He Falls First by Jill Shalvis @jillshalvis @jillshalvis.bsky.social @lilawintersnarrator @sebastianyork_official @twsspublishing @hambright_pr #ColburnBrothers #HeFallsFirst

the setup…
Penny Rose is a chef working for the Hungry Bee caterers and recently returned home to Star Falls, California from Seattle. She left a bad breakup behind to come help her grandmother raise her twelve-year old brother Wyatt. She’s caught the eye of Ryder Colburn, head of Colburn Restorations who’s also one of her clients (and the brother of her cranky boss). He’s the eldest of the three brothers and a serious sort with no time for romance. Though she’s sworn off men, Ryder can’t get Penny out of his head and he not only falls first but kinda hard.

the heart of the story…
Truth be told both Penny and Ryder had a strong attraction for each other but she was the harder sell. She’s smart, quick witted and talented but her confidence in her instincts are shaken because she never saw the last monster coming. I loved how Ryder took his time, letting her set the pace…or not. Like I said, he fell hard.

the narration…
Lila Winters & Sebastian York were ideal as Penny and Ryder. The banter came across so naturally…light and airy, but serious when the story demanded. I was in audio heaven.

the bottom line…
My excited anticipation about this story was well rewarded! It has Shalvis’ signature style with witty banter and well rounded characters, main and secondary. The romance was mature and smart. The easy relationship between the Colburn brothers was another high note as their repartee was a riot. This is a wonderful start to the series. And, with not one but two satisfying epilogues? Perfection.

Book Info

• Release Date: August 5, 2025
• Series: Colburn Brothers #1
• Narrators: Lila Winters & Sebastian York
• Audio Length: 9 hours, 51 minutes
• Publisher: That’s What She Said Publishing, Inc.

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(Thanks to the author and Hambright PR for my complimentary copies. All opinions are my own.)