(Trust) Falling For You

by Charish Reid

Yolanda Watson is the "fun professor."
She makes literature exciting, she brings students donuts for Finals Week, and her colleagues love her. The only thing that will make teaching better is if she can learn how to write a grant and skip those boring committee meetings. In short, a History professor is her problem. He stole her grant and he chairs the most boring committee on campus.

Sure, he's cute... but he can afford to loosen up.

Samuel Morris is a work-horse.
He puts his head down and proves his worth at Franklin University. That means no inane chit-chat with colleagues, no treating students like friends, and no shenanigans during the Assessment Committee. But a certain English professor happens to be full of shenanigans. She's late, loud, and disorganized.

Sure, she's sexy... but she can afford to tighten up.

They'll both have to compromise.
A university team-building retreat to the woods of Wisconsin will ensure that. After a lodging mix-up, the opposites are forced to share the same cabin for six nights. As Team-Building Buddies, they will: sleep together, eat together, and play embarrassing bonding games together. One of them will have to budge. The sexual tension will get harder to ignore, especially when one Buddy requires rescuing from spiders, grasshoppers, and bears. Oh my...

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Novella, Audiobook, Fiction, Adult

145 pages, ebook

First published February 19, 2021

About the author

When Charish Reid isn’t writing romance, she’s watching 1970’s disaster films, reading romance, and hastily preparing lectures for tomorrow’s class. She is a traveling chatterbox with ADHD who enjoys talking to new people in new places. In Bangkok, Charish saw a Thai royal princess in a shopping mall. In Helsinki, she karaoked Alanis Morissette. And in Galway, she found inspiration for her first novel. Charish currently lives in Sweden with her husband and teaches Rhetoric.

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve worked in higher education for over 15 years and have spent a lot of time participating in and leading team building activities. I’ve NEVER had as much fun doing those as reading (TRUST) FALLING FOR YOU. Faculty members travel to a campsite to build group cohesion and when type A Samuel has to room with free-spirited Yolanda, all the enemies to loves sparks fly. Charish Reid has a knack for building this searing, witty chemistry between characters and I fell in love with Samuel and Yolanda before they ever fell for each other.

The banter between the two main characters and the rest of their colleagues is funny and realistic and Samuel had my whole heart as a book boyfriend (handling spiders for me is my love language). If you want to swoon and laugh and feel like you’ve escaped into the wilderness for a few hours, read this book!

[Hannah B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have now read TWO romance novels where the MCs get actively chased by a bear and then immediately start fucking due to the adrenaline 😭🫶

Well to quote the book it was “a light fingering after a bear attack” but it went hard 🤭

Also can I just say this title is genius??

Charish writes a real good sex scene 🫡🫡

[Jess Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Cee · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 17% / 2 chapters

Both characters are annoying me. Yolanda is holding a grudge for ridiculous reasons and Sam... poor Sam doesn't know how to interact with literally anyone. Also, I'm pretty sure they both have undiagnosed mental illnesses, but these characteristics are being played as quirks and jokes.

But I'm probably just reading into everything too much. I'm not writing this author off -- I'll definitely try another book by them in the future-- but this book is a no go for me.

[b.andherbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot to mention I read (Trust) Falling for You this past week, and not only was it a truly fun & sexy opposites attract, forced proximity trope-fest, but also it is set in the woods of Wisconsin! Wonderful novella.

[Bri Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

I liked this novella a lot! I thought Yolanda and Sam’s dynamic was realistic and super cute. I enjoyed the fun camp/retreat setting too.

[sil ♡ the book voyagers · Rating 3 out of 5]

team-building retreat with bears, bonfires, and bunking with your arch-nemesis? (trust) falling for you was such a sweet and fun novella! it's short and entertaining, with two people who don't really know much about each other but are kinda nemesis lmao.

yolanda and sam get to be roommates in the team-building retreat because the other cabin had a little problem and now they have to share space and actually talk to each other and not only bicker!!! the team-building activities were so fun to read and you could also see the relationship between their friends which I also found very interesting. this is a very cute novella that I recommend everyone to read!

