I was intrigued by the premise of the book, but honestly the writing style just wasn't for me. I ended up soft DNFing (meaning I may go back in the future) around the 45% mark.

The style felt like there was an immense amount of telling instead of showing and the emotions the characters were supposed to be feeling didn't translate well for me. I wasn't connected to the characters, their relationships, or the plot.

I think the story has potential, and I'm hoping that maybe in the future I'll have a more positive reaction to the story but for now it feels too unpolished and amateur-ish.

Tropes:
🩷 Small Town Romance
🛠️ Hot contractor
🏡 Found family
🙆🏻‍♂️ He falls first (and hard)
☀️ Grumpy/Sunshine
💋 Forced Proximity

I have fallen absolutely in love with Ryder and Ellie - Ryder Colburn is everything you want in a book boyfriend! He is not easily scared away, he is smoking hot, he is kind, he takes care of you, your family, AND his family… not to mention he has two more swoon worthy brothers and a sister who would kill for all of them 💋

Ellie is the typical first born - ready to take on everyone else’s issues while shoving down her own emotions and pretending nothing is wrong… especially when it comes to hot contractors who seem to be everywhere and say all the right things… Nope! Definitely no emotions there…

Phew, yea, I don’t think I would have held out quite as long as Ellie 😂 but them together is something else! You can feel the tension coming off the page and I absolutely loved it!
I cannot wait to read about the rest of the Colburn family because if they are ANYTHING like Ryder and Ellie… I’m going to to be moving to Star Falls myself very soon 🩵

Check out the blurb below and Happy reading!
No one is going to convince her to fall in love again...

Ryder Colburn has his hands full running the family business and caring for the ailing father who’s a virtual stranger from the cold, heavy-handed man he used to be. He’s got zero free time for hobbies or women. Or so he thinks until one walks into his life… and the path of an oncoming car.

Ryder doesn’t mind playing the hero for the skittish, scarred chef Penny. Maybe it’s the secrets in her eyes or the scar on her chin. Whatever the reason, he’s compelled to get closer.

Penny’s learned her lesson and now she’s paying the price. That’s why she’s sharing a dilapidated house in a tiny California town with her feisty grandmother and tween brother living off the leftovers from her catering job. It’s a far cry from her dream life. But who needs dreams… or love… or sex when there’s amateur plumbing projects to tackle and breakfast casseroles to bake?

One thing’s for sure, she’s never falling in love again. Not even with the sexy, snarky contractor who keeps testing the walls she’s built.

Penny and Ryder are determined not to fall in love again, with anyone, ever. Both are gritty survivors of hard times, and honorably care for the family members who depend on them. They've earned everything they have, and romance will simply complicate their progress. Readers will feel differently, and want very much for these two to get together, in spite of all the obstacles they put up. Jill Shalvis has written another engaging love story with relatable characters and a well paced plot.

3.5/5⭐️
2.5/5🌶️

Penelope Rose is back home after her past relationship left her battered and broken, and Ryder Colburn might just be the person to help put her pieces back together. Thought they’re both weary of love, they find a mutual attraction and a safe place to land in each other.

This was a cute read. I really liked our FMC Penny and was swooning over our MMC Ryder. Their meet-cute was sweet and their relationship build was founded on patience and understanding, which was incredibly endearing. I think the real stars of the show were our side characters: Penny’s grandma, Nell, and her sassy younger brother, Wyatt. Their familial bond was so touching. I think the beginning of this book was a little clunky and I was a little confused about the random backstories of characters who actually didn’t have anything to do with the plot. It took me a bit to get my footing and realize who the plot was actually going to be about and what I should “care” about. That being said - once Penny started her healing journey and giving Ryder a real chance, the story turned around for me.

What I Loved About This Story:
✨Forced proximity
✨FMC “on the run” to escape her past
✨He falls first (and oh so hard)
✨Swoon-worthy and patient MMC
✨A fun set up for the trilogy of brothers

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book via Sourcebooks Casablanca & Bloom Books, but my review is all my own.

I wanted to like this book more. I liked the characters and the growing romance between Penny and Ryder. I also like romances with alternating viewpoints. But there wasn’t much plot. They are attracted to each other but they each have personal hangups because of their pasts. So they meet and flirt and then back off. And then they do it again. I just wanted more of a plot.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

The characters and the romance - both duds. I also felt like nothing really happened throughout the book. There was barely a plot to keep everything going. And the romance between Penny and Ryder just wasn't doing it for me Hard to get through.

I give this book a rating of 4.5/5, this book is so sweet and wholesome with a great family and a lot of healing. Ryder is such a sweetheart, despite everything his family and him dealt with he is still a kind and caring man. I love Penny and her snarky attitude. I kept waiting for some type of drama to happen but I'm glad there wasn't really any. This is the perfect book to read when you need a sweet but spicy romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Lucy Score did not lie on the blurb for this book- it would be impossible to not fall for He Falls First! Ryder and Penny are brought together time and time again by their small town & loved ones, and while they fight the attraction, it’s just too good! Ryder shows Penny a level of patience and stability she had never known with a partner before, and watching their friendship and trust build made for a great read.

This book did a beautiful job of combining difficult topics from the pasts of both Ryder and Penny while also highlighting the love story of their present. They are both such three dimensional characters, and their individual depths really add to this book. I loved seeing them work to heal on their own while simultaneously falling in love.

If I know Jill Shalvis and her writing, I know that we’re going to get more beautiful storytelling in the next Colburn brothers book, Free Falling! It would be impossible to finish He Falls First without wanting to see the stories of Ryder’s family, so I’m so excited for that to come next!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read and review this book! I received a free advance copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Jill Shalvis for and advanced reader copy of "He Falls First".

Let me start by saying I LOVED THIS BOOK! I couldn't put it down, I stayed up way past my bedtime night after night and found every free minute I could to read!

I am so excited that this is going to be a series, but sad that I have to wait until 2026 to read the next one.

I loved Ryder and Penny's story, A LOT! I am also glad we met his brothers and that there will be more books, as there are unsolved mysteries that were really bugging me before I realized this was going to be a series.

Great book! I will be looking into more books by Jill Shalvis.

He Falls First is a delightful romance and the start of a promising new series by one of my favorite authors. Jill Shalvis always brings the banter, as well as likable characters that are easy to root for and family ties that tug at your emotions. Admittedly, "he falls first" is one of my favorite tropes so I was already inclined to love this book and it helps that the trope is well-executed.

Both Ryder and Penny had less than stellar parents and this has affected their ability to trust, but Ryder recognizes his soul mate in Penny pretty quickly and then builds her trust by just showing up both emotionally and physically for her. Interestingly, his backstory was more fleshed out than hers, as he's shown dealing with his abusive parent who is still very present but due to a stroke, has changed into a totally different person. Penny's on the other hand, is less revealed as her mom is absent from the pages but that would be my only niggle with the book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

He Falls First is an absolutely charming romance and a wonderful start to a new Shalvis series! It's witty, fun, emotional, and completely engaging from start to finish. Penny has put her dreams on hold while she helps take care of her grandmother and teen brother. Ryder is also a caretaker, busy running his construction company, while helping his widowed sister, and his ailing father. He doesn't have time for a relationship, not even for the beauty he rescued from oncoming traffic! Penny is a hot mess with a scar on her face that hints to the scars on the inside. He falls hard for her independence, spirit, and sass. Penny had been hurt before, and wasn't looking for love. She tried to avoid Ryder, but he was always there, helping her family, showing patience, and making her feel alive. Ryder had his own pain and guilt, keeping him from truly living. When he was focused on Penny's pain, she helped heal his heart as well. There was so much to love about this delightful romance with it's authentic characters, heartfelt story, fun banter, and loads of hot sizzling chemistry! I loved Penny and Ryder together, especially the way they helped each other heal and grow stronger, and their chemistry absolutely sizzled. Their family was also hilarious, and meddlesome adding so much fun and heart to this story. This is a wonderful, witty, steamy story that will keep you turning the pages and capture your heart. I fell hard for these characters and can't wait for more from the Colburn family!

Ryder Colburn manages his family business while juggling the responsibility of caring for his father. Growing up, his dad was abusive, but after two strokes, he has become a completely different person. Penny is a chef who works at Ryder's sister's business and delivers food to his office almost daily. She has her hands full after moving back to her hometown, as she lives with her grandmother and helps raise her younger brother. Ryder now has his father living with him, and Penny's grandmother provides care for his dad during the day. Penny, having endured an abusive relationship before returning to town, isn't interested in dating anyone. Ryder understands her hesitation and is giving her the space and time to see the kind of man he is. Ryder also has two brothers working in the family business, and there's always some drama involving those two.

This is the first book that I've ready by Jill Shalvis and unfortunately, it was a flop for me. Pretty much everything fell flat. The characters and the romance - both duds. I also felt like nothing really happened throughout the book. There was barely a plot to keep everything going. And the romance between Penny and Ryder just wasn't doing it for me. I found it annoyingly and sickingly saccharin sweet. And the most annoying part for me in this book and one of my biggest pet peeves, is how the children characters spoke. It's like the author never met a child before. It was utterly absurd. Not sure I would read another by Shalvis and I definitely wouldn't read the second in this series.

