Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance reader copy of Can't Help Falling in Love.

Lexi, while trying to avoid former high school friends who show up at the restaurant where she waitresses, takes help from another customer, Will, who helps her make a quick exit. Lexi does not find out until later that Will is a Grand, a known name and family in Seattle. Their meet cute leads to misunderstandings and a fake engagement, all while Lexi and Will explore their very real feelings.

I thought this was a fresh take on fake dating/fake engagement by the fact that Lexi and Will have a spark from the beginning. So while they're families believe they're engaged, they're dating each other while keeping up the misunderstanding. I found the approach moved quicker from a friends or enemies to lovers progression that you usually see with the fake dating trope.

I would say this is the book I've enjoyed most from Sophie Sullivan!

This book was wonderfully written! The characters are so realistic and relatable, and the plot is one you can get lost in. I would definitely recommend!

2.5 rounded up to 3

This book just wasn’t it for me. It was very slow and I didn’t really connect with any of the characters.

The story itself was sweet but I prefer some build up or tension where this couple was already kissing on their first date (same day they met) as though they had been pining for one another for awhile or it was love at first sight.

I think it’s important to not that it was nice to see the characters overcome some difficulties (loss of parent/spouse and family drama) but again, I couldn’t really connect.

Not a bad story or books by any means, just didn’t love it!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Fun & easy read, I thought this book flowed well and I really enjoyed the characters. I don't always like the fake engagement trope but I felt like it was really well done here and it didn't feel super forced.

Thank you to St.Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really tried to like this one but I just couldn’t.. I was really trying to see if the storyline would pick up and peak my interest but it just didn’t.. the characters were bland and there was little to no spice.. it’s a cozy read if you’re looking for that with little to almost no spice basically.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this ARC!

I went into this book knowing nothing about Sophie Sullivan and I was happily surprised!
This book was incredibly written. I was in love with all the characters from the start (especially Will and Maisie) and I loved everyone's development throughout the novel. It felt like they were real people walking down the street that I could bump into and I loved that. Usually, I also find it hard sometimes with characters who are in the grieving process but in this book, I thought it was beautifully written and I enjoyed how something as complex as grief was interwoven throughout the story.
The romance was amazing, I loved the chemistry between Lexi and Will, it felt natural and as a minimal spice girlie, I appreciated that the story focused more on their relationship.
I did have a couple quibbles; some scenes I found were dragged out way too long, it was hard for me to stay engaged. My second critique is that the ending seemed too perfect, like everyone got a happy ever after. That took the real life feeling I loved away.
I really really enjoyed this book and will be looking to read more work by this author soon!

This is short autumnal fake engagement romance between a waitress and an heir to a large company.

I really wanted to like this book and I was trying to see if it would pick up and I would start to get invested but this book felt incredibly slow. Perhaps this author’s writing just isn’t my style but I just could not get into it. This book is very reflective with a lot of inner thoughts from both characters’ point of views. Lexi is a hardworking character who is struggling with concepts such as insecurity and grief and Will is very sweet and caring but struggling with the expectations of his family. I like the little shoutouts to different well known romance novels. This might be a great fit if you are looking for a cozy slower paced read with some fun banter and little to no spice.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Sullivan and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC!

Can’t Help Falling in Love by Sophie Sullivan warms the heart and gives hope to any of us who are struggling with the detours that life throws us.

We get into the fake engagement trope early on. Lexi is working as a waitress as a second job because she is struggling to pay for finishing her degree. Her life got derailed after her father died and left huge debts. Her mother is still grieving, and it seems as if the responsibilities in Lexi’s life give her no time for fun. When old high school friends enter the bistro, and she attempts to save face by corralling Will, a male customer, to act as her boyfriend, the fake dating begins. The plot proceeds with the two main characters dealing with their own individual challenges while acknowledging that there is chemistry between them.

We immediately see that Will and Lexi are right for each other. The book was enjoyable and not stressful with the characters being likeable and clearly doing the best they can with the cards they were dealt. The book is a reminder that we never know people’s whole stories and not to be judgmental.

Adorable, loveable, funny and smart. A wonderful meet cute about two people who just deserve eachother! This made my heart happy!

[Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this eARC re-release in exchange for an honest review.]
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I was SO excited to get this ARC. I love Sophie Sullivan's books and this one might be my favorite yet.

Lexi Danby is a former track star. These days, she's just trying to stay ahead of finances after the unexpected loss of her father. She's only recently been able to return to school to finish her degree but the extra expense requires her to get a second job at a restaurant. As it turns out, Lexi is not a great waitress. On an already trying day, some friends from high school show up at her restaurant while she's working.

