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The Fall
One hit on the ice.One missing year.One man I can’t let go.When I wake up, the last twelve months of my life are gone. I don’t know what team I’m on, how I got here… or why there’s a gorgeous man in my bed calling me babe.
A year ago, I was barely hanging on to my career and too scared to admit I wanted a man. Now, I may not remember falling for him, but when he smiles, when he touches me, when he kisses me—I know it. He’s everything.
And somehow, I have the life I always dreamed a thriving career, a man who loves me, and a championship within reach.
The only problem? I can’t remember how I made any of it happen.
If I want to keep this perfect life, I’ll have to hide the truth until everything comes back. Because I can’t lose this. And most of all, I can’t lose him.
How hard can it be to live my own life without remembering it?
Fake it ’til you make it, right?
Wrong. So wrong.
A year ago, I was barely hanging on to my career and too scared to admit I wanted a man. Now, I may not remember falling for him, but when he smiles, when he touches me, when he kisses me—I know it. He’s everything.
And somehow, I have the life I always dreamed a thriving career, a man who loves me, and a championship within reach.
The only problem? I can’t remember how I made any of it happen.
If I want to keep this perfect life, I’ll have to hide the truth until everything comes back. Because I can’t lose this. And most of all, I can’t lose him.
How hard can it be to live my own life without remembering it?
Fake it ’til you make it, right?
Wrong. So wrong.
810 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 13, 2025
1439 people are currently reading
5215 people want to read
About the author
Tal Bauer
27 books6,126 followersTal Bauer writes breathtaking, heartfelt, and often action-packed gay romance novels. His characters are head over heels for each other and fight against all odds for their happy ending. Nothing stands in the way of love. Tal is best known for his romantic suspense novels, including the Executive Office series, The Murder Between Us, The Grave Between Us, The Night of, and his MM sports romance, The Jock.
Website - www.talbauerwrites.com
Amazon Author - http://amazon.com/author/talbauer
Instagram - @TalBauerWrites
Newsletter - https://mailchi.mp/f1fd8baec198/talba...
Website - www.talbauerwrites.com
Amazon Author - http://amazon.com/author/talbauer
Instagram - @TalBauerWrites
Newsletter - https://mailchi.mp/f1fd8baec198/talba...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,140 reviews
October 4, 2025
I don't even know how to write a review for this book. I'll try to keep it vague, but for those who haven't read it, kindly leave and come back when you finish it. 😅 Knowing nothing about the story except for what the blurb says is the best thing I did going in.
I was drawn into the story right from the start. I'm a fan of amnesia trope, and I really enjoyed how unique the concept was in this one. I absolutely loved the first part, being in the dark and just going with the flow. Even though I'd just met Torey, I was so happy for him. For the life he had. At the same time, I was dreading what was coming next.
I loved the second part just as much, bur for different reasons. It gave us the answers to what happened 'before' – the building of new friendships, getting better, and also the most perfect slow burn. I felt like I got to experience the loveliest romance twice. This is the part where I could take a breather from all the anxiety of the first part. 😅
But then came the last 200 pages where, let's just say, the timelines overlap. And I was honestly at the edge of my seat almost until the end. What I thought was brilliant was how the same situations and conversations fit, but in a completely different context. I have to say that I wasn't happy with the 'resolution' at all. I know it kind of makes sense, but I wished for a different outcome. Thankfully, the epilogue made up for it.
I loved the romance, even if it was a bit sappy at times. I loved the friendships, the hockey team members, the games, seeing Torey and Blair on the ice together.
Being inside Torey's head was sometimes overwhelming. The writing is very descriptive, emotional, dramatic and repetitive, but that didn't affect how invested I was in the story. I still think it was beautifully written. Not bad for my first read by this author. 😊
I was drawn into the story right from the start. I'm a fan of amnesia trope, and I really enjoyed how unique the concept was in this one. I absolutely loved the first part, being in the dark and just going with the flow. Even though I'd just met Torey, I was so happy for him. For the life he had. At the same time, I was dreading what was coming next.
I loved the second part just as much, bur for different reasons. It gave us the answers to what happened 'before' – the building of new friendships, getting better, and also the most perfect slow burn. I felt like I got to experience the loveliest romance twice. This is the part where I could take a breather from all the anxiety of the first part. 😅
But then came the last 200 pages where, let's just say, the timelines overlap. And I was honestly at the edge of my seat almost until the end. What I thought was brilliant was how the same situations and conversations fit, but in a completely different context. I have to say that I wasn't happy with the 'resolution' at all. I know it kind of makes sense, but I wished for a different outcome. Thankfully, the epilogue made up for it.
I loved the romance, even if it was a bit sappy at times. I loved the friendships, the hockey team members, the games, seeing Torey and Blair on the ice together.
Being inside Torey's head was sometimes overwhelming. The writing is very descriptive, emotional, dramatic and repetitive, but that didn't affect how invested I was in the story. I still think it was beautifully written. Not bad for my first read by this author. 😊
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2025
Absolute brilliance.
No-one, and I mean no-one, writes like Tal Bauer, he has this innate ability to pull you so deep into his narratives that you're there in the story, walking alongside the characters, feeling their emotions and - in this book - living their terror that something is going to take away your perfect life.
The one you don't remember getting.
This book is a headrush beyond measure, it's packed with so much beautiful language, the manipulation of feelings that Tal is an absolute master at, the looming dread as the tension rises to a point where you know something is coming that will change the whole trajectory of the plotline.
He's also excellent at writing sports, he gets the way teams build their relationships, fractious or not, he can bring the reader along with the highs, and make you feel the absolute rock bottom lows.
The main plot for this is one that can't be spoiler-ed without ruining everything, so I'll just say the Blurb gives you the idea of what you might get, but the reality is simply stunning.
Love, in all its many complexities, drives everything in this story. It fuels Torey's life, both the lack of it when he's playing in Vancouver, to the all-encompassing one he finds with Blair Callaghan in Tampa.
But also fear. The terror of waking up in a life you have no memory of, knowing something is coming that you cannot recall, drives every step Torey takes from the start of this book, through to the ending.
Tal writes about Torey and Blair, but it's also about Hayes, his wife Erin, their daughter Lily, it's about team friendships, it's about finding a way back to the love you had as a kid for your father, it's about lost family, it's about guilt, it's about hope.
But most of all, it's about love. A bone deep, beyond any doubt, love that anchors Torey to Blair when it seems everything about his life makes no sense. It's about knowing there is a soulmate, a perfect other half to your heart, holding on to that and driving yourself to the edge to keep that love safe.
Tal might have been away for a while but oh boy, when he comes back, he comes back with a vengeance.
This book is one of his best, if not his absolute best.
#ARC kindly received from the author, I am voluntarily leaving a review
And, as a PS, I've also bought my own copy because it's Tal and I own everything he's ever written, sometimes more than once 😁
No-one, and I mean no-one, writes like Tal Bauer, he has this innate ability to pull you so deep into his narratives that you're there in the story, walking alongside the characters, feeling their emotions and - in this book - living their terror that something is going to take away your perfect life.
The one you don't remember getting.
This book is a headrush beyond measure, it's packed with so much beautiful language, the manipulation of feelings that Tal is an absolute master at, the looming dread as the tension rises to a point where you know something is coming that will change the whole trajectory of the plotline.
He's also excellent at writing sports, he gets the way teams build their relationships, fractious or not, he can bring the reader along with the highs, and make you feel the absolute rock bottom lows.
The main plot for this is one that can't be spoiler-ed without ruining everything, so I'll just say the Blurb gives you the idea of what you might get, but the reality is simply stunning.
Love, in all its many complexities, drives everything in this story. It fuels Torey's life, both the lack of it when he's playing in Vancouver, to the all-encompassing one he finds with Blair Callaghan in Tampa.
But also fear. The terror of waking up in a life you have no memory of, knowing something is coming that you cannot recall, drives every step Torey takes from the start of this book, through to the ending.
Tal writes about Torey and Blair, but it's also about Hayes, his wife Erin, their daughter Lily, it's about team friendships, it's about finding a way back to the love you had as a kid for your father, it's about lost family, it's about guilt, it's about hope.
But most of all, it's about love. A bone deep, beyond any doubt, love that anchors Torey to Blair when it seems everything about his life makes no sense. It's about knowing there is a soulmate, a perfect other half to your heart, holding on to that and driving yourself to the edge to keep that love safe.
Tal might have been away for a while but oh boy, when he comes back, he comes back with a vengeance.
This book is one of his best, if not his absolute best.
#ARC kindly received from the author, I am voluntarily leaving a review
And, as a PS, I've also bought my own copy because it's Tal and I own everything he's ever written, sometimes more than once 😁
September 22, 2025
first 75%: 5 ⭐️
75-90%: 1 ⭐️
last 10%: 4 ⭐️
final rating: 3 ⭐️
spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
format: ebook
it pains me to rate a tal bauer book so low as he is one of my favorite writers of all time and usually always gets top marks from me. especially when the first 75% of this book had me believing this was going to be my top read of 2025. but oh my god, did i get some major whiplash.
let me start by saying, i have nothing against reading a 800+ page book. i adore long stories and slow burns and i will happily read a thousand pages of my favorite books. and since tal’s prose usually speaks straight to my soul, i didn’t think there would be an issue here at all.
the premise of this book was fascinating. i loved getting to wake up with torey and watch him spend the next few weeks falling in love with blair. they are two characters who just scream “soulmates” in every single timeline. when blair is ripped from us not too long after, i felt just as devastated as our mc.
and then we got to watch torey struggle in a world without blair. we got to see why blair insisted on virgin coladas at the bar and chilled gatorade at their intimate dinner. we got the missing background on hayes’s family, and the story of the mysterious broken hockey stick, and blair’s recounting of what happened with his brother. we got to finally see all their actual first times together, and once again feel in our guts that these two just belong together.
however, when we hit the 75% mark and the book began to loop, everything that i loved about this story and these characters soured for me instantly.
firstly, it is truly so odd to me that tal bauer would choose to basically copy and paste 115 pages of what we’ve already read in the beginning of the book. just from a stylistic standpoint, it felt like such a weird decision. and you couldn’t even really skim because even though the scenes and dialogue were all the same, torey’s inner monologues were different. and also in that regard, i have to say it was way too repetitive and confusing. one second he would be predicting what would happen next because he already lived it, and another he would be questioning why things seemed to have happened already. was he aware he was living them over again or wasn’t he?
secondly, blair. poor sweet blair, who i feel like deserved way better than what he got from torey. in the beginning, torey was faking everything because he didn’t remember the past year—and truthfully, i can give this a pass. he had made up for that by falling for him and finding his way back to him. however when the loop begins again, torey spends the next few weeks basically just “going through the motions” with blair. he said the same words, took the same actions. it felt so disingenuous to their relationship. blair deserved to be kissed in ways he wasn’t already kissed before. he deserved for torey to interact with him authentically. it just made me feel a little uncomfortable, to be honest.
it truly got so bad that i wanted to dnf this almost 700 pages in. picking up this book just felt mentally exhausting.
i will say that once the loop was finally over and we were back to where we had left off before torey woke in vancouver, the story and pace finally picked up again. but i do fear that the previous issues just didn’t allow me to fully get back into loving this couple.
i still don’t know if torey time traveled, or saw the future, or had a coma dream or seizure, or what.
it’s unfortunate that my most anticipated book by my favorite author didn’t really vibe with me, but obviously i’m going to continue to happily read whatever he puts out in the future.
75-90%: 1 ⭐️
last 10%: 4 ⭐️
final rating: 3 ⭐️
spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
format: ebook
it pains me to rate a tal bauer book so low as he is one of my favorite writers of all time and usually always gets top marks from me. especially when the first 75% of this book had me believing this was going to be my top read of 2025. but oh my god, did i get some major whiplash.
let me start by saying, i have nothing against reading a 800+ page book. i adore long stories and slow burns and i will happily read a thousand pages of my favorite books. and since tal’s prose usually speaks straight to my soul, i didn’t think there would be an issue here at all.
the premise of this book was fascinating. i loved getting to wake up with torey and watch him spend the next few weeks falling in love with blair. they are two characters who just scream “soulmates” in every single timeline. when blair is ripped from us not too long after, i felt just as devastated as our mc.
and then we got to watch torey struggle in a world without blair. we got to see why blair insisted on virgin coladas at the bar and chilled gatorade at their intimate dinner. we got the missing background on hayes’s family, and the story of the mysterious broken hockey stick, and blair’s recounting of what happened with his brother. we got to finally see all their actual first times together, and once again feel in our guts that these two just belong together.
however, when we hit the 75% mark and the book began to loop, everything that i loved about this story and these characters soured for me instantly.
firstly, it is truly so odd to me that tal bauer would choose to basically copy and paste 115 pages of what we’ve already read in the beginning of the book. just from a stylistic standpoint, it felt like such a weird decision. and you couldn’t even really skim because even though the scenes and dialogue were all the same, torey’s inner monologues were different. and also in that regard, i have to say it was way too repetitive and confusing. one second he would be predicting what would happen next because he already lived it, and another he would be questioning why things seemed to have happened already. was he aware he was living them over again or wasn’t he?
secondly, blair. poor sweet blair, who i feel like deserved way better than what he got from torey. in the beginning, torey was faking everything because he didn’t remember the past year—and truthfully, i can give this a pass. he had made up for that by falling for him and finding his way back to him. however when the loop begins again, torey spends the next few weeks basically just “going through the motions” with blair. he said the same words, took the same actions. it felt so disingenuous to their relationship. blair deserved to be kissed in ways he wasn’t already kissed before. he deserved for torey to interact with him authentically. it just made me feel a little uncomfortable, to be honest.
it truly got so bad that i wanted to dnf this almost 700 pages in. picking up this book just felt mentally exhausting.
i will say that once the loop was finally over and we were back to where we had left off before torey woke in vancouver, the story and pace finally picked up again. but i do fear that the previous issues just didn’t allow me to fully get back into loving this couple.
i still don’t know if torey time traveled, or saw the future, or had a coma dream or seizure, or what.
it’s unfortunate that my most anticipated book by my favorite author didn’t really vibe with me, but obviously i’m going to continue to happily read whatever he puts out in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2025
Don’t ever say that I don’t love Tal Bauer because I just read eight hundred pages of whatever the hell this was and gave it more than one star. I’m pretty loose with my plot needs — if I like the writing, I can read a book that’s entirely two people making cow eyes at each other and not get bored — but if something is so long that Brandon Sanderson would be, like, “whoa”, it should probably have a reason to justify its length and honey, this ain’t it. The first two hundred pages end up not mattering at all, as they set up a mystery that NEVER GETS SOLVED. The rest of the book is self-flagellation porn with a healthy heap of codependency and creepy obsession, garnished with incredible amounts of disbelief suspension. Perhaps this could have been improved by a peek into Blair’s POV at some point, but all we saw was Torey’s mind, which wasn’t a very interesting place to be.
The reason this book is so long is those pesky first two hundred pages, as they essentially are copy-pasted onto the last two hundred pages, so half the book ends up being repetitive and droning. I never thought I’d say this in my life but we needed maybe a third of the sex scenes (there, that’s another 150 pages) (I am not exaggerating) (maybe a little). But you know, I read it. Maybe you’ll like it, what do I know. Just buckle up for a long haul and don’t count the echo words or you’ll go insane (“forehead”: 95; “broken”: 118; “whisper”: 208).
The reason this book is so long is those pesky first two hundred pages, as they essentially are copy-pasted onto the last two hundred pages, so half the book ends up being repetitive and droning. I never thought I’d say this in my life but we needed maybe a third of the sex scenes (there, that’s another 150 pages) (I am not exaggerating) (maybe a little). But you know, I read it. Maybe you’ll like it, what do I know. Just buckle up for a long haul and don’t count the echo words or you’ll go insane (“forehead”: 95; “broken”: 118; “whisper”: 208).
Read
October 13, 2025~DNF~
The Fall is one of the most frustrating, overwrought, tedious stories I've ever read (or, rather, attempted to read).
We're stuck in an endless loop in Torey's head, living his pain and angst. With minor variations, internal monologues, conversations, hockey games, and sex play on repeat.
It's like taking US-50 through Nevada: 400 plus miles of barren valley, sand dunes, and sagebrush.
Tal Bauer can write. That's an indisputable fact. What I found most vexing is that this story has potential. The amnesia trope, the romance, the characters, the big emotions ... moments of brilliances trapped in a litany of words.
30% plot progression / 70% tortured thoughts
I am a huge Tal Bauer fan and didn't give up easily. I read for HOURS and felt not one flicker of interest. I had to stop for the sake of my sanity.
The Fall is one of the most frustrating, overwrought, tedious stories I've ever read (or, rather, attempted to read).
We're stuck in an endless loop in Torey's head, living his pain and angst. With minor variations, internal monologues, conversations, hockey games, and sex play on repeat.
It's like taking US-50 through Nevada: 400 plus miles of barren valley, sand dunes, and sagebrush.
Tal Bauer can write. That's an indisputable fact. What I found most vexing is that this story has potential. The amnesia trope, the romance, the characters, the big emotions ... moments of brilliances trapped in a litany of words.
30% plot progression / 70% tortured thoughts
I am a huge Tal Bauer fan and didn't give up easily. I read for HOURS and felt not one flicker of interest. I had to stop for the sake of my sanity.
November 7, 2025
*3.75* This book did not need to be 810 pages. I almost DNF’d it in the first 15%. Starting a story with the couple already in love is a tricky move, but trust me: keep reading.
This is basically the chicken-or-the-egg question in book form. The story loops around itself in such an interesting way that you’re constantly questioning what came first and why.
I loved him once without knowing why. I love him now knowing everything. I’ll love him always, even when time steals him away again.
At its heart, this is a reverse-amnesia hockey romance with two incredibly lovable Canadian MCs (23 and 27), and it blends sports, pining, and slow-burn emotional tension so well. The secondary characters feel real and grounded, the found-family elements hit hard, and the hurt/comfort moments are genuinely moving.
This is love, in all its messy, complicated forms. Fear, longing, desire, vulnerability, and the desperate need to hold onto someone you’re terrified of losing, even when you can’t remember how you got there in the first place.
Tropes/themes:
Tooth-achingly sweet
Reverse amnesia
Gay sports romance
Hurt/comfort
Found family
First times
Lots of bjs/intimacy
Pining
Protective MC
Unconventional second-chance romance
HEA
Overall, a surprisingly heartfelt, twisty, and deeply romantic story that sneaks up on you the longer you read. Could this have been edited down a few hundred pages, absolutely. Is it syrupy sweet and overly mushy, also yes. Still, glad I stuck with it.
* I wish Tal would had written this book with an actual paranormal slant. I still feel it has some of those qualities…
Science can explain so much.
But not everything.
This is basically the chicken-or-the-egg question in book form. The story loops around itself in such an interesting way that you’re constantly questioning what came first and why.
I loved him once without knowing why. I love him now knowing everything. I’ll love him always, even when time steals him away again.
At its heart, this is a reverse-amnesia hockey romance with two incredibly lovable Canadian MCs (23 and 27), and it blends sports, pining, and slow-burn emotional tension so well. The secondary characters feel real and grounded, the found-family elements hit hard, and the hurt/comfort moments are genuinely moving.
This is love, in all its messy, complicated forms. Fear, longing, desire, vulnerability, and the desperate need to hold onto someone you’re terrified of losing, even when you can’t remember how you got there in the first place.
Tropes/themes:
Tooth-achingly sweet
Reverse amnesia
Gay sports romance
Hurt/comfort
Found family
First times
Lots of bjs/intimacy
Pining
Protective MC
Unconventional second-chance romance
HEA
Overall, a surprisingly heartfelt, twisty, and deeply romantic story that sneaks up on you the longer you read. Could this have been edited down a few hundred pages, absolutely. Is it syrupy sweet and overly mushy, also yes. Still, glad I stuck with it.
* I wish Tal would had written this book with an actual paranormal slant. I still feel it has some of those qualities…
Science can explain so much.
But not everything.
September 19, 2025
I’m finished. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually.
This book was poetry and agony, and I loved it so much I could scream. Tal Bauer is back and he is magnificent.
TROPES & VIBES:
- Healing and grief
- Some of the most insanely beautiful writing I’ve ever experienced
- *it was always, only, you*
- The first quarter of this book was pure ✨dread✨
- The cemetery scene took me out, actually
- I wish this was a tv series
- It’s the sort of book that reshapes your soul
Six stars
This book was poetry and agony, and I loved it so much I could scream. Tal Bauer is back and he is magnificent.
TROPES & VIBES:
- Healing and grief
- Some of the most insanely beautiful writing I’ve ever experienced
- *it was always, only, you*
- The first quarter of this book was pure ✨dread✨
- The cemetery scene took me out, actually
- I wish this was a tv series
- It’s the sort of book that reshapes your soul
Six stars
September 18, 2025
Final Destination x Thrown Off The Ice. So I was right about this one💀(but before anyone jumps me, there's a HEA)
Let's start with asking who tf Torey pissed off in a past life because it seems like all the gods across all pantheons past and present unionized to terrorize this kid.
I'm talking.....Job in the Bible levels of suffering.
No way a 24 year old is fighting all these demons alone. I was exhausted just reading it.
And that twist? Holy fuck. Loved, loved, LOVED.
Though at first I was thinking, why on earth doesn't he just say something?!!
Then I realized, if I were Blair and a 24 year old rookie said this shit to me, I'd be waving a rosary in front of his face and saying get thee the fuck away from me, you weirdo.
So, yeah. Made sense.
I WILL say, though, that there's a specific part of the latter 30% which was so drawn out I almost ran mad just reading it and I was asking God WHYYYYYY it wasn't more brief (like I really, REALLY got the gist and didn't want to live it)
But again, if it almost drove me insane, imagine living it?
Ugh.
A few things make so much sense later in the story. For example I thought it was weird to get a really intense love declaration and respond with, 'I'll never forget you.'
With context, I promise it's even more intense a love declaration.
Also made me realize how much my favorite bit of romance is a couple falling in love for the first time and doing everything together for the first time because at the start I REALLY felt cheated.
All I have to say to anyone reading who shares that sentiment is — keep reading. You're not getting cheated of anything.
There's this forehead thing they do and it just.....ugh. Gets me every time.
It's really, really hard to review this one without inadvertently getting into massive spoiler territory so what I will say is that it's really, really sweet.
And really, really frustrating.
I hope whoever reads this has a high tolerance for MCs who are sweet babies and don't deserve all the suffering.
Very hard won HEA.
But if you've read Thrown Off The Ice then you'll take this with both hands and be extra spicy happy because the alternative...?
💀
Let's start with asking who tf Torey pissed off in a past life because it seems like all the gods across all pantheons past and present unionized to terrorize this kid.
I'm talking.....Job in the Bible levels of suffering.
No way a 24 year old is fighting all these demons alone. I was exhausted just reading it.
And that twist? Holy fuck. Loved, loved, LOVED.
Though at first I was thinking, why on earth doesn't he just say something?!!
Then I realized, if I were Blair and a 24 year old rookie said this shit to me, I'd be waving a rosary in front of his face and saying get thee the fuck away from me, you weirdo.
So, yeah. Made sense.
I WILL say, though, that there's a specific part of the latter 30% which was so drawn out I almost ran mad just reading it and I was asking God WHYYYYYY it wasn't more brief (like I really, REALLY got the gist and didn't want to live it)
But again, if it almost drove me insane, imagine living it?
Ugh.
A few things make so much sense later in the story. For example I thought it was weird to get a really intense love declaration and respond with, 'I'll never forget you.'
With context, I promise it's even more intense a love declaration.
Also made me realize how much my favorite bit of romance is a couple falling in love for the first time and doing everything together for the first time because at the start I REALLY felt cheated.
All I have to say to anyone reading who shares that sentiment is — keep reading. You're not getting cheated of anything.
There's this forehead thing they do and it just.....ugh. Gets me every time.
It's really, really hard to review this one without inadvertently getting into massive spoiler territory so what I will say is that it's really, really sweet.
And really, really frustrating.
I hope whoever reads this has a high tolerance for MCs who are sweet babies and don't deserve all the suffering.
Very hard won HEA.
But if you've read Thrown Off The Ice then you'll take this with both hands and be extra spicy happy because the alternative...?
💀
November 17, 2025
I’m next-level devastated. RIP my mental stability, this book destroyed me.
2 months later, and I still can't think how to write a review, so these are just rambling thoughts with spoilers, because why not? Although I still think is best to read this book without knowing anything about it.
I've read maybe 70% of all Tal Bauer books, so when I saw this was coming out and it was also a hockey book, it was a no-brainer for me.
First of all, this is 800+ all from Torey's POV, so we have a front row seat to all his despair and angst and never-ending love for Blair. The book starts with Torey not knowing anything that is happening, so from the start, instantly hooked, like wtf was going on? Torey and I were both super confused.
Then, around 30% the plot thickens, and I was literally thinking this sounded a lot like Final Destination. And I know Tal is not averse to writing sci-fi vibes plot twists, I am thinking of you Enemy of My Enemy, so I was for sure thinking this was going to be some time-vortex, situation or something equally wild. What I was not expecting was that ending! Holly fuck, for real?????
2 months later, and I still can't think how to write a review, so these are just rambling thoughts with spoilers, because why not? Although I still think is best to read this book without knowing anything about it.
I've read maybe 70% of all Tal Bauer books, so when I saw this was coming out and it was also a hockey book, it was a no-brainer for me.
First of all, this is 800+ all from Torey's POV, so we have a front row seat to all his despair and angst and never-ending love for Blair. The book starts with Torey not knowing anything that is happening, so from the start, instantly hooked, like wtf was going on? Torey and I were both super confused.
Then, around 30% the plot thickens, and I was literally thinking this sounded a lot like Final Destination. And I know Tal is not averse to writing sci-fi vibes plot twists, I am thinking of you Enemy of My Enemy, so I was for sure thinking this was going to be some time-vortex, situation or something equally wild. What I was not expecting was that ending! Holly fuck, for real?????
September 20, 2025
Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.
This was really good, but it wasn't great. The problem with reviewing and rating Tal Bauer's books -- my favorite author -- is that I have really high expectations. Throw in the anticipation of waiting two years for a new book, and it has a lot to deliver on. The writing was, as per usual, fantastic, and so very beautiful, if not even better than it usually is. The plot and premise was original and one of the more unique ones I've read in the romance genre. The problems popped up in the second half of the book, where it got very repetitive and the tension just fell away, which made for a quite boring reading experience for a stretch. In my opinion there is rarely a reason for a contemporary romance to be more than 500 pages (with some exceptions), so when I found out this book is 800 pages I honestly lost all interest in trying it for a while.
Thankfully most of these pages were put to good use and the plot required a long time and a lot of words to work, but it still could've been shorter and worked even better. There's also a pretty shocking amount of time spent on spice, but after the first couple scenes it didn't bring anything new to the dynamic or relationship, and they felt repetitive. I wanted to skim most of the sex scenes.
I can only imagine what an absolute pain in the ass it must be to edit a behemoth like this, but it really did need some (more?) beta reading. There were quite a few silly mistakes, especially related to the positioning of characters, that really took me out of the story. People changing places and positions in the middle of scenes, or doing physically impossible things in the positions they are supposed to be in. Other than that the editing was good.
I'm being very critical, but there was a lot to enjoy as well. Blair was an amazing character who went through an impressive amount of growth and development considering he wasn't a POV character. There's a lot going on with Torey and we spend 810 pages in his head, so it was nice that Blair was so well developed as well. Torey was just such a lovely character. He goes through so much, and he handles most of it completely on his own. How he gets through one day, let alone so many days is a bit of a miracle in my opinion. I don't want to glorify suffering in silence and handling every challenge alone, but it's still admirable that he did. He fought so hard for everything he had and got. He's also just a fantastic boyfriend to Blair. There was just way too many issues with pacing and the plot itself for me to fully enjoy it.
Even with the amazing writing itself, this was disappointing for this author, but it's still good to have him back in the game.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Amnesia
Sports romance
Slow burn
Hockey romance
First times
Pining
Found family
Canadian MCs
Protective MC
Hurt/comfort
Unconventional second chance
Twists and turns
⚠️ Spice menu ⚠️
Shower sex
First times
Insatiable appetites
So many blowjobs
Enthusiastic rimming
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Suicidal ideation (MC, on page)
Suicidal thoughts (MC, on page)
Plan of committing suicide (MC)
Vomiting
On-page injuries and medical problems (MCs)
Explicit sexual content
Mentions of SC having cancer (past)
On-page car accident (MCs and SCs injured)
MC hospitalized (on-page sedation)
Alcohol abuse - excessive drinking (on page, MC, dealing with trauma)
MC questioning reality
Alcohol addiction (MC, becomes - and stays - sober during the story)
On-page alcohol cravings
Medical trauma
Mentions of death of MC's family member (past, overdose, no details)
Violence (on-ice fights)
Some details of drug addiction (sibling, past)
Off-page death and resuscitation of MC
Brief mentions of child abandonment
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, single
Genre: Sports romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 23 and 27
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 810
Happy ending: Yes
“Do you know what it’s like? Watching you on the ice, knowing I can’t touch you the way I want to? Knowing that every time you look at me, I’m one second away from ruining everything we’ve built?” Heat floods through me. My knees threaten to buckle. “You want to touch me?” A sound tears from him. “Want? Christ, Torey. Want doesn’t even begin to cover it.”
“Say it again.” The words are barely sound, more breath than voice. “Only you.” I turn my face into his palm. “It’s only ever been you. There’s nobody else, and there never could be.”
I should find this less attractive than I do, but Blair ready and raging to take on my entire former team because they’re being mean to me hits buttons I didn’t know I had.
How do you refuse fate when it wears the face of everything you love?
There is no prayer or promise more sacred than giving him my heartbeats.
What do I say to the man who loves me when I can’t remember holding his hand?
I don’t remember loving him, but like this, with his heart thudding against mine, I can’t imagine not.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
This was really good, but it wasn't great. The problem with reviewing and rating Tal Bauer's books -- my favorite author -- is that I have really high expectations. Throw in the anticipation of waiting two years for a new book, and it has a lot to deliver on. The writing was, as per usual, fantastic, and so very beautiful, if not even better than it usually is. The plot and premise was original and one of the more unique ones I've read in the romance genre. The problems popped up in the second half of the book, where it got very repetitive and the tension just fell away, which made for a quite boring reading experience for a stretch. In my opinion there is rarely a reason for a contemporary romance to be more than 500 pages (with some exceptions), so when I found out this book is 800 pages I honestly lost all interest in trying it for a while.
Thankfully most of these pages were put to good use and the plot required a long time and a lot of words to work, but it still could've been shorter and worked even better. There's also a pretty shocking amount of time spent on spice, but after the first couple scenes it didn't bring anything new to the dynamic or relationship, and they felt repetitive. I wanted to skim most of the sex scenes.
I can only imagine what an absolute pain in the ass it must be to edit a behemoth like this, but it really did need some (more?) beta reading. There were quite a few silly mistakes, especially related to the positioning of characters, that really took me out of the story. People changing places and positions in the middle of scenes, or doing physically impossible things in the positions they are supposed to be in. Other than that the editing was good.
I'm being very critical, but there was a lot to enjoy as well. Blair was an amazing character who went through an impressive amount of growth and development considering he wasn't a POV character. There's a lot going on with Torey and we spend 810 pages in his head, so it was nice that Blair was so well developed as well. Torey was just such a lovely character. He goes through so much, and he handles most of it completely on his own. How he gets through one day, let alone so many days is a bit of a miracle in my opinion. I don't want to glorify suffering in silence and handling every challenge alone, but it's still admirable that he did. He fought so hard for everything he had and got. He's also just a fantastic boyfriend to Blair. There was just way too many issues with pacing and the plot itself for me to fully enjoy it.
