommend this book!

I thought this book was super cute. Lexi is a hot mess working multiple jobs and going to school. She has a meet cute during her waitressing shift with Will, the CFO for his families company. They form a sudden fake relationship that gets escalated to a fake engagement on accident. The chemistry was really good between the characters, and you were rooting for them. Not a deep book, but very enjoyable.

Thank you St.Martin’s Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Oh My Fluff. This book was the cutest rom-com I have read in a long time. In this novel, Will and Lexi try to navigate dating while also keeping up with appearances that they are engaged for the tabloids. As a gal who has a nonlinear path with getting my degree, I appreciated the themes of this book so much. Lexi's feelings of inferiority and failure was relatable to me as a reader, and I enjoyed reading her navigating these feelings of failure and Will's efforts to show her just how valuable she is. Will and Lexi's chemistry was off the charts from the beginning. I loved their banter, their deep chats, their dates, everything about them. This book is definitely my favorite of the summer and a must read for rom-com lovers.

Lexi and will find themselves in a fake engagement after lexi runs into her high school friends and will wants his mom off his back about dating. What they didn’t expect was how naturally their personalities would meld. This book was ok for me, definitely moved slow at parts and I think I wanted more fun scenes vs parties but overall an okay read.