REVIEW: Fall I Want by Lyra Parish

Fall I Want by Lyra Parish: Autumn definitely embraces her name sake, she loves the charm of her small town home with the crisp air, crinkled leaves and the comfort of a good pumpkin spiced latte. But after getting her heart smashed, she cant help but feel a bit more guarded, so much so that she has decided that love is not on the cards for her, at least not anytime in the near future… Well that is until polished, handsome and far too fancy for the small town life, Zane walks into Cozy Creek. While the small town vibe might not be his usual speed, he is in the market for something completely different. Nursing his own wounds and searching for something real, Zane finds himself being drawn to Autumn. But soon small town gossip runs rampant and old ghosts reappear, the only logical solution both Zane and Autumn can come up with is a fake relationship… the only problem is neither of them expected the lines to blur so fast and for fake kisses to feel dangerously real or for sassy banter to turn into late night confessions… what started out as simple lie of convenience soon begins to feel a lot like real love…

With its small town setting, fake dating trope and a romance that builds quickly but still has a spark to it, Fall I Want just gave me all the cozy autumn vibes I was hoping for. While there were a few small things that kept me from giving this a full 5 star rating, I really can not fault Zane and Autumn, because simply their story was cute and so easy to get lost in.

Autumn and Zane were both super easy to like, the more we got to know them, the more I found myself liking these two. With autumn there was something so warm and relatable about her, she gave off this feeling that she was an old friend. It was so easy to understand why she felt so nervous to open her heart again after having it broken by her ex and I really did enjoy getting to see her find her confidence in love again. For the most part, Autumn brought so much of life to the book with her witty retorts and her sunshine personality. Where as Zane fits the typical rich hero vibe, but with a bit more heart. I liked that we get to see his vulnerable side pretty early into the book. He to is dealing with heartache and we get to see this how this brings him closer to Autumn. The thing that really warmed me to Zane was the fact that while he was this rich guy with all these resources at his fingertips, he was big enough to admit that he was hurting and that he needed a bit of comfort. I also loved how protective he was when it came to Autumn.

Together these two made the perfect balance, while Autumn was a bit more weary and reserved when it came to allowing love back into her space, Zane was more willing to take a risk to find love again. I loved the fact that our hero falls first in this book and that we get to see him wooing Autumn. The entire journey from fake to real was filled with just the right amount of tension, banter and steam that had me flipping the pages wanting more. I just loved getting to follow them as they found their way from pretend dating to some very real and strong feelings. These two really give each other a chance at feeling love and unconditional affection again.

Overall I really did love reading Fall I Want, this book was the perfect combination of small town charm, fake-dating trope and a warm cozy love story that will have you hooked from start to end! A definite must read for me!

Book Info:

Publication: August 19, 2025 | Avon a | Cozy Creek Collection #1

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.