I really enjoyed this book from start to finish! The MMC was to die for and the communication was great throughout. Overall very wholesome and would definitely recommend, i think this is going to be a series in which all the brothers get books and if so I'm very excited

I don’t think this was for me. I’ve never picked up anything by Jill Shalvis before and I just don’t think that she writes the kind of romance I’m interested in.

I couldn’t make it through the first chapter - the exposition through dialogue, cheesy characters and generally bad writing wasn’t something I could get past.

I do think there will be an audience for this novel but unfortunately I’m not it!

Thank you, Jill Shalvis & Sourcebooks Casa, for the ARC of He Falls First! (The book is gorgeous!!)

Genre: Romance (small town)
Setting: Star Falls, California
FMC: Penny Rose
MMC: Ryder Colburn

Tropes:

🩷 Small town with a side of sass
🛠️ Hot contractor
🏡 Found family
🙆🏻‍♂️ He falls first (and hard)
☀️ Grumpy x sunshine
🤫 Is it fake dating when only one of you knows it's fake?

Review:

I loved this book! Jill Shalvis has a gift for telling great love stories. ❤️ All of the characters in this book are great, and I loved the close family vibes and the funny banter between the Colburn siblings.

Penny is an amazing woman. She moved back home to Star Falls to take care of her grandma and younger brother (Wyatt) after their mom randomly left. She does everything she can to help Wyatt succeed, and she works to help her grandmother with the bills.

I loved Grandma Nell. She had a great sense of humor, and she's the one who ultimately set things in motion for Ryder and Penny to date.

The chemistry between Ryder and Penny was perfect. They tried to fight their feelings, but it didn’t work. 😉

The plot was great, the characters were amazing, and I'm ready for book 2!

He Falls First will be released August 5th on Kindle Unlimited and in paperback!

*Side note: This is the second book in a row that I've read where interesting things happen in the laundry room. Maybe laundry rooms are more magical than I knew? 😂🌶 🩷

At the heart of the novel is Ryder Colburn—stoic, grounded, and quietly heroic—who has spent his life protecting his younger siblings from the shadows of their traumatic upbringing. His emotional intelligence and patience make him the perfect counterpart for Penny, a woman freshly out of an emotionally abusive relationship and trying to reclaim her sense of self.

What makes this story shine is the slow-burn trust and genuine care that builds between Ryder and Penny. Ryder never pushes; instead, he gives Penny space, and in doing so, helps her rebuild her confidence and belief in love. Their chemistry simmers, but it’s the emotional connection that gives this romance its true depth.

Overall, He Falls First explores themes of trauma and healing with grace, striking a thoughtful balance between emotional depth and lightness that allows space for genuine growth without weighing the story down.

The first in Shavis’ new series will have you swooning and pinning for the next books!

As the title suggests, He Falls First. Ryder who has had a lot on his shoulders, being an oldest brother coming from an abusive past is the epitome of protective hero. I adore the dynamic between him and Penny.

Watching them fall in love was pure magic.

3.5 STARS....."He Falls First" by Jill Shalvis delivers a delightful and intoxicating escape, a perfectly crafted summer romance that sinks its hooks deep and refuses to let go. At the heart of this captivating story lies the irresistible pull of Ryder Colburn, the brooding and undeniably sexy older sibling who exudes an air of mystery and quiet strength. Paired with him is Penny, the equally compelling FMC, whose sweet nature is tempered by a strong will and the scars of a past that she's determined to overcome. The author navigates their flourishing relationship, charting a course through both exhilarating highs and moments of poignant vulnerability. The chemistry between Ryder and Penny crackles with palpable energy, drawing the reader into their world and making them deeply invested in their journey. The story's success lies not only in the central romance but also in the periodical glimpse it offers into the lives of the other Colburn siblings. Each fleeting appearance leaves the reader clamoring for more hilarious sibling banter and yearning to uncover the secrets and complexities that lie beneath the surface of this intriguing family. "He Falls First" is more than just a romance; it's an invitation to delve into a world of compelling family characters and heartfelt connections, leaving you eagerly anticipating the next chapter in the Colburn saga.

Jill Shalvis creates quirky small towns, charming characters, and relationships to fall in love with. And not just the couples that are working their way to a HEA, the siblings in this series have bonds that add to the story. Both Ryder and Penny have different dynamics with their families, and both were equally fun to read. Grandma, Wyatt and Penny's friends add dimensions to her character and warm the story up, while Ryder's siblings and dad add depth and storylines to continue in the future. I'm looking forward to the next, and hoping that the Colburn sister will also be getting a book in this series!