Will ends up saving Lexi, even though she spilled soda on his book, and pretends to be Lexi's boyfriend. They get invited to one of Lexi's friend's engagement party that night where a misunderstanding has the other guests believing that Lexi and Will are engaged. This spirals into Seattle gossip because Will is actually Will Grand, an heir to a major Seattle company and one of the city's most eligible bachelors.

Sullivan has taken the fake dating trope and sort of spun it on its head. Fake dating, except people think you're engaged and you maintain the charade so you can date.

Both Lexi and Will are so likeable. They have such great banter, both with each other and secondary characters, and the reader gets to know the characters together and separately. You can't help but root for them. There's not a lot of angst which keeps things light, even though there are difficult topics like handling grief.

Honestly, it's the perfect Fall book. I'll definitely be re-reading it under a cozy blanket with a cup of hot cider.

Sophie Sullivan does it again with another fake dating trope romance taking place in the lovely backdrop of Seattle. I was definitely drawn to the book for the location, but appreciated the realistic situation that Lexi found herself in as life doesn’t always go as planned.

Lexi was a college track star who quit school after her father passed to take care of her grieving mother and deal with the bankruptcy and debt her father left behind. While Lexi was working one of her two jobs, she happens to meet Will and he helps her out of ackward encounter with her high school friends. They get mistaken as a couple and attend a party together where the misunderstanding advances into engagement. The two have to keep up appearances for Will’s family and they slowly begin to fall for one another. With very different backgrounds, how can they ever workout as a couple?

I thoroughly appreciated the author’s way of exploring how sometimes things just don’t work out in life. The grief that we feel when losing others and how that loss changes you forever. This was unexpected to see in a romance book but a very enjoyable part.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital copy of this book. Check out the release on 9.17.24, as it is perfect fall, cozy read.

I love a good fake engagement story! This book was super cozy and the fall vibes were immaculate. I loved the characters as well. And the cover! So beautiful. This is a great little romance to enjoy during the fall season.

I likes this story. It was a familiar trope, that was well written with likable characters. I would recommend this to friends mostly because I like the author and her style of writing.

Thank you to NetGally and St. Martin press for proving an advanced digital copy of Can’t Help Falling in Love by Sophie Sullivan in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute short cute read, featuring fake dating, fake engagement, life after loss etc. The author did a great job developing really lovable characters but the book was very slow paced. I felt the author had a lot of impactful words but they just didn’t feel genuine coming from the characters.

This book was adorable! Such a great romance read. Will and Lexie and so sweet and I love the he falls first trope. The development of the characters and how they grow together is so incredible.

Perfect story of a fake engagement but ultimately falling in love. Cozy fall read! Definitely pick this up when it comes out this fall!

This was a cute romance with very likable characters, especially Will. I really enjoyed the set up to the story, starting with a meet cute and Will agreeing on the spot to being Lexi's fake fiance. This is an overall feel good book, with cozy fall vibes.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between the characters and the support shown as Lexi navigates a challenging time in her life. I enjoyed the Halloween/fall vibe and the setting in Seattle.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5 ⭐️

Such a cute opposites attract, fake engagement, he falls first read. Following Will and Lexi’s relationship was so fun. They were two completely opposite people that just so happened to be in the right place at the right time and I guess you could say the rest was history. Definitely recommend if you love a good unexpected meet cute romance.


Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc!

Forever thankful to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / St. Martin’s Griffin for providing me with a digital review copy of this sweet, swoon-worthy romance in exchange for my honest opinions.

The book centers on Lexi, a hardworking and struggling young woman who is trying to get by, take care of her grieving mother, and to get her business degree. The book itself felt light but has characters going through complex situations. The settings sounded cozy and picturesque. The dates and events they go on were romantic. When Lexi sees her old friends while waitressing at a restaurant, she decides to tell them the guy she was serving is really her fiancé and he luckily goes along with it. The stuff with her mom was wild and overly dramatic.

If you need a feel good romcom to read this autumn, then this is the book for you. The characters are enjoyable. The angst is low, which I loved, and the overall plot was just very cute.

This was such a fun read! I believe every girl deserves a Will! This was such a romantic, funny, and relatable story to read!

4/5
When I first started this book, I was fully expecting it to get 3 stars. It wasn't until a few more chapters in that I got the full story for both of the characters. I really enjoyed this story and the progressing relationship between the two main characters.