PUMPKIN SPICE & EVERYTHING NICE, by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc, Scholastic Press, Aug. 6, 2024, Paperback, $10.99 (young adult)
When a competing coffee shop opens in her town, a girl is forced to rethink her gameplan in Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice, a YA romance by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc.
Fall is a big deal in Briar Glen, a quaint and charming village in New England. That’s when tourists from all over the country descend upon this picturesque town to see the babbling brooks and colorful leaves while sipping hot chocolate or pumpkin spice lattes.
But sixteen-year-old Lucy Kane hates the uber-popular PSL. She finds it overrated — especially when you consider the fact that there isn’t even pumpkin in it! — which is bad because she works at Cup o’ Jo, the local coffee shop her mom owns. Business at Cup o’ Jo hasn’t been great in the off-season, but that’s okay because it always picks up during the fall …
Until Java Junction, a multinational coffee chain, opens across the street and makes things harder for the small shop. And to make matters worse, it turns out Jack Harper, the new kid in school and Lucy’s secret crush, is the son of the owner. Suddenly, fall doesn’t seem like it’ll be all it’s cracked up to be. Will Lucy find a way to save her mom’s coffee shop? —Synopsis provided by Scholastic Press
Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice is a cozy YA romance that fits squarely into the chaste category. There’s a bit of banter, and there’s a sort of one-sided enemies-to-lovers theme that runs throughout.
One-sided because Lucy has a problem with Jack, but Jack has no problem with Lucy. With the exception of some discourse later in the book, Jack feels a little one-note, which makes Lucy’s emotions feel more extreme. The book would have been better had supporting characters felt more like people and less like means to an end, particularly Lucy’s best friends.
Author Katie Cicatelli-Kuc excels in setting the scene — you do feel like you’re walking into a picturesque town at the height of autumn. And you can practically smell Lucy’s creations.
I’ve seen a bunch of reviews saying that Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice feels like it should be a middle-grade novel; that the main character seems too immature. But here’s the thing: Not every teenager is mature or wants “mature” content. Sometimes, they act silly and do dumb stuff that isn’t what we’ve come to “expect” young adults to do. Lucy is 16, and is trying to figure out who she is and who she wants to be. If that takes place in Gilmore Girls-like, rated PG setting then so be it. This type of book is great especially for newer young adults (ages 12-14) who maybe don’t want or aren’t ready for “more.”
Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice isn’t particularly thought provoking, but it’s a great option if you’re looking for a little escape.
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