☆☆☆☆/5

Fans of Gilmore Girls will absolutely love this cozy fall romcom. The Pumpkin Spice Cafe follows Jeanie, new to town and new owner of the town coffee shop, and Logan, local farmer beloved by the town. Upon first meeting, Logan and Jeanie couldn’t be more opposite or more annoying to each other, but, despite this, they can’t deny the attraction they feel for one another. Both bringing their own emotional baggage, exploring this attraction soon becomes a tangled mess that is heartfelt, humorous, steamy, and vulnerable.

I loved all of the side characters— they were very well developed and unique, which is hard to do with so many. The town meetings scenes were so fun & chaotic— they reminded me so much of the town meetings in Gilmore Girls and really conveyed what it feels like to live in Dream Harbour.

The only thing that kept The Pumpkin Spice Cafe from being 5 stars for me was that I felt Jeanie and Logan moved from strangers to hooking up a bit too quickly for what had been established about their characters. At the start of the story, both Jeanie and Logan have a strong conviction to stay away from one another, and I think it would have felt a bit more realistic had they spent just a bit longer as not-quite enemies before hooking up. I also think this would have built up a bit more tension and suspense, making the payoff of them actually getting together just a bit more emotional for the reader.

Aside from that, I really really enjoyed this read. It was cute, full of witty banter, steamy, heartfelt, atmospheric (had me longing for fall even more than usual), and lovable.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute stars hollow vibe book! This has gotten me even more excited for autumn and I just wish I lived in a small town like this.

I loved the characters, very Lorelei and Luke vibes and the nosy side characters was just everything!

I think it did rush through a lot of mostly focused on the relationship than her seeing the side characters.

Overall this is such a cute book that will get you in the feels for autumn!

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this at in exchange on my honest review

Who doesn't love a grumpy sunshine? This story is just the loveliest thing I have read in a long time with the gorgeous small town autumnal setting and just overall cosy vibes It's the perfect story for the upcoming season!

This was such a nice sweet easy read for the majority of the book, the rest is pure spicy filth and I loved it 😂.

Jeanie is running away from her old life and the stress that came with it so is trying to become new Jeanie. She’s just not sure who that is yet, but I loved her just as the mess she was.

Logan while trying to avoid being murdered for just delivering gourds might just be what she is missing. With one public humiliation already under his belt though, keeping his new infatuation secret in a small town may prove difficult.

With strange goings on and noises cue a ghost stakeout, a mystery threading through the narrative and a great excuse for them to get closer.

This was packed with autumnal vibes, pop star animals, humour from a prophetic mayor and a raunchy bookclub. Then throw in two extremely loveable main characters and a few misunderstandings and you have a wonderful small town romance perfect for cosy nights in hedgehog pyjamas while drinking a pumpkin spice latte or cider.

I was really erxcited for this book, because it instantly gave me Gilmore Girl vibes. And the book did have those vibes, but there were some things in this book that were annoying me. But more about that later. I actually really enjoyed this book. It was cozy, cute, a light and quick read. It made me happy and I wanted to move to a small town and start my own cafe.

I really liked Jeanie, who leaves her life behind to take over her aunts cafe. She meets Logan, who is helping on his grandparent’s farm. They fall in love, and it’s all so wholesome and adorable. Really, read this in September or October and you’ll get all the fall vibes. Just by looking at this cover you get excited for fall.

I would’ve like to read more Jeanie and Logan moments, where they got tot know eachother. They were dancing around eachother for a long time, and when they finally got togheter there were a lot of spice scenes. I would’ve liked to read more moments where they just talked.

And the last thing I didn’t like: when Jeanie was talking or thinking about Logan, she almost always called him ‘the farmer’ or ‘the hot farmer’ or something like that. He’s more than a farmer, right?

But, overall I really enjoyed this book and it gave me real fall vibes while it was super hot outside. So definitely a recommandation to read during fall!

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore was a cute, quick and sweet read to cozy up this season. The fall vibes were ever present and had perfect timing. It was a cozy small town romance with the towners providing such variety and quirks that I loved them all. Also, a book club who read spicy books and meets regularly to gossip sounds right about my alley. Also just look at that pretty cover!! I would just buy the book for its beautiful cover tbh.

Read it if you like-
-Small town romance
-Dual POV
-Grumpy-sunshine trope
-Fall vibes
-Insta love
-A bit of spice

Synopsis- Imagine a hallmark/Fall vibed story with a city girl who moves into a small town to manage her aunt’s coffee shop and is determined to turn her life from a workaholic secretary to a sunshiny cafe owner of a cozy town with nosy but well intentioned people. Now put a sexy and brooding farmer who is still haunted by his public humiliation after proposing to her ex in front of the whole town and had her move out on him, in the mix. The attraction is instant and what follows is him helping her out in settling, his constant battle to move on from the last breakup by giving this new connection a chance and some interesting enough mystery as a subplot.

Things I like- First and foremost the cover! It is gorgeous and I guess everyone will agree with me on that. Also I loved reading about the townies. The variety the author brought was amazing. Though all varied in nature and behavior, the common theme of being caring and genuine is what touched me the most. Also the animals were such a nice addition. The chicks and the Bobs sounded really fun.
The story explored a lot of different themes, such as fitting in and finding your place, abandonment issues and trauma. But nothing took over and everything complimented the story. I would definitely like to read more about the side character’s love story which the author hinted towards in the book, especially Hazel and Noah’s.
Things I didn't like- The spice somehow felt forced. Also I would have liked it more if there were more bonding moments between the FMC and MMC. The attraction was quick and lacked chemistry.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for providing me with an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I am posting this review to my Goodreads and Storygraph accounts immediately and will post it to my Instagram account upon publication on 8/30/23.

If you are looking for a Stars Hollow, Fall, feel good read, this is the book for you. I enjoyed the quirky town of Dream Harbour with its nosey...but with the best of intention neighbors. The little mystery of who may be trying to sabotage Jeanie and the cafe was a fun addition and unique way to bring our MCs together.

While it took me a little bit of time to find the chemistry between Jeanie and Logan, I was not mad at it considering Logan's past and thought it was relatable and made Jeanie's patience with him (even if it left her wondering) more endearing. Overall, this book was enjoyable and it left me smiling and feeling cozy.

If you are a fan of Hallmark movies and the small town feel of Gilmore Girls, you will definitely be a fan of this book. It is a solid 3.5 stars for me, let me tell you what I loved about it. First, I am a Hallmark movie junkie, and this has all of the same feels but with spice added in. The town setting gave me all the vibes of Gilmore Girls, which is another favorite of mine. I adored that Logan was a complete cinnamon roll inside a grouchy shell. I laughed at all the pop star names for the animals and the costume contest within the fall festival.

I know what you are thinking, if you loved all these things why are you only giving it 3.5 stars? This book does one thing I really struggle with in books: lack of or miscommunication. There were parts where it was handled well and parts that truly frustrated me. Both characters had trauma that they truly needed to work on and that cropped up in their wish washy back and forth behaviors. Without this, I think I would have enjoyed it more. Even so, I do look forward to reading more from this author, especially if there is more set in this world. Thanks again to NetGalley and Harper Collins / One More Chapter publishing for a chance to read an ARC of this novel.

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe was the ultimate cozy autumnal read following the protagonist, Jeanie, as she leaves the hustle and bustle of the city and takes over her aunt's small cafe in a small town. There she meets burly and lumberjack-esque Logan, a local farmer who provides produce for the cafe. Both protagonists learn to overcome their doubts and fears and even solve a little town mystery together!

This is a cozy autumn read that is quick to get through and made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. The only slightly strange thing I found was how heteronormative it was...like, not even one Queer townsperson? Strange.

[ Thank you to NetGalley and OneMoreChapter for the e-arc ]

★★★.75

The Pumpkin Spice Café is the perfect lighthearted cosy autumn read. Or, in my case the perfect book to read during August when I’m already thinking about how it’s almost autumn.

I loved loved loved all the autumnal elements from the café to all the autumn-themed events happening like the fall festival — what a dream. Honestly, this whole book screams Gilmore Girls and Stars Hollow and I’ll eat up anything that gives me a glimmer of those vibes! Even though I didn’t read this during autumn it definitely made me even more excited for the season to get here.

The romance was so cute! Both characters were struggling in different ways and it was so nice seeing both of them acknowledging and overcoming their issues.

There’s a little mystery subplot and even though it’s not, by any means a major mystery, and was obvious I still enjoyed it for what it was.

So I’ve discovered a new author that I will definitely be keeping an eye out for! Loved the setting, the characters, the storyline with the mystery in the background, and then the spice hit and I was not expecting it so that was a big added bonus!

Sweet Hallmark-style book that is perfect for fall. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I was drawn to this book because of the title and cover which I found so freaking cute. The book is in told in third person dual pov, not my fav but it wasn't bad. I thought the story was cute and a quick read definitely a good read for this coming fall months! I enjoy spice but i felt that Jeanie and Logan could have used more relationship development than the spice don't get me wrong I enjoyed it but i would've love more of them just being together as a couple. definitely gave cozy vibes which were great!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review.
This was such a cozy and cute read. It really got me excited about all things fall but the end felt a little rushed.

This was a sweet hallmarky instalove small town romance. If this becomes a series I’d love to read more on the other townies!


Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an arc in exchange for a review!

This was a light easy breezy story. It was kinda funny that for once in a story the guy was more worried about the relationship. It does have some heat in the story, you might need a cold shower after reading it
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early years

This book is a cute and fluffy romance about a girl (Jeanie) who moves to a small town to take over her aunts café (The Pumpkin Spice Café). Logan, the other main character, is a small town resident and farmer who agrees to help Jeanie with some mysteries happening at the café. Both characters are working through some past trauma and insecurities, but their story ends up being very light, making this book easy to read and finish quickly.
The actual spice is pretty low in this book, just a few scenes mostly near the end, so this is a safe read for anyone not really in to the spicier scenes in romance books.
Grab your PSL, a cozy fall blanket and set aside some time for this sweet fall-ish romance.
4/5 stars for a cute read!

Too few pumpkins, too much spice...

I adore Gilmore Girls. I rewatch the series every autumn to get all the cosy feels and I've been looking for a show, movie, or book with the same vibes for years. So when I heard about The Pumpkin Spice Cafe (aptly authored by Laurie Gilmore, surely a pen name inspire by Gilmore Girls), I was SO excited!

And on the surface, this book has a lot of links to Stars Hollow: a quaint New English town filled with quirky characters who go to town meetings, have a Harvest Festival, and generally have a good old, wholesome time. There's even a cat front and centre, which elevates it from Gilmore Girls (I'm a cat, not a dog person). Also, the two main characters, Jeanie and Logan, gave me all the Lorelai and Luke vibes, without dragging out the will-they, won't-they.

However, despite ticking all the autumnal and Stars Hollow boxes, this book didn't fully hit the mark for me. Character development was almost non-existent and towards the end the focus was more on the "spice" in the bedroom, which felt at odds with the wholesomeness of the rest of the novel. It's like the author was trying to please two very different kinds of readers with this book (those who want "pumpkins" galore and those who want "spice") and by doing so, didn't manage to please either.

It's a real shame, because there was so much potential and so much I loved about The Pumpkin Spice Cafe: the setting, the protagonists, the shops, the quirky villagers, the cat... I know Laurie Gilmore is creating another novel set in the same town and I'm still keen to check it out. I hope it'll be more story-focused with proper character developments alongside more town meetings, festivals, book clubs, and cosiness.

This was such a cute read and a cozy way to get into the starting fall vibes!! Logan and Jeanie were actually so adorable together. The writing flowed well with their story. A bit of downer for me with the third act break up but I understood why it was necessary for the story to continue.

Following Jeanie on her journey as a cafe owner in a small town and navigating her new relaxed life from her old stressful job. I totally bonded with Jeanie, as her character resonated with me a lot! Overthinking at times, not wanting to be stuck in a stressful corporate job, thinking everyone has their sh*t together but you, yeah I totally understood her alot😂.
However, seeing her slowly find her path as a new cafe owner and make such good friends in the small town was so heartwarming!

Logan, was a big sweetheart. He was so helpful and a good listener when Jeanie started her rambling even though his pov was so funny at times at those moments. He did make me cringe towards the end but that’s okay, he was just a man in love. Also I like how his mental health issue was discussed, it was a really good way to help the readers understand why he acted the way he did and the thoughts he had.

I liked it because it had my favorite tropes:
-grumpyxsunshine
-small town romance
-found family
-small town mystery

All in all, this was a really fun cute short read that made me feel like traveling to a small town and spending my afternoons at a cafe with a pumpkin spiced latte in one hand and watching the fall leaves sway in the wind. 🥹😊😊. Would be interesting to know how the other stories of the other couples teased in the book.

What to say about The Pumpkin Spice Café?
It’s an easy going, quick read but it’s written a little superficially. I don’t mean the subject isn’t important, more than there isn’t enough detail in this book. Characters don’t seem fleshed out and events and any spice happen too quickly. I think I needed more focus on the town, it’s events and community to enjoy this book more. It’s a good book if you like a cosy mystery, but you will probably work out what’s happening very quickly and the explanation is really just a bit silly. The romance was my least favourite part and I didn’t really buy into it. I wanted this book to get me excited for autumn and my first PSL of the year but it definitely could benefit from more autumn vibes. If you have got a spare rainy afternoon in October, you might want to curl up with this book, but no need to push it to the top of your TBR pile.

2.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.