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

557 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 20, 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

[Melissa Pellerin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler free review!! Second chance Romance!

Chris and Ally were that couple in high school that everyone knew of. Chris was the high school jock the captain of the basketball team and Ally was the art girl that was best friends with Chris's sister and always over at there house. Well one day after apply to collage and you know high school that break up and end up on opposite sides of the country until Ally's dad passes away and he goes home.
As you read this book you also get to read about there high school romance while reading about there adult one in a very well done and clean timeline split and Point of view split. Also getting to read about her and Maddie's friendship in both timelines.

This book had me hooked from the start, and I had a hard time not just reading it straight through.
I loved the way each character was relatable and understandable. I understood each one and felt lie each one was real. This books kindle and physical copy are well formatted There's cute little chapter headers.

[Kayla Verity · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to get the arc of this!!! I love books that jump back and fourth in timelines and this second chance romance did not disappoint!! Yearning!

[Sharon Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Second Chance At Romance


It is not often that when I pick up a book I  am so invested in the outcome that I read it straight through. When The Sun Falls is heartwrenching and heartwarming at the same time. The story of a teenage romance that falls apart, but is drawn back together years later through circumstances.  If you believe in fate, soul mates or love at first sight, you will love the story of Chris and Ally. I was immediately connected to the characters, as many had the same names as my immediate family. The story is well developed and keeps you wanting more. I was left in tears, which only happens on occasion with the novels I read. I am ready to start reading the next book in the series.

[Kylee McCumber · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars - Camila Hurst was very kind to reach out and sent me When the Sun Falls in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book! I can only think of 2 other contemporary romance books that I have given 5 stars, it’s normally not a genre that I absolutely fall in love with the books. I really enjoyed our main characters, Chris and Ally, and getting to watch their story evolve over time with the flashbacks between present and past. I thought this was written very well in the sense to more provide information to readers but making sure it wasn’t just fluff added to the story. All of the secondary a plot lines felt important to the overall story and character development. I’m sad to be stepping away from these characters and the story, I really enjoyed my time reading When the Sun Falls and definitely will be looking forward to book 2 in the Sunfalls series!

[Tiara Hawkins (Wisteriaxxlove) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

The story starts strong, introducing Alicia “Ally” Romano and her seemingly perfect life; great friends, a solid career, and a stable relationship while subtly showing how emotionally detached she truly is.

Then we meet Chris Parker, now a divorcee, has never stopped loving Ally and struggles under the weight of his father’s disapproval. His character growth was one of my favorite parts of the book, especially watching him finally take control of his life and stand up for himself.

The chemistry between Ally and Chris is undeniable, with tension that never fades. Their emotional contrast; Ally running from pain while Chris endures it, adds depth and realism to their relationship.

Overall, this is a strong and emotional start to a trilogy. The characters feel real, the supporting cast is memorable, and the story explores grief, family, and second chances with heart.

[Maryelizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much more than romance!

This book had a slow start, but once the story opened up, along with the characters, it was great! The trauma and pain of abandonment and loneliness came through. The way that Ally conquered old feelings and moved forward felt authentic to her character. The emotional ride, told from both POV added richness to this story. I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of this trilogy!!!

[ameera reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book pulled me in emotionally and didn’t let go. It’s a story about second chances, unresolved feelings, and what happens when the past refuses to stay buried. The romance is layered with history, tension, and quiet longing, and the emotional moments feel raw in a very real way. I loved the character growth and the sense of healing woven throughout the story. A heartfelt, addictive read for anyone who loves emotionally driven romance.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is not often that when I pick up a book I am so invested in the outcome that I read it straight through. When The Sun Falls is heartwrenching and heartwarming at the same time. The story of a teenage romance that falls apart, but is drawn back together years later through circumstances. If you believe in fate, soul mates or love at first sight, you will love the story of Chris and Ally. I was immediately connected to the characters, as many had the same names as my immediate family. The story is well developed and keeps you wanting more. I was left in tears, which only happens on occasion with the novels I read. I am ready to start reading the next book in the series.

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received compensation from the author to read this novel (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review 📚.

Genre/Themes: Childhood Crush, Second Chance, Slow Burn, Small Town Romance, Sports Romance, There’s Only One Bed, Dual Perspectives, Missing Family Member, Mysterious Benefactor, Not Like the Other Girls
Positives: engaging plot, poignant exploration of parent/child relationships and processing the past, satisfying redemption arcs, decent romance elements, good use of dual POV
Room for Improvement 🔎 : less likeable MCs, some prose and pacing issues, less developed supporting characters, variable effectiveness of dual timelines
Rating: 🌕🌕🌖

✍🏻 Full Review - RISK OF SPOILERS 🛑

This was SO, SO close to a 3 star but I struggled with certain aspects of prose and missed opportunities for improved characterisation. I think the concept itself was very good, and with more editing could have reached its full potential. But I would stress that it is very much down to personal taste, and just because I couldn’t warm to the MCs doesn’t mean others wouldn’t!

