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First Fall
Audrey Eriksson gladly gave up fast-paced city living and all its complications years ago. Living in quiet St. Georges suits her perfectly and she’s quite content with her surroundings. But then an unexpected work assignment throws her off-kilter professionally, and a growing attraction to her neighbor threatens to upend her personal life as well.
New to the neighborhood and absorbed in her own problems with a failing marriage, Marielle Demers welcomes her easy friendship with Audrey. Soon the nature of their friendship forces her to question her feelings and when she sees Audrey with another woman she realizes that she’d prefer to be the one who’s dating Audrey. She keeps the revelation secret as long as she can, but her feelings prove harder and harder to ignore.
Can two women who prefer an uncomplicated life handle the messiness of falling in love?
New to the neighborhood and absorbed in her own problems with a failing marriage, Marielle Demers welcomes her easy friendship with Audrey. Soon the nature of their friendship forces her to question her feelings and when she sees Audrey with another woman she realizes that she’d prefer to be the one who’s dating Audrey. She keeps the revelation secret as long as she can, but her feelings prove harder and harder to ignore.
Can two women who prefer an uncomplicated life handle the messiness of falling in love?
194 pages, ebook
First published December 21, 2015
9 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Genevieve Fortin
13 books34 followersGenevieve was born in Rimouski, a small town in the French Canadian province of Quebec, Canada. After getting her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies at Concordia University in Montreal, she moved to the United States for her graduate studies in French literature. She stayed to work and spent a total of thirteen years in the United States, from Cape Girardeau, Missouri to Albany, New York. During that time she started and abandoned several novels until she started reading lesbian fiction. She found more than inspiration in the work of women like Geri Hill and Karin Kallmaker; she found direction.
Genevieve eventually went back home to Canada where she now enjoys writing, spending time with friends and family, and hiking with her dog Spike.
Genevieve eventually went back home to Canada where she now enjoys writing, spending time with friends and family, and hiking with her dog Spike.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 10, 2016
Beautiful story about moving to the countryside and finding love with the new neighbor.
July 6, 2022
Genevieve Fortin
First Fall
MC Audrey Eriksson & Marielle Demers
Audrey lives in a quiet neighborhood and works from home. She left the city for a quiet life. She moves into a nice neighborhood where she meets Marielle and her son, who loves Audrey dog.
Marielle and her husband Sam are ending their marriage after 12 years. Their relationship has been going downhill for a few years now.
Marielle had to be at work at 3 am, she needed someone to help her with Felix her 6 year old son. Audrey offered her help and put Felix on the bus.
This story is interesting, Marielle’s marriage is over and her husband gives her the out she wants and her new neighbor is there to help.
The story is beautiful , both of the main characters were upfront and told each other how they felt.
Marielle ex husband was kind and understanding about their relationship coming to an end and her new relationship with Audrey.
It was nice to read a book where the relationship was mature. Both of the main characters were able to talk about everything that was concerning them in the relationship. The good the bad the ugly. I appreciated that.
The support characters also added to the wonderful story line. This was my first book by the author and it was truly an exquisite book. I will read more by the author!
I highly recommend this book 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ! A very nice gem 💎
First Fall
MC Audrey Eriksson & Marielle Demers
Audrey lives in a quiet neighborhood and works from home. She left the city for a quiet life. She moves into a nice neighborhood where she meets Marielle and her son, who loves Audrey dog.
Marielle and her husband Sam are ending their marriage after 12 years. Their relationship has been going downhill for a few years now.
Marielle had to be at work at 3 am, she needed someone to help her with Felix her 6 year old son. Audrey offered her help and put Felix on the bus.
This story is interesting, Marielle’s marriage is over and her husband gives her the out she wants and her new neighbor is there to help.
The story is beautiful , both of the main characters were upfront and told each other how they felt.
Marielle ex husband was kind and understanding about their relationship coming to an end and her new relationship with Audrey.
It was nice to read a book where the relationship was mature. Both of the main characters were able to talk about everything that was concerning them in the relationship. The good the bad the ugly. I appreciated that.
The support characters also added to the wonderful story line. This was my first book by the author and it was truly an exquisite book. I will read more by the author!
I highly recommend this book 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ! A very nice gem 💎
February 9, 2025
Mixed feelings on this one.
On one hand, I really liked the leads. Both Audrey and Marielle were very sweet, interesting characters who communicated well and had very clear feelings for each other. The side characters of Sam, Felix, and Ralph were also great, and helped drive the narrative forwards. I really enjoyed the setting too - I don't think I've read many, if any novels set in the French part of Canada.
However, I had some issues with how Marielle's character was addressed. First, she clearly has some issues with feeling ugly and overweight. Despite Audrey being very explicitly into her body, she never helps Marielle understand that. The only time she brings it up is during a sex scene, and Marielle doesn't really believe her. With the number of times Marielle expresses her dissatisfaction with her body, it would have been better to see her make progress in accepting it as the novel and her relationship with Audrey progressed.
My second issue is that Marielle has an aversion to sex that is very asexuality-coded. To be clear, I'm not saying that she was written as asexual or that Genevieve Fortin has something against asexuality. However, it made me feel a bit icky to read Audrey's persistent attempts to get Marielle to accept sexual contact given how there was no real resolution as to why she felt so averse.
Also, the ending of the novel was very abrupt, and major developments in the side characters' acceptable of Audrey and Marielle's relationship were relegated to the epilogue. For me, it felt like the payoff to reading their long and detailed journey to becoming a couple was absent.
Overall, I didn't mind this story, but I feel like it could have definitely done with a rewrite of the second half.
On one hand, I really liked the leads. Both Audrey and Marielle were very sweet, interesting characters who communicated well and had very clear feelings for each other. The side characters of Sam, Felix, and Ralph were also great, and helped drive the narrative forwards. I really enjoyed the setting too - I don't think I've read many, if any novels set in the French part of Canada.
However, I had some issues with how Marielle's character was addressed. First, she clearly has some issues with feeling ugly and overweight. Despite Audrey being very explicitly into her body, she never helps Marielle understand that. The only time she brings it up is during a sex scene, and Marielle doesn't really believe her. With the number of times Marielle expresses her dissatisfaction with her body, it would have been better to see her make progress in accepting it as the novel and her relationship with Audrey progressed.
My second issue is that Marielle has an aversion to sex that is very asexuality-coded. To be clear, I'm not saying that she was written as asexual or that Genevieve Fortin has something against asexuality. However, it made me feel a bit icky to read Audrey's persistent attempts to get Marielle to accept sexual contact given how there was no real resolution as to why she felt so averse.
Also, the ending of the novel was very abrupt, and major developments in the side characters' acceptable of Audrey and Marielle's relationship were relegated to the epilogue. For me, it felt like the payoff to reading their long and detailed journey to becoming a couple was absent.
Overall, I didn't mind this story, but I feel like it could have definitely done with a rewrite of the second half.
January 2, 2020
Beautiful Romance
A beautiful gentle well written romance set in the Canadian borderland. Audrey works from home and when Marielle gan her son and husaband move in over the road cracks begin to appear in the already shackle marriage.
A beautiful gentle well written romance set in the Canadian borderland. Audrey works from home and when Marielle gan her son and husaband move in over the road cracks begin to appear in the already shackle marriage.
April 15, 2019
Ugh, GR ate my review. So the abridged version is that I was very disappointed in how this book handled the topics of fatness and (not-)asexuality.
February 2, 2016
Lovely
This was a really sweet romance. Minimal drama and lots of understanding and love. Lovely characters in both Marielle and Audrey as well as their relationship with Dennis and Sam. Felix and Ralph sound like a cute little team.
This was a really sweet romance. Minimal drama and lots of understanding and love. Lovely characters in both Marielle and Audrey as well as their relationship with Dennis and Sam. Felix and Ralph sound like a cute little team.
February 1, 2016
Great book.
Excellent book. Really enjoyed it. Loved the story line and the characters. I hope to read more work by Genevieve Gorton.
Excellent book. Really enjoyed it. Loved the story line and the characters. I hope to read more work by Genevieve Gorton.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews