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hania_haru's review
4.0
Lots of thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review (I thought I would never say this thank you so much)!
Lots of pumpkin spice lattes, wood chopping, pumpkins and autumn coziness… I love it!
I give “Pumpkin Spice” 4 out of 5 stars! I can't believe that Tagan Shepard is so underrated because I devoured this book!
Once I got into it properly I finished it in my second sitting and it was such a light and fun romance read. It was my first LBGTQ related book and it didn’t disappoint at all.
To give you a brief introduction:
Pumpkin Spice is about Nicki who is the biggest homebody and even almost a hermit. Because of a disastrous breakup she stopped believing in a happily ever after and avoids any unnecessary contact with the outside world. For Carter, the love interest and who works at her family’s pumpkin farm goes the same. Nicki’s Halloween obsessed niece, Lily, makes her go pick pumpkins at the same farm and when Nicki pumps into Carter it’s love at first sight. That’s not all, Lily also asks her hero aunt to help out with the Halloween Festival which will be held out at Carter’s Farm and that’s where the romance starts to bloom between the two… Maybe a happily ever after is possible after all?
Specific Rating
The cover: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters development: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Romance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Average: 3,9
Tropes
- Small town romance
- Halloween and autumn ofcourse!
- Introverted x Extraverted
- Love at first sight
The book is set in Bucks Mill, Virginia. As I said in the tropes section that it’s a small town romance which was my first time reading it. It was simple and realistic which I found really nice and the book started off powerfully giving a good introduction to the protagonist. I really liked how the author connected one event to another to make sure Nicki can see Carter again in a natural way. It wasn’t too obvious and over the top. Ofcourse they met pretty often in the month the book progressed in but from a small town romance it’s expected and it wasn’t weird. The interactions were nice, subtle and not too long. It was at a length that there was enough room for another interaction next time it happened. The first thing I saw was how good the writing style was which was really easy to adjust to and I can really appreciate that.
It wasn’t repetitive nor amateur at all so that’s a big plus point to the author!
Plot and World building
I don’t have much to say about this in a good sense because it was a predictable plot for a short book, it delivered a good story and stayed true to its synopsis!
There was a good balance between dialogue and description.
Characters
I adored the relationship Nicki had with her niece Lily. She was really seen as the hero aunt by Lily who she could tell everything to and did fun things with. I really liked their interactions.
The same goes for Nicki with her sister, Rachel. They often had wine nights where Nicki would spill all the tea about her interactions with Carter and it made me really warm from the inside to see such a good bond between the sisters. I do wanna say that I wish that there were maybe 2 more characters who Nicki could interact with because it seemed like her social circle was really really small. Ofcourse it was a short book but she interacted with only a handful people which I found too little. Besides that I also wanna say that I didn’t expect Nicki and Carter to be almost 40? They didn’t behave like that, in the sense of that they were behaving more like begin / mid 30s and I thought 40 was a little too much… The same goes for the moms of Lily’s friends, they weren’t acting that age at all, there is one like a typical popular / arrogant type mom and she seemed more like mid 20 than near 40 so that was a bit confusing. I understand that the author wants to give the readers a realistic view of an adult working, introverted protagonist and that true love is still possible at a later age but I think if they were a little younger it would make more sense with their behaviour. Maybe I’m just too used to 20-30 year old protagonists haha!
Romance
What can I say, the romance was great! I loved the chemistry and dialogues between Nicki and Carter, they had their inside jokes and Carter really put Nicki’s awkwardness at ease.
They bonded really well and it wasn’t insta-lovey thankfully. I wouldn’t say that there’s smut because it wasn’t explicit at all but more that there were intimate moments so that’s really ideal for readers that prefer that over smut!
Conclusion
To wrap it up, I really recommend this book for anyone who wants a cozy Halloween autumn filled book with an absolutely adorable romance story! It was really enjoyable, there was a nice story flow and again I’m super happy I got an eARC to review this book, thank you so so much for that!
I hope this review gave you a proper idea about this book and convinces you to read it, enjoy! (:
Copy paste the link to see the whole review I made: https://carbonated-amethyst-e15.notion.site/Pumpkin-Spice-Review-1c704b5faebc45019be86ff35ab10bf0
Lots of pumpkin spice lattes, wood chopping, pumpkins and autumn coziness… I love it!
I give “Pumpkin Spice” 4 out of 5 stars! I can't believe that Tagan Shepard is so underrated because I devoured this book!
Once I got into it properly I finished it in my second sitting and it was such a light and fun romance read. It was my first LBGTQ related book and it didn’t disappoint at all.
To give you a brief introduction:
Pumpkin Spice is about Nicki who is the biggest homebody and even almost a hermit. Because of a disastrous breakup she stopped believing in a happily ever after and avoids any unnecessary contact with the outside world. For Carter, the love interest and who works at her family’s pumpkin farm goes the same. Nicki’s Halloween obsessed niece, Lily, makes her go pick pumpkins at the same farm and when Nicki pumps into Carter it’s love at first sight. That’s not all, Lily also asks her hero aunt to help out with the Halloween Festival which will be held out at Carter’s Farm and that’s where the romance starts to bloom between the two… Maybe a happily ever after is possible after all?
Specific Rating
The cover: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters development: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Romance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Average: 3,9
Tropes
- Small town romance
- Halloween and autumn ofcourse!
- Introverted x Extraverted
- Love at first sight
The book is set in Bucks Mill, Virginia. As I said in the tropes section that it’s a small town romance which was my first time reading it. It was simple and realistic which I found really nice and the book started off powerfully giving a good introduction to the protagonist. I really liked how the author connected one event to another to make sure Nicki can see Carter again in a natural way. It wasn’t too obvious and over the top. Ofcourse they met pretty often in the month the book progressed in but from a small town romance it’s expected and it wasn’t weird. The interactions were nice, subtle and not too long. It was at a length that there was enough room for another interaction next time it happened. The first thing I saw was how good the writing style was which was really easy to adjust to and I can really appreciate that.
It wasn’t repetitive nor amateur at all so that’s a big plus point to the author!
Plot and World building
I don’t have much to say about this in a good sense because it was a predictable plot for a short book, it delivered a good story and stayed true to its synopsis!
There was a good balance between dialogue and description.
Characters
I adored the relationship Nicki had with her niece Lily. She was really seen as the hero aunt by Lily who she could tell everything to and did fun things with. I really liked their interactions.
The same goes for Nicki with her sister, Rachel. They often had wine nights where Nicki would spill all the tea about her interactions with Carter and it made me really warm from the inside to see such a good bond between the sisters. I do wanna say that I wish that there were maybe 2 more characters who Nicki could interact with because it seemed like her social circle was really really small. Ofcourse it was a short book but she interacted with only a handful people which I found too little. Besides that I also wanna say that I didn’t expect Nicki and Carter to be almost 40? They didn’t behave like that, in the sense of that they were behaving more like begin / mid 30s and I thought 40 was a little too much… The same goes for the moms of Lily’s friends, they weren’t acting that age at all, there is one like a typical popular / arrogant type mom and she seemed more like mid 20 than near 40 so that was a bit confusing. I understand that the author wants to give the readers a realistic view of an adult working, introverted protagonist and that true love is still possible at a later age but I think if they were a little younger it would make more sense with their behaviour. Maybe I’m just too used to 20-30 year old protagonists haha!
Romance
What can I say, the romance was great! I loved the chemistry and dialogues between Nicki and Carter, they had their inside jokes and Carter really put Nicki’s awkwardness at ease.
They bonded really well and it wasn’t insta-lovey thankfully. I wouldn’t say that there’s smut because it wasn’t explicit at all but more that there were intimate moments so that’s really ideal for readers that prefer that over smut!
Conclusion
To wrap it up, I really recommend this book for anyone who wants a cozy Halloween autumn filled book with an absolutely adorable romance story! It was really enjoyable, there was a nice story flow and again I’m super happy I got an eARC to review this book, thank you so so much for that!
I hope this review gave you a proper idea about this book and convinces you to read it, enjoy! (:
Copy paste the link to see the whole review I made: https://carbonated-amethyst-e15.notion.site/Pumpkin-Spice-Review-1c704b5faebc45019be86ff35ab10bf0
jazzyjbox's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A sweet and cozy romance perfect for autumn!
In her forties, Nicki knows what she likes. Nicki loves fall, her sister, and her niece and nephew. When her niece Lily begs Nicki to volunteer for the Halloween festival, Nicki agrees. It doesn't hurt that she'll get to see more of Carter, the hot butch working at her parents' local pumpkin farm.
The first half of this book was absolutely perfect fall crush vibes and sweet developing romance. The second half got a little spicier, and Nicki's anxiety and insecurity flared. I wish there had been a chance for Nicki to go to therapy to deal with her issues. Otherwise, I loved the small town setting and the loving support of Nicki's sister and Carter's family.
In her forties, Nicki knows what she likes. Nicki loves fall, her sister, and her niece and nephew. When her niece Lily begs Nicki to volunteer for the Halloween festival, Nicki agrees. It doesn't hurt that she'll get to see more of Carter, the hot butch working at her parents' local pumpkin farm.
The first half of this book was absolutely perfect fall crush vibes and sweet developing romance. The second half got a little spicier, and Nicki's anxiety and insecurity flared. I wish there had been a chance for Nicki to go to therapy to deal with her issues. Otherwise, I loved the small town setting and the loving support of Nicki's sister and Carter's family.
sophee_568's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Pumpkin Spice is a feel-good Holiday romance set in a small town in Virginia. The protagonist, Nicki Russel, is a thirty-something woman working in the financial department of the University of Virginia. She lives in a cottage alone, but her sister Rachel lives right next door. Rachel is divorced, with two lovely and funny children – Lilly and Blake. Nicki and Rachel have a close relationship and can always lean on each other. Visiting the local pumpkin event with Rachel and her nephews, Nicki meets the hot new butch in town – Carter. Carter's parents own Carter Farms, where they will be hosting this year's Halloween festival. Being the clumsy, awkward woman she is, Nicki volunteers to help with the preparations for the festival, earning herself a chance to befriend Carter. Despite her crippling fear of rejection, Nicki gathers the courage to ask Carter on a date. Will the two women find a shared love language, or will their past experiences in love get in the way?
