“I think you’re a risk worth taking.” 🧡

Falling Like Leaves is truly the perfect fall romance novel! I practically read it in one sitting because I was so invested in the story. This book definitely put me in the fall mood!

As someone whose favorite season is fall, the setting of Bramble Falls was the best! The unique and fun crafted fall events the town hosts made me wish I could be transported to a real life Bramble Falls to experience it all for myself!

The characters were also super sweet and I love that Ellis was not given the “new kid” treatment. I can’t imagine having to go to a new school for senior year of high school. The tight-knit friendship the whole group has with each other was great to read and I can’t wait to read about each of their romances in the rest of the series!

Cooper and Ellis’s relationship was also amazing! The slow burn was a perfect pace and I loved that they slowly made their way back to each other after Cooper originally gave Ellis the cold shoulder. Cooper is such a golden retriever type book boyfriend and I love that he’s a baker. After reading this book, I definitely need to find a way to get myself a harvest spice latte and some homemade unique-flavored cookies.

If you’re looking for a small town, cozy fall romance featuring a love triangle, second chances, and a town that does fall like no other, then be sure to check out this book! Falling Like Leaves releases on September 2!

Thank you so much to Simon Teen / Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy!

This is a cute YA Romance. It is definitely giving fall vibes and Gilmore girls. It’s the perfect cozy read. Makes me want a PSL for sure. Also I loved the author’s intro dedication lol it was accurate and so cute! I loved the story from start to finish. I’ve read fall books before but now that I think about it, I don’t think there has been many details on the games and activities in books I’ve read like in this book. So I really like that. It makes me want to actually try some activities. Definitely need to go to a pumpkin patch this year or something similar. I do recommend this book. Perfect for the coming season!! 🍁 🎃

4.8 rounded to 5 ⭐️

I absolutely loved this YA fall romance. I think I’m a sucker for first person writing, because i recently couldn’t get through another fall book because it was in third person LOL!!

THE SCENERY IS EVERYTHING! Get me a Harvest Spice latte asap.

I adored Bramble Falls & I HOPE i get to come back one day to hear a side characters story 🤭😏 It was the most perfect little Fall town and i actually enjoyed reading about the activities that were going on. I think the yearning between Cooper & Ellis had a lot to do with that and then throwing in the fact that Jake (uhm such a great side character) was in the mix. It was just cheffffs kiss. I could envision everything happening!!!

Cooper & Ellis were fantastic MMC & FMC. I loved their chemistry and their history. It was such an interesting twist to see how Ellis ended up in Bramble Falls although I kind of gathered what was going down with her dad. Ellis was great. She made mistakes like an 17/18 year old would but still both her & Cooper were communicative!

Overall, i enjoyed this one & can’t wait to be back soon!!!🍁🎃☕️

Thank you NetGalley & Simon Schuster.

"I think you're a risk worth taking.”

Gilmore Girls meets Jenny Han in this autumnal teen rom-com about a city girl stuck in a quaint small town who must confront her future and her old flame while the town prepares for an annual fall festival.

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: none / YA

After the sudden news that her parents are separating, Ellis finds herself whisked off to Bramble Falls, and living in the attic of her aunt's house. Her life is thrown horribly off track - her senior year interrupted, uprooted from life in New York City and all her aspirations. However, as Bramble Falls slowly begins to charm her - especially with the reappearance of Cooper, a boy from her past - Ellis starts to learn how to confront her own hopes and wishes, rather than succumbing to the pressures from those she cares about.

This was the ultimate cute and cozy read, I loved the coming-of-age vibes and this so had me wanting to visit Bramble Falls! I'm definitely using their festival to fill out my own to-do list this fall. It's been a while since I read a YA romance but I got sucked into the whirlwind of Ellis's life, and the teenage drama is done so well and is so relatable. Both Ellis and Cooper caught your attention - you can't help but feel for Ellis and her situation, and Cooper was the sweetest (I loved how long he loved her!! And dying to try out those cookies). There are two break-ups, but they are resolved (almost too) quickly, but it felt fitting with the genre and plot - they definitely had me hooked to see what would happen.

There were a couple small moments that tugged me out of the story, but the Practical Magic references dragged me right back in. I definitely had beef with both of her parents - I thought Ellis was a bit spoiled at first, but there were actions on both parental sides that had me feeling so sorry for her. I also enjoyed the drama as well between Ellis and Cooper at the beginning - I was eager to see his side of their story. A lot of the books I've been reading lately involve the FMC being the one with crushed feelings, so it was so cool and refreshing to see that trope turned on it's head! I also loved her friends and Sloane (and the angst there too, with Jake - the purple note!!! that killed me, poor guy).

This is so perfect for anyone (esp teens) who love a small-town, fall-festival-filled romance - I ended up preordering it, it was so sweet! Definitely recommend. 🍁

Tropes & Tags:
🎃 second-chance romance
☕ small town romance
🎃 friends-to-dating
☕ baker mmc x fashion designer fmc
🎃 YA romance
☕ fall festivals
🎃 gilmore girls & practical magic vibes

[I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, thank you so much NetGalley and Simon & Schuster! 📖]

This was such a cozy small town vibes read and I really enjoyed it. The mc’s are still in high school but I think we see some growth in their characters especially in Ellis. I really liked seeing how Ellis grew as the story continued. It was very difficult for her to grow away from being what her dad wanted but she learns to be more carefree, to have fun, and to do what she loves. Cooper in the beginning seems to hate her but it just some miscommunication and it’s nice that he encouraged Ellis to do what she loves. Ellis and Cooper are very cute and I do wish we had seen more of them together as a couple. The addition of all the other characters made the book more enjoyable. It’s a very cute and cozy read, I definitely recommend!! Thank you Netgalley for the arc, I appreciate it!

Falling Like Leaves gave me everything I wanted and more. It was a perfect cozy fall read set in a small town with lots of charm. It definitely gives off Gilmore Girl vibes with the small town setting and quirky town antics during their annual fall festival. I loved the characters growth and “coming of age” storyline of graduating high school and trying to figure out what comes next. This is exactly what I wish I would have had to read when I was graduating high school and navigating the many different paths people tried to set me on. I loved the writing and pacing throughout the novel and thought there was a good mix of being in school but also participating in all of the town events. I really enjoyed this book and think everyone will enjoy the small town, cozy fall vibes, and relatable characters. I wouldn’t even mind future books for some of the supporting characters future stories.

Falling Like Leaves is a charming fall YA romance that absolutely nails the cozy, atmospheric vibes. I adored Bramble Falls—the town, the people, and the picture-perfect seasonal setting. Misty Wilson did a fantastic job immersing readers in all the fall festivities, making this an ideal autumn read.

Though this is technically a YA romance, the characters had a maturity that felt older, which I actually appreciated as an adult reader. Ellis and Cooper made a great pair to root for, and I loved that Cooper didn’t hesitate to call Ellis out when she needed it. The family dynamics, especially Ellis navigating her complicated relationship with a career-driven father, felt realistic and added depth to the story.

That said, the characters’ emotional maturity occasionally stretched believability. They often handled situations with a level of awareness and communication skills more aligned with adults in their late 20s than high schoolers, which pulled me out of the story at times.

Overall, Falling Like Leaves is a solid fall romance with heart, growth, and just enough drama to keep things interesting. It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely worth picking up if you’re in the mood for small-town charm and a cute love story.

Falling Like Leaves was a charming book. I loved the vibes of this book. The cozy fall setting had me wishing for autumn. I thought Wilson did a fantastic job with the town setting. Bramble Falls almost felt like a character in itself. I liked watching Ellis come out of her shell. Although she overreacted a lot, it was understandable with her upbringing. I can see teen readers relating to her struggles around figuring out her future. I wish we got more one-on-one moments with Aunt Naomi. I wanted to see more of Ellis' relationships with her aunt and mom. And man, did that dad suck! Cooper was a cute book boyfriend. I thought Ellis and Cooper's relationship had just enough angst to keep things interesting. I thought the forced proximity worked well in this book. The side characters were solid. I liked Jake, Sloane, and Fern. Like the aunt and mom, I wanted more from Fern's character. The only major complainant I had was the pacing. It felt off at times and the story dragged in a few spots. Overall, this was a sweet read. Thank you to NetGalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for the ARC.

**Thank you to Simon and NetGalley for the ARC!**

This was pure autumnal magic. Ellis, though sometimes difficult (which I didn't love), really grew and changed for the better throughout the book. The side characters were awesome, and there were so many parts that left me smiling giddily! I also really appreciated the inclusion of Ellis learning her lesson re: idolizing her father so much.

I loved this story! I think I finished it in a day - I couldn't put it down. Ellis is a very relatable FMC and I really enjoyed following along with her small town journey. It felt very Gilmore Girls like - with their small town charm and events that the whole town is a part of. I love when books transport you to another world, almost like you're immersed in a movie. This offers just that! It's a great YA Romance that I would recommend to anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for this ARC.

Ellis is a senior in high school who temporarily moves to Bramble Falls with her mother due to tension between her mother and father. Ellis had a plan though - focus on her AP classes, improve her resume, and get into Columbia so she could become a journalist so that she could be just like her dad. So when her life gets uprooted suddenly to this small town, she tries hard not to get distracted and keep to her goals. However, things are flipped upside down even further when she runs into an old friend, Cooper Barnett.

I know Ellis and Cooper are young and in high school, but I found it difficult to really connect with them. Cooper holds a grudge for at least half of the book towards Ellis. And Ellis is not kind to a lot of the characters until the end of the book when she realizes she was in the wrong the entire time. I was happy that the characters finally saw reason by the end but it was a rough journey to get there.

I do appreciate the Gilmore Girls feel about it. And I actually really liked the secondary characters such as Jake, Fern, Asher, and Sloane. I’m hoping there will more books that get into their relationships as I loved them and how much they supported both Ellis and Cooper.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review!

Summary in Brief

Teenager Ellis moves from NYC to the small city of Bramble Falls and finds herself falling not just for the town, but for the people in it.

Genre + Plot

Tropes: Cozy Small Town Romance, YA Romance, Second Chance Romance, Friends to Lovers, Miscommunication, Third Act Breakup

The cover of this book is *SO* cute! It reminded me of another cozy fall book I read, *If It Makes You Happy*, and the vibes are very similar. It has everything you could want in a small-town, cozy, autumn, back-to-school book. It is so reminiscent of high school with the football games, festivals, floats, bonfires, and good friends. Bramble Falls is preparing for its annual Fall Festival, and the whole town goes all out for it. Ellis has just been forced to move to Bramble Falls because her parents are separating, and they move in with her Aunt and cousin.

Ellis is our FMC, and she’s smart, driven, hardworking, and a no-nonsense type of gal. She honestly reminded me of myself in school—sacrificing her fun high school years to focus on academics and her “future.” **Shudders.** It’s so overrated, and her mom knows it, which is why she pushes for this change.

Ellis runs into Cooper, her love interest. They spent a summer together several years ago, and our boy never got over her. Ellis ghosted him pretty badly because she was “so busy” and focused on figuring out her future. Poor thing. Cooper’s got it all—he’s a baker, a genuinely good guy, friendly, and of course, cute as a button and still completely in love with Ellis. It’s a little rocky between them at first, understandably so, since Ellis ran away from him once before, but they soon resume their friendship.

I really liked Ellis. She gets in her own way most of the time and wants her dad’s approval *way* too much. But she’s also a teenager, and teenagers make mistakes. What I appreciated about her is how quick she is to recognize her missteps, apologize, and try to make things right. Even though she makes some frustrating choices—especially the third-act breakup (like seriously??? I wanted to throw my Kindle)—she always owns up to them, which I thought was really mature.

I do wish we had gotten more of Cooper. You can tell he’s totally in love with Ellis and passionate about his baking and his small-town community, but I wanted to know more about his background, his family, and what makes him tick.

The side characters were phenomenal. Jake was such a cute little golden retriever-type—I could totally picture him as a laid-back high school football player who’s also super lovable and just a genuinely nice guy. Sloane, Ellis’s cousin, has her back from the beginning and is incredibly supportive. The rest of the friend group and the small-town vibes were spot-on.

Since this is a YA romance, I was expecting the miscommunication and third-act breakup, and I pretty much knew where the story was going. I was *so* frustrated with how Ellis handled everything, and I thought Cooper was completely valid in what he said to her. But she eventually came to her senses and made things right, finally!

This book reminded me a lot of *Fake Skating* by Lynn Painter, which I read recently and absolutely LOVED. And it was funny because Misty Wilson mentions Lynn Painter in her acknowledgements section - so cute!

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was such a sweet, cozy YA fall romance with heartwarming, feel-good vibes all around. I loved reading about Ellis, Cooper, all their friends, and I appreciated the character growth Ellis goes through. Plus, the fall festival fun and small-town charm of Bramble Falls made it even better. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a wholesome, autumnal YA romance read!

I liked it. I’ve seen a lot of the reviews saying that it reminds them of Gilmore Girls and I would say that I agree. It was nothing special, but I also think it read a little young for me. The author wrote pretty well but at time I felt bored.

This Fall YA small town romance is a must read. It was so sweet and my heart couldn’t take it. The small town vibes and coming to age was so well written. I am a huge spooky season person and this had everything from pumpkins, to corn mazes, apple picking and so much more for the Fall season. I loved Ellis so much and seeing her find her own path and grow as a character. I will definitely be adding this to my comfort reads

Remember how incredibly big and important all your feelings were in your teens? Falling Like Leaves was a nostalgic trip back to that time in my life. There’s lots of juicy drama and stress over what comes after high school…all set in the coziest town that’s endearingly obsessed with Fall.
I don’t read a ton of YA because I often don’t know if I’ll be able to relate to it but this is so well written that I think a large range of people can get something out of it. It was a nice reminder of that time in my life and how very wild it felt to be seventeen and trying to decide what the vast void of my future might actually entail.
Ellis is so relatable and, plagued by her father’s ideals for her future, does her very best to navigate the sudden move to a small town just as senior year is starting. Only to be hit with a blast from the past…the boy from “that one summer” who never forgot her. Cooper, for me, was the conscience in this story. A young man wiser than his years with big feelings and the emotional wherewithal to express them concisely to those around him. He was the real hook for me. I needed to know what was going on in his head.
That will they/ won’t they energy that is so abundant in the relationships of our youth is very well represented. Even the way they fall out and back in, while a little silly if I think about it for too long, is exactly how it would be in high school. And there’s even a shows-up-to-the-dance-late moment that made my hopeless romantic heart do a little happy dance.
This is the perfect tile to curl up with this fall. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next for the characters as the series continues.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the advanced copy of this book!

Cooper and Ellis used to be friends, before something happened and now, Cooper can barely stand to look at her. He must hate her for their past, and yet Ellis’ cousin Sloane swears that there must be something more between them….

I think this story perfectly captured the young adult/teen drama and angst about almost everything. From future prospects and college applications, to parental expectations, to high school love, the writing was phenomenal and made me relive all of those feelings all over again. Except, they were all set in the fall so that made it a bit better.

Not only did Ellis experience a huge character growth, but her mom did too. I appreciated the discussion of how, sometimes, a woman is forced to put her career on the back burner to raise kids, and how that can make her lose herself. Ellis’ mom finding her passion again was a great addition to the plot line.

Also, her dad was definitely one of those men who wants to say he’s a family man, wants to be able to call himself a husband and a father, but doesn’t actually want to put in any effort to be those things…

I wouldn’t change a thing! 5⭐️

This was the coziest novel, making it perfect for my first autumn vibes read this year. the characters were everything and I ate up every moment between them. Being able to really fell the emotions given by Ellis was so incredible. I couldn't put this one down.

This was too cute! It has allll the fall vibes. It takes place in a little Stars Hollow-esque town where everyone is in each other’s business and they go all out for the season. All of the fall themed events were so much fun and I loved the bit of 90s nostalgia with references to Practical Magic and such.

I really enjoyed the second chance romance between Ellis and Cooper. They’re on the younger side so it was all very sweet and innocent. It’s slow burn with lots of pining and unresolved feelings. I wasn’t always a fan of Ellis and her decisions, but she had good character growth in the end. Super cute & quick fall read!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Falling Like Leaves 🤎🧸🍂

Autumn couldn’t come closer but Falling for the Leaves 🍂 was everything I needed to not miss autumn.

🍁Autumn is here 🍂 and Falling Like Leaves a promise in street media influence by a world famous dad. Columbia School is the goal but who would have thought in a blink of an eye a crush dream just arriving to Bramble Falls High. Leaving all the promises dream plan out a granted entrance to Columbia but all was left was just a sewing machine.
Can a small town charm, the harvest spice latte and the first kiss be enough for Sloane to stay or move back to the big apple 🍎🗽?

Rate : 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Notes 📝

•Definitely giving the small town autumn vibes
•Self-absorbed Dad so much of a hero
•Characters development was spot on
•The mother deserves so much more and I was glad she got her sparkle back

Tropes 💬

Small Town Romance 💝
First Kiss 💋
Autumn Vibes 🍂
Second Chance 🥰
Practical Magic 🪄
Pumpkins 🎃
Love triangle maybe 🤔
He fell first 😍 She fell harder 💕
Cookies🍪

I really enjoyed this book! Perfect time for me as I wholeheartedly believe fall starts August 1 (I don’t care what the temperature says) so this was a great transition from summer book. Also, fellow Swifties are gonna love the subtle nods to her and her work.

Jumping into this book we meet our FMC, Ellis. I will say, from the beginning some of these things seem a bit unrealistic for most teenagers, and it feels very young 20s in parts, but I’m sure there’s teens out there who are very Type A like Ellis and one track minded — we learn why she’s this way pretty much from page 2. Ellis was a bit insufferable at times and overdramatic, but again, she’s a teenager, I can’t ask for anything other than teen angst and melodramatics.

Cooper and Jake? Chefs kiss. Not every teen boy has to be an underdeveloped pain in the rear end. They were respectful, understanding, and definitely mature for their age (which is again why some parts read more young 20s).

Come for the journey of Ellis while she learns she does *not* need to be like her dad, stay for the golden retriever personality of Cooper.