Review: Pumpkin Spice and Not So Nice by Becky Monson

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

If I were ever to write a memoir, it would be titled, Jenna Peterson’s Guide to Dating Emotionally Unavailable Men. I’m like a professional at it. I’m so good, I can take any dysfunctional man and turn him into Prince Charming, just in time for him to dump me and then go on to marry the next woman he dates. I’m about ready to give up on loving real men and focus on lusting over fictional men in the Turkish dramas I can’t stop devouring.

But then . . . I find a mysterious fifty-dollar bill with a handwritten note on it that was donated to my family’s pumpkin patch by accident. And wouldn’t you know it, the mystery man it belongs to is emotionally unavailable, albeit freakishly attractive. I keep telling myself to walk away, but there’s something about Aidan St. Claire that makes me want to unravel all his secrets. All I know is he sure can heat up the cozy fall nights. I can’t help but think that maybe this time I’ll get to keep Prince Charming for myself.

My Review

This was a such a fun book to get me in the mood for fall! I loved the farm and pumpkin patch setting that her family runs, with all the quirkiness and "pumpkiny" spirit. Jenna also has her own career during the week and she and Aiden spend time in other locations, but it still had a small-town vibe. Aiden is a bit of a mystery since he's so buttoned-up, and I love how he recognizes that Jenna's personality complements him so well that he feels comfortable opening up to her. She has her own baggage with past relationships that is woven into her humorous narrative, and she goes through her own realizations as she gets closer to Aiden and discovers some hard truths about herself. Because we only get Jenna's perspective in the book, it was fun to guess at Aiden's motivations and when he was attracted to her and feeling more than friendship. They have a great dynamic and I loved their chemistry. There was plenty of delicious anticipation and romantic tension which really made the book for me. I read this before its companion book, A Pumpkin and a Patch, and I was impressed that they provided a simultaneous timeline without being repetitive with dialogue, which made each book stand so well on its own.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Don't miss the companion book by Jennifer Peel . . .