The Wrong Kind of Falling

Meadow Hills #2

by Whitney Amazeen

She thinks she can't trust anyone. He’s determined to prove her wrong.


Sebastian Black doesn’t do the “right thing.” He didn’t listen when his parents told him not to become a professional MMA fighter, and he refused to play the part of their polished, high-society heir. Sure, he's finally free, but with his family's money cut off, his next fight months away, and no sponsors to endorse him, he needs a temporary job. Fast.



Romilly Westfall is known for being a good girl. She’s sweet and generous, but maybe a little too ambitious—especially after her last dog-grooming business failed. This time, she's determined to make things work. But when her assistant quits and her rent suddenly spikes, her second chance at independence starts to crumble.



So, when she meets the infuriatingly charming and handsome newcomer at her small-town church, hiring him as a temporary dog bather seems like her only option. Even if he is entirely wrong for the job—and for her—he's desperate for work. And desperate is exactly what she needs.



But the good girl and the bad boy were never supposed to mix, and the more time they spend together, the more determined Bash becomes to show Romilly he's someone she can trust. With the fight of Bash's life on the horizon, he’ll have to decide if winning means breaking free of everyone trying to control him, or fighting for a future that's finally worth staying for.



This is the second book in the Meadow Hills series but can be read as a standalone.


A sweet romance full of banter, faith, and tattooed forearms. Tropes

sports romance (MMA fighter)opposites attractworkplace romancecozy small town in autumn good girl x bad boyhe falls first and harderno third-act breakupGilmore Girls vibes

Genres: Romance, Christian, Contemporary, Christian Romance, Clean Romance, Contemporary Romance, Interracial Romance

348 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 16, 2025

About the author

Whitney Amazeen's love for reading started in third grade and has been going strong ever since. She studied cosmetology before pursuing writing, where she used to hide in the laundry room to read and write instead of working on clients. As a result, Whitney has evolved into a full-fledged daydreamer with more stories in her head than she can count. When she's not immersed in reading or writing a novel, Whitney spends the majority of her time playing with her kids and watching Disney movies. Whitney lives in Arizona with her family and can often be found drinking tea, talking about fictional characters, and obsessing over Jesus. Learn more at www.WhitneyAmazeen.com.

Reviews

[Shawnaci Schroeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5
- This book was soooo cute!! I rarely read a super cutesy read without getting bored and this one was perfectly written in a way to keep me invested the entire time!
- I love how this story touched on faith and navigating the church because that’s rarely talked about, but it was handled with so much care.
- You can definitely read this book out of order even though it’s in a series, but now I’m even more excited to go back and read the first book in the series!

[ari [gin’s vrsn 🩵] [semi ia] · Rating 3 out of 5]

– post-read –

that was…interesting


– pre-read –

buddy reading with the one and only joni! thank you sm for sending me the arc request form i owe you one 🤭✨💕
love you to the moon and back

fall vibes Christian romcom?! 🥳🥳

thank you SO SO much to Whitney for the arc of this book, i’m so happy to be on your team 💕

[joni ౨ৎ - busy · Rating 3 out of 5]

hmm not my fav but a few cute moments

𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
haven't read a book by this author but they sound rlly good!! buddy reading with my bsf ari !! hope this is better than our last one... 👀

thank u whitney for the arc <3


↪ started sept 14

[Sian · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

This was all kinds of adorable. The tension was everything. The banter had me smiling kicking my feet. I LOVED the way Bash and Romilly communicated. It's my favorite thing when a fictional couple is written in a way that feels like I could know them in real life.

This was very close to being five stars for me. I was so obsessed with the love story itself that while I can definitely acknowledge this book has flaws, I just didn't care because every interaction was so fun, sweet, and magnetic to read. Some of the plot felt packed in, but while noticing that, I just didn't mind because the romance DELIVERED. The author also kept taking the reader back to how beautiful the small town in Maine was and I could picture it so well. The autumnal vibes were giving and I appreciated the author not mentioning anything about halloween.

I thought the faith themes were okay. In the author's IG bio she says her romances have a "sprinkle of faith" and I would agree with that sentiment. I didn't agree with some of the conflict around Bash's backstory but I knew enough about it beforehand, and yet still chose to read this, so I didn't let that impact my rating. For example, I was actually totally on the side of his parents and felt that conflict could have been stronger to justify Bash's feelings about it. I wouldn't want my adult son to be an MMA fighter either haha. Honestly, the MMA fighter thing felt like it had a backseat to the romance. Didn't really read like a sports romance to me, just a fall small town romance, which is totally fine! I actually liked it like that. I ALSO wish the author had explained Romilly's desire to foster children. I was super curious about her conviction to do that. I would have loved to know more. From what I remember, it just sort of gets introduced but not expounded upon.

But anyway, THIS WAS CUTE.

In this book:
-he falls first and harder
-dual-POV
-opposites attract
-she becomes his boss
-good girl x bad boy
-small town
-new guy in town
-MMA fighter MMC
-small business owner FMC
-no dating rule
-slow burn

Content Guide:
romance - clean / infrequent innuendo
language - clean
violence - clean / one MMA fight scene but very briefly described and not detailed at all
faith: medium amount but surface level overall

Content Warning(s):
I cannot think of any!

[Abigail G. Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romilly kind of annoyed me. 😅 So that brought it down a star, but besides that this book was adorable and Bash’s arc was so cute to see. I love a man who is inspired to become better because of his lady.

[Kenzie | kenzienoelle.reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. This review breaks my heart to write. This is not a bad book by any means. It just wasn’t for me and hopefully by reading this, you can see if it would be a good fit for you! I truly hope it makes it into the hands of readers who will love it!

The setting was soo cute. Small town New England with all the Autumn cozy vibes. Also the cover is perfection and I love that it was closed door/kissing only. There were absolutely cute moments in this book!!

These characters felt very young. They were meant to be mid to late 20s but they read fresh out of college and I prefer a little older protagonists in my romance. The writing itself read very YA to me for example, many moments it kept spelling everything out for the reader. I think in an adult book, you can trust the reader to read between the lines and draw context conclusions.

I didn’t love these characters unfortunately and the ending was VERY Hallmark.

¡¡SPOILER AHEAD!!
Bash still seems very new in his Christian walk and to get engaged months after meeting just didn’t sit right with me. Okay last gripe I’m so sorry! Romilly doesn’t want to have sex until marriage, love that. Beautiful. And he agrees to do that for her… but not because he also has the same conviction. And this is probably just a personal opinion based on personal beliefs, but I think both parties should be of the same mind on something like that. Especially as believers.

[Johneice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5!! 🤩 This story was so adorable! The tension, banter, and communication between Sebastian and Romilly was everything! I love how there was a “sprinkle of faith”, and it didn’t feel heavy-handed like some books do. The romance, ARGH! It literally had me giggling and smiling so hard. 🥰🤭 I did have a gripe with Romilly in the first half of the story because she was a bit annoying. I did understand her stance on her reasoning for not being open to love again, but I was literally screaming in my head, “LET HIM LOVE YOU!!!!” 😂😂😂 Anywho, I enjoyed this story so much and I’ll definitely have to go back and read the first book in this series!

[Kayᥫ᭡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️⭐️’𝘴

𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦. 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘉𝘢𝘴𝘩 (𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘙𝘰𝘮. 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵… 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘸, 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩, 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘐 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦.

𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 “𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘞𝘏𝘠 𝘈𝘔 𝘐 𝘋𝘖𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘚?!”😫. 𝘐 𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘎𝘶𝘺𝘴… 𝘐 𝘘𝘜𝘐𝘛𝘌 𝘓𝘐𝘛𝘌𝘙𝘈𝘓𝘓𝘠 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬… 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 (𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬-𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺!

𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘦, 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘺, 𝘭𝘰𝘸-𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘤𝘰𝘮, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘩, 𝘐’𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘺𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥.

[Laura (cozykindlereads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this. I sometimes feel like faith books can be a bit heavy-handed, but this blended faith and romance beautifully.
I loved Bash and Romilly's journey with each other, and God.

Favourite moments:

☆Romilly's cat 🐈
☆The soup meet cute 🫣
☆The dog parlour 🐕
☆The balloon ride 🎈
☆Small town 🏡
☆Faith content ⛪️
☆He looks after her 🤕

[Jocelyn (jocelyn.reads.books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by Amazeen, and even though there is a book that comes before this in the Meadow Hills series, this one worked just fine as a standalone. It takes place in a small town in Maine outside of Portland. Sebastian is an Aussie staying at his parents' lake house after they cut him off financially because they don't like that he's taken up MMA fighting. He's learning to make his way on his own (along with his sister) after basically having most things handed to him in life. Romilly is a local who is struggling after a break up that caused some major trust issues. She's working hard at getting her dog grooming business up and running.

