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Fall for Him
In Fall for Him by Andie Burke, seven-hundred-fifty square feet isn’t enough for the home-renovation-fueled hatred and the building sexual tension.
Dylan Gallagher’s hot neighbor loathed him from the second he moved in, and causing a flood, falling through the floor, and landing directly onto that same neighbor’s bed probably means that’s unlikely to change. The poorly timed “It’s Raining Men” joke didn’t help.
Meanwhile, ER nurse Derek Chang’s life is a literal when-rains-it-pours nightmare. A man he hates dropped into his life along with an astronomically expensive problem originating from Derek’s own apartment’s plumbing. Also, the local HOA tyrant has been sniffing around trying to fine him for his extended, illicit banned breed dog-sitting.
Since Dylan also wants to keep the catastrophe quiet, he offers to fix the damage himself. Dylan’s sure he’s not Derek’s type, so he focuses all his ADHD hyper fixation energy on getting the repair job done as quickly as possible—avoiding doing anything stupid like acting on his very inconvenient crush. Meanwhile Derek tries to ignore that the tattooed nerd sleeping on the couch is surprisingly witty, smart, and kind, despite the long-term grudge Derek’s been holding against him. But will squeezing all their emotional baggage plus a dog into a tiny one-bedroom apartment be a major disaster…or just prove they’re made for each other?
Fall for Him combines banter, hijinks, and heart in a story of finding out what it means to fix things after your life crumbles.
Dylan Gallagher’s hot neighbor loathed him from the second he moved in, and causing a flood, falling through the floor, and landing directly onto that same neighbor’s bed probably means that’s unlikely to change. The poorly timed “It’s Raining Men” joke didn’t help.
Meanwhile, ER nurse Derek Chang’s life is a literal when-rains-it-pours nightmare. A man he hates dropped into his life along with an astronomically expensive problem originating from Derek’s own apartment’s plumbing. Also, the local HOA tyrant has been sniffing around trying to fine him for his extended, illicit banned breed dog-sitting.
Since Dylan also wants to keep the catastrophe quiet, he offers to fix the damage himself. Dylan’s sure he’s not Derek’s type, so he focuses all his ADHD hyper fixation energy on getting the repair job done as quickly as possible—avoiding doing anything stupid like acting on his very inconvenient crush. Meanwhile Derek tries to ignore that the tattooed nerd sleeping on the couch is surprisingly witty, smart, and kind, despite the long-term grudge Derek’s been holding against him. But will squeezing all their emotional baggage plus a dog into a tiny one-bedroom apartment be a major disaster…or just prove they’re made for each other?
Fall for Him combines banter, hijinks, and heart in a story of finding out what it means to fix things after your life crumbles.
373 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2024
165 people are currently reading
16306 people want to read
About the author
Andie Burke
4 books582 followersAndie Burke writes books with queer kissing and happily ever afters. She was originally an English major who decided to jump into a pediatric nursing career. Her writing is inspired by over a decade spent working in hospitals with patients of all ages. After the last couple years spent in the pandemic ER, she escaped to an outpatient pediatric sedation unit. Andie lives in a blue house in Maryland with an alarming number of books and an embarrassing number of ultra-fine point pens. When she’s not writing, she’s probably feeding snacks to the two small human creatures who live with her or trying not to kill her chaotic houseplants. You can find her on Bookstagram adding to her ever-expanding TBR or letting her ADHD brain happily dissociate while listening to Taylor Swift.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 776 reviews
September 25, 2024
I love being gay. We have such good books.
I absolutely adored Andie Burke's debut novel, and because of that, I went into this book with very high expectations. I also immediately loved the premise of this story, so those expectations got raised even higher. I've beyond happy to say that not only were my expectations met, but they were exceeded. Andie Burke's writing style is so uniquely perfect for the romance genre. She creates such well-rounded and loveable characters, the romance she writes is so earnest and touching, and she manages to include so much genuine humour in her stories. But most of all, she writes in her themes so well. This book, although incredibly fun, also contains a lot of conflict. Some of it is the contrived type of conflict that any story needs to create tension, such as the roof falling in, the meddling neighbour, and the Jake plot. However, there were also a lot of deeper conflicts in this book as well, and while it sometimes became a lot to keep track of, I understood why they were all included. This book explores so many complex, but realistic themes, such as the intersections of queer identity, family values, grief, and mental health. Yes, all these themes explored simultaneously can get messy, but these are also all subjects that people have to deal with in real life and don't always have the luxury of tackling one by one. Overall, I was impressed by how expertly and considerately Andie Burke explored all these themes through Dylan and Derek. While there were some heartbreaking moments, this book also has so many moments of comedy, levity, and romance. I can't recommend it enough!
Thank you to the publisher and Macmillan Audio for the ARCs in exchange for an honest review!
I absolutely adored Andie Burke's debut novel, and because of that, I went into this book with very high expectations. I also immediately loved the premise of this story, so those expectations got raised even higher. I've beyond happy to say that not only were my expectations met, but they were exceeded. Andie Burke's writing style is so uniquely perfect for the romance genre. She creates such well-rounded and loveable characters, the romance she writes is so earnest and touching, and she manages to include so much genuine humour in her stories. But most of all, she writes in her themes so well. This book, although incredibly fun, also contains a lot of conflict. Some of it is the contrived type of conflict that any story needs to create tension, such as the roof falling in, the meddling neighbour, and the Jake plot. However, there were also a lot of deeper conflicts in this book as well, and while it sometimes became a lot to keep track of, I understood why they were all included. This book explores so many complex, but realistic themes, such as the intersections of queer identity, family values, grief, and mental health. Yes, all these themes explored simultaneously can get messy, but these are also all subjects that people have to deal with in real life and don't always have the luxury of tackling one by one. Overall, I was impressed by how expertly and considerately Andie Burke explored all these themes through Dylan and Derek. While there were some heartbreaking moments, this book also has so many moments of comedy, levity, and romance. I can't recommend it enough!
Thank you to the publisher and Macmillan Audio for the ARCs in exchange for an honest review!
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July 3, 2024My second DNF in a row. DNF at 40%.
This story started really well. I loved the Raining Men concept in the first chapter, and a smile immediately danced on my face. The ADHD rep was so well done, and I was so happy to see a hyperfocus rep. The cover is beautiful, and Gus is adorable.
BUT …
The writing completely lost me. Most of the time, I didn’t know whose POV I was reading (it’s third person), and the names Dylan, Derek, Dylan, Derek, Dylan, Derek danced before my eyes. Secondary characters were introduced without an introduction. Hudson? Should I know Hudson? Oh, he has scrubs on. Oh, he hooked up with Derek. Oh, that means I’m reading Derek’s POV. I still don’t understand who Hudson is.
I’m sorry, but I need structure in a book, and the writing didn’t give me any. So, I DNF’d. Please check out other reviews if you want to read this one.
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This story started really well. I loved the Raining Men concept in the first chapter, and a smile immediately danced on my face. The ADHD rep was so well done, and I was so happy to see a hyperfocus rep. The cover is beautiful, and Gus is adorable.
BUT …
The writing completely lost me. Most of the time, I didn’t know whose POV I was reading (it’s third person), and the names Dylan, Derek, Dylan, Derek, Dylan, Derek danced before my eyes. Secondary characters were introduced without an introduction. Hudson? Should I know Hudson? Oh, he has scrubs on. Oh, he hooked up with Derek. Oh, that means I’m reading Derek’s POV. I still don’t understand who Hudson is.
I’m sorry, but I need structure in a book, and the writing didn’t give me any. So, I DNF’d. Please check out other reviews if you want to read this one.
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September 15, 2025
3.5/5
- This author has become an auto buy author for me! I love their writing so much! I went into this book with high expectations because I loved Fly With Me and had the best time with this one.
- Loved the themes of family, grief, and identity while still finding ways to make me laugh. The perfect rom com! I wish that both Dylan and Derek had names that didn’t start with the same letter because I found myself confused at times.
- The drama and banter in this was fun! The adhd representation in this book felt so realistic and loved how intimate the spice scenes felt. Loved how the story started with a BANG and kept me invested right away.
- This author has become an auto buy author for me! I love their writing so much! I went into this book with high expectations because I loved Fly With Me and had the best time with this one.
- Loved the themes of family, grief, and identity while still finding ways to make me laugh. The perfect rom com! I wish that both Dylan and Derek had names that didn’t start with the same letter because I found myself confused at times.
- The drama and banter in this was fun! The adhd representation in this book felt so realistic and loved how intimate the spice scenes felt. Loved how the story started with a BANG and kept me invested right away.
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May 28, 2024I'm having a hard time reviewing this, as overall I really liked the two main characters, their queer romance, and how the story delves into grief (death of a parent and close friend) and mental health (ADHD and anxiety). The banter is very funny, if it does feel a bit like *all* the characters have the exact same sense of humour after a while. I will say this book felt very connected to Burke's debut, Fly With Me, and I'm not sure how much I would have understood had I not already read that one.
But there are 2 issues I REALLY hope are fixed before this publishes (September 2024).
One is smaller, a weird continuity error like Dylan and Derek go from fighting and then one blowjob between the two of them, and all of a sudden Dylan is calling Derek babe (more than once?) and there's nothing said about it. Wtf? I felt like I'd missed a few chapters or something. It really threw me off and took me out of the story every time he said it.
The thing I really had a problem with is the scene where three characters (including the leads) interact with two white cops (one of them gay). It is real unfortunate, especially as the scene is not relevant to the main plot and could easily be removed. There is just no way in 2024 that even a queer white author should not know that this kind of fictional depiction of cops as gay friendly and nice and reasonable is pure pinkwashing copaganda. Watching a queer white woman get away with saying off the cuff stuff to cops that could get a Black person killed was so cringey. As I am writing this, cops in the US and Canada are violently attacking peaceful student protests against an ongoing genocide. 🤞🤞 This scene is taken out before this book is published in final form.
But there are 2 issues I REALLY hope are fixed before this publishes (September 2024).
One is smaller, a weird continuity error like Dylan and Derek go from fighting and then one blowjob between the two of them, and all of a sudden Dylan is calling Derek babe (more than once?) and there's nothing said about it. Wtf? I felt like I'd missed a few chapters or something. It really threw me off and took me out of the story every time he said it.
The thing I really had a problem with is the scene where three characters (including the leads) interact with two white cops (one of them gay). It is real unfortunate, especially as the scene is not relevant to the main plot and could easily be removed. There is just no way in 2024 that even a queer white author should not know that this kind of fictional depiction of cops as gay friendly and nice and reasonable is pure pinkwashing copaganda. Watching a queer white woman get away with saying off the cuff stuff to cops that could get a Black person killed was so cringey. As I am writing this, cops in the US and Canada are violently attacking peaceful student protests against an ongoing genocide. 🤞🤞 This scene is taken out before this book is published in final form.
April 7, 2025
Post reading: I LOVED the start, I loved the dog, I loved the whole Fixer Upper story with all the family side characters, I LOVED THE ADHD REPRESENTATION.
I didn't love the 3rd act conflict - felt thrown in there just because.
I did not love the part about the best friend's brother.
I did not love the pacing? the writing? the audio? idk, I can't put my finger on it, but something was off.
Pre-reading: If I don't try this, my sister will disown me.
I didn't love the 3rd act conflict - felt thrown in there just because.
I did not love the part about the best friend's brother.
I did not love the pacing? the writing? the audio? idk, I can't put my finger on it, but something was off.
Pre-reading: If I don't try this, my sister will disown me.
May 21, 2024
4.25ish stars! Andie Burke's FALL FOR HIM is a delightful and witty MM rom-com that had me wanting what these two have. The concept is silly: a home renovator falls through his floor into his downstairs neighbor's apartment after his floods. Luckily for our homeboy Dylan, his neighbor is a sexy male nurse worthy of a Shonda Rhimes hospital named Derek. One hot super geek with a nipple piercing and crippling ADHD + an Asian McSteamy in grey sweatpants, with a heart of gold and a habit of being the little spoon = perfection. They both have their own complicated relationships with their families and have had major losses in their lives that've changed the way they live life and view love. But like any good rom-com, the two bond over their mutual struggles and admire each other's differences and fall in love. Derek embraces Dylan's ADHD struggles and Dylan helps Derek grieve his father's death. It's beautiful. Their banter is top tier.
I really related to Dylan's mental health struggles and not wanting to be treated like you're broken. Not wanting to be defined by a diagnosis, yet simultaneously being controlled by the same diagnosis. The ADHD rep felt realistic and that makes sense because I believe Burke has also been diagnosed with it. Dylan talks about changing careers for his mental health and as someone who is finding themselves in a similar predicament, I was not only inspired, but needed to hear that it's okay to choose inner peace. When you don't trust yourself, it's really important that you have a partner that you can trust with all of that little stuff so you feel safe and like you're not seen as broken and Dylan summarizes that up perfectly. I felt seen and I think it's important to see this kind of rep in mm romances.
Dylan's storyline certainly had me invested, but I fell head over heels for our thick thighed king Derek. How could you not? Looks like an Abercrombie model, casually knows how to cut hair, reads and loves Julia Roberts? Where do I sign up? His dad's cancer storyline was sad and hit home for me right now, but it really brought more humanity to him. He's such a beefy, big-hearted, sweetie...don't even get me started on the weekly voicemails he leaves Michelle. The way I'd immediately request to be his patient if I were a local. His dedication to the healthcare profession is admirable, exhausting and even ends in a black eye on occasion. Burke clearly infuses her own healthcare experiences to authentically bring more attention to how bad the American health care system is.
In terms of chemistry, Derek and Dylan are on fire, but the spice isn't out of pocket or ridiculous. The spicy is intimate, vulnerable and very romantic. The way Derek spoke about the many versions of himself feeling safe and seen in front of Dylan is the definition of love and it really warmed my very gay, very single, cold heart. And that only makes any spice kinkier because there are actual feels attached. But like...do I get a nip piercing? I may have a mental illness, BUT I HAVE A NIPPLE PIERCING! I CONTAIN MULTITUDES! But seriously, this is cute as hell and special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! Now i just gotta conveniently find a way to fall into my downstair neighbor's apartment. Shoot, I don't have one. Guess I'll have to live vicariously through these two.
I really related to Dylan's mental health struggles and not wanting to be treated like you're broken. Not wanting to be defined by a diagnosis, yet simultaneously being controlled by the same diagnosis. The ADHD rep felt realistic and that makes sense because I believe Burke has also been diagnosed with it. Dylan talks about changing careers for his mental health and as someone who is finding themselves in a similar predicament, I was not only inspired, but needed to hear that it's okay to choose inner peace. When you don't trust yourself, it's really important that you have a partner that you can trust with all of that little stuff so you feel safe and like you're not seen as broken and Dylan summarizes that up perfectly. I felt seen and I think it's important to see this kind of rep in mm romances.
Dylan's storyline certainly had me invested, but I fell head over heels for our thick thighed king Derek. How could you not? Looks like an Abercrombie model, casually knows how to cut hair, reads and loves Julia Roberts? Where do I sign up? His dad's cancer storyline was sad and hit home for me right now, but it really brought more humanity to him. He's such a beefy, big-hearted, sweetie...don't even get me started on the weekly voicemails he leaves Michelle. The way I'd immediately request to be his patient if I were a local. His dedication to the healthcare profession is admirable, exhausting and even ends in a black eye on occasion. Burke clearly infuses her own healthcare experiences to authentically bring more attention to how bad the American health care system is.
In terms of chemistry, Derek and Dylan are on fire, but the spice isn't out of pocket or ridiculous. The spicy is intimate, vulnerable and very romantic. The way Derek spoke about the many versions of himself feeling safe and seen in front of Dylan is the definition of love and it really warmed my very gay, very single, cold heart. And that only makes any spice kinkier because there are actual feels attached. But like...do I get a nip piercing? I may have a mental illness, BUT I HAVE A NIPPLE PIERCING! I CONTAIN MULTITUDES! But seriously, this is cute as hell and special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! Now i just gotta conveniently find a way to fall into my downstair neighbor's apartment. Shoot, I don't have one. Guess I'll have to live vicariously through these two.
