Falling for Sydney

Falling #1

by Heather B. Moore

When Sydney's engagement ends with Rian, his brother Jake is there to save the day . . . in more ways than one. Sydney has been the perfect friend, the perfect daughter, and Rian checks off on her perfect fiancé list. But when Sydney notices a strange truck parked in her fiancé’s parking spot, she’s in for the surprise of her life. Not only is Rian not who she thought he was, but his brother Jake is about to turn her life upside down.FALLING for SydneyFalling for Maria Falling for JuneFalling for LucyPINE VALLEY the RiskWhere I BelongSay You Love MeWaiting for YouFinding UsUntil We KissedABOUT THE B. Moore is a USA today bestselling author who writes sweet romance. Under H.B. Moore she writes historicals & thrillers. Under Jane Redd, she writes Young Adult. There are more than 9,000 5-star reviews for Heather's books on Goodreads!

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Novella, Fiction, Chick Lit

91 pages, Paperback

Published October 30, 2018

About the author

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than ninety publications. Heather writes primarily historical and #herstory fiction about the humanity and heroism of the everyday person. Publishing in a breadth of genres, Heather dives into the hearts and souls of her characters, meshing her love of research with her love of storytelling.

Her ancient era historicals and thrillers are written under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes historical women's fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore, and . . . speculative fiction under Jane Redd. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom. Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. Despite failing her high school AP English exam, Heather persevered and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in something other than English.

Please join Heather's email list at: HBMoore.com/contact/
Website: HBMoore.com
Twitter: @heatherbmoore
Instagram: @authorhbmoore
Facebook: Fans of Heather B. Moore
And yes, the Blog still lives: MyWritersLair.blogspot.com

Literary honors: 2020 Goodreads Choice Award Semi-Finalist, Foreword 2020 INDIES Finalist, ALA Best New Books - September 2020, 6-time Best of State Recipient for Best in Literary Arts, 2019 Maggie Award Winner, 4-time Whitney Award Winner, and 2-time Golden Quill Award Winner.

Heather is represented by Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret.

Reviews

[Julie Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to say it again...for those of you who've read my other reviews for books by Heather B. Moore then you already have read this and know how much I love her writing, for those of you who have no idea, well now you do!!!! Any chance I get to grab a new book by Heather I will. This one comes out tomorrow and I had just started an ARC copy for a different author/book when I checked my email and had this one waiting for me. I was going to wait, then I was just going to peek at the first couple pages....ha! Yeah right! I was hooked!!! Completely, utterly hooked! Then I told myself it's ok because it's a novella and I can finish it fast and get back to my other list of books I'm working through. So it's all good. Yeah I really didn't want to put it down so any free time I had, the book was being read.

Honestly I love any genre that Heather writes in, she does so in such a way that it feels she was always writing in that one genre. If you haven't read anything by her I highly recommend scrolling through her list of books and picking whichever one strikes your fancy and try her out. Well worth the time.

*ok I ranted a little here below so if you don't want to read all my rants-positive rants-then just skip down to the next group of * and I'll pick up on just the review and not my rant.*

I loved Falling for Sydney. Some moments brought back those feelings and memories of when I first met my husband and the instant connection we made. I knew about him for a year, he found out about me the night we met(at a wedding reception) and he fell head over heels for me instantly ;-) Actually I almost didn't go on the trip to two of my roommates weddings because I knew he would be there. They'd been telling me about him for a year and I was young and not interested in any relationship, I was going to see the world. LOL. But nope, I met him, he asked me out on a date for the following day and he was smitten(I was too). We lived states apart going to school but talked nonstop on the phone and seeing each other as often as we could. It was a whirlwind time. We were engaged in a few months and married a few months after...yep it's true. Now 14 years later we're still madly in love, and sometimes we still act like the young couple we were and honestly I wouldn't have it any other way.

Ok why did I just share all of that personal info in a review? Well life today most couples take things very slow and date years sometimes to be sure. This book has an insta-love story to it and some people think that's not possible but I'm living proof that it is and it works. The book also deals with choices and consequences and I think that's a big part of my life and how my husband and I have stayed committed and happily married with each other. I think that when two people meet and feel that strong connection and love with each other that they can make a relationship work. It takes two together to be committed and to make choices, good choices with good consequences that build that relationship daily, even through the easy, hard and crazy moments in life. It's a daily and sometimes moment by moment commitment but it is possible. Now I'm not saying that just any two random strangers will be 100% compatible but that it's possible when two people truly love and commit to each other.

Yeah, I just rambled and went on a little soapbox there but it's dear to my heart because it's my life with my husband and our family. So to summarize I completely and wholeheartedly believe in insta-love and love reading novels about it.

*end of rant ;-)*

Sydney is ready to settle down, she's got the wedding in a couple weeks all that's left is to try on her dress for the final time and wait for the days to pass. Unfortunately life is not always what it seems and she is left completely shocked when she follows her instincts about her fiance. He's gone, suddenly disappears, and a stranger who claims to be family is staring at her from inside her fiance's condo. Who is this stranger and how can the things he is claiming be true? Sydney is so levelheaded that what she's hearing just can't be true, she would never walk into a situation like this...but with this wake up call she realizes that's exactly what she's done.

Now she is left to pick up the pieces and figure out life again. Her best friends June and Maria(the main characters for the next two books in this series) come rushing to her rescue. But to their surprise, this handsome stranger and Sydney have sparks zinging between them. Sydney and Jake decide to work together to pick up the pieces for her fiance's family and find that they are really enjoying their time together.

Sydney discovers that sometimes using her logic and analyzing everything doesn't always lead to happily ever after, sometimes you have to let your heart guide you.

I loved how the author used the fiance, Rian, to show choices and consequences in life. Sometimes those consequences are not hefty and other times they are very overwhelming and can impact not only the person making the choices life, but the lives of so many others around them.

This was a quick read, almost too quick. I wished it could have been a little longer to develop the main relationship a little more but it still sucked me right in and hooked me. I loved it!

Content wise I'd say it was a clean read. There was a swear word and some kissing. There was some innuendo but nothing graphic that would make me say it wasn't a clean read.

I received a copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

[Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...) · Rating 4 out of 5]

While things moved quickly for Sydney and Jake, the circumstances were a bit out of the ordinary and the romance was spot-on. I loved the tension and chemistry, which was off the hook! A fun novella with a little drama and a lot of love at first sight ;) Sydney's friends Maria and June were very supportive and it made me look forward to reading their stories next.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 Stars) Sydney is ready for her dream wedding, but notices something a little fishy about her fiancé. Namely, he's been a little distracted of late and when she shows up at his apartment and finds him gone and his brother, Jake, there instead, everything she knows spins out of control.

I love this author's writing style and I love everything I've read by her, but this one took me by surprise. I'm not sure if it's because it was so short or what, but a few things were a little off for me. I have to be completely honest. I read to escape and I often put myself into the character's life. That said, I can't imagine calling off a wedding, canceling everything, and falling for my future brother-in-law, to the point of actually claiming to be in love, all in about two days. Don't get me wrong--there's nothing wrong with her feelings at all, and Jake's a fantastic guy, it was just way too fast and in my mind, she didn't have time to process everything or to deal with the shock of it all. If I were Jake, I'd feel like a rebound.

On the other hand, this author is good! If she can evoke these kinds of feelings in me, causing me to think about it long after the book is finished, then she's got talent. I love the events that happened, especially the romance, and I love the glimpses of the secondary characters. I guess I just wanted more--more time to lapse, more development, more emotion--but that would require more book. For the amount of time given to this story, it is a very enjoyable diversion.

Content: mild romance (some light innuendo; kissing/light making out); mild violence; two cuss words (one mild, one a little moderate); there are some misspellings and a few inconsistencies, for those who care.

*I received a copy, which in no way affected my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounding up

I love Heather Moore. I love her writing style and I love her books. She is one of my favorite authors and I love reading and reviewing her books.

This book is the first book in Falling series. It is a short story- only about 73 pages on my kindle. The author does a good job of giving me a sense of knowing these characters in a short amount of time. I felt like I understood Sydney, Rian and Jake and what they were about. The scenes were so easy to picture in my mind. It played out like a movie and I always love that!

