Book Review for He Falls First by Jill Shalvis

 

Colburn Brothers #1

He Falls First by Jill Shalvis

Published:  August 5, 2025 by Sourcebooks Casablanca

Genre:  Romance, Contemporary Romance, He Falls First, Chick Lit

Taken from Goodreads:  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 Thoughts:  He Falls First in a trope that I love.  I could not wait to see how Penny and Ryder’s story would play out.  Neither were looking for each other but they just could not stay away from each other. 

While this is their story, their families are so important to the story.   They are hilarious but even more they are nosy, supportive, over involved, and only want the best for each other.  They are the perfect families for Penny and Ryder.  I am so excited to know that Ryder’s siblings have their stories still to come.

I devoured this book.  Jill Shalvis is a must-read author for me.  The romance always gets me with the heat and the romance.  But the development of the characters are what keep me reading.  I become invested in their stories, needing to know how it will all come together.

Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Meet the Author (taken from her website):  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes contemporary romance and romantic comedies filled with madcap adventures and shenanigans and sexy times. (just don’t tell her mom). She’s sold 20 million plus copies worldwide to date and lives with her family in a small mountain town near Lake Tahoe full of quirky characters (Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is mostly coincidental).