How Not to Fall in Love

A hardened cynic and a hopeless romantic teach each other about love in this swoony and heartful romance that’s perfect for fans of Tweet Cute and The Upside of Falling.

Harper works in her mom’s wedding shop, altering dresses for petulant and picky brides who are more focused on hemlines than love. After years of watching squabbles break out over wedding plans, Harper thinks romance is a marketing tool. Nothing more.

Her best friend Theo is her opposite. One date and he’s already dreaming of happily-ever-afters. He also plays the accordion, makes chain mail for Ren Festers, hangs out in a windmill-shaped tree house, cries over rom-coms, and takes his word-of-the-day calendar very seriously.

When Theo’s shocked to find himself nursing his umpteenth heartbreak, Harper offers to teach him how not to fall in love. Theo agrees to the lessons, as long as Harper proves she can date without falling in love. As the lessons progress and Theo takes them to heart, Harper has a harder time upholding her end of the bargain. She’s also checking out her window to see if Theo’s home from his latest date yet. She's even watching rom-coms.

If she confesses her feelings, she’ll undermine everything she’s taught him. Or was he the one teaching her?

• Best Friends to Lovers: She’s his cynical best friend; he’s the hopeless romantic next door. Their deal to teach him about heartbreak might be the one thing that finally brings them together.
• Grumpy Sunshine Romance: Can a girl who works in a wedding shop (and hates it) really teach a boy who plays the accordion and dreams of happily-ever-afters how to guard his heart? Especially when she starts losing her own?
• Slow Burn Chemistry: The lessons start as a joke, but soon Harper is checking her window to see if Theo’s home and watching the very movies she used to mock. The slow burn is real—and so are the feelings.
• Small Town Setting: Set in a picturesque town full of quirky characters, nosy neighbors, and one very memorable windmill-shaped tree house.