A Sweet and Swoony YA Rom-Com
Trust Fall
Young Adult Romantic Comedy; Young Adult Romantic Comedy about Class Differences
Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
September 29, 2026
Ebook, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook
416
From the author of Better Than the Movies, Lynn Painter, comes a rags-to-riches rom-com about a small-town girl whose family inherits a fortune and moves to New York City, where she meets a big-city boy hiding an explosive secret.
Julia is just a small-town girl from Nebraska who loves her peaceful life. But when her elderly next-door neighbor—who just happens to be a secret multi-millionaire—leaves everything to Julia and her family after his passing, Julia is swept away to live in a historic brownstone in New York City and attend an elite private school for the super-rich.
It should be a dream come true. Wrong. Julia doesn’t fit in at her new school; worse, she’s failing. Enter Damion, the mysterious and handsome tutor who will get Julia back on track. Except Damion has a secret. He is the great-nephew of the man who left everything to Julia’s family. Damion doesn’t buy for a second that the person who was like a father to him would leave his home to strangers. And he’s determined to prove it.
To uncover the truth, Damion schemes to earn Julia’s trust. Not an easy task with Julia unsure about this rich boy with a rebellious personality. But the more time Damion spends with Julia, the more his plan begins to backfire. Because he is falling for the enemy—and the enemy is falling for him.
As Damion and Julia figure out where they belong, can they see past their differences and act on their feelings, or will the trust Damion has worked so hard to gain fall apart?
In an effort to expand my reading horizons, I’ve been dabbling more in young adult (YA) fiction. Lynn Painter is an author I already recognized from the adult rom-com world, so when I overheard a young bookstore patron request Trust Fall, Painter’s newest YA romance, as a vacation read, I just had to give it a try.
I’m so glad I did!
Trust Fall is a sweet and a lil’ spicy YA rom-com that was an absolute delight to read. This rags-to-riches romance follows Julia, a teenager from Nebraska whose family inherits a New York City brownstone after the death of a family friend. Enter Damion, a prep-school tutor whose uncle gifted the house to Julia’s family—and who is not happy about it. Determined to get the family back to the Midwest, Damion schemes to get close to Julia so he can find a way to send them packing.
What I Loved About Trust Fall
- Classic rags-to-riches charm: Painter delivers all the fun elements you’d expect from this kind of story, including a wise butler, eccentric uncles, and a snooty prep-school crowd.
- Autumn in New York: From elegant brownstones to charming city parks, Painter creates a vivid picture of New York City in the fall. The seasonal atmosphere makes this romance an especially cozy read.
- Julia and Damion’s chemistry: Their dialogue and developing relationship feel authentic and fun. Their interactions also drive the story forward, making it easy to root for this couple.
- The kissing! I never thought “just kissing” could be so satisfying in a rom-com, but Painter proves me wrong. She masterfully builds romantic tension and keeps the spice appropriate for a young adult audience while still giving readers plenty of reasons to swoon.
One aspect of Trust Fall gave me some pause: the amount of bullying Julia experiences throughout the story. The constant mistreatment was difficult to swallow, especially because Julia rarely stands up for herself in any significant way. She finds happiness by the end, but readers shouldn’t expect a satisfying moment when the bullies finally get their comeuppance.
I’m used to stories in which the main character eventually finds a way to put the bullies in their place, so I noticed Painter’s decision to leave those dramatic confrontations out of the narrative. While this approach may work for some readers, I found myself wishing Julia had more opportunities to stand up for herself.
Ultimately, Trust Fall is about learning to trust your authentic self and finding your own path forward rather than simply following the expectations others set for you. It’s also a story about learning to trust love after heartbreak and finding the courage to fall for the people and possibilities that bring you joy and peace.
It’s a great new YA rom-com, and I highly recommend it!
Celeste is a woman who is unwavering about certain things in life; three of those being books, cats, and cold brew coffee. If she can enjoy all three at the same time, it’s going to be a good day. Her favorite genres are fantasy or sci-fi romance, historical romance, and historical fiction but every few books she likes to mix it up with contemporary fiction, a good psychological thriller, or an inspiring memoir. She has a busy schedule working full-time for an online university but she makes sure to unwind each day with stories, either by reading to her elementary school-aged daughter or tucking herself in bed with her Kindle or the latest book she picked up at a local book store.
