The Pumpkin Patch Sisters

by Amy Rafferty

One pumpkin patch. Four sisters. And the secrets their mother took to her grave.

Dahlia Marchetti left Harvest Hollow thirty-two years ago with her bags packed for the city and her mother’s blessing. Now Rosalind is gone, and her will has called all four sisters home to the pumpkin farm where they grew up. There’s just one the land can't be sold for four years, and each of them must personally see it through a single autumn.

Dahlia arrives with a business plan and a color-coded spreadsheet. But the farm her mother left behind was never really about pumpkins and cider, and can’t be saved with number-crunching alone. It was about people – the neighbor who's quietly worked the fields for years, the godmother who still brings warm casseroles, the whole valley of folks Rosalind stood beside when no one else would.

Including Beckett Shaw – the boy next door she left behind, who still remembers the initials they carved into a windowsill at fifteen.

The boy who never asked her to stay when it mattered most.

The deeper Dahlia digs into her mother's tangled records, the less the numbers add up. A cottage that shouldn't exist, tucked into the hemlocks. Six acres that appear on no map. A locked cabinet in the cider barn no one will explain. And that’s only the beginning.

As she gets her hands dirty with everything from farm repairs to the harvest festival, old feelings stir all over again – and Dahlia begins to wonder if everything she went chasing in the city was right here in Harvest Hollow all along.

She came home to save a farm. She never expected it to save her right back.

The Pumpkin Patch Sisters is the first book in a sweet, clean cozy autumn series brimming with second-chance romance, small-town warmth, sisterhood, and a family mystery that unfolds across four seasons.

Curl up with the Marchetti sisters tonight and immerse yourself in a town that feels like home.

Genres: Romance, Family

249 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2026

About the author

Amy Rafferty writes uplifting, clean romance filled with heart, healing, and the kind of hope that lingers long after the last page. Known for her coastal settings, later-in-life heroines, and unforgettable family bonds, Amy's books offer second chances and emotional journeys wrapped in love and mystery. When she’s not dreaming up her next story, she’s sipping tea by the sea and treasuring time with her family.

I always love to hear from you and get your feedback. Email me at books@amyraffertyauthor.com and Follow Me on Amazon. https://amazon.com/author/amyrafferty

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Reviews

[Sara Aitken · Rating 1 out of 5]

This will be harsh but man, this was hard to read. I felt like it was robotic, repetitive and too much description. Give the reader more credit in being able to connect the dots lol I was excited cause the cover looked appealing (yeah, I judge) and it’s a series but I don’t think I can do it. I want to live in a world where $6500 can keep a farm afloat for the year….

[Chasity · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like it, but it just was so shallow and petty, in my opinion. While I am on petty, the contractions ending in ‘d were way overdone. Goodness.
The FMC and the MMC were juvenile for their ages.
I am mad at myself for finishing this book. 😬

[Vickie Moore]

I loved this story . It is a story about sisters come together to save the family farm

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay, but didn't completely hold my attention. There needs to be better editing & the author needs to learn that contractions can't always be used.

[Heidi Sturgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love the cover art I can myself sitting on the porch getting lost in my thoughts or a good book while sipping on my cuppa 😉


Rosalind passed away 5 months ago , her will has called the 4 sisters (Dahlia , Juniper , Teodora and Prudence ) back to the farm , it can’t be sold for 4 years , each sister has to run the farm for at least an autumn each , bear in mind each sister is different and Rosalind had a plan because the farm is more than its produce and the problems it comes with ….

Dahlia is the organised one , the oldest sister , the one that felt she had to be the strong one, especially after their mother passed away🥲

Not only is she grieving the loss of her mother but also her marriage 💔Dahlia looks like a powerhouse that’s got everything under control but that’s far from the truth …..

She left the small town of Harvest Hollow for the city and while she was hoping those she loved and held dear would beg her to stay but it was believed she was meant for greater things which she did achieve but there’s a loneliness that overwhelms her .

Being the oldest , Dahlia takes the first autumn and she thinks her business brain and spreadsheets is going to do the job but she’s in for a surprise and already the sisters are sitting around the table arguing and doing reality checks . One can feel their frustrations and emotions ….

Eleanor aka Nell , their godmother bless her heart really misses her best friend but she also know the farm holds secrets and their mother measured success not in numbers but by hearts and lives helped , changed , she was all about community …. I’ll be honest the farm is in dire straits and with surmountable debt 🫣🥲

Now let’s add Beckett to the equation he knew Rosalind well , always on hand to help and he was there when she passed and he look at Rosalind as a second mother, she was there for him when everyone else wanted to give up on him , he also shares a history with Dahlia …

Beckett and Dahlia have it out with each other and while I was sobbing throughout their encounter it was good they cleared the air ready for their fresh start

I think I really identified with this read and the characters so deeply because we’re farmers ourselves and I know both the joys and the struggles , it’s a humbling life.

This read was more than mending fences , it’s about family , community, loyalty , forgiveness , love , empathy , compassion and all the things that really matter in life 🥰

The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger but fear not I’m about to get lost in The Pumpkin Patch Problem 😉

[RaRa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly… it’s not good. Juvenile characters. Overly descriptive. Same things over and over again. If I read about her spreadsheets, how things are different in the valley or how she “spent a decade building her career” I would lose my -ish (plot twist… she’s been gone for 32 years, what was she doing for first 22?). The mysteries are intriguing but not intriguing enough to read 3 more books. If anyone reads them, please let me know who owns the 6 acres and what’s behind the damn door in the barn. 🤷‍♀️

[Nikki Carstens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Good quick read about sister's trying to save the family farm. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the 2nd one in the series.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy Rafferty delivers a masterclass in small-town charm with The Pumpkin Patch Sisters, a heartwarming contemporary novel that serves as the perfect kickoff to a sweet, clean autumn series. Brimming with second-chance romance, deep sisterly bonds, and an intriguing family mystery, this book feels like a warm hug on a crisp fall afternoon. Rafferty knows exactly how to captivate her readers' hearts, wrapping a poignant story of grief and healing inside a beautifully vivid, cozy setting. The story follows Dahlia Marchetti, who left Harvest Hollow thirty-two years ago for the fast-paced city. Following her mother Rosalind’s passing, Dahlia and her three estranged sisters are called back to the family pumpkin farm by a strict stipulation in the will: the land cannot be sold for four years, and each sister must personally see the farm through a single autumn. Dahlia arrives armed with a rigid business plan and a color-coded spreadsheet, determined to solve the farm's financial troubles through sheer number-crunching. However, she quickly realizes that the true value of the patch isn't found in its profit margins, but in the tight-knit community of neighbors, godmothers, and loyal locals her mother stood beside when no one else would. Adding to the emotional weight of her return is Beckett Shaw, the boy next door Dahlia left behind decades ago. He is the boy who never asked her to stay when it mattered most, yet he still remembers the initials they carved into a windowsill at fifteen. As Dahlia balances farm repairs, a bustling harvest festival, and the stirring of old romantic feelings, she also uncovers a tangled web of family secrets. From a mysterious cottage hidden in the hemlocks to six acres of land that appear on no map and a locked cabinet in the cider barn, the numbers simply do not add up, forcing her to dig deeper into the life her mother left behind. Ultimately, The Pumpkin Patch Sisters is a beautiful journey of self-discovery and reconciliation. Watching Dahlia shift from a rigid, city-slicker mindset to finding true belonging in the dirt of Harvest Hollow is incredibly satisfying. As the book beautifully notes, she came home to save a farm, but she never expected it to save her right back. If you love sweet, small-town fiction packed with autumn atmosphere, second chances, and a mystery that will keep you guessing across the seasons, this extraordinary book written by an extraordinary author belongs at the very top of your reading list.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy Rafferty has done it again with this fantastic page turning first book in this new series! Four sister grew up on a farm in Harvest Hollow. But as they grew older, the oldest sister left Harvest Hollow to go to college and become very successful in Chicago while leaving her sisters and best friend/crush Beckett Shaw behind. When the girls' mother died, she left a will with a strange caveat that had to be fulfilled in order to inherit the farm. It seems that the farm can't be sold for 4 years and the girls have to work the harvest festival each year. But the farm was in danger of being foreclosed. Can it be saved? So, Dahlia Marchetti returns after 32 years away to help her sisters save the farm. However, her sisters, Junie, Teddy and Pru are not happy with their older sister who came equipped with a spreadsheet and ledger and ideas how she could save the farm. Dahlia has to learn that the farm doesn't run on spreadsheets, but runs on hard work and the community and working together as a family needed to be learned. And can Dahlia and Beckett come to terms and deal with the hurt they both suppressed when she left? And what about the strange cabin in the north part of the property? What about the strange mailbox? What about the hidden locked door Dahlia and Beckett found in the cider barn? I can't wait for the next book! I highly recommend this first book in the new series and know the rest of the series will also be a page turner! I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Sheri Jelinek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book for free, and this is my honest review.

A cozy, heartfelt small‑town autumn story woven with sisterhood, mystery, and a second‑chance romance that feels like coming home.

Amy Rafferty delivers an irresistibly warm, pumpkin‑spiced tale as Dahlia Marchetti returns to Harvest Hollow after thirty‑two years away—armed with a business plan, a color‑coded spreadsheet, and absolutely no idea how much her mother’s legacy is about to change her life. What begins as a duty-bound autumn on the family farm quickly becomes a journey into the heart of a community Rosalind quietly held together for decades: neighbors who show up without being asked, casseroles that arrive exactly when needed, and a valley full of people who loved her mother fiercely.

And then there’s Beckett Shaw—the boy next door she left behind, who still remembers the initials carved into a windowsill at fifteen. Their slow‑burn reconnection is tender, nostalgic, and beautifully grounded in the ache of what was lost and the hope of what might still be found.

As Dahlia uncovers hidden cottages, unlisted acres, and a locked cabinet full of secrets, the story deepens into a gentle family mystery that unfolds piece by piece. The more she digs, the more she realizes the farm wasn’t built on numbers—it was built on love, loyalty, and the kind of found family that stands the test of time.

A gorgeous 5‑star cozy autumn read brimming with sisterhood, second chances, and the magic of realizing the life you were chasing might have been waiting for you all along.

[Vicki Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pumpkin Patch Sisters, Book 1, is the story of four sisters (Dahlia, Junie, Teddy, and Pru) who return to meet for the will disclosures of their deceased mother, Rosalind. The will states their mother's farm/estate cannot be sold for four years until each sister spends one harvest season, from August to Thanksgiving, providing direct management and over site of the harvest of pumpkins and apple cider. The estate will go into default if a sister fails to perform the activity directed by the will and all four will lose their inheritance.
The first sister named to complete this task is Dahlia who is an executive in Chicago and believes she can correct the financial status of the farm by spreadsheets and hiring a farm manager. After arriving back at the farm, however, finds her high school friend/crush, Beckett, has been helping her mother during the last few years. Additionally, Nell, her mother's best friend, tells the sister her mother had secrets which sets off a search to solve the mystery. This book is a heartfelt read with grief, dysfunctional family interactions, well developed characters, strong emotions, renewed relationships and community, and just maybe a possible romance. The book does end in a cliffhanger leading to the next book in the series. I highly recommend this well written book with its great world building and plot.
I received a copy of this book via the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Mary Ann Speel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice story about a h who finds her way back home after believing that her mother wanted her to leave their little farm and pursue her dreams of college. She is currently working in Chicago and is very successful. Her mother has died and her will requires that to get her inheritance she must return to the farm and work one fall season. What she finds out is that what she has learned at college and in her successful career is not of use in working the family farm. The H is her ex boyfriend who had stayed behind and worked his family farm. He thought that he had no choice but to watch her leave. He has been there for her mother and helped her with the farm but the mother had been there for him too. As the h works the farm she reconnects with her estranged sisters and learns to work with them. She recognizes the skills of each sister and in the end gives them credit for what they can do. She also reconnects with the H and he after admitting his mistakes reconnects with her. As all this is happening two secrets show up. The book ends with the h, H and the sisters facing these secrets, but the h knows that she is not alone. This is a nice Hallmark story and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Enjoy.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new series starter. What an interesting story. There is a thread of mystery but it is clear that it will be in later books that we will get more of that story line. It was threaded in this one but just enough to leave you wondering, what..is..the..deal, making sure you really need to come back and stay until the end. This being the starter spent most of the time on the sisters and their relationship. It was told from Dahlia and Beckett’s POV, it is laid out so each sister will get to be the focus of a book, but that’s my prediction not a known fact.
Time doesn’t always heal wounds, sometimes it makes them fester and hold tight. That is the case here. Old hurts, old fears, they all come back in full force when their Mama dies and leaves the family farm to all four girls with major strings attached. What unfolds is a story of perseverance, grace, love, and the value of being part of a family and extended family made up of those who just love and appreciate you.
A true beautiful story that I believe will only get better.
Amy is on top of my “if she writes it I’m in” list.
The thoughts are my own. I was blessed with an ARC of this book.

[Sue Negrillo · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Massachusetts.
Dahlia mom passes away, she leaves a pumpkin farm. In her will each sister is to run the farm each year,to be lead. It is Dahlia this year. She is a corporate.style and does statistics to solve problems. She has some tension among the sisters but she is going to work heard to save the farm. Beckett is the man she left 32 yrs ago he’s helped her mother on the farm fix her equipment what ever she needed help with. At the beganing of the season it was ruff Dahlia walked around with a clipboard and list of things to be done. She learned the list way didn’t help much. But when everyone pitches in and uses the skill set they have it works better. So by the time it was busy they had it running smooth
The Apple presser broke and some guys came to fix it. Before there big night they had a bad storm, the town turned out to help get the place running
There is some secrets, 6 acre north of the property. Don’t know anything about it.
Dahlia and Beckett have feeling for each other but neither one will tell the other till after Dahlia decides to stay at the farm. They find the note for the 6 acres deeded to someone they don’t know.

[Terry T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is a sweet, clean, small town, second chance, later-in-life, sisterhood romance with a cozy mystery.

Some of the lines I really like --- "Your mother did not measure her success by the balance in her bank account. She measured it by the lives she helped." --- "The farm doesn't break things to hurt you. It's just showing you where the real strength is. You don't have to carry the whole mountain alone. You've got sisters, and you've got neighbors who're ready to hold the gate." --- that true strength didn't mean facing everything alone. ----

What's Eleanor (Nell) up to? What records and documents must be protected at all costs? What's Sam Hollis up to? Who lived on the hidden 6 acres? Why is there no record? Will Dahlia take the promotion in Chicago? Who is Hannah Hillion? Some questions will be answered and other questions will be answered in books 2, 3 or 4.

I loved Dahlia and Becket's story and I'm sure you will too. I've loved everyone of her books that I've read and I can't wait to read "The Pumpkin Patch Problem" Book 2.

[Lucille · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given the opportunity by the author to read an arc of the first installment in a new series (Fall at Harvest Hollow) in return for an honest review.

Four sisters are forced by their mother’s will to try and save their ancestral farm. Little do they know that there is more than meets the eye. A neigbour (who is a former high school love interest of the eldest sister, Dahlia, the main protagonist in this book) comes to her help.

In this series we meet a new family with a totally different background than those in most of Ms Rafferty’s books. Their interactions are sometimes less than civil, but doesn’t that tend to be a thing with sisters? A chapter that is dedicated to their past tells us a lot more of the beginnings of the storyline.

It took me a bit to get into the story but after the first few chapters, it got me hooked. The book ends on a cliffhanger, so I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series.
A well-deserved 5 stars!

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

disappointing

So many secrets proposed but none revealed. Read the next book…Dahlia was gone 32 years and they repeatedly referred to it as a decade. The two sisters came home from other places they lived. No talk about how either of them could just walk away from their jobs or homes and not worry about getting back. No spouses or boyfriends ever mentioned. Like they had no lives before the mother died. And Beckett waited 32 years for her to come back, no wife, no kids, no girlfriend. What was he? A monk?? I’m not sure why I kept reading. I guess I thought they were going to solve at least one mystery in this book, but no. I’m not 3 more books to find out. I know you don’t need big sex scenes to make a book really good, but these two we’re supposed to love each other for all these years and when they get together they kiss like they’ve been married for 30 years, no passion or longing. Blah…I gave it a 3 because I finished it.

[Paula Corregan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an engaging, well written book. Dahlia Marchetti and her three sisters are each required to manage the family farm for one fall season, according to their mother's will. Dahlia is the oldest, and she takes a leave of absence from her Chicago job to fulfill her mother's wishes. Their nearest farm neighbor, Beckett Shaw, helps them with the farm. Beckett had been Dahlia's best friend. Dahlia and Beckett discover six acres of land that the land deed didn't account for as well as a locked cabinet in the barn that they didn't know about. Beckett has been keeping a secret from Dahlia. Will he finally tell her? Find out by reading this wonderful book, which I highly recommend to other mystery/romance readers. I received an ARC of this book, and the opinion expressed is strictly my own.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dahlia had left the family farm in Harvest Hollow many years ago to chase her dreams. Her life gets turned upside down when her mother dies and leaves the farm to her and her sisters, but there is a stipulation, and Dahlia isn’t happy about it.

Going back to the farm and the boy she left behind carries memories she’d rather forget. But can she? As she’s trying to get things in order, she stumbles upon a 6 acre plot that there’s no record of. Nell, her mother’s best friend is hiding something from all of them.

Will they figure it out and what will they find when they do?

This is shaping up to be a real page turner. I for one can’t wait to see what the family secrets are.

[TJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE PUMPKIN PATCH SISTERS by Amy Rafferty,
is beautifully written with an engaging storyline, likable, relatable characters, heartfelt romance, and lovely imagery.

It’s a sweet, clean, romantic mystery, with wonderful depth, great character development, and the possibility of second chances.
It’s a story of family, sisterhood, protective walls, the pain of separation and loss, and an underlying “tapestry of secrets.”

But boundaries can become bridges to hope, healing, connection, community, a sense of belonging, and new beginnings.

Great tagline - She came home to save the farm. She never expected it to save her right back.

I would highly recommend this captivating book and I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.
I was able to read an early copy and am voluntarily giving my honest review.

[Lisa Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Wow! The Pumpkin Patch Sisters by Amy Rafferty book one of the new series is really setting the stage for a great new adventure in Harvest Hollow. 

A page turner from the very beginning with really great characters, several mysteries, missing documents, secret doors and where did that acreage come from and who does it belong to?

Beckett: This man knows how to make an exit.

Dahlia: Left for college 32 years ago, and feels like she is letting her family down. 

Rosalinda: The mother who recently passed away, leaving a behind. An anomaly of mysteries. 

Also, Who is Hannah Hillion? 

I am looking forward to the next installment. 


 

[DeeDeeWReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to Harvest Hollow

Their mother has passed on. Her will has conditions for the sisters to fulfill. First up, the oldest sister, Dahlia. The sister that moved to Chicago MANY years ago to have a career and be successful. One harvest, fall, she can do that and then go home.

Plans don’t always go as expected. Come along as Dahlia, Beckett, and Dahlia’s sisters work together to save their home and find that there is more than they thought about their mom, the past, and what the future will hold after they know more.

Great story, warm and charming characters. Loved every minute and can’t wait to read the next one.

[Pam Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 1 in a new series. Dahlia returns home to fulfill the requirements of her mother’s will. Basically the sisters need to work together for four years.

Dahlia is accustomed to high power business mergers and acquisitions in a big city. She needs to learn to slow down and work on a small country atmosphere, where neighbors help neighbors in Harvest Hollow. The sisters have to battle the weather elements and make enough money to appease the bank.

Meanwhile what secrets are hidden on the property? What does her mother’s friend Nell know?

Thank you to the author for this ARC. This review is my honest opinion.

[Sandra Kent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice read

I enjoyed this story. The premise was interesting, sisters, a pumpkin farm, strong community, reconciliation, and old love. The sisters have to learn how to trust each other & work together to save the farm after their mother's death. Secrets need to be discovered & relationships healed as they work to save the farm legacy built by their family.

I did struggle with the multiple times that conversations were hashed out & rehashed. Many that were repeated but on separate days. I wonder if there was an editing issue. Many of these could have been consolidated into one situation.

I will read the next in the series.

[Deborah O. Norris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love autumn setting, some bothersome details

I selected these books because of the autumn theme and it not disappoint. Yet some other things did. First, when an author talks about the universe being in control, it is a red flag to me that her world view does not align as a Christians. Not my preference to read.
Still, as I gave it a chance, I was bothered by the overuse of the character s marketing and whispering conversations. So much so that along with details slipping such as cottages or a cottage on the mystery six acres that the writing is presenting as AI.
Authors should have integrity in their writing so I would be interested to see this addressed.

[Bernie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great start to a new family series..a family brought together after the death of their mother. The will is very detailed, explicitly in certain conditions in keeping and inheriting the family home and business. Unfortunately neither are in good condition and the bank foreclosure could be imminent. Relations between the 4 sisters are strained, with certain views and values in contention. Their decisions impact on more than just them. Their mother has harboured secrets, and it seems one woman could have the answer, but is unwilling to. Decisions, decisions..another web is being woven.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ecstatic with your new novel all about a farm nearly falling apart. It never ceases to amaze me how you can create such enthralling characters and puzzles, while holding our attention from start to finish. Not to mention the cliff hanger, which keeps us on the edge of our chair until the nest part arrives. This one is also very much one I am anxious to see the next issue. The waiting is spine tingling. Such talent for mystery and love matches with hangups.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as an ARC.

Dahlia Marchetti has come back in Harvest Hollow trying to analyze the family pumpkin farm after leaving 32 years ago. Beckett Shaw her high school best friend has been helping with the upkeep of the family farm. They both have strong opinions about a lot of things. Junie, Teddy, Prue have a strained relationship. Will they be able to mend their relationships?

[Deborah K DeLaVina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute fun fall book. A story built around four sisters and a small farm community. They face the grief of their loss when their mother died each in their own way. While the will leaves explicit details of what is expected of them it pulls them together. Then the secrets start appearing as they try to salvage the farm and their lives. It is filled with fall favorites, family, community and a love story. Complicated but real.

[Roslyn Simonin Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosalind Marchetti has died, leaving the farm in Harvest Hollow, MA. to her 4 daughters( who haven't been the closest in a while) with a STRICT condition.
They must stay at the farm and keep it running for 4 years. A run down Pumpkin Patch of a farm.
First up Dahlia, the Chicago Corporate sister. All spreadsheets, color-coded graphs and a former High School Sweetheart, next farm over. Love it ,Amy. This is an ARC and my honest review.