Falling for You

Annapolis Harbor #5

by Lea Coll

He's off-limits, continually underestimates me, and yet… I can't ignore the attraction between us.
Callie
When I landed my dream job, I didn’t realize I’d be working with the one guy I’ve always avoided.
Jonah.
Caught off guard with a career-ending injury; he is the life and soul of every party, a likable, sociable guy on all accounts. His future relies on the success of the sports complex I’ve been hired to manage.
But…he doubts my capabilities from the get-go.
I’m tired of being underestimated, of having my capabilities judged by just my pretty face. This is my opportunity to prove everyone wrong, including Jonah.
I just never expected to fall for him, or to learn that Jonah isn’t the man he pretends to be.

Genres: Sports Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Sports

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 31, 2021

About the author

Lea Coll is a USA Today bestselling author who writes sweet and sexy happily ever afters. She worked as a trial attorney for over ten years. Now she stays home with her three children, plotting stories while fetching snacks and running them back and forth to activities. She enjoys the freedom of writing romance after years of legal writing.

She grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania and currently resides in Maryland with her family.
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Lea Coll ist eine Bestsellerautorin von sexy Liebesromanen mit Happy-End-Garantie. Sie arbeitete über zehn Jahre lang als Prozessanwältin. Inzwischen lebt sie mit ihrer Familie in den USA und genießt nach Jahren als Juristin die Freiheit, sich völlig dem Schreiben widmen zu können. Lea Colls prickelnde Geschichten entstehen, während sie sich um die Aktivitäten ihrer drei Kinder und deren Snacks kümmert.

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Reviews

[Vaishali • [V.L. Book Reviews] · Rating 3 out of 5]

RATING: 3 stars to Falling For You ★ ★ ★

So much like Take a Chance On Me, sixth in succession to Lea Coll’s All I want series and the only other book I've read from her, this fifth in her Annapolis Harbour collective, Falling For You is poised with a passionate pull that pushes and challenges the weight of a fallible relationship that's not at all ready to rise and yet wants to thrive in its own way. Isn't that always the way with a searching romance? Falling For You's storyline is quite a simple one, its challenges more personal, its trope positively familiar, its characters honest, pained and feasible but Lea Coll assures a delivery synonymous with her predilection for heartfelt discovery. With protagonists that arrive layered and laboured, both Jonah and Callie's togethered pathway carves a connection rippled with difficulty. Not a linear road to love by any means, these complicated characters tiptoe the delicate skin of a developing intimacy that feels like it could fall at any moment, that could flame with a push too hard. Contrary to my leading impressions though, Falling For You developed into a romance that I was disappointed to not love. And one that I walked away from not quite feeling the plumpness of a romance that meets with a reassuring gist. As a subscriber to Lea Coll's newsletter, I had free access to a first-chapter excerpt, and easily drawn in by what appeared to be a hero in the rough of it and a heroine in the thick of it who both share a drunken kiss, I had to make my purchase. But with a few books from this series tucked away safely in my kindle app, I steadily wondered If another in her series would have been a better pick for me.

A ball player who's usually easy, blithe and ready to mingle with nothing but the game and the green field on his mind has to face a life that might not ever Include playing with passion again. With burnt edges and a past well-hidden, sport was always Jonah's getaway, his escape from something long ago that had struck him at the knee. Seated so deep that he'd never let himself believe in a full life for himself. Things get dark for Jonah every time he comes a little bit closer to the reason that keeps him running. Suddenly disabled from his sport by a threatening injury pushes him closer to facing what he's never let himself recover from. To distract him from what could be career-damning damage, his teammate - Reid - pushes him to become a more involved member In the emergence of their sports complex. But he who was supposed to be nothing more than a distant investor ruffles the newly-appointed manager. Because Jonah’s more sceptical of her hasty promotion. Callie gets an opportunity of a lifetime from Reid (whom she's had a professional relationship with as his assistant) just out of college, and having landed a role that would've taken her years to reach, she's moved to be the best she can be.

There are few parts in play with the relationship here. First, we have the opening scene kiss (which is drunken on Jonah's part and eye opening on Callie's). Where both have been in each others' orbit since she's been Reid's assistant, Callie's attraction and curiosity to Jonah felt too sudden for me, whereas Jonah feels more preoccupied by the state of his athletic career and disturbed by the likelihood of a comeback that might never come. The attraction is there (but I only felt it because both protagonists told me so to begin with). As a slow build, my connection to their chemistry could neatly be dubbed a slow build too, though the steamy in-betweens have a great sexual energy. And the author’s penmanship with bedroom scenes is a much more improved part of the narrative here. Then begrudgingly arrives the office, boss-employee dynamic which bothers these two in different ways. Callie, because she believed she'd be running the complex independently, and Jonah because he's not as confident in her ability to perform. Then there's the forbidden fruit element. On the surface, the 'you're off limits' taboo rests upon an aversion to avoid disturbing the established friendship between Reid and Jonah. Since Callie's seen as the pseudo little sister to Reid, it's a no-breach no-brainer. But really, it's a much much more personal battle that boils down to this hero's undersupply of self-worth, and hence, to resist giving himself completely in any substantive way.

Safe to say there's a few mites chipping at the grain, but in addition enters the struggle of each of their personal difficulties. Callie has many too; financial responsibilities, pushing through the abandonment of losing her parents so early in life, hurting from the grief of knowing she'll one day lose a grandad with early onset Alzheimer's and having to finance her living amidst her grandad's care. The author pointedly sets the groundwork, most notably with Jonah's self-sabotage and self-limiting beliefs. Hell bent on his own suffering as someone who sees himself as a bad-doer, in many ways Jonah's an interesting hero with the makings of some tragedy, but in other ways, he's incredibly impervious to moving forward with his life in a meaningful way. And I was disappointed by the performance of that part of the story. I wasn't sure how to feel about him when I began to steal a read on him. Then some depth was founded, which brings in the draw of a complicated past and a now complicated present day. I wouldn't say there are any unnecessary conflicts, but Jonah's past is pulled so thin over the entire stretch of the book that, while he does make some incrementally important steps with Callie as he mulls over a life that he could have, the vulnerability of his past felt very flimsy.

His reactivity to the subsequent reveal and fallout in particular felt wasteful. Especially as his resolve takes a quick turnaround and an even quicker settlement. Coll's hero also uncharacteristically accuses Callie of something he wouldn't ordinarily accuse her of, and that comment (along with a few other things) passes overlooked and overturned. There's plenty of suggestion to sure up and understand what must have transpired in Jonah's past, and the author solidifies his being a major driver in his own suffering. The author also habitually hints of bigger flawed decisions to be made on Jonah's part. And thus, we know he's going to trip up over himself and their relationship (which he does). But it feels poorly arranged when the climax hits, provided that I was both more or less in the know and that it became resultingly underwhelming. And yet his recovery is wrapped up in a pinch. He seems so disconnected from his value, and for something that has hounded him for a lifetime - and thus through the entire story also - that when it comes to the fore, the quick turnabout almost nullifies that piece of his past as much as it hurts his own growth in the relationship. Perhaps felt differently from the eyes of other readers but for me, It just doesn’t mesh well.

With another side to Jonah that surfaces his gentle warmth and growing adoration, let there be no mistake that he's a big support to Callie. His general reserve is balanced with his affection for Callie quite well, side that favours him well enough. He cares for her, always wants to be a presence through her difficulties (especially with her grandad) and tries his best to turn his mistakes around. It's also known that he's neither ready nor willing to accept the same in return because of that aforementioned past. So while there’s clearly a driving level of resistance on both sides for a number of reasons (mainly not wanting to be/feel abandoned for Callie and not thinking he's worth her life for Jonah), they still both somehow decide that unprotected bedroom time is the acceptable way forward. That decision doesn't really fit into their cautionary profiles or current desires, and if their reaction to the near-scare was of any suggestion, I'd have thought they'd be more thoughtful in how they went forward. The contradiction of being careless when both are so careful about supporting some distance between them, It arises as an inconsistency with both being removed from the possible consequences.

All things considered, I think Jonah's past should have cleared itself earlier on, especially since that impersonal distance with a deeper relationship is something he's not actively trying to close the gap on. And always placing limitations on what they can and can't have, can and can't be, his decisions almost always motivated by each plane of his fear. Alternatively, Callie's relatively open with him about her grief and grievances but she doesn't really know more about him bar his passion for sport. Because their relationship is a predominantly tenuous sort of creature (with tests included), they're not exclusively honest with each other about everything. Even the small things sometimes. I don't know that I really know else about Jonah except for the ways he's operated from a place of fear and sabotage, the blueprint of his guilt and sport being the mover in his life. I'd like to have had more commentary on his route forward, what he'd do differently and who he becomes post the release of his past. One can certainly form a story of a man who wishes to pass through life unaffected by love, so common a theme that we’ve all found ourselves at the mercy of such stories, but it doesn’t always receive or even convince well. You'll definitely enter the fragile tide of a push and pull, dithering hesitation, but there's also the thoroughline of a gentle rise, tonally resonant with a sense of trying, and a sustained heartfelt drift that Lea Coll massages into each step the story takes.

