Thank you Victory Editing, Netgalley and J. Collette Smith for the arc of Summer of Sunsets! I am a little late on the review but life got in the way, unfortunately, and it took me longer than usual to read it. 😅

This book was everything I didn’t know I needed. Sometimes you get down and it’s hard to come out of it, but this book showed just how much you can. 💕💕

Gemma, living in LA and a Michelin star chef, found herself out of a job, a relationship and a place to live, she had to come back home to Falls Hollow, TX to regroup and live in her grandparents home. While there, she comes to terms with herself, her issues cooking and what she wants her life goals to be. She does this while remodeling her grandparents home amd trying to save their little cafe.

Gemma is bold, she is confident, and stops at nothing to get what she wants. But what does she want? A contractor named Cole, her best Allison and her parents all help her and she figures it out.


I just loved so much how this book focuses on Gemma and herself and her goals and the beauty of finding yourself and your happiness again. This story is a closed door with very sweet, but few kisses, but soo Worth the read!! Give it a chance and see how it can help you find your love and passions as well. 😍💕😭👏🏼

I have been working my way through my small town romances and this one certainly was a favourite. Its a slow burn romance and it has my heart . Highly recommend.

I really enjoyed this book.
Wonderful characters that had charm and humor. I loved in getting to know them.
I simply couldn't put this book down. I finished it well into the evening.
The beautiful scenery was described so well that I thought I was there.
I didn't want this story to end.
I think my favorite thing about this book was the small town feel. I'm from a small town and this felt like home to me.
5 stars for a job well done and for keeping my attention. I highly recommend.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

This was such a delightful read! Meeting Gemma as she's making her way from the hustle and bustle of California, back to her small hometown outside of Austin, Texas, felt like coming home.

As she returns to her small town, we have this version of Gemma that just lost more than one important piece of her life and needs to find her next adventure, but the issue is, her career she loves so much, is at a crossroads. She can't cook and as a chef, that's a big deal.

In hopes to find some direction and get back on her feet, she comes back to her hometown to spend time with her parents. Of course in the process, she learns that her family's restaurant is in trouble and people are sniffing around trying to buy and develop the city. AND her home she inherited needs massive work to it.

Enter contractor Cole!

I loved this low spice, romance read. Huge fan of main characters getting a chance to find themselves after some trouble and falling in love along the way.

This read like a movie, one I would absolutely watch and will beg someone to create.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this eARC!

A heartwarming, upifting, funny, wise and and all around feel good story. A delightful read that brought tears and laughter in equal portions and made me fall in love with Falls Hollow. I loved Gemma and Cole, great, realistic characters. TThe book is well written and completely entertaining. Left me with a smile on my face and hope in my heart. I loved this story!

A sweet romance. Updating a home and finding a new direction for one's life can be a challenge. Add in romance, family, and financial concerns it becomes a real struggle. I enjoyed reading about the journey required to make changes in her life. I look forward to reading the next one about the people in this small town in Texas. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

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.

Gemma it as her wits end. shes a chef and loves her job. but a bad review from a critic leaves her reeling. after her partner also decides to break her heart its all just a bit too much to take anymore. so what does she go now? well, find her way back to her small embracing small town. and it could be exactly what she needs. its here she has inherited from her grandma. but all is not smooth sailing there either. as her famed grandmas recipes are missing and the place needs work. work she cant do on her own. she doesnt want to turn to anyone for help, least of all...Cole. and Cole is equally reluctant. he doesnt need any hassle in his life least of all...Gemma. but her family were kind to him and helped him get to where he is today. he owes it to them doesnt he? and thats the only reason,right? ha!
this is a sweet romance. the leads in this book were great. they have both been hurt before and that is harder to get past than people often give it credit for. letting our walls down is often the hardest thing you can ever brave doing.
with Cole helping renovations and perhaps a whole lot more can Gemma find what she wants in this small town after all. and can Cole brave letting himself feel again.
maybe true love is just about to find itself on the menu. and it could be all the recipe they both need.

What do you do when everything crashes around you - you lose your job, get a last bad review as a chef, and your fiancé decides to take a job in another country and says adios? Go back home to where your parents live and work and you've inherited your grams' lakeside home and regroup.
From a hunky main male contractor to finding your grams' recipes for her restaurant, to deciding the direction your future should take has Gemma in a quandary.

Summer of Sunsets by J. Collette Smith is a clean romance with finding who you are, what you are meant to be, and finding your heart again.

Releases May 6th. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

This story brings all the Hallmark vibes and feels. Cole and Gemma are both relatable characters and their journey to love in a small town will keep you invested.

Gemma, a five star chef, receives a bad review in her LA restaurant job which devastates her and then to have the restaurant close proves to be her last straw.. She makes her way back to her small home town and finds her way out of her slump with a little help from her renovator, Cole. Both have been burned by love before however their journey will have you pulling for true love all the way through.

Nice, easy and clean read and great for a spring/summer read.

Thank you Victoria Editing NetGalley Co-Op for an opportunity to read an early copy for an exchange for a honest review!! This was just the right pick me up - an inspirational/hopeful story about leaving as a young adult and figuring out your life. Emphasizing how much people and settings change can alter what you thought you knew, but to trust your gut and your heart, like our fmc Gemma, who was constantly torn between what she thought was the right thing for her and what she wanted.

I think I personally liked this book a lot because of the culinary ties as well. As someone with aspirations to work in a kitchen and does her best creating meals the around her, I felt that connection to Gemma of passion.

Summer of Sunsets had the hallmark town vibes, with the close knit community and remembering what it means to live in the moment and not take things for granted. I loved that Gemma was so ambitious, though still scared. It is realistic - Gemma being thrown curveballs and disappointments, but still being able to realize she needs to make the best out of her opportunities! Queue Hannah Montana’s song “you’ll always find your way back home?”

I will post this review on Amazon (link attached below) when it is released to Kindle Unlimited (05/06)

Summer of Sunsets was a really sweet and charming read. It was set in the small town of Falls Hollow and had all of the small town feels you’d expect. I liked the story, but it was really slow. There was a lot of repetition and it felt drawn out at times. I liked the characters and the growth over the course of the book, though. That helped make up for some of the things I didn’t care for. The ending was my favorite part of the story. I didn’t see it coming and I was pleasantly surprised.

I was given an advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

This is a charming small-town women’s fiction with a romance subplot. The pacing was a little slow for me.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

This was a sweet romance novel for those who are fond of small town romances as well as those who like foodie based plots. This novel follows a chef who lost her job in California and follows her back to her hometown. The novel depicts her struggle between wanting to leave to another big city or following her heart and take a chance on a blossoming new love. This is my first book by this author and I will definitely read another. I am very excited to learn that there will be a sequel t this novel so readers will be able to return to Falls Hollow and visit with the characters from this book. There were also a few surprises that kept me interested throughout the book.

Thank you to Net Galley, Indie Girl Press and most of all J. Collette Smith for a very enjoyable read.

i loveeee a slow burn romance
i love a main character who is strong willed and has drive and determination!
A cute summer read!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

•𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰•

{𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰: Book 1}

“𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚝’𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝚒𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚝.”

⛵️ Release Date: May 6, 2025 ⛵️
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This was such a cute, feel-good book with the best small-town vibes! The characters were very easy to connect with, and I enjoyed following along on their journeys towards rebuilding homes and hearts in this sweet story!

Gemma Cooper, a renowned chef from L.A., found herself down on her luck after a bad review sent her career (and her relationship) spiraling. With no other place to go, Gemma headed back to her roots in Falls Hollow, Texas. Once there, she discovered that her grandparents’ lake house, which she had inherited, was in dire need of a fix-up, and that’s how Cole Michelson ended up on her doorstep at ten in the morning.

As the local contractor, Cole’s schedule stayed fully packed with jobs, but when the Coopers’ granddaughter showed up and needed help to fix up her house, Cole found he couldn’t bring himself to say no. The beautiful relationship that ensued was positivity heartwarming as both Cole & Gemma worked to let down their guards and heal from past heartbreaks so that new love could find a home within their hearts ♥️

Gemma’s journey towards rediscovering her passion and skills in the kitchen, which she seemed to have lost after losing her job, was such a pleasure to witness. The food descriptions were perfect and made each dish sound incredibly succulent and delicious! I love how everything worked out with the café in the end 🥹

The wholesome small-town vibes, reminiscent of a Hallmark film, found in this story were incredibly ✨charming✨ and would make any reader feel right at home within the pages of this book!
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I received a complimentary arc from NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op. All options listed are purely my own.

This book felt like coming home. It's such a sweet read. I love the characters, the town, the house, the love story. All of it. It's pretty special when a book can make you feel lighter and inspired. I can't wait for J. Collette Smith's next book. Thank you to #NetGalley and #IndieGirlPress for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Gemma tenía la vida perfecta: un trabajo que amaba como chef, un prometido y un futuro brillante. Sin embargo, todo se derrumba cuando pierde su empleo, luego recibe una crítica devastadora de un famoso crítico gastronómico, su prometido la deja y su abuela fallece. Desesperada y bloqueada en la cocina, Gemma decide regresar a su pueblo natal en Texas para hacerse cargo de la herencia que le dejó su abuela: una casa junto al lago.

Al llegar, descubre que la casa necesita más reparaciones de las que pensaba, y es entonces cuando conoce a Cole, un atractivo y enigmático contratista. Aunque la última cosa que Gemma quiere es una relación, la conexión instantánea entre ambos es innegable. Ella está en el pueblo solo temporalmente, hasta encontrar trabajo y regresar a la ciudad, mientras que Cole está feliz en su tranquila vida rural.

A medida que Cole y Gemma comienzan a trabajar juntos, las barreras emocionales de ambos empiezan a desmoronarse. A pesar de que Cole ha sido herido por el amor en el pasado, y Gemma busca reconstruir su vida y su carrera, tal vez el trabajo más grande que ambos tengan que hacer sea reconstruir sus propios corazones.





Un lástima que Cole no tenga povs.



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

A charming small town romance. Gemma is a chef who returns home to decide what to do next with her life. Her parents have taken over her grandmas cafe but it’s just not the same without the original recipes. And Gemma can’t cook because ever since a bad review and her fiancé leaving left her scrambling away from the city. But Gemma pulls her sleeves up and is determined to make a difference, with the help of local contractor Cole. Will more come together than just the renovations?

There’s just something very comforting when reading about small towns—The family closeness, the friendly neighbors, guys who are perfect gentleman. I enjoy these books so much and it’s a perfect summer read.

Gemma Cooper is a chef who returns to Falls Hollow after losing her job and fiancé in the same week in LA. Her whole world just got flipped upside down and she has to figure out what comes next. First, she needs a lot of work done with her lake house she inherited from her Grandmother. (Cue attractive contractor Cole Michaelson). Second, her family’s cafe hasn’t been doing too well and her grandmother’s recipes are nowhere to be found. Gemma also has been losing her touch in the kitchen and can’t find a new job until she gets inspired again.

Is the cafe able to be saved? Will Gemma have to move again for a new job? Is Cole able to open up to Gemma after also going through a heartbreak himself?

I’d definitely recommend this heartwarming novel and it’s so true that home is really where the heart is.