Between Trust Fall by Lynn Painter

Started On: October 10, 2026
Finished On: October 12, 2026
Format: eBook
Genre: YA Romance

Release Date: September 29, 2026
Purchase on Bookshop.org | Purchase on Amazon

Book Summary:
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?

Review/Thoughts:
This was such a cute YA romance to read in the fall! I struggled to get into it at first, but I’m so glad I kept going. It was an easy and fun read!

I loved the main characters and the setting was giving me all the Gilmore Girls vibes. It was very ‘Rory at Chilton’ feeling. The romance was sweet, and I really enjoyed the warm and cozy feelings.

The adult characters weren’t really my favorite. Their actions and personalities didn’t always feel realistic to me and honestly bugged me a bit. I also would have loved to see a little more depth and character development for the main characters throughout the story.

*Thank you an Netgalley + Simon & Schuster Books for an eARC! 💛

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