Even with the amazing writing itself, this was disappointing for this author, but it's still good to have him back in the game.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Amnesia
Sports romance
Slow burn
Hockey romance
First times
Pining
Found family
Canadian MCs
Protective MC
Hurt/comfort
Unconventional second chance
Twists and turns
⚠️ Spice menu ⚠️
Shower sex
First times
Insatiable appetites
So many blowjobs
Enthusiastic rimming
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Suicidal ideation (MC, on page)
Suicidal thoughts (MC, on page)
Plan of committing suicide (MC)
Vomiting
On-page injuries and medical problems (MCs)
Explicit sexual content
Mentions of SC having cancer (past)
On-page car accident (MCs and SCs injured)
MC hospitalized (on-page sedation)
Alcohol abuse - excessive drinking (on page, MC, dealing with trauma)
MC questioning reality
Alcohol addiction (MC, becomes - and stays - sober during the story)
On-page alcohol cravings
Medical trauma
Mentions of death of MC's family member (past, overdose, no details)
Violence (on-ice fights)
Some details of drug addiction (sibling, past)
Off-page death and resuscitation of MC
Brief mentions of child abandonment
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, single
Genre: Sports romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 23 and 27
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 810
Happy ending: Yes
“Do you know what it’s like? Watching you on the ice, knowing I can’t touch you the way I want to? Knowing that every time you look at me, I’m one second away from ruining everything we’ve built?” Heat floods through me. My knees threaten to buckle. “You want to touch me?” A sound tears from him. “Want? Christ, Torey. Want doesn’t even begin to cover it.”
“Say it again.” The words are barely sound, more breath than voice. “Only you.” I turn my face into his palm. “It’s only ever been you. There’s nobody else, and there never could be.”
I should find this less attractive than I do, but Blair ready and raging to take on my entire former team because they’re being mean to me hits buttons I didn’t know I had.
How do you refuse fate when it wears the face of everything you love?
There is no prayer or promise more sacred than giving him my heartbeats.
What do I say to the man who loves me when I can’t remember holding his hand?
I don’t remember loving him, but like this, with his heart thudding against mine, I can’t imagine not.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
September 20, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ 810 pages for a hockey romance with single POV - but it’s ok because there is a huge chunk of repetition that you can skim. Interesting choice to pace it like that and not just make it 400 pages shorter which I think would provide more of a punchier impact. It’s a tricky line between finishing a book that ended too quickly and being desperate for more vs feeling fatigued after finally finishing a book that you loved but now are well and truly done with.
The key scenes were amazing when they happened, loved them, but I feel the story overall got bogged down by the length and repeated scenes. I do see why the author chose to do this and I kind of like it, because I know that’s the point of the amnesia storyline, but at the same time I just couldn’t keep my brain invested for certain parts. Especially when this highly detailed writing was so word-for-word the same. I would have loved to have Blair’s POV at some points here to break that up and offer a different perspective.
Very poetic typical Tal writing - deeply descriptive and highly emotional. Moonbeams and sunlight galore - ‘sun-’ was mentioned an impressive 125 times. Many descriptions of Blair’s beautiful blue eyes.
I was intensely attracted to the vibrancy of the cover and that is a key reason I had to start this as soon as it started popping up on my GR feed.
A hot spike of anger pierces my daze. Everyone missed this; the doctors, the trainers, the infrastructure that’s supposed to keep us safe, and they all missed it. I kept playing. I kept getting hit.
Ahhh…actually dude you repeatedly and deliberately lied about your symptoms so you could keep playing despite your Dr and multiple other people being worried about you. You willingly play a high risk sport. This is all on you.
I did love being in Torey’s head, I was hooked as soon I started this as the early pacing was great, right into the action! His depression and suicidal ideation rang true.
Loved the amnesia trope. Loved the plot twists. Confused by the choice of pacing which came across more copy + paste than I believe was intended.
Oh and is TB in cahoots with Gatorade?? Vying for a sponsorship deal? There is a lot of Gatorade strategically placed at key moments here.
The key scenes were amazing when they happened, loved them, but I feel the story overall got bogged down by the length and repeated scenes. I do see why the author chose to do this and I kind of like it, because I know that’s the point of the amnesia storyline, but at the same time I just couldn’t keep my brain invested for certain parts. Especially when this highly detailed writing was so word-for-word the same. I would have loved to have Blair’s POV at some points here to break that up and offer a different perspective.
Very poetic typical Tal writing - deeply descriptive and highly emotional. Moonbeams and sunlight galore - ‘sun-’ was mentioned an impressive 125 times. Many descriptions of Blair’s beautiful blue eyes.
I was intensely attracted to the vibrancy of the cover and that is a key reason I had to start this as soon as it started popping up on my GR feed.
A hot spike of anger pierces my daze. Everyone missed this; the doctors, the trainers, the infrastructure that’s supposed to keep us safe, and they all missed it. I kept playing. I kept getting hit.
Ahhh…actually dude you repeatedly and deliberately lied about your symptoms so you could keep playing despite your Dr and multiple other people being worried about you. You willingly play a high risk sport. This is all on you.
I did love being in Torey’s head, I was hooked as soon I started this as the early pacing was great, right into the action! His depression and suicidal ideation rang true.
Loved the amnesia trope. Loved the plot twists. Confused by the choice of pacing which came across more copy + paste than I believe was intended.
Oh and is TB in cahoots with Gatorade?? Vying for a sponsorship deal? There is a lot of Gatorade strategically placed at key moments here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2025
Tal Bauer’s long awaited new novel, proudly sponsored by Gatorade.
Of course I loved this 810 page soppy, amnesia trope, sports romance. I knew I would. I almost fossilised on the couch drenching myself in it. This is not my favourite TB novel, (that for me is “The Jock”) but I loved it all the same.
Without spoiling too much, because of the amnesia/deja vu plot themes there was a whole segment that I kind of skimmed due to repetition.
It just would not be a Tal book without the intense, enviable, all consuming love between the MC’s (or without some sort of item of clothing being weeped or sobbed into).
Of course I loved this 810 page soppy, amnesia trope, sports romance. I knew I would. I almost fossilised on the couch drenching myself in it. This is not my favourite TB novel, (that for me is “The Jock”) but I loved it all the same.
Without spoiling too much, because of the amnesia/deja vu plot themes there was a whole segment that I kind of skimmed due to repetition.
It just would not be a Tal book without the intense, enviable, all consuming love between the MC’s (or without some sort of item of clothing being weeped or sobbed into).
![Profile Image for moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1645500038i%2F37448930._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
September 24, 2025
He finds my hand with his between our seats, hidden from view. I turn my palm up to meet his, and we lock our hands together in the shadowed space between our seats.
"Sometimes I look at you," he says, his voice low. "and I forget how quiet my life was before." 😭
my two moods throughout this book
Tal Bauer is one of the authors who can break my heart but heal it at the same time. the romance was so lovely (i literally felt butterflies even in the first half when we were immediately thrown in the romance bc the way Blair was just so Torey-focused had me giggling and shit😭😭) but still heartbreaking bc you know the situation and i just felt for Torey so much. being inside his head and knowing his thoughts, i wanted to hug him!! i loved the side characters and friendships as well, but that's something to be expected with TB books for me.
"Sometimes I look at you," he says, his voice low. "and I forget how quiet my life was before." 😭
my two moods throughout this book
Tal Bauer is one of the authors who can break my heart but heal it at the same time. the romance was so lovely (i literally felt butterflies even in the first half when we were immediately thrown in the romance bc the way Blair was just so Torey-focused had me giggling and shit😭😭) but still heartbreaking bc you know the situation and i just felt for Torey so much. being inside his head and knowing his thoughts, i wanted to hug him!! i loved the side characters and friendships as well, but that's something to be expected with TB books for me.
September 17, 2025
The Fall is a mesmerizing romance where love and fate are so deeply intertwined that it creates an unforgettable story of forgiveness, second chances, and redemption. I couldn't get enough of this story; it is epic in scope and emotionally captivating. Torey is a remarkable character who embarks on an incredible journey, experiencing loss, regret, and hope all within the span of one year. I highly recommend this story; it covers so much while remaining true to its characters. Torey's story has heart and optimism in his determination to fulfill all his hopes and dreams.
One of the strengths of this story is its length. It takes its time, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in Torey's thoughts, experiences, and the physical and mental exhaustion from his hockey career. His career plays a crucial role in the story. Sometimes I wondered how and if everything would come together, and given the structure of the story, its length is such a gift, as it allows room for the characters to breathe and naturally grow.
Another powerful element is Torey's relationship with Blair. Torey's connection to Blair acts as the catalyst for many of his choices in the story. Blair is the spark that motivates him to change, grow, and become the athlete and man he's always wanted to be. I love the overall journey Torey and Blair share in this story. Their relationship is a slow burn, as they are teammates, and it takes a long time for their platonic dynamic to evolve into something greater. When that shift happens, it is truly magical, and their connection becomes transformative.
Overall, I love this story so much. It has a unique structure and is completely original in its premise. Torey is a beautifully complex character, and watching his journey unfold is incredible. Blair is also a wonderfully complicated character, and seeing their relationship grow and blossom was truly magical. I am so happy to have a new story from this author. Their words were greatly missed.
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***
One of the strengths of this story is its length. It takes its time, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in Torey's thoughts, experiences, and the physical and mental exhaustion from his hockey career. His career plays a crucial role in the story. Sometimes I wondered how and if everything would come together, and given the structure of the story, its length is such a gift, as it allows room for the characters to breathe and naturally grow.
Another powerful element is Torey's relationship with Blair. Torey's connection to Blair acts as the catalyst for many of his choices in the story. Blair is the spark that motivates him to change, grow, and become the athlete and man he's always wanted to be. I love the overall journey Torey and Blair share in this story. Their relationship is a slow burn, as they are teammates, and it takes a long time for their platonic dynamic to evolve into something greater. When that shift happens, it is truly magical, and their connection becomes transformative.
Overall, I love this story so much. It has a unique structure and is completely original in its premise. Torey is a beautifully complex character, and watching his journey unfold is incredible. Blair is also a wonderfully complicated character, and seeing their relationship grow and blossom was truly magical. I am so happy to have a new story from this author. Their words were greatly missed.
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***
September 16, 2025
All the stars.
✨✨✨✨✨🪄✨✨✨✨✨
I saw what you did, Tal Bauer. I saw it all.
Genius.
I don't have the words. I've been an emotional wreck for hours. I have notes that mean nothing other than guides and moments of this journey. Hallmarks, realizations. Points where two and two almost make four, but not.
Tal Bauer has made a masterpiece. He disappeared into his own grief and created...this. I cannot dissect the story without spoilers, I don't even want to discuss it. Read this book, experience it, but go in knowing it will make you feel things. Hard things and beautiful things.
Love predestined?
He saw it, then he had to live it.❣️
🛑🖐️Thoughts as reading
I now know what's happening here.
The brain is a miracle where seconds become years. Brilliant!!! Tal Bauer continues his genius.
TB lingers, he lets the words breath, the reader needs to be patient to absorb all the moments.
