Fallingfor It: A Love Story With Bruises, Crisps, and an Above-Average Number of Faceplants

by Claire Shaw

Jess Taylor isn’t looking for love — she’s just trying to survive dating apps, overcooked aubergines, and the crushing weight of modern womanhood. After a series of bad dates ranging from the mildly awkward to the medically concerning, she’s ready to swear off romance entirely.

Then she literally falls in front of a man who might be worth standing up for.

Set in the chaotic heart of Yorkshire, Falling for It is a warm, hilarious, and painfully relatable romcom about identity, ambition, and figuring out whether the messiest parts of yourself might just be the ones worth loving most.

Perfect for anyone who’s ever tripped over their own feelings.

144 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 29, 2025

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author Claire is a Yorkshire girl through and through.
She is married and has two fur babies.
Claire is a bit of gypsy, loving to roam and have fun. Always up for an adventure.
With her eclectic taste in music, from Country, to Old Skool R&B to Classic Rock
Claire started writing after being encouraged by some of her favourite authors and friends. Being so close to her family and being a Daddy’s girl, she started to write what she knew, which is MC Romance.
With her Pop being in a club when she was younger, she has been surrounded by bikers most of her life. Using the influence of her Mamma and Crazy Aunties, Claire loves to write about strong women who stand up and take no rubbish.
So she created the world of Sons Of Havoc MC and their badass women.

Reviews

[hols_reads ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short, quick, easy and funny read!

I did really enjoy it however I did miss some character depth but that mostly came from how short the book was. I do think it is very impressive how Claire managed to fit such a lovely story and characters all in such a short read!

Overall a solid read that really did help my reading slump!

[Rina P · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this offering from Claire Shaw. I've always loved her MC books but this was something new and let me tell you, I absolutely loved it! Jess is an absolute disaster in the best way possible. She falls over, eats chips in the bathtub fully clothed and has cried in a pub toilet more than once. She also has a history of terrible dates. The men are not only ridiculous but totally relatable to anyone who has had to date through an app. Just like the Barbie movie spoke to the shared experience of women, I have a feeling this book will too. I know that's a damn lofty comment, but that's how I feel about this romance. It feels real and believable and the way that people sometimes fall in love. Slow, messy and with a glass full of wine.

[Letti Trejo · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I wish books came with a sample of chips aka Percy Pigs 🐷! As they are mentioned in this book quite often lol 😂 and it got me hungry too! And don’t get me started on the laughing and how Jess the main character has a whirlwind of failed, but funny dates with men. This book takes us on a journey through Jess’s dating life and what her mind thinks it’s witty , funny, her sos messages to her bestie, and the situations she gets herself into. Until she finally she meets her one yeah .

[Sarah Herridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

love a bit of northern humour

A funny, chaotic heartwarming read.
As a northern girl I totally understand the humour, the foot in mouth moments and the inner dialogue.
It was a funny brilliant read

[Kathyjacks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! A story of a quirky woman and her dating adventures full of British humor. As an American reader I had to google a few terms but it was a short and sweet read that made me laugh. This is my first read by this author but won’t be my last.

[Jessica Fahey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and funny read! Dating stories that make you laugh and some you can relate to for sure. Until she finds the right one!

Jess is clumsy, an overthinker, and can be a lot for some people. I loved the SOS calls to her best friend either during or after the disastrous dates.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you like British humour and Bridget Jones, you'll love this book. Jess takes us on her hilarious adventures in dating.

[Randi Peat · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute. The writing was very unique and the banter was top tier. I laughed out loud multiple times. This was such a cute story and I loved that it was nice and short. Definitely recommend this one!

[bewdley_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short rom com with Bridget Jones vibes. I loved the main characters, Jess is hilarious, and her take on navigating dating is spot on! There were lots of laugh out loud moments, and as we know, we have to kiss many frogs to meet our prince!
British humour at its finest!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jess Taylor.

Gorgeous, sweet read.

Happy joyful and fun. Friendship,dates and possible love.

[Jordan Fiest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falling For It is a hilarious and cute romance story.

This story was hilarious and cringy at times. Jess is on a dating app and taking a chance on finding her forever person. But there seems to be something overly unique about every person she meets along the way. This ensues in some very interesting moments with Jess and every date. The banter with her friend and the inner monologue were quite hilarious.

Jess meets Alex and literally falls on her face in front of him. However, this doesn't deter him or her from seeking a relationship with the other. They both have their own hangups and have to work together to overcome them. Jess is relatable with the doubts she had about herself and their relationship. I even found Alex relatable with what he needs to do to get his thoughts in order and not feel overwhelmed.

This was a lighthearted and funny read.

[Tammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very funny read!
A very clumsy literally falls for Alex...
The story is heart warming, the book is written using their forms of communication; texts, bullet points etc making it more of an interesting read and makes you definitely part of their story!
It reminds me a lot of Bridget Jones as we learn all about Jess' failed dating history. I cracked up about the one with the Mum coming too! I can't believe Jess still continues dating after some terrible times 🫣🤣
Northern humour at its finest!

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jess is about to quit the dating world after a series of failed dates that would make anyone run for the nearest nunnery. But when she stumbles into Alex could he be the one, her Mr Darcy? This quick fun read gives you all the laughs, a british humour peak and after a recent breakup myself, its definitely spot on!

[The Plot Thickens Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Sarah on behalf of The Plot Thickens Book Club
Title: falling for it
Author: Claire Shaw
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this one it was funny and relatable.

It follows Jess on her bad dating journey to find the man who loves her for her quirks and all.

This one is a quick feel good romcom definitely worth a read.

[Amanda Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book written by Claire and it was an easy read. Jess (FMC) was quirky and had a lot of mishaps and guy/date troubles but I think she found herself which was just as important.
Alex was a good guy who didn’t get mad or upset with Jess no matter how many times she questioned him on who another woman was to him.
3 ⭐️
0 🌶️

[Jenn M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Read!



This is the first time reading something from this author and I loved it! It’s an easy, funny read and I ate it up quickly. It was a great break from the really dark reads I often enjoy and I can’t wait to read more from this author. If you are looking for something to make you laugh, this is the book for you!

[Jody Srock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! A very funny look at dating in today's world. The pitfalls and weirdos that are out there. It was a quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed and even found myself laughing out loud at times. Well done, Claire Shaw. Very well done.

[Mrs J · Rating 5 out of 5]

We follow accident prone Jess as she navigates life through dating disasters and hiccups in her search for Mr Right.

This is British northern humour at its best. It’s funny and warm with some great characters and outrageous situations. I laughed all the way through.

[Brita Mackay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jess Taylor isn't looking for love – all she's really trying to do is survive the dating apps, all the overcooked aubergines, and the crushing weight and pressure of being a woman in the modern world.

After Jess goes on a series of bad dates that range from just mildly awkward to being actually medically concerning, Jess is about ready to swear off romance altogether.

Then Jess literally falls right in front of a man who might actually be worth standing up for for a change.

Falling For It is set in the chaotic heart of Yorkshire. This book is a warm, hilarious, and painfully relatable rom-com about identity, ambition, and figuring out whether the messiest parts of yourself might just be the ones worth loving the most.

This book is perfect for anyone who has ever tripped over their own feelings.

Falling for It is A Love Story with Bruises, Crisps, and an Above-Average Number of Faceplants by Claire Shaw. I just have to say that this book is such a hilarious, cute, and even cringy (at times) story.

Jess is risking her heart on dating apps all to take the risk in finding her forever person. In every person she meets, she finds that there is always something overly unique about them. And this sees Jess in some very interesting moments with each date that she goes on. But, I just loved the banter that Jess had with her friends, and Jess's inner monologue along with the banter, it was hilarious and I was busting a gut laughing.

Then comes the day that Jess meets Alex when she literally falls flat on her face in front of him. Surprisingly this doesn't scare him off from wanting to take Jess out on a date or even wanting to build a relationship with her.

They each have their pasts and they each come with their own baggage and they are going to have to work together to overcome the difficulties that arise with each of their pasts and said baggage.

I really liked Jess. I found her to be relatable and she felt real with her being accident-prone (I used to be accident-prone and this just doubled how real Jess felt to me) her doubts about herself and even the doubts she had about her relationship with Alex. Even Alex felt relatable and real with the things that he needed to do to get his own thoughts in order and what he needed to not feel overwhelmed.

I nearly started crying from laughing when Jess was eating her crisps in the bathtub fully clothed and I felt for her when she would be crying in the pub bathroom more than once. I just couldn't feel like I was Jess just in book form.

This book just felt so real. It reminds us how falling in love can be slow, messy, and you need a tall, full glass of wine.

I love British Northern humour and I have to say that Claire Shaw nailed it, Falling For It is a perfect example of British Northern Humour. I loved how warm it is and the characters are fun and I love the outrageous situations they manage to get themselves into.

This is the first book by Claire Shaw that I have read but I just loved this book I found Jess to be the perfect absolute disaster and I wanted more of her.

If you are looking for a great rom-com with an FMC who is a disaster and a book that will have you laughing all the way through then Claire Shaw's Falling For It is the book I recommend you pick up ASAP! You'll just love it, I can promise you that.

[Charlene Alana Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked reading this short, quick and amazing read. It's filled with action, banter, chaos, love, SOS calls to the bestie. It had me laughing so much. Everything was top notch. Highly recommend.

[Monica Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun rom com. I really enjoyed the witting writing style. I also enjoyed the main characters unique way of working through things. It was fun to watch to relationship grow.