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Bramble Falls #1
Falling Like Leaves
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fiction (2025)Gilmore Girls meets Jenny Han in this autumnal teen rom-com about a city girl stuck in a quaint small town who must confront her future and her old flame while the town prepares for an annual fall festival.
Ellis has a lot of expectations for her senior year, but moving from Manhattan to Bramble Falls, Connecticut is not one of them. Yet in the wake of her parents' separation, that's exactly where she and her mother are headed.
Bramble Falls might be charming, but it's also full of distractions. Like local barista Cooper Barnett, Ellis's one-time best friend—and first kiss—who has not only majorly glowed up but wants nothing to do with Ellis.
Then there's the Falling Leaves Festival, a month-long tourist attraction run by Ellis's aunt—celebrating everything autumn. The festival seems nice and all, but Ellis doesn't have time to be roped into her aunt's enthusiastic planning. Dragged to each event, she can't stop bumping into Cooper, the one person she's hoping to avoid.
But the longer she stays in Bramble Falls, the harder it is to pretend she's not falling for this town and the people in it. As her return to Manhattan gets pushed further and further out, Ellis is forced to confront exactly what she wants for her future—and what that means for her present.
Ellis has a lot of expectations for her senior year, but moving from Manhattan to Bramble Falls, Connecticut is not one of them. Yet in the wake of her parents' separation, that's exactly where she and her mother are headed.
Bramble Falls might be charming, but it's also full of distractions. Like local barista Cooper Barnett, Ellis's one-time best friend—and first kiss—who has not only majorly glowed up but wants nothing to do with Ellis.
Then there's the Falling Leaves Festival, a month-long tourist attraction run by Ellis's aunt—celebrating everything autumn. The festival seems nice and all, but Ellis doesn't have time to be roped into her aunt's enthusiastic planning. Dragged to each event, she can't stop bumping into Cooper, the one person she's hoping to avoid.
But the longer she stays in Bramble Falls, the harder it is to pretend she's not falling for this town and the people in it. As her return to Manhattan gets pushed further and further out, Ellis is forced to confront exactly what she wants for her future—and what that means for her present.
352 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2025
1572 people are currently reading
53837 people want to read
About the author
Misty Wilson
3 books441 followersMisty Wilson is the New York Times bestselling author of Falling Like Leaves and the award-winning middle-grade graphic memoir Play Like a Girl. She is a teacher, a registered nurse, and a voracious reader. She loves binge-watching television series and adores rom-coms. She lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband and their two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,334 reviews
November 15, 2025
Either 3 or 3.5 ⭐️
We follow our main character coming from being a huge city girl and moving temporarily to a sweet small town (extremely Gilmore girls coded) and bumping in to a boy she had her first kiss with a few years ago
The vibes were great for fall, there’s a fall festival they’re preparing for and it was fun! I listened to this on audiobook & I think if I read it I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much (I’m not really a YA reader anymore), but it was good to throw on while doing other things. The main character did annoy me a bit, but if you’re looking for a super quick fall read and high school vibes I’d reccomend!
We follow our main character coming from being a huge city girl and moving temporarily to a sweet small town (extremely Gilmore girls coded) and bumping in to a boy she had her first kiss with a few years ago
The vibes were great for fall, there’s a fall festival they’re preparing for and it was fun! I listened to this on audiobook & I think if I read it I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much (I’m not really a YA reader anymore), but it was good to throw on while doing other things. The main character did annoy me a bit, but if you’re looking for a super quick fall read and high school vibes I’d reccomend!
September 19, 2025
cute fall read! nothing special but I had a good time!!
November 11, 2025
2.75 stars ⭐
⤷ mini spoiler-free review!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ my thoughts
i didn’t hate this book, but i didn’t love it either. i enjoyed the small town fall vibes and the premise, but ellis, our FMC, was pretty insufferable (yes, this is exactly what i wrote in my review for The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn because the two books felt very similar). she spent most of the story living in her own little bubble, thinking only of herself. i get her frustration about being caught between her parents and being kept in the dark, but her lack of respect for her mom was genuinely upsetting. her mom was such a strong woman, and i truly have so much respect for women like her.
“I remember all your details, Cooper Barnett. They’re my favourite thing to memorize.”
GIRL BFFR RN. she literally forgot he even existed for YEARS until she went back to bramble falls 😭
“I can’t trust you to stay because leaving is what you do. You don’t care about anyone or anything unless it gets you closer to your goals. And the worst part? You’re so focused on what’s at the end of this path that’s been laid out for you, you hardly give a second thought to the people walking it with you. Instead you step on us and treat us like we’re in your way. Like we’re inconveniences or hurdles you have to get past on your way to reaching your dad’s dreams. Because let’s be clear, working at his company is not your dream, Ellis. Everyone who knows you knows it. But it doesn’t matter, because even though deep down you know it too, you refuse to admit it. To forge your own path. And I’m not really interested in being another person in your life who’s nothing more than a pit stop. Someone who doesn’t matter. I actually don’t care what you want. And I don’t care about your empty apologies. I get that you’d rather not be here, so you were upset about your mom buying a house. But I can’t be with someone who books it out of here without considering how it affects other people. You’ve only ever cared about yourself, and I’m over it. I’m not making the same mistake again. Now leave me alone.”
cooper, our MMC, said everything that needed to be said, but then he forgave her so easily in the end… 🤦🏻♀️ i will never understand why MMCs stay hopelessly in love with insufferable FMCs. like yeah, i get that loving someone means loving them for exactly who they are, flaws and all, but still 😭
also, i hate it when two people who are clearly in love but deep in denial drag innocent people into their mess. jake, sweet golden retriever that he is, deserved better 💔 ellis didn’t exactly lead him on, but she definitely used him 😤 #justiceforjake!!! i’ll treat you right king!!!!! 😫
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ overall
this was another cute and fun small town fall romance, but again, i would’ve enjoyed it more if ellis didn’t annoy me so much 😪 anyway, i think i’m done with fall romance books for the year.
────────── ⋆⋅end⋅⋆ ──────────
pre-read 🍂🍁
november’s still fall in my head so yeah, i’m sticking with my fall reads 🤷🏻♀️
⤷ mini spoiler-free review!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ my thoughts
i didn’t hate this book, but i didn’t love it either. i enjoyed the small town fall vibes and the premise, but ellis, our FMC, was pretty insufferable (yes, this is exactly what i wrote in my review for The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn because the two books felt very similar). she spent most of the story living in her own little bubble, thinking only of herself. i get her frustration about being caught between her parents and being kept in the dark, but her lack of respect for her mom was genuinely upsetting. her mom was such a strong woman, and i truly have so much respect for women like her.
“I remember all your details, Cooper Barnett. They’re my favourite thing to memorize.”
GIRL BFFR RN. she literally forgot he even existed for YEARS until she went back to bramble falls 😭
“I can’t trust you to stay because leaving is what you do. You don’t care about anyone or anything unless it gets you closer to your goals. And the worst part? You’re so focused on what’s at the end of this path that’s been laid out for you, you hardly give a second thought to the people walking it with you. Instead you step on us and treat us like we’re in your way. Like we’re inconveniences or hurdles you have to get past on your way to reaching your dad’s dreams. Because let’s be clear, working at his company is not your dream, Ellis. Everyone who knows you knows it. But it doesn’t matter, because even though deep down you know it too, you refuse to admit it. To forge your own path. And I’m not really interested in being another person in your life who’s nothing more than a pit stop. Someone who doesn’t matter. I actually don’t care what you want. And I don’t care about your empty apologies. I get that you’d rather not be here, so you were upset about your mom buying a house. But I can’t be with someone who books it out of here without considering how it affects other people. You’ve only ever cared about yourself, and I’m over it. I’m not making the same mistake again. Now leave me alone.”
cooper, our MMC, said everything that needed to be said, but then he forgave her so easily in the end… 🤦🏻♀️ i will never understand why MMCs stay hopelessly in love with insufferable FMCs. like yeah, i get that loving someone means loving them for exactly who they are, flaws and all, but still 😭
also, i hate it when two people who are clearly in love but deep in denial drag innocent people into their mess. jake, sweet golden retriever that he is, deserved better 💔 ellis didn’t exactly lead him on, but she definitely used him 😤 #justiceforjake!!! i’ll treat you right king!!!!! 😫
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ overall
this was another cute and fun small town fall romance, but again, i would’ve enjoyed it more if ellis didn’t annoy me so much 😪 anyway, i think i’m done with fall romance books for the year.
────────── ⋆⋅end⋅⋆ ──────────
pre-read 🍂🍁
november’s still fall in my head so yeah, i’m sticking with my fall reads 🤷🏻♀️
October 10, 2025
if you’re reading this, add this book to your fall tbr.
i’m just a girl who picked this up because of the cover. i'm glad i did.
┏━━━━━❂ what to expect ❂━━━━━┓
❥ YA romance (i have no idea why i thought this was an adult romance lol)
❥ ALL of the fall vibes: apple picking, pumpkin patches, a corn maze, bonfires, lots of warm coffees, cute fall clothing, going back to school, chilly weather, homecoming dances, football games
❥ small town setting
❥ childhood (summer) friends to lovers
❥ found family/friends
❥ parents separating/getting divorce
❥ moving to a new town
❥ fmc is into journalism & fashion
❥ our mmc works at a cat cafe (!!!) and is into baking
❥ slow burn
┏━━━━━❂ what i loved ❂ ━━━━━┓
❥ cozy & wholesome
❥ loved the small town, close-knit cast of characters
❥ the autumnal vibes were just too good. YES PLEASE.
❥ the dynamic between our fmc and her family (parents, aunt, cousin, etc) was really relatable for me and felt very practical
❥ the character development felt realistic considering their ages and where they were at in life (finding out what they want to do, where they want to go to college, who their real friends are, etc)
┏━━━━━❂ a few things missed the mark ❂ ━━━━━┓
❥ there were just a handful of hip, slang terms used that made me slightly internally cringe
❥ fmc could be a bit selfish at times
❥ didn’t love the weird ‘conflict’ that existed between mmc and fmc at the beginning. the tension could’ve been excluded or set up a bit differently.
┏━━━━━❂ overall feelings ❂ ━━━━━┓
❥ i need fern’s book, misty wilson, i beg you
❥ this was absolutely adorable and i read it mostly for the fall setting. as for being autumnal, it absolutely delivered and i really, really hope the second book in this series serves in the same way. the struggles and dynamics in this book felt really realistic and actually offered some good advice for real life. i enjoyed this more than i expected!! excited for book two. <3
i’m just a girl who picked this up because of the cover. i'm glad i did.
┏━━━━━❂ what to expect ❂━━━━━┓
❥ YA romance (i have no idea why i thought this was an adult romance lol)
❥ ALL of the fall vibes: apple picking, pumpkin patches, a corn maze, bonfires, lots of warm coffees, cute fall clothing, going back to school, chilly weather, homecoming dances, football games
❥ small town setting
❥ childhood (summer) friends to lovers
❥ found family/friends
❥ parents separating/getting divorce
❥ moving to a new town
❥ fmc is into journalism & fashion
❥ our mmc works at a cat cafe (!!!) and is into baking
❥ slow burn
┏━━━━━❂ what i loved ❂ ━━━━━┓
❥ cozy & wholesome
❥ loved the small town, close-knit cast of characters
❥ the autumnal vibes were just too good. YES PLEASE.
❥ the dynamic between our fmc and her family (parents, aunt, cousin, etc) was really relatable for me and felt very practical
❥ the character development felt realistic considering their ages and where they were at in life (finding out what they want to do, where they want to go to college, who their real friends are, etc)
┏━━━━━❂ a few things missed the mark ❂ ━━━━━┓
❥ there were just a handful of hip, slang terms used that made me slightly internally cringe
❥ fmc could be a bit selfish at times
❥ didn’t love the weird ‘conflict’ that existed between mmc and fmc at the beginning. the tension could’ve been excluded or set up a bit differently.
┏━━━━━❂ overall feelings ❂ ━━━━━┓
❥ i need fern’s book, misty wilson, i beg you
❥ this was absolutely adorable and i read it mostly for the fall setting. as for being autumnal, it absolutely delivered and i really, really hope the second book in this series serves in the same way. the struggles and dynamics in this book felt really realistic and actually offered some good advice for real life. i enjoyed this more than i expected!! excited for book two. <3
October 5, 2025
・:〃➜ 𝑺𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 🍂 ੭ ̊
__🥐⸝⸝ ₊˚𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦! 🍄 ₊ ༄˖°
˚₊‧꒷︶꒷🍁 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 ִֶָ𓂃🥧⊹ ࣪ ˖
🧺~•.° 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚: 14+ (𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙨, 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙤, 𝙘𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩.), 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜: 13+ (𝙛*𝙘𝙠, 𝙨𝙝*𝙩, 𝙝*𝙡𝙡, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙖 𝙛𝙚𝙬 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨.) ‧₊°◞🕯️
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
╰ now playing: 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙣 ˚꒷︶꒷꒦🍯 ♡₊˚
ⵢ₊˚. 🧣 𝙏𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙬𝙞𝙛𝙩
⌞ 2:40 ——◦———— 4:00 ⌝
↠ⁿᵉˣᵗ ˢᵒⁿᵍ ↺ ʳᵉᵖᵉᵃᵗ ⊜ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉ ˚‧₊🦉
‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿
˖ ࣪ 🧡 ꒰ . "𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨". ꒱ 🥮 ࣪ ˖
🥞୧ ‧₊˚ UGHHHHHH CUE THE PUMPKIN LATTES AND PUMPKIN PIE SCENTED CANDLES. BECAUSE I SWEAR TO GOD WHEN AUGUST ROLLS AROUND IM ALREADY IN THE FALL SPIRIT. And what better way to get in the freaking fall spirit then with a FALL THEMED ROMCOM HELLO? And as someone who has not watched Gilmore Girls yet (DON'T COME FOR ME I SWEAR I WILL EVENTUALLY.) This seemed like it had similar vibes to clips I saw of the show on Youtube, SO I WAS HYPED. I also did not to read this book alone so I dragged my little sister who reads at 2mph TO READ THIS WITH ME!! (If you are reading this Alina I'm sorry I forced you to finish this the same week I did. UT LEARN HOW TO NOT BE A FREAKING TURTLE SHEESHH) BUT ANYWAYS, after finishing this heck of a book while it was still 80 degrees outside, I DO HAVE MY THOUGHTS. So enough with my chitter chatter and let's start my lovely rant as always.
˖ ࣪ 🧡 ꒰ . "𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩-𝙞𝙛𝙨". ꒱ 🥮 ࣪ ˖
🥞୧ ‧₊˚ Ok so I think the most important thing that everyone wants to know about this book is probably THE VIBES. And let me just tell you that this book most definitely HAD. THE VIBES. We have smalltown, cozy, apple orchard, fall events, sweaters, fashion, boots, cafe, cats, THE LIST FREAKING GOES ON. It's like the author searched "Autumn" in Pinterest and just JAM-PACKED EVERYTHING INTO A 300 PAGE BOOK. Because the entire time I was reading this I was obsessed. YOU KNOW IT ACTUALLY MADE ME WANT TO GO APPLE PICKING AND FALL IN LOVE WITH A RANDOM BOY FROM AN ORCHARD IM NOT GONNA LIE. (Someone tell my deluluness to chill out gosh.) AND NOT ONLY DID THE VIBES ABSOLUTELY ATE, I GOTTA SAY THIS BOOK HAS SO MANY TAYLOR REFERENCES. I'm not a swiftie myself but I loved how there were little references throughout the book. AND THE FACT WE HAD A GUY WHO WAS A SWIFTIE HAD ME ROLLING!!! I found it so hilarious and cute and IT LITERALLY FIT THE VIBES. So I have no complaints as far as the vibes being off goes.
˖ ࣪ 🧡 ꒰ . "𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙢𝙤𝙠𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜". ꒱ 🥮 ࣪ ˖
🥞୧ ‧₊˚ NOW THE PLOT. I think this is where some issues begin to stem from because the plot of this book was indeed very cliche. Was it entertaining? YES. Did I guess everything that was going to happen? ALSO YES. But if you are looking for more of a comfort read then an incredible plot this would be an amazing book to read. THOUGH I DO HAVE TO NOTE THE MAIN THING THAT BOTHERED ME WAS THE AMOUNT OF MISCOMMUNICATION. Because oh my FUCKING GOD. I was about to riot, scream, throw myself off a cliff at the amount of miscommunication in this book. OUR MAIN TWO LOVE INTERESTS NEED TO LEARN TO PROPERLY COMMUNICATE BECAUSE IT DROVE ME INSANE HOW MANY PROBLEMS STEMMED FROM THEM NOT TALKING THINGS THROUGH PROPERLY. Like is it SO HARD to get some tea and sit down and just talk? IS OUR ATTENTION SPAN THAT LOW NOWADAYS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE ARGUMENTS OVER STUPID THINGS BECAUSE WE CANT TALK?? But alas, that is one reason a star has been knocked off because I know while some people enjoy miscommunication tropes, I AM NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. And while it all ended well, let's just say we could have saved at least 100 pages of my girl having depression because she fought with a small town Timothee.
˖ ࣪ 🧡 ꒰ . "'𝘾𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜". ꒱ 🥮 ࣪ ˖
🥞୧ ‧₊˚ And on the topic of miscommunication, LETS TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT THE ROMANCE. Because oh my god this felt so cute yet so freaking messy in a way. WE HAD ALMOST LIKE A LOVE TRAINGLE BUT IT WASN'T REALLY A LOVE TRAINGLE BECAUSE THE GIRL LOVED ONLY ONE GUY- AND LET'S JUST SAY I WAS LOWKEY PISSED. I am not kidding when I say me and my sister felt so bad for our man Jake because the way he was treated in this book was insane. NOT TO MENTION HE WAS THE CUTEST THING EVER??? And yes, while I get that this is partially the plot of the book, DID WE HAVE TO DRAG IN ANOTHER MAN?? Like I would have loved if we had a good focus on the chemistry between our two main characters instead of having this big ordeal with Jake liking her and she just went along with it the entire time. AND THIS BRINGS ME BACK AGAIN TO THE MISCOMMUNICATION. JUST SAY YOU DON'T LIKE HIM FOR GODS SAKE, WHY WE GOTTA WAIT TILL PAGE 250 😒
˖ ࣪ 🧡 ꒰ . "𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙄'𝙙 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚". ꒱ 🥮 ࣪ ˖
🥞୧ ‧₊˚ I do want to talk about the characters in this book because I found the dynamics QUITE interesting as well. I'M GOING TO BE SO HONEST RIGHT NOW WHEN I SAY THE MAIN GIRL REMINDED ME SO MUCH OF BELLY FROM THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY BUT IN A DIFFERENT FONT. I mean I don't know what it was about her but she just gave off Belly vibes in a weird fall way. I'M NOT SAYING I HATED HER, BUT THERE WERE TIMES WHEN SHE WAS A LITTLE BRATTY. But I can honestly say it was probably apart of her character development (Which was very little developed in this book but anyhow.) The rest of this characters in this book were extremely sweet and comforting though, AND SOME I LOVED MORE THAN OTHERS BUT LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT THAT. Our main guy character was SUCH A CUTIE THOUGH, (And he works at cat cafe like WHAT THE FUCK?? WHERE CAN I FIND THIS MAN??) But I do got to say he pissed me off too. LIKE HE WAS JUST SO DRAMATIC TOO LIKE SHUT UPPPP MAN. I don't know maybe I'm a hater but I feel like my man has to toughen up his skin.
˖ ࣪ 🧡 ꒰ . "𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙣' 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝�� 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚". ꒱ 🥮 ࣪ ˖
☕️⊹. 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬‧ ₊°◞
🍁˚. ᵎᵎ 𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒔: Like I said before she DID have her annoying moments but she wasn't all that bad. I think I really loved how driven and hard-working she was because DANG. MY GIRL KNEW WHAT SHE WANTED. I loved how she designed clothes as well because that is the most iconic thing you can do. PEROD. If she works on her communication skills and learns to appreciate the small things in life she could be such a bad ahh girl. ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT HER SENSE OF FASHION? BECAUSE I WANT HER ENTIRE WARDROBE THANK YOUUUUUUU.
🍁˚. ᵎᵎ 𝑪𝒐𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓: HE WASN'T ALL BAD EITHER!! I was genuinely curious at the start if he was going to be a bad boy, because the vibes he gave WERE DEF giving that. BUT I WAS ACTUALLY SURPRISED WHEN HE TURNED OUT TO BE SUCH A SOFTIE. Yes, he was dramatic and maybe a crybaby. BUT GUYS ITS FINE, HE JUST LOVED HIS GIRL!! I also loved the fact he worked at a cat cafe because that was just so freaking cute and creative. AND NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT I DON'T THINK I READ A BOOK WITH A CAT CAFE ASPECT SO THIS WAS SO FUN!!
🍁˚. ᵎᵎ 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒏𝒆: UGH. THIS GIRL IS LITERALLY ICONIC. I loved her so much more than our main girl for some reason. SHE WAS JUST SO DOWN TO EARTH AND FUNNY HELLO?! It made me want to have a cousin like her because she just seemed so fun. ALSO IM ACTUALLY SO CURIOUS ABOUT THE SMALL LITTLE LOVE STORY SHE HAD GOING ON??? I hope if there is a book two to this they include more about her because I'm actually so curious.
🍁˚. ᵎᵎ 𝑱𝒂𝒌𝒆: OH MY GOD. THIS MAN. I WAS ACTUALLY IN LOVE WITH THIS GUY. I wanted to cry at the way he was mistreated because he is such a golden retriever SWEETHEART. I loved the moments we had with him and I literally wish him NOTHING but the best. And honestly? I would LOVE an entire book exploring his character as well because I feel like this guy has a whole life we don't know about. BUT SERIOUSLY. GIVE MY MAN SOME JUSTICE.
🍁˚. ᵎᵎ 𝑭𝒆𝒓𝒏: NO BECAUSE WHY WAS THIS GIRL A DIVA TOO? She was the bestie to our main girl Ellis AND A FREAKING FOOD VLOGGER/REVIEWER?? At the start I was literally expecting her to be bitchy but she literally is the biggest sweetheart to exist!! I NEED A FRIEND LIKE HER ISTG.
˙✧˖°🐿️ There was ALOT more other characters that were so crucial to this story. Like Ellis's mom and her aunt. (AND OH BOY DID MY ARAB SIDE COME OUT AT THE AMOUNT OF TIMES I WANTED TO WACK HER FOR THE DISRESPECT SHE GAVE HER MOM.) And also her father which was a key part in this too. BUT BABES, THAT'S FOR YOU TO FIND OUT AND DISCOVER.
˖ ࣪ 🧡 ꒰ . "𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙙 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙙". ꒱ 🥮 ࣪ ˖
🥞୧ ‧₊˚ 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥:
This was DEF a cute heck of a book. AND WHILE IT WASN'T LIFE CHANGING AND SOME PARTS WERE ANNOYING, it wasn't bad AT ALL. I think this book would be a perfect read for a chill day or a car ride because it's honestly relaxing and fun! AND DON'T FORGET TO HAVE TREATS BESIDE YOU IF YOU READ THIS BECAUSE GOD, THE FOOD IN HERE MADE ME HUNGRY. I would probably read this again when fall rolls around because I really did enjoy the plot and vibes despite the issues. So if you are wondering if you should read this, I WOULD SAY GIVE IT A TRY AND SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT! We all don't know what we like till we try 🤣
˖ ࣪ 🧡 ꒰ . "𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣' 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩". ꒱ 🥮 ࣪ ˖
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
🍁🍂 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: HAHAHA I FINALLY GOT MY HANDS ON MY FIRST FALL READ 🤞🏻😫 Buddy reading this with my lil sis because I got her in the fall reading era 😼 I hope this delivers istg 😖
__🥐⸝⸝ ₊˚𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦! 🍄 ₊ ༄˖°
˚₊‧꒷︶꒷🍁 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 ִֶָ𓂃🥧⊹ ࣪ ˖
🧺~•.° 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚: 14+ (𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙨, 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙤, 𝙘𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩.), 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜: 13+ (𝙛*𝙘𝙠, 𝙨𝙝*𝙩, 𝙝*𝙡𝙡, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙖 𝙛𝙚𝙬 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨.) ‧₊°◞🕯️
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
╰ now playing: 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙣 ˚꒷︶꒷꒦🍯 ♡₊˚
ⵢ₊˚. 🧣 𝙏𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙬𝙞𝙛𝙩
⌞ 2:40 ——◦———— 4:00 ⌝
↠ⁿᵉˣᵗ ˢᵒⁿᵍ ↺ ʳᵉᵖᵉᵃᵗ ⊜ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉ ˚‧₊🦉
‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿‿
˖ ࣪ 🧡 ꒰ . "𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨". ꒱ 🥮 ࣪ ˖
🥞୧ ‧₊˚ UGHHHHHH CUE THE PUMPKIN LATTES AND PUMPKIN PIE SCENTED CANDLES. BECAUSE I SWEAR TO GOD WHEN AUGUST ROLLS AROUND IM ALREADY IN THE FALL SPIRIT. And what better way to get in the freaking fall spirit then with a FALL THEMED ROMCOM HELLO? And as someone who has not watched Gilmore Girls yet (DON'T COME FOR ME I SWEAR I WILL EVENTUALLY.) This seemed like it had similar vibes to clips I saw of the show on Youtube, SO I WAS HYPED. I also did not to read this book alone so I dragged my little sister who reads at 2mph TO READ THIS WITH ME!! (If you are reading this Alina I'm sorry I forced you to finish this the same week I did. UT LEARN HOW TO NOT BE A FREAKING TURTLE SHEESHH) BUT ANYWAYS, after finishing this heck of a book while it was still 80 degrees outside, I DO HAVE MY THOUGHTS. So enough with my chitter chatter and let's start my lovely rant as always.
˖ ࣪ 🧡 ꒰ . "𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩-𝙞𝙛𝙨". ꒱ 🥮 ࣪ ˖
🥞୧ ‧₊˚ Ok so I think the most important thing that everyone wants to know about this book is probably THE VIBES. And let me just tell you that this book most definitely HAD. THE VIBES. We have smalltown, cozy, apple orchard, fall events, sweaters, fashion, boots, cafe, cats, THE LIST FREAKING GOES ON. It's like the author searched "Autumn" in Pinterest and just JAM-PACKED EVERYTHING INTO A 300 PAGE BOOK. Because the entire time I was reading this I was obsessed. YOU KNOW IT ACTUALLY MADE ME WANT TO GO APPLE PICKING AND FALL IN LOVE WITH A RANDOM BOY FROM AN ORCHARD IM NOT GONNA LIE. (Someone tell my deluluness to chill out gosh.) AND NOT ONLY DID THE VIBES ABSOLUTELY ATE, I GOTTA SAY THIS BOOK HAS SO MANY TAYLOR REFERENCES. I'm not a swiftie myself but I loved how there were little references throughout the book. AND THE FACT WE HAD A GUY WHO WAS A SWIFTIE HAD ME ROLLING!!! I found it so hilarious and cute and IT LITERALLY FIT THE VIBES. So I have no complaints as far as the vibes being off goes.
˖ ࣪ 🧡 ꒰ . "𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙢𝙤𝙠𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜". ꒱ 🥮 ࣪ ˖
🥞୧ ‧₊˚ NOW THE PLOT. I think this is where some issues begin to stem from because the plot of this book was indeed very cliche. Was it entertaining? YES. Did I guess everything that was going to happen? ALSO YES. But if you are looking for more of a comfort read then an incredible plot this would be an amazing book to read. THOUGH I DO HAVE TO NOTE THE MAIN THING THAT BOTHERED ME WAS THE AMOUNT OF MISCOMMUNICATION. Because oh my FUCKING GOD. I was about to riot, scream, throw myself off a cliff at the amount of miscommunication in this book. OUR MAIN TWO LOVE INTERESTS NEED TO LEARN TO PROPERLY COMMUNICATE BECAUSE IT DROVE ME INSANE HOW MANY PROBLEMS STEMMED FROM THEM NOT TALKING THINGS THROUGH PROPERLY. Like is it SO HARD to get some tea and sit down and just talk? IS OUR ATTENTION SPAN THAT LOW NOWADAYS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE ARGUMENTS OVER STUPID THINGS BECAUSE WE CANT TALK?? But alas, that is one reason a star has been knocked off because I know while some people enjoy miscommunication tropes, I AM NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. And while it all ended well, let's just say we could have saved at least 100 pages of my girl having depression because she fought with a small town Timothee.
˖ ࣪ 🧡 ꒰ . "'𝘾𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜". ꒱ 🥮 ࣪ ˖
🥞୧ ‧₊˚ And on the topic of miscommunication, LETS TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT THE ROMANCE. Because oh my god this felt so cute yet so freaking messy in a way. WE HAD ALMOST LIKE A LOVE TRAINGLE BUT IT WASN'T REALLY A LOVE TRAINGLE BECAUSE THE GIRL LOVED ONLY ONE GUY- AND LET'S JUST SAY I WAS LOWKEY PISSED. I am not kidding when I say me and my sister felt so bad for our man Jake because the way he was treated in this book was insane. NOT TO MENTION HE WAS THE CUTEST THING EVER??? And yes, while I get that this is partially the plot of the book, DID WE HAVE TO DRAG IN ANOTHER MAN?? Like I would have loved if we had a good focus on the chemistry between our two main characters instead of having this big ordeal with Jake liking her and she just went along with it the entire time. AND THIS BRINGS ME BACK AGAIN TO THE MISCOMMUNICATION. JUST SAY YOU DON'T LIKE HIM FOR GODS SAKE, WHY WE GOTTA WAIT TILL PAGE 250 😒
˖ ࣪ 🧡 ꒰ . "𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙄'𝙙 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚". ꒱ 🥮 ࣪ ˖
🥞୧ ‧₊˚ I do want to talk about the characters in this book because I found the dynamics QUITE interesting as well. I'M GOING TO BE SO HONEST RIGHT NOW WHEN I SAY THE MAIN GIRL REMINDED ME SO MUCH OF BELLY FROM THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY BUT IN A DIFFERENT FONT. I mean I don't know what it was about her but she just gave off Belly vibes in a weird fall way. I'M NOT SAYING I HATED HER, BUT THERE WERE TIMES WHEN SHE WAS A LITTLE BRATTY. But I can honestly say it was probably apart of her character development (Which was very little developed in this book but anyhow.) The rest of this characters in this book were extremely sweet and comforting though, AND SOME I LOVED MORE THAN OTHERS BUT LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT THAT. Our main guy character was SUCH A CUTIE THOUGH, (And he works at cat cafe like WHAT THE FUCK?? WHERE CAN I FIND THIS MAN??) But I do got to say he pissed me off too. LIKE HE WAS JUST SO DRAMATIC TOO LIKE SHUT UPPPP MAN. I don't know maybe I'm a hater but I feel like my man has to toughen up his skin.
˖ ࣪ 🧡 ꒰ . "𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙣' 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝�� 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚". ꒱ 🥮 ࣪ ˖
☕️⊹. 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬‧ ₊°◞
🍁˚. ᵎᵎ 𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒔: Like I said before she DID have her annoying moments but she wasn't all that bad. I think I really loved how driven and hard-working she was because DANG. MY GIRL KNEW WHAT SHE WANTED. I loved how she designed clothes as well because that is the most iconic thing you can do. PEROD. If she works on her communication skills and learns to appreciate the small things in life she could be such a bad ahh girl. ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT HER SENSE OF FASHION? BECAUSE I WANT HER ENTIRE WARDROBE THANK YOUUUUUUU.
🍁˚. ᵎᵎ 𝑪𝒐𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓: HE WASN'T ALL BAD EITHER!! I was genuinely curious at the start if he was going to be a bad boy, because the vibes he gave WERE DEF giving that. BUT I WAS ACTUALLY SURPRISED WHEN HE TURNED OUT TO BE SUCH A SOFTIE. Yes, he was dramatic and maybe a crybaby. BUT GUYS ITS FINE, HE JUST LOVED HIS GIRL!! I also loved the fact he worked at a cat cafe because that was just so freaking cute and creative. AND NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT I DON'T THINK I READ A BOOK WITH A CAT CAFE ASPECT SO THIS WAS SO FUN!!
🍁˚. ᵎᵎ 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒏𝒆: UGH. THIS GIRL IS LITERALLY ICONIC. I loved her so much more than our main girl for some reason. SHE WAS JUST SO DOWN TO EARTH AND FUNNY HELLO?! It made me want to have a cousin like her because she just seemed so fun. ALSO IM ACTUALLY SO CURIOUS ABOUT THE SMALL LITTLE LOVE STORY SHE HAD GOING ON??? I hope if there is a book two to this they include more about her because I'm actually so curious.
🍁˚. ᵎᵎ 𝑱𝒂𝒌𝒆: OH MY GOD. THIS MAN. I WAS ACTUALLY IN LOVE WITH THIS GUY. I wanted to cry at the way he was mistreated because he is such a golden retriever SWEETHEART. I loved the moments we had with him and I literally wish him NOTHING but the best. And honestly? I would LOVE an entire book exploring his character as well because I feel like this guy has a whole life we don't know about. BUT SERIOUSLY. GIVE MY MAN SOME JUSTICE.
🍁˚. ᵎᵎ 𝑭𝒆𝒓𝒏: NO BECAUSE WHY WAS THIS GIRL A DIVA TOO? She was the bestie to our main girl Ellis AND A FREAKING FOOD VLOGGER/REVIEWER?? At the start I was literally expecting her to be bitchy but she literally is the biggest sweetheart to exist!! I NEED A FRIEND LIKE HER ISTG.
˙✧˖°🐿️ There was ALOT more other characters that were so crucial to this story. Like Ellis's mom and her aunt. (AND OH BOY DID MY ARAB SIDE COME OUT AT THE AMOUNT OF TIMES I WANTED TO WACK HER FOR THE DISRESPECT SHE GAVE HER MOM.) And also her father which was a key part in this too. BUT BABES, THAT'S FOR YOU TO FIND OUT AND DISCOVER.
˖ ࣪ 🧡 ꒰ . "𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙙 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙙". ꒱ 🥮 ࣪ ˖
🥞୧ ‧₊˚ 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥:
This was DEF a cute heck of a book. AND WHILE IT WASN'T LIFE CHANGING AND SOME PARTS WERE ANNOYING, it wasn't bad AT ALL. I think this book would be a perfect read for a chill day or a car ride because it's honestly relaxing and fun! AND DON'T FORGET TO HAVE TREATS BESIDE YOU IF YOU READ THIS BECAUSE GOD, THE FOOD IN HERE MADE ME HUNGRY. I would probably read this again when fall rolls around because I really did enjoy the plot and vibes despite the issues. So if you are wondering if you should read this, I WOULD SAY GIVE IT A TRY AND SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT! We all don't know what we like till we try 🤣
˖ ࣪ 🧡 ꒰ . "𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣' 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩". ꒱ 🥮 ࣪ ˖
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🍁🍂 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: HAHAHA I FINALLY GOT MY HANDS ON MY FIRST FALL READ 🤞🏻😫 Buddy reading this with my lil sis because I got her in the fall reading era 😼 I hope this delivers istg 😖
September 27, 2025
4/5
- This was one of the CUTEST young adult books that I’ve read in such a long time!! I usually don’t enjoy YA much these days because the problems they have are so far removed from where I am in life, but this book was just soooo good!! So many realistic struggles while still keeping the book fun and lighthearted.
- If you loved better than the movies, you’ll really love this because it almost felt like this book was the fall version of it. Loved the fall games they played and fall activities they did together.
- This book didn’t have spice but WHEW!! Howwww can you make a kiss have so much tension?!?! I love how the romance in this book felt so realistic. I could literally feel how much they cared about each other throughout the book.
