The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore
Book Overview:
The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore is a quirky small-town grumpy/sunshine romance in which the jilted farmer falls for the new girl in town. Jeanie is the bubbly new owner of the Pumpkin Spice Café which was entrusted to her by her aunt after she swept out of town and headed for a tropical adventure. Jeanie is eager for a fresh start after a tragic experience at work leads her to question her life choices and decision to live so isolated and dedicated to a thankless job.
She’s working hard to make the best of this opportunity and love is not on her radar. That is until she mistakes the hunky farmer Logan for an early-morning intruder as he makes his scheduled drop-off to the café. Despite their awkward first meeting Logan is quickly smitten by Jeanie’s open, happy-go-lucky personality and is roped into helping her investigate a stream of unlucky incidents at the café.
As the two become closer and engage in a mild flirtation, Logan wonders if he’ll be able to trust his heart again and take a risk on love with Jeanie. Or will the pressures of small-town life and struggles of business ownership push her away for good?
Book Review:
This book is like a cozy hug from fall itself. It’s super atmospheric and brimming with autumnal vibes from the intimate small-town feel, quirky fall festivals and events, and descriptive setting. The romance and spice were also delightful additions to this sweet, cozy story.
When it comes to creating the ideal autumnal atmosphere Gilmore excels. The elements that I most enjoyed were the inclusion of the various fall festivals. Not only did they build upon the small-town vibes showcasing how tight-nit everyone in Dream Harbor is but they added to the overall fall theme central throughout the book. I also loved how she described the fall scenery and setting. As a South Texan who is still waiting for fall to arrive it really captured the mood.
When it comes to the relationship between Jeanie and Logan I thought it was tender and sweet. Although Logan was grumpy and cautious with good reason considering his very public heartbreak. He was such a squish mallow and had such sincere and real feelings towards Jeanie. I loved how he expressed his feelings through simple acts of service seeking to look out for Jeanie in any way he could. And Jeanie was such a lost cause for Logan. I adored how she treaded carefully with his heart respecting his past and how it impacted him in the present.
While there is some minor miscommunication present I like how it was resolved and worked through leading to a happy ending and an adorable conclusion to the overall story.
And the spice was spicing. I didn’t expect such a cozy book to pack so much well spice but it did and it was fun to see the two tear down their walls and open themselves up to one another.
Simply put this book was a banger for me and I really enjoyed this sweet, delightful romance and I’m looking forward to continuing reading the other books in the Dream Harbor Series.
Have you read this popular Tik-Tok book yet? What are your thoughts? Share your non-spoiler thoughts in the comments below and until next time happy reading!!
Looking for more cozy fall reads to squeeze in before the end of the season? Check out The Top 6 Fall Book Genres You Must Read This Season
