Narrated by: Emily Ellet
Release Date: September 16, 2025
Published by: Podium Audio
Read from: October 10-11, 2025
Everything Nice, #2
Source: Library’s Libby (I also bought a copy of the paperback last year and did immersive reading with the audio. This did nothing to influence my review)
Content Warning: Bullying, Toxic Friendship
For Readers Interested In: Audio, Family Diversity (Father Passed), Holidaze (Really just a season- Fall), Sparkly Covers, Meet Cutes, Romance, Realistic Fiction, YAGilmore Girls fans! Pour yourselves a hot cup of tea and get ready to fall in love with this cozy YA romance that will have you dreaming of autumn all year long.
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?
*MY THOUGHTS*
Ok so this was one book I was on the fence about. I knew it was going to be cute because of the title and the cover, but I was a little put off by the synopsis. I thought it might be too cutesy for me. And Idk how to say that it was, but it also wasn’t? lol
OK so the the main thing I liked about this book was the writing style. It was easy to follow and I thought it was cute. The plot also was ok, but it was really like…. Um not realistic I guess. I just don’t believe that someone who never even tasted a pumpkin spice latte before just randomly made the best one in all the land. I know she was a good baker, but its just hella weird to me lol But then I said fine, it’s a book where I have to suspend my belief more. And teens aren’t going to be thinking about it this way anyway, so I think it’s fine lol
The characters were cute. I hated the way she treated him tho. He was like the sweetest thing of all time, and she was so mean to him. She yelled at him every chance she got. I liked them together because he had so much patience. I don’t think I could have done it lol His parents on the other hand should have gotten all the smoke. I just refused to believe that they didn’t know her mom’s cafe was there. How in the world is this other company so big and worth so much that they didn’t do their research. So with that being said, they knew and they still chose to put it there anyway. They wanted to run them out of business, idc idc idc. And her mom made me a bit mad too. Because why do parents do this to their kids? If I want to help you, let me help you! I would rather you let me help than do something weird out there like having to get a whole other job or close the shop! Ugh lol
The romance was cute tho. Like I said she was mean to him. And it barely showed the two of them together together. I was disappointed by that. Especially since the cover is so cutesy. I thought this romance was going to be so sweet that it made my teeth hurt. But it was barely a mild ache. But once things started going, they did get going and it was fine after that .
It wasn’t what I expected, but it also wasn’t terrible. I liked this and I’m even excited to read the new Christmas book that she has coming out! It’s set in Briar Glen and there’s a special peppermint hot chocolate from a coffee shop called, Cup o’ Jo! So yeah, we’ll see how this one is closer to the winter lol
Overall, I give this
