Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a roller coaster and not your typical marriage of convenience and second-chance romance story. I loved Meli’s determination and Aaron’s sweetness. Emi was a great friend too. The transitions in the story between past and present events were generally well done.
I was confused within the first few chapters about which sequences were in the past and which ones were in the present as there was no clear definition. I did think the story was a cute concept and I enjoyed the banter between Meli and Aaron!

Meli, an independent woodworker, has to fake-marry Aaron to stop her uncle from selling her family shop. But SURPRISE (not really), fake feelings start looking a little too real, and suddenly, we’ve got tension, stolen glances, and the kind of chemistry that could burn down a house.


The chemistry between Meli and Aaron was ON FIRE. 🔥 I was literally blushing and laughing at the same time whenever they were in the same room. You know those couples that make you feel all soft and gooey inside? Yup, that was them. If opposites attract, then these two were practically magnets! It was clear as day that they were meant for each other. I loved every second of their back-and-forth banter, the way they light up when they see each other...

Now, I do have to mention that things moved rather quickly. A little too quickly for my taste. One minute, they’re meeting each other, and the next... well, let’s just say their relationship takes a leap into full-on marital bliss a little too soon for comfort. I’m all for insta-love in the right context, but this felt like I blinked, and suddenly we’re heading down the aisle. It was a bit of a whirlwind that I wasn’t quite prepared for.

As for the storytelling structure, while I do enjoy a good nonlinear timeline, I found myself a bit lost at times. There were a few instances when I had to double-check whether I was in the present or the past, and honestly, it threw me off. Now, I’m going to step onto my soapbox here for a moment—there were a couple of points in the book where, if the characters had just sat down and had a conversation, a lot of unnecessary drama could have been avoided.

But let's get back to the good stuff—if I were to judge this book solely on the romance, I would give it two thumbs up without hesitation. The connection between Meli and Aaron was undeniably beautiful, and it genuinely had me smiling like a fool the entire time. Their chemistry was palpable, and I found myself completely rooting for them from start to finish. 🥰

And let's not forget the cover and title—they were absolutely perfect. Honestly, I was sold on this book before I even opened the first page, and the cover certainly did not disappoint. It perfectly captured the essence of the story and set the stage for everything that followed.

3.5 ⭐️

This book was a roller coaster and not your typical marriage of convenience and second-chance romance story. Meli and Aaron's romance is at the heart of the narrative, but is interspersed with plot lines detailing complex family dynamics, addiction, self-doubt, familial and professional expectations, and found family.

The plot was at times a bit silly, it felt a little convoluted at times in the layers of family and corporate drama. I felt whiplash too with some of the decisions characters were making, and the 'why' of it all was not always clear or logical. At its core though, there was still a lot of heart and humour in this story, which helped to bring it all together in the end in a way that I felt was satisfying. The way that struggles with addiction, working through recovery and lingering feelings of guilt and shame were portrayed I thought were well executed.

I did wish we spent a little more time with Meli and Aaron together, I liked their dynamic and hoped for more. If you are looking for a pure rom-com or romance novel, this is probably not the right pick. If you are looking for a novel though with a romance at its core but more complex themes and interpersonal familial dynamics, you might like this one.

I don’t think I’ve ready any book by this author before. But this won’t be the first or last either. Loved it from the beginning to the end.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Spice: 🌶

<b> Quotes: </b>

<i> “If I wanted to inherit the shop one day— which I did— I needed to love my craft more than anything or anyone else in the world. The shop was our family’s legacy. It would always come first. Until the day it didn’t.”

“I’m nervous.”
“Because of me?”
“I thought I’d never see you again.”
“We promised we wouldn’t seek each other out.”
“It wouldn’t be the first promise we broke.” </i>

<b> Short version: </b>
For the fans of ordinary love which arises from the most extraordinary circumstances, this book is a portrait of a strong woman loved by a gentle man in the best of ways.

<b> Full review below:

Tropes: </b>
- runaway bride
- second-chance romance
- marriage of convenience

<b>Plot Summary: </b>

The first time Meli Hynes met Aaron Borland, she was on a plane fleeing the altar and the almost-husband she had left behind. But Meli soon realized she wasn’t so opposed to marriage after all. Just hours later, she found herself in a Vegas chapel, exchanging vows with Aaron. One week later, they quietly divorced, vowing never to speak again.
Now, five years later, Meli’s uncle is selling the business he once promised to give her — and the buyer just happens to be Aaron’s family. Determined to reclaim what’s hers, Meli will do anything to get that shop back... even marry Aaron again.

