Review by lovelymisanthrope - The Pumpkin Spice Café

lovelymisanthrope 's review for:

The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore

5.0

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I had heard about this book on TikTok and was so curious to see what the hype was about.

“The Pumpkin Spice Cafe” follows Jeanie as she moves to small town Dream Harbor to escape her life. Jeanie is given the opportunity to take over her aunt’s cafe, and she is more than excited to get a fresh start somewhere new. Logan is a local farmer who is a good guy all around, but definitely a little grumpy around the edges. After a previous relationship with an out-of-towner went south, he swore he would never date someone from outside of Dream Harbor again.

This was such a warm and cozy romance novel. I had the biggest smile the entire time I was reading this story, and I honestly did not want it to end. I entirely understand the hype, and my only regret is that I did not read this in the fall with a pumpkin spice latte in hand.

For many reasons, this novel reminded me a lot of Gilmore Girls, my all-time favorite TV show. Logan was so similar to Luke. Logan was the town good guy who everyone loved, but also everyone knew he was a little grumpy. Logan would push back and think town functions were dumb, but he always helped out. He had is heart broken by someone who thought Dream Harbor was too small for her. The list goes on and on about the similarities between these men. The town itself, Dream Harbor, operates just like Stars Hallow, with town meetings and an eccentric man leading them all.

Jeanie was a very relatable main character. She had a traumatic instance happen in her life and she was looking for a fresh start in a new place. She wants desperately to find her home and her people, and she is so excited to integrate herself into this new town.

Jeanie and Logan have a lot of chemistry, and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. They were the perfect person for the other, and they both brought out the good in each other. They were supportive and patient, and they were just a really healthy relationship to see.

I enjoyed every moment reading this novel, and I cannot wait to pick up more from this world.

Content Warnings