This story did feel a bit rushed though. It was hard for me to believe so many deep feelings could develop so quickly given the circumstances. Attraction, yes. Gratitude, yes. Interest, yes. But more than that? In just a couple days? I might have been able to believe it more if there hadn't been a declared love interest for Sydney already. Yes, he's a lying lowlife, but she loved him. Does that turn off and on so quickly?

Regardless of all that, I enjoyed this book. The first sparks of attraction are always fun to read about. Jake is such a good guy, I just couldn't help but love him. I love the cover and I'm looking forward to the rest of the stories in this series.

Falling for Maria (coming February 2017)
Falling for June (coming Summer 2017)

Content: a couple instances of swearing, kissing

- I received a copy of this book free from the author. A favorable review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Brooke -Brooke's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was unexpected for me. I felt like Sydney recovered awfully quickly from an incredible deception. However, the romance between her and Jake didn't seem forced. How did Heather B. Moore do that?

This is a short story and easily read in one sitting. There is drama, it isn't all lighthearted. I look forward to the other short stories in the "Falling" series.

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like Moores writing but this book was not well done. It seems like she wrote it in a couple hours. It had a lot of flaws and was not well put together. The transitions were sometimes completely off. The characters go out to a barn after saying bye to parents who were going to work, they start to kiss and she stops the make out by saying to him Your Parents Are Going To Wonder Where We Are. What? They are going on a horse ride the parents don't expect them back for hours. There are a couple places like this and for a short story that is just not good. So not happy with this one at all. This is a clean, contemporary romance that only takes about an hour and a half to read.

[Shash · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book to sit down and relax with! I loved the characters! Jake and Sydney had great chemistry! Their relationship developed quickly. I’m glad Sydney recognized that, but sometimes you just have to take a chance. She would have been crazy to let Jake pass by! Like she says, he’s the “real deal.”

I love the friendship that Sydney, Maria and June share! They are completely, one hundred percent there for each other. I’m glad we get to read each of their stories in this series.

I received a copy of the book. I have given my honest opinion.

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sydney is supposed to be getting married, but when her fiancé Rian skips town, Sydney meets Rian's brother Jake, who has come to clean up Rian's mess--which includes defrauding his employer. As Sydney finds out the truth about Rian's past--including multiple marriages to rich women--she also comes to realize that maybe she didn't feel as strongly about Rian as she thought she did...but rushing into a relationship with Jake, who she's totally attracted to, would be a bad idea, right?

Interesting plot line, and Jake is dreamy--the perfect romantic hero. Sydney's attraction to him--not just physically but also because he's a truly good guy, was well-developed. I would have liked the novella to be a little longer, but hey, it's great for a quick read. I did feel like this wasn't quite as polished as Heather B. Moore's other stories--there were at least four typos and it just didn't feel as smooth as her other stuff--but I enjoyed it and recommend it for those looking for a fun hour of reading.

I received a free copy from the author. All opinions are my own.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun novella to read! I love reading novellas because they are quick and easy to read in a short amount of time. This was a really great one that I didn't want to stop reading.

I liked Sydney. I liked that she didn't have everything perfect, and that she seemed like she could be a real person who had to deal with the awfulness of her fiance leaving her like this. I was kind of amazed by the craziness of the situation there, I wished the book were longer to give more justice to her situation.

I liked Jake and his parents too. I loved the way they were normal, even though Rian had some serious issues. As I was reading about them, I wanted to know more. How did they feel about Rian's issues? How did they deal with it?

And I really liked Sydney's friends Maria and June. I loved the way they were willing to drop their own lives and problems and be there for Sydney. I'm excited to read their stories in their own novellas.

This is a cute novella that I really enjoyed!

[Pascale’s*ARC,Unwind,Read,Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falling For Sydney

An Unexpected Revelation

Sydney is all ready for her wedding but something doesn't feel right. When she follows her instincts and goes to her fiancé's condo, she finds a stranger there instead and what he tells her about her fiancé blows her mind!
To me, a true author can write in many different styles and be successful at their craft. Heather B. Moore is such an author. She writes in many different styles and she is always successful at spinning excellent stories. This story is a short, clean romantic novella. It reminded me of her Aliso Creek series, which I loved and read over and over again. This novella is a great start to what looks to be a promising new series. I look forward to reading them all. I just wish it had been longer. I highly recommend it and enthusiastically rate it 5 stars.

