So many books claim to give people the same vibes as Gilmore Girls but none have ever come this close to making me feel the coziness and just sense of peace that I feel in stars hallow. Wowowowow. I did not want this book to end and I was literally about to cry tears of joy when I saw this was book 1 of a series. Thank goodness!

This book has everything- new england, fall, meet cutes, ghosts??, small towns, quirky mayors, etc. Truly. I wish I waited two more days to read it so I could have gone to Dunkin’ to get a pumpkin iced coffee and apple cider donut but I also couldn’t wait any longer to read this book. My only question is, when do we get book 2???

Seriously the most perfect fall read that I will be revisiting when I need to feel like a. book is giving me a warm hug.

First off - thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an early copy of this book!

If you are looking for a warm hug of a book this fall, this is your book! This is every lovely Fall hallmark channel movie rolled into a single book. If you love cats, coffee and romance you’ll eat this one up!

Specifics I loved about this book? The coffee shop aspect! I loved that she inherits the coziest coffee shop in this book, it’s amazingly cozy and fallish!

The cat! I love a cozy read with a cat adoption. I can’t get enough of that!

Finally the romance - I love a sweet romance book like this one!

Give this one a go and pick it up for your fall reads, it’s a solid and cozy book and totally worth it!

[3 Stars 😒] The Pumpkin Spice Cafe is a cute, cozy mystery read and is perfect for anyone looking to get their Gilmore Girls' Stars Hollow fix. The author's name, Laurie Gilmore, is just the cherry on top. I think The Pumpkin Spice Cafe is a good "seasonal" book to read when the leaves change color because I got all the autumnal vibes from this book.

While I enjoyed The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, I think I would have enjoyed it more told from the first-person point of view since I tend to prefer and engage better with romance books written with that perspective. I also think it could have been longer to really flesh out the romance between Logan and Jeanie and to drag out the mystery element more--even if it was pretty predictable. However, some books, in my opinion, are meant to be light and fun reads that create an ambiance, and that's what The Pumpkin Spice Cafe was for me.

I liked Jeanie and Logan's characters and their romantic relationship development. Even though they are late 20's/early 30's, I would recommend The Pumpkin Spice Cafe to someone like my mom or mother-in-law because the dialogue and monologues read more...mature(?) and the spice level is less than what is out in the market now. Coupled with the cozy mystery and coffee shop atmosphere, I would feel comfortable and happy recommending this to them.
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Details:
💘Contemporary romance
👀Dual POV
🕵️‍♀️Mystery

Tropes:
📍Forced proximity
🌤Grumpy/sunshine
🧨Slow burn
🏡Small town

Spice:
💥Sex, but not explicit (medium)
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Emoji Ranking System:
🤩Fantastic (4.75-5.00)
😍Great (4.25-4.75)
😊Good, but not great (3.50-4.25)
😒Just OK (2.75-3.50)
😑It's A No (1.00-2.75)
🚫DNF

A sweet floaty read. I loved the story which just transports you away. So easy to read and a quick read too. Would recommend!

This was a cute, quick easy read heavy on the “Fall in a small-town” thing and not much else. It has a very Gilmore Girls/Hallmark vibe, right down to the nosy neighbors and constant town festivals. In fact, it’s so wholesome that it was a little boring until the “pumpkin spice” hits. That part felt so out of place with the rest of the story!

Overall, this is a good one to read if you’re craving crackling leaves, flannel and pumpkin flavored everything.

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

This is such a sweet, small town romance with all the cosy vibes.

There is a great cast of characters which really add to the small town feel of this book. They are nosy, funny, protective and involved in everyone’s business.

Logan is a perfectly written silent, introverted type which provides a great contrast to the sunshiney, optimistic and extroverted Jeannie. It is definitely a case of opposites attract but it works so well. It is a bit insta-love/attraction which may not work as well for fans of a slow burn romance.

Nana might be my favourite character in the book. Everyone needs a Nana in their life to give them advice, keep them fed and tell them when they’re being an idiot.

Only slight let down was that I was expecting more of an autumnal vibe based on the book title which I didn’t really get.

The plot is interesting and the pacing spot on to keep you wanting to read this cosy, sweet romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review

Overall an enjoyable read with a cozy autumn feel.
I love the grumpy/sunshine and small town tropes.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5

Jeanie's aunt gifts her the Pumpkin Spice Cafe in the small town of Dream Harbour, and she jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from the very dull desk job she use to have.
Logan is a the local farmer who avoids Dream Harbour gossip. But Jeanie's arrival disrupts Logans routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, expect he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.

I finished this within a day it was such a cute, fun and easy read. Definitely gave me the autumn vibes and got me wanting to have a pumpkin spice latte!!
I really did love all the side characters in this too and I hope we get another book;)

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins one more chapter for this ARC.

DNF
Unfortunately this one wasn't for me. I am not a fan of mystery type things and didn't realise the book had that aspect in it. So I have DNFed but can't judge the book so have put the medium score of 3 stars.

How cute was this book? This was exactly what I’d want from a small town romance - it had all the cosy autumn vibes, a small town opportunity with that “will she stay?” storyline, a grumpy x sunshine dynamic. Like an autumn hallmark movie.

What I will say though is that this book looks way more cosy and innocent on the cover than it is! This couple gave us quite the spicy storyline when the romance kicked in! Definitely a little catfish here with that cute and cosy cover!

Overall it was exactly what I’d want out of a romance, it was a super quick read, I liked the characters, it’s nicely set up to check back in later as other characters go on to develop romances. I really liked the dynamics of the small town and how protective they were of Logan, but also how nosy they all were, it brought a fun element to the setting and side characters. Definitely one I’d recommend to romance fans for their autumn tbrs.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for my earc of this book.

my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

thank you netgalley & harpercollins UK for the arc of this book in return for an honest review!

this book definitely gives the whole Hallmark movie vibe, which i love. although i normally prefer first person, i do think the third person voice did the book justice. i think the plot had holes in it at some points and just didn’t mesh together well. i did. enjoy the characters individually more than them as a couple, i feel like their relationship lacked depth and was just very superficial.

this book does give off the fall, cozy vibes, which is what i needed when i read it. it also gives the small town romance aura, which is comparable to gilmore girls, (which i’ve seen a lot of people compare this book to).

overall, it was cute and fun.

A cozy, small-town, romance like a hot apple cider on a chilly autumn day. This book delivers everything you hope for in a cozy romance, and everything you would expect based on the cover and title. It will have you itching to book a trip to New England as soon as the leaves start to change colours. An element of mystery in the story line keeps everything interesting. The Pumpkin Spice Cafe is the perfect romance book to curl up with this autumn.

Thank you to One More Chapter Book, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Such a cute read
It was what I needed
I jus my want to hug the book and the character
Can I have a pumpkin spice latte now?

Unfortunately this was a very lackluster book for me. I was really excited to read it, especially as it has been very fall like where I am and this seemed perfect for the weather. Plus fall is my favorite time of year and I was ready to snuggle up and read a good romance. Only...I feel like I kept being told things, but not shown. I didn't feel a connection between the main characters, but I was told it was there from the first. It was...not awful, but not great either. Really it just left me feeling meh. I didn't care about the characters, it didn't really feel like grumpy/sunshine which is one of my favorites. I love big silent guys, but this guy was quiet, but it didn't work for me. He really just had way too much pride and a lot of issues from his last relationship to work on.

The lady was very insecure and wanted to change herself completely for not a very good reason. I really did not enjoy reading about someone who thinks she has to change the way she dresses to fit in and change the way she acts and change everything about herself. So she wasn't very sunshiney. She also bought into all the society's bs about women which I don't love - at one point she hears someone breaking the glass downstairs at her cafe in the middle of the night and she doesn't call the cops, or anyone, because she doesn't want to be seen as hysterical. Because caring about your safety makes one a hysterical women. Really if the town thought she was hysterical for that well...maybe this is not the place you should want to be. Cause that is some bs.

So yeah. This wasn't my favorite read. I didn't feel it.

This was an enjoyable, small town, cosy romance set in a picturesque little town that reminded me a lot of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls! If you’re a fan of the TV show… give this book a go!

I read this one over a couple of hours as it’s quite a short read, but it’s engaging and made me feel good! It gave me alllll the autumn vibes and whilst writing this review I’m absolutely roasting so it’s definitely made me ready for cosy season to start!

Whilst I saw a lot of the story unfolding before it happened, that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment and I got pretty much what I expected from the story. I’d have liked it to be longer though to really build up more of a slow burn between Jeanie and Logan.

I see pumpkin spice and I dive on it! This was just plain adorable!! Grumpy/sunshine romance, new girl in town, cosy cafe , just a cosy wholesome read & i loved it! Was so easy to immerse myself into this book & i found myself flying through the pages. Will definitely re read this toward autumn time as it’s full on autumnal cosy crunchy leaves & of course pumpkin spiced goodness vibes!!

Jeanie has decided to leave her old life behind when her aunt retires and leaves her cafe to her. She moves to this small town where she knows no one and is determined to find a new version of herself. In finding herself she hope to find friends and fun. She doesn’t plan on the hot farmer she almost takes out. Cute easy fall read with a little mystery thrown in.

Initially, my reading experience was quite enjoyable, but he narrative eventually seemed to fall into a repetitive pattern and it was a real struggle for me to power through. I guess it just wasn't my style, though, and I can see how other people would enjoy it.

Look, the promise of autumn-themed drinks and cosy vibes is my kryptonite, what can I say? Of course I read this. But it did fall a little flat. It sits firmly at 2.5/5 stars for me, but I recognize that maybe I'm not the best audience for small-town romance. I don't have a problem with the genre itself, but it's usually very lacking in depth, and living in a small town myself does of course influence my perception.

This story is about Jeanie. After having a bit of a scare at her corporate job, she revaluates her priorities and decides to accept her aunt Dot's offer to run The Pumpkin Spice Café at Dream Harbour. Enter Logan, a local farmer who's recently had his heart broken by an outsider, but self-preservation instincts be damned, he can't deny his attraction towards Jeanie. And besides fighting her own heart, Jeanie has a mystery to solve, because someone or something has definitely been haunting her café.

Besides all that, my biggest problem was that I didn't care. The characters caught too many feelings too fast, and I didn't get attached to neither from the get-go to offset that. The conflict felt fabricated purely for the third act nonsense, and I could well be reading tropes with legs frolicking around. The mystery is hardly mysterious, and Jeanie's reactions to what's happening are frankly odd. No matter how laid back you are, you don't ignore certain things or signs. No woman in her right mind would.

Regardless, this is meant to be a light, cosy read, and it delivered on its promise. So, if you're into that, you'll find it here. The scene with the chickens was pretty funny and endearing. Plus, the story is told in dual POV, so you get Logan's thoughts and issues alongside Jeanie's. I'm always a fan of that.

This is for you if you enjoy:
- small-town romance;
- cosy autumn/fall vibes;
- grumpy/sunshine.

This one is such a perfect book for fall, it’s so cozy, warmth and lovely.

I loved the relationship between them, the cozy small town romance and the grumpy • sunshine trope. I’ve never read this trope but I am so into it and I can recommend this book so much!

Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for giving me this ARC 😍