<b> The Good: </b>
As far-fetched as the premise sounds — a runaway bride, a Vegas wedding to a stranger, and a later marriage of convenience — the book’s greatest strength lies in its portrayal of a very ordinary kind of love. The moments Meli and Aaron share feel wonderfully mundane in the best way, making their relationship feel a little more real (and achievable, perhaps) than most romance novels.

I also really liked Meli as a character. While her fears and resistance to love sometimes felt exaggerated, her determination, fierceness, and business acumen made her an engaging FMC.

<b> The In-Between: </b>
At times, the overly descriptive writing feels clunky. Certain paragraphs seem to disrupt the pacing, even though they effectively paint vivid pictures of the scenes or characters.

<b> The Bad: </b>
This may be more of a “bad for me” scenario than a true flaw, as it probably wouldn’t bother most readers. Personally, I prefer linear timelines in novels or, at the very least, for flashbacks to be contained in a single chapter. Here, the author employs a unique storytelling style, where events are often introduced and then later expanded upon as memories in future chapters. For me, these time skips interrupted the novel’s flow. While it’s not my personal preference, I don’t think it should discourage anyone from giving the book a try.

<b> Cheating: </b> No
<b> Third-act Breakup: </b> Yes
<b> HEA: </b> Yes
<b> OWD: </b> Kinda

Falling For You Again by Kerry Lonsdale, published by Lake Union Publishing is a stand alone, second chances romance.
A witty and fun read that also is gripping, emotional, twisty in the best way with turns when I least expected it.
Meli and Aaron's story is a story that'll stay with me, I just know it.
I recommend this gem of a story that deserves all the stars.

This is heartwarming, cosy story of marriage of convenience which a fun twist that they were married before. I enjoyed reading about this marriage of convenience but didn’t like the other side stories that in my opinion took away from the main storyline. Bit of a slow book with too much going on.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book, all opinions expressed are my own.

Okay, I’ll admit it—I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did, but wow, did it surprise me! Falling for You Again took the classic marriage of convenience trope and gave it a fresh twist by making the couple previously married. Talk about built-in drama!

Aaron? Absolute perfection. The man would literally do anything for Meli, and honestly, we should all be so lucky. He wasn’t just your typical protective MMC—he was thoughtful, patient, and completely devoted in a way that made my heart melt. Meli, on the other hand, was strong-willed and independent, and watching them navigate their second chance was both entertaining and emotional.

The book had just the right balance of humor, heart, and swoon-worthy moments. I found myself grinning like an idiot at certain scenes, especially when Aaron went out of his way to prove himself to Meli. If you love a romance with a little angst, a lot of chemistry, and a hero who’s all in? Falling for You Again is a must-read.

Fall in love again with Meli and Aaron. Their story lifted me up and made me believe in the beauty of love. It is emotional, the humor hits exactly right, and the characters had me rooting for them. While I occasionally shouted at Meli to get out of her own way and not to take all her life's lessons from her Uncle Bear! The descriptions of the woodshop immediately transported me to my garage growing up. When my father was making furniture, nothing fancy just for our home. Giving each piece a lifeline back to my dad. The smell of wood shavings, the tang of the stain, and the whine of the saws. Made me wish I were craftier; plot twist I am not crafty in any way.

Meli's always dreamed of making her family furniture business on her own. To be able to steer the ship and have her ideas become a reality. Her Uncle Bear has always promised that he would hand the reins over to her. When she discovers that the plans have changed. Meli is on a mission to take back control. To be able to hold onto her family's business, along with their memories. She turns to her ex, Aaron. A man that she met while flying to Las Vegas on a whim. Who she married on this very same trip. They crafted a napkin of everything that makes a partner perfect. Five years later she discovers Aaron still has this napkin and every feeling, emotion, look, that they shared in those brief few days has never left her.

This book made me believe in love again. To let down your guard and to give yourself to a truly kind and emotionally available man. To find balance in your life no matter what it takes and how much discussion it takes to get there. The characters are flawed, each coming from homes that were questionable at best. Being able to share their own burdens with one another made their relationship much tighter and closer. I also need to mention the coffee shop names in the book are the best! Thank you to Kerry Lonsdale for having me on your ARC team. It has been an amazing trip!

