ARC Review: Fall Into You

Fall Into You by Caroline Frank
Publication date: November 4, 2021

I’m really loving the autumn-themed books I’m getting to read this year. They are sweet and cozy and just right for the change of seasons before we get to the rush of Hallmark-type Christmas stories.

Fall Into You by Caroline Frank is a fun, brother’s-best-friend romance (one of my favorite tropes) which finds grad student Liza falling for her brother Vinny’s college buddy, Matt. I knew Liza was going to be my kind of girl when, in the first pages of the book, she gets dumped by her jerk of a fiancé and instead of the expected whining and crying, all he gets from her is snark and derision.

While Liza and Vinny are visiting their mother on Long Island, they are surprised when Vinny’s old college friend Matt shows up unexpectedly (and, because this is a rom-com, at the worst possible moment). There is an instant spark of attraction between Liza and Matt, but her brother notices and quickly vetoes that notion. But Vinny only knows Matt from back in their college days, when Matt was a player and a partier. He’s more mature now, but Liza is freaked out by the idea of Vinny finding out about her budding relationship with Matt, so of course everything has to be kept a secret. Until the secret comes out, as secrets always do.

I have to admit that I frequently wanted to smack Liza with her own book and make her get over herself with the secrecy, but overall I enjoyed the plot, and the characters are awesome. Especially Danielle – I think she needs her own book. 😊 I also appreciated the realistic portrayals of grief and of the challenges of being a parent. Thank you Caroline Frank for giving us such a lovely book!

Side note: I don’t come from a large Italian family, but I have spent time with one, and the scenes in Liza’s mother’s house made me smile. Also – RECIPES at the end of the book! Don’t miss those!

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thank you to the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.