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Verdict: A warm, heartfelt small-town romance about a closeted chef on the verge of 40 and an out-and-proud widow, set in West Virginia just before marriage equality. Readers love the coming-out arc and the town that rallies round; a slow start is the main complaint.
Best for: Readers who enjoy late coming-out stories, food and small-town community.
Heat level: 🌶️🌶️
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.9/5 — a 4.25 Goodreads average across 127 ratings, 3.83 on StoryGraph from 6 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 161 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Coming out later in life, age gap, small town, widow, closeted love interest, dual POV.
Falling for Love: A West Virginia Romance is Addison M. Conley’s contemporary lesbian romance. Jordan Simón, a chef who came home from Madrid to open a successful restaurant in small-town Oakville, West Virginia, seems to have it all — except a life. On the verge of 40, she is torn between the emptiness of hiding her sexuality and a painful secret. Then she meets Emmy Russo, an out and proud lesbian visiting her aunt before moving to Washington, DC, six years after losing her wife.
It holds a 4.25 average across 127 Goodreads ratings, with 82% of them four or five stars, 3.83 on StoryGraph from 6 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 161 Amazon ratings.
What Is Falling for Love About?
The sparks are instant, but Emmy has no interest in a closeted relationship. Jordan has to find the courage to face her family — including a homophobic brother — and her own past.
It is a story about family, friends and forgiveness, especially forgiving yourself.
What Works in This Book
- Jordan’s growth: Readers found her journey to coming out touching and relatable.
- Emmy: A strong, out woman readers liked immediately.
- The town: One reader loved the irony of the homophobic brother sparking rainbow flags up and down Main Street.
- Setting and history: Readers praise the nature writing and the reminder of the fight for marriage equality.
Book Synopsis
A closeted chef in a tiny tourist town meets a woman who won’t hide — just as the country argues over who gets to marry.
Love will lead you home, if you open your heart and fight.
My Review
Conley writes a gentle, sincere story with strong dialogue and real chemistry, and readers are surprised it is a debut. The older couple and their age gap feel natural.
The main reservation is pacing: several readers took a while to get into it, and one had trouble finishing. With only seventeen written reviews, the evidence base is modest.
My honest note: Push past the opening chapters; readers say it ends strong.
| Element | In Falling for Love |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Jordan Simón (chef, 40) & Emmy Russo (widow, 52) |
| Core tropes | Coming out later in life, age gap, small town |
| Setting | Oakville, West Virginia, 2015 |
| Heat level | 🌶️🌶️ |
| Length | 312 pages (Kindle) |
| Ending | HEA, per readers |
| Content notes | Homophobia, grief, a painful past secret |
How Spicy Is Falling for Love?
Moderate — one reader describes plenty of sex alongside plenty of story.
Expect small-town homophobia and grief for Emmy’s late wife.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a feel-good late coming-out story. It is on our women over 40 list.
You may want to skip it if: slow openings lose you.
In short: Coming home, coming out.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 46% five stars, 36% four, 13% three, 3% two and no one-star ratings. Reviewers repeatedly call it heartwarming, with a happily ever after.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Jordan’s growth first. Second, the town. Third, the older couple.
What readers argue about and complain about: A slow start, above everything.
The comparison worth making first: Embracing the Dawn, another romance where one lead must come out in midlife.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Falling for Love set?
In 2015, shortly before the US Supreme Court struck down state bans on same-sex marriage.
Is there an age gap?
Yes — about twelve years. Jordan is turning 40 and Emmy is 52.
Is Falling for Love a new book?
This 2019 edition is a second edition of the author’s earlier Falling for Love: A Winter Romance. Readers describe it as her debut.
How spicy is Falling for Love?
One reader describes plenty of “dessert” alongside the story, so expect some open-door scenes.
Is Falling for Love on Kindle Unlimited?
Yes, at the time of writing; otherwise the Kindle edition was $4.99.
If You Loved Falling for Love, Read These Next
Try Embracing the Dawn, our small-town lesbian romance reviews, or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Falling for Love sets out to tell a heartfelt late coming-out story in a small town, and it does. What holds it back is a slow start. A good Kindle Unlimited pick. Check Falling for Love on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Falling for Love ranks as a good small-town romance — sincere, warm.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ 4.25 average across 127 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 82% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 3.83 on StoryGraph from 6 reviews
- ✓ 4.5 stars across 161 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Instant sparks
- ✓ Age gap
- ✓ Out vs closeted
- ✓ Chemistry
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Growing Jordan
- ✓ Strong Emmy
- ✓ Homophobic brother
- ✓ Supportive town
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ Strong dialogue
- ✓ Nature scenes
- ✓ Slow start
- ✓ Dual POV
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Heartwarming
- ✓ Coming out
- ✓ Grief
- ✓ Historical moment
Heat Level ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ Moderate
- ✓ Plenty of sex for one
- ✓ Open door
- ✓ Adult romance
Ending ★★★★☆ 4.2/5
- ✓ HEA
- ✓ Ends strong
- ✓ Town support
- ✓ Standalone
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ On Kindle Unlimited
- ✓ $4.99 Kindle price
- ✓ 312 pages
- ✓ Comfort read
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