Five stars for this heartfelt romance! Shalvis always hooks you right from the beginning and this one sucked you in the entire time. I really didn’t want to put this book down.

Ryder Colburn has been through a lot. His childhood wasn’t the best. His military father wasn’t a very good dad. And then he lost his bestfriend. He knows heartache. And when he runs into Penny Rose, he can feel her heartache. But he knows he needs to use caution with her. Penny has been through the wringer. Having moved back home she now cares for her little brother and lives with her grandma as well. She works and is one heck of a cook. She has built very tall walls around her heart and nothing will shatter them. Until Ryder.

We follow along as these two navigate their new journeys. Penny doesn’t want to let him in but nothing is stopping him from getting her to realize that they are meant to be. Great family dynamics. Entertaining to the max. I loved breathing about this book.

Highly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for my advanced readers copy of this book. Coming Aug 5, 2025

Well done Jill Shalvis!. I’m hooked on this series and can’t wait for the rest of the Colburn Brothers stories. Ryder and Penny’s story was entertaining with the right amount of romance and humour. I laughed out loud several times! Everything I expect from a Jill Shalvis book.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Penny is trying to keep everything and everyone in her family together. She's given up on men and her job is her life. Ryder is the oldest in the family and after growing up in a dysfunctional home isn't interested in a relationship, but there's something about Penny that gets to him. When two cautious people meet and sparks begin to fly, you can imagine what comes next. This is a great read, filled with laughs, tension and hope. Loved the characters! Looking forward to the next story in this series!

Ryder and Penny were so adorable together! I enjoyed seeing the dynamic between them and the Colburn brothers (I think Caleb might be my favorite 😉). I hope that we get to see more of this couple in the rest of the series too! Maybe their wedding or something. I think that would be amazing. AND MORE OF THE TWINS PLEASE!!!

This is the first story about the Colburn brothers and Ryder was a perfect one to start with in this series. Penny has had so many setbacks that she has a hard time believing in Ryder and that good things can happen to her. I love how patient Ryder is with Penny and all of the family members we were introduced to in this book. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

this is the definition of a comfort read! easy to read, easy to fall in love with the characters and one of my favourite tropes.... he falls first.

I just feel like I was waiting for something to happen (like the ex making a scene) apart from that it is a beautiful story that is easy to read and get lost in.

I love Jill Shalvis and the Stars series. This book is great as a stand alone even though it is part of a series. The characters were funny and mostly relatable. One pet peeve is the over use of not using complete sentences - ex "Love your smile" and then in the next paragraph "Love your laugh". Use the nouns people!

Thank you to Net Galley and the author & publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!
I've never picked up a book by Jill Shalvis before but now that has changed because of this novel! “He Falls First” is the first book in the Colburn Brothers series! It had all the ingredients one would look for in a romance novel. The title alone piqued my interest to request the arc! It’s packed with angsty banter, a small-town legend that involves shooting stars, two broken protagonists with traumatic pasts & a hilarious talking bird.

Ryder and Penny both come from different backgrounds.
Penny comes from heartbreak and trauma from her previous relationship. She’s the chef of a catering company- with a dream of opening her own café someday.
Ryder is the CEO of his family business, he struggles with his own traumatic past revolving his father & death of his best friend. He shouldered responsibilities and took care of his siblings.

While Penny is unsure whether she wants to open her heart again since her last abusive relationship, Ryder was patient & understanding towards her feelings. Which is what I loved and appreciated.
Sad that one of the subplots didn’t get resolved but I have a feeling that it’s going to be revealed in the upcoming books of this series! So there’s that to look forward to, asideee from Caleb Colburn’s story! Looking forward to reading his story next!

Jill Shalvis starts this new series off just right. I am very excited to continue this series. I just love the Colburn Brothers. This was such a fun summer read that contains heartache, family, friends, humor and yes romance. What a great family with all being very loyal and forgiving to each other. I can't wait to find out more about the brothers and Penny and her family.
Thank you NetGally and Jill Shalvis for the ARC.

As a huge fan of Jill Shalvis' work, I was excited to get an ARC of this book. It did not disappoint.

Ryder and Penny were both relatable and likable characters. Their interactions were both sweet and humorous, with a lot of steam mixed in as their relationship developed. Not only was the dialogue fantastic between the 2 main characters, but the supporting characters were thoroughly enjoyable, too. The sibling dynamics in Ryder's family were well-established and fun to read. Additionally, the loving support with Penny, her grandmother, and her brother was both touching and amusing.

Overall, this story had a bit of everything. It was a quick moving with its witty dialogue, sweet interactions, and swoony moments. This is a terrific start to a series with a bunch of characters I am excited to revisit!

This is the first book in a new series by Jill Shalvis. It features the Colburn siblings. Despite a rough upbringing by their father, the Colburn siblings have come together to take care of their father after his second stroke. But keeping up with his care, managing the family business and taking care of the rest of his family have Ryder almost too busy for love. Almost. And then he meets Penny who is also dealing with her own issues, including an abusive ex. Together they might just be exactly what they each need for one another. Her characters are usually very relatable to the reader and are more in tune with everyday life issues. Not to mention that she almost always includes a quirky character or two that adds to the overall story. Surprisingly in this case, it is Ryder’s father that brings a new twist into everyone’s lives. I’m happy to see another family series coming from Jill Shalvis and am looking forward to seeing what she has in store for the rest of the siblings.

Loved it- can’t wait for the rest of this new series!!!
Jill Shavis does it again- I thoroughly enjoyed thiis romance!
Penny recently left an abusive relationship and vowed to never open her heart up in that way again. She moves in with her grandma to help raise her 12 year old brother. Ryder is the CEO of a building restoration company and carries out his responsibilities to the company and to his family. After growing up in an abusive home, Ryder too is wary of letting anyone else into his life in a real way. Together the story unfolds the beautiful relationship and healing as both Penny and Ryder learn to open up, trust and love each other. Ryan in particular is epically swoon worthy! I loved the supporting cast of characters, especially Ryan’s siblings, and I cannot wait for the rest of this new series to be published!
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. Highly recommend!

I enjoy Jill Snacks books, she is one of my favorite authors, this one disappointed me,, it wasn't my favorite. I loved the character of Ryder I wanted more from Penny, she felt lacking, there wasn't enough back history, what happened, I needed more.. I felt big gaps in the storyline, maybe I wanted to much, as I said not my favorite. I am sure this will be a great book for someone that someone isn't me. I'm sorry I wanted to love it.

He Falls First by Jill Shalvis is a contemporary romance book that follows two people, Ryder and Penny, who come from abusive pasts and are reluctant to fall in love. The MMC, Ryder Colburn, is the CEO of his building restoration company and works as a general contractor on the Penny’s grandmother’s house. He’s a good man who takes care of his family and never puts himself first. The FMC, Penny Rose, is a cook/caterer who works for Ryder’s sister and brings meals to his workplace daily. She is a strong, sarcastic woman who takes care of her grandma and tween brother, working so hard to provide for them.
As the title predicts, Ryder does fall first for Penny, but battles with wanting to start a relationship after dealing with the loss of his best friend. Penny is very skittish and reluctant to fall in love after surviving an abusive relationship but can’t help growing feelings for a man she believes is out of her league. The banter between the characters was wonderful and had me giggling a little bit. Ryder works really hard to break down Penny’s walls to get her to see her worth.
This book was a feel-good, sweet, somewhat predictable, low spice… but very nice read with a HEA! It will have you rooting for the characters along the way. You can tell the author sets up the side characters for their own books in the future, which is a fun way to read. I especially loved the playful relationships between the siblings, poking at each other and coming together as a family. Overall, I would rate this book 3 stars.

