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Falling Down #3

Adoring Alejandro

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Maeve Thomas has always been the one in the background; easily ignored, easily overlooked, easily forgotten. And she hasn’t minded, really. It helps keep the attention off her not so attractive attributes. She’s happy hiding…until she comes face to face with a man who makes her wish to finally be seen.

Alejandro Mendez, the sexy co-owner of the company where she works, is looking to kick his playboy ways and finally settle down, but he’s looking everywhere but right in front of him. How do you make the man of your dreams take notice when everything about you is forgettable?

When a drunken encounter heats things up between them, Maeve is hopeful AJ will see they are perfect together, that his heart should belong to her.

Too bad he gives it to someone else.

Adoring Alejandro is a sexy unrequited love, workplace, BBW romance, and the third book in the steamy, emotional Falling Down series. No cliffhangers, no cheating, and a deliciously gratifying HEA.

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 19, 2022

137 people are currently reading
70 people want to read

About the author

Eve Black

20 books323 followers
Eve Black is the sexy contemporary romance-loving alter-ego of a sweet historical romance author...who also writes dark, sexy medieval romance under another name. Eve is one of several personalities in one crazy package. When Eve isn't writing books, she is editing other people's books, freelance writing marketing content, or wrangling her children. For fun, Eve loves to read (obviously) sexy contemporary and historical romance books, binge-watch old Supernatural, Burn Notice, Leverage, and Lucifer episodes on Netflix, and play mind-numbing games on her tablet.

Eve lives in an untidy house on a little over an acre in rural Northeast Pennsylvania with her husband of 17 years and their four children, three cats, and one chicken.

Visit Eve online at: www.EveBlackBooks.com

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5 stars
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45 (34%)
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47 (36%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
Profile Image for Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog).
5,879 reviews213 followers
May 20, 2022




AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Maeve for so long has wilted into the background, thanks to self-image issues. So how to let her secret crush know how she feels? An anonymous email and some delicious cookies. Now AJ is falling hard - for his anonymous digital admirer, his Swan. But when the assistant in his office captures his eye too, now he's in a quandary because he can't be attracted to two different women, can he?



Maeve knows she should just own up to AJ that she's the Swan he's been falling for online, but then a beautiful woman swoops in and captures his eye, devastating Maeve's heart. And AJ friend zones Maeve, further letting her know just how unimportant she is to him outside the office. If only she had fessed up in the beginning, then she wouldn't be stuck in this friend zone not able to speak up because she's being intimidated into silence. If only AJ could see past her outside into the beautiful woman she is on the inside.



OK, I gotta be honest here, I didn't like AJ. He was superficial and weak, letting someone he didn't even like lead him around by his little brain, all while poor Maeve was suffering. I didn't like the way he dismissed her in the beginning as just a mouse, then all the sudden decided she was his after his big (DUH!) revelation. But I liked everything else about this story. There's a bit of intrigue, the pace moves along at a good clip, and Maeve is so likable and relatable that she uplifted the story a lot. I think a lot of us women have body and self image issues, so we can relate to hers. So though I can't stand AJ, Maeve and the story are definitely 4 star worthy.



ARC provided by Give Me Books PR for an honest review.

Review / Release Blitz: Live Through Books Blog.

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Profile Image for Breanna Glass.
151 reviews7 followers
May 18, 2022
3.75 ⭐️
Im gonna start by saying I really loved the curvy girl representation and the way her friends hyped her up. I understand how she feels and her low self esteem. But I didn't love this book honestly. I really wanted too cause I love a bbw romance. I just wasn't a fan on some of the events that happened.
Profile Image for Alis Renzi.
Author 5 books11 followers
May 16, 2022
Maeve e Alejandro🥰🤩

Questi due meritano una lettura alla grande!!

Maeve e Alejandro lavorano nella stessa azienda. Uno il capo e l'altra una collaboratrice e dipendente. Ma non solo. Nei meandri di internet i due si parlano senza che Alejandro sappia che il suo "Cigno" sia lei. La donna che lui jon guarda mai due volte.

Una sera però, quando i suoi amici lo invitano ad una serata Giarda per la prima vita Maeve e si rende conto che lei potrebbe essere la donna dei suoi sogni. Quella che lui ha sempre sperato trovare.

Ma qualcosa lo frena. SWAN. la ragazza per cui lui è innamorato. Che piano piano si rivela a lui, mettendogli davanti la prova che forse l'amore è dietro l'angolo e lo è sempre stato.

Peccato che una stronza si metta sempre di mezzo... e che stronza.