[The Flipped Page (Susan K) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance, clean some intense kissing, novella
While part of a series, this is a standalone novella. This was more of a 3.5 for me as a reader, but some of that was more of a development issue, which is kind of what you get in a novella. Wished for more, I guess is my issue. Regardless, unusual situation, leads to Sydney losing her fiance. Meeting his brother was an instant attraction once she got over her anger and disappointment. Cute read, lots of chemistry, but still a clean read as well.
Overall, a light, fun romance, with a cute fall for the 2 main characters.
I received a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falling for Sydney is a wonderful novella. I enjoyed this short story. I recommend it for anyone who wants to read a fun, clean romance. Five stars

[Julie]

Cute story, but definitely wish it had been a full-length novel with such an intriguing storyline! Novellas can't do it justice, but I enjoyed the story we did get.

[Tressa (Wishful Endings)]

Reread for review.

[Mss Sunrise · Rating 4 out of 5]

"She knew that she found a man she could spend a lifetime with."
.

Sydney has been the perfect friend, the perfect daughter, and Rian checks off on her perfect fiancé list. But when Sydney notices a strange truck parked in her fiancé’s parking spot, she’s in for the surprise of her life. Not only is Rian not who she thought he was, but his brother Jake is about to turn her life upside down.

.

Thoughts and feelings:

🍁IDK how I didn't know about this author before. All I know is that if I hadn't clicked on one of her audiobooks on YouTube, I would have never experienced pure joy and mesmerisation like the way I feel right now. This is definitely a novella, which I tend not to love because of how short time is invested in relationships, but for some reason, it worked really well here. I believe the writing style has played a huge part in that since it is so beautiful and lyrical at time, imo, and heart felt. Though the plot sounded like something I'd read multiple times before, the writing took the plot and the characters to another level. I loved it. Have I just met a new favourite author of me by the end of the year? YAY.

🍁 I felt so much for the heroine. She is exploited in the worst way possible. I wanted to give Rein the benefit of the doubt, but the moment I met him for real, I couldn't. He's such a greedy and irresponsible man. It was interesting seeing the absolute opposite in Jake's character. This shows us how people's awfulness and wrongdoing are not necessarily linked to their upbringing or the family they grow up with. One can be evil because of his own actions, beliefs, etc.

[Rachel Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was a quick read since its only 78 pages, 11 chapters long. "Falling for Sydney" is book 1 (of 3) in the new "Falling" series by author Heather Moore. Sydney, Maria and June meet their senior year and work on the same American History class project together. They become very good friends and attend Washington University together. All three books in this series are all tied together involving the same girls but focusing on one girl at a time.

Sydney is a beautiful girl, popular, has a great job and is ready to get married. However when she sees a strange truck parked at her finance's house all night, she wonders why the uneasy feeling in her stomach won't go away. She then meets Jake who supposedly is Rian's brother and shares with her all these stories about her Fiancee's past. Sydney has to decide what facts are true and whether she wants to continue with her future plans with him.

This was a clean, quick, fun romance story. I think there is one swear word. I can't wait to read the other 2 books in this series.

I received a copy of this ebook complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

[Lexee Toste · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay story. It was short and interesting. It gives us the start of Sydney and Jake’s story. This happen quickly and they fall pretty fast but the story ends more with happy for now with belief that it could be forever but not as a happy forever ending. It worked for the story and the characters. Jake is Sydney’s fiancé’s brother and things take off quickly as Sydney finds out that her fiancé is a fraud when she meets the brother for the first time. They have a connection and start to get to know each other. Jake is down to earth and real and that is what draws her to Jake in the midst of everything going on. I gave it a 3 star because it felt more like the start and intro for these two more than a complete ending for them. Not to say that the book didn’t have an ending or like it was abrupt, because it did and it wasn’t. It just left us with a start for the 2 of them and hope for the future.

[Anoush · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick and easy read, accomplished in all of an hour.

Sydney is engaged and two weeks from the wedding when she finds out her fiance is a complete scammer and has fled the country due to some financial scandal at work. She learns all this from his brother Jake who is in town cleaning up his mess.

Jake and Maria clean things up (or at least pack up the condo and return the keys) and develop a relationship.

Things I liked:

Sydney has great friends--supportive and helpful and just what she needed
Jake's parents were hilarious and very cute

Things I didn't like:

I know this is a short story, but it moved too fast
It just smacks of rebound...not a great plan to fall for your ex's brother the day you find out your ex is a total jerk

I prefer a bit more development in my fluffy romances (ironic, right? It's a short story and meant for pure enjoyment, but I guess it's just too fluffy haha)

[MJSH · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a cute novella! It was a quick and sweet read. Even with the limited number of words and pages, the author developed her characters well. Sydney and Jake are likable characters and you start rooting for them right away after they meet. Jake and Rian's parents get involved in the story, too, and that's quite amusing and interesting.

You also meet Maria and June in the story who are Sydney's best friends. I've already read Falling for Maria, which is also a cute story. Can't wait till Falling for June comes out so I can see how all three friends end up!

This book will put a smile on your face as you read it!

I received a copy of this novella from the author. I was not required to give a favorable review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sydney's life is perfect to everyone on the outside looking in, but there is something bothering her about her relationship with fiance Rian. When she comes home to an empty house, and meets Rian's brother Jake her life takes a complete turn. Secrets revealed and a instant connection turn her life around. I love these short romances by Heather B Moore. Each in this series has been amazing, but I really took to this one. Not sure if it is the instant connection with Jake and the rat Rian turned out to be, or the fact that Sydney is not as perfect as portrayed! It shows how life can change on a dime, people are not always who you think and good things come to those who wait. I loved this little gem Narrated by one of my favorites, Xe Sands makes it all happen with a fabulous performance.

[Charissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short book that can be read in one sitting. These novellas aren’t my favorites, but this one was better than most. It had great characters that were easy to like, and even though the plot was fast-paced due to the short length and the romance developed faster than would be believable in real life, it was fun and exciting. A great beach read—or de-stresser story. I enjoyed it, and I give credit for that to the good writing. It had a unique twist in it that really super-charged the romance. I’m interested in reading the next two books in this series.

[Laurken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story was better written than many other 4-8 hour audio books I’ve consumed. About 90 minutes into the audio, I had to look at the time. I thought the book was only 2 hours, but I felt like I knew more about these characters than was possible in that time. I didn’t think I’d like such a short “read”, but this was great. Only 1-2 places where the book lulled, but it picked up quickly. The spice level was only intense kissing, which I appreciated due to their circumstances. Now to find another audiobook by Heather Moore…

[Val · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want more.

Jake and Sydney fell for each other quickly...it’s somewhat love at first sight? It’s a good story plot but it would be great if they get to know each other more than 3 days...like months, more story plot TBH. The connection between Jack and Sydney would be more understanding and perhaps, accepting for the reader’s perceptive. I want more! Overall, If you want just want a quick... real quick light hearted read, this will be a very adorable novella for ya!

[Leya · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, girl gets dumped by fiancé, gets worried when fiancé does not respond to messages, goes to said fiancé’s condo and discovers brother of fiancé, whom girl didn’t know existed.
Brother of the groom advises girl, fiancé has dumped her, so girl falls for fiancés brother in one day, by day three they are declaring their undying love to each other.
Kind of a silly story.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and Sweet

Falling for Sydney is a clean, sweet novella. It is a typical romance story line. Sydney finds out that her fiancé isn't forthcoming about his past or true intentions for their future together. She overcomes this devastating news while falling for someone worthy of her.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I would have enjoyed this more if it had been a full novel rather than a novella. Everything happens too quickly so it was hard for me to buy into. But I guess sometimes that happens in real life too. I enjoyed the characters and know some guys like Rian. :(

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but the story was a bit unbelievable. Everything fell into place a little to easily. I love this author and love her other books. But this was not one of my favorites. I was given a copy of his book for an honest review.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun novella in a set of 3. I have falling for Maria left. I've also read Falling for June. It moves pretty fast in the romance department. If your into quick reads and romance you should give these three books a try!

[Shana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fast moving romance

The characters developed a fast relationship in the wake of a tragic event. This was a little hard to believe when the bride was preparing for her wedding in 2 weeks.

[Shauna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will pull you in from the start. Yes it moves kind of fast, but man she deserved some happily ever after! I felt her pain and frustration because she was totally wronged. Her hero is plenty of swoony!