Charlotte (accountant) and Seth (arborist) wake up one morning to find that the stairs out of their apartment building have been removed and they find themselves trapped. Though very unlikely, this was a cute, short story that touched on a challenging topic. I connected with Charlotte and her anxiety/constant fear of someone following her, especially since she actually had a stalker. Seth was sweet and understanding, prioritizing Charlotte feeling safe. I felt invested in the characters, even with it being only 82 pages. The banter and the puns were adorable and I loved the friendship that they built from such a unique and challenging situation. There was a lot of women empowerment in this book- self defense classes, owning guns, bats w/ socks and bear spray.

If you are an Abby Jimenez fan, you will like her latest romantic short story, The Fall Risk. Thank you, @Netgalley, for sharing it with me for review consideration. All opinions are my own. If you haven’t read Abby Jimenez books, run, don’t walk, to get them in your hands, brains and hearts pronto! My personal favorites are Yours Truly and Just for the Summer, both from the Part of Your World series.

If you like to read blurbs, the description of The Fall Risk is SO CUTE. It mentions the trigger warning, if you like knowing what to expect.

This was a quick, enjoyable story and it was perfect for me to read on Valentine’s Day, although reading it the other 364 days would work too! Charlotte and Seth are neighbors who are pretty much forced to meet one another. Seth is an arborist and I like the way trees make it into the story.

There is lots to love in this little story. Every single character was lovable. Well, except one. Funny and clever, with good tie-ins throughout. A complete story in a tiny package!

Abby Jimenez never fails to amaze me, even with this short story she managed to make me feel all the feels, silly goofy and emotional. It was a fun, unique story to read and I really enjoyed it. She really is one of the best romance writers out there.

You can honestly never go wrong with an Abby Jimenez book. This short story proves that and is a great reminder of the dangers that some women have to live with/encounter in their daily lives.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Abby Jimenez's "The Fall Risk" is beautifully crafted. The novella delves into human emotions, relationships, and the journey of self-healing. Although short, the story was charming with a lot of banter between Charlotte and Seth. There were themes of learning to trust and self-growth as well as a sweet romance.
Charlotte’s emotional depth and authenticity make her a character that readers can easily empathize with. Seth, on the other hand, is depicted as a caring with steadfast presence. Their interactions are marked by genuine happy moments, witty banter, and growth, which form the backbone of the story.
I don’t think I’ve ever been so invested in learning about trees. The information was interesting and the joking manner between Charlotte and Seth was cute to read. The dialogue was engaging, immersing me in the story.
Jimenez also excels in pacing, ensuring that the story flows smoothly especially considering it’s novella length! Additionally, her use of descriptive language brings the settings and scenes to life, creating a vivid reading experience. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Fall Risk.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this Arc.

Grade
4/5 ⭐ overall
3/5 💗 romance
1/5 🌶️ spice

The Fall Risk is a gorgeous novel, and Abby Jimenez is a star. While I would not recommend that any student's that I work with read this novel, I will be recommending it to all my co-workers. Jimenez's writing style is gorgeous and she deserves an award- it is not easy to make a novella romance work, but she crushes it. Because it is so short, it is an easy read for teachers, which is such a win.

Well this was adorable while still dealing with serious topics. These little novellas need to be longer books!

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this, Abby really knows how to pack a ton of emotion into such few pages!

Charlotte + Seth get trapped in their neighbouring apartments & decide to make the best of it and spend it together.

I loved the vulnerability they found in their situation, it really pushed them to get to know one another on a deeper level in a short time.
I was also rooting for their best friends getting together 🙃 they were a fun addition!

I tandem read this one, audio + ebook, and the audio is great - I love both Connor Crais & Julia Whelan, definitely made this story even better for me 😍

pick this up if you love:
💜 a short story
🏠 neighbors trapped in apartments
🌳 arborist mmc + accountant fmc
😍 insta-love
❤️ Valentine’s Day weekend
🔗 forced proximity
💞 Dual POV/narration

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

The perfect novella really does exist! I LOVED this book. The meet cute, the stairs, the best friends (two romances in one). It ticked every box.

Fitting so much banger in so few pages is a skill. This was super cute and heartwarming! I loved Charlotte and her storyline and her gaining some power over her life. And Seth was adorable!

This was such a fun novella - everything readers have come to expect from Abby Jimenez. I hope Gabe and Izzy get their own story!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. This short story by Abby Jimenez is amazing. I will be reading more of her work in the future because of how funny, and well-written the story was.

Thank you NetGalley & publisher & author for the e-ARC.

Sweet and funny with Abby Jimenez’s fantastic way of writing. She has a way of making her characters so lovable. This was a new way of seeing forced proximity in action and it was so fun. Seth is a green flag all the way, and bonus he comes with a set of abs even old ladies notice them😂😂
There is a more serious undertone with Charlottes stalker and I’m glad she was able to wrestle her power back.

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc

I've read all the Abby jimenez books and I loved this short story. She always manages to include heavy topics but with sensitivity.

I'm not always one for romance but her books just seem to hit differently. As always, amazing

This was a delightful rom-com. The chemistry between characters is good. I loved the side characters as well. The beginning was kind of funny but it added so much depth to the story. I liked the bond of friendship and how the two of the main characters formed even more deep bond. Thanks to the Publisher and Author.

Adorable cute cozy short romance. Golden retriever guy and female lead is broken. Lots of fun banter. Sweet ending. First book I've read by this author and I might read more now!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. It's a quick read by Jimenez but a well-written love story. I love her stories.

I highly recommend this novella from Abby Jimenez. She is able to pack just the right amount of drama and romance in without it feeling rushed. I enjoyed this story so much.

my first Abby Jimenez and guys? THIS WAS A BANGERRR, so many green flags so much cute, I am deceased. i literally finished this in one sitting (or, technically, standing) on my train to uni, smiling to myself like an idiot the entire damn time.

Charlotte is an absolute queen and so so strong, i am so proud of her for literally everything and i'm inspired to take martial arts classes of my own. Seth is such a cutie nerd, always doing the right things at the right time and literally the definition of a green flag. He’s such a tree in the best way possible, i am SCREAMING. I want to know these people irl SO BAD. I love the writing style so so much, and i'm living so much for all the dialogue bc my biggest complaint about so many romcoms are the cute conversations we're told people have but never get to actually see - but we see so much of it here and it's actually **funny** oh my god I'm in love. even the side characters, Gabe, Izzy, the old ladies- I've literally known them for maybe an hour and they already have my heart

everything about this was just perfection- fast and easy to read, actually hilarious while still discussing important topics, just the right balance of all the elements ah.

Abby Jimenez? I'm coming for you and your books. with love. <3

lighthearted and sweet, the length did not space for a lot of character arc but a fan read nonethless