Fall Away · 2015
Falling AwaySpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
Spice 3/5 (Hot) · Darkness 4/5 (Pitch) · 3 trigger warnings flagged · Series: Fall Away, book 4 of 4
Falling Away is book 4 of Fall Away by Penelope Douglas, published in 2015. The lane here is enemies to lovers and academy. Spice is open door (3 of 5) and the darkness is pitch dark (4 of 5). We took the warnings from Book Trigger Warnings, a reader-run wiki. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 6 January 2015 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 4 of Fall Away.
Falling Away tropes
On this shelf, Falling Away is filed under Enemies to lovers and Dark academy romance. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
Falling Away spice level
Is Falling Away dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Falling Away scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More pitch books. How we rate.
Falling Away trigger warnings
Book-specific flags taken from Book Trigger Warnings, a reader-run wiki, grouped by us. Also on that list: drug or alcohol use, child abuse. See the reader-submitted list.
Graphic (1) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
Minor (0)
Present, and usually not the reason someone puts the book down.
None flagged in this band.
Full Falling Away trigger warnings
Fall Away reading order
Falling Away is book 4 of 4 in Penelope Douglas's Fall Away series. Start with Bully.
- Book 1 Bully · 2013
- Book 2 Until You · 2013
- Book 3 Rival · 2014 not on our shelf yet
- Book 4 Falling Away (this book) · 2015
- Book 4.25 · novella Aflame · 2015 not on our shelf yet
- Book 4.5 · novella Next to Never · 2017
- Book 4.75 · novella Adrenaline · 2016 not on our shelf yet
Order checked against the Goodreads Fall Away series page on 9 October 2026. The Fall Away series in order.
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
Missing a book? Suggest it.
Books like Falling Away
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- The Lies We Tell
The Lies We Tell
Becca Steele
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark academy romance
- Cruel Intentions
Cruel Intentions
Cora Kent
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark academy romance
- Watch Me Fall
Watch Me Fall
K.C. Kean
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark academy romance
- F*ck You: Term One
F*ck You: Term One
Crystal North
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark academy romance
- F*ck Off: Term Two
F*ck Off: Term Two
Crystal North
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark academy romance
- Shattered Omega: Part One
Shattered Omega: Part One
Marie Mackay
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark academy romance
- Red Thorns
Red Thorns
Rina Kent
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark academy romance
- Bad Apple
Bad Apple
Selena .
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Enemies to lovers, Dark academy romance
Books like Falling Away, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of Falling Away?
Falling Away spice level is 3 of 5 (Hot). Open door. The scene stays. Darkness is a separate score: 4 of 5 (Pitch).
What are the Falling Away trigger warnings?
Graphic: Sexual assault. Moderate: Violence, Abuse. Minor: none flagged. These are book-specific flags reported by readers on Book Trigger Warnings, a reader-run wiki, grouped by us. The author's own note may list more. Read it before you start.
Is Falling Away dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Falling Away scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch). Bleak on purpose. Comfort is not the job.
What tropes are in Falling Away?
On this shelf Falling Away is filed under Enemies to lovers and Dark academy romance.
Who is Falling Away for?
For a reader who wants hate that tips over into wanting. Spice is hot. Darkness is pitch. Read the warnings on this page before you start.
What are some books like Falling Away?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: The Lies We Tell by Becca Steele; Cruel Intentions by Cora Kent; Watch Me Fall by K.C. Kean; F*ck You: Term One by Crystal North; F*ck Off: Term Two by Crystal North; Shattered Omega: Part One by Marie Mackay. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/falling-away.
Is Falling Away a standalone?
No. Falling Away is book 4 of 4 in the Fall Away series by Penelope Douglas. The series starts with Bully.
What order should I read the Fall Away series in?
1. Bully; 2. Until You; 3. Rival; 4. Falling Away; 4.25. Aflame (novella); 4.5. Next to Never (novella); 4.75. Adrenaline (novella).
How many books are in the Fall Away series?
The Fall Away series by Penelope Douglas has 4 main books, plus 3 novellas or bonus stories.
What is the Falling Away age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 3/5 (hot) and darkness at 4/5 (pitch). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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