Falling for Felldown Farm: A sweet, low-stakes fantasy romance

by D.S. Ritter

When Irisa Thorne's life implodes on her in the city, she packs her things and moves out to her grandfather's old place in Thistlebrook Valley, but finds her new country digs less than idyllic.

The locals refer to her grandfather's property as "Felldown Farm," and the name is apt. In the decade since he died, the fields have become overgrown and the house has fallen into disrepair. And, it may be haunted.

But Irisa's not going to let any of that get her down. She's devoted to making this rustic lifestyle work. She has to be; there's no way she's going back to the city.

On top of all this, there's Char, the local woodcutter with a grumpy disposition, who thinks she's never going to make it, yet seems to always show up at just the right times. Beneath his spikey exterior, Irisa suspects there's a softer side. Will she be able to tease it out?

And what is she going to do about the mysterious spirit that ransacks her kitchen every time it rains?

Levels of heat you can
- Holding hands
- Looks that last too long
- Thoughts of fondness and longing
- Tons of butterflies in stomachs
- Accidental (clothed) spooning
- Closed-door intimacy

The TropesGrumpy/SunshineFish Out of WaterSmall TownOnly One BedMatchmaking

Genres: Cozy

261 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2024

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet fantasy romance!! Backed it on Kickstarter and now I can't wait for book 2!

[Kristina R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute concept and some really good characters, but could have been a bit more cozy and had a little more magic- I do think both of those pieces picked up more in the last bit of the book though, and it seems like the next book is set up to be more my type!
I absolutely loved Delia. I really enjoyed Irisa. Would have loved to see some of the other side characters a bit more. But oh my goodness. I really didn't like Char- for most of the book, he was not just grumpy but just...an idiot that seems to need to be pushed and prompted and overall taken care of and looked after by everyone else (especially his sister)? I'm glad he was starting to get over it at the end, but yeesh. Unfortunately, the way he was and the way their relationship came to be was more frustrating than cozy for me.

[Mattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book!

On a total whim, I contributed to the Kickstarter for this book. I thought the premise sounded sweet and I liked the idea of supporting a self published writer.

Well, that certainly paid off! The writing is fantastic. All of the characters feel real with inner lives. The two leads have great chemistry with each other and the other characters in the village. The fantasy elements of the world are slowly rolled out over the first few chapters and the central fantasy element is sweet and I want to return to Felldown Farm as soon as I can!

If you’re looking for a low stakes romance with light fantasy elements, you will adore this. I can’t wait for the next book!

[Carl H Spitzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I too got a PB edition, ISBN 960-7-3010-0001-5, from the author from a Kickstarter campaign. I found the story a bit slow going, but it did pick up in the second with a greater involvement of the fantasy aspect. Two narrators, who come from rather different backgrounds, but are thrown together due to circumstances. From the beginning you know that by the end that they will become romaticly involved. They spend time together, but fuss at each other and have 'separations'. At times, if it wasn't for Jasper, the Char character would not have been worth following at all in the first part of the book. I do not believe I was in the 'target' audience and will not be buying Book 2.