My My Favorite Color is the Golden Hour Book Review - No Spoilers
Plot Summary
My Favorite Color is the Golden Hour by Eva Austin is a sweet YA romance with cozy autumn vibes, perfect for fans of Kasie West. The story follows Emma, sent to live with her grandma in Carlton Landing after a string of bad luck. She plans to focus on her schoolwork, the fall festival, and settling into small-town life, but everything goes sideways when her childhood best friend (turned enemy) Bryson returns after three years away. Emma promised herself to stay mad at Bryson, but the close-knit community and changing seasons make it impossible to avoid him—or old feelings and misunderstandings. Alongside new town friends, family antics, and dreamy lake scenes, Emma has to choose: stick to old grudges, or find the courage to forgive and open her heart again. The book delivers dual POV, lots of nostalgia, and all the magic of a golden autumn.
Why I Love This Book
I love how real the characters feel. Emma’s stubbornness, passion for writing, and awkwardness make her instantly relatable—especially if you’ve ever wanted to curl up and hide from the world. Bryson is adorably awkward in his own way, and I liked how their banter and lingering tension push both of them to grow. The setting is a highlight; I could almost smell the pumpkin muffins and see the golden light over the lake. There are plenty of quirky, funny moments that kept me smiling, and I loved the Jane Austen nods sprinkled through the book. The group of friends feels authentic, and the story shows how tricky but rewarding forgiveness can be. Even when things get cringey or emotional, it never felt heavy-handed. This book is sweet, light, and perfect for a fall afternoon. It left me happy—and a little nostalgic for my own first love stories.
Who Will Like This Book
If you want a clean, small-town YA romance with slow burn, second chances, and friends-to-enemies-to-lovers vibes, this is it. The book is great for teens and for anyone wanting a wholesome story with believable characters, family positivity, and no mature content. If you like stories with lots of cozy seasonal atmosphere, relatable friend groups, and mildly angsty but heartwarming plots, you’ll enjoy Emma and Bryson’s journey.
⚠️ Trigger warning: There’s mention of anxiety, insecurity, and a friendship rift, but the overall tone stays light and positive with no heavy drama or mature themes.
Tagged As
young adult, sweet romance, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, second chance romance, small town, closed-door romance, autumn vibes, cozy, lake setting, dual pov, Jane Austen, clean romance, writer heroine, awkward hero, family bonds, group of friends, slow burn, nostalgia, forgiveness, coming of age, feel-good, no mature content, wholesome
Steam Level
Expect lots of longing, sweet banter, and maybe a kiss or two—but no explicit content at all. The romance is pure, light, and focused on emotions and connection over heat.
This novel is #5 on our list of Top 10 Clean Romance Novels. View the full list.