June 23, 2025
I didn't like the resolution of the 3rd act break up. it felt weak. It also took me way too long to be able to differentiate Derek and Dylan as two separate, distinct characters and the similar names didn't help. Loved the ADHD rep though, 10s 10s 10s on that front.
September 25, 2024
Andie Burke's first book FLY WITH ME was such a fun and witty read, so I was so excited to read FALL FOR HIM! FALL even has some ties to FLY, as one of the main characters, Derek, is the best friend of the book's star Olive.
FALL FOR HIM starts off with a literal bang, when IT guru and construction genius Dylan literally falls through the ceiling and lands on his neighbor Derek's bed, thanks to a leaky floor and some shoddy building issues. Derek is horrified, not only because he was almost crushed, but because he hates Dylan, believing Dylan treated his old friend/flame, Jake (Olive's brother) badly. There's a lot of angst related to Jake, as he has since passed away. Sometimes it's hard to keep track of everything about Jake, as he has ties to Dylan's older brothers, as well.
Dylan agrees to help fix the ceiling and Derek's water damaged place in return for Derek keeping the damage a secret from Dylan's uncle, who owns where Dylan is staying. This means the two enemies are stuck living together. But the more time they spend together, they realize they may not actually hate each other as much as they thought.
Dylan is such a cute and relatable guy. He has ADHD, which the book explores quite thoughtfully. Derek, a nurse, has a need to save everyone, thanks to having to care for his family after his father's death, which can sometimes be a bit much. But his willingness to stand up for Dylan is adorable. Our duo has some strong chemistry and enjoyable banter.
This story gets a little long thanks to a bit too much miscommunication and a few too many obstacles thrown in, but overall, it's a fun read.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin in return for an unbiased review.
FALL FOR HIM starts off with a literal bang, when IT guru and construction genius Dylan literally falls through the ceiling and lands on his neighbor Derek's bed, thanks to a leaky floor and some shoddy building issues. Derek is horrified, not only because he was almost crushed, but because he hates Dylan, believing Dylan treated his old friend/flame, Jake (Olive's brother) badly. There's a lot of angst related to Jake, as he has since passed away. Sometimes it's hard to keep track of everything about Jake, as he has ties to Dylan's older brothers, as well.
Dylan agrees to help fix the ceiling and Derek's water damaged place in return for Derek keeping the damage a secret from Dylan's uncle, who owns where Dylan is staying. This means the two enemies are stuck living together. But the more time they spend together, they realize they may not actually hate each other as much as they thought.
Dylan is such a cute and relatable guy. He has ADHD, which the book explores quite thoughtfully. Derek, a nurse, has a need to save everyone, thanks to having to care for his family after his father's death, which can sometimes be a bit much. But his willingness to stand up for Dylan is adorable. Our duo has some strong chemistry and enjoyable banter.
This story gets a little long thanks to a bit too much miscommunication and a few too many obstacles thrown in, but overall, it's a fun read.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin in return for an unbiased review.
January 5, 2025
4.3⭐
“Dylan Gallagher, every single time I look at you all I feel is stupid, lovesick, radiant joy.”
"Kay." 🥹💛
Ok, let's start by saying this book was not how I expected it to be but it was what I wanted it to be.
The writing was not always convincing to me, but it is probably me being Italian and the author using a strict circle lingo I'm not used to... There were a couple of sayings and words lost in translation 😅
The story tho ... It was beautiful❤️
A really slow building, a lot of emotions, family drama, personal problems from grief to coping with ADHD and cuddles 🫂
I really really loved them both and the sister and the bffs. They're all so precious.
Despite not being 100% sold on the writing style the book managed to get me really emotional in the end. It almost (ALMOST) made me forget the author decided to give them practically the same name. Ok Dylan and Derek are not the same, but WHY the alliteration? I was constantly wondering is he the one who fell or the one sleeping naked?! 🤔
“Dylan Gallagher, every single time I look at you all I feel is stupid, lovesick, radiant joy.”
"Kay." 🥹💛
Ok, let's start by saying this book was not how I expected it to be but it was what I wanted it to be.
The writing was not always convincing to me, but it is probably me being Italian and the author using a strict circle lingo I'm not used to... There were a couple of sayings and words lost in translation 😅
The story tho ... It was beautiful❤️
A really slow building, a lot of emotions, family drama, personal problems from grief to coping with ADHD and cuddles 🫂
I really really loved them both and the sister and the bffs. They're all so precious.
Despite not being 100% sold on the writing style the book managed to get me really emotional in the end. It almost (ALMOST) made me forget the author decided to give them practically the same name. Ok Dylan and Derek are not the same, but WHY the alliteration? I was constantly wondering is he the one who fell or the one sleeping naked?! 🤔
November 12, 2025
Meh, Derek was an asshole for a good chunk of the book, making assumptions and treating Dylan horribly without reason, and he never properly grovelled! His epiphany about Jake came out of the blue and never even let Dylan explain what happened between them.
The sister situation was weird and a bit ridiculous, and it never got a resolution. I understand that she had her motives to be angry but it felt super over the top. Like Derek was also a kid and did the best he could, maybe be a bit grateful and empathic? What some people would give to have a supportive family ffs.
I don't know, they are one of those couples that I firmly believe will break up eventually.
The sister situation was weird and a bit ridiculous, and it never got a resolution. I understand that she had her motives to be angry but it felt super over the top. Like Derek was also a kid and did the best he could, maybe be a bit grateful and empathic? What some people would give to have a supportive family ffs.
I don't know, they are one of those couples that I firmly believe will break up eventually.
November 22, 2024
Is it too soon to say that this was one of the best rom-coms I've read this year
The romance, the drama, the banter, chemistry, the dysfunctional family, it even has it own quotes for romcoms.
I Hate how everyone dismiss Derek hardwork as someone who lost a father at a young age and trying really hard.
Of course he doesn't know and he really was trying his best and I Hate how his sister blew up on him like that.
I love how smooth their relationship transition from this love cute banter to they really understand each other on a deeper levels.
I also loves how the author portrayed adhd and anxiety representation I thought that was really well done
The romance, the drama, the banter, chemistry, the dysfunctional family, it even has it own quotes for romcoms.
I Hate how everyone dismiss Derek hardwork as someone who lost a father at a young age and trying really hard.
Of course he doesn't know and he really was trying his best and I Hate how his sister blew up on him like that.
I love how smooth their relationship transition from this love cute banter to they really understand each other on a deeper levels.
I also loves how the author portrayed adhd and anxiety representation I thought that was really well done
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September 20, 2024DNF!! I hated the writing :/
April 18, 2024
4.5 stars. I absolutely loved this enemies-to-lovers rom-com that actually delivers on the comedy and made me laugh out loud multiple times. This book starts off with Dylan literally falling through the ceiling into the bed of his downstairs neighbor Dylan. Sort of a meet-cute meets disaster. Romance novel circumstances ultimately force them to cohabitate as they try to hide apartment repairs and a dog from their nosy neighbor. What on earth could end up happening?
The banter is this was top-notch and somehow ended up making me kind of cry at the end? I loved the way this slow-burn romance unfolded and all of the great side characters. I think I read this whole thing in a couple of sittings while on vacation, which was perfect. I can't wait to go back and read this author's debut and, hopefully, the many future books to come!
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The banter is this was top-notch and somehow ended up making me kind of cry at the end? I loved the way this slow-burn romance unfolded and all of the great side characters. I think I read this whole thing in a couple of sittings while on vacation, which was perfect. I can't wait to go back and read this author's debut and, hopefully, the many future books to come!
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 21, 2024
I found this to be a rather enjoyable read dealing with anxiety and the overwhelming expectations of providing for a family. Dylan and Derek deal with two separate problems throughout this book and though they start off rocky due to some rather bad judgments on Derek’s part, they end up working well together. We see them form a friendship which leads to more and I really enjoyed it. Both had to deal with family drama that was rather infuriating. Dylan’s brothers had me seething like Derek. And Derek’s youngest sister had me annoyed as well, especially her blow up. I feel like Dylan’s family drama was resolved pretty well, but we didn’t get to see Derek resolve with his family, but we did see him resolve with himself which is just as good. Anyways I really liked this, it had its dramatic moments but I just really enjoyed the dynamic between the two leads and I was rooting for them. Also rooting for them to take down that HOA lady cause she was a nightmare lol
Want to read
March 25, 20242024 needs to be the year of the detailed illustrated covers pls
May 15, 2025
[May 2025] I love Andie Burke. Her next book, With Stars in Her Eyes, can’t get her fast enough.
[March 2025]
Dylan has a Bridge 4 tattoo?! Burke, you have my heart. I’d give you an extra star just for that.
I’m not an author, but I believe I’ve heard that a successful writer writes about what they know. From the About the author profile, Burke indicates that she suffers from ADHD, and so does one of her MMC in this book. The portrayal of Dylan doing his best to manage his ADHD is brilliantly written. And it’s just gosh darn swoony the way the other MMC, Derek, loves and supports Dylan, even with his mental and emotional struggles. At one point, Dylan is a complete jerk to Derek specifically because he was hyper-focused on a task and forgot to take his ADHD meds. Derek’s reaction to being unfairly snapped at is to bring Dylan his favorite takeout because he knows that Dylan probably also hadn’t eaten because of his ADHD-focused state. (He hadn’t.)
I adore Burke’s other debut queer book, Fly with Me . So much so, I’ve read it four times now; three times in the past two weeks. (I was in a mood, no judgement please.) It wasn’t until the last reread that I realized that Fall for Him features the awesome best-friend character from Fly with Me, so I had a feeling I was going to love this book and I very much did.
On a personal note, I’ve tried to read several gay romances and DNF’d all of them. I’ve loved several sapphic romances—mostly by Haley Cass—that the bi-side of me was wondering why I was having such a hard time finishing the gay romances I’ve read. Well, after reading Fall for Him, I’ve figured out that all those other books just weren’t very romantic. This book was extremely romantic with the delicious enemies to lovers trope hanging on “I can’t decide if I hate him, or want to f* him.”
I do need to deduct half a star because the third-act breakup stemmed from the dreaded, I need to tell him my secret but can’t find the right time and now he’s found out and… Yeah, we all hate that. However, Burke comes back with a strong grand gesture reconciliation as I figured she would.
Congratulations, Andie Burke. You've officially joined Haley Cass on my list of favorite queer authors. Bravo and cheers.
[March 2025]
Dylan has a Bridge 4 tattoo?! Burke, you have my heart. I’d give you an extra star just for that.
I’m not an author, but I believe I’ve heard that a successful writer writes about what they know. From the About the author profile, Burke indicates that she suffers from ADHD, and so does one of her MMC in this book. The portrayal of Dylan doing his best to manage his ADHD is brilliantly written. And it’s just gosh darn swoony the way the other MMC, Derek, loves and supports Dylan, even with his mental and emotional struggles. At one point, Dylan is a complete jerk to Derek specifically because he was hyper-focused on a task and forgot to take his ADHD meds. Derek’s reaction to being unfairly snapped at is to bring Dylan his favorite takeout because he knows that Dylan probably also hadn’t eaten because of his ADHD-focused state. (He hadn’t.)
I adore Burke’s other debut queer book, Fly with Me . So much so, I’ve read it four times now; three times in the past two weeks. (I was in a mood, no judgement please.) It wasn’t until the last reread that I realized that Fall for Him features the awesome best-friend character from Fly with Me, so I had a feeling I was going to love this book and I very much did.
On a personal note, I’ve tried to read several gay romances and DNF’d all of them. I’ve loved several sapphic romances—mostly by Haley Cass—that the bi-side of me was wondering why I was having such a hard time finishing the gay romances I’ve read. Well, after reading Fall for Him, I’ve figured out that all those other books just weren’t very romantic. This book was extremely romantic with the delicious enemies to lovers trope hanging on “I can’t decide if I hate him, or want to f* him.”
I do need to deduct half a star because the third-act breakup stemmed from the dreaded, I need to tell him my secret but can’t find the right time and now he’s found out and… Yeah, we all hate that. However, Burke comes back with a strong grand gesture reconciliation as I figured she would.
Congratulations, Andie Burke. You've officially joined Haley Cass on my list of favorite queer authors. Bravo and cheers.
September 6, 2024
Great uncute-meet scenario: MC1 falls through the rotten floor of his kitchen, straight into the bed of MC2, and uh-oh, they already have a hostile relationship.
Unfortunately, the writing's flat and the various characters' heartfelt conversations draw largely from the psychobabble pool:
"I’m honored you’re trusting me with this. Life is complicated."
“It’s not dumb if it’s something that’s important to you, or something that impacted you.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through all that. I don’t know what that must have been like, but I do get the insecurity part."
There's nothing wrong with this kind of thing, exactly -- its heart is in the right place -- but the triteness gets excruciating PDQ. Then the book throws in an annoying, nosy older woman character (Lord, I am *so sick* of the ageism/misogyny combo platter) and, as the cherry on top, this bit of body positivity:
"I have mostly come to terms with my body, and I have fully embraced the intuitive eating life. I mean, I’m in great shape and work out three times a week. Should being a size fourteen mean I can’t like my body?"
No, no, of course not.
2.5 stars rounded up because I'm feeling merciful.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.
Unfortunately, the writing's flat and the various characters' heartfelt conversations draw largely from the psychobabble pool:
"I’m honored you’re trusting me with this. Life is complicated."
“It’s not dumb if it’s something that’s important to you, or something that impacted you.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through all that. I don’t know what that must have been like, but I do get the insecurity part."
There's nothing wrong with this kind of thing, exactly -- its heart is in the right place -- but the triteness gets excruciating PDQ. Then the book throws in an annoying, nosy older woman character (Lord, I am *so sick* of the ageism/misogyny combo platter) and, as the cherry on top, this bit of body positivity:
"I have mostly come to terms with my body, and I have fully embraced the intuitive eating life. I mean, I’m in great shape and work out three times a week. Should being a size fourteen mean I can’t like my body?"
No, no, of course not.
2.5 stars rounded up because I'm feeling merciful.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.
September 15, 2025
Finally I'm done—christ!
I don’t have a lot to say, and I feel like most of what I would say is probably going to be negative!
I liked the ADHD representation—it was really well done and felt real. I also really enjoyed Derek and Dylan’s relationship progression: from slightly not liking each other, to friends, to lovers. That was fun to read.
I liked Dylan’s relationship with his sister, and I also liked Derek’s relationship with his best friend, Olive. I liked Gus, too. And those are all the things I enjoyed about this book.
BUT the pacing was sooo slow. I’m usually a fast reader, but this one took me forever to finish. And that ending scene—when they made up after, you know, the stupid breakup (which was also stupid)—it felt like they completely forgot they had even fought in the first place!
Also, the writing was really confusing. Half the time I didn’t know who was talking or whose point of view I was reading. And the fact that their names are Derek and Dylan? That just made it even more confusing.
So basically, this book was entertaining, but also kind of a mess. It was a fun time, sure—but honestly, it’s very forgettable. There are definitely better books out there. But at least the cover is pretty!
I don’t have a lot to say, and I feel like most of what I would say is probably going to be negative!
I liked the ADHD representation—it was really well done and felt real. I also really enjoyed Derek and Dylan’s relationship progression: from slightly not liking each other, to friends, to lovers. That was fun to read.
I liked Dylan’s relationship with his sister, and I also liked Derek’s relationship with his best friend, Olive. I liked Gus, too. And those are all the things I enjoyed about this book.
BUT the pacing was sooo slow. I’m usually a fast reader, but this one took me forever to finish. And that ending scene—when they made up after, you know, the stupid breakup (which was also stupid)—it felt like they completely forgot they had even fought in the first place!
Also, the writing was really confusing. Half the time I didn’t know who was talking or whose point of view I was reading. And the fact that their names are Derek and Dylan? That just made it even more confusing.
So basically, this book was entertaining, but also kind of a mess. It was a fun time, sure—but honestly, it’s very forgettable. There are definitely better books out there. But at least the cover is pretty!
August 14, 2024
♡ Dislike to lovers
♡ M/M romance
♡ Neighbours that turn forced roommates
♡ ADHD rep
This was a big emotional rollercoaster. I wasn’t expecting such a journey through grief. Even if it’s not openly stated all the time, you can sense that Derek is going through it. Just as in Fly with Me, Andie writes these complex emotions in a very caring and empathetic way.
Dylan and Derek had very opposite personalities at first, but once they stopped disliking each other, it was obvious how beautifully their personalities combined. Derek was so protective of Dylan! I loved the scene with Dylan’s brothers. I always love it when a MC stands up for their partner in front of abusive family memebers. The slowburn was great and even though the third act breakup happens very late for my taste, I can’t say it soured my experience because it was very well handled.
I can’t wait to see what comes next from Andie!
TW: Grief, panic attacks
Rating: 4/5
Steam level: Open door, 3-4 scenes, medium level of detail
ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. Opinions are my own!
♡ M/M romance
♡ Neighbours that turn forced roommates
♡ ADHD rep
This was a big emotional rollercoaster. I wasn’t expecting such a journey through grief. Even if it’s not openly stated all the time, you can sense that Derek is going through it. Just as in Fly with Me, Andie writes these complex emotions in a very caring and empathetic way.
Dylan and Derek had very opposite personalities at first, but once they stopped disliking each other, it was obvious how beautifully their personalities combined. Derek was so protective of Dylan! I loved the scene with Dylan’s brothers. I always love it when a MC stands up for their partner in front of abusive family memebers. The slowburn was great and even though the third act breakup happens very late for my taste, I can’t say it soured my experience because it was very well handled.
I can’t wait to see what comes next from Andie!
TW: Grief, panic attacks
Rating: 4/5
Steam level: Open door, 3-4 scenes, medium level of detail
ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. Opinions are my own!
October 21, 2024
A- / 4.5 stars rounded up
Andie Burke’s Fall For Him is a charming antagonists-to-lovers contemporary romance that actually deserves the ‘rom-com’ label because it delivers on both fronts. It’s warm and funny, the romance is beautifully developed and the two leads have depth, complexity and off-the-charts chemistry.
Dylan Gallagher has moved – temporarily – into his uncle’s apartment to do some renovation work, and an unfortunate flood sends him falling through the floor and the ceiling of the downstairs apartment. He has a softer landing than expected when he lands in a bed – Derek Chang’s bed, to be precise – although the heavy weight on top of him is definitely not Derek; it’s a huge dog. Derek pulls the dog off and starts frantically checking it for injuries while Dylan hauls himself up off the pile of rubble that used to be Derek’s bed. Dylan and Derek have never got along; ever since Dylan moved in a few months earlier, Derek has been antagonistic (at best) towards him and Dylan has no clue why. The ceiling collapse isn’t exactly going to improve Derek’s opinion of him.
When Dylan is able to have a good look at the damage, he sees that there are a lot of other problems with the joists and plumbing between the two apartment units, problems that have not been properly fixed and have caused some serious structural damage. This isn’t going to be a case of replastering a ceiling or relaying a floor, and it’s not going to be a quick – or inexpensive – fix. And there’s another problem. One with huge paws and fur. The residents’ association doesn’t allow dogs in any apartment for more than twenty-four hours, and if Derek has to make an insurance claim, the fact he has Gus living with him will come out, he’ll be in trouble with the HOA and could get kicked out.
Realising that – and given that Dylan doesn’t want his family to find out about the flood and label it yet another one of idiot Dylan’s screw-ups – he tells Derek he’ll fix the damage himself and will pay for it all, too. Derek is sceptical (to say the least) – but Dylan grew up working in the family construction business and has undertaken a lot of renovation projects, and he knows what he’s doing. That issue resolved there’s one problem left – with both apartments damaged, where are they going to live while the work is carried out? There’s really only one option; they’ll have to use what they can of both places, and given that their schedules are quite different – Derek, an ER nurse, works long shifts and Dylan works irregular hours, often during the night – they usually sleep at different times, so there being only one bed means they can share it. Just not together.
That’s the set up, and as Dylan and Derek (and yes, there is a reason for both names beginning with the same letter) start sharing living space they start learning more about each other, bonding over shared troubles (and hiding Gus from the nosy HOA lady!) and learning to admire and appreciate the other’s skills. Dylan is a loveable nerd who comes from a large Irish-American family (large in the sense that he’s one of six; and also in the sense that his three older brothers are built like brick shit-houses), and is something of the odd one out. He’s been dealing with what he describes as debilitating ADHD all his life, but was only diagnosed quite recently and has been working hard to retrain his brain after years of bad coping mechanisms that messed with his head and caused major insecurities. He’s made big changes to his life and routine – he quit a high pressure job in California and moved back to Maryland where he now runs his own tech consulting business, to have better control over his working environment (although it can still be stressful) – and he’s proud of how far he’s come, that he’s prioritising what’s best for him and no longer thinks of himself as broken. His relationship with his family – specifically his dad and brothers – is a difficult one, because they don’t seem able to realise that Dylan is no longer the awkward kid he used to be, and can’t see how much their constant ragging (which they think is affectionate) gets to him.
Derek is hard to like for the first quarter of the book because he’s such a dick to Dylan - for reasons the reader is made aware of but about which Dylan has no idea - and I admit that this made me cautious, because I’m not a fan of romances where dislike is built on misconceptions or where those things are one-sided. Thankfully, however, the author doesn’t drag this phase of the relationship out for too long, and, through his interactions with his friends (Olive, from Fly With Me and Joni, one of the ER doctors), she shows us that he’s a good guy at heart, but that he has a lot of unaddressed bagagge relating to the death of his father when he – Derek – was a teen. His dad thought he was doing the right thing by making Derek promise to take care of his mother and sisters, not knowing just how seriously Derek would take that promise. Now, almost twenty years later, Derek is still taking it very seriously – but not in a way that’s ever enabled him to properly process his grief. He’s become one of those people intent on fixing everything for those around him, but who has done it largely at the expense of his own happiness, and he has internalised his grief, making him reluctant to open himself up to new things – and new people.
I really enjoyed this story. Dylan and Derek are flawed, three-dimensional characters who are dealing with a lot, and who find, in each other, that one person who really gets them and sees them for who they are. The complex emotions in the story are sympathetically and skilfully written, and the banter is fabulous; it’s genuinely funny and never feels as though the author is trying too hard. I loved the way Derek and Dylan support each other, whether it’s in doing small but significant things for each other, or in a big way, as when Derek tells Dylan’s family some home truths.
The secondary cast is nicely drawn, and the various friendships are well-written. I admit that I struggled a bit with the reasons given for Derek’s initial antipathy towards Dylan, as it seemed somewhat immature, but as the story unfolds, it becomes easier to understand why Derek has been holding onto the misconception, and it becomes less important as Derek begins to realise that he’s wrong about Dylan, that he enjoys his company and that he’s attracted to him.
Fall For Him is a delightful read in which the author achieves a good balance between the humour, the steamy romance and the exploration of more serious issues (including alcoholism, toxic family expectations, grief and struggles with neurodivergence). It’s the first book I’ve read by Andie Burke, but I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for whatever she comes up with next.
Andie Burke’s Fall For Him is a charming antagonists-to-lovers contemporary romance that actually deserves the ‘rom-com’ label because it delivers on both fronts. It’s warm and funny, the romance is beautifully developed and the two leads have depth, complexity and off-the-charts chemistry.
Dylan Gallagher has moved – temporarily – into his uncle’s apartment to do some renovation work, and an unfortunate flood sends him falling through the floor and the ceiling of the downstairs apartment. He has a softer landing than expected when he lands in a bed – Derek Chang’s bed, to be precise – although the heavy weight on top of him is definitely not Derek; it’s a huge dog. Derek pulls the dog off and starts frantically checking it for injuries while Dylan hauls himself up off the pile of rubble that used to be Derek’s bed. Dylan and Derek have never got along; ever since Dylan moved in a few months earlier, Derek has been antagonistic (at best) towards him and Dylan has no clue why. The ceiling collapse isn’t exactly going to improve Derek’s opinion of him.
