Release date: February 3, 2026
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Synopsis:
College rivals become workplace frenemies-turned-lovers in this warm, sexy contemporary romance from New York Times bestseller Jill Shalvis. First, they were rivals… Now they’re stuck with each other…
Retired hockey player Caleb Colburn needs this construction project to prove himself in the family business, but he also needs to recover from the injury that ended his pro career. Too bad Emma Sumner, architect liaison and Caleb’s college nemesis, is back in town and assigned to the project. They’re going to have to see each other almost every day. Which means once again she’ll make his life a living hell.
As for Emma, her job is on the line with this big project, made all the more challenging by the project manager. Caleb was the one who had snagged the scholarship she’d desperately needed to stay in college. She’s been living hand to mouth ever since and has no intention of ever forgiving the man.
But the beautiful historic building they’re renovating is exactly the kind of project that they both love best. Their surprising common ground and a burning mutual attraction start bringing them closer and closer to a potentially explosive mistake. And that’s even before the secrets come out…
Review:
Free Falling is the second book in Jill Shalvis’s Colburn brothers series, and while it can be read alone, you’ll absolutely want to start with book one because these brothers are swoony, imperfect disasters in the very best way. This installment follows Caleb Colburn, a retired hockey player trying to prove himself in the family construction business, and Emma Sumner, the architect liaison he’s forced to work with despite their deeply unpleasant college history. From the moment they’re back in each other’s orbit, the tension is palpable, layered with unresolved hurt, sharp banter, and the kind of chemistry that crackles beneath every interaction.
One thing Jill Shalvis does exceptionally well is writing characters who carry real mess—emotional baggage, complicated pasts, and wounds that haven’t healed neatly—and then letting readers watch that healing unfold in real time. Emma, in particular, tugged hard at my heart. She’s been through it, and I spent a good chunk of this book wanting to give her a hug, tell her to unclench her jaw, and gently encourage her to give Caleb a chance. Their enemies to lovers dynamic is rooted in misunderstanding and pain rather than petty drama, which makes their emotional journey feel grounded and deeply satisfying.
Add in Shalvis’s signature wit, it’s sharp, warm, and laugh out loud funny, and you’ve got a romance that delivers both heart and heat. Emma and Caleb’s banter is top tier, their chemistry undeniable, and their slow earned trust makes the payoff feel earned. Free Falling is comforting, funny, emotionally gratifying romance with depth, and it left me fully invested in this family and counting down the days until the next Colburn brother gets his story.
Overall rating: 5/5
Thanks to the publisher and the author for my review copy.
Novelgossip 