Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

ARC REVIEW
Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice

by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 (4 out of 5)

I wanted a book where I could turn my brain off and read..and this was it!

Is this winning, life changing, book of the year awards? No. But it was ridiculously cute and had me feeling all the fall feels!

Lucy lives in a super cute small town and works at the coffee shop owned by her mom. Everything is smooth sailing until the mega chain "Java junction" moves in across the street.

Fall at a coffee shop means one thing...pumpkin spice lattes. But Lucy hates them! But she better learn to love them if she's going to compete with Java junction. Not to mention, her new crush is the competitions son. Can they work together so both their family business thrive?

This was adorable! I'll admit.. Lucy was annoying. Lol, perhaps this is because I'm 35 reading about a teen gir? 😂 but this book had sooooo much fall feeling to it that it literally made me want to plan an October trip and do all the autumn activities! 🍂🎃

This was so cute and a super fast read. I recommend!

Thank you, @netgalley and @scholastic, for the arc. I loved it!

One sided enemies to lovers? Grumpy sunshine? I’m not sure how to define this romance trope. The small town setting definitely served as a gentle reminder to slow down and appreciate life. The FMC read a bit immature at times but overall it was enjoyable.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The parts about coming up with new recipes, business competition and friendships was really well done. However, I wasn't as enthused with the main characters and their relationship with each other. They felt one dimensional and responded to life that way too. It just got a bit repetitious when the main characters first response to every roadblock was anger and thinking she was being sabotaged. It also seemed like everyone around the main character had to bow to her feelings. It felt disingenuous.
So I'm of a mixed mind.

This is the type of YA book that really should be market more for middle grades than young adults. It has a lot of sweet things going for it. It has great fall vibes along with gilmore girls inspiration but the characters seem very young and immature. I think this book would perform better if marketed to a more age appropriate crowd.

3.5 stars

Her mother owns a cute small town coffee shop. His just moved to town to open a chain coffee store across the street.

It’s young adult, a high school setting, and single POV. The cover art is insanely cute!

Here’s the thing though, the FMC is pretty immature. She’s often baffled by her mother’s ability to be cordial and professional with the competition. I’d actually loooove a book from the mom’s perspective, she was awesome.

I think that some YA books anyone can enjoy, and some are more specifically for the true YA demo. This would be the latter. It was cute, but the main character is very immature compared to the other characters. She also spends most of the book being aggressively “not like other girls” which is tough to read as someone in their twenties.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

This was a cute story! The writing style, characters, and plot reminded me of those by Emily Henry and Abby Jiminez. This was more a Young Adult story, though, so it was focused solely on the plot and not as much as on the romance or s-e-x. I read this book in one sitting!

I tried and tried to get into this one, but the dialogue fell to superficial and flat for me, that I had a hard time rooting for the characters or caring for the plot.

I did get the Gilmore Girls vibes as the story takes place in a small town where everyone knows each other and in a coffee shop setting with a mom and daughter that are very close. When a coffee chain store is about to open right across from Lucy’s mom coffee place she is determined not to let them get all the business.

Considering the competing coffee shops I thought this was going to be set up for a rivals story but it was very one sided. Lucy was the one more invested in the “rivalry”. Jack barely had a reaction to anything, even after a pie incident that left kids at school calling her “pieface” despite that he was the one that got the pie to the face. He kept saying he didn’t tell anyone about it, but wouldn’t defend her either when someone would call her that.

I get that Lucy is sixteen and she’s gonna have a teenagers reaction and emotions and things are gonna seem more than what they are, but she was a bit too much. In the beginning she barely let Jack get a word in before storming off. There was no connection between them, Jack said he cared for her and Lucy supposedly had a crush on him but nothing really came off it and everything felt very surface level. And she would snap at her friends when they were only trying to help. The setting was very nice as a fall read. And Lucy and her mom had a nice relationship, but ultimately everything fell a bit flat and that’s why I couldn’t give it a higher rating.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic Press for the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

A perfect read for any lover of fall or Gilmore girls. I loved every moment of this read and am hoping for a sequel.

Don't get me wrong with the seemingly low(ish) score. I found this book very enjoyable. I loved so much about it, but there was also quite a bit that had me scratching my head, leaving the overall storyline under-baked so to speak.
So, let's start with the good. I really loved Lucy and her Mom, their cute coffee shop, and the adorable town of Briar Glen. It definitely gave me a nice cozy small town feel and ever though I'm reading this in the middle of summer, I can even fell the vibes of fall. I found Lucy to be a sympathetic, if not also, a neurotic, character, although I can understand her. She's driven and hard working, loves her mom and wants what's best for her mother and the business. I also really enjoyed the description of baking and it left me wondering if Ms. Cicatelli-Kuc bakes herself. There were also a lot of funny moments here that had me laughing out loud. The friendships were also sweet, and I also enjoyed her eventual alliance with Jack.
That being said, there are so many things that would have made this book much, much better. For starters, I do wish the author was a little more descriptive with the setting, the town, and the interior of the coffee house, as the setting alone is a rich gold mine to immerse readers in. Also, what is Lucy and her Mom's story? Why is her mother single? Where's her father, and why is he not in the picture? A little background info would have painted a much clearer picture.
At worst, a few points were pretty frustrating. Some things would be talked about but never elaborated, thus going nowhere. Like why did Sheva seem strained in one part of the story? Why did the Influencer act a little shady with Lucy and her mom? How about how the kids at school felt about sudden interest in their small town, turning it into a "tourist trap".? We never delve much into that issue besides a few people side-eyeing her and then that's it. What about Jack??? I don't quite get him. I really like him, and he had a lot of potential, but he was so undeveloped as to why he liked Lucy and wanted to help her and her mom while they have a rival business, that when the story ended with no explanation to any of it, it all felt really....disappointing. And the BIGGEST question of all...when Lucy threw a pie into Jack's face and she ended up with a nickname at school. If Jack didn't start the name and told everybody then WHO DID??? This was never addressed or answered in the end. Also, throughout the story we see a lot of HINTS that there may be a spark of romance between them but then...NOTHING HAPPENS, leaving my frustrated and just guessing what will probably happen to Jack and Lucy in the end.
Overall, the idea and concept was great, but there's quite a lot of room for improvement here. Still, like I've said, it was a light-hearted, quick, and enjoyable read that's sure to conjure the comfort of a Pumpkin Spice Latte (my favorite drink).

This digital ARC was obtainable via NetGalley for an honest review.

"Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice" book cover is so cute. The descriptions of the food and drinks being served at the coffee shops sounded amazing. The fall vibe was described decently which made me crave for autumn (my favorite season). However, I did not enjoy the plot or its characters. I enjoy YA, I really do, but I feel like this read more like a middle grade novel; which I do not read unless it is a good fantasy story. Our main character is not nice and is self-centered in a way that children can be.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. I do want to be forthright that I have DNF'd this book at 54%.

Based on the book cover and description, I expected your typical YA Romance with fall/Gilmore Girls vibes (sounds amazing!). While this book did deliver on the fall setting and beautiful small town, I found the characters and romance falling short. I did thoroughly enjoy descriptions of the town, coffee shop, and the fall festival finding myself wishing I was there in real life! However, Lucy, the FMC read a lot younger than her age and her actions throughout this half of the book seemed to get more unhinged as it went on. Jack, the MMC, read very bland and lacked depth. The only things I gleaned about Jack was that he was very hot, interested in Lucy and he was kind. I feel like the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more and that would give them some much needed chemistry!

While this book was not for me, I think readers of a younger demographic would thoroughly enjoy the fall vibes and drama in this book!

Thank you again for the opportunity to review!

3 stars ✨⭐️

I wish that I had read this book in middle school because I know I would've loved it. This story gave me the cozy autumn vibes that I miss during the summer. However, I wasn't a big fan of the main character who was not a very good role model. She was sort of impulsive and only wanted things to go her way. The mom's character was also not my favorite because her reactions to her daughters actions were kind of annoying. I feel like if the characters were better, I would have enjoyed the story more.

Overall, this is a nice read great for curling up in bed with a cup of coffee.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-book ARC.

I’m definitely not the target audience for this book. I’ll start with what I loved about this book: Jack, Briar Glen, Lucy’s friends, Lucy’s mom, PSL love, and Pancakes. What didn’t work for me: Lucy. I don’t know if it’s because I’m so far removed from my teenage years or something else but Lucy was just too much. Maybe that’s just how teenagers are but it distracted me from the story.

Definitely pick up if you like a lovely YA story set in a Gillmore Girls town. Absolutely perfect for a fall read.

I received a copy from netgalley and the publisher.

This is a YA rom com. I loved it. It has gotten some mixed reviews but I promise if you loved Gilmore girls you'll love this. It just gives you that warm hot chocolate on your porch in the fall feeling if you know what I mean. It was so cute and funny. There were some moments where the Main character, Lucy, was a bit abrasive but what 16 year old isn't at some points. I think she is just a well written teenager. I cannot wait for this book to come out so I can go get a copy!!

A YA rom com set in the fall in New England. And even though I wasn't the target readership for this one. I loved it. But then I'm a sucker for a fall rom com which we don't get enough of in my opinion. And the New England setting was the icing on the cake.

this was a cute, autumnal romance! not anything super incredible that blew me away but sweet, lighthearted, and fun. no spice, and a very wholesome plot with a slowburn romance and cute town setting. if you're a big gilmore girls fan you will love this one!!

This book was so bad. I couldn’t believe the main character is 16yo… she acted like a 10yo. She’s so judgmental, harsh, walking all over everybody…. And her mom? I would never put up with that attitude. A million times her mom would tell her the same thing but then continued to let her act/talk that way. I’m glad Jack had the guts the tell her to quit twisting his words or taking things out of context cause sheesh! This girl is in high school??? Also, there was nothing “romance” about this book. Maybe some sparks fly but that was so awkward and felt fake because of how much she hates Jack in the beginning. I skim/skipped read the last 50% because the main character just really killed it.

3.75 stars ✨ 🍂🍁

Short synopsis:
We follow a young girl named Lucy, who helps her mom run their cute local coffee shop - Cup o’ Jo, in the small village of Briar Glen. As she is going about her normal routine she notices they are putting a chain coffee shop, just across the street. Lucy feels as if she needs to perfect the Pumpkin spice latte to gain new customers and keep their heads afloat.

Review:
This book has gotten mixed reviews so far, and honestly I think they are a little on the harsh side. I had a complete blast and sped through it in just a couple sittings. As I read the first chapter, I could already feel the cozy autumn vibes flowing. The author really puts you into the town, and that is where you see the comparison to Gilmore Girls.

When we are introduced to Jake, the new guy —- I really feel the warmth between him and Lucy. He is a kind person, and understands why she sometimes acts out the way she does. Is her acting out a little much at times? Yes. I also know how it is to be a 16 year old girl, thinking you have to fix everything around you.

***Below may contain small spoilers -
Pros of the book:

- Easy to get into, and read.
- THE ATMOSPHERE! (Cozy autumn vibes)
- The dynamic between a lot of the characters was believable.
- That this is not really a YA romance. (I feel like it is so much more. It really shows how the two connect, and can be good for one another —- but at the end of the day, it’s a coming of age story. )
- We see growth in the main character.

Cons of the book:

- I liked the writing style, but I do think some of it comes across immature.
- A lot of repetitiveness throughout the book. (Ex: When we are introduced to Java Junction coming to town, it is repeated a few times in just a couple pages. The paragraphs/thoughts are just worded a bit differently. It became a bit boring when things like that would happen throughout the book.)
- Evie’s character. (I truly felt like it didn’t bring anything to the book, and came off as kind of a rude background character.)

All in all, is this a masterpiece? No. Do I feel the heart that it was written with? Absolutely! I think many people can have a good time reading this book, and should give it a shot.

Comes out August 06, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley & Scholastic Inc. for sending me a free copy (E-arc) in exchange for an honest review.