Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

This was a sweet, fast paced second chance romance. I was looking for an Autumn book to get me in the mood for the season and this did it.

Autumn Nights, Holiday Lights by Elle Douglas
Thank you to Harlequin Special Edition and NetGalley for my gifted ARC of this cozy, heartfelt small-town romance.

I absolutely devoured Autumn Nights, Holiday Lights. It’s the kind of book that hooks you with its charm, then quietly breaks your heart open before stitching it back together with warmth, humor, and just the right dose of holiday magic. The premise is irresistible: Maya Monroe, a romance author and local bakery owner in Sunset County, is about to have her book turned into a Christmas movie. The town is being transformed into a winter wonderland in the middle of fall, complete with fake snow, twinkling lights, and camera crews. What Maya doesn’t expect? The director of the movie is her ex—the one who dumped her via text years ago and never looked back.

Will Hastings is the last person Maya wants to see—let alone collaborate with on something as personal as a film adaptation of her book. He’s a successful director with zero interest in romance films, and even less interest in facing his past. But he’s back in town to care for his aging, prickly father and ends up reluctantly taking the project. What follows is a beautifully written second chance romance that never once feels forced or overly saccharine.

This story works because it respects both characters. Maya is angry, yes, but she’s not irrational. She’s proud of her work, protective of her story, and trying to hold it all together while pretending she’s totally unbothered by Will’s presence. Will, on the other hand, has clearly been carrying guilt for the way things ended and is now wrestling with his own identity and priorities. They don’t fall back into old patterns—they struggle, they argue, and they slowly begin to see each other not as they were, but as they are now. That maturity gives their rekindled connection weight and real emotional payoff.

The setting is straight-up cinematic. Sunset County is a town I’d move to in a heartbeat—quirky, supportive, and picturesque. I loved the way Douglas used the fake Christmas decorations and movie-making chaos to mirror the characters’ emotional messiness. And somehow, she made it feel natural to fall in love again under artificial snow in the middle of October. It all worked. Maya’s bakery, Flour Child, adds a delicious touch to every scene she’s in—if someone doesn’t option this for an actual movie, it’s a missed opportunity.

There are some fantastic side characters too. Will’s strained relationship with his father adds tension and depth, while Lucas—a teenager struggling to stay out of trouble—brings a redemptive arc that’s both touching and unexpected. And Bruce the rescue pup? Total scene-stealer. These supporting storylines add texture without distracting from the main romance.

Elle Douglas’s writing is sharp, funny, and emotionally grounded. She gets that romance isn’t just about chemistry (though Maya and Will have plenty of that)—it’s about timing, growth, and forgiveness. She lets her characters be messy. They say the wrong thing. They get scared. They pull away. And that makes the payoff that much sweeter when they choose each other anyway.

One quote that really stood out to me was when Maya said, “You don’t get to rewrite the past, but you can choose the ending. That’s the part that’s always yours.” That line perfectly captures the heart of this story. It’s not just about rekindling a lost love—it’s about reclaiming your voice, your boundaries, and your future.

While this is book two in the Sugar Maple Farms series, it works perfectly as a standalone. I hadn’t read Her Fairy Tale Farmer, but after finishing this one, I immediately added it to my TBR. The world Douglas has created is irresistible, and I want more of it—more cozy fall nights, more fairy-tale bakeries, more flawed but lovable characters trying to make it work.

If you’re looking for a feel-good romance with real emotional depth, a vibrant setting, and second chances that feel earned, Autumn Nights, Holiday Lights absolutely delivers. It’s the kind of book you finish with a smile on your face and a craving for cinnamon rolls—and maybe a little hope that sometimes, love really does deserve a rewrite.
⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5 stars)

This is a fun series, set in a fun town, and Maya and Will have a lot of chemistry. I hope Elle Douglas continues to write books in this series.

Autumn Nights, Holiday Lights was such a fun read. Charming small town, fantastic characters, delicious treats. I couldn't ask for more from a holiday story.

Maya Monroe owner of the Flour Child Bakery is also a romance writer who's about to get her book turned into a movie. She's really excited until she finds out who will be directing it.

Will Hastings was Maya's high school sweetheart and the man who broke her heart. He's a well to-do director and since he's coming back to Sunset County to help his father, he gets roped into directing a Christmas Romance. He is not thrilled and even less so when he realizes Maya is the author. Not because he doesn't want to see her, but because he has some guilt for the way things went down back then.

I truly enjoy a second chance romance and Autumn Nights, Holiday Lights was a wonderful second chance love story.

I hadn't read book one in this series and it didn't matter, but I have every intention of reading it now. I want to spend more time in this small town.

Highly recommend!

4.5 Stars

Autumn Nights, Holiday Lights is a fun, fast paced read that is perfect for fall. I really enjoyed the whole Christmas movie being filmed thing this book had going on. I think that was super fun. My only issue worth this book is Maya. I found her to be unlikeable at times. But I do think her and Will have a lot of chemistry.

What a wonderful romance story, with a happily ever after. Great characters and great storyline. Definitely a must read

What a cute story to get you in the mood for the cooler months! Elle Douglas brings us the story of Maya and Will. Maya is getting the opportunity of a lifetime and having one of her books adapted into a movie. In walks Will, director of the project as well as Maya's ex-boyfriend from high school.
What could go wrong?
The story takes place during the autumn months but everything is all decked out in Christmas decorations for the movie. Throughout the story, we see both characters grow both individually and as a couple. Elle Douglas is a wonderful story teller and has done a great job bringing this story to life. I highly recommend.

Autumn Nights, Holiday Lights was a fast, fun read. Maya is a small town baker/author whose book is being turned into a movie and (gasp) her high school sweetheart is slated to be the director.

We follow Maya and Will as they, reluctantly, work together to make the movie a successful. A through it all, they find their feelings for each other rekindling.

There were a few spots in the story where Maya’s character wasn’t very likable, but the story was very interesting and I found myself enjoying it.

This was a delight! I loved it! The sequel to Her Fairy Tale Farmer, this is #2 in the Sugar Maple Farms series.

In the previous book we met Maya Monroe when she worked along with Andie Carter, providing fairy-tale themed cakes for Andie’s business, which is planning and hosting fairy-tale themed birthday parties. Her cakes are complex and fancy and popular on Instagram, which is fun. We also learned that she owns the Flour Child bakery and moonlights as a published author of romance novels. In this installment, one of her books is being adapted into a Christmas movie, to be directed by none other than the famous director, Will Hastings. Will was Maya’s high school boyfriend and the one that broke her heart. The cool thing is that the movie is being filmed on location in Sunset County, mostly in the downtown area directly in front of Maya’s bakery. So Maya won’t be able to avoid Will even though she wants to. It’s a second chance romance featuring Will’s persnickety father, a troubled teen called Lucas, and a sweet little rescue pup called Bruce.

The story takes place in autumn, but the movie adaptation is a Christmas story, so the town is being transformed with fake snow and Christmas lights. There are lots of fun cool-weather holiday vibes in here.

I love that Will pursues Maya’s heart even as he is dealing with his aging father, with whom he has a complicated relationship. As he comes back into Maya’s life, he loves watching how she really cares for people and for the integrity of her story, which she is *really hoping* will not get changed during the process of movie-making.

This is a fun series, set in a fun town, and Maya and Will have a lot of chemistry. I hope Elle Douglas continues to write books in this series.