Harvest of the Heart

She’s all sunshine and cinnamon sticks. He’s pumpkins and grump. This fall, opposites won’t just attract—they might just fall in love.

Amanda Baker has a heart for hospitality and a knack for making ordinary days feel special. As the owner of Indulgences Gift Shop, she fills Laurel Ridge with charm and cheer—and this year, she’s been tasked with designing the town’s float for the beloved Fall Harvest Festival parade and providing décor and centerpieces as well for the festival itself. There’s just one problem: she needs help from the one man who wants nothing to do with parades… or people.

Brandon Whitaker would rather harvest pumpkins than participate in town traditions. After losing his father and being left behind by the woman he thought he’d marry, Brandon has turned inward, finding peace in hard work and the quiet rhythm of Whitaker Farms. But when Amanda shows up—bright-eyed and full of festival ideas—asking for float-building help and more fall produce than usual, he reluctantly agrees. After all, saying no to Amanda is harder than he expected.

Between hayrides, church hall centerpieces, and one-too-many “accidental” matchmaking schemes by Brandon’s mom and her partner-in-plotting, Martha Kincaid, Brandon finds himself pulled into the heart of the season—and closer to the woman he never saw coming.

As the leaves turn and the town prepares to celebrate, an unexpected accident threatens everything Amanda has poured her heart into. But Brandon isn’t about to let her down—not when he’s finally realized she might be exactly what he never knew he needed.

Tropes Included:
• Grumpy/Sunshine
• Small-town festival magic
• Matchmaking friends and meddling moms
• Community rebuilding & personal healing

Come back to Laurel Ridge, where the cider’s warm, the hearts are open, and love always finds its way—just in time for the harvest.