When Dylan is able to have a good look at the damage, he sees that there are a lot of other problems with the joists and plumbing between the two apartment units, problems that have not been properly fixed and have caused some serious structural damage. This isn’t going to be a case of replastering a ceiling or relaying a floor, and it’s not going to be a quick – or inexpensive – fix. And there’s another problem. One with huge paws and fur. The residents’ association doesn’t allow dogs in any apartment for more than twenty-four hours, and if Derek has to make an insurance claim, the fact he has Gus living with him will come out, he’ll be in trouble with the HOA and could get kicked out.
Realising that – and given that Dylan doesn’t want his family to find out about the flood and label it yet another one of idiot Dylan’s screw-ups – he tells Derek he’ll fix the damage himself and will pay for it all, too. Derek is sceptical (to say the least) – but Dylan grew up working in the family construction business and has undertaken a lot of renovation projects, and he knows what he’s doing. That issue resolved there’s one problem left – with both apartments damaged, where are they going to live while the work is carried out? There’s really only one option; they’ll have to use what they can of both places, and given that their schedules are quite different – Derek, an ER nurse, works long shifts and Dylan works irregular hours, often during the night – they usually sleep at different times, so there being only one bed means they can share it. Just not together.
That’s the set up, and as Dylan and Derek (and yes, there is a reason for both names beginning with the same letter) start sharing living space they start learning more about each other, bonding over shared troubles (and hiding Gus from the nosy HOA lady!) and learning to admire and appreciate the other’s skills. Dylan is a loveable nerd who comes from a large Irish-American family (large in the sense that he’s one of six; and also in the sense that his three older brothers are built like brick shit-houses), and is something of the odd one out. He’s been dealing with what he describes as debilitating ADHD all his life, but was only diagnosed quite recently and has been working hard to retrain his brain after years of bad coping mechanisms that messed with his head and caused major insecurities. He’s made big changes to his life and routine – he quit a high pressure job in California and moved back to Maryland where he now runs his own tech consulting business, to have better control over his working environment (although it can still be stressful) – and he’s proud of how far he’s come, that he’s prioritising what’s best for him and no longer thinks of himself as broken. His relationship with his family – specifically his dad and brothers – is a difficult one, because they don’t seem able to realise that Dylan is no longer the awkward kid he used to be, and can’t see how much their constant ragging (which they think is affectionate) gets to him.
Derek is hard to like for the first quarter of the book because he’s such a dick to Dylan - for reasons the reader is made aware of but about which Dylan has no idea - and I admit that this made me cautious, because I’m not a fan of romances where dislike is built on misconceptions or where those things are one-sided. Thankfully, however, the author doesn’t drag this phase of the relationship out for too long, and, through his interactions with his friends (Olive, from Fly With Me and Joni, one of the ER doctors), she shows us that he’s a good guy at heart, but that he has a lot of unaddressed bagagge relating to the death of his father when he – Derek – was a teen. His dad thought he was doing the right thing by making Derek promise to take care of his mother and sisters, not knowing just how seriously Derek would take that promise. Now, almost twenty years later, Derek is still taking it very seriously – but not in a way that’s ever enabled him to properly process his grief. He’s become one of those people intent on fixing everything for those around him, but who has done it largely at the expense of his own happiness, and he has internalised his grief, making him reluctant to open himself up to new things – and new people.
I really enjoyed this story. Dylan and Derek are flawed, three-dimensional characters who are dealing with a lot, and who find, in each other, that one person who really gets them and sees them for who they are. The complex emotions in the story are sympathetically and skilfully written, and the banter is fabulous; it’s genuinely funny and never feels as though the author is trying too hard. I loved the way Derek and Dylan support each other, whether it’s in doing small but significant things for each other, or in a big way, as when Derek tells Dylan’s family some home truths.
The secondary cast is nicely drawn, and the various friendships are well-written. I admit that I struggled a bit with the reasons given for Derek’s initial antipathy towards Dylan, as it seemed somewhat immature, but as the story unfolds, it becomes easier to understand why Derek has been holding onto the misconception, and it becomes less important as Derek begins to realise that he’s wrong about Dylan, that he enjoys his company and that he’s attracted to him.
Fall For Him is a delightful read in which the author achieves a good balance between the humour, the steamy romance and the exploration of more serious issues (including alcoholism, toxic family expectations, grief and struggles with neurodivergence). It’s the first book I’ve read by Andie Burke, but I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for whatever she comes up with next.
August 1, 2024
Received an ARC in a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you.
I typically read sapphic romances and adored Andie Burke's "Fly With Me." This has much of what I loved, and brings back some characters such as Olive (but would work as a standalone). Good character development and dialogue. M/M romance with a bit of spice, but that is not the central focus. I'll likely revisit this book once the edited version is published as some minor edits were needed in my copy (e.g. typos), however, those should be resolved once the final version is published in early Fall 2024.
For now, 4.25 stars
I typically read sapphic romances and adored Andie Burke's "Fly With Me." This has much of what I loved, and brings back some characters such as Olive (but would work as a standalone). Good character development and dialogue. M/M romance with a bit of spice, but that is not the central focus. I'll likely revisit this book once the edited version is published as some minor edits were needed in my copy (e.g. typos), however, those should be resolved once the final version is published in early Fall 2024.
For now, 4.25 stars
March 18, 2025
First things first, this is a book two, even though it never says it anywhere. One of the MCs in this book is best friends with Olive, one of the MCs from Fly With Me. I don't know why there's nothing anywhere to connect the books, don't make the mistake I made if you like reading series/connected worlds in order.
This had the makings of a four or maybe even five star read for most of the book, I really liked both Dylan and Derek, I think their relationship brings a lot of good out of each other. I really liked Dylan's ADHD struggles and how they were depicted, usually ADHD characters in books piss me off because the author leans way too hard into making their narration feel like how that character's mind would feel, and it's just irritating to read. Like there have to be better ways to get the point across without frustrating the reader, and that balance was found here, Andie Burke did it right (for me at least). I understood all of Dylan's struggles with it and the ways he copes, without feeling put out by it. So everything was going well, until I realized there was about 80 pages worth of things left to resolve, and only like 20 pages left of actual book.
And that's when I realized this book failed like every single one of its B-plots. The romance and Derek/Dylan's personal connection was done so well, but oh my god SO MUCH was left on the cutting room floor in terms of the relationships with all of the siblings and side characters. Dylan didn't feel settled with all the conflicts within his truly awful family (not that I wanted to see them on my screen ever again, but like there was so much more story to have there), he didn't feel settled in terms of his uncle and the revelations therein, despite the entire premise of the book revolving around helping the uncle, Derek SURELY didn't feel settled with the Michelle of it all. Actually that's gonna get its own spoiler tags because I have a lot of feelings. But really, one of the biggest problems the book had was figuring out how much weight to give Jake Murphy. Like at the start of the book, he was clearly the most important character in the story, despite being dead (that's not a spoiler, he's dead before the book even starts), he was the cause of all the conflict, even if Derek was the only one who knew that. And then by the middle of the book, everyone was starting to have their revelations about him, and suddenly he wasn't even important enough to talk out with each other? I was so disappointed in that, Dylan proposed having the conversation about him, and Derek told him it didn't need to happen? I get not wanting to have a LONG conversation about it as the author because so much of what would be said in that conversation has already been said in their internal monologues, but that moment still needed to happen. But then Jake WAS important enough for Derek to keep lying to Dylan about him. But then Jake WASN'T important enough to show Derek and Olive's conversation about him, it was summed up as a half sentence throwaway after being billed the entire book as the one thing he was always too afraid to speak to his best friend about. It's just ugh asf that neither the author nor Derek seemed to be able to put any functional consistent weight on his role in the book.
I do want to continue reading this author, including Fly With Me now that I know a little bit more about Olive, but I'm gonna need her to be a little more cognizant of ALL of her characters, not just the primary two that get POVs.
