The Pumpkin Bride

by Fiona Buttercup

"Filled with so much autumnal coziness that it made me want to run off and become a pumpkin farmer (ideally with the help of a sexy orc), this was the perfect fall read!” —Laurie Gilmore, #1 New York Times bestselling author

**Read by Will Watt and Moira Quick**

Shrek meets The Princess Bride in this cozy, low-stakes romantic fantasy. The Pumpkin Bride delivers all the autumnal feels, a dash of spice, and a guaranteed HEA!

Some curses just need a cozy fire, a little magic, and a second chance to break them.

A cursed knight.
Sir Bram Duncan was once a knight of legend in Harvest Hollow—until the whim of a jealous prince and the trickery of an autumn sprite turned him into the hulking orc Jask Bone-Cracker, and tethered him to Grimroot Farm. For three long, lonely years, he’s hidden his monstrous form and the truth of what happened the night he lost everything, including his true love, Princess Marigold.

A runaway princess.
Fleeing an arranged marriage to the vain and intolerable Prince Crispin, Marigold finds a safe haven when she stumbles across Jask’s charmed pumpkin farm deep in the forest. Sensing glimmers of gentleness—and a surprising talent for baking—beneath the grumpy orc’s imposing exterior, she begins to feel a familiar longing she believed dead when her Bram disappeared.

One true love.
As magic stirs and pies are baked, truths about Jask’s curse begin to surface. But curses don’t break easily, and wronged princes don’t capitulate. As their peace is threatened, Jask and Marigold must decide: cling to the lies that protect them, or risk everything for a love that could set them free.

Tropes:
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Dark Secret
• Beauty and the Beast
• Hidden Identity
• Second Chance
• Childhood Sweetheart
• One True Love

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Cozy, Audiobook, Cozy Fantasy, Romantasy, Autumn

Audible Audio

First published September 1, 2026

About the author

A big fan of romantic mash-ups, Fiona Buttercup writes novels full of enchanting settings, magical spells and cozy vibes. When she's not turning coffee into stories, Fiona is dancing around her kitchen to New Wave and '80's pop while whipping up an intimidating charcuterie board that she enjoys while deep-diving into docuseries and feel-good television.

Reviews

[Christine Garrow]

Imagine if the Beast from Beauty and the Beast were cursed even though he had done nothing wrong. That is the fate of Sir Bram Duncan, an honorable knight transformed into an orc by an autumn sprite even after correctly solving the riddle that should have spared him. Unable to reveal his identity without placing others in mortal danger, Bram disappears from the life of his beloved Princess Marigold.

Three years later, Bram is living as Jask Bone-Cracker on the secluded Grimroot Farm. Marigold believes him dead and has reluctantly become betrothed to the vain and calculating Prince Crispin who happens to be the very man responsible for Bram’s curse. When she flees the impending marriage and arrives at Jask’s door demanding his help, Bram is forced to confront the love and hope he has spent years trying to suppress.

Although Bram repeatedly attempts to send Marigold away for her own protection, she cleverly maneuvers her way into staying. Their interactions are charming and funny, particularly as the grumbling orc tries to maintain his emotional distance while the determined princess settles into his home as though she has no intention of ever leaving. Marigold soon begins developing feelings for the gentle soul beneath Jask’s intimidating appearance. She has grieved Bram for years and never expected to care for anyone so deeply again. Meanwhile, Bram must continually restrain himself from revealing that his feelings for her never faded.

Will Watt and Moira Quirk elevate the story with their expressive performances and impressive range. Watt is especially memorable as the low, grumbling voice of Jask, yet he also portrays Marigold’s feminine voice convincingly during Bram’s chapters. Both narrators move seamlessly among different tones, textures, and characters, enhancing the humor, tenderness, and romantic tension. I highly recommend the audiobook for the fullest experience of this story.

The Pumpkin Bride carries the enchantment of Beauty and the Beast and other classic fairy tales while adding hidden identity, second-chance romance, autumnal coziness, and modern open-door scenes. I was pulled in by the charming and humorous main characters, and I stayed for the adventure, mystery, and enduring love at the heart of their story. If you are looking for a sweet and spicy romantasy filled with pumpkins, magic, and fall atmosphere, this one will not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for providing an advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

[* A Reader Obsessed *]

4 Perfect for Autumn Stars!

Look, if you want a great start to your fall reading then come and check this out!

Just like the blurb says, this brings the vibes of The Princess Bride, Shrek, and Beauty and the Beast with a woodsy farm setting, likable and well founded dislikable characters, and a doomed love that never dims.

Points for a cheeky grumpy sunshine dynamic that made me smile. Points for a yearning Bram who’s yummily protective and heroic. And major points for Marigold for her smarts, sassiness, and resilience that never made me roll my eyes.

Yes, this is cozy, but it takes slight various detours from the genre keeping things fresh and interesting. Again, if you want an easy, low stakes, “true love conquers all” story with fun magic, lots of personal growth, a bit of spice, and a guaranteed happily ever after, then this is for you!

Thank you to the author and Harlequin Trade Publishing via NetGalley for a copy to review honestly

[Elizabeth]

The Pumpkin Bride by Fiona Buttercup
Book Blurb: Shrek meets The Princess Bride in this cozy, low-stakes romantic fantasy. The Pumpkin Bride delivers all the autumnal feels, a dash of spice, and a guaranteed HEA!
Some curses just need a cozy fire, a little magic, and a second chance to break them.

Rating: *****
Feels: Fun, Amused, Swoony, Happy Ever After
Style: Fantasy, Romance, Audiobook, Cozy, Cozy Fantasy, Autumn, Fiction
First published September 1, 2026 : 352 pages

Themes & Setting: A run away princess, a cursed knight and one true love. Also a second chance romance !! Like how does it even pack so much cuteness into one book !!!
FMC: Marigold had her one true love that was lost to her and now she is just trying to find her way in this world ... and she runs away from her arranged marriage and ends up on a farm !!
MMC: Sir Bram Duncan aka Jask Bone-Cracker is adorable.. or is he a fearsome orc? Or a charming knight? Or is he everything !!
Conclusion: Such a nostalgic cozy warm read and just what i wanted !! This has all the fantastic vibes of a cozy fantasy with the warm sweet vibes of a true love romance. Enjoying this story was easy and gives you that satisfying feeling that true love always wins and evil gets what it deserves !!! Sometimes I just need to know a book is gonna treat me right and this one gave me exactly what it promised !! The fun of shrek combined with that adventure of princess bride towards the kind of ending we need !!! This will go on my comfort reads shelf as something that really hits that spot for me !!

Audiobook Review:
Narration Style: Dual
Listener Rating: *****
Audiobook Notes: The audiobook was fantastic!! The narrators were utterly perfect in their tone and accents !! Like I honestly can’t think of better choices and it really complimented the story to perfection !! They had wonderful humor and wit throughout!! I loved this at all speeds (1.0 to 2.5 are my normals ) and ended up settling at 1.7 as my preferred speed for this. This read was super fun and these narrators totally did the book right !!. Tone and candace was perfect and I was easily able to follow along through out. Would recommend this book as an audiobook, immersive read or traditional read.

This book has:
Grumpy x Sunshine
Dark Secret
Beauty and the Beast
Hidden Identity
Second Chance Romance
Childhood Sweetheart
One True Love
HEA !!!

[Sarah (new pfp)]

Shrek and The Princess Bride??? Say less 🙂‍↕️🫶🏼

[Kayla W]

The Pumpkin Bride by Fiona Buttercup is such a cute spin on a classic fairytale! To me, the story felt like a delightful combination of Shrek and The Princess Bride, blending humor and romance perfectly. I absolutely loved the chemistry and development between the male and female main characters; their banter and growing bond made me giggle out loud multiple times. Reading this book gave me all the nice, warm, autumn, fuzzy, cozy feelings, making it the perfect seasonal read. It takes a familiar fairytale trope and adds a unique twist that keeps the narrative fresh, highly entertaining, and laugh-out-loud funny at times.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an advance copy to read and review.

[Adri]

I absolutely loved the core of this story! The author’s description of this book being Shrek meets The Princess Bride is incredibly accurate, serving up massive Beauty and the Beast vibes—but with an orc, a grumpy x sunshine dynamic, and a hidden identity trope that completely worked for me.
As it stands, The Pumpkin Bride is a fantastic, cheeky comfort read. It hits shelves just as all the pumpkin spice products come into play, making it the absolute perfect cozy autumn read for any millennial looking to curl up with a hot drink and a warm, magical romance.

[Danielle Pulliam]

**𝔄ℜℭ ℜ𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴** 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔓𝔲𝔪𝔭𝔨𝔦𝔫 𝔅𝔯𝔦𝔡𝔢 𝔟𝔶 𝔉𝔦𝔬𝔫𝔞 𝔅𝔲𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔠𝔲𝔭

Release Day: September 1, 2026

4⭐️3🌶

This is such a cute and sweet little cozy fantasy. It's Lost Princess meets Grumpy Orc at his cottage in the woods. I love all the cozy and cottagecore vibes. It was just a joy to read.

Minor Spoilers Ahead:

Princess Marigold has lost the love of her life three years ago, and everyone says she should have "gotten over it" by now. She's been engaged to Prince Crispin for a few months now, and she's finding out more and more that Crispin is not a good guy in any sense of the word. 

So, Marigold decides to run away and find somewhere to hole up until everyone has forgotten about her. She finds a beautiful cottage with a garden and farm area and decides it is well hidden and the perfect spot. The cottage is housed by a very grumpy Orc, but she is convinced with her whit and her charm, she can win over anyone.

Jask Bone-Cracker, the orc, wasn't always an orc, he was actually a Knight by the name of Sir Bram Duncan, and the love of his life was Princess Marigold. He's shocked beyond belief when she shows up on his cottage doorstep oneday. However, his curse is such that he can tell no one who he used to be, or they will perish right before his eyes.

This is such a cute and sweet second-chance romance in a very cozy fantasy setting with a little spice mixed in. Highly recommend for cozy fantasy lovers!

 Themes/Tropes:
🍁Grumpy x Sunshine
🍁Beauty and the Beast
🍁Hidden Identity & Dark Secrets
🍁Second Chance Romance & Childhood Sweethearts
🍁One True Love
🍁Cozy Autumnal Comfort
🍁Identity Beyond Appearance
🍁Agency vs. Destined Traps

TW:
✨Explicit Sexual Content 
✨Forced / Arranged Marriage
✨Body Transformation & Isolation
✨Gaslighting & Manipulation
✨Proximity to Death / Magic Traps

[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle]

Marigold runs away from Prince Crispin, as one should, because any man named Crispin who wants an arranged marriage is already giving decorative villain candle. She ends up on Grimroot Farm with a giant grumpy orc named Jask Bone-Cracker, who is secretly her long-lost knight Bram, and he cannot tell her because curses love paperwork and emotional inconvenience.

This is basically what would happen if Shrek, The Princess Bride, and Beauty and the Beast all got trapped in a pumpkin patch with cider simmering on the stove. Jask is trying so hard to be terrifying, but the man bakes. You can growl all you want, sir, but once you’re making pies on a charmed farm, the menace has left the building.

Marigold is not just some delicate runaway princess either. She has the exact energy of a woman who has had enough royal nonsense for one lifetime and would rather take her chances with an orc in the woods than spend one more minute pretending Prince Crispin is marriage material. Honestly, fair. I would also flee toward the sentient autumn vibes.

The hidden identity situation had me internally screaming because Marigold is standing there falling for Jask while grieving Bram, and Jask is standing there being Bram while pretending not to be Bram, and everyone is just baking around the emotional grenade. I kept wanting to shake the nearest pumpkin and yell, “Somebody say something before I climb into this book and do it myself.”

And Prince Crispin. That man has the personality of a monogrammed napkin and the entitlement of someone who has never been told no without immediately starting a war. Every cozy fantasy needs one perfectly punchable problem in velvet, and he understood the assignment with his whole smug little chest.

The sweet part is that this isn’t really about whether Marigold can love a monster. She already knows tenderness when she sees it. It’s about Jask believing he is still worthy of being loved when everything familiar has been taken from him, including his own face. That got me. Then someone probably made a pie and I had to pretend I wasn’t emotionally compromised by enchanted produce.

This is low-stakes in the nicest way. Nobody is asking you to memorize seventeen kingdoms or survive a fantasy war council. You just get curses, pumpkins, childhood sweethearts, a grumpy orc with domestic skills, and a princess who knows exactly which man deserves to be left in the dust.

I’m giving The Pumpkin Bride 4 stars. It is cozy, ridiculous, tender, autumn-soaked, and absolutely convinced that true love can survive curses, secrets, and one deeply annoying prince named Crispin.

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for the ARC. You gave me a cursed orc pumpkin farmer with baking skills, and now my seasonal standards are frankly unreasonable.

[Heather~ Nature.books.and.coffee]

This book gave me all the cozy Fall vibes. What a fun read! Marigold and Bram's love story was so sweet. It's a little funny, a little silly, but also full of all things FALL! 🍂🍁 It's a cozy little magical world, secret identities, grumpy/sunshine, and second chances. This was definitely better than I expected. I really enjoyed it.


Thank you to the publisher, and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

[BookishKB]

🎃🧡 The Pumpkin Bride 🧡🎃

📖 Bookish Thoughts

My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.

✨ What to Expect
• Cozy Romantasy
• Orc MMC
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Runaway Princess
• Hidden Identity
• Cursed Hero
_ _ _ _

📅 Pub Date: September 1, 2026
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Andi]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 | 3.75 stars rounded up

Listen. If you tell me there's a Shrek- and Princess Bride-inspired romance, I'm going to read it.

This was a really cute, well-written fantasy story overall. The world was very charming and I enjoyed the plot and pacing. I have no qualms with the inclusion of some spice, but it felt a bit awkward and abrupt, which pulled me out of the story a little bit.

I read this on audio, and the dual narration from Will Watt and Moira Quirk was excellent.

I think lovers of cozy fantasy romance looking for a book that has fall vibes and a comfortingly predictable fairytale-esque plot will like this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio | MIRA for the ALC!

[Bbecca_marie]

The Pumpkin Bride 🍂Review✨ thank you so much Mira Books + Harlequin Audio for the free copy + audiobook!

The Pumpkin Bride
by Fiona Buttercup
with Will Watt (Narrator); Moira Quirk (Narrator)

Shrek meets The Princess Bride in this cozy, low-stakes romantic fantasy. The Pumpkin Bride delivers all the autumnal feels, a dash of spice, and a guaranteed HEA!

My thoughts 💭:

The cozy autumnal fantasy I didn’t know I needed! I loved this one! It was exactly the cozy I’ve been craving as we transition into fall. Give me a magical pumpkin farm, a grumpy orc, a runaway princess, freshly baked pies, autumn magic, and a second chance romance, and I am IN. The audiobook was a fast and engaging listen, and I was invested from start to finish. I thought the narrators did a fantastic job bringing each part of the story to life and really captured the cozy, enchanting feel of it all. And I never would have imagined a Shrek meets The Princess Bride mashup, but it works so well. It was charming, whimsical, romantic, and even a little spicy! This one feels like curling up under a blanket with a warm drink while the leaves are changing outside. It has all the autumnal vibes I want in a cozy read, and I can already tell this is going to be a hit for so many this season!

What to expect 👇🏽
🍂Grumpy x Sunshine
🤫Dark Secret
🥀Beauty and the Beast
⚔️Hidden Identity
💞Second Chance
✨Childhood Sweetheart
🧡One True Love

Happy reading 📖 🍂🧡

[Stephanie Gillis]

This promised me vibes of Shrek and Princess Bride and it did not disappoint in that aspect. I found it absolutely delightful. I liked its conversations on grief and really enjoyed the cozy autumnal setting and theme of the book. It was a perfect September read for me. I kind of wish this wasn't a standalone but we could do more with some of the later characters like (sorry I listened to this so I don't know how to spell his name) Coby? And Marigold's brothers. I think there's a whole world of stories that could spout from this in the best way.

[Marissa C]

What a magical delight! A cozy, Shrek-like, Rumplestiltskin-esque Beauty and the Beast with lots of baking, magic, and love. It was the perfect amount of romance with a hint of magic and spice (minimal), and was just everything you would want out of a cozy fall fantasy. It was seriously just so cute, and made me smile so many times.
The characters were well fleshed out and grew throughout the story, both individually and together. Princess Marigold has the right amount of sass and had a good head on her shoulders. I enjoyed seeing the transformation of her life as she adjusted from castle to farm. I also love that she bribed the sprite with cakes. Who doesn’t love a good cake? I liked Bram too. I appreciated that he wanted to respect her and realized that looked different in each form he took.
I would definitely recommend this as a fun, fall read. This was a great palate cleanser between thrillers. A big thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC!

[Inés Molina]

This story was full of magical coziness!! I just want to live on a pumpkin farm after reading it!! The true love, curse and fairytale vibes was so heartwarming!! It was a bit nostalgic, I grew up loving fairytales. I adore the rush of choosing true love against the whole world and fighting for it, risking just about anything for it. I loved this story so much!! My heart was jumping in joy.

[Ashley]

Thank you to Mira Books & HTP Books for providing me with a gifted ebook copy of The Pumpkin Bride through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

If you’re looking for a cozy fantasy to add to your Fall TBR, then look no further than The Pumpkin Bride. The book’s description is true to a mix of The Princess Bride and Shrek. There’s some fun magic, sprites, a vain Prince, and a sweet romance that brings all of the true love vibes to the story.

Marigold and Bram were both so lovable as the FMC and MMC and I loved them together. Since this is low stakes fantasy, the pacing is a bit slower, but I didn’t really mind that because it was so cute and cozy.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
* Cozy Fantasy
* Low Stakes
* Secrets & Curses
* Second Chance

𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 🌶️

The Pumpkin Bride is a great magical world to get lost in if you’re wanting to curl up with a fun read, warm drink, and cozy blanket.

[Michelle (Bamamele.reads)]

Many thanks to The Hive and Harlequin for the preview. All opinions are my own.

This was just so perfectly cute! It’s the exact mix of Shrek and The Princess Bride promised. Maybe a little less action and adventure than those titles might suggest, but it’s cozy, swoony, sweet, romantic, and fairly low stakes.

Bram and Marigold are each other’s true love. And being able to fall in love twice is double the romance. I love how fiercely Marigold assures Bram that she would love him in any form. And Bram is so gone on her! The setting was just autumnal perfection too. A pumpkin farm? And constantly making cider and delicious pies? Yes please!

Will Watt and Moira Quirk are 2 of my favorite narrators, and they do such an amazing job with Bram and Marigold. I can’t recommend the audio enough! The Pumpkin Bride is going to be a huge hit for cozy season!

[b.andherbooks]

Honestly picked up this ALC from LibfroFM based on vibes and narrators (Moira Quirk was SO good in The Everlasting) so didn't have much expectations. Was truly happy at how enjoyable this was!

Lightly magical, definitely Shrek//BatB//Princess Bride funny vibes, horny and steamy, and all around a delightful Fall romp.

I appreciated that the author didn't exoticize Bram//Jaz in his orc form. Princess Marigold wasn't immediately horned up for the orc who put her up while she was hiding out from the evil prince; she fell in LOVE with Jaz Bonecracker because of his kindess, his deeds, his warmth. His exterior was not important.

The ending did peter out a bit for me, and alas Bram is returned to his human form in the end, but I hope the author writes so many more!

[Esme]

It's a fun book. I do think it got a bit repetitive at times but it wasn't unbearable. It delivered on the cozy fall vibes 100%. I liked our characters a lot every one was fun in their own way. If you're looking for a low-stakes, cozy paranormal romance than can deliver on the fall vibes this one might be the book for you!

The audiobook is worth checking out! Great narrations!

[Jamie Brandenburg]

I loved this story. The characters were so adorable and had great character development. I am a sucker for a grumpy sunshine. It was everything that it promised. My only issue was that the spice was somewhat awkward and rushed. I think it would be fine without the spice, or it could be slowed down with better descriptive language. Overall, I really enjoyed it. Great cozy start for a debut author.

[Brittany]

"The Pumpkin Bride" is such a cute fairy-tale-esque romantasy. It's sort of like Shrek, The Princess Bride, and Rumplestiltskin all combined into one story. Princess Marigold believe's she has lost her true love, and consequently decides to marry a prince she doesn't love, When she overhears him plotting her family's demise, she makes a run for it. Bram was cursed 3 years ago, turned into an orc, unable to leave his pumpkin farm, and unable to tell anyone who he is due to the curse. When his former true love Marigold turns up at his door, will he be able to make her see he's still alive, despite his monstrous form?

I really loved this book. It was very cozy - a lot of it follows Bram and Marigold doing chores on the farm, baking, and falling back in love with each other. It read like a modern fairy tale, but didn't follow any of the fairy tales it was based on too closely. I like how Marigold was meant to represent "Buttercup" from the princess bride, but she had so much more of a personality and autonomy. Bram was such a sweet and caring love interest; I appreciated how respectful he was of Marigold, and I loved seeing their relationship blossom.

For those who like to know the spice rating of romances these days - this was like a 2/5 🌶️ - there were 2 intimate scenes that lasted a few pages.

I loved the plot progression and how the characters really felt like they were meant to be together. The ending wrapped up like a fairy tale (picture perfect ending) and I felt this standalone romantasy had a satisfying conclusion.

This is the perfect read for the fall season, and I highly recommend to anyone looking for a lighthearted, fall themed romantasy.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessica]

Thank you, NetGalley, for granting me a free digital copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Is love truly blind? The Pumpkin Bride aims to find out. In a story reminiscent of both The Princess Bride and Shrek (the author's name is a bit of a giveaway), with a dash of A Song of Ice and Fire, The Pumpkin Bride is a cozy fairytale about Bram, a knight who is transformed into an orc by a sprite, whose curse ensures that anyone who learns his true his identity will die. Bram is resigned to his fate, accepting a life of solitude until Marigold, his childhood sweetheart, one day appears unexpectantly on his doorstep. Bram's need to keep his secret hidden chafes against the immediate spark between the two old flames, adding a clever twist to the classic Beauty and the Beast tale.

Listening to this book, it was soon clear that the author has some experience writing fanfiction, given the appearance of certain tropes popular within fanfic communities. It nearly undoes the story, which started to veer into smut territory about halfway through, before course-correcting in the final act. The Pumpkin Bride is almost too breezy of a read in some respects--the conflict resolution, for instance, is almost comically simple--but this is a story intended to make readers swoon while providing a charming autumnal ambiance. The mood is further heightened by an excellent audiobook narration, which alternates between Bram and Marigold, allowing the audience to witness the will-they-or-won't-they dynamic from both sides. Fiona Buttercup knows what her readers are looking for with this book, and I expect The Pumpkin Bride will soon become a favorite among romantasy fans.

[✧ Beanie Reads ✧]

Read: August 31st - September 10th
Format: Audiobook
Rating: 3.5 Stars

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

I love human imagination. What do you mean someone went "lets write a book with lots of Shrek x The Princess Bride inspirations"??? They both have fairy tale vibes, so it's not a huge leap, but it's just awesome that anyone made it.

This is a very fun cozy little romantasy. It has the charm you'd expect from a book that mention Shrek and The Princess Bride as inspirations. I wouldn't say it achieves their level, but it's a nice book for those who enjoy the charm of those movies regardless. Also, watching Marigold and Bram/Jask fall in love for a second time, with only one of them aware of the other's identity, was super cute. But it also made me want to shake Bram/Jask every time he questioned her feelings, because dude, she fell for you a second time without knowing about the curse or your identity. OF COURSE SHE LOVES YOU FOR YOU! Silly goofball self conscious orc dude.

There were some exaggerated whimsical bits that had me rolling my eyes. Not because it didn't match the vibes or was necessary bad, just went past my line for accepted exaggeration personally. But honestly, the part that frustrated me the most was the real world setting. Because nothing about this felt like the real world until they started talking about Greek mythology and philosophers. It was soooo out of place and jarred me every time.

This is a good, fun read that people who like whimsical fairy-tale-like fantasy romance stories. Maybe nothing amazing to me personally, but happy to have read this as autumn season rolls around :D

[HeyGirl_Whatcha_Reading]

Thank you so much Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy of The Pumpkin Bride! This duet narration with Will Watt and Moira Quirk was fabulous!

This is the epitome of a cozy fantasy. This was described as “Shrek meets the Princess Bride” and I think that’s perfect! It was whimsical and fun while also highlighting that true love is all that matters in the end.

I loved the sneaky riddles from the Autumn Sprite and the plot twist of secret magic and loopholes of the curse. This was so fun and just cozy from start to finish.

If you liked Tress of the Emerald Sea, the Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, or Legends and Lattes, you’ll love this one too.

[Sally]

4.5 ⭐️ the absolute cutest cozy fantasy romance that’s perfect for the fall! 🎃🌱 for fans of shrek and beauty and the beast!

Our MMC is cursed and turned into an Orc and he can’t tell anyone his true identity or else they’ll 💀 so how hard do you think he fights himself when his true love shows up at his doorstep as a runaway bride and he can’t just say ‘hey it’s me I’m still alive’ ughhhh the tension was soooo good!

I loved all the cozy vibes that came from the setting. We’re at a pumpkin farm for most of the book doing farm chores and learning how to use nature for everything even laundry 🧺

The fmc is so spunky and funny while our mmc is so grumpy trying to make her go away so the curse won’t 💀 her and it’s just so good and so funny 🤭

[Jenna]

I voluntarily read and reviewed this advanced copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I had heard this hyped up through Goodreads and it unfortunately gave off more stinky onion than enchanted rose. They harkened it to Shrek meets Princess Bride and honestly only the nom de plume meets the requirement. Our former knight is transformed into an orc while Shrek is an ogre. Get your greenies right. This book had interesting features and I automatically got the first riddle that led to his curse. Like Fingerpaint and love all over again. This book was way too long and did not need to be over 350 pages. If we're mashing up Wesley and Shrek, they would want you to shave off 150 unnecessary pages. Marigold also seemed very "pick me girl" and there weren't too many obstacles in their reunion considering she fell right back in love within a few days. This wasn't worth all the buzz in my opinion. Maybe one more round of edits and it wouldn't feel like a romp through the Fire Swamp. I can appreciate all the allusions like a true fan, but I'd rather fight a R.O.U.S. than read that mess again.

[Kayla]

Perfect fall, cozy read! I did not want to put this book down and was what I needed to get out of a reading slump. The story was so much fun. And the characters were fantastic. Love a good grumpy/sushine pair up. I would absolutely love to get more fairytale stories in this world written by this amazing author! I will be 100% be watching out for what they write next!

[Becca Leigh]

This was such a cute read! I loved the vibe so much. Going into it, I was skeptical that Shrek meets The Princess Bride could live up to my expectations, but this really nailed it in a great cozy fantasy story

[Katie Degnen]

3.75⭐️
Very cute for a cozy, with some unexpected spice!

[Summer Ekey]

Shrek, Beauty and the Beast and the Princess Bride all wrapped up into one. I loved this. So cute and fun with a little bit of spice. The perfect combo and great read for the start of Fall.