Breaking up is hard to do.It’s even harder when you’re not expecting it.Brooke Jensen is a planner. Not only in her personal life but also professionally as one of the most sought after event planners in Chicago. But, when the ideal life she built for herself, complete with handsome, long-term boyfriend and perfect apartment crumbles, she realizes there are some things you just can’t plan for. … things you just can’t plan for.
While trying to start anew from her best friend’s guest room and discovering the best doughnuts in the city, an idea sparks to life when she meets Levi. He’s intriguing, funny, and shockingly good-looking, and what had been a few stray thoughts becomes a new passion for Brooke, a blog detailing learning how to be single. The project introduces Brooke to new people and experiences, and keeps returning her back to Levi.
But, Brooke learns kismet may have been wrong when she learns Levi is the last person she should be interested in.
Falling for the wrong guy once has Brooke hesitant to start a new relationship, but Levi is quickly proving that The Fallback might be even better.
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I always enjoy this author her books and was looking forward to read this story. It was another great read where I definitely enjoyed the chemistry between all the characters in this book 🙂 A recommended book to read!
Brooke walks in on her cheating boyfriend and is devastated by his betrayal. She leaves everything behind and temporary stays at her best friends house. Reeling from the emotional heartbreak, she clings even more to her job, working as a wedding planner. Slowly she’s starting a new adventure and trying to be the woman she was before. When she meets Levi, there’s this instant connection between them but her confidence and especially her trust issues don’t make it easy for her to open her heart for love again…
Levi feels an instant pull towards Brooke but they’re slowly taking their time to get to know each other. Even though he knows she’s been hurt before, he won’t let her go that easily. But something stands in their way and Brooke doesn’t know how to deal with everything going on…
Will Levi be able to break down her walls and will Brooke finally be able to let love in again?…
I started this book with the intention of just reading a few chapters and ended up staying up way past my bedtime to keep going. I love when that happens (even if I feel it the next day)!
This is Brooke’s story, and while her life is charmed in many ways, it is also a bit cursed. Following her on her journey to find herself is entertaining and frustrating and mostly just really relatable! I really wanted more in terms of conversation / confrontation with basically everything to do with Gabe, but that’s my only disappointment with the story. Levi is fantastic, Felicity anyone’s vote for BFF. You can’t help but want to drop into this vibrant world and walk around with these people for a while.
If you need a good slow burn romance with great world building, this is for you!
The Fallback was my first read for 2019 and I am pleased to say I enjoyed it. This slow burn romance was a sweet story that will have you hooked from start to end and will give you all the feels.
Levi and Brooke had the most amazing chemistry. You could feel it at every stage of the book. These two characters were well-developed and so likable you would be rooting for them throughout the story. They were supported by a cast of secondary characters who all added so much to the novel.
This is a story about learning to trust and finding yourself and I enjoyed watching Brooke move forward. This was a good read and I would recommend it to lovers of slow burn romances.
There is absolutely nothing worse than being cheated on by someone you trust, and to see the betrayal with your own eyes is beyond brutal. Brooke is lucky to have a good solid job as an event planner that she’s brilliant at to keep her moving and a creative mind to keep her experiencing her new life as a single person. Her “Miranda Priestly” of a boss assigns her a new bar that will be opening, it’s out of her wheelhouse but she’s game for the challenge. It’s a huge bonus that the bar owner is Levi a hottie that she’s met before during an adventure out with her bestie Felicity. There’s a problem, he’s her bosses son, and completely out of bounds.
I felt the betrayal along with Brooke in her heartbreak and her feelings of being lost.
Starting a blog to keep herself accountable for trying new things and keeping busy socially is a great idea. Felicity is the best bestie, I’d love to have a friend just like her. I liked Levi, he isn’t knock you in the head alpha, more of a confident guy which I find refreshing. There are lots of little twists and turns and a big twist near the end that was a bit of a shock. I found myself lost in the story rooting for Brooke and Levi. The other characters are so important to the story and I found myself picking favorites along with ones to really dislike. There are a lot of hot scenes but it’s mostly fade to black ending with a good HEA!
4.5*
The Fallback is one of those books that makes me want to get up off of my butt and make some changes in my life. Now if I actually do anything about it is the real question!
This was such an enjoyable, sweet, and inspiring story. I thoroughly enjoyed traveling Brooke’s journey with her, as she navigated through changes in her life. It’s the perfect book if you need a break from some of the heavier, more emotional stuff that’s out there!
After her ex’s betrayal, Brooke is determined to take the time to discover who she is as a single person. She has her ups and downs while working to find herself again, but she’s got a great support system behind her, especially her best friend Felicity. Everyone needs a Felicity in their life! I loved how she and her family were there for Brooke, with a place to live, a shoulder to cry on, and a partner-in-crime on many of her new life adventures. She’s seriously the best girlfriend a gal could ask for!
Although a romantic relationship is the last thing Brooke is looking for, she ends up meeting Levi- charming, swoony, delicious Levi. And he’s harder to resist than she expected. She does her best to keep him at arm’s length, because this is her time, but what her head wants and what her heart wants are at odds with each other, and staying away is harder than she thought.
With a few unexpected twist and turns, The Fallback is a really enjoyable story of one woman’s quest to not only find herself, but to believe in herself again.
Brooke comes home unexpectedly to find her boyfriend of six years in bed with someone else. Crashing in her best friend’s guest room until she is able to find a new place to live, Brooke realizes she has forgotten how to be single. Between being buried in work and helping out with her best friend’s kids, she doesn’t have much time for a social life. After meeting Levi at a club her friend dragged her to, trying to get Brooke out and having fun, she decides to start a blog to journal her self-discovery journey. She can’t get Levi out of her mind, even though she thinks she isn’t ready to date again yet and tries to keep him in the friend zone. Just when she opens up to the idea of becoming more, she finds out who he is and realizes she can’t date him and keep her job.
What I liked: I liked Brooke a lot. She is smart, she is good at her job, and she makes the most out of her situation by spending more time with her friends and family. I loved her best friend Felicity. And honestly, I liked Catherine. She seems like a Bosszilla but there is more under the surface with her.
What I didn’t like: I can’t think of anything I didn’t like.
Overall: Really good story!
This was a great book! I really enjoyed reading it. Mariah Dietz is a new author to me and I feel lucky to be introduced to her!
I definitely can relate to Brooke, our leading lady. She is extremely Type A and everything has to be planned a certain way. She loved how her life was going until she walks in on her boyfriend of 6 years banging someone else. This is the catalyst to change her life.
Brooke vows to start doing things for herself. She feels that not only her relationship with her EX had become complacent, but so has she. and starting up a blog with her adventures empowers her to figure this out.
Part of this is that she meets Levi, sexy sexy Levi. My gosh, he is absolutely swoon worthy!! Problem is, is Brooke ready to be in a relationship? Can she and Levi just be friends?
This is a great book with tons of twists and turns. There was great story building, plot, characters, and tons to keep my interest and me guessing what is going to happen next. Needless to say that I will definitely be on the look out for more by this author!
PS: I received this book as an ARC in return for my honest opinion.
The Fallback by Mariah Dietz was a great book! 5 stars. The character development was amazing. Each one had aspects that I loved. They were all strong. The females were strong and bold. I love that. Levi….well I fell for him!! This book kept me wanting more from first page to last page. A must read.
I really liked this story. I loved Levi and how steadfast he was as Brooke got to know herself again and be ready for more. I also really liked that these two took their time to get to know each other.
Oh how I love, love, loved this book!!! Poor Brooke got the shock of her life when she walked in on her boyfriend of years “with” another woman. In their bed. On the sheets she bought. I loved reading about Brooke coming to terms that during the course of her relationship with Gabe she somehow lost herself. Thankfully she has the bestest of best friends in Felicity, who is there to help her find her feet again. Felicity is there to help pull Brooke away from her job where she is all but hiding from the world. And then she meets Levi. Who seems too good to be true. And that’s all I’ll say about him. This book was everything. I laughed, I cried, I mourned, I cheered. I highly recommend this book!
4.5 Living Stars
With an easy pace and steady flow, The Fallback is a romance full of sweet exploration and learning to believe in yourself again. Some of the beauty in the story too is the importance and impact people and relationships have on our lives and navigating through it.
From the very beginning you can tell Brooke Jensen is a strong person. Her journey to start over is laid out with simplicity and care. Going on it with her is a joy but sometimes frustrating when her insecurities dig deep. Her lingering feelings of not being accepted and unwanted are sad. Reading and sharing her adventures are fun and give a glimpse at her growth.
