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.

A story about coffee that includes New England during the fall and a romance? Yes, please. I adored this book and plan to read it again this fall. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Four stars.

This was such a cute book. I didn't think I'd enjoy reading it because it's summer time and this is more of a fallish read but I was pleasantly surprised. I loved both MCs and they're love story. I don't typically reread books but this will be a book I read again when it's Fall and I have a pumpkin spice latte and the leaves are changing colors!

If you want a book that is chock full of fall vibes, this is the perfect book for you! From a fall festival, to pumpkin carving, to delicious fall foods like apple cider cupcakes, this is definitely a book that will make you want to head to the northeast and check out some autumn leaves.

The main character Lucy works in her mother’s small coffee shop, Cup O’ Jo and enjoys life in her small town. However, when a chain coffee place moves in right across the street, she feels threatened and throws herself into a scheme to save Cup O’ Jo, including making the perfect pumpkin spice latte.

This is a lighthearted, character driven story. The stakes never felt terribly high and there’s not a ton of action, but that’s not a bad thing at all. Sometimes I like to just sit back and enjoy the vibes that a book has to offer.

Other reviewers have said that Lucy read very young but while she did have her immature moments, she didn’t bother me too much, and I could understand her sense of desperation. I also liked her relationship with her mother. It was nice to see a healthy parent/child relationship in a YA contemporary.

Overall this was an adorable little read, and anyone who is looking for a book full of fall feels should definitely enjoy it!

I loved this one! It was so cute. I didn't realize when I requested it that it was YA which I don't typically read but I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the innocent feel of the story. No real cursing, no sex, nothing scandalous, just a simple enemies to lovers teen romance. I also loved the fall vibe of this! Fall is my absolute favorite season so I really enjoyed this. Made me yearn for the apple festival my town puts on every year. Anyway, this was great and I will be looking for more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Briar Glen is cute town that is all about fall. The story begins with the main character, Lucy staring out the window at school at the leaves changing colors on the trees.

Lucy spends her days after work and on the weekends working at her mother’s coffee shop Cup o’ Jo. The one thing she hates is pumpkin spice lattes. She makes that very clear to any customer that asks for one. Early on in the story, we meet Jack Harper. We find out that Lucy thinks he is hot. Then, she finds out his parents own the rival coffee shop, Java Junction, that has moved in right across from Cup o’ Jo. Lucy finds out when Jack comes into her mother’s coffee shop asking for a pumpkin spice latte that his parents own the other coffee shop. This is when she throws a pie in his face and becomes obsessed with whether or not he’s going to post about the incident on social media.

This book was cute, but it lacked a lot of details. I really wanted to know more about the town and really get to know the characters, but I didn’t feel like the author got into much of that. Overall, as I said, I think the book was cute but I wanted more from it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic for this ARC!

Single pov, high school setting, fall festival, rival coffee shops, one sided enemies to lovers, baker, small town

This was a very cute fall romcom. Being from a small town myself and seeing large cooperations run out small business, unintentionally or intentionally, is part of life and reading about it shows capitalism is everywhere.

I think the main message of this book is such an important one with us entering this age of social media and living our lives with instant access to so many things. Slow down and enjoy where you are right now. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves to put our phones away and not to focus so much on one small thing so we can fully enjoy what we are experiencing. I know I don’t want to live my life focused on what I’m going to post next and end up missing my life because I’m not living in it.

Something with this main character that bugged me a bit is she was a but unhinged. I feel like she kept going back and forth on how she felt about something or how she was going to react to things in the same paragraph or page and it did make me back track a few times to see if I missed something. This is also true to how a teenager acts though, ruled by emotions and what is happening in the here and now, so it can be true to the audience, but it did make me confused at times.

Thank you NetGalley and Scholastic for an early read of this book. All thoughts are my own, I do not accept money for reviews

I love all things pumpkin and fall, and this combo in a YA book seemed very promising. While I enjoyed the theme, setting and main male character, Lucy was very hard to like. I gave her leeway in the beginning as she was trying to save her shop, but her attitude didn't seem to improve throughout the story which made me a bit disappointed. With that said, this is a cute book and my students would really enjoy it.

As a true fall girl, I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice. I just wanted a cute story set in an autumnal town that reminded me of Stars Hollow and cozy pumpkin spice lattes. Unfortunately, I think I was a bit too old for this story. Yes, it’s young adult and there are some YA stories I can enjoy, but sadly this was just not one of them. Our main character Lucy is supposed to be 16, but I’d say she’s emotionally no older than 11. If I had a tween girl in my life, I would happily gift this to her and I think she would eat it up…I know if I had read this as a kid I would have adored it! The plot and character development is just too juvenile and I didn’t see much growth or maturity as the story went on, but I would gladly recommend this to young readers!

I received an advanced copy from netgalley in exchange for a review and opinions are my own.

P.S. I added an extra star for that adorable cover!

Alright, so let's talk about 'Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice' by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc. First off, this book is like a warm hug on a crisp autumn day. It's a delightful collection of essays that dive deep into the cultural phenomenon of pumpkin spice, but it's so much more than that. Cicatelli-Kuc weaves personal anecdotes, witty observations, and insightful commentary into a tapestry of seasonal charm.

I found myself nodding along with her reflections on why pumpkin spice holds such a special place in our hearts, and her exploration of its ubiquity in our society is both entertaining and thought-provoking. Whether you're a die-hard pumpkin spice enthusiast or just someone curious about the hype, there's something in this book for you.

I particularly enjoyed how Cicatelli-Kuc blends humor with genuine insights, making this a joy to read from start to finish. It's like sitting down with a friend who shares your love for all things autumn and swapping stories over a steaming cup of pumpkin spice latte.

Overall, I'd give 'Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice' a solid 4 stars. It's a charming, well-written ode to a seasonal staple that manages to capture both the nostalgia and the complexity behind the pumpkin spice craze.

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you Scholastic Press for an early copy of Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Rating: ⭐/5
Release date: August 6, 2024

Blurb: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202772931-pumpkin-spice-everything-nice?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=gRlPUTxoqF&rank=1

🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑

I really wanted to like this novel, I really do. It almost has all the fall vibes I like, but an immature female lead without a promising character growth wasn’t one of them.

The story starts with a new rival coffee shop setting up store across Lucy and her mom’s coffee shop. The rival coffee shop owners’ son, Jack, also happens to be Lucy’s new classmate. He’s very sweet and very genuine, but I don’t think he has an ounce of negative emotions, since Lucy, no matter how much kindness and goodness he shows her, was always very rude to him. Although Lucy had good intentions of trying to save their own coffee shop, and has admirable baking and barista skills, her attitude for most the entire book almost gave me a reading slump.

The overall story was quite mediocre and almost gave me a reading slump. I really wanted to like it for what it is, but Lucy was just too annoying and dramatic for me. The town of Briar Glen reminded me somewhat of Stars Hallow though, which was nice.

I loved this book so much! It was very atmospheric and the setting was perfect. I absolutely loved the main characters and their romance was so cute!

This was such a cute cozy fall read. I loved all the descriptions of the autumn foods and drinks from apple muffins to pumpkin pie. It made me wish I had saved this book until I could actually have those things for myself. Only a few more months. Lucy and Jack were great as main characters, but I especially liked the relationship between Lucy and her mom. It was so refreshing to read a book where a teenager was not at odds with her parents. Also, the best friends in this book are wonderful examples of what friends should be like. Overall, I found this to be a very enjoyable quick read.

This young adult novel is a sheer joy, overflowing with the warm, inviting ambiance of autumn that makes it ideal for this time of year. The connections between the characters are deeply touching, and the narrative moves swiftly, keeping you engaged from start to finish. Though the cover might not hint at it, this book is a rare treasure, one I intend to curl up with each fall. It’s an essential read for a snug, cozy night during the crisp, cool season.


Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice follows the adventures of Lucy, a teenage girl whose mother owns a quaint coffee shop in a charming, small-town setting that feels reminiscent of Stars Hollow. When a flashy rival coffee chain opens right across the street, Lucy springs into action, devising creative strategies to keep her mom’s business thriving.

While the story isn’t primarily a romance, there’s a delightful subplot involving a boy who supports Lucy throughout her journey, adding a touch of sweetness to the narrative. The book captures the essence of autumn perfectly, making it a cozy read for the season.

Although it wasn’t quite my cup of tea—being a bit too wholesome for my taste—I can see how it would be an excellent pick for someone seeking a young adult novel with a strong high school setting and wonderful fall atmosphere. For readers who love charming small towns and spirited teen protagonists, this book offers a perfect blend of autumnal warmth and youthful determination.

this was a great one if you’re looking for a YA story set in high school with fall vibes. i wish there was more descriptions with describing the setting and more character development in other characters. overall a cute fun read.

A tender YA romance that explores the complexities of relationships. The characters are well-rounded, and their journey is both realistic and heartfelt. Overall, it’s beautiful and satisfying read.

Briar Glen is a destination town for all things autumn and leaf-peeping, and Lucy and her Mom are run the local coffee and pastry shop, Cup o’ Jo. Things are idyllic until Jack shows up, the new guy in school, who happens to be opening a rival national chain coffee shop across the street. Lucy has to battle her feelings for the new guy and figure out how to compete with the new game in town.

Rivals to lovers trope in full action - this YA offering is fun to that end, but I feel like the writing is fairly childish and lacks description. Readers know she lives in a New England town with changing leaves, but there is zero description or setting truly mentioned. We get a sense of who Lucy is, and a lot of that is baking and hating pumpkin spice lattes, but the rest of the cast do not get much character development. Lucy is very, very dramatic, and acts out histrionically about the rivalry, and it makes her a not very likeable character. I don’t really know who Jack Harper is, just that he is hot and works across the street, and no matter how rude she is to him he just has a twinkle in his eye. Later in the book when the latte goes viral, plot-wise things seem to get sillier and sillier; I found it hard to take the whole seriously. I think that this book is fun re: seasonal feels, rivals, and a fun romcom for young adults, but I think it needs tightening up. I managed to finish it because it was such a quick read, but it fell short of the mark in a number of areas for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice is about a teenager girl whose mom owns a coffee shop. A rival coffee chain moves in across the street and Lucy (FMC) tries to come up with ways to help her mom’s business stay relevant.
This is a YA novel with fall vibes in a setting that reminds me a lot of Stars Hallow. I wouldn’t categorize this book as a romance, but there is a guy who helps Lucy throughout the book and it’s very sweet.
Personally, this book was not for me - it was a little too innocent for me, but I think this would be an awesome read for someone looking for a YA book with great fall vibes set in high school.

This YA novel is an absolute delight, brimming with cozy fall vibes that make it perfect for the season. The relationships between the characters are heartwarming, and the story is both quick-paced and entertaining. Despite the deceptive cover, it's a true gem that I plan to revisit every autumn. A must-read for a cozy fall evening. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I adored this book. Don't let the cover deceive you. It is a YA not new adult lol. I know with new adult books now a days they can look like YA then BAM a nonYA scene haha. In all seriousness though, it's really worth a read. It gave fall cozy vibes and I plan to reread during fall.