Recent Reads: Fall I Want by Lyra Parish

Fall I Want by Lyra Parish 
Series: Cozy Creek Collection #1
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: January 21, 2025

 

Format: Ebook
Source: Kindle Unlimited (at the time of posting)

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Fall I Want is a feel-good, spicy small-town, romantic comedy with a billionaire who falls first and harder. Grab a pumpkin spice latte, a warm fuzzy blanket, and make your way down to Cozy Creek.

Autumn

The brokenhearted billionaire visits Cozy Creek to escape. I never expected to become his fake girlfriend or fall madly in love...but here we are.

My first impression of Zane Alexander isn't great. The second is worse, but when he uses his powers of persuasion to get me to hang out with him, I can’t say no. We quickly go from familiar strangers to flirty friends.

When my ex returns, Zane flawlessly pretends to be my boyfriend to protect me. He’s so damn good at it, I almost believe it.

I don’t know when our relationship moves from pretending to passionate, but I catch feelings. As our exes desperately crawl back into our lives like zombies, I realize there is only one man for me, and (f)all I want is him.

Zane

Everything changes the moment I see her. Autumn's enchanting gaze makes my heart race, so I push her away to protect myself. Immediately, I regret it. But when I find her standing in my haunted house, I convince her to be my friend. She begrudgingly agrees.

As the leaves transform and Cozy Creek's fall festivities come alive, our playful charade blossoms into something more.

The lines between real and pretend begin to blur, and I find myself falling under her spell.

I should keep my broken heart in check, but instead, I fight for love that feels like magic.

This woman is all I've ever needed and (f)all I want. 

Review: 

I went into this expecting a swoon-worthy, cozy fall romance, and while I definitely got that vibe, it was far spicier than I anticipated.

Autumn is in the market for love, or even a date, when the story begins. Zane, meanwhile, is running from family obligations and a truly unhinged ex. They end up meeting in a small town, Autumn's home and a location Zane has been avoiding for a while. The town even rings its own cozy charm to the overall story. When they spot each other in a coffee shop, the attraction is immediate, and neither can stop thinking about seeing the other again.

I really enjoyed this book, but if insta-love is not your thing, it may not work for you. There is some buildup, with Autumn regularly dreaming about a mysterious man and Zane feeling oddly familiar to her, but once they meet, their relationship develops very quickly.

Autumn is dealing with the fallout from a horrible ex and a bout of writer’s block that has left her drifting through life. She was witty, relatable, and genuinely fun to follow, especially as she becomes determined to uncover what is going on between her and Zane. Zane, on the other hand, is stubborn and occasionally frustrating, but his moody, broody personality worked for me.

This book leans hard into its tropes: insta-love, grumpy-sunshine, he-falls-first energy, fake dating that turns into something more, a fated-mates feel without the monsters, and just a touch of “he would burn the world down for her.” The pacing is fast, so even at 413 pages, it felt like a much shorter read. Just be prepared for plenty of spice once they get together.