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

A fast read that should find a broad audience. I love a good second chance romance, so the book held appeal, but the abrupt twists and how things resolve feel forced to me.

Meli and Aaron are so hot together. After their short marriage, they divorced and went their separate ways only to come back together 4 years later. Only they have not forgotten each other, and the spark is a flame now. Meli proposes a marriage of convenience to protect her legacy. Between family politics, fighting for the careers, and a fake marriage, there's a lot of angst that this couple has to navigate.

Well written, engaging, and amazing protagonists, this book was a win.

#FallingforYouAgain #NetGalley

This book started off so strong, but it quickly went downhill as the plot became overly complicated and the main issues surrounded lack of communication.

I hate when there are too many side plots. Honestly , this was just too complicated. All this had to be was a marriage of convenience for a girl who has trust issues and I would have been happy. But then we had absent, addict parents, an accidental pregnancy with the OW, and in-laws who hate the FMC and want to sabotage the marriage…it was too much.

Most of the issues our FMC had with the MMC could have been cleared up with communication. All they had to do was talk. Now, in the world of fight or flight, I am a flighter, but for the sake of function books I wanted them to talk it out opposed to her always running.

Also, how hard is it for a family to communicate? All they had to do was tell our FMC why they were selling and everything would have been cleared up.

I really enjoyed the first 25% of the book with the flashbacks. I was engrossed until we got to the complicated stuff. Aaron was close to book boyfriend material for a while there.

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by this author and I absolutely love Meli! She is so talented and though she is strong I loved that she had her vulnerabilities and that by the end of the book we she so much growth from her.

Meli and Aaron are not strangers and when Melinfinds herself in need of help she turns to the one person she knows can help, her ex husband! As they reach an agreement they discover that their ruse reveals truths that just might bring the end of their brief reunion!

I found myself really hooked to this story and not getting enough of these two. I did feel the end was rushed in a way but I do not want to spoil anything so I can’t say more than that. Overall though it’s a very fun story with some great characters that were easy to relate and connect with!

This book was wonderful. It is so much more than a romance, while Meli and Aaron's story is truly the most wonderful part of this story, there was so much more. This book is about forgiveness and healing. Meli's childhood and the beliefs that she has been lead to be true rule so much of her story. Meli is an amazing craftswoman. She is set to take over as the 3rd generation to run her family's business, however an email changes her whole world. In a quest to get what she rightfully believes is due to her, she comes up with a plan to get the Corporation set to buy her family legacy to withdraw their bid. I loved learning about how even thinking that love can't last, Meli was set to be married. I love what transpired during her day and the days that followed. Aaron is truly a good man. He is so wonderful. His willingness to step in and do what he can to help Meli. I know he had his own motives but holy cow, he is swoon worthy.

This book make me laugh and cry. I loved the relationship between Emi and Meli. Their friendship is beautiful. Emi was willing to fight for Meli and let her know that she deserved more from her Uncle and her parents. I love that when she was falling apart Emi held her together. Although the best advice came from an unlikely source.

The ending was perfection. The only hiccup I saw fixed itself (Fallen). I know from the first mention of her that I would not be a fan.


Thank you to Lake Union and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Meli es una excelente carpintera y albañista. Trabaja en la empresa de su tío, quien le prometió que le cedería la tienda cuando se jubilara. Sin embargo, se lleva la sorpresa de su vida cuando él le anuncia que la venderá y que no hay nada que ella pueda hacer para hacerle cambiar de opinión.
Pero Meli conoce a alguien que podría ayudarla: Aaron, su exesposo, a quien no ha visto en cinco años. Aaron se sorprende al volver a verla, pero siempre ha tenido una debilidad por ella y no duda en aceptar ayudarla. El plan es simple: volver a casarse.


~

La historia me gustó tanto que la leí de una sentada, pero tuve tres problemas (en realidad, dos, porque el otro es más una preferencia personal):

1. El hecho de que Aaron no tuviera povs hizo que no lograra conectar al 100% con él y que lo sintiera más como un personaje de apoyo. No dudo que amara a Meli, pero tampoco sentí que hiciera lo necesario para demostrárselo cuando debía. Por ejemplo, cuando ocurrió la noticia impactante (no diré cuál para evitar spoilers), aceptó demasiado rápido la decisión de Meli y no luchó por hacerle entender que la amaba y que no dejaría que nada los separara.