In this imaginative setting of predestined amnisia the cheat sheet used is that the body remembers what the mind does not. Otherwise this wouldn't have worked.
The constant buzz of angst. The entire story is built on a razorblade ready to cut.
The thought that Torey's best year, his best self, is the one he can't remember. That he is back to the depressed version that doubted his existence. This is devastating until it becomes real.
Hope
Love
Healing
✨✨✨✨✨🪄✨✨✨✨✨
I saw what you did, Tal Bauer. I saw it all.
Genius.
I don't have the words. I've been an emotional wreck for hours. I have notes that mean nothing other than guides and moments of this journey. Hallmarks, realizations. Points where two and two almost make four, but not.
Tal Bauer has made a masterpiece. He disappeared into his own grief and created...this. I cannot dissect the story without spoilers, I don't even want to discuss it. Read this book, experience it, but go in knowing it will make you feel things. Hard things and beautiful things.
Love predestined?
He saw it, then he had to live it.❣️
🛑🖐️Thoughts as reading
I now know what's happening here.
The brain is a miracle where seconds become years. Brilliant!!! Tal Bauer continues his genius.
TB lingers, he lets the words breath, the reader needs to be patient to absorb all the moments.
In this imaginative setting of predestined amnisia the cheat sheet used is that the body remembers what the mind does not. Otherwise this wouldn't have worked.
The constant buzz of angst. The entire story is built on a razorblade ready to cut.
The thought that Torey's best year, his best self, is the one he can't remember. That he is back to the depressed version that doubted his existence. This is devastating until it becomes real.
Hope
Love
Healing
September 22, 2025
Review updated:
I almost gave up at the beginning because the writing felt repetitive and flat.
Then I reached the part where I became invested, but the story lost me again.
The graphic scenes, in particular, were overused and added little to the story, so I skimmed through most of them.
I pushed through to the end because I wanted an explanation, something to make sense of it all.
What I didn't like:
**Repetitive inner talk.
**Cody’s parts dragged. Dear lord, forgive me for being so insensitive, but I had to skim it all. Loved the tape Torey gifted Blair, though.
**The vacation was dull, with too much sweetness and too many graphic scenes, and no real tension.
** as the big reveal, felt unrealistic and disappointing because the romance came off as instalove. It didn’t feel believable or satisfying as a twist. What was even more puzzling was the idea that Torey would fall in love simply because of that . How? At least we saw Blair falling in love.
That said, I’ve really enjoyed other books from this author, and I know how powerful TB storytelling can be. Even though this one didn’t fully work for me.
I almost gave up at the beginning because the writing felt repetitive and flat.
Then I reached the part where I became invested, but the story lost me again.
The graphic scenes, in particular, were overused and added little to the story, so I skimmed through most of them.
I pushed through to the end because I wanted an explanation, something to make sense of it all.
What I didn't like:
**Repetitive inner talk.
**Cody’s parts dragged. Dear lord, forgive me for being so insensitive, but I had to skim it all. Loved the tape Torey gifted Blair, though.
**The vacation was dull, with too much sweetness and too many graphic scenes, and no real tension.
** as the big reveal, felt unrealistic and disappointing because the romance came off as instalove. It didn’t feel believable or satisfying as a twist. What was even more puzzling was the idea that Torey would fall in love simply because of that . How? At least we saw Blair falling in love.
That said, I’ve really enjoyed other books from this author, and I know how powerful TB storytelling can be. Even though this one didn’t fully work for me.
September 16, 2025
800 pages. EIGHT hundred pages for a contemporary hockey romance, to which roughly 300 of them are almost verbatim of the first part - I understand the narrative design but I started to skim it was so repetitive - spicy scenes were even included again, copy/paste, no POV change.
I love Tal’s writing and he still excels at sucking you into the narrative, this was emotional, and tough to put down but eight. hundred. pages. There is just no reason for that.
I love Tal’s writing and he still excels at sucking you into the narrative, this was emotional, and tough to put down but eight. hundred. pages. There is just no reason for that.
November 21, 2025
Every once in a while, a girl needs something so saccharine that her teeth nearly fall off. That's when I'll watch a Disney Channel Original Movie or the incomparable romcom god, 27 Dresses starring Katherine Heigl. When I need that in book form, few authors hit the mark between sappy and sweet in a way that doesn't make me roll my eyes. Tal Bauer is one of them. He's also uniquely gifted at portraying yearning, one of my favourites being in The Jock.
I had no intention of reading yet another hockey romance but when I saw that this book was over 800 pages, I just had to find out what was so special about these men's love that it needed a whopping 810 pages. This is sagas territory and a saga, this book is not. It, however, is a serving of the most cloying, repetitive, insistent romance between two men barely out of their teens. I had to suspend my disbelief often enough that a 23 year old would feel this deeply.
Miel de Amor by Sebastian Moren0 c. 2021
A more positive takeaway from this book is how it doesn't fall into contemporary romance mainstays. It doesn't have a meetcute, misunderstanding/miscommunication, third act fight and subsequent reconciliation. That canon template turned me off romances years ago. In this book, Bauer forgoes the tried and true methods and instead throws us into the middle of Torey's whirlwind depression. Our solo narrator is struggling with his team, his father and he has no friends. He tells us within seconds of meeting,
Torey refrains and repeats himself like he's an RnB singer who substitutes poetry for repetition. The story really begins when Torey suffers a hit during the game and ends up in hospital. He wakes up in Blair's bed, disoriented and having just lost a year of his life. He has no memory of the last year since that hit. He fakes his way through his new relationship, friendships, team and realises how this Torey is much happier. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes again and Torey loses consciousness after a limo crash. He wakes up again but in present time where he'd never started dating or living with Blair. We repeat what he learnt about his life during his no-memory phase. It was... unpleasant. It's the first time I've ever willingly wished for a POV change. It would have been nice to see things from Blair's narration because we'd already seen it all with Torey. And would have definitely help trim the page count from 810 to something a bit more sensible.
When Torey was back in the "present", this is when we get the yearning I always appreciate in a romance. Torey has his memories of being with Blair. He can't act on them or even tell Blair he's his future lover. It created a delicious dramatic irony that had me eager to know how these two finally became romantically attached. Considering the repetition of Torey's side of things and how much Blair had to give secondhand narration to answer Torey's (and our) questions, it would have been better if the whole book had been written in limited third or at least had a narrator change halfway through.
Overall it was a decent book on love as acts of service, love as bringing out the best in your person, love as shared passions, love as care. It reminded me just how fictional romantic love is because when I was in second year of uni I twisted my knee and my then-boyfriend refused to help take care of me because of basketball practice. Meanwhile Blair was willing to The teacher in Chbosky's The Perks of being a Wallflower said, "We accept the love we think we deserve." Torey and Blair know they deserve the best of the world.
3.5 stars rounded up.
I had no intention of reading yet another hockey romance but when I saw that this book was over 800 pages, I just had to find out what was so special about these men's love that it needed a whopping 810 pages. This is sagas territory and a saga, this book is not. It, however, is a serving of the most cloying, repetitive, insistent romance between two men barely out of their teens. I had to suspend my disbelief often enough that a 23 year old would feel this deeply.
Miel de Amor by Sebastian Moren0 c. 2021
A more positive takeaway from this book is how it doesn't fall into contemporary romance mainstays. It doesn't have a meetcute, misunderstanding/miscommunication, third act fight and subsequent reconciliation. That canon template turned me off romances years ago. In this book, Bauer forgoes the tried and true methods and instead throws us into the middle of Torey's whirlwind depression. Our solo narrator is struggling with his team, his father and he has no friends. He tells us within seconds of meeting,
It’s only me and the ocean; the horizon is lost. Ocean and sky have welded together into a single slab of darkness, and the world has lost its border. Waves crash and churn and tumble in the black, curl, collapse, and swell again, raining whisper-thin salt on me. The froth sneaks higher, flirting around my boots, hissing and slithering up the sand.This continues for 809 more pages.
Torey refrains and repeats himself like he's an RnB singer who substitutes poetry for repetition. The story really begins when Torey suffers a hit during the game and ends up in hospital. He wakes up in Blair's bed, disoriented and having just lost a year of his life. He has no memory of the last year since that hit. He fakes his way through his new relationship, friendships, team and realises how this Torey is much happier. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes again and Torey loses consciousness after a limo crash. He wakes up again but in present time where he'd never started dating or living with Blair. We repeat what he learnt about his life during his no-memory phase. It was... unpleasant. It's the first time I've ever willingly wished for a POV change. It would have been nice to see things from Blair's narration because we'd already seen it all with Torey. And would have definitely help trim the page count from 810 to something a bit more sensible.
When Torey was back in the "present", this is when we get the yearning I always appreciate in a romance. Torey has his memories of being with Blair. He can't act on them or even tell Blair he's his future lover. It created a delicious dramatic irony that had me eager to know how these two finally became romantically attached. Considering the repetition of Torey's side of things and how much Blair had to give secondhand narration to answer Torey's (and our) questions, it would have been better if the whole book had been written in limited third or at least had a narrator change halfway through.
Overall it was a decent book on love as acts of service, love as bringing out the best in your person, love as shared passions, love as care. It reminded me just how fictional romantic love is because when I was in second year of uni I twisted my knee and my then-boyfriend refused to help take care of me because of basketball practice. Meanwhile Blair was willing to The teacher in Chbosky's The Perks of being a Wallflower said, "We accept the love we think we deserve." Torey and Blair know they deserve the best of the world.
3.5 stars rounded up.
September 15, 2025
4.5 stars
This is one of Tal’s better books that I’ve read. The first 22% was…..interesting. It was a fresh take on the amnesia trope. I wasn’t loving it or hating it, just kinda waiting to see how it played out.
And then things changed. In a very unexpected way, and I was hooked and invested.
This was a 5 star book until the halfway point. It was special.
But I am deducting a little because the pacing in the last half was not done well. There’s a lot that could’ve been edited out. It dragged, and there was actually a bit too much sex.
The ending climax brought me back in, and I liked the rest a lot.
And, bonus, there was less cheese and tears than a usual Tal book. (Still there of course, but it was toned down, which I really appreciated.)
It was good. It was special. I’ll reread it.
This is one of Tal’s better books that I’ve read. The first 22% was…..interesting. It was a fresh take on the amnesia trope. I wasn’t loving it or hating it, just kinda waiting to see how it played out.
And then things changed. In a very unexpected way, and I was hooked and invested.
This was a 5 star book until the halfway point. It was special.
But I am deducting a little because the pacing in the last half was not done well. There’s a lot that could’ve been edited out. It dragged, and there was actually a bit too much sex.
The ending climax brought me back in, and I liked the rest a lot.
And, bonus, there was less cheese and tears than a usual Tal book. (Still there of course, but it was toned down, which I really appreciated.)
It was good. It was special. I’ll reread it.
