The perfect cozy read. A grumpy dark FMC & cinnamon roll MMC creates a swoony small town rom com.
If you like seasonal books, this has fall vibes. But honestly perfect any time of year. And if this book wasn’t already perfect, add in some pumpkin✨spice✨.

I listened to the audiobook ARC of this book. The narrator provides the perfect tone and pace. She fits perfectly with the cozy vibe of the book. I zoomed through this in a day. I just couldn’t stop listening.
While I did receive an audio-ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for this ALC of Let's Give 'Em Pumpkin to Talk About.

This would be a really cute book to read in fall. I loved that Sadie and her family cusses like a sailor, but Josh refuses to say anything bad. That made me laugh out loud a few times. I didn't really appreciate how she treated Josh a lot of the time, but maybe that's just her hardened personality. The romance did feel a little random as she never really showed a lot of interest in him until they kissed in the library. It was more or less him seeking her out. However, I do like that, towards the end, she realized that she deserved to be loved.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job.

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.

Adelaide Fernport absolutely nails the audiobook. Her Sadie voice carries just enough bite to cut glass, while Josh sounds like a walking rom-com with a secret. And not once did I have to cringe through awkward narration energy. She crushed it.

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 Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the early access to the audiobook, and for making autumn actually spicy again.

This was a cute, spicy, lighthearted seasonal romance! I’m a sucker for all things Fall! So, I was excited to listen to this romance. I thought the narrator did a great job, but I didn’t feel like her voice matched Sadie very well. I was envisioning Sadie’s voice to be different. It didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story though.

This book feels like a hallmark movie with the quirky characters and small town vibes, but with a lot of spice! I thought Sadie and Josh were both likable characters. Josh was a sweetie! Sadie was a bit rough around the edges, but I still enjoyed her quirkiness.

Overall, this is a fun book to read when you are in the mood for spicy Fall vibes!

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for the chance to listen to this audiobook!

3.5 rounded up

Brief overview:

Sadie returns to her hometown to help her father in the annual pumpkin weighing contest. When she arrives, she discovers the pumpkins have been trampled and has to team up with her neighbor Josh to get back in the game. Due to her complicated relationships with her parents, Sadie isn't exactly overjoyed to be back in Indiana, but Josh takes it upon himself to lessen the pain.

My thoughts:

Well, I love a grumpy x sunshine, and this time we got the roles reversed! Finally, she's the grump and he's the little ball of sunshine! I loved it! While some of the story felt a little redundant and I felt myself zoning out a couple times, overall it was a really cute romance. The town was adorable, I loved the descriptions of their fair, it made me want to go to a little county fair right away.

My biggest complaint would honestly be with the narrator. She wasn't necessarily bad, but many times the tone took on a Kardashian-like affect, which didn't fit the personalities of the characters in the book. Aside from that, it was a pleasant listen!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HarlequinAudio for an advance listening copy of #LetsGiveEmPumpkinToTalkAbout. Cute seasonal romance. Though the spice was on the page, I really couldn't feel any chemistry nor could I get invested in the characters. Three stars.

[⚠️ Suspicious Content] Hi Friends! I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of the audiobook Let’s Give ‘Em Pumpkin to Talk About by Isabelle Popp, which is the perfect cozy fall romance to curl up with as the leaves start to change, and up here in New England we know about fall and leaves changing. So, if you’re looking for a sweet, easy read to get you in the autumn spirit, this one is definitely one to pick up to get you in the fall mood.

The story centers on Sadie, who’s determined to win the biggest pumpkin contest in town, a title her father held for years. Her father is down in Florida helping her uncle recover, and Sadie just finished a major project in California. So she pops in to help her dad, but she’s also hoping to make up for a teenage mistake she made at the pumpkin patch. But when she arrives, she finds the patch destroyed, and all his hard work seems lost. In a fit of frustration, she starts screaming and pitching pumpkins into the woods, which is where Josh, her neighbor, literally rides in on his horse to help.

Josh is an ex-video game app designer, turned rival pumpkin farmer, who promised Sadie’s dad he’d look after her. He’s more than happy to lend a hand, especially since he finds Sadie pretty irresistible. Their chemistry is sweet and genuine, she is the grumpy to his sunshine, and I loved how their relationship developed as they worked together to save Fox farm, and others along the way.

There's a lot to enjoy about this book. The plot is simple and straightforward but heartwarming, with just the right amount of small-town charm and fall vibes. Sadie’s determination and Josh’s gentle support make them a couple you can’t help but root for. There are also plenty of cozy moments—think pie, hometown festivals, and all the autumn feels. The narrators added to the overall feel of the story, bringing it to life.

If you want an easy, light, feel-good romance that’s perfect for fall, Let’s Give ‘Em Pumpkin to Talk About is a great pick. It’s sweet, charming, and will leave you smiling. I listened to this in one sitting on a recent car trip, and it made the trip go by so much faster. If you’re looking for a pallet cleanser or something simple to read this fall, definitely consider adding this one to your list when it releases. Grab it July 1 in Kindle or Audible Audiobook format, or August 26th in paperback.

I think some people will love this book, but it was unfortunately not for me.

Sadie returns to her hometown to care for her estranged father's pumpkin farm while he's away. Right when she gets there, she sees that all the pumpkins have been destroyed by wild hogs from a neighboring farm. Sadie teams up with her neighbor and fellow pumpkin grower Josh to take down the wild hog farmer while they also compete against each other to grow the largest pumpkin.

This book is very black cat x golden retriever coded, which I think went too far when the FMC literally hissed at people and animals several times. I also felt that there was too much going on and too many different conflicts that each wrapped up very abruptly.

This book was also much higher on the spice scale than I prefer, with much more focus on the physical relationship than an emotional one.

If you like high-spice quirky fall vibes, you might like this book.

The narration by Adelaide Fernport was mostly good, with a few words pronounced incorrectly throughout. The audio and production were high-quality.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the free audio and ebook in exchange for my honest review!

I think the cover is doing this book a disservice. It looks like it's a cute, vibey fall rom-com but when you get into it it's a reverse Grumpy/sunshine black cat/golden retriever with freaky-deaky dom energy (not like really, really but you'll understand when you get there).

I am not at all sad about the spice but it just was confusing at first. Good but unexpected. Def a fun book for fall.

Thank you so much to the author, HTP and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this title. I attest that I am leaving my review voluntarily and honestly.

Rating this book 3.5/5 stars rounded up! This is such a funny, emotional, pumpkin spicy….small town romance! I love a good romance with a grumpy main character and a sunshine main character but specially loving that the grumpy character is the FMC and the Sunshine is the MMC. I love a small town romance having come from a small town and also a true lover of all things fall! It was painful hearing Sadie and her sister talk about their childhood with their mother and even now how her mother views them/family. I’m glad Sadie and her sister/father are getting closer especially with the baby coming! Josh really got Sadie to open up and love herself/her family (then loving him). This was a great, spicy and fun listen. The narrating was amazing and I truly can’t wait to hear and read more from the author! Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ability to listen and review this book!

Unfortunately this was not for me. I was not a fan of the writing style and felt disconnected from the story and the characters. I tried this in audio and kindle as I was lucky enough to get both formats from netgalley and the publishers, but neither was for me. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for the free alc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. I loved parts of it, I didn't quite buy the connection, the conflict, the competition seemed different. I love the cover and will try another book by the author.

Suggest giving it a try

3.5/5☆

If you want a good dessert romance novel, then this is one for you. This book sweet with a good bit of spice in it just like a pumpkin pie.

As we watch Sadie rediscover her hometown we get to see her grow and learn about why her parents are how they are. With the help of the hot, horse riding farmer next door she is able to grow some gigantic pumpkins, but also her heart some too.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin - Romance | Afterglow Books by Harlequin & Harlequin Audio for providing me with ARCs of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is Isabelle Popp's first novel and I was into it! Like many others, I love all things fall so the cover and title caught my eye. Even though it's only the start of summer, the autumn vibes were easy to slip into. It made me want to tend my own garden and stroll a farmer's market with an iced coffee.

Sadie and Josh give off big black cat/golden retriever energy. She grew up in the small town of Pea Blossom, took off after high school and barely looked back. She's a textile artist in CA, but comes home to help her dad when he has to leave the farm to help her uncle in FL. Josh is a tech bro who left Silicon Valley behind for a slower and more fulfilling life. They end up as neighbors and competitors in the SPICE Pumpkin Weigh-Off.

A series of entertaining and seriously unlucky events throw them together again and again. Josh falls hard and fast. He's so endearingly adorable that Sadie can't help but fall too. They both have stuff to work through and I really liked the way it felt real. These are two people in their 30s who have lived lives and are trying to find their joy, individually and together.

This is dual POV, which I always love. It is full of lots of subtle, diverse representation that is done really well. And I felt weirdly invested in the pumpkin contest.

I had both the ebook and audio. This was narrated by Adelaide Fernport. I liked her style and would listen to her again. I listen at 1.5x and it felt like a comfortable speed to still get the emotion and nuances of the story. I mostly listened, but read the last 25% on my kindle because I was impatient to get to the end and find out what would happen.

I'm hoping Isabelle's next book is Grace's story, Sadie's sister. Because there is definitely a story there!

Never thought id be interested in a book about pumpkins and squash but here I am absolutely loving it. This story did not disappoint. Loved the characters and the family drama. Felt like you could feel their emotions. The fun little stories of their dating experiences had you giggling.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc.

Cozy fall vibes!!! This was a cute and spicy read!!! I loved the black cat fmc and the golden retriever mmc♥️ fav tropes. I enjoyed the story and approached the steamy scenes.

This book was steamier than I was expecting, but I'm not sad about it. I'd like to know what happened with her business and her apartment but I'm so glad she let Josh love her and Josh let himself learn from her.

I really enjoyed the audio. If you like cute and cozy vibes this is the book for you. This was my first time reading a Grumpy x Sunshine where the FMC was the Grumpy one. I really enjoyed it. This book had some spice. I really loved Josh he was an absolute sweety and 100% cinnamon roll energy. This is a small town romance with Fall vibes and the ultimate palette cleanser.

A late Summer/Fall themed small town romance that was big on the pumpkins as well as spice. All puns aside this was a very cute Opposites attract story that had deeper elements such as forgiveness, self-worth, and healing along the way.

Sadie is a “grumpy” dark clothing/dark makeup curses like a sailor artist who returns to her Father’s Pumpkin Farm after many years avoiding her Father, as well as the small town she grew up in.

Soon she meets Josh- the Sunshine smile, horse riding, oh shucks tech geek who lives next door.
Sadie is intrigued by him and thinks maybe she should have a little fun to get her through her short stay back home.

This story had the expected feel good small town elements, lots of banter, and unexpected sizzling attraction and adventure in the bedroom. Will be a perfect Fall small town romance read.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin audio for opportunity to review this ARC!

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5

I listened to this one on audio. Thank you to Net galley and Harlequin for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

OMG. This was a spicy good time with the back drop of fall vibes and a cutesy small town.

Said in a Jennifer Coolidge voice "it made me want a piece of pumpkin pie real bad!"

My all time favorite scene from this book was when the FMC and MMC were falling asleep in bed together after a fun tryst and they decided to watch Murder She Wrote together as their "falling asleep" tv show. That just felt so relatable and true to life.

This is a 4.5 star read in that I had a good time with it, not that it was some transformative piece of literature.