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 🩵