“Breathe in deep, folks. Smells like fall.” - Taylor Doose
And nothing pairs better with a whiff of crisp autumn air than fall romance books.
This subset of fall books has been especially popular in recent years and is increasingly tied to the Stars Hollow aesthetic—something we Gilmore Girls fans crave year-round.
Yes, you’ll find spicy books here, but if you don’t like spice, just skip those pages! I have been doing this myself and finding my romance reading so much more enjoyable.
So if you like books with small towns, inns, harvest festivals, and all the cozy vibes to read while burning your fall candles—and why wouldn’t you?!—check out (literally, from the library) my faves as a Gilmore Girls superfan.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
In The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living, Livvy leaves behind a fancy pastry chef job in Boston for a job at a Vermont inn, where she falls for a local who comes home to care for his ailing father. There’s a Harvest dinner, an apple pie contest, and everything you would expect from a cozy, small-town, fall romance.
Why you should read it this fall: It’s the one book I’ve read that feels the most like Gilmore Girls overall. For years, this was the top book I heard recommended to Gilmore Girls fans.
Pair with: Cardamom Pomander by Illume
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
After a breakup and losing her job, Ellie returns to The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn—her family’s inn on a Long Island apple orchard— hoping for a quiet reset. Instead, she ends up sharing space with Aiden, the son of the orchard’s owners. Tasked with planning the Harvest Festival together, their personalities spark both tension and chemistry.
Why you should read it this fall: It’s filled with lots of Gilmore Girls references and makes for an escapist romance book with exactly my kind of Stars Hollow vibes.
Pair with: Honeycrisp Apple by Trader Joe’s
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
In If It Makes You Happy, a divorced woman temporarily running her mother’s Vermont B&B struggles to find her footing until her charming single-dad neighbor—a beloved baker and small-town golden boy- becomes impossible to resist.
The small town, the B&B, the 90s era, and the single parent dating a local give it all the Gilmore Girls vibes, yet it still feels fresh and different. I was highly invested in the characters, including the epilogue by a dog!
Why you should read it this fall: It’s my personal favorite on this list and was arguably the most popular fall romance book generally last year. It works really well for readers who want more than spice, especially fans of Abby Jimenez.
Pair with: Vanilla Pumpkin by Trader Joe’s
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe kicks off a beloved, BookTok-famous series for steamy romance readers. Jeanie takes over her aunt’s cafe in the small town of Dream Harbor, which is very much like Stars Hollow, with its town meetings and nosy neighbors. There, she meets Logan (yes, Logan), a grumpy farmer reminiscent of Luke, who begins to help her— in both the cafe and the bedroom.
Why you should read it this fall: This small-town found family love story is super quick and light, with a heavy focus on romance!
Pair with: Pumpkin Chai by Nest
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
In Something About September, Rebecca Macintosh (how about that last name for fall?!), inherits her grandmother’s diner and returns to her hometown of Bramley Hollow with just thirty days to renovate it, only to find that the contractor she needs is the man who rejected her. As they reconnect amid the charm of autumn, Rebecca begins to think there may, indeed, be something about both the contractor and her hometown that she didn’t realize.
Why you should read it this fall: The second-chance romance vibes were vibing and also offered some feel-good nostalgia.
Pair with: Autumn Plum by Nest
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