This had the makings of a four or maybe even five star read for most of the book, I really liked both Dylan and Derek, I think their relationship brings a lot of good out of each other. I really liked Dylan's ADHD struggles and how they were depicted, usually ADHD characters in books piss me off because the author leans way too hard into making their narration feel like how that character's mind would feel, and it's just irritating to read. Like there have to be better ways to get the point across without frustrating the reader, and that balance was found here, Andie Burke did it right (for me at least). I understood all of Dylan's struggles with it and the ways he copes, without feeling put out by it. So everything was going well, until I realized there was about 80 pages worth of things left to resolve, and only like 20 pages left of actual book.
And that's when I realized this book failed like every single one of its B-plots. The romance and Derek/Dylan's personal connection was done so well, but oh my god SO MUCH was left on the cutting room floor in terms of the relationships with all of the siblings and side characters. Dylan didn't feel settled with all the conflicts within his truly awful family (not that I wanted to see them on my screen ever again, but like there was so much more story to have there), he didn't feel settled in terms of his uncle and the revelations therein, despite the entire premise of the book revolving around helping the uncle, Derek SURELY didn't feel settled with the Michelle of it all. Actually that's gonna get its own spoiler tags because I have a lot of feelings. But really, one of the biggest problems the book had was figuring out how much weight to give Jake Murphy. Like at the start of the book, he was clearly the most important character in the story, despite being dead (that's not a spoiler, he's dead before the book even starts), he was the cause of all the conflict, even if Derek was the only one who knew that. And then by the middle of the book, everyone was starting to have their revelations about him, and suddenly he wasn't even important enough to talk out with each other? I was so disappointed in that, Dylan proposed having the conversation about him, and Derek told him it didn't need to happen? I get not wanting to have a LONG conversation about it as the author because so much of what would be said in that conversation has already been said in their internal monologues, but that moment still needed to happen. But then Jake WAS important enough for Derek to keep lying to Dylan about him. But then Jake WASN'T important enough to show Derek and Olive's conversation about him, it was summed up as a half sentence throwaway after being billed the entire book as the one thing he was always too afraid to speak to his best friend about. It's just ugh asf that neither the author nor Derek seemed to be able to put any functional consistent weight on his role in the book.
I do want to continue reading this author, including Fly With Me now that I know a little bit more about Olive, but I'm gonna need her to be a little more cognizant of ALL of her characters, not just the primary two that get POVs.
August 15, 2024
A cute and quirky set up to this MM romance. Dylan falls through the floor onto the bed of his downstairs neighbor Derek. Although the two have not previously gotten along, Dylan offers to repair the ceiling and damage himself. What follows is an enemies to lovers romance with a few spicy scenes.
Based off the initial scene of the MC falling through the ceiling into the neighbor’s bed, I thought this was going to be a cute and lighthearted romance. Instead, we moved pretty quickly out of enemies to lovers territory and into heavier topics. I appreciated some things about this, like the ADHD representation and conversations. Unfortunately, I had a few issues with the pacing in this one. I felt like there were chapters missing at times for how quickly things progressed. Overall, a fine read, just not one that I particularly cared about at the end.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
Based off the initial scene of the MC falling through the ceiling into the neighbor’s bed, I thought this was going to be a cute and lighthearted romance. Instead, we moved pretty quickly out of enemies to lovers territory and into heavier topics. I appreciated some things about this, like the ADHD representation and conversations. Unfortunately, I had a few issues with the pacing in this one. I felt like there were chapters missing at times for how quickly things progressed. Overall, a fine read, just not one that I particularly cared about at the end.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
November 9, 2025
Fall for Him is an enemies-to-lovers of two tenants: Dylan Gallagher & Derek Chang. It all began when, due to a water leak issue, Dylan crashes onto Derek's apartment, literally. The two were already not off to a good start, and the repair fees are the last things on their minds. When Dylan offers to do most of the repairs on his own, and out of his own pocket, Derek is relieved as he still owes debt from covering his sister's spending. The duo have to make do with an improvised living situation, but they both start to form some attraction to each other despite their clashes in personalities.
When I picked up Fall for Him, I literally had in mind that this is one of those autumn-themed romances, which this is not. It is a standard enemies-to-lovers plot, but with the addition of trauma and lost love that mixes things up for the pair. In which, both seek each other as they find relief and healing with each other. Surprisingly, spicy sex scenes do not appear too frequently in this story, as it is more of a story about healing. However, I do feel like it could've cut down a couple pages to make it flow a little better, as I constantly find myself drifting a lot by the halfway point.
When I picked up Fall for Him, I literally had in mind that this is one of those autumn-themed romances, which this is not. It is a standard enemies-to-lovers plot, but with the addition of trauma and lost love that mixes things up for the pair. In which, both seek each other as they find relief and healing with each other. Surprisingly, spicy sex scenes do not appear too frequently in this story, as it is more of a story about healing. However, I do feel like it could've cut down a couple pages to make it flow a little better, as I constantly find myself drifting a lot by the halfway point.
June 25, 2024
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Let me start by saying the premise of this book really hooked me! I was intrigued from the start and enjoyed the two main characters a lot. However this book fell a bit flat for me for a lot of reasons. Fair warning, this is not a positive review, continue at your own risk.
To start, the main characters names are Derek and Dylan and I had the hardest time remembering who was who. Maybe it’s a me issue but having the two main characters names be so close was kind of irritating and distracting when I had to constantly remind myself which was which.
This is unfortunately the first time I’ve really noticed when there is a writing issue in a book. And I’m not saying sentence structure is bad, although it was at parts. No the issue in this book is the author does a poor job of explaining little details so you end up lost. Like they would be on the couch with no mention of how they got home. Or the descriptions of where hands were or bodies just made no sense. I understand this might feel nit-picky but it was soo distracting when it felt like whole sentences or scene setup was completely missing. I found myself going back to read previous sentences to see if I missed something just to find, no it wasn’t there at all. And this happened constantly where they were just suddenly in a completely different place or conversation.
I do understand that this is an eARC and it’s supposed to be rough and in final edits it could be fixed but there is so much fundamentally wrong with the structure, I don’t think it could completely be erased. This is definitely the roughest arc I’ve seen, it felt like a first draft with zero edits. Which was extremely distracting at times when attempting to figure out where the thought was going. However this book doesn’t come out until September so it’s possible I’m being a bit too harsh on this I will admit.
I also felt like this book got worse as it went on? I was super interested for the first hundred pages even over looking some very key issues but it started to drop for me when the characters lost some integrity. The lack of ability to have a conversation that mattered was annoying. They would talk around stuff and then only let each other get one line out before they moved on. I was dying for a longer, meaningful conversation that wasn’t them just yelling at each other for past trauma. These characters never figured out how to communicate with one another and just left me feeling frustrated.
Every character also decides to be a complete jerk to each other? I spent the first half really disliking Derek because he would make all these assumptions about Dylan and then Dylan started doing it too. Which goes into communication issues but it was again distracting from the plot.
This ending was also so unsatisfying. The author doesn’t explain how the characters grew while they were apart or made up with their siblings at all. They are just suddenly getting married? Like what did that do for the conclusion of the story other than show they stay together?
I struggled with what to rate this book because I did like parts of it but when writing this review I realized how hard a time I had getting through it. The bones of this are good but the writing, poor character development, unnecessary asshole-ness and just general lack of scene work makes this very difficult to push through.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Let me start by saying the premise of this book really hooked me! I was intrigued from the start and enjoyed the two main characters a lot. However this book fell a bit flat for me for a lot of reasons. Fair warning, this is not a positive review, continue at your own risk.
To start, the main characters names are Derek and Dylan and I had the hardest time remembering who was who. Maybe it’s a me issue but having the two main characters names be so close was kind of irritating and distracting when I had to constantly remind myself which was which.
This is unfortunately the first time I’ve really noticed when there is a writing issue in a book. And I’m not saying sentence structure is bad, although it was at parts. No the issue in this book is the author does a poor job of explaining little details so you end up lost. Like they would be on the couch with no mention of how they got home. Or the descriptions of where hands were or bodies just made no sense. I understand this might feel nit-picky but it was soo distracting when it felt like whole sentences or scene setup was completely missing. I found myself going back to read previous sentences to see if I missed something just to find, no it wasn’t there at all. And this happened constantly where they were just suddenly in a completely different place or conversation.
