An Irresistible Harvest

by Rebecca Goldie

I’ve got a problem on my hands. A sunny, bright-eyed, girl-next-door kind of problem.

For a lonely farmer, having a charming new neighbour move next door is about the best thing you could hope for. At least, that’s what I thought until I met Hannah.

I’ve always considered myself a good man. But here I am, obsessed with a woman that’s already taken.

Hannah Foster is only back in Maymont to fix up her grandparent’s old inn before selling it for a tidy profit. By the time the snow flies, she’ll be back to her perfect life in the city. She’s temporary. Taken. And unfortunately, the perfect woman for me.

I know it’s wrong, but I can’t stop wanting her.

Hannah’s soft curves and easy smiles spin themselves into wild, shameful fantasies in my mind every night. I’m ashamed of how eager I am to give in to them.

But when her jerk of a boyfriend breaks things off, I don’t know if I can hold back anymore. Is it wrong of me to show Hannah my bad side?

An Irresistible Harvest is a cozy (and spicy) friends-to-lovers romance with forced proximity where he falls first. This is the first book in the Seasons of Maymont series, where each standalone story takes readers through a festive celebration of the changing seasons with a happily ever after.

Genres: Romance, Friends To Lovers, Ebooks, Contemporary Romance, Forced Proximity, Contemporary, Fiction

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 7, 2023

About the author

Rebecca writes cozy romances that don't sacrifice on spice, set in fictional small towns that are way better than reality. Her books are perfect for living out your cottage core fantasies and escaping real life for a little while.

Reviews

[G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn about this one, the world that the author created is great. A perfect cozy small town that you'd love to drop everything and move to and the MMC is wonderful. But, I just didn't care about the FMC and found myself wishing that she's just grow a pair and take care of herself. I get that she's going on a journey of self discovery after a crap relationship, but I was not prepared for her to feel like her only worth was to please her dirtbag of an ex and her family for nearly 80% of the book. She finally gets there, but damn if I just didn't care by the end.

So, if I didn't care about the FMC, why 3 stars still? The author has created a truly fun little universe that I found myself enjoying immensely when I wasn't bombarded by an inner monologue of self loathing. The supporting characters are what really made this book great and I'm hoping the the future books in the series can hold on to what made those characters so much fun to read as they get their own stories. The sex scenes are great too, I love a cinnamon roll MMC who ends up being absolutely filthy.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

So many grammatical errors, I had to force myself to finish it.

[Colleen Sutter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with a lot of other reviews, that Hannah was very immature and annoying. Yes, she had a lot to go through with her previous relationship and the constant gaslighting she faced from Trevor. But she was very hard to stomach. At 30% I found myself already wanting to DNF. Ethan was the only one who made it bearable, and even he got on my nerves most of the book. And the other townspeople weren't even worth it, and I usually love small town stories.

I'm glad I got this book free on a stuff your kindle day because I would have wanted my money back had I paid for it. I also couldn't get past the countless spelling and grammar mistakes. Did someone even proof read or edit?

[Mile Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5 This is the first book of the author and I’m… thoroughly impressed! ✨🍁🍂✨

This book is a cozy and romantic must read for the beginning of fall. The characters are wonderful and there are goats!!
🍁✨🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐✨🍁

I love the main characters, they are sweet and flawed, hurt but healing, broken but kind. They are realistically multifaceted and the way the author writes—👩🏻‍🍳💋(chef’s kiss). The female main character will test your patience by the middle of the book. She’s… figuring things out. 😅 If you’ve read this book and have a big opinion/reaction to this character (Hannah), then props to the author for a job well done! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

My expectations for this book were pretty low, maybe that is why I’m so surprised. The author is capable of painting a picture with words, 🏊🏼‍♀️ dive into the character’s thoughts💭 without breaking the realism and pace of the story (do you know how hard it is to do that?!), and make everyday conflicts gut wrenching because you’re invested in the character’s lives and happiness.

Great read! No regrets! ✨🍁✨🍁

🚨Ages: 15+ (there are some spicy 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ scenes)
🚨Some triggers include: emotional abuse

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the premise of the book. The author created the perfect cozy small town where you want to drop everything and move in. Hannah is trying to restore the Inn she inherited from her grandparents. While reluctant to do so, the end goal is to sell the Inn to help fund the building of her fiance's dream career-boosting home. Her fiance is a self-absorbed jerk who doesn't make a move unless it boosts his career. She meets Ethan, her neighborly farmer, and his goat. Ethan offers her his help. Spending time with Ethan and his friends makes Hannah question her life. One thing leads to another, and she soon finds herself single and on a journey to self-discovery.

Her insecurities, self-loathing, and people-pleasing personality sometimes become too much. You just want to tell her to get her crap together. But she gets there while Ethan patiently waits for her. And finally, Hannah and Ethan get their HEA.

The supporting characters helped make this book unforgettable. I can't wait to read more about them in future books.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Carmen Capurro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the fall/small town setting the author created, absolutely loathed the FMC and her poor life choices. Also the spice was horrendous to read. If I had to read the word ‘folds’ one more time, especially in combination with the words ‘sleek’ and ‘wet’ I was going to SCREAM.

[Rylee Comer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book for free on stuff your kindle day and it was okay! Lots of grammar issues and a couple very spicy scenes. I have a hard time with MFC that have literally no confidence in themselves so this book was not for me.

[Kelly Soldatos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet and spicy. Exactly what was promised in the title.
I got it as part of Stuff Your Kindle Day.

The spicy part took me by surprise at first, since there was just so much cuteness all over the place and the vibe I got for a long time was completely far from sexual, but as I said above - the title promised (and delivered!) the spice in this autumn story.

Ethan is such a gentleman and a sweetheart, and Hannah's little inn sounds like a dream come true for book lovers. I kept catching myself, thinking whether the author had a dream about this story and then decided to turn it into a book.

The cuteness and all aside, however, I do have some downsides to mention, or other thoughts...

1) The fall story didn't really mention autumn-y stuff much except for the view outside, occasionally some food? I feel like there could've been many more opportunities for this. It seemed like both the character and the author kept forgetting what month or season it is?

2) Some insane editing/proofreading is still required. Punctuation, commas, sentence structure, typos, and name mix-ups. Steven, at one point, turned into Spencer, and I was just blinking at the screen, wondering who that was. Spencer then did get properly introduced in the next chapter, though. Also, "combing back hair back with his finger" is an interesting visual.

3) The sexy times. They went crazy. For a sweet romance book, it turned a little too wicked for me. And I'm all here for smut, but I don't know if this was the book for it, at least on this scale.

All this aside, the story itself was lovely. The pacing is nice, and the language use beautiful. Hannah not seeing every red flag until after getting out of the relationship is unfortunately very realistic.

Can we talk about the book cover? I'm so in love with it, I wish I could buy the book's physical copy only to have it on my shelf. I would, if it ever went through the editing.

I wonder if Miriam gets her book next? Will it be a Christmas story as she finally visits Hannah in Maymont?

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Cute fall read. Girl moves to small town to help renovate her family's inn which is conveniently located next to a farm with an incredibly nice and attractive farmer, what's not to like?

[fismusicbox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan & Hannah ❤️

| Steam 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Rated NC17+, 2-4 scenes
| Feels 😁😊🙂😢😢🍁🍂👨‍🌾⚒️

*Lots of typos and editorial errors

[Anastasia Hossack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really cute. If your having any sort of identity crisis especially after a breakup I would 100% recommend reading. Very cute romance.

[Jennifer Obermueller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute read. I didn’t hate it but due to the number of grammar/typos, I just couldn’t give this more than 2 stars. Author seemed repetitive with certain words.

[Liana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love a good cheesy romance, but this book was not for me. It had so many spelling and grammatical errors as well as overly-predictable storylines. I wanted to like it more but unfortunately couldn’t finish it.

[Stephanies.books_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay....

let's start with the MFC Hannah... Hannah, Hannah, Hannah... Where to begin with this character? She was sweet, cute and in need of a serious backbone. This book would have been so much better had her character been just a lot more... full of self-worth. Let's put it like that. This girl was a walking doormat. She let a guy waltz into her life and just take root. He took over and she let him steam roll her into this empty shell of a woman with no thoughts of her own. She let her ex waltz back into her life like nothing happened and she went along with it to please everyone else, so they didn't get upset? Um, like H*** NO! After what Trevor said to her when he 'came to talk some sense into her', she should have slapped that SOB in his arrogant, self-centered, egotistical, narcissistic face! Or kneed him, also would have been acceptable.
I just wanted to shake some since into her character.

