Falling For Alaska

by Cassie Kellergan

Genres: Romance, Small Town Romance, Age Gap Romance, Contemporary Romance

269 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 27, 2026

Reviews

[miss_may]

Oh how I wish could’ve enjoyed this 😭 I saw a reel about it on insta and was intrigued be the cop with a stutter x shy librarian. What could possibly go wrong??

It starts off by not having a trigger warning and while I understand that they can impact the plot, I would’ve appreciated an optional trigger warnings list maybe at the ever end of the book that someone could skip to if they didn’t mind spoilers.

The writing itself felt way too descriptive at times and since we have a dual pov, oftentimes things were described twice. Also, I’m pretty sure the brother is already dead and if he is, then it was given away way too early because it’s very heavy-handed how at the dinner table everyone seems to speak to Alaska and ignore Matthew. While such a twist is awesome in theory, imo, it kinda failed if that’s my first thought when I read a scene.

[Petra Már-Burján · Rating 4 out of 5]

Képzeld el, hogy egy olyan trauma történik az életedben, hogy úgy érzed akkor ott meghaltál. 6 év telik el és nem bírod elviselni ha hozzád érnek. Alaska így éli az életét abban a kisvárosban ahol a saját könyvesboltját vezeti.
Mindeközben Jack az új rendőr a saját gyengeségével küzd nap mind nap. Azt hiszi, hogy sosem lesz elég jó élete szerelmének, ha egyszer megtalálja.
Ez a könyv annyira édes, abszolút slow burn, a szerelmi szál nem veszi el a figyelmet az érzelmekről és a traumákról, közben pedig a múlt annyira fájdalmas, hogy néha elfelejtesz lélegezni.
4,5⭐️ minimum ez a könyv🤍

[Catarina Águas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just adored this book, it was so good.
Alaska was barely living, thinking she didn't deserve it because of an incident that wasn't her fault, but she didn't believe it I felt so sorry for her, she was a good person that needed love but didn't think it was in the cards for her.
Enter Jack and everything changed. He saw the good person she was and the sadness she carried. He wanted her but was afraid he didn't deserve her because of his stutter. He was a good man too and was always there for Alaska, he knew she was good and whatever happened in the past, wasn't her fault.
Them as a couple was amazing, they supported each other and loved each other despite everything.
I have to admit, I wasn't expecting the plot twist, her brother being dead had me gasping, it made so much sense but I didn't see it coming

[zoeereads · Rating 2 out of 5]

The blurb of this sounded so good but sadly this book wasn‘t for me. It starts off with a flashback scene of Alaska and something incredibly terrible must have happened then, even though the reader only gets a glimpse into the scene, because it‘s mentioned on every! single! page! (sometimes more than once) how undeserving of love Alaska is and that she should better stay alone and the world would be better off without her. This girl is the most miserable creature I have ever come across and by chapter 5 I was over it. She is a shy 22 year old whose only thing in live is hating on herself because something happened years ago and unfortunately the reveal drags throughout the story which made it hard to feel for her because we don‘t get to see why she is feeling this way. She is not reall doing anything except running the bookstore and I know the author tried portraying her trauma here but the way she did it, it was very, very hard to not get annoyed every single time Alaska was on page. Then she started saying things like her dream is to be a stay at home mom and girl, I was done.


Enter Jack, our new police officer with a stutter (love that btw, you never get to read that!!!), whose captain sends him into excile to get rid of this stutter (excuse me?) before coming back to the big city. He is a typical romcom MMC and I had high hopes because I liked the idea of the hot guy having a disability, that’s usually never the case in romcoms and I was excited to see some rep here! Unfortunately both of them are so infatuated with each other after a 2!!! minute talk, that their whole persona is now thinking about the other one and we barely get any actual information about their characters except for how the other one sees them.
I do have to say Jacks character was evolving throughout the story and I was actually interested in reading more about him.
All the over characters were lovely except for her twin brother. That man crawled straight out of hell.


The writing also wasn‘t for me. Scenes felt rushed and some of the characters actions felt unatural and forced. The conversations also made zero sense sometimes and the metaphors used were also pretty cringy.

Here is a prime example of „what did I just read“, mind you this is their third time seeing each other in town:

„Images of her asleep in my bed crowd my thoughts. I imagine she smells like christmas morning“.
Dude, what?

The twist though, was good! I really liked it!

I truly wanted to love this one and I had all the tropes to get me excited but sadly this one just wasn‘t for me.

[Lil · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really feel sad giving this a 1 star review. There was so much promise in this book. The characters came across really well - a broken/ traumatised FMC and a golden retriever MMC who falls hard and fast and just wants to help (not fix). There were some good plot points, but they seemed to just meandered off to nothing, and there was far too much prosaic description that didn't add to the story at all.

[manon♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so hyped for this one but ugh
1. He’s got ashy hair, she smells like apple pie. We GOT IT. Some details are written a hundred times??
2. I didn’t like the age gap in this. Especially since he’s protective af (which I realise I hate now)
3. Calling her "my girl" like he owns her after knowing her two months. Boy. Take a chill pill
3. Alaska is 22, quite independent and lucky enough to own a bookstore (at this age???). And her biggest dream in life is become a stay at home mother?? To each their own but my god I hated this
4. I wish we’d seen more of her recovery instead of the "we’re together forever now let’s have kids" (once again, they’ve been together for 3 months, she’s 22 and he’s 30)
I finished it because I truly wanted to know what had happened to her but Jack was just too much

[Afnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished it a few moments ago and I... Oh my God 😭😭🫠💞💞 Literally, the details, the heroes, and the love 😭 Jack is literally the man of my dreams; the way he fought his stutter, his care for Alaska, and his refusal to judge her🫠💓 He literally pulled her out of the depths of darkness, And the way Alaska made him feel seen, and her indifference to his stuttering as if it didn't exist 🥹the plot twist is so so so... Unexpected! I cried a lot 😭 Another issue the book addresses is that some people now view a woman's desire to be a housewife as shameful! But in reality, every woman has her own desires and her own way of seeing her life, and believe me, there's no difference between a working woman and a housewife; each is a woman who has chosen her path and has her own responsibilities and happiness.🌺 I think this is the first time I've written a review like this, and I believe it's also the first review of this book, so I hope you really enjoy it, Cassie. 💞 You deserve the best, and your writing is beautiful. You don't need to pay attention to negative comments. 🌹

[sam | the bookish soul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was so compelling. I loved every page of it. It was beautiful and hard. I loved the main couple and the side characters. I’m now invested in this town and their stories. I loved the dynamic between Alaska and Jack. I loved the loyalty and the fierceness. And oh, the tension. That was good too. Since this is a new-to-me author, I happily plan on going through her backlist.

[Joline · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Goodbye, Alaska.”

Wow. I didnt expect all of this when i started the Book because of a Tik Tok snippet.
The way she told the story was genius and I only figured out what was wrong because of an instinct (iykyk) pages before it got revealed.

4,5⭐

[Katie]

DNF at 30%
The writing and pacing was just off for me

[ثَانا · Rating 3 out of 5]

ثلاث نجوم بتصنيف الرومانس
كان لطيف وخفيف
بسسس علاقة الأبطال جداً سريعة
بس حبيت أنها ما بدأت بسبب علاقة جسدية✋🏻

[jose · Rating 1 out of 5]

big fat no

[Jacinta Goodsell · Rating 3 out of 5]

angsty, slow burn, with zero spice

I really enjoyed this story! It’s a bit angsty, slow burn, with zero spice. I loved the mystery aspects of the book, and spending time with Jack and Alaska as they navigated their healing journeys and fell in love.

[Ashleigh Thomson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could’ve been such a good storyline but fell flat with overly miserable characters and too much filler.

[Amanda Shinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

He's a protective cop with a stutter who falls hard for a shy bookstore owner with a traumatic past. This book is so swoony! I was *hand over mouth* swooning over the things he would say to her, and over the way he treated her. There's depth to the characters, and a beautiful setting in a small mountain town. I loved every minute!!
*mental illness rep
*some language
*closed-door romance

[Mya Dsouza · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOOK RAVE
∞/5 stars
This slow-burn masterpiece opens with a gut-wrenching prologue that shows Alaska Jenkins kneeling on cracking ice, knuckles bleeding from a loss that haunts her still.
At 22, she's a bookshop owner in tiny Lakeside, her wavy brown hair and icy blue eyes masking deep guilt over her twin brother's death six years ago. She flinches from touch, her scarred hands a constant reminder of a failure she can't bring herself to forgive.

