Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite

Forbidden to Fall by Martha Keyes centers on Sadie Stevenson, who has spent most of her life in Autumn Ridge, Vermont, working at the same bakery and trying to avoid conflict whenever possible. When she starts getting fewer hours at Keller’s Bakehouse, she decides to use the extra time to help May Carver, whose maple farm has been struggling. There’s just one problem: her son, James. He unexpectedly returned to town and has turned Sadie’s world upside down. Years earlier, he was her brother Ryan’s best friend, but a falling-out involving Ryan’s now-wife, Lily, ended their friendship and created a lasting rift between the Carvers and Stevensons. Sadie knows Ryan won’t be happy if he discovers how much time she’s spending at Carver Maple Farm, especially with James there. Still, helping May gives her a chance to experiment with her own recipes and consider a future beyond Keller’s. It also means being around James more, and the two slowly begin getting to know each other again. As she becomes more confident in both her baking and herself, she must figure out how much of her life she’ll let others shape. Can Sadie learn to make her own choices? And is James worth risking the inevitable family drama?

I really enjoyed Forbidden to Fall by Martha Keyes. This is a slow-building romance, and it worked so well for me. There’s a spark between Sadie and James almost immediately, even when neither one seems ready to recognize it. Instead of rushing things, they build a friendship first, and I loved watching their feelings gradually become harder to ignore. Their situation also has just enough of a forbidden element because Sadie knows exactly how Ryan would react. Sadie was my favorite character. She feels very believable, and I enjoyed seeing her become comfortable in trusting herself. James also became much more complex, especially as his past came into focus. I also really liked May. She’s a spitfire, and her personality added quite a bit of humor. I could absolutely see this being made into a movie. The small-town Vermont setting with a maple farm, bakery, fall festival, and just enough drama and romance made this easy to picture on screen. Anyone looking for a love story that takes its time and includes a close-knit small town, some family conflict, and plenty of fall atmosphere will want to pick this one up.