Even after she left Trevor, Hannah just went on and on about how she didn't know what to do or how to start over. Every time she had to do something for herself, she was indecisive, it seemed like. It almost made what Trevor said to her seem like, that was exactly what her character was. Which makes it all sadder to read.

Ethan the MMC, bless his heart... Just wanted Hannah to notice him. To love him, but after everything with Trevor, she just couldn't get a clue in her head if she tried. That was till closer to the end of the book when Trevor yet again insulted her. She finally got a clue that the relationship wasn't a good fit for her. Or really any woman. Trevor is a walking, talking RED FLAG!

Ethan was sweet and considerate of Hannah. I enjoyed reading Ethans point of view. He was kind of shy in way that screamed "I don't interact with a lot of single women". He took the news of seeing Hannah say yes to her ex, well like any guy who was in love with the girl would. I am actually surprised he held it together like he did.

[Probably Reading Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really really wanted to love this book. The world that the author created is so beautiful and picturesque and perfect. I liked Ethan a lot, rugged farmer, who knew what he wanted. There wasn’t *much* groveling on his end.

Hannah, on the other hand, I just couldn’t connect with. Her absolute jerk of an ex-boyfriend, she’s in love with him for like 75% of the book. And for some reason, even though she was so happy in Maymont, she kept going back to him. And it came across as if she couldn’t stand up for herself, and she even said yes to his proposal that she didn’t even want. She was trying to convince herself that this rich jerk of an ex-boyfriend was going to be good enough for her and that she could just suck it up and be his arm candy, while he cheats on her. At the end, it didn’t make sense why she kept going back to him and it wasn’t just groveling. It was annoying. He kept showing her, again and again, and again the kind of person he was and that didn’t matter to her. She wanted to make it work because she wanted to please everybody else in her life and she didn’t come across as a very strong main character. And the fact that she was in love with her ex for 75% of the book when he treated her like actual trash, and there was Ethan right there, made Ethan feel almost like a second choice.

Again, the world that is created was so cute and it was the kind of town that you would want to move to if you like Small Town romances. I might try to read the next one and maybe it’ll be better. I really wanted to like this, but just couldn’t connect with it and it took me 10 days to finish because I was reading other books.

[mal ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ · Rating 1 out of 5]

❧ 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻

DNF at 20%.

this book is so overwhelmingly boring and average. i like the idea and the cover is cute. however, the plot is the typical friends-to-lovers, boy/girl next door, girl dating a toxic guy and the friend comes in to save the day.

this book feels like gilmore girls, but hannah is so immature and annoying and although i did not finish the book, i feel like i can predict the rest of the story.

the grammatical errors also have me twitching because how did a book get published with so many errors?? :/



update: this book put me in a book slump for the rest of 2023!!

[Liz | lizzuplans · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were parts I really liked, there were parts I was really indifferent about, and there were parts I did not like at all.

Loved Maymont, all the townspeople (cannot wait to get to know them better in future books!), the cosy vibe, and the idea of the inn and the farm.

I HATED Trevor, which was of course intended, but the way Hannah let him walk all over her from beginning allllll the way to the end was so annoying and almost stopped me from finishing the book.
5% in- “It’s why we work. He rages care of our life while I try not to undo all of his progress by being… well, me.”
Honey, love yourself and dump his ass and do not let him benefit from the sale of YOUR inn that he is only interested in because he realised there is money to be made!!!!!!!! Also he makes you make give him pleasure but does not return the favour?? DUMP. HIM.

Hannah and Ethan were cute together, but to me it went from cute to hot ‘n heavy a bit fast. Especially with all the description of the wetness during their intimate moments.

I was not really motivated to keep reading, but when I did, it was a fun easy charming read.

I appreciated the content warnings. “Your trip to Maymont should be a mental reprieve” was the perfect way to approach this!

I really enjoyed the glimpse I got of the fantasy-esque world building. The high speed train travel really made it seem like the world in which Maymont is set, is quite different to ours!

