If you're a fan of Hallmark you'll love this sweet and classic brothers best friend story! I'm a sucker for sports romances and this cute small town read was definitely worth picking up! I would have liked just a little spice and a little less cliche moments but overall a cute read.

3.75 stars

**Thank you Netgalley for providing a copy of the book for an honest review**

Just Don't Fall is the first in a series of 7 interconnected books all are stand-alone but I love that I get to read another 6 books and continue to get glimpses of these characters. I adored Parker and Logan, their chemistry was undeniable and while these books are all sweet romance aka no-spice you could feel the sparks fly between them whenever they were together. Parker is strong and independent, Logan is so thoughtful and romantic, these characters are really special.

This book was a fun Never Been Kissed, brothers ex-best friend, forced proximity, and hockey romance all rolled into one, I flew through it in just a couple of days. I love love love sports romances, there is just something about seeing the soft and tender sides to these male characters who are put on a pedestal and seem out of reach for the girl next door. It was a fun twist that Parker and Logan had somewhat grown up together and getting to know more about what made them lose touch. It was obvious they were meant to be and I loved the pining and tension between them while they each worked out their feelings.

Emma St. Clair has a real talent for writing lovable characters and captivating storylines while keeping it clean, I cannot wait to read more by this author and I absolutely loved the nod to the Savannah Bananas. The only thing I got a little hung up on was how Logan made it pro, to begin with. Admittedly there are many ways a player can make it to the big leagues but more often than not players will play a lot of organized hockey which is both costly and a big time commitment for both the player and the family. The way his upbringing and relationship with his parents was described I had a hard time understanding how he was able to achieve this goal with seemingly little help and support from them.

As always, Emma St. Clair brings all the comedy to her romance stories. Thanks to authors like her, the fake dating trope is starting to grow on me. Shoutout to #netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book. I'm definitely signing up for more books in the #sweaterweather series.

Just Don’t Fall by Emma St. Clair
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Parker works as the social media expert to the local hockey team. Her brothers former best friend just got transferred to the team and Parker is trying to stay calm. Because she used to have the biggest crush on Logan.
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This book is so fetch.

This was a great “brothers best friend” trope. Also gotta love the hockey aspect! The way the team was like a big family and they were so protective of Parker was so much fun to read!
I loved Parker and Logan together, they were so sweet!

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really enjoyed reading this lovely closed door romance.
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Emma- I am ready to make Fetch happen with you. But the real question is….do you want to do something fun? Do you wanna go to Taco Bell?

Absolutely loved this book! It was the perfect balance of chemistry between characters and sizzling heat while still being closed door and wholesome! The fake dating trope is one of my all-time favourites and Emma St Clair nails it in Just Don't Fall. It was the perfect Fall vibes kind of book, that just made me want to cosy up on a couch with a chai latte and watch the coloured leaves fall from trees. The main characters are likeable, relatable and well-written, with witty exchanges and a well-developed romance. It was very cute and sooo heartwarming! Definitely recommend and will be reading more by this author myself!

A very fun romance. It’s lighthearted and happy and I love that there’s a place in the world for lighthearted and feel-good!

I also love that it’s wholesome without compromising the romantic tension!

Really enjoyed this book, it was a nice quick easy-read, it made me laugh out loud at times and I felt really invested in the characters. I found everyone likeable which is so important, especially in quite a short and snappy book where there's not a huge amount of space for character building. I really liked the cover of this book with the autumnal vibe, it is what initially prompted me to request the book, without knowing what it was about. Enjoyed the interactions with the author on Instagram she really makes an effort to repost/reply to people who tag her in their posts/stories.

I haven't really read any books about hockey, since it isn't my sport of choice, but I enjoyed the introduction to the this hockey team! They are so much fun, with their camaraderie and antics for social media. I loved how unique this story was. While it falls in the fake dating trope, there is also the never been kissed trope, since Parker has only had several disastrous almost kisses. I thought it made the fake dating part all the more fun for her to have never been kissed.

I loved this story and all the characters! They came together to form an interesting family. The team's relationship with Parker is so cute!

This is a wonderful book to pick up and read as the weather gets cooler! I look forward to reading more in the series!

I received this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

If you're looking for a comfy fall romance read with hockey players, social media managers, insane TikTok dances, and hilariously brazen female main characters, this is the book for you!

Just Don't Fall is a fun sports romance revolving around childhood friends, Parker and Logan, who lost touch for years after Logan ghosted her and her brother right after high school. Parker is an adorably rambunctious young social media manager for the Appies AHL hockey team in her hometown, at the disapproval of her father. Refusing to rely on her family's wealth and traditions, she makes her own path in life regardless of the less lavish lifestyle. She is headstrong and admirable, finding the courage to defy her family to carve her way through life on her own terms.

Whereas Logan has always felt like an outsider, the classic peasant who makes friends with the wealthy siblings. Unfortunately, Parker's brother still holds a grudge against Logan's betrayal when he abandoned his childhood friends to go pro. The circumstances behind this decision are unknown to the family he still cares for. Through this novel, you'll see the outcast athlete and the bubbly social media expert come to terms with their past as they move into their future, unraveling the secrets of their hearts and growing closer through shared truths.

Emma St. Clair succeeds in creating a cute, witty sports romance full of playful banter and bashful encounters that make both the sunshine girl and the awkward stoic boy endearing to all. While I wish there were a bit more buildup towards their official get together, it was still a great read and all the scenes afterwards were straight out of a woman's dream. I definitely recommend this with a solid 4 star rating!

“and wanting Parker is perhaps the most dangerous thing I could think of”

4.75/5⭐️

I loved Parker and Logan. I LOVED that there were no mistakes, no grovelling and no third act breakup. It was just communication and growing to love one and other (even if one of them it was longer then the other).

The whole story just filled my heart and made me feel all warm and fuzzy. As an english girl I really want to visit a town just like Harvest Hollow.

Thank you for the eARC. I can’t wait to read more

3.5 Thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the e-book. Since it is officially Fall I figured I would start this book even though its still summer in Tx. I really enjoyed the story of Parker and Logan it was such a cute fast read. Cant wait for the rest in this series

I loved this book so much! The main characters are cinnamon rolls and the story is so much fun! Perfect book for the cozy season!! Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC!
Highly recommend if you like cosy romance, fall vibes and cute stories!

I don't know how to get words to describe just how much I loved this one!! I have never read Emma St. Clair before and now I feel like I need to go read all of her work!

Typically I am not much of a closed door romance kinda gal but this one is an exception and I am so happy I read it. The slow burn is REAL though okay and there is steam but not spicy steam and it is still just perfection.

Almost as much perfection as Logan and Parker, they are so dang precious and I love them. Parker is this baddie strong woman who has a vision and plans for her life and how she wants it to go. Logan is this gruff, standoff hockey boy who doesn't want anything to do with anyone......until now. However there is some history between them, not the history that you are thinking but some history that could make this an interesting go of things for sure.


Thank you to Emma and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and I can't wait to see what this series has coming next.

Just Don’t Fall
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Emma St. Clair

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Emma St. Clair and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Before Logan Barnes was hockey’s hottest bad boy, he was my brother’s best friend … and my first crush. Oh, yeah--and the guy who ghosted me and broke my teenage heart. Now Logan is back in Harvest Hollow, but not willingly. Recovering from an injury (and some bad press), he’s stuck playing for our minor league team. Which means I’ll be working with him almost daily. As the hockey team's social media manager, it’s my job to wrangle all the guys into filming TikTok trending videos. But Logan doesn’t want to be wrangled. Turns out … neither does my heart. Because my old crush never died. And when Logan becomes my accidental fake boyfriend, those old feelings flare hot enough to melt the ice. But this is all totally one-sided. Totally fake. Isn't it? No matter what signals he seems to be giving me or how real things start to feel, I know Logan’s not home for good. I survived Logan leaving me once. But this time, I’m not so sure my heart will recover …

My Thoughts: I was so excited when I found out that my favorite Indie Authors were coming together to produce a series in the small town of Harvest Hollow, seven books, published on each Thursday. This is book no. one in the Sweater Weather series. I am on the third on now and they have all been absolutely fantastic! This one introduces us to Harvest Hollow in spectacular fashion. Parker and Logan were sort of friends in high school, more so Logan was Parker’s brother’s best friend. Parker pined after Logan in secret. Fast forward to adulthood and Logan has been demoted from the national league down to the minor league to rebrand himself. He is just focused on work. The Appies do things a bit different, they have some focus on social media and it has worked for them. Parker is over the social media branding and everyone’s contract includes participation in the same. Their reintroduction is sweet. This is a slow burn closed door romance. The tropes followed are fake dating, brother’s best friend, friends to lovers, hockey romance, sports romance, and small town.

The story is narrated in a dual narration by Parker and Logan, from their respective perspectives. Parker is strong, outgoing, routine oriented, and has never been kissed. Logan is tough, sexy, reserved, and career oriented. There was a tremendous amount of character growth for Logan, which I loved. The characters were built well with depth, witty banter, chemistry, and intriguing. Loved the introduction to the Appie hockey team and hope to see more books from the supporting characters. The author’s writing style was complex, swoon-perfect, endearing, clean, and just brilliant. I just love St. Claire’s writing style.

This was so heartwarming and endearing. I love St. Clair’s ability to bring two characters together, bring them through some relationship testing, and then have a much deserved happily ever after. Her storytelling ability is realistic and authentic. I highly recommend picking up this novel and all of the books in the series.

3.5/5 (rounded up to 4)

CW: child neglect (recounted), parental abandonment (recounted), physical injury (mentioned), violence (mentioned), misogyny (mentioned)

I would like to thank NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Parker Douglas is in for a complete surprise when her brother’s former best friend and long-time crush, Logan Barnes, returns to Harvest Hollow to play for the town’s minor league hockey team. Despite being out of touch for almost a decade, Parker convinces Logan to be her fake boyfriend for a family event. Yet, when word gets out about their “relationship”, Parker has to conquer her past insecurities if she wants to have a chance at a future with Logan.

Just Don’t Fall, the first book in the multi-author Sweater Weather series, is a cute, fall rom-com for all the sports romance readers looking for a closed door read. I know there’s not as many closed-door hockey romances out in the market, but Just Don’t Fall is a really nice read that hones in on the emotional connection between Logan and Parker and I find that to be refreshing in the sports romance genre.

Though, my main critique of Just Don’t Fall was St. Clair’s writing style. While I thought St. Clair’s writing was good for the most part, I felt that it could be improved with the help of a professional editor or proofreader for several reasons.

One, throughout the book, I thought there was an overuse of words in all caps, sentences that end in exclamation points, and italicized words that didn’t need to be italicized. Add that to the same idea being expressed in twenty different written sentences and character thoughts (i.e. we get it, Parker’s brother hates Logan), and you end up with repetitive writing with a tendency to distract readers from the story at hand.

Second, the dialogue felt a bit unnatural for the characters. Partly because I feel that this goes back to the repetitive writing style St. Clair had a habit of using in this book, but also because you got these two great characters in their own right yet they end up with too wordy dialogue that’s used in some scenes for the purpose of conveying information and consequently this effect also trickled into the plot actions for the last 10% of the book.

With that being said, I didn’t hate this title and I’m interested in looking into the rest of the Sweater Weather series. I think that St. Clair proves a solid plot that’s executed nicely as well as close up any lingering plot holes. I also think that St. Clair’s development for Logan and Parker is very well done and I think that’s a large reason why I enjoyed reading Just Don’t Fall. I think that there’s room for improvement in the writing style.

Nevertheless, I would encourage anyone who prefers closed door romances to read Just Don’t Fall and decide for themselves if this book is for you. If you’re looking for a book similar to Desire or Defense that’s set in a small town and gives off that cozy autumn aesthetic, you might enjoy Just Don’t Fall.

back after 10 years, and nothing changed in this small town
Her crush is back and she is responsible for the public relations of the small town hockey team, but Logan is not very happy about that, all he wants is back in the NFL.

Very funny and I love the familar feeling of the hockey team.
fakedating and big romances all in here.

Have fun reading!

I binged this book in one night as in, read until 5:30am. That is how incredible this book is was!! So much tenderness (especially from Logan), fun banter, so much SWOON, just all around sweetness and I clearly couldn’t put it down. Emma St Clair never disappoints. This *might* even be my new favorite of hers.

Just Don't Fall by Emma St. Clair is a charming and heartwarming hockey rom-com that's perfect for fans of the genre. The story follows Parker Hayes, a social media manager for a minor league hockey team, and Logan Barnes, the team's new star player. Parker and Logan have a complicated history - Logan was Parker's brother's best friend and her first crush, but he ghosted her after high school. Now, years later, Logan is back in town and Parker is forced to work with him on a daily basis.

Just Don't Fall is a sweet and funny romance with characters that you can't help but root for. Parker and Logan are both relatable and likable, and their chemistry is undeniable. The author does a great job of building the tension between the two characters, and the slow-burn romance is satisfying and heartwarming.
I also enjoyed the hockey elements of the story. The author does a great job of capturing the excitement and camaraderie of the sport. The supporting characters are also well-developed and add to the overall charm of the story. Even if you are not a fan of hockey, I think you will really enjoy this story and the characters.

I've read Emma St. Clair before, so if you don't know, she writes sweet romances that are just that, sweet. No filth to be found.

This one was a hockey romance (I love hockey romances so much) with childhood friends, brothers ex best friend mixed in.

Parker works as the social media manager for an AHL team, the Appies. And when her brothers former friend, Logan, her childhood crush gets hired on the team she's wondering if he will recognize her. He was a NHL player who's been bumped down.

I really enjoyed it, besides being sweet there were plenty of funny moments (the relationship between Parker and the team was adorable). Her father tho? Major ugh. I wish we could have spent more time on the relationship with her brother. And her brother and Logan.

I enjoyed the other team members we meet and their different personalities. This was my first in this series, and I hope we get more of these guys.

I just want to reread this book for the first time all over again! It was that good. I laughed so hard while reading and when I wasn’t laughing out loud, I was giggling like crazy. Parker was hilarious. She’s all kinds of quirky with a side of sass. She made me fall for her just as hard as I fell for sexy Logan. Hockey players are my kryptonite and Logan is one heck of a hockey player. Together they were so stinking’ cute. This book put me in the mood for all things autumn. I’m giving 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗗𝗢𝗡’𝗧 𝗙𝗔𝗟𝗟 the judy.ann.loves.books stamp of approval, TBR and Enjoy!