What do you think?
Rate this book
Lemon & Thyme: Heartland Fae Series, Book 1
Marigold Avonlea leads a charming life with Declan, her very human boyfriend in a little cottage on the outskirts of town, where her gifts for all things growing and little moments of magic generally go unnoticed. As a creature who has worn and discarded various identities for over a hundred years, she is delighted by the normalcy she’s found in her Midwestern human and fairy community. All is perfect, until a new creature comes to town.
Marigold’s world is abruptly upended following a malevolent organization’s blunder, and she is forced to revisit darker chapters of her life’s story to save the man and the life that she loves. With the support of a community of fairies, witches, the occasional werewolf, and a whole lot of magic, she embarks on a journey that will forever change her life, and make her question how far she is willing to go for the people – and creatures – who matter.
Marigold’s world is abruptly upended following a malevolent organization’s blunder, and she is forced to revisit darker chapters of her life’s story to save the man and the life that she loves. With the support of a community of fairies, witches, the occasional werewolf, and a whole lot of magic, she embarks on a journey that will forever change her life, and make her question how far she is willing to go for the people – and creatures – who matter.
454 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 7, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 28, 2026
This book is so wonderfully magic! Marigold and her human boyfriend have this charming life together. That is before everything gets turned upside down. This book is full of witches, fae, weres, magic and twists! I love the characters and the world Paige has created. The way this author has woven the characters together had me hooked! I’m excited for book 2!
October 22, 2025
I loved the characters in the book. I love reading a book with Fae,weres, witches. Some magic. It was a fun, easy read.💕 Can't wait for book #2💕❣️Paige has a way to capture your imagination in her story. I recommend the read.
January 18, 2026
I’ve honestly never read a fae romance novel before. If you’re in the same boat, I strongly encourage you to read this book. It’s an excellent introduction to the genre with action, historical flashbacks, baking, gardening, suspense and more for fans of other genres. If you’re looking for something steamy, this will also be a great read without being over-the-top. I can’t wait to read the next one!
June 8, 2026
Really enjoyed it! I loved the way Darling managed to incorporate all of the different magic creatures, the details about the surroundings, and the tidbits about characters. Everyone was pretty well defined, and it was interesting seeing the plot develop, which was complex enough that I didn’t immediately guess what the twist was going to be until it was done.
If I had to point out three sections I especially loved, I would say:
1) I adored the prologue. It really set the scene, giving us a slow-drip of information about what the fae are capable of: enhanced senses, ability to grow old, suggestions of magical abilities such as necromancy. At the same time, it introduced good humor, such as “Alexa, play my grunge mix,” along with tension for the mystery to come. Really strong!
2) The description of Marigold’s house. It’s so whimsical, what with the beloved three-legged cat, cheery garden, and drying plants. It definitely captured that cottage-core feel, and it helped personalize Marigold more. It also provided great context for Marigold’s later hesitance to uproot her life when the others suggest it; this is obviously a home she has worked hard to cultivate! I wouldn’t want to leave either!
3) DECLAN. Declan is the best. Ideal partner. Marigold and Declan’s relationship as a whole was fantastic, and I really enjoyed them! I want a man like Declan. Aside from his amazing characterization though, I also appreciated what he was able to add to the cast: the practical tech side. Yeah, these fae are probably not going to be super knowledgeable of the new implications of tech. They are going to be vulnerable to that. Instead of skirting around tech and pretending the modern world is still hunting fae the good old-fashioned way or something dumb like that, Darling used Declan to provide for a plausible deterrent/early warning system, and I liked that. Declan isn’t helpless just because he’s human!
My main critiques are:
1) The stakes for the first 100 pages or so are pretty low, as the readers aren’t really privy to exactly WHY it’s so dangerous for the fae/magical community to be out and proud. It can be reasoned, of course, that humans knowing about fae is dangerous, but I would have loved if some of the details added later about what happened to the Purples had been added in the early sections, something like “Marigold hesitated at Declan’s curious look. She wanted desperately to tell him more, but Moss was always able to tell when Marigold had told Declan more than what was ‘safe’ for the fae, and she didn’t want to get another lecture about the dangers that could come with too many people knowing too much. She’d already seen what it had done to the Purples; she didn’t need another gory retelling about their experience.”
2) Adding to that note, there were two chapters that felt somewhat out of place for me (in that they disrupted the flow): the Purples’ backstory and Declan meeting the fae as a child. I liked them both—they were beautifully written, and they added to the characterization—but they almost felt superfluous? At the very least, they definitely interrupted the flow of their individual sections; it deflated the high stakes.
3) My final critique was just that Violet’s character felt somewhat inconsistent. At some points she hates all humans and non-fae, while at other points she is one of the first to get in arms for Declan, and in the end she falls back in love with Rafa. The character development felt unjustified, especially with Rafa. This was a man who killed her sister in front of her, and now she’s willing to take him back just because he said sorry. Meanwhile, she’s perfectly willing to leave Delilah, a fellow fae who was new to the human world, to rot in the black market because she’d made a mistake.
Overall, I really enjoyed this, and I’m excited to read the next book!
If I had to point out three sections I especially loved, I would say:
1) I adored the prologue. It really set the scene, giving us a slow-drip of information about what the fae are capable of: enhanced senses, ability to grow old, suggestions of magical abilities such as necromancy. At the same time, it introduced good humor, such as “Alexa, play my grunge mix,” along with tension for the mystery to come. Really strong!
2) The description of Marigold’s house. It’s so whimsical, what with the beloved three-legged cat, cheery garden, and drying plants. It definitely captured that cottage-core feel, and it helped personalize Marigold more. It also provided great context for Marigold’s later hesitance to uproot her life when the others suggest it; this is obviously a home she has worked hard to cultivate! I wouldn’t want to leave either!
3) DECLAN. Declan is the best. Ideal partner. Marigold and Declan’s relationship as a whole was fantastic, and I really enjoyed them! I want a man like Declan. Aside from his amazing characterization though, I also appreciated what he was able to add to the cast: the practical tech side. Yeah, these fae are probably not going to be super knowledgeable of the new implications of tech. They are going to be vulnerable to that. Instead of skirting around tech and pretending the modern world is still hunting fae the good old-fashioned way or something dumb like that, Darling used Declan to provide for a plausible deterrent/early warning system, and I liked that. Declan isn’t helpless just because he’s human!
My main critiques are:
1) The stakes for the first 100 pages or so are pretty low, as the readers aren’t really privy to exactly WHY it’s so dangerous for the fae/magical community to be out and proud. It can be reasoned, of course, that humans knowing about fae is dangerous, but I would have loved if some of the details added later about what happened to the Purples had been added in the early sections, something like “Marigold hesitated at Declan’s curious look. She wanted desperately to tell him more, but Moss was always able to tell when Marigold had told Declan more than what was ‘safe’ for the fae, and she didn’t want to get another lecture about the dangers that could come with too many people knowing too much. She’d already seen what it had done to the Purples; she didn’t need another gory retelling about their experience.”
2) Adding to that note, there were two chapters that felt somewhat out of place for me (in that they disrupted the flow): the Purples’ backstory and Declan meeting the fae as a child. I liked them both—they were beautifully written, and they added to the characterization—but they almost felt superfluous? At the very least, they definitely interrupted the flow of their individual sections; it deflated the high stakes.
3) My final critique was just that Violet’s character felt somewhat inconsistent. At some points she hates all humans and non-fae, while at other points she is one of the first to get in arms for Declan, and in the end she falls back in love with Rafa. The character development felt unjustified, especially with Rafa. This was a man who killed her sister in front of her, and now she’s willing to take him back just because he said sorry. Meanwhile, she’s perfectly willing to leave Delilah, a fellow fae who was new to the human world, to rot in the black market because she’d made a mistake.
Overall, I really enjoyed this, and I’m excited to read the next book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2025
I immediately immersed myself in this book. Paige creates a wonderful world of magic set in the present day, where everyday life is quietly touched by something enchanting. The story feels cozy and heartfelt, with gentle, grounded magic woven into themes of connection, growth, and self-discovery. The characters are engaging and thoughtfully written, making it easy to sink into their journeys. A warm, comforting read for anyone who enjoys contemporary fantasy with a cozy, magical touch.
December 13, 2025
Fun read! Great debut novel. The set up of Marigold's world was down to earth but rich with character development. I liked that it took place in our world and completely switched up midway through the book. It had some twists I did not anticipate and left me wanting to know more about a lot of different characters. I'm hoping this is the first book in a series!
April 23, 2026
I enjoyed this book very much! It’s very much in a wheel house I am drawn to. It was a little slow to start before the guts of the story took off for me which is why I gave it a 4 star. Otherwise, well done sex scenes. Loved the name variety and how its herbs and flowers. With a couple others dropped in there. Really enjoyed it! Curious to see where it goes next!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2026
Well written and an enjoyable read. I would read the next book in the series. Love the little tidbits referring to the fiber arts. Would love to have the magical qualities of yarniness and their practitioners take center stage in a future book.
April 17, 2026
So fun and heartwarming. Perfect amount of romance, intrigue, and adventure.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews