This is my first Emma ST. Clair book and it will not be my last!!! This story had no true “spice” but that did not stop a 5 star review!

The emotional connection that develops between the characters is exceptional!! This story was a sister and brother’s ex-best friend. The love was felt in the writing. The past experiences were beautifully explained. The relationships were well established with a background of how the characters met one another.

This book was about empowerment and becoming the adult you want to be away from your family! I have experienced that and connected emotionally to that in this book as well.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Highly suggest reading it! I don’t want to share any spoilers! I laughed, I cried and I felt warm and gooey inside. Wonderful story!!

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book.

"Just Don't Fall" by Emma St. Clair is a delightful and heartfelt second-chance romance that explores the rekindling of a childhood crush. Logan Barnes, a former bad boy hockey star, returns to Harvest Hollow, reigniting old feelings for his best friend's sister, who happens to be the team's social media manager. The novel masterfully blends humour, emotional depth, and sizzling chemistry, making it a captivating read that will keep you hooked until the very end.

This was a really sweet and fast paced hockey romance. I wasn't a fan of Parker's character, in the sense that she was very inexperienced in a childlike way, however I respect that there are many women out there that can still relate to Parker's character, therefore this book is perfect for the right reader.

Just Don't Fall is the love story of Logan and Parker. Logan is the disgraced NHL player who is now playing in the AHL. The team happens to be his hometown team. So on his first day, he learns that Parker, his former best friend's little sister happens to be the social media manager of the team. The Appies also might be famous for their TikTok. So when he learns he has to do TikTok dances, he tries to fight it. Yet Parker asks him to and makes him do it immediately. Parker has had the biggest crush on Logan since she was a child. While his appearance back in her life wasn't unexpected. Her crush growing wasn't part of the plan. This book is a wild ride of; TikTok's, fake dates and fake dating. Will Logan and Parker get their happy ending?

I really enjoyed this book. Both characters had quite a lot of depth for a clean romance. Logan was amazing, and watching his growth was amazing. Parker was a great, strong character who learned to stand up for herself. It was such a great read.

Thankyou to NetGalley for this amazing ARC read!!!

Parker has had a crush on Logan forever. Logan and her brother used to be best friends until one day Logan left without saying goodbye to anyone. Well now he is back after being sent back down from NHL to the minor league team. Parker is the social media manager and Logan doesn’t want to do stuff like the Savannah Bananas. When Parker panics to her father and says that she is dating Logan things get complicated but when Logan agrees to the fake relationship will the feelings become real?

This is my first read by Emma St Clair and I really enjoyed it. Her writing style flows really well and I love her sense of humor. I found myself laughing a lot while reading this book. I really liked Logan and Parker’s characters. Parker is a little obsessed with Logan but I didn’t find it over the top like with some other books, I found it a perfect amount especially for her character type. And I just love Parker she is great! And Logan definitely knows how to be romantic! The guys on the team and Mia make for great side characters. I’ve never read a hockey romance but I really enjoyed it! I definitely recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75



Spoiler Alert!
Content: 3 uses of “h*ll”, a woman tries to come onto the mmc a couple times once she is nude in bed(but is completely covered and he walks out immediately)

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Just Don’t Fall by Emma St. Clair
Release Date: August 31st
4/5 Stars
Thank you NetGalley and Emma St. Clair for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a book that I had been seeing around my Bookstagram, plus it had hockey vibes, so I knew it was one that I had to read. I might be a little late in my review though….

Parker Douglas is the social media maven for AHL team, The Appies, and everything is going great. Then, Logan Barnes shows up and throws everything off. Logan is a star hockey player temporarily downgraded to The Appies, and just so happens to be Parker’s childhood, and not entirely gone, crush. When circumstances force the two into a fake relationship, sparks fly as the two get reacquainted with each other.

This book was definitely an easy one for me to get into. It was a sweet and enjoyable love story, and I had a good time getting lost in the story. It relies on many of our favorite rom-com tropes to move the story along, and there is definitely an opportunity to get slightly more creative. However, the ending was charming (though slightly contrived) and it was certainly the happy one we all like to read!

The first of the Sweater Weather series and it's everything I've come to expect from Emma St. Clair. I adored this childhood/brother's best friend to enemies to friends to fake dating to actual dating story.

I love the premise of this story so much... like the Savannah Bananas but for minor league hockey. I love that the FMC is in charge of TikTok and the team is very protective of her. I love that the MMC is grumpy about the dancing, but softens {almost} instantly when he discovers it's his old best friend's little sister in charge of social media.

This story was cute and had some great moments. Both main characters showed maturity, which is one of my favorite yet often overlooked traits in fictional characters.

The only real problem I had with the fake dating/never been kissed trope is that it was a theme or subject in nearly every chapter. We know Parker's never kissed someone, but I felt like it was brought up *too* much, and that ended up taking me out of the story... dropping it from that *5 Star Feeling* down to four stars.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for early access to this book. These are my honest thoughts.

Emma St. Clair's "Just Don't Fall" is a heartwarming blend of love and sportsmanship. The story revolves around Parker, a social media manager for a hockey team, and Logan, the star player who also happens to be her brother's best friend. The banter among the hockey players adds humor and camaraderie, making the narrative engaging. Parker's unrequited love for Logan adds depth and relatability to the story.

St. Clair's writing is smooth, and the pacing is well-balanced. The hockey backdrop adds an exciting dimension to this charming romance. Overall, "Just Don't Fall" is a delightful read that explores love, friendship, and self-acceptance. It's a perfect choice for those seeking a wholesome hockey romance with relatable characters and an engaging plot.

First off, that cover. Cute design, but the blank face taking up so much real estate is startling.

I was into this story at the beginning. Low spice but has good chemistry. Some history and hints of what Parker and Logan's past relationship looked like. Great.

The further I got, the less I liked it. Parker was really leaning into her innocence and was immature and unwilling to communicate. Logan was expected to do all the heavy lifting to share himself and show Parker she was loved. Not great.

Where it lost me was when it seemed to move from low spice to a purity culture vibe. Parker demonstrates no agency. Dad and brother are asked for permission before the proposal. She wants a quick engagement because she just can't wait anymore. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it was a serious ick for me.

As far as being a hockey romance, the hockey content is light. Much more focused on social media, especially TikTok. I don't expect it will age well.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Thank you to Emma St. Clair for letting me have an ARC copy of the sweetest love story I’ve read all year in Just Don’t Fall! It was the perfect book to enjoy with my first pumpkin spice latte of the scene on a crisp September day! This book screams sweat-weather, autumnal cozy, and never-been-kissed movie vibes. I loved every page of this book – I smiled the whole way through and finished in a few hours.

The writing is heartwarming, and cosy, and cleverly constructs this delicious small-town world to pull the reader into. The story flows beautifully through all the beats pulling on all the right heart-string without losing its pacing. I want to compare it to taking a long open road drive on a gorgeous clear autumn day to enjoy the clear air and colours of the trees when you are the only car out there.

All the best tropes are packed tightly interwoven into a dual POV of the main characters Parker (MFC) and Logan (MMC), who might be two of the best characters I’ve met this year based on their chemistry, quirky personalities, and sense of presence on the page. I felt like Parker could be my new best friend and Logan my secret crush (he’s so pumpkin spice tasty!) Let’s just mention the geeky nicknames that Logan and Parker have for each other from childhood are so adorable and hilarious – I chuckled so much that I got weird stares at Starbucks.

The team of hockey players melted my heart with their clear devotion and love of Parker (she’s their social media manager for the team). Pranking Logan to make sure he got the message about how to treat their special lady certainly made my heart skip a beat and gave me the warm fuzzies.

Parker and Logan’s chemistry is off the smoking charts, but I will caution you as there is no spice to report in this book. I think even the biggest smut-lovers out there will find room in their bookshelves for this sweet, swoony story with a strong sizzling romantic plot, playful banter, hilarious antics, and a cast of loveable characters to charm your pants off. Can’t wait for book two, which is landing on Kindle tomorrow!

Tropes to expect:

Sports romance – ice hockey
Small town
Slowburn
Fake dating
Grumpy x sunshine
Brother’s childhood best friend
Cozy, sweet autumn/fall vibes

What a perfect, cozy, fall romcom!

Let me say how refreshing it is to find a sports romance book that includes fake dating, brother's best friend, childhood friends to strangers to lovers, and isn't heavy on the spice...but instead focuses on the main characters.

This book is sweet, heartwarming, and will make you fall in love with Logan and Parker right from the start. Parker's quirks and Logan's kindness and protectiveness over Parker made watching these two become reacquainted so enjoyable. The random encounters and interactions with Logan's teammates were enjoyable as well.

I found myself smiling throughout most of this book and would recommend this to anyone looking for a feel good, quick read.

Tropes:
Fake dating
Brother’s best friend
Childhood crush
Slow burn
Workplace
Never been kissed FMC

Just Don’t Fall by Emma St. Clair is a small-town, closed-door, fake dating, hockey rom-com about Parker, a social media manager for the Appies, a minor league hockey team, and Logan, Parker’s brother’s former best friend who has been demoted to the Appies from the NHL, following an injury and some bad PR.

Parker had a crush on Logan since she was 10 years old and now reunited for the first time since Logan ghosted her and her brother to play hockey, Parker quickly realizes her feelings never went away. When she needs a fake date to her father's birthday gala, Logan steps up and shows Parker in a number of way that he wants to be more than her 'fake' boyfriend.

This is a fun, sweet, slow-burn, swoon-worthy romance filled with witty banter, intense chemistry and an engaging, entertaining plot.

I loved both Parker and Logan as well as the supporting cast of characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Emma St. Clair for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Closed door hockey romance? YES. None of the spice but all of the tension that I love. Their {almost} kiss...had me dying. The slow burn, fake dating, childhood crush was a perfect combo. LOVED the bonus epilogue. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me an early copy of this book!

What a delightful story bursting with fall vibes. Parker and Logan had an incredibly cute story that was impossible to put down. Harvest Hollow was a dream setting for this cute story.

I love the Savannah Bananas and loved this hockey twist! This one was hard to put down. Hunky star athlete, heroine who has never been kissed, swoony banter, what more can you ask for? Enjoyed from start to finish! 5 stars. Thank you to the author and #NetGalley for allowing me a copy to read in return for an honest review.

I just LOVED this book. I must admit, my hopes were low when I saw it was a closed door romance book as I'm very much a spice reader but I was SO pleasantly surprised by the tension and the flirting and all of the chemistry that I did not at all miss the usual spice I am accustomed to. To me, that's a testament to the great writing in this book. It's a perfect fall read. Get a nice chai or a pumpkin spice latte, cosy up on the couch and dive in.

Thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing and Emma St. Clair for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Happy Sigh!!! I've seen pictures and people talking about this new Sweater Weather book series (multi-authors and each book can be read as stand alones) so much! And then I looked at who the authors were and I was sooo excited! I've read books by most of them so I knew this was going to be a series to grab and gobble up this fall!

And let me just tell you that it starts off with a mega-bang and amazing read!!! I've only read one or two books previously from Emma St. Clair and have been wanting to read more so I was excited to jump at the chance to read and review this one! And I got sucked right into the book, so much so that I had to tell another book bestie to just drop everything and read it! That she'd thank me later!!! She listened! Hahaha! Which is a big deal because we have our book reading schedule planned out, so to just switch it up by throwing an unplanned book in there can throw us off schedule! This book is soooo WORTH IT!!!!

Even if you aren't fans of hockey or sports, you're going to want to read this one! Yes they talk about hockey and such but it's not the main focus! Oh my word!!!! So, so good!!!

The characters, all of the characters, main characters and secondary characters were great! I loved Parker and Logan. But her friends and the hockey team just added such a great layer to this story. The friendships and support and fun and banter and teasing and just everything...they were very well rounded characters and helped make Parker and Logan's story even more delightful!

Favorite things from the book:

Mr. Eds
Fancy Chair
Apartment Proximity
Dressing Up
The Genuineness
The Crush
The Nicknames
Roses
Scary Chair *giggling*
Ramen
Best Friends
Reconcilliation
The Sweet Romance *sigh*
Swoony Lines


There's so much more that I adored but you probably don't want a mile long list from me! Hahaha! Just go read it and discover your favorite things from the book for yourself! But I bet they'll be very similar to mine! ;-)

Content: Clean. Some sweet kisses but nothing further!

I received a copy from, ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

This is a very cute Hockey Romance and has every trope you would love in a rom com, like a forced proximity situation with your ex best friends sister, fake dating and even practice dating.

And believe me I was in it to win in, I really don't mind if there is no seggsy scenes as long as we have a meaningful connection between our main characters, but I seemed to have lost it somewhere. I feel like I wanted more background on this, but I never got it.

Still I recommend this t people who love those tropes and want to have a good laugh, because it is quite funny.

This book was so cute! It was nice to have a hockey romance without half the "plot" being spice. The "TikTok" job was honestly kind of cute and not too dated or cringy. It had just enough references to be fun without that being the whole story. Also I normally don't love a friends to lovers plot, but this had some lingering animosity between the two that I feel like made it a bit less of that.
Seeing the two MCs rekindle their friendship, as well as watching the male MC heal and make friendships with the others on the team was nice! And the constant rotating POV was nice to always know what they both were thinking.
Overall this was a fast, cute read that I enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

3.75 stars

Things in Harvest Hollows get a whole lot more interesting when hockey star, Logan Barnes, comes to town. An incident with a fan (and injury) has sent the NHL player back to his roots to play in the minor league team. Parker, the team’s social media manager, knew Logan before all the fame, back when he was just a boy who had her heart… and then crushed it when he left all those years ago. After a little lie, the two end up in a fate dating situation where the line between fake and real becomes blurred as feelings of the past rise to the surface.

This was such a heart-warming, fluffy read! The characters were so cute, and their intimate moments together were written with such tenderness and passion. Emma St. Clair was able to build fiery heat without any explicit spice which I thought was very well done. They really had me swooning. I loved the hockey teams 'Savannah Bananas' vibe and how playful the members of the Appie’s team were (they were also so supportive and protective of the main character which I thought was sweet). I did get a little bit lost in the plot throughout the novel and I wasn’t entirely sure where things were headed, I also think it would have been nice to learn a bit more about the characters and their life in general. Just Don't Fall was a fun, refreshing read and a take on hockey romance that I haven’t read before.