When marketing consultant Tessa Hart returns to her New England hometown to help with its beloved Fall Leaf Festival, she expects a quick project before heading back to her fast-paced life in Boston. But Maplebridge has other plans. Between her mother's charming antique shop, a centuries-old covered bridge strung with glowing lights, and a community stitched together by cider, quilts, and pie, Tessa finds herself remembering what "home" can mean.

Then there's Noah Wilder; steady, patient, and devoted to the town's traditions. He's spent years quietly keeping the bridge, the festival, and the people of Maplebridge safe. But when Tessa begins to dream up new ways to share the town's story, Noah realizes she's building more than postcards and handrails. She's building a life that might just include him.

As lanterns drift down the river and the season edges toward winter, Tessa must choose between the career she's built in the city and the promise of love and belonging waiting on the bridge she thought she'd left behind.