The Pumpkin Spice Cafe

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe is a fun and satisfying small-town romance that you can curl up with alongside your favourite Fall bevvie. This is the first book in the Dream Harbour series, and I enjoyed the small-town setting and the secondary characters - which kind of outshone the main couple, to be honest. I liked Logan and Jeanie and how Jeanie took over her aunt's cafe, but there's a strong insta-love feel and Logan's emotional baggage (not wanting to be town gossip fodder) and the third act break-up came off as silly.

A good autumnal read, this book gives off strong Hallmark movie, small-town, and cozy Fall vibes. It was satisfying in that it was exactly what I expected. The secondary characters made this book for me, and I look forward to seeing how they'll take the lead in future books.

Final Thoughts: Light, easy and seasonal. 

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Author: Laurie Gilmore

Genre: Romance

Series: Dream Harbor 1

Type and Source: ebook, personal copy

Publisher: HarperCollins

First Published: August 30, 2023

Read: Oct 30-31, 2025

Book Description from GoodReads:  A spicy small-town romance and TikTok phenomenon, perfect for fans of Hannah Grace and Stephanie Archer.

When Jeanie's aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.

Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor's gossip at all costs. But Jeanie's arrival disrupts Logan's routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.

Will Jeanie's happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won't fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes…

The Pumpkin Spice Café is a cozy romantic mystery for fans of Gilmore Girls, with a grumpy x sunshine dynamic, a small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed!

Tropes:

• grumpy x sunshine
• small town
• found family
• spicy