Rating: ★★★★.25
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 314 pages
Author: Kasey Stockton
Publisher: Golden Owl Press
Release Date: September 2nd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He was supposed to be one kiss…not the neighbor across the street.

As the children’s librarian in Autumn Ridge, Emma spends her days surrounded by happy endings. But between restoring her old farmhouse, keeping her family together, and searching for a decent man in a very small town, her own romance feels permanently shelved.

Then one impulsive night at a bar, she kisses Carson Price—the popular guy she crushed on in high school.

For Emma, it’s a reckless little dream come true.

For Carson, it’s a fun night with a beautiful woman he never expects to see again.

Until the next morning… when he moves in across the street.

Newly divorced, cynical, and focused on raising his daughter while rebuilding the dental practice he just bought, Carson has no interest in love. Marriage? Never again. Romance? Absolutely not.

Friendship with his warm, bookish, unexpectedly tempting neighbor? That might be safe enough.

Except Emma has never been good at doing anything halfway. And the more he lets her into his life, the harder it is for either of them to pretend friendship is all this is.

She’s ready to fall. He’s determined not to. But in a small town, staying just friends might be the hardest thing of all.

WORTH THE READ.

I am not reading this entire series this go around because [time], but I’ve always enjoy Kasey’s books and wanted to give hers a go. And now it’s my current second favorite of the four I’ve read! I was locked in from the beginning and liked the re-meet-cute opening.

The only thing that bugged me was the not quite a love triangle nonsense. It didn’t feel necessary too me and Seth kept just popping up at the wrong times.

I did feel the intense chemistry between Emma and Carson. They had some genuine fireworks and I loved all the ways this small town brought them together. Seeing Carson get a wee bit jealous here and there was stellar and I loved the way he took care of his daughter and Emma. There’s a lot of really sweet blended family moments that I adored too.

Bursting with fall vibes and small town shenanigans I would definitely recommend this book if you’re wondering which ones are worth it.

Overall audience notes:

• Contemporary romance
• Language: none
• Romance: kisses
• Violence: low
• Content warnings: loss of a parent (recounted), divorce (recounted), absent parent

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph