Let’s give them Pumpkin to talk about was not what I was expecting.

It was nice to see a female lead take the lead in the relationship. The characters were unique and their communication style was appreciated.

The smut was SMUTTY. There’s not much I can talk about without ruining some major parts, but it is nice to know that the author can humble their characters in multiple ways!

2.5 stars

I was so excited about this book, I mean, this cover is just the fall vibes perfection, right? However, my actual reading experience was not what I’d hoped.

I was fairly into the story until the tornado happens and the way the characters reacted…these supposed Midwest characters…not a single one had a phone alert go off and the tornado sirens went off shocking everyone, which first of all, the sirens are to notify people outside, not indoors. Also, a watch is almost always issued first, but the characters acted like this tornado literally dropped out of the sky without any notice. And finally, the sirens are not sounded to give the all clear…they sound the sirens constantly until the warning has been expired or canceled. 

At this point I kept reading just to write this review about the sirens, though I hoped the story would improve. The plot felt weird, like the forward momentum surged and then slowed. Time jumps forward a lot, meaning the reader misses out on a lot of the relationship building so things feel like one big thing to the next without the last thing following through. Like Stu’s house destruction, it serves as the catalyst to make it forced proximity but then we hardly ever hear about it again. No construction, no tear down, no going thru his belongings, no putting up tarps to keep it safe from future weather or bugs or wild animals.

Also, I was not expecting the spice level at all. I miss when book covers gave you an indication of how spicy the story would be. With what felt like not enough emotional relationship growth, there was a lot of physical moments that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Also, there was hardly any actual pumpkin tending! I wanted to see the characters actually being gardeners and giving me that fall vibe, but hardly anything.

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

When a book makes you blush and think about pumpkins. It was such a fun read for me, i love the enemies to lovers vibes. I also like that each chapter is following a timeline connected to the SPICE Pumpkin Weigh-off. I was rooting for their happy ending. This story was like pumpkin spice for all of the romantics and taking a sip of it was a delight.

“You are mine but I am yours,”

Sadie Fox grew up on a pumpkin farm in Indiana, and she couldn’t wait to escape the Midwest as an adult. After years living in California and working as a textile artist, she’s finally heading home to help her dad with his pumpkin crop while he takes care of a family member out of state. To her dismay, the pumpkins are destroyed by some rogue hogs and the town’s pumpkin competition is just around the corner. Luckily, her attractive tech-bro-turned-farmer neighbor offers to help her by letting her raise one of his pumpkins for the contest.

Read if you love:
-Small town
-Cozy fall vibes
-Black cat FMC/golden retriever MMC
-Rivals-to-lovers
-Pumpkin SPICE 🥵

Let’s Give ‘Em Pumpkin to Talk About was such a fun and quirky read! Sadie and Josh were perfection, and the setting and seasonal vibes had me ready to jump into fall. I really liked Sadie’s tough exterior and inner vulnerability and how supportive Josh was of her.

Thank you to Harlequin Romance and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Prickly bisexual textile artist Sadie thought nothing could drag her back to rural Indiana. However, a family emergency gives her a chance to make amends for some of her teenage angst by tending to her father's award-winning pumpkins while he's away. When wild hogs destroy the patch, her sweet neighbor, recovering tech millionaire Josh, swoops in to save the day by lending her a vine. Their contrasting personalities quickly lead to some serious sparks. The small town vibes are cozy, but the sex is steamy. Both characters are refreshingly open about their mental health struggles with each other.

This was a cute premise; black cat/golden retriever storyline of a girl who comes home from LA to small town Indiana to watch over her (kind of estranged but not?) dad's pumpkin patch for a pumpkin weigh competition.

I'll start with what wasn't my favorite:
I enjoyed this for what it was, but there were definitely some nuances that took me out of the story. I feel like the characters were caricature of their personas? I also feel like the family storyline wasn't developed enough, at least with the mom. The sister storyline felt rushed. I feel like there were too many things and not enough time to develop things further.
It was also confusing for the roles to switch so suddenly in the spicey scenes. For most of the book Sadie was the dominant in the bedroom, it was great. But then at the end, Josh was? it was just a jarring switch to the personalities of the characters we met throughout the book.

