Quick Synopsis – Lenore’s life is falling apart. Propelled home from Manhattan to rural Vermont to spend one final autumn at her family’s historic apple orchard before it’s sold, Lenore struggles to say goodbye. Not only to French Hill Farm, but to everything that once inspired her art. Soon enough, entries in her late grandmother’s journal reignite memories of Lenore’s childhood—and the crush on the groundskeeper’s son she’s since tried to forget.

Callan’s path has been laid out for him for as long as he can remember: live, work, and die in Whitbury, Vermont. He’s taken over for his father as the groundskeeper at French Hill Farm, but now that it’s soon to be sold, his future has turned abruptly uncertain. The last thing he needs is a distraction—like Lenore French showing up out of the blue, looking even better than he remembered. As his best friend’s little sister, she’s always been off limits, and the last time they saw each other, he blew his chance anyway.

Lenore has long believed that her dreams are too big for the small town she grew up in—the same town Callan believes he can never outrun. But one last autumn together could paint their hometown—and each other—in a brand new light.

Song This Reminds Of – Who Says You Can’t Go Home – Bon Jovi

Publication Date – Sep. 8, 2026

Bookshop Link – Fall into Place by Kristyn J. Miller (if you use my link, I receive a small commission)

Content Notes – Death of a loved one and grieving is a strong theme in this book. There is mention of addiction and parental abandonment.

Steamy Rating – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Overall Rating – ⭐⭐out of 5

Review – Do you ever watch those house hunting shows where the lady makes art out of gum wrappers and the guy makes hats out of recycled bags? This whole book felt like that mixed in a Hallmark movie. Lenore has a fine arts degree but has been working as a barista in New York City. Callan works as the groundskeeper on a historic apple orchard in rural Vermont. Somehow neither one has any real money problems, they talk about being broke, but never about being in debt. It seems so very unrealistic. I can suspend my disbelief to read an alien romance, but a book where a barista can just take weeks off work to close up her deceased grandma’s house in rural Vermont and barely worry about money? In this economy?

This book is a dual POV book with flashbacks from the Grandma. I didn’t love the flashbacks, I get that they were meant to help Lenore process her grief, but it didn’t really add anything. They were such mundane flashbacks, and I don’t think they really inform the plot. There was some stuff in the flashback that talked about Lenore’s dad, but not enough to really get into why he was absent. It felt like little, tiny breadcrumbs that led to nothing. Callan also seemed like the epitome of boy who never left hometown and just putters around. There is nothing wrong in staying in your home town, but Callan doesn’t really have a strong personality outside of that. Even as Lenore and Callan are getting to know each other, there isn’t much there.

I’ve read Kristyn’s other books and they’re okay, I just really didn’t love the plot or characters in this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the gifted ARC, all opinions are my own.