I received an ARC of this book (thanks!) and these are my own opinions.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Okay this was a slow, slow, slow, start, but after the first few chapters we were off and running. I could not get enough of Ethan and Hannah. Ethan - the stable man next door will sweep you off your feet as you read this novel right from the very beginning. You will dream of the strong, shy, farmer who is the perfect next door neighbor from the very beginning. Throw in a small town during the fall with favorite locals and a family feel and some spice? All you need for a fall escape.

I struggled to connect with Hannah's character until I was a quarter of the way through the book, but I was so intrigued with the story and was already falling in love with the farmer next door. Once Hannah hits her stride with the Inn's remodel, I couldn't put the book down. I was cheering for every home repair project she finished, as she grew in the small town of Maymont to be her own person, and especially in her relationship with Ethan. Also, let me tell you, they go from sweet to spicy in 0 seconds flat so hang onto your seat!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to follow Rebecca into the next one. While I did struggle with the start, I am so glad I finished this novel.

[Tara Gilmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, it was a cute story. I could tell this was a first run author doing it on her own as there were quite a few editing issues throughout. I think some of the plot points could have been more rounded out and detailed -- like we know her mom's desires but then don't really get any info on the fallout; or Trevor who we know is all about image, money, and who even guesses about her sleeping with someone, but then get no details on that fallout either he just disappears. I think there is room for more plot. Miriam could have been such a great plot point with her coming to town and seeing Ethan and helping Hannah realize how great he was; it was for sure a missed opportunity and her character really was only there to get her out of the restaurant.

I hope other stories are coming out that will revolve around some of the other characters that were teased: like what's up with the siblings? Seems like we need a story from his point of view. Or what about Simon? I guess time will tell. I would be interested in reading more from this author about this town and these people.

[MaKayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could barely finish this. First off, Hannah spends the first part of the book still with her boyfriend while we are introduced to the love interest which was a turn off for me. This might have been on me, I didn’t really read the description besides small town friends to lovers. Second, Ethan was just…sweet but also so hard to listen to when all he did was complain about being lonely. I liked him when he was being sweet and thoughtful but when he was moping, I just didn’t care. Third, Hannah needed to pull herself up by the bootstraps and get the hell over some things. I can understand to a degree but also, girl he cheated, then tried to gaslight you about it and you still went “I need time and space so we can figure out how to move forward together.” I wanted to throw my kindle across the room. Just get out. I agree with the other reviews about the spicy scenes being well written but I still cannot get over the stairs. How miss girl didn’t bang her shins on the steps is a miracle given how she’s five feet tall. I could go on but I’d be here forever.

[natalie 𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖ · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 5 ⭐️ 2 🌶️

(ARC Review) The way I devoured this book! It was such a beautiful read!

Hannah was a very relatable character for me, in terms of her learning that it was okay to put herself, and her wants/needs first before others. It was lovely to watch her discover herself, and stand up for what she wants in life to those around her.

Trevor was a major red flag from the beginning 🚩 but I loved that this book made me feel things towards his character and the way that he manipulated and treated Hannah!

Ethan on the other hand, was such a green flag dude! It made me so happy to see that he too, got himself a happy ending after what he went through!

The cozy fall vibes to this story was immaculate! I could picture the farm, the trees, the inn - with all the beautiful fall/autumn colours!

I’m very excited to read more from this series!

——
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: Small Town, Dual POV, He Falls First, Friends to Lovers
——

TikTok: @natsbooktok
IG: @natsbooksta

[Jacquelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

'An Irresistible Harvest' was quite entertaining. The amusing plot was filled with hilarity, a bit of calamity, nostalgia, unsavory relationship dynamics, new beginnings, a much-needed epiphany, and love. Hannah and Ethan, the protagonists, crept their way to a HEA. They gushed with chemistry. I loved the author's writing style: flawed yet engaging characters, a fascinating farm and small country town setting, amazing vividness, and a heartfelt storyline that held my interest throughout. Moreover, I loved the humor, such as, "Luckily for me, Hannah seems to be able to make friends with anyone, a group of sharks, a shopping cart, and everything in between..." However, the inappropriate use of "anyways" throughout was jarring. Nevertheless, I wholeheartedly enjoyed reading the light-hearted narrative.
I received a copy for free and am voluntarily giving my honest review.

[Casey MacKenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is cute and fun. I really liked that it's a contemporary romance but it is passively in like a different world/universe/the far future. It's subtle and not part of the plot, but in a good way. It was unexpected and suprisingly pleasing.

I got this free on Stuff Your Kindle Day and I am pretty sure it is Rebecca Goldie's first novel and independantly published. I think it could have done with a good editor or something to flesh out the MCs a little better-- their depth is mostly insecurity which is not terribly appealing.

That said, I read it in one sitting and I will be interested to read more stories from Maymount. I like the town a lot and love that the next book is the classic Christmas Tree Farm Hallmark trope. I am an absolte sucker for the classic inheriting-a-Christmas-Tree-Farm trope!

[Kesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not only a cozy and sweet fall romance. It's complex and beautiful, with many emotions and difficult life situations. This story has struggles and triggers, and it's significantly emotional for those who can relate to toxic relationships. It's a page-turner that makes one root for a happy ending for Ethan and Hannah. Ethan is so sweet, patient, and caring. He shows her she is worth loving, that he sees and loves the real her no matter what. Hanna struggles to be brave enough to lower the walls around her heart and find a way to voice her opinions. But when it gets steamy, it's unexpectedly intense :) I appreciated the realistic dialogue, strong characters, and relatable situations.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 1 in Goldie's The Seasons of Maymont and I can't wait for more! A wonderfully cute and steamy romance. This is Ethan and Hannah's story and Goldie provides us such relatable characters and transports us into the small town of Maymont in fall. I can almost smell the crisp fall air when I read this story! Great characters, a smooth flowing storyline that captivates and wonderful balance of sweet and steam. I can't wait for winter in Maymont and what Goldie has in store for us!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Annie Tasaka · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

This book started out strong; small town, charming farmer, funny goats, city girl moves in next door. After the first couple of chapters I could see it going so right.

I wish it just kept it simple, but there was just too much going on, like developing this fantasy world small town, dragging on the boyfriend too long. It felt unfocused at times and I just wanted to skim through.

I feel like this book had a lot of potential but ultimately not enough time was devoted to them falling for each other.

I was given an ARC copy of this book and my opinion are my own.

[Chiloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Local produce farmer falls for new-to-town girl who inherited the run down family inn and is in a relationship. This book was adorable! It was like a Hallmark movie but where the MMC has a filthy and "he falls first" mindset while still being patient and respecting her. He was so sweet. FMC battles her people pleasing mindset. I would've given this 5 stars but there were a few spelling/grammatical errors. Otherwise - it was perfect! A sweet, small town romance with just a touch of spice. I'd reread!

[Eileen Peters · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a fun read, but not a great book. I liked the male mc, Ethan, and the townspeople more than the fmc, Hannah, (she was a little too thick-headed and her arc dragged a bit, but maybe I just prefer stronger female mcs). The writing was alright but definitely not great (though it didn’t help that I read this right after an Emily Henry book). It felt kind of amateurish and the wording was a little unrealistic. Like the author had the thesaurus open and tried to make things a little too poetic sounding and cliche.
But it was fine to read as a silly airplane/bedtime book.

[Shalyn Falloon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Irresistible Harvest is a perfectly pleasant small-town romance, but nothing particularly new or groundbreaking. The setup is familiar: girl returns to the town she spent time in as a child, meets the friendly neighborhood farmer, and inevitably falls in love. Add in some cozy fall vibes, a touch of found family, and a guaranteed happy ending, and you’ve got an enjoyable seasonal read. While it didn’t wow me or offer much beyond the expected beats of the genre, it’s a sweet autumn romance if that’s what you’re in the mood for.

[Elizabeth Lyon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the town the author created but the FMC was starting to annoy me. It took her 80% of the book to realize something.
Why two stars? Grammatical errors and punctuation for one. The second, I felt no connection to the characters. That doesn't say it was horrible. It wasn't. The small town feeling I got! That was perfect!
As an indie author, I get saving money by not using an editor. But I've had alpha, and beta, readers mark up their copy of my book of anything they find. Maybe this author needs to do the same. It would make my rating go up to a 4.