What I enjoyed:
I loved seeing the relationship grow between Sadie and Josh. Josh knew Sadie because Josh knew Stu; it was cute. I am also a slut for a small-town romance, so I was going to eat this up.
I loved the winner of the weigh-off.
I loved the overall premise of this story.

This was an enjoyable read and I think for someone, will be a 5 star read.

Thank you @harlequinbooks @hqn_shamelessromantics #partner for the gifted copies of this book!

Don’t let that cutesy cover fool you — Let’s Give ‘Em Pumpkin to Talk About by Isabelle Popp is as spicy as a spiked apple cider! Yes, I realize it’s June and here I am already daydreaming about crisp leaves, Halloween décor, and pumpkin-flavored everything… which is exactly why I grabbed this one.

I went in expecting a sweet little rom-com and badaboom — open door scenes galore! 😂 I was not mad about it. The setup? A small-town pumpkin growing competition (which is hilarious in itself) where our prickly, quick-to-snap main character Sadie comes home to help her dad grow a prize-winning pumpkin… only for the entire patch to be destroyed by wild hogs. I repeat: WILD HOGS. Oink oink, y’all.

Enter Josh — the hunky, surprisingly wholesome neighbor also in the gourd-growing business — who steps in to help. What follows is a spicy relationship, genuine character growth, and some seriously swoony moments. I loved how their relationship unfolded with honesty and humor, and how Sadie mended more than just her love life while she was home.

If you’re a fall fanatic like me, don’t mind a little… ahem… extracurricular activity in your romances, and love a good competition trope, this book is for you. Highly recommend adding it to your autumn TBR — or read it now and pretend it’s sweater weather. 🍂🎃🔥

There’s no such thing as a low-drama pumpkin in this house. "Let’s Give ’Em Pumpkin to Talk About" opens with Sadie Fox returning to her hometown like the goth Lorelai Gilmore who took a detour through unresolved trauma and a very tense family dinner. She’s got one goal: grow a legendary pumpkin to impress her emotionally stunted dad and maybe reclaim some of her own self-worth while she’s at it. You know. Just normal seasonal things.

Instead, she finds a field of destruction courtesy of feral hogs with chaos in their hearts and vengeance in their snouts. And who’s standing in the ruins of her dreams like a Hallmark movie himbo with a tragic backstory? Josh Thatcher. He’s a sunshine-soaked tech bro turned gourd whisperer, complete with horses, flannel, and the kind of dimples that say, “I know how to fix a tractor and your childhood trauma.”

Sadie is pure black-cat energy. She curses, she broods, she probably bites. Josh? He’s basically the human version of that golden retriever in "Up", but hotter and with more emotional depth. When he offers to help her rebuild her patch for the pumpkin competition, she reacts like he’s just offered to rewire her soul with unsolicited optimism. Which, honestly, he kind of did.

The chemistry? Electric. One second they’re arguing about pumpkin like it’s foreplay, the next he’s kissing her like he’s trying to win a blue ribbon for best seasonal thirst trap. This is not your mama’s cozy romance. It’s got spice. It’s got soft moments. It’s got Sadie trying very hard not to fall for a man who uses “mulch” as a love language.

Isabelle Popp gives us a story full of crunchy leaves, awkward family vibes, experimental gourds, and two people trying to out-stubborn each other into emotional growth. It’s grumpy-sunshine, sure, but with real stakes, real longing, and real hot farmer energy. Also, Sadie hisses. More than once. At people. And animals. And somehow it works.

Four stars and a cinnamon-sugar smooch for this perfectly chaotic fall romance. You’ll laugh, you’ll swoon, you’ll consider texting your ex from a pumpkin patch.

Thanks to Afterglow Books by Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC, and for making autumn actually spicy again.

Thank you to Harlequin Romance and HTP Audio for the advance ebook and listening copy.

What a charming, fall romance. It gave me the perfect small-town fall vibes I was looking for to beat the summer heat. I enjoyed the story of Sadie and Josh. He falls first. In the words of Isabelle Popp: "He was an overeager puppy and she was an aloof cat, and he was bound to get his nose swiped at once or twice." I loved the black cat FMC / golden retriever MMC combo and this book delivered on that. As someone who fled her hometown at 18 and took a really long time to come back, I completely identified with Sadie's story. I also appreciated that Sadie was plus-sized and both main characters were in their thirties. I loved the side characters and really felt drawn to the community. I wouldn't mind a spin-off of Grace's story or Noah's for that matter!

This sweet pumpkin romance also had plenty of spice. However, I do not think that the spice overwhelmed the plot. I think they blended well together to make a sweet and spicy pumpkiny treat.

As for the audio - I thought the narrator was fantastic for this story! It was dual POV but a single narrator. Sometimes, a female narrator trying to do a male voice can completely throw off the story for me, but I did not think that was the case here. I thought the pacing was excellent and the production made the story really enjoyable. There were no sound issues and I never had to turn the audio way up in some parts and then down in others.

All-in-all, I think this should be on your fall TBR if you want a sweet and spicy hometown romance with fall fair vibes and an adorable community of characters.

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁:

This is a fun fast read to get that serotonin boost of fall vibes. If you like opposites attract this ones for you. I loved seeing a quirky, artistic, plus size girlie: Sadie brought all the black cat vibes. While Josh brought the cinnamon roll, nerdy techy, secret millionaire, who would do anything for her energy. The best part is they are kind of rivals in the town’s pumpkin growing contest and neighbors! So there is a lot of layers of fun in this one.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:

Sadie and her dad have a rocky relationship built around pumpkins. She escaped Indiana for California and works as a successful textile artist. But when her dad asks for help tending to his prize pumpkins, she finds herself heading back home. This time to prove she can grow the biggest pumpkin and win: SPICE Pumpkin Weigh-off and maybe get some closure.

But when she gets home Sadie finds the pumpkin patch destroyed by hogs! She also finds her hot new neighbor Josh, who’s more than ready to dive in and help her. They strike up an alliance so she can still enter the pumpkin contest. She will use one of his pumpkin starters and tend to it as her own.

As the clock ticks down to the completion Sadie and Josh spend more and more time together. Josh quickly realizes this is the girl, but he can’t scare her off. He will have to take things slow and at her pace. If not when this completion ends she’ll be on the first flight back to CA.

𝙁𝙖𝙫 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚:

“I’m afraid, too,” he said. “Of me?” “Much more than the storm.” “I could destroy you,” she said. “You might,” he said, smiling sheepishly.

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅:

* Rival Pumpkin Growers- SPICE Pumpkin Weigh-off
* Edgy Artist FMC x Techy Cinnamon Roll MMC
* Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
* Forced Proximity: Neighbors
* Small Town: Pea Blossom, Indiana
* Fall Hallmark Vibes w/ Path to Healing
* Dual POV w/ Spice

🧡🍁💛🍁🧡🍁💛🍁🧡🍁💛🍁🧡

Sadie Fox didn’t plan on coming back to tiny Pea Blossom, Indiana to wrangle pumpkins—but here she is, trying to grow a prize-winner to win back her dad’s approval. That plan goes straight out the window when wild hogs destroy the patch… and her too-perfect neighbor, Josh Thatcher, shows up offering help.

Josh is a tech-millionaire-turned-gourd-farmer (yes, really) who’s way too charming for Sadie’s liking. She’s prickly, tattooed, and a little rough around the edges. He’s sunshine and squash hybrids. Somehow, it works. A stormy kiss later, there’s definitely something growing between them—and it’s not just pumpkins.

This is a funny, sweet, and swoony small-town romance with grumpy/sunshine vibes, great banter, and just enough emotional depth to keep it grounded. A perfect pick for readers who love enemies-to-lovers with a soft side (and some seriously competitive gardening).

Sadie returns to her hometown of Pea Blossom to tend to her family's Pumpkin Farm, where her father has grown award winning pumpkins. She plans to continue his legacy and grow a pumpkin big enough to win first place at the state fair.
After an incident of bad luck, the pumpkin patch is destroyed. Sadie is devastated; she needed this win to try and get in her dad's good graces.
That's when Sadie meets the handsome new neighbor, Josh. He also has a farm, but with very high-tech advanced growing methods. With his help she is back on track to her pumpkin goal.
Even with her eyes on the prize, she can't help but steal glances at Josh.


"She loved the idea of art as a disguise. In some ways, art was here to express yourself, but to literally hide yourself and create this alternate persona was a welcome chance to escape."

"She wanted to be herself, and running toward yourself was somehow harder than running away. She had to learn to say yes to herself instead of saying yes to other people."

"Doing what other people wanted never guaranteed he would get what he wanted."


Let's Give 'Em Pumpkin to Talk About is a cute and cozy quick fall festive read that's good any time of the year. The author is descriptive without being over the top, keeps you entertained and there is LOTS of spice, I mean tons. Good thing Josh has a tech system to tend to the pumpkins, or they would be dead with how much time he & Sadie spend in the bedroom LOL.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for this ARC.

This book was WAY HOTTER than I thought it'd be, and I was all for it. 🥵🥵🥵 I need more from Isabelle Popp, especially if she's a Hoosier!

I was delighted to read and listen to a romance book set in Indiana that focused on the positive aspects of my state, rather than the negatives that can often be portrayed if a character in a book is from Indiana. Popp did a great job showing that many Indiana communities are inclusive, diverse, and welcoming, while still embracing the agricultural heritage and hospitality for which the state is known. Sometimes it's hard to be from Indiana, especially when it comes to finding love, but Popp provides some hope that it might be right where we least expect it —in our home state.

Let’s Give ‘Em Pumpkin to Talk About sounded super adorable, and I was 100% for the black cat + golden retriever relationship. I just could not get over how Josh talked and DNF’ed early af. Petty? Probably.

This cozy little contemporary romance is just as heartwarming as The Pumpkin Spice Café and every Hallmark Christmas movie you ever watch. It is fast-paced and easy to follow. The banter between the FMC and MMC is so fun and adorable. I love that we have a grumpy-sunshine couple where SHE is the grumpy, and HE is the sunshine. The MMC has the most adorable sense of humor. And honestly, who doesn’t love a sweet yet supportive next-door neighbor who you also think is sexy?

I love that we have a goth plus size FMC as opposed to a typical skinny Mary Sue. I love that she isn’t traditionally beautiful. (There is even an adorable moment when he makes a comment about the small gap in her teeth and how it is cute.)

If you are looking for a cozy, light autumnal read, this one is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Romance, Harlequin Audio and Isabelle Popp for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Black cat and golden retriever, small town, neuro spiciness, fun lead up to fall, atypical family dynamics, and spice! It's giving VERY much midwestern life- tornados that lead to forced proximity, farming competitions, fried corn nuggets- you'll get it all.

Narration was well done.

Pumpkin Spice Perfection 🎃🍂

Let’s Give ’Em Pumpkin to Talk About by Isabelle Popp is serving us more than just pumpkin spice in this witty and heartfelt romcom.

This book is the epitome of the black cat/golden retriever dynamic: a brainy (and, of course, sexy) engineer-turned-farmer who pines after our grumpy big-city girl returning home. “He was an overeager puppy and she was an aloof cat.” Perfection.

There’s seasonal charm in spades—pumpkin farms, small-town quirks, and fierce competition—all layered with an emotional thread of healing tense family relationships and rediscovering where (and with whom) you belong.

At its heart, this is a story about healing: self-love, forgiveness, and learning to open up again after heartbreak. Even if we don’t have the green thumbs to grow thousand-pound pumpkins, that ache of returning home and feeling like a stranger hits close to home.

It’s a lighthearted, fast-paced read—in the best way. I flew through it, catching major Ali Hazelwood vibes (which always work on me!). The spice is spicy, the pining is top-tier, and the yearning? Immaculate. We love a man who supports without condition:
“She’s going to destroy me, and I’m going to beg for more.”

If you’re building out your cozy Fall TBR, this one absolutely belongs on it. 🍂🎃

Some favorite quotes:
🧡 “He wanted another tall can of seltzer, and Sadie was something else entirely. A sturdy mug of soup that would burn his mouth.”
🧡 “Kissing a man as delicious as a sun-warmed strawberry — was asking for trouble.”
🧡 “You think you’re some feral beast, but in fact you’re a sweet house cat who likes being petted.”

Sadie Fox regresa a regañadientes a su pueblo natal, Pea Blossom, Indiana, tras una larga ausencia, con la misión de cuidar el cultivo de calabazas gigantes de su padre, Stu. Lo que debía ser una breve visita se convierte rápidamente en un reto emocional y profesional cuando descubre que toda la cosecha ha sido destruida por cerdos salvajes. Sadie, artista textil con una carrera en ascenso en Los Ángeles, se ve arrastrada nuevamente al mundo competitivo de las calabazas gigantes, una pasión que compartía con su padre en su juventud.

En medio del desastre, aparece Josh Thatcher, el atractivo y algo excéntrico vecino que, además de ser un exitoso ex desarrollador de software convertido en agricultor, tiene una rivalidad amistosa con Stu. A pesar de las diferencias entre Sadie y Josh, ella toda sarcasmo y oscuridad; él optimista, rural y encantador, comienzan a colaborar en el cultivo de una nueva calabaza para competir en el SPICE Pumpkin Weigh-off. Lo que inicia como una alianza estratégica se va convirtiendo en algo más profundo y complejo, mientras ambos enfrentan heridas del pasado, vínculos familiares tensos y un creciente interés mutuo.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

4.5

This was a lot of fun. The title does set a bit of a silly tone, but there was a lot more heart and depth to this than you might expect.

I appreciated that we had alternating perspectives for Josh and Sadie, it helped to show how different yet compatible they were, and their behavior outside of their perspective chapters felt consistent and in character. Sadie's chapters were a bit more interesting to me because it felt like all of her relationships, especially with her father and sister, were contributing to her character growth alongside her developing feelings for Josh. We don't get to see the same complexity in any of Josh's presented relationships. As far as the spicy scenes, I enjoyed them and I felt like they were also utilized well to illustrate the overall nature of Sadie and Josh's relationship as it progressed.

I thought the descriptions and discussions of the textile and weaving art world were captivating, and I could have gone for more of them. I also wouldn't have minded learning more about the specifics of raising pumpkins and specifically coaxing them to such large sizes for the competition. I do feel like that aspect of the story is a bit glossed over despite being the premise.

Overall, would recommend to those looking for a small town Autumn romance with a black cat/golden retriever relationship dynamic.

Content Warnings:
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol

Small town romance
🧡 Forced proximity
🧡 Plus sized/ bi-sexual FMC
🧡 Fall vibes
🧡 Grumpy & sunshine

🎃 Sadie Fox thought she was just coming home to Pea Blossom for one summer—to fix up her dad’s pumpkin patch, win the state fair, and maybe earn a little of his respect. Then a bunch of wild hogs ruin everything… and her too-handsome, too-helpful neighbor Josh Thatcher shows up with a smile, some suspiciously perfect gourds, and way too much charm.

🎃 Josh gave up tech millions for small-town farming, but Sadie can’t figure out why he’s so interested in helping her—or why he keeps looking at her like she’s more than just competition. One kiss in the middle of a storm tells her there’s definitely something growing between them. The only problem? Josh might be keeping a secret that could wreck it all.

This was a fun, fast paced read! I love the grump/sunshine vibes, they are spot on. The forced proximity was well done. This would be great for a fall TBR because of the pumpkin patch and farmers market settings. There was so much to Sadie’s character; she is such a dynamic character!