Autumn Nights

by Willow Aster

He's a hot football star and a sexy-as-sin single dad. Zac Ledger is everything I never knew I wanted.

A prince on a white horse swooping in to save the day...

Isn't that every girl's dream? Maybe for some, but I've never expected to find my own happily ever after.

I've made one bad dating choice after another, and it doesn't help that my only example of marriage is my dad leaving my mother before I was even born.

I'll never be a believer in fairy tales.

So, imagine my surprise when I meet Zac Ledger at my sister's wedding.

He is the total opposite of my usual type: gorgeous, confident, and genuine.

He's also athletic, and I am so not.

They call him the GOAT in the NFL...and I didn't even know what either acronym meant until my sister told me.

But there's something about him.

One drink.

One dance.

And I'm ready to believe that there are actually good guys out there.

That is, until I overhear him on the phone and I realize he's just like every other jerk I've dated.

When he hires me as his interior designer to come work on his new house, I resist, but he's persistent.

My goal is to finish the job and keep him at a distance.

But I'm not prepared for the real Zac Ledger or the way he dotes on his adorable little girl.

And when the renovation dust begins to settle, I realize there is more to Zac than his NFL accolades, and maybe, just maybe, he will prove to be the one man in my life that chooses to stick around.

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Sports, Football, Forced Proximity, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

380 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 5, 2023

About the author

Willow Aster is a USA Today Bestselling Author of emotional, angsty love stories with a side of quirk. She is co-writer of The End of Men series with Tarryn Fisher and co-writer of the G.D. Taylors series with Laura Pavlov.


Website: http://www.willowaster.com/

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Reader group on Facebook:
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Newsletter:
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Reviews

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

It’s been such a long time since I’ve read a Willow Aster book and this one was soooo good!

Autumn Nights starts out at Autumn’s sister’s wedding. Autumn meets a guy there and it’s pretty obvious that one- she has no idea who he is, and two- he’s enamored with her. He just happens to be Zac Ledger, a pretty famous NFL player. Autumn doesn’t do ‘sport’ so she could care less.

Fast forward just a few days later when she’s back in California her boss gets a job to do Zac’s house (Autumn is in interior design) so she goes cross country again to Boston for a few months. Autumn is dead set on doing this project, but her boss is insistent and she realizes pretty early on that the first impression she had about Zac was wrong.

Zac has a daughter named Ivy who he’s completely devoted to. Listen, single dad romance is my catnip and this one was done so well. I loved Ivy and Autumn’s relationship, honestly that was my favorite part of the book. The romance was also great. It took time for Autumn to trust, but with time she did. Honestly, Zac’s whole family was great and they made the book that much better.

This book made my heart so happy. I smiled through so much of it, but it also had enough angst to make my heart race and kept me intrigued throughout the story. I loved it so much and it’s one I would highly recommend!

[Dora Koutsoukou · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 💘🤔🤔⭐️s

I liked the premise but for me it didn’t deliver...
It was a cute romance read yet lengthy.

Autumn was an interior designer and Zac an NFL quarterback (single dad), where we were told and not fully shown.

I couldn’t connect with Autumn. While she was fantastic in learning ASL for Zac’s sweet daughter, she had plenty of insecurities and became annoying.

Zac and his family were amazing, very supportive and the bond among them was strong and heartwarming.

It was well written, however the execution was a little flat and the ending rushed.

[Anne OK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heat and sweet meet and it can’t be beat! I couldn’t make it a week into the new year without the need for a sports-related romance. And this one starts 2023 with all the right moves. Sometimes a treasure can be found when I least expect it. My choice danced into the end zone to provide the exclamation point for a super bowl win!

With a full cast of dream characters that had my heart a flutter and a perfect blend of angst, family, humor and love, this is a heart-stopping love story from start to finish.

In the single-dad-with-full-custody category, Zac Ledger, the GOAT quarterback in the NFL with a heart of gold, gets a straight A grade. He is now my favorite-of-them-all fictional football hero and it’s going to be a tough game for another to take his place. There is absolutely no questioning the loving relationship he shares with his young daughter, Ivy who plays a major role in the overall storyline. This child held me spellbound stealing my heart from her first appearance on the pages. And she and her stuffed platypus create quite the uproar, too! Truly the sweetest girl!

Autumn Winters is a fantastic fit for Zac and Ivy. She’s courageous, determined and a vibrant character inside and out. But she's weary and hesitant when new relationships present themselves. But the poor girl has been so unlucky in love in the past. When she’s assigned a house designing job on the other side of the country, she has no idea of the changes awaiting her arrival. Could be that she’s been looking for love in all the wrong places.

All the feels – and then some more! However . . . (oh yeah, here it comes), I wanted more of an extended epilogue showing Zac, Autumn and Ivy’s future full of happy-ever-afters. Otherwise, in my opinion, this story was about as special as it gets in this genre.

A super sexy, fun-filled read with real-life challenges and a quarterback with a heart of gold. Football and angst lovers will rejoice at the fresh, heartwarming story within these pages. This is romance at its finest, writing at its best and a big winner in the game of love.

[MELISSA *Mel Reader* · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars!
(ARC provided by Valentine PR)



Zac Ledger is the hottest player in the NFL, and a devoted single father who has little time for dating. When he crosses paths with a stunning woman named Autumn everything changes. She captures his attention from the moment he lays eyes on her, and he can't quit thinking about her. He wants to get to know her better, and is prepared to do whatever it takes to pursue her.

Autumn Winters is the daughter of a successful Hollywood director. She grew up in Charlotte, NC, but is now living in L.A. building her career as an interior designer. She loves her job and has a great life. The only thing missing is that special someone. She has horrible taste in men, and seems to only attract jerks. While attending her sisters wedding in Nantucket she shares a moment with a stranger who intrigues her. She's immediately drawn to him, but then learns the sexy man she feels an intense connection with is a football star. She knows nothing about sports and can't see herself with an athlete, but there is just something about him that makes her want more. When she's suddenly thrust into his world, will they explore these new exciting feelings? Has she finally found the one man to make her believe in fairy tales and happily ever afters?

Autumn Nights by Willow Aster is a heartwarming, single dad, sports romance full of explosive chemistry, emotion, humor and plenty of swoon. If you read Summertime, this story is about Summer's sister Autumn. I liked we get some appearances by Summer & Liam, but these characters were addictive all on their own. This is now my favorite Willow Aster book. I loved everything about it! I hope we get a book for Jamison too! <333



***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3GHL8YJ?...

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one had a lot of potential...unfortunately it fell flat for me.

I ended up skimming, and then skipping, parts of the book after I got to about 50% in as I just didn't care about the characters.

Nothing happened. I'm not talking about action or suspense, nothing happened with the characters. I didn't feel that they evolved, conversations that were supposed to be meaningful seemed shallow to me.

I never connected with any of the characters.

I'm unable to recommend this.

[Southern Lady Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is meh.. I think it had the potential to be really sweet because of the single dad to a little girl with hearing disabilities... but I just didn't love any of the characters.

[Neermboop · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet romance with lower spice. (Think- Mariana Zapata level)

Loved how Zac was all in from the beginning and had eyes for no one else except Autumn.

If I could love one person the most in this book, it would be Zac's daughter Ivy ❤ So flippin adorable!

Also I have a question for ASL users: The author mentioned giving 'sign names'. What is the significance of this? I will have to refer to my Google....🤔

[Catarina Vieira | umlivroduplicado · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75⭐️

English & Portuguese review

Thank you Valentine PR & Willow Aster for the ARC.

🇺🇸: Autumn nights is a sports romance & single parent where our protagonist Autumn meets Zac at a wedding (Summer's and I NEED to read her book), they flirt a bit until she overhears him on a compromising phone call and decided to stay away from him for the rest of the night. BUT, weeks later, Autumn starts to work for him and that's where the story really begins.

The main tropes:
- sports romance (MMC plays in the NFL);
- Billionaire romance;
- Forced proximity;
- Single parent (SINGLE PARENT!!!!!).

I enjoyed this book soooo much and read over 70% of it in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down. The main reasons were:

1. Autumn. She's a super well-built character, with more than justified relationship issues but also someone with a hell of a heart. Without exaggerating. A strong woman, who knows what she wants and who she is. I love her.

2. Zac, Zac, Zac. For someone who is the GOAT of the NFL he is one of the least cocky characters I have ever read. The way he puts his daughter above everyone else is so beautiful. How he makes sure he loves her and how he shows it in every little action. SO CUTE!

3. IVY!!!! Okay guys, hear me out on this. This is the reason why you all will rave about the book. This girl!!!! She is Zac's daughter but to me SHE’S THE BOOK and a completely essential character. It is through her that we saw such a beautiful facet of both Zac and Autumn and we were more and more rooting for them to be together.

4. Zac's family!!! Seriously, what a family! In addition to being funny, they give everything the story asked of them and even more.

5. The slow burn. They don't get together right away, and they work their relationship so beautifully that when they finally get together, we want to stand up and applaud.

It was my first Willow Aster book but it was DEFINITELY not the last, I loved the writing and the way the characters are developed and written. I became a fan (Summertime I'm watching you)!
The only reason it got a 4.75 and not a 5 was that I liked one more chapter between the last and the epilogue but otherwise the book is simply divine!

🇵🇹: Autumn nights é um sports romance & single parent onde a nossa protagonista Autumn conhece Zac num casamento (o da Summer e eu PRECISO do livro dela), eles namoricam um pouco até ela o ouvir numa chamada um pouco comprometedora e se afastar dele o resto da noite. MAS, Autumn começa a trabalhar para ele e é aí que a história realmente começa.
As tropes principais:
- sports romance (MMC joga na NFL);
- Billionaire romance;
- Forced proximity;
- Single parent (SINGLE PARENT!!!!!).

Eu gostei imensooooo deste livro é li mais de 70% dele de uma vez porque simplesmente não conseguia parar. As principais razões foram:
1. Autumn. Ela é uma personagem super bem construída, com os medos de relacionamento mais que justificados mas também alguém com um coração do caraças. Sem exagerar. Uma mulher forte, que sabe o que quer e quem é. Adoro-a.
2. Zac, Zac, Zac. Juro que para alguém que é o GOAT da NFL ele é uma das personagens menos convencidas que já li. A maneira como ele mete a filha acima de tudo e de todos é tão bonita. Como ele se certifica de a amar e como demonstra isso em todas as pequenas ações. TÃO QUERIDO!
3. IVY!!!! Ok malta, ouçam-me nisto. Esta é a razão porque todos nós vamos delirar com o livro. Esta garota!!!! É a filha do Zac mas para mim ela é o livro e completamente uma personagem essencial. É por ela que vimos uma faceta tão bonita tanto do Zac como da Autumn e ficamos cada vez mais a torcer para que fiquem juntos.
4. A família do Zac!!! A sério, que família! Para além de engraçados, dão tudo o que a história pedia deles e ainda mais.
5. O slow burn. Eles não ficam juntos logo e trabalham a relação deles de uma forma tão bonita e eficaz que quando ficam finalmente ficam juntos queremos nos levantar e aplaudir.

Foi o meu primeiro livro da Willow Aster mas não foi DE CERTEZA o último adorei a escrita e a forma como as personagens são desenvolvidas e escritas. Fiquei fã (Summertime estou de olho em ti)!
A única razão de ser um 4.75 e não um 5 foi que gostava de mais um capítulo entre o último e o epílogo mas de resto o livro é simplesmente divinal!

[CassDamm · Rating 3 out of 5]

3🌟

I’m truly shocked how high the reviews are for this bc I genuinely thought about giving it a 2 lol.

This book was extremely boring. So much nothing going on. The book only started getting good about 100 pages before the end and this is a 400 page book.

In addition to this, the relationship between the main characters just was dull and fake. There was no spark or whatever. It really felt like she had more chemistry with old ass pappy than she did the male mc.

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved certain aspects of this, but the heroine doubted the hero, for things beyond his control, 3 too many times.

It was exhausting.

Then, he jumps to ONE conclusion, compared to her 4 or 5, and HE'S the one who has to do the grand gesture.

I know Willow Aster writes loveable, stand up guys. But he also shouldn't have to CONSTANTLY reassure this woman. It got grating.

Which was a shame because his daughter was a freaking DELIGHT!

3.5 stars
3 on the spice scale

CW: child abandonment, neglectful parent, cheating (not by MCs)

[Emily Johnston (Booked.Up.With.Emily) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely flipping loved this book! Willow Aster is an author at a book convention that I am attending this May, so I wanted to read one of her books. Let me tell you, this will definitely not be the last book I read of hers.

Autumn and Zac meeting at Autumn’s sisters wedding. And after a short interaction, sparks were flying. That is until Autumn overhears a conversation that has her running.

The next day she is at work and immediately told to fly back across the country because Zac specifically wants to hire her and only her to design his new home.

Once there, Autumn become immersed into Zac’s world and is finding it hard to stay away from not only him, but his adorable daughter.

When the job ends, will they be able to make it work? Or will Autumn hightail it back to California to go back to her comfortable life?

Okay, this book and these characters were just so good! I am so glad that I picked up this book. But the star of the show here is Zac’s daughter Ivy. I loved everything about her character and I just always smiled when they were with her. She’s had a tough go of it in her short life, but she is surrounded by an amazing support system.

If you are looking for a fun, single day book with some spice, this is the book for you!

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars ⭐️

This is a good read. Thinking on names after -then her sister’s full maiden name was Summer Winters lol

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars! Autumn Nights is a small town, sports (football), single dad romance! This one recently came out on audio, so I jumped into it. I’ve only read this author when she collab’d on a series years back, so this was my first time reading one of just hers.

Autumn ends up meeting Zac at her sister Summer’s wedding (she has her own book, Summertime). They meet and hit it off, sparks fly, and all of that. But then she overhears him speaking on the phone with someone lovingly and calling the caller “my sweetest girl”, and she assumes he has a lady in his life and is trying to cheat with her. But of course he’s talking to his daughter, she just doesn’t realize it! We then cut to a bit later and the heroine works as an interior designer. Her boss ends up getting an offer to work on the hero’s house and he confronts Autumn about why she kind of disappeared on him at the wedding and is giving him the cold shoulder now. She tells him she isn’t into cheaters and that’s when he realizes she thought he was talking to a woman and not his daughter on the phone. They kind of easily fall into a relationship after that, with her also working on his house.

This was a pretty cute, low angst romance. There is some drama with his ex that I could have done without. I did really appreciate how immediately Autumn wants to learn ASL when she realizes his daughter uses sign language to communicate. I did want more football, we don’t really get any on-page besides the hero being a football player. All in all, this was an okay one, nothing horrible but not a fav!

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐'s

I didn't believe this book could be better than the first one but it so was!

Autumn meets Zac at her sister's wedding that happens to be on Zac's property. Zac is immediately smitten and so is Autumn until she overhears something. Still, that doesn't stop Zac...thankfully.

I really enjoyed these two and all their little dramas. Did I think it was a bit too much? Yes, but I still wanted it to be more angsty especially since there was plenty of opportunity.

Ivy will steal your heart. I won't say anymore.

The ending was perfect and there is a bonus epilogue that made things even better.

There is going to be a "spin off" type of series called Landmark Mountain with the first book coming out June 22, 2023. Happily, all signs are pointing to it being Jamison's book.

[Kait · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two grown adults acting like middle schoolers.

I had hope for this in the beginning but it just became so repetitive. One second Autumn is confident and sassy, the next she believes her ex boyfriends lies about a man he’s never even met. I understand being wary of relationships but she was always finding a reason to argue and ruin what she had with Zac. She just seemed a bit flaky to me. I did like that she learned ASL but I think that was it.

[Laura Pavlov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Autumn Nights is SEXY AND RAW AND UNPUTDOWNABLE! Hello new favorite book boyfriend--Zac Ledger is EVERYTHING! An amazing father, a football star and the way he loves Autumn made me swoon even more! Autumn and Zac are absolute fire together! And don't even get me started about Ivy! I adored her! Willow Aster has a way of pulling me in EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. This is an absolute MUST READ!!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I received this ARC from Willow Aster and Valentine PR in exchange for my honest review.**



"You are the best person I’ve ever known,” I tell her. But it doesn’t feel like enough. What I want to tell her is that she’s everything, and that I don’t know how I ever lived without her.

This is the story of Autumn who's an interior designer and Zac the Quarterback who find their way to each other. Their story is so sweet! Both of them are great people. No crazy bones in their closets.

I don't usually read books that don't have a "dark" aspect to them but apparently its exactly what I needed. Autumn Nights is my fourth book of 2023 and its the first I gave five stars to. I adored Zac's family so much especially Ivy and Pappy!! I'm going to go back and read Autumns sisters book Summertime so I can have more of their background.

I HIGHLY recommend reading this book! Its sweet with fantastic characters and I promise you won't be disappointed. 💜

[Willow Aster]

One drink.

One dance.

And I'm ready to believe that there are actually good guys out there.

Preorder: https://geni.us/AutumnNights
Vote for Autumn Nights for Jan 2023 Most Anticipated Reads: http://bit.ly/3UWV8eI

[Büşra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tatlı bir kitaptı. 💕

[S. Morgenstern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha gustado mucho que fuera una historia sencilla, achuchable y con comunicación (excepto al final, pero entiendo el tener que poner un poco de drama).

[Angie.andbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It was really easy and cozy read.
Sparks between Autumn and Zac started flying since the very beginning. They were like two magnets that needed to be connected.

Autumn was like a bubble of happiness and hard worker. A woman with pure heart who didn’t have best luck with men until Zac - a football player, a single dad and every rule breaker when it came to Autumn.

Spending so much time together during and after work on house project, it was impossible for those two not to get close….like really closed 😏
I bet in different circumstances Zac still would be the first to fall in love with Autumn. The second she was so invested with Ivy, all the work she did with the house to fit her needs, how she learned sign language to communicate with her and more. She won their hearts and Zac’s family too.

Autumn is my girl if it comes to sports 😂
“He’s only the hottest player in the NFL right now,” she says.
“Speak a language I understand,” I tell her. “Football,” she says, laughing.
“Oh, that tracks. You know sport and I don’t go together.”

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book took place in Massachusetts and they went to In-and-Out? Not in this America they didn’t.

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute read

[Quetzalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ame mucho a Ivy y Autumn 😍

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

[Kindle Crack Book Reviews Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Autumn Nights by Willow Aster is absolute single-dad romance trope perfection. I couldn't love Autumn, Zac, and Ivy more, even if I tried. Zac's relationship with his daughter Ivy in itself was super special. Willow scored a touchdown with my heart with this addictive and heartwarming romance. One-click worthy. 

[Erin Branscom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book of all of Willows books so far. And I have a feeling it’s just the beginning. I loved Autumn, Ivy, Pappy and Zac so much. Thus family was amazing and so fun. I can’t wait for more books from this world she’s created. Simply amazing!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

Thank you Willow aster and Valentine Pr for this arc!

Autumn is an interior designer and also happens to know all things art and creativity. Nothing about sports. Until single dad and NFL star Zac Ledger walks into her life unexpectedly. They’re complete opposites and so right for Each other.

I cant! My love for single dads continuous and cannot be contained!!! Ivy, Zac daughter, is a deaf child who communicates through sign language and the lengths autumn goes to for this little girl makes my heart swoon! They protect Ivy so fiercely and their love is everything!!

The beginning of this book had dragged on just a little bit . It’s slow burn and some of the descriptions threw off the pacing of the book and I wasn’t sure what I was going to get out of it. And then you finally get to the 60% mark and everything comes together and pops off!!! The ending though was a little rushed. I am not an advocate for third act breakup but I think it needed more grit to it! The flow and pacing of everything was a little choppy but honestly compared to how amazing the characters and the writing was it didn’t even matter! But the ending was precious and Autumn Zac & Ivy have my whole heart🥺

[Jerrica (Mrsmar10Reads) Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Autumn and Zach gave me ALL THE FEELINGS! Then you add in the adorable Ivy, Pappy and the rest of the family and it's a recipe for starting my year of reading off on the right foot.

I loved the push and pull between these two and how Autumn was apprehensive because he wasn't her type. Newsflash boo, your type is what has you so apprehensive of this perfect specimen of a man. Zac is on go from the start. He practically hunts her down to have her in his space, around the most important person in his life - something he never does.

As Autumn spends more time with the Ledger's while Zac pulls her walls down she realizes that maybe this is her opportunity to find the same happiness her sister Summer has found, and she deserves it.

Once again Willow came with the heat and sweet with this single dad who is sure that this woman occupying his mind and space is what he wants - forever.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the book was decent, but it didn't really resonate with me. I was expecting more of an autumn atmosphere given the title, but I quickly realized that's just the name of the FMC. Overall, it's a sweet and fairly enjoyable book, particularly if you're into sports romance with a single dad. I'd suggest it to anyone interested in that genre, although it wasn't exactly what I was in the mood for.

💫Rating💫

🌟🌟🌟

🌶Spice🌶

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