ARC Review: Sunflower Season by Danica Nava

Sunflower Season
Author: Danica Nava
Publication: Berkley (November 3, 2026)

Description: Fed up and burnt-out, a woman leaves the city to take on the challenge of owning a sunflower farm but finds that her biggest trial is facing her first love in this charming second-chance romance by USA Today bestselling author Danica Nava.

Drained by her high-pressure tech job, June Walker finds an escape in homesteading videos and the fantasy of a quieter life. When she finally hits her breaking point, she does the only reasonable thing: She quits her job and buys a crumbling sunflower farm in rural Oklahoma, where she grew up.

June thought her biggest challenge in restoring Sunshine Farm would be the rotting fences but soon comes to the crushing realization that “positive vibes” are not a business plan. Nothing, however, tests her resolve quite like running into her first love, the boy she left behind after her world imploded when she was seventeen. She’s back for a fresh start, not to unpack old heartbreaks.

Noah Abbott never left Love County. Between his family, his job with the local fire brigade, and a town that knows him inside and out, he has everything he needs—except answers. So when June Walker returns as the new owner of Sunshine Farm, Noah is determined to find out why the girl who once meant everything to him vanished without a word.

As old wounds crack open and attraction flares back to life, June and Noah are forced to reckon with their past and decide whether first love is a memory best left buried or the one thing worth replanting.

My Thoughts: This second chance romance stars June Walker who has quit her high-pressure tech job to come home and restore Sunflower Farm which is a place filled with happy childhood memories. It also stars Noah Abbott who never left the area and who is now a firefighter for the local brigade. The two were childhood sweethearts who were ripped apart when June's grandmother dies and her brother sells everything and takes her back to Dartmouth with him so that he can continue college.

June is a high school senior who has already been accepted at UC Berkley when her grandmother dies. She wants to accept Noah's proposal of marriage, but her brother prevails. These stresses trigger a series of anxiety attacks which have plagued her in the years since and plague her still.

She is hoping that returning home and restoring Sunshine Farm will be the life change she needs to regain her health and happiness. She isn't sure what to think when Noah tries to rekindle their friendship and romance. She's sure he's moved on. 

This story is told from both Noah's and June's points of view and covers a year filled with growth and restoration along with a variety of problems and sorrows. Fans of complex romances will enjoy this one.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.