Common Sense Media Review
By Sage Moreaux
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Predictable, cozy fall romance has nudity, graphic sex.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In THE PUMPKIN SPICE CAFÉ, Jeanie leaves a dull desk job to take over her aunt's café in the small New England town of Dream Harbor. Jeanie thinks this will be the perfect way to leave her fast-paced, high-stress life in Boston behind and finally find the balanced lifestyle she's been craving. But within days of moving in she meets Logan, the strapping, bearded farmer that delivers produce to the café. Instant attraction ensues, but will Jeanie's need to become a new and improved version of herself clash with Logan's need for a healthy, stable relationship? And does any of that matter when their physical attraction has them both spinning with desire?
Is It Any Good?
Cozy and predictable, this book is devoid of any real drama. Yes, The Pumpkin Spice Café had characters that undergo transformation, but the story follows classic romance story structure to a fault, and the baggage both characters carry seems like it exists only to keep them from having graphic sex on page two. Meanwhile, the town of Dream Harbor feels like a variation of Gilmore Girls' Stars Hollow, only with more super-attractive twenty-somethings living there.
For those reading this book for the eventual sexual encounters, know that while the characters seem to fall in love instantly, regardless of knowing one another for more than a few weeks, the bedroom escapades are saved for the latter section of the story. But once they start, they pretty much don't stop. This is a low-stakes, cozy story fine for adult and nearly-adult fans of autumnal festivals, small-towns, and extra-steamy romance writing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the amount of sex in The Pumpkin Spice Café. Why do you think romance novels are so popular?
The two characters fall "in love" almost as soon as they meet and overcome their personal challenges just in time for a happily-ever-after. Do you think this is a realistic depiction of a healthy romantic relationship?
What do you think of the depiction of the town of Dream Harbor? Do you think such an idealistic community exists?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Holidays
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : One More Chapter
- Publication date : August 31, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 18 - 18
- Number of pages : 384
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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