Book Review – The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore

I’ve read my fair share of romance novels. Many an Elizabeth Hoyt and Rosemary Rogers novel have passed through my bookshelves. I also love Gilmore Girls. It’s my religion. This new novel,this Autumn book sprinkled with hot farmers and pumpkin spice, should be right up my romantic coffee loving alley.

The story follows Jeanie as she inherits a cafe in a small town. She meets a grumpy farmer with abandonment issues. They fall in love over fall markets and misunderstandings.

While I liked the small-town-ness of this book, I would have fallen in love with it completely if there had been some real character development. It felt rushed. It skims over important details so it can get to the sexy stuff. I would have liked to see what happened with Jeanie before she left her big city job and to see what actually happened to the hot farmer in his previous relationship instead of just hearing about it after the fact through exposition. Both events were traumatic and could have made for some meaningful character growth. But, alas, a misunderstanding and assumption in place of growth.

It’s a quick read, used more to set up future installments in this series while the two main characters get spicy. Somewhere in this book was the potential for a meaningful love story. It must be behind the boxes of tiny pumpkins and coffee bags. Still, a cute book with some funny moments even if they feel a bit clichéd.

Three out of five stars.