Old crush. Fake relationship. Family secrets. A haunted town.
Free Falling by Lyla Sage: Clarke Cartwright is trying to keep her struggling antiques shop afloat while also dealing with something she can’t exactly explain to most people: 
ghosts. Leith Wilkes has spent his life preparing to take over his family’s farm, but a very specific condition in his father’s will threatens his plans. When he discovers Clarke knows about the family secrets surrounding his inheritance, he decides they might be able to help each other. Their solution? A fake relationship. Except Clarke has had a crush on Leith since they were young, and pretending to be together may be a lot harder when the feelings underneath it aren’t exactly fake.
FREE FALLING by Lyla Sage was such a cozy, atmospheric small-town romance with a paranormal twist.
Sweetwater Peak has that slightly strange, everyone-knows-everyone feeling that works so well for this series, and I really enjoyed returning to the town. The antiques shop, the farm, the family history, and the ghosts gave the story a distinct atmosphere without turning it into a full-on paranormal romance.
The chemistry between Clarke and Leith was full of that years-of-history tension that makes a childhood crush romance so much fun. I loved their banter, especially because Clarke’s awkwardness plays so well against Leith’s confidence. There’s also something really satisfying about watching someone who has secretly carried a crush for years finally get the opportunity to actually know the person she’s been looking at from afar. I really liked Clarke and Leith together, especially their history, banter, and the way their fake relationship slowly gave them the space to become something real.
FREE FALLING was such a cozy, atmospheric romance with just enough ghosts and family secrets to make it feel different from your typical small-town love story. Add in the antique shop, the farm, the paranormal twist, and all those fall vibes, and this was a sweet and steamy return to Sweetwater Peak.
TROPES & VIBES
💕 Childhood crush
🎭 Fake dating
🏡 Small-town romance
🌾 Farmer MMC
🪴 Antique shop owner FMC
👻 Ghosts
💕 Friends-to-lovers energy
🌶️ Spicy romance
🫶 Golden-retriever MMC
🍂 Fall romance
Book Info:
Publication: September 22, 2026 | Dial Press |
Clarke Cartwright probably needs to get out more. She just has a lot to do. Running Toade’s Antiques is no small feat, especially considering that the roof is in shambles and half her merchandise is unsellable. But dealing with that feels easier than her other option: chatting it up with the ghost of her childhood crush’s father, who just can’t seem to leave her alone.
Leith Wilkes has spent his life preparing to take over his family’s farm. Well, he’s actually spent most of his life flirting, but now he’s ready to buckle down, which has nothing to do with an oddly specific clause that his dad left in his inheritance. Leith is pretty sure he’s the only one who knows about it . . . until Clarke drunkenly spills that she knows, too, along with a bunch of other Wilkes family secrets.
Leith starts to wonder if there’s more to Clarke than she lets on . . . and if his dad has something to do with it. And if she is keeping secrets of her own, maybe she won’t mind helping him with his.
Please leave a comment