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The Maine Stop
She’s back in the town she swore she’d left behind. He’s still the boy next door—and the best friend who knows her better than anyone. Is this the fall they finally rewrite their story?
Murphy Kennedy’s life has always had one Banks Benson. Since she was four years old, he’s been her person—the neighbor who climbed through her window, the boy who made her laugh when life felt heavy, the best friend who never let distance get in the way—even when Murphy left for Boston to chase her dream design career. But when burnout hits hard, she finds herself back in her coastal Maine hometown, moving into her grandmother’s house for one last fixing it up before it sells. Which also means… living right next door to Banks again.
Their friendship slips easily back into rhythm, but being back in Bellmere means facing the grief she thought distance would soften—the reminders of her mom woven into every corner of town. But as Murphy pours herself into reviving her grandmother’s house and bringing cozy charm to Main Street, the ache starts to shift. With Banks next door, a circle of friends reminding her what life is for, and autumn wrapping it all in golden light, she begins to see that maybe home was never something to run from, but the place she was meant to return.
Perfect for fans of Sarah Adams and Emily Henry, The Maine Stop is a charming, slow-burn, closed-door romance brimming with autumn nostalgia, small-town whimsy, and the timeless magic of finding your way back to the love that was always waiting.
Read this book for…
✔ Cozy Fall Romance
✔ Best Friends to Lovers
✔ Boy Next Door
✔ Small-Town Charm
✔ Swoony Slow Burn
✔ Clean Romance
✔ Found Family
✔ He Falls First
Murphy Kennedy’s life has always had one Banks Benson. Since she was four years old, he’s been her person—the neighbor who climbed through her window, the boy who made her laugh when life felt heavy, the best friend who never let distance get in the way—even when Murphy left for Boston to chase her dream design career. But when burnout hits hard, she finds herself back in her coastal Maine hometown, moving into her grandmother’s house for one last fixing it up before it sells. Which also means… living right next door to Banks again.
Their friendship slips easily back into rhythm, but being back in Bellmere means facing the grief she thought distance would soften—the reminders of her mom woven into every corner of town. But as Murphy pours herself into reviving her grandmother’s house and bringing cozy charm to Main Street, the ache starts to shift. With Banks next door, a circle of friends reminding her what life is for, and autumn wrapping it all in golden light, she begins to see that maybe home was never something to run from, but the place she was meant to return.
Perfect for fans of Sarah Adams and Emily Henry, The Maine Stop is a charming, slow-burn, closed-door romance brimming with autumn nostalgia, small-town whimsy, and the timeless magic of finding your way back to the love that was always waiting.
Read this book for…
✔ Cozy Fall Romance
✔ Best Friends to Lovers
✔ Boy Next Door
✔ Small-Town Charm
✔ Swoony Slow Burn
✔ Clean Romance
✔ Found Family
✔ He Falls First
314 pages, Paperback
Published September 5, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
November 17, 2025
This book was EVERYTHING!
This book was a warm mug of cider in romcom form. Sweet, heartfelt, and just the right amount of swoony. Banks and Murphy had me smiling like a fool—loyal, tender, and full of quiet charm.
This was such a sweet story of two lifelong friends and their journey to finding each other.
The writing wrapped around me like a knit sweater, and the characters felt like old friends. Pure comfort. Pure joy. I adored it.
The Maine setting was pure bliss!
I sure hope the author is reading and makes this into a series of some sort :)
Vibe Check
Small-town charm, autumn leaves, cozy cafés, and a romance that simmers like cider on the stove.
This book was a warm mug of cider in romcom form. Sweet, heartfelt, and just the right amount of swoony. Banks and Murphy had me smiling like a fool—loyal, tender, and full of quiet charm.
This was such a sweet story of two lifelong friends and their journey to finding each other.
The writing wrapped around me like a knit sweater, and the characters felt like old friends. Pure comfort. Pure joy. I adored it.
The Maine setting was pure bliss!
I sure hope the author is reading and makes this into a series of some sort :)
Vibe Check
Small-town charm, autumn leaves, cozy cafés, and a romance that simmers like cider on the stove.
