When the Sun Falls

by Camila Hurst

Alicia Romano returns to her small hometown of Sunfalls to handle her late father’s estate. What should be a quick trip turns into an unexpected journey back to herself when she comes face-to-face with Chris Parker — her first love and the man she never truly forgot. Forced to stay longer than planned, Alicia must confront family secrets, old wounds, and a spark that refuses to fade.

When the Sun Falls is a story about second chances, the messy beauty of unfinished love, the pull of home, and the courage it takes to choose your heart over the life you thought you wanted.

Exclusive Bonus Room
When you get When the Sun Falls, you’ll also unlock a special page on my website with:
-Bonus chapters set in Sunfalls
-Recipes inspired by the story and its characters
-Original illustrations from key moments
-A curated Spotify playlist for late nights and second chances
-FAQs and extras to stay immersed in Alicia & Chris’s world

Genres: Romance

444 pages, Paperback

Published September 18, 2025

About the author

Camila Hurst is a romance author and the creator of Pies & Tacos, a popular baking blog. She writes emotionally rich, character-driven love stories set in Sunfalls, a small town filled with second chances, messy feelings, and heartfelt connection. When she’s not writing novels, Camila develops recipes, tests desserts, and creates cooking tutorials for millions of readers across her platforms. She lives in Florida with her family.
Find her on instagram @camilahurstt

Reviews

[Jhmingos · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

With just a few days left of 2025, I didn’t expect to discover a new favorite romance this year. One of my favorite romances is Seven Days in June, which, like When the Sun Falls, reunites two lovers who shared an exquisitely tender romance as teenagers. I read that novel a few years ago and haven’t encountered another book that captures that raw intensity and charm of first love until now. When the Sun Falls vividly portrays that all-consuming young love that is so profound it carries into adulthood. I love a slow burn, character-driven novel that you can savor and enjoy, and this one delivered. Told in alternating POVs and time periods of the past and present, you get insight into that powerful connection between the two main characters that they can’t seem to forget.

Ally and Chris are compelling characters to read about, and while they are still pining for each other, they still haven’t moved past the hurt and pain from the end of the relationship. The story is wonderfully emotional as they are trying to undo their mistakes and journey towards forgiveness. The writing is quite descriptive (“The clouds stretched thin and wispy, like pulled-apart cotton candy, dissolving into the golden sunlight”), and the characters were fascinating and well-developed. Ally and Chris are incredibly relatable characters, mostly because they are so imperfect. Moreover, I found several of the secondary characters intriguing and sympathetic. They felt so distinctive that I found myself wanting to know about them, too. I wouldn’t have minded reading a novel centered around Isabella, Maddie, or Nate.

Beyond the romance, this story explores complicated family relationships, grief, and finding direction in one's world. Needless to say, you don’t need to be a fan of second-chance or hometown tropes to enjoy this. If you’re looking for the feels and enjoy slow burns like Mariana Zapata, or if you like your books to touch on deeper themes, then this is a must-read.

Thanks to the author for providing a free copy to review. All opinions are my own.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. so many emotions. Everything about this book was so amazing. The characters, the switching in and out of them. The story, going back and forth from a child, to adulthood, the romance! I am a believer in second chances, within reason and this story had that, too. I can't wait for the next one in the series 😍

[Ashley Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great second chance love story. The unresolved feelings between the MCs was so strong that when they were thrown back together, everything seemed so natural. Sometimes when the book has a lot of flashbacks things can get convoluted and confusing that did not happen with this book. The author did a great job transitioning from present to past.

Not only was their love story amazing but so was watching them both overcome past emotional trauma and family issues. All leading to an overall happy ending not just between them but with others in their lives as well.

4.5🌟

[Kaylea Gaines · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ When the Sun Falls by Camila Hurst

This book had me in my feels. Camila Hurst delivers a tender, emotional story filled with introspection, grief, and quiet moments of healing. The writing is soft and lyrical, and the emotions felt genuine and relatable.

While the pacing slowed a bit in the middle, the emotional depth and character-driven storytelling made it a meaningful read overall. A solid four-star book for readers who love heartfelt, reflective romance.

[Samantha Keeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When the Sun Falls" is a delightful contemporary romance that follows the stories of Ally, an interior architect, and Chris, an engineer who has taken over the family business. Ally runs away from a proposal where she is currently living in San Francisco to take care of the sale of her father’s home after his passing in her hometown. Chris, living in his sister’s (who is also Ally’s best friend) basement, is in the middle of a divorce when Ally comes back to Sun Falls. The novel is well-structured with intertwining layers of past and present experiences that follow the complicated relationship between Ally and Chris, unraveling past emotions and striving for a better future.
This book was very well written. The author did a fantastic job in showing characters’ emotions in physical displays as well as weaving in internal thoughts and conflict. I really enjoyed how the timeline was woven together; it made the novel a real page turner. There was one chapter that really stood out for me, Chapter 41, when Ally was reminiscing in her father’s house, while she was packing and cleaning. The small details of her Italian father really resonated with me, adding special emotion and empathy for Ally and her loss.
"When the Sun Falls" has many strengths, but there are a few areas that may help to level up the next novel in the series. The overall pacing and structure were pleasant to follow with excellent transitions between chapters, so the readers won’t find themselves lost on the timeline. The chapters were also well labeled with names and dates. There were a few chapters that did have slower pacing at times, containing large sections of detail or internal thoughts. Some grammatical errors were noticed, as well as a small section of a different font size in a few places in the Kindle edition. Overall, this was a very enjoyable novel, I would give it a rating of 4 out- of 5 stars. I was very excited to see that the next novel is from Maddie’s point of view, she was my favorite supporting character!

[NICODESO · Rating 5 out of 5]

'When the Sun Falls' goes beyond the common romance tropes like back to hometown, the ex-flame, high school nostalgia, second chances, etc. There are tons of other universal relatable themes - sibling estrangement and healing, parental neglect and abandonment, class divides, the pressure of societal expectation and more.
There are also wholesome friendships and a whole lot of redemption in the story where characters take responsibility for their past transgressions and actions (sometimes inaction). The denouement at the end does not feel forced and the author has kept it real. For music lovers, there's quite a few musical references - The Smiths, Radiohead, The Cure. The world-building is realistic with poetic imagery in places. Readers who enjoy multiple perspectives and fragmented timelines will especially like this book.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth while reading and enjoyment