The Cinnamon Spice Inn is a heartwarming enemies to lovers, second chance romance that feels like sipping a pumpkin spice latte on a crisp fall day. When NYC food writer Madison returns to her small hometown of Maple Falls to save her family’s inn, the last person she expects to work with is Zach her bearded, infuriating, and still irresistible ex. As they battle old feelings, bicker their way through renovations, and prepare for a big Halloween opening, sparks fly and hearts are on the line. Perfect for fans of small town charm, fiery chemistry, and happily ever afters wrapped in autumn vibes.

This was cute! The way the inn and Maple Falls were described had me wishing for chillier days and cozy nights. I am all about fall and Halloween, despite it being a little early 😜

Tropes include: <i>Smalltown, Second Chance, Childhood/High School Sweethearts, Seasonal (Fall), Forced Proximity, Enemies to Lovers (idk about this one)</i>

Maybe it’s because it’s still the middle of summer, but I just couldn’t get into this one. I can always tell when a book is taking me entirely too long to read that I’m not really in it. This took me over a week (I will admit I was a busy bee, but I digress, that’s not normal for me) and I was surprised when I checked and it was only ~350 pages.

From the start, I just didn’t feel any sort of chemistry between Zach and Madison. It was described as enemies to lovers but that’s not at all what I would call it. A second chance? Absolutely. They were mad at each other, but I wouldn’t say they were enemies. All of their problems hinged on miscommunication and when they actually talked, they were both quick to drop their anger. 6 years of silence followed by a quick apology? Wouldn’t be my reaction, but to each their own.

I didn’t feel any type of way about either of our main characters. I was honestly a little more interested in Kit 🤷‍♀️ They felt flat and uninspired. I wanted them to have more to their personalities than just being “the one that got away” or “sacrificing” for the other. Zach felt a bit more developed, but there was just so much going on in the background that Madison kind of fell through the cracks for me.

The meddling townspeople were some of my favorite characters. It was cute to see them wanting the best for the couple. They all played a small part in helping with the inn and it truly felt like a community.

A lot of the spice/steamy moments weren’t exactly what I was expecting. Not quite fade-to-black, but definitely not full blown smut. Maybe twice (?) I felt like we got a whole scene, but even then, it wasn’t anything to write home about.

I will say, the writing itself was good. The way the author described things and painted scenes felt immersive and warm. She wrote about cinnamon rolls filled with apple butter in a way that had my mouth watering. Where can I get one? 🤤

This one just wasn’t for me, but I wouldn’t say it was a bad book. I think if I would’ve read this in the height of fall, I may have enjoyed it a little more. Save it for a cool, cozy fall evening while sipping some warm cider and you’ll enjoy yourself.

The Basics:
Contractor 🛠️ // Food Writer 📝
3rd Person Dual POV
Standalone, but #1 in the “Maple Falls” series
HEA 🖤 + epilogue
🌶️/5
⭐️⭐️.5/5


Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC 🤍

For lovers of The Pumpkin Spice Cafe series and Hallmark rom-coms. This book follows Madison as she is summoned home by an anonymous letter informing her that her father needs help to keep the family inn afloat. She faces her childhood sweetheart, Zach, for the first time since she left him and the small town of Maple Falls for the excitement of New York City.

I really enjoyed the cozy feel of this book. Read it when you're ready to get into an autumn mindset. All the characters are lovely - there really isn't a villain. This book was also only lightly spicy, like Buffalo sauce, I would say. Inoffensive, but definitely there.

I liked the mystery and will continue on with this series when it's released. I felt more attached to the town and overall vibe than to the main characters, especially when the book-long conflicts were resolved in about one sentence each.

Thank you Bookouture for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Reading The Cinnamon Spice Inn felt like being wrapped in a giant autumnal hug—cozy, warm, and full of charm. I absolutely adored it.

I’m primarily a fantasy reader, and most romance novels tend to fall flat for me, especially the cliché ones. I’ll admit, I initially assumed this would be similar to another well-known series in the genre that I didn’t enjoy (the cover art gave me that impression). I couldn’t have been more wrong. The second half of the book, in particular, surprised me with several plot twists I genuinely didn’t see coming—a refreshing and much-needed change for the genre.

The author’s depiction of Maple Falls is enchanting; I found myself wishing it were real. In fact, I ended up reading most of the book with a cinnamon roll and hazelnut latte in hand, completely immersed in the autumnal atmosphere. Now I’m officially ready for fall. 🍂

The characters are bursting with personality: Madison and Zach’s shared history had me rooting for them from page one; George’s affection for his animals was endearing; Kit’s passion for her cooking radiated from the page; and Jo delivered those rock-solid best-friend vibes that every protagonist needs. Each one felt distinct and memorable.

I can’t wait to return to Maple Falls in the next book. This one is an easy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me.

So I’m not a huge reader of spice, but I couldn’t resist trying out this cozy fall themed book. I love a small town cozy romance and this had soooo much of that! Such a cute read for fall. I feel like peoooe are going to love this one :)

The Cinnamon Spice Inn by Harper Graham is a warm, witty, and irresistibly cozy small-town romance that blends autumn charm with sizzling enemies-to-lovers chemistry. When coffee-fueled city girl Madison returns to Maple Falls to save her family’s inn, the last thing she wants is to work alongside Zach, the infuriatingly handsome ex who still knows exactly how to get under her skin. Between pumpkin-spiced renovations, crackling banter, and a Halloween deadline, their rekindled sparks threaten to ignite into something neither can ignore. Graham perfectly captures the heart of small-town community, the thrill of second chances, and the slow-burn heat of two people fighting what’s clearly meant to be. Perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls, fall vibes, and romance that’s as sweet and spicy as its name.

I picked this up on a whim, it seems like a knock off of a very popular series but I actually enjoyed this one more! A cute, cozy, spicy time perfect for fall reading. If you liked that other series, you will like this as well, you may even like it more!

Renovating the family inn with you handsome grumpy ex boyfriend, what could happen? This book has it all when a small town girl returns home to save family and runs straight into her past. Romance, spice, family, heartbreak, all laid out in a beautiful package. All the characters are well written and interesting. The scenery takes you to a beautiful place with fall leaves and the smell of cinnamon. This book is book one in a new series and I can't wait to read the rest!

Honestly, this was such a good book for me—I really enjoyed it. It is the perfect cosy, small town romance to get you into the autumn mood.

Throughout the book, I really came to love Zach and Madison, and I was internally screaming at points because I just wanted everything to work out for them. The romance was steamy, there was so much tension, and can we just talk about what a gem Zach is? I loved him from the start, he was the perfect 'grumpy' to Madison's 'sunshine'.

The book was filled with such vivid imagery—the scenes are all described really well and I could picture everything so clearly. I want to live in Maple Falls, to go and get a cosy autumn-themed coffee and take a walk along the lake.

I have to be in the mood to read a romance book, but boy did I devour this book. It's probably the only cosy, seasonal romance book that I have read so far where I want to read the rest in the series. Like right now. All I can say is please, please write the next one because I need more of Maple Falls!

I loved every single character, they all felt so lived in and realistic. And I loved that they were all there to help one another, just like the perfect cosy little town would be. The vibe was very Gilmore Girls, which I loved.

The amount of quotes I highlighted in this book was crazy. Harper Graham must have slipped in some of that cinnamon apple spice latte into the pages because it was so addictive.

Thank you to Harper Graham, Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

If you know me, anything that references Gilmore Girls has me in a chokehold. I love anything like this.

Whew, the tension between Madison and Zach in the first 2 chapters already. I just know its going to be good.

It gives off cosy, small town vibes and I love anything like that. It makes me want to pack up my bag and disappear to a town like this.

I love the little small businesses, the people who live there and everything around them. How they all wanted to help Madisons family with the inn.
The descriptions of the town have made me feel like I'm right there.
I could feel every breeze and smell every smell. Just give me a hot chocolate, cinnamon bun and let me walk around the town.

The miscommunication was such a pain, its my least favourite trope and I hate to see it coming. Did this put me off? Absolutely not.

I was able to read this in less than 24 hours, I couldn't put it down. I wouldn't want to put it down even if I had to.

If you like a slow burn, second chance romance and of course, a small town then this book is perfect.

🌟 : 4
🌶 : 1.5

Release: 28th August 2025

This was exactly how a cosy autumnal small town romance should be done. It has second chance romance, city girl home to help save her families inn, first love looking so good in his flannel and hes the local workman, medaling older women and a town which is more like a family.

The characters were well written and weren't just wishy washy like you sometimes see in these more cosy books, the spice level was perfect for a small town romance and the series is one I cant wait to continue.

Thank you NetGalley & Bookouture for approving this ARC.

First of all, thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me a digital ARC of this book.
🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂
I enjoyed this cozy romance novel filled with everything fall and cinnamon rolls! 🍁🎃☕️❤️🧡
Definitely a homage to Hallmark movies with spice 😘
Madison and Zach did frustrate me at times but I was very satisfied with the end 😌🙂‍↕️😍
Perfect for fans of the Dream Harbor series by Laurie Gilmore.
Tropes: ex lovers to lovers; miscommunication x3 😣; grumpy mmc and semi-sunshine fmc; childhood sweethearts; forced proximity; one bed; small town feels

How CUTE was all the Fall stuff in this book! 🍂 you could literally take Sweet Home Alabama and Gilmore Girls and shove it in a Stardew Valley play through and get this book. IYKYK

The main characters and their romance were kind of hard to really get into. A lot of miscommunication from the beginning…and it kept happening. I didn’t really feel it was enemies to lovers…more like a second chance romance. A little too much inner monologue which started feeling repetitive as well. Don’t get me wrong. The storyline was so fun and cozy and made me want to dive right into fall like right tf now. If you are desperate to FEEL Fall, I highly recommend this book all the way down to the crunching acorns beneath their steps.

Spice is super low…I’d say barely a 2/5. It happens, we get a teensy bit and then it Is over. So like I said, cute spice but not closed door.

I do recommend this book to all you Fall lovers out there because that’s the main theme.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookcouture for allowing me to provide my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the cozy fall vibes and small-town charm woven throughout the story — the atmosphere definitely captures that warm, autumnal feeling. However, some of the characters felt a bit unrealistic, and the dialogue didn’t always feel natural.

While this is marketed as an enemies to lovers romance, that’s not really the dynamic here. Madison and Zach were childhood sweethearts whose relationship ended due to a very minor miscommunication — something that could have been resolved quickly. As soon as Madison returns to her hometown and reconnects with Zach, she’s already fantasizing about him and the life they might have had, so there’s no real animosity between them.

Overall, it’s a light and cozy read, but I wouldn’t call it “spicy” or a true enemies-to-lovers romance.

Honestly such a cute autumn read, I absolutely love small town romance and second chance romance.
The only thing I didn’t particularly like was the miscommunication it could’ve been cleared up much quicker.

Loved the feeling behind the story. It started out super good with the storm and everything. This was a super cute and fun read!! I loved the main characters!!! I cant wait for the next book to come out!

An absolute must read for autumn!

As someone who is not usually a romance reader this book completely surprised me. I loved every minute of being in Maple Falls. It makes me want to move to a small town and live in a cosy space surrounded by small town people.

I enjoyed the structure of this book. I always look for a book with a dual POV and this has got it. Both characters are very well written and have their own ways of thinking and feeling.

The story itself had me shaking my phone at times because I just wanted to bump their heads together and tell them to figure it out. But the tension and build up for the ending were so worth it. Very cleverly done with the characters back story’s, who they are as people and the situations they are facing and how they navigate it. I just wanted more!

The side characters in this were all so loveable and I want to know about all of their lives! I will be keeping my eyes peeled for the email about book two!


A fantastic book for anyone who loves romance and even if like myself it’s not your usual genre! This has made me want to read more romance and I will definitely be adding some to my tbr.

3.5 Stars

The Cinnamon Spice Inn was a cozy fall romance with all the small-town charm I love. I enjoyed the mystery of who sent the secret letters to the townspeople and to Maddie, all while watching her and Zach slowly find their way back to each other. It had all the good vibes you could want in a fall read, with miscommunication, small-town romance, and a perfect blend of Gilmore Girls meets Hallmark.

This was such a cute autumn, small town romance. I liked the FMC and her family and the side characters that were introduced.

Whilst I love a good mystery, the element of mystery with the anonymous letter doesn’t really add anything to the story. It’s often forgotten about and randomly brought up as if the FmC is trying to discover who sent it but she doesn’t actually investigate it at all.

The miscommunication trope was strong with this one to the point where it was extremely annoying. Every time they talked something through something else came up and they didn’t communicate. In real life, there’s no way they would stay together after the end of the book if they can’t just talk. Unfortunately, the MMC was honestly pretty underwhelming, he was more of a real person than a book mmc - he kept giving up on them as a couple without really trying to fight for them.

That being said, it was cute, fun and cosy.

Got an early copy of The Cinnamon Spice Inn before it’s release (thank you NetGalley and Bookouture).

This was a pleasant read. Loved the cosy, autumn vibes and the storyline of main characters. The book was quite easy to read and the rest of the characters in the book were interesting.

Can’t wait to read more of Maple Falls stories. 🍁🍂