September 27, 2025
First of all --- Tal is back, baby!!!!! 🙌🏻 No one could be happier than me to have Tal back with his own special brand of schmoopy schmoop flowery goodness. I will gladly eat up anything he serves and come back for seconds.
Seriously though, I'm happy that Tal was able to reach a point where he could write again. In many ways, this book felt very personal. I have no idea what Tal was going through in his personal life that he had to step away from writing, but I got the feeling that he was processing something as he wrote this. Maybe I'm reading more into it than was actually there, but either way, I'm glad we have TB back, and I hope he's out there drinking a Gatorade and living his best life 💙
As for the story, this was not my favorite TB novel. There were parts I loved, but those parts got drowned out by the repetitiveness of it all. 800 pages is a hard sell for a romance book, but if anyone can sell me on it, it's Tal Bauer. The thing is, I didn't want half of those pages to feel like 400 pages copy/pasted, but unfortunately that's what happened 😭 I totally understand the reasoning for it, and an amnesia trope where the MC is reliving time is probably the place to do it, but personally it didn't work for me. It was giving Groundhog Day vibes but not in a good way 😔
Don't get me wrong, I did love the book, but that's with the caveat that I skimmed half of it to get to the heart of it. I loved the first half of the book when everything was new, and I was absorbed in Tal's beautiful writing and masterful storytelling, but the second half left me skimming more than not as I flipped through page after page of the same thing on repeat. I understand things were being presented in a certain way to capture Torey's journey, but too much of it was exactly the same. Going along with this, there was also an insane amount of sex in this book. The problem was too much of a good thing, you know? 😅
For all the repetitiveness and things I would have preferred to have gone differently, the heart of the story was beautiful. Tal is a brilliant storyteller. The way he writes makes you feel things like no one else can. Scenes and emotions feel tangible. I felt the sunset. I felt Torey's pain. For me, this is one of the things that sets Tal apart from other authors. When I read a TB book, it stays with me. It sticks. I feel things, and in the end, that's what I want in a novel. The Fall did exactly that. Do I think it could have packed a better punch and done so in far fewer pages? Absolutely, and I'm a bit sad about that because I wanted this to be a 5* read, and it wasn't 🥲
Seriously though, I'm happy that Tal was able to reach a point where he could write again. In many ways, this book felt very personal. I have no idea what Tal was going through in his personal life that he had to step away from writing, but I got the feeling that he was processing something as he wrote this. Maybe I'm reading more into it than was actually there, but either way, I'm glad we have TB back, and I hope he's out there drinking a Gatorade and living his best life 💙
As for the story, this was not my favorite TB novel. There were parts I loved, but those parts got drowned out by the repetitiveness of it all. 800 pages is a hard sell for a romance book, but if anyone can sell me on it, it's Tal Bauer. The thing is, I didn't want half of those pages to feel like 400 pages copy/pasted, but unfortunately that's what happened 😭 I totally understand the reasoning for it, and an amnesia trope where the MC is reliving time is probably the place to do it, but personally it didn't work for me. It was giving Groundhog Day vibes but not in a good way 😔
Don't get me wrong, I did love the book, but that's with the caveat that I skimmed half of it to get to the heart of it. I loved the first half of the book when everything was new, and I was absorbed in Tal's beautiful writing and masterful storytelling, but the second half left me skimming more than not as I flipped through page after page of the same thing on repeat. I understand things were being presented in a certain way to capture Torey's journey, but too much of it was exactly the same. Going along with this, there was also an insane amount of sex in this book. The problem was too much of a good thing, you know? 😅
For all the repetitiveness and things I would have preferred to have gone differently, the heart of the story was beautiful. Tal is a brilliant storyteller. The way he writes makes you feel things like no one else can. Scenes and emotions feel tangible. I felt the sunset. I felt Torey's pain. For me, this is one of the things that sets Tal apart from other authors. When I read a TB book, it stays with me. It sticks. I feel things, and in the end, that's what I want in a novel. The Fall did exactly that. Do I think it could have packed a better punch and done so in far fewer pages? Absolutely, and I'm a bit sad about that because I wanted this to be a 5* read, and it wasn't 🥲
September 29, 2025
This was like nothing I’ve ever read before. I knew it was an amnesia trope going into it but I was not expecting the whirlwind of events that took place throughout the book.
“He’s a stranger I know better than anyone.”
The fall is a long book. When I finished the final chapter I thought to myself, with the plot twists that happen, it had to be that long. So that we could also feel the confusion, fear and frustration that our main character,Torey, felt. It was annoying but it had a reason.
There is no way I can completely review this without spoilers and I don’t want to spoil this because going into this blind was the BEST DECISION EVER. Every detail starting from chapter one blew my mind. The way the plot went allowed me to have both a low angst AND a slow burn romance ✨🥀💗 it was painfully sweet.
“Fall in love with me the way I’ve fallen in love with you.”
All I can say is please read this. You won’t regret it, you’ll meet wonderful characters, an adorable kid and two mmc’s who’re so stupidly in love with each other. There are also heavy contents throughout the book so trigger warnings have to be read!!!
“He’s a stranger I know better than anyone.”
The fall is a long book. When I finished the final chapter I thought to myself, with the plot twists that happen, it had to be that long. So that we could also feel the confusion, fear and frustration that our main character,Torey, felt. It was annoying but it had a reason.
There is no way I can completely review this without spoilers and I don’t want to spoil this because going into this blind was the BEST DECISION EVER. Every detail starting from chapter one blew my mind. The way the plot went allowed me to have both a low angst AND a slow burn romance ✨🥀💗 it was painfully sweet.
“Fall in love with me the way I’ve fallen in love with you.”
All I can say is please read this. You won’t regret it, you’ll meet wonderful characters, an adorable kid and two mmc’s who’re so stupidly in love with each other. There are also heavy contents throughout the book so trigger warnings have to be read!!!
September 22, 2025
⭐️
4.5 stars rounded up!
⭐️
Man I missed Tal Bauer's stories. Diving into this was like we'd never gotten such a long break from this author. It felt like coming home. And we get 800 pages of it.
This is a hockey story, but it's so much more than that.
Torey and Blair's love story was beautiful and heartbreaking. We don't get Blair's POV - which I wish we had gotten at times - but his feelings came across almost as well as Torey's.
And while this was their story, it was also Torey's story. Of going from being so depressed - and practically suicidal (he never tries to, but just be aware of that going into this) - and feeling so utterly alone to finding the love of his life and gaining a family, too. Of having so many people in his life who love and care for him. Of then finding joy in life and wanting to truly live again.
That's what's truly beautiful about this.
It also kind of takes us up and down several times, so it's a bit of a rollercoaster. Torey starts out depressed, finds himself seemingly in the future, or he has amnesia, who knows which it really is, and finds out a year later he's very happy and in love.
But then we see that taken away and we're back to square one and it's hard and difficult to watch Torey go through all he went through to get to where he was in the future.
But then once he does get there, it's so so earned, him having to go through very difficult times to get to the other end of the tunnel.
But then what we're dreading happens, and everything comes more to light and then we're kinda down again, before everything works out in the end to get our very hard fought for HEA.
Imagine if this had been split up into two or three books...oh the agony if we had to wait longer after a cliffhanger or two...yeah no thanks! That's the fun thing about long books like this...like yeah they take awhile to read, but you get all of it at once and you don't have to wait an agonizing wait to find out what happens next.
My only reason for .5 stars off, and my only real complaint, was near the end when we . It just went on TOO long. I personally didn't need almost every scene from the first part of the story that we already read to be rehashed again, at least not the whole scenes. It was just a lot of retreading old ground and it kinda slowed down the story for me for a bit there.
Like we got about 15% of the story devoted to the and we could have spent like...5% on it? And given this is so long, 15% of this story is...over a 100 pages or more.
After the start of that time period and after Torey started to realize what was going on, it was just a bit like...okay, can we move on now? We already knows all this happens! Just give us quick rehashes of Torey recognizing what everyone says and freaking out about it. I don't need the whole .
Also, I even kinda started to skim some parts that I remembered already reading and I usually never skim Tal's works. It feels almost wrong to do it with this author but it's like...well, I already read this? I only stopped when Torey was having new thoughts about the situation. I also even felt like skimming some of Torey and Blair's sex scenes even though I loved them together because it was just taking up more time and I wanted to get to the present and past all this and get the plot moving again.
So yeah, that small stretch (comparatively) of the book got a bit frustrating after a bit and I feel like it could have been condensed, that we could have skipped past a lot of scenes we'd already gotten before. Only shaving 7% off of that first 22% of the book . Yikes. Also getting Torey going "DID this happen? Should I tell anyone? NO, it'll all go wrong" like...constantly at every single thing he was remembering (which was practically all of it written out again) got a bit tiresome. Like alright already, we GET it. He's scared and worried but. not going to tell anyone. He's gonna wonder if he should tell someone - mainly Blair - but then not.
Like I get his fear but we didn't need to get that same conclusion written out in his mind over and over again.
BUT....all that complaining to say...that was, relatively, a very small part of this book, and the rest was, in my opinion, perfection.
I mean it hurt like fuck but it was beautifully done, beautifully written and I loved it. And also once we got past that rehashing part, the story picked up again and the climax was crazy and the conclusion was beautiful and I was SO damn happy when Torey .
Now, for the main plot point of this story...who knows if it was
Like everyone can choose whether they believe that happened or not, but...for fictional purposes I believe it did, that
So real or not, it was needed for everyone to get a HEA. And it was done so well.
And Blair and Torey were at the heart of it all. They were wonderful together, and they are meant to be. And Tal is just so good at writing his MCs absolutely in love each other, so deeply and absolute.
So overall, a perfect book to bring Tal back into writing. I absolutely can't wait for more from this author, whenever that may be.
Until then! 😍
Man I missed Tal Bauer's stories. Diving into this was like we'd never gotten such a long break from this author. It felt like coming home. And we get 800 pages of it.
This is a hockey story, but it's so much more than that.
Torey and Blair's love story was beautiful and heartbreaking. We don't get Blair's POV - which I wish we had gotten at times - but his feelings came across almost as well as Torey's.
And while this was their story, it was also Torey's story. Of going from being so depressed - and practically suicidal (he never tries to, but just be aware of that going into this) - and feeling so utterly alone to finding the love of his life and gaining a family, too. Of having so many people in his life who love and care for him. Of then finding joy in life and wanting to truly live again.
That's what's truly beautiful about this.
It also kind of takes us up and down several times, so it's a bit of a rollercoaster. Torey starts out depressed, finds himself seemingly in the future, or he has amnesia, who knows which it really is, and finds out a year later he's very happy and in love.
But then we see that taken away and we're back to square one and it's hard and difficult to watch Torey go through all he went through to get to where he was in the future.
But then once he does get there, it's so so earned, him having to go through very difficult times to get to the other end of the tunnel.
