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Verdict: A warm English-village second chance: after her father’s death, London property developer Chloe comes home to renovate and sell the family house — and runs straight into Amy, the dairy-farmer best friend who broke her heart eighteen years ago. Readers love the countryside, the families and a surprisingly emotional middle; the familiar formula leaves others at three stars.
Best for: Readers who love childhood-friends-to-lovers reunions in a rural setting.
Heat level: 🌶️🌶️
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.7/5 — a 3.93 Goodreads average across 320 ratings, 3.75 on StoryGraph from 59 reviews, and 4.3 stars across 98 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Second chance, childhood friends to lovers, return to hometown, grief, small town, renovation.
Fool for Love is Rachael Sommers’s 2021 contemporary lesbian romance from Ylva. Chloe Roberts has one goal: renovate the old family house and sell it as fast as possible so she never has to come home again.
It holds a 3.93 average across 320 Goodreads ratings, with 69% of them four or five stars, 3.75 on StoryGraph from 59 reviews, and 4.3 stars across 98 Amazon ratings.
What Is Fool for Love About?
The last thing Chloe expects is to run into Amy Edwards, the first woman she ever loved, who came back years ago to help run the family dairy farm next door. Amy still regrets the bridges she burned as a teenager.
As the two grow close again, old feelings and old wounds resurface. Should they risk their hearts one more time?
What Works in This Book
- The countryside: Readers find the English village setting charming.
- Family and community: Readers love the side characters, the families and Bella the dog.
- Emotional punch: Several readers were surprised to be moved, especially by a remembrance scene.
- Tension: Readers enjoyed the crackling chemistry and banter.
Book Synopsis
A woman comes home to sell her late father’s house and finds her first love still living next door.
Is a lost love ever really gone?
My Review
Readers repeatedly say the story is familiar but beautifully and emotionally written, with three-dimensional characters and secondary relationships that matter. The grief of coming home after a parent’s death gives it depth.
The main reservation is formula: several readers call the small-town second chance well worn. One found it draggy and repetitive, one didn’t see the chemistry and found the side characters more fun, and one wanted more detail about what happened years earlier. For a cosy read, note that one reader says a thread of angst runs through most of it.
My honest note: Comfortable and heartfelt, if not surprising.
| Element | In Fool for Love |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Chloe Roberts (property developer) & Amy Edwards (dairy farmer) |
| Core tropes | Second chance, childhood friends to lovers |
| Setting | An English village a few hours from London |
| Heat level | 🌶️🌶️ |
| Length | 286 pages (Kindle listing) |
| Series | Standalone |
| Content notes | Death of a parent, grief, homophobia (StoryGraph) |
How Spicy Is Fool for Love?
Moderately; one listener calls it steamy.
StoryGraph users flag grief, death of a parent and minor homophobia.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a heartfelt village reunion. It is on our cozy lesbian romance list.
You may want to skip it if: you’ve had your fill of second-chance homecomings.
In short: Home, grief and a first love.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 25% five stars, 44% four, 25% three, 3% two and none at one star. On StoryGraph, 91% tagged it emotional and 66% lighthearted.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The village first. Second, family and community. Third, the emotional punch. Fourth, the chemistry.
What readers argue about and complain about: A familiar formula, above everything. Second, pacing. Third, thin backstory.
The comparison worth making first: Sommers’s Love Next Door.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long were Chloe and Amy apart?
Eighteen years. They were inseparable best friends and teenage first loves until school rumours and Amy’s rejection drove Chloe away.
Is Fool for Love angsty?
Somewhat. One reader says a thread of angst runs through most of the story; others call it cosy and sweet with delicious angst.
How spicy is it?
Moderate — one audiobook listener rates the steam level as steamy.
Is there an audiobook?
Yes, narrated by Sienna Frances according to one listener.
Is Fool for Love on Kindle Unlimited?
Not when we checked; the Kindle edition was listed at $9.99.
If You Loved Fool for Love, Read These Next
Try Love Next Door or another English village romance, A Taste of Love. Browse our cozy list or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Fool for Love sets out to reunite first loves in a country village, and it does so with real feeling. What holds it back is a well-trodden plot. Good for second-chance fans. Check Fool for Love on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Fool for Love ranks as a good second-chance romance — heartfelt, familiar.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ 3.93 average across 320 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 69% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 3.75 on StoryGraph from 59 reviews
- ✓ 4.3 stars across 98 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Second chance
- ✓ Crackling tension
- ✓ Formulaic for some
- ✓ No chemistry for one
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Three-dimensional
- ✓ Families
- ✓ Bella the dog
- ✓ Side cast shines
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ Emotional
- ✓ Charming setting
- ✓ Draggy for one
- ✓ Thin backstory
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Tagged emotional by 91%
- ✓ Grief
- ✓ Surprising tears
- ✓ Thread of angst
Heat Level ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ Steamy per one
- ✓ Moderate
- ✓ Adult
- ✓ Not the focus
Ending ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Reunited
- ✓ Warm
- ✓ Earned
- ✓ Predictable
Re-read Value ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ $9.99 Kindle price
- ✓ Audiobook available
- ✓ 286 pages
- ✓ Not on Kindle Unlimited
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