The title and the cover of this book totally drew me in, and the story is totally charming to boot! This book. is small town charm, cosy autumn romance in a warm cozy hug. The characters in the town and within the family are charming, quirky and well rounded. Our story follows Wren, a tenacious, sunshiney event planner determined throw a party at the local pumpkin farm. Gus is the grumpy pumpkin farmer who thinks it cannot be done, and is totally thrown by Wren's whirlwind arrival into his life. The two are forced into close proximity, to fix up the barn to throw Wren's party. Over time, the two learn more about themselves, each other, and learn how to put themselves first. The book beautifully explores neurodivergence and mental health in a respectful educational way, If you like a grumpyxsunshine, autumn romance set in a small town, this is a book for you!

This was a good fall romance to start off the holiday romance season, even if it feels nowhere near fall at the moment.

I thought it was interesting that the mmc is autistic and I can't speak to if he was portrayed properly. At times he was kind of a jerk and it seemed a bit embellished at times. I wish that he wasn't looked down on so negatively by the town for the way his autism appeared to the public. That felt harsh and unnecessary. I loved Simone and Nigel though and it was sweet to see that Nigel was like a kind father figure for Gus.

While I understand autism is a spectrum, I didn't like that Gus was made to seem like an asshole. Again, I can't speak to if that is how autism presents in men, but I wished that wasn't how he came off. At times he had red flags and seemed to be used as an excuse.

I did like the sweet moments when Gus wanted to do something thoughtful as a surprise for Wren. I overall liked the ending, after the toxicity was resolved and misunderstandings were cleared up. Both had issues and traumas to work through.

I recommend this as a cute holiday romance, but I can see reader's finding fault in August's behavior.

*Thank you HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for this eARC**

I will start with saying that I am an absolute sucker for anything set during the fall season. I firmly say that I was not disappointed in my selection of this novel.

Wren is a party planner who recently suffered from a broken heart. August “Gus” is a surly Autistic owner of a local farm a few towns over that has the perfect space for Wren’s BFF’s 30th birthday.

For me personally, I love grumpy x sunshine tropes, so I was totally enraptured from page one to the very end. This is exactly what I needed to read to get out of a slump. Thank you for this opportunity!!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the plot and the idea behind a party being planned at a pumpkin farm. The idea was cozy and cute and I thoroughly enjoyed the thought behind it.

The characters fell flat to me and the story just didn't do it for me. The FMC I found to be disrespectful and the writing was juvenile. The MMC was autistic and I can't speak much on the representation as I don't have knowledge but it appeared to be done well. The MMC's brother would constantly tell the FMC to be patient with him because of this and he can come across as rude, and then the next scene, she'd be impatient and calling him rude... there was no growth. The insta-love attraction didn't seem realistic and I just couldn't see the chemistry between the two either. The grumpy MMC trope didn't work for me because there was a lot of talk about them bickering, but not much to show for it.

I think this author could definitely improve her writing in future books, as this is only her second. Some people would absolutely love this as a fall cozy romance; just my opinion for this!

I’m so sad. I really wanted to love this but I could not. I felt rushed reading this. I love the setting but I don’t sense much romance and chemistry.

I absolutely loved the setting of this book. It has me excited to romanticize fall coming up soon. I loved the autism awareness in the book. I felt the story would get slow at times. I would’ve loved to have felt more reading the main characters stories and become more invested.

An event planner with a broken heart and a grumpy autistic pumpkin farmer who's never been in love find themselves working together to create the fall event of the year...that is if they can even stand to work together... unless... all this arguing is actually leading to them falling for each other? A super sweet and charming autumnal romance featuring a chaotic event planner named Wrenm who is determined to get her business going and plan the perfect birthday party for her best friend's birthday, has one specific requirement: the ultimate pumpkin farm and who better than the Finch family's Goldleaf Pumpkin Farm. There she meets August Finch, a gorgeous and extremely grumpy pumpkin farmer who spends 90% of his time arguing with her. August is autistic and being overstimulated and just trying to get by day by day is already a lot but having his entire business season thrown to the wind with this gorgeous woman is something he never expected. August and Wren learn to not only work together but to open their hearts to one another. I thought this was such a delightful and sweet romance. I loved how August and Wren talked through a lot of their problems and how attentive and caring they were to one another. This is seriously a wonderful autumnal read!

Release Date: August 22, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter | One More Chapter for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This was a cute autumn read, pretty enjoyable, though I was expecting a bit more.

I loved the small town vibes where everyone knows and supports each other and the autumns setting. I also really enjoyed the theme of autism, I think it was a great educational moment. I don't remember the last time I read a book with an autistic character, so it's nice to see some representation.

Overall, I just felt kind of bored. I found myself just getting lost halfway through the book.

This was such a cute read as it was had banter, goats, and a barn that needs serious TLC complete with a slow-burn romance.

This was such a cute cozy fall read! I must admit I bought a new pair of knee-high boots because of Wren’s outfit descriptions in this book. Gus never deserved any of the attitude and hate he got from the people in Eaglewood. They were such a good couple that respected and built each other up. I cannot wait to read the next installment of this series.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This mastered the fall vibes! The small town of Eaglewood felt so cozy, with its failing pumpkin farm run by three brothers. Wren Southwick, a determined party planner, is set on throwing her best friend an unforgettable 30th birthday and boosting her business in the process. Her dream venue is the Goldleaf Farm’s barn, but securing it means convincing its grumpy owner, August Finch, to get on board.

I thought the autism representation was really heartfelt. August is blunt, self-assertive, sometimes painfully honest, and avoids people because of the constant judgment and misunderstanding he gets from the locals. I really felt for him. He tries SO HARD (and fails) to keep his guard up around Wren. Their acceptance of each other for exactly who they are was probably my favourite part.

As for the romance, it’s what I’d call “slow burn insta-love.” Very tropey and fun, and I know ten years ago I would have devoured it without question. But now, I think I just wanted more. The chemistry felt a little forced and formulaic at times, and some of their reactions—especially considering they’d just met—were a bit over the top, like the story was working extra hard to sell the enemies-to-lovers aspect. But overall, it was a sweet, easy read that left me excited for the fall season!

I have many thoughts and feelings about this book, and few would lead me to recommend it. I will keep this brief.

I don't know why these characters disliked each other at the beginning, and I don't understand what changed to make them want each other later on. Both own small businesses but seem unique inept at business, given the increasingly bizarre details of their operation. Also, at some point an animal rescue tries to trick Gus into taking a cougar. This was probably the most baffling scene in the book and I have no idea what it was doing here, but also... that's illegal? I've worked in wildlife rescue and this scene felt like a personal attack. (/humorous)

Anyway.

I do feel like Carstairs did research to write Gus, and I think she was well-intentioned. What I don't understand is why someone who is self-professed allistic would decide to write about an autistic character as a way of "teaching" people about autism... while also getting a lot wrong. It's possible that a sensitivity reader was involved, but I doubt it. For one, there's the language Gus uses around autism, and "having Autism" (always capitalized) vs. being autistic. I won't get too into the weeds here, but the fact that she ONLY described autism as a struggle/hurdle/disorder felt like a pretty uncomfortable choice. I do think she tried, and I understand that not everyone's experience is the same, but the language she used was in line with the Big Ick of things like Autism Speaks.

All this to say: I have more negative things to say about this book than positive ones, which is a shame because this sounded right up my alley. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. I've decided to limit my review to NetGalley out of respect for the author. I want autistic rep, but I wouldn't recommend this to any of my fellow autistic friends, and allistics already get a lot of messaging about how they should feel sorry for the "suffering" of autistic folks.

Thank you to the publisher Netgalley and the author for this ARC.

As a person who loves all things fall, this novel is very fun and festive. The main character is a party planner who arrives in a small town and begins to plan an event. She is quickly greeted by the owner of a barn who is anything but initially pleasant.. as time wears on she becomes closer to him and they have the best banter. If you are a lover, a fall and all fall things this one is definitely a read for you to add to your TBR this fall. I will definitely be looking for more books from this author as I really enjoyed her writing style..

Wren is a party planner and is looking to expand, she’s ends up on a pumpkin farm, to hopefully lease the barn for her friends 30th party. She needs to get the brothers Autumn and Gus on board, they are grumpy and not quite willing. This story reflects on Gus having Autism and think it was reflected well. It’s a good Autumn/fall read. It needed to be more fast paced for me though, 3.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

I love cozy fall romances & this was a good first fall book of 2025! I loved the setting & the tropes!

Tropes:
🍁banter
🍁small town
🍁forced proximity
🍁small town
🍁grumpy - sunshine

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Athena Carstairs for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for There’s Pumpkin About You coming out August 22, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I’m obsessed with fall! I definitely loved the cozy fall vibes of the book. I love to see diversity in books. I think I wanted a little more from the characters. The first half of the book was really good. I was hoping for a little more in the second half. I would check out other books by this author.

Give me a pumpkin romance any day of the week! 😂 I am really in spooky season reading mood and this one was absolutely brilliant!

3,5/4. Overall, it’s a cute, cozy read which I liked. I’m not overly excited about reading it, but I’m also not mad at it. It’s perfectly fine.

It’s a nice concept and the execution is not entirely bad, but it didn’t read as smoothly as it had the potential to (there were some mistakes, confusing sentences, and over-explanations), and I had a problem with some creative choices (spoilers and a matter of taste, so I’m not sharing), which brought my rating down.

A whole half star was lost because *a minor spoiler* an animal was given as a gift. I don’t condone that.

The whole autistic rep - I liked it in general, though the advanced self-awareness and being able to communicate so healthily about precisely what it is you need even though the situation is new for you felt a little gritty. My boyfriend’s somewhere similar on the spectrum, though, and I usually end up liking characters which remind me of him anyway, so I don’t care that much about the details. I guess some people are very self-aware.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read the ARC!

I absolutely adored this story! The setting was so cute and made me even more excited for fall (if possible). The characters were lovable and the progression of the romance and the character building in and of itself were great! I found myself laughing out loud at times with some of the banter/sarcasm in here. I especially loved the attention to neurodivergence in this one. With an autistic main character, good dialog about how neurodivergent people process things, the spectrum that we're all on, the understanding from our other neurotypical main character. This was just such a good story. Looking forward to picking up more from this author in the future!

🎃🍂🐐 there’s pumpkin about you - Athena Carstairs 🐐🍂🎃

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Release date - 22nd August 2025

🍁 Autumn vibes
🍁 grump - sunshine
🍁 forced proximity
🍁 small town
🍁 neurospicy

Blurb - Given the chance to plan her bestie’s 30th birthday bash, Wren Southwick is determined to create an experience so big and so bold that the name of her party planning business spreads beyond the confines of her own small town.

The key to her plan? The Finch family’s Goldleaf Pumpkin Farm. It’s not just the perfect venue but also the perfect supply partner for the autumnal-themed bash Wren envisions. But to get what she wants – and needs – she’ll have to get gorgeous grouch August Finch on board.

The table is set, and the battle is about to begin … but who will fall first?

My thoughts 💭- firstly thank you to @netgalley @onemorechapterhc and @harpercollinsuk for the opportunity of this ARC

First and foremost the tropes are just me….. and when a book has a playlist that has Arctic monkeys and fleetwood mac on it you know it’s just top tier Em 😂

I absolutely loved this one, I loved the characters, the setting, the story, the banter all of it!

It’s such a cute easy read and just exactly what I needed. I absolutely love August 🧡

Definitely one to recommend ready for the autumn reads 📚

@athenacarstairsauthor

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