But then what we're dreading happens, and everything comes more to light and then we're kinda down again, before everything works out in the end to get our very hard fought for HEA.
Imagine if this had been split up into two or three books...oh the agony if we had to wait longer after a cliffhanger or two...yeah no thanks! That's the fun thing about long books like this...like yeah they take awhile to read, but you get all of it at once and you don't have to wait an agonizing wait to find out what happens next.
My only reason for .5 stars off, and my only real complaint, was near the end when we . It just went on TOO long. I personally didn't need almost every scene from the first part of the story that we already read to be rehashed again, at least not the whole scenes. It was just a lot of retreading old ground and it kinda slowed down the story for me for a bit there.
Like we got about 15% of the story devoted to the and we could have spent like...5% on it? And given this is so long, 15% of this story is...over a 100 pages or more.
After the start of that time period and after Torey started to realize what was going on, it was just a bit like...okay, can we move on now? We already knows all this happens! Just give us quick rehashes of Torey recognizing what everyone says and freaking out about it. I don't need the whole .
Also, I even kinda started to skim some parts that I remembered already reading and I usually never skim Tal's works. It feels almost wrong to do it with this author but it's like...well, I already read this? I only stopped when Torey was having new thoughts about the situation. I also even felt like skimming some of Torey and Blair's sex scenes even though I loved them together because it was just taking up more time and I wanted to get to the present and past all this and get the plot moving again.
So yeah, that small stretch (comparatively) of the book got a bit frustrating after a bit and I feel like it could have been condensed, that we could have skipped past a lot of scenes we'd already gotten before. Only shaving 7% off of that first 22% of the book . Yikes. Also getting Torey going "DID this happen? Should I tell anyone? NO, it'll all go wrong" like...constantly at every single thing he was remembering (which was practically all of it written out again) got a bit tiresome. Like alright already, we GET it. He's scared and worried but. not going to tell anyone. He's gonna wonder if he should tell someone - mainly Blair - but then not.
Like I get his fear but we didn't need to get that same conclusion written out in his mind over and over again.
BUT....all that complaining to say...that was, relatively, a very small part of this book, and the rest was, in my opinion, perfection.
I mean it hurt like fuck but it was beautifully done, beautifully written and I loved it. And also once we got past that rehashing part, the story picked up again and the climax was crazy and the conclusion was beautiful and I was SO damn happy when Torey .
Now, for the main plot point of this story...who knows if it was
Like everyone can choose whether they believe that happened or not, but...for fictional purposes I believe it did, that
So real or not, it was needed for everyone to get a HEA. And it was done so well.
And Blair and Torey were at the heart of it all. They were wonderful together, and they are meant to be. And Tal is just so good at writing his MCs absolutely in love each other, so deeply and absolute.
So overall, a perfect book to bring Tal back into writing. I absolutely can't wait for more from this author, whenever that may be.
Until then! 😍
September 30, 2025
No matter the genre, Tal Bauer delivers the soul-deep, all-in, no-one-else-will-do romance I crave.
After a, what, 2-year hiatus? He’s back with a wonderful reverse-amnesia/hockey romance, featuring two talented but emotionally exhausted teammates brought together by...fate? something mystical? a brain glitch? You decide.
Torey Kendrick was the #1 draft pick a few years ago. Now he can’t make a goal to save his career, literally. Stuck in his head, haunted by his own potential, which he just can’t seem to live up to, he’s on his way out if nothing changes. His loneliness seeps from the pages, and his despair broke my heart.
A hard hit lands him in the hospital...and waking up in a stranger’s bed. Only, not a stranger. Blair Callahan, captain of a rival team, the Mutineers. Oh, and it’s one year later and, somehow, Torey is now a card-carrying member of this winning-streak team.
WHAT???
As usual for Tal, the emotions are raw and the feelings are astronomical. The echo of love that Torey can’t remember but senses in his soul haunts him, and he’s on automatic, trying to hide that he has no idea what’s going on, who all these people who seem to love and accept him are, but he doesn’t want to lose this life he somehow finds himself in. The love is real. His improved playing is real. It’s all real. Isn’t it?
The story is visceral, hyperbolic, the emotions on overdrive, and it never lets up. Seeing Torey find and desperately claim this life, then have to start from nothing, and learning what’s happening was gut-wrenching and beautiful and so satisfying. Yes, heartbreak is in store. But you know Tal. You’re in great hands.
Secondary characters are well-drawn, authentic, adding so much to the story and supporting the journey. The hockey is also authentic and well done; you may feel like you’re in the game. And Blair’s own ghost, the thing that haunts him...learning about his past had all my Feels dangling from their last desperate threads.
The final outcome for Torey and Blair healed all the cracks and made them stronger in the formerly broken places.
My quibbles were minor, but, stood out. Inconsistencies, especially up front, in position/placement jarred me. Some repetition could have been cut, but, I did read slowly, over a couple weeks, so the ending felt more fresh than it might have if I’d read it in a day or two. The thing that bothered me most, and that I think is hugely unhealthy, was Torey’s reticence in talking with the doctors about what he was experiencing head-wise. And then he got mad that no one had figured a very important thing out? WTF, Torey? That was YOUR fault for not being honest. Toxic “I must hide my health Thing to play the game even if I hurt myself worse” culture has probably wrecked a few pro careers IRL, and having that happen here was infuriating.
I also wasn’t a fan of how Torey dealt with his dad, or rather, didn’t deal with him at all. His dad was at first hurting Torey without knowing it, but he wasn’t deliberately abusive, and he backed off completely when asked. Ignoring him entirely was crappy and unsatisfying, and I kinda wanted to shake Torey.
I also thought Torey was clinically depressed and needed therapy, and that was never addressed. The unique situation gets the story around that, but, it was far more than just being down about a career slump, and his turning to alcohol for a time to cope also seemed too easily resolved.
It isn’t my favorite Tal book, but it delivered a wonderful, immersive, kind and satisfying reading experience and will stand proud with Gravity and The Rest of the Story in his hockey oeuvre. More hockey please, Tal! And, welcome back!
HEA. Hockey teammates, unique amnesia/waking up in a different life scenario. NO cheating or others in any way, shape, or form, there isn’t even annoying info on past partners, or, if there was I totally didn’t note it. Very safe for me, thanks Tal! Highly recommended.
My thanks to the author for the ARC; this is my free and impartial opinion.
After a, what, 2-year hiatus? He’s back with a wonderful reverse-amnesia/hockey romance, featuring two talented but emotionally exhausted teammates brought together by...fate? something mystical? a brain glitch? You decide.
Torey Kendrick was the #1 draft pick a few years ago. Now he can’t make a goal to save his career, literally. Stuck in his head, haunted by his own potential, which he just can’t seem to live up to, he’s on his way out if nothing changes. His loneliness seeps from the pages, and his despair broke my heart.
A hard hit lands him in the hospital...and waking up in a stranger’s bed. Only, not a stranger. Blair Callahan, captain of a rival team, the Mutineers. Oh, and it’s one year later and, somehow, Torey is now a card-carrying member of this winning-streak team.
WHAT???
As usual for Tal, the emotions are raw and the feelings are astronomical. The echo of love that Torey can’t remember but senses in his soul haunts him, and he’s on automatic, trying to hide that he has no idea what’s going on, who all these people who seem to love and accept him are, but he doesn’t want to lose this life he somehow finds himself in. The love is real. His improved playing is real. It’s all real. Isn’t it?
The story is visceral, hyperbolic, the emotions on overdrive, and it never lets up. Seeing Torey find and desperately claim this life, then have to start from nothing, and learning what’s happening was gut-wrenching and beautiful and so satisfying. Yes, heartbreak is in store. But you know Tal. You’re in great hands.
Secondary characters are well-drawn, authentic, adding so much to the story and supporting the journey. The hockey is also authentic and well done; you may feel like you’re in the game. And Blair’s own ghost, the thing that haunts him...learning about his past had all my Feels dangling from their last desperate threads.
The final outcome for Torey and Blair healed all the cracks and made them stronger in the formerly broken places.
My quibbles were minor, but, stood out. Inconsistencies, especially up front, in position/placement jarred me. Some repetition could have been cut, but, I did read slowly, over a couple weeks, so the ending felt more fresh than it might have if I’d read it in a day or two. The thing that bothered me most, and that I think is hugely unhealthy, was Torey’s reticence in talking with the doctors about what he was experiencing head-wise. And then he got mad that no one had figured a very important thing out? WTF, Torey? That was YOUR fault for not being honest. Toxic “I must hide my health Thing to play the game even if I hurt myself worse” culture has probably wrecked a few pro careers IRL, and having that happen here was infuriating.
I also wasn’t a fan of how Torey dealt with his dad, or rather, didn’t deal with him at all. His dad was at first hurting Torey without knowing it, but he wasn’t deliberately abusive, and he backed off completely when asked. Ignoring him entirely was crappy and unsatisfying, and I kinda wanted to shake Torey.
I also thought Torey was clinically depressed and needed therapy, and that was never addressed. The unique situation gets the story around that, but, it was far more than just being down about a career slump, and his turning to alcohol for a time to cope also seemed too easily resolved.
It isn’t my favorite Tal book, but it delivered a wonderful, immersive, kind and satisfying reading experience and will stand proud with Gravity and The Rest of the Story in his hockey oeuvre. More hockey please, Tal! And, welcome back!
HEA. Hockey teammates, unique amnesia/waking up in a different life scenario. NO cheating or others in any way, shape, or form, there isn’t even annoying info on past partners, or, if there was I totally didn’t note it. Very safe for me, thanks Tal! Highly recommended.
My thanks to the author for the ARC; this is my free and impartial opinion.
February 9, 2026
listen.
i knew going in that i’d have to put up with a lot of repetitions, because there is no way in hell that a contemporary romance can be 800 pages without being bloated.
so, i was ready when we had to go through the almost same scene six different times before moving on.
i didn’t like it, but i expected it.
skimming was my best friend.
HOW-FUCKING-EVER. then we started quite literally going over the same scenes and i was literally out of fucking patience. it would’ve been interesting if we didn’t go over the same things over and over again for the entire book. it was: something happens? good, now we can do it five more times, but with slightly different changes. good, right?
so yes, the repeated scenes in the middle would’ve been impactful, if only i didn’t feel like i was in a particularly cruel blender, living the same scene with slightly different flavors.
and then, we get to my last straw. the biggest betrayal. the thing that almost make me break my kindle in half.
this is not a contemporary romance. this is fucking magical realism, and if you know me, you know there are two things i absolutely despise in literature: wuthering heights and magical realism.
i do everything i can to avoid magical realism because i know i hate it so much.
also, this rating makes me mad, because if only the author cut some useless scenes and some useless monologues (all the useless repetitions, mind you) and if he was honest about the genre (but i realize that this is a me thing) then this would’ve been amazing.
i knew going in that i’d have to put up with a lot of repetitions, because there is no way in hell that a contemporary romance can be 800 pages without being bloated.
so, i was ready when we had to go through the almost same scene six different times before moving on.
i didn’t like it, but i expected it.
skimming was my best friend.
HOW-FUCKING-EVER. then we started quite literally going over the same scenes and i was literally out of fucking patience. it would’ve been interesting if we didn’t go over the same things over and over again for the entire book. it was: something happens? good, now we can do it five more times, but with slightly different changes. good, right?
so yes, the repeated scenes in the middle would’ve been impactful, if only i didn’t feel like i was in a particularly cruel blender, living the same scene with slightly different flavors.
and then, we get to my last straw. the biggest betrayal. the thing that almost make me break my kindle in half.
this is not a contemporary romance. this is fucking magical realism, and if you know me, you know there are two things i absolutely despise in literature: wuthering heights and magical realism.
i do everything i can to avoid magical realism because i know i hate it so much.
also, this rating makes me mad, because if only the author cut some useless scenes and some useless monologues (all the useless repetitions, mind you) and if he was honest about the genre (but i realize that this is a me thing) then this would’ve been amazing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2025
At the end of the day, this book is about healing. It’s ugly sometimes, and it hurts. Sometimes you have to break further to do the job properly. But in the end it’s all worth it.
Thanks for timing this book perfectly, Tal. I needed to read this book this week 💙
Thanks for timing this book perfectly, Tal. I needed to read this book this week 💙
November 29, 2025
Longer than it needed to be, but it really stuck with me. RTC!!
September 17, 2025
“I’m scared I’ll lose everything again. Especially you. I’m afraid I’ll blink and you’ll be gone.”
All the big Tal Bauer fans will love it!
Okay, now I don't have to duck for cover.
Because that did not need to be 810 pages.
And in 810 pages, we didn't even get to see Torey, the single POV of the book, actually fall in love with Blair. 800 pages...and that part is skipped. 😂
Also, my biggest pet peeve is repeating scenes. One scene repeated word-for-word would have done the trick for the plot twist, but to make me read the entire part all over again, with no variation or effort to change the outcome, that was annoying.
That being said, I did enjoy the book. It has all the classic TB elements: sappy emotional love, tender emotional sex scenes, emotional ruminating, and some angst and pain.
TB writes friendship and found family scenes really well, especially scenes with kids, or locker room scenes.
There's a lot of depression, anxiety, insecurities, trauma, and suicidal ideation in here. Most of it I thought was done well, and I did like that the focus was more on recognizing it's okay to not be okay, to get professional help, therapy, do what needs to be done. Versus the I love you and your love heals my suicidal thoughts, or the savior swooping in, which has been a problem in his other books. This veered in that direction but didn't end that way.
Amnesia! I love the amnesia trope! If you don't, you won't be able to get through this book I don't think. I liked what he added to the regular amnesia plot lines, it was interesting, a little mysterious, a little... whimsical.
I can’t catch my breath; my lungs seem to trip over each other, skipping inhales. Questions smash through my skull. Where the fuck am I? How did I get here? And who the fuck is beside me and why is he in bed with me?
The hockey was fun, the moments between Torey and his father were emotional (although I'm not really grasping why Torey originally tried to paint his father as a dickhead?), the side characters were fun and added to the story, and there were some nice dramatic swoony scenes, if you're into that.
Not sure why this is being called his best work, but that could be because I prefer his romantic suspense books.
The repetition of emotional thoughts detracted from the emotional punch for me. Every single thing taking 6+ sentences, being super emotional and drawn out, made it less impactful. I didn't feel emotional until the hospital scenes, because everything else was like hitting me over the head with how big the feelings were, over and over again.
I did think chunks of the book were a solid 4 stars, but between the repeated scenes, skipping the falling in love part (which, hello?!), it's a 3-star read for me.
Enjoyable, it felt like a lot of heart was poured into it, I enjoyed the amnesia trope expansion plot twists, and I did read it in one sitting!
But I get up. No one is coming to save me from myself.
All the big Tal Bauer fans will love it!
Okay, now I don't have to duck for cover.
Because that did not need to be 810 pages.
And in 810 pages, we didn't even get to see Torey, the single POV of the book, actually fall in love with Blair. 800 pages...and that part is skipped. 😂
Also, my biggest pet peeve is repeating scenes. One scene repeated word-for-word would have done the trick for the plot twist, but to make me read the entire part all over again, with no variation or effort to change the outcome, that was annoying.
That being said, I did enjoy the book. It has all the classic TB elements: sappy emotional love, tender emotional sex scenes, emotional ruminating, and some angst and pain.
TB writes friendship and found family scenes really well, especially scenes with kids, or locker room scenes.
There's a lot of depression, anxiety, insecurities, trauma, and suicidal ideation in here. Most of it I thought was done well, and I did like that the focus was more on recognizing it's okay to not be okay, to get professional help, therapy, do what needs to be done. Versus the I love you and your love heals my suicidal thoughts, or the savior swooping in, which has been a problem in his other books. This veered in that direction but didn't end that way.
Amnesia! I love the amnesia trope! If you don't, you won't be able to get through this book I don't think. I liked what he added to the regular amnesia plot lines, it was interesting, a little mysterious, a little... whimsical.
I can’t catch my breath; my lungs seem to trip over each other, skipping inhales. Questions smash through my skull. Where the fuck am I? How did I get here? And who the fuck is beside me and why is he in bed with me?
The hockey was fun, the moments between Torey and his father were emotional (although I'm not really grasping why Torey originally tried to paint his father as a dickhead?), the side characters were fun and added to the story, and there were some nice dramatic swoony scenes, if you're into that.
Not sure why this is being called his best work, but that could be because I prefer his romantic suspense books.
The repetition of emotional thoughts detracted from the emotional punch for me. Every single thing taking 6+ sentences, being super emotional and drawn out, made it less impactful. I didn't feel emotional until the hospital scenes, because everything else was like hitting me over the head with how big the feelings were, over and over again.
I did think chunks of the book were a solid 4 stars, but between the repeated scenes, skipping the falling in love part (which, hello?!), it's a 3-star read for me.
Enjoyable, it felt like a lot of heart was poured into it, I enjoyed the amnesia trope expansion plot twists, and I did read it in one sitting!
But I get up. No one is coming to save me from myself.
October 4, 2025
4.50 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Whew y’all. Tal did his big one on this book. He managed to balance his usual emotional intensity in a way that didn’t feel over blown with purple prose. Don’t get me wrong, the purple prose are there, but it felt used in the right doses. The story, told in singular POV from Torey, was unique and kept me invested all the way through. Blair and Torey were amazing characters - both unbelievably filled with life, pain, and endless dimensions.
Torey, my GOD. His pain and deprivation was felt bone deep. His hollowness translated off the page to me as I was reading. Demons can’t even begin to describe what this kid was going through. Watching him crawl out of the darkness though was so exquisite and beautiful. His relationship with Blair, and the tension between them, was so well done. I’m not gonna lie the first 20% of this book I really was unsure of where the plot was going. I was invested, but I also was wondering if it was going to be an 800 page book of heart-eyes. Boy was I wrong 😆
After the 20% break my investment in the story skyrocketed, and that’s because I was already in deep. There was a bit of repetition towards the end, but I understood the purpose that it served the bigger story. Could some of this 800 page book been shaved down? Maybe. But honestly, I loved all of it.
All of the secondary character relationships were also done really well, primarily Hayes and Torey‘s father. And I’d be remiss to not mention how well Blair‘s own backstory and suffering was executed as well.
This book was truly such a refreshing read when every story lately has felt like a wash-rinse-repeat.
Whew y’all. Tal did his big one on this book. He managed to balance his usual emotional intensity in a way that didn’t feel over blown with purple prose. Don’t get me wrong, the purple prose are there, but it felt used in the right doses. The story, told in singular POV from Torey, was unique and kept me invested all the way through. Blair and Torey were amazing characters - both unbelievably filled with life, pain, and endless dimensions.
Torey, my GOD. His pain and deprivation was felt bone deep. His hollowness translated off the page to me as I was reading. Demons can’t even begin to describe what this kid was going through. Watching him crawl out of the darkness though was so exquisite and beautiful. His relationship with Blair, and the tension between them, was so well done. I’m not gonna lie the first 20% of this book I really was unsure of where the plot was going. I was invested, but I also was wondering if it was going to be an 800 page book of heart-eyes. Boy was I wrong 😆
After the 20% break my investment in the story skyrocketed, and that’s because I was already in deep. There was a bit of repetition towards the end, but I understood the purpose that it served the bigger story. Could some of this 800 page book been shaved down? Maybe. But honestly, I loved all of it.
All of the secondary character relationships were also done really well, primarily Hayes and Torey‘s father. And I’d be remiss to not mention how well Blair‘s own backstory and suffering was executed as well.
This book was truly such a refreshing read when every story lately has felt like a wash-rinse-repeat.
September 25, 2025
5⭐️ This is not just another hockey romance or amnesia story; it’s much more complex. It’s a poem and a puzzle, and I think I could read it again and still find new pieces, new ideas, and new emotions held within the pages.
The passion, the suspense, the grief, the longing, and the all-consuming love are so intense. Tal always does a great job making us feel. And that’s all I really ever ask from a book—to make me feel something. And man, I cried and swooned reading this.
I will say it is very long. I think it could have been a tad shorter, especially in the 75-90% section. But I see why he felt it needed to be told this way, and I really enjoyed the ride overall, so I won’t hold that against him.
Do yourself a favor and go in blind and trust the process. This is a book to read when you don’t have anywhere else to be and you have the patience to sink into it.
The passion, the suspense, the grief, the longing, and the all-consuming love are so intense. Tal always does a great job making us feel. And that’s all I really ever ask from a book—to make me feel something. And man, I cried and swooned reading this.
I will say it is very long. I think it could have been a tad shorter, especially in the 75-90% section. But I see why he felt it needed to be told this way, and I really enjoyed the ride overall, so I won’t hold that against him.
Do yourself a favor and go in blind and trust the process. This is a book to read when you don’t have anywhere else to be and you have the patience to sink into it.
September 16, 2025
The books I love most written by Tal Bauer are his political books. Not to say I don’t like hockey romans because I truly do. This book The Fall, 800 pages long, is definitely not one of them. A hockey roman that takes 800 pages with hardly any action up till 70% (their vacation is one big page filler because nothing happens only sex for almost 40 pages and endless talking about his brother Cody, not helping). Also a lot is repeated. Everything he experienced before happens again (and Tal Bauer writes another 30 pages full of it, more filling) and Torey is aware of the things happening again, he even predicts them at the right moment. Was it a bad book? No. Did I skipped pages? Absolutely. Could it have been 400 pages instead of 800? Yes. Definitely. And it would have been a great book.
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