- ASIN: B0FLB2XS5Z
- Publisher: Sprigleaf
- Publication date: 13 Sept. 2025
- Language: English
- Print length: 390 pages
- Book 2 of 3: Falling Series
- Genre: Teen & Young Adult European Historical Fiction
The BookViral Review:
Falling IN by Lucinda Brant is a playful, richly textured Georgian romance that blends farce, sensuality, and emotional awakening with Brant’s trademark historical precision. Positioned as a youthful retelling of Dair Devil, this novel works both as an accessible entry point for new readers and a knowing delight for long-time fans of Brant’s Roxton universe.
Set primarily within the lively social and artistic circles of Georgian London, the story opens with audacious mischief: a drunken wager, disguises, and a theatrical intrusion into painter George Romney’s studio. From the outset, Brant establishes a tone that is knowingly comic yet firmly rooted in period authenticity. Her London is not a polite drawing-room abstraction but a living world of studios, soldiers, dancers, reputations, and consequence.
At the centre of the novel are two sharply contrasted protagonists. Major Lord Alisdair “Dair” Fitzstuart is every inch the reckless war hero—charismatic, physically commanding, and dangerously self-assured. Opposite him stands Rory Talbot, a young woman defined not by society’s expectations but by her quiet intelligence, resilience, and emotional restraint. Rory’s physical disability and social marginalisation are handled with sensitivity and purpose; they shape her inner life without ever reducing her to a symbol of fragility or pity.
Their collision—both literal and emotional—is one of the book’s great pleasures. What begins as farce quickly deepens into something more intimate, as Brant uses humour to dismantle social pretence and reveal vulnerability. Rory’s internal monologue, in particular, is deftly rendered, capturing the awakening of desire, confidence, and agency in a woman long accustomed to being overlooked. Her fascination with pineapples, horticulture, and self-contained routines becomes a quietly subversive metaphor for cultivated independence.
Brant’s prose sparkles with wit and period flavour, especially in dialogue. Secondary characters—ranging from flamboyant dancers to disapproving relatives—add texture and momentum, while Brant’s command of Georgian social codes lends credibility to even the most outrageous scenes. Importantly, the comedy never undermines emotional stakes; moments of levity are balanced by genuine introspection and moral tension.
Brant also strengthens the novel’s social and moral framework through the presence of Lord Shrewsbury, Rory’s formidable grandfather, whose authority, expectations, and political reach quietly shape the stakes surrounding reputation, family duty, and consequence, grounding the romance within the rigid hierarchies of Georgian society.
Though marketed as a YA retelling, Falling IN does not condescend to its audience. Its sensuality is suggestive rather than explicit, its themes—reputation, desire, courage, and self-worth—handled with nuance. Readers unfamiliar with the Roxton Saga will find the narrative complete and satisfying, while those in the know will appreciate the layered intertextuality and character echoes.
Ultimately, Falling IN succeeds because it understands that romance is not merely about attraction, but about recognition. Brant crafts a story where humour opens the door, but emotional honesty carries the weight. It is a novel that delights, surprises, and affirms its heroine’s right to step fully into her own life—on her own terms.
Falling IN will resonate with readers who enjoy Georgian and Regency-era romance infused with wit, strong characterisation, and playful irreverence. Fans of historical romances that balance humour with emotional depth—particularly those who appreciate unconventional heroines and rakish yet redeemable heroes—will find much to admire here.
It is an unreservedly recommended Golden Quill read!
