A Swoony Small Town Slow Burn—Perfect for the Holidays!
Leaf it to Me
Kirby Falls (Book 2)
Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance
Independently Published
December 17, 2024
ebook, paperback
332
Sometimes the road less traveled is the one that leads you home.
Candace Judd is part of a legacy. One she up and left when she turned eighteen. While she spent the last seven years collecting degrees and achieving her dreams, her family’s apple farm moved on without her. But now she’s back and nothing about Kirby Falls is how she remembers it--including her family’s newest employee, a certifiable blast from the past. A quiet boy turned flannel-covered mountain man and her distractingly handsome coworker.
Mark Mercer leads a quiet life. He works at Judd’s Orchard. He keeps his head down and avoids the gossip that’s been chasing him around since his divorce. But when his high school crush returns to Kirby Falls unexpectedly, he realizes there is nothing more humbling than having the past come back to bite you. Or even worse, forget you altogether.
Desperate to prove herself, Candace works to find her footing with her family while Mark struggles with the desire to hide himself away. When she takes the time to really look, Candace discovers more than an ally in the rugged farmer.
As days at the orchard become nights spent together under the stars, Mark begins to see that his dream girl is more than the prom queen he remembers. While life shines brighter with Candace by his side, Mark must decide if he’d rather live in the shadows or face his fears once and for all.
We hadn’t rewritten history, but we’d put it in new packaging. One that wasn’t quite so sharp around the edges.
apple cider gif via giphy
Hello Friends! Consider this review my application to become a resident of Kirby Falls because after finishing Laney Hatcher’s latest installment in her Kirby Falls series, Leaf it to Me, I am dying to find my way into her imagination and live there rent free.
Leaf it to Me follows Candace (definitely not Candy) as she spends a season helping her family revamp their orchard business. Fresh from the Big Apple (omg—the humor! The puns! The irony! Do you get it?!) Candace has a head full of marketing ideas and a family full of drama ready to meet her at the property line.
“I don’t think it’s ever really too late to alter your path. There aren’t rules about starting over and trying again. Cages like that are ones you build yourself.”
Christmas Vacation Tree gif via tenor
Mark is the man who had a glow up since high school, and while Candace is smitten upon meeting him, she had no idea that the gangly teen she knew back in the day grew into a tall, muscled, introvert who would support her business decisions and make her swoon. Unfortunately, her older sister brings a bit of drama to the table. Speaking of drama…Mark has his fair share as well. Though he would be last one to talk about it.
It’s the way Candace and Mark navigate the drama within the family as well as the town of Kirby Falls in order to fight for each other that made me want to swoon. There is nothing better than the slow burn romance that goes hand in hand with character growth that is not only mature but wholesome as well. I don’t like nonsensical drama, and I know any romance by Laney Hatcher contains romances that make sense—drama included. Leaf it to Me is one of those books you can open up, enjoy the journey, and trust that you’re in good hands.
“Aren’t you tired of living a lie that’s not even yours? Aren’t you tired of being held hostage in your own home?”
There is so much goodness within Leaf it to Me. Laney Hatcher’s small town of Kirby Falls is exactly where I would like to be. I adored getting to know Candace and Mark. Leaf it to Me is the kind of slow burn romance that doesn’t skimp on the spice, brings plenty of humor, and makes me crave all kinds of sweet treats.
I absolutely guarantee that as a reader, you will adore literally anything by Laney Hatcher, but you should absolutely start with a visit to Kirby Falls. Each novel is a standalone, but why would you want to stop at just one? Do yourselves a favor and grab Leaf it to Me (which is out today!) and then go and one-click Take it or Leaf it too!
Jes is a self-proclaimed bookworm, who recently moved from the PNW back to the Midwest. When her nose isn’t in a book, she’s spending time with her husband, two kids, and her three fur babies, or exploring the globe. She also firmly believes that you should start the day with coffee, and end the day in bed with a good book.
