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lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am absolutely obsessed with the aesthetic and vibe of this book. I found the fall setting and the cafe to be so cozy and it made me literally want to move to the town of Dream Harbor. The book is clearly based off the Gilmore Girls which is so fun and cute. I found the townspeople to be a really sweet aspect of this book, and the community was so heartwarming. I found the mystery aspect of this book to also be pretty engaging and an interesting subplot. I will say I absolutely despised the third act breakup. I just got so frustrated with Logan and how he was letting his personal issues get in the way with going out with Jeanie for literally no reason. Honestly felt like if he was that insecure and had such intense abandonment issues then he shouldn't even consider going out with anyone. I found the intimate scenes to be just fine and honestly could have done without them, but they were a fun addition to the story. Overall, this is such a feel-good book and I'm in love with the entire cast of characters within this story I want to be friends with all of them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the autumnal, small town vibes. I was totally indifferent to the romance. It was too insta-love and I didn't feel the chemistry, and found the sex scenes kind of cringe and out of place.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent
Minor: Death, Abandonment
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Death, Death of parent
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Abandonment
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Cursing
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Stalking
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Because of all the hype, I was excited to read my next favorite cozy, small-town romance... and this was not it. The quality of the writing is actually kind of poor and the author did a lot of telling, not showing. The characters are pretty one-dimensional, and the while I could understand the main conflict why the characters couldn't date, these adult characters acted like 15 year olds in their assumptions and lack of communication. Also, while we got little snippets of deeper characterizations, those deeper thoughts were never fleshed out. I wasn't on board with the romance because it was very insta-lovey. While the book has a wholesome, cozy vibe, the spicy scenes did not fit in with the overall feeling of the book or the characters as they were portrayed on the page. The "mystery" going on was so weak, with minimal details or suspects and a very predictable conclusion. If this book wasn't such a quick listen (only 3.5 hours on 2x speed), I would have DNFed it. Another reviewer said this book felt like just an outline of a novel, and I completely agree. This book could have been a lot better if it had more details, more fine-tuned writing, and more character development. Bumped up the rating slightly because I laughed out loud a couple times at some funny lines.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Alcohol
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Death
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Cozy, cheesy, nothing particularly special- but as a homesick New England gal, it was needed
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
“Somewhere along the way, she’d forgotten to figure out who she was or what she wanted to be when she grew up. She’d graduated college all shiny and optimistic about her future with her nose ring intact, and then spent the next seven years having her soul sucked out one ten-hour day at a time.”
➽ The Pumpkin Spice Café was the perfect cozy Fall read! I was hesitant at first because this book was SO hyped and sometimes I end up getting disappointed. Instead, I was surprised by how much fun I had while reading! The story follows Jeanie, the new owner of the Pumpkin Spice Café who took over for her aunt. She used to visit small-town Dream Harbor when she was younger but has been stuck in her corporate 9 to 5 job in recent years. Desperate for a change, Jeanie is hoping to find purpose in her new job and can't help but feel drawn to Logan, the handsome farmer. I loved the cozy fall vibes of the book and it genuinely was so funny! It was a delight to read and the humor was spot on for me.
➽ Jeanie was an endearing character I rooted for! I sympathized with her fear of getting sucked into the corporate work and being afraid to lose herself. After being an assistant for over 7 years, discovering her boss dead at his desk is a wake-up call for her. It's obviously a traumatic event and shocks Jeanie, as she's been letting go of her dreams and not much going on in her life except for work. Determined not to end up like her boss, she reconnects with Dream Harbor and tries to find purpose in the café. I loved Jeanie, I could understand her fears and need to become a different version of herself, who wasn't so intense. At the same time, it's not clear if trying to be laid-back and unconcerned is really the answer to Jeanie's problems either!
➽ Logan has been living in Dream Harbor his entire life and perfectly fulfils the role of the hot farmer! It was easy to connect with him as well, as a public humiliation has left him guarded. Your proposal being rejected in front of the entire town is brutal and I felt so sorry for him! In a small town like Dream Harbor, the incident isn't easily forgotten and Logan hates the pity he's getting from everyone. He already feels like the town's charity case, since he's an orphan and was raised by his grandparents.
➽ I loved Jeanie's and Logan's budding romance, it was sweet! Both of them have their pasts to deal with and Logan is scared Jeanie is yet another person who's not here to stay. I would have loved a bit more slow-burn in their romance, as it felt pretty much like insta-love and I like more yearning in my pairings! Nevertheless, it was impossible not to root for them!
“Was that her future? To work and work until her heart just gave out? Gave up? Jeanie had a tendency to overthink. To over-talk. To overwork. She didn’t do rest and relaxation very well. She didn’t do calm or cool. But she was determined to try.”
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Grief, Abandonment