The Fall of Us by Kennedy Fox

Fun and steamy, The Fall of Us is fall romance goodness that will leave you smiling and simultaneously wanting a cider. We first met Oakley in The Heart of Us as Tatum’s little sister. She’s an artist who’s traveled to the Vermont countryside for a 100-year-old apple orchard’s anniversary where she’s been commissioned to do a piece. The owners’ grumpy grandson, Finn, is tasked with picking Oakley up at the airport, and right away he decides to be unpleasant despite her trying to make polite conversation. He’s also in charge of taking her around the farm so she can see what it looks like and find inspiration for her painting. Finn doesn’t make anything easy on Oakley though. He’s jaded from his last relationship and sort of angry towards the world it seems, but when that former girlfriend pops back up again to help Finn’s mother and aunt at the family bakery at the farm, he does what any rational guy would: he tells her Oakley is girlfriend. A lot of cheekiness ensues, but soon enough it doesn’t seem as though they’re pretending anymore. The trouble with that is that Oakley lives on the other side of the country in California. Will they be able to make it all work, or will it just be a fling?

I adore a grumpy/sunshine story, and that’s exactly what Finn and Oakley are. He’s a total crab that’s always rushing her, and she’s inherently sweet and sassy and loves to poke the bear. Their banter is fun and snarky, and the chemistry between these two is so apparent. Of course, they fight it, but once things shift, the story gets really good. Despite Finn’s surliness in the beginning, he’s actually a secret sweetheart, and the way he is with Oakley is 100% swoonworthy. I just love his character, and I think he might be my favorite hero of this series.

Also, the entire plotline of this book gives me the warm and fuzzies, and I devoured this book. Imagine a spicy Hallmark movie, and that’s the vibe I got from this story. And the secondary characters in this book are beyond cute and do so much for the way the narrative develops. I don’t want to give anything away, but I love a meddling family that meddles in just the right way.

This is exactly the sort of romance that will get you in the fall mood all while making you both laugh swoon. Levi’s book is next, and I am so excited to see where his character’s story goes.