Free Falling by Jill Shalvis
Series: Colburn Brothers, Book 2
E-Book Publisher: That’s What She Said Publishing, Inc.
Print Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781464243929
Release Date: February 3, 2026
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Audible
Jill Shalvis Reading Order
It’s middle brother Caleb Colburn’s turn to fall in love in Free Falling. And who better for him to fall for than his prickly college rival, Emma Sumner? Both have something to prove but neither can look away from the sparks flying left and right whenever they’re in the same room.
Caleb and Emma have an easy chemistry that is fun to read about. Their rivalry is more one-sided on Emma’s part due, but given her situation it’s easy to understand why she feels the way she does at first. Emma has had it hard. Her talent is there, but one bad thing after another has happened to her. Caleb hasn’t led quite the charmed life Emma thinks, but he’s got his family at his back at least. Caleb is a wonderful hero; sensitive, caring, handsome, and kind. The two of them fit each other well with shared interests and a growing bond that feels organic. That being said, I sat with Free Falling for quite some time, as I had some lingering misgivings that kept me from fully enjoying Emma and Caleb’s romance. While the story is overall light in tone, it touches on heavier subject matter, and for me the balance between the two didn’t always quite come together. Emma is living out of her car, and as someone who works in a location with a high population of people experiencing homelessness, aspects of how her situation was portrayed felt slightly off to me. I appreciated Jill Shalvis’s clear kindness toward Emma as a character, and I recognize that every experience is different (and that this is ultimately a work of fiction). Still, there was something about the portrayal that pulled me out of the story at times. Even after mulling it over for a few weeks, I can’t quite put my finger on it so your mileage may vary.
As with almost every Shalvis novel, there are big personalities outside the main characters to fill in the story. Caleb and Emma’s family and friends are supportive, nosey, and interfering as one might expect. They add fun and chaos to the story and, of course, make me look forward to the next book in the series. Even though I had some misgivings about the story, I still liked Free Falling overall and very much enjoyed Caleb and Emma as a couple.
Disclosure: I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Series: Colburn Brothers, Book 2
E-Book Publisher: That’s What She Said Publishing, Inc.
Print Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 3, 2026
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Audible
Jill Shalvis Reading Order
These rivals are stuck with each other…
Retired hockey player Caleb Colburn needs this new construction project to go smoothly to prove he’s earned his place in the family business. There’s only one problem. The architect liaison assigned to the project is Emma Sumner. As in, the woman who made his life a living hell in college. Now, she’s back in town and already breathing down his neck on the job. Worse? She’s only gotten more beautiful.
Emma’s in love with the beautiful historic building they’re renovating. But her feelings toward project manager Caleb definitely lean more toward hate. Not only is the man making her job harder than it needs to be, he’s the one who took everything from her when she was at her most desperate. Not that she’d ever admit it out loud, but she’s never recovered.
Neither is willing to forgive and forget. But forced proximity and surprising common ground have these enemies starting to wonder just how fine the line between love and hate is. A burning mutual attraction adds complications for them both. Will anything be left standing when their secrets are finally revealed?
It’s middle brother Caleb Colburn’s turn to fall in love in Free Falling. And who better for him to fall for than his prickly college rival, Emma Sumner? Both have something to prove but neither can look away from the sparks flying left and right whenever they’re in the same room.
Caleb and Emma have an easy chemistry that is fun to read about. Their rivalry is more one-sided on Emma’s part due, but given her situation it’s easy to understand why she feels the way she does at first. Emma has had it hard. Her talent is there, but one bad thing after another has happened to her. Caleb hasn’t led quite the charmed life Emma thinks, but he’s got his family at his back at least. Caleb is a wonderful hero; sensitive, caring, handsome, and kind. The two of them fit each other well with shared interests and a growing bond that feels organic. That being said, I sat with Free Falling for quite some time, as I had some lingering misgivings that kept me from fully enjoying Emma and Caleb’s romance. While the story is overall light in tone, it touches on heavier subject matter, and for me the balance between the two didn’t always quite come together. Emma is living out of her car, and as someone who works in a location with a high population of people experiencing homelessness, aspects of how her situation was portrayed felt slightly off to me. I appreciated Jill Shalvis’s clear kindness toward Emma as a character, and I recognize that every experience is different (and that this is ultimately a work of fiction). Still, there was something about the portrayal that pulled me out of the story at times. Even after mulling it over for a few weeks, I can’t quite put my finger on it so your mileage may vary.
As with almost every Shalvis novel, there are big personalities outside the main characters to fill in the story. Caleb and Emma’s family and friends are supportive, nosey, and interfering as one might expect. They add fun and chaos to the story and, of course, make me look forward to the next book in the series. Even though I had some misgivings about the story, I still liked Free Falling overall and very much enjoyed Caleb and Emma as a couple.
Disclosure: I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
