Apple Pie Promises

The Alphabet Sweethearts

by Susanne Ash

She’s all heart. He’s all grump. Together, they’re about to bake up something sweeter than pie.

When Tessa Arden moves to the cozy mountain town of Juniper Falls, she’s determined to honor her late aunt’s memory by entering the annual Harvest Festival Pie Contest. But there’s one little problem. Tessa can’t bake to save her life. Cue the grumpy-yet-irresistible Hale Fletcher, owner of the town’s general store and reluctant baking expert.

Hale prefers solitude to socializing, but something about Tessa’s sunshiney determination pulls him in. Against his better judgment, he agrees to help her tackle her aunt’s award-winning apple pie recipe. As they mix ingredients and swap stories, sparks start to fly in the kitchen—and not just from the oven.

When a meddling rival stirs up trouble, their fragile partnership is tested. Will Tessa’s determination—and Hale’s guarded heart—be enough to turn their unlikely pairing into a recipe for love?

Apple Pie Promises is the first book in The Alphabet Sweetheart Series, a collection of small-town romances as sweet and satisfying as a homemade dessert. Perfect for fans of grumpy/sunshine pairings, meddling neighbors, and happily ever afters. These fun, quick reads will quickly become your favorite new escape. Check out all the books in the series, starting Pie PromisesBlossoms & New BeginningsCoffeehouse ConfessionsDandelion DreamsEchoes Of The HeartFirefly NightsGarden Gate WishesHeartstrings In HarmonyIce Cream KissesJust One LookAnd many more to come…

Genres: Romance, Novella, Clean Romance, Adult, Short Stories, Contemporary

55 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 6, 2025

About the author

Susanne Ash writes sweet contemporary romance. When she's not busy putting pen to paper, she loves to cook, knit, and head out exploring with her husband and daughter. She lives close to the beach in beautiful South Carolina. You'll find that her setting is often a fictionalized version of her surroundings and the places she's visiting with her family.

Reviews

[CatsBnB · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC 🩷!!!!!

[Izzy {writing hiatus} · Rating 4 out of 5]

‧₊˚ ✩°｡⋆♡ ⋆˙⟡♡ ⋆˙⟡♡⋆｡°✩˚₊‧

3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟

🍪 ᵔ ˖ ･𝔹𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖 .﹆🥐◞⋆ 🍩

🍬 ⋆ 🥧 🩷 𝒩❀𝓌 𝒫𝓁𝒶𝓎𝒾𝓃𝑔: 𝐹𝓁🍬𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝐼𝓃 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒲𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝒷𝓎 𝒯𝓇𝒶𝓋𝒾𝓈 🩷 🥧 ⋆ 🍬 ▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||| 0:10

A super cute short story! I was very surprised on how invested I was in this and how great of a short story it was! Loved the romance way too much for it to be that short! Can’t wait to continue the series 🤭
Highly recommend!!

♫ ֺּׅ𓏽 ׄ ݊ ݂ 𝒲𝑜𝓌, 𝓁𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝒶𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓃𝑜𝓌, 𝒻𝓁𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒾𝓃𝒹𝑜𝓌 𝒾𝓉’𝓈 𝓈𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝒶 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁𝓎 𝒹𝒶𝓎

⋆⁺₊⋆🥧⋆⁺₊⋆ Tꫀׁׅܻ꯱ׁׅ֒꯱ׁׅ֒ɑׁׅ֮
super sweet and cute! Loved her small character arc and how bubbly she is!

𝄞𝄢𝒞𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓊𝓅 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝓇𝑜𝓌𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝒶 𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒾𝑜𝓃

🍪⭒🐻 ᕼᗩᒪE
I honestly love this grumpy teddy bear of a man 🤭 he has some work to due but he’ll come around.

𓈒 ݁ 𝄞𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝐼 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓈𝑜
𝐿𝑒𝓉’𝓈 𝓌𝒶𝓉𝒸𝒽 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝓁𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝑔𝓇𝑜𝓌

Overall a very sweet story, great for getting out of a reading slump!

‧₊˚ ✩°｡⋆♡ ⋆˙⟡♡ ⋆˙⟡♡⋆｡°✩˚₊‧

[Miyawakiss · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is about 2 people who are baking pies in order to keep the memory of their loved ones alive. It's a very short and cosy, albeit sad, read. Unfortunately, we don't get much insight into their relationship with the aforementioned departed loved ones. Granted, this is a novella but I can't help but wish we got more context behind the characters and their history.

If this book was an apple pie, it would be a small apple pie with mostly crust and not much filling.

[Bookish_Aly_Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a heartwarming story about a grumpy general store owner and the new girl in town who wants to enter a pie contest to honor her late aunt’s memory.

For such a short read the author sure does a good job at giving the characters depth and allowing you to get a feel for who they are. Their grumpy sunshine dynamic was nice and they complimented each other well. It was endearing to watch Hale open up to Tessa and I appreciated how their relationship didn’t feel super rushed as they spent a lot of time together baking.

Read this if you like:
🥧 Small town romance
🥧 Slow burn chemistry
🥧 Grumpy/sunshine

This was one of those feel good stories even though they were both grieving. Definitely worth the read.

[Gi⊹ ࣪ ˖ (hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5★ (slight spoilers btw)

“𝐿𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝓇𝑒𝒸𝒾𝓅𝑒𝓈, 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒, 𝓉𝓇𝓊𝓈𝓉, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶 𝓁𝒾𝓉𝓉𝓁𝑒 𝒷𝒾𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝒻𝒶𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝓊𝓇𝓃 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓅𝑒𝓇𝒻𝑒𝒸𝓉𝓁𝓎 𝒾𝓂𝓅𝑒𝓇𝒻𝑒𝒸𝓉.”

-Small Town Romance
-Grumpy x Sunshine
-Strangers to Lovers
-Dual POV

Such a cute and short read for the fall season! It starts off with Tessa who just moved to Juniper Falls who was horrid at baking and Mr Grumpy (Hale) helps her learn and eventually opens up about his past to her. I also have to conmend Ms Ash’s writing style because the way she described the pastries made me hungry! Great read!

[Kirsty Gudmundsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
0 🌶

Welcome to the town of Juniper Falls. This is the first book in "The Alphabet Sweetheart Series."

What to expect:

💚Novella
💚Grumpy/Sunshine
💚Small Town
💚HEA
💚Meddling Neighbors

Tessa moves to the cozy mountain town of Juniper Falls determined to honor her late aunt's memory by entering the annual Harvest Festival Pie Contest. One problem- Tessa can't bake to save her life.

Cue the grumpy-yet-irresistible Hale Fletcher, owner of the town’s general store and reluctant baking expert. As they mix ingredients and swap stories, sparks start to fly in the kitchen.

[Dana Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know this was a short story when I got it, but when I found out it was, I wasn’t sure if I would like it. Turns out it was a super cute and quick read! I will always love a small town in the fall and a man who is an expert baker. I’m thinking I will use this series as some quick romances to read in between longer fantasy books or something like that.

[Sarah C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely

[Fiction with Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always a sucker for romances that blossom through cooking/baking lessons! Throw in a grumpy/sunshine couple. And you’ve got a winning combination 😄

As much as I wanted Henry Caldwell taken down a peg. Considering how new Tessa was to baking, it’s realistic that she won second place. And perhaps more importantly, the contest wasn’t really about winning to Tessa, but about proving herself.

[Mama That Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, quick read! Love the length and that there isn’t a bunch of fluff

[Shia · Rating 4 out of 5]

sweet as pie

Super sweet and perfect for those wanting just a touch of romance to make them feel all warm and cozy!

[DreamerReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You made me remember that life keeps flowing. That holding onto grief doesn't honor the people we've lost. Living does. Creating does. Loving does.”

I cannot remember the last time I cried when grief came up in a book. I related to both characters who had lost someone, and Tessa’s life, trying so hard to become what other people expected of her, hit me hard. I related to her so much that in moments it felt like I was the FMC.

What I loved about this novella is that even though grief appeared several times, the author still made it feel like a romantic-comedy. They were so funny at times, like when he didn’t like her calling him “boss” and she started saying, “Apple guru? Pie master?” I was dead laughing on the floor🤣

I did hate Hale at some point when he cowarded while Tessa was put on the spot, I get his reasons, but still😭 But, I couldn’t stay mad at him for long though, because whenever it was his POV, he always had something to say about Tessa that would make me melt like for example when he said, “Her smile is like sunrise breaking over the mountains.” Excuse me, sir, WHAT?😩

This novella had its moments, and the love quotes…the author knew what she was doing.
“Love, like the best pie crust, is worth the risk of getting your hands messy.”
I guess it is💛

First 4⭐ of the year, completely worth it.

[Hilma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apple Pie Promises by Susanne Ash is the first book in the Alphabet Sweethearts series, short standalone short romance novels. In this first book Tessa inherits her aunt’s cottage in Juniper Falls. When she finds a beloved apple pie recipe, she wants to enter the annual pie contest, but that is much harder that she first thought. Enter grumpy store owner Hale.

This short novel was a delight to read. Tessa and Hale both have a sad past, and as a reader you felt for them. Tessa is determined to bake the perfect pie, and that was heartwarming to read. Hale is grumpy, but due to some subtle pushes from the charming town members, he helps Tessa be a better baker. Their interactions during the baking lessons are sometimes humorous, as Tessa likes things to be a bit lose. As they spend more time together a relationship starts to bloom. I loved how Tessa made Hale more relaxed.

The writing style is flowing and the book is so easy to read. I loved reading it a lot.

If you want to read a heartwarming short romance novel, with two very likable main characters, and if you like baking, this is the book you want to read. You can easily finish it in a cozy afternoon. I can’t wait to read the other novels in this lovely cozy romance series.

Recommended.

[BayWithATBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apple Pie Promises by Susanne Ash served exactly what the title promised. Warm. Comforting. A little messy in the middle but baked with love. 🥧✨

After a DNF that left me pacing around my room like a betrayed Victorian widow, this was the emotional reset button I desperately needed. Short, fun, sweet. No chaos. No rage reading. Just soft healing energy and small town tenderness that slowly untied the knot in my chest.

The healing in this one? That gentle rebuilding of trust, the quiet moments, the “maybe we can try again” vibes? It melted me. Not dramatic fireworks. More like a candle flickering back to life. 🕯️🥺

Is it a 5 star masterpiece? No.
Did it change my brain chemistry? Also no.
Did I enjoy every cozy second of it? Yes. Absolutely yes.

It is the literary equivalent of eating warm apple pie straight from the dish while standing in the kitchen at midnight. Not revolutionary. Just deeply satisfying.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.5 stars

If you need a soft landing after a book that wronged you, this one will hold your hand and feed you dessert.

[Carole Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for some shorts to read since I've def been in a reading slump. This series sounds adorable, so I grabbed the first couple of the series.

Here we follow Tessa and Hale. Tessa can't bake to save her life, but she wants to learn so she can honor her late aunt in the pie-baking contest. Enter in grumpy Hale. He knows how to bake, and he doesn't want to teach anyone anything. However, there is something about Tessa, and he agrees to help her. As they sit in the kitchen mixing ingredients and swapping stories....sparks begin to fly between the two. However, there is a meddling rival that could ruin everything.

This was very sweet and clean.

Hale and Tessa are perfect for each other.

The drama was limited and easily fixed. A little TOO easily fixable. I would've liked a little more here.

Now I'm hungry and want an apple pie.

This is a cute town. I want to read more for sure.

Short, sweet, and perfect for a morning read while you sip your coffee. I'll give this 4 stars.

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

We’re in Juniper Falls where there’s an air that’s so pure that it’s full of couples so sweet and demure. Tessa Arden is sunshine. Hale Fletcher is grump but they’re perfect together they’ll surely kick up a storm in this apple pie baking contest together they form . Is it the norm? Of course not but chemistry? These two sure have got ,even if they don’t yet know it . They’re going for it. Love everything that Susanne Ash writes and this is a pearler ,fills me with delight . Hale owns the General Store as well as being a baking expert.Tessa being new in town,she’s determined to enter and win the ApplePie Baking contest in her deceased aunt’s memory. She cannot cook to save her life and therefore here comes the strife with mr grumpy Hale baker extraordinaire . But baking a prize pie these two can’t fail with her aunt’s award winning recipe so he reluctantly goes there…A brilliantly portrayed book with all the feels and true to life and full of zeal . Love ,love ,loved this book!

[Jess (GetbookedwithJessica) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being a quick read, Susanne Ash’s writing packs impressive emotional depth—the characters feel full and real, and the grumpy/sunshine dynamic between Tessa and Hale is both comforting and endearing. Their connection unfolds gently, never feeling rushed, and the small-town setting imbues the story with extra warmth.

If you’re in the mood for a heartwarming, cozy romance with two likable leads—and a generous helping of baking charm—this is the perfect book for a lazy afternoon. It’s the kind of novella you can finish in one sitting and close with a contented sigh. I can’t wait to follow more residents of Juniper Falls and explore the rest of this lovely series.

If you love short, sweet, small-town romances with a dash of baking magic, Apple Pie Promises is your go-to. I’m eager to continue reading the rest of Susanne Ash’s Alphabet Sweethearts stories—sign me up for more cozy, comforting romance!

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apple Pie Promises felt warm, cozy, and emotionally comforting, like sitting in a familiar kitchen where everyone knows your name. I really enjoyed how food and baking were woven into the story, because it made the romance feel grounded and homey instead of overly dramatic. The relationship developed in a way that felt natural, with past hurts and hesitations shaping how the characters approached love. I liked that the story focused on second chances and emotional honesty rather than big shock moments. There was a softness to the book that made it easy to sink into, especially after heavier or darker reads. While it didn’t try to reinvent romance, it delivered exactly what it promised: comfort, connection, and a satisfying emotional payoff. Overall, it was a sweet, reassuring read that left me feeling calm and content.

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in The Alphabet Sweethearts series and an enjoyable read. The story is well-written with interesting characters. Tessa has inherited her aunt's cottage in Juniper Falls. She finds her aunt's beloved apple pie recipe and decides she wants to enter the contest, despite never having baked a pie. It turns out to be a whole lot more complicated than she expected and she soon turns to the grumpy store owner, Hale, for help. The two start to develop feelings for each others as they work together to find the perfect pie recipe. It is great the way they are both there for each other when needed and I enjoyed watching their relationship change and grow. I received a free copy of the book and this is my honest review.

[Debbie Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first story in the Alphabet Sweethearts series and it is absolutely adorable! Tessa has just moved into her late grandmother’s cabin and finds her award winning apple pie recipe. She’s determined to learn how to make the pie to enter it into the town’s contest. The problem? On a good day she can barely make toast! Enter Hale, the owner of Brooks General Store, who offers to teach her his mom’s techniques. The more time they spend together, the closer they get. I love that they are both there for each other when they need it. Great start to the series and I love that the end sets up the next book - I can’t wait!!

[Mandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a novella, I don’t usually expect a lot and often times the story can be rushed BUT THIS BOOK was PERFECT!

The descriptive writing was beautiful and really made you feel like you were experiencing autumn 🍂 in this quaint town. The chemistry between them was palpable and history the preceded their meeting was heartfelt. The handling of grief was comforting and beautiful.

It was absolutely lovely how pie making brought these two together and the history of pie making in their families that just added that extra layer of meaning.

This book was the perfect novella full of autumn vibes and emotional depth. I will definitely be reading more in this series and by this author.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a free copy of "Apple Pie Promises" on Kindle during one of the author's sales. I definitely think it's a sweet start to something - that I'm seeing is an alphabetical set of novellas taking place in this town - but it definitely was a start. It was super short, and I read it within a half hour. I do think a bit of a plot developed with there being an apple pie baking competition to look forward to, but not a lot of relationship development. And I laughed a bit that our lead could go from burning pies to entering a competition at all within such a short read, though of course more time unfolds in the book itself. I'll be keeping a curious eye out for more from this author!

[Olivia Gloria Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Baking is love made visible sweetheart, don’t ever forget that.” 👩‍🍳


• an absolute adorable, short fall novella about Tessa who enters into a pie contest in honor of her late aunt ❤️

• love a cute grumpy sunshine story; the connection between Tessa and Hale, I found lovely, they’re adorbs!

• the discussion about pies made me hungry while reading 🤣

• the way that Hale didn’t stand up for Tessa hurt a bit, but the outcome made up for it

• their connection between their late relatives & their stories were wonderful 🙂

• the fact that Tessa learned something she didn’t know in a quick teaching was awesome, proud of her! 🤗

[Cecilia Mora Jimenez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ughhhh, Tessa and Hale are so cute together. The grumpy guy with the bubbly girl are the type of characters I absorb and love. I love how these are quick stories you can read in 1 hour or less. I have read a few of these books jumping from one story to the next in no order. Each one can be read as a standalone but ultimately you see the bigger picture when you read them by order, so I decided to start from the beginning and work my way down. I love the characters I'm discovering in Juniper Falls and can't wait to read the next book in the series.

[Cortney D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! somehow for only being 55 pages, the pacing felt really good! slow burn, tension, and a sweet conclusion.

Wish the conclusion would've been longer and we could see a little more of them together, but otherwise this was a fun, short, sweet book!

I notice a lot of novellas end up being third person, so I really enjoyed that this was first person and switched between the two characters!

I will definitely be reading the next ones in the series!

[Jan Tomalis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this short and sweet story. Tessa and Hale are both dealing with grief but in different ways. Baking brings these two together while honoring the memories of their loved ones so they can move forward with their lives.
I received an advance copy of this book from the author, however, I voluntarily wrote an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.

[Carol Unruh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pleasantly surprised

I was skeptical about reading a short story like this. Too many short ones make the relationship too rushed and unrealistic. This one did not do that. Character development and story line seemed realistic, and flowed well. I loved it! Looking forward to more in this series.

[Dali Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect

Sometimes novellas can feel rushed, but this one is just perfect. The pacing and details were on point, and the characters are great. The story is sweet, touching, and amusing. I especially enjoyed the banter between Tessa and Hale as it had me smiling quite often. Yes, it's short, but it is a joy to read.

[Kristina Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, sweet romance

This was a cute, sweet romance with a complete story arc. The two main characters, Tessa and Hale develop a sweet romance over learning to make pie. This is the first in the series and is super quick to read. It made a wonderful break from longer, more complex reads.

[Christel Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

No expectations

It started a little slow, if a book this size catches my attention I can read it in less than an hour but I kept leaving it for other stuff. I'm glad I came back, it was cute and sweet even with too many pie references. Looking forward to the next book in the series