- This was one of the CUTEST young adult books that I’ve read in such a long time!! I usually don’t enjoy YA much these days because the problems they have are so far removed from where I am in life, but this book was just soooo good!! So many realistic struggles while still keeping the book fun and lighthearted.
- If you loved better than the movies, you’ll really love this because it almost felt like this book was the fall version of it. Loved the fall games they played and fall activities they did together.
- This book didn’t have spice but WHEW!! Howwww can you make a kiss have so much tension?!?! I love how the romance in this book felt so realistic. I could literally feel how much they cared about each other throughout the book.
October 6, 2025
5 ⭐️
“I meant I didn’t want you to chase me anymore because I don’t want to be running. I just want to be with you.” 🥹
I genuinely loved this so much. The vibes were so perfect for entering fall. It’s very much Gilmore Girls coded!🍂☕️
Ellis temporarily moves from NYC to the small town of Bramble Falls, Connecticut with her mom when her parents are separating. Her aunt and cousin live there, and her aunt is actually the mayor! Ellis had come here a few times before, the last time being an entire summer which she ended up becoming best friends with Cooper Barnett. They both got busy and stopped talking after she returned to NYC. Now she’s back and sees the older, hotter version of Cooper at the Caffeinated Cat where he works as a barista/baker. Except he wants nothing to do with her.
Ellis does come off a little annoying at first, but I sympathize with the girl. She was really going through it, and her life was completely uprooted by her mother by moving her to a new city/school. I liked her by the end of the book though as there was definitely character growth from her.
Now, Cooper Barnett, my beloved! 🤩🥰 Loved him from the very start and that did not change. He was so, so sweet and cute. This man brought her a cookie that he baked and a harvest spice latte every time he saw her. Like literally get me a man who would do that for me!!
Sloane is Ellis’s cousin, and she was very likeable! They had a really good cousin relationship despite not seeing each other often. She even offered to bury a body in the middle of the night if Ellis needed her to. Now that’s a true friend right there!
Jake was a clingy little puppy dog of a man. He was very sweet and liked Ellis, but she had her head down in her studies and secretly was pining for his best friend Coop. He was still a really great friend to Ellis, and tried his hardest to involve her in things so she didn’t feel left out or alone.🤭
The little fall activities for the Falling Leaves Festival were so adorable! I wish I could have attended some of these like pumpkin carving, the parade or the pumpkin prom. It makes me want to live in a small town and experience fall there🥺 Hats off to Ellis and her aunt for putting all the work in for every single event to make them go so perfectly.
My only complaint is the third act breakup was stupid and unneeded. 😭 But when is a third act breakup ever done for a good reason LOL
Read if you like: ☕️🍁
- friends to lovers
- second chance
- quaint small towns
- gilmore girls or hart of dixie
- perfect fall vibes and fall festivals
- pumpkin spice lattes
- taylor swift
- books with no spice
I 100% recommend this cozy book to help get in the mood for fall and for a quick and easy cute read! 🎃🍂☕️
“When did he get so…?”
“Hot?” 😏🤭
“I meant I didn’t want you to chase me anymore because I don’t want to be running. I just want to be with you.” 🥹
I genuinely loved this so much. The vibes were so perfect for entering fall. It’s very much Gilmore Girls coded!🍂☕️
Ellis temporarily moves from NYC to the small town of Bramble Falls, Connecticut with her mom when her parents are separating. Her aunt and cousin live there, and her aunt is actually the mayor! Ellis had come here a few times before, the last time being an entire summer which she ended up becoming best friends with Cooper Barnett. They both got busy and stopped talking after she returned to NYC. Now she’s back and sees the older, hotter version of Cooper at the Caffeinated Cat where he works as a barista/baker. Except he wants nothing to do with her.
Ellis does come off a little annoying at first, but I sympathize with the girl. She was really going through it, and her life was completely uprooted by her mother by moving her to a new city/school. I liked her by the end of the book though as there was definitely character growth from her.
Now, Cooper Barnett, my beloved! 🤩🥰 Loved him from the very start and that did not change. He was so, so sweet and cute. This man brought her a cookie that he baked and a harvest spice latte every time he saw her. Like literally get me a man who would do that for me!!
Sloane is Ellis’s cousin, and she was very likeable! They had a really good cousin relationship despite not seeing each other often. She even offered to bury a body in the middle of the night if Ellis needed her to. Now that’s a true friend right there!
Jake was a clingy little puppy dog of a man. He was very sweet and liked Ellis, but she had her head down in her studies and secretly was pining for his best friend Coop. He was still a really great friend to Ellis, and tried his hardest to involve her in things so she didn’t feel left out or alone.🤭
The little fall activities for the Falling Leaves Festival were so adorable! I wish I could have attended some of these like pumpkin carving, the parade or the pumpkin prom. It makes me want to live in a small town and experience fall there🥺 Hats off to Ellis and her aunt for putting all the work in for every single event to make them go so perfectly.
My only complaint is the third act breakup was stupid and unneeded. 😭 But when is a third act breakup ever done for a good reason LOL
Read if you like: ☕️🍁
- friends to lovers
- second chance
- quaint small towns
- gilmore girls or hart of dixie
- perfect fall vibes and fall festivals
- pumpkin spice lattes
- taylor swift
- books with no spice
I 100% recommend this cozy book to help get in the mood for fall and for a quick and easy cute read! 🎃🍂☕️
“When did he get so…?”
“Hot?” 😏🤭
October 9, 2025
I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved the fall vibes and the setting was great! The pacing was well done and there a few fun scenes. On the other side the drama was over the top, the main character was inconsistent and selfish and the romance was underwhelming. The writing was engaging but it was average. I enjoyed the fun fall activities in the book and the description of the setting brought the small town to life. The characters were inconsistent for me. Ellis was fine at some points, but then she made a decision I didn’t agree with and she was dramatic and selfish. She also didn’t have much character development till the end. I didn’t like how to she treated her mom during the most of the book, although she did apologize. I liked Cooper, he was sweet, helpful and hardworking, but he was inconsistent with his feelings. At one point he hated Ellis and then loved her and then didn’t like her again. I enjoyed that Cooper was a great baker. I liked several of the side characters including Ellis’ mom, Sloane and Fern. The romance was lacking and there wasn’t much development of the relationship. There were several romantic scenes that were sweet and heartwarming, but I was hoping for more that would show the depth of their feelings. I wasn’t a fan of the third act breakup, although it was resolved quickly. I liked how the book ended, but one relationship was still not quite resolved. Overall, I enjoyed the fall setting and activities but the characters were inconsistent, the romance was lacking and I didn’t like the third act breakup.
September 2, 2025
🍁🍂 Happy Release Day!! 🍁🍂
July 3, 2025 Review:
I really enjoyed this cozy autumn novel. It was so cute and sweet and it came with all the wonderful fall vibes. This is a medium paced read, that I found to be lighthearted, funny, emotional and relaxing. I am up for an autumn read any time of the year! I found this book to be a perfect blend of relaxation and emotional tension. It was filled with lovable characters, especially the main characters Ellis and Cooper! It came with a diverse cast of characters, all of which were strongly developed. It is heartfelt, charming and engaging! It left me feeling happy, satisfied and relaxed. This is definitely a memorable and thought provoking novel! I give this young adult novel a 4 out of 5 stars!
“Falling Like Leaves” centers around the FMC named Ellis. Ellis’s parents separate, so her and her Mom go live with Ellis’s aunt and cousin, in Bramble Falls, Connecticut. Ellis then reconnects with Cooper, her childhood best friend. A local tradition called the “Falling Leaves Festival” which is hosted by Ellis’s aunt happens and Ellis and Cooper keep bumping into each other, while doing their fun festivities! Ellis starts falling for Cooper and ultimately has to make a big decision about her location and future. You will not want to miss out on what happens in this second chance romance novel!
I think fans of Gilmore Girls will definitely enjoy reading this cozy novel! Content warnings are extremely minor, separation of parents, young romance (PG 13 - no explicit scenes), emotional tension and miscommunication.
Thank you to NetGalley, author Misty Wilson and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books for this electronic arc of this book in exchange for my honest review and feedback. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is expected to be published on September 2, 2025!
July 3, 2025 Review:
I really enjoyed this cozy autumn novel. It was so cute and sweet and it came with all the wonderful fall vibes. This is a medium paced read, that I found to be lighthearted, funny, emotional and relaxing. I am up for an autumn read any time of the year! I found this book to be a perfect blend of relaxation and emotional tension. It was filled with lovable characters, especially the main characters Ellis and Cooper! It came with a diverse cast of characters, all of which were strongly developed. It is heartfelt, charming and engaging! It left me feeling happy, satisfied and relaxed. This is definitely a memorable and thought provoking novel! I give this young adult novel a 4 out of 5 stars!
“Falling Like Leaves” centers around the FMC named Ellis. Ellis’s parents separate, so her and her Mom go live with Ellis’s aunt and cousin, in Bramble Falls, Connecticut. Ellis then reconnects with Cooper, her childhood best friend. A local tradition called the “Falling Leaves Festival” which is hosted by Ellis’s aunt happens and Ellis and Cooper keep bumping into each other, while doing their fun festivities! Ellis starts falling for Cooper and ultimately has to make a big decision about her location and future. You will not want to miss out on what happens in this second chance romance novel!
I think fans of Gilmore Girls will definitely enjoy reading this cozy novel! Content warnings are extremely minor, separation of parents, young romance (PG 13 - no explicit scenes), emotional tension and miscommunication.
Thank you to NetGalley, author Misty Wilson and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books for this electronic arc of this book in exchange for my honest review and feedback. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is expected to be published on September 2, 2025!
October 16, 2025
3.5 stars
A cute read. I loved the small town setting and all of the autumnal vibes and the activities that the characters took part in. That's the main reason I wanted to read this story, and in that regard it delivered. It made me want to be a part of their lovely community.
Ellis annoyed at times, especially towards the end. She can be quite stubborn and selfish. The storyline is predictable, so it seems like it takes her a long time to realize what we know. And even in the end I can't help feeling she made certain decisions just because her number one plan failed.
The romance between Ellis and Cooper was nice, if not a bit basic. Their families and their friend group are really great, though. Especially Jake, who deserved to be treated better.
I really enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Rebekkah Ross.
A cute read. I loved the small town setting and all of the autumnal vibes and the activities that the characters took part in. That's the main reason I wanted to read this story, and in that regard it delivered. It made me want to be a part of their lovely community.
Ellis annoyed at times, especially towards the end. She can be quite stubborn and selfish. The storyline is predictable, so it seems like it takes her a long time to realize what we know. And even in the end I can't help feeling she made certain decisions just because her number one plan failed.
The romance between Ellis and Cooper was nice, if not a bit basic. Their families and their friend group are really great, though. Especially Jake, who deserved to be treated better.
I really enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Rebekkah Ross.
June 25, 2025
A Delightful Autumn Escape Filled With Heart, Humor & Small-Town Charm!
There’s something irresistibly cozy about a story that captures the magic of autumn—crisp air, golden leaves, and the promise of new beginnings—and Falling Like Leaves does exactly that, wrapping readers in the warm, inviting atmosphere of Bramble Falls. When Ellis’s carefully constructed New York City life is upended by her parents’ separation, she finds herself reluctantly transplanted to the quaint Connecticut town she once visited during summers past. But what was once a temporary escape now feels like a roadblock to her future—until the town’s quirky charm (and a certain brooding barista) start to make her question everything.
Ellis is the kind of protagonist you can’t help but root for—driven, witty, and just vulnerable enough to make her journey feel real. Her struggle between chasing the prestigious future she’s always planned and embracing the unexpected joys of Bramble Falls is beautifully written, full of relatable growing pains and moments of self-discovery. And then there’s Cooper Barnett, her childhood best friend turned first kiss turned distant stranger, whose lingering glances and reluctant smiles had me utterly hooked. Their slow-burn reunion is packed with delicious tension, playful banter, and just the right amount of teenage stubbornness to keep things delightfully messy.
But what truly makes this book shine is its setting. Bramble Falls isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a living, breathing world of pumpkin patches, harvest festivals, and gossipy locals who feel like family. Ellis’s aunt’s Falling Leaves Festival brings the town to life in vivid detail, making every page feel like a stroll through Stars Hollow (with all the Gilmore Girls-esque charm that implies). The side characters—from Ellis’s sweet cousin to the town’s nosy but well-meaning residents—add layers of warmth and humor, making it impossible not to wish you could visit for real.
While I would’ve loved a deeper exploration of Ellis’s relationship with her father (their strained dynamic had so much potential!), the heart of this story lies in Ellis’s personal growth and her slow realization that sometimes the best plans are the ones you never saw coming. By the end, I was fully invested in her happiness—both in love and in life—and the satisfying, heartfelt conclusion left me grinning.
Perfect for fans of small-town romances, enemies-to-lovers tension, and all things autumn, Falling Like Leaves is the kind of book you’ll want to read in one sitting, preferably with a pumpkin spice latte in hand and a cozy blanket nearby. Sweet, funny, and full of heart, it’s a story that lingers like the last golden rays of fall sunlight.
An enormous thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing me with an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I’m so grateful to have experienced this enchanting story—it was an absolute joy from start to finish!
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There’s something irresistibly cozy about a story that captures the magic of autumn—crisp air, golden leaves, and the promise of new beginnings—and Falling Like Leaves does exactly that, wrapping readers in the warm, inviting atmosphere of Bramble Falls. When Ellis’s carefully constructed New York City life is upended by her parents’ separation, she finds herself reluctantly transplanted to the quaint Connecticut town she once visited during summers past. But what was once a temporary escape now feels like a roadblock to her future—until the town’s quirky charm (and a certain brooding barista) start to make her question everything.
Ellis is the kind of protagonist you can’t help but root for—driven, witty, and just vulnerable enough to make her journey feel real. Her struggle between chasing the prestigious future she’s always planned and embracing the unexpected joys of Bramble Falls is beautifully written, full of relatable growing pains and moments of self-discovery. And then there’s Cooper Barnett, her childhood best friend turned first kiss turned distant stranger, whose lingering glances and reluctant smiles had me utterly hooked. Their slow-burn reunion is packed with delicious tension, playful banter, and just the right amount of teenage stubbornness to keep things delightfully messy.
But what truly makes this book shine is its setting. Bramble Falls isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a living, breathing world of pumpkin patches, harvest festivals, and gossipy locals who feel like family. Ellis’s aunt’s Falling Leaves Festival brings the town to life in vivid detail, making every page feel like a stroll through Stars Hollow (with all the Gilmore Girls-esque charm that implies). The side characters—from Ellis’s sweet cousin to the town’s nosy but well-meaning residents—add layers of warmth and humor, making it impossible not to wish you could visit for real.
While I would’ve loved a deeper exploration of Ellis’s relationship with her father (their strained dynamic had so much potential!), the heart of this story lies in Ellis’s personal growth and her slow realization that sometimes the best plans are the ones you never saw coming. By the end, I was fully invested in her happiness—both in love and in life—and the satisfying, heartfelt conclusion left me grinning.
Perfect for fans of small-town romances, enemies-to-lovers tension, and all things autumn, Falling Like Leaves is the kind of book you’ll want to read in one sitting, preferably with a pumpkin spice latte in hand and a cozy blanket nearby. Sweet, funny, and full of heart, it’s a story that lingers like the last golden rays of fall sunlight.
An enormous thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing me with an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I’m so grateful to have experienced this enchanting story—it was an absolute joy from start to finish!
medium.com
November 30, 2025
ˋ°•*⁀➷ 3.5 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 .˚🍂𓍢˖˚🧺𓍢˖˚🍁˚.
I honestly have so many mixed feelings about this 😭 it was a fun read for sure, and I enjoyed it but some things kinda bothered me… idk I might just be picky about books but yeah I’ll get into it later in the review
» [Tis the damn season- Taylor swift] «
0:00 ─〇───── 4:00
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕 🍂
౨ৎ Cute, fluffy romance
౨ৎ childhood friends to strangers to lovers
౨ৎ autumn setting
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
ೃ⁀➷ 𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯
Ages 13+
𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 🧺
౨ৎ Language- F*ck, sh*t, etc
౨ৎ Romance- kissing, some mild innuendo
౨ৎ Violence- the main character twists her ankle once, a character gets a nose bleed
౨ৎ Other- mentions of divorce and cheating
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 🍁
⤷ Ellis- she literally annoyed me SO MUCH. Like her life is amazing. Sure, she had to move. But she moved to the best possible place and literally everyone wanted to be friends with her. And then where she lived before she was like “oh I had no friends” and she had a best friend who she saw EVERY SINGLE WEEK, and a ton of acquaintances… like it doesn’t make sense 😭 she just complained a lot imo, I definitely get that problems can seem bigger to some people and maybe my idea of a big problem vs a small problem is messed up because of my life but still
⤷ Cooper- ehh he’s just like every other ya mmc
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅 🥮
⤷ The fall setting- if you know me, you know I am completely obsessed with fall. Like completely, so ofc I loved that part of it!
⤷ It was entertaining- I read it in 2 days and didn’t get bored at all
⤷ The romance was cute- it wasn’t anything special but it was cute at least 😭
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 🧸
⤷ the writing style- it wasn’t necessarily bad, but I really prefer a more mature writing style and it felt very simple and slightly immature, plus it had the same plot of almost every ya romance out there lmao
⤷ the amount of Taylor swift references- I’m a huge swiftie, I love Taylor swift, I get excited when there’s a Taylor swift reference. BUT YOU DO NOT NEED TO MENTION TAYLOR SWIFT EVERY TWO CHAPTERS 😭🙏 it just takes away from the escaping reality part of reading 😭 like I swear I do love Taylor swift…. But this is too much
⤷ Ellis- once again, she’s just so annoying to me lmao
⤷ the characters- they all just felt underdeveloped, I personally love books with complex characters, and while I know you might say “if you want morally gray characters just read romantasy instead” but i literally just need characters with depth
⤷ It was unrealistic- IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO HAVE FRIENDS WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF MOVING TO A NEW TOWN. Or if it is, I should move to a random small town… but anywayyys, the way Ellis fit in well right away, it just isn’t accurate at all to how things are irl
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
|🍁| 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕~𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 |🍂|
this was such a cute, entertaining read! I loved the fall setting, and it was so much fun to read! It’s been taking me forever to finish books lately so I’m so glad I was able to finish this in only a few days
Rtc
|🍂| 𝒑𝒓𝒆~𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 |🍁|
omg it’s time for my first fall themed book! I’ve read lots of books with subtle fall themes but this is the first fully fall themed book I’ve read and I’m so exciteddd! It looks so so so cute and the cover is absolutely gorgeous, plus I have a special edition with sprayed edges and it’s just so prettyyyy 😍 I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews, and ik fall books tend to focus too much on the fall themes and don’t always have the best romance but we’ll see how it is! I also definitely need a cute romance because once again I overestimated my fantasy reading skills and read too many fantasy books in a row which almost put me in a slump 😭 idk why but that happens every time lmao like I need to alternate with genres or else I always get into a reading slump
⤷ 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: 3.5 ★
September 9, 2025
2.5 stars! ⭐️
A cute fall time! I was conflicted on what to rate this because it was not a bad book but, it was just pretty standard and cutesy. Not much really happening but cute fall vibes! I needed a quick read and this one was perfect. I liked!
A cute fall time! I was conflicted on what to rate this because it was not a bad book but, it was just pretty standard and cutesy. Not much really happening but cute fall vibes! I needed a quick read and this one was perfect. I liked!
October 25, 2025
˖ ࣪⊹ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ˖ ࣪⊹
₊⊹ 4 stars ₊⊹
(spoiler-free review)
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
♬⋆.˚ songs ♬⋆.˚
♪ oh no! by MARINA
♪ hey stephen by taylor swift
♪ you are in love by taylor swift
♪ i miss you, i’m sorry by gracie abrams
*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
this book was so cute! i loved the romance, and it’s perfect for when you need a cozy fall read 🥰🍂🍁
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
୨୧ characters ୨୧
⋆. ellis 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
tbh, i didnt like ellis at first 😭 i hated how she kept blowing off plans with her friends (especially jake) even when they were lowk begging her (*cough* *cough* jake asking her to come to his party). anyway she did have a lot of pressure to get into Columbia from her dad, so it makes sense that she was always studying 🥲. later she grew on me though. ellis is sweet overall, and i liked her as a main character.
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ cooper ⋆. 𐙚 ˚
new book bf alert 🚨?? no literally bc cooper was so sweet i cant believe bro yearned for 3 years 😔 and then she came back and he was baking her cookies and stuff 🥲 also as i was reading i could js imagine him in those glasses 🤭🤭😛
✧˖°. jake ✧˖°.
i honestly feel bad for jake 😭💔 i feel like he was js thrown into this love triangle bc no one wanted to communicate. anyway he’s nice tho and at least he didn’t take it too badly. also i loved all the ts references 🤭🫶
𐙚⋆ ellis’s dad 𐙚⋆
not gonna say much since i want to keep this spoiler free. but wow 🥀🥀 what a nice character 😀
｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ
♡︎ the romance ♡︎
childhood bsfs —> lovers is such a peak trope. like this was so cute! and they were each others first kiss, but it only mattered to one of them?? 😭😭 LOVE THATT!
also the fact that they have matching freckles on their arms and when they were younger cooper used to think that meant they were soulmates?? 😭 OH MY GOD BYEE THIS IS SO FCKIN CUTE. like idk if im js a hopeless romantic but that made me giggle 🤭
i literally wouldve been tweakin out when they got together but i was reading it in math class 💔
⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔ ⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔
˙✧˖°overall thoughts⋆｡˚
this book was a cute but emotional journey with a great romance! it was amazing and i’d highly recommend it ㅤ♡
- tysm for reading ✗♡✗♡ -
₊⊹ 4 stars ₊⊹
(spoiler-free review)
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
♬⋆.˚ songs ♬⋆.˚
♪ oh no! by MARINA
♪ hey stephen by taylor swift
♪ you are in love by taylor swift
♪ i miss you, i’m sorry by gracie abrams
*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
this book was so cute! i loved the romance, and it’s perfect for when you need a cozy fall read 🥰🍂🍁
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
୨୧ characters ୨୧
⋆. ellis 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
tbh, i didnt like ellis at first 😭 i hated how she kept blowing off plans with her friends (especially jake) even when they were lowk begging her (*cough* *cough* jake asking her to come to his party). anyway she did have a lot of pressure to get into Columbia from her dad, so it makes sense that she was always studying 🥲. later she grew on me though. ellis is sweet overall, and i liked her as a main character.
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ cooper ⋆. 𐙚 ˚
new book bf alert 🚨?? no literally bc cooper was so sweet i cant believe bro yearned for 3 years 😔 and then she came back and he was baking her cookies and stuff 🥲 also as i was reading i could js imagine him in those glasses 🤭🤭😛
✧˖°. jake ✧˖°.
i honestly feel bad for jake 😭💔 i feel like he was js thrown into this love triangle bc no one wanted to communicate. anyway he’s nice tho and at least he didn’t take it too badly. also i loved all the ts references 🤭🫶
𐙚⋆ ellis’s dad 𐙚⋆
not gonna say much since i want to keep this spoiler free. but wow 🥀🥀 what a nice character 😀
｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ
♡︎ the romance ♡︎
childhood bsfs —> lovers is such a peak trope. like this was so cute! and they were each others first kiss, but it only mattered to one of them?? 😭😭 LOVE THATT!
also the fact that they have matching freckles on their arms and when they were younger cooper used to think that meant they were soulmates?? 😭 OH MY GOD BYEE THIS IS SO FCKIN CUTE. like idk if im js a hopeless romantic but that made me giggle 🤭
i literally wouldve been tweakin out when they got together but i was reading it in math class 💔
⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔ ⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔
˙✧˖°overall thoughts⋆｡˚
this book was a cute but emotional journey with a great romance! it was amazing and i’d highly recommend it ㅤ♡
- tysm for reading ✗♡✗♡ -
October 19, 2025
Es una historia muy linda!!
Me preocupaba un poco que fuera un romance de instituto porque no suelo conectar tanto con los personajes (y por ende, la trama) y si bien había momentos en los que se notaba MUCHO su edad, no me ha molestado en mayor escala. Creo que se debe a la madurez de la protagonista, impuesta por su padre desde una edad temprana, pero cuando llega a Bramble Falls se permite ser una chica de su edad y ese contraste me ha parecido lindo. Las vibes son 10/10, el libro se basa en las actividades otoñales que realiza el pueblo así que es PERFECTO para el mood. Esto se combina con una problemática familiar y el desarrollo de un romance de segundas (e incluso terceras) oportunidades, dos aspectos que le dan bastante drama a la historia y que en ocasiones me ha echado un poco para atrás.
Pero sí lo recomiendo si buscáis una historia bonita, otoñal y para desconectar.
Me preocupaba un poco que fuera un romance de instituto porque no suelo conectar tanto con los personajes (y por ende, la trama) y si bien había momentos en los que se notaba MUCHO su edad, no me ha molestado en mayor escala. Creo que se debe a la madurez de la protagonista, impuesta por su padre desde una edad temprana, pero cuando llega a Bramble Falls se permite ser una chica de su edad y ese contraste me ha parecido lindo. Las vibes son 10/10, el libro se basa en las actividades otoñales que realiza el pueblo así que es PERFECTO para el mood. Esto se combina con una problemática familiar y el desarrollo de un romance de segundas (e incluso terceras) oportunidades, dos aspectos que le dan bastante drama a la historia y que en ocasiones me ha echado un poco para atrás.
Pero sí lo recomiendo si buscáis una historia bonita, otoñal y para desconectar.
June 18, 2025
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and statements are my own.
🎃 Blurb 🎃
"Ellis has a plan: spend her senior fall prepping her application for Columbia, get into their journalism program, and set the foundation for a respectable career. So when her parents announce that not only are they separating, but Ellis has to move with her mom from New York City to Bramble Falls, Connecticut, to live with her aunt and cousin, it couldn’t come at a worse time.
From past summers spent in Connecticut, Ellis knows Bramble Falls is idyllic and charming. But it also seems to be full of distractions. There’s local barista Cooper Barnett, Ellis’s one-time best friend and first kiss who now wants nothing to do with Ellis. And then there’s the Falling Leaves Festival, a local autumnal celebration run by Ellis’s aunt where people from all over come to see Bramble Falls’s beautiful foliage. The house is stuffed with decorations, and every conversation seems to center around the festival.
Dragged to every oh-so-charming event from apple picking to pumpkin carving, Ellis can’t stop bumping into Cooper…or falling for the quaint town and its quirky residents. As her return to Manhattan gets repeatedly delayed, Ellis finds herself caught between two very different places—and the futures they represent."
🍂 My Thoughts 🍂
I was not expecting to be so charmed by this book. I finished it in one day, so that says a lot because my attention span is getting worse by the day. 😂
I haven't seen Gilmore Girls (I know! I need to watch it! 😭), so I don't know how cute the town is in that show, but Bramble Falls sounds like a place where dreams are made of. And it's no surprise that city-girl Ellis is quickly bewitched by the beauty of the small town and its citizens, not to mention the fact that there is a cute boy behind the counter of the local cafe who seems to hate her guts. Why? You're going to have to read the book to find out. 😉🍁
The story was great. I was hooked from page 1, and I was shocked yet not so shocked at what unfolded at the end. The characters were relatable, flawed, and funny. I enjoyed them all, except for Ellis's dad. He was a pain. 😅 And I definitely loved the fall vibes and activities mentioned in every chapter. Ugh, it was so good! I don't think I've liked a book so much, especially a YA novel. This was a fun read that I desperately needed, and I highly recommend it. 🧡
🎃 Blurb 🎃
"Ellis has a plan: spend her senior fall prepping her application for Columbia, get into their journalism program, and set the foundation for a respectable career. So when her parents announce that not only are they separating, but Ellis has to move with her mom from New York City to Bramble Falls, Connecticut, to live with her aunt and cousin, it couldn’t come at a worse time.
From past summers spent in Connecticut, Ellis knows Bramble Falls is idyllic and charming. But it also seems to be full of distractions. There’s local barista Cooper Barnett, Ellis’s one-time best friend and first kiss who now wants nothing to do with Ellis. And then there’s the Falling Leaves Festival, a local autumnal celebration run by Ellis’s aunt where people from all over come to see Bramble Falls’s beautiful foliage. The house is stuffed with decorations, and every conversation seems to center around the festival.
Dragged to every oh-so-charming event from apple picking to pumpkin carving, Ellis can’t stop bumping into Cooper…or falling for the quaint town and its quirky residents. As her return to Manhattan gets repeatedly delayed, Ellis finds herself caught between two very different places—and the futures they represent."
🍂 My Thoughts 🍂
I was not expecting to be so charmed by this book. I finished it in one day, so that says a lot because my attention span is getting worse by the day. 😂
I haven't seen Gilmore Girls (I know! I need to watch it! 😭), so I don't know how cute the town is in that show, but Bramble Falls sounds like a place where dreams are made of. And it's no surprise that city-girl Ellis is quickly bewitched by the beauty of the small town and its citizens, not to mention the fact that there is a cute boy behind the counter of the local cafe who seems to hate her guts. Why? You're going to have to read the book to find out. 😉🍁
The story was great. I was hooked from page 1, and I was shocked yet not so shocked at what unfolded at the end. The characters were relatable, flawed, and funny. I enjoyed them all, except for Ellis's dad. He was a pain. 😅 And I definitely loved the fall vibes and activities mentioned in every chapter. Ugh, it was so good! I don't think I've liked a book so much, especially a YA novel. This was a fun read that I desperately needed, and I highly recommend it. 🧡
October 17, 2025
✩ 3.75 stars ✩
What to Expect:
➼ Second Chance
➼ Big City Girl x Small Town Boy
➼ Found Family
➼ Self-discovery
➼ Wholesome
➼ High School Romance
➼ Small Town
➼ Cozy Autumn Vibes
➼ Young Adult
➼ Narrated by Rebekkah Ross
➼ Dual POV
The MMC doesn’t have a brother and the small town was less yee-haw and more Stars Hollow, but other than that, this reminded me so much of My Life With the Walter Boys!
This is a true YA Romance but the storyline didn’t feel so young that I couldn’t still enjoy it. There is another love interest, but it was very one sided on the boys side so I wouldn’t quite call it a love triangle. The FMC didn’t really say or do anything to show interest in him, she just never clearly turned him down so he thought he had a chance. She honestly didn’t show much interest in the main love interest either until close to the end of the story. She was dead set on leaving that town and as a result, she was in complete denial about her feelings for him.
The MMC on the other hand was equally as stubborn about admitting his feelings because he had been so hurt by her when she left and basically forgot about him. I struggled a little with this part of the storyline because A, they were so young when she left & B, it made the FMC seem kind of oblivious and uncaring since she just assumed they were “both busy” and had no concept that she had completely dropped him. Even as a teenager, she was the definition of a workaholic. A lot of her issues were attributed to her desire to make her dad proud. Getting some distance from him helped her get back in touch with the things that actually mattered to HER and made HER happy.
I’m not sure I think these two teenagers will be end game, but this was a really cute read! Assuming you like YA, this is the perfect cozy read for Fall. 🧡
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: Another stop on my Fall cozy TBR tour. 🍂🍁
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
What to Expect:
➼ Second Chance
➼ Big City Girl x Small Town Boy
➼ Found Family
➼ Self-discovery
➼ Wholesome
➼ High School Romance
➼ Small Town
➼ Cozy Autumn Vibes
➼ Young Adult
➼ Narrated by Rebekkah Ross
➼ Dual POV
The MMC doesn’t have a brother and the small town was less yee-haw and more Stars Hollow, but other than that, this reminded me so much of My Life With the Walter Boys!
This is a true YA Romance but the storyline didn’t feel so young that I couldn’t still enjoy it. There is another love interest, but it was very one sided on the boys side so I wouldn’t quite call it a love triangle. The FMC didn’t really say or do anything to show interest in him, she just never clearly turned him down so he thought he had a chance. She honestly didn’t show much interest in the main love interest either until close to the end of the story. She was dead set on leaving that town and as a result, she was in complete denial about her feelings for him.
The MMC on the other hand was equally as stubborn about admitting his feelings because he had been so hurt by her when she left and basically forgot about him. I struggled a little with this part of the storyline because A, they were so young when she left & B, it made the FMC seem kind of oblivious and uncaring since she just assumed they were “both busy” and had no concept that she had completely dropped him. Even as a teenager, she was the definition of a workaholic. A lot of her issues were attributed to her desire to make her dad proud. Getting some distance from him helped her get back in touch with the things that actually mattered to HER and made HER happy.
I’m not sure I think these two teenagers will be end game, but this was a really cute read! Assuming you like YA, this is the perfect cozy read for Fall. 🧡
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: Another stop on my Fall cozy TBR tour. 🍂🍁
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
July 8, 2025
Falling Like Leaves was the sweetest little hug in book form 🍁
Ellis’s journey from Manhattan to Bramble Falls felt like stepping into a cozy sweater. The town, the festival, the romance—it was all so charming!
I adored Ellis and Cooper’s second-chance connection, and the Falling Leaves Festival gave me total pumpkin spice daydreams. Every character felt like someone you’d want to be friends with, and I honestly didn’t want to leave this world.
If you’re looking for a feel-good YA romance, this is it. 💛🍂✨
Expected Release Date: 09/02/2025
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the early access. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Ellis’s journey from Manhattan to Bramble Falls felt like stepping into a cozy sweater. The town, the festival, the romance—it was all so charming!
I adored Ellis and Cooper’s second-chance connection, and the Falling Leaves Festival gave me total pumpkin spice daydreams. Every character felt like someone you’d want to be friends with, and I honestly didn’t want to leave this world.
If you’re looking for a feel-good YA romance, this is it. 💛🍂✨
Expected Release Date: 09/02/2025
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the early access. All thoughts in this review are my own.
November 13, 2025
⋆˙⟡ — 1.5 stars
the fmc ellis was INSUFFERABLE 😒 and our mmc cooper got better but he still wasn't all that... rtc maybe
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ pre-read ♡⋆°｡⋆𐙚
⤷ sooo i already started this and i’m not liking the mmc so far 🧍♀️ hopefully that changes... 😭
the fmc ellis was INSUFFERABLE 😒 and our mmc cooper got better but he still wasn't all that... rtc maybe
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ pre-read ♡⋆°｡⋆𐙚
⤷ sooo i already started this and i’m not liking the mmc so far 🧍♀️ hopefully that changes... 😭
October 2, 2025
3.5⭐
cute read. It give me all the Fall feelings🍁♥️ and coop was so cute 🥹 he gives her latte and cookies everyday 🙂↕️ I loved the way Ellis's thoughts changed and how she finally chose what she really wants and not what her father wants. and now I wanna go to The falling leaves festival 🤧
cute read. It give me all the Fall feelings🍁♥️ and coop was so cute 🥹 he gives her latte and cookies everyday 🙂↕️ I loved the way Ellis's thoughts changed and how she finally chose what she really wants and not what her father wants. and now I wanna go to The falling leaves festival 🤧
Currently reading
November 23, 2025Pre read⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
I know most ppl voted for the other book... BUT fall is almost over so I have to squeeze this one in first 🤭 I'm so excited tho based on reviews I've seennnn
I know most ppl voted for the other book... BUT fall is almost over so I have to squeeze this one in first 🤭 I'm so excited tho based on reviews I've seennnn
July 15, 2025
ೃ⁀➷ 3.5 ✴︎
ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🦇་༘࿐ thanks to netgalley + the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review !
🎃thoughts
Originally ,i was not in the mood for an autumn romance considering it’s 100+ outside right now with the worst humidity known to mankind, but reading and nature don’t always match up so you get what you get. And i got all the autumn vibes in this novel. Wilson manages to drop us in the small town of bramble falls (which is giving gilmore girls setting, ive never watching it *gasp* shocker i know) where all things fall are happening.
lowk i keep switching between autumn + fall in this review but pls ignore that! Im sleep deprived right now.
I do think we had a little tooooo many like pop culture moments and i get it but also i don’t know, sometimes i don’t want to read about it in my books haha.
🍁 vibes
the vibes hit! No thoughts or complaints there.
👻 romance(yes the ghost emoji is there for a reason)
third act breakup almost made me throw my kindle across the room. Well i was reading on my phone bc my kindle is dead (like rip bruh dead) but yes i almost tossed it. I absoloutly LOATHE the miscommunication / third act breakup with a passion but it redeemed itself, still hate it.
cute romance, was a little undercooked imo but the tropes and vibes hit!
🍂characters
Ellis // oof, okay. This one is tough because on one hand i liked ellis but on another hand she was a little bit of a brat haha, like i get it but also girl, no. she was stringing jack along and kinda…just vanished on cooper when they were younger, like i get it but as a kid that stuff hurts lol. I wish we could have had more of the issues with her dad drawn out, i think we could have gone into that a bit ! i do love her passion for fashion (ooh see what i did there) and while she’s focused on columbia for journalism, everything is kinda falling apart with being her dad’s intern when he gets a new one behind her back.
Cooper // bro was literally in love w/ her from childhood and i wish i could have gotten a little bit more of his personality? Like aside from being a “good guy” and whatnot, i just wish i had a bit more of him. But he was cute! Like he bakes and he works at a cafe, hello? What more could you ask for. Write me up one thx
Jake // honestly loved him haha
Sloane // top tier cousin, loved how she always had ellis’ back and was always there for her. Makes me wish i had that with my cousins lolll
Ellis’ dad // so i’ll be hopping on a plane to nyc to have a little chatty chat with him because i genuinely was like no siree
Read if u like
༄ gilmore girls
༄ small town vibes & all the autumn vibes
༄ pumpkin spiced lattes
༄ fun friend groups
༄ a top tier cousin dynamic thats not toxic at all !!
🤎 final thoughts / wrapup
All in all, a cutesy autumn romance with a fun cast of characters, a prominent town setting, and a whirlwind cutesy romance with a baking / barista mmc and a stickler / studious fmc who is back in the small town she spent one summer with. It’s childhood friends (sortof) to lovers, cafes, baking, and gilmore girls esque feeling. If you like lynn painter or kasie west’s writing, you might like this book.
content note: for those who aren’t a fan of language this has a 3/5 on the language scale, it also deals with tough parent topics. passionate kissing and while ellis’ mom makes sure that they have condoms (almost died writing that lol) they never actually do “it”. Its just a “mommm stop” moment.
pre ~ review full review to come closer to the pub date ! and when im less in the beach babe mood and more in the hot autumn fall mood lol
ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🦇་༘࿐ thanks to netgalley + the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review !
🎃thoughts
Originally ,i was not in the mood for an autumn romance considering it’s 100+ outside right now with the worst humidity known to mankind, but reading and nature don’t always match up so you get what you get. And i got all the autumn vibes in this novel. Wilson manages to drop us in the small town of bramble falls (which is giving gilmore girls setting, ive never watching it *gasp* shocker i know) where all things fall are happening.
lowk i keep switching between autumn + fall in this review but pls ignore that! Im sleep deprived right now.
I do think we had a little tooooo many like pop culture moments and i get it but also i don’t know, sometimes i don’t want to read about it in my books haha.
🍁 vibes
the vibes hit! No thoughts or complaints there.
👻 romance(yes the ghost emoji is there for a reason)
third act breakup almost made me throw my kindle across the room. Well i was reading on my phone bc my kindle is dead (like rip bruh dead) but yes i almost tossed it. I absoloutly LOATHE the miscommunication / third act breakup with a passion but it redeemed itself, still hate it.
cute romance, was a little undercooked imo but the tropes and vibes hit!
🍂characters
Ellis // oof, okay. This one is tough because on one hand i liked ellis but on another hand she was a little bit of a brat haha, like i get it but also girl, no. she was stringing jack along and kinda…just vanished on cooper when they were younger, like i get it but as a kid that stuff hurts lol. I wish we could have had more of the issues with her dad drawn out, i think we could have gone into that a bit ! i do love her passion for fashion (ooh see what i did there) and while she’s focused on columbia for journalism, everything is kinda falling apart with being her dad’s intern when he gets a new one behind her back.
Cooper // bro was literally in love w/ her from childhood and i wish i could have gotten a little bit more of his personality? Like aside from being a “good guy” and whatnot, i just wish i had a bit more of him. But he was cute! Like he bakes and he works at a cafe, hello? What more could you ask for. Write me up one thx
Jake // honestly loved him haha
Sloane // top tier cousin, loved how she always had ellis’ back and was always there for her. Makes me wish i had that with my cousins lolll
Ellis’ dad // so i’ll be hopping on a plane to nyc to have a little chatty chat with him because i genuinely was like no siree
Read if u like
༄ gilmore girls
༄ small town vibes & all the autumn vibes
༄ pumpkin spiced lattes
༄ fun friend groups
༄ a top tier cousin dynamic thats not toxic at all !!
🤎 final thoughts / wrapup
All in all, a cutesy autumn romance with a fun cast of characters, a prominent town setting, and a whirlwind cutesy romance with a baking / barista mmc and a stickler / studious fmc who is back in the small town she spent one summer with. It’s childhood friends (sortof) to lovers, cafes, baking, and gilmore girls esque feeling. If you like lynn painter or kasie west’s writing, you might like this book.
content note: for those who aren’t a fan of language this has a 3/5 on the language scale, it also deals with tough parent topics. passionate kissing and while ellis’ mom makes sure that they have condoms (almost died writing that lol) they never actually do “it”. Its just a “mommm stop” moment.
pre ~ review full review to come closer to the pub date ! and when im less in the beach babe mood and more in the hot autumn fall mood lol
October 8, 2025
3.5 this was good. Not life changing but a fun time.
I mistakenly thought this was an adult book (completely my fault) and don't normally read YA so I think if you were 14-20 you would EAT THIS UP. Gorgeous fall vibes and teenage characters with more going on than just who they fancy. Props to the author x
I mistakenly thought this was an adult book (completely my fault) and don't normally read YA so I think if you were 14-20 you would EAT THIS UP. Gorgeous fall vibes and teenage characters with more going on than just who they fancy. Props to the author x
November 27, 2025
3.25 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️
(Spoiler-free)
📖: "𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙄 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚, 𝘾𝙤𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝘽𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙩."
"𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙚, 𝙈𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡."
_______________
♪“𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐'𝘐𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦,“♪
~𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘖𝘧 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦;
________
This book was super cute! 💕🤭
Definitely THE fall vibe read, especially in the season we’re in 🍁
This was definitely an easy read, cliche at some parts but it was your ideal young adult romance book which I liked. Ellis was very multilayered character which is what I enjoyed but some parts did have me a little frustrated with the decisions she was making 🤧😭
But overall, everything came together at the end. Despite not loving the miscommunication trope between Ellis and Cooper there were still parts I enjoyed! 🙂↕️🩷🩷
I loved the romance and the built up between cooper and Ellis, along with the side characters I found myself connecting with! 🙌🏼
This was the perfect autumn read if you’re looking for something light and easy! 😚🍁
🌟Rating: 3/5
📚Age Rating: 14+
🔥Spice: 0/5 (minor kissing, but overall clean!)
__________
🎧Songs:
~12 to 12~Sombr
~we never dated~Sombr
~I Can Do It With A Broken Heart~Taylor Swift
~State Of Grace~Taylor Swift
~You Belong With Me~Taylor swift
~Enchanted~Taylor Swift
~Fresh Out The Slammer~Taylor Swift
~Dorothea~Taylor Swift
~Ruin The Friendship~Taylor Swift
~When Did You Get Hot?~Sabrina Carpenter
~I Know You~Faye Webster
~I love you, I’m sorry~Gracie Abrams
~Mess It Up~Gracie Abrams
💌Quotes:
(Minor spoilers!) ⬇️
~"𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙨, 𝘾𝙤𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝘽𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙩," 𝙄 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧.
"𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮'𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙯𝙚."
~ “𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙪𝙨, 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙮, 𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙙-𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙙𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝘽𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨. 𝙄 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”
(⬆️ this part >>>)
🍁Preread:
First fall book of the season!! 🍁😻
Really hope this is good, one of my most anticipated reads 🤭🩷🩷
(Spoiler-free)
📖: "𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙄 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚, 𝘾𝙤𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝘽𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙩."
"𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙚, 𝙈𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡."
_______________
♪“𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐'𝘐𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦,“♪
~𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘖𝘧 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦;
________
This book was super cute! 💕🤭
Definitely THE fall vibe read, especially in the season we’re in 🍁
This was definitely an easy read, cliche at some parts but it was your ideal young adult romance book which I liked. Ellis was very multilayered character which is what I enjoyed but some parts did have me a little frustrated with the decisions she was making 🤧😭
But overall, everything came together at the end. Despite not loving the miscommunication trope between Ellis and Cooper there were still parts I enjoyed! 🙂↕️🩷🩷
I loved the romance and the built up between cooper and Ellis, along with the side characters I found myself connecting with! 🙌🏼
This was the perfect autumn read if you’re looking for something light and easy! 😚🍁
🌟Rating: 3/5
📚Age Rating: 14+
🔥Spice: 0/5 (minor kissing, but overall clean!)
__________
🎧Songs:
~12 to 12~Sombr
~we never dated~Sombr
~I Can Do It With A Broken Heart~Taylor Swift
~State Of Grace~Taylor Swift
~You Belong With Me~Taylor swift
~Enchanted~Taylor Swift
~Fresh Out The Slammer~Taylor Swift
~Dorothea~Taylor Swift
~Ruin The Friendship~Taylor Swift
~When Did You Get Hot?~Sabrina Carpenter
~I Know You~Faye Webster
~I love you, I’m sorry~Gracie Abrams
~Mess It Up~Gracie Abrams
💌Quotes:
(Minor spoilers!) ⬇️
~"𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙨, 𝘾𝙤𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝘽𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙩," 𝙄 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧.
"𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮'𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙯𝙚."
~ “𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙪𝙨, 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙮, 𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙙-𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙙𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝘽𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨. 𝙄 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”
(⬆️ this part >>>)
🍁Preread:
First fall book of the season!! 🍁😻
Really hope this is good, one of my most anticipated reads 🤭🩷🩷
October 26, 2025
“i don’t deserve cooper barnett.” oh ellis, you really don’t.
this book truly wasn’t for me. i actually enjoy picking ya books from time to time, but this story felt too childish and really sometimes it felt like reading fanfic, especially the whole moving part 😭 and honestly, i just couldn’t stand ellis. she was too childish and self-centred for my liking. and while i was waiting for her to get better, the character’s development never came. i understand that when we are 17, 18 that we react to things differently, we make difficult wrong decisions and we can get a little annoying, but yes sadly she was the main reason why i’m giving this such a low rating.
on the brighter side, i did enjoy the fall vibes and i liked cooper, he was really a sweet boy and definitely deserved better.
────୨ৎ────
౨ৎꨄ︎ pre-read: this sounds so cute and cozy soo it better delivers
this book truly wasn’t for me. i actually enjoy picking ya books from time to time, but this story felt too childish and really sometimes it felt like reading fanfic, especially the whole moving part 😭 and honestly, i just couldn’t stand ellis. she was too childish and self-centred for my liking. and while i was waiting for her to get better, the character’s development never came. i understand that when we are 17, 18 that we react to things differently, we make difficult wrong decisions and we can get a little annoying, but yes sadly she was the main reason why i’m giving this such a low rating.
on the brighter side, i did enjoy the fall vibes and i liked cooper, he was really a sweet boy and definitely deserved better.
────୨ৎ────
౨ৎꨄ︎ pre-read: this sounds so cute and cozy soo it better delivers
October 14, 2025
C'était si green flag que j'en ai versé ma petite larme. Vraiment, ce roman est une pépite de douceur, c'est cosy, c'est doux, c'est beau, c'est touchant et drôle... j'ai kiffé du début à la fin et je crois bien que je serai restée à Bramble Falls pendant encore des jours si j'avais pu ❤️🩹
September 14, 2025
perfect for a casual reader who happens to be a gilmore girl fan and a swiftie, looking for a chill fall read. it’s a perfect fine book but that’s it, just find. the romance was cute but not something i really care about or will even remember at the end of the year.
October 9, 2025
༄.° Minor spoilers ahead
“Hey Siri, play Ruin the Friendship by Taylor Swift”
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･🥧༄⋆⭒˚｡⋆
“Glistening grass from September rain”
⋆˚꩜｡14+
🍂 Romance {kissing, innuendo, sexual references, hugging, etc.}
🍂 Cussing {f*ck, sh*t, d*mn, h*ll, a*s, d*ck all used semi-frequently}
🍂 Violence {literally none}
🍂 Tw {cheating parent, sadness for a side character 😭}
⋅˚₊‧ ୨🍄🟫୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅
“Gray overpass full of neon names”
જ⁀➴ Overview
Oh, my goodness gracious. This book healed me. I was expecting a 3-star read, and truly it might have been, if it didn't have all the vibes. It was every fall aesthetic mashed into one book. There was the cat cafe, the Gilmore Girl vibes, the sweaters, the fashion, coffee, the events. It was absolute fall-time perfection. I loved the characters and the humor it all hit home and I was obsessed. #justiceforjake. He deserved better. Maybe *cough* me?
˙✧˖°🐿️ ༘ ⋆｡˚
“Watching the game from your brother's jeep, your smile miles wide”
જ⁀➴ Plot
This plot was AMAZING. I was eating it up and I could not put it down. I lowkey ate this like I eat ramen noodles (like I am starving and one day from death). It was interesting to see all of the days play out and all the fall events! I loved how I kind of knew where her whole dad thing was going but it still astonished me. The tension was so bad but also so good. I love everything about this book and everything about it screamed October and love.
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･🥧༄⋆⭒˚｡⋆
“And it was not an invitation, should have kissed you anyway”
જ⁀➴ Characters
°˖➴ Ellis
Ok so I can see how she would be a little bit annoying, but I see a lot of myself in her. But I learned my lesson a little faster than her… lol. She was very witty, and I loved to see her interact with her cousin! I really liked how organized she was and her being a city girl moving to a cute fall town. She was overall not bad but not perfect!
°˖➴ Cooper
He made me SO MAD at first. I was like why can't he just get his attitude in check? Like boy. I really do love him now though. He was so sweet in the end, and he reminds me of a lost puppy. I loved hearing about his and Ellis’s past. The baking, the glasses, the hair, the dimple. kill. Me. now.
I was so happy when they eventually got together but just wait for the part about our poor Jakey boy. 😭
°˖➴ Jake
HE IS PEAK BOYFRIEND MATERIAL. I can't even. He was gorgeous and witty, and he was sooooo funny. The Kenji of the story 1000% I wish things could have ended on a happier note for him. But he took things with stride, and he had a big heart, which made me want to cry because oml. Him and Slug are an iconic duo 🫡 sign me up
°˖➴ Sloane
LOVED HER! She was iconic. I loved her sass. She felt like THE PERFECT side character. Her and Asher are SO CUTE. I need a book on them please and thank you 🤭
°˖➴ Fern
YES, YES YES YES YES! Fern and Jake are going to be a thing, and I want a book about them too. She was so funny and such a cute bestie. It made me think of my bestie too because their closeness reminds me of us and I’m so grateful for you bestie ❤️ (ikyk who you are).
°˖➴ Everyone Else
Such cuties. Harley is one of the cutest small characters. 🤭❤️
⋅˚₊‧ ୨🍄🟫୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅
“Shiny wood floor underneath my feet”
જ⁀➴ Writing
The writing was so fast paced and smooth even though everything happened over months! I loved it even though it may not be for everyone. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
˙✧˖°🐿️ ༘ ⋆｡˚
I might write more later. lol I loved it so much but I'm so tired.
6★
🍂🤍 Pre Read
AHHHH so excited to read this with my bestie Bella!! This has to be the fall romance I’ve been needing; I’m convinced 🙂↕️👍🧡
“Hey Siri, play Ruin the Friendship by Taylor Swift”
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･🥧༄⋆⭒˚｡⋆
“Glistening grass from September rain”
⋆˚꩜｡14+
🍂 Romance {kissing, innuendo, sexual references, hugging, etc.}
🍂 Cussing {f*ck, sh*t, d*mn, h*ll, a*s, d*ck all used semi-frequently}
🍂 Violence {literally none}
🍂 Tw {cheating parent, sadness for a side character 😭}
⋅˚₊‧ ୨🍄🟫୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅
“Gray overpass full of neon names”
જ⁀➴ Overview
Oh, my goodness gracious. This book healed me. I was expecting a 3-star read, and truly it might have been, if it didn't have all the vibes. It was every fall aesthetic mashed into one book. There was the cat cafe, the Gilmore Girl vibes, the sweaters, the fashion, coffee, the events. It was absolute fall-time perfection. I loved the characters and the humor it all hit home and I was obsessed. #justiceforjake. He deserved better. Maybe *cough* me?
˙✧˖°🐿️ ༘ ⋆｡˚
“Watching the game from your brother's jeep, your smile miles wide”
જ⁀➴ Plot
This plot was AMAZING. I was eating it up and I could not put it down. I lowkey ate this like I eat ramen noodles (like I am starving and one day from death). It was interesting to see all of the days play out and all the fall events! I loved how I kind of knew where her whole dad thing was going but it still astonished me. The tension was so bad but also so good. I love everything about this book and everything about it screamed October and love.
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･🥧༄⋆⭒˚｡⋆
“And it was not an invitation, should have kissed you anyway”
જ⁀➴ Characters
°˖➴ Ellis
Ok so I can see how she would be a little bit annoying, but I see a lot of myself in her. But I learned my lesson a little faster than her… lol. She was very witty, and I loved to see her interact with her cousin! I really liked how organized she was and her being a city girl moving to a cute fall town. She was overall not bad but not perfect!
°˖➴ Cooper
He made me SO MAD at first. I was like why can't he just get his attitude in check? Like boy. I really do love him now though. He was so sweet in the end, and he reminds me of a lost puppy. I loved hearing about his and Ellis’s past. The baking, the glasses, the hair, the dimple. kill. Me. now.
I was so happy when they eventually got together but just wait for the part about our poor Jakey boy. 😭
°˖➴ Jake
HE IS PEAK BOYFRIEND MATERIAL. I can't even. He was gorgeous and witty, and he was sooooo funny. The Kenji of the story 1000% I wish things could have ended on a happier note for him. But he took things with stride, and he had a big heart, which made me want to cry because oml. Him and Slug are an iconic duo 🫡 sign me up
°˖➴ Sloane
LOVED HER! She was iconic. I loved her sass. She felt like THE PERFECT side character. Her and Asher are SO CUTE. I need a book on them please and thank you 🤭
°˖➴ Fern
YES, YES YES YES YES! Fern and Jake are going to be a thing, and I want a book about them too. She was so funny and such a cute bestie. It made me think of my bestie too because their closeness reminds me of us and I’m so grateful for you bestie ❤️ (ikyk who you are).
°˖➴ Everyone Else
Such cuties. Harley is one of the cutest small characters. 🤭❤️
⋅˚₊‧ ୨🍄🟫୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅
“Shiny wood floor underneath my feet”
જ⁀➴ Writing
The writing was so fast paced and smooth even though everything happened over months! I loved it even though it may not be for everyone. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
˙✧˖°🐿️ ༘ ⋆｡˚
I might write more later. lol I loved it so much but I'm so tired.
6★
🍂🤍 Pre Read
AHHHH so excited to read this with my bestie Bella!! This has to be the fall romance I’ve been needing; I’m convinced 🙂↕️👍🧡
October 26, 2025
2.75 ⭐️
once again, a pretty cover got to me 🫠 this was cute and I enjoyed the autumn vibes and the cosiness of the small town, but I think I’m no longer the target audience for YA romance. I couldn’t care less about these kids and their problems, especially when the fmc was being so annoying and for someone who’s supposed to be super smart, she was blind to everything around her. And the mmc didn’t have a personality besides being a sweet, handsome guy. I also didn’t enjoy the pop culture references because they took me out of the story. It’s not a bad book and for someone who enjoys YA, I’m sure it’ll be a great read, but it didn’t work for me.
once again, a pretty cover got to me 🫠 this was cute and I enjoyed the autumn vibes and the cosiness of the small town, but I think I’m no longer the target audience for YA romance. I couldn’t care less about these kids and their problems, especially when the fmc was being so annoying and for someone who’s supposed to be super smart, she was blind to everything around her. And the mmc didn’t have a personality besides being a sweet, handsome guy. I also didn’t enjoy the pop culture references because they took me out of the story. It’s not a bad book and for someone who enjoys YA, I’m sure it’ll be a great read, but it didn’t work for me.
December 1, 2025
If you're looking for a book that captures that cozy feeling of a crisp autumn day, look no further than Falling Like Leaves. This charming YA romance is a delightfully cozy seasonal read, packing major Gilmore Girls vibes with its blend of love, laughs, and small-town charm.
Ellis, our heroine, gives off slight Rory-vibes, and she is laser-focused on her future—specifically, Columbia University—and living the fast-paced, cutthroat city life. But when unexpected circumstances force her into a sudden move, she lands smack in the middle of her mother's charming hometown, Bramble Falls. The stage is instantly set for conflict: big city hustle meeting idyllic small-town community, new school, new friends, new challenges. Naturally, this new life comes complete with a seriously swoon-worthy, second-chance romance involving her long-lost childhood friend, Cooper.
What takes this book above the typical high-school fare is the surprising depth woven into the lighthearted plot. The main character is undeniably messy, imperfect, and sometimes frustrating, as she grapples with intense perfectionism and the heavy burden of her father's expectations. The author handles these struggles with nuance, adding meaningful layers that make her journey of self-discovery genuinely compelling.
The true magic, however, is the setting. The book is an absolute aesthetic feast, bringing to life the cozy transition from autumn to early winter with atmospheric scenes and a heart-warming sense of found family. Go ahead, grab a blanket, and let yourself fall for Bramble Falls. This book is so nostalgic, it makes you want to watch Practical Magic and Speed, too!
It’s perfect if you love:
🍂 Cozy fall rom-coms
💛 Second-chance romance
✨️ Charming small towns
🥰 YA / Teen books like Lynn Painter’s Better than the Movies
Ellis, our heroine, gives off slight Rory-vibes, and she is laser-focused on her future—specifically, Columbia University—and living the fast-paced, cutthroat city life. But when unexpected circumstances force her into a sudden move, she lands smack in the middle of her mother's charming hometown, Bramble Falls. The stage is instantly set for conflict: big city hustle meeting idyllic small-town community, new school, new friends, new challenges. Naturally, this new life comes complete with a seriously swoon-worthy, second-chance romance involving her long-lost childhood friend, Cooper.
What takes this book above the typical high-school fare is the surprising depth woven into the lighthearted plot. The main character is undeniably messy, imperfect, and sometimes frustrating, as she grapples with intense perfectionism and the heavy burden of her father's expectations. The author handles these struggles with nuance, adding meaningful layers that make her journey of self-discovery genuinely compelling.
The true magic, however, is the setting. The book is an absolute aesthetic feast, bringing to life the cozy transition from autumn to early winter with atmospheric scenes and a heart-warming sense of found family. Go ahead, grab a blanket, and let yourself fall for Bramble Falls. This book is so nostalgic, it makes you want to watch Practical Magic and Speed, too!
It’s perfect if you love:
🍂 Cozy fall rom-coms
💛 Second-chance romance
✨️ Charming small towns
🥰 YA / Teen books like Lynn Painter’s Better than the Movies
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,334 reviews