If you're looking for a book that has you giggling and kicking your feet, this is it!

Its adorable, homey, and exactly what I expected from the blurb.

This book was perfection from beginning to end! I am new to this author and didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I am so excited that I discovered a fantastic new author. She helped me escape into this world, that was filled with warm hugs, laughter, a lot of banter and love! This book made me feel lighthearted, happy, hopeful and magical. This is a romance novel that is about rediscovering love in a small town. It is a slow to medium paced read, I didn’t feel like I had to rush to read it. I took my time reading this one and taking all the coziness in! I felt that Aiden was an extremely lovable character in the story! He brought the laughter and charm, even though he had a lot of seriousness to him. I enjoyed how the characters changed and grew in the story, how the plot was developed and well executed, and how it became a story of family and community bonding! This lovely story is very picturesque and inviting!

“The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn” is a novel that revolves around an event planner named Ellie and a good looking country boy named Aiden. Ellie loses her job and gets dumped by her boyfriend in New York, so she heads back to her hometown. She leaves and comes to her family’s Honeycrisp apple orchard Inn! This is where she finds Aiden, who moved into the attic. Aiden is a son of one of the neighboring orchard owners. Ellie had planned on it being her new living space, when she arrived there. Both families get together and make them co-host a Harvest Festival. They do this and there is a lot of banter happening between the two! However, a romance begins to form between them! I give this charming book a 5 out of 5 stars!

I think fans of the “Gilmore Girls” TV show and “The Pumpkin Spice Cafe” novel would absolutely love reading this book! Content warnings are extremely mild and include sexual content and emotional vulnerability.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Valerie Bowman and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon a for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on September 9, 2025!

This was a really cute book. I adored Aiden and had a fun time in the charming small town.

I struggled a bit with how this book was written. The cadence had a staccato — very short sentences and a lot of extraneous details that didn’t add much to the plot. Just not my typical style as a long winded, comma loving person. I enjoy rich detail, but I find short sentences very distracting as well as when characters use slang acronyms in conversation and internal monologues. It also drove me a little nuts that Gilmore Girls is prominently mentioned, but Lorelai’s name was spelt wrong. BUT I also loved how the show intertwined with the plot. There were moments that just felt like a subtle nod to a show that’s so beloved.

Overall, I had a fun time in the town and enjoyed seeing Ellie find her roots and confidence after her crappy ex. Aiden’s a delightful character and probably my favorite part of the novel.

Thank you to Avon & Harper Voyager for the ARC!

Absolutely LOVED The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn by Valerie Bowman. It’s a fall hallmark movie in novel form. I was smiling ear to ear while reading.

I loved the main characters Ellie and Aiden. Their love story was so sweet. The supporting characters were so wonderful and the town of Harvest Hollow sounds idyllic.

I can’t wait to recommend this book to anyone looking to be transported to a fall dream. I was pleased to see this is the start to a series and I can’t wait to read what’s next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager—Avon a for an advanced copy of this book!

The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn was such a pleasant read. It is a small town romance with reconnection, forced proximity and all around fall goodness.

The story follows Ellie as she heads home to her small town in New Jersey after her work and personal like in Manhattan take a nose dive. She reconnects not only with her family but the town she walked away from and her childhood best friend Aiden.

Adorably sweet, heartfelt and the right touch of spice for a good cozy autumn read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and Valerie Bowman for this ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and author Valarie Bowman, for providing me with the eARC of “The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: September 9th, 2025
Reviewed on Goodreads: July 10th, 2025

Super cute read for the fall season!
It’s like a steamy hallmark movie.

Perfect if you love:
- Small town romance
- Forced proximity
- Opposites attract
- Reconnection

Ellie has recently returned to her small hometown after getting dumped by her boyfriend and fired from her job. She decides to stay at the inn owned by her parents and agrees to help plan a harvest festival.
Aiden is a farmer, whose family owns the orchard connected to the inn. Aiden and Ellie were really close growing up, but grew apart during high school, and lost contact after Ellie moved to the city.
Aiden is angry at Ellie for leaving, but now they have to work together to plan the festival.
Old feelings resurface, and things heat up. Ellie must decide between her dream life back in the big city, or her favorite grumpy small-town farmer.

I actually enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would.
A simple cozy romance, autumn vibes, cute animals, and a witchy/spiritual side character. Count me in.
I would absolutely reread this in October or November with a festive beverage on hand.

I really liked how Ellie not only rediscovered her friendship with Aiden in this story, but also rediscovered herself.
She notes how she felt like she needed to change when she moved to the city, to seem more “professional” and to be taken seriously but felt much more relaxed and like herself when she returned home.
I thought it made for a nice character development.

I was also happy with the fact that Ellie’s parents were never bitter toward her for leaving to follow her dreams.
I was expecting there to be a lot of tension and discourse between them surrounding that topic, as there usually is with books that have a plot like this. To my surprise, there really wasn’t. Her parents seemed totally wholesome and supportive of her.
Refreshing!

Apparently, this book is really great if you enjoy the pumpkin spice café/dream harbor series! I have not read them myself, but if you have and you liked them, you might want to give this story a go!

The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn by Valerie Bowman was exactly the cozy and romantic escape I didn’t know I needed! This book has everything I love in a fall read. It’s full of crisp air, small town charm, and slow burn tension. Watching Ellie reluctantly move back home, only to find herself sharing space with the grumpy but irresistible Aiden, was hilarious and heartwarming! Their banter was A+ enemies to lovers material. The Harvest Festival added the perfect backdrop of community and autumn vibes, and the orchard setting made this book feel extra dreamy. I love how Ellie and Aiden both grew not just in their relationship, but individually. There’s something so satisfying about watching two stubborn people slowly let their guards down. This book is definitely one to pick up if you love forced proximity, a cozy fall aesthetic, and sizzling chemistry like I do!

what a great read! i haven't read anything by this author before and this was a pleasant surprise. i loved the writing and characters. the plot was intriguing and addictive. really fantastic read for the summer