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Maple Falls #1

The Soulmate Bakery

Not yet published
Expected 15 Oct 26
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This cozy, romantic fantasy is perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls, The Baby Dragon Cafe and Legends and Lattes!

Welcome to Maple Falls!

A town full of wonder and magic, where pixie dust and the smell of enchanted cookies waft through the air, and all manner of fantastical creatures live in perfect bliss.

Unless you’re Maya Reverie.

Kitchen witch, Maya just needs one thing in her life to go well. Done with being a walking disaster, she knows the exact thing that’ll help get her life on track. . .finding her soulmate. It shouldn’t be difficult; she has all the ingredients for the ultimate soulmate-finding-cookie.

But disaster strikes when her cookies end up at the town's Annual Fall Bake Sale and wreak havoc. Maya will do anything to fix her latest mess-up. Even, ask Orion Hawthorne for help.

The surly dragon-shifter has always been a thorn in her side, but he is the town’s best curse-breaker and, whether she likes it or not, she’ll need his help.

Because to fix this spell she’ll need to; find her actual soulmate, confess and cast a counterspell of epic proportions. Easy.

342 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 15, 2026

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About the author

Safa Ahmed

3 books60 followers
Safa Ahmed is a British-Pakistani content marketer and author. Ever since she scribbled down her first story-a mystery featuring stolen cookies and an incriminating teddy bear-it's been her dream to be a writer and publish books that celebrate joy, heartbreak, swoony love interests, fierce female characters, and everything in-between.

When she's not writing, she is usually re-reading her favourite fantasy novels, wreaking havoc in the kitchen or expanding her ever-growing TBR pile. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok as: @safaswritings

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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for Aiysha.
199 reviews28 followers
Want to Read
August 9, 2026
This looks so good!!!!
Profile Image for Mona.
26 reviews7 followers
September 16, 2026
Thank you to Penguin Random House for this NetGalley arc!

I am a big cozy fan, but I'm also somewhat picky. I need my cozy books to have meat on them, and not just non-conflict books where there's nothing driving the plot. I'm happy to say though that The Soulmate Bakery worked for me. It was low stakes in terms of it not affecting the wider world, but it was personal enough for the MCs to mean something. I found the chemistry between the two to also be pretty good! Estranged childhood friends to nuisances to forced partners to lovers is the dynamic I suppose? But I think it works here. The other characters are pretty good as well, each bringing a different charm to their scenes. I do wish there was more variety though, to expand on both the worldbuilding and to make the town feel more lived in because the truth is we don't see Maya interact with people outside her circle and while that makes sense for her character, it does make the town feel little more than a setting piece when it feels like it should be more.

As for Maya herself, I actually really liked her! She is very flawed; selfish, short sighted and envious. However, she is also kind and thoughtful, making baked goods that help the community based on what she hears from others. She makes some poor decisions, but she is also earnest in trying to make it up to the town. I think for the audience this book is intended for, they'll relate a lot with Maya's insecurities and her fears. And as for Orion, while I do think he isn't as well written as Maya is, I think he's still consistent enough to be enjoyable. Like Maya, he's flawed, but these flaws don't ruin him, but make him more relatable to the intended audience. Or more annoying, depending on how you see it. Their relationship is one of the best parts of the book and I really, really liked their scenes together. I just wish it didn't come at the cost of having to deal with a love triangle.

I will say though, for a book called the Soulmate Bakery, I was expecting more soulmates and more baking. While there is still baking and the plot does involve a bakery, it does feel more like the book is dedicated to developing Maya and Orion's relationship and building it up again. Which is fine! In fact, I think its one of the best parts of the book. But I do think people who come into this book expecting more baking and more recipes might be disappointed. But on the other hand, I think for people who don't care much for bakeries might still appreciate this book.

To me, I think this book read so much like a teen drama. I know this was compared to Gilmore Girls and while that is very noticeable in the setting and with both male characters, it doesn't quite have a major focus on family like GG does, although it's still there. Maya also isn't treated like a golden girl like Rory is; on the contrary, I think Maya is fundamentally the opposite to Rory which made for an enjoyable experience. So I think the readers who do like melodrama in their books, while also not being in a setting where characters have better things to worry, will like this book! My only issue, and I won't go too deep into it, is that I was immensely unsatisfied with how the love triangle concluded and wish it was handled differently, maybe before it got to the point that it did. But the characters are also teenagers, so they aren't exactly at their smartest.

All in all, I had a blast reading this and was grateful to have the opportunity to do so! I definitely recommend this book to fans of teen dramas and cute love stories!
Profile Image for Dotti.
579 reviews4 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 14, 2026
Sarah Ahmed’s The Soulmate Bakery is a cute YA paranormal romance. Our main character, Maya, is a baking witch on the cusp of graduation, working to finish school preparing for an apprenticeship as her best friend leaves for college. When she attempts a spell to help her find her soulmate, and the spell goes awry, Maya must enlist the help of her best friend’s brother, a curse breaker named Orion, to improve her spell work, woo her crush and break the curse.

This story was very cute and felt very young. Maya balances schoolwork and study dates with parental expectations and dreams about the future. There’s a love triangle, a lot of awkward moments, and a handful of impulsive decisions. It feels like it is for teens, which is absolutely appropriate for a young adult novel, but might not be the right choice for an adult who occasionally dabbles in YA like myself.

Some young adult novels really struggle to give our characters agency in the process; Ahmed does not have this problem. Maya is able to advocate for herself, seek out resources and help, and is the instigator of the final resolution. She drives the story forward against the precautions of the adults around her and manages to generally succeed. The story emphasizes her need to trust her gut, to improve her skills and believe in her own creativity. Though the main plot is Maya’s attempts to undo the curse and figure out what a soulmate even means, she learns a lot of important lessons along the way, which is always nice to see in a character.

I did have to check that this book exists as the first in its world. There are elements of the story that felt very casual in their building, as if they were a reminder of a previous story rather than initial worldbuilding. The story seems to stretch beyond this book in both directions, which should give our author some room for the next book.

This book was cute, and fun, and cozy, with a host of paranormal characters. It hits a lot of young adult stereotypes, character development and motifs, but does them in an engaging and enjoyable way. Fundamentally, this book feels like, despite its cozy nature and my own love of baking, it’s not quite for me, and as a mid-thirties adult, I think that’s okay.

Thank you to Sarah Ahmed, Penguin Random House UK Children’s, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Profile Image for Diana.
48 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 14, 2026
Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of The Soulmate Bakery in exchange for an honest review!

3.5⭐/5

This was a cute, cozy read, and it's also short enough that you can fly through it in no time!

I've grown to realize jealousy tropes are just not for me at all, I hate them with a passion, so considering this book has a love triangle, if you're anything like me, watch out! This was said to have low spice, but really there's no spice at all, and it felt more like a YA read. I don't mind a cozy read with no spice, in fact I prefer it, but saying it has low spice would imply there's at least something, and there really isn't, nothing happens or is even hinted at.

The description also doesn't really call out that these characters are young, and there's a lot of talk of school and things like that, which I, in almost my 30s, don't really enjoy reading about anymore. It just makes it feel very juvenile to me, but I know a big chunk of people might love this!

I really liked that the characters had some depth, and some were even subverting expectations! Some characters you may have an initial idea of how they might act in a certain situation, and then you get hit with a completely different thing, in a positive way. And sometimes it doesn't make much sense, honestly. Orion's father, for example, there's not much of a trigger for why he changed his behavior from one day to the other, just "he realized he needed to support his son." This happens with other characters and situations too. Everything ends up working out amazingly, no matter what.

All in all, this was a sweet little autumnal treat, jealousy tropes and juvenile moments aside! If you're after a quick, cozy read with a bakery setting and don't mind a love triangle or a younger cast, grab yourself a copy and curl up with it, it's basically the book equivalent of a pumpkin spice latte.
Profile Image for ♡ Man (*´∇`*)♡.
67 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 14, 2026
Review ☆☆☆☆

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐔𝐊 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐑𝐂! 𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐈 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐭. 🩷

This was such a ˚₊‧꒰ა sweet, lighthearted, and cozy ໒꒱‧₊˚ read. Maya and Orion’s relationship had me smiling so many times, and I really enjoyed watching their dynamic develop throughout the story.

I had no clue there'd be a love triangle, and I normally steer clear of them because they're not really my thing.🙈 But this one? I didn't mind it at all! Honestly, I was so certain Maya would end up with Orion that the whole thing never stressed me out. 😆🤣

There were so many cute and wholesome moments throughout the book, and I really enjoyed how unique and sweet the romance was. It was exactly the kind of light read I was in the mood for.

That being said, there were some things that didn't totally work for me. This is 100% just personal preference, but the writing style wasn't always my cup of tea. Some parts felt a bit cringey, but thankfully it wasn't enough to make me want to stop reading.

Pacing was also a small problem for me. The middle part, especially around the 30%–60%, dragged a bit and I started getting bored. But it picked back up near the end, and since I was already invested by then, I didn't mind as much.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! There were definitely a few things that didn’t work perfectly for me, but it was still an enjoyable and comforting read. If you’re looking for something lighthearted, cute, and romantic, especially with a best friend’s older brother trope, I think this could be a fun one to pick up! 😆🩷
Profile Image for Joanna.
364 reviews27 followers
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
September 14, 2026
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sweet and cosy small town friends-to-lovers romance with magic creatures, simple magic and a spell gone wrong. It's low stakes, entertaining and a quick read.

I did find it super predicable from the first page. It was very obvious exactly what was going to happen but the journey was fun enough to keep me reading, even if I did just want them to get on with it at points. The book could absolutely have been shortened by an honest conversation.

Unfortunately, I found the FMC really annoying at multiple points. Yes, she's getting ready to leave school and work out what she wants to do while her best friend moves away but who thinks at 17 that doing a spell to find their soulmate is the answer to all their problems?

I honestly wanted to shake her at points because her logic made no sense and was giving "having a boyfriend will fix everything energy."

The best characters were absolutely the side characters and I wanted to know more about them.

In terms of world building, it was fairly light. I couldn't even work out which country they were meant to be. The fact that it's a magical town that is hidden from mortals does a lot of heavy lifting.

This is definitely a popcorn book that is entertaining but you kind of don't want to think about too hard.
Profile Image for Kim MH.
32 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 13, 2026
This was such a sweet and comforting story. The kitchen witch magic system was very interesting and worked perfectly with the small-town aesthetic.

I felt Maya's struggle in choosing between these two men: the golden retriever, safe and stable choice, and her best friend's brother, with whom she had this complicated relationship throughout her life.

The author wrote this love triangle so well that I felt torn between them until the very end. Yes, of course, we know who she ends up with, but that doesn't make my feelings for both men any less complicated. I hope in the next installment we get to see a happy ending for the man she didn't pick.

I also really enjoyed how she wrote Maya's relationship with her mother. For me, it felt really recognizable, and the confrontation between these two women made me cry.

The book is YA, and the characters are 17–20, but it didn't read as if they were that young. The story was a very well-written cozy romantasy, and more explicit scenes absolutely weren't needed.

I will definitely be following this author for the next book in this series.
Profile Image for Aamna Qureshi.
Author 15 books1,054 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
July 3, 2026
this was SOOO fun!!! very classic, lowkey felt like a CW show but cuter/cozier !!

official blurb:

Set in a whimsical small-town filled with magical characters and cozy small businesses, The Soulmate Bakery is the perfect autumnal escape. Ahmed brilliantly unfolds Maya’s journey in gaining control of her magic — and herself — and showcases how love makes us brave. This was the charming mash-up of Gilmore Girls, Halloweentown, and The Summer I Turned Pretty that I didn’t know I needed!
Profile Image for Sami Reads.
310 reviews3 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 13, 2026
This was so heart warming and fun to read.

The Baking and the friendships were great and the magic was intriguing.

Maya and Orion are adorable together and I really enjoyed their journey to fix their small and cosy town.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Federica.
196 reviews12 followers
September 13, 2026
This book was super magical and the perfect autumn read

I loved the characters so much
Maya was so authentic and Orion needs to be my boyfriend
Can I please get a overprotective dragon shifter as my personal boyfriend no complain

Loved it
Loved the character the story the setting everything
Profile Image for Shanzeh Imran.
119 reviews3 followers
Want to Read
March 23, 2026
publishing on my birthday?? say less I can't wait
1 review
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 1, 2026
i love love loved it! such a nice read, would definitely recommend for a cosy night in!!
Profile Image for Safa Ahmed.
Author 3 books60 followers
Review of advance copy
February 20, 2026
As the author of this book, I’m just a TINY bit biased about it 🤭

Genuinely though, I have loved working on THE SOULMATE BAKERY. This book is a love letter to those who loved witchy stories growing up; to those who adored paranormal romances and to anyone who’s dreamed of eating enchanted cookies.

If you pick up THE SOULMATE BAKERY, I hope you enjoy your stay in Maple Hollow ✨
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews