Title: Falling Into PlaceAuthor: Allison Ashley
Pages: 319
Publication Date: Aug. 19, 2025
Publisher: Montlake
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Synopsis:
Accountant and freelance personal stylist Carly Porter, daughter of a compulsive gambler, knows the personal cost of a bad bet. But when she partners with her best friend, Sasha—publisher of a floundering fashion magazine—Carly can’t resist. The highly publicized makeover of an Oklahoma City bachelor could boost sales and be Carly’s ticket to her dream profession. The bachelor in question is none other than Sasha’s older brother, Brooks.
Hardly the party boy Carly remembers from high school, Brooks is now an antisocial, work-obsessed physician still struggling with a devastating loss. But if it means helping his sister, he’s in. It’s Carly’s job to get him out of those lived-in scrubs, style him to the nines, and bring Brooks back to life. But so far, the only real connection is between Brooks and Carly—and falling for a client could cost Carly the career she’s worked so hard for.
To move forward, they’ll both have to overcome their painful pasts. And whatever the risk, maybe even take a chance on love.
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My Thoughts on Falling Into Place:
Falling Into Place by Allison Ashley is a heartfelt contemporary romance about second chances, family, and finding love where you least expect it. This is my second read by Allison Ashley (The first was The Roommate Pact), and I enjoyed this one as much as the first!
Carly Porter, an accountant who moonlights as a personal stylist, jumps at the chance to give a high-profile makeover to her best friend’s older brother, Brooks. Once the popular guy from high school, Brooks is now a reserved, work-driven ICU physician who has been keeping the world at arm’s length. The project could save Carly’s best friend’s struggling magazine and launch Carly’s dream career. But the more Carly and Brooks work together to prepare for his Bachelor-esque style dates, the closer they become, and it could be more than the magazine on the line if they admit their feelings. It could be their hearts.
Carly is ambitious, caring, and determined to create a life beyond the mistakes and hardships she grew up with. She always sees the best in people, and her work with Brooks ends up being just as much about helping him heal as it is about picking out the right clothes and teaching him how to date. Brooks is so much more than the grumpy, closed-off doctor he first appears to be. His loyalty to his family runs deep, and his bond with his sisters really shows his softer side.
The romance between Carly and Brooks is fantastic. Brooks is Carly’s teen crush and her best friend’s older brother, so there’s some history there even though they haven’t seen each other in a long time. I like how their relationship slowly grows and changes. It feels natural, and I particularly liked the inclusion of their text conversations. With a dual POV and epistolary scenes, the characters and their love story have a lot of layers and depth.
The story delves into some more difficult subjects, as both protagonists had trauma in their childhoods (Carly’s dad was a gambling addict and Brooks’s mother died). Both are greatly affected by what happened to them, and I like that they shared those experiences with each other. They have so much chemistry and amazing banter from the start, and there’s an ease between them that’s lovely.
Set in the author’s hometown of Oklahoma City, Falling Into Place is filled with warmth, heart, humor, and a wonderful romance! Special thanks to Spark Point Studio for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
- best friend’s brother
- grumpy x sunshine
- friends to lovers
- forced proximity
- cinnamon roll MMC
- dual POV
Allison Ashley is a music-loving, coffee-drinking mom of two who loves love stories. She’s an oncology pharmacist and spends her days focused on helping patients through the hardest thing life can throw at them. Her escape has always been books—specifically reading books about happiness, love, and laughter—and it was inevitable that she’d eventually write her own. She promises to always write stories with deep romance, intense connection, and humor…but most of all, that coveted happy ever after.
