4.5 stars

Published: September 2, 2025
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 501 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Characters: Cliff and Michelle
POV: dual first person

Tropes & Vibes:
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ cozy autumn romance ➺ opposites attract ➺ friends to lovers ➺ Gilmore Girls vibes ➺ black cat vs golden retriever ➺ next door neighbors ➺ cinnamon roll mmc ➺ single dad ➺ slow burn ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

Review

Cliff Burke is the book boyfriend of ALL book boyfriends. He’s an amazing dad, he’s kind, he’s funny and he genuinely enjoyed working for Michelle’s smiles, and that was beyond adorable.🥹 He and his girls added so much brightness to this story!

Not gonna lie though, Michelle could be so frustrating sometimes because she was convinced she didn’t deserve love. And I wanted to be angry with her but her relationship with Cliff’s daughters Emily and Brittany was so special, so heartwarming, and wholesome that I just couldn’t hold a grudge for long.

My heart was certainly full while reading this book.

❝I love this woman. I don’t know when it happened. It slipped over me so softly, like the changing of seasons. The seeping scent of baked bread first thing in the morning. A wistful sigh on a perfect fall day. I love Michelle. I’ve loved her for far too long.❞

❝I wonder if it’s true. If I’m the only woman who sees him for the man that he is. Funny and sarcastic, but selfless and good. And I wonder if he was made for me, if he’s the only man who will ever see me. I don’t believe in destiny or stars, but I have to believe Cliff’s constellation would align right beside mine.❞

Blurb

My new next-door neighbor seems to have everything figured out. Small town golden boy? Check. Single dad extraordinaire? Check. Hot baker forearms? I didn’t notice them, I swear.

I, on the other hand, don’t–at all–have anything figured out.

Trust me, I didn’t think taking over my mom’s dream bed and breakfast in Copper Run Vermont was going to be easy. It should be a good place to heal after my divorce. But apparently my scones belong in the garbage with my small talk skills. As pointed out by none other than Cliff.

Cliff is inescapable. He knows exactly what people need–always. His charm, the way he wears flannel, and even his pastries, make not wanting to be friends with Cliff and his daughters pretty hard.

Friends? I can make friends. That’s safe.

Except I’m leaving in three months to pass the inn off to my little sister and get the promotion in Seattle I’ve been working towards.

So ask me why I’m thinking about kissing my hot neighbor.

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