2. Lo de la noticia... para que al final resultara ser un “que siempre no”. Ese tipo de giros no me gustan. Puedo aceptarlos cuando se saben desde el inicio, pero cuando son una sorpresa, ¡uff, los odio!

3. Lo relacionado con los padres de Meli. No entendí cómo, después de todo lo que hicieron, ella los perdonó tan fácilmente, como si nada hubiera pasado.




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love second chance romance so this was great for me! This was good and full of love, marriage and heartbreak! The thing that bought this book down for me was the miss communication, i hate the miss communication trope and cannot understand why people don’t just talk about the problems they are facing especially in this book as it was usually over silly things.
However their story was very beautiful on how they found love again with eachother, and i was entertained!

A whirlwind marriage, second chances, and two hearts still tangled... Falling For You Again is an enjoyable, emotional read about love, family, and the power of forgiveness. Meli and Aaron’s impulsive Vegas wedding and quick separation set the stage for a story that explores whether love can truly stand the test of time.

I loved Meli’s determination and fiery spirit, and Aaron’s sweetness and unwavering support added warmth to their dynamic. Their chemistry shines in moments of playful banter, making their connection feel genuine and heartfelt. Aaron’s quiet patience, especially in the face of Meli’s strong will, made him a character I rooted for — though I wished his personality had been given more depth beyond simply following Meli’s lead.

I wasn’t a fan of the family’s miscommunication dynamic, especially in how Meli was excluded from important business decisions — it only reinforced my belief that both Meli and Aaron could seriously benefit from therapy. Also, the on-again-off-again nature of their relationship felt a little contrived at times, and the resolution wrapped up a bit too neatly for me. However, the engaging plot and witty banter between the characters kept me hooked from start to finish. Kerry Lonsdale balances heavier themes of family pressure and emotional wounds with humour and emotional sincerity, creating an uplifting story of love and self-discovery.

This book left me feeling hopeful and entertained, and I’m giving it four stars. Meli and Aaron’s journey proves that sometimes, the heart just needs a second chance — and maybe even a little therapy!

I don’t think marriage should be entered into or exited lightly, and ironically, this book about an impulsive marriage and quick divorce actually seems to agree. Meli and Aaron wed on a whim in Vegas and separate after a week, but never forget each other.

I loved Meli’s determination and Aaron’s sweetness. Emi was a great friend too. The transitions in the story between past and present events were generally well done. And it’s a smaller thing, but I loved all of the coffee shop names.

It wasn’t a five-star read for me just because the on-again-off-again rollercoaster felt too contrived then too easily resolved. (Also, it’s a smaller thing, but the focus on clothing felt silly and distracting sometimes.)

Overall, despite some REALLY heavy content, this is an enjoyable read. It has an engaging plot and two main characters (who I really hope go to therapy, because both sets of parents did a number on them).

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the free eARC. I post this review with my honest opinions. This review is cross-posted on Goodreads and will be posted on Amazon upon the book’s publication.

Content notes: profanity, mentions of past drug use, parental abandonment, coded mention of risk of sexual assault, death of a family member + grief, mention of gambling addiction, brief and not-descriptive sexual content (easy to skip if you so choose)
One more content note, but it contains a spoiler so past this if you wish

…
unplanned pregnancy

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute romance story between two people who on a whim decided to get married in Vegas 5 years prior after the fmc left her former fiancée at the alter. The mmc and fmc's own competing furniture businesses but they don't know eachother well.

Five years later after a quick divorce previously fate brings them together again. When Meli, decides that getting into a fake marriage ( that again is very real) again will save her family's business from bring bought put by Aaron's family's business, he happily goes along with her plans.

Chaos ensues as their families battle it out for control of the business and Aaron and Meli get to know eachother now that they are married a second time.

Has the following tropes:
🌟 Fake Marriage
🌟 Second Chance Romance
🌟 Marriage of Convience
🌟 family drama

I did think the story was a cute concept and I enjoyed the banter between Meli and Aaron

I was confused within the first few chapters about which sequences were in the past and which ones were in the present as there was no clear definition.

Also. I wanted to see more character depth in the relationship. I didn't feel like Aaron had much of a personality beyond just going along with Meli's plans and wished his character traits were more fleshed out.