Callie's a pulled-together and independent sort of heroine, but as a personal opinion, I just wanted her to own her place in the story a bit more. She's focussed, bright and full of the drive needed to do and be her best for everyone who needs her. From what I've described of the romance thus far, I think it's easy to believe that these two do indeed have an affair with a shy sense of communication. One of the biggest falling points for me is that Falling For You plays a big game of circles by rotating a march of repetition. Where I was hoping for movement forward, the story seemed to either want to stall, repeat itself or tiptoe forward before denying a need to step forward again. By and large, the storyline felt too drawn out, and despite being the slow reader that I am, I was left to work through wondering why I was making my way so slowly through a book that should have perhaps been quicker to move through. On page, I did feel the presence of both protagonists, and the author successfully gives us a growing picture of these two, what their relationship could look like, in addition to what we can expect. No unsuspecting surprises, but Falling For You embraces a trying spirit perhaps more than a winning one. By all standards I wouldn't say the romance rests upon a solid stump, but it does have a gentle centre.

It's suggested that there's representation in previous books (one of which being Reid and Dylan's as they’re the most present in this one) with reference to discourse over Reid's speech impediment. Within this read, there's the theme of sports Inclusivity and making local communities accessible to sports schemes, which is a familiar signature parted to Lea Coll's books; providing a light to realist social obstacles. What she also does particularly well is to break from the role that traditionally typifies leading men. And her heroes usually embody a feeling heart, whichever trope they’re expected to be in. In this series of books, she ostensibly does it with the profile of the athlete by sourcing them with some depth and difference. The forcefield of the relationship for Jonah and Callie wasn't as compelling as I'd expected. I was hoping for more advancement, even if it was a cause for interest at the same time. In tone, the emotional resonance speaks for itself, but between Jonah and Callie, that was the feature of resistance. So I was looking for more shared emotional situations since the book assumes that thoroughline really well. But between the pages binds fear, love and possibility into a workplace sports romance. The sensitivities, the desires, the anxiety and the worry, the intensity and the unfamiliarity - they all compile into something that strokes a convincing poignancy while scraping by some edges of anticipation. With multiple layers that stretch through, I did experience some ‘will they’ anticipation, but I still unfortunately felt my heels dragging as I made my way through the remainder of the romance. While some situations still appeared to feel underdeveloped and excused, Falling For You still arrives with the warmth, Intensity and emotive difficulty of a Coll romance.


Content Warning/Listing: Mentions a past car accident and past parent deaths. Alzheimer's (a side character with Alzheimer's). Mentions MS. Multiple bedroom scenes. Some drinking.


Extra Thoughts:

(Beware: spoilershish!)
1) In the sixth paragraph I sort of mention a bit about the unprotected sex but I’m going to add a spoiler tag here to add a little more to that point. There really shouldn't have have been a sense of surprise then for the unplanned pregnancy, as much as our heroes and heroines always seem to ignore the vital fact that taking the pill really isn’t not foolproof by any means. Especially for two people wanting to avoid it. If Callie could look up the possibility of pregnancy likelihood, then she'd have had the same initiative to look and to even know the pill's permeability surely?

2) I really love the cover designs for this series (they're so beautiful!).

[Jessica Alcazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series keeps getting better and better with every book I read and yet I can’t rate it any higher *sigh* (I hate ratings)!

What I liked the most about this story is that not only did the storyline have an inherent spark to it but also, our leads couldn’t be near each other without setting sparks off themselves! It made their journey that much more exciting and captivating to read for me. There is also an air of suspense in the storyline that kept me edgy, not because I thought there wouldn’t be a resolution, but because it could go sideways fast and I was on the edge waiting …

GAH, I just love Lea’s style and voice. Her stories are easy yet very poignant and thought provoking. They almost always tug at heartstrings with a whole lot of warmth and swoon-factor with a hefty sprinkle of *happy sigh* Those are key terms for me that I love to feel and/or read in a all my romance fiction and Lea hits the mark every single time. She’s an author you should all check out. #trusT



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[Julie Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Callie and Jonah’s story is one I did not want to end. I love her character, the determination to show all she deserves to have her job. But, at the same time, the need to be near her ill grandfather is endearing.

Jonah is a premier athlete, but he is out of sorts with his injury and future in question. Reid, his business partner, and Callie’s boss, suggests working with Callie on the sports complex. Is this the distraction he needs? The warning bells are loud at this point, but I needed to keep going; how will this play out? The chemistry is there, but Reid has declared her off-limits. Jonah’s past is lurking in the shadows. When they start to try the activities at the center, will they keep it professional?

