Falling into New Reads: Romance, Comfort Food, and Spiritual Growth
I recently read The Pumpkin Spice Café, the New York Times bestseller and TikTok sensation, as part of a one-month free subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Mostly I wanted to see why there is such buzz around this romance novel, which debuted in fall 2023 and boasts a collector’s edition now. Then, the small town, tight-knit friends, big love, and a lot of autumn vibes swept me away, too. Laurie Gilmore’s spring 2025 novel The Strawberry Patch Pancake House was even funnier, more poignant, and better written, in my opinion. I now count myself a fan of Gilmore.
I also read and enjoyed Fall I Want and The Cinnamon Ink Café, both very different kinds of romances. I found Fall I Want hot and bold like its name, and Cinnamon Ink warm and quiet. Perhaps ironically, Cinnamon Ink needed much more copyediting and proofreading. I was willing to tolerate that flaw because the voice, pace, characters, and café setting drew me in and kept me reading.
But my favorite of the season, and the year, is Call of the Camino. It has everything I want in a novel: well-drawn characters, evocative settings and food descriptions, generational relationships, romance, beautiful writing, craft development, adventure, self-discovery, spiritual transformation, and deep love. I will definitely read this one again.
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Call of the Camino by Suzanne Redfearn (October 1, 2025) From the publisher: “From the bestselling author of In an Instant comes a deeply moving novel following the transformative journeys of two women walking entwined paths on a legendary route across Europe a generation apart.”
The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore (August 30, 2023) From the publisher: “A city girl's fresh start brews unexpected love with the town's grumpy but hot farmer.”
The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Laurie Gilmore (March 13, 2025) From the publisher: “A single dad chef and his new, free-spirited nanny discover sweet romance while flipping pancakes and dodging matchmaking antics.”
Fall I Want by Lyra Parish (January 21, 2025) From the publisher: “A feel-good, spicy small-town, romantic comedy with a billionaire who falls first and harder!”
The Cinnamon Ink Café by Aria B. Rowen (July 1, 2025) From the publisher: “Some places serve more than coffee. They serve second chances. A small town. A cozy café. A slow-burn romance wrapped in winter.”