"He Falls First" by Jill Shalvis initiates the "Colburn Brothers" series.

An advance review copy was provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca (via Netgalley), and the opinions expressed herein are solely my own.

Ryder, the eldest brother, assumed significant responsibilities following his father's illness, managing the family business and providing care for his father.
Penny relocated with her grandmother to assist with home renovations and support her brother.

This novel presents a small-town romance narrative, albeit one that does not adhere to a simplistic, feel-good formula.

As the title suggests, Ryder initiates romantic feelings for Penny; however, her past experiences with an abusive relationship necessitate a period of healing before she can consider a new relationship.
Penny is depicted as a resilient and dedicated individual who has achieved independence and is committed to supporting her.
Oh and the parrot was my favorite (poop) lol

I was given an ARC copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Another fabulous read from Ms. Shalvis!

I LOVED THIS ONE! What a great start to another series!
Penny is a caterer who brings food to the company Ryder owns. He becomes very interested in her but she has been hurt and not interested in romance. She also has a lot going on in her personal life with her grandma and a younger brother. Read this one to see the sparks fly and catch all the fun as Ryder pursues Penny. Pick this one up in August 2025.

He Falls First is the first book in Jill Shalvis’s new Colburn Brothers series and she gives the reader just enough information about each of the Colburn siblings to make you itch to read their stories as well. This first one is all about Ryder Colburn. You know how there’s always one in the family who holds everything and everyone together? Well, that’s Ryder. There’s a very well-developed back story that is heartbreaking as well as thought-provoking. Penny is a very likeable and relatable character that I connected with immediately. And together their story will make you swoon, cry, laugh and scream at them sometimes. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I look forward to the next book in this series. And I have to say Pika-Boo the parrot was a hoot! I’m grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

I went into He Falls First, expecting a swoony, emotionally layered romance... something Jill Shalvis usually delivers with charm and heart. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

The premise is promising: Ryder, a gruff contractor juggling family responsibilities, meets Penny, a guarded chef with a complicated past. Sparks are supposed to fly, emotional walls are meant to crumble, and love should blossom in a quaint small town setting. But despite that setup, the story felt like it never quite got off the ground.


There’s a lot of potential in both Ryder and Penny’s backstories, but somehow, their chemistry never clicked for me. I struggled to connect with them... individually and as a couple.

Jill Shalvis is an automatic read for me. I love all of her books and this one was fantastic.

He Falls First was the kind of feel-good romance that had me smiling from start to finish! Sweet, charming, and just the right mix of funny and emotional, it was the perfect light read with heart.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

He Falls First is the first book in Jill Shalvis's new Colburn Brothers series and I'm looking forward to learning more about this family as the series moves on. I definitely want to know more about all of them!

Ryder is the oldest of four siblings who are very close. They had a challenging childhood that bonded them and they have also been through quite a bit as adults as well. The three male siblings all work together and their sister runs a catering company. Ryder is the caretaker. He makes sure his siblings are all doing well, makes sure the business is running smoothly, but very rarely takes time for himself.

Penny has just recently moved back to town to live with her grandmother and help take care of her younger brother after their mom skipped town again. Penny has a dream of opening her own cafe, but for the time being, she is working at the local catering company and trying to get reestablished in town.

Ryder and Penny meet as his office is one of her assignments each day. There is a definite attraction, but Penny is not looking for a relationship at all. She has recently come out of a bad relationship and she doesn't want anything to do with an attachment at this point. Given that Ryder doesn't have much time for a relationship, he and Penny agree to be friends, but it's obvious very quickly that it will be hard for them to deny the feelings building between them. Will they be able to overcome their own insecurities to see if something can work between them?

I really enjoyed both Ryder and Penny and their backstories. They complimented one another well and I also really liked the supporting characters. I am certainly looking forward to their books as we move through the series. I would definitely encourage you to pick this one up!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**