The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore
An honest review for a wholesome book
Here we are. It's early fall, and the internet is advertising one book over and over and over. You hold out. You resist. And then, finally, inevitably, you are worn down — and now you're writing a review of it too. Welcome. Pull up a blanket.
So does The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore actually deserve the BookTok hype? Short answer: if you need it to, yes.
What it's about
This is the first book in the viral Dream Harbor series. Jeanie inherits a beloved pumpkin spice café from her aunt and bolts from her very dull desk job for a fresh start in a charming small town. Enter Logan, the local grumpy farmer who wants nothing to do with the relentlessly sunshiny new girl — until, of course, he does. It's grumpy-meets-sunshine, small-town, Hallmark-movie-with-a-dash-of-spice territory, and there is a guaranteed happy ending. (Every book in the series can be read as a standalone, so no homework required.)
The vibe: refreshing, low-stakes, chill
The Pumpkin Spice Café is adorable, and it's the perfect pick when you need to feel refreshed. It's short, it's a great palate cleanser, and the audiobook is well done if that's your lane. Low stakes, low stress, very chill — small-town, cottagecore vibes the whole way through. This is a book for when life has been A Lot and you just need something nice to happen to someone for 300-ish pages.
My honest take
Real talk: I didn't love the main female character as much as I'd hoped. We're just different people, and that's okay. And here's the thing — that's kind of the whole point with a book like this.
Whether you like The Pumpkin Spice Café isn't really about how "good" the book is. It's about who you are and what you need in the moment you pick it up. It is not groundbreaking literature, and it isn't trying to be. It's trying to put you at ease — and at that, it absolutely delivers. Sometimes that's the exact thing worth five stars.
Who should read it
Reach for this one if you want a cozy autumn read, you love a grumpy-sunshine small-town romance, or you simply need your brain to rest. Skip it (or save it for a different mood) if you're craving high stakes, sharp edges, or a heroine you'll obsess over. It's comfort food, not a feast — and comfort food is undefeated in October.
FAQ
Is The Pumpkin Spice Café part of a series? Yes — it's book one of the Dream Harbor series, followed by The Cinnamon Bun Book Store, The Christmas Tree Farm, and more. Each one is a standalone, so you can start here and wander the town at your own pace.
Is The Pumpkin Spice Café spicy or clean? It leans cozy and sweet with a light dash of spice — think Hallmark movie that cracks the bedroom door, not kicks it down.
What trope is it? Grumpy-sunshine, small-town romance with a fresh-start heroine and a guaranteed happy ending.
Is it worth the BookTok hype? If you want low-stakes, feel-good comfort reading, yes. If you want something groundbreaking or plot-heavy, adjust expectations — this is cozy by design.