Chapter 17: The Pumpkin Spice Cafe pt.2

Join us in this week's episode to discuss The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore. In this episode we talk about everything from Gilmore Girls rip-offs to some truly cozy romances! Please send us book recs and follow us on our socials @theRPHpodcast https://linktr.ee/raunchypowerhour

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to Raunchy Power Hour, a book club for discussing romance, from the erotic to

(00:05):
the erroneous.
As always, this is an explicit podcast and contains strong language, adult themes, and
sexual content.
If you are sensitive to these things, we urge you calmly but sincerely to turn off your
radio now.
This month, we are reading The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Lori Gilmore.
This is part two of The Pumpkin Spice Cafe.

(00:26):
This podcast will contain spoilers of the entire book.
If you want to read along with us, stop listening now.
It's okay.
We'll wait for you to come back.
This book contains themes of death.
You have been warned.
I'm your producer Ashlyn.
I'm one of your hosts Sydney.

(00:47):
And I'm the other pumpkin spice hater, Christina.
Now get ready to get raunchy.
Christina, I have a question for you.
Oh, what is it?
So a lot of these romance books that take place in the perfect fall town, we have a

(01:13):
lot of cute little names, Dream Harbor, Bright Falls, which is a different series, but I
also really like it.
Would you name your own little fall town that has two words in it?
A two word fall town.

(01:34):
Oh man.
It's got to give small town.
It's got to be quaint.
It's got to be quaint.
I'm trying to think of places that I've been that I can pull from.
It's got to be quaint.
It's got to be fall.
It's got to be fagg things.
The cinnamon junction.

(01:57):
Cinnamon junction.
Actually, that's not bad because you know, in X-X it was Graves Glen.
So yeah, you got it.
You got to do something.
You got to do something.
See I have been thinking about this all day because I was like, oh, I need to get her
with this.

(02:18):
And I think if I were to name my dream like small quaint fall town in which a little romance
would happen, I think I would call it Applewood Grove.

(02:39):
Applewood Grove.
Okay.
That is three words.
You said two.
No, Applewood as in new would be new.
Oh, that's okay.
I got you.
Okay.
That's two words.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
See?
See?
Yeah, I feel like that'd be like peak fall vibes.

(02:59):
Oh yeah.
And then obviously apples, like everything apple themed.
Well, the whole thing is that Johnny Appleseed came from there.
So duh.
Obviously.
Obviously.
One minute.
I am looking up.
God damn it.
I was looking up the name of the Gilmore Girls thing and it's called Stars Hollow.

(03:22):
And I'm like, yeah, that's cutesy fall vibe.
Damn.
Did you know it was called Stars Hollow?
Babes, I've never seen Gilmore Girls.
Oh my goodness.
You just read Gilmore Girls.
Let me tell you.
I know.
I know.
I know I should, but I don't know.
I've seen things about, what's her name?

(03:43):
Lorelai Rory?
Rory, that she's annoying and I don't know if I could take it.
Only at the end.
Only at the end.
She's fun in the beginning.
Okay, I'll try.
I'll try it then.
She's a book lover.
I heard she's pretentious though about it.
I mean, I am too.
I take that back.
I am.

(04:03):
Come on.
You're hating on romance books right now.
I do, but I do like romance books sometimes, but they're good.
Sometimes.
That was such a read.
Sometimes when it's good.
I'm so sorry.
That was such a read.
Well, that's a great segue into what did we just read.

(04:29):
So I've got us a little recap of the last section.
Okay.
And I think, I think I can maybe do it in 30 seconds because let's be honest.
30 seconds?
No, it happened.
I think I can.
Okay, one minute.
Let me get the timer.
Let me get the timer.
Hey, this is the quickest meet cute we have read.
So I think this is going to be the quickest little summary we get.

(04:53):
I think that is very much appropriate.
All right.
Are we ready?
30 seconds on the clock.
Ready, set, go.
All right.
So we start with our two characters, Jeannie and Logan, who meet on page two, I think.

(05:14):
Jeannie is 28 years old.
She yaps a lot.
She came from Boston.
Now she's moved to run Aunt Dot's Pumpkin Spice Cafe in Dream Harbor.
Logan, 30 year old, bearded, flannel, gruff voice.
He's a farmer.
He lives with his grandparents.
He's an orphan.
He had a failed proposal.

(05:34):
That's his problem is that he had a failed proposal.
And you're done.
That's it.
That's all you got.
That was 30 seconds.
That was 30 seconds.
Oh no.
Guys, I'll do a quick recap.
That's all we get to know.
That's all we get to know.
Guys, we got to go into it now.
Oh no, we have to go into it.
It's like you guys have to go listen to our first episode.

(05:55):
Why are you here if you're listening to this episode anyway?
Go listen to the other one.
Go listen to the other one.
Go listen about Harry Styles.
I won't give you context.
Nope, none whatsoever.
No context.
Also Casper.
Read about Casper or listen to Casper.
I love that you're like, no, I'll go back.
I'm like, nope, that's it.
That's all I get.

(06:16):
That's all I get.
No more.
Go back.
Go back, guys.
Just listen.
We did it already.
Why do you need me to say it?
Exactly.
I already did.
Where we left off last time was Jeannie heard more noises.
She calls her brother, not the cops.

(06:37):
She doesn't tell anybody else.
So what happened?
Someone broke a window.
That's kind of just happened.
Yeah, someone just broke her window.
That's so incredibly like dramatic compared to what has been happening.
It's been like, oh, my trash cans fell over.

(06:58):
Oh, there's a cat scratching.
Now my window is broken in.
That's insane.
Well, we do notice that there is quite a bit of what's it called when things go are taken
up a notch.
Escalation.
Thank you.
I couldn't say the word for a moment, so I was like, I'm just going to let Christina
say it.

(07:18):
Yeah, it escalates very quickly.
Very quickly.
And like Jeannie tells us to Logan, but after the day, like after it all happened.
And so he's obviously like going to get really upset about it.
And so they talk about it, blah, blah, blah.
And it's at the town meeting and it's kind of like not the place to be doing this.

(07:43):
No, but Logan's being like, but Logan's being like, like that kind of thing.
So protective, but not in a way that makes sense.
For no reason.
I'm like, boy, you have known this woman for less than a week.
I was just going to say, like, they don't have not known each other that long.
Like they have not.

(08:04):
But then they get in trouble because they're doing this at the town meeting.
So they're talking, everyone's super nosy.
They get in trouble.
So their punishment is that they have to judge the costume contest.
Honestly, that would be my worst nightmare too, because I would want everyone to win
because I love costumes.

(08:27):
It sounds like something that might be fun because they get to be judgmental.
You love to be judgy.
I do love to be judgy.
But yeah, they do explain that it's like very cutthroat, apparently, for just a family fun
Halloween costume contest.
This is very Stars Hollow, very Gilmore Girls.
They get really dramatic about things.

