Andi is worried that her relationship with Drew has become dull and boring. They never do anything exciting these days, in or out of the bedroom. So when a swoon-worthy stranger appears she is instantly swept off her feet.
When they unexpectedly meet again, they realise they have more in common than they thought possible so draw up a pact to spice up their lives! The plan they conjure up while working together at The Pumpkin Patch, to make their partners jealous, brings them closer than ever.
Andi plucks up the courage to finish with Drew but there are no signs of Andrew doing the same and she thinks she’s lost him forever.
With meddling exes, misunderstandings and miscommunication getting in the way, can The Pumpkin Pact bring them back together?
306 pages publisher Boldwood Books Publication date August 4, 2025
ABOUT THE BOOK
Willow Connor has one shot to save her family’s farm – turning it into Birchbrook’s first ever pumpkin patch. There’s just one problem: she has exactly zero pumpkins and only six weeks to make it happen. Everyone in the close-knit town thinks she’s crazy, but she’s determined to prove them wrong.
Enter Dylan Henderson, a hotshot property consultant with a clipboard full of reasons why selling is the smarter choice. Determined to stand her ground, Willow makes him a bold offer – stay and watch her turn the farm around. To her surprise, he agrees.
Now, as Willow throws everything into making her pumpkin patch a success (even if it means buying every pumpkin in the county), she also finds herself learning a thing or two from Dylan – about business, about ambition… and maybe about love?
Will she save the farm and prove everyone wrong? And when the deal is up, will Dylan walk away – or has he found something worth sticking around for?
MY THOUGHTS
What better way to pass a hot day in July than by reading a Fall themed book? Full of all the autumn themes you’d want, Fall leaves swirling, pumpkin picking at the pumpkin patch and oh yes pumpkin spice drinks. If you’re not a fan of those you’re missing out.
He’s a city slicker intent on buying the financially failing farm, she’s a farmer’s daughter, it goes back in her family for generations. Sparks fly when Willow Connor and Dylan Henderson meet, he’s determined to prove to his brother he can make the sale, and she’s just as determined to keep the farm in the family and prove its worthiness and financially stability.
With six weeks to turn a failure into a win and come up with a big plan to change the landscape of things and show not only the towns people but her father she can do it she better put her thinking cap on quickly. She never thought she’d be dreaming about pumpkins while dreaming about the enemy and how his kisses would be.
Fun, romantic and lots of Fall vibes. Great character development, so charming. Loved the main characters.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Victoria Walters is a full-time author living in Surrey. Victoria writes sweet and spicy rom coms set in the book world, and upcoming autumnal small town romance LOVE AND LATTES AT PUMPKIN HOLLOW. She used to work in publishing and a bookshop, and has been a bookworm since childhood.
Victoria is also the author of the bestselling uplifting and romantic series GLENDALE HALL and the cosy crime series THE DEDLEY END MYSTERIES. Find out more about her by following on Instagram at @vickyjwalters, on X at @Vicky_Walters or on Facebook and TikTok at Victoria Walters author.
Her new grumpy/sunshine spicy romance LONG STORY SHORT is out now.
40 pages ages 4-8 Sourcebooks Wonderland publisher August 6, 2024 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
On a magical night filled with frights, one little pumpkin gets a bigger scare and has a bigger adventure than she bargained for!
Little Orange Pumpkin has been waiting all year for Halloween night to come! She has big plans to collect lots of candy and find all the spooky, scary things in her neighborhood, and she is going to do it all by herself, no matter what her Mommy and Daddy say. Deep in her heart, she believes she is ready, but when Little Pumpkin slips into a magical, spooky world full of monsters, she realizes that maybe she doesn’t want to be a big pumpkin just yet! This Halloween, she just might learn you’re never alone when you have family who love you.
Little Orange Pumpkin is a heartwarming story you’ll want to read again and again. Full of imagination and Halloween adventure, this story will remind you there’s nothing like home to feel safe and loved.
MY THOUGHTS
Little Orange Pumpkin is so excited to go out exploring on Halloween night and thinks she’s ready to do so by herself. Candy, exciting sights and sounds, it’s all waiting for Little Orange Pumpkin. Charmingly illustrated and worded this will delight children as they read this Halloween tale with their parents. A nice little lesson for children about the importance of following the rules to ensure safety.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
40 pages 4-8 years Sourcebooks ExploreJuly 2, 2024 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
A pumpkin life cycle book with hominess and heart!
In this rhyming picture book about the life cycle of a pumpkin, a pumpkin becomes something new with each turn of the page, from a flower to a house to a face. Extensive back matter on the pumpkin life cycle, fun pumpkin facts, and a pumpkin seed recipe are included. A perfect book for both home and school libraries. An excellent gift for Halloween or any time of year!
A pumpkin is a seed.
A plain little seed with a secret inside,
A pocket, a pip with a new life to hide.
To hide and to hold
As springtime unfolds,
A pumpkin begins as a seed.
A pumpkin is a sprout.
A curious sprout with one leaf and then two,
A budding, a nudging, a slow peekaboo.
Happy for rain
And sunshine again,
A pumpkin pops out as a sprout.
MY THOUGHTS
The little pumpkin seed has a big secret this Spring. With the rain gently falling on it, it starts out with just one leaf then two appear. As the sun shines and the vines start tangling around things it becomes lush and green, reaching up towards the sky. Summer appears and so do the orangey yellowish flowers which turn into small fruits visited by bees. Autumn comes around to visit us and the fruits have swollen into beautiful globes of orange pumpkins shielded by the thick pumpkin vines which have been silently creeping and twining upon everything. The pumpkins are now ready to pick for decorating your house or for consumption in your Autumn dishes. Fully illustrated with beautiful pictures children will fully appreciate showing the life stages of the pumpkin.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Have a wonderful day. Thank you for stopping in. –
A warm, spellbinding tale about a witch and the secrets her coven has been keeping from her, with echoes of the classic Hades and Persephone story, in the tradition of Practical Magic and Witch of Wild Things.
Hecate Goodwin, Kate to her friends, has curated the perfect life as a hedge witch, living in a secluded cottage with only a black cat for company. She spends her days foraging herbs from the Ipswich forest, gardening, and creating tinctures to sell at the apothecary she owns. Most evenings pass without her speaking to another human being, an arrangement she quite prefers.
Kate’s solitude is thrown into disarray when her older sister, Miranda, reaches out and asks her to host their coven’s annual Halloween gathering. The day marks the beginning of the new year for witches and is also Kate’s birthday. The pressure from her coven to make the evening memorable mounts as the event draws near. To complicate things further, a handsome man from Kate’s past turns up at her cottage, asking for sanctuary. It is Kate’s duty as a hedge witch to honor this request, much to her dismay. Matthew Cypher is no ordinary lost soul–he’s a practitioner of forbidden magic who’s tricked Kate once before, and her guard is up.
As she juggles Matthew’s arrival and the preparations for Halloween, Kate comes across an old tome shrouded in dark magic. She is horrified when she realizes the blood-red inscription is written in familiar handwriting: her recently deceased mother’s. Afraid to even touch the dark magic her mother secretly studied, Kate can turn only to Matthew for help. Her idealized memory of her mother begins to distort, and as she and Matthew grow closer, Kate has to reevaluate whom she can really trust.
A Dark and Secret Magic is a celebration of the Halloween season and a love letter to anyone who drinks pumpkin spice in August and carries the spirit of a witch inside their heart all year long.
MY THOUGHTS
A Dark and Secret Magic has such an incredible cover that I was drawn to it straight away and I knew I had to read it because it sounded so interesting.
Taking place in the days leading up to Halloween this is the perfect seasonal read. Filled with all the Halloween and Fall vibes you want including our main character a hedge witch. She lives in a cozy cottage filled with herbs and her cat’s name is Merlin.
Hecate, our protagonist is always baking, cooking and making a special recipe hot chocolate, I swear I could smell the cinnamon as I read.
This is my first fantasy read and I was captivated by it. Witchy, Halloweeny vibes, black cats, cozy cottage, small town charm, a pumpkin contest I’m all in. Marvelous and I’ll be looking for more like this soon.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Wallis Kinney’s biggest sources of joy in life are science and fairytales. She tries to imbue elements of both into every story she writes. She studied planetary science and molecular biology at the University of Colorado and has a master’s degree in economics from Purdue University. She is president of the Jane Bosart Foundation, her family’s private foundation that focuses on granting high school and college scholarships to underprivileged students. She wrote A Dark and Secret Magic as a gift for her older sister, in honor of all the years they spent celebrating the magical wonder of Halloween together. Wallis lives in Dallas, Texas, with her family. In her free time she enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons and making videos on YouTube that document her writing process.
Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday post. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week’s topic is Books on My Fall 2024 To-Read List! Well, if I listed my Fall reading list you and I both would be here all day and probably night too, so I’ll try to narrow it down a bit.
Have you read any of these, what did you think? Are any of these on your reading list? We are once again having a rainy day. Have a great reading week.
192 pages Kensington Cozies August 20, 2024 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Melanie Travis and her pedigree poodles are back on the case in an adorably giftable, fall time-themed hardcover by award-winning author Laurien Berenson!
It’s autumn in Connecticut and there’s a chill in the air, the fall leaves are a riot of color, and pumpkin spice is the flavor of the season. Melanie Travis is perennially busy, of course—but when the owner of a local pet supply shop is found murdered, sleuthing tops her To Do list . . .
Between taking care of her family and assorted Standard Poodles, Melanie is also working as a special needs tutor for Howard Academy, a private school in Greenwich, where her younger son attends kindergarten. This year, the headmaster has come up with an idea for a school fundraiser. All students will participate in a town-wide treasure hunt, with grades competing against each other.
Tokens shaped like pumpkin spice muffins have been hidden in downtown stores. Students will scramble to collect as many as they can in exchange for prizes. At first all goes smoothly, and the uptick in foot traffic to the stores is a win-win. . . . . Until the pet supply shop owner lodges a complaint. When Melanie stops by to smooth things over, she instead finds the man dead, a knife in his back, and his loyal, ever-vigilant Chow Chow locked in the storeroom.
Over the headmaster’s objections, Melanie is once again drawn into an investigation. It doesn’t take her long to gather a list of suspects, from neighbors balking about the number of rescue Chows the man was fostering in his home, to the landlord who’d filed an eviction notice against him, to the bitter ex-wife who is happy he’s gone. With the fundraiser soon drawing to a close and celebrations imminent, Melanie will have to follow every clue—before the biggest prize is staying alive . . .
Vector portrait of Labrador retriever dog wearing autumn leaves crown. Hello fall illustration. Oak, maple, chestnut, rowen. Hand drawn pet portait.
MY THOUGHTS
Connecticut is the perfect place for Fall. They seem to go all out for it, especially this small town, festively dressed up with falling leaves and grinning pumpkins.
One of the shops participating in the fundraiser, the pet shop has the owner filing a complaint and when Melanie goes to talk to him things couldn’t get any worse than finding him deceased and his Chow, Cider locked up.
One character you don’t want to get on the wrong side of is, Aunt Peg. This woman is involved in dog shows but she’s no fluff ball.
Howard Academy, a private school in Greenwich which is holding the fund raiser is against Melanie, a special needs teacher at the school investigating er should I say doing some snooping in this case to find the suspect. This isn’t her first rodeo and she and her standard poodles are on the case once again. A fast-paced fall themed dog filled cozy mystery that was an enjoyable read.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Laurien Berenson is the award-winning author of the long running Melanie Travis canine mystery series and the new Senior Sleuths series starring Peg Turnbull and Rose Donovan as a pair of seventyish sisters-in-law who are learning to put aside old grudges and myriad differences as they work together to solve mysteries. Fun Facts: Laurien has curtseyed to Princess Grace, eaten snake in Kowloon, and ridden a horse down a New York city street. A Connecticut native, she lives with her husband on a farm in Kentucky surrounded by dogs and horses.
325 pages Cinnamons Rolls and Pumpkin Spice series September 24, 2024 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
n a city known for its romantic clichés, can reality surpass the fantasy?
Paris in the fall. The Eiffel tower, the blanket of colorful leaves on the ground of the Jardin du Luxembourg, the picturesque cobbled streets of Montmartre. Sounds amazing, right? That’s exactly what I thought when my boss offered me to come here to critique restaurants.
Well, the reality is a completely different beast.
There is no accordion music playing in the street, the city smells like smoke, and I have yet to see a single guy wearing a beret! This was all a lie.
To top it all, I’m now a prisoner of this city because of a national strike keeping all planes on the ground and flooding hotels capacities. At least one cliché wasn’t false.
Enter Olivier Brun, chef of a Michelin star restaurant and as hot as a pizza oven who offers me a room and even cooks me breakfast. So, when he asks me to pretend to be his date for his matchmaking mom’s birthday, I return the favor.
As we get to know each other through pun-filled cooking lessons, farmer’s market outings and autumn festivals, I start to fall in loaf with Paris… and Olivier. Suddenly, the idea of relocating here isn’t as crazy.
But does Olivier feel the same? And if he does, will he be able to get past the fact that I lied about my job?
Paris, Pumpkins & Puns is a closed-door romcom with cozy autumn vibes, plenty of cooking puns and an irresistible Frenchman.
Fans of Fake Dating and Secret Identity, you’ll enjoy this standalone novel full of laughs and sizzling chemistry without the explicit scenes!
Enjoy the other full-length books in the Cinnamon Rolls and Pumpkin Spice series, which can be read in any order:
Hating the Cinnamon Roll CEO by Camilla Evergreen Falling for Autumn (Again) by Jen Atkinson Paris, Pumpkins & Puns by Marion De Ré Fall With Me by Amanda P. Jones Cinnamon & Spice Conundrum by Leah Busboom Cinnamon Roll Set Up by Genny Carrick Coffee Break with the Billionaire by Holly Kerr The Friendly Fall by Kristine W. Joy
MY THOUGHTS
It’s almost Fall so what am I doing? Reading Fall themed books of course and this one hits the nail right on the head. Who doesn’t love a rom com with the cutest Fall cover?
An American food critic is sent to Paris to do food reviews for her work. Now a person dining alone in Paris maybe should set off bells but after taking over his dad’s restaurant head chef, Oliver doesn’t think anything about it he just wants to impress his customers. He can’t help thinking how pretty this American customer is but she’s less than impressed with this bland cooking.
When she can’t find a place to stay at a hotel he offers her a room at his house. She takes it on a friends only basis. But when his mother tries once again to matchmake for him he tells her he has a new girlfriend, let the fake dating begin.
What happens when your fake dating rules seem to become more of a bother as each day comes along. This foodie rom com is filled with delicious sounding food preparations on every page, the essence and elegance of Paris, and marvelous Fall vibes. What happens when you want to stop the fake dating and for it to become the real thing?
When Oliver realizes she has kept a huge secret from him will she have to leaf? Filled with fun puns and lots of French language which only added to the charm of the story. I’d love to read more by the author.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Marion De Ré is an Amazon Bestelling author of closed-door romantic comedies with sass, swoonn and sizzle. She lives in the French countryside with her husband and adorable cat. You can expect all your beloved tropes in her writing as well as a good dose of humor and all the feels. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her on a plane to a far-away destination or in a Champagne cellar, indulging in a tasting of her favorite drink.
Get a free story by susbcribing to Marion’s newsletter directly on her website!
Happy Friday & welcome to First Line Friday! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today I’m delighted to feature the first line of In the Blink of a Pie. This is the third book in this delightful cozy mystery series.
FIRST LINE(S)
“Can you believe this weather that we’re having?” My best friend, Heather Murray asked as she spread a checkered red cloth over the picnic table. “I can’t remember Vermont ever going through Indian Summer this late in November before.”
Well, a few weeks ago we traveled to the New England states and Vermont was one of the states we went to. The book takes place in Fall and has vivid descriptions of the rural countryside and colorful leaves, just what we saw on our trip. I was able to perfectly visualize it.
Game hunting is very popular this time of year in such a rural area of Vermont. In fact, it’s such a big deal the locals even have an annual wild game supper at Guild Hall. Then the long-time organizer and taste tester of the event drops dead. He is the one who determines who can participate next year if he like’s your food or not.
As the suspects pile up like the fallen leaves no one can be ruled out at this point. In this continuing series Stella finds the victim has made many enemies over the years by shunning hunter’s game offerings and volunteers at the dinner find themselves run ragged to cater to the overwhelming number of guests.
Well plotted this was a solid mystery that pointed in the direction of a lot of suspects and a surprise twist ending.
Pub Date 14 Nov 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Author of the critically acclaimed Marjorie McClelland Mysteries, Amy Patricia Meade is a native of Long Island, NY where she cut her teeth on classic films and books featuring Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown.
After stints as an Operations Manager for a document imaging company and a freelance technical writer, Amy left the bright lights of New York city and headed north to pursue her creative writing career amidst the idyllic beauty of Vermont’s Green Mountains.
Now residing in Bristol, England Amy spends her time writing mysteries with a humorous or historical bent. When not writing – which is rare these days – Amy enjoys traveling, testing out new recipes, classic films, and exploring her new home.
Amy is a member of Sisters in Crime and The Crime Writers Association.
In this best-friends-to-lovers romance, mistaken identity leads to a Halloween hook-up that might not be so mistaken after all.
After losing her husband last winter, the thought of hosting a Halloween couples costume party is the furthest thing from Kelsey O’Henry’s mind. Besides raising three young children, managing O’Henry’s Bar and Grill, and caring for her alcoholic mother, she has more important things to worry about. Like the stack of unpaid business loans that threaten the bar’s existence. As well as her newfound feelings she’s developed for her best guy friend.
Davis Vance is tired of being followed around by cameras. He misses the days before he and his twin brother became “Renovation Dudes”—hosts of an HGTV show. When Davis learns Kelsey could lose the bar at the end of the fall season, he sees it as an opportunity to not only help his friend, but as a way out of renewing his HGTV contract.
There’s just one problem—lately Davis’s feelings for Kelsey have been less friendly and more romantic. And on the night of the bar’s Halloween party, both Kelsey and Davis can no longer ignore their desires. Will their passionate evening be a one-night stand—only a flicker of heat during the crisp autumn, or will she risk her pride and accept his help?
Pumpkin patch in autumn.
My Thoughts
I am a cover lover. I’ll admit to judging a book by it’s cover. There are so many book options out there so an appealing cover makes me much more likely to want to grab a book to read and this one did it for me. This book is perfect for this time of year. It has such a Fallish/Halloweenish vibe all the way through it and it was great. Tricked in October has a woman who lost her husband last winter. She has so much going on she’s tripping over her own feet trying to get it all done. She has three young children,an alcoholic mother who also runs a bakeshop that she wants her to help manage, a bar she’s about to lose because of back bills and more. O’Henry’s Bar and Grill was her late husband’s bar and though Kelsey O’Henry runs it because it’s been in her husband’s family a long time she feels she should pass it down to her children but it’s giving her more stress than she can handle. Throw in her best guy friend Davis Vance, she seems to be falling for him. With her responsibilities she really doesn’t need this complication. Davis and his twin brother are filming a HGTV show and are recognizable now. One twin enjoys the extra attention from women,one does not. Davis has been friends with Kelsey for a long time and would love to move this relationship to a more personal level but will the timing be right or will the Halloween chill be in the air between them? Loved the Fall vibes in this and will be looking forward to read more by this author.
Pub Date 25 Oct 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Starla DeKruyf started writing when she still had words left to say and everyone stopped listening. Her love of romance novels began when she borrowed her friend’s copy of Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume and kept it hidden from her mom. When she’s not slinging coffee, volunteering with youth, or taxiing her kids around, you can find her jamming out to her playlists and writing her next swoony romance, usually by hand. She lives in Spring, Texas, with her husband, three children, an English Mastiff, and a rescue pup.
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