I read this as a standalone, not knowing this was the last book in a series. I don’t think you need to read the rest to understand this one, but I’ll tell you what: all I want to do is get my hands on the other books!

I loved this novel! We follow Poppy, a cafe owner who struggles with arthritis, and Jett, a competitive skier looking to win the World Cup. When Jett is involved in a scandal and Poppy needs a husband stat, these two old friends come together. Between nights at home enjoying hot chocolate, horror movies, knitting, and days out on the ski hill, these two realize they have more in common than they think.

Poppy was such a strong FMC. I also love how honest she is. Unlike some other virgin FMC’s who say they want to date but just can’t find the one, Poppy has had no desire to ever date and likes her quiet nights at home with her cats. Same girl! So it was a nice change. Also, as someone who struggles with an autoimmune disease, it is nice to see arthritis accurately represented and the ailments people face everyday from the simplest tasks.

Jett was truly a reformed playboy. I like how he was 100% a jerk, but he does grow as a character. I think he really just needed to find a girl that completed him for him to show his romantic side. I love how he takes care of Poppy when she has a flare up, how he loves her cat, he makes her dinner and shows her how to embrace her sexuality without it being too creepy or in control. He was just what Poppy needed.

I didn’t expect for this story to win me over like it did. By the halfway mark I couldn’t put it down. Now excuse me while I track down the rest of this series and devour them!

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

❄️🩵 Poppy & Jett 🩵❄️

Swoooooon!! 
Okay, got that out of the way.

✨️Things I loved about this book✨️:

⛄️The very Canadian setting!  SNOW!  SWEATERS!  TOQUES!!  

💝I love the chronic illness rep (FMC has juvenile arthritis/chronic pain), and I ADORED the MMC taking such good care of her.

🤵👰I LOVE FAKE DATING, but it's even better when it's a fake marriage.

⛷️🧶He teaches her to ski, and she teaches him to knit!    

🐈‍⬛️Cordelia, the cat, practically a main character.  

🚨This was also my first ever SPORTS ROMANCE🚨 
It's so fun that it was about a professional SKIING.

This book is the fourth and final book in Meg Riley's Heartwood series, and I will be going back to read the first 3!

✨️The Fall Line does absolutely read well as a Standalone.✨️

Thank you, @netgalley , for the opportunity to read and review this book, and thank you to the algorithm for showing me @megrileyauthor
when I was looking for Canadian authors 🇨🇦❤️

Fake dating ✔️
Marriage of convenience ✔️
Reformed playboy ✔️
Small town vibes ✔️

I was already sat and buckled in. I never stood a chance.

First of all: fake dating is my emotional support trope and this one DELIVERED. A PR marriage that slowly turns into ‘oh no wait this feels real’ is basically catnip, and Jett absolutely commits to the bit in a way that should be illegal. Calling her wife?? Sir. SIR.

Poppy 🥹 I adored her. The disability representation was handled so beautifully - it’s not her whole personality, it’s just part of her, and Jett loving her fully and naturally without trying to “fix” anything?? We love to see it. It felt thoughtful, normalised, and genuinely warm.

Now let’s talk about the “he teaches her” trope because Meg Riley knew EXACTLY what she was doing.

He teaches her how to ski.
He teaches her how to date.
He teaches her how to kiss.
He teaches her… a lot 😏
And every lesson is somehow both soft and hot?? Rude, honestly.

Jett as a hero is top-tier. He’s got that classic “commitment is scary” energy, but it’s rooted in real emotional trauma - losing his mom, watching his dad fall apart, and convincing himself that loving deeply only leads to pain. And watching him unlearn that? Watching Poppy gently crack him open and show him that love isn’t a liability? Chef’s kiss. No notes.

This book is:
• So hot
• So cute
• So emotionally satisfying
• Fake dating excellence
• A romance that sneaks up on you and suddenly you’re like “oh no I care deeply”

If you love marriage of convenience, soft but-protective MMCs, heartfelt growth, and romance that makes you grin like an idiot - The Fall Line is absolutely your sign 💕❄️

I didn’t realise this was part of a series but it was an excellent stand alone and has made me want to go back and enjoy the rest of the books because all of the characters are just wonderful!

Dear god did I love this book. I spent most of it giggling, squealing, and kicking my feet! Jett had been down bad for Poppy for years and didn't even realise! I was hooked from the Secret Santa scene. And as someone with early onset arthritis I really appreciated the chronic illness rep in here, it felt so honest.

The caretaking in this book was amazing. Poppy and Jett could read each other so effortlessly, knowing when the other needed help and being there for each other. And can we just talk about the fact that he wanted her first kiss to be perfect? And when it happens? Butterflies. Watching their feelings evolve and the little ways they showed them was beyond beautiful.

This book was SO hard to put down and when the conflict happened I let out an audible 'noooooo'. The ending was perfection and the epilogue even more so. Excuse me while I go and buy the rest of the series immediately.

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

OBSESSED!!!

The Fall Line gave me all the giddy feelings of a beach read in the perfect winter setting.

Marriage of convenience with lots of “my wife” major swoon. Poppy and Jett’s dynamic is adorable. She is a little goofy and unapologeticly herself and he loves her for that!!

This is my first read by Meg Riley but will be going into her backlog for more!