Sugar and Spice at the Pumpkin Corner Café by Laura Briggs
Genres: Small Town Romance
The perfect new cozy-up-with-a-pumpkin-spice-latte read that’s meant for fans of Laurie Gilmore and Rebecca Raisin!
Professional pastry chef Blaire Reese is blindsided when her beloved Aunt Rachel dies, leaving her the Sugar and Spice Pastry Cafe in Willow Grove. Returning to her hometown, Blaire discovers her beloved family business is in trouble, and—to make things worse—its most-cherished recipe is missing.
Her first love and former summer crush, Evan Hadley, is also back in town, having traded a corporate career to help manage his family’s Heath Acre Farm, famous for its autumn Hay Daze corn maze. Grown up – and with rugged good looks – he’s only charming when he wants to be. Like when he's not tangling with someone over business matters, the way he is with Blaire after she cancels a large order for organic pumpkins.
Her sunshine is disappearing under his grumpy storm clouds, until he accidentally learns the truth about her situation. Now, he offers to help save her aunt's legacy and her family’s pastry cafe. As they work together in secret, the ingredients for a very different recipe develop— one simmering with romance—but an unexpected turn of events melts their growing attraction into a mess.
Will Blaire save the beloved cafe and find the lost recipe that means so much to the pastry café’s customers? And can she save this last chance at love with the first boy she ever kissed?
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my review
This was such a warm and cozy read that immediately gave me strong Hallmark movie vibes. It’s the kind of story that’s perfect for curling up under a duvet with a cup of something warm and simply enjoying the comforting atmosphere of a small-town romance. And for readers who prefer sweet over spicy, rest assured—the only spice here comes from the delicious baked treats Blaire creates in her café.
Blaire is a wonderful protagonist. Her passion for baking and her deep love for her late aunt give her character real heart. When she returns to her childhood hometown of Willow Grove, she’s surrounded by memories of the past and the community that helped shape her. Opening the Pumpkin Corner Café becomes her way of honoring her aunt’s legacy, and it’s easy to root for her as she works to bring new life to the beloved space.
Of course, no cozy small-town romance would be complete without a little tension. Enter Evan Hadley—Blaire’s former summer crush and the somewhat grumpy presence connected to the local pumpkin farm. Their reunion doesn’t exactly go smoothly at first, but the grumpy/sunshine dynamic between them adds a fun and engaging layer to the story. What I enjoyed most was watching their relationship develop slowly from tension to friendship and eventually something more.
The café itself becomes a wonderful hub for the story. It introduces a lovely cast of supporting characters and gives us glimpses into Blaire’s childhood and the close-knit community around her. Those nostalgic moments added warmth and depth, making Willow Grove feel like a place you’d love to visit.
Evan starts out as the pricklier character, but as the story unfolds we learn more about what’s behind his grumpiness. His dedication to his family and their struggling farm adds another emotional layer to the story, and his quiet determination made him a compelling match for Blaire’s optimism.
Overall, this was a delightful, feel-good romance that I happily devoured in one sitting. With its cozy setting, lovable characters, and sweet love story, it left me smiling by the time I reached the final page.
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I would pick up the book due to the word “pumpkin” and “cafe” lol
Sounds great. Thanks for your review.