🧍‍♀️Characterisation:🧍‍♂️
The protagonist was Alicia - nicknamed Ally - Romano. Her journey through the novel was very interesting and emotional. Ally was deeply flawed, and while it made her a bit frustrating sometimes, it was generally well contextualised. She was in a dead-end relationship, due to her inability to communicate or fully open herself up to her partner, following her teenage heartbreak. When her dissonance was shown naturally, such as her decision to move in with him being based solely on an easier commute, it was very convincing. I genuinely felt the discomfort and guilt about her inability to meet him at the same emotional level in the first scene. Ally was depicted as emotionally immature in the flashbacks of her high-school years, which was understandable at their age. She failed to see the bigger picture when it came to Chris needing to step back and focus on his studies, struggling to emotionally regulate her feelings of disappointment and instead feeling betrayed and abandoned. All of this was explained by her strained and distant relationship with her father, and her absentee mother. It manifested in her defensiveness and lack of accountability, too. She felt her father, sister and even her cousin had a vendetta against her as a teenager, and then believed her sister was wrong to hold resentment towards her following her abandonment of them as an adult. As a teenager she even seemed to enjoy being in trouble with her father, because at least she got his attention. It was all very beautifully done, honestly. It was sad and frustrating that she hadn’t been able to reflect on this over the 10 year period she had been away from her hometown - at the age of nearly 30 - and see how unreasonable she had been, but it was fully explained by her past. As someone with a similar backstory, I know for sure my emotional regulation still has ways to go even with a ton of therapy, so that was definitely relatable. Other personality traits were her dislike for grand displays of affection like Nate offered, reiterated by her love for Chris’ humble and intimate surprises. My main issue with Ally was that I didn’t find her hugely likeable. Whereas her friends offered her support wherever possible, being a constant source of support and hyping her up, offering accommodation or organising her surprises, she never really seemed to do this in return, especially as an adult. The 2000s flashbacks were helpful in showing her encouraging Maddie in her ambitions, but I definitely would have liked to have seen more of a bond between Ally and her friends, because as it stood I couldn’t really see the appeal. It didn’t help that I also found Ally to be a bit hypocritical - early in the novel she discussed her passion for the sexist expectations placed on women, on how they look, act and live their lives. However she was totally complacent to her male friends’ sexist/misogynist comments, even laughing with them, and at one point calling Chris’ ex a ‘dumb bitch’. She also went from being rude and aloof with Chris to being nice to him and hugging him in the blink of an eye as soon as he offered her help. To me, it seemed she was nice when it benefitted her - I got ‘pick me’ vibes. Slightly inconsistent characterisation appeared here and there, such as one 2000s scene where she discussed ‘expectations she was too young to meet’ - this was far more mature than anything she usually said. She also started calling Chris ‘my Chris’ when they reconciled, which would have made more sense if this had been a past nickname but as it stood felt a bit out of character. However, despite all that, I loved Ally’s redemption arc. Being able to apologise, forgive, move on and even show a more sentimental side towards the end, with gifts for Maddie and Chris? It was so nice to see that vulnerability.
Christopher ‘Chris’ Parker was the love interest. He made me a laugh a few times, such as when he made fun of his sister for mentioning that she was a resident doctor ‘at least nine more times’, when he was super meta likening his situation to a cheesy romance movie, or when he doom-scrolled through a Reddit AITA. I also couldn’t deny how sexy he could be, his reverence over Ally’s body and his need for her being very swoony. We also love a man who makes asking for consent super hot. His relationship with his dad manifested in being trapped. Trapped mid-divorce from the ‘safer’ relationship his dad wanted for him, and trapped in his father’s business which wouldn’t move with the times. However his personality seemed to be portrayed somewhat unevenly. In the 2000s flashbacks, he was described as kind, humble and down-to-earth. Yet any examples of this kindness were only seen in the present day, with his selflessness towards Ally and then only background mentions of good deeds like helping Ally’s dad and his nephew in the past. This then contradicted the - seemingly much more accurate - description by his friend Jason, of being bossy and critical. We see that for ourselves at the construction site. Then add in the fact that he completely mistreated his ex-wife, mocking her cries for connection and quality time and calling them ‘excuses’, but justifying his behaviour because she cheated on him. Like his friends, he displayed casual misogyny and sexism. He described the girls at school to essentially be copycat, dull, basic clones and his wife to be like ‘elevator music’. All while going on about Ally’s ‘hot yoga bod’ and how she was so much cooler because, funnily enough, she showed interest in more ‘male’ things, like their music tastes. He even mocked her at the idea of potentially liking Katy Perry - which she didn’t anyway. What about who she was as a person? Was she funnier, more compassionate, more empathetic? I would have found these much more justified comparators. Therefore I would have liked many more examples of his kindness and his popularity, particularly in the high school flashbacks where I felt there was too much focus on his football games as opposed to building the picture of him as a person. Regardless, his redemption arc of pursuing what he wanted, and not what his dad wanted, was lovely. There were some truly gorgeous scenes between him and Ally, and his desperation to not lose her again and to tell her how he felt built genuine tension and yearning.
The supporting characters of the novel would have benefitted from some more development. Maddie Parker - Chris’ sister and Ally’s best friend - had quite limited dialogue. While it was intentional that she talked about her medical career to excess, it sometimes felt a bit unrealistic. For example she repeated ‘residency is brutal’ multiple times, or would always say she was at the hospital. Realistically, she would have just said ‘work’. Aside from her excitement about Ally and Chris’ reconciliation, I felt Maddie didn’t talk about anything else. I didn’t really know her likes, dislikes, quirks or how she became Ally’s best friend beyond their first meeting. Maddie and Chris’ parents, Mr and Mrs Parker, would have also benefitted from some more context or characterisation. I would have liked to have learnt why Mr Parker was as totalitarian as he was. His final speech at Chris’ leaving do also felt out of character, doing a full 180 about the pride he had for his son. I felt small, baby steps to approval and praise would have felt more natural and made Chris’ earlier epiphany - that sometimes you have to accept you won’t get someone’s approval and move on - more poignant. We were also told that Mrs Parker was ‘a great mum figure’ to Ally, but I would have liked to have been shown this more than I was told.
Jason Hawthorne - Maddie, Ally and Chris’ friend - was another addition to the casual misogyny of their group. He discussed women as ‘10s’ or ‘6s’, and routinely made jokes about having sex with Maddie. This just added to my disillusionment with Ally and her values. Nate, on the other hand? He was perfectly reasonable to be mad at Ally when he was. It wasn’t his fault that he wasn’t Chris, or that he didn’t ‘see’ Ally when she didn’t show him or communicate with him. His explosive conversations with her were genuinely tense and realistic, because the poor guy wasn’t wrong. Just because he was a ‘finance bro’ didn’t mean he didn’t genuinely care for Ally.
Catalina was Ally’s college friend also living in San Francisco, but she didn’t appear much. I was surprised when she appeared again at the end, or when Ally talked about their supportive friendship, because it hadn’t really been shown. Catalina agreed with Ally that Nate’s proposal felt ‘performative’ and ‘manipulative’, but seemingly didn’t know Ally well enough to suggest against it. Their friendship therefore would have benefited from further exploration.
Mr Romano, obviously not present in the novel, was depicted as always distant, busy, away and unpredictable. I felt some time lapse scenes with him would have added more to the narrative than some of the football game scenes, so that we could be shown Mr Romano’s relationship with his children rather than just told about it. There were many stereotypical Italian qualities assigned to him, but the main area of improvement would have been exploring his big passion for cooking. This was only mentioned later in the narrative, and with cooking being a very intimate and time-consuming aspect of culture, it would have been impossible for this to have not been time he spent with his children. I would have loved for this side of him to have been laced throughout Ally and Isabella’s memories. Isabella herself was somewhat judgy, but this generated very realistic tension between the pair. Their reconciliation perhaps progressed too quickly, with Isabella even saying ‘well, you know me’ concerning her need to get stuff done. The whole beautiful part of their relationship arc was that they didn’t know each other much at all, and that was the part they were going to work on resolving.
Overall, I felt the characterisation had a lot of potential but occasionally relied too much on telling, not showing.

🗺️World-Building:🗺️
The settings of the novel were San Francisco and Ally’s hometown of Sunfalls in the Northeast. The author was excellent at setting scenes, using all of the senses. The San Fran bars would be sleek and modern with dark palettes and mood lighting, while Sunfalls’ were more wood-based with warm lighting and open fires. A qualm was the stereotypical barman, wearing a turned back cap with a towel over his shoulder and a wooden pick in his mouth. In 2016, I doubt this was the norm for a younger gentleman. I’d also point out that in 2016, nobody was considering a Samsung Galaxy to be outdated in comparison to an iPhone! An argument between Chris and Ally about which one was better would have definitely been more accurate. The one stereotype that I would excuse, though, was the elderly bistro owner who went on a long tangent about her life. As someone who works with the public, I can confirm. The author utilised the weather and nature brilliantly, too, with the cold winter snow and ice versus the memories of summer with swimming in the noisy falls and lying on the grass.
The noughties nostalgia was definitely captured in the dual timeline - secret house parties with booze in red solo cups, indie music (although I would argue 2005 eye makeup was grungey smokey eyes or glitter eyeshadow, not winged eyeliner) and watching football games in the bleachers. There was one scene though that was actually set at Christmas, which I didn’t realise at all until I was told. I also wasn’t a huge fan of all the jokes about roofies in drinks, but hey - maybe that was just the noughties.
Ally’s American-Italian life could also have done with some more research, with mentions of ‘Italian music’ and ‘Italian sauce’ being a bit too vague. Specific artists, or songs, or albums, or types of sauce (there are many) would have just added some more intricate detail. The maloccio charm was depicted as hanging in the kitchen - ‘protecting food and house’ - even though I believe it is generally worn around the neck to ward off ‘the evil eye’. Other aspects felt were a bit superficial or stereotypical too, such as an Italian with an apparent passion for cooking whose only ‘special tricks’ were to ‘use a wooden spoon and tear not chop basil’. Or for their most notable tools to be for cheese or tomato, and their Calabrian grandmother’s recipes being for focaccia and limoncello (a liqueur). I felt that more unique Calabrian culture, like recipes, could have been used here to make Mr Romano’s culture and therefore his children’s culture more distinct. There were humorous mentions of his ‘casual religion’ not being so casual at all - having a bible and a rotary. That was a nice insight.

📝Prose/Plot:📝
I read the published Kindle edition, so believe this to be the final edition. The novel was structured with new paragraphs after every couple of sentences, which occasionally made it read somewhat clunky or took away the emphasis on important lines. New line breaks would have been sufficient, with new paragraphs only necessary for a new topic or for speech. There were also the occasional typos or grammatical errors.
In terms of prose, as aforementioned there were certain chapters that relied too heavily on ‘telling, not showing’, or occasionally we were shown only for the action to then be explained when it wasn’t needed. When things were shown and not told they were excellent, and I also liked that certain details were not explicitly stated until later in the narrative, allowing the reader to infer or ponder themselves - like Ally’s fear of driving. Some of the ‘telling’ could have worked nicely in dialogue, instead. Some details were repeated more than needed, including certain chapters where the other POV would recount the events of the previous chapter point by point, when it would have benefitted by just focusing on their perception of said events. Chris repeated about Ally’s ‘curves’ multiple times without giving any more description, and Ally did the same by describing two women as ‘impeccably put together’. More distinctive detail would have added immersion. Dialogue would also occasionally fall into exposition, where characters would tell each other things they already know. I also noted the characters would repeat each other’s names a lot in conversation, which wouldn’t really happen out loud in a one-to-one interaction.
Tone was generally very consistent, with the exception of Ally describing her dead father’s clothes as ‘not getting the memo that he wasn’t coming back’, or when Chris talked about how nice it was to have sex in Ally’s dead dad’s house without ‘straining to listen for him arriving’. It felt a little blasé, but perhaps could have worked if the pair had shown a tendency to use humour to cope with grief and darkness. Clarity was generally good, aside from a smut scene where positioning and placement sounded a bit confusing, or later on when Ally and Catalina leave the key to Ally’s old house on the counter before locking the door behind them. I enjoyed the smut scene, I found it very steamy and realistic, but some overused terms or tropes were used. Chris’ eyes ‘darkened’, he started to get an erection again after a couple of minutes, or Ally ‘felt her pupils dilate’. The latter two aren’t really possible unfortunately (sorry fellas).
I thought the plot was generally excellent, especially the focus on Ally and Chris’ grief and acceptance of their pasts aside from the romance. The author was excellent at building tension - both emotional and sexual - and certain scenes and dialogue made me feel physical aching or made my heart race. The scene where Ally meets her mother was genuinely heartbreaking, but incredibly realistic. Pacing, I would say was mostly good aside from how quickly Ally and Chris started laughing and hugging once they were on the road trip. Ally probably should have taken a bit longer to come round considering how angry she had been hours before. The exploration to find her mother though felt just right, and I enjoyed the breadcrumb trail they had to follow. The one aspect of the novel I wasn’t sure of was the dual timelines. Certain chapters didn’t feel they moved the story forward, or showed enough of their relationship to be warranted. A lot of the time I felt small flashbacks triggered by the senses - which the author was very good at - would have worked better. The long football game scenes leant a little too YA for my preference, or scenes to explain the items in the red box felt unnecessary when Ally and Chris only discussed it briefly at the end. As mentioned, I felt the dual timelines could have worked better if they were not just focused on Ally and Chris, but their family lives too.
Generally, I found the novel an easy read but found myself craving more unique and intimate detail and engaging dialogue. Just because Ally and Chris weren’t for me, it wouldn’t put me off reading from this author again.
Overall, if you enjoy second chance romances that also explore familial relationships and navigating regret and grief, this could be for you.

[Nicole Adkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful Debut Novel

Author Camila Hurst’s debut novel, “When the Sun Falls” is a wonderful high school sweethearts second chance romance. When the FMC comes home to settle her father’s estate, the memories of her toxic family and the friends that helped her cope all come to the forefront. While paired up on a wild goose chase with her childhood ex-boyfriend, both their feelings from the past and present come to a head. The MMC is dealing with a number of life changes himself and this trip with his high school sweetheart is just the thing for him to start making changes in his own life. Needless to say their two worlds come full circle with an HEA.

I’m not always a fan of books that go back and forth with timelines, but I feel like the author does a great job. When she does write back in time, it gives us the pieces we need to understand why the MCs make the choices they do or why they feel a certain way. I look forward to the next book in this series.

** I received a copy of this novel from a Goodreads giveaway. This is my honest opinion of the book.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given the opportunity to review this book and I am so glad I was!

Chris and Ally were together in high school, but Ally always wanted to move out of SunFalls. They ended up breaking up, as most high school couples do, but then circumstances bring them back into each other’s lives, forcing them to confront each other and their unresolved issues.

If you love second chance romance, friends to lovers, and above all a happy ending, you will love this book!


I gave this book 4 stars because the side characters entertained me a bit more than Chris and Ally did, but it was fun seeing their relationship in the past. So excited to see more of this author and I’m so glad I was able to read this book and have it be my first finished book of 2026!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the Sun Falls tells the beautiful, albeit heartbreaking, love story between Ally and Chris. Told in both their POVs, the story goes back and forth between the past and the present, giving readers a deeper understanding of how things came to be as they are now.

I really enjoyed reading this novel and watching the characters grow along the way. Both Ally and Chris were not perfect, but that's what made them real and relatable. They were always meant to be together, so it was so satisfying to see them finally get to have their HEA.

Side note: Maddie (Ally's best friend and also Chris's sister) is the best! I'm so excited to see how her story plays out in Book 2.

[River Hampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Sun Falls was sweet and wholesome in the best ways. Camila's characters, Alicia and Chris, had wonderful chemistry throughout and their relationship felt real, like you or me could be in a similar situation. Don’t get me wrong, I do love a hallmark romance, but sometimes they feel like unattainable fantasies.
Camila writes in a way that was immersive and engaging. I found myself yelling at the characters in flashback scenes for being dumb teenagers and kicking my feet when they did something sweet for each other in the present.
If you love cozy, slice of life romance with medium stakes, then I highly recommend When the Sun Falls!

[Elizabeth Zirk-Wyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down!

This book was compelling! It had all the parts of a great story. It was quite layered and not shallow. Without giving away spoilers, it has suspense, love, soul searching, self denial, first love, parental issues, sibling struggles. So, it had many story lines intertwined! Realistically, not all the story lines had a happy resolution, but who knows what will happen next since this is a series! I'm looking forward to reading more.

[Colleen Gershey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great second chance romance! I loved the dual timelines so that I could slowly learn about the rise and fall of their relationship in high school. Alicia and Chris are super cute! The story starts off slowly. There's no big bang or dramatic opening, but I read the final 75% in a single day. It had me tearing up at parts, which automatically makes it a win.

[Thrifty Geek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book opened with great drama. Hurst captures anxiety well. We went between the past and the present day beautifully. Great romantic tropes, good long burn, and the spice was beautifully spiced. Hurst captured the feeling and thoughts of one in morning, it reminded me how a felt after some tough losses. This is a great series opener.

[Aaryn Parks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so grateful to have gotten a free book of this on my kindle! Usually time jumps aren’t my favorite but once I started reading this book I was hooked and it definitely did not disappoint!!