The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn

Honeycrisp Orchard #1

by Valerie Bowman

For fans of the Lovelight series and The Pumpkin Spice Café, this cozy and sexy romance follows a young event planner who returns to her family's inn on an apple orchard to help run their Harvest Festival--only to find herself butting heads with the handsome son of the apple orchard's owners.

Ellie Lawson's city life was treating her just fine until a sour turn of events knocks her out in one fell swoop. Dumped by her boyfriend and fired from her event planning job, she is left with no choice but to return to her parents' idyllic inn, nestled within a picturesque Honeycrisp orchard on Long Island. Anticipating a quiet hiatus in the attic apartment, she is instead met with Aiden, the stubborn, attractive son of the orchard owner who is currently occupying her planned refuge.

Forced together by circumstance, they find themselves not only roommates but also coworkers, when they're put in charge by their parents of the orchard's vital Harvest Festival, a lifeline for both the struggling orchard and the inn. Amidst the enchanting disorder of small-town life, Ellie and Aiden grapple with their conflicting values, burgeoning feelings, and an electrifying tension.

As Ellie discovers the unexpected charm of the life she left behind and Aiden learns there's much more to Ellie than he'd first assumed, one fact remains: the future of the orchard and the inn depends on their unlikely collaboration.

Embark on a captivating journey of rediscovery, love, and the irreplaceable magic of small-town life.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Cozy, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Fiction, Small Town Romance

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 9, 2025

About the author

Valerie Bowman is an award-winning author who writes historical and contemporary romance.

Valerie’s debut novel was published in 2012. Since then, her books have received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus. She’s been an RT Reviewers’ Choice nominee for Best First Historical Romance and Best Historical Romance Love and Laughter. Two of her books have been nominated for the Kirkus Prize for fiction.

Valerie grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s number seven) and a huge supply of romance novels. After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in English Language and Literature with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the first chance she got. Valerie now lives in Jacksonville with her family including her rascally dogs. When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV and PBS.

Visit Valerie on the web at www.ValerieBowmanBooks.com and sign-up for her newsletter at: https://valeriebowmanbooks.com/newsle...
Be sure to follow Valerie Bookbub for the latest on sales https://www.bookbub.com/authors/valer...

Reviews

[Alyssa Nieves · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!! ⭐️🍂

WOW, this was so good!! If you’re looking for a cozy fall romance book, this one is it! Add to your fall tbr immediately!

The vibes were IMMACULATE!! I love a small town setting and it just hits every single time! This delivered the fall feels!! The cutest little inn, the apple orchard, and the main characters planning an autumn harvest festival literally gave me everything I needed! Just cozy, fun, fall vibes! The fmc was so relatable and I loved all of the characters so much too. It was giving Gilmore Girls (which is my favorite show ever) and I loved it! Already want to reread!

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒜𝓋𝑜𝓃 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐻𝒶𝓇𝓅𝑒𝓇 𝒱𝑜𝓎𝒶𝑔𝑒𝓇 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝒸! 🫶🏼

[TheConnieFox · Rating 5 out of 5]

✦ My Overall Thoughts ✦

This book was perfection from beginning to end! I am new to this author and didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I am so excited that I discovered a fantastic new author. She helped me escape into this world, that was filled with warm hugs, laughter, a lot of banter and love! This book made me feel lighthearted, happy, hopeful and magical. This is a romance novel that is about rediscovering love in a small town. It is a slow to medium paced read, I didn’t feel like I had to rush to read it. I took my time reading this one and taking all the coziness in! I felt that Aiden was an extremely lovable character in the story! He brought the laughter and charm, even though he had a lot of seriousness to him. I enjoyed how the characters changed and grew in the story, how the plot was developed and well executed, and how it became a story of family and community bonding! This lovely story is very picturesque and inviting!

✦ Spoiler Free Synopsis & Rating ✦

“The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn” is a novel that revolves around an event planner named Ellie and a good looking country boy named Aiden. Ellie loses her job and gets dumped by her boyfriend in New York, so she heads back to her hometown. She leaves and comes to her family’s Honeycrisp apple orchard Inn! This is where she finds Aiden, who moved into the attic. Aiden is a son of one of the neighboring orchard owners. Ellie had planned on it being her new living space, when she arrived there. Both families get together and make them co-host a Harvest Festival. They do this and there is a lot of banter happening between the two! However, a romance begins to form between them! I give this charming book a 5 out of 5 stars!

✦ Who I think would enjoy this book & Content Warnings ✦

I think fans of the “Gilmore Girls” TV show and “The Pumpkin Spice Cafe” novel would absolutely love reading this book! Content warnings are extremely mild and include sexual content and emotional vulnerability.

✦ Thank You ✦

Thank you to NetGalley, author Valerie Bowman and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon a for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

✦ Release Date ✦

This book is expected to be published on September 9, 2025!

✦ Book Tropes ✦

♥️ Small Town Romance
✔️ Forced Proximity
♥️ Opposites Attract
✔️ Insta Attraction
♥️ Found Family
✔️ 2nd Chance at Happiness
♥️ Slow Burn Romance
✔️ Cozy / Seasonal

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《

❥ ୨⎯ Connie ⎯୧ ❥

ツ౨ৎ

[Sarah Moran · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Talented event planner Eleanor Lawson is not having a good day. First, she gets dumped by her boyfriend and coworker. Then, she gets fired from her job. Now, with nowhere else to go and nothing to do, a phone call from her mom sends Eleanor back to her hometown in Long Island, where she will be staying at the picturesque inn her parents own and helping with an event they planned.

Unfortunately, her parents forget to mention that grumpy, stubborn, and very attractive Aiden, her childhood friend, is also staying in Eleanor’s place of refuge. Forced to be roommates and coworkers, Eleanor and Aiden grapple with past conflict, present circumstances, and an undeniable attraction as they work on the Harvest Festival. Can they set aside their differences and work together to save the inn and orchard that has charmed its way into Eleanor’s heart?

The name screams fall vibes. The cover promises crisp breezes, falling leaves, and delicious autumn treats that make my mouth water. The description convinced me there would be forced proximity, an electrifying attraction, and an epic plan to save the inn. And, I’m very happy to say, it delivered. 🍂🍁🎃

Now, did I love everything about the book? Unfortunately, no. I didn’t like Eleanor very much. I thought she was kinda selfish, exasperating, and rude to think her parents had dementia because they forgot a lot of things. I get it. She watched a documentary about it, and once you watch one of those things about a certain subject, you cannot stop thinking about it or seeing it everywhere. But people forget things. All. The. Time. Heck, I forget stuff every single day, but that doesn’t mean I have dementia. I think there could have been discretion and care when talking/joking about it because it’s not a joke for some people. But that’s just me. 🤷‍♀ Actually, that was one thing Eleanor lacked: discretion. Aiden had his flaws, but he was tolerable, along with everyone else in the story. So, no other complaints there.

But the fall vibes!! 😍 It was so cozy and lovely! And the Harvest Festival sounded so fun! I want it to be autumn already so I can wear thick sweaters, eat pumpkin treats, and decorate the house with oranges and reds. This book made me impatient, lol! 😂

I definitely recommend this book if you, too, are looking for something sweet and fun with a hint of conflict that adds meaning and growth to the characters. I think this might be the first book in a series, so I’m excited to see who the next lucky person is to fall in love. 🧡

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for inviting me to read the arc via NetGalley! All opinions and statements are my own.

❗Content Warnings❗
Swearing: Yes
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶/5

#TheHoneycrispOrchardInn #NetGalley

[veerali · Rating 3 out of 5]

─ 3.5 stars ⊹

this book introduces us to ellie, who is having a truly tough time. after her boyfriend breaks up with her and she loses her job, she finds herself back where she started: at her parents' beautiful, idyllic inn on long Island.

it's there that her life takes an unexpected turn. ellie meets aiden, the charming son of the local orchard owner. through a slight twist of fate, they end up as roommates and are tasked with planning the town's big harvest festival together. as they spend more time collaborating and getting to know each other, ellie finds herself increasingly attracted to aiden. this new connection brings up a lot of complicated feelings for her, especially while she's still trying to get over her past setbacks.

the atmosphere in this book perfectly captures that cozy, small-town feeling, especially with the beautiful fall setting. it’s undeniably a cute story that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy.

the characters are also a big part of the book's charm. aiden is incredibly sweet and easy to like. he's definitely one of the highlights. ellie, our female main character, is relatable in her struggles, though i admit there were moments when her actions or thoughts got on my nerves a little. however, her journey of finding herself after a tough setback is still engaging to follow.

while i enjoyed my time with ellie and aiden, there were a couple of elements that kept me from rating it higher. firstly, the pacing felt a bit uneven at times. some parts moved very quickly, while others seemed to drag, which occasionally pulled me out of the story. secondly, i had hoped for a bit more depth from the characters, particularly as they navigated their personal journeys and their growing relationship. i felt like there was potential for more emotional exploration that wasn't fully realized.

despite these minor points, this book is a lovely escape, especially if you're a fan of romantic stories set in charming autumn towns.

thank you netgalley, avon and harper voyager for providing me with an e-arc of this book. all thoughts expressed in this review are entirely my own!

[Jessica]

This gave me everything I wanted and more in a fall romance! From the start, I was eating up the fall vibes of our heroine escaping to her small town in order to help run the fall festival in order to save the inn her parents owned. And, of course, there's a hot apple farmer she grew up with who is helping with the festival and also saying in her parents' extra apartment...the same apartment they told her she could stay in. The romance was so cute and the small town fall festival plot just gave me all the feels I wanted. I was so hooked and devoured this in a few days!

The only reason this doesn't get a full five for me is because the heroine was a bit hard to like. She made some decisions that were extremely selfish without really thinking about the feelings of others. There were also too many weird jokes about dementia in here? Not sure why everyone who read this thought those were okay to keep in, but they definitely weren't funny and didn't add anything at all to the story?

But overall, such a fun fall romance that needs to be on your fall tbr!!

[sanne ♥ (sann_reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[windymornings · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check this review out and so many more of your fav books at windymornings.net

Well, everyone, looks like we made it into another East Coast fall romance book. Am I upset? Maybe slightly.... I really wanted to give this book five stars as I did with, "The Cinnamon Spice Inn", which actually inspired me to read this one. Now, there were multiple things I wasn't too sure about in this book. I have to say the main character, Eleanor... or Ellie? Has a lot of insecurity issues and is kind of a bit selfish. Her dialogue alone was extremely cringy... I couldn't tell if she was being serious with the things she was saying or if the author was trying to make a joke. Ellie seemed to be very millennial coded that tried extremely hard to be a gen z, if that makes sense. She also had a tendency to add way too much banter with the reader, which at times it did pull me out of the story. I understand it was more so banter with Ellie herself... but there was too much internal thoughts where it was just getting way too distracting with the actual story dialogue. 



Well now you heard my rant. How about we actually met our characters a little bit. The story follows Ellie Lawson, event planner extraordinaire. She had everything she's every wanted. Her dream job in the heart of New York city, a boyfriend, an awesome apartment and of course, Starbucks every morning before work. Ellie had everything she wanted, until one day when her whole life came crashing down. It was a nice crisp September day; the leaves are turning color, and the scarfs are being pulled out. Just in time for the pumpkin spice lattes. Ellie and her boyfriend Goeff make their way into work not knowing this might be the last time. Ellie is going over her presentation a hundred times in her head for a very special client, Bolt Hotel Group. She was tasked by her boss to present revolutionary ideas for the new client they are trying to win over, and if anyone can do it, its Ellie. She makes her way nervously to the meeting room where she sets up her gadgets and presentation slides. The presentation goes extraordinary well and is pleased to hear that her boss is requesting to see her in his office. She definitely thinks she got the client, or even better, a raise after a job well done! Come to find out, she's being fired. For what you ask? For stealing Goeff's event ides, every single one, the same ideas she's been telling him about every day at home for a month. She tries to plead her case and save her job but quickly realizes that there is nothing she can do nor say, that will get her out of this. Oh, and to top it off, Goeff breaks up with her because he can't be seen around her anymore.



Poor Ellie is out of a job, a home, and a boyfriend. She calls her mom and is on the next train out to Long Island and the Honeycrisp Inn. She doesn't tell her mom much about what's going on, expect that she just got done with a huge project and, that she wants to spend some time at home. Her mom thinks this is a fantastic idea, considering Ellie doesn't visit much at all anyway. She tells Ellie this is amazing news and that she can help with the Autumn Harvest Festival. Ellie agrees to help and arrives at the hotel that night. She grabs the keys from the front desk girl, Charlotte and lets herself to the upstairs apartment. After a long day of traveling and let downs, she's excited for the rest and to see her parents in the morning. She opens up the door and is quickly greeted with a man in a towel. That man turned out to be Aiden, the stubborn attractive son of the orchard who is currently occupying her planned refuge. Turns out that Aiden grew some nice muscles and a six pack since the last time she saw him. Ellie had a crush straight away, and it seemed that he did too. Aiden explains that he's happy to see her again and that she will be in town for the Harvest Festival. This is the first time Ellie gets word that he's also planning on helping at the event. If Aiden thinks he can throw a better festival and party, then Ellie can... he better watch out.



This book for the most part was pretty fun to read. Annoying? a little yea. I really feel like Ellie is kinda disrespectful to her parents and treating dementia as a joke. She sent her parents an online dementia test because her mom forgot to tell her Aiden was in the upstairs apartment. Fun fact: no one told mom, and the dad forgot. Ellie takes it upon herself to keep bringing up dementia instead of actually recommending a doctor and taking it seriously. I guess if you take a google test and pass it, you're in the clear! I think Ellie has a lot of growing up to do and maybe a "come to Jesus" moment would be beneficial for her as well. I rated this book a generous 3 stars. I also had an issue with Ellie acting like she cared about Aiden all of sudden. It's like as soon as she saw that he's buffed up and filled out she suddenly acts like she's had this lifelong crush on him for years... when she literally said that she hasn't thought about him since she was 14 when they stopped hanging out in high school. 



Alright, alright I'm done ranting. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC and I really hope to see Valerie come out with some more works.

[katie ⋅♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for cozy fall reading, fans of small-town romantic comedies 🍂🍁

﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒

Summary
When Ellie’s life in the city falls apart, she heads back home to her family’s inn in the middle of apple orchard country. The last thing she expects is to be stuck sharing an attic apartment with Aiden—the guy she used to butt heads with. Between planning the town’s Harvest Festival, clashing over every little detail, and realizing there’s real chemistry underneath the bickering, Ellie starts to wonder if maybe small-town life—and Aiden—are exactly what she needs.

﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒

Tropes & Themes
Cozy, autumnal, slightly spicy, reminiscent of a Hallmark movie
Forced Proximity. Ellie and Aiden are unexpectedly paired as roommates in the inn’s attic apartment
Enemies to lovers & opposites attract
Return to roots, career reassessment. Ellie’s return home lets her reconnect with who she is outside her career
Childhood friends reconnect

﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒

My Thoughts
This was such a cozy, feel good read with all the fall vibes. I loved the small town setting, the orchard backdrop, and of course the Harvest Festival. Everything felt so warm and atmospheric, like stepping into a Hallmark movie but with a little extra spice. Ellie and Aiden’s forced proximity banter was fun, and I enjoyed watching their relationship shift from rivalry to romance. Some parts were a little predictable, but honestly, that’s part of what made it so comforting. Perfect for curling up with on a crisp autumn day.

﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒

Release Date 🗓️
September 9th, 2025

﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒

🤍 I want to give a huuugeee thank you Netgalley, Valerie Bowman, Avon, and Harper Voyager
for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. 🤍

﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒﹒⟡﹒

Follow me on my socials ↓
Instagram
Medium

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn was super cute and fun! If you want an adorably delightful romance centered around fall, set at an apple orchard and inn, wrapped up in a small town, chock-full with every autumnal vibe your heart could ever want…this is the book for you. I had a great time reading this one and am excited for maybe more in the series in the future!

“I wanted to stay there, because you’re there.”

I’ve been familiar with this author because of her historical romances (which I still want to read), but this is the first time I’ve read her! This is set in Long Island and we follow Ellie. She lives in NYC when the story starts and gets dumped by her boyfriend and loses her job at the same time when the crappy boyfriend stole her project plans and passed them off as his at their work. Desperate for a place to live and get away from it all, Ellie returns home to her parents inn in a small town to help with their autumn harvest festival. There she runs into Aiden, who she has known since childhood and grew up with. Their parents are friends and business partners (his own the orchard connected to the inn) and Aiden has remained there to run the business. It goes from there and it’s just a delight to see unfold! Super easy read, sooo much fall/seasonal vibes, lots of fun side characters, I love both an inn and orchard setting so this was the best of both worlds combined for me, the romance was cute (and we get some spice too)!

I received an ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own.

CW: a lot of dementia jokes (I saw multiple other reviewers mention it as well and I agree it felt off/unneeded and insensitive)

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC - 5/5⭐️ oh this book is IT. From page 1, I just knew this was going to be the most perfect fall romance book. The story, the characters, the setting..absolute perfection 🍎🍂🧡

Eleanor is an event planner who has recently lost her job and been dumped by her boyfriend in the city; so she goes back home to help her family plan a fall festival to save their inn and orchard. When she arrives back home, she reconnects with Aiden, a sexy farmer and son of the orchard owner. The tension between these two was soooo much fun to read. I loved the forced proximity and the flirting throughout. My only beef with this book is that it was too short!! I was so sad when it was over.

This is the cozy, fall, small town romance that I’ve been searching for. Iconic ❤️‍🔥 I highly recommend this one!! Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Ari · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was…. Not great. The description of the cozy small town with the fall decorations was nice but excessive at times. Ellie’s inner dialogue was so cringy, and very excessive. The characters randomly got basically offered millions of dollars that they turned down… huh? The writing felt like fanfic, not well done and no real depth to the characters. Yikes.

[Justin Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

An unabashedly small-town romance set in autumn, it’s hard not to notice the obvious—this is basically 'The Pumpkin Spice Café 2.0'. From its naming conventions, to the heroine finding her way back to her roots, to the charming, corporation-free small town, and even setting up future couples (each with their own unique small business) along the way—it hits every expected beat in the proven formula. Despite the lack of originality, I genuinely had fun with it.

If The Pumpkin Spice Café is a sweet seasonal beverage, The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn is like shoving sugar straight down your throat, cramming in every possible autumnal icon and stereotype (love dogs? Now there are two!) in its narrative. Most of the time, the excess reads like a playful romance satire (and I'm into how much it leans into caricature), but some writing choices feel clunky, and certain jokes—like the running gag about dementia—veer toward poor taste.

Still, The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn delivers exactly what it sets out to do and doesn’t dawdle in doing it. It’s no literary masterpiece, but if you’re looking for a heaping dose of cozy, cliché Americana autumn, there’s plenty here—and I’m intrigued enough to be looking out for the next instalment!

**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**

[Jenniferleest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit boek wil je knus op de bank lezen met een dampend theetje terwijl de bladeren van de bomen dwarrelen. Het is het perfecte verhaal voor de herfst: cosy, een tikje spicy en met een hond genaamd Pumpkin die je hart moeiteloos verovert.

gehele review binnenkort op mijn blog: jenniferleest.wordpress.com

[Bethanys_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was AMAZING!!! It screams fall throughout, and has the coziest small town vibes. I loved both the main characters, and it’s set at an apple orchard as they work together to plan the fall harvest festival. Add this to your fall TBR immediately!!! This is one I plan to read every autumn! 🍂 📖

[Cozy Puppy Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

What better way to kick off the fall season than with a delightful read? "The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn" by Valerie Bowman is a charming and utterly fun rom-com that perfectly captures the cozy, small-town feel of a crisp autumn day. This story celebrates all things quintessential about fall, complete with apple cider, delicious donuts, and a save-the-inn fall festival trope that feels like a warm hug.

You'll be swept away by this sweet yet funny and simply delectable escape. The female main character, Ellie, is ambitious and driven, and I loved watching her story of love, reconnection, and rediscovery unfold with Aiden. The book has a charming Hallmark channel movie vibe, but in a fresh, fun way that tackles themes of redefining what success means to you and choosing your own path. Her internal dialogue and witty observations had me laughing out loud.

But the real stars of the show? The animals! I would be lying if I didn't admit that I'm more than a little obsessed with Pumpkin the Pug who won’t change out of his pumpkin onesie—the idea of a Pugfluencer is utterly genius and cute. I also adored Miss Guin, the goat that runs into everyone, and Argos the doggie in his adorable apple beret costume. These cute and hilarious scene-stealers made the book an absolute joy to read.

If you're looking for a sweet, cozy read that will leave you smiling, you'll be delighted by "The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn." The author has definitely captured the magic of fall and romance in one cozy read, and I truly hope to see more installments from her in the future.

I am incredibly grateful to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of "The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn" by author Valerie Bowman.

This is a perfect read if you love:
- A celebration of all things fall! 🍂 🎃
- Cozy small-town romance with spice ☕️
- Childhood best friends-to-lovers ✨️
- Fall festivals, complete with apple cider, fresh donuts, and of course, apples 🍎
- Gilmore Girls 🍁
- Funny, first-person POV
- Adorable dogs (Pumpkin the Pug & Argos 🐾) and a hilarious, unhinged goat (Miss Guin 😂)

[LaceyBanana Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dumped, fired, and completely defeated, Ellie returns to her home town. Her parents own the coziest inn and it’s in need of some tlc. She plans to regroup before returning back to the city but her quiet alone time plans are halted when Aiden, her childhood friend, is more involved than she realized. Now they have to work together to get the inn where it needs to be and the slower cozier life begins to look a little more appealing to her.

Things to know about me before I give my thoughts…
•I rate in a different way depending on the genre I’m reading
•I don’t usually expect a ton from seasonal books
•I need whatever season the book is based in to be thrown in my face. Repeatedly.

This 100% delivered on all points! I didn’t expect a ton and got a ton anyway. This was sooo cute and cozy, the characters were well developed for a book under 300 pages, and so much happened! Fall was in my face (repeatedly) and I went and bought some apple crumble pastries because I couldn’t stop thinking about them while reading this. There was the perfect amount of depth and cheesy Hallmark moments that I would expect from a seasonal book. Such a quick paced, easy, and fun read!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Valerie Bowman, and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this free E-ARC, happy pub day! This is my honest review.

[Han ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this sweet, cozy and funny fall read! I was not at all upset with how many times a Gilmore Girls re-watch night got mentioned, I felt seen. Also, how much Ellie our FMC talked about her love for donuts? Yes. I adored the small town of Harvest Hollow and the descriptive writing took me right there with it. This is such a cozy book and the Honeycrisp Orchard Inn couldn’t have been cuter. I was pleasantly surprised by the humor in this book, I giggled more than expected! Ok now onto the stars of the show- Aiden and Ellie. These two were the perfect definition of childhood friends to lovers. It was done so well and I was cheering them on the entire way. I love a good grump v. sunshine dynamic. Aiden has been down bad for Ellie basically their entire lives- as they grew up on the farm together. There were promises broken and now these childhood besties haven’t seen each other in years. You’ve got the country man and the city girl. I struggle at times to find fall/autumn themed books I enjoy without them being too bland, but this one kept me intrigued from start to finish!

Thank you NetGalley, Avon and the author for this gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Bo Verhoef · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik houd van dit dorpje, ik houd van de karakters en van de potentie van het verhaal 🍁. Toch vond ik dat er weinig diepgang in het verhaal zat en de pacing was hier en daar een beetje gek. Ik had graag een POV van Aiden gewild en iets meer achtergrondverhalen van iedereen. Er zaten ook meerdere leuke side characters in, maar behalve de iets te duidelijke foreshadowing over de koppels van de komende boeken, was er weinig extra informatie over hen. Over de vertaling niets meer dan lof trouwens, want hij las heerlijk, de smut was goed vertaald en ik heb over het algemeen zeker genoten 🤗.

[Heather~ Nature.books.and.coffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cozy, enjoyable romance. If you enjoyed the Lovelight series, then you will enjoy this one. I loved both. Ellie Lawson heads back to her family's Inn that is on the Honeycrisp Apple Orchard, after losing her event planning job and also getting dumped. She was planning to stay in the attic apartment at the Inn, but when she gets there, she realizes the handsome son of the owners of the Apple Orchard, Aiden, is staying there. So it looks like they need to become roommates. And not only that, but they are also tasked by their parents to help organize the Orchards Harvest Festival. Ellie starts to embrace her small town life and as she works with Aiden, could they find a connection that they didn't expect to happen?! This was really just a super cute book. Perfect cozy, fall read, with likeable characters and a picturesque setting.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Cute Romance, and this is the first book in the Honeycrisp Orchard Romance series. I found this book to be so cute and fun read. There were a few sexy times in this book, but this book was mostly a cute romance. I so enjoyed reading this book. I love the dogs in this book so much. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

[Kristin Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.


I absolutely loved this book!! This was exactly what a fall romance should be. Ellie has been living in NYC working as an event planner, when she's wrongfully terminated and ends up back at her family's inn planning an event that will hopefully bring in enough money to save it and the orchard it sits on. Aiden runs the orchard for his family, and has always wanted to run everything with Ellie. They've known each other since they were children, and this man has been mourning the fact that she never kept up her end of what he thought was their plan.

Seeing Ellie and Aiden work through everything with their shared desire to save their families' properties and their budding relationship was such a lovely reading experience. The side characters were well thought/fleshed out, and I cannot wait to see if each of them will get their own stories!!! If you love a cozy fall rom-com, definitely pick this one up when it releases on September 9th.


4.5🌟
1.5🌶️

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want fall vibes, look no further! This one was swoony, cozy, and gave me all the autumn feels. Ellie & Aiden were absolutely adorable together—flirty, playful, and such a heartwarming slow burn that had me grinning the whole way through. The setting was gorgeous and felt like wrapping myself in a cozy hug (so of course I had to hug the book too 🤗🍂).

Oh, and did I mention there’s a pug named Pumpkin?! 🐾✨ The cutest addition to an already perfect fall romance.

This book deserves a permanent spot in your fall romance rotation—like sipping apple cider in your favorite sweater, it’s pure comfort and charm. 🍏🧡

✨ Tropes you’ll love:
🏡 Small town charm
🎬 Hallmark but with spice
🍂 All the fall vibes & activities
🏠 Forced proximity
🔥 Slow burn tension
💕 Friends to lovers

📚 Add this one to your cozy fall TBR and thank me later. 🍁

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was hallmarky and cute 🥰 and the perfect way to get into the fall spirit. Super low stakes and chock full of fall references, not to mention a tackling goat, an adorable pug, and some spicy scenes involving an apple orchard 😉

Ellie and Aiden’s story was adorable and it looks like some other potential stories were set up as well…I can’t wait for Maria’s especially!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review

[Bookish_Aly_Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book felt like a warm hug and it was absolutely delightful. I loved the fall vibes this book gave off and the orchard setting was perfection. It reminded me of everything I love about The Gilmore Girls.