(08:48):
So I can see exactly where Lori is pulling this from.
It's a little too on the nose.
I know you can't speak of it, but.
I can't because I've never seen the show.
I know the vibe.
It's mostly guys.
I do understand the vibe.
I do understand specific thought points from the show because it's been out for a long
time.
But yep.

(09:09):
Yeah, we're pretty much following it.
But then, so Logan's like, oh, well, I'll drive her home, I guess.
And they park out front in the town square where again, everyone is.
Everyone knows it's town square because everyone lives really close to it.
They get it on in the truck out front.

(09:35):
They just they get freaky deaky in the front of his car.
Which is really crazy because it's like it's very high school of them.
And I think they mention this.
Like it's very, very youthful for these old folks.
The old folks, they're only a couple years older than us, Christina.

(09:55):
They're really not that old.
No, I don't know.
I think I think that's what bugged me with some of the romance in this book, specifically
between Tini and Logan is that it felt very high school.
And it's like, you can have a romance where it's not like so hormonal.
I guess is the best way I could put it.
That's true because it's like, it's very much like they're like, oh, hee hee, we were talking,

(10:20):
we got in trouble, like, okay, high school.
And then it's like, hee hee, I was ripping off my clothes in the front seat of his car
in front of his car, which like, hey, wait a minute with a playlist doesn't include anything
about this.
And there's a Taylor Swift song for this out of all the Taylor songs in that playlist and
nothing about a front seat of the car.

(10:41):
Hmm.
Hmm.
Interesting.
I gotta say.
Oh yeah, and it's interrupted by Jeannie hitting the horn with her butt.
The horn with her ass.
I love that.
I was like, that fits, that fits.
It's a really dramatic way to end the scene.

(11:01):
And I guess like they mentioned it, getting like stopped in weird, dramatic ways.
It was getting annoying.
And this is only like the third or fourth time it happened.
I was like, just let them have sex.
We are past the halfway point.
Yeah.
Okay.
So actually let's bring this up and talk about this.
Cause we talked about this a little bit in the group chat.
I'm going to take the group chat into the podcast.

(11:24):
But Christina, you said you're pretty much okay with not, with a romance book, not having
any sex scenes in it.
And I'm curious what your viewpoint was at this point of the book when they kept like
teasing that there was going to be spice.
And this was like advertised as a book that was going to be like pretty spicy.

(11:46):
Okay.
As a person who is okay with no spice in the romance, I also have read a lot of spicy romance.
And if this is supposed to be spicy, I have, I have a point of reference.
And I would say that this was not spicy.

(12:06):
I'm really confused about that.
Everyone's talking about how spicy it was.
And honestly, like of the things that were like, it was mostly open door, but it just
wasn't very dramatic.
It was very vanilla, very the same.
Lots of making out, which I don't think kept is included in it.

(12:27):
Against the wall.
Against the wall.
Don't forget the wall.
Don't forget the wall.
In fact, he kept picking her up and he kept, and she kept like putting her like legs around
his waist.
Like that was a constant reference.
And I'm like, okay, we get it.
We know what sex position you like, Lori.
Like, but why?
Yeah, I don't know.
Did you think it was spicy?
No, not whatsoever.

(12:49):
Um, I don't know.
I think what failed it for me too is the fact I didn't really feel a real connection between
a Jeannie and Logan.
I wanted there to be more.
I wanted to like feel this connection, but I feel like it's hotter when it's like two
people who are like, give a good reason for why they're attracted to each other.

(13:14):
I just knew he had a beard and abs.
Which, okay, let me talk about the abs thing.
Oh my God.
Yes.
Okay.
So she mentioned that he has abs and like at this point she is like feeling him up.
So we, we are aware that he is very strong.
My argument is if he is the buff lumberjack brawny man kind of style.

(13:38):
No sexy farmer.
Sexy farmer.
Sexy farmer.
They're not the ones going into the gym.
The gyms are going to get you that chiseled six pack.
The farm is just going to get you thick.
Like you're going to be thick.
You're not going to be chiseled, but you're going to be so incredibly strong.
But like she describes in this chisel.

(14:00):
Yeah, I don't know.
I think it's like, it's that weird thing in which it feels like, remember when everyone
was obsessed with having abs in like the 2010s, like specifically with guys physique, it feels
like this book kind of came from that era a little bit.
Like with like the arms I get like, okay, yeah.
A man with nice arms.

(14:22):
Forearms specifically are also brought up.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I get it.
I get it.
But it's like constantly when she's like, oh, you have abs.
That's so hot.
I don't particularly when I'm into a guy, if I find him attractive or something, I don't
exactly.
I'm not looking for abs specifically.
No, it might just be a millennial pulling in.

(14:42):
Like we've talked about being very millennial.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's giving Logan looks like an Abercrombie model.
No.
Like the black and white Abercrombie Abbles.
That's what I was imagining in my brain the whole time except hairier.

(15:04):
Wow.
I was not.
I won't lie.
I was picturing like the brawny paper towel man.
Well, they do describe that he looks like that as well.
They do.
They bring it up and so then that got stuck in my brain.
Yeah, I get it.
I get it.
Just more model-esque for you.
Okay.
That's fair.

(15:25):
Yeah.
Yeah.
So we're in the whole moment in the front seat and then we get to find out that Jeannie
is now at Logan's place.
There you go.
Yeah.
She shows up.
She meets Niana.
She meets the chickens.

(15:46):
Which are all pop girlies.
All pop girlies.
Does she like fit in?
Does she?
Like in the farm life?
I don't know if she fit in.
I mean she likes the chickens and I guess that's all Logan needed to be like, I want

(16:07):
to talk about my chicken.
I don't know.
That was such a bad joke.
That was really bad.
That was really bad.
That was good.
That was so bad.
That was such a bad joke.
I don't know what about Jeannie screams to everyone that she belongs there.
I guess it's like the thing.

(16:27):
I mean I think it's just plot armor.
It's just there.
She just fits in because she does.
It's because there's nothing to the contrary.
She sits down and she plays with the chickens.
Sure.
She talks with his grandmother.
Sure.
And the grandmother is very knowing.
She gives lots of winks.
She's cute.
I love a little story about Niana and Pops.

(16:48):
They are very cute.
I remind that.
They took in an orphan.
They do take in Logan orphan.
Logan orphan.
That's what I just said.
Orphan Logan.
Dear God.

(17:09):
So in this moment, Jeannie's talking to Logan and trying to explain that she thinks something
new is happening in the development of the mystery.
She thinks from inside the house.
She thinks as a worker.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's pretty clear.

(17:29):
Oh, I wonder who.
I wonder who it could be.
Could it be A. Norman, the disgruntled old employee from his Aunt Dot.
B. Norman, the disgruntled employee in which Aunt Dot left.
Or C. Norman.
Don't forget D. Joe.
They describe him as a stupid teenager.

(17:51):
But he likes to drive old people around, you know, to water aerobics.
And he's done that for Logan's Nina.
Nina?
Nana?
I don't know.
Yeah, for a while.
You know, I don't know.
It's like it's very clear and it's maybe it's because they're so infatuated with each other
at this point that like Logan's not thinking straight because he totally could have told

(18:13):
her this.
I don't I just think it was bad writing.
I think the author was trying to get us to look another direction and it just it didn't
work.
But tell us what had been happening.
What's been happening else at the cafe?
So OK, you've got a there's a cut pipe to the refrigerator line.

(18:36):
No, it's to the refrigerator line.
OK.
Yeah.
I was like there was something that was cut and then the thermostat.
So that doesn't happen yet.
Thermostat does get does get bothered later.
Yes, it bothered later, but it's not yet.
Not at this point.
Not yet.
What else we got?

(18:57):
Um.
I just remember the refrigerator.
Let's just go with that.
I remember the refrigerator.
OK.
Yeah.
Something else happened.
I think there are all these small things, but it was just enough where she's like, OK,
it's clearly someone who has keys and access during the day.
Someone hid one of the paintings in a closet.
Oh, they handed the other the paintings got hidden in the closet.

(19:21):
And I feel like there's another like they're very like mild.
Like these are the minor inconveniences that we kind of talked about in X hex about being
cursed with.
Kind of happening.
They're having the genies.
Surprise.
This is in Graves Glen, not Dream Harbor.
There's actually a crossover situation.
She's been hexed.

(19:42):
It's weird, guys.
Oh, her mail got ruffled through and like thrown onto the sidewalk.
Yes.
So it's obviously someone who's doing this and you know what this puts them in the mood
for getting freaky up against another wall against another wall.
And this time in Logan's room.

(20:02):
No, it seems like a little apartment.
And whoa, they get interrupted again.
This time.
So crazy.
Like grandpa, he's talking farm business.
And what is Logan do?
He pushes Genie away when he hears that knock.
Yep.
I don't know.
Like Genie obviously is like a little hurt in the moment because they've talked about

(20:28):
how they're keeping this quiet.
She's overreacting so much, though.
It's a reaction.
Yeah.
Okay, I'll wait to like comment on the full thing until we get to the fall festival and
stuff like that.
Because that that whole thing pissed me off.
But yeah, I was just like, girl, what do you want?

(20:50):
Do you want it to be secret or do you not want it to be secret?
I don't think they know.
I think they think they know and they don't.
I think they're both like, I actually do want to be with this person, but I'm gonna be so
silly and just not tell them.
And it's just classic miscommunication trope.
And guess what?
Sydney Sydney hates it.
Sydney hates it.

(21:11):
I hate the miscommunication trope.
I hate it.
Wait, they talk a little bit about this and they kind of bring up like Genie asked about
Lucy and so they're getting serious in their conversations.
But like, is it enough?
You're also dancing around the whole thing of Genie not being like, I think you're still

(21:33):
into your ex or you still have issues with your ex girlfriend and like, she won't say
that and then he won't say to her, hey, I'm worried that you just don't want to stay in
town, which is like a normal human conversation to have with like a sexual or like intimate
partner and being like, hey, I'm growing to have feelings for you.

(21:57):
I just want to talk about this.
Just talk.
Just talk about it.
They're doing a lot of introspection, but on their own, because then we keep going and
fucking annoying thinking.
He's like thinking about this and he realizes he's like, oh, Genie and Lucy, they're not

(22:17):
the same person.
They're different.
And it's like, he's thinking this though.
He like, he's a status out loud and because it's clear to Genie.
Yeah.
That whole thing causes them not to be in contact for a week, which I started noticing
that it was this point in the one other point that they also don't talk for another week.

(22:37):
And I'm like, OK, so we've been together for half a month.
There's a lot of miscommunication during this like tiny amount of time.
Guys, what the fuck is going on?
Just talk.
Come on, man.
Use your words.

(23:00):
There's so much thinking, not enough talking, not enough talking.
So much breathing.
And when they are together, it's a lot of walls.
Yeah, my guys.
Physical and metaphorical.
I like that metaphorical and physical walls.
Yeah, there's always something.
There's always up against the wall.
There's always something stopping them.

(23:21):
There's always an emotional wall.
There's too many walls.
There's too many walls down the wall.
Come on, man.
That's so stupid.
I love it.
It's really stupid.
But hey, I mean, he like he's he's trying to get there.
He's like he's thinking through his room ruminating.

(23:44):
Is that the word I'm looking for?
I'm saying brooding.
He's more just brooding.
Yeah, he's doing a lot of brooding on his own, because like we said, they stopped talking.
And so then he's like, oh, like, is it how I'm going to judge me?
But is like, oh, my gosh, screwed up with her.
Like, and then then he does chat it out with his buddy, Noah, the farmer or not.

(24:08):
Fisher, Fisherman.
He's just there.
We don't actually figure out what he does.
They just say he like kind of works at the bar in the off season.
Otherwise, he's fishing.
Oh, he's a fisherman.
Yeah.
So he has family and the fishing company and then in the winter when there's not much business,
he like works shifts at the bar.
Yeah.
Interesting.

(24:29):
Yeah.
I mean, fair enough.
I get it.
Do what you got to do.
And he like he kind of like because he comes over to the farm or no.
Oh, no.
The reason is that he was like, hey, Logan, thought you died.
No one's seen you for a week.
He's like, is this the time when they think that he's gone on their retreat or is that

(24:52):
later?
The other non-talking.
No, this is the second time.
That was the second time that he left.
Yeah, because this happens multiple times.
Yeah, because this is only the first time, guys.
Only the first time.
So his buddy Noah shows up.
I think they pop a beer and he's like, Logan's like, don't do that on Nana's countertops.

(25:13):
It's like Noah's trying to like pop open the the top on the countertops.
And I'm like, what a weird point to bring in.
I can't explain that.
I just don't know what to say.
He's a Nana's boy.
He's a Nana's boy.
Yeah, so you get Logan's moment and then you get Jeannie's moment.

(25:42):
She calls her brother again because despite them not talking a lot when she was in Boston,
she's been calling him a lot in this town, which is kind of cute to see her like get
closer with her brother again.
And she talks to him about Logan.
The conversation here is kind of fun.

(26:04):
It was.
It was a little bit fun.
I was like, OK, this does remind me a bit of like my conversations with my younger brother.
So it's like pulling teeth to get them to be serious.
And then he is serious.
And then you're like, why are you serious?
No, stop it.
Actually, stop.
Because like Ben is kind of like he's not a fan.
He's like, well, he kind of sounds stupid.

(26:26):
Why are you why are you doing this?
Fair.
And honestly, I would give the same advice if one of my friends came up to me or if my
brother asked me what what to do.
Yeah, and like because she had been like kind of not talking about him.
And then he was like, so how's Logan?
She's like.

(26:47):
She gets really sad and it's like they just haven't been talking for like a week.
Yeah, I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know questions, but I have so many questions and no answers.
No answers.
But then it's the festival day.
So the festival, we love dreams in this town.

(27:12):
We're called dreamers and we live in a harbor.
That's it.
That's the song they sing.
That's the song we sing every single day when they wake up.
Yeah.
And so we get we get festival day.
Logan, Jeannie haven't talked in like a week.
So dramatic.

(27:34):
So Logan is like, you know what?
I'm going to go find her.
And she's crying in the cafe.
Oh, my God.
And the whole thing of him like arriving at her door, like banging on it because he's
doesn't get a response.
He's like, where is she?
Something happened.
And she's just like, she's crying on the floor in the cafe.
I'm like, dude.

(27:55):
Chill.
It's it's kind of insane because he did set up her new locks.
So I'm curious, like, could he like, I don't know.
I don't know the whole situation.
I don't.
I think he's just I think they both have untreated anxiety.
Definitely.
Because he's like, he's very dramatic about it.
He's like yelling her name in the alley.

(28:16):
Like he's kind of crazy.
Yeah, I don't know what he's doing.
But then she's just like on the floor crying and he's like, what happened?
What's gone wrong?
Like what's wrong?
And then Logan's like, OK, like kind of related, unrelated, but I'm sorry for what I did.

(28:37):
Yeah.
It's like, OK.
And then Jeannie's like, well, let's just like take things slow, chill out because we're
both like kind of freaking out in this situation.
Oh, are they communicating here?
Well before this, I need to bring this up.

(28:59):
We need to talk about this before we get too far into this because it relates to the third
act breakup.
Because a couple chapters before this, this was right when Jeannie was talking to her
brother.
She offhandedly says that she got papers from the realtor who had been apparently trying

(29:23):
to buy the cafe this whole time.
And it was like, oh, like, look at how much money, like maybe she could leave.
And she goes, no, I'm going to stay and like, I'm not going to leave here.
And I called that shit from so far away.
I just wrote down that's going to cause a third act breakup.

(29:44):
He's going to see them in his apartment and think that he and he's going to freak out
and that she's moving away.
I'm going to spoil what happens next.
It's almost like I predicted it or something though.
It's almost like you predicted it because I mean, why is she like asking about prices?
I don't think that's ever resolved.

(30:05):
No, she wasn't asking prices.
The realtor was just giving them to her so that she asked about the other places though,
I think.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I honestly didn't pay attention by this point.
It kind of felt like a red herring.
Oh, 100%.
But I was like, third act breakup, that's what's going to cause it.

(30:27):
I know it.
I literally wrote, I'm calling this shit.
The papers are going to cause Logan to freak out and that's what's going to cause the miscommunication
third act breakup.
You heard it here, folks.
Sydney guessed it.
I guessed it.
She did and it's kind of annoying because then it's cute because Jeannie and Logan are

(30:52):
like, okay.
So they hold hands.
They're public.
It's like, ooh, they're holding hands in public.
Like, ooh, the town's going to know right away.
They're going to know.
And they did.
They picked up on it so fast.
Of course they did.
They're like, whoa.

(31:13):
They're like touching fingers when they can.
Oh, but then, oh, but then this is when things started pissing me off with Jeannie again,
because Logan like holds her hand in front of people and before they go and do the costume
contest, this is when she goes to Annie and Hazel and she's like, I'm really scared.
I'm going to mess this thing up because Logan basically like went public with us.

(31:35):
And she's like sitting being like, I don't know.
Like I'm really scared.
Like I don't want to break his heart.
I'm like, bitch, what the fuck do you want?
Do you want him to be public with you and not tell people that you two are together?
Or do you want to keep it a secret?
Because at this point, I don't fucking know.
And I'm getting really tired of it.
I'm sure Logan is too.

(31:55):
Like so wishy washy.
They just know that you guys are like hanging out and dating.
It doesn't mean you have to marry the fucking guy.
Like chill out.
Just like, oh my God, hand holding means it's like, you know, basically we're married.

(32:16):
Oh my God.
It pissed me off so much because I was just like, get a grip girlfriend.
It's a lot of Jeannie needing to get a grip and she doesn't.
And she doesn't.
There's no grip.
No, she needs to go actually to the grippy, to the grippy sock place and have some evaluations.
From the grippy sock place?

(32:36):
I guess I have been to one.
The mental ward?
Oh, guys.
Does she get these grippy socks?
Oh, that's good.
Okay.
Yeah.
All I'm saying is she needs this.
She obviously needs to unpack a lot of trauma that she's going through and she needs professional

(32:58):
help because I mean, I feel like I say this every single time we go into a book.
I feel like every time I say the female lead needs to go to therapy.
I'm just advocating for therapy.
I think everyone needs to go.
She could really use it, but instead she goes to the costume contest.

(33:20):
And it gets crazy.
It's chaotic.
They mentioned like a fist fight at one point and I'm like, this is not the kind of town
to have a fist fight.
Like what?
Oh my God.
Like don't get me started on the stupid, like the little and I don't know why this was inserted.
It can.
Ha ha.
Funny joke about the erotic book club.

(33:42):
But this part could have been like wholly taken out is that apparently two of the characters
from the book club decided to dress them as their favorite, like erotic book club cover.
And people were like booing at them and they were like, oh no, we need to raise like sex
positive kids.
And I'm like, guys, time and place.
Like, this is so stupid.

(34:03):
That felt very Pawnee to me.
It was like that episode of Parks and Rec with the painting and they were like arguing
about art.
It kind of felt like I was trying to pull that in.
I don't know.
It just, everything didn't fit and nothing like no one made decisions in which a real
person would make.
And I think that's what just sent me over the edge at this point where I was just like

(34:24):
done with it.
There's so many things.
I'm looking at it now and it mentions that Logan had already broken up almost one fist
fight between two moms decked out in athleisure, each claiming their little zombie was the
most terrifying.
A woman had clawed at him.
So the pocket on his flannel hung limply from his chest where one woman had clawed at him

(34:45):
as he removed her from the stage.
Then there was a debate over which version of Batman was the real one.
And then the riot with the romance novel cover.
Yeah, and it's like, Hey guys, at this point, the police would have been called and the
costume contest would have been called off.
Yeah, like what is this?
And then they're finalists.
It's what a bumblebee?

(35:06):
It's a bumblebee that's about to piss itself.
The mayor costume and then one other that I can't remember.
Okay, I got it right here.
I highlighted this because I did think this was funny.
I will, I'll give some points for this.
I thought that if this was a TV show or a movie, I would find this entertaining.
It was a very convincing Wednesday Adams made all the more impressive by the fact that Andy

(35:30):
was actually a 45 year old black man.
Okay, true, true, true, true.
That was funny.
I was like, that was entertaining.
I did enjoy that.
That was pretty funny.
Okay.
And Mayor Kelly is funny.
I always think it's hilarious when someone dresses up as a real person that they know
and that other people would know because I think it also says here that right down to

(35:53):
the hideous tie and a dream bubble made of poster board hovering above her head.
That's a really good.
That was cute.
Like that writing right there, I was like, okay, that's cute.
We can cut back on the rest.
Cut back on the rest.
I like these little town moments that feel a little bit more genuine.
I could totally see this because the person who did it was the deputy mayor.

(36:14):
So it's like they're picking fun.
I was like, that's really good.
Where was this in the rest of the book?
Yeah, I wanted more like I wanted to be shown why the community likes each other and like
them.
I don't know, being more close knit.
I don't know.
But yeah, this moment I was like, okay, yeah, I could see like this being a small town behavior.
It felt fun.

(36:36):
And of course, then it's like they don't actually make a decision.
It can't be the bumblebee.
And they're like, well, we can't do Wednesday autumns.
So like, they're like, okay, we're going with the mayor.
Yeah, and they just call out the results.
And Logan's like, oh, time to go get freaky in a haunted house.
They're like, okay, here's the here's the thing.

(37:00):
And then they're like, off to the off to the haunted house where we can go in the corner
where apparently other couples have been also caught all day.
Oh, another wall, Christina, they're up against another fucking wall.
Another wall.
How many we're at like, what's the wall count at this?
We're at five.
We're at five.
That's so rough.
We're at five.

(37:21):
Well, and then they finally do the age appropriate thing, don't they?
And they go finally back to her apartment to have sex.
For a book that's supposed to be spicy, this is at what point chapter 26 and there's 30,
32, 33 chapters.

(37:42):
That's late in the game if this book is supposed to be spicy.
Well, it's also only 200 pages, so I guess it just felt shorter in general.
So if we have longer chapters, then maybe this would feel more.
Maybe but then they also met on page two, basically.

(38:03):
Yeah, yeah, you're right.
They've had a lot of pages.
They've been dry humping for the third of the book.
For a while and then they're not even talking for some of that book.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right.
But yeah, they finally go have sex in Jeannie's apartment and it was fine.

(38:25):
I thought the smut was okay.
I was going to say, how do you feel?
You read a lot for the podcast.
How's this compare?
How's this compare?
It was, you know what it was.
It read very much like fan fiction in the sense that it was descriptive in some ways,

(38:49):
but not descriptive in others.
The fan fiction?
Yes, I.
You're picking up on what I'm putting down?
Uh huh.
Yeah, it read very fan fictiony.
It's a lot of like, he stroked me to my core and he found the spot that I never knew existed.

(39:10):
And I'm like, you could just say he fingered you.
We could just say that, right?
I almost thought it was going to be fade to black from the way that it was being described.
Yeah, it kind of felt like that.
Also I love that she just randomly has the condoms that fit in her apartment.
I'm like, damn girl, how did you get that right?

(39:32):
And the fact that all of her stuff is not unpacked really, but she's like, nah, that's
in the bathroom though.
Yeah, she knew she wanted to get, she psychologically knew she wanted to get dicked down.
I don't know, did she bring this with her from Boston or does she have to go in town
and buy these?
Yeah, I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know what she did.
I don't know how that happened.

(39:54):
But yeah, it's just, I don't know.
It was fine.
Like, it would be very passable in like a, if I was reading like a bunch of fan fiction
in one night, I'd be like, yeah, that's, that's about right.
For a spicy romance book, I expected more.
Yeah, for it being said to be spicy.

(40:15):
I expected more.
You want to know what I think is what made it spicy is the fact he went down on her first
and people were like, oh, spicy.
Crazy, what a concept, a female author.
Ladies, this is a PSA out to all the ladies out there.

(40:36):
If your partner isn't going down on you, you may want to reconsider.
Sydney dropping facts around here.
That's what you're considering spicy.
Ashley's giving me a horrified look right now.
All I'm saying is, ladies, if you're not satisfying the bedroom, there's other things that you

(41:02):
got to, you got to figure that shit out.
Sydney, I'm cutting you off.
Moving on.
Cut me off.
Cut me off.
Because guess what comes after this?
Guess what comes after this?
The third act to break up.
Logan and Jeannie.
Oh, I was going to say Logan and Jeannie because they do do that.
They do, they do.

(41:23):
But yeah, you're right.
Third, I break up time.
The inevitable.
The inevitable.
He sees he sees the papers about selling.
Guys, hey, hey, screw back 10 to 15 minutes ago.
What did I what happened?
I called it.
Yeah, we heard it.

(41:44):
Sydney did call it and it did happen.
He misread the papers because this is miscommunication again.
No one's talking.
Everyone's just looking.
They're all just they are.
They all jump.
They're really good at jump at good collusions.
And then it's like it's kind of insane because then he's like, oh, like, I can't believe

(42:07):
like she's not going to be like here.
I think he even calls it her temporary apartment.
And then you go immediately to Jeannie seeing Norman messing with the thermostat.
Well, well, I want to like talk about the Jeannie apartment thing first before we go
to Norman thing.
I do hate that Logan is just like, well, you're just temporarily staying here and she's and

(42:31):
she's like, what are you talking about?
And she's like telling him I don't want to go.
He's like not listening to her.
That was a very asshole move.
Super.
He's not listening.
Come on.
He's not listening and he's telling her what she wants.
And like, that's not cool, you know, and the only thing that he's like kind of basing this

(42:52):
off is the papers and the fact that she hasn't unpacked.
But to be fair, she mentioned that she was busy and like it took me months to unpack
on my own.
Like she's had no one to help her with it.
And she's running a full time business downstairs.
So like.
And I don't know.
This is getting tampered with.
Yeah.

(43:12):
Bye.
Who?
Christina?
It's my sister, Miss Norman.
What?
That's so crazy.
Our girl be alive, old man.
Our girl be alive, old man.
It's crazy.
And the funny thing is like that's what he got caught doing.
He's done all these other things that are a lot more dramatic, like cutting things.

(43:37):
Just tampering the thermostat.
Just tampering the thermostat.
And he's like, I quit.
Well, the fact he confesses, he confessed to what he did.
In this whole thing, he told her he went, yeah, I hired someone to scare you.
Genie!
And he's like, I can't do that.

(43:58):
I feel so sad and mad for him.
And it's like.
And guys, the whole reason he quits and the whole reason he did all this was because he
wanted to buy the cafe from Aunt Dot in the first place.
And Aunt Dot said that Genie needed it more.
Yeah.
And it's like, I just.

(44:20):
It's so stupid.
And it's like, it's such a maniac behavior.
And the fact Genie's like, oh, no, he's just a sad old man.
I'm not going to like press charges or like do a restraining order or something.
Nope, nothing.
He hired someone to break the windows of your place of business.
That's kind of insane.
And cut the lines to the refrigerator.
He said he did that, too.

(44:42):
That guy did it, too.
Yeah, he was like doing things that like actually messed up the business.
They weren't just always like, oh, I'm being painted.
That's a crime.
Yeah, that's a crime.
She said, no, Norman, don't leave.
You can't leave me with the with the shop.
With Crystal.
Yeah.
Like, what?
She's been doing fine with the cafe.

(45:03):
Yeah.
And so Genie like in the background crying and everything, she goes, no, I'm going to
stay here.
I'm going to go work in my cafe.
And she does like her boss girl walk out there.
And I'm like, this is so fucking dumb.
I'm allowed to be.
She's like, I think at this point, she talks about how she she's like, well, I just got

(45:25):
broken up with and she's like, well, is it a breakup if we weren't dating?
And then she calls Logan, quote, the big dummies.
And then she's like, hey, Crystal, sorry about that.
Yeah.
God.
Like she's compartmentalizing, I guess, at this point in the story.
I mean, I guess she has to if she's got to try and save her business.

(45:48):
I don't know.
I don't know.
I just at this point, I was like, this is so stupid.
I want this book to be done now.
Yeah, so she's like, she's just putting herself into work.
And then we get that Hazel and Annie come over to the farm to talk some sense into Logan
because it's been what?

(46:10):
One week later.
One week since I dumped you.
You know the song?
Yeah.
It's been one week since you looked at me.
That's the one that one.
So like they come over because despite it seeming like Annie and Hazel, like they're

(46:32):
supposed to be Logan's BFS, but you get more scenes with them with Jeannie than you do
with Logan.
So they're finally over.
Yeah.
And they're trying to talk sense into him.
And he's like, no, I need to fix the farm.
And they're like, dude, everyone thinks you've been gone on a retreat.
Yeah, because you disappeared.

(46:53):
And I love Hazel being just like, dude, you have abandonment issues.
And he's like, oh, like, what do you mean?
And she's like, dude, like your dad left, your mom died, your girlfriend left after
you try to propose to her.
That's a lot of big life things.

(47:13):
Yeah, you got issues, dude.
Oh, my God.
I'm just shaking my head at the rest of this book.
It's not.
It's not even that bad.
I think it was just everything just together.
Fist me off.
Everything being mediocre makes it feel worse than if it was bad because it wasn't entertaining.

(47:36):
None of this is entertaining.
It's frustrating to read.
Yeah.
Like, again, I just I'll let you go.
I've yapped so much.
Like, at this point, so like what they're talking sense into him.
And once again, news is dropping from someone that's not Jeannie.

(47:59):
And they're telling him and it's like Norman left and it's like, why did he quit?
And Jeannie's just being weird about it.
And he starts like getting upset about that.
And like, I think specifically, I'm looking at it right now.
And he quote growled.
I know exactly how unhinged he sounded, but not able to stop.

(48:20):
I want to know.
I did see this is like something on TikTok, but people are like, what is what?
What does it sound like when someone growls?
Like your best growl?
Go Norman.
Norman.
I like that.

(48:45):
Yeah, there was a different growl.
Hey, Ashley, can you give us your best growl?
Come on.
Rawr.
Rawr.
Rawr XD.
Is that not what happens during your sexy time?

(49:06):
I won't speak on that.
Okay so we get like this this talk from Annie and Hazel and Logan ends it with quote, it
was time to finally let that shit go.
And I'm like, it's chapter 29.
We're almost at the end of the book and it took that long?

(49:27):
Okay.
So we're getting Jeannie and she's being responsible for it.
It's the reunion.
Her brother's like, hey, are you alive?
And this kind of sums up the book for me at this point and says quote, she solved the
mystery of who is causing all the problems or rather the mystery had anti climatically
solved itself.

(49:48):
Yeah, that is the whole book.
It's very meta because I'm like, it did every every little mystery was like anti climatic.
Yeah, I was like, oh, yeah, I called that shit.
Sydney knew the whole time as Sydney knew.
It was Sydney all along.

(50:14):
So then we get we get the reunion.
He comes in, he comes barging in to the cafe.
Oh my god.
Everyone's there.
It's so public.
I quenched it so hard.
I was like, I need to see her Joe and poor Joe who drives the elderly.
He's just an emo teen.
He's just like, what am I going to do?

(50:39):
And Jeannie's like in the back and like the storage box.
She's like, stay strong, Joe.
He can do it.
And it's like Logan is just like he's being super loud and he's like, where is she?
And then he just starts calling her.
He's like, Jeannie.
Sir, the last time you did something like this, it didn't work out.
What?
Hey, scientific theory.

(50:59):
It's the thing where it's like the scientific theory.
You test something once.
No, it's the it's the.
It's something about insanity.
I don't remember exactly.
But it's like when you do the same thing over again, but you expect a different result.
That's insanity.
Yeah.
Yeah, that's insanity.
Like that.
Like, sir, it didn't work the first time and you got your heart broken quite badly.

(51:24):
Why are we doing it a second time?
He thinks it's a good idea, except for this time it's public, but it's not as public.
Like, at least it's not the tree lighting.
It's just the cafe when it's super busy and the club's there.
Like it's fine.
And so Jeannie's in the back.
Logan's in the front.

(51:44):
He's being loud.
He's like, I'll say it in front of everyone.
And she doesn't say anything.
So he says, OK, I guess that's my answer.
Logan went on, Jeannie, I've been a real ass.
And then the crowd let out a little cheer after that.
And everybody clapped.
And everybody clapped.

(52:07):
That's true.
So then she like she comes out because he like he called her bluff pretty much.
And she she pulls him into the back, which it says there were actual boos as they left
the room.
And everybody clapped.
And everybody clapped.
So they go to the back room.

(52:27):
They chat and they chatted it up.
And what do they do?
What do they do?
Is there a wall?
There's a locker.
There's a locker.
That's a wall.
It's a wall.
That's a wall.
Mm hmm.
They say we should have we should have talked sooner.
And then they stop talking.

(52:48):
Yep.
That's exactly it.
And then poor Joe comes in.
Well, because they do get a little serious and she's like, well, I solved the mystery.
Norman wanted to buy the cafe.
They talk about dot, blah, blah, blah.
There's a lot of blah, blah, blah at this point because we already know we're going

(53:11):
to have it.
We don't need it rehashed, but we are getting it.
And it's it's exhausting.
It is.
I'm exhausted by this point.
Can we just can we be done now?
And then I saw we had four more chapters and I was like, fuck.
There's still so much and they bring up the hedgehog pajama pants.

(53:32):
They bring up the snack foods.
Oh my, this is the love confession.
It's the love confession.
They say I love you.
Yeah.
Oh, here we go.
Actually, so I'm reading it now.
So they're talking, he says, does pumpkin carrying rank high on a man's attributes for

(53:52):
you?
And she says, apparently, Jeannie said with a grin and he kissed her smile.
It's good training for this.
She lost herself into his arms and Logan caught her escaping his lips.
His back hit the lockers, rattling them.
So I guess he's he's against the wall, which is different.

