The Pumpkin Spice Café By Laurie Gilmore

The Pumpkin Spice Café is everything I hoped it would be and so much more.

Favourite Quote:

‘And what are you doing in my back alley, Logan Anders?’ she asked.

He blew out a frustrated-sounding breath and shifted the crate in his arms. It was probably heavy, but Jeanie would not compromise her safety just because this man was the picture of autumnal bounty with his crate of vegetables and his worn, flannel shirt and thick beard. Her gaze lingered on his face for a beat longer. So she could pick him out of a line-up, she reasoned. She might need to know that above his beard was a long, straight nose and ruddy cheeks. The police officer might ask her if he had lashes for days, and the answer would be yes. It might be of the utmost importance to the investigation to know that even in the dim light of the morning she could see that his eyes were a devastating blue. 

When I heard this book is perfect for Gilmore Girls fans, I knew I needed to get my hands on it. Boy, oh boy, is this book freaking amazing. I devoured it in one sitting and re-read it instantly. I could not get enough of the vibes this book was giving off. They were just so addictive. Let’s talk about why I loved this book so much. The small-town vibe that this book is giving off is perfection. Laurie has taken that Star Hallows quirkiness and injected it into this book. Dream Harbor is bursting with quirky characters that are sure to have you smiling and laughing. I don’t know what I loved more:

• The spicy book club.
• The chaotic town meetings.
• The mayor who makes decisions based on dreams that he has had.

It is pure, delightful chaos. I loved all the playful banter between the secondary characters. I devoured the romance book talk at those book club meetings, and I just loved how noisy everyone was.

The story is a wonderful blend of charming Hallmark coziness with a spicy twist. Laurie does a fantastic job at balancing these two very different romance styles. Neither the coziness nor the spice overshadow the other. They worked beautifully together to make a story that is so easy to sink into and just so darn addictive to read. There is a fun lightness to the story that makes for an enjoyable reading experience. This is one of those romances that you don’t have to think too much about while you are reading it. You can just sit back and enjoy the story. I loved the little mystery element that Laurie included. It created so many perfect opportunities for Logan and Jeanie to be together. It was a great way to bring these two characters together. Plus, you get the added bonus of them trying to solve a mystery.

Jeanie definitely has some Lorelai Gilmore vibes to her, especially when it comes to her dialogue. This woman can talk and talk fast. She is a chatterbox and I loved all her mini-rants. They were so charming and funny. I adored her constant chattering, befuddled and bemused by Logan. She has a wild and active imagination and is constantly jumping to the wild conclusion that someone or something is trying to kill her. Besides Jeanie’s fast-talking traits, her character is really likeable and relatable. Jeanie has moved to Dream Harbor to start over. She has realized that she has become a workaholic and that if she doesn’t change her way of living, she will probably die young and alone. Jeanie is determined to reinvent herself into someone who is calm and collected, which, of course, doesn’t work out. Her character growth is around her realizing that she is an amazing person and that she doesn’t have to change who she is in order to live a more balanced lifestyle.

Logan is a bookworm’s dream boyfriend. He is tall, dark, and handsome. He comes across as this quiet and gruff guy, but he really is a sweetheart. However, Logan does have some emotional baggage that he has to deal with. His ex-girlfriend left him because she couldn’t see herself living in a small-town. This has made Logan weary of starting a new relationship, especially with someone like Jeanie, who is from a big city. Logan’s fear and insecurities lead him to believe that Jeanie isn’t going to stay and that she will break his heart just like his ex-girlfriend did.

The romance in this book is perfection. It is pretty obvious that Laurie knows what makes a love story. Laurie masterfully weaves so many fabulous tropes together to create this sweet and spicy love story. You’re gonna love this book if you enjoy grumpy sunshine, small-town, slow burn, and slight fish-out-of-water tropes. Neither Jeanie nor Logan are looking for a relationship. Jeanie is trying to start a new life and knows starting a new romance with Logan (the town sweetheart) is not part of that plan. Logan has sworn off dating women who are from large cities. He doesn’t trust that Jeanie is going to stay in Dream Harbor and that she will just break his heart. The main hurdle between these two is Logan’s mistrust. Jeanie (rightfully so) doesn’t want to be with someone who will always believe that she’ll leave. Logan has to do some internal healing before they can be in a serious relationship. These two have so many wonderful, funny, and swoony moments. There are these real Lorelai and Luke (Gilmore Girls) vibes in the chemistry between Logan and Jeanie. That’s probably why I adored these two together.    

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe is the perfect small-town romance, and I cannot wait to read the second book.