September 26, 2026
3.75 stars. Is cozy romance thing? Are all romances inherently cozy? Well if cozy romance was a specific genre this would be the perfect example of a cozy romance!
Murphy and Banks. Best friend to lovers. She’s coming back to her charming New England small town after burning out in the big city.
I love a slow burn romance. I only read slow burn romances! But this was a sloooooooooow burn and I wish they would’ve communicated their very obvious feelings to each other a little sooner😅This was a sweet story. I do feel like I’ve read many versions of the same story before so it wasn’t the most unique but like I said very sweet, cozy and cute small town vibes. I loved the friend group and I love that because Murphy’s job was a designer/interior decorator, all of the settings were so vivid and beautiful.
I do want to have a conversation though (and this has nothing to do with my feelings on the book itself,) I just have some personal feelings on the topic… it’s the age old question, can men and women just be friends. In my answer is yes. Men and women can be casual just friends. I don’t think men and women can “just be” best friends. If like in this book, you are texting every day, calling every day, have cute nicknames for each other, know everything about each other. Umm no. I felt bad for Banks’s ex-girlfriend and totally understood why she didn’t like Murphy! And honestly, in saying all that I guess my feelings about that did color a little bit of how I saw Banks and Murphy because I think that’s so disrespectful to their previous boyfriends or girlfriends.
Okay mini rant over! Pick this one up for a good cozy time!
Spice level: no spice/kissing only
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy!!
Murphy and Banks. Best friend to lovers. She’s coming back to her charming New England small town after burning out in the big city.
I love a slow burn romance. I only read slow burn romances! But this was a sloooooooooow burn and I wish they would’ve communicated their very obvious feelings to each other a little sooner😅This was a sweet story. I do feel like I’ve read many versions of the same story before so it wasn’t the most unique but like I said very sweet, cozy and cute small town vibes. I loved the friend group and I love that because Murphy’s job was a designer/interior decorator, all of the settings were so vivid and beautiful.
I do want to have a conversation though (and this has nothing to do with my feelings on the book itself,) I just have some personal feelings on the topic… it’s the age old question, can men and women just be friends. In my answer is yes. Men and women can be casual just friends. I don’t think men and women can “just be” best friends. If like in this book, you are texting every day, calling every day, have cute nicknames for each other, know everything about each other. Umm no. I felt bad for Banks’s ex-girlfriend and totally understood why she didn’t like Murphy! And honestly, in saying all that I guess my feelings about that did color a little bit of how I saw Banks and Murphy because I think that’s so disrespectful to their previous boyfriends or girlfriends.
Okay mini rant over! Pick this one up for a good cozy time!
Spice level: no spice/kissing only
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy!!
October 9, 2026
4.5/5 stars
This was SO cuuute!! Friends-to-lovers done right and I loved it! Banks as Murphy’s constant, steady anchor + his humor = everything! 🍁🤎🥰🍂
This was SO cuuute!! Friends-to-lovers done right and I loved it! Banks as Murphy’s constant, steady anchor + his humor = everything! 🍁🤎🥰🍂
March 30, 2026
I think it's not going to be surprise that I'm reading seasonal books not in the right seasons. Fall books in spring or Christmas stories in the summer. To me it's like whatever I feel like at the moment 🤣
Back to the story. Very cute, very cosy and warm. A bit Hallmark-like, so you know not very realistic. It did tackle the topic of grief, so keep that in mind. But I liked the small town setting and friends to lovers, even though I had to keep calm at times because some moments I just wanted to tackle someone cough the main character.
Read
September 21, 2026dnf @ 45%
it’s very much a “it’s me, not the book”.
i was so so so excited for this book - i had it saved for almost a year to read as we approach autumn again.
but i’m bored and i cannot be bothered by a romance novel now i think.
it’s very much a “it’s me, not the book”.
i was so so so excited for this book - i had it saved for almost a year to read as we approach autumn again.
but i’m bored and i cannot be bothered by a romance novel now i think.
November 19, 2025
SOBBBBBBBEDDDD
under rated and amazing
under rated and amazing
October 7, 2026
The quintessential fall rom-com is right here, ladies and gentlemen! 🍂🤎
If you want a book with all the fall things, found family and some sweet romance, this right here is a book to pick up!
Murphy Kennedy returns home, not really sure what her next path in life looks like. But coming home also brings back some hard memories of losing her mother years ago. Thankfully, home also brings her back to a group of friends who are practically attached at the hip and have been there for each other through so much. But home also means seeing Banks Benson again. Murphy's longtime best friend. And being back together might just bring these two together in a way they haven't been before.
Now, I am one who doesn't always love the friends-to-lovers trope. Mainly because I feel like the boundaries are usually completely nonexistent, and it's painfully obvious that these two have feelings for each other. 😂 While I actually liked how this one was done, I still think Murphy and Banks needed some stronger boundaries. The way she would hug him and wrap her legs around him...a bit much. Especially at the time when they were dating other people, came off a bit disrespectful and immature in my opinion.
But aside from my little rant, I really did love this story!
I loved the flashbacks and getting to see Murphy and Banks' history together. I think that was such a sweet way to show how their friendship had grown over the years and why these two meant so much to each other. Now, do I think they should have plucked up the courage and confessed their feelings WAY earlier? Absolutely! 😂 Goodness gracious, these two! Sometimes I just wanted to shake them and tell them to SAY SOMETHING ALREADY!
But I really did enjoy their story and seeing how things played out between them.
And can we talk about the found family aspect?! Because I think that might have been my favorite part of this entire book. I absolutely loved this group of friends! The way they were all so close, the history they shared, and how they showed up for one another was just so sweet. I love a good found family in a book, and this one really delivered for me. Honestly, I would have been happy just spending more time with this group!
I also loved how this story had some heavier moments mixed in with all the cozy fall goodness. Murphy coming home and having to face some of those hard memories added another layer to the story that I really appreciated.
Overall, this was such a stellar fall romance! It had the cozy atmosphere, a sweet romance, some emotional moments, and a found family that I just loved so much. Was I occasionally frustrated with these two and their lack of communication? Yes. 😂 But did I still have such a good time reading their story? Also yes!
I really hope we get to see more of this friend group in the future because I am not ready to say goodbye to them just yet! If you are looking for a sweet fall romance with all the autumn vibes and a wonderful group of friends, this is definitely one to pick up! 🍂🤎
If you want a book with all the fall things, found family and some sweet romance, this right here is a book to pick up!
Murphy Kennedy returns home, not really sure what her next path in life looks like. But coming home also brings back some hard memories of losing her mother years ago. Thankfully, home also brings her back to a group of friends who are practically attached at the hip and have been there for each other through so much. But home also means seeing Banks Benson again. Murphy's longtime best friend. And being back together might just bring these two together in a way they haven't been before.
Now, I am one who doesn't always love the friends-to-lovers trope. Mainly because I feel like the boundaries are usually completely nonexistent, and it's painfully obvious that these two have feelings for each other. 😂 While I actually liked how this one was done, I still think Murphy and Banks needed some stronger boundaries. The way she would hug him and wrap her legs around him...a bit much. Especially at the time when they were dating other people, came off a bit disrespectful and immature in my opinion.
But aside from my little rant, I really did love this story!
I loved the flashbacks and getting to see Murphy and Banks' history together. I think that was such a sweet way to show how their friendship had grown over the years and why these two meant so much to each other. Now, do I think they should have plucked up the courage and confessed their feelings WAY earlier? Absolutely! 😂 Goodness gracious, these two! Sometimes I just wanted to shake them and tell them to SAY SOMETHING ALREADY!
But I really did enjoy their story and seeing how things played out between them.
And can we talk about the found family aspect?! Because I think that might have been my favorite part of this entire book. I absolutely loved this group of friends! The way they were all so close, the history they shared, and how they showed up for one another was just so sweet. I love a good found family in a book, and this one really delivered for me. Honestly, I would have been happy just spending more time with this group!
I also loved how this story had some heavier moments mixed in with all the cozy fall goodness. Murphy coming home and having to face some of those hard memories added another layer to the story that I really appreciated.
Overall, this was such a stellar fall romance! It had the cozy atmosphere, a sweet romance, some emotional moments, and a found family that I just loved so much. Was I occasionally frustrated with these two and their lack of communication? Yes. 😂 But did I still have such a good time reading their story? Also yes!
I really hope we get to see more of this friend group in the future because I am not ready to say goodbye to them just yet! If you are looking for a sweet fall romance with all the autumn vibes and a wonderful group of friends, this is definitely one to pick up! 🍂🤎
October 19, 2025
•───── 5/5★ ─────•
««« 𝒞ℴ𝓃𝓉ℯ𝓃𝓉 »»»
➸ Spice: kissing only
➸ Language: low (1 d*mn)
➸ Content ﹢ Trigger Warnings (sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀs!):
««« 𝒟ℯ𝓉𝒶𝒾𝓁𝓈 »»»
➸ Genre: romance
➸ POV: third person, single pov, dual timeline
➸ Tropes ﹢ Themes (sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀs!):
➸ Age of FMC: 27 years old
➸ Age of MMC: 27 years old
➸ Location: bellmere, maine
➸ Year: 2025
•─────⋅°˖✧✿✧˖°⋅─────•
««« 𝒞ℴ𝓃𝓉ℯ𝓃𝓉 »»»
➸ Spice: kissing only
➸ Language: low (1 d*mn)
➸ Content ﹢ Trigger Warnings (sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀs!):
««« 𝒟ℯ𝓉𝒶𝒾𝓁𝓈 »»»
➸ Genre: romance
➸ POV: third person, single pov, dual timeline
➸ Tropes ﹢ Themes (sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀs!):
➸ Age of FMC: 27 years old
➸ Age of MMC: 27 years old
➸ Location: bellmere, maine
➸ Year: 2025
•─────⋅°˖✧✿✧˖°⋅─────•
November 8, 2025
This was everything I wanted in a romcom!! It was light and fun, yet also deep and real. Banks and Murphy are so sweet together. They are there for each other in thick and thin. I love the town of Bellmere and I now want to plan a fall trip to Maine. The setting was so fun, the writing was captivating, the characters were likable. I loved this.
September 15, 2026
Pretty okay
November 11, 2025
3.75⭐️ PLEASEEE MAKE THIS AN INTERCONNECTED SERIES. I want books for the other characters so badly. But first let’s talk about this book. I found this on kindle unlimited and had never heard much of anything about it but OMG. This is the perfect read for the fall and even winter. This story felt so sweet and the writing was so comforting, the atmosphere made me want to bundle up with hot chocolate near a window while colorful leaves fall from near trees. It felt like a comfort nook to bury yourself in for a few hours. (AND DIDDD) I loved the trope in this book and the found family was amazing. This book explores grief so well and (small spoiler) the letters in this book made me tear upppp. This was a SLOWWW burn and it fit with the story so well. My only downsides were that throughout the book Murphy felt like she was the “girl best friend” stereotype and (more small spoilers) when they finally got together there was no scene where they asked each other out and I wish there was because I feel like it would have added so much moreeee. And they didn’t always seem like friends, like they were not just being friendly at some points and it felt annoying because it’s like how can you not see that friends don’t act like that?? And then all of the sudden he asked her to marry him?? I just wished there was more time between and a little more depth because whenever they finally got together we were racing. But overall I enjoyed this read and the coziness that came with it like a hot cup of coffee.
“I still expect her to be in the kitchen when I walk in. Flour everywhere, something burning in the oven, yelling that she forgot the eggs again.”
“Just let people love you, Murph.”
“Don’t run from the good stuff. Don’t talk yourself out of joy. Don’t wait for permission to live a life that fills you up.”
“You deserve the good stuff, Murph. All of it.”
“You were made to love deeply, to create beauty, to take up space in this world-and I hope you never shrink yourself to make anyone else comfortable.”
“I still expect her to be in the kitchen when I walk in. Flour everywhere, something burning in the oven, yelling that she forgot the eggs again.”
“Just let people love you, Murph.”
“Don’t run from the good stuff. Don’t talk yourself out of joy. Don’t wait for permission to live a life that fills you up.”
“You deserve the good stuff, Murph. All of it.”