Enter Jack Parkson, 30, the tall, broad-shouldered cop with ashy blond hair and a stutter that exiled him from the city.

Both carry heavy baggage—her trauma-fueled isolation, his voice betraying his strength—yet they're stunningly beautiful souls, crafted with aching vulnerability by Cassie.

Their journey together evolves into stolen glances in her shop, storm-swept check-ins, feather-light touches that shatter walls. When Jack uncovers the truth that Alaska fought heroically on that ice, with county negligence being the real villain we find closure. Her patience heals his stutter. As an empath, I wept every two pages, pausing through raw catharsis.

Closed-door intimacy deepens every glance, every "I love you," making this emotionally pure. The epilogue glows three years later: married, med-free, trying for a baby—healed hearts vowing forever in Lakeside, healing us as the readers as well.

Best slow-burn I've read—maybe ever. I've read Cassie Kellergan since her first book and I'm so proud of how far she's come. In love with Alaska & Jack forever. Marvelous. Obsessed!
ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND!

[Linda OUCHAOU · Rating 5 out of 5]

loooved the book , cassie didn't disappointe at all .
I was ready to devour it in one go if not my family that kept on bothering me 🙄🥲 .
anyway the story was beautifully written , I loved the characters .
Alaska my pretty girl who held so much on her shoulders , who lost hope in her dreams so soon in life in an unfair turn of fate , am so happy she got the happily ever after she really wanted and she definitely deserved .
Jack , oh my man jack ......cassie did so good in portraying such a great personality, the perfect mix between self conscious cuz of his stutter and confident manly man in a healthy non toxic way . I loved him , he was sweet , caring , strong, honorable , and very endearing . they both deserved each other and the life they built together .
the plot was so fun to read , I enjoyed everything about the book .
the town ....loved it .
the people there .....loved them .
Jared ......cassie mam , I really hope u are planning a book for him .
also bella as well .
and am verrrrryyyyy excited for Axel and ria .
I just hope in the future books we ll have more scenes with family and friends , for example I really wanted to see jack hang out more with jared , and wanted to see him meet alaska' s parent . the same with his sisters and mom .
anyway the book is a great choice to regulate your happiness hormones , it will give u butterflies, tears and imence joy .
Thank you Cassie for this ❤️ 💓

[Hollyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ratings:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
*No Spice only Kissing*


Tropes:
🏷️Cop MMC/Librarian MMC
🏷️Stutter Representation
🏷️Grief/Mental Health Representation
🏷️Small Town


My Review:
Alaska is stuck punishing herself for something that happened years ago, and this event made her believe she doesn’t deserve happiness. I felt so bad for her. Then, there is Jack, who has a stutter and was sent to a small town to get better, which was just stupid cause he can’t get rid of a stutter. He ends up meeting the gorgeous shy librarian Alaska and is intrigued by her. He is “leaving” but while he is there he does anything he can to make her see herself and have her open up. Jack makes Alaska believe she can have happiness. That made me happy for her. The one thing that took me out of the book is even with all the characters are going through they fell flat. They just felt stale and not very dynamic in my opinion. But that’s my thought. I still enjoyed on a whole though.

[Melanie Geldenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is a beautifully written love story. They fell for each other fast but when u find your person you find your person. Both the MMC and FMC are amazing characters that went through a lot but are still strong and healing in their own way. The struggles of the characters felt so real and were written in a respectful manner. The description was realistic as well. I love how Cassie writes romances because she proves time and time again you dont need open door spice to write a beautiful and amazing love story that makes you feel all the feels. I also love the feminism in the book. Being a stay at home mom is a wonderful choice and with feminism we respect all women's rights to choose what they do with their life.

[Morgan Rawle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more but I just couldn’t. I know the author is not writing in her native language so I’m trying to be gracious but the grammatical errors, incorrect word usage, and lack of understanding of American terminology took me out of the story. I like Cassie’s stories and I’m beyond impressed that she writes in English but she needs a better editor. I get the impression that her editor’s native language isn’t English either but after four books with the same mistakes happening I think it’s time to find someone else. Cassie deserves better. I’ll give three stars for her talent and ideas only. As far as the story goes…I prefer The Ravens Sons trilogy more. This one wasn’t as believable for me.

[prisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay this started off as a 4 star for me, like even though it's hella vanilla and even more cheesy, the premise had potential, and the characters also felt very promising. But I think the second half of the book just felt a little too.. redundant? Might not be the most appropriate word but still. The plot twist was interesting, very sad, but not surprising. I think this book, like many others, just was not executed to its full potential. There were some really sweet moments, but I also wish the mystery aspect was explored more, it would have really helped develop Alaska's character and also Jack's role as a police officer. Overall, it was a decent read but just didn't do the plot line or characters justice.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

After stumbling across some quotes and teasers about this book, I was automatically sold. Give me a cop in any shape or form and im sold. I really enjoyed the characters and how they both how their own personal mental and physical struggles. Alaska, you beautiful girlie. Im so happy she started working things out with her grief and was finally getting to live HER dream and not living to and for everyone's expectations. Jack. Oh Jack. You sweet sweet stuttering sexying gentlemen. You wormed your way into my top Book BF list and I LOVE HIM. There story was just so beautiful, a little rushed but beautiful. I will say I 1000% didnt click the plot twist until Jack did.
ps. im ready for book 2!

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a quote from this book, and bum I was hooked! I didn’t know I was going to love it so much, I mean a cop with a stutter but such a good man and a traumatized shy book lover, what’s not to love about them! I was so intrigued by this story that a couldn’t put the book down until I found out what happened, I wasn’t expecting her brother to be dead! And that she blamed herself for it!
I loved how gentle and kind he was to her and when he found out the truth he just wanted to help her!
The ending was so amazing, knowing she was finally okay, but I wish we could’ve seen a baby or at least her pregnancy!
I also wanted to read the part where he met her parents and she met his family!

[lezzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,25 ⭐️
В целом, неплохая история.
Главная героиня потеряла своего брата-близнеца в 16 лет и 6 лет спустя она все еще страдает (и видит его) и не может отпустить чувство вины. Сюжетный поворот (что её брат - мёртв) не был для меня неожиданным. Как будто это было очевидно.
Главны герой - 30 летний полицейский, страдающий от заикания и считающий, что он не заслуживает любви и ничего хорошего в жизни.
Их любовь была милой, но довольно быстро развивающейся (было мало сцен, показывающих как именно развивались их отношение). Как будто на 3-4 встрече они уже сказали, что любят друг-друга.

[Dominique · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanting a bit more

Loved the idea of this story. I just felt like it was fast. Everything was fast. I didn’t know much about either characters but they had an issue with them selves. Didn’t know anything about them as a person. Also their ppl. They had a mom and dad and a friend. you didn’t really get to know their support system to understand them as a family or unit. Also it went from one day to love instantly. They seen each other like 3 times before it was love. Just think to really feel it it would have been nice to get to know them.

[Caitlin Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I came across this book from an IG ad and I liked the highlights of the book- that the MMC had a stutter, there was an age gap, a shy librarian, etc. However, I found myself aggravated with the FMC early on. While the two characters had a connection, some of the descriptions they used for one another - I think there was a line about her smelling like Christmas - seemed like they could have used some editing.

[Sarah Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so, so good. It took me a day to finish, I could not put it down. I absolutely love Jack and Alaska’s story- they are both so real and so uniquely written. I would recommend this book for anyone who loves swoon, surprises, and dark pasts that have a redeeming end. My jaw was on the floor when I realized what was really happening (iykyk) and I seriously loved every chapter.

[Andreea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured it in few hours.I liked it. I didn’t really expected the plot,I was so into the book that I didn’t really stop to analyse the little clues. Jack was the sweetest.I liked the idea of trying to get better while having someone next to you to encourage you at every step and that accepts you just as you are.

[Mackenzie Kurdzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75, okayyy… let me start with: i did enjoy this a good amount! loved the tropes in this book so so much, however, i just wanted more in the ending. it felt very rushed with how long was spent building it up. also did not dive deeper into any of the side characters, wish we got to know more about them!

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has potential to be great with some clean up and some real thought because this book is the equivalent of someone looking a a depressed person and going "don't be sad, just be happy" and that depressed person going "You're so right" and never being depressed ever again

That's not how that works and it makes it difficult to connect to the story when that's how you're treating it