Ruffled Feathers

Pumpkin Hollow

by Kay Leyda

Welcome to Pumpkin Hollow!

This little witchy town hidden away from humans in the White Mountains National Forest, situated directly in between New Hampshire and Maine, belongs to neither. It's home to supernatural creatures of all kinds, but mostly witches of every variety.

Fern Appleton is a cozy cottage witch who runs the town bookstore with her adorable tuxedo cat, Bramble. Everything in her life is soft and pastel and dreamy, just like her. Her cottage is purple all over, full of plants, and entirely too many books. While some might say she's lonely after her parents moved away, Fern believes that it's hard to be lonely with a talking cat for a familiar!

Sparrow Blackburne and her twin, Lark, are dream witches. It's about the only thing they have in common - Sparrow has ebony hair, while Lark is ginger. Sparrow is bisexual while Lark strictly dates men. Well, Sparrow hasn't officially dated a woman, technically. But she's always known she liked girls, boys, and those who are neither. She thinks of herself as demisexual, mostly, meaning an emotional connection is required before physical intimacy.

Only it's hard to be a demisexual witch in a small town where others view love as a bit more...casual.

Genres: Fantasy, Queer, Romance

139 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 22, 2026

Reviews

[Jae Alistar]

The Sweetest Kind of Autumn Magic

Ruffled Feathers is pure autumn sweetness and cozy comfort. With pumpkin spice, whimsical magic, and plenty of fall charm, this story shows that some romances are just made for this season. This story feels warm from beginning to end and is the kind of book that feels like curling up under a blanket on a crisp fall day.

Fern is a bright and bubbly plant witch and is the owner of the town’s local bookstore. Sparrow is a dreamer witch at the local library and has a reserved, quiet coolness about her. They’re both so certain the other is out of their league, only to slowly realize the feeling is mutual. Together, they are absolutely precious and fit together without either one overshadowing the other. Their developing romance is full of shy smiles, soft glances, and plenty of swoon.

Fern’s cat familiar Bramble and Sparrow’s twin sister Lark put on their matchmaker witch-hats to concoct the perfect scheme to get the two together. After a pumpkin spice meet-cute, their plan is set in motion leading up to the town’s annual Pumpkin Festival. Between pumpkin treats, caramel apples, a ferris wheel, and a little witchy magic, their story unfolds against the perfect autumn backdrop. Fern and Sparrow both want someone to share a little more of their world with, and finding that in each other makes their romance even sweeter.

Fall feels like the perfect season for love, and Ruffled Feathers embraces that so beautifully. Fern and Sparrow’s story captures that feeling of opening yourself up to something unexpected and discovering that maybe the thing you were looking for was closer than you thought. Sometimes the best kind of magic is simply finding someone who feels like home.

Thank you to the author for the chance to read this ARC!

Favorite Quotes:
“Everything about her screamed sugary sweet, like cotton candy. Dangerously delicious.”

“Those deep, soulful eyes had drawn her in as surely as the pull of the moon when it was full.”

“When she had slept, [she] had dreamed. The details had faded swiftly after she woke up, but the general feeling of being loved and happy remained.”

“I only wish to enchant her as she has enchanted me… She could wait no longer for her love story to begin.”

“You are my own personal moon, little witch. Bright and glowing and full of magic.”

[Karly Kwasigroch]

This was the perfect LGBTQIA+ fall romance to add to your fall and cozy season TBR. Set in the coziest autumnal town of Pumpkin Hollow two witches get matched together under the guise of a matchmaking scheme. Fern Appleton is the owner of a bookstore and Sparrow Blackburne is a dream witch and librarian. After a meet cute over a pumpkin spiced latte, the two witches get paired together, spark a romance, and have their dream first date during Pumpkin Hollow’s, Pumpkin Festival. This book feels like when you open the pages autumn leaves fall out of it while sipping a pumpkin chai. And who doesn’t like a talking furry familiar?! It is the perfect witchy cozy fall romance with LGBTQIA+ representation.

[TBRCookieJar]

I loved Ruffled Feathers by Kay Leyda. It was such a beautiful cozy sapphic novella. Perfect to kick off the fall season. It was so sweet and had no spice making this a great read for a younger audience. I can’t wait to read the other novellas set in Pumpkin Hollow.

[HomelessMind]

For starters…I absolutely LOVED this novella. 🥹🧡 It was the perfect way to kick off my cozy fall reads!

The story between these two lovely ladies was honestly one of the most adorable things I’ve read. Their relationship, the small town charm and everything leading up to the fall festivities made this such an enjoyable ride from beginning to end.

Now, I know this novella is meant to give off those Gilmore Girls vibes, which I can absolutely see it…but in my head, I was living in Hallmark’s The Good Witch. 😂🍁✨ There was just something about the warmth, the cozy atmosphere, the little bit of magic and the feeling that you could actually step right into this town.

And honestly? Magic aside, so much of this story felt like it could exist in real life. The tropes were represented exactly as intended, the characters felt genuine and the entire experience had that comforting, autumnal feeling I didn’t know I needed.

Also… Petals and Pages Bookshop?! 📚🌸

Someone PLEASE send me back there. Immediately.

A ridiculously cute, cozy, magical little read that officially has me ready for crisp leaves, fall festivities, bookshops and whatever trouble these fictional small towns are getting themselves into next. 🍂☕📖

[Alexandra Vlaming]

Ruffled Feathers is so cute! I really loved this short story, full of witches and autumn magic. Fern and Sparrow are adorable, and Bramble and Lark are so mischievous, the entire cast of characters is so charming. The setting is perfect for an early fall read, Pumpkin Hollow gives the very best of Gilmore Girls vibes, definitely give this a try! Can’t wait to read the other stories in this collection.

Thank you to the author for providing an advance copy in exchange for an early review.

[Ashley]

Ruffled Feathers by Kay Leda is an absolutely delightful novella! Set in the enchanted village of Pumpkin Hollow, it is the perfect fall read.

Fern Appleton is a young, single, sweet witch who has recently taken over the family book store. Fern loves her work, however, she becomes completely overwhelmed while preparing for the annual autumn festival.

Fern’s familiar, a tuxedo cat named Bramble, enlists a beautiful (also single) witch named Sparrow to assist.
Romance flourishes as Fern and Sparrow grow closer.

I highly recommend Ruffled Feathers by Kay Leyda!

[Luna’s✨magic✨land]

A quick, cozy read perfect for kicking off the season of falling leaves, comfy sweaters, and pumpkin spice lattes. 🍂☕

Fern and Lark might seem like an unlikely pairing at first, but, like all great things in life, they turn out to be each other’s missing pieces. Their story is sweet, hopeful, and wonderfully whimsical—just like Pumpkin Hollow itself.

This was such a charming little escape into a world of witches, magic, romance, and all the cozy autumn vibes I could ask for.

And Bramble is simply the best. 10/10, no notes. 🐈‍⬛

I received an advanced reader copy an am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Isa Emerald]

This book had me squealing and smiling all the way. If you want a cute witchy sapphic story pick it up!!

Honestly I need more of Fern and Sparrow yesterday. My newest favourite sapphic couple of all time. Love that I got to read about a witchy pairing too!!

[Remy Wells]

This was a super cute romance between two bibliophiles learning that they can find their person!

I also really loved the representation not only is this is a sapphic romance, but it also shows demisexual representation which I think we need more of!

[Bryana Johnson]

Such a cute quick read. Had me in all the fall feels. The scenery descriptions were on point and perfectly pictured in my brain. I wish books like these had more illustrations bringing certain scenes to life. I’d love to see the festival 🎃
Oh and Bramble is my fave character🤭 🐈‍⬛

[CristoC]

I’m sorry to give this book such a low rating but...it’s not a bad bad book, it’s just...not good.
This novella is 90% descriptions and fall aesthetics and 9% infantilisation of the main character and 1% “romance”, (if we can call it that) despite it being the sole advancing element of the story. It’s just one big block of storytelling issues.


There’s no story. Cosiness and low stakes shouldn’t mean boring, but I knew only a few chapters in that I’d dread the rest of the read, and I was right. It’s a novella, so it’s very short, and the fact that there isn’t much to tell story-wise means there’s a lot of filler. And when I say a lot I mean there are chapters that are exclusively filler. There’s such a high amount of descriptions that if they were removed or simply reduced to a reasonable length, the book would be something like...3.000 words, maximum. Every little thing the characters do is paired with an interminable description; Fern growing plants and getting ready to go out of the house, her pointless conversations with the cat, all is described in painstaking detail, so that when she goes to bed without brushing her teeth it feels like she’s just...gross.
The fact that this is an autumn themed book slaps you in the face with the subtlety of a Disney theme park, reminding you from the dedication that this book is White Woman Autumn paradise; characters addicted to caffeine gobble down industrial quantities of pumpkin spiced lattes, cinnamon apple chai tea (without a single heart attack!), they’re described decorating with plastic (ew) decorations, they go to pumpkin patches, the classic pop culture fall references are there (otherwise how could it be relatable, right?), and we’re constantly reminded by the characters that it is, indeed, fall (“She loved this time of year”, “It’s the best time of year for dating!”, “It’s the best time of year to be a witch.”, “It’s the best time of year.”, “This time of year”, “...my absolute favourite this time of year”, “Sparrow adored this time of year”,“Is that…not your favorite drink this time of year?”, “It’s nearly October! The most magical time of the year,”, “Isn’t it just magical this time of year?”, and countless repetitions of “autumn” and “fall”); elements that are so frequent that they become a boring, albeit haunting, presence.
The characters are...a handful. The least insufferable is Sparrow, and only because she stopped smirking and chuckling mysteriously to show she’s a confident witch to become the chaste caricature of a dom-mommy for some reason. Not one of the other characters was spared from the Wattpad syndrome. Sparrow’s twin sister Lark is constantly chuckling, giggling, happily scheming to invade her sister’s privacy, clapping her hands, tilting her head, smugly smiling, pouting, speaking in a singsong, giving cheeky grins, squeaking, cooing, and for some reason screaming to get the attention of a person lost in thought, which is the stupidest thing you could do in that situation. She’s so similar to Fern in her mannerisms that the only added traits to the other main character are the stammering and mumbling insecurity and romanticised infantilisation; her similarities with Sparrow’s sister and the childlike personality make Sparrow’s character just a tad bit unsettling when she insists on her attraction to Fern, honestly. And the invasiveness of Lark and Fern’s cat makes it so that the main characters have no agency, because Sparrow is literally forced to ask Fern out, in front of them. And they follow them and spy on them on their date.
I don’t go looking for spice in books because it’s usually not done well, but the insistence of this book on chasteness and character preoccupations about the “forwardness” of a simple kiss were stinking of a purity culture that hopefully was just in my imagination. The YA-friendly aspect of the book would have been better if the characters were aged down of at least ten years, because they acted ridiculously puerile; extremely embarrassed to simply admit to themselves of an attraction? Needing to justify that attraction with excuses? To simply forget this childishness as soon as they go on a date? Had they been high-schoolers I wouldn’t have minded, but they’re in their late 20s and early 30s.
To top it all off, there are inconsistencies or simply things that don’t make much sense. The premises of the world-building are given and then forgotten, then brought up again because they create the “vibe” of a close-knit community in an isolated miniscule town of a hundred households. How is it that you, a witch born and raised in such a small place, and doing a job that puts you in contacts with people, “don’t have any close friends” to ask for simple help in decorating the book store? And how come that suddenly, at the end of the book Sparrow tells us “But her pretty purple-haired witch knew absolutely everyone in town personally. Her friendly, thoughtful nature endeared her to practically all of Pumpkin Hollow’s residents.”? And how does the simplest world-building, so simple is basically non-existent, managed to create a gaping hole in itself, so that this: “There were rules to their visions, though. The visions were always of someone else’s future, someone else’s life. Yet Sparrow had been looking through her own eyes this time—hadn’t she?” never gets an explanation?
Overall, a great disappointment of a novella that would have hurt less if it hadn’t been sapphic :(





I received an eARC of the book from the author and this represents my honest opinion.

[Local Bunns]

I had a lot of hope that I'd like this book, but it didn't really hit the marks for me. I really enjoy the premise that the book was marketed to me as the execution is not so much.

My first few issues stem from the grammar structure. At first I thought it was a difference in writing style from what I've been reading recently, and then I got to a quarter of the way through this novella and couldn't stop seeing the tense change from past to present tense. The author also has a tendency for run-on sentences and overuse of commas.

There was a ton of descriptive filler, but it was details that didn't matter. Like, the number of times we had to sit through her picking out an outfit really took away from the story. That's just one example. There's definitely more in there.

The other issue was that there was no "adversary." Not personal or external struggles happened, which is fine for a low stakes book, but it made this a very boring read. I wish the author took the time to flesh the characters more because I feel like I didn't know them at all.

For a romance novel, there wasn't any chemistry shown between the MCs. When they finally kissed (as romance goes), it felt flat. There was no atmosphere, and it felt like a really weird time in the story for it to happen.

I feel like maybe I'm being generous with my review here. The story had amazing potential to be great but ultimately glossed over the parts that matter and focused on details that the reader doesn't care about. The narrator needs to trust that the audience knows what's happening; we can assume that she got dressed, and we can remember the details shared a few chapters ago.

I don't mind a little repetition to these stories. This, however, was too much. It's one thing to remind us of small details when it's been a while but we don't need to be reminded about how the bookstore looks (show, don't tell) and that her hair is purple. Show me the inner thoughts of the characters and how they're feeling, their expectations of the people around them, and give them space to tell their story.

This was an ARC read, and this was my honest review.

[Arinyum Nabam]

I received an ARC through BookFunnel and this is my honest review.

This was so cute and cosy, like a classic Hallmark movie! Although it also kind of felt shallow like one...Now don't get me wrong! I'm not a Hallmark movie hater and I definitely loved all the cosy, comforting fall vibes the novella painted for me through its decadent descriptions of delicious food and carnival fun! However just like a Hallmark movie, it felt like the story was written to check off boxes for a cosy romance instead of actually developing chemistry between the two main love interests. Now I get it, it is a short story and there is only so much you can include in it, but I wish the author had not stated how much of a strong emotional bond both the MCs required to fall in love only to give an insta-love story... I think, in my opinion, it would've made more sense if they had known each other, even as casual acquaintances, from their school days from the beginning of the story. Or if the author had made clear that this was a "fated mates" situation.
I liked how the MCs were 'different' but 'similar' (eg how both of them were introverts but one of them was shy and the other "brooding"), but maybe they were a bit too similar; because truth be told, I could not have been able to distinguish their POV chapters if each one of them didn't state their respective names along with the chapter title, their voices were *that* alike. Which brings me to the point that I could not connect with any of the characters as they simply felt flat to me.
And as someone who was really looking forward to this cosy, spooky anthology series centered in a Halloween small town, I was disapointed by the lack of details in the world building. Except for the library and the bookshop where the MCs worked at, the rest of the town descriptions felt too vague for me to visualise it. But perhaps that is the point (or the hook?) of multiple stories taking place in the same location.
At any rate, if you enjoy a comforting-cosy, low stakes witchy romance I would definitely recommend you to check this out when it releases on 22nd of this month!

[sarcellegalaxy]

Thank you to the author Kay Leyda for allowing me to read this book early!

⭐ 𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4/5 ⭐
🎃 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡: A pumpkin spice latte ☕🎃
🍂 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧: Fall
✅ 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐃?: Yes!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄:

• Cozy romances 🍂
• Sapphic romance
• Matchmaking
• Small-town vibes
• A little fall magic
• Halloweentown meets Gilmore Girls 🎃☕
• Talking cats 🐈‍⬛

𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒:

Ruffled Feathers was such a cute, cozy, quick read! 🍂

This was actually my first sapphic novel, and I really enjoyed the story. I loved the matchmaking aspect and the overall cozy feeling of the book. It had such a fun autumn atmosphere that made it perfect for a fall read.

Honestly, this book was giving me Halloweentown meets Gilmore Girls vibes, and I was HERE FOR IT. 🎃☕🍁 It had that charming little-town feeling mixed with the fun Halloween atmosphere that made the whole story feel extra cozy.

And then there was the talking cat.

I loved him. 🐈‍⬛😂

One of the things I really appreciated about this book was how quickly I was able to get through it. Sometimes you just need a cute, cozy book that you can pick up and finish without feeling like you're settling in for a 700-page commitment. This was exactly that kind of read for me.

The only reason this wasn't a 5-star read for me was the POV style. There were a few moments where the POV switching felt a little jumpy for me personally, and I occasionally found myself stopping to figure out whose POV I was reading. That's definitely more of a personal reading preference than an issue with the story itself, but it did pull me out of the book a few times.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed this one! It was adorable, cozy, and gave me exactly the kind of fall atmosphere I was looking for. 🍂

I would absolutely read more from Kay Leyda and I'm excited to see what she writes next!

[Michaela | bumblebeeslibrary]

Ruffled Feathers, a cozy fall sapphic romance

This story just screams fall, and while it is a novella, I felt that we still had a perfect amount of time to get to know the characters. I love Fern's purple hair, and her abilities with plant magic. Of course, her familiar a talking cat named Bramble, is an amusing character, who conspires with another witch to get Fern a date!

A bit opposite to Fern is Sparrow, a dream witch, who likes her solitude of working in the library. I love that both Sparrow and Fern work with books. Petals & Pages Bookstore sounds like such a warm and inviting place to shop for books! Fern is preparing the bookstore for the upcoming Pumpkin Festival, but usually has help from her parents, so is stressing out about having time to finish everything. Fern being a little too determined to do it all without any help, doesn't expect the two sister witches Sparrow and Lark to walk in one morning and offer their assistance. Bramble has been working some magic of his own!

With some not so subtle nudging from Lark and Bramble, Sparrow asks Fern to the Pumpkin Festival. I love how Fern and Sparrow's two personalities mesh perfectly well together.

I also just love the town of Pumpkin Hollow, and how it sits in it's own realm where only supernatural beings can access it.

With pumpkin spice lattes, cinnamon apple chai tea, and all the fall vibes you can ask for, this is a quick read you won't want to miss!

Thank you to the author for a copy of this story!

Some fav quotes:
"“It’s the best time of year for dating! It’s the best time of year to be a witch. Please, won’t you let me set you up?”"

"Even from across the wide desk, Sparrow could smell the drink. It smelled exactly like her—cinnamon, apples, and spices. Too sweet for words."

"As a dream witch, she found herself especially perceptive to the changing of the seasons—this time of year lent itself to naps, daydreams, and vivid nighttime dreams."

"September, October, November, December, Sparrow thought each word with intention. My ideal fall would be spent with candle-lit nights, a good book, and a reliable schedule."

"“Oh! Miss Sparrow, then.” “No,” came Sparrow’s immediate response, her voice suddenly deeper than before. “Just Sparrow. Say it.” “Sparrow,” she whispered into the space between them. “Good girl,” the dark-haired witch replied."

[Adrian]

Adorable!! I absolutely loved Fern and Sparrow. Fern is such a sweetheart and Sparrow being a dream witch who keeps dreaming about Fern, so cute. (:

I especially loved that the story focused more on the two of them getting to know building a connection, rather than relying heavily on explicit content. That’s something I personally prefer, and I really enjoyed how soft and romantic their relationship felt. I honestly wouldn’t have minded more of that yearning, though! I just wish the book had been a little longer so we could spend even more time with them and watch their relationship develop.

And then there’s Bramble, the familiar! That sass! He was such a fun little addition to the story.

Atmosphere wise, I was absolutely living for all the books, bookstore, and library elements. The whole book gave me pastel goth cozy academia vibes, which hooked me!

Such a sweet, cozy sapphic read. And a hidden witchy town? Say less. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of the Pumpkin Hollow series!

Thank you so much for the ARC!

[Amanda]

Thank you to the author for this ARC

I really enjoyed this cute and cozy novella. It was low stakes and a cute little short romance story with magic. I loved all the characters and the Halloween/fall vibes.

My only true critique is: as someone who is Demi, I was excited to see a Demi character in this book. Unfortunately the way they were written was not quite correct. The character describes it as they do/can find others attractive from a single meeting/seeing them. But can’t be comfortable physically till they get to know a person. By definition “Demisexuality is a term used to describe individuals who cannot feel sexual attraction solely based on immediately observable characteristics such as appearance, voice, or smell, and do not typically experience attraction immediately after a first encounter. A demisexual person develops sexual attraction only after an emotional bond has formed.”
So I did find the representation lacking in this.

[Tory]

Thank you so much to the author for sending me an ARC of this book and for the opportunity to read it and review it.

This novella was SO me core. I loved everything about it. It’s an incredibly sweet and cosy story set in a small town, with the most beautiful autumnal atmosphere. There are so many little details that made the setting feel perfect for fall: sweet treats, seasonal beverages, decorations, and all those cosy descriptions that made me feel inside the story. The romance was just as sweet and cosy. I loved every single character in this novella, but an honorable mention goes to Bramble because I ADORED that cat so much.

Thank you again to the author for sending me an ARC!