never read romance books (and that's intentional) but I was like ok why not read this one because it's free on netgalley and the pumpkin stuff sounds fun

basically its about this girl who grew up on a pumpkin farm in Indiana and her romance with this former tech guy who moved to Indiana to live out his stardew valley farmer fantasy. he runs a buisness called joshes squashes... and he developed a video game about romancing crabs called (no joke) pinchy boi.

I think if you're a romance book person, you might like this. I don't typically enjoy books where the whole plot is just romance, but did enjoy reading this at times. however, it is spicy or whatever so keep that in mind...

overall I did like how the setting felt very present at all times. it was fun to read the farm atmosphere.

the main characters were ok, neither came across as especially special to me. the author did include nonbinary representation (secondary character) which I hadn't come across much before in general. there were definitely some lines that took me out of the story because they were particularly cringy or annoying...but I feel like that just might be part of this genre. sadie's not like the other girls, she's a black cat, she hisses, etc.

but if you think you might enjoy this book then go ahead and read it.

thanks to netgalley for the free arc

((Side note if you just want my LETSS factor (Language, Entertainment/Emotional, Triggers,Sex & Spice) scores an levels skip to second to last paragraph. Hope this helps those not wanting to be spoiled but needing some basic parameters so they can decide if the type of plot is for them. As a reader I would find myself skimming dozens of reviews just to see if they mentioned how much spice or humor was in the book. I don't mind the first if the second part is strongly met. All of my reviews will have those scores from here out. ))

Popp has a very keen understanding of how and why people do things like push others away or even more evasive are overly nice. Josh has the understanding of why he tends to try to do to much to fast coming over overly earnest in any relationship, this thought process hit home for me. Teaching me something that I did an never could pin down why.
The human aspect of the story has this deep dive into feeling, actions and desires without ever taking away from the moment and movement of the story.

Pumpkin and weaving aspect was so intriguing. I learned so much about both the growing of great orange squash and things like you can weave with plant fibers, phone cords and in the exact beige of an influencer's backside. I loved how something like the discussion about how communities accepting EVERYONE for themselves made it this safe place, played through out this whole storyline.

Causal, natural talk and thoughts about not only sex but past relationships, same sex dating, binary gender and outside the typical society living that was so perfectly natural, placed in without feeling forced, something I wish was the norm more often. "Sure I had sex with him or this women I used to date liked that type of art but we drifted apart after deciding we wasn't working out."

The sexy and spicy scenes in this book were so very different then what I have been reading lately. They were realistic, straight forward without flowery words or overly exaggerated, so perfect and mess free that it never feels real. Loses that human concept an connection.
Sadie an Josh being so different and so much more real then I normally read, gave me high hopes. Popp not only met them but blew my mind, like Sadie blew her ex. (transactional: give me your time and I will give you what you really want.)

Simple, raw, and so realistic (like actually doable) that you don't have to be a porn star or a circus performer to relate to and there for get into it. From the needing to establish boundaries, the straight forward talk, being emotionally /physically vulnerable, having to actually learn each other's triggers (both good an bad) it all came across so different in it's freedom of stripped down dirty, hot real as f*ck sex. Damn, was so fresh that I, who has gotten into the habit of skimming these parts, had to read every word an could whole heartedly imagine every drip of ...mhhmmhh um sweat.
Popp uses blatant descriptions and rather real life day to day course language.

Ok so LETSS score this one up for the those who just needs to know the basics fast.

LANGUAGE -8 I would have to say a hearty 8. It's not Mother f-ing or calling people Runt with a C but Popp doesn't shy from saying exactly what's on the characters mind, explicitly and talks about adult fun time without bothering to sugar coating censoring the how's, whys and good stuff. Also nice natural mentions of those in the LGBTQ+ community.

ENTERTAINMENT - 10, Seriously I was a little worried how much fun would there be in little town Indiana focusing on pumpkins, the overly nice guy next door, a lead who could've came off as a unlikable stuck up bitch an the local farmers market for a good time... I was so wrong. Sadie's acidy but witty come backs. Josh seeing her attempts at brutal attacks more like a cute puppy cutting teeth a little to hard. All unexpected drama caused by a Lady Misfortune putting Sadie into her place of the second baddest bitch in town. Plus tons of laughs brought on from side characters and side quests. I was pleasantly surprised to find my self laughing and being impressed by some well timed "burns."

TRIGGERS- 5, Sure there is some parental/ childhood issues. Some pretty strong self doubts, soul searching and trying to figure out why someone is the way they are, if they are really that incurable and trying to learn to new healthier habits. There is a little nature drama and talks that leaves characters feeling bare / vulnerable. But nother overly sensitive or traumatic to make the points of the plots. Just enough pressure to feel the emotions and struggles are real, to leave the reader trying to figure out how it will all turn out.

SEX & SPICE -9, A big ol pumpkin sized 9. Once that becomes an option there is quite a lot of hot an heavy adult activities. Not a book for a younger audience and not a book to listen to at work!!! The scenes are not dozens of pages of fluff and fancy talk though. The sex is natural, hot, blatant and descriptive. Spice level is off the charts in a way that somehow feels like less is way hotter than more. Naked, bare, raw and real the sex in this book is so fresh and warrants a read simply based on quality of the writing of it, aside from all the rest of the plot.

Fun, Real, Raw, Spicy but Sweet, Inclusive and Personal... Those are some perfect words to describe this wonderful, fresh and utterly beautifully written book about to wholly real people who just oddly fit together if they can get out of their own complicated minds to do so.

Check it out, I will be looking for more of her books in the near future. I am so happy that thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to ask to be an ARC for this title.

3.75⭐️ rounded up

A small town/fall vibes rom com with banter, sass and a lot of (cough pumpkin) spice.

Releases: August 26, 2025

Audiobook Stats:
⏰: 8 hours 8 minutes
🎤: Adelaide Fernport
The narrator does a good job of the different voices needed and had great tempo. The narration was clear and concise. I was able to listen to this audiobook at the lower end of my preferred speed and I was able to understand everything clearly and follow along well. While the audiobook narrator didn't stand out as a top favorite to me I didn't have any big complaints about the narration in general.

Themes:
🎃: Generational family trauma
🎃: Redeeming yourself from your past
🎃: Fill others cups with abundance
🎃: Learning to love yourself and let others love you

Representation:
🐗: Alternative/Edgy FMC
🐗: Artist FMC
🐗: Plus Size FMC
🐗: Light BDSM

Tropes:
💗: Alternative FMC/Golden Retriever MMC
💗: Tattooed FMC
💗: Billionaire MMC
💗: Philanthropist MMC

🥵: Spice: 🌶️🌶️
🧟‍♂️: Gore: 🚫
Potential Triggers: Generational trauma, Abortion discussions **check authors website/social media

Short Synopsis:
Sadie is called back to Pea Blossom to tend to her father's award winning pumpkin patch. A short term hiatus during which she intends to fix her artists block, see her sister and win the spice pumpkin weighing contest. She didn't plan on her pumpkins being destroyed or falling for her dad's tech millionaire neighbor. But Sadie can't wait to go back to LA where there's decent tacos and no one snarks are her edgy bob and black clothing. Will Sadie uproot her entire life for love?

General Thoughts:
This audiobook was pretty adorable. This is going to be a great read for the fall months as the leaves turn and pumpkin spice reigns supreme again. With lots of spice and an adorable plot line, it's a quick and satisfying read.

I feel like the characters were pretty realistic and made decisions that made sense to their personality. Sadie was a fun character and I loved her alternative style and grumpy demeanor. I felt the character growth was most prominent with Sadie. Josh was a ball of sunshine and generous to a fault. It was fun watching these characters play off of each other.

One of the subplots was a little silly to me. The retaliation for the destroyed pumpkins seemed like it could have been totally eliminated with zero repercussions to the overall plot. It just felt out of place to me with everything else going on. However, I did enjoy the talks of art and the various cultural elements involved in textiles. I wish there had been more of that. I would have liked to see more resolution between Sadie and her father. But it also didn't seem lacking within the text. Just a personal preference.

Overall, I really enjoyed the novel and I won't be opposed to reading more by the author in the future.

Disclaimer: I read this book as a free audiobook through the Harlequin Audio and NetGalley . All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.

A billionaire romance set in a small town that's also about pumpkin-related competition? It's just quirky enough to work!

Sadie is a little edgy. Josh is a lot of sunshine.
Love’s about to catch them completely off gourd. This was a fun and quirky small town fall romance that makes you almost smell the pumpkin spice. This was a well written story about second chances, being vulnerable, and finding meaning in the small things. The narrator did an excellent job bringing the characters and story to life… I enjoyed listening to the way she performed her magic while voicing the different characters. Highly recommend!

What a fun and fast read! Mostly fluff but there were some good discussions sprinkled in for some growth. It was nice to read it and hang out in this fun small town for a little bit.

This was a cute, fall ish cozy love story between a girl trying to gain her father’s love and the farm neighbor looking for a sense of belonging. There was nothing remarkable about it the story but it was sweet and cute and would be a great fall time palette cleanser!

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Did not expect the steam of this from the cute title but definitely not complaining. Absolutely loved seeing the characters grow as they connected with each other and reconnected with themselves.

3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
This was such a cute fall romance! Grumpy FMC meets sunshine MMC in a small-town romance with extra spice. This book had a lot of good humor and tugged at my heartstrings in just the rightway. Perfect for anyone looking for a quick and fun read.

I loved this sweet fall inspired story. A quick read at 288 pages. Like all hallmark movies 👀 this story starts with our FMC going to her small hometown for an agreement that she had with her father to help the family pumpkin patch. She has to help grow a huge pumpkin every year etc etc, but when she arrives into town, the pumpkin patch is destroyed QR mail, main character, Josh Thatcher, and this is where the romance begins. It’s more of a grumpy sunshine trope.which chefs kiss 💋 blossomed into the cutest love story. Highly recommend for my fall loving people like myself.

Let’s Give Em Pumpkin To Talk About is a cute fall read. I gave this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars because I wasn’t a huge fan of Sadie. I did enjoy getting to know all the other characters. The pumpkin growing contest was a fun story line and I had a great time reading this book. I will be recommending it to all my friends who love all things fall. It is perfect for anyone looking for a cozy fall read.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley and opinions are my own.

I really liked this book!!

Contemporary romance isn’t usually my go to- I tend to find the characters lacking and the romance generic. But I don’t think this story lacks in the character development. Sadie is a black cat FMC and Josh is not just a golden retriever but a PUPPY. It was so stinkin' cute their relationship development!

The story about the pumpkin growing is sure to be a hit for seasonal readers who are looking for a spicy but comfy autumn read this fall! It had autumnal vibes without being so overwhelming about the season. It was very character and relationship focuses which I really enjoyed. Each character had their own clear personality and they were able to embrace that while embracing each other.

The dialogue was witty and believable. It didn’t feel forced as some contemporary romances make me feel. The forced dialogue between the characters can just ruin a whole story- or just trying to be witty for wits sake- this book didn’t do that. (At least for me!)

It was spicy without being more spice than plot. I’m not going to say slow burn because their relationship does only take like 40 days to develop or so, but it’s like insta-lust and tension between the two. I think it’s written well!

I’d absolutely recommend this book and will be looking forward to reading more from this author!

The first that caught my eye was the title. How could it not? It's a great title. However, Sadie's displayed way too much "I'm not like other girls" attitude (a relic from the 90s that should have stayed there). And the sex scenes were incredibly abrupt, and a little too far across the D/s line for me.

Thank you to Harlequin - Romance | Afterglow Books by Harlequin for the free electronic ARC.

This was a very quick, light-hearted read! Good pace, strong characters. Loveable characters. The ending was rewarding.

This was a short, fun read but nothing really stood out for me. I think fan's of Laurie Gilmore's novels would really enjoy it because it definitely has the same vibe. I found myself wanting more the story- I appreciated that the author focused on the character development, but I kept waiting for something to actually happen. There was limited plot and next to no conflict and I found myself getting bored. I can definitely see the appeal for others though and I think a lot of readers will really enjoy this author's work.

This was a super fun read and is like fall in a book! It would be perfect to read during autumn! Especially sitting on a porch with leaves falling and a pumpkin spice latte in hand.

Sadie and Josh are both complex characters. They’re so self aware, which is something I fee like you don’t see often. It was so refreshing. Josh is so caring, he is my new fav book boyfriend.

If you like small town romances, grump x sunshine, and fall vibes you’ll love this book!

such a great book, Sadie moved away from home because she just didn't get along with her father, but when her dad asks her to come back and watch the farm while he goes to take care of her uncle she says yes. How bad can it be and she did like the pumpkins and the contest that comes with it. It will also give her a chance to see her sister. What she didn't expect was to run into her dads new neighbor Josh.

Josh is trying to grow a new type of squash and Sadie's uncle wasn't willing to give up his tips so easy either. Will Sadie help him with his project. WIll they become friends or enemies. Can Sadie deal with all the stress alone that comes with running the farm? Oh and Josh is hot! what if coming home was worth it after all. I loved the banter between the main characters.

This was a fun fall book! I really found it fun and humorous! This book would be perfect to read in the fall with a cup of pumpkin spice latte!

This was a fun book I really love a good fall book, mostly because it was not warm when I read it and I was hopeful to get the warm and fuzzies and I did.