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Beneath The Falling Leaves
At 26, Brooke McVay has made what everyone calls "the responsible choice." She's rented an apartment in her girlfriend's small New England hometown, determined to finally make their relationship work. Four years of being on and off, of trying long-distance, of missed calls and broken promises... It's all left Brooke exhausted. Yet here she is, trying one more time.
Then she meets Emily's mother.
Vanessa Mitchell is everything Brooke never knew she needed. At 48, recently divorced and still discovering who she is outside of being someone's wife and mother, Vanessa should be off-limits in every possible way. She's also the most captivating woman Brooke has ever encountered. Confident, intelligent, and stirring feelings Brooke's never experienced in four years with Emily.
As autumn transforms the town into a canvas of red and gold, Brooke finds herself drawn into Vanessa's orbit. What begins as an uncomfortable attraction becomes an undeniable connection, and Brooke realizes she's been looking for love in all the wrong places.
For Vanessa, Brooke represents everything she's been denied. Not just desire, but the earth-shattering passion she always assumed was fiction. After decades of marriage to her high school sweetheart, Vanessa is discovering that some awakenings come late, but they come fierce. Brooke makes her feel alive in ways she'd given up hoping for, in ways that make her question everything she thought she knew about herself.
But falling for your daughter's girlfriend isn't just taboo—it's devastating.
As their connection deepens from stolen moments to something neither can deny, Brooke and Vanessa must navigate the impossible terrain between desire and loyalty, between finally finding the right person and destroying the one who brought them together.
When everything falls apart, will they choose each other, or will guilt and obligation keep them from the one relationship that finally feels right?
Then she meets Emily's mother.
Vanessa Mitchell is everything Brooke never knew she needed. At 48, recently divorced and still discovering who she is outside of being someone's wife and mother, Vanessa should be off-limits in every possible way. She's also the most captivating woman Brooke has ever encountered. Confident, intelligent, and stirring feelings Brooke's never experienced in four years with Emily.
As autumn transforms the town into a canvas of red and gold, Brooke finds herself drawn into Vanessa's orbit. What begins as an uncomfortable attraction becomes an undeniable connection, and Brooke realizes she's been looking for love in all the wrong places.
For Vanessa, Brooke represents everything she's been denied. Not just desire, but the earth-shattering passion she always assumed was fiction. After decades of marriage to her high school sweetheart, Vanessa is discovering that some awakenings come late, but they come fierce. Brooke makes her feel alive in ways she'd given up hoping for, in ways that make her question everything she thought she knew about herself.
But falling for your daughter's girlfriend isn't just taboo—it's devastating.
As their connection deepens from stolen moments to something neither can deny, Brooke and Vanessa must navigate the impossible terrain between desire and loyalty, between finally finding the right person and destroying the one who brought them together.
When everything falls apart, will they choose each other, or will guilt and obligation keep them from the one relationship that finally feels right?
263 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 29, 2025
About the author
Emma Collins
125 books41 followersLibrarian note: There are other authors with the same name.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 25, 2026
A Truly Beautiful Age Gap Forbidden Love Story!
Emma Collins has a unique way of taking a fading relationship into an illicit affair and still give us a HEA we would enjoy. Her storytelling grapples around a young couple who have major issues. Brooke & Emily. Brooke moved to Emily’s hometown to be with Emily and hope the closeness would help their relationship. Brooke, 26 was two years older than Emily. But sometimes Emily could appear so much younger. Especially after each of their breakups. After being blown off for her friends or constantly on her phone instead of being with her. Brooke tried again to talk to Emily but Emily threw at her she didn’t ask her to move here. With the intention of ending it for a final time, Emily forces a holiday dinner with them and her mother. But when Emily announces she is going to stay with her father who is alone, she leaves Brooke with her mother. Brooke now knows it is over with Emily. Both her and Emily’s mother have some tension. But then something happens that causes a lot of added stress. This was a really fast enjoyable read.
Emma Collins has a unique way of taking a fading relationship into an illicit affair and still give us a HEA we would enjoy. Her storytelling grapples around a young couple who have major issues. Brooke & Emily. Brooke moved to Emily’s hometown to be with Emily and hope the closeness would help their relationship. Brooke, 26 was two years older than Emily. But sometimes Emily could appear so much younger. Especially after each of their breakups. After being blown off for her friends or constantly on her phone instead of being with her. Brooke tried again to talk to Emily but Emily threw at her she didn’t ask her to move here. With the intention of ending it for a final time, Emily forces a holiday dinner with them and her mother. But when Emily announces she is going to stay with her father who is alone, she leaves Brooke with her mother. Brooke now knows it is over with Emily. Both her and Emily’s mother have some tension. But then something happens that causes a lot of added stress. This was a really fast enjoyable read.
December 1, 2025
beautiful story..
Beautiful story. Finding love with someone younger your daughter’s ex girlfriend. The joy, the heartache the acceptance. But finding someone who would support you through it all.
This book was well written, the characters real just enjoyed it immensely.
Beautiful story. Finding love with someone younger your daughter’s ex girlfriend. The joy, the heartache the acceptance. But finding someone who would support you through it all.
This book was well written, the characters real just enjoyed it immensely.
February 6, 2026
icky
I felt icky reading this, even knowing the premise from the start. The relationship between Brooke and Vanessa seemed totally incongruent to their early character development, it required a tremendous suspension of belief to understand the way they abandoned all hesitations to leap to being all in. Why didn’t Brooke just dump Emily off the bat? It didn’t make sense that she stuck around for four years of misery to only turn around to commit the deepest betrayal possible. The pacing also felt off. So much of the prose was repetitive. The story crawled at first and then it felt like the last quarter of the book was crammed and rushed and stuffed into a tiny can.
I felt icky reading this, even knowing the premise from the start. The relationship between Brooke and Vanessa seemed totally incongruent to their early character development, it required a tremendous suspension of belief to understand the way they abandoned all hesitations to leap to being all in. Why didn’t Brooke just dump Emily off the bat? It didn’t make sense that she stuck around for four years of misery to only turn around to commit the deepest betrayal possible. The pacing also felt off. So much of the prose was repetitive. The story crawled at first and then it felt like the last quarter of the book was crammed and rushed and stuffed into a tiny can.
March 1, 2026
Great premise. Great reviews. What could go wrong? The answer... EVERYTHING. This could've easily been a 5 if Emily wasn't in the story pass the opening chapters. All the time wasted on Brooke's relationship should've been spent on developing Brooke and Vanessa. I liked them fine enough but I didn't really care for either.
Spoilers below.
That like quickly evaporated when they cheated. The first kiss was bad enough but to then circle back and have sex multiple times while Brooke and Emily were still together was disgusting behavior. No excuses make that valid. Infinitely so for Vanessa. Being the other woman and rebound in your daughter's relationship is insane work. Brooke should've left Emily from like chapter 8 and it would've been "fine" (personally, I think more time and moving on was needed before it'd be truly ok) but author then unnecessarily dragged out that frustrating relationship and spoiled the story.
Spoilers below.
That like quickly evaporated when they cheated. The first kiss was bad enough but to then circle back and have sex multiple times while Brooke and Emily were still together was disgusting behavior. No excuses make that valid. Infinitely so for Vanessa. Being the other woman and rebound in your daughter's relationship is insane work. Brooke should've left Emily from like chapter 8 and it would've been "fine" (personally, I think more time and moving on was needed before it'd be truly ok) but author then unnecessarily dragged out that frustrating relationship and spoiled the story.
June 3, 2026
I found myself feeling conflicted about this book…
On one hand, I wanted more from Vanessa and Brooke's romance. I was hoping for a stronger emotional buildup and a deeper exploration of their connection before the story asked me to fully invest in them as a couple. Their chemistry was there, but I often felt like I was observing their relationship rather than experiencing it alongside them.
On the other hand, the novel made me reflect on how love does not always begin with grand, life-changing moments. Sometimes, affection grows through the quiet and ordinary things: remembering how someone takes their coffee, noticing the details others overlook, or finding comfort in shared rituals like decorating a Christmas tree. At its core, the book seems to suggest that being truly seen and understood by another person can be its own form of intimacy.
The age-gap romance was also more complicated for me than I expected. While the story provides context for Brooke and Emily's relationship, I could never completely set aside Emily's perspective. I kept imagining how appalling it would be to find myself caught in such a situation, regardless of the state of the relationship. That lingering discomfort followed me throughout much of the book.
That being said, I am a huge fan of older women and age-gap romances first, so I would be lying if I said that dynamic was not part of the book's appeal for me.
Now, without venturing into spoiler territory, I do want to praise Collins for how she handled the resolution of the trio’s relationship arc. The ending felt thoughtful, believable, and emotionally honest. Whether or not readers agree with every choice the characters make, the conclusion felt earned and true to the story that had been told. For me, it was a satisfying and sensible way to bring the trio's journey to a close…
On one hand, I wanted more from Vanessa and Brooke's romance. I was hoping for a stronger emotional buildup and a deeper exploration of their connection before the story asked me to fully invest in them as a couple. Their chemistry was there, but I often felt like I was observing their relationship rather than experiencing it alongside them.
On the other hand, the novel made me reflect on how love does not always begin with grand, life-changing moments. Sometimes, affection grows through the quiet and ordinary things: remembering how someone takes their coffee, noticing the details others overlook, or finding comfort in shared rituals like decorating a Christmas tree. At its core, the book seems to suggest that being truly seen and understood by another person can be its own form of intimacy.
The age-gap romance was also more complicated for me than I expected. While the story provides context for Brooke and Emily's relationship, I could never completely set aside Emily's perspective. I kept imagining how appalling it would be to find myself caught in such a situation, regardless of the state of the relationship. That lingering discomfort followed me throughout much of the book.
That being said, I am a huge fan of older women and age-gap romances first, so I would be lying if I said that dynamic was not part of the book's appeal for me.
Now, without venturing into spoiler territory, I do want to praise Collins for how she handled the resolution of the trio’s relationship arc. The ending felt thoughtful, believable, and emotionally honest. Whether or not readers agree with every choice the characters make, the conclusion felt earned and true to the story that had been told. For me, it was a satisfying and sensible way to bring the trio's journey to a close…
March 30, 2026
A devastating love made from the carnage of a family made beautiful.
Emma Collin’s’ has skills with the written word! This complicated story of young love not truly returned and falling apart mixed with a new love found with an older woman is actually stunningly sensitive. The characters are so fully developed it feels as if they have written themselves. I loved the settings having grown up in New England it was comforting to read. The complexity of feelings of all take MC’s makes this story grounded and believable. Well done Ms Collin’s.
Emma Collin’s’ has skills with the written word! This complicated story of young love not truly returned and falling apart mixed with a new love found with an older woman is actually stunningly sensitive. The characters are so fully developed it feels as if they have written themselves. I loved the settings having grown up in New England it was comforting to read. The complexity of feelings of all take MC’s makes this story grounded and believable. Well done Ms Collin’s.
June 11, 2026
Love unexpected
Brooke is trying to safe her relationship until she meets her girlfriend’s mother. Vanessa is everything Brooke is looking for in a woman. Emily has never really treated Brooke well and Vanessa always took her daughter’s side until finally meeting her and seeing how her daughter was treating her. I love a good age gap story. This one is sweet and tender.
Brooke is trying to safe her relationship until she meets her girlfriend’s mother. Vanessa is everything Brooke is looking for in a woman. Emily has never really treated Brooke well and Vanessa always took her daughter’s side until finally meeting her and seeing how her daughter was treating her. I love a good age gap story. This one is sweet and tender.
February 18, 2026
This story had promise, despite the taboo subject matter. Emily was clearly a terrible girlfriend, and if Brooke had dumped her earlier, which would have been absolutely reasonable, she and Vanessa could still have met, e.g. at yoga, and developed a relationship without either being a cheater (both essentially cheated on Emily, albeit in different ways).
It also seemed a bit insta-love. Yeh, they were drawn to each other, but they basically had "fallen" for each other after just a long weekend. It still felt like the power imbalance between the 2 remained at the end.
There were several editing issues, e.g. on multiple occasions Brooke and Emily's names were used interchangeably, adding an ick factor to some scenes.
Finally, the ending felt rushed. The long weekend where Brooke and Vanessa got together went on for about 30% of the book, and then the fallout and resolution was covered in the last 10-15%.
It also seemed a bit insta-love. Yeh, they were drawn to each other, but they basically had "fallen" for each other after just a long weekend. It still felt like the power imbalance between the 2 remained at the end.
There were several editing issues, e.g. on multiple occasions Brooke and Emily's names were used interchangeably, adding an ick factor to some scenes.
Finally, the ending felt rushed. The long weekend where Brooke and Vanessa got together went on for about 30% of the book, and then the fallout and resolution was covered in the last 10-15%.
December 1, 2025
Eh. Overwrought writing and not much of an attraction between the leads.. As I've said before I have no inherent problem with insta-love, but this was more like no-love.
The brick wall ending after a vague non-conclusion to the main conflict was pretty annoying, too. But it's pretty slim pickings for this trope at the moment so I guess we've got to take what we can get.
The brick wall ending after a vague non-conclusion to the main conflict was pretty annoying, too. But it's pretty slim pickings for this trope at the moment so I guess we've got to take what we can get.
January 1, 2026
Hard choices
This was a nicely written story that covered such a taboo topic. The romance between Vanessa and Brooke really highlighted what one would risk for love. This was an interesting story that kept me turning the pages to see how it would all play out.
This was a nicely written story that covered such a taboo topic. The romance between Vanessa and Brooke really highlighted what one would risk for love. This was an interesting story that kept me turning the pages to see how it would all play out.
June 28, 2026
Delightful sapphic read. Recommend. XOXOXOs to the author, Emma Collins, for creating this heartfelt tale:)
December 4, 2025
My favorite book of 2025
I loved this. I read it in one sitting, staying up way too late.
If you love age gaps, this is it. This had everything I want in an age gap romance.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kindle Unlimited
I loved this. I read it in one sitting, staying up way too late.
If you love age gaps, this is it. This had everything I want in an age gap romance.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kindle Unlimited
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews