Type of read: Commuter Read

What made me pick it up: Book Lovers United Book Club pick for November 2024.

Overall rating: Do you want a quintessential fall book? Something that screams 'Hallmark movie'? A book that is almost so cliche you might gag a few times? Then have I got a deal for you! 'The Pumpkin Spice Cafe' is what you're looking for. Here's the thing: This is not a bad book. It's cute, warm and fuzzy, and there's a bit of spice, but it's not going to make you blush too much. It's just very...simple. I felt like the writing style was simple, the storyline was predictable (yeah a few tiny twists, but nothing super surprising), and that I'd met most of the characters before. It also felt like Gilmore was trying to put so many character quirks and oddities in that they forgot about the actual substance of the characters. All that said, obviously I finished the book in two days, so it didn't totally suck.

Reader's Note: 'The Pumpkin Spice Cafe' includes themes of consensual sexual activity.