Available now from Balzer + Bray / HarperCollins!
From the NAACP Image Award–nominated author of Happily Ever Afters comes a dual POV rom-com about Reggie and Delilah, who fall in love through missed connections and chance meetings on holidays over the course of a year.
Delilah always keeps her messy, gooey insides hidden behind a wall of shrugs and yeah, whatevers. She goes with the flow—which is how she ends up singing in her friends’ punk band as a favor, even though she’d prefer to hide at the merch table.
Reggie is a D&D Dungeon Master and self-declared Blerd. He spends his free time leading quests and writing essays critiquing the game under a pseudonym, keeping it all under wraps from his disapproving family.
These two, who have practically nothing in common, meet for the first time on New Year’s Eve. And then again on Valentine’s Day. And then again on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s almost like the universe is pushing them together for a reason.
Delilah wishes she were more like Reggie—open about what she likes and who she is, even if it’s not cool. Except . . . it’s all a front. Reggie is just role-playing someone confident. The kind of guy who could be with a girl like Delilah.
As their holiday meetings continue, the two begin to fall for each other. But what happens once they realize they’ve each fallen for a version of the other that doesn’t really exist?
Buy Now:
Signed copies can be ordered here from Bel Canto Books, a WOC-owned independent bookstore in Long Beach, CA
Praise for Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling:
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Target YA Book Club pick, February 2023
“Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling is packed with heart, humor, and Elise Bryant’s signature Black joy. My cheeks still hurt from smiling harder and harder with each new page.”
–Leah Johnson, bestselling author of You Should See Me in a Crown and Rise to the Sun
“An irresistible love song dedicated to hope, joy, overcoming fears, and trusting your voice, Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling is unapologetically swoony and refreshingly honest. Another exceptional addition to the Elise Bryant collection and every reader’s shelf.”
–Julian Winters, award-winning author of Running With Lions and Right Where I Left You
“Bryant has truly mastered her medium, delivering powerful lessons for characters and readers alike in the form of a delicious, cozy, joyful romance to usher in the new year.”
–Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
“Via inspirational self-discovery arcs with fated romance vibes, Bryant pens a tender tale prioritizing conversations on disability and tokenism.”
–Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A darling ballad for the shy and nerdy yearning to belong.”
–Kirkus Reviews
“Told through dual narration, this sweet, will-they-or-won’t-they romance has refreshingly authentic depth.”
–School Library Journal
“Hand to contemporary romance readers who enjoy social commentary but love a warm dose of fluff.”
–ALA Booklist