[Steph's Romance Book Talk · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars / 3.5 Steam Fans

Such a fun workplace retreat romance!

Video review available in Week 2: Jan 10 – Jan 16, 2021, full weekly book reviews available on Steph's Romance Book Talk Patreon.

For other bookish content, check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

[Emmalita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was delighted when Charish Reid offered an advance reader copy of (Trust) Falling for You in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed her previous books The Write Escape and Hearts on Hold. She writes entertaining and heartfelt romances set in academia and centers them around Black women.

In (Trust) Falling for You, the humanities department at a small liberal arts college goes on a week long team building retreat. Yolanda and her nemesis, Samuel, have to bunk together and are matched as team building partners. Yolanda resents that Samuel got the grant she applied for, but thinks he has a nice butt. Samuel doesn’t know why Yolanda doesn’t like him and doesn’t know how to talk to her. They are opposites forced to work together, Yolanda is a Pantser and Samuel is a Plotter. After a few spectacular failures, they start listening to each other and build trust. With the hostility out of the way, their attraction grows.

There are a lot of ways to do the opposites attract, and I really like the way Reid approaches her characters’ differences. Neither is right, neither is wrong, and both are capable of growth. Though they both roll their eyes at the team building exercises, the forced proximity and cooperation spurs the growth of understanding and trust. They move from not understanding why the other was so upset about that small thing, to trusting each other enough to admit insecurities and apologize, and then trolling Yolanda’s matches on Tinder together. Once they start flirting, the sexual tension ramps up.

By the end of the retreat, it feels like they have a solid friendship base to go with their simmering heat in bed. The process of watching them get there, admitting vulnerabilities and making little compromises to give each other room to be themselves was a joy. I’m only sad the bear didn’t get more time. After three books, I am fully on the Charish Reid bandwagon. I enjoy spending time with her characters. (Trust) Falling For You is out February 19.

[A.E. Bross · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a member of higher education, Reid's books are always favorites of mine. Love in academia is compelling, and this novella isn't any difference. This time we have the fun-loving and chaotic English professor, Yolanda, and the straight-laced, regimented History professor, Samuel. They're on a team-building trip given by their university, but here's the catch: they're bunk mates. As you can imagine, wackiness does indeed ensue, along with tension, romance, and some beautifully understanding communication. And they say those work retreats don't work.

In truth, I identified so hard with Samuel it wasn't even funny. I AM the type to attempt to keep every aspect of my life orderly, and people who upset that can also be the most exhilarating people I could ever meet. The romance in the book felt so real, too. Organic. Sometimes awkward, sometimes smooth, sometimes even slick. 😏

(Trust) Falling For You gets all the love from me. It was short, sweet, steamy, and I felt truly transported while reading the novella, bear and all. As someone who lives in an area with black bears, I say kudos to Sam & Yolanda, but also, backing away slowly and sprinting for it once clear probably would have worked too!

[Charish Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey y'all!
2020 was rough on many romance authors so I'm giving you a super low-angst novella for the moment! ❤❤
Yolanda and Samuel are very silly, but loveable opposites who do better when they listen to each other.

[Tatyana Vogt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute enemies to lovers romance where two teachers are paired together during their schools team building retreat. They learn about each other and feelings begin to blossom.

It was a quick read and very satisfying. I am a sucker for romance so its not a surprise that I absolutely loved this. It was cheesy, cute and sexy. All the things I want in a romance.

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an ok read, nothing new or exciting though. On the positive it was diverse and short so I was never bored. I can't believe all the 5 star reviews so maybe it was me and I just wasn't in the mood for it.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it, 4.5 rounding up.

I laughed a lot while reading this one. Forced Fun is my least favorite type of work activity, and these team building exercises were often the stuff of my nightmares, but they were for the characters as well and Reid populated her story with personalities that rang true for academic settings as well the kind of people you would expect to be friends with her leads (well, in Samuel’s case the kinds of people most likely to warm up to him once he relaxes). Their banter was crucial to the strength of the story and served well as a counterpoint to the more intimate moments between Yolanda and Samuel when they begin to allow the other one in. The characters take time to reflect and make changes, and left me with just enough loose endings to keep the story in my mind without feeling unsatisfied.

full review https://faintingviolet.wordpress.com/...

[Milton Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed listening to this book. The characters felt real and the problems between the love interests were something that would really happen. The romance aspect was good. They felt like two real adults navigating a real adult situation. I feel as if that is not seen much in romance books.

I am finding that romance books written by Black women seem to feel more real, with likable, strong woman who know what they like and want, but still are vulnerable and make mistakes, because they are human. The sex in this book I felt was sex positive and enjoyable. Just all around a refreshing and enjoyable cute romance set in Wisconsin, what's not to love about that?!

Find it on hoopla today!

Marijka B. / Milton Public Library #CheckOutMPL

[Book Pixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me stay up way past my bedtime. No regrets, though. 🥰 I was smiling the whole time. The slow burn was so satisfying and the perfect blend of sweet and steamy. Yolanda and Sam stole my heart. They were relatable and so easy to like. I love the uptight, anxious love interest that can turn up the heat once he’s comfortable. I was looking forward to this novella because I loved Charish Reid’s other books. Definitely recommend this delicious gem of a book. 😊

[Elizabeth]

DNF at 10%.

These two people do not come off as compatible for the other. I do not want to read about them.

[Marieke | Marieke's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heel lief!

[Sam - Spines in a Line · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the author for an e-ARC! Find more reviews at spinesinaline.wordpress.com

(Trust) Falling is a really fun, steamy adult romance and I loved the dynamics between the two main characters and the ways they worked off each other, in their mannerisms as well as their (often flirtatious) dialogue. Reid plays with a lot of well-known romance tropes in exciting ways here: enemies to lovers, opposites attract, and everyone’s favourite, there’s only one cabin and they’re going to have to share!

It is quite short as you can expect of novellas but it’s perfectly sized to give you a sweet story and allow room to get to know these characters (though we’ll have to wait to see if they’ll appear in more of Reid’s writing for further development). I could also really appreciate the maturity of these characters, especially after reading a number of young adult romances just before. Of course, there are things to enjoy from both genres, but I haven’t read many romances with mature characters more settled in their careers and it was nice to have the conflicts and decision-making of these characters reflect that maturity.

There’s very minimal conflict here but sometimes that’s exactly what you need (especially these days) and it works well here. Romance novels typically have some big blow-up but I much preferred the author’s take here in having the characters handle minor things as they came up, rather than introduce some larger conflict simply for the sake of conflict.

Highly recommend this feel-good read! Very much looking forward to reading more of Reid’s romances that so prominently feature Black women.

[PN · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.

And my only complaint about it? It was too short. Like, I'm not even lying. I wanted more from Yolanda and Sam's story. I wanted to see how they interacted at work before this week of team building. I loved the banter, the build up, everything here. This is my second by this author and I can't wait to see what else she has in store for us.

Some of the highlights:

How nature kept coming for my girl Yolanda. That would be in nature. I wouldn't leave my cabin. You bring the team building to me.

Sam's flirting. Man. I fanned myself a few times reading his lines.

How they came to an understanding about each other and grew in their relationship.

So good. I'm so happy with this.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a super sweet, enjoyable read. The setting was so much fun (such a great escape to read about being around people and out in summer weather right now) and all the characters were lovable. I thought the pace was perfect and loved the low angst factor. I also liked that although the MC's were at odds at first, they were mostly still really kind to one another. This was a perfect weekend read and I'll definitely be checking out more from this author.

[Ashley · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

This was very cute! I would read more from this author.