I don't typically read romance novels, but this one blew me away. Reading Pumpkin Spice melted my cold heart and made me believe someone would love me in all my damaged glory. Nicki is a relatable protagonist. Before she met Carter, she hadn't dated in a while, and her last relationship was a disaster. Whenever Nicki is with Carter, she either trips or drops something, but Carter does not look down on her. During one scene at a Haunted house at Carter's Farms, Nicki attempts to fake being scared and fling herself into Carter's arms only to fall and hit her head against a chest. She almost suffers a concussion. At first, I was apprehensive about the author overusing Nicki's clumsiness, but that was not the case. As a clumsy girl myself, I had to laugh and nod emphatically.
I loved Nicki and Carter's dynamic. It felt raw and realistic, and I desperately wanted them to remain together. Carter seems like she will be the braver one in their relationship, but her stoic appearance is flimsy. While spending more time with Carter, Nicki realizes that Carter is more reserved than she initially appeared. Carter never tells Nicki her first name and only vaguely tells Nicki about her ex-girlfriend. Nicki is so head over heels that she does not register Carter's hesitation about completely opening up to her. I liked how Nicki and Carter had internal struggles, which eventually became a problem in their relationship. The third act conflict of the novel was believable and expected. The two women knew that to preserve their relationship, they would have to have a serious conversation and lay all their cards on the table.
I would classify Pumpkin Spice as a slow-burn romance. There is only one spicy scene, for anyone wondering. It is such a wholesome, funny, and sweet book. It made me laugh out loud and giggle so many times. It is now one of my favorite romance novels.
Thank you Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for the free review copy!
I don't typically read romance novels, but this one blew me away. Reading Pumpkin Spice melted my cold heart and made me believe someone would love me in all my damaged glory. Nicki is a relatable protagonist. Before she met Carter, she hadn't dated in a while, and her last relationship was a disaster. Whenever Nicki is with Carter, she either trips or drops something, but Carter does not look down on her. During one scene at a Haunted house at Carter's Farms, Nicki attempts to fake being scared and fling herself into Carter's arms only to fall and hit her head against a chest. She almost suffers a concussion. At first, I was apprehensive about the author overusing Nicki's clumsiness, but that was not the case. As a clumsy girl myself, I had to laugh and nod emphatically.
I loved Nicki and Carter's dynamic. It felt raw and realistic, and I desperately wanted them to remain together. Carter seems like she will be the braver one in their relationship, but her stoic appearance is flimsy. While spending more time with Carter, Nicki realizes that Carter is more reserved than she initially appeared. Carter never tells Nicki her first name and only vaguely tells Nicki about her ex-girlfriend. Nicki is so head over heels that she does not register Carter's hesitation about completely opening up to her. I liked how Nicki and Carter had internal struggles, which eventually became a problem in their relationship. The third act conflict of the novel was believable and expected. The two women knew that to preserve their relationship, they would have to have a serious conversation and lay all their cards on the table.
I would classify Pumpkin Spice as a slow-burn romance. There is only one spicy scene, for anyone wondering. It is such a wholesome, funny, and sweet book. It made me laugh out loud and giggle so many times. It is now one of my favorite romance novels.
Thank you Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for the free review copy!
tiffanne11's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Pumpkin Spice and everything nice!
Nikki and Carter have both been spurned from the idea of relationships, but after a meet cute at Carter's family pumpkin patch, their romance begins. Add in some forced proximity, a sister who just gets it, and apple pie moonshine, and you have a recipe for a fantastic romance.
This book was the perfect start to my fall TBR. It was a cute and cozy romance with characters who are all adults (why is this such a rarity, I love it). The feelings are raw and real. The characters made me laugh and cry. The spice is spicy.
Overall, I couldn't think of one thing to make this book better.
I received an ARC of this book for review consideration but all opinions are my own.
Nikki and Carter have both been spurned from the idea of relationships, but after a meet cute at Carter's family pumpkin patch, their romance begins. Add in some forced proximity, a sister who just gets it, and apple pie moonshine, and you have a recipe for a fantastic romance.
This book was the perfect start to my fall TBR. It was a cute and cozy romance with characters who are all adults (why is this such a rarity, I love it). The feelings are raw and real. The characters made me laugh and cry. The spice is spicy.
Overall, I couldn't think of one thing to make this book better.
I received an ARC of this book for review consideration but all opinions are my own.
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