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He Falls First
Jill Shalvis
354 Pages
August 5, 2025
Blurb:
No one is going to convince her to fall in love again…
Ryder Colburn has his hands full running the family business and caring for the ailing father who’s a virtual stranger from the cold, heavy-handed man he used to be. He’s got zero free time for hobbies or women. Or so he thinks until one walks into his life… and the path of an oncoming car.
Ryder doesn’t mind playing the hero for the skittish, scarred chef Penny. Maybe it’s the secrets in her eyes or the scar on her chin. Whatever the reason, he’s compelled to get closer.
Penny’s learned her lesson and now she’s paying the price. That’s why she’s sharing a dilapidated house in a tiny California town with her feisty grandmother and tween brother living off the leftovers from her catering job. It’s a far cry from her dream life. But who needs dreams… or love… or sex when there’s amateur plumbing projects to tackle and breakfast casseroles to bake?
One thing’s for sure, she’s never falling in love again. Not even with the sexy, snarky contractor who keeps testing the walls she’s built.
My take:
I really liked this one! Trauma can be so hard to heal from and we really get in our own way in the process. I love how the main characters had such great support from their friends and family with this.
Penny is back in her hometown taking care of her younger brother and grandmother after escaping a bad situation, and she’s completely given up on finding someone. Ryder is in charge of his company in a way he didn’t expect and isn’t used to, and is overworked and overtired as a result. But when he meets Penny, he can’t help but find the time to spend with her.
There’s a lot of complicated life stuff in here, but I really felt like it was so well done that I was living it with the characters. I love seeing him just fall for her and have no clue, but more than that, the fact that he never gave up, which was exactly what she needed.
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