(54:14):
But again, he's picked her up.
Oh, but he has.
Oh, but then.
Oh, but then when he carries her out into the cafe, I was like, oh, my God, I hate this.
I hate this.
I hate this.
I hate this.
Literally.
And well, OK, but before that even happens, because Joe comes in and is like, I want her
to crash.
And he's like, oh, no, sorry.

(54:35):
And so Jeannie gives him a thumbs up.
And I did highlight this part.
A cheer broke out in the cafe and she says, Joe is not known for his discretion.
Oh, dear.
I just I was so I am just done.
I'm so done.
And that's when he was inspired to just carry her out.

(54:57):
Yeah.
You know, barbarian.
He says, I love this woman.
He announced roughly.
And I was like, yeah, no shit.
OK, OK.
And then like his friend comes to take over the rest of the cafe for the rest of the day
for so Jeannie and him can go bone.
So we're just I'm rushing over that point because I got so mad at this because.

(55:21):
Fun fact about me.
I'm a barista on the weekends, so I work at a local coffee shop here in town and I make
coffee.
So I do typical espresso drinks and like specialty lattes, so on and so forth.
So I know my way around an espresso machine.
Guys, it's harder than it looks.

(55:42):
You can't just like go back there.
And the fact that Logan is like, hey, Noah, you can handle this right.
And that was like, yeah, I'm a bartender.
I could definitely do that.
I'm like, no, you can't.
He doesn't know how many grams over the counter.
I'm like, sir, you don't know how many grams of coffee goes into there.
You don't know how like what roasts they use.

(56:05):
You know nothing.
You don't even know the measurements of the lattes.
Like no, you can't just go back there.
It's hard.
And you have to be like, OK, so he's a bartender, so he would have a food carrying license,
so he would be fine.
But still, it's like the principle behind it.
I'm just like, I'm offended.
I'm like, my job's harder than it looks.

(56:27):
I make little potions for people to enjoy.
So leave me alone.
Little potions.
Yeah, no, it doesn't know how to make the little potions.
He doesn't know the measurements.
He doesn't know of how many milliliters go into each latte or like the measurements
of like if it's like mocha, caramel and like something else.
He doesn't know.

(56:47):
He has no clue.
And they have him running the cafe or like not running the cafe, but he's helping out
for like at least a day or two because she takes off to just go to Logan's apartment.
And do what, Christina?
Tell us what they do.
Oh, what do they do?
They woo.
Oh, come on, Christina.

(57:09):
You could say in the Sims.
Yeah, they they have a lot of sex.
A lot.
They do.
It's a lot at the end of the book.
Oh, yeah, I didn't like that.
It was just like I won't lie.
I found myself skinning because I was like, where is the end of this book?
Yeah, I was like, I truly do not care.
Honestly, OK, do you want to?

(57:32):
I will say, do you want the kinkiest thing?
And it's not even that kinky in this book that they do is it actually gives him a blowjob
in the shower.
It's not that crazy.
It was not that bad.
It's like not that crazy.
And like, I think I've read that in a YA novel.
Like, I'm not saying that's good.
I read that in fan fiction.
I've definitely read that.
I love that Ashley just looked up in shock.
I'm like, oh, my God, I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.

(57:52):
I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.
I'm going to die.
I need some help.
Wait.
What YA books are you guys reading?
Man, things are crazy.
I mean, if you're talking about like Sarah J. Mass, she technically was YA.
No, Sarah J. Mass is new adult.
Now, but she was YA.
All of those books were YA.

(58:13):
So this was way back before new adult was becoming a thing.
I read a lot of The Steam, and I'm really, really glad that I read that.
And I'm going to be like, oh, I'm going to die.
Back before New Adult was becoming a thing, I read a lot of steamy YA that should not
have been labeled YA.
They need some help.
Yeah.
Well, I mean, there's a lot, I don't know.

(58:37):
No, yeah, yeah, you're right.
You're right.
But yeah, that was the spiciest thing they did is the fact that Genie was like, I wanna
blow you in the shower.
Logan's like, hell yeah.
You know, it's very, very vanilla.
They don't have to worry about a condom.

(58:58):
She said she went back on the pill, which is not how the pill works.
You need to wait longer than a week for the pill to work.
She's gonna get so fucking pregnant.
And let me tell you, like, once again, is she going to a local pharmacy?
Who runs the local pharmacy?
They know this.
I'll say she's loading up on condoms and pills or like, damn, Logan's in for it, I guess.

(59:22):
I don't know.
And then I think she gets like, she gets hungry.
They make is it cup of noodles?
Yes.
Cup of noodle.
Yeah, she has that.
And then old Nana comes knocking.
Yeah.
All right, because Nana comes knocking and goes, come have dinner.

(59:43):
And they're like, yeah, and then that's when they go to the shower and do their one somewhat
spicy thing.
One one mediocrely spicy thing right after Nana came.
And so then they go, they go.
It's very fade to black kind of at this point where you're like assuming that they're having

(01:00:05):
good time.
More good time, more sex.
More good time.
And then Jeannie, Jeannie's deciding to tell Annie and Hazel about all of this because somehow
they hadn't heard about it.
Oh, they weren't there when it happened, I guess.
But the news in the town spread so fast.

(01:00:27):
I am shocked.
No, I know.
I think they knew.
I think they knew it happened.
I think they wanted to hear it from her.
Okay, because they wanted the details.
But then they say what Ashlyn said earlier, I don't want too many details about my friend.
Fair, fair.
Oh, but then Aunt Dot randomly shows back up and I was like, why is she here?

(01:00:48):
It's because Jeannie called her, told her about the whole Norman situation.
This whole chapter should have been cut out.
It was really awkward because if you're going to get an Aunt Dot Norman situation, it felt
very just added and rushed in.
Yeah, it felt like we needed padding for more pages.

(01:01:13):
We weren't quite at the max amount.
Yeah, because then they just like they kind of rushed through it.
It's like, oh, I didn't know you liked me.
I didn't know you liked me.
And they're both pretty old where they've worked many years together.
But yeah, I don't know.
I don't know what the fuck was going on there.
Yeah.
And then Jeannie has a moment where she's like new Jeannie and old Jeannie mixed together.

(01:01:35):
So she thinks that she can be cheerful and dark, messy and competent sunshine and rain.
So she is both sunshine and grumpy.
Confirmed.
Listeners, I know you can't see this, but my head is just in my hand right now because
I'm just so done with this stupid book.

(01:01:57):
It doesn't get much better in the epilogue.
It's like Jeannie's apartment is finally being unpacked.
And the whole town apparently has come to help us or to help her unpack everything.
She's a permanent person there now.
She's a dreamer.
She's a part of Dream Harbor.
She's a dreamer.

(01:02:18):
And that's pretty much where we end because quote, everything was better in Dream Harbor
with Jeannie by his side.
That's where it ends, folks.
That's it.
That's it.
That's it, everybody.
Sydney's head is still in her hands.
I just don't want to be here anymore.
I'm sad I wasted hours of my life on this.

