Have you ever wanted to give yourself a total reinvention before heading into the new school year? That’s exactly where we find our girl Sofia at the beginning of What If You Fall for Me First?, the newest middle grade rom-com from G.F. Miller. (If you read her other book, Not If You Break Up With Me First, you’ve actually already met Sofia and Holden and their friends, Eve and Andrew!)
Tired of her good girl image and being seen as sweet and innocent, Sofia is eager to be considered cool and fierce, especially by her forever crush, Mark Chen. She knows there’s more to her personality than her classmates have seen, and she’ll do just about anything to kickstart her image reinvention – including recruiting Holden, the confident bad boy with a reputation for being kind of a jerk.
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Holden agrees to help Sofia revamp her image with motivations of his own, guiding her through lessons in confidence, skateboarding, and switching up her style. But the thing is, there’s more to Holden than just trendy clothes and a cool-guy attitude – he’s actually kind of sweet and fun to be around, and there’s more going on in his life than he lets on.
As Sofia and Holden peel back each other’s layers and get to know each other, they see each other at their most authentic, causing drama as crushes start to simmer and misunderstandings start brewing. Should Sofia stick to the plan and her new persona or take a risk on the guy everyone is sure will break her heart?
What If You Fall For Me First?
A girl determined to ditch her goody-two-shoes image and the cool guy classmate she enlists to help her get more than they bargained for in this relatable and swoon-worthy middle grade rom-com.
Sofia has had enough of everyone thinking she’s sooo nice. “Sweet,” “innocent,” and “goody two-shoes” are how her classmates would describe her, but there’s more to her than that. She wants everyone—especially her forever crush, Mark Chen—to see that she has other sides.
To help her level up to Official Cool Girl, Sofia enlists trendy and confident Holden—the guy who everyone else has written off as a total player and a first-class jerk. Under Holden’s guidance, Sofia learns to revamp her style, ride a skateboard, and stand up for herself. At the same time, Holden learns that when he’s alone with Sofia, it’s safe to drop the cool guy act and just be himself.
When their efforts start to pay off, Sofia is faced with a choice. Should she stick with the plan—and risk losing herself in the process—or take a chance on the person everyone says will break her heart?
What If You Fall For Me First?
AUTHOR: G.F. Miller
PUBLISHER: Aladdin
DATE: June 10, 2025
What If You Fall for Me First? is the ultimate back-to-school read, filled with relatable middle school struggles, laugh-out-loud moments, and bantery friends just trying to navigate the nuances of growing up.
Find yourself considering an image revamp for yourself this school year? Take it from Sofia and Holden – it’s worth thinking through before you dive in. They’re basically experts on the subject now, and they’re chatting below with their advice for our readers, courtesy of G.F. Miller.
WHAT IF YOU FALL FOR ME FIRST?: Sofia and Holden Chat About Changing Yourself to Fit In
Is it okay to change yourself to fit in or to make people like you? (Asking for a friend.)
SOFIA: Okay, I feel like this is an unpopular opinion, but changing yourself is not necessarily wrong!
HOLDEN: Of course you’d say that.
SOFIA: No, listen—in movies and shows and stuff, the message at the end is always “just be yourself.” But I’m thirteen. I don’t even know who I am yet. I can’t “just be me” because “me” is very in flux right now.
HOLDEN: When you put it like that, yeah. I’m with you. Cuz honestly, if I’m locked into who I am now for the rest of my life, that’s just depressing. I mean, I get a lot of stuff wrong, and I’m selfish too often, and there’s a ton of stuff I don’t know yet. I want to believe I will get better.
SOFIA: Right.
HOLDEN: Ouch, girl. Ice cold.
SOFIA: Sorry! Don’t take it wrong! I don’t think you’re selfish or anything. I just meant “right” about wanting to get better and not stay the same. The point is, we are growing and changing. And I personally don’t think it’s all outside of our control. We can choose who we want to be.
HOLDEN: That sounds like something you’d wear on a t-shirt, with a little cartoon bee. “Choose who you want to bee.”
SOFIA: Hey! Bee nice. I like my cute shirts! ANYWAY, back to the question: Is it okay to change yourself to make people like you? I’d say, it’s okay to change yourself as long as you like you. I kind of learned that the hard way.
HOLDEN: Do NOT say something cheesy right now like “Your real friends like you for who you are.” Fierce girls do not use cheesy slogans.
SOFIA: I’m just saying, change because you want to, not to impress other people.
HOLDEN: Okay, you’re not wrong. But it can be tricky to know the difference. If I’m being honest, half the time I don’t know why I do what I do. So how do you know if the change is good or bad?
SOFIA: For me, there were a few red flags (Yes, this is from personal experience. Let’s just say I took a crush a little too far).
HOLDEN: Way. Too. Far.
SOFIA: But that’s not what we’re talking about.
HOLDEN: Right. Go on.
SOFIA: Here’s how you know if the changes aren’t healthy for you: First, if the change makes you uncomfortable or it doesn’t feel like the real you—major red flag. For me, it got to a point where I felt like “Who is this person? I don’t want to be her. I don’t even like her.”
HOLDEN: Yeah, same. That’s so real.
SOFIA: Another warning sign is that the change makes you feel worse than you did before. Like, you’re changing for a reason, right? To feel better, to like who you are, to be more mature. If you feel worse, that’s the opposite of what you want—but it’s never too late to back it up.
HOLDEN: Maybe an example?
SOFIA: Well, like, I was tired of everyone thinking I was so nice and babyish. But being mean made me feel even worse. I had to figure out a third option that was, like, assertive but still me.
HOLDEN: That’s really good. I have a red flag too.
SOFIA: ?!
HOLDEN: You aren’t the only one who’s ever tried to impress other people, Sof.
SOFIA: But you’re, like, so cool already.
HOLDEN: Thanks? But really, the thing is, even people who seem like they are totally cool and popular and have everything figured out are probably working really hard to keep all that up.
SOFIA: ??!!
HOLDEN: So the red flag—when you aren’t being authentic, it’s exhausting.
SOFIA: You’re totally right! I just thought I was the only one who felt that way.
HOLDEN: You’re never as alone as you think you are.
SOFIA: I think my grandma has that embroidered on a pillow.
HOLDEN: Ouch, girl.
SOFIA: Sorry! Okay, so let’s talk about what you can change and what you really can’t.
HOLDEN: You can change your look. That’s fun to experiment with.
SOFIA: It’s amazing how a haircut and a new outfit can make you feel brand new!
HOLDEN: You can also change your smell. I personally recommend getting the best cologne you can afford.
SOFIA: [Sniffs. Swoons.]
HOLDEN: …
SOFIA: Um, yeah, so anyway. Where were we? You can change on the inside too. You can push yourself out of your comfort zone, try new things, learn new skills, change habits…that kind of thing. Inside changes are harder than how you look and smell, but I think they kind of matter more.
HOLDEN: So true.
SOFIA: Okay, so let’s talk about what we can’t change.
HOLDEN: You’re stuck with your family.
SOFIA: And there’s not much you can do about your height. Or your facial features, unless you, like, get a nose job.
HOLDEN: Don’t get a nose a job. I like your nose the way it is.
SOFIA: Really?! Um, thanks! I like yours too. Oh, that reminds me of one more thing you can change—relationships. It’s okay to give yourself space from people who drain you or make you feel bad about yourself. Spend time with people who support you and make you happy.
HOLDEN: And don’t worry about who’s popular or online influencers you don’t know in real life. Focus on the real people in your life who like you for who you are.
SOFIA: Okay! So, to sum up: change is great as long as you change for the right reasons. We’re not just existing, we’re becoming. (Ooh, that would be good on a T-shirt. With a little bee.)
HOLDEN: Hey, Sofia?
SOFIA: ??
HOLDEN: I like who you’re bee-coming.
SOFIA: ohmygosh. [dies]
(Sofia is going to be okay. However, because they’re fictional, the best way to contact Sofia and Holden is at gfmiller.com or on Instagram @author.gfmiller)
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