A review by enchantingreads_rosyreviews
The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The dedication: For all the women who choose the bear and all the men who do the work to understand why. May the forest be a little less scary one day.

You hear a banging outside your door, when you & your neighbor poke your heads out to find you’re without stairs. Literally. The construction crew is gone & the two of you are trapped on the second floor for the entire weekend. He’s nursing an ankle injury & just got off the crutches while she’s come out armed with bear spray because her stalker of 2 years has turned her into a prepared, yet terrified, hermit. What do you do? You freaking create your own little oasis in the hallway between your doors & flirt your butts off. Man, oh man, this short story is sweet, funny, full of tree knowledge, no spice/just witty banter, has manic side characters you fall in love with & main characters you can’t help but root for. I mean, I wouldn’t mind sitting in the hall with a brown-eyed Brandon Sklenar who drops tree knowledge & gets visited by the old ladies at the retirement home he volunteers with (especially when they have no filter & gush about his abs, getting into a 6-pack or 8-pack debate). Sounds like a good time to me! This is the cutest story & just what I needed.

“I’m dripping all over your kitchen.”
“I can get you a towel—” He peeled his wet shirt off instead. He balled it into his lap, completely oblivious. I stood there, gawking.
Ooooh, for fuck’s sake.
There were eight…
“You know, you shouldn’t just pull those out without letting people know they’re coming,” I said.
“I need to announce them? Like the abs are entering the building—”
“Stop.”
“I mean, the ladies did soft launch them, it’s not like you didn’t get a heads up—”
“STOP.”
He started laughing. “All day you’re trying to get my shirt off…”
“Well, I wasn’t as ready as I thought I was.”

This is my very first Abby Jimenez book & I LOVED it! It doesn’t come as a complete shock because I kinda had a feeling I’d be a fan of hers. So when one of her books showed up on this month’s Amazon First Reads free selections, I didn't hesitate to download it. And then, needing a mental reset, I decided to pick up this short read to recalibrate my mind. Abby freaking DELIVERED! Thank you for bringing this adorable story to us just in time for the Valentine's Day weekend.

“Sometimes the start of something good begins during something bad,” he said. “We don’t get to pick when these things happen… So I don’t really want to be that guy who always talks about trees…,” he said.
I snorted. “But…”
“Redwoods,” he said.
I wiped under my eyes. “The oldest trees in the world.”
“Yes. They get that way by supporting each other. They intertwine their roots with the roots of other redwoods and it gives them stability. A redwood tree alone would fall.” He paused. “You are not alone, Charlotte. Let me help.”
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