(01:02:41):
The more that we've talked about it, the more of a hater I've become.
I'm really glad because I did not like this book from the beginning.
I had a hard time reading it.
I don't think I would have finished it if I didn't have to read it for the podcast.
Yeah.
I'm so happy Sydney's on my side now.
Yeah.
Originally, I rated it higher, but the more we've talked about it, I'm like, no, I'm more

(01:03:04):
of a hater.
So I should rate it lower.
So amend the rating.
Yeah.
Hater clone.
I haven't put it out yet.
So I'll amend it.
Okay.
Perfect.
Well, Ashlyn, do you have some questions for us?
I have a lot of questions.

(01:03:26):
So my first question is one that we've kind of talked about a little bit.
For the most part, we all stumbled across this book on some form of social media.
The book was sold to us as a spicy grumpy sunshine small town romance perfect for fans
of Gilmore Girls.
What do you think of that description?
Is it accurate?

(01:03:48):
This is such a quick answer.
No, it was not as spicy as it said that it was.
No, it wasn't really grumpy sunshine.
No, it was not really found family.
And it did rip off Gilmore Girls a lot.
Yeah.
I'm going to agree with Christina on a lot of that, especially like it's not spicy.

(01:04:11):
And guys, if you think this is spicy, read some YA novels, read some YA novels, apparently.
And it really wasn't grumpy sunshine.
I mean, Logan was quiet and reserved.
It's not grumpy.
Like when I expect grumpy, I expect like, I'm big and tough to everyone else except you.

(01:04:32):
You know, like that's what I expect from a grumpy sunshine.
Rahosh.
Yes, Rahosh.
Rahosh can get it.
And I mean, there's a lot of I have not seen Gilmore Girls, so I can't really say it was
a ripoff.

(01:04:53):
I do think one episode, I'll watch one episode and I'll give you my conclusion there later.
So I mean, I definitely see characteristics from it.
I think it's better for a show rather than a book.
Yes, there was there was a lot of things that I think would be better visually.

(01:05:18):
And I think the book was trying to get that across.
But you can only describe someone's abs so many ways.
Truly, truly.
We here at the Roundship Power Hour podcast hate a third act breakup.
What other point of conflict would you have added to avoid?
To avoid it?

(01:05:41):
More of a dramatic reveal with Norman that could have been less anticlimactic and that
could have been the climax like moment of.
Yeah, this is the big moment.
Yeah, I think actually that would be great because then Jeannie and Logan can still like
be together and it'd be like, well, it's revealed that Norman's been the one sabotaging it because.

(01:06:05):
Yeah, because he wanted to buy the cafe or something and he's like doesn't want anyone
else to have it.
So he's going to take it away, you know?
It could have been way more dramatic, but it wasn't.
Would have been.
More a murder.
An actual murder would have helped.
Real spice around here.

(01:06:26):
Real spice around here, guys.
So yeah, I would agree with that.
Do you think that Logan and Jeannie stay together following the end of this book?
Well considering there's four other books after this, I'm going to assume they make

(01:06:49):
appearances in that.
So yeah, I don't like it.
I feel like it's like it's the book.
I feel like they already had their multiple breakups.
So yeah, and it's like their wedding.
Yeah, just inevitable that they are end game.
You know, like it's one of those couples in a TV show or something.

(01:07:11):
They're like they're going to end up together.
It's inevitable.
I think it's going to happen.
It's very ex-hex of them where I'm like I'm pretty sure this is like the main couple that
shows up.
Oh, actually, you know what?
There's a series that I think does this whole thing like a little bit better than I actually

(01:07:34):
want to suggest to listeners here because I read this trilogy earlier this summer and
it's called the Brightfall series and it begins with Delilah Green doesn't care.
It's giving off like same small town vibes, but it's also an interesting dynamic because
it's also gay.

(01:07:56):
So it's really fun because it's lesbians.
And I really enjoyed the series, the spice is actually good and the actual attraction
between the characters is like actually interesting, especially within the first and second book.
I really love those two books.
So if you want a different version of this series, I would go check out Bright Falls

(01:08:23):
instead instead of Dream Harbor.
What would you rate this book on a scale one to five?
For me, definitely I originally said two.

(01:08:45):
I could be swayed to one.
I think it was so unentertained.
There was not much that was funny, not much that pulled my attention in.
It's just was it.
That's the best way I have to describe it.
I am making it a 2.5.

(01:09:05):
I can see why people would want to read this and like it, but it's so just middle of the
board.
Like it's just, it's not bad, but it's not good either.
So it is truly just in the middle for me.
Yeah, there's not much that would make me want to recommend it to someone unless someone's

(01:09:28):
like, I literally just want to read words on a page.
If someone was like, I want to read a really like, actually, no, I would still recommend
Bright Falls instead.
If someone was like, I want to read a small town romance, I'd be like, go read Bright
Falls and they'd be like, but it's lesbians.
I'd be like, are you homophobic?
Call them out, Sydney, call them out.

(01:09:48):
And if you are, then yeah, go read Pumpkin Spice Cafe because you'll enjoy it, I think.
Real good, real good vanilla.
Yeah, I do want to find an actual cute like hallmark-ish movie book.
I'd love to find that.
I would love to find a cute romance book that is like a hallmark movie, but in a book.

(01:10:15):
It's actually good.
It wasn't this one.
No, I just wanted it more fun and quirky, I guess.
I thought it would be more fun and quirky and it wasn't as fun and quirky.
It was just kind of lame.
No, and the few like quirky moments that we got were kind of fun, but like I think I'm
going to forget it real soon.

(01:10:36):
Yeah, yeah, it was just, I hate to say it, but it was just very forgettable.
But with that, Christina, great job on your first summary of a book.
I'm so proud of you.
Look at you coming from unpaid inter to unpaid host and now summarizing whole books.

(01:10:56):
You're so good at this.
Thanks.
Yeah, what a book to jump in on.
You know what?
It's better than what I did when we first did Ice Plane of Barbarians, so at least you
don't have to do the first one of that one.
I know.
It was iconic, but it also was something anyway.

(01:11:20):
We're going to say good night to you guys with that.
If you guys want to listen to other episodes of us where we can give our full thoughts
and opinions on so many books, go listen to another episode.
If you want to interact with us online, go to Instagram, TikTok, go to X, go onto Twitch

(01:11:43):
or YouTube, go find us, go talk to us, tell us what you think about us yapping for how
many ever hours you guys are listening to these podcasts.
And let us know if you guys want us to read something that you've found on the internet.
Now if you loved that chaotic summarization of this book, just wait until next week where

(01:12:07):
we read Hold Hard by the Voting Machine.
It just seems very iconic for the moment in which we're in, so stay tuned for that.
And we'll have Lauren back next time to spread the craziness and the raunchiness.

(01:12:28):
But with that, I will say good night to you, you pumpkin cutie pies.