Ellie and Aiden were great together and I loved seeing them work together on everything for the Harvest Festival. Their dynamic was believable and they complimented each other so nicely.

Read this if you like:
🍎 Slow burn
🍂 Small town charm
🍎 All the fall vibes
🍂 Forced proximity
🍎 Friends to lovers

I loved everything about this book. If you are looking for a cozy book to read this fall definitely pick this one up.

Thank you @avonbooks for the gifted copy of the book.

[monica ✨ romantasyreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you’re craving a childhood friends to strangers to lovers romance at the coziest long island autumnal inn look no further!!! this book was such a sweet treat and I couldn’t put it down. when authors can convey yearning in a single pov, my giddiness is always at an all time high. when aiden said, “I wanted to kiss you, too” I just about melted. I loved ellie’s personal journey is this one and watching her reconnect with herself and her family. the all around support and love in this was so incredibly tender!

[Sierra | FictionalWanderluster · Rating 5 out of 5]

🍎 cozy small town
🍁 childhood friends to strangers to lovers
🍎 close knit families
🍁 hot, flannel-wearing MMC
🍎 forced proximity
🍁 meddling townsfolk
🍎 adorable costume wearing pups🐾

This book is straight fall vibes and I loved it! The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn follows Ellie as she goes back to her small hometown and parent's inn after a disastrous day that included her getting fired from her dream job, thanks to her scheming ex. Her parents want her help on their upcoming Autumn Harvest Festival but she also has to work with her childhood friend and neighbor, Aidan, who she hasn't seen in years. As they reconnect, sparks start flying, as does the local gossip mill.

I absolutely loved this story! The fall vibes were immaculate and the story had me salivating over all the apple cider donuts mentions. Ellie and Aidan were so stinking cute and their chemistry is downright hot! The townspeople are complete meddlers in their quest to push Ellie and Aidan together yet lovable in their intentions. The town itself reminds me Stars Hollow and there were plenty of mentions of Gilmore Girls throughout, which warmed my heart as that's one of my favorite cozy shows. Plus, there were not one but two adorable pups in this book and they wore costumes! 😍

If you're in the mood for a cozy and spicy autumn romance read, this one needs to be in your hands!

Thank you so much to Avon for the advanced copy! ❤

[Delaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a read fit for swifties, which alienates the vast majority of people IMO. Early on the MC is reminded of a bet she made that “Taylor and Travis won’t last past the one year mark” which is just…aren’t we past criticizing the love lives of others now?? I digress.

Does that have much to do with the story? No. But it was off putting. The rest of the book is very cookie cutter and nothing that happened surprised me. 2 stars for the unfunny joke and 3 stars to be fair.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC (maybe the joke will be removed from the final version?)

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley. It is the perfect autumn cozy romance, and I’m going to purchase a copy when it comes out to support the author. It feels like a hot apple cider on a crisp fall afternoon - absolutely idyllic setting and Hallmark vibes. I grew up in north Georgia and one of my favorite things to do was visit the apple houses. This book feels like a day trip to the apple house and I really can’t get over how cute it was. I’ve been completely googly-eyed over it and I really really really hope it’s going to be a series so we can follow the other potential couples.

[Linna • linnareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute and cozy fall romance! Loved that it was only 250 pages making it a quick read too. A small town setting with an inn located within an apple orchard - sign me up! That romance was cute though I’d say it’s on the lighter side. I can definitely see this becoming a series with all the side characters. If that is the case I’ll be picking up the others for sure.

🫶🏻 childhood friends to strangers to lovers
🍂 small town
👥 close proximity (temporary roommates)
🐾 includes a dog

single POV
4/5 stars ⭐️
1/5 spice level 🌶️

[Izzy]

Fmc constantly jokes everyone in town has dementia. No thanks