I struggled to get past the first few pages when the author described a three-acre plot as a “surprisingly large amount of land.” That didn’t feel quite right and made it harder to fully immerse myself at first. Despite that, I kept reading and found the cozy autumn setting and growing romance enjoyable.

The chemistry between the characters felt genuine, and the small-town fall atmosphere came alive as the story went on. If you can overlook that early detail, the book offers a warm and charming seasonal read.

Enemies-ish to lovers (Pumpkin Edition): come for the pumpkins, stay for the farmer!

When small-town party planner Wren sets her sights on throwing the ultimate fall bash for her best friend, she knows exactly where to start: the prettiest pumpkin farm in town. Too bad its owner, August Finch, is as grumpy as he is good-looking… and not exactly thrilled about her big ideas.

What starts as a battle of wills quickly turns into something a whole lot softer (and pumpkin-spiced sweet), proving that even the grumpiest pumpkin farmer might just fall for a little autumn magic, and maybe for the woman who brought it right to his doorstep.

With stubborn banter, slow-burn chemistry, and enough cozy fall vibes to make me want to pack up and move into a pumpkin patch, ‘There’s Pumpkin About You’ gave me everything I love in a cozy fall romcom, and let’s be clear… I LOVE THEM!!!

Let’s talk characters! Wren is pure sunshine and big dreams, August is the perfect soft-hearted grump, and their back-and-forth had me smiling for most of the book. It’s sweet, a little sassy at times, and the perfect feel-good read for anyone who loves some good old small-town charm, forced proximity, and a romance that sneaks up on both the characters AND the reader.

As always, a big thank you to the author, Athena Carstairs, Harper Collins, and NetGalley for gifting me a free copy of ‘There’s Pumpkin About You’ to read and review before its official publication on August 26. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love fall and all things pumpkin, so I was really excited to read this story. Even more so when I started to get more and more into the book.
The MMC is such a grumpy grump and the FMC is a real ray of sunshine, the trope was portrayed so well!
I truly loved their chemistry.
What I also liked was the representation of autism in the MMC. Sometimes to me it seems that some authors just throw in neurodivergency to please some readers, but this time I really think it added an extra layer to the MMC's grumpiness and the way his relationship with the FMC evolved.
The fact it was set in a small town and it involves pumpkins and the coziness of fall, made me love this book.

Also, as a music lover, for me the playlist at the beginning of the book deserves extra points. It's such a good one!

Thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK and Athena Carstairs for entrusting me with an advanced copy to write an honest review about.

*There’s Pumpkin About You* by Athena Carstairs is a delightful seasonal romance that perfectly captures the cozy, heartwarming magic of autumn. Set in a charming small town overflowing with fall festivals, cinnamon-scented bakeries, and hayrides, the novel follows Cassie, a spirited event planner who’s determined to revive the town’s struggling Harvest Fair. Things get complicated when she’s forced to work alongside Theo, a reserved but endearing travel photographer with no interest in small-town traditions—or so it seems. Their dynamic is a classic case of opposites attracting, and the sparks fly in just the right way. Carstairs balances humor and heart beautifully, weaving a romance that feels both playful and genuinely emotional. The chemistry between the leads develops naturally, with enough tension to keep the pages turning and enough warmth to make you root for them every step of the way.

The writing is vivid and immersive, with descriptions that make you crave hot apple cider and a walk through crunchy leaves. Secondary characters add charm without overshadowing the main romance, and the setting truly feels like a character of its own. While the plot hits familiar beats, it does so with confidence and sincerity, making it feel like a comforting hug in book form. This is the kind of story that leaves you smiling long after the final page. Perfect for fans of cozy romance, festive atmospheres, and stories that wrap you in a blanket of feel-good vibes, *There’s Pumpkin About You* is a sweet, satisfying autumn read you won’t want to miss.

Within a mention of nightmare before Christmas in the first chapter my attention was immediately drawn.
The story revolves around wren a party planner, arranging a 30th birthday party for her friend Oakleigh when she meets Gus the owner of a pumpkin farm she wants to do up and have the party at.
Overall the book was a cute, small town romance with a grumpy male character, sunshine female character theme who I will admit could be a little meh at times. There was some funny moments which I enjoyed and a playlist aswell which I loved. A great autumnal, cozy light read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Athena Carstairs and harper Collins uk, one more chapter for a copy of this Arc in exchange for my honest review

3.4-ish, rounded up. There are parts of this I liked - the setting, the underlying niceness of our characters - but parts of it were a little off. Long expositional paragraphs explaining backstory instead of showing it, the sheer volume of antagonism between the main characters, the absolute meanness of some of the townspeople - these all seemed a little off. Also authors need to stop referring to coffee as "sweet nectar." But I did like Wren and Gus, and also all the animals.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley.

I've been craving fall and this book gave me what I needed to hold me off until the actual season! I also love cheesy play on words titles.

Where do I even start with this book? I laughed, cried, kicked my feet in excitement and absolutely loved it! I loved the banter between the two main characters and just loved everything about Gus. One of my All time favourite MMC’s.

ARC - 2.5/5⭐️ I was really vibing with the fall themes and the setting of this book 🍂🎃😎 however, I just didn’t love this one. It was good, but I wish there was more romance and I wish it picked up faster. The disappointment is partly my fault though because I was really hoping for it to be like The Pumpkin Spice Cafe book 😬

Some of the interactions between characters just seemed disingenuous to me. I found myself cringing at some of these interactions. I couldn’t really put my finger on it but something was missing. I liked Wren as a main character; she had a spunky personality. I really liked how she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and say how she felt; I think Gus needed someone like that.

It really seemed like the author did her research about ASD when incorporating characters with this; I just can’t really speak on how accurate the representation was though but the effort seemed to be there.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy 🧡

There’s pumpkin about you by Athena Carstairs

This book was warm, you could feel it like it’s warm fall day. It’s located in a pumpkin farm at the small town.
The MMC is the grumpiest of the grumpies and it’s just works! The MFC was (ofc) sunshine and I just love the trope, so it worked nicely.
This is cozy fall read, I was so hooked for the story so read it fast!
3,5/5

solid and interesting book that would have been a 5 star read if not for the FMC, who at points I find wildly vacillating within her own character. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

DNF – While I didn’t personally connect with the storytelling style, there’s a lot in the heart of this book that others might really appreciate. The premise has promise, and I can see it resonating with readers who enjoy a more unconventional narrative approach. This one just wasn’t the right fit for me.

A wonderful, autumnal read. I loved seeing autism represented by the MMC Gus. It was so lovely to see his relationship develop with Wren. Such a fun plot with the pumpkin patch too!!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ya I did not care about anything in this book. I didn’t like the writing, and did not care for wren and her attitude at times to be honest.. the only good part is the soft, warm atmosphere. Cozy vibes is what it gave. That’s about it.

It's a sweet story with a fairly well-rounded cast of characters and a believable, easy-to-follow plot. The writer definitely overuses "whilst" and the way the love interest uses "sweetheart" starts to feel like you're being hit over the head with what should be a sweet nickname ... but it is a quick read and a nice palate cleanser.

I was quite skeptical going into this book having read the reviews (worst mistake ever).

However, this book is something special. It felt like a love letter to my own relationship, I'm married to a man who has a very similar style of autism to August, and their conflict, although it seems minor on the page to anyone who hasn't experienced this type of relationship, for some of us it's a reality.

How the author portrays August's 'shut down' reactions and 'dismissive' behaviours, this is quite literally how my husband behaves, he often struggles to understand my emotional reactions, and gets exhausted with my ADHD tendencies, but when it works, it works so well.

The pacing of this book was beautiful, I dived in at 8pm and couldn't stop reading, it was past midnight when I finally finished and I went to sleep with a smile.

I'm excited to see if the author decides to continue this book into a series, I'd love to see what happens to Bash and Raven, Jamie and Sam, and Oakleigh and Finn too!

A solid 4-4.5 star read. Big thanks to the author and publishers for this advanced reader copy for an honest review.

DNF

This one didn’t work for me. Wren calling her friend “biach” was the first red flag, but I kept going… then she and Gus have one super antagonistic convo and suddenly we’re supposed to buy into this enemies-to-lovers thing? Gus’s brother says he likes her out of nowhere, Gus indirectly calls her a bitch, and Wren keeps trying to control everything around her. That’s when I fully checked out.

I was a little curious about Gus as an autistic MMC, but honestly, the writing wasn’t strong enough to keep me interested. Felt like it needed more editing and polish. My TBR is too long to stick with a book I’m not enjoying. Pass.

DNF

Not for me. The characters were annoying, the romance made no sense (they had one super hostile convo and suddenly he likes her??), and the writing felt super rough. Wren was bossy in a not-cute way, Gus was kinda interesting as an autistic MMC but not enough to keep me reading. Also, the setting details made zero sense — five towns around one lake? A 3-acre farm that takes 3 minutes to drive through? I checked out when she called her friend “biach.” Hard pass.

DNF

I picked this book up out of season, hoping for a cozy fall romance, but unfortunately, There’s Pumpkin About You completely missed the mark for me — and I genuinely don’t think reading it during autumn would’ve changed my opinion.

From the start, the chemistry between the leads felt forced and unconvincing. After sharing just one antagonistic conversation, Gus’s brother jumps to “oh you like her,” which felt completely unearned. Then Gus indirectly calls Wren a bitch, and Wren herself comes off as controlling and abrasive — not quirky or endearing. Her calling her friend “biach” was when I mentally checked out.

I was mildly intrigued by Gus as an autistic male main character, since I haven’t read many romances with that representation. But the writing just didn’t hold me — I didn’t care enough to continue. The book felt undercooked. It needed at least three more rounds of revisions before going to print.

There were also several logistical inconsistencies that kept yanking me out of the story. The setting is supposed to be a small American town on the East Coast, surrounded by five other small towns around a lake. That geography doesn’t really make sense — how big is this lake supposed to be? Then Wren drives just two towns over and no one knows her? That doesn’t feel believable in a rural setting.

And don’t even get me started on the farm. It's supposed to be 3 acres, yet it takes three minutes to drive down the dirt road to it? A 3-acre pumpkin patch would be tiny — more of a backyard than a destination farm.

In the end, I just didn’t enjoy this. The characters didn’t work for me, the dialogue felt cringey, and the setting lacked believability. My TBR pile is too long to waste time on a book this poorly written. Definitely a “nope” from me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m honestly torn on how I feel about this one. While I was intrigued by the premise, the romance didn’t land for me — it felt more rushed than slow-burn, and the emotional development between the characters seemed undercooked.

I especially struggled with Wren’s behavior toward Gus. Her reactions, particularly in moments of frustration, came across as unnecessarily harsh and at times downright mean. It made it difficult to root for the romance or feel fully invested in their dynamic.

There were some enjoyable elements, but overall, it didn’t quite meet my expectations.