“𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚.”

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗:
Charlotte has been on the run from a stalker for years. One day she wakes up to find the stairs missing to her apartment complex, stranding her for the weekend with her neighbor Seth. Over the weekend the two spend time together and develop a friendship.

𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎:
I know novellas aren’t necessarily a good representation of an author’s work, but for my first Abby Jimenez book I was impressed!

There was a lot packed into only 82 pages and I enjoyed all of it. Both Charlotte & Seth were great characters, the side characters were fun and I loved the way the story played out. Plus the fact that Charlotte saved herself? YES.

“𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘺. 𝘈 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢.
𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴.”

Overall this is a cute little story!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁:
🌳forced proximity
🌳neighbors to friends to more
🌳dual POV
🌳empowerment
🌳badass friends
🌳fish named Swim Shady

Abby Jimenez created a cast of wonderfully unique characters, but the 72-ish hour framework within this short story didn't give enough room for natural feeling relationships to develop. Shoehorning in a secondary romance in this little space was unhinged.

What the story does accomplish well is depicting the life-shattering impact of a stalker and giving the female lead a great arc to reclaim her power. I think if this had been given a slightly different timeline in the fiction and was like 20 pages longer, it could have been a really cute story... instead, there are just a few too many "Really?" moments for me to fall for The Fall Risk.

Abby Jimenez must be a witch. How else can you explain writing a Rom-Com that's only 82 pages long but has you 1000% invested in it. Like many, Abby is an instant buy author for me. So moving "The Fall Risk" to the top of my TBR was a no brainer for me. What I did not expect was it to be SO GOOD- because seriously how could only 82 pages be that good? 
In that short amount of time not only do our MCs basically fall in love but I fall in love with them too!This was the perfect little crumb to tide me over while I wait for Say You'll Remember Me

No. Just no.

This was not good.

Banter is fine - pretty much the only thing this had to offer imo.

Insta-love to the max. No really. You get a twofer of insta-love.

Prose is so freaking punctuated and stilted.

I'm pretty much always going to dislike a book that rips apart a female to the extent this did. I don't see the point of that background for the MMCs ex-wife?

Trust me no one is more disappointed than me that I have not enjoyed the last two Abby Jimenez books.

I’m in awe with the ability to create such an emotional story in such a short amount of pages.

Not gonna lie, the trigger warning page got me spooked for a while. Thankfully, everything was very well handled. And I was very proud of Charlotte by the end of the story. Mostly it is how everything she was going through is fleshed out and witnessing her evolution from hiding to facing it.

I loved the chemistry between Seth and Charlotte. The way they got to know each other due to the missing stairs and how Charlotte begins to trust him even with her difficult situation.

The side characters are hilarious and totally made for each other. I love to see good friendship and these two are always there for there friends.

One of the funniest things in the story were the bonsai class ladies. Their interaction had me laughing so much I reread some of the scenes several times. That being said, I liked very much the humor over all and that’s always an important factor for me to have in a story.

This is the first I’ve read of Abby Jimenez and it makes me very excited to read others of hers. The Fall Risk was such a sweet short story and I would LOVE to read more of Charlotte and Seth. I thought Izzy and Gabe were such great supporting cast and I think it would be fun to see more of them too. Basically I wish this was a whole book because it was so much fun. Super sweet romance with a little twist. The best sort of contemporary romance.

Es una novela muy cortita entonces no da espacio para que se desarolle mucho, pero fue muy bonita y entretenida, ojalá tuviera más páginas.

Me dió vibes de que funcionaria genial como mini serie de comedia

I loved Abby Jimenez's latest work, The Fall Risk, a short story. Charlotte and Seth are neighbors, but don't know each other until a construction mishap leaves them stranded in their first floor apartment without stairs for a weekend. Charlotte has been through a traumatic experience with a stalker, and is very reluctant to meet anyone new. Her life and all her decisions are ruled by fear of her stalker and putting herself in danger. Seth is a recently divorced arborist, who is instantly intrigued by his neighbor. They hang out to pass the time while they are stranded in their apartments, and totally hit it off. They eat meals together and Seth helps Charlotte paint her apartment.

As usual, the banter between all the characters is hilarious. Gabe and Izzy, the main characters' best friends are so so funny. The older ladies who attend Seth's bonsai class made me laugh out loud. The story has some suspenseful moments and all is resolved by the end. A happy ending for a couple who have gone through stress and heartbreak in their past.

Abby dedicates this story to all the women who chose the bear, and her writing shows remarkable sensitivity towards a woman traumatized by a stalker and by the legal system that has failed her. As someone who has gone through a similar situation, this endeared me even more to Abby Jimenez. I truly adore all of her books!

Thank you Amazon Original Stories for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was an adorable short novella by Abby Jimenez, and while it didn't quite reach my expectations, it's still a sweet and charming read. The story follows Charlotte and Seth, neighbors who get stuck together in their apartment over Valentine's Day weekend. As they spend more time together, they open up about their pasts and form a connection.

I loved the unique and quirky characters, especially Seth's adorable tree jokes when he's nervous. The side characters added a nice depth to the story as well. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that this novella would have benefited from being a full-length novel. The heavy topics touched upon, such as stalking and divorce, deserved more exploration and impact.

Overall, if you're looking for a lighthearted, spice-free read, this might be the perfect fit. Abby Jimenez's writing is, as always, top-notch, but I believe this story had the potential to be truly great if expanded upon.

This was a cute rom-com that actually dealt with some serious issues. I thoroughly enjoyed the developing relationship. This is a short read, and sure to delight people who are fans of the rom-com genre!

A delicious short story that provides a lot of depth about Valentine’s Day. Abby Jimenez is one of my favorite authors and I adore everything she writes and will continue to read everything she creates!

Thank you to Netgalley and Brilliance Publishing for a copy of this book.

I am a big fan of Abby's. She can write an emotional and heartfelt romance with characters that I just fall in love with. I'm not sure if she has other short stories, but this would be my first one. I found this book to be cute, I enjoyed the characters, and I liked what they were going through. I did however find that this was a little unrealistic. I'm not one to usually comment or notice how unrealistic stories can be, but this one for whatever reason stood out. The situation that leads them to be stuck together… would that ever happen? I seriously do not know. They were also not actually stuck together, because they were neighbours, and they didn't actually have to spend time together. They also had a ladder, so they could leave if they wanted to. In any case, it was cute and short, and I'd like to hear the side characters' stories next!

Well, this was a delight.

Just the right length.
Just the right level of humour.
Just the right amount of social commentary
Just the right amount of feminine rage.

I love this author's whole back catalogue, but I wouldn't say no to a bunch of these delicious novella-length nuggets.

This was lovely! Short but full of chemistry and great characters. I really loved Seth and Charlotte.

Abby Jimenez writes stories with a bit of depth and usually tackle a concept we are all familiar with. I think The Fall Risk was inspired by the social media trend asking “the man, or the bear”. After Charlotte’s less than ideal experience with men in general she’s firmly in the camp of preferring the bear until getting to know Seth when they are stranded in their apartments. The Fall Risk is a quick Valentine’s Day read.

The audiobook is narrated by Julia Whelan and I love her performance. She does such an amazing job of bringing characters to life with her voice acting.

Thank you NetGally for allowing me to read “The Fall Risk” by Abby Jimenez. She is one of my all time favorite authors and never disappoints. This short story was heartfelt, funny, and a perfect book to read for Valentine’s Day. Abby’s banter and storytelling is unmatched, and I enjoyed every second of this!

Another sweet and heartwarming love story—this time in novella form—comes from one of my auto-approved romance authors, Abby Jimenez, delivering a powerful message of women’s empowerment. And of course, what’s better than one perfect book boyfriend? Two! (Even if one belongs to the heroine’s best friend.)

Set over Valentine’s Day weekend, two neighbors find themselves trapped in their apartments when a construction mishap demolishes their stairs. Neither is looking for love—Seth, a kind-hearted arborist with an eight-pack, a charming smile, and a great sense of humor, is fresh off a divorce from a cousin-loving ex (yes, you read that right). Meanwhile, Charlotte has spent two years living in fear of a relentless stalker, forcing her to work from home, change apartments five times, and hone her self-defense and marksmanship skills. She doesn’t trust any man—until she meets Seth and unexpectedly finds solace in his presence. But with danger still lurking, will she keep running, or will she finally stand her ground for a chance at happiness?

Overall, this was a lovely, fast-paced, and heartfelt read. I also adored Charlotte and Seth’s best friends, Izzy and Gabe, who were fiercely supportive throughout. I simply cannot rate an Abby Jimenez book less than five stars—so here are my five blazing stars for women’s empowerment and the perfect man who whispers to trees!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing a digital reviewer copy of this amazing novella in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez was an absolute delight—witty, heartfelt, and full of the kind of emotional depth that makes her books so special. Seth and Charlotte’s story was so captivating that I could have easily read 300 more pages, and I adored Izzy and Gabe just as much. As always, Jimenez delivers the perfect blend of humor, romance, and heart, making this another five-star read for me!

I love Abby’s books but something about this one just felt a little off to me. While I appreciate how she wants to include heavy subject matter in her books, to have it in a book that’s so short makes it feel rushed. I did love the friendships in this book. The strong relationship between the two female characters was great! The relationship between Seth and Charlotte, while evolving quickly, did show that they understood where the other was coming from and how best to make their relationship work.
Overall, this was a quick/interesting read, just not my favorite of Abby’s.

While this included a very serious topic of stalking, it was a fun short story. I laughed out loud quite a few times and enjoyed it! Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review