Thank you to the author for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.

[Sharon Moritz-rosenthal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story about Callie and Jonah who we met in the previous book as Jonah is Reid's best friend, injured teammate and business partner. Callie is Reid's assistant and close family friend. This book also easily stands alone.

In this story Reid is opening his fitness business and center and he has hired Callie to run the place. Jonah is injured and so he starts helping out as Callie starts setting up the new business.

Jonah is a football player but one who has a sad past that has really made him feel bad about himself and its why he has been single all these years until he starts to get to know Callie when they work together.

Jonah in this story falls hard for Callie, he is there to help her at work and he treats her to some fun dates. But he is also on the immature side as he has not really matured romantically since he has not dated anyone since high school.

I loved that once he goes all in, he goes all in and he is totally there for Callie. Callie is awesome. She is one tough cookie and her life has been hard but she can pretty much do anything that she decides she wants to do. And she really wants to understand Jonah as she falls hard for him too.

The big issue in this book is Jonah thinks he is not good enough for Callie and once she knows his past, that she will dump him.

We all have mistakes we made in our pasts, especially in high school. This story was about love, family, forgiving oneself and moving on and taking chances at love, life and career. It was a wonderfully written story that I enjoyed.

I received a complimentary early release copy of this e-book from the author prior to release and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Persephone-L17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read every book in the Annapolis Series and am delighted. Now it is the turn of Callie and Jonah who we met in "Perfect for You", Callie is Reid's personal assistant who decides to promote her as manager of the athlete complex where he is a partner with his teammates Jonah and Chase. Jonah Templeton is a bit of a grumpy football player because he's recovering from an injury, so being involved in the complex works as a good distraction for him, but he doesn't expect the chemistry with Callie to be as intense and flow very easily. However, he is held back by an event in his past that changed his perspective on a future that involves commitment and responsibilities.

I really enjoyed this reading. Callie is a strong, hard-working and charismatic character. Reid sees her potential and fully trusts her, as well as the great friendship they have. After his injury Jonah locks himself into his world and remains in a constant grumpy mood, but once Callie is promoted things start to change. They get an instant understanding and connection and form a great team that as more time they spend together, the physical and sexual attraction becomes impossible to ignore. I was very pleased with the development of both characters and that for the sake of love Jonah managed to overcome his past to be able to settle down with her. Plus there are character appearances from the previous books! personally, I loved it.

4.5⭐️

***𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰***

[Erin Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Star review of Falling for You (Annapolis Harbor #5) by Lea Coll
Having read a number of books in the Annapolis Harbor series I was excited to dive in to Callie and Jonah’s story, both of whom we met in Perfect For You. From the first chapter I was drawn in and quickly became hooked on the story that Ms. Coll wove.
After a career ending injury, Jonah is at a crossroads and invests in a sports complex; he is shocked to learn that Callie has been hired to manage it which causes complications for both of them.
As they work together to make the complex a success they are drawn to one another. Jonah appears to be the life of the party but underneath there is so much more to him than the image he protects as Callie learns. The attraction that sizzles between them is nearly impossible to ignore and yet they need too.
I loved both Jonah and Callie. She is determined to prove that she is the right woman for the job, is strong, sassy and independent; I also loved the relationship that she has with her grandpa, so heart warming. Jonah covers up his emotions but he really is a kind, caring protective man who hides behind his “sports” persona; he is a man who has allowed the events of his past to dictate his life.
Falling For You is a well written love story, of hope, trust and finding the one who will accept you no matter what. And taking a leap of faith.

[Lea Coll]

🧡 Falling for You is LIVE! 🧡
Amazon: http://mybook.to/Falling-for-You
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2UksV8b
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3wFTTEo
Nook: https://bit.ly/3rg0rs6
Google Play: https://bit.ly/3CZeuru

[PP's Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falling For You by Lea Coll was a hot and sweet sports romance with a twist of forbidden boss-employee dynamics. I loved the characters and the chemistry was strong. The emotions were portrayed easily but intensely.

Callie has no one except her sick grandfather. Baltimore's football star Reid hired her as personal assistant while she was studying and he is like family to her. So she was over the moon when Reid made her the manager of the new sports complex Reid and his teammates have built. But there is a problem. Jonah, a partner and teammate will work with her while he is recovering from a possibly career ending injury. And he is in a bitter and grumpy mood. And that is complicated by this attraction they have.


Callie is such a sweetheart but she is also very strong and fierce. She is hardworking and loyal and caring. She sees beyond Jonah's rough behaviour and understands that he has some deep seated issue. But that doesn't mean she let Jonah use that as excuse to treat her badly. Jonah is an emotional mess. He is still haunted by his past and the injury is messing with his head. While Callie's honest and compassionate company makes him feel lighter, he is still hesitant to open up to her. The chemistry is instant and hot. But the emotional side is where the complications arise. It was a pretty intense emotional push and pull.

I liked Lea Coll's writing in Falling For You as she delivered so much feels in this story.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

[JudyAnnLovesBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lea Coll’s Annapolis Harbor series keeps getting better and better with each new book. Falling For You is Book 5 and is a touching office/sports romance.

Callie and Jonah are two very special people. I fell in love with both of them when we first got a glimpse of them in Perfect For You. He is an injured football player, she is his teammates ex PA and new manager of their co-owned sports complex.

Jonah is a very complicated man. On the outside, fun loving and outgoing. Loved by everyone and generous with his time but on the inside he is suffering. A tragic event from his past continues to tarnish his present and control his future. Callie’s life has not been easy either, she has suffered but she is strong.

Falling For You is a beautiful love story about overcoming what’s holding us back and finding the love we deserve. In so doing, getting everything we never new we needed and wanted . I’m giving this book the judy.ann.loves.books stamp of approval and urge you to read it ASAP and to read Books 1 to 4 of this series, because they too, are incredible romance reads.

TBR and Enjoy.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Callie and Jonah's story. Callie has been given a job she didn't think she would land for a while. Jonah is recovering from an injury. They are forced to spend time together working. They have really good chemistry but keep pushing back. For Jonah it's because of Reid and for Callie it's because he's her boss.

These two can't keep their hands off each other. It's a heartwarming story that brings two people together who are trying to overcome their pasts.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falling for You is the kind of book you dive into head first, heart pounding, and butterflies fluttering, and come out feeling completely astounded. This book. It will kick you right in the feels, but the pain will totally be worth it. It's one of those stories that just captures your whole soul. Seriously, just pick up this book and read it because it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

***ARC Provided by the Author***

Callie and Jonah have chemistry, and not only does the reader know it, but they do as well. The problem? He has been warned by her brother (his teammate) to stay away from her and he's now her boss.

Further complicating things, Callie is a little underqualified, on paper at least, for her new position and feels like she needs to prove herself.

I love forbidden romance when the things that make the romance forbidden aren't just things coming from society (which may or may not be reasonable) but also inner thoughts and feelings about something...it makes the journey to get past it more compelling.

I enjoyed their journey overall, the way they handled getting past the obstacles that were in their way mostly worked, although there were times I thought it was a little too neat and perfect and that left me feeling like it was a little unrealistic, but nothing that pulled me too far out of the book.

I enjoyed and recommend this title.

[lowkeyreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book in the series. This series just gets better and better. Callie and Jonah kept my attention throughout their story. It was a roller coaster ride of emotions reading this one. I loved Jonah and Callie together. Their chemistry was amazing and intense. They couldn't stay away even if they tried. I loved that Reid and Dylan made their appearances in this one.

I was not ready for their story to end. And I loved those epilogues!

[The Book Lover · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took my breath away, I adored Jonah and Callie.. it was so beautifully written and heartbreaking at times, I read it one sitting!

[Rosanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m quite impressed with this author. She is an amazing writer. Her stories flow. Her characters, even if they are rich football players, are down to earth and relatable.
This story is easy and enjoyable to read.
Callie just finished school and was given the opportunity to manage a huge working at a recreation center slash sports center slash amusement area with her previous boss Reid.
She ends up working with Jonah a famous football player who’s been recently injured. They have to find a way to work together and not give into their feelings especially in front of Reid.
Scared to lose her job they keep on going back and forth kissing avoiding and then kissing. They really can it help it.
It says that it’s the 5th book in the series but it can definitely be read as a stand-alone. There is enough background info so that you won’t be lost but it’s also an in-depth story of these two characters.
Great job!

[Alexandria Redmourn · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 ⭐
2 🌶

yeah, this one just didn't do it for me. the book started off..weirdly for me. i had to ensure that this was a standalone book, because it felt like it continued off from somewhere else.

lack of detail had to be one of my biggest issues here. i had to do double takes and re-read it because the characters jumped from one scene to another so rapidly.

then, there was the subject of the *spoiler* suprise pregnancy, which wasn't executed properly. it was just thrown in for unnecessary drama. jonah's reaction was unexpected, considering from the very start he wouldn't stop talking about how much he loved her. for him to blatantly imply that she trapped him with a pregnant, not only insulted her and showed how little he respected her, but show his true character.

his backstory sucked. the guilt he had to carry all these years for no reason was ridiculous but understandably, you could get what he didn't want to be a father because he was too scared. but his venomous reaction to callie's pregnancy was unwarranted.

she accepted him after he quickly spilled his secrets and that just did it for me. after he disrespected her and walked out on her like that, she so easily accepted him. i honestly wanted it to end with him being some a-hole douche living an empty life whilst she raised her child, and found a better partner.

jonah and callie fell hard and fast for each other, at the very beginning. it was difficult to see their love for each other, especially with jonah forgetting to call her after a week of separation and her basically being an after thought to him.

then, there's the topic of reid. for someone who was so adamant against their relationship and threatened jonah not to hurt her, he sure didn't care too much about callie when jonah walked out.

overall, this is not a book i would recommend. there were too many plotholes, in my opinion.

*𝙖𝙧𝙘 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬*

[Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazon / Apple Books / Nook / Kobo / Google Play

Callie and Jonah now have to work together since she's been hired by her boss to manage his new sports complex. Unfortunately, one of her boss's partners, Jonah, seems to assume she isn't competent enough to do the job just because she's young and not as experienced as someone older might be. She'll just have to change his mind, and manage to keep things between them as professional as possible...



The last thing Jonah wants to do is leave his future in the hands of someone as young as Callie. But what will he do when he realizes he's misjudged her? And what will she do when she finds out that his past has made him the last man she can rely on when they should be leaning on each other the most?



I've been loving the Annapolis Harbor series, and Callie and Jonah just gave me more reasons to keep loving it. She's so strong and independent, wanting to rely on no one but herself, that it made it all the sweeter when Jonah realized how wrong he had misjudged her, and just how hard he had fallen for her. Jonah did a lot of growth in the story, making me like him even more as the pages flipped, and I found myself falling for them both.



ARC via Grey's Promotions for an honest review.

Review / Release Blitz: Live Through Books Blog.

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[lovelust andbloodygoodbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you soo much to Greys Pr and Lea for sending me an ARC of this book.

*****Warning****** Get the Tissues at the Ready!!!!

This book was an absolute dream to read. It was such an easy read that kept you hooked from the very beginning.

Jonah is an American football player who was injured in play and pulls his MCL and ACL leaving him unsure of whether he will be able to play again. With him not knowing what the future holds he slipped into a depression of negative thinking and goes back to thinking he is not worthy of anything and is the same useless boy he viewed himself as when he was a teenager.

Callie was Reid's personal assistant, while she was at college and on graduating, was unsure of what the future held for her until Reid offered her the management job at Rebel the sports community he has built with Jonah and Chase. Callie lost her parents at a young age and now her grandad who has brought her up is slowly withering away from her due to Alzheimer's. Callie has lost the cheerful carefree girl she used to be and her confidence in herself has slowly gone with her as well.

The passion and rawness in both characters feelings truly are magical and the words literally pore off of the page. It is soo raw in places I could feel myself tearing up and just the vulnerability in both of them.

This was an incredible read and one I would suggest for anyone because this book helps show that your past is that your past but it is you who controls your future.

Lea this book was amazing and I loved every second I can not wait for more of your work.

My Overall Rating is 5 💋💋💋💋💋
My Passion Rating is 5 💋💋💋💋💋

[Paperbeautiful · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing story by Lea Coll. This story is a great addition to the Annapolis Harbor series, these stories just keep getting better and better.

Jonah is dealing with a career ending injury. All he wants is to be back on the field, he is not ready to give up football yet. After feeling sorry for himself, his two best friends convince him to get up and start working at the sports complex that they all own. Jonah doesn't want to get close to anyone because of something that happened in his past, but Callie might be the person to change all of it.
Callie is the new manager at the sports complex. Reid, the owner, is her former boss her offered her the job. Callie knows that she can do this job and it the perfect person for it. Jonah and Callie know each other because of Reid but nothing more. Jonah does not think that Callie is right for the job, but the more time they spend together the more that he realizes he was wrong.

Jonah and Callie are perfect for each other. The more time that they spend together the more they realize how much they have in common, and how perfect they are for each other. Callie is determined and does not care about Jonah's football player persona, she just wants Jonah which is different for him. It was a great love story seeing these two fall for each other. They really got to know each other and fight their feelings for one another, but fate had other plans.

[Lishy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falling for you is the fifth book in the Annapolis Harbour Series.Even though this book is a part of a series it could be read as a stand alone book in sports/office romance/forbidden romance.

We meet Callie and Jonah from the first chapter itself at Dean and Dylan's engagement function.Callie is the Manager at Rebel Sports where Jonah is a silent partner, he is recuperating from a football injury and spending more time at Rebel Sports which brings him in close contact with Callie. Both Callie and Jonah are wonderful characters and they have a mutual attraction. Callie is a sweet young, independent, strong and capable girl and is PA to one of Jonah's good friends and another footballer. As they start to spend more together Jonah feels happy, excited and content which threatens to overwhelm him. Jonah feels he isnt good enough for her when he thknks of the incident that happened in the past for which he feels responsible. 

Can Jonah overcome his past to have a future with Callie, will Callie be able to to forgive him once she gets to know his past?

Read this beautifully written, emotional, heartfelt story by Lea Coll. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this absolute page turner. Highly recommended with five ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ awesome stars.

Received this ARC copy by Lea Coll for an honest opinion

[Jenn the Readaholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how I enjoyed Callie and Jonah. She’s smart, stubborn, and determined to do her best, despite what Jonah clearly thinks of her age and lack of experience. And Jonah is just as determined to stay far away from the woman who shouldn’t tempt him, but does. Of course, when he’s stuck on the injured list, he ends up working directly with Callie to get things in order for his, Reid’s, and Chase’s new venture. And that, folks, is how Jonah started to fall for the one woman he shouldn’t want, but has to have. Of course, twists come their way and they’re both tested. And once those tests come, it’s time to see how Jonah performs under pressure. Will he fail this test, or will he let himself fall completely for what he could have with Callie?

I’ve really enjoyed this series because each couple keeps me on my toes. We get some worry, some sweet and sour, some humor, time with friends from earlier books in the series, and lots of love throughout. And this story was no exception. I love the push and pull and the very real emotions that pour off the pages, the learning as the characters grow, and the happiness that eventually comes our way. I look forward to the next book because I can’t get enough of this group!

[Vera Blaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Callie Goodwin has been working through college as a personal assistant. When her boss and two of his football teammates open a sports complex, he offers her the manager position. Jonah Templeton was supposed be a silent investor, but a knee injury sidelined him and he needed something to keep him busy. He didn’t think Callie was capable of handling the job, but as he got to know her he realized how dedicated and hard-working she was. She was supposed to be off limits, but their attraction to one another was hard to ignore. She’s juggling the loss of her parents, looking out for her grandfather who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, her relationship with Jonah, and setting everything in motion for the complex. He’s got something in his past that has kept him from relationships. When Callie tells him something that will change the rest of their lives, his first instinct is to run. Seeking closure and forgiveness is what he needs to move forward with Callie. Jonah and Callie were an unlikely couple in the beginning, but as the story progressed it was evident that they balanced each other out.

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

He was told she was hands off but when his hand find her face in an intimate kiss he know he is going to be in trouble and it wasn’t just with Reid right was going to be with his heart.

Jonah is usually a one hit man but with Callie he feels something he never felt before and his mind is suppose to be concentrating on one thing .. recovery .. so when he finds it wondering he is thankful for Reid pushing him to work at Rebel Sports.

Reid knows that the best person to run Rebel Sports is Callie his personal assistant because he knows everyone has been warned not to move on her as she is very special to him along with Grandpa Frank BUT so,etching tells me not all of his friends are going to listen ….

Callie knows what kind of a gift she was given with this job and she is determined to prove herself because Jonah has other thoughts .. hmmmm and what kind of thoughts is he having ?? Because we know she is having the same ones ….

Can she risk her job being with Jonah ?? Is it worth her loosing everything she has worked for along with a place that is comfortable where Frank lives or will her heart pull her in another direction ??

The banter between these two characters is awesome until someone gets scared …. This was an incredible story about strangers to friends to lovers to family !! AMAZING READ !!

[World Of Books 65 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each and every story in the Annapolis Harbor series is so much more than just a romance book, the storylines are deeply moving, emotionally gripping, captivating, and always hot. Callie and Jonah's story encompass all those things.

Callie works for Reid, one of Jonah's teams in Baltimore, and Jonah and one other footballer have set up Rebel Sports an athletic complex, when Reid asks Callie to run it, she is over the moon, only trouble is that Jonah, is recovering from an ACL injury his career so he will be helping Callie as well, sparks fly as the pair work together, and the more time Callie spends with Jonah the more she likes him, but there is something hidden in the depth of his eyes that speaks volumes of something that keeps Jonah from fully opening up. Jonah doesn't know what to do, the more time he spends with Callie the more he wants to get to know her, but he believes his past will forever impact his future, but his feelings for Callie are growing every day, especially as he watches bloom at work while spending time with her grandfather.

Lea Coll once again shows us that she is a brilliant unique storyteller.

[Reg Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Callie is the personal assistant to Reid a star football player for the Baltimore professional team. He has just gotten engaged to Dylan an attorney and at their engagement party offers the job of Manager of The Rebel Sports Complex to Callie who is stunned at the wonderful offer and bestowal of trust. Having just graduated college with a sports management degree she was afraid she'd be out of work. At the same party another football player, the injured wide receiver, Jonah Templeton, flirts with her and they kiss which is something that has never happened before. Callie doesn't chase footballers like some of the hang around bimbos. Reid has always stressed to the team that she is special and off limits. But Jonah is strongly attracted and Callie finds herself just as attracted to the handsome outgoing Jonah. This is a beautifully written almost taboo romance between an injured footballer worried if he'll ever play again as well as having doubts in his personal history and with a gorgeous curvy feminine, smart and caring woman. The sensual sex is equally described in sensuous prose. A very good read. Received this ARC and have voluntarily reviewed.

[Michelle Abascal Monroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falling for You is the 5 book in the Annapolis Harbor series by Lea Coll and OMG each book gets better and better. I really enjoy this series so much! and because we have already meet the characters in the previous books i was so excited to read their story!

Jonah is a guy who doesn't what the future is for him after suffering and injury that can put his NFL career to end, so he try to stay busy working in the facilty that he and his friends created and there he will need to work with Callie. Callie is fresh out of college but ready for the challenge of the work that she wants and she needs so she can keep supporting her granfather.

Once Jonah and Callie start interacting more and more they cannot ignore the great chemistry and the sparkles that they feel for each other, but they know that life is busy for them so they dont know if they can have anything serious or at least that's was Jonah thinks that he doesnt deservers a HEA after something tragic happened to him in the past, but he will have to learn that things happens when we are not expecting them and he will need to see that he deserves his HEA and Callie is the perfect person to him.

[Theresa Natole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falling for You will have you falling for them. Jonah and Callie are perfect together. I could not get enough of their story. What an incredible, amazing read. Something is holding Jonah back from being in a relationship and Callie is too afraid to get attached to someone for fear they will leave her too. The only person left in her life is her grandfather and his health is not the best. Their story will have you glued to every word, rooting for them to make it. Once you start reading this story you will not stop until the end. I fell in love with Jonah. When you see the real man he is hiding you cannot help but fall in love with him. He feels he doesn’t deserve Callie or anyone for that matter. Callie is hesitant to become involved with him because in the back of her mind she is afraid of getting too close. But when they are together, they are explosive. They are so perfect for one another. Another amazing read by Lea Coll. Her books just keep getting better and better.

[Amber Pickerill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved this series, Annapolis Harbor, from the beginning. Lea Coll gives us characters we can't help but fall in love with. Once again, I'm in love.
Jonah Templeton is a star NFL player. He's recovering from an injury. While he recovers, he is working at Rebel Sports, a company he and other players own. While there Callie Goodwin, Reid's former assistant, is the manager. Not only should she be off limits, because Reid said so , but because she's an employee. Callie deals with her own insecurities, her grandpa has altztimers, and he's the only family left. Can she open her heart to someone who could leave her?
"Thank you for falling for me."
"You made it so easy."
This book is streamy! And everything you'd want in a romance. While you don't need to read in order, there are several reoccurring characters.
This is a must read and I highly recommend.
I received an ARC and this is my honest review

[Reading In the Red Room · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series gets better and better! Injured football player Jonah is doing everything he can to get his knee better to play again. Jonah is also trying to prepare himself for the reality of never playing again. Callie has been given the job of the lifetime, she is managing the sports complex that her former boss and his friends have invested in for the community. When Jonah takes the off season to heal and help Callie prepare the center to open the sparks start to fly. Can these two Opposite people make a relationship work? Can they put all their emotions on the table and be honest with each other? This was a great quick read and of course left me wanting more! With every book I look forward to reading the next one in the series.

[Amy Reierson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute sweetness from beginning to end. I loved this story of two young souls who had both lost something so heartbreaking, how does anyone come back from it.
But Callie she's my hero, she doesn't quit. Even when she feels like she has nothing left she still gives it everything she's got because she knows being here means something.
Jonah he wants to be here he just doesn't know how to be in the present without sacrificing his happiness. But Callie's light it draws him out and he can almost reach it, will finally move forward.
Will Callie finally slow down to enjoy everything she has worked for. Find out in this Incredibly sweet story with a fantastic ending you won't want to miss.

I have voluntarily left this review.