Fall Into You by Dylan Morrison
Publication Date June 18/25

This is a charming, humorous and heartwarming queer romance that also offers deeper emotional layers, exploring the journey of returning to your roots to confront unresolved childhood trauma.

William fled his family’s apple farm at 18, escaping the weight of unrelenting pressure, disappointment and his fathers intense anger. Now a successful scientist, he is reluctantly drawn back to his hometown following his father’s death. His life is upended when he meets Casey, a handsome and capable man who has transformed the struggling orchard into something beyond William’s imagination. As William plans to sell the farm, Casey forces him to reconsider everything he thought he wanted.

This is a beautifully written love story about the power of connection - about finding someone who truly sees you, understands your pain, and who lifts you up so that you believe happiness is within reach. The novels exploration of complicated grief, estrangement, and healing adds emotional depth and complexity to the story making it a compelling read.

While I loved the writing and the well developed characters, the story would have benefited from tighter editing to trim some sections and improve pacing. Still this is a wonderful, feel-good read that is perfect for your summer reading list.

Thanks to Dylan Morrison, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC! My review is my own.

This book was delightful and I absolutely tore through it. It's got more angst in it than I would ordinarily expect from something billed as a rom-com, but that angst is well-portrayed and thoughtfully handled.

<b><i>"Will can almost feel the man that he was supposed to be hovering behind him, breath harsh against the back of his neck, waiting with dwindling patience for Will to turn around and face him."</b></i>

Will spent the first 18 years of his life being constantly reminded that he's a disappointing failure to live up to the manly family legacy and take over the family farm. He walks away vowing never to return... but he <i>has</i> to, when it turns out that his father never changed his will and Will has inherited the farm. He goes back to his hometown to sell the farm to a developer. There he meets Casey, the farm manager, who is everything Will was supposed to have been but isn't: tall, burly, sociable, a business success, and beloved by the entire town - including Will's late father. Casey's living in Will's childhood home and running his family's business. Instant animosity ensues. When a natural disaster strands Will at the farm, he's forced to come to terms with his past, his present life, and his growing feelings for Casey.

Note #1: There is definitely some handwaving that you have to overlook here. Our setting is a delightfully atypical tiny Ohio town where, apparently, the only homophobic residents were Will's now-deceased parents and the town is economically thriving with new businesses on Main Street and lots of young people. Also, Will's improbable trajectory from "leaving home with nothing" to "becoming a successful academic researcher" is glossed over as something that was hard for a few years but manageable. But if you're willing to let fantasy be fantasy, this is a lovely book.

Note #2: Spicy as apple juice. Thoroughly closed-door.

Interesting little story about returning to the place you ran away from and being forced to face things you thought you could avoid forever.

A unique and unusual story that still captures all the things we love to read about: enemies to lovers, romance, fear, secrets and all the people we have to deal with. Told entirely from Will’s POV which is a treat in itself: he is not boring!

I received an advance copy of Fall Into You from Storm Publishing. I enjoyed it and you will, too. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed the heck out of this (even though the NG Kindle download had some kind of glitch that turned every "fi" into "!" and was hence unreadable, and the version on the NG app was formatted in infinitesimal font—none of which matters to anyone but me, but wow was it frustrating). I loved the style, which was sort of an elevated version of contemporary romance/rom-com, if that makes any sense? Like, the subject matter and language and internality at some times felt like literary fiction, except without being impenetrable or dull. (I must say, though: Step away from the semicolons, author! And anyone who knows me knows how I love my semicolons.)

I saw one review describing this as YA. Um, NOPE. The MCs are in their late twenties/mid-thirties, and the story is fully mature (though there's no graphic sex on the page).

The one thread that I felt was kind of dropped was the one about early-onset dementia. That's a horrific illness, and the specter of it was raised but then never discussed. Perhaps it couldn't have been covered in any satisfactory way, but... it did niggle at me a bit.

On the whole, though, I thought this was a delight, and I'll eagerly look forward to more from this author.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

I enjoyed this story. Will has built a life for himself far from the family apple farm where he could never please his father no matter how hard he tried. After his father dies, he returns to the farm to possibly sell it ... but he runs into Casey, who's been living there helping Will's father. Will is the most awkward character! He has these constant internal conversations with himself that are sometimes hilarious. He has to learn to trust his feelings and how to overcome his difficult childhood. A fun read, watching Will and Casey's relationship develop after a bumpy start!
Thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing, and Dylan Morrison for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is an extremely unique & utterly adorable story about finding love in unlikely places—about being loved despite your trauma, and learning to accept yourself.

I enjoyed every second of it.

It’s perfect for anyone who is a fan of small towns, queer romance, and family dramas.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

I'll admit it, I was totally addicted - I ended up staying up into the small hours just to finish because I couldn't put it down. This is sweet and light and comforting like an apple pie, with an emotional core that had me starting to tear up at times.

The plot is an almost stereotypical made-for-tv small-town romcom plot, with Will coming back to his small town after years away, but we're never here for the plot complexity, we're here for the emotional beats, and this had them in spades. It's much more about Will overcoming his trauma growing up and feeling like he never was able to meet anyone's expectations and having to escape that than it is about his romance with Casey, but Casey is still a big player in that overcoming-trauma piece.

I wish we'd had a little more of Will and Casey stuck in the house together while the bridge got fixed and learning each other to shift those first impressions (partly because I was yelling the entire time that it was clear they both had different interactions and impressions of Bill and needed to talk that out, and that seemed like the perfect "Will can't run away" setup to me, so to have it just skipped over felt odd to me).

Overall, extremely heartwarming and perfect fall small-town vibes.

A charming exploration of psychology, small town living, and the beginnings of a beautiful relationship.

I enjoyed this book. Whole book is written from Will's POV which gives the reader a great insight of how he thinks, and it's quite erratic at times. Will holds himself to a really high standard, and has a lot of anxiety from it. He doesn't always handle social situations well, which comes off as rambling speeches- but he is also well aware of this.
I would've loved to read even a one chapter from Casey's POV since while he came through as a great person, with his own history and battles, he was still sort of an enigma.
The story was fun, and sweet. I loved that there was a lot of things happening, so the book flowed fast.

Honestly just very average
I had high hopes from the first few pages but the pacing was so off, and there are lots of little things that seem to be skimmed over—e.g. how was the MC able to just go off to the farm and never come back? considering he loved botany so much I was expecting more of an internal war with deciding whether to stay or go back to his old life. I think it was a little difficult also to connect to Will too. It was ok but nothing amazing. I think fans of these typical light romances will like this a lot but for me it was just not my style at all

An emotive and dramatic book tenderly written. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

I genuinely had the best time reading this book.
I laughed OUT LOUD multiple times at the quirky awkward internal monologue of Will.
I had all the heartwarming feelings reading this, it was the perfect romcom.

I absolutely adored Will and how ridiculous and adorable he was. He really holds himself under a microscope and analyses himself in a way that he doesn’t hold others accountable to. He was very endearing and his self realisation journey was incredibly heart warming.

Casey was a great love interest, he was unexpected at times but really helped Will understand parts of himself that Will was trying to pretend didn’t exist. The meet cute was so much fun and complete agony at the same time.

Selma! Obsessed. LOVE HER. Can she have her own book please.

One thing I’m confused about is the bridge situation, if Wills stuck in town and can’t get out, how are the others opposite also stuck in town and can’t get out? It’s breaking my brain slightly to be honest. But I’m ignoring that for the plot.

Thank you to Storm publishing and NetGalley for this eARC. This is my honest opinion.

It is with absolute joy that I get to read a romance from one of my favorite writers in published book form. And as with all his other work, I devoured it in nearly one sitting. Fall themes holiday romcom vibes with snappy witty dialogue, pageturning tension, and packed with a hearty dose of love for humanity. I can't wait to see what works come next!

This novel offers an intriguing premise with emotional depth, but it doesn't fully deliver on its potential. The initial setup is compelling, drawing readers into the protagonist's journey. However, as the story progresses, it becomes somewhat convoluted, with multiple plot threads that can be challenging to follow.

The characters are well-developed, and their interactions add a layer of authenticity to the narrative. Yet, the pacing feels uneven at times, and the ending, in particular, seems rushed and overly complex, leaving some questions unanswered.

Despite these issues, the book's exploration of personal growth and resilience is commendable. It's a story that may resonate with readers who appreciate character-driven narratives, even if the plot's execution isn't flawless.

Looking for a cute and funny small-town romance with some heavy topics added in? Look no further than Fall Into You by Dylan Morrison. This story was fast-paced, heartwarming, and deeply engaging. It follows Will, who left his hometown as a teenager to escape a toxic relationship with his father. Years later, he returns to sell the old family farm, something he never imagined doing. Along the way, he meets Casey, and though their first interactions are filled with tension and bickering, their relationship slowly evolves into something sweet and genuine. The emotional depth of the characters is beautifully portrayed through their dialogue, actions, and inner thoughts. The writing style is absolutely chef’s kiss—fluid, expressive, and emotionally resonant. Themes of grief, parental loss, and anxiety are woven in thoughtfully, with representation that feels authentic and respectful. I could easily see this being adapted into a film, and I’d be first in line to watch it. I’m also incredibly excited for the next two books the author has planned, I’ll be reading them as soon as they’re released!

Suggestions: So one of the suggestions I would have is to NOT use capitalization to show when a character is yelling, j feel like when reading it it can be 1) distracting and 2) Tacky. I also don’t know if it’s just me but when the cover was revealed it lowkey looks like ai? I don’t know what specifically but it looks a little messy and blended, there’s also no cover artist credit (yet it might still be in process) but the actual book itself was really good! The cover just throws me off and gives me Ai suspicion vibes

Will + Casey

-mm romance
-enemies to lovers
-forced proximity
-romcom
-third person

i have a really hard time connecting with third person narratives & for the romance/spice to be such a low level it makes it even worse for me personally. but the story was super cute!

A cotton candy book: fun, silly, moderately twee, and comfortingly ridiculous. Requires a robust suspension of disbelief. Recommended as a beach read (especially if the beach is a Midwestern lake).

The publisher’s comps to Casey McQuiston and Alexis Hall are accurate, though this book is less skillfully written. The prose is kind of awkward, the dialogue unconvincing (“Gee, thanks, mister!”). Honestly, I think the author’s fanfiction is better written. (That’s not an insult, I really like his fanfiction!)

A lot of things in this book get handwaved, in a way that strains my credulity. The main character is an academic, but the portrayal of academia is glaringly unrealistic, both in the small details and in the major plot points. (If it were that easy to set up a lab wherever you want, everyone would be doing it!) Similarly, he left home abruptly at 18 and had no contact with his family after that, but he somehow “found an apartment, and then a job, and then I applied to college, and got in.” But how did he get an apartment with no job, no rental history, and no co-signer? (There’s no mention of him knowing anyone in the city he moved to.) How did he go to college with no FAFSA and no family support?

The major characters don’t quite feel like real people. The love interest is a little too perfect; it feels like the main character is allowed to have flaws but the love interest isn’t. And the main villain is wildly cartoonish. The author might as well have drawn a big red circle around the villain’s face with a big red arrow and a label reading “WE DON’T LIKE HER! YOU CAN TELL SHE’S EVIL BECAUSE SHE’S ANNOYING!” which made me feel patronized as a reader. That said, the other villain—Will’s deceased father—feels more real and nuanced. And the love interest’s backstory is fleshed out well and really makes sense for the character and the plot.

While the major characters are somewhat unconvincing, the side characters unexpectedly shine. It was the side characters, the townspeople who haven’t seen Will in 20 years, who made me cry. In fact, I was more invested in Will’s personal arc of becoming reacquainted with his hometown and finding community there than I was in the romance.

In spite of the shortcomings, this was never a chore to read, and I generally enjoyed it. It’s the candy you buy at a gas station on a road trip: it’s not a hot meal made with fresh ingredients, but sometimes gas station candy is exactly what you want.

This book is like a warm hug and a therapy session rolled into one - in the best way. Any fears of the story being generic or built on tired tropes are dismissed very early on and the writing style draws you in and sets the stage for a story that doesn’t shy away from the difficult stuff but always handles it with heart and grace. The characters are written was unique identity and I fell in love with Will and Casey even before they fell for each other. The plot and relationship feels earned and gratefully it never slips into the temptation of a cheap, late in the game twist to drive them apart. I wasn’t ready for this story to end but it has to be said the final chapter is one of the most beautiful I’ve read in a long time.

I devoured this book—I picked it up thinking it would be a nice thing to pick away at while enjoying an afternoon break, and didn’t put it down again until it was finished. I expected it to be fun (and it was) and what I did not expect was how much the themes & characters would grab me & refuse to let go until I saw how things ended. I loved it, the characters were charming, the setting was beautiful, & one of the great upsides of reading about a place is the mosquitos can't get you through the page!

Morrison does a great job balancing the whole host of fun character personalities with the deeper struggles with loving something in spite of yourself, and learning to love something intentionally instead, working through all the snarls and bumps. This book really touched me as a queer midwesterner myself, and I think it’s the perfect book for anyone on a relaxing afternoon. Just make sure you grab anything you want before you settle in, because you might not want to get up until you reach the end! I'm looking forward to an audiobook, as I think this will also be a fantastic book for a road trip.

I can’t wait to see what else this author has to offer—this one is already going to the top of my book club’s TBR pile.

What a beautiful read full of emotion, drama, full of life characters and so much more! The small-town vibe, the tension between the two main characters, a very sweet supporting cast and an ideal world where you can be who you are and that is fine. This reminded me of one of my favorite movies Big Eden. Much success to the author for this great book!