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A review by sophee_568
Pumpkin Spice by Tagan Shepard
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!