This story was really sweet. I loved that church and faith had a major roll in the story (there was even a fun fall retreat put on by the church). The faith content wasn't heavy handed; it flowed naturally. There were lots of fall vibes throughout the book. The romance was kind of instalove, but Romilly held back for a while due to her trust issues. I saw another reviewer say she was annoyed at Romilly; but her character was very realistic, for anyone who's dealt with a similar betrayal in a past romantic relationship. I at least could empathize with her.

More things I liked: The dog grooming business and MMA aspect felt unique to me. I enjoyed the family relationships on both sides and felt that they were realistic, and dialogue felt natural. I loved Logan, and I hope he gets his own story. I giggled on numerous occasions. The kissing scenes were swoony while still being closed door. Sebastian was a gentleman and treated Romilly right.

I recommend this one if you enjoy contemporary romance. It's a great one for the fall season.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Reader🍂

Lost faith, Pushy family, self discovery and Love!!!! I thought this was the cutest cozy fall love story. My first closed door romance and I didn’t know what to expect. Needless to say, I loved it.

Romilly has such a pure, giving heart and Bash is just trying to survive. So what happens when two people are both stepping out on faith together? This story had just the right amount of scripture reference, silent prayers and spoken encouragement through out. Definitely encourage you to read it.

“Don’t worry, pumpkin. There are more fights in me where that last one came from.”- Bash

[whatcha_reading_darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a sweet and cozy Christian fall romance! It was my first read from Whitney Amazeen after meeting her at Romantically Yours Book Con and after chatting with her, I knew I had to pick up her book. I’m so glad I did! it was the perfect fall read with heartfelt themes, small town charm and characters I quickly rooted for.

This story follows Romilly Westfall who I s determined to prove she can stand on her own, even after her last business failed. But when her assistant quits and bills start piling up, her dream of independence begins to crumble. Enter Sebastian “Bash” Black, an MMA fighter who needs a job just as badly as Romilly needs help. With Bash’s biggest fight on the horizon, he must decide if chasing victory is worth it or if building a future with Romilly is the real win.

Thank you Whitney for the gifted copy! I can’t wait to read more from you! 🤍

[Laeila Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

No need to wait for fall to arrive because this book brings fall TO YOU! Ever since the first page I have fell in love with the characters, setting, and the overall storyline of this book. I’m always careful to find romance novels that don’t push the envelope too far when it comes to good romance and I’m glad I found an enjoyable in this one. Another touch to this amazing book was that there was a dual POV from Sebastian’s side and Romilly too. It allowed you to see their inner thoughts and day to day experiences from their side. I especially loved when it intertwined between the two to see their chemistry with each other. Fall, cozy town, and meet cute at church? Check!

If you are looking for an enjoyable romance novel that has Christian themes in it and has alot of sweet tender moments, then this one is for you!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay this one hits home. its been a really long time since I read a dual first person pov Christian romance. With all the faith this book has , it gets all the stars. this story is very cute "insta" atrraction romance with so much more faith than I expected.

Fall, A Christian Romance, and a Tattooed Aussi MMC.


Thank you to the author for the arc!

[Kayla Cyré · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way I adored this book 🥹 Romilly and I are the same person. I understand her and can relate to her so much. I loved her silent prayers to God about Bash and guidance about what she should do about love 🧡 even though Bash is an MMA fighter, he is such a sweetheart for Romilly. The way he loved and cared for her and gave her time to decide what she wanted was beautiful to read. This book has my heart and I didn't want it to be over 🥺

"Because after that kiss- after the way she melted in my arms like she was made to fit there- I was sure we were on the same page. But I should have remembered the walls she's built were there for a reason."

[Alayna | Literarily Persuaded · Rating 4 out of 5]

So you're telling me it's an autumn small-town romcom where he falls first, it's slow burn, dual pov AND it's christian? I think I'm in love!

This book was adorable, it was an easy read, and that cover is just stunning! It was my first by Whitney Amazeen but I doubt it'll be my last.

4.5 ✨ and I’d probably reread it!

[Annita · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was so cute but the end was so dramatic for nothing ! First time reading a Christian fall romance btw

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, wow, wow! This book was such a joy to read! Whitney Amazeen has such a gift for weaving together faith, love, and real-life struggles in a way that feels both lighthearted and deeply relatable.

The characters were absolutely lovable. Bash and Romilly stole my heart! Watching their growth, both in trusting God and in learning to trust each other, was so sweet and uplifting.

The whole story gave me cozy autumn vibes. Between the flirty banter, the small-town community, and the warmth of the relationships, it honestly felt like being wrapped in a hug.

If you are looking for a faith-filled, swoony, and cozy romance, this is it. I cannot wait to read more from Whitney Amazeen!

[Haley’s haven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Whitney Amazeen for an arc of your book!

I truly loved and enjoyed this story so much! I loved how present their faith was in the story and the characters had grown so much in the end. The romance was so well written and I fell in love with bash from the very first page!
I absolutely loved the way bash talked about Romilly. It was clear how very much he was in love with her.
This was the perfect cozy fall Christian romance. I would definitely recommend this!
No-spice
No language
5 stars ⭐️

[Brooklyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

As my first romance, did NOT DISAPPOINT!!! 😍😍
The cutest, clean fall romance!!🍁
The story follows Sebastian Black, the bad boy boxer type, who’s struggling to find support for his next fight. Enter Romilly, a young entrepreneur trying not to fail yet another business.
This was the most adorable and wholesome thing ever!! I love Romilly and Bash so much!! 😆 Also as the first book I’ve ever actually annotated, I had WAY too much fun!! The ending even made me cry! 🥹🫶🏻💗
Definitely will be reading more of Whitney Amazeen’s books!

[lourdes · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ ARC Review: The Wrong Kind of Falling by Whitney Amazeen ✨

The Wrong Kind of Falling is a heartfelt, faith-centered romance that explores love, healing, and the way God can work through relationships.

We follow Bash, an MMA fighter estranged from his wealthy family, and Romilly, a small business owner with a guarded heart after past heartbreak. Their worlds collide in the most unexpected (and messy!) way, and from there, a tender story of persistence, trust, and spiritual growth unfolds.

I loved how Amazeen didn’t shy away from showing two very different perspectives of faith and church. Bash viewing it as judgmental and Romilly seeing it as family. Watching them navigate those differences while drawing closer to each other was both realistic and moving.

This book balances lighthearted moments (the banter, the awkward soup accident, the everyday joy of working together) with heavier themes like family estrangement, heartbreak, and learning to fully trust God with your future. The romance itself is sweet, slow-building, and rooted in faith, perfect for readers who want swoon without losing spiritual depth.

By the end, I was fully invested in their love story and the life they built together. If you enjoy clean romance with strong themes of faith, forgiveness, and second chances, this one’s for you.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars for me!)

[aundrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

good fall vibes but i didn’t connect to the characters or plot at all 🥲

sebastian was a perpetual annoyance with his “im such a bad boy” attitude and romilly made me want to bash (pun intended🤭) my head into a wall multiple times with her STEREOTYPING. tbf both of them did that a lot so ig they are the perfect match for each other.

they got together before the end of the book so i was like “🧍🏻‍♀️ what are we doing for the next three chapters”. it was some issue with romilly’s business and closing up that end of the plot, but still, it dragged. also, it felt very repetitive in the beginning with both of them continuously reminding us how much they shouldn’t get in a relationship but then act like they were in one anyway.
i didn’t feel one single spark between them. not an ounce of chemistry. but apparently that’s all they felt, bc they said it all the time.

the plot made no sense either. romilly needed to get her dog groomer’s boutique a better star rating just so she could hire the other groomer in town so she could pay her rent?? like what? i mean i don’t own a business so what do i know, but that felt like an unrealistic situation. why can’t you just put a job application up on indeed or something. the internet exists…
sebastian’s thing made more sense. he needed to win his next mma fight to get sponsors and such so that he can make his own living and stop depending on his parents money. i could respect that, but with romilly i was just like girl…please utilize the world wide web.

going to church was a huge part of this as well, and while i do agree that socializing with other believers is great, i don’t love the whole nagging someone to join your church feeling, which is what almost everyone in this book who went to church was like.

i had pretty high expectations going into this since i enjoyed the author’s young adult book, but this one just fell flat for me. i’m excited to keep up with her books though!
and thank you to her for the arc <3

[Mary Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ ARC Review: It's taken me a minute to write my review, but all I know is that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I will say more though lol.

It had the tension, the banter, the swoon, the character growth, faith elements (light), cozy fall activities/vibes, all the things.

Romilly and Sebastian were so perfect for each other. The classic bad boy x good girl, but she makes him want to be a better man, and I was here for it. Not that Sebastian was a bad man. He just had some serious issues and unsupportive parents. Seeing his character growth while he grew closer to Romilly was so satisfying. Romilly was an angel. She was so good to him and such a strong female character. You can't help but love her so much.

The circumstances of their relationship was actually super cute. Bash let Romilly know from the beginning he was interested in her, which is very rare in a romance. We love a man who knows what he wants and doesn't hide his feelings.

I also enjoyed the faith in this book, which is not something I usually like having in my romance books. It was well done though and not preachy, and I felt that it added to their relationship.

Also, if you're looking for an MMA fighter romance, this book might disappoint you. Yes, that is Bash's occupation, but he didn't have any fights lined up till the end of the book. And he needed an occupation in the meantime. So if you're looking for a boss x employee, dog grooming business book, then this is for you! lol.

I'm actually really surprised I remembered all of these things after like 3 months of not reviewing this book. All in all, it was super cute and cozy and perfect for the fall season.

Read if you enjoy:
- MMA fighter MMC
- Dog grooming business owner FMC
- Boss x employee
- Good girl x bad boy
- Light faith
- Closed door/clean romance
- Dual POV
- Slow burn
- Cozy small town

Content 💋:
- Kisses only
- No language

[Montse Perez]

DNF ~21%

I’m sorry but the writing is just not good in this. I don’t like every feeling or thought of the characters being spelled out. Let readers understand their personality or emotions through actions and dialogue.

I will say the autumn vibes were there, but the story itself read more like a Wattpad draft. Don’t tell me Bash is a bad boy just because he’s an MMA fighter, let me figure that out through his behavior and choices.

I also could tell that the author is a woman when writing in Bash’s POV. The way “he” notices clothes and describes the FMC feels inauthentic, more like a woman’s perspective than a man’s. It kept pulling me out of the story.

Overall, this just wasn’t working for me so I decided to put it down.

[Ella B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely abored this book. It had the perfect fall vibes and the emotional depth and character growth I look for.

I loved Romailly right off the bat. She is a great example of a Christian woman. She is so selfless, full of grace, love, and kindness. She definitely had her issues and slowly worked on overcoming them. But overall, I loved her and found her inspiring.

I will be honest, it took me a little longer to like Bash. He definitely gave off the bad boy rich kid vibe. But over time, with the way he treated and cared for Romailly, he won me over. He was so attentive towards her, always looking out for her. It was also the way he actively worked on overcoming his struggles and issues, turning to prayer instead of falling into temptation that endeared me to him.

Bash and Romailly had so much chemistry with each other. They are fun and flirty. Always supporting and encouraging each others dreams. Just overall, being there for each other.

I loved the church community that surrounded Bash and Romailly. The friends that rallied around them and encouraged them. It was refreshing to read

I absolutely recommend this sweet story! The ending was a little cliche, but I loved it regardless. The fall vibes, the chemistry, and the faith of the MCs just did for me. Please read this!!

Thank you, Whitney Amazeen, for the ARC. All opinions are my own!

🔥Heat level: Kisses only.
🫢Language: No language

[rehema · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much a Hallmark movie type of book. One quote that stood out through the MMC’s internal struggle with his faith was, “I know now that's not how God intended the church to be. It’s taken a lot to show me there are rotten people in every category of humanity, but also plenty of good people in those same categories” (pg 161).

[sophh !! · Rating 5 out of 5]

the first Christian romance i’ve read and it was so cute i loveee!! 4.75 stars

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️This was a cute fall romance story! The end felt a little hallmarky- but I enjoyed this. The atmosphere was so autumnal, I enjoyed falling along with the two main characters.

[Queen Neely &#x1f380; · Rating 5 out of 5]

This felt like a fall movie set in its own Stars Hallow! Soft and sweet Christian romance with that cozy autumn feeling! It’s so nice to see books like this that include a faith journey too.

[chanel · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first faith based love story and I really enjoyed it tbh. I just really enjoyed the kind of person that Romilly was and Bash’s dedication to her.