Una storia d'amore Online. Queste chat sono bellissima ma le scene di gelosia e di possessione nella vita reale sono stupende. Si vede che lui ha sempre dei dubbi su Swan e che forse è Maeve ma non riesce mai a collegare le due persone. Eppure le prove sono lì. Lei gliele ha messe davanti servendo su un piatto d'argento la sua identità.
Una bella trama e un libro ben scritto.
L'autrice non mi aveva convinto con altri libri ma questo è top!
Profile Image for Paulalovesherbooks.
387 reviews5 followers
May 19, 2022
This was a nice read, a little different from what I was expecting, it actually surprised me in a positive way. Maeve had a crush on her boss Aj since the first time she saw him, but her upbringing made her think she’s way out of his league. In a spur of the moment she decided to e-mail him as a secret admirer, what she wasn’t expecting was him falling for his online friend.
Alejandro finally found the one for him, but it’s at the same time that he starts noticing Maeve. Torn between the attraction toward her and his feelings for his Swan, he ends up hurting Maeve’s feelings.
I must say that I was expecting him to be arrogant and indifferent about hurting Maeve’s feelings, but he was actually a good guy. The book has a little intrigue , it’s frustrating at times but I liked the way the plot turned around and Maeve was surprisingly not a weak character as I was expecting her to be.
The side characters added to the story , I’m actually curious about reading the previous two books now, and I’m really looking forward reading the next one. The little tease we got at the end of the book was really good !
Profile Image for Jennifer Pierson.
11.7k reviews188 followers
May 19, 2022
Poor Maeve, she has serious body issues & lack of self confidence so she wants to stay in the background, and she just didn't know she was a beautiful soul making her a beautiful girl which made me sad. She's had a secret thing for her boss, Alejandro aka AJ, but never had the confidence to do anything about it until she actually started something online with him as his secret admirer, and she's able to be everything she wants to be behind the screen, and AJ is taken with her online persona. He wants to settle down, and finally he starts to notice Maeve but there's that other girl he has a thing for as well LOL, so he's pretty conflicted. She's just about to tell him it's her he's been talking to online but a threat to her has her retreating again. Man, I really wanted to hurt everyone who ever hurt Maeve since I loved her a ton so it was an emotional read for me since I related to her big time, and I'm sure that y'all will feel the same after one clicking! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! 
Profile Image for Samantha (Millennial Life Crisis Bookshelf).
1,429 reviews22 followers
May 17, 2022
Definitely going back to read the earlier books in this series! After the destruction that his parents’ marriage has caused to his life, AJ has vowed that when he meets the “one” that nothing will stand between them. Maeve works for AJ and has had a huge crush on him, and her insecurities have caused her to build a relationship with him in secret where they email back and forth, however he has no clue who she is. As Maeve finally starts to build up the courage to tell AJ that it’s her behind the emails, someone else threatens her and AJ’s family and friends that causes her to step aside. But AJ can sense something isn’t right and that the woman who claims to be his mystery girl isn’t adding up, and once he figures out it is Maeve, he works to make sure she will never be hurt again.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Profile Image for Ree.
2,517 reviews53 followers
May 19, 2022
Alejandro is in a relationship with a faceless woman. She stirs his heart and mind in immeasurable ways, but she is hesitant to meet face-to-face. Inexplicably, he has just begun to take notice of his shy, usually withdrawn but competent office manager, Maeve, seeing her with new eyes. How can two women affect him so strongly?

This book's premise intrigued me and held me captive from the start. I also loved the way the author represented & celebrated Maeve's curviness. However, I was a bit disappointed with the way the plot flowed in some parts. For instance, in one part of the book, I got a heavy dose of steam when I was expecting a little more warmth and intimacy.

Overall, it's a book I did enjoy for the most part. I definitely would love to read the preceding books, too.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an ARC of this book.
Profile Image for The Dragon Den Book Blog.
2,964 reviews67 followers
May 15, 2022
ARC Review of Adoring Alejandro by Eve Black
* * * * *
Alejandro is in love with a girl behind a screen. She Without A Name. His SWAN. If only he knew that this very mystery woman who shared his love was his very own employee!
Maeve is a shy young woman with major body and confidence issues, but knows for certain what she feels for Alejandro. Meeting him as SWAN is a challenge for her, but it gets wven more complicated when he starts developing feelings for Mouse Maeve even when he loves her other self.
Things only get more complicated from there when a threat steps in and ready to take Maeve's chance with AJ.
A fun read, very steamy. Wouldn't mind me some of those triple chocolate mouth-melting cookies!
Profile Image for Melinda.
2,137 reviews20 followers
June 9, 2022
First time reading about Eve Black and though it is book 3 it can be read alone yet better in order. There was a bit of Alejandro that I felt I might have missed in the previous books so to speak. We have a young man who at a young age saw what love can do to one who well deserved more. He swore at a young age to not fall hard for anyone who doesn't deserve it but when it does happen he is hurt and confused as well. These two may seem opposites yet in many ways have something in common, both want to be loved. We see Maeve who just wants a man to see the real Maeve Thomas and not the nerd she seems to project. All in all Eve Black shows us that it is all about being confident in our own skin and to risk it when it comes to love just like Maeve. Cannot wait to see what she does next in this series.

"I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own."
Profile Image for Katie MacLeod.
445 reviews5 followers
May 14, 2022
This is the third book in this series. Even though they are all stand alones, the characters and storylines are beautifully intertwined between all the books. I love body diversity and this book does it so well. The author captures how truly authentic the internal monologue of most plus sized women. The story captures the ability of self love, overcoming childhood trauma and finding happiness. Adoring Alejandro follows the story of AJ and Maeve through their boss/employee relationship and the challenges they face while both having ideas in their heads of what a perfect partner would be for them. They do have a HEA ending!
Profile Image for Judie.
1,233 reviews
May 20, 2022
*An ARC was provided in exchange of an honest review*


I thoroughly enjoyed this slow burn of a read. AJ is beyond swoon-worthy and Maeve knows that first hand. The man has a girl hanging off of very word, every smile, every move. But Maeve is not the type of girl to approach a man like him, especially since he’s one of her bosses. But she definitely gets creative. Too bad that creativity puts her in not such a great spot. Ohhhhh if I had a dollar for every time a shoulda, woulda, coulda scenario knocked me upside the head. Let’s just say Maeve totally relates!


A total must-read! And I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series!
Profile Image for Jenna  Price.
1,220 reviews
May 20, 2022
This is the third book in this series. Even though they are all stand alones, the characters and storylines are beautifully intertwined between all the books. Poor Maeve, she has serious body issues & lack of self confidence so she wants to stay in the background. AJ is the sexy co-owner where Mauve works, and he is looking to get rid of his playboy reputation and find the one to settle down with. Things only get more complicated from there when a threat steps in and ready to take Maeve's chance with AJ.

I loved that Eve introduced us to-possibly-two new heroes for future books, and I cannot wait to read Callie and Ethan's book.
Profile Image for World Of Books 65.
3,231 reviews60 followers
May 18, 2022
Who doesn’t love a romance where one half of the couples hides behind emails to talk to the man she loves who also happens to be her boss! Mauve works for AJ and has feelings for him but doesn’t know how to approach him but over time these emails exchanges become so much more. AJ knows when he finds the one he will be all in what he doesn’t know is that the woman he is coming to care about is his assistant, although he can feel there is something not quite right, but when danger threatens Mauve stands back but this romance isn’t over yet, the build up the emails everything made this an enjoyable read.
40 reviews1 follower
May 20, 2022
The book was ok. I’m disappointed with the heroine. I was hoping that in the end she would be brave and do the right thing. That she would be the one who exposed Denise but it was Aj who really made an effort. She said she wanted to get her out of her shell but that didn’t happen. She created the problem and let Aj deal with the consequences. There is no character development of her.
Profile Image for Navss (read.yourbooks).
630 reviews24 followers
June 19, 2022
Was it suprising and refreshing to see that he didn't blame Maeve for everything? ABSOLUTELY.

From me crying in the initial chapters to blushing and being giddy afterwards, gahhhh, AJ definitely knows what to do and say🙈

Maeve's character was as perfect as it can be as an insecure and shy woman who's been told about her flaws and weight by her family. I really liked how it wasn't the typical storyline and how we don't get into much details about her family/meet them.

AJ definitely was confused. Choosing the woman he was pinning for or choosing the woman who wasn't getting out of his mind after a kiss? A difficult decision to be made for sure.

*No cheating*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Elley Riordan.
50 reviews
May 24, 2022
I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t like this book. I don’t think this book was for me. I was not a big fan of the “superficial” aspects in this one. The tone felt very high school-y with the “Oh my god, he’s/she’s so hot.” But the one thing that bothered me the most was the name usage of the male main character. His name was used like once or twice in the book and then he was AJ throughout the rest of the book. I almost feel like the title should have been “Adoring AJ”. This might be a miniscule thing to be pointed out but that is how I feel. Other than that I thought this book was kind of a hoot. Almost Cinderella-y minus the horrible family members.

The few things that I did like about this book was AJ’s internal torment for both women. He tried his best to stay loyal to Swan but was falling for Maeve. I liked that he was already sort of intrigued by Maeve’s quiet work personality before he was caught off guard by what happens when she decided to really dress up. The whole “and she really was pretty the whole time” trope is not for me. The glasses effect? Think Princess Diaries. I also liked that Maeve started to feel more comfortable showing more of her personality externally towards the end.
Profile Image for Emma bramley.
2,570 reviews26 followers
May 29, 2022


Adoring Alejandro (Falling down 3)

This is the third book in this series by this author. This is the story of Maeve and AJ, these two characters are just so cute together. This is a fun, steamy and intriguing book from this author.This book is about love and a celebration of curvy women. I was hooked from the first page till the very last one. I will definitely be going back and reading the first two in this series.

I was given an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my honest review

Release date - 20 May 2022
www.obsessedbookreviews.com
150 reviews
July 22, 2025
Not sure why the low ratings...

I really enjoyed this book. Yes, there were editing and grammar errors, but it wasn't so bad that your brain couldn't autocorrect quickly.

As for the ratings hating on AJ... why? Seriously, I thought he was a sweetheart. Yeah, he was confused, but wouldn't you be in his situation? I know he never intended to hurt Maeve... he was so confused because he couldn't fight his attraction to her, but he wanted to be faithful to Swan. So, if anyone should've had the back of their heads slapped, it was Maeve. She created that mess. AJ was wonderful, and so was Maeve.

My only harp is that this author doesn't have a good epilogue. It's always an epilogue to plug another book. This author never gives you time with the characters after they come together.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed it!
Profile Image for Hart's Reader Group.
899 reviews41 followers
May 11, 2022
Another winner from Eve Black. I was so amped up for AJ and Maeve's book that Eve had hinted at in Seducing Sallina. I was so glad these two got their HEA. AJ wanted a real, true romance with someone he could love forever. Maeve hid behind a computer screen, sending AJ love letters as the anonymous admirer, SWAN. AJ fell hard for Swan...and then the twists and turns came.

I felt so bad for Maeve...and I wanted to shake AJ for falling for Denise's lies even for a moment. Together, AJ and Maeve are--as AJ said: Magic!

I loved that Eve introduced us to-possibly-two new heroes for future books, and I cannot wait to read Callie and Ethan's book. I FLOVE a good second chance romance.

Again, well done, Eve.
Profile Image for Wendy Livingstone.
20.1k reviews257 followers
May 18, 2022
This is the third book in this amazing series and is Alejandro and Mauve’s story. AJ is the sexy co-owner where Mauve works, and he is looking to get rid of his playboy reputation and find the one to settle down with. Mauve is shy, preferring to stay in the background, and blend into the scenery, as she has confidence issues. Can these two overcome the boss / employee issues and the challenges ahead of them? This is an enjoyable story, which is emotionally charged, with fun, romance, intrigue, danger, and love, which leads to a steamy and entertaining page turner. I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I recommend.
I received a free copy of this book via Give Me Books and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for lowkeyreader.
5,569 reviews53 followers
May 20, 2022
This is the first book I've read by the author and there's a reason why I'm always drawn to the unrequited love trope. I enjoyed AJ and Maeve's story. And their storyline is really unique and because of that, it intrigued me from the beginning. I really wanted to know when Maeve would confess her feelings for AJ. And then there's the suspense part of the story that happened before she could. As I said, their story is really captivating. I couldn't put it down.
Profile Image for Millie.
1,013 reviews34 followers
September 27, 2024
It was just too ridiculous. Loved Maeve but the character needed to be more fleshed out. Like the previous book, there's no backstory at all on the heroine. I think that if you write about traumatic childhood, you need to show the reader that. A simple prologue or a few lines won't do.
The whole Swan and Denise was too much and I love my OTT OW drama. She was just one person and I don't believe a company made by a billionaire wouldn't have a lot of IT geniuses working for him.
15 reviews
January 20, 2025
a fun twist on a secret admirer romance

Throughly enjoyed reading this light hearted romance! The OW brought just enough drama to add another level of interest. Great continuation of a story line.
Profile Image for Krystal Norder.
11 reviews
April 22, 2025
Rollercoaster ride

What a wicked piece of work Denise was. After all the pain they have lived through, glad they got their happy ending. Great peek into Callie, that sounds like it's gonna be angsty.
1,075 reviews2 followers
October 11, 2025
3⭐️’s

“𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓢𝔀𝓪𝓷. 𝓜𝔂 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮. 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝓰𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓼 𝓶𝓮 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓪𝓰𝓮. 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝓫𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓵𝓲𝓯𝓮 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓘’𝓭 𝓫𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓭𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓲𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓭𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓼𝓸 𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰.”

𝚃𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚜:
💚Unrequited Love
💚Friends Brother
💚Workplace Romance

𝚂𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 🌶️🌶️
𝙷𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝙰𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛: Yes

*𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚌𝚔 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚌𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍*
Profile Image for Shelley.
735 reviews25 followers
Want to read
September 26, 2023
i might revisit this one.... the first few chapters just didn't grab me at this point in time.
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