A cozy, spicy small town romance filled with autumn vibes, bookstore charm, fake dating, and swoony friends to lovers chemistry.

Goodreads | Bonfire and Bliss Bookstore

Release date: August 11, 2026

Publisher: Putnam

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Settle in with a warm glass of cider and FALL in love beside the bonfire on a crisp autumn evening in this friends-to-lovers fake dating romance about a jilted romance bookstore owner and her handsome failed-writer best friend, from the romance superstar author of The Boston Bolts hockey series.

These old flames are ready to catch fire.

After a very public failed engagement, Penny Darling, proud owner of Bonfire and Bliss Books, is done with love. She’d rather cozy up by the fire with a pumpkin spiced-anything and one of her book boyfriends than a real one any day. 

So when her old high school best friend, author Jake “Monty” Montgomery, tells the town busybodies that he’s her new boyfriend and volunteers them to co-host Hope Harbor’s famed Maple Festival, Penny is more than hesitant. 

Until Monty admits the real reason he returned his latest book release failed and if he doesn’t turn in something amazing soon, his career as an author is over. Convinced that Penny’s obsession with romance novels makes her an expert on the subject, Monty begs Penny to teach him how to be the perfect romantic hero so he can finally write one. In return, Penny’s “boyfriend” will put a stop to neighbors’ pitying looks and matchmaking.

But as pretend kisses in the apple orchard turn into searing ones beneath the autumn moon, Penny begins to wonder if Monty could really love her, or if she’s destined for another broken heart.

Review:

I have found my first five star fall read of the year, and yes, it is only August. No, I will not be taking questions. 😂🍂 This book had EVERYTHING I want from a fall romance. The autumn descriptions, the apple orchard, the cozy bookstore, the fall events, the adorable small town atmosphere… the vibes were immaculate. Hope Harbor is already ridiculously cute, but Hope Harbor in the fall? Even better. I was ready to move in immediately.

And Penny? Penny is me and I am Penny. A cutesy bookstore owner, Bookstagrammer, lover of fall books, obsessed with autumn, and happiest surrounded by books? Brittanee Nicole apparently went into my personality settings and wrote a heroine specifically for me. 😂 I absolutely adored her, and I loved that the book gave so much attention to her friendships with her sister and their friends. The female friendships were such a fun part of the story.

Then there’s Monty, who was a fantastic hero. Their chemistry was so good, and the friends to lovers/fake dating setup gave us plenty of swoony and spicy moments. I especially loved watching Monty work through the baggage from his parents’ divorce and the way it had left him jaded about love. His emotional journey added some nice depth beneath all the cozy romance and fall fun.

And can we talk about the Hope Harbor residents and their town wide group chat?! The meddling was elite. I loved how much personality the town had and how the side characters made Hope Harbor feel like a place I actually wanted to visit. This was only my third book by Brittanee Nicole, and I am officially delighted to discover she has a giant backlist because apparently I have some serious binge reading to do while I wait for the next Hope Harbor book.

I already loved the first book, but I liked this one even more. It charmed the absolute hell out of me. The setting, the fall atmosphere, the bookstore, the friendships, the banter, the chemistry, the spice, the swoon… it all worked. If this is what my fall reading season looks like, I am VERY ready.

Perfect for Readers Who Love:

• immaculate autumn vibes and cozy small towns
• bookish heroines who own bookstores and live for fall reading
• spicy friends to lovers fake dating with serious chemistry
• meddling small town residents and unhinged group chats

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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