Falling Like Leaves (Bramble Falls)
Gilmore Girls meets Jenny Han in this “delightfully autumnal small-town romance” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) about a city girl stuck in a quaint small town who must confront her future and her old flame while the town prepares for an annual fall festival.
Ellis has a plan: spend her senior fall prepping her application for Columbia, get into their journalism program, and set the foundation for a respectable career. So when her parents announce that not only are they separating, but Ellis has to move with her mom from New York City to Bramble Falls, Connecticut, to live with her aunt and cousin, it couldn’t come at a worse time.
From past summers spent in Connecticut, Ellis knows Bramble Falls is idyllic and charming. But it also seems to be full of distractions. There’s local barista Cooper Barnett, Ellis’s one-time best friend and first kiss who now wants nothing to do with Ellis. And then there’s the Falling Leaves Festival, a local autumnal celebration run by Ellis’s aunt where people from all over come to see Bramble Falls’s beautiful foliage. The house is stuffed with decorations, and every conversation seems to center around the festival.
Dragged to every oh-so-charming event from apple picking to pumpkin carving, Ellis can’t stop bumping into Cooper…or falling for the quaint town and its quirky residents. As her return to Manhattan gets repeatedly delayed, Ellis finds herself caught between two very different places—and the futures they represent.
Ellis has a plan: spend her senior fall prepping her application for Columbia, get into their journalism program, and set the foundation for a respectable career. So when her parents announce that not only are they separating, but Ellis has to move with her mom from New York City to Bramble Falls, Connecticut, to live with her aunt and cousin, it couldn’t come at a worse time.
From past summers spent in Connecticut, Ellis knows Bramble Falls is idyllic and charming. But it also seems to be full of distractions. There’s local barista Cooper Barnett, Ellis’s one-time best friend and first kiss who now wants nothing to do with Ellis. And then there’s the Falling Leaves Festival, a local autumnal celebration run by Ellis’s aunt where people from all over come to see Bramble Falls’s beautiful foliage. The house is stuffed with decorations, and every conversation seems to center around the festival.
Dragged to every oh-so-charming event from apple picking to pumpkin carving, Ellis can’t stop bumping into Cooper…or falling for the quaint town and its quirky residents. As her return to Manhattan gets repeatedly delayed, Ellis finds herself caught between two very different places—and the futures they represent.
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Community Reviews
“Falling Like Leaves” beautifully captures the cosy vibes of autumn in a single narrative, evoking a longing for crisp air, pumpkins, and snug evenings. Set in the charming small town of Bramble Falls, the story features scenes of apple-picking, festival preparations, and quirky residents, creating an inviting atmosphere. It tells a coming-of-age tale about discovering one’s own path instead of conforming to the expectations of others. I found Ellis's emotional growth compelling as she navigated important realisations on her quest for self-discovery.
Adding to the richness of the story is the character Cooper—dreamy, understanding, and the perfect figure for a second-chance romance. The dynamic between him and Ellis kept me engaged as I experienced a rollercoaster of emotions alongside them. The narrative is filled with humorous exchanges, tender moments, and heartbreaking twists that leave a lasting impact. It artfully balances themes of romance, personal growth, and familial complexities, making the story both heartfelt and fulfilling. Overall, this delightful and poignant fall read is a must for anyone who loves second-chance romances, small-town charm, and tales that evoke autumn's cosy essence with a bittersweet touch.
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