“You were made to love deeply, to create beauty, to take up space in this world-and I hope you never shrink yourself to make anyone else comfortable.”
Did Not Finish
November 9, 2025DNF for now at page 52. I may come back to it later. But I wasn't comfortable with how their relationship starts out/how their friendship is portrayed. I personally don't believe someone should be talking to a friend of the opposite sex *every* single day while dating someone else. That's like having three people in a relationship. Also, the touchy-feely-ness while they were still "just friends" (tucking her foot under his leg when sitting together on the couch, as it was said she always does–really? Even when you both were dating other people?) and then when she goes to hug him and wraps her LEGS around him (at this point she thinks he still has a girlfriend). I'm sorry, maybe I'm being nitpicky, but I don't like that sort of thing being romanticized; no one would be okay with that in real life as one of their significant others. No wonder his last gf didn't like you.
Other than that, I was loving the setting and the fall vibes. Like I said, might come back to it later if I feel I'm in a place to ignore some of the dynamics of their "friendship."
Other than that, I was loving the setting and the fall vibes. Like I said, might come back to it later if I feel I'm in a place to ignore some of the dynamics of their "friendship."
October 11, 2026
How could I possibly leave a review?! This is just perfect!
Friends to Lovers
HEA
Closed door/No spice
Small town
Found family
This is a love story, yes, but it’s a love between Murphy and Banks, as much as a daughter and her mother, a woman and her dreams, between girlfriends and of the life you have regardless of the life you expected.
I cannot get over these characters. I so desperately want to be part of this friend group. I laughed throughout every bit of banter between Murphy and Banks (also, why is EVERY name in this book perfection?!) and I cried. And cried. And cried. Through every bit of third act scenes about Lara
I really don’t know if I’ve ever given a romance novel 5 stars so I think this is as good as it gets for me!
Friends to Lovers
HEA
Closed door/No spice
Small town
Found family
This is a love story, yes, but it’s a love between Murphy and Banks, as much as a daughter and her mother, a woman and her dreams, between girlfriends and of the life you have regardless of the life you expected.
I cannot get over these characters. I so desperately want to be part of this friend group. I laughed throughout every bit of banter between Murphy and Banks (also, why is EVERY name in this book perfection?!) and I cried. And cried. And cried. Through every bit of third act scenes about Lara
I really don’t know if I’ve ever given a romance novel 5 stars so I think this is as good as it gets for me!
October 26, 2025
I picked this up to check a Maine book off my states book list, and while it definitely gave seasonal Hallmark movie in book form vibes, I found myself loving and really relating to so much of the discussion around grief and cancer and a parent passing and healing (and really not quite so much cheese as I expected!!). I was not expecting that and I was braced once I saw the parent-with-cancer trope coming, but truly the author did it so much justice, so props to that! It gave the book a lot more depth than the cheesy autumn puns and fall scenes usually give.
The romance was yearning and fairly closed door for those who care to read for the romance. It is a single POV.
Negative points for multiple high school was the glory day scenes (meh) and I think 2 typos? But overall, a lot higher ranking than I normally give romcoms! I will come back and read the rest of the series!
The romance was yearning and fairly closed door for those who care to read for the romance. It is a single POV.
Negative points for multiple high school was the glory day scenes (meh) and I think 2 typos? But overall, a lot higher ranking than I normally give romcoms! I will come back and read the rest of the series!
November 18, 2025
⭐️3.5-4/5 ⭐️ for me!
This was a really cute book.
🍁 Fall Vibes
🍂Small Town Romance
🍁Friends to Lovers
🍂Slooooooow Burn
🍁Flashbacks
🍂Cute
It's a cute little story. You get flashbacks in different chapters of them during different ages in their life. This is the SLOWEST slow burn I have ever read.
Minor spoilers :
There is loss of a parent and it definitely tugged at my heart strings. Didn't make me cry BUT I did feel my chest constricting with emotions lol. I did find Murphy and Banks' relationship/friendship a little annoying.... She wraps her legs around his waist while hugging.... Friends don't do that. How could she not see it was clearly more than friendship for the both of them?!
I think it would be cute to read more books of this friendship circle though. Just saying. 👀
This was a really cute book.
🍁 Fall Vibes
🍂Small Town Romance
🍁Friends to Lovers
🍂Slooooooow Burn
🍁Flashbacks
🍂Cute
It's a cute little story. You get flashbacks in different chapters of them during different ages in their life. This is the SLOWEST slow burn I have ever read.
Minor spoilers :
There is loss of a parent and it definitely tugged at my heart strings. Didn't make me cry BUT I did feel my chest constricting with emotions lol. I did find Murphy and Banks' relationship/friendship a little annoying.... She wraps her legs around his waist while hugging.... Friends don't do that. How could she not see it was clearly more than friendship for the both of them?!
I think it would be cute to read more books of this friendship circle though. Just saying. 👀
September 6, 2026
Quite average to be honest. I LOVE the man guy character and the side characters, but the main character was kinda annoying. I say this because she and the man guy character have this tension but then Flys away from it. And thier relationship got confusing because they would do somthing romantic, but then she would freindzone him.
October 9, 2025
the sweetest fall romance
a story as quaint as the little Maine coastal town it’s set in. a heartfelt, slow-burn - no spice, just vibes. all i need now is some warm apple cider & a cozy sweater 🍎
a story as quaint as the little Maine coastal town it’s set in. a heartfelt, slow-burn - no spice, just vibes. all i need now is some warm apple cider & a cozy sweater 🍎
March 3, 2026
⭐️3.5⭐️
I will round up for this rating because I did think this book was really cute overall.
Memorable? No. But cute nonetheless.
The characters made you smile and I actually did tear up while reading this book which was surprising for me because I don’t often do that (but I won’t write spoilers for why.)
The writing was good, but the book felt unrealistic to me overall. It just seemed like, the perfect hallmark kind of story. Which is nice to read on occasion and I am glad I picked this one up since it was free on kindle.
Being from New England is what drew me to it because I do love Maine and I appreciated the setting and the way it was described.
So overall, a pleasant read. It wouldn’t be my first recommendation but if you like cute hallmark type stories, this is a good one.
I will round up for this rating because I did think this book was really cute overall.
Memorable? No. But cute nonetheless.
The characters made you smile and I actually did tear up while reading this book which was surprising for me because I don’t often do that (but I won’t write spoilers for why.)
The writing was good, but the book felt unrealistic to me overall. It just seemed like, the perfect hallmark kind of story. Which is nice to read on occasion and I am glad I picked this one up since it was free on kindle.
Being from New England is what drew me to it because I do love Maine and I appreciated the setting and the way it was described.
So overall, a pleasant read. It wouldn’t be my first recommendation but if you like cute hallmark type stories, this is a good one.
September 28, 2026
I absolutely loved this book. A slow burn but the fire was always there. The way Banks is about Murphy is so sweet and gentle but passionate. Murphy is relatable in her grief, and Banks was always unwaveringly present. And I’m certainly a sucker for a book that ends with marriage. Sue me!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2025
Such a cute, and cozy page turner!! Loved all the characters, their passion and the bond they had. Could not put this book down!
October 24, 2025
Well written with a Hallmark movie vibe!
October 27, 2025
This was the cutest read- it had me smiling the whole time. 5 stars bc it was just that cute
November 1, 2025
This was just so so so cute and so so good and cozy and heartwarming and lovely 🍂🍁🍂
November 8, 2025
Cute fall vibey
Quick palette cleanser
Quick palette cleanser
November 21, 2025
This was so hard for me to rate. I feel like it is nice for fall but it gave a really dragged out story:/ I felt like we could’ve had more of Banks. It was also so obvious he loved her always, no friend is that touchy feely
January 31, 2026
6 ⭐️ very cozy and sweet
July 19, 2026
this book was really sweet :’)
September 11, 2026
Forgettable yet charming! A highly unrealistic male-female friendship with so many "almost" moments that felt so unrealistic. But the fall vibes were vibing!
September 21, 2026
3.5 cuteeee
No depth but who needs depth when the nostalgia and description are just perfectly autumn
No depth but who needs depth when the nostalgia and description are just perfectly autumn
October 12, 2026
Cute….it just shouldn’t take 300 pages to finally get together
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews