Jake and Emily have been best friends since they were 5 yrs. old. I can just see Emily running up to
Jake and telling him they were going to be best friends. Cute!
I enjoyed their relationship but felt Jake needed to be able to stand up for himself more than he did. Which brings us
to Claire. She is so mean and controlling. I knew something bad was going to happen whenever she appeared.
I would highly recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for this Arc.

This was a heartwarming story about second chances. I loved the characters and their development and growth. The plot was well-paced and captivating. I highly recommend this clean and wholesome read. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Emily Carmichael and Jake Hughes have been best friends since they were five years old. During their teen years, Emily developed a deep crush on Jake, but by then he was dating someone else, so she kept her feelings to herself. After the tragic loss of her parents, Emily sold the family home and left Splendid Lake behind, convinced she would never return.
Years later, at twenty-nine, Jake is fighting to save his family’s apple orchard. With the orchard’s 100th anniversary approaching, he reaches out to Emily, hoping her artistic talent and creative vision can help him plan a memorable centennial celebration. As they work side by side, old feelings begin to resurface for Emily — and Jake starts to realize that the sparks between them might be more than friendship. But complications arise when Jake’s ex-girlfriend continues inserting herself into his life and his parents’, stirring up tension and doubt.
Amy Clipston has a gift for crafting heartwarming stories filled with lovable, relatable characters, and this novel is no exception. Once I settled into this delightful tale, I couldn’t put it down. The blend of friendship, second chances, and emotional depth kept me turning pages straight through to the end.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

I was so excited when I seen who had written this book. You see, I love anything she writes but her Amish stories are my very favorite.
I loved this story for the Hallmark movie feel and 2nd chances. The colors of this book are gorgeous. The perfect blend of Fall.
I took my time in savoring this story because I didn't want it to end. I loved Emily and Jake's story. So heartfelt that in some places I wanted to cry it was so sweet.
This story hit home for me in many ways. The grief shared in this novel, the years of friendship lots going on in here that will keep you turning the pages. "Sigh"
Emily and Jake's somewhat banter made me smile at times too. I think these two were meant to be no matter how much time has passed. For everything there is a season and it's true.
Loved the small town vibe too. Another favorite about the story. Im from a small town so it resonates with me.
5 stars for a job well done. I highly recommend!
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

Talk about the most darling feel good love story out there! It gave me chills. I absolutely fell in love with this book.

Loved this book. Emily and Jake have been best friends since they were 5 but after Emily's parents died in a car crash. she moved away coming back to visit because Jake's family. they were like her second family. She always had a crush on Jake but figured they wouldn't have a future. He begged her to come back and help with the Orchard Celebration.. (100th year) To say anything else would spoil the whole story. A GREAD READ.

I just love the romance stores set in small towns. I love this one. Made me wish I could live in a place like Splendid Lake. Spendid Lake is the setting from a previous book by Amy Clipston but this is a stand alone book. I don't recall if the previous characters from Splendid Lake were mentioned in this book. In this book Emily has always been in love with Jake but they always remained in the best buddies category. Jake's family has an orchard business and when the orchard starts to decline because of a large scale competition moving in that undercuts their prices Jake calls on his best friend Emily to come help him out. Jake has had an of again and on again relationship with the beautiful Claire, currently an ex. Jake and Emily might have a chance to be more than friends if Claire doesn't get in the way. I could not put this book down. This author usually writes in the Amish romance genre but I really do like her contemporary romance stories. She is such a good writer that I might read some of her Amish novels.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher. All opions are my own.

Great writing style

Cozy laidback and fun

Great characters, dialogue and chemistry

Small town vibes 🩵

Amy Clipston delivers another page turner! I devoured it in less than 24 hours - I just had to know the ending of Emily and Jake. Best friends since they were 5, the chemistry and deep connections could really be felt through her writing. Hallmark needs to scoop this up and do a movie ASAP! Loved everything about this book - highly recommend for a fun, heart warming and light read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

CANDY APPLE KISSES by AMY CLIPSTON is a sweet love story with quite a lot of tension caused by an ex -girlfriend arriving on the scene,, interfering parents and financial problems…….
The action takes place on the Hughes family apple farm with Jake Hughes asking his best friend, artist Emily Carmichael, to help him save the family legacy. A neighbouring apple farm is trying desperately to close the hundred year Hughes farm down…….
Jake and Emily have been inseparate friends since the age of five, with Jake being oblivious to Em’s feelings for him. He, in turn, is afraid of losing her friendship if he ever admits how he has always felt about her……..
This is a delightful novel about friendship and second chance romance and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Thomas Nelson Publishers.. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Amy had us cheering for the characters from the first page as they worked their way through the struggles back to each other. Well done, Amy!


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Candy Apple Kisses by Amy Clipston is a sweet, cozy small town, second chance, friends to lovers, contemporary romance. I read anything that she writes. I was drawn in by Jake and Emily’s story on Splendid Lake. Great fall read. Nothing better than fall festivals, apples, pumpkins friends and love. Couldn’t put it down. Thank you to #NetGalley and #ThomasNelsonFiction for this arc. This is my honest review.

Candy Apple Kisses by Amy Clipston was such a fun and heartwarming read. It’s a simple story in the best way, making it a quick and easy book to get through while still being completely enjoyable.

The overall tone felt light, sweet, and uplifting, leaving me with that happy, feel-good feeling by the end.

If you’re looking for a cozy, charming romance that’s easy to read and guaranteed to put a smile on your face, this is definitely one to pick up.

Great small town cozy vibes 💖

Love the characters,details and dialogue

Wonderful character chemistry and very cozy cute book

Great page turner

This was the perfect fall/autumn read! Such a cute, cozy second chance romance with yearning and the most beautiful small-town setting! I loved how the characters were written and the way they were developed throughout the story. It was the sweetest, most wholesome contemporary romance- highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

5 out of 5 stars
Fall Themed Closed Door Romance
Candy Apple Kisses is exactly what i want from a cozy, autumn‑themed romance. You have a small town friends to lovers romance with an orchard that needs saving. Emily returns to town to help Jake save his family's apple orchard. Their friendship deepens as they come up with a plan to help save it. I ran this book quickly because I just couldn't put it down. Its a great rainy day read.

I am a sucker for fall reading!! Fall is my favorite season so getting to read about it in the spring just made me sooo happy!!

The small town setting was perfect, the orchard vibes were unique, and the friends to lovers romance was adorable! Jake was so sweet and it matched the cozy atmosphere throughout the book. It was a super fun, cozy read that made me want apple cider asap!! I will definitely be doing a re-read in september when I am yearning for the cooler fall weather and vibes!

This is a sweet, feel good friends to lovers story.
While it wasn’t always easy, the path Emily and Jake took to their happily ever after was worth all the struggles. When Jake asks Em to come back to their home town to help him save his family orchard, the attraction between the two became a lot more than friendship. The characters were well developed and while I didn’t like them all, they all had a valuable impact on the story. The plot had everything I love in a romance- friendship, love, memories, and second chances. Great beach read
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

This was just a really cute cheesy book. I love a best friends to lovers and always will. This man was so stupid for not noticing her before but he got there eventually.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Candy Apple Kisses is a contemporary story by Amy Clipston. This story focuses on the Hughes Family Orchard as it struggles to prosper at it’s 100th year. Jake has called his best friend, Emily, to ask for her help. Not only is Jake struggling with the future of the orchard and family responsibilities, but he is also struggling with being able to move forward after breaking up with his long time girlfriend.

This is a very well written story that is easy to follow and imagine. The beginning moved a little slow for me, but I was able to get into it very quickly. There are so many good points to this story. Jake feels so committed to his family and the orchard that was started by his grandfather. Emily has been struggling to move on since the death of her parents and agrees to go back to Splendid Lake to help Jake. I just love how she is able to come up with all the ideas for the orchard. I like how she was able to get his father to go along with her ideas just by talking with him. I enjoyed how their friendship has been with them for so long and how they share so many things. I especially enjoyed how Emily was able to get back to her art and how that makes such a big difference for her and Jake. It’s hard not to feel for Jake as his ex-girlfriend will not accept his decision and goes to extremes to try to get him back. This is an enjoyable story to read.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review.

Review of advance copy received from NetGalley

This book was amazing. It is set in a small town and has autumn vibes. It follows Emily and Jake who have been best friends from childhood. This book had the perfect combination of romance and emotional depth. I really liked the way the flaws of the characters were portrayed and the character development throughout the book. This was my first book from Amy Clipston and nevertheless it certainly won’t be my last.

I give my thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with this arc.