Review: The Fall – Tal Bauer

The Fall by Tal Bauer is an 800-page MM hockey romance that blends memory loss, love, and second chances. After two years without publishing, Bauer’s return brings a unique and emotional premise that explores what it means to rebuild life and relationships after losing a year of memories.

The Fall by Tal Bauer
Genres: Contemporary, MM Romance

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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.

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After two years of silence, Tal Bauer is finally back, and we, his fans, could hardly contain our excitement. His new release, The Fall, arrived as a surprise on the 13th, and of course, I couldn’t resist: I bought it right away and started reading immediately. It was an intense few days of reading, and now I’m sharing my thoughts.

Different from the author’s usual covers, The Fall already stands out for its proposal: an MM romance set in the world of hockey, with no less than 800 pages. For me, as someone who is not a native English speaker, it was a slow and careful read, but also full of expectations, after all, Tal Bauer is my favorite author and has already given us unforgettable stories like Whisper.

Here we follow Torey, a Vancouver hockey player who, after an accident, wakes up in a completely different reality: in another city, playing for another team, and living with Blair Callahan, an opponent on the ice, but suddenly someone who shares his bed and his life. The problem? Torey has lost all memory of the past year. He doesn’t know how he got there or how he built this new life. He only knows that now he has exactly what he always wanted: success, love, and a stable relationship.

The premise is wonderful. The dilemma of “pretending until remembering” gives dramatic strength to the plot, and the tension between hiding the truth or risking losing everything gripped me right from the start. However, the execution ended up tiring me at times. The book is simply too long and, especially after the first part, the narrative drags with too many internal monologues and repetitions that slowed down my reading pace.

This saddened me, because I was hoping for a powerful comeback. Tal Bauer is still a writer of creative and unique plots and there’s no doubt that this idea is unlike anything I’ve ever read. But personally, I missed the intensity of some of his other works, especially those that explore politics and thrillers, which is where I think he truly shines.

In the end, I gave The Fall 3 stars. It was still an important read for me, especially after two years of waiting, and I’m happy to have Tal Bauer back. The story has an incredible premise, interesting characters, and emotional moments, but it could have been tighter and more impactful.

Final Rating: 3 stars!

Have you read The Fall? Did you feel the pacing dragged, or did the story work better for you? Share your thoughts in the comments below!