Autumn in Sycamore Park

The Warm Days of Autumn #1

by C.P. Ward

The first in a new romantic comedy series from CP Ward, author of Christmas at Marshmallow Café and Summer at Blue Sands Cove.

Having fled a relationship and a previous life she would rather forget, young teacher Jennifer Stevens throws herself into a demanding new job at Brentwell Primary. Charged with marshalling a group of unruly eight-year-olds to the autumn harvest festival, her only solace is the peace of nearby Sycamore Park.

As the evenings draw in and the leaves begin to fall, will new friends, delicious autumn treats, and a possible new man on the orange-tinted horizon help Jennifer finally come to terms with her past and begin to look forward into the future?

Autumn at Sycamore Park is another delightful romantic comedy from CP Ward, author of several popular seasonally themed novels. Set against a backdrop of warm autumn days, it offers everything fans of CP Ward’s other books have come to love: laughter, friendship, good times, and a hint of newly discovered love.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Audiobook, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Ebooks

270 pages, Hardcover

First published June 20, 2022

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do not like the way this author, describes/portrays her overweight characters. Its insulting and disgusting.

[Bertie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I was looking for a cosy, easy autumn read, and because it was free - and let’s just say I’m glad I didn’t pay for it! Whilst admittedly the autumn vibes were there, the story was slow and honestly lacked any compelling kind of hook.

For me, the authors disgraceful and upsetting way of describing plus sized people ruined this book even further for me. This happened a few times towards the beginning of the book, but the worst part was the use of the phrase ‘enormous hill-sized people’. I am honestly shocked this was allowed to be published in a book in 2022, it’s absolutely atrocious.

I won’t be reading any of the other books in this series, or any of the authors other publications.

[Nithya · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book. The main character is awful but meant to be super lovely. She's judgy about people's weight (yet is able to eat out daily with cost description autumn hearty foods and two glasses of wine a night because she's a MC). She's judgy about her previous school, insinuating it's due to it being a deprived area. She takes the piss out of a character (who is an arse in many ways, yes) because at 26 he lives with his mum and brought his wheelchair using mum to a school event. The cherry on top of all of this is that the only conflict with her love interest is that he's, in her words "just a gardener". Don't worry guys, she soon finds out he's an ex actor and has a nice car so that sorted itself out beautifully.

Gets one star because I was invested in the arc of Gordon, one of her students. I cared about the fate of the harvest bloody festival more than I did about her love life.

[Maria Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF for fatphobia - I don't need to read about someone's hamster cheeks as they stuff themselves or trying to beat the 'big' people in line at the buffet

[Dash fan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5☆ A Cosy Romance

Autumn in Sycamore Park is a Cosy Read about starting over, making new friends and self discovery with a dash of Romance.

This book is relatively nice and short but for me it was a bit of a slow burner, it took me a while to get into the story and connect with the characters.
Speaking of characters.... wow what an eclectic bunch and that's just the school teachers 🙊
I've worked in schools but I could never get over the fear of the staff room...even when I was staff lol

Jennifer rocks up as the new school teacher at Brentwell Primary School and she's quickly realising she has big shoes to fill and some pretty wild 8yr olds to tame! Lol

Jennifer is running away from her old life and the only thing that is keeping her grounded is her two adorable pets Bonky the dog ( best name ever) and James the cat.

Soon she's making friends, planning a harvest festival and saving 'Big Gerry' the tree.... but can Jennifer make this her home, heal from the past and learn to open her heart again to love!



Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.




You can Find this Review and all my Other Reviews on My Blog :-

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2022/0...

[Angel Graham · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 32%. The repeated nasty way of writing about fat people. The fat phobia is strong with this author.

Now on my hell no author list.

[Denise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Book started off slow but I quit reading after several disgusting comments on characters weight. DNF and don’t recommend

[Cathy Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autumn in Sycamore Park is the first book in The Warm Days of Autumn series. The cover and title initially drew me to this book and I wasn’t disappointed. I love autumn and the descriptions of the park and setting are delightful.

