As the title would suggest, this book is filled with all of the fall vibes!! I adored the small town descriptions, the family apple orchard, the festivities, it was all very sweet and cosy for this time of year.

I will say, the pacing felt a little off at times. Considering they hadn’t been in touch for years and the FMC apparently left him heartbroken, we all of a sudden meet this flirty MMC who wants to have dinner with her as though nothing happened, which leads to their rekindling around halfway through the book. It felt a bit too soon and I would have enjoyed a little more tension and build-up here instead, and to have gotten to know Ethan a bit more.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for the chance to read the ARC!

Firstly, I'd like to thank Netgalley and Transworld Publishers for and eARC for an honest review.

This is a perfect read for autumn/fall! I absolutely loved the setting and it really is pure cozy vibes. Cozy Girl Fall really took me back to my teenage years as it reminded me of some of my favourite reads, for example: The Splendour Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore. I sped through this one and read it in one day! I enjoyed watching Penny and Ethan reconnect 10 years since they last saw each other. I haven't read many second chance romance but this was a great example that will keep me coming back to this trope. I did find that everything happened a little quickly - I would have loved a little more time between them reconnecting and them giving in to their desires. The same can be said about the third act break which was over before it even happened and felt a little rushed/ not fleshed out.

Overall, I loved this book and was so happy to see this author's work be traditionally published! I looked forward to more works from this author.

Cozy Girl Fall is the perfect book to read this Autumn! I really enjoyed the first book in the Magnolia Springs series! I absolutely love the cover - every detail just shouts Autumn! Cozy Girl Fall had a great storyline, wonderful characters and Autumn vibes through and through - the perfect book to read, with a pumpkin latte!

Cozy Girl Fall, a second-chance romance, is a wonderful story about coming home and finding comfort in familiar places and where you know best. Home is not just a place - it is a feeling, where we feel protected and secure.

After ten years in San Francisco, Penny Larkin returns home to Magnolia Springs to help her parents during the apple Harvest, and to find the routine that has always been associated with being home - a routine that she has been craving for and so desperately needs. Penny’ is focused on sticking to her routine, staying on track, and helping her parents in any way she can.

Penny is not looking for love or so she thinks! She is not interested in a relationship, especially one with Ethan Blake, her childhood sweetheart. However, this is easier said than done! Does the universe have other plans for Penny?

Penny does all she can to stay on track just like her plan and resist having a relationship with Ethan. Despite what her head is telling her, her heart knows and her heart wins! They are just the sweetest couple - the apple of each other’s eyes! They are the perfect pair and go together like pumpkin pie and whipped cream - impossible to separate! Their chemistry builds naturally but their relationship soon heats up! This is a spicy romance and with three chillies on the front cover, this romance promises heat, and it certainly does not hold back!

It just goes to show that like the changing seasons, life does not always go to plan and sometimes, that change is just what we need and is for the better. For Penny, so much for the better!

Such a wonderful read, perfect for curling up with this Autumn. It is a book that offers comfort like a hug in a flannel shirt! (Will make sense one you read the book!) Cozy Girl Fall is the perfect book to be made into a movie and I hope this happens one day!

Cozy Girl Fall made me smile, made me laugh and is the perfect Autumn read. I highly recommend this heartwarming story. Now I need to go and make one of Penny’s Mum's apple pies! They sound mouth-watering delicious!

Thank you very much to Transworld Publishers for my advanced copy. This review is based on a NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.

A cute and compelling cozy and romantic story that made me smile and escape reality. Love the characters and enjoyed the well plotted story
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Cozy Girl Fall by Willow Hurst is a feel-good story, perfect for an afternoon's reading. It's a short book but doesn't try to pack too much in. The characters come over well and the setting is a small community with the pros and cons that come with that. There's a lot of sex, so beware if that's not something you like reading about. Personally, I found some of it a little... sleazy? icky? I'm not quite sure of the word I'm looking for.

Thank you NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was… meh. The non-speaking parts were basic but alright, repetitive at times, however I found the dialogue between Penny and Ethan was really cringe throughout the whole book.
I also found Penny a bit annoying. Almost too awkward.
But what I couldn’t get past was making an omelette as part of a cooking test. Like, come on.
The only thing I did enjoy was Penny’s relationship with her parents.

Second Chance Romance. Cosy Read. Small Town Romance. Forced Proxemity.

This is just the perfect little Autumn read to get you ready for the cosy season. A quick and lighthearted read that will warm you heart like hot cocoa.

Penny made me laugh with her absolute chaotic energy as she tries to ease back into the town.

Ethan is just a dream guy, sweet, understanding, mature and kind. And the patience he has with Penny whilst she is working through everything and making her decisions is amazing.

The spice was great and not too much for a cosy read.

My only wish, is that Shelby should have gotten her comeuppance and I would love to read Tasha's story.

And honestly I am over the heat now, give me cosy fall girl time!

This is the cosiest, loveliest small town romance i have read in a long time, When Penny returns home to Magnolia Springs after ten years of being away to help her parents with their Orchard during the busy season, she has every intention of not being roped back into the small town way of living only to find she is getting used to being home very quickly. This of course is being helped by the fact that her childhood sweetheart Ethan is also helping out in the Orchard.

I am a sucker for a second chance romance and this one definitely has it all for me

Highly recommend

Penny is back in her hometown of Magnolia Springs after her new life in the city for the past ten years crashed and burned, it feels like she’s never been away with her mum meddling in her life and Penny back working on her parents Apple Orchard for the harvest season.

What Penny doesn’t expect is her childhood sweetheart working at the Orchard too.

What a cute read. It’s so the perfect book to curl up with a on a rainy day.

I loved Penny and her parents, the whole book was filled so such funny and down to earth characters.

I’m also a sucker for second chance romance, so this was perfect for me.

When Penny is forced to leave her city job and return to her hometown, Magnolia Springs, she must face her ex-boyfriend and her ex-best friend that she ran away from 10 years earlier.

If you're looking for big autumn vibes, this is the one! Set on an apple orchard there are seasonal festivals, bonfires and autumn pie-baking competitions. It's very comforting and cosy and I love the nostalgia of Penny falling back in love with her hometown.

There's the best friend's brother trope and a lot more spice than I expected. That said, Ethan is so bland: his main character trait is how much he likes Penny; but Penny's best friend and father are kind and supportive.

So a 3-star rating from me because even though the MMC isn't my fave, the setting and plot are cosy, autumnal and a joy to get back to. 🍂🍁

This book is like a warm hug in flannel. Penny’s return to Magnolia Springs is full of apple orchards, pie competitions, and second-chance swoons. E

Cozy Girl Fall is a delightful small-town romance filled with charm, nostalgia and the magic of second chances. Penny Larkin returns home to Magnolia Springs after a decade away, intending only to help with her parents’ orchard for the season. What she does not expect is to be working alongside Ethan, her childhood sweetheart, whose presence stirs up feelings she thought she had left behind.

The setting of Magnolia Springs is beautifully crafted, with apple orchards, bakeries and town festivals that give the book a truly cosy autumnal feel. The community spirit is captured perfectly, from the warmth of Penny’s family to the amusing competitiveness of her mother during the pie competition. The family dynamics bring both humour and tenderness to the story.

Penny is a relatable heroine, torn between her dreams in the city and the pull of home. Ethan is wonderfully written as both steadfast and understanding, never resentful of Penny’s choices but always supportive. Their reconnection feels natural, and the chemistry between them is tender and believable.

Willow Hurst has created a book that is heartwarming, fun and filled with the perfect balance of romance and community. This is a comforting read for anyone who enjoys second chance love stories set against a cosy small-town backdrop.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

A cute, cozy fall read!
Penny left Magnolia Springs abruptly 10 years ago, leaving behind her boyfriend Ethan and her best friend Tasha- who also happens to be Ethan’s twin. She went to San Fransisco to pursue her dream of becoming a chef, but now she’s quit her job and is home helping out on her parent’s apple orchard for the fall. It’s only supposed to be temporary, but will Ethan let her go so easily again?

This was a lovely low angst, low drama read. Comforting and easy, I really enjoyed it. There were times where the story felt a little slow but to be honest that kind of added to the cozy vibes of the book. Definitely one to add to your fall TBR!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book was gorgeous!! Simply gorgeous.

It is like a hug in book form. I love small town romance novels and throw in some cozy autumn vibes and you’re on to a winner.

I think for me, I adored the relationship between Penny and Ethan. It was clear from the start that they had something special and I really enjoyed seeing their story play out!

I’d love a second book in the series as I’m desperate to visit Magnolia Springs again!!

This is Hallmark movie material - Autumn edition.

I enjoyed this for it's lightness, it's cosy feels, and happy ending. I have to admit, I'm not a pumpkin spice latte person, but if that's your vibe, this book will make you feel all the autumny feels. I do like wrapping up in my cosy jumpers when the weather calls for it, so was right on board with all of Penny's outfits!

I do feel that the communication between the main characters could have been be better at times, and I was left trying to figure a few logistical things out, but other than that, I did find myself picking this up more often than not to read 'just another chapter'.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGally for an early review copy of this book :)

Returning to her home town 10years after leaving abruptly, Penny finds she is still attracted to her teenage boyfriend, Ethan. Will their romance rekindle? A raunchy story of Penny's return to small town life.

Cozy Girl Fall is everything the title promises: warm, sweet, and autumnal. With a charming small-town setting, witty banter, and a deliciously slow-burn romance, this book is perfect for fans of feel-good, queer rom-coms with heart. This story is soft, funny, and comforting from start to finish.

Book Review 📚
Title: Cozy Girl Fall
Author: Willow Hurst

Who can resist a steamy second chance romance? It’s been ten years since Penny last set foot in her hometown, but now she’s back to lend a hand at her family’s apple orchard. The twist? She’s working side by side with Ethan—her childhood sweetheart. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and with old feelings rekindled, anything could happen.
This is the kind of cozy, heartwarming story I know I’ll be reaching for again—especially when autumn rolls around! 🍎🍂


Tropes:

Small town 🏘️
Forced proximity 👧👲
Second chance ❤️

Thank you NetGalley, Transworld Publishers and Willow Hurst for the eARC!!

Publication Date: August 28th 2025
Rating: ✨✨✨✨

#CozyGirlFall #NetGalley

Completely obsessed with this romance book! Such fall vibes and I loved it!!! I love this authors’ other releases under her different name, but this was so cute and fun. The tension and connection was so good. This is so city girl, blue collar boy coded set in harvest season, so like what’s not to like!

I really enjoyed this cosy autumnal read from Willow Hurst!
Cute, small town, forced proximity, second chance romance with some cheesy spice - what can go wrong!
Penny ends up back in her home town living with her parents after leaving her culinary job in the city. She then finds out that childhood boyfriend Ethan is working on her parents orchid, the one she agreed to help with since being back home! Despite Ethans sister Tasha pleading with her to stay away since she broke his heart before the pair just cant keep their hands off eachother! With a disruptive ex girlfriend, Ethan sets out to prove thats it's always been Penny...
Can Penny save her friendship with Tasha?
Will she decide to stay in Magnolia Springs for good or is the city calling her name again?
Very cute read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin and Willow Hurst for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

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