In a pumpkin spice-drenched best-friends-to-lovers sweet romance, a struggling artist returns to her hometown to save her best friend’s orchard. Their fight against a corporate giant ignites an unexpected romance full of heart and small-town charm.
Emily never expected to return to Splendid Lake, the quaint town that held her childhood memories, and certainly not to help save Jake’s family orchard. She left years ago with dreams of artistic glory in the city, but when Jake calls for help, she can’t say no. As she steps back into the beauty of the lakeside community, Emily feels a tug of inspiration she thought she’d lost. Painting the orchard and its autumnal splendor breathes new life into her art, but it also stirs long-dormant emotions for Jake–feelings she’s too scared to name, especially with Claire, his ex, hovering so close. Splendid Lake feels like home again, but Emily wonders if she belongs there–and if Jake sees her as more than just a friend.
For Jake, the orchard is more than just a business; it’s a living legacy, a bond with his father and a promise to his family. But with a corporate giant threatening to buy up the market and modernize farming in ways he doesn’t agree with, Jake feels the weight of saving it all on his shoulders. He knows he can’t do it alone, so calling Emily was a no-brainer. What he didn’t expect was how much her presence would change things–not just for the orchard but for his life. Amid the chaotic harvest preparations and Claire’s lingering attempts to rekindle their broken relationship, Jake begins to realize that Emily might be more than his partner-in-saving-apples; she might just be the missing piece he’s been too afraid to reach for.
As the two pour their hearts into revitalizing the orchard, their friendship deepens into something undeniable–until Claire’s dramatic reappearance throws everything into chaos. Emily is left wondering if Jake’s ready to leave his past behind, while Jake struggles to prove that this time, it’s Emily he wants. With the orchard’s future hanging by a thread and tensions mounting, Emily and Jake must overcome old fears, meddling exes, and the pressures of family expectations to find the courage to build something new a home, a partnership, and a love worth fighting for.
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Sexual Content - 0/5
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Violence - 0/5
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Language - 0/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 0/5
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Summary
3.5 stars Reviewed by Rebecca
"Sometimes I wish I could go back to when all we did was play in the orchard and sit in our fort. Things were much simpler then."
Jake Hughes had always been her best friend growing up, so when he reaches out for her help, Emily Carmichael suspends her life in the city, and drives straight towards her childhood home in Splendid Lake. Local competition has not been kind to the Hughes family, leaving Jake with the burden of keeping their multi-generaltional apple orchard solvent. When Emily's creativity inspires new life for the property, Jake's parents reluctantly give their blessing and everything is going just fine until . . . . . Jake's on again, (mostly)off again girlfriend shows up to stake her claim.
Despite seeming to travel a rather typical pathway at first, this story gradually deepened its stride and gently probed into matters of grief, insecurities, and the sort of misconceptions that carve deep ruts into the lives of characters. In the end, "friends to more" doesn't get any better ( or "sweeter") than this!