Jennifer Stevens, along with her dog and cat, has relocated to Brentwell to escape a relationship that was going nowhere and a job she couldn’t cope with. Despite all that she was still unsure whether she’s done the right thing. Luckily there was a teaching post available at Brentwell Primary School due to the retirement of the previous teacher so, despite being plagued by self doubt, she’s determined to make a go of her new life. Finding a friend in local cafe owner, Angela, and the pretty park where she walked her dog helped Jennifer to realise that perhaps she’d made the right decision after all.

Jennifer’s colleagues are an interestingly mixed bunch, a few play a more prominent part than others, and initially I wasn’t really drawn to them. Jennifer begins to settle in and get more involved in small town life, realising she is ready for a fresh start. There’s the school’s annual autumn festival to organise and a protest to save a local landmark, not to mention her role as a mediator between, and counsellor of sorts to, certain pupils in her class.

Autumn in Sycamore Park is a lovely, easy read laced with humour and including a budding romance or two in a charming small town.

[Susan Z (webreakforbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, quick feel good story about Jennifer, trying to start over in a quaint small town.

She left a dead-end relationship, moved away to start anew and find herself and in the process made so many great friends and connections.

There were SO many great characters in this book, and I am a sucker for a grump who softens, so I loved that there was one here.

This is feel good fiction at its finest!

CP Ward is another new to me author and I look forward to reading many more.

[Caitlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

thank god this is over. wanted a cute little fall book to read but this just had no plot and also had some incredibly fatphobic comments that made me almost dnf but i'm not a quitter so i wanted to hate this book in it's entirety. don't read this!

[Jennifer]

DNF at 41%. The story wasn’t going anywhere and I could not get with the author’s writing style.

[Maddie A. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointed. Especially the way the author described heavy set people. :/ it was a cheesy hallmark type movie and lackluster.

[Katie Booth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a bit of a difficult one to review if I am being honest! 🫣 I bought this on stuff your kindle day last year and it was about time I picked it up as part of my Autumn reads! However, I picked this up thinking it was a romance and to be perfectly honest, there was barely any romance and it was in the last 7% of the book! 🥱 that being said, I loved the story around trying to save a well loved tree in a park and about the relationships and being set in a school! 🥰 It follows Jennifer as she tries to find her feet in a new place, new job and new people! She makes it her mission to save an important part of the park whilst meeting someone new! Not my cup of tea, but not a bad read overall!

[Christi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dropped at 41%

This is marked as a fun romcom, but honestly I was bored and haven't seen much of the comedy. I don't like the main character. She complains all the time about her past, her job, her relationships...She has been a teacher for three years and just moved to a new city to get away from her supposedly charmed life working at a private school with "devilish" kids and is now at another primary school where she is happy to have things to take her mind off her past, she complains about how much work it is and how she keeps running into people related to her job so she isn't really "getting a break" from her past. She left her boyfriend she was living with a note saying it was over and moved out. Her parents got a similar note telling them not to tell Mark where she went and slipped it under their door. She then left and moved into an apartment she rented sight unseen while complaining it looked bigger in the pictures and was surprisingly expensive. I don't know what the rent situation is like in the UK, but her apartment seems to be very centrally located and she walks everywhere. She also makes a LOT of assumptions about people based on their looks and profession.

I don't know if Jennifer has a secret potty for her dog in her apartment or just likes to neglect the poor thing. She is always gone all day for work then stopping for dinner and wine at the cafe on her way home. 

It feels like the author has a problem with both poor people (or perceived poor people), anyone with a job she doesn't value, as well as heavier people. She writes about Amy being "a short, plump figure in unflattering jogging bottoms", needing to beat the "big family" into the buffet, slipping between "two enormous hill-sized people" to get to food first, and Amy eating naan "as though afraid the family loading food on to their plates nearby might mistake Amy and Jennifer's table as part of the buffet".

Greg is the headmaster at her new school. He's apparently a horrible person with a million nicknames I won't even try to remember. Rick makes a crass joke about his tag going off and reveals the guy had a restraining order for stalking his ex wife. And this man is still headmaster?
Jennifer says she knew a girl named Francis Drake who was bullied by boys in school. Tom's answer? "Boys will be boys". Excellent.

She then takes the class bully who regularly threatens the other kids with violence and makes him the manager for the festival. Yes, I get he's supposed to have a hard home life after his parents got divorced and his dad took off a year ago, but there had to be other ways to get him engaged and change his behavior. According to the author he just needs an outlet for his frustration - you don't achieve that by putting him in a relative position of power after he's been bullying other kids. Sure it worked out for the sake of the story, but I have a hard time believing it would be good in real life. She could have given him a special project for the festival without making him "chief of staff".

[Kristina Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was ready to give this book two stars, but the end felt so abrupt…and wow, the author did Amy and so called “fat” people so wrong. Def a cheesy hallmark read, with some cute parts. Took me a total of about 4-5 hours to read throughout the day.

[Kim W · Rating 1 out of 5]

Its a very hallmark coded book. Very predictable, but there are some cute moments. I do not appreciate the way this author describes characters like Amy. It’s fatphobic and mean. I almost DNF half way through because of these descriptions.

[Sandsandstories · Rating 1 out of 5]

Does it give autumn vibes in some descriptions? Yes.
Does it read like a lite romance? Yes.
Does it have quite a few absolutely terrible comments on “people the size of hills” Yuuupp
In this day and age, that should not be ok no matter what kind of diverse element is being singled out.

[Chelsea Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay I Guess

I'm lying. I have no idea what this was. So much drivel for nothing. I really have no idea what happened here.

[♡ Meli ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️3.0
Title: Rushed Romance Amidst a Charming Community

Rating: ★★★☆☆

"Autumn in Sycamore Park" by C.P. Ward is a cozy read set in a charming community, but it left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed. While the book had its moments, I couldn't help but find the romance aspect rushed and lacking in depth.

The novel's strongest suit lies in its portrayal of the close-knit community of Sycamore Park. Ward has a knack for creating a vivid and inviting setting, and I found myself genuinely enjoying the interactions and dynamics between the side characters. Their stories added depth to the narrative, and I appreciated the sense of camaraderie that permeated the pages.

However, the main plot, centered on the romance between the protagonists, left me wanting more. The chemistry between the two lead characters seemed to develop out of nowhere and lacked the gradual build-up that makes a romance truly engaging. It felt rushed and forced, making it challenging for me to emotionally invest in their relationship. I found myself more interested in the community and its dynamics than in the central romance, which was a disappointment.

That being said, I admire Ward's writing style, and I believe there's potential in their storytelling. Despite my reservations about "Autumn in Sycamore Park," I may consider giving the author's other books a try in the future. It's possible that different works by Ward might offer a more satisfying reading experience.

In conclusion, "Autumn in Sycamore Park" is a book with a lovely community setting and intriguing side characters, but its rushed and underdeveloped romance plot left me feeling disconnected from the story. If you're more inclined toward community-driven narratives and are willing to overlook a less-than-ideal romantic element, you might still find aspects of this book enjoyable. As for me, I'm curious to explore C.P. Ward's other works to see if they resonate with me on a deeper level.

[Mariah Downing · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I actually didn’t finish this book. I was over halfway through and literally nothing happened. I found it quite boring. I read the last chapter and still just kinda found it blah. 🫣 sorry. Not for me.

[Lisa W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute and autumnal, lots of kids and animals, no spice. I enjoyed it!

[Jennifer Clench]

DNF at 25%…it felt like groundhog day and the dog is called Bonky and unfortunately I just can’t get passed that

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

More atmosphere than substance, it's a Hallmark movie of novellas. Sweet and everyone gets a happily ever after.

[Kelly | Bookmarks 'n Blankets · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella was a disappointment. I expected a sweet autumn romance, but there was hardly any romance to be found. I nearly DNF’d it around the 40% mark because it felt more like contemporary fiction. The romance doesn’t really kick in until about 60% of the way through, which I think is too late for a story like this. It wasn’t quite what I thought it was going to be.

The first half was slow and somewhat dull and boring, and I struggled to connect with the characters, some of whom I found quite annoying. There were several subplots that I didn’t care about either. However, the second half did become more interesting, which prompted me to finish the book.

I should note that this is a very British story. Set in England, it uses a lot of British slang and terms, which made me stop reading a few times to look up their meanings. Additionally, I didn’t appreciate how plus-size characters were portrayed; I found it insulting and disrespectful. It’s easy to see why many reviewers have labeled this author as fatphobic.

Ultimately, it was just an okay story. I did enjoy the seasonal descriptions of the weather, the park with its changing leaves, and the harvest festival. I also appreciated that it was a clean read without any spice or foul language. But aside from that, it felt lackluster. I won’t be continuing with this novella series, nor do I think I’ll read more from this author. Personally, I don’t recommend this novella, but if it sounds appealing to you, maybe give it a try. You might enjoy it more than I did, but there are definitely better fall romances out there.

**If you want to listen to all of my thoughts and get my real-time reactions to this novella, check out my episode on the Booksmarks 'n Blankets podcast.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written book with strong characters and an entertaining storyline. The author brings a sweet romantic comedy with perfectly painted scenes and moves the story fluidly. I enjoyed reading and would recommend this book.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[annkitty13 · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was a cutesy hallmark read but really didn’t go anywhere. it was pretty boring and the buildup between the protagonist, Jennifer and her love interest, Tom was quite literally nothing. i read it more for the autumn vibes than the romance but even the fall-feeling i was striving for only satisfied me partially. honestly my fav character was Bonky the dog lol

[Carolyn Vandine West · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book, unique and clean. Jennifer is starting a new teaching position and life. This follows the stress and good of her new life. It was a good book for this time of year. It also gave me a choice on library bingo for a cover with autumn leaves.
I bought this on Chirp, listened as well. The narration was good.

[Anastacia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sigh…. This one took me five long days to finish, and not because I couldn’t put it down, because I kept putting it down. It was boring, plain and simple. Something about the writing style just felt off for me, and I never felt drawn in or captivated by the story. I’ll admit, the last 15% picked up a bit and I started to enjoy it more, but overall, it was disappointing and not that memorable.

[lovelyq_ · Rating 1 out of 5]

pls dont waste ur time reading this like i did :)

[Robin Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have soooo many books on my Kindle app, but because I really prefer reading an actual bound book in my hands the Kindle books languish. So recently I've been trying to read more of them to clear some out, and my latest pick was this freebie that I got from Amazon almost three years ago. And I really enjoyed it. I love small town set books, and here we have Jennifer, a teacher, who has moved to a new town to start her life over after a breakup, something else I love.

Looking at other reviews now I see a lot of readers complaining about the way the author describes one of the other teachers, Amy, who is overweight, and I guess I can see where they're coming from. I'll admit I just took it all in stride, maybe because Amy was a central character who became friends with Jennifer, and nothing mean was ever actually said to her (that I remember). And some of the other characters were also described a bit eccentrically, so maybe it just felt in line? Or maybe I'm just dense and didn't pick up on it.

Either way, I thought this was a sweet and amusing story, with some slightly kooky characters. In Jennifer's class there is a boy who bullies a smaller boy, and I loved the way Jennifer handled him, and actually effected change in his behavior, which also brought the smaller boy out of his shell.

While there is a love interest for Jennifer (and I will admit that she was a little bit shallow and judgy upon first meeting him), I wouldn't really call this a romance. Rather a fun story with a little romance thrown in.