Levi Westbrook is a breath of fresh air and completely unexpected. He doesn’t come without baggage. His persistence and patience is commendable. And while sometimes he doesn’t always say the right thing, he’s still a great guy.
Their attraction is undeniable. The sweet and sassy banter adds some comic relief. But the best part is the slow and mature growth of their relationship. There are definitely some obstacles along the way and a few painful truths but this adds another layer to their development.
A bonus was the strong female characters that were an amazing support system to Brooke. Felicity is the best friend who loves her unconditionally and is the kind of friend everyone should have in their life. Catherine is the demanding boss. You could almost dislike her but there is more to her than meets the eye. And there’s Grammy who supports her no matter what.
Full of love and life, The Fallback is my favorite yet from this author!
This is such a great book to begin in 2019.
I confess I did not not anything about this author and it is already one of my favorites in 2019.
This book is so truthful and really human in the aspects of what a breaking up is after 6 years of relationship.
Brooke is such a great character and her friendship with Felicity is so much fun! It is about being single again and how to equalize in this new life dating and meeting someone new.
Levi is just a perfect guy for Brooke but she is just a careful creature and it is new to read how she is interested in discover herself first, because the journey is only complete when you know yourself first.
This book is well written and it is really worth it!
“ I’m going to make you forget.” “Forget what?” “Everything. Everything except me.”
Life often doesn’t turn out how you plan. Just when Brooke thought her life was somewhat on track, her long term relationship implodes. Licking her wounds and living with her bestie Felicity (and family) leads Brooke on an exploration to determine who she is and what she wants. One fated encounter and Brooke now orbits Levi’s world. Both have been hurt before, there are obstacles in their path, but together they navigate the “potholes” thrown in their path to come out on the other side stronger.
This story had all the feels. I went from wanting to curse and yell to swooning. There was sweetness and angst. I might have shed a tear or two.
This was such a sweet, romantic, slow burning, emotional love story! Levi and Brooke had amazing chemistry and were perfect counterparts for each other! I loved the banter between them and the raw honesty they gave each other in conversations. The story had so many layers that were developed throughout the book that meshed together awesomely. I really loved this story and all the emotions that came with. My first book of the year and I’m so happy it was this one!
“I don’t know if everything happens for a reason, but i do know that everything we experience teaches us something. Prepares us in some way to experience more. This might not have been the plan but sometimes the fallback can be even better”
I appreciated the messages woven thru this heartwarming story about friendship, love and finding oneself. After finding her boyfriend of 6yrs with someone else we follow Brooke thru her heart break to finding herself and possibly love with a few twists thrown in.
I really loved both Brooke and Levi and the banter with Felicity made for some really funny moments.
The Fallback was another enjoyable read by Mariah Dietz.
Mariah Dietz is a go to author when I just want a feel good story with a guaranteed happily ever after for the heroine and hero. The Fallback hit the mark like all her others.
I adored both the main characters in this one. Brooke had quite a bit to work through in this story and with the help of her friends, family and Levi she finds her way. Levi is one of those good guys we all fall head over heels with. He makes it impossible to do anything else. He’s patient, kind and just an all around good guy. He knows when to back off and when to push, exactly what Brooke needed in this story.
The best thing for me about this author is her secondary characters, even the ones we may not like that much. They balance out and bring so much to her stories and Felicity may just be one of my favorites of all time.
This is just a great, feel good love story. If these are your kind of books I know you will love it.
Mariah Dietz new book, The Fallback is what us single gals have to read. I loved how funny it was and reading about Brookes point of view. Breakups are never easy yet Mariah Dietz shows us that with friends, family and a sexy man giving you some romance anything is possible when it comes to love.
“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”
Wow, all the feels in an amazingly written and beautiful story that’s not just about love of the romantic kind, but about self-love.
How do you learn to be single again? Brooke is forced to find out and we get to go along on her very entertaining and heartfelt ride as she reinvents herself. Her longtime friendship with Felicity is pure joy…their unconditional love and laugh out loud banter had my heart singing just as much as her romance with Levi did. Oh Levi *sigh*, he’s bound to be every reader’s hot new book boyfriend. Their romantic journey certainly wasn’t fast (slow burn at its finest), and it was fraught with her doubts and anxiety, especially after some surprise revelations, however, that just made it all that more amazingly sweet and sexy. Levi is a very patient guy and he sees past all Brooke’s insecurities, and can even relate to some. Women practically throw themselves at his feet, but like he says to Brooke, “I only see you.” *commence swooning*
Brooke’s blog entries were an added bonus, they’re inspirational, full of honest feelings and immense fun, just like this whole book.
I loved The Fallback! This is by far my favorite book by Mariah Dietz. I thought this book was beautifully written and the character were well-developed. This book caught my attention from the very beginning and never let go. I felt all the feels I look for in a book. My heart hurt for Brooke and I was rooting for her to find her forever love.
Levi, wow, what can I say about him. He melted my heart so many times. This man seemed perfect in so many ways and knew just was to say to make a girl swoon. Here are some of my favorites.
• “I only see you.”
• “I’m going to make you forget.”
“Forget what?”
“Everything. Everything except for me.”
• “I’ve been thinking about you since I met you at my club. You crave me just like I crave you. You don’t want to, but you do. Tonight, I’m going to show you why.”
He nips my ear with his teeth, flicking his tongue against the same spot. “Fuck, I’m going to enjoy this.”
I felt Brooke’s struggle, her insecurities, her pain and fears. I related to her on so many levels. The twist Mariah threw in was so unexpected it was brilliant. Talk about throwing you for a loop – I was like “what the hell did I just read?!”. I did not see it coming and I loved it!
I loved all the inspirational, powerful messages throughout the book. I couple of my favorites are:
• “If you don’t like your cards, you make your own hand. Discard the bad ones and wait until the good ones come.”
• “One path ends, and another begins. That’s life. Don’t miss the present because you’re so busy trying to continue on a previous path.”
• “I don’t know if everything happens for a reason, but I do know that everything we experience teaches us something. Prepares us in some way to experience more. This might not have been the plan, but sometimes the fallback can be even better.”
Beautiful romance with wonderful personal growth, learning to love yourself, rebuilding after heartbreak. Learning to open yourself up again, to trust, to fall head-over-heals in love. That you are worth it, to believe in it, and, more importantly, that you deserve it!
Written in first person, Brooke is nearing age 30, a complete workaholic with trust issues (beginning back to when her parents abandoned her to be raised by her grandmother) when one day a client of hers cancels so she heads home early only to walk in on her boyfriend in the midst of cheating on her. Thus compounding her relationship phobia and further complicating Brooke’s life.
Early on you meet the core people who surround Brooke in her daily life and continue to do so throughout the journey of the book. Felicity is and has been Brooke’s best friend since childhood and pretty much the only one, aside from Brooke’s grandmother, Grammy, whom Brooke let’s into her inner circle. The relationship between Felicity and Brooke is some of the best friendship material I’ve read in probably forever. I adore the sisterhood bond they share and every moment they experience on the page is worth reading.
A huge part of Brooke’s identity is her job that has monopolized her life for the last decade. She is a wedding planner that is overtaxed, overworked, and overutilized by her demanding boss, Catherine. While Brooke has worked for the woman for several years, many on Catherine’s staff don’t appreciate the odd hours or strange demands. Here in too lies some of Brookes’ issues, where she has worked so hard to be the best planner on staff, but because Catherine calls and texts her at all hours of the day asking her to do odd menial tasks it cuts into Brookes self esteem questioning if she really is the best.
This then leads us to the relationship pickle Brooke lands herself in. After several months of being single and finally getting the nerve to even go out with her best friend for a girls night out, Brooke meets Levi. Now, Brooke is leary enough of any man at this point in her life not to jump into anything post her last horrible relationship. She isn’t ready to just jump into anything, even a one-night stand, no matter how cute Levi is. To make matters worse, even when she does decide to give her emotions a little wiggle room to like Levi, she learns he is none other than her bosses son and then she is been tasked with helping him open his new business and it is never good to mix business with pleasure.
The life strikes keep hitting Brooke when she is down and she doesn’t know how to read the signs, but all signs point to “this is a bad idea” so she tries so hard to push Levi away. However, he doesn’t seem to take the hint or see the same signs because he continually shows right back up as a temptation to confuse her.
The Fallback is filled with tension, friendship, chemistry, and just plain life. Don’t let life pass you by and most of all, things happen for a reason; good, bad, indifferent, it all happens when and why it is supposed to. Live your life everyday, not for anyone else, but for your own enjoyment.