I do understand that this is an eARC and it’s supposed to be rough and in final edits it could be fixed but there is so much fundamentally wrong with the structure, I don’t think it could completely be erased. This is definitely the roughest arc I’ve seen, it felt like a first draft with zero edits. Which was extremely distracting at times when attempting to figure out where the thought was going. However this book doesn’t come out until September so it’s possible I’m being a bit too harsh on this I will admit.
I also felt like this book got worse as it went on? I was super interested for the first hundred pages even over looking some very key issues but it started to drop for me when the characters lost some integrity. The lack of ability to have a conversation that mattered was annoying. They would talk around stuff and then only let each other get one line out before they moved on. I was dying for a longer, meaningful conversation that wasn’t them just yelling at each other for past trauma. These characters never figured out how to communicate with one another and just left me feeling frustrated.
Every character also decides to be a complete jerk to each other? I spent the first half really disliking Derek because he would make all these assumptions about Dylan and then Dylan started doing it too. Which goes into communication issues but it was again distracting from the plot.
This ending was also so unsatisfying. The author doesn’t explain how the characters grew while they were apart or made up with their siblings at all. They are just suddenly getting married? Like what did that do for the conclusion of the story other than show they stay together?
I struggled with what to rate this book because I did like parts of it but when writing this review I realized how hard a time I had getting through it. The bones of this are good but the writing, poor character development, unnecessary asshole-ness and just general lack of scene work makes this very difficult to push through.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2024
This story was very endearing and inexplicitly raw.
Dylan Gallagher is an adorable, sweet, ADHD-driven company worker who has many layers that slowly unravel as the story progresses. Derek Chang is an ER nurse who is not only hot but also a softy, especially when it comes to his cute little dog Gus. When these two both meet it is like water and oil but when an accident occurs that forces the mix of their lives it will take not only patience but even some understanding of their selves to make it through this ordeal among others. While also finding love along the way.
In terms of story, I found the plot to be really interesting. The whole "accident leading to forced proximity" was done I think very well. Both characters have such big hearts towards one another even though they start not liking each other. You could tell that Dylan against all else wanted to help Derek in any way he could even if Derek didn't like him. You could also see how Derek appreciated the little things Dylan did for him even though his impression of Dylan was not so great at the start. I also loved how the side characters like Olive, Joni, and Felicity had such an impact on the story. Even though the high and low moments of the story I couldn't help but adore both Dylan and Derek alike. Each of them had baggage that affected their relationships in the past and in the present. The way each of them bore their hearts under both short selves and long selves was touching my heart specifically. Especially Dylan's moments of ADHD where he would sleep for long hours or when would have to hyperfocus on one task or it would never get done was something I think I struggled with as well and it made me start thinking about my different actions and reactions to certain things in my life. I will say that the miscommunication that does happen in the book was somewhat annoying, but luckily it is resolved pretty fast in my opinion (and this is coming from someone who 1. read shoujo manga for most of their life and 2. hates the miscommunication trope.)
The relationship between Dylan and Derek is one I found to be very warm in my heart. Despite them being at odds at the beginning of the book, seeing how their relationship developed emotionally was very interesting. The small things that they did for one another and the simple moments that they each shared were so cute and nice to read. Each of them was sweet and hot in a non-sexual way and I loved it. Being able to read a story that has characters who give tension on not only a physical level but an emotional one as well is like a breath of fresh air because sometimes in a relationship it's ok to take a step back and work through certain unresolved traumas that your partner or yourself may hold.
This was an amazing read and I highly recommend people give it a try, I know I am recommending it to my friends. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this early eRead, I greatly appreciate
Dylan Gallagher is an adorable, sweet, ADHD-driven company worker who has many layers that slowly unravel as the story progresses. Derek Chang is an ER nurse who is not only hot but also a softy, especially when it comes to his cute little dog Gus. When these two both meet it is like water and oil but when an accident occurs that forces the mix of their lives it will take not only patience but even some understanding of their selves to make it through this ordeal among others. While also finding love along the way.
In terms of story, I found the plot to be really interesting. The whole "accident leading to forced proximity" was done I think very well. Both characters have such big hearts towards one another even though they start not liking each other. You could tell that Dylan against all else wanted to help Derek in any way he could even if Derek didn't like him. You could also see how Derek appreciated the little things Dylan did for him even though his impression of Dylan was not so great at the start. I also loved how the side characters like Olive, Joni, and Felicity had such an impact on the story. Even though the high and low moments of the story I couldn't help but adore both Dylan and Derek alike. Each of them had baggage that affected their relationships in the past and in the present. The way each of them bore their hearts under both short selves and long selves was touching my heart specifically. Especially Dylan's moments of ADHD where he would sleep for long hours or when would have to hyperfocus on one task or it would never get done was something I think I struggled with as well and it made me start thinking about my different actions and reactions to certain things in my life. I will say that the miscommunication that does happen in the book was somewhat annoying, but luckily it is resolved pretty fast in my opinion (and this is coming from someone who 1. read shoujo manga for most of their life and 2. hates the miscommunication trope.)
The relationship between Dylan and Derek is one I found to be very warm in my heart. Despite them being at odds at the beginning of the book, seeing how their relationship developed emotionally was very interesting. The small things that they did for one another and the simple moments that they each shared were so cute and nice to read. Each of them was sweet and hot in a non-sexual way and I loved it. Being able to read a story that has characters who give tension on not only a physical level but an emotional one as well is like a breath of fresh air because sometimes in a relationship it's ok to take a step back and work through certain unresolved traumas that your partner or yourself may hold.
This was an amazing read and I highly recommend people give it a try, I know I am recommending it to my friends. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this early eRead, I greatly appreciate
October 11, 2024
First of all, let me say that I was so excited for this book because the cover is stunning, the description of the book grabs your attention (what do you mean he collapsed through the roof in his neighbor’s bed? This is awesome!) and I have a sweet spot for MM romances of all kinds.
Unfortunately, this book was not for me.
First reason, being written in 3rd person, the MMC names (Dylan and Derek) confused me profusely because for most of the time, I had no idea whose POV I was reading and who did what and what was happening.
Second reason, the structure of the book was all over the place, characters were introduced like you knew about them and then I get confused again with the plot and the POV.
Lastly, the premise of the book was promising but the execution needs a lot of improvement.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this book was not for me.
First reason, being written in 3rd person, the MMC names (Dylan and Derek) confused me profusely because for most of the time, I had no idea whose POV I was reading and who did what and what was happening.
Second reason, the structure of the book was all over the place, characters were introduced like you knew about them and then I get confused again with the plot and the POV.
Lastly, the premise of the book was promising but the execution needs a lot of improvement.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 30, 2024
Ah I wish I like this one. The premise was so promising. Two cute neighbors that were thrown into a temporary housing situation where they were roommates. Love and hate mixed well. Unfortunately the story was a little bit messy and boring. Many scenarios were thrown in that at times were under developed. The sexy scene started off strong, but then fall apart in the end. How?? Im still conflicted on my review. Very disappointed. Overall, this might work for others but I didn't care for it. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my review.
April 24, 2024
This book is so freaking cute it makes me want to SCREAM. It made my messy, neurodivergent heart so happy.
It is so unabashed in its willingness to allow bad feelings, bad moments, bad instances the room to recognized and dealt with. Messiness isn't something that needs to be punished or even hidden. It's just something that comes with life, and finding someone who fits within that messiness, that wants to kiss amongst everything it offers, is what truly makes everything worth it. It's adorable and hilarious and I adore it so, so much.
It is so unabashed in its willingness to allow bad feelings, bad moments, bad instances the room to recognized and dealt with. Messiness isn't something that needs to be punished or even hidden. It's just something that comes with life, and finding someone who fits within that messiness, that wants to kiss amongst everything it offers, is what truly makes everything worth it. It's adorable and hilarious and I adore it so, so much.
July 21, 2025
…dylan & derek finally sit down and get the chance to actually talk about jake and how he was involved with both of them [and why he’s still taking up so much space] and derek says ‘it’s okay you don’t have to tell me’ just so HE can keep not telling the truth? girl.
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