[3.5 stars]

[T. Rosado]

DNF - 28%

Not a terrible read, but wasn’t personally enjoying the H/h dynamics.

[deborah ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.40 STARS

“I like your mess,” he said, kissing her shoulder.
“You lie.”
“Some messes are nice,” he insisted.
“They’re better with you,” she whispered.
“You have me.”
“And you have me too, Sam.”


OMG this book was so cute. I loved the work retreat concept and really enjoyed reading Sam and Yolanda’s love story 🥹🥹🥹. Their chemistry was hottttt. Sam was down bad 😭. This is a super cute novella with loveable side characters. I never felt bored reading this book. I love how the different personalities of the two main characters were written sooo cute. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a workplace romance with professors !! I also appreciate how realistic the book was and the tv show references. Thanks for reading bye!

[Nicole Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so much fun! It's about Yolanda and Sam who go on a work building retreat and they end up having to share a cabin, along with doing a lot of different activities and games as a pair. Forced proximity is one of my absolute favorite tropes so I loved that aspect of it SO MUCH. It's also rivals to lovers since the two of them really don't like each other at the beginning.

The banter and chemistry between them was absolutely amazing from the start, and I loved seeing them get closer emotionally as well. It was overall such a quick read, it was so easy to get into, and I read the whole thing in one sitting. I absolutely recommend this book if you're looking for a quick romance that is light, not too angsty, and a great mixture of fun, romantic, and a little steamy! The woods/camp setting was also really fun.

[Katharine Worth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Charish Reid so much I'd face down a bear for her! This one, like her others, stars a strong, smart, Black female professor and the lovable, sweet white man who falls for her. As always, there are some fun (and funny) shenanigans and serious chemistry. (I mean, when a woman fears slipping off a counter during the act because she's making the counter slippery... *fans self*)

I did find the extremes of the two main characters a little frustrating and over the top at times. Sam is so rigid that I wondered if he was supposed to be on the spectrum, and Yolanda was so disorganized that it made her seem almost ditzy at times. And she's smart, so that was even more frustrating. But overall, Charish on her worst day is still perfection.

[Desirée Niccoli · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Trust) Falling For You had me smiling throughout. It’s an adorable academic nemesis-to-lovers team building romance that kept me up waaaaaay past my bedtime. The banter was good. I loved that Yolanda and Sam began talking through their problems and preferences like adults, took the risk to share their feelings, and really listened to each other. I did think there would be a trust fall scene—there wasn’t. But they do face down a bear 🐻

Overall, this was a lovely read that kept me smiling and broke me out of my reading slump.

[Lucy Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

JUST WHAT I NEEDED.

Like a good chunk of the US, right now, where I live, has over 3 feet of snow, hasn't seen a high temp over 20F in 6 weeks, and it's supposed to snow AGAIN tonight. Couple this with my most recent reads being either murder mysteries or very angsty romances and (Trust) Falling for You is just what February ordered.
It's bright and sunny and low-conflict and delicious. It's Wisconsin woods in summer (the best time/place to be in the Midwest). It's only one room. It's Leo-Virgo (looooove me some zodiac-based relationships).
I love everything Charish Reid writes. This is absolutely no exception.
Pick this up when you need a pick-me-up and it will not disappoint!

[Ruthie Lenor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story as cute as the cover

I loved this cute story. "Nemesis" to lovers done right. These two weren't mean or hate, they just hadn't spent enough time getting to know each other. It was fun watching them learn and accept the other for who they were and reflect and grow from their shortcomings. The sexual tension and flirting made me smile, great lead up to a worth the wait sex scene.

[Sarah Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun and sexy opposites attract romance! Yolanda is a boss and Sam is a dream boat. Watching them banter and flirt and slowly acknowledge their growing attraction--and seeing them finally give into each other--is a delight! And seeing their steamy romance unfold against the backdrop of a work retreat makes it that much more fun. It's so funny too! There's an especially hilarious scene involving a spider in the bathroom that had me chuckling. This is the perfect fun and light romance read!