As autumn settles in with crisp air and golden leaves, there’s no better time to curl up with a cozy read. From seaside small towns and spellbinding cottages to Regency-era rivalries and sapphic slow burns, these four novels offer warmth, romance, and self-discovery in equal measure.
Each story captures a different shade of fall, from cinnamon-sweet comfort to magical renewal, making them perfect companions for the season. Enjoy my September reading recap.
‘The Cinnamon Bun Book Store’ by Laurie Gilmore
Cute bookstore girl who’s about to turn 30 decides to follow clues to have a fantastic rest of her summer with the help of the hot fisherman? Perfect book to start off fall.
This was a fast read, just like the Pumpkin Spice Cafe. We get to see characters we met and loved from that story as this one takes place in the same world. It was nice to be dropped back into Dream Harbor. When I wasn’t reading, I longed for the cozy little town.
I thought it was cute how Noah was so smitten with Hazel. He was head over heels before their journey even started, and it was evident to everyone, except Hazel, of course. I understood her fear of not understanding how they could work out, given her differences from Noah. However, it was enjoyable to see them work through those minor differences and grow each time. I also enjoyed the secondary plot with Noah and his family. I think it could have had more depth, but it wasn’t our focus anyway.
It is a great way to start off the very beginning of the fall season.
🐝words: He falls first, small-town, forced proximity-ish, fall
‘Learning Curves’ by Rachel Lacy 🏳️🌈
She used to be a student with a crush on her professor, and now they’re colleagues and just maybe into each other? Sign me up.
I deeply appreciate that this professor-student relationship, while not having extremely weird power dynamics and blurry lines, did Audrey use to be Michelle’s student? Yes. Was Michelle her gay awakening? Yes. Was it full of communication and consent and still hot? Absolutely.
I loved getting to experience what both Audrey and Michelle brought out in one another. It was a beautiful story about how the right person can help you realize why your light might have been dimmed. I enjoyed their dynamic and appreciated the spicier scenes.
With all the roadblocks they each erected for themselves, the falling did seem somewhat rushed. Those barriers were broken fairly quickly, which left me a little unsure of who they were at times. The writing also felt slightly rudimentary in small, scattered moments. While they didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment, they did take me out of the story a bit.
🐝words: Grumpy Sunshine, Professor Student, Age Gap, Sapphic, British
‘Like In Love With You’ by Emma R. Alban 🏳️🌈
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review the ARC ebook.
Two Regency women, forced into a rivalry by their mothers, were compelled to compete for the chance to marry the most dull man on the planet. What’s not to love?
For all the regency romance books I’ve read, I’m still not sure how I feel about them. Nonetheless, I really liked Like In Love With You! The first half felt a bit slow for me, but by the time I hit the 60% mark, I didn’t want to stop reading. I had to find out what Rosalie and Catherine needed to fix all the problems standing in their way. And it didn’t disappoint.
Before I even realized that this story was supposed to be reminiscent of Mean Girls, I immediately noticed the similarities between Rosalie and Regina and Catherine and Cady, mainly in the sense that Rosalie was pulling Catherine into their group to steer her in the right direction. That’s where the similarities ended, however. Though they were rivals, I didn’t get mean energy from either of the girls, which was good for me. I felt that I was able to sense the pull between them fairly quickly, which played well into their slow-burn dynamic.
Although both girls were great, the secondary characters were what really made this story shine. I loved the mother’s caddiness, the father’s love, the friends’ companionship, and dedication to each other. And don’t get me started on Rosalie’s brother Christopher. I would die for that man. And he’s a man, so that’s saying something.
There was more spice than I imagined there would be for a Regency romance, but I was not mad about it. The book felt a bit slow at times, and it seemed like we were hearing the same thoughts repeatedly, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment.
If you enjoy reading sapphic love stories and are a fan of Bridgerton, this is the book for you.
🐝words: Rivals to lovers, Regency, Sapphic
‘The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches’ by Sangu Mandanna 🎧
I was looking for a cozy, fall-esque book to listen to for a long road trip and this was perfect.
The plot line of needing a witch to come tutor three young witches was so fun and honestly made sense. I loved that they found her from videos on the internet because of course they did.
The relationships that were already established as we entered the story were good, but I loved seeing Mika find her family. I loved seeing her connections with the three girls grow. It was wholesome and nothing felt forced.
🐝words: Found family, witches, magic, fall
