Falling For Who

by Erica Lee

Marjorie Madden has it all. She’s been out since middle school, is the most popular person in her grade, and according to her friends could get any girl she wants (even the straight ones).

Marjorie isn’t interested in dating, though. All of her focus is on becoming a starter on the varsity basketball team and leading her team to victory. That is, until an anonymous note appears in her locker from a secret admirer. The person writing the notes is like no one she’s ever met, except apparently, she has met them.

Falling for this mystery girl has Marjorie’s feelings going haywire, and soon she finds herself falling for someone else as well.

Should she continue living in this fantasy world with her mystery girl or should she take on the real world with the girl who’s right in front of her? Suddenly, there is a lot more to eleventh grade than just basketball.

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, LGBT, Young Adult, Queer, Contemporary, Sports

238 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 19, 2022

About the author

Erica Lee finished writing her first book, Dear Santa: I’m Gay, in December 2016. Erica currently lives in Pennsylvania with her wife, dog, chinchilla, and bunny. She spends her days working as an optometrist and her nights snuggled up on the couch with her furry family, binging on netflix or youtube.

Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[John Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of three YA LGBTQI books I finished tonight, this one dealing with popular Marjorie, a popular high school basketball star who is openly gay, who starts receiving notes in her locker from a secret admirer. So there is a secret relationship happening for her as she and the rest of us are left to figure out just who her secret crush is. Lots of potential suspects as we meet many of her friends and possible secret admirers. Nice characters, shared narration between Marjorie and her crush and a satisfying ending.

3.5 stars rounded up

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always look forward to an Erica Lee book but I'm not a big fan of YA, so I wasn't really sure how I would like this one. I shouldn't have worried because this book captured me with how unique and sweet it was. Marjorie is a high school student, who is loved by all in her town. She has been out since middle school and her focus is firmly on making the varsity basketball team as a starter, not on dating. Notes begin appearing in Marjorie's locker from someone she could see herself changing her views on dating, if only she knew who they were from.
What makes this book special the reader is as in the dark as Marjorie is as to who the mystery suitor is. The chapters alternate being from Marjorie's POV to the suitor's so the reader goes on the same adventure as Marjorie. The result is an entertaining, sweet and satisfying read that will leave a smile on your face. It's another winner from Erica Lee.

An ARC was received from the author for an honest review.

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this was okay but not anything too special in my opinion. I liked the concept with the secret lover and the notes etc but I felt like the notes they wrote to each other weren’t that deep and the true action happens really near the end. The characters felt believable and with interesting backstories but I didn’t really feel their connection, and the dialogue also felt unnatural sometimes. I felt like the two MC´s meeting got dragged out more and more as time went on.

Even though I didnt love it it was still okay and an easy and enjoyable young adult romance/mystery novel that I would recommend if you want something fast

[Robert M · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did read the whole thing and it was generally compelling. Though, I did find myself speedreading a bit as i thought the point of the MCs meeting got further and further dragged out - which may be a plus for most readers. I did get quite invested in the relationship and it made me smile a lot, though. And, silly me, I actually thought these two had gotten to the point that when the revelation came they would communicate, lol.
Ultimately, though, I hated the ending and didn't finish the Epilogue. It may be to the author's credit that i really cared about these two characters. Especially the not-Marjorie character
and that's why it was so upsetting to see her get ghosted, especially since she's been ghosted by her dad. Can she trust anyone anymore?. Which resulted in me hating the book. The funny thing is, I have really liked some of the author's other books. Note: spoiler doesn't tell who the secret admirer is. Just a rant on the trope.

Update as this book came to mind the today. Speaking of ranting on the trope: i haven't started a new wlw romance since this book. This book really bothered me. The last part just really negated the whole rest of the book for me. I have read several enemies to lovers couples who communicated better than the character i was supposed to be rooting for in this book. Ugh. I have re-read a few of my favorites, but for the most part i am spending time on other hobbies. So, in a way i'm grateful for this book, lol.

Marjorie got exactly what she wanted and then ghosted the person she was so obviously into? My least favorite trope - the ghosting as a way to an HEA. Seemed like it was just to have a dark moment, maybe, or to set up a romantic gesture? After all this history, you'd think they would've worked it out together, lol.
Nothing about the last 10% of the book made sense to me. Marjorie, who is nice to everyone, just abandons the person she was crazy about? Even though Marjorie told her she didn't want to know. To top it off that person that she ghosts already had trust issues and Marjorie has just made them worse.
Why does the other person, who has been ghosted, have to make the grand gesture to someone who's actions say don't-talk-to-me? Isn't that stalking? I really didn't think it would go there. Whatever. Didn't finish the epilogue as i don't buy the HEA.

If Marjorie runs when everything she hoped was true, was true, how long will she ghost after their first fight?

[Juno · Rating 3 out of 5]

painfully cheesy lovesick teenagers.

that about sums this up

who writes drunk notes like that? it hurt.

[Vita L. Licari · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cute story! Marjorie is a junior in high school, is out with her sexuality, is on the girls varsity basketball team and is popular. One day she finds a note in her locker from a secret admirer. She answers it back and they converse that way. Marjorie also works part time at the local icecream shop with Payton who goes to school at the rival school. Payton and Marjorie become really close friends and start to grow closer, but, Marjorie is still exchanging letters with her secret admirer. The side characters are great too! Lydia, Marjorie's best friend, Eli, Payton's best friend, Jazmine, Delilah, Genesis, Thalia and of course the parents. This is a very good read, and you'll really enjoy it! 5 stars!!

[Alexa Steli · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5
The idea was soo good but it wasn't done right.I mean there was only one interaction between the mc and the love interest in the first 30% of the book????and it was irrelevant, like how I'm I supposed to be rooting for them when I don't know who to root for????

I can't believe I'm about to say this but...too much romance. I'm serious. Why was everyone into each other???jumping from someone to someone, it was so unrealistic and unnecessary

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este libro es palomero y muy rápido de leer.

Aunque desde un inicio puedes predecir qué la protagonista se va a enamorar de la misma persona, su punto fuerte es el pinponeo entre candidatas. Debo decir que fue divertido de leer.
No obstante, mi calificación baja porque creo que con un final estuvo bien, los otros dos fueron demasiado forzados.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

G rated YA coming out and mystery book as in who is the love interest?... interesting premise and well written of course as it is Erica. 4 stars

[Misha · Rating 4 out of 5]

(rounded down from 4.25)

This was a cute Love Simone-esque sapphic YA story. We have our main (and named) character, Marjorie who is cute, athletic, popular, and openly out at school and then our unnamed "love interest" character who writes Marjorie notes because she's not ready to come out or reveal her identity. The notes are cute, but not the most authentic in terms of how young people write notes (nobody writing by hand writes wHut U SaId, etc., that's just silly) and I thought the medium of emails worked better as used in Love Simon because kids today who have their cell phones would probably just use an anonymous email address rather than risk hand-written and hand-delivered notes to a locker.

Despite those little niggling issues, this will keep you decently guessing, with a lot of red herrings and rotating through the roster of Marjorie's friends to put together the clues from the "love interest" POV and pick out the person in her life who's afraid to reveal her identity in person.

[ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow…. just wow. This book was unbelievably good. I loved it.

[Rachael BP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun cute romance that keeps you guessing.

I personally needed something that was predominantly drama free. This ticked the box for me.

3.7 stars was lovely written , easy to like characters, and I personally think some side stories would work.

[& · Rating 4 out of 5]

i ate this book. literally ate it. they're so so cute and payton is my little bear 🤍

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I have ever finished a book in the span of 24 hours. I think before that my quickest time was back in Highschool where I finished a book in 3 days. This book shocked me with how adorable, fun, heartwarming, and intriguing it was! (Really I only just stumbled upon it on my first day of kindle unlimited) This was the perfect book to read on a rainy Oregon day snuggled up with my dog or cat, drinking tea, and just soaking in all the warm fuzzies it gave me. I loved the swap of perspectives between the two main characters and the infuriating question of “who is *love interest*” That’s probably the main reason why I couldn’t put it down. I just NEEDED to know! And the amount of times I was sure I knew who it was just to be wrong or second guess myself was astounding. I loved all the misdirects and the suspense of the mystery. I only read my first queer romance book this year and I feel like I’m making up for lost time consuming all the adorable queer stories I can. This is one I’ll definitely read more than once.

[Dominika Piskorz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!! The plot was brilliant, the fact that we had no idea who the second narrator was, wow! It’s definite my top read of 2023!

[chickenglare · Rating 4 out of 5]

To preface this… I’m gay but not biased. …Maybe.

Vague Synopsis By Me: Marjorie is the known love interest of the book. Marked *Love Interest* is the unknown love interest. They began talking by passing notes in Marjorie’s locker, and later falling for each other and when the stakes are high, they find each other.

It was about a 3.5 stars out of 5 as an overall novel. For a YA book? 4/5. I think it could have been cut down about 50-100 pages, considering the entire 500 pages. The mystery was great, and a lot of people complained about the fact that all of the girls around the known love interest were jumping at her romantically (usually drunk or in a manipulative way). I don’t think this was a bad tactic to keep people on their toes. Because while you’re reading, you think each of these girls is the unknown love interest until the very very end.

My Personal Favorite:

- I like that the unknown love interest is very vague in a way that doesn’t feel overly evasive. I didn’t even really realize she wasn’t giving Marjorie a lot to know about her until midway through. Another thing is that she uses nicknames that seem to have no other purpose as a nickname like “Bug” to the love interest is someone else entirely to Marjorie. It’s sneaky, and I love it?! (I am also a very naive reader.)

- I like the dynamic a little between Marjorie and the love interest. I mean, it was written for me to. I like that Marjorie is much more human than other YA or kids books I’ve read with similar character “templates.” For example, and this may seem incomparable, but Mackenzie and Nikki in “Dork Diaries.” Mackenzie is flat, and never changes throughout the book series. Anyway.

My Personal Least Favorite:

- The setting. Well, actually, the time frame. They all talk like it’s the early 2000’s, mostly Lydia. “biotch” threw me off entirely, and the dialogue can be a bit clunky at times. I just wish I knew what year they were going for. The book “Always, Mackenzie” by Kate Constable does a really great job of demonstrating that the book is set in the late 90’s to early 2000’s by subtly talking about how “only the rich or significant students have *mobiles.”* Another example is how the characters interact, and how the opposite sex is treated.

- How many pages there were. Towards the end, I got really impatient. I think it could get cut down a few more pages. I found myself skipping pages and pages. Did I miss anything? I don’t think so.

- I think getting drunk and partying frequently isn’t a thing much anymore. Not where I’m from. Judging from the use of smart phones, I’m sure this book is meant to be close to the present. The side characters felt a little weird about their interest in drinking and partying, maybe that’s just me.

[ReadingwithCaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know how I stumbled across this little gem, but I am glad I did. Although YA novels aren’t my usual go to, Erica Lee really warmed my heart with this sweet high school story. It’s a cute sort of romantic mystery that I couldn’t wait to watch unfold before my eyes.

Marjorie Madden has everything going for her. She is popular, likes girls and is living out and proud. She has some great friends, a loving family and is the star of the schools basketball team. Her life gets even more interesting when one day she finds a note in her locker from a secret admirer.

The ‘love interest’ is madly in love with Marjorie but is too scared to actually say it to her in real life. Hence, she starts writing notes to her. And she is very pleasantly surprised when Marjorie starts writing back.

It was so much fun going back to high school and living it through the eyes and hearts of these two girls. Lee writes her characters in first person which makes you feel even closer to them. It is not hard to relate to their struggles even when you yourself are way past high school age 😉

Marjorie and her mysterious admirer go through normal everyday life but the way Erica Lee describes the different situations it is like you are with Marjorie at the ice cream shop where she works or shouting her name across the basketball stadium watching her play some freaking great games.

I can imagine this book being very important for a teenage girl that is wondering about her own preferences. I’m sure as hell I would have loved to read it when I was in that stage wondering what all my feelings meant. Nowhere in this book is there a big adversity about being gay. There are the normal doubts and fears but Marjorie’s confidence in being herself is a boost for everyone struggling with having these feelings.

If you’re looking for a steamy romance, maybe this isn’t a good fit as it is all very PG. For me the sweetness and relatability of the story more than makes up for it!

Erica Lee keeps the mystery alive about who this mysterious love interest is, almost until the end and I kept turning pages to see if I could figure it out. Although I had an inkling it took me a good while to be sure, all the while eagerly turning pages.

Please do yourself or any girl who is going through coming out a favor, and go read this book!

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was such a fun ass read. unfortunately, this book did make me realize that young adult books are a hit or miss for me because i can tell this book was meant for someone younger than me because of the flow of the relationship, but it doesn't take away that i found myself immersed into the story. first off, i love the idea of kind of a guess who but it's romance. you have marjorie, who on surface looks like she has it altogether and popular but she's a bit dorky, awkward and easy to love, and then you have her love interest who can be about 7 different girls (this number may be wrong, but you start slowly crossing off prospects as soon as you can keep reading and their personalities get revealed). you see how amazing marjorie is and how she's something to everyone, but in this case, someone is something for her. which was my only issue because i think the author could have explored that more, but AGAIN, that doesn't take away how good of a story this was. i love the healthy relationships, the healthy communication, and i love the part where marjorie states that she was not going to give in (after finding out who the secret admirer was) but she did because she was like it's easy with them and i shouldn't have to hide myself from feeling these feelings.

i think it's a great book for young adults who want a easy, healthy read about sapphics getting together.

[Minna Perälä · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5-3 stars. I was disappointed with the book, especially because of it's 4.3 average rating here.

The first 20% of the book was poorly written. The author had to bring bunch of girls to the picture to make the mystery girl to be a proper mystery but the way it was done was... clumsy. I didn't like the way the main character acted with the older girl in the beginning. Author used harsh language, at least harsher than YA books usually have. It felt like the book was about college kids/20-something people but brought to high school - at least on the writing style level. The characters mostly acted like teenagers.

After the story started settling, I found it entertaining and interesting. The main storyline, the mystery and the gradual revelation was well planned and partly also nicely written. The beginning just didn't work for me. Also, I didn't like the epilogue. It's not usual (at least what I've gotten used to) to have an epilogue in YA books, at least not one that goes so far into the future. I would have been more satisfied with the ending if the book ended after the first part of the epilogue that took place spring of senior year.

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was excited for a new novel from Erica Lee and quickly downloaded to start reading. This is YA book with the focus on Majorie Madden. She is a junior in high school and liked by most everyone. Her passion is basketball and being on the varsity basketball team. One day in her locker she finds a note from a secret admirer. She begins exchanging notes each one making the day brighter for the writers.

Part of the fun is not knowing who the “Love Interest” is for quite a while. You have suspicions but it can be several possibilities. Marjorie is okay with not knowing who the person is except she beigins a new and deeper friendship with a person she works with at an ice-cream shop. It’s confusing, can she have crushes on two people for different reasons.

The whole books is filled with good side characters, friends, families members etc. This is YA book that includes some language, mentions of a sibling having sex or others hooking-ups, underaged drinking and coming out. The MC’s get no more explicit than kissing. Appropriate for middle school and up. (4.5 stars)

[Issy Waldrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance and mystery. Not necessarily an unusual combination, but when the mystery is who the love interest is, when half the book is told from her point of view, that is certainly something.

This book is many things. Cute and adorable. Heartwarming. And clever. The story is well told, the mystery weaved well, but just as much is the tale of the characters themselves. Reading their stories, seeing them grow, and cheering them on as they realise that perhaps they have gotten themselves more involved than they'd thought, and fallen in love. This is a story accepting ones self, of discovering that there is a lot more to your friends that first realised, and of finding that special some one. Sure, things aren't always easy, and some people are not what they seem (both good and bad), but when you finally manage to get to that point? So sweet.

I absolutely loved this story, and can't recommend enough.

[Ryan Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful

Just a heartwarming love mystery. The characters were all adorable and sweet. The twist of not knowing for sure who the love interest was, was super fun. I chose correctly early on but there was enough twists and turns that I wasn't 100 sure I was right for a while. And by that point I was interested in what the other secrets and relationships were going to be. But beyond that there was good character growth across multiple characters.

The reason this got 5 stars and not 4 is that it didn't over do the misunderstanding reveal moment. It addressed the problem quickly and honestly and didn't drag anything out to the point of being unrealistic.

Great book, I look forward to reading more of Erica's work.

[Cindy Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marjorie is a popular high school junior who's been out as a lesbian since middle school. She has no interest in dating and is just focusing on her first season as a varsity basketball player. But then she begins to receive notes in her locker from an anonymous girl who tells her how wonderful she is. The two begin a secret correspondence just as Marjorie starts to take notice of other girls around her.

This is a guessing game wrapped inside a romance. The alternating chapters are narrated by Marjorie and "Love Interest," the girl who's writing the notes. There are many false and real clues as to her identity, but it doesn't become clear until about 2/3 of the way through, and even later for Marjorie.

This was a sweet and fun read that I think teens will really like. It's a solid 4.

[꧁Lucas꧂ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pudo haber sido un 5/5 pero Marjorie acercándose el final me sacó de quicio!
No quería saber quien era la chica detrás de las notas, pero se molesta porque la chica no le revela su identidad.
Sabe que esta chica tiene problemas de abandono y a la primera la abandona.
Nada qué ver con la Marjorie del resto del libro, al final sacó la inmadurez de lo más profundo de su ser.
Y la chica de las notas fue quien tuvo que hacer un gran gesto para recuperar a Marjorie? O sea? No amix, yo ahí la hubiera dejado
Las cosas le salen como quiere y encuentra la manera de hacer sentir mal a mi preciosa chica de las notas.
Come tierra Marjorie.
En este punto puede parecer que no, pero les juro que si me gustó jajajaja, solo la recta final fue un poquis decepcionante.

[Gina L · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Sweet Heartwarming Story!

Erica Lee is fast becoming a must read now writer. Her level of storytelling keeps going higher and higher. In this story, we have Marjorie, a almost senior who is finally playing varsity basketball. A popular out gay who everyone loves, one enough to leave love notes in her locker. As Marjorie gets ready for basketball season, she looks at her friends and others for who can be the author of the letters. This takes you on a very cute adventure and you meet a lot of Marjorie’s friends and co-workers while trying to solve the mystery. And as you figure out who the mystery writer is, the story takes you on to a very sweet conclusion.

[devil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasn’t sure about a YA book but I love Erica Lee books so I read it anyway. It was a sweet story. Made my heart so happy. I wish that when I was struggling with having crushes on girls in high school that there had been these kinds of books to read. I love that think that somewhere, and I really hope that somewhere, there are young LGBTQI kids out there who are reading these stories and just being who they were meant to be. Happily. Big thanks to Erica Lee and other authors as well for every story that contributes to helping anyone, young or old, see that love is love and it’s only going to get better.

[em. · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, I was well invested in the book thanks to all the mystery about who the "mysterous girl" was, but from the moment I realised who she was, I was totally surprised to be someone totally different from what I imagined.

At times, I didn't feel as much chemistry and connection between the characters as is said all the time, though I really enjoyed the romance itself.

The final conflict seemed kind of unnecessary and meaningless, as if it had only been put there to make some drama. Majorie’s reaction wasn’t that necessary whatsoever.

In the end, it's a very good cliché to read if you want to get a little distracted, but I wouldn't really recommend it.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes this book a pageturner is the wanting to know who the mystery love interest is. While reading the first sentence of the book I thought I already knew. But the number of candidates increased as the story went on. While reading on there were several times I thought I knew who it was, but about the same number of times there was a clue later on which made me think otherwise. About 75% in it becomes really clear. After a tiny bit of drama we go fast forward to the happy ever after. Even though it's not a complicated story and there is not really happening a lot it's a very nice, sweet and easy read. 4.5⭐️

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it in a day, it was really good. I absolutely fell in love with the MC and the Li(s), but Marjorie won most of my heart. She’s great.

The romance was great, the plot was great, the characters were immaculate.
It was sweet, it was cute, it was fun, it was amazing.
I loved it so much. I made me believe in love again, it kinda healed a little of my quite recent broken heart. All of it.

Now I’m upset that I won’t have a romance like this one, or a gf like Marjorie.

Totally recommend this one.

[Seb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a ya romance/note mystery.It was enjoyable but i felt like alot of the dialogue between the teens and secret notes where not of deep context where ppl get to know each other even anonymously and the action happens really near the end like when i was 16 i had months of secret convos via notes with ppl and we spoke about all sort of things till it progressed to actually meeting so in that respect i was looking for more from this book but that being said it was an easy going and enjoyable young adult romance which you can read in a day