This was cozy and jam-packed with fall imagery and activities. Ellie is an event planner who comes back home to her family’s Inn on an Orchard to help plan a harvest festival after getting wrongly fired from her job in New York City. There, she ends up having to share an apartment with her childhood best friend, and son of the family that owns the orchard (who got really hot).

This was so fun, literally everything I could want in a small town fall-themed romance - a troublemaking goat, a pug in an orange sweater, giant papier mache donuts, and a cast of interesting characters that I can tell will probably be getting their own stories. It's Lovelight Farms, but make it fall.

I was fully embracing the Hallmark/Gilmore Girls, Autumn-enthusiast vibes.

Valerie Bowman's writing mastery + a Cozy Hallmark Setting + Spicy Contempo Forced-Proximity Open-Door romance = a Dream Combo! And oooh the tension! The tension was off the charts between Ellie & Aiden, two childhood friends that haven't seen each other in years until Ellie turns up (after being unjustly fired and post break-up) to help her parents plan a Harvest Festival at their Inn. The flirty banter and comedy bits (out-of-control goat Mrs. Guin!) were highlights.

If you are craving an escape from the summer heat, are a fan of Hallmark films but wish they ended in the bedroom instead of with a chaste kiss - cuddle up with a hard cider at "The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn" this weekend - you won't regret it. It made me want an apple cider donut and to plan a fall foliage tour STAT.

There is no swoonier farm fresh hero than Aidan. If this man was real, he'd be fought over like Helen of Troy. There is no better heroine to root for to find her HEA than Ellie. She's hard-working, kind and a woman wronged. Did the story have its cheesy moments - yes, but the characters owned it. It was just plain fun and set up other characters and fun romances for the next books.

Fans of Laurie Gilmore's "Dream Harbor" series and the Gilmore Girls will adore this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for this ARC! 🍎 🎃
Overall, I really liked this book! This was one of the more atmospheric books I’ve read. Bowman set the scene very well and definitely gave me major fall vibes as I was reading this book in the middle of July. Apples, pumpkins, cinnamon, cider, and hay bales galore!
The story has a great cast of characters, but I would have loved just a bit more depth in main characters Ellie and Aidan, but they were extremely likable and had great chemistry. It had many tropes that I adore such as small town, slow burn, and friends to lovers.
I read this book very quickly and felt the first half was a bit slow compared to the second half, which I felt flew by and maybe moved a bit too quickly.
I look forward to the rest of this series and other books by this author. 4/5 stars.

This was such an adorable fall read! It is like a fall Hallmark movie with a touch of spice! I loved the fall setting at the inn & orchard. The second chance romance between Ellie & Aiden was sweet and spicy! 🌶️

A must read book for fall! 🍁


My review will be up on IG in early Sept!

This one gave me all the fall feels! I absolutely loved the main characters and their history and who they became together. Also really loved supporting characters and I hope we get a follow up story on some of them! The way the author described everything had me feeling like I was there with the characters. Only part I didn’t love was how often the first half she kept referring to Geoff.

This was a 5 star rating for me. Cute, fast paced and fun

This is such a cute fall romance book! I absolutely loved the fall feel of the book! It made me want all things Apple, pumpkins, falling leaves, and a cozy blanket! I loved the slow burn of Ellie and Adien’s love story! This book is the perfect fall read! It will definitely get you in the mood for fall and kicking your feet from the giddiness of the story. I loved the part when they were watching the Gilmore Girls at the drive in! That sounds like an amazing time!

Thank you Netgalley, Harper Voyager, and Avon for this fall infused ARC.
This was a perfect book that made me feel so ready for the fall season. I would love to visit a place like the Honeycrisp Orchard Inn and join in their Harvest Festival, the author made it sound like the perfect October event.

Tropes:
🍎Small Town
🍏Friends to lovers
🍁 Forced Proximity
🍂 Seasonal Magic

This book has all the autumn Hallmark vibes and I'm here for it! It was as cozy as the Gilmore Girls with excellent characters. I want to live in this book!

I was given an ARC by the author and this is my honest review. Who doesn’t love an amazing autumn read?! Ellie is an event planner who is working very hard to get the big clients at her job with GMJ in NYC when the unthinkable happens and she finds herself back home in Long Island on her parents orchard. Although her parents don’t come out and say it, they need Ellie’s help to save the orchard and she knows exactly what to do. Aiden is her childhood friend who has definitely grown up into a fine specimen of a man, how has she never noticed how hot this man is? They butt heads in planning a fall festival as they each have their own ideas. Then Ellie is offered her dream job but she’s not sure if she should take it or if she should stay where she’s at. I fell in love with the characters and highly recommend this heartwarming read. There is also a steamy scene towards the end of the book. Happy reading! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC of this book. This is the best cozy fall romance I have ever read! Two people from the same town who grew up best friends lead separate lives as adults and end up reconnecting due to life events. Ellie lives as a big city girl in New York as an event planner and loses her job. Her mom calls her minutes after losing her job to come back home and plan a big fall Harvest Festival and try to save her families inn. Ellie runs into her childhood best friend and the tension is there between these two in so many ways. There’s cozy fall vibes, angst, comedy, romance, friendships, and big decisions. I hope there ends up being a whole series of interconnected stand-alones by this author for these characters.

For me this book started off really slow, and I almost DNF’d it. However, it quickly changed. If you are looking for a cute, Hallmarkish Autumn book, read this book. It has a Fall festival, hot men in flannel and cowboy hats, adorable dogs in costume, and the theme of change. The FMC, Ellie has quite the character arc in this book. She changes from the quintessential city girl, but comes to love the small town she grew up in. I love that she isn’t afraid to go after what she wants and is not afraid to admit when she’s wrong, even if it takes her a bit. The MMC sounds like a hunk of burning love, and I’m sad he is a fictional character. I also really want to try his apples, there is no euphemism here. I’m very interested to know if Charlotte, Maria, and Sera get their own books because I’m invested.

This is the perfect seasonal read! I was craving fall so bad and this hit the spot. Ellie is a super sweet character and I understand the struggle of trying to figure out exactly what feels right for you. The Gilmore Girl touches were perfect, and I wanted to move into this inn instantly. There are so many funny lines throughout and the banter is top notch. It's a slow burn in the best possible way and the chemistry between her and Aiden felt so natural. If you're looking for a feel good fall read this is it.

I was given an ARC of this book through NetGalley. I just loved this book!! It took me to fall within a matter of seconds, even when the temperature around here is 101 degrees! I felt like I just visited the Gilmore Girls and stayed at the Good Witch's house and shopped in their town with a coffee in my hand. Now I can't wait till October to come!

I loved the two characters Ellie and Aiden. They made the story so fun! Then animals Pumpkin the pug, Argos the dog, and the goat made the story too.

I can't wait to see if there will be another book so I can revisit this fun town! I just felt like I was apart of it unfolding!!

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. I enjoyed this! It was super cozy and fun. The only negative feedback I will give, is I was hoping for a little more character development from Aiden, to really get to know his character better, and how he was feeling about Ellie returning.

🍂 If cozy blankets, crisp apple air, and second chances are your vibe, The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn is going to steal your heart. Imagine The Pumpkin Spice Café colliding with Sweet Home Alabama, and you’ve got the essence of this charming read.
Ellie and Aiden, once inseparable childhood besties, are reunited in the heart of a picturesque New England inn when Ellie returns home—bruised from city life, betrayed by her boyfriend and her boss. Back in her hometown to plan the event of the season, she’s met with nostalgic warmth, a sprinkle of drama, and a slow-burning spark that refuses to fizzle out.
With two lovable pups, a sass-packed Libra, a swirl of karmic twists, and enough apples to fill an orchard, this story wraps you in feel-good magic and small-town charm.
✨ Slow-burn
✨ Fall in all its golden glory
✨ Small town charm
✨ Return to hometown
✨ Seasonal magic
✨ Light spice

Get ready to Fall in love with The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn. Yes, pun very much intended. 🍎

Ellie is an event planner and was going to give a big presentation at her job when she was abruptly fired by her boss. Unbeknownst to her, Ellie’s now ex-boyfriend and co-worker, has been telling their boss that Ellie was going to steal all of his ideas about the presentation. Ellie tried to clear up the misunderstanding and accusation but her boss did not want to hear her explanation. Ellie had been dumped and fired all in the same day!

Ellie’s mother called at the right moment and asked her if she was willing to help with a festival in their small town and she can have creative control over the event. Ellie gladly took her mom’s offer since she was fired and dumped and headed to Long Island and stay in the attic apartment that she grew up in. But Ellie did not know that Aiden, her childhood best friend, would also be staying in the attic apartment due to his pipes bursting at his house. They start fighting about the event and the budget and start reminiscing about the past and one thing leads to another..

Tropes: Childhood friends to lovers, grumpy sunshine, small town, forced proximity, he falls first

Ellie and Aiden are definitely opposites but in a good way. Aiden is grumpy, practical and is an entrepreneur. Ellie is a free-spirit and is very good at event planning. Overall, I loved the story of childhood friends and eventually turning into lovers. The ending was sweet and touching. I loved all of the fall vibes especially the apple cider donuts, the descriptions of fall such as the crisp air. I couldn't get enough.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

WOW WOW WOW. This book is Fall PERFECTION. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book. The description of the leaves, scents, apples, orchard, inn, etc. made me feel like I was there. I enjoyed the developing relationship of Aidan and Ellie. I loved every second of Pumpkin the dog. This was a Fall Hallmark movie with a touch of spice. I finished it wanting MORE! I hope this is going to be a series because I would love more of Maria + Jesse and Charlotte + Sawyer. Not to mention Miss Guin. I would definitely highly recommend this book to all my fellow fall loving girlies!

Valerie Bowman’s The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn is the perfect cozy fall read. Bowman created an idyllic small-town filled with such an autumnal atmosphere. If Harvest Hollow existed, I would move there in a heartbeat. Additionally, Bowman created such lovable characters that you cannot help but be invested in reading their story. If anyone is looking for a fall romance, make sure to pick up this book (and you will be craving a pumpkin spice latte by the end of it).
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and the incredible author Valerie Bowman for the opportunity to read this book as an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Publication date: September 9, 2025

I had THE BEST time reading this book! The fall vibes were perfect and I loved the setting of an inn/apple orchard!! This book nearly had me booking a ticket to the New York/Connecticut area. If you are a fan of Gilmore girls, swoony small-town romances, grumpy X sunshine, and stories about strong women discovering their worth, this one is for you!

Ellie returns to her small hometown, where her parents share ownership of an inn and orchard, to assist with the planning for a fall festival. What she doesn’t expect to find is her childhood best friend in her apartment at the inn, in only a towel with abs for days. What unfolds is a swoon-worthy romance filled with friends, family, a plan to save the inn from hardship, and goats!!

I really loved this book! I related a lot to Ellie in the sense that you can give so much to a corporate job and they just pull the rug out from under you, with men constantly underestimating women. I loved the sense of female empowerment, and Ellie’s journey to realizing her worth and redefining what success means to her!

I really hope there are more books about the side characters (charlotte and sawyer, Jesse and Maria I’m looking at you!!). The only thing i would change about this book is that I wish it was dual POV. By the end of the book I felt like I understood Aiden, but it took awhile to get there. I think some chapters from his POV would have helped.

If you are looking for a cute fall romance this year, this is definitely the one to pick up!!

The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn starts off with a bang for Ellie when she’s dumped by her boyfriend and then her boss which has her going back to Harvest Hollow and the Inn where she grew up. I enjoyed how Ellie and Aiden met again as adults once she got back, as well as how their relationship renewed/grew. I would have liked to get Aiden’s point of view sometimes, but the story is from Ellie’s view (which was fine) and didn't dimmish my enjoyment. Also, between Ellie and Aiden’s families, their friends and the people of Harvest Hollow, it really drew me in and made me want cheer them on and to live there with all of them. I can’t wait to come back to Harvest Hollow in future stories.

I received a free ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.