Say I Do

Falling in Love #1

by Lucy Darling

Caleb Shepherd is one of the most powerful men in the city and also the most ruthless. He has everything he'll ever need... or so he thought. When he meets a ray of sunshine who begins lighting up the darkest places in his life, he has no idea her world is falling down all around her.

She needs saving, but he’s no prince. Then again, he wasn't a lot of things before she came along. Now Caleb is finding he’ll be and do whatever he must so that when the clock strikes midnight, Gabriella will forever be all his.

A sweet and deliriously steamy romance to ring in the new year.

Genres: Romance, Novella, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Holiday, Christmas, Ebooks

110 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 31, 2024

Reviews

[Jen ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg! This is soooo freaking adorable and hot. I’ve always been a fan of that grumpy x sunshine trope, and this one really nailed it! 🤭

Gabriella is such a breath of fresh air, probably because I've come across so many stubborn FMCs in books who just don't communicate. She's just the sweetest, so innocent, like a ray of sunshine, and always open about how she feels and what she thinks.

Miscommunication doesn't exist for this girl, and I sooo love characters who express themselves, even when it makes them feel a bit vulnerable.

And during that conflict caused by a wannabe OW, her trust in Caleb never wavered, not even once. She chose not to buy into the lies of the OW and instead seek the truth for herself. Based from reading experience, some FMCs tend to jump straight to the worst conclusion without really listening to the MMC's side, thankfully Gabby is different. 😌

Maybe it's her innocence and the way she always looks for the best in people and situations, but either way, it really serves her well. Because, after she found out for sure that Caleb wasn’t lying, their relationship ended up being unintentionally broadcast with everyone at the event. 🤭 A grand gesture with a huge crowd isn't my thing, but it works for them, so...

As for Caleb, ngl, he's grumpy and also a jerk, but never with Gabriella. It was comical reading like he has two different personalities. 🤣 But I will say this: I looove that he worships the ground she walks on. 🥹 This man would do anything, and I mean anything, for his girl. He even considered kidnapping her if she didn't agree to live with him and was more than fine to live as a fugitive as long as he had her. 🤣 He's sooo obsessed with her; I can't with him. Ugh, to be a billionaire. 😂

Overall, I really love this novella, and I'm so happy I kicked off my year with it. 😄 Caleb and Gabriella are just meant to be together, and I really admire how they always talk things out and never let any misunderstandings come between them. The epilogue was really sweet as well! 🥹

I'm really excited about Lev's book. It's going to be totally different from this one. The FMC is the grump who doesn't believe in love, and the MMC I think loves love and is named Eros. 🤭


Book info:
- Novella
- Dual V
- Insta-love
- Obsessed H
- Billionaire romance
- Stalking (a bit 😂)
- No cheating, OM, separation
- OWD (not really, his assistant caused some drama, but he's not interested in her at all!)
- HEA (10 yrs later, married with 4 kids)

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caleb has been obsessed with Gabrielle since she let him use her umbrella when it was raining and since then he’s been stalking from afar and visiting her at the coffee shop even if she makes horrible coffee lol.

Until he finds out she’s been fired and kicked out of her place he’s going to show her she can lean on him. And Gab is very innocent and trusting she thinks Caleb is a sweet man lol when he’s mister grump.

He has few secrets and hires her as his personal assistant lol. There is tiny drama with his other assistant.. but Caleb handles that right away.

Tiny ow drama no om, no cheating, sexy times, virgin gal no manwhore

Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶️🌶️

Slowinsta, pinning, praise kink, no condom, hea , epilogue

[Allia Reads (semi hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet, safe, and quick read with lots of cute moments that I thoroughly enjoyed.😌

[Kellyythoralabatalla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Estuvo bien, lo normal en estos libros, no pasó nada diferente.

[Aou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sugary sweet!

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mmmk i think i just need to stay in my novella era here bc they're the only books I seem to have the patience for right now! I loved this one!

[MerReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review will have SPOILERS in it so I can refer to it in future. I recommend it and enjoyed it! Of course I did, it was such a sweet DV story! I will be rereading this book again for sure!!

DUAL VIRGINS!! *obligatory booty shake! happy dance! booty shake!*
Safe
No cheating
No OM
Some unwanted OW drama (H's secretary hates the h, wanting him for herself. Worry not, he has never had interest in her, never had anything but a very cold, professional relationship. He was even annoyed that she would comment on things that isn't her business. When he realizes that she lied to his Gabrielle, he shut that down quickly and publicly!)
No separation
No gross condom use
No stupid third act break up
HEA

Quotes on their status!
Quote (Caleb's inner monologue),
"I have never dated. This shit is all new to me."
end quote.

Quote,
“I’ve never been French kissed before,” I admit.
“Fucking hell.” Caleb presses his face into my neck.
“Is that bad?”
“No.” He kisses my neck. “You’re pure as snow.”
“Never had time for kisses or much desire.”
“Me neither,” Caleb responds, standing with me in his arms. Does
that mean he’s never French kissed someone before or never had
the desire to do it? I suppose you could try it out without any desire
being there."
end quote
YES sweet girl, that is exactly what that means!! He is all yours in every way!! *sigh* *swoon*

Quote (Caleb's inner monologue),
How did I go from being a
man who never gave sex much thought to now obsessing over it?
end quote.

Quote (Caleb's inner monologue),
I was trying to take both our first times slowly, but there is no
way I’m going to be able to deny her what she wants.
end quote.

This was a very sweet, mellow story of a grumpy billionaire business man by the name of Caleb and his sunshine barista, Gabrielle. He goes to a coffee shop that sells terrible coffee because she works there. He is so head over heels in love with her, that he chugs that terrible coffee happily because she made it and she puts hearts on his to-go cup (only his!). Turns out, she has a huge crush on this well dressed business man, but never thought that he returned her feelings, so she kept it to herself, soaking in the moments when she gets to chat with him a bit when she makes his coffee. She is having a bad day, getting fired and ousted from her dingy studio apartment the same day. Not to mention the hot coffee spilled on her that got her fired, and leaving her with a slight burn.
Our hero bought the apartment in order to renovate it not knowing that the scummy landlord took the money and evicted everyone, giving them the end of the day to leave. Good thing Caleb is a bit of a stalker (love that!), keeping tabs on his sunshine in order to make sure she is taken care of. Once this handsome loner laid eyes on his sweet beauty who selflessly gave him her umbrella with a smile, knowing he might need it more than she, that sealed her fate. She was all his and he was all hers, she just did not know it yet. *cheeky smirk* She gets her trash bags and torn luggage full of her belongings, waiting for her car ride to take her to a motel and gets into HIS car mistakenly! He takes her to his penthouse, offering her a job as his personal assistant and to decorate for Christmas. Really it was just a way to get her to live with him, as he could not stand to be away from his sunshine.
She is blunt and honest, and so is he which is refreshing. He is cold, grumpy, direct, and stays at a safe distance from everyone around him except for his Gabrielle. This grump is so in love he fully embraces it, and so does she, neither fighting their feelings, and both so sweetly out of their element, as all this love and sex stuff is new to them! YAY!! *extra happy dance with a big dopey smile on my face!!*
They get ready to go to a meeting at a restaurant, and the jealous, bitchy secretary tells her that Caleb is using her and that he has done that to her in the past (which was a lie, there was NOTHING going on and he never had any feelings for her or anyone before Gabriella), but Gabriella does not run away from him, but towards him!! She tells him what the unwanted OW told her and since they are in a meeting in a crowded restaurant, he publicly fires the secretary (good riddance!) and professes his love for his sunshine sealing it with a kiss, earning applause from the patrons. Their happily ever after was so incredibly sweet it left me with a smile on my face and happiness in my heart. They got married before the new year because he wanted to start the year as husband and wife, and 10 years later, with kids, they are still madly in love and horny for each other!
This was so sweet, so good, so heartwarming, it was a fantastic way to start this new year! The love is palpable and the sex was scorching hot as they are each others first, last and only! I recommend it! DV will always reign supreme in the romance world and I think this is the 6th Lucy Darling DV book in a row, if I am not mistaken! I am hoping and praying that she sticks with the DV trope and keeps giving us ONLY DV. There is nothing more special than a couple who are each others one and only, having never experienced any form of intimacy with another before them.
Thank you Lucy Darling for this sweet treat!
Next up is Lev, Gabrielle's friend, who does not believe in love and built a wall stronger than fort knox around her heart. She is grumpy, moody and closed off, but then a handsome man sits in the seat next to her at Caleb and Gabrielle's wedding, with his attention fully on her. I am crossing fingers and toes that Lucy Darling gifts us another DV romance with these two! *crossing fingers and toes until the 1st of February when the book comes out*
Happy New Year Lucy Darling!
Happy New Year Everyone and Happy Reading!

[Babel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely short story set around the New Year that feels surprisingly fulfilling.

It's Mr Scrooge meets Miss Sunshine. Instalove between this powerful and grumpy entrepreneur and the cute, sunny, good girl who works in a coffee shop with the worst coffee ever. He doesn't mind though. His only purpose now seems to know her better, bask in her sweetness and maybe put her world upside down so that he barges in like a knight in shining armour to pamper and love her forever.

I thoroughly enjoyed it! It's very sweet, has its hot moments and a Christmas goodness that makes it wholesome too. I appreciated the little intrigues and the wonderful epilogues.

[Fiona Fog · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t get enough of the way Lucy writes her characters. They are so damn appealing. What she manages to put into her stories is nothing short of brilliant. Only a handful of authors I can say that about. And she’s in my top five.

Minimal drama, the heroine is always, always relatable. And her male leads? HOT.

It’s always a yes from me.

[Callie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

This is a total instalove, grumpy/sushine, quick read.

I liked that he’s never grumpy toward her and they pair together well.

It was perfect for a super cute palate cleanser and I felt like it was better than the usual instalove novellas I’ve read - plus it’s dual v! ❤️

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Say I Do" is the story of Gabriella and Caleb.

Sweet insta love romance with a obsessed rich hero, ray of sunshine but hard on luck heroine, some holiday magic, loads of sex and HEA.

Enjoyed it

Safe
3/5

[A-reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

My reviews always contain spoilers, I write them so I can remember the story.

Caleb’s been obsessed with Gabriella since she gave him her umbrella when he ducked into the coffee shop she worked at. He returned the next day with her umbrella and has been stopping in everyday for her terrible coffee. Gabriella has been crushing on Caleb hard, she draws little hearts on his coffee cup everyday.
One day Caleb’s assistant, Lauren brings him his coffee, he’s angry that she picked it up, she knows his routine, only he goes to get his coffee, that’s the only time he gets to see his Gabriella.
He goes to the coffee shop and doesn’t see Gabriella, his security that follows Gabriella tells him he saw her leave crying. He finds out she has been fired. He never finds out but it was Lauren that got her fired.
When Gabriella gets home she finds out her apartment complex has been bought and everyone is getting evicted. She calls a car to come pick her up and take her to a motel. The car she gets into is Caleb’s. He talks her into living with him and being his personal assistant. She agrees and they go to his penthouse.
A little sexy times that night where he gets her off orally. They continue with him pleasuring her he does not let her pleasure him. Things get weird when her and Lauren meet again, Caleb is clueless they have meet before.
He introduces her as his personal assistant while she is sitting on his lap with his cum on her under her skirt. Gabriella feels off about their working relationship, she thinks it’s a little Pretty Woman’ish. She goes silent on Caleb, which makes him nuts since he loves her chatter. He worries that he went to far when he came on her and scared her. Worried he proposes, she says yes.
At his companies holiday party they are meeting with a couple who are selling some property, they are wary about selling to Caleb because he is so cold and cutthroat but meeting Gabriella changes their mind. They know she will help him to keep the business open that serve the community and help children since she grew up in foster care.
Lauren corners Gabriella and tells her that Caleb is using her to win the deal and he is not going to marry her. She tells Gabriella to run from him. This was the best part of the book, Gabriella does run but not away, she runs straight to Caleb and demands to know if they are real. He professes his love and tells her about all of his crazy staling of her and how much she has changed his life. He tells the couple that he doesnt want to buy the property now he wants to partner with them to help even more children. He fires Lauren, I love yous, and they rush from the party back to his place.
They finally have their first time together, dual virgins!!
Epilogue one: on their wedding day with a coworker of Gabriella’s, Lev being her maid of honor. Lev is the next book, she doesn’t believe in love but does hook up with on of Caleb’s guests. Two: ten years later with Gabriella being honored on their anniversary by the community for all her work with the children. Her whole found family is there including their four kids and the couple they partnered with.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute. Wanted to start the year off with something short and sweet while suffering a hangover in bed and this put the biggest smile on my face. Loved Gabriella, loved Caleb. Definitely recommend this novella.

Dual pov
Insta love ❤️
Dual virgins
No omd/ owd- his assistant tried to cause an issue for Gabbi but the H sorted shit out 👏
No third act breakup
HEA- married
Epilogue 10 years later happily married with 4 kids 🥰

[Ioana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5✨

This is a nice novella, sprinkled with an obsessed alpha hero and a charming, in need heroine. The brushes are thick, you know exactly what each character is meant to be, there aren't many nuances yet the writing is nice and the story is satisfactory. A lovely read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caleb and Gabrielle

Caleb is an OTT millionaire in love. He goes to extremes for Gabrielle whom he has barely even spoken to.
When she is fired, he takes the chance and offers her a job to keep her close.
Good read.

[Zero (semi-hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute, and it held my attention well. The characters and the romance was sweet, too. I liked how the characters got to know each other for months before they got together.

[Lily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like a little cheesy but this was a bit too much for me. To have the FMC so unaware of her surroundings after the childhood she had, it made it tough to read. The MMC was just ridiculous. I love touch her and die and only soft for her themes but it was too one dimensional.

[Riley 02 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caleb and Gabriela

I loved it!!! He is obsessed from day 1, which was some time before the story started. She had some bad luck because of him but he fixed it. The situation pushed his plans faster.
His assistant should’ve received a bigger embarrassment or punishment than what she got. She made Gabriela get fired!! I’m glad that Gabriela didn’t believe her and ran to Caleb to clarify things.
It was kinda stupid of Caleb to present Gabriela to his assistant like he did. And being an intelligent, fast thinker I can’t understand how he didn’t catch how wrong he introduced her and how she felt. But he noticed the change in mood of G and didn’t let it go on for too long.
He’s alpha, highly possessive, obsessed with her. And I love it. And the cherry on top: they are both virgins!! They have each other’s firsts.
Thanks for this story.

SAFE
Dual virgins
No separation
No cheating
HEA

[Miki’s⚠️ Safety Reviews & Rants⚠️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎄Holiday read/ not to much
🥳DUEL VIRGINS🥳
🫶🏻Grumpy/Sunshine
♥️Instalove
💀Stalking
😍Obsessed Hero
🥰Super sweet heroine
💯Great Communication
📖Short Novella

This was oh so freaking cute!
I loved both these characters!
Gah it’s a great palette cleanser


💭 POV:
First person Duel

😡/😍 Angst level:
Low

❤️‍🔥 Sex & Burn Rate:
Fast 🔥🔥🔥🔥

🌓 Push/Pull:
None

☠️ OW/OM Drama:
Mild OWD from his assistant who tries to cause trouble but the H won’t have it

🤮 OW/OM Sex / Fluid or DNA Exchange:
😂😂😂😂absolutely NOT

🤬 Cheating:
NOPE

👰🏼‍♀️ Virgins:
DUEL VIRGINS!!!! Love it

⛈️Separation/ 3rd Act Breakup:
Nope

🌈Epilogue:
Yes 10 years later

🥂HEA:
Yes! Married w children

❌My opinion is just that… MY OPINION.❌
I know we all get passionate about our favorite reads and characters but we should respect each opinions a thoughts. ~Thank you

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grumpy man gets his sunshine

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

Lucy Darling - I have always loved her quick reads 😁. They always make me smile, giggle, and well other things 😉. This book is no exception.

💕 Grumpy/Sunshine
💕 Down on her luck
💕 Obsessed man
💕 Quick Read and fast paced

Caleb: He is a grumpy guy with one bright spot in his day, to get the horrible coffee served where Gabriella works. Then one day, she was gone since she was fired.

Gabriella: She is down on her luck. She was fired and then kicked out since her landlord sold the building. Then she got in the car of whom she thought was a driver, but it was Caleb.

He told her he needed an assistant (personal) and he had room, so she moved in with him, but he wanted more....

#lucydarling #fallinginloveseries #SayIDo #grumpysunshineromance #novella

[TTP · Rating 4 out of 5]

- Grumpy / sunshine
- Rich / poor
- Small stalking
- Obsessed and ott H
- Novella
- Insta-love
- No omd or cheating
- Small owd, see notes

Loved this, the h is so sweet and cute, and the H is so grumpy and the way he falls obsessed over her is just adorable. Small stalking, he buys her building and after the h gets fired he makes sure her boss gets his punishment.

Safety:
- dual V
- H only eyes for h
- His assistant causes some drama. She’s been his assistant for a couple of years, but lately she’s started to irritate H, and now she’s rude to h, but h is not letting anything the ow say have a chance to cause misunderstanding, so she talks to the H and the ow ends up fired. He never did or wanted anything either his assistant, he only tolerated her bc she did her job.

[Oriana Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caleb is a successful businessman and lives and breathes for his work. Women were never on his radar and he has the reputation of a coldhearted grumpy man. but everything changes when he meets Gabriella. He is instantly obsessed with her and kind of stalks her since day one(in a sweet way😉), much to the disdain of his assistant(she wants him he won't even notice it 😏). When Gabriella loses her job and her home, Caleb finally has a chance to make her his. These two fall hard and fast for each other and everything seems perfect.... but his damn assistant. But Caleb won't stand for the disrespect of his woman. Instalove, age gap, sweet, fun to read, romantic , steamy and totally safe (dual virgins 😏*happy dance*) with an awesome HEA 😍😍😍😍😍

[JaneH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, passionate and romantic

Gabriella and Caleb, she offers him the use of her umbrella in a rainstorm and from that moment on he ensures he learns more about her and goes out of his coffee comfort zone to see her daily at the cafe she works at.
A sacking and an eviction later has her moving in with him, supposedly as his assistant!
Humour, insecurities, passion and one evil office assistant later leads to a lovely HEA epilogue or two. Oh, and I did shed a tear at one point.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy Darling is always a quick and worthwhile read. Her penchant for writing a well crafted novella stays true.

Gabriella is a bubbly barista that as soon as grumpy workaholic businessman Caleb sees her, her is obsessed. He then begins to lightly “stalk” her but only in the way that is in her best interest.

She brings out the sweet in him that no one else sees. Their story evolves naturally even with Caleb pulling many strings. If you have yet to give Lucy Darling a try… grab this now for a quick, easy, and fulfilling read.

[Chrystal_K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect way to start 2025 ... a grumpy, bossy H - Caleb and an adorable sunshiny h - Gabriella. I love that Caleb went to find Gabriella and then hired her as his assistant ... after his plan to improve her living situation went slightly south. He was very open to doing whatever he could to make her happy. Loved it. The only negative for me was that Lauren, his office assistant, didn't really get enough comeuppance for her interference in Gabby's life. Caleb dealt with her, but not harshly enough for my liking.
Can't wait for Lev and Eros.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caleb sees Gabriella and it is love at first sight!
He’s obsessed with her and will do anything to take care of her. He’s never felt this way before.
Her being fired from her job just speeds everything up.
Gabriella sees Caleb everyday when he orders coffee from her. She’s sad when she’s fired since she doesn’t think she will see him again. Imagine her surprise when she mistakes him as the driver of her ordered car.
I loved this one very much!!!

[Misty Schott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes love comes when you least expect it!

Gabriella is having a horrible day. She's been fired and now she's basically being thrown out of her apartment without any notice. Enter Caleb the man who cane into the coffee shop where she worked every day. Caleb has been obsessed with Gabby since the moment she offered him her umbrella on a rainy day even though she didn't even know him. This is a great read and I loved it!

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this quick romance.

This is an excellent little read so good I couldn’t stop once I started it. It’s fast paced and steamy, Caleb and Gabriella are great together and she knows who to run to when there is a problem. Loved their story, obsessive alpha grump male with the best sunshine girl ever.

[Kyareth14 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy never disappoints us with her beautiful stories. This book has a plot that looks perfect in these festive seasons. Caleb is a businessman who has everything under control, and when he meets Gabriella knows that he will not rest until he claims her as his own. The ending is romantic, beautiful and I’m waiting for the next book.

[Romance Lover · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Short Read

Okay, the feminist in me is mad, but I just LOVE Lucy Darling stories!!! Something about how she writes these overbearing and domineering men just does it for me. They know what they want and they move mountains to get their girl. Caleb and Gabrielle were adorable. I can’t wait for her next book!