A Court of Mist and Fury
Sarah J. Maas · Book 2 of 6 in A Court of Thorns and Roses
Spice 4/5 · SpicyRhysand. That is the hook. The sequel that turned a fairy-tale retelling into a found-family obsession.
- Fated mates
- Hurt / comfort
- Found family
Tropes
He falls first romance books
He was gone from chapter one. She takes a little longer to notice. Pining hero supremacy. 19 books so far, including Binding 13, Icebreaker and The Deal.
Spice
Binding 13
Chloe Walsh · Book 1 of 6 in Boys of Tommen
Spice 2/5 · SimmerAn abused girl and the golden-boy rugby star who sees her. Heavy, huge and impossible to put down.
- Hurt / comfort
- He falls first
- Touch her and die
Icebreaker
Hannah Grace · Book 1 of 3 in Maple Hills
Spice 4/5 · SpicyA figure skater has to share the ice with the hockey captain. BookTok's favourite college hockey romance.
- Forced proximity
- He falls first
- Hockey player
The Deal
Elle Kennedy · Book 1 of 5 in Off-Campus
Spice 4/5 · SpicyShe tutors him, he fake-dates her to make her crush jealous. The OG college hockey romance.
- Fake dating
- He falls first
- Hockey player
The Hating Game
Sally Thorne
Spice 3/5 · SteamyTwo executive assistants who hate each other compete for the same promotion. The office enemies-to-lovers blueprint.
- Enemies to lovers
- Workplace romance
- Rivals to lovers
The Love Hypothesis
Ali Hazelwood
Spice 3/5 · SteamyA grad student fake-dates the scariest professor in the department. STEM rom-com that started a Hazelwood obsession.
- Fake dating
- Grumpy x sunshine
- He falls first
Twisted Love
Ana Huang · Book 1 of 4 in Twisted
Spice 4/5 · SpicyHer brother's best friend, a cold billionaire who "does not feel anything" except extremely possessive about her.
- Brother's best friend
- He falls first
- Grumpy hero
Assistant to the Villain
Hannah Nicole Maehrer · Book 1 of 3 in Assistant to the Villain
Spice 1/5 · SweetAn office romcom where the boss is the kingdom's Big Bad. HR is a dragon. Delightfully silly.
- Villain gets the girl
- Boss x employee
- Workplace romance
Behind the Net
Stephanie Archer · Book 1 in Vancouver Storm
Spice 4/5 · SpicyA goalie with a twenty-year crush and the team physical therapist who has no idea. Pining hero supremacy.
- Workplace romance
- Roommates
- He falls first
Consider Me
Becka Mack · Book 1 in Playing for Keeps
Spice 4/5 · SpicyA hockey star bets he can win her over. He actually means it. Golden retriever hero, big yearning.
- He falls first
- Hurt / comfort
- Hockey player
Daydream
Hannah Grace · Book 3 of 3 in Maple Hills
Spice 4/5 · SpicyA golden retriever hockey captain and an anxious overachiever with too much on her plate.
- He falls first
- Hockey player
- Smart / nerdy heroine
Devil in Winter
Lisa Kleypas · Book 3 of 4 in Wallflowers
Spice 4/5 · SpicyA shy wallflower proposes a marriage of convenience to the most notorious rake in England. Readable alone.
- Marriage of convenience
- He falls first
- Bad boy
Love on the Brain
Ali Hazelwood
Spice 3/5 · SteamyA neuroscientist at NASA has to co-lead a project with her grad-school nemesis. He is suspiciously helpful.
- Rivals to lovers
- Workplace romance
- He falls first
Mile High
Liz Tomforde · Book 1 of 5 in Windy City
Spice 4/5 · SpicyA cocky hockey defenceman and the flight attendant on his team's charter plane. Fraternizing is very against the rules.
- Workplace romance
- Forbidden love
- He falls first
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me
Mariana Zapata
Spice 2/5 · SimmerHis former assistant quits; the NFL star needs a green-card marriage. The slowest, most satisfying burn.
- Boss x employee
- Marriage of convenience
- He falls first
Play with Me
Becka Mack · Book 2 in Playing for Keeps
Spice 4/5 · SpicyHer brother's teammate has been in love with her for years. She has no idea. Yet.
- Brother's best friend
- He falls first
- Hockey player
Practice Makes Perfect
Sarah Adams · Book 2 of 2 in When in Rome
Spice 1/5 · SweetA sweet small-town girl asks a bodyguard to teach her how to date. He is not handling it well.
- Bodyguard
- Cozy / low stakes
- He falls first
Choosing Theo
Victoria Aveline · Book 1 in Clecanian
Spice 4/5 · SpicyThe book that awakened a thousand primal kinks. Theo is so soft for her it hurts.
- He falls first
- Forced proximity
- Cinnamon roll hero
Throne in the Dark
A.K. Caggiano · Book 1 of 3 in Villains and Virtues
Spice 4/5 · SpicyA Dark Lord who has never been loved and the heroine who is not scared of him. Readers report actual book hangovers.
- Villain gets the girl
- Captor / captive
- He falls first
Often paired with he falls first
He falls first books: FAQ
What are the best he falls first books?
Reader favourites include Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh; Icebreaker by Hannah Grace; The Deal by Elle Kennedy; The Hating Game by Sally Thorne; The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. Use the spice filter above to narrow it to your heat level.
What are the spiciest he falls first books?
For explicit he falls first romance, try Icebreaker by Hannah Grace; The Deal by Elle Kennedy; Twisted Love by Ana Huang; Behind the Net by Stephanie Archer; Consider Me by Becka Mack. These are rated 4 or 5 out of 5 on our spice scale.
Are there low-spice or clean he falls first books?
Yes: Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh; Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer; The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata are rated 1 or 2 out of 5, closed door or kisses only.
Are there standalone he falls first books?
If you do not want to commit to a series, try The Hating Game by Sally Thorne; The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood; Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood; The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata.