The Pumpkin Spice Cafe {Book Review}

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Book Review: The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Lori Gilmore

If you’re in the mood for a cozy fall romance, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Lori Gilmore might be the perfect choice.

Set in a picturesque New England town during the fall, this charming novel is filled with pumpkin spice lattes, vibrant autumn leaves, and the essence of small-town life. The book will certainly give you all the fall vibes you’re looking for.

Check out our full list of 25+ Romance Books to read for Fall.

I love that the authors last name is Gilmore because this book was definitely giving me Gilmore Girls vibes with the small town, the quirky locals, and the town meetings.

To me, this one was just ok. It was cute and I read it in a day, but it’s not one that will stick with me or that I’d want to pick up a second time. I gave the an overall rating of 3.5 stars.

🌶🌶🌶 I’m going to give the spice 2-3 stars, there are some open-book moments but they aren’t as in depth as you get in a lot of romance novels.

One of the tropes people often mention with this book is the “grumpy/sunshine” dynamic, though I personally didn’t think it quite fit that description. The male lead is a quiet, reserved character still coming to terms with his past.

While he’s not overly cheerful, to me he doesn’t give off the typical “grumpy” vibe often associated with the trope.

The plot also contains a bit of a mystery, but I felt this aspect was a bit underdeveloped. The resolution didn’t feel very satisfying to me and was really a blip. It got the story going but then seemed to be wrapped up simply to not leave a loose string but didn’t feel well done.

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe was enjoyable enough that I immediately picked up the next book in the series, The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore (read the review here). Spoiler alert: I really liked the second book!

It seems there are going to be 4 books in the “series”. It’s a series in that they are set in the same town and there are returning characters but I think each book could stand on it’s own as well.

Overall, if you’re looking for